Free Essays on Killing In The Name Of

, spoken by Colonel Kurtz in the Vietnam film Apocalypse Now, describe the disgust Kurtz has at American and Western involvement in Indochina. This film and message by Kurtz parallels with the theme of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, from which the movie was based. In Conrad’s work, he uses descriptive details of his accounts in European Africa. Those â€Å"blank spaces on the earth†(22) Conrad and his protagonist for the novel, Marlow, dreamed of journeying to were finally accessible to them during the turn of the century - At the exact moment East and Central Africa were falling under the dominion of European colonialism. Marlow, like Conrad’s life experience, is sent on his mission, and it is his story with his eerie, descriptive details of that mission that warns of the perils of European dominance and expansion. It is clear early in the novel that Conrad is making a negative statement about European imperialism. Marlow’s first journey occurs on the French steamer shipping down the African coast. Marlow describes the ship’s sole purpose as â€Å"landing soldiers and custom-house officers.†(27) Marlow is clearly upset with the continuing drop-off of these men along the coast. When speaking about the port cities established by the European settlers and traders, Marlow said that their â€Å"names seemed to belong to some sordid farce acted in front of a sinister back-cloth.†(28) Marlow realizes that being trapped on the ship, and therefore trapped within the confines of Western ideals and thoughts, has kept him â€Å"away from the truth of things within the mournful and senseless delusion.†(28) His only â€Å"momentary contacts with reality†(28) occurs when black men travel on their paddle... Free Essays on Killing In The Name Of Free Essays on Killing In The Name Of â€Å"But we must kill them. We must incinerate them. Pig after pig. Cow after cow. Village after village. Army after army†¦ They lie. They lie, and we have to be merciful for those who lie. Those nabobs.† These words, spoken by Colonel Kurtz in the Vietnam film Apocalypse Now, describe the disgust Kurtz has at American and Western involvement in Indochina. This film and message by Kurtz parallels with the theme of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, from which the movie was based. In Conrad’s work, he uses descriptive details of his accounts in European Africa. Those â€Å"blank spaces on the earth†(22) Conrad and his protagonist for the novel, Marlow, dreamed of journeying to were finally accessible to them during the turn of the century - At the exact moment East and Central Africa were falling under the dominion of European colonialism. Marlow, like Conrad’s life experience, is sent on his mission, and it is his story with his e erie, descriptive details of that mission that warns of the perils of European dominance and expansion. It is clear early in the novel that Conrad is making a negative statement about European imperialism. Marlow’s first journey occurs on the French steamer shipping down the African coast. Marlow describes the ship’s sole purpose as â€Å"landing soldiers and custom-house officers.†(27) Marlow is clearly upset with the continuing drop-off of these men along the coast. When speaking about the port cities established by the European settlers and traders, Marlow said that their â€Å"names seemed to belong to some sordid farce acted in front of a sinister back-cloth.†(28) Marlow realizes that being trapped on the ship, and therefore trapped within the confines of Western ideals and thoughts, has kept him â€Å"away from the truth of things within the mournful and senseless delusion.†(28) His only â€Å"momentary contacts with reality†(28) occurs when black men travel on their paddle...

How the 1947 Truman Doctrine Contained Communism

How the 1947 Truman Doctrine Contained Communism When President Harry S. Truman issued what came to be known as the Truman Doctrine in March 1947, he was outlining the basic foreign policy that the United States would use against the Soviet Union and Communism for the next 44 years. The doctrine, which had both economic and military elements, pledged support for countries attempting to hold back Soviet-style revolutionary Communism. It symbolized the United States post-World War II global leadership role. Countering Communism in Greece Truman formulated the doctrine in response to the Greek Civil War, which itself was an extension of World War II. German troops had occupied Greece since April 1941, but as the war progressed, Communist insurgents known as the National Liberation Front (or EAM/ELAS) challenged Nazi control. In October 1944, with Germany losing the war on both the western and eastern fronts, Nazi troops abandoned Greece. Soviet General Secretary Josef Stalin supported the EAM/LEAM, but he ordered them to stand down and let British troops take over Greek occupation to avoid irritating his British and American wartime allies. World War II had destroyed Greeces economy and infrastructure and created a political vacuum that Communists sought to fill. By late 1946, EAM/ELAM fighters, now backed by Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito (who was no Stalinist puppet), forced war-weary England to commit as many as 40,000 troops to Greece to ensure it did not fall to Communism. Great Britain, however, was also financially strapped from World War II, and on February 21, 1947, it informed the United States that it was no longer able to financially sustain its operations in Greece. If the United States wanted to halt the spread of Communism into Greece, it would have to do so itself. Containment Halting the spread of Communism had, in fact, become the United States basic foreign policy. In 1946, American diplomat George Kennan, who was minister-counselor and chargà © daffaires at the American Embassy in Moscow, suggested that the United States could hold Communism at its 1945 boundaries with what he described as a patient and long-term containment of the Soviet system. While Kennan would later disagree with some elements of American implementation of his theory (such as involvement in Vietnam), containment became the basis of American foreign policy with Communist nations for the next four decades. The Doctrine to Stop Communism On March 12, Truman unveiled the Truman Doctrine in an address to the United States Congress. It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure, Truman said. He asked Congress for $400 million in aid for Greek anti-communist forces, as well as for the defense of Turkey, which the Soviet Union was pressuring to allow joint control of the Dardanelles. In April 1948, Congress passed the Economic Cooperation Act, better known as the Marshall Plan. The plan was the economic arm of the Truman Doctrine. Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall (who had been United States Army chief of staff during the war), the plan offered money to war-torn areas for the rebuilding of cities and their infrastructures. American policy-makers recognized that, without quick rebuilding of war damage, countries across Europe were likely to  turn to Communism.

Weekly journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Weekly journal - Essay Example he recessionary face of the economy when the businesses are suffering losses and a result of these losses they decrease their labor force which results in increase in the rate of unemployment (Krugman 144). Due to increase in unemployment, those who lose their jobs buy less goods and services and their spending mostly focuses on fulfilling their necessities and they stop spending money on luxurious goods and services. Another subject that has been discussed in the chapter is inflation which is a term used to denote the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services (Krugman 151). Increase in the inflation rate at one point in time leads to decrease in the ability of the consumers to purchase goods and services. Due to this they are able to purchase less goods and services in a given time period as compared to the previous time period when the rate of inflation was low. The chapter states that the government has to intervene to solve the counter inflation and increase the liv ing standards of its

Career Commitment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Career Commitment - Assignment Example In the case of the former, it emanates from employees being emotionally attached to their organizations (Tiwari, 2009). They identify with the objectives and values of the organization and work towards accomplishing the given goals. In some instances, a commitment to an organization occurs due to fear of losing jobs. In such a case, the employees consider the pros and cons when they leave the organizations. Due to the organization commitment, employees have an obligation to work towards achieving the goals of an organization. Career committed employees are relatively mobile because they are in constant search of better opportunities to advance in their careers. The employees consider their personal goals in line with career objective more than the benefit to an organization (Carter, Cook & Dorsey, 2009). When the employees leave for better opportunities, then organizations suffer. They have to spend money on recruiting new individuals. The normal operations of the organization undergo interruption due to the loss of input from such workers. In general, career committed workers are always on the move. Compared to the organizational commitment, career committed workers negatively impact on the success of an organization. As people advance in age, organizational commitments become

Current Event- Foxconn Essay Example for Free

Current Event- Foxconn Essay Having a business in the electronic industry is difficult because this industry is very competitive. To stay at the same level as other competitors or rise above, companies have to be more innovative and efficient. Companies are often under pressure to find the lowest-cost providers, and typically are free to look globally. This is where outsourcing and offshoring comes into effect, along with the difficulty in finding balance in the corporation when dealing with different societies and their culture. In order to stay at the same level as other companies or rise above, Apple Inc. outsourced and offshored its jobs to many countries. This article shows that Apple, being a multination corporation (MNC), has a blend of polycentric and regio-centric predisposition management strategies, dealing with human rights and labor practices. Apple at first made management decisions that were tailored to suit the culture, in this case, China; however, over the years, Apple has been scrutinized for their human rights and labor practices due to offshoring and outsourcing of jobs. In 2010 there were numerous amounts of suicides that occurred within the factories that Apple outsourced its jobs to. These suicides were due to bad working and living conditions, which stemmed from 60 hour work weeks, low pay, abuse on the job and countless other reasons. Since Apple subcontracted their business to other companies, in this case Foxconn in China, Foxconn can manage their facility the way they want to, to a certain extent. There are many reasons as to why there have been many suicides at these overseas factories. However, one major contributing factor to the numerous suicides is the abuse that workers deal with. It has been reported that managers of Foxconn have been known to abuse workers for mistakes or missing deadlines. According to Trompeanaars’ cultural dimensions, this abuse could be due to China being a particularistic culture, in which conflicts can arise when doing business with another country which has a universalistic culture. And this is where the obligations of Apple being a MNC comes into play. Does Apple adopt the regulations of the U.S. or those in China? It seems to me that Apple decides to do some of both. Since Apple has many suppliers in different countries, it is only fitting to believe that Apple is changing its’ management decisions, concentrating on human rights and labor practices, towards region-centric strategies for profitability and public acceptance. Some of the more difficult to understand or solve ethical problems occur as corporations do business in other societies where ethical standards differ from those at home. This article also ties into corporate social responsibility (CSR). As a response to the many suicides in 2010, Apple created the Supplier Responsibility Progress Report to help drive the change that needed to occur in the ethical aspect of the company. This report consisted of: driving change, empowering employees, protecting foreign contract workers, preventing underage labor, monitoring compliance (through audits), responding to suicides, holding suppliers accountable, and moving forward. To further enhance the company’s CSR, in March, Apple and its Foxconn supplier reached an agreement to increase wages from 16 to 25 percent, and to improve working conditions for the 1.2 million workers assembling Apple products. Since Apple Inc has outsourced and offshored the business to other companies, it continues to deal with ethical issues the most. Although Apple has created and implemented policies to bring more balance between the different societies and cultures, there will still be issues because there is no universally adopted standard for what is acceptable behavior. However, since Apple is considered a top leader in the electronic industry, implementation of improved labor practices and human rights can help other western companies to bring about change; as well as how they do business in not only China, but other countries where there are difficulties in dealing with different societies and cultures.

Releasing the Moment in Clampitt’s Poem Fog Essay -- Clampitt Fog Essa

The photographer sights, clicks, stops; the moment is captured; the vision settles. The poet sights, clicks, begins; the moment is released; the vision starts. Tess Gallagher says, "the poem is always the enemy of the photograph." The art of poetry demands more than external vision; a poem takes the reader outside and inside to see, hear, touch, and feel every detail. In Amy Clampitt’s poem "Fog," she immerses the reader’s senses in the entirety of the moment’s external grace and its secret inner core. Clampitt seeks out what is hidden to the eye. She wants what the camera cannot record. Her subject allows her to show off poetry’s distinct function and strength. Fog obscures, shrouds, limits, dissolves; it defeats sight. "Fog" reveals, illuminates, widens, and intensifies; it gives sight. There is a pleasing poetic irony in Clampitt’s ability to render so present to the mind’s eye precisely what the eyes themselves cannot see at all. "A vagueness comes over everything, / as though proving color and contour / alike dispensable" (Clampitt 610). As things disappear, "the lighthou...

Courtroom work group Essay

During this paper I am going to be covering topics such as the courtroom work groups, the role of a prosecutor, the effects of the criminal justice funnel and the backlog of cases on the court system and the courtroom work group. Topics such as these are important to cover so that each individual has a complete understanding of the pros and cons of systems in the judicial system. What is a courtroom work group? â€Å"The professional courtroom actors, including judges, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, public defenders, and others who earn a living serving the court.† (Pg. 312) By Frank Schmalleger 2011. From my understanding a courtroom work group is anyone who works as an employee of the court systems. This includes the bailiff, courtroom recorders, courtroom clerks and translators. During a daily basis the courtroom work group is expected to maintain interaction that serves the court and its many members. The courtroom work group is focused on bringing the case to a fair ending by communicating with each other even though there are different parties hoping for different outcomes. The reason they are able to communicate so well is because even though they support different sides of the case, they are all focused on closing the case quickly. If I was able to make changes to the courtroom work group I would like to change the allotted time each judge spends on a single case. I feel it is important that citizens understand what the judge is telling them and they feel like they are being treated with care not just being rushed through the system. Frank Schmalleger said, â€Å"An attorney whose official duty is to conduct criminal proceedings on behalf of the state or the people against those accused of having committed criminal offences.† (Pg. 315) A prosecutor has too many duties for one person to take on so they hire assistant district  attorneys who take over most of the court work. There are approximately 2,300 chief prosecutors assisted by 2,400 deputy attorneys. I believe that a prosecutor takes on a case by determining what the case fundamentals are and then deciding the amount of court work to assign each assistant attorney. The effects of the criminal justice funnel are certain individuals not being allotted the proper amount of time needed for the judge to look in to their case before being sentenced. I feel that the criminal justice funnel is just a way to speed up the amount of time you spend in the court system. Because of the lack of judges and funds our judicial system has, we are forced to be put through a system that is impersonal and processed too quickly. As of right now if every citizen going through the court system received as much time as they felt necessary, we would be in a permanent back log which means that one person could sit in prison awaiting trial for over a year when his case could have taken a substantially shorter amount of time with the criminal justice funnel. When members of the court work group are able to come to an agreement or plea-bargain, they are able to speed up the process and move on to the next case quicker and more effectively. Some solutions to making the criminal justice funnel more successful would be to put more money in to the judicial system so that more judges could be hired and citizens feel that they are provided with a more personalized journey through the court system. If this was applied the amount of backlog would be substantially reduced because there would be more judges to handle cases each day. In conclusion, I believe that the court system is always going to be changing. There are always going to be people who are not pleased with the way the judicial system is ran. There are also many aspects which do need attention and would be able to be fixed if only the funds were available. 2.00 chief prosecutors assisted by 2400 deputy attorneys. nal offences. udge is telling them and they feel like they are

International Management

The purpose of this report Is to present 320 Below Pet Ltd a business proposal to venture Into Bangkok, Thailand. A series of relevant questions pertaining to the Ice- cream parlous business and its future expansion into foreign markets are proposed here to identify business opportunities and risks. The F&B industry in Singapore and the company's structure has been studied in depth to gain a better understanding of the industry. 320 Below is a Singapore based company that sells fresh ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt.The enterprise's legal structure, its history, mission, vision, alls, objectives and the ownership structure are further analyzed. The products and services offerings of 320 Below are highlighted and supported with the customer profile and demand analysis by the usage of Porter's Five Forces analysis. Moving forward, the environmental factors on the host country business climate are carefully examined. Based on the findings, the unique usage of liquid nitrogen in makin g the Ice cream is favored at large.Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of 320 Below will be evaluated In depth by using the SOOT analysis. A comprehensive business strategy Is finalized and proposed comprising of mode of entry and identifying the Hypotheses national cultural dimensions as it ensures that the different strategies will be carefully studied. Vital components of the fps strategies, which constitutes of pricing strategy, distribution and logistics, promotion and advertising and production and service strategies are also discussed.This will be followed with financial reports and the planning of cost analysis, the projected profit and loss statement expected to derive. The management considerations Including personnel, business advisers and contingency plans to be undertaken have been determined. Finally, recommendation will be presented to 320 Below based on the chances of success rate, which will influence its decision making to venture into foreign markets l ike Bangkok. 2. Introduction Being the first mover entrant, 320 Below Private Limited (Pet Ltd) first launched the unprecedented concept of freezing ice-cream using liquid nitrogen In Singapore.This unique Innovation has speed up the Ice-cream making process, thus enabling 320 Below to experiment with a wide variety of ice-cream flavors in the shortest time compared to traditional ice-cream making at large. The founder and Managing Director of 320 Below, Miss Lillian Nag is currently heading its business operations and business strategy for the gourmet ice-cream parlous. With the support of Miss Nag, our team kept in touch with her through numerous email correspondence to collect valuable information about 320 Below.This has provided our team with vital and useful findings which has facilitated us In preparing this business proposal. These justifications has indeed given us many insights in the ice-cream parlous business and helped us to draft out the necessary marketing tools that has helped to advertise the company. 3. Industry Business Description restaurants, fast food outlets, food caterers and others segment. In the â€Å"Others† segment, it generally refers to the different types of F establishments ranging from cafes, bars, food courts, pubs to coffee house.In 2012, Singapore F industry has substantially increased and generated approximately SAG 1 1. 98 billions in revenues, which is equivalent to 3. 5% of the country gross domestic product (GAP). According to Singapore Department of Statistics (2013), the year of 2012 has witnessed an increase of 3. 2% of new F establishment opening in Singapore. The total number of F establishment has significantly increase from 6,464 to 6,668 and is a good sign that the industry is expanding. With a population of over 5. Million, Singapore is ranked one of the highest food consumption country in Southeast Asia. In Singapore, eating is considered a national pastime, where people are willing to queue up for hal f an hour to over an hour for their favorite food. The majority of Singapore population's love for good food and their willingness to food hunt around the island display their passion and attitude towards eating. Within the social circles, it is viewed as an status leveler or status builder if you can recommend a particular place that serves great food to your friends or families.Being able to do immediately brings up your personal reputation (Wang 2006). The increasing affluent middle class and the rise in their disposable income has also fuelled the growth of the F&B industry. This group of affluent Singapore who are well-traveled are often attracted by what they see and experience during their holiday trips. Therefore, when these F&B establishments opened in Singapore, they would gladly patronize them. This has definitely spurred the demands of overseas food and produce (Rehearing's 2013).In addition, growing tourism activities in Singapore from overseas visitors have also suppor ted the growth of these F establishments. The future of the F industry in Singapore looks promising and is projected to growth in healthy levels due to its per capita consumption growth. 4. Company Description 4. 1 Type of Business Founded in October 2012, 320 Below Pet Ltd is a Singapore-based ice cream parlor that specializes in making fresh premium ice-cream, sorbet and frozen yoghurt purely from using natural ingredients. The company falls into the category of lifestyle cafes in Singapore F industry. 20 Below prides itself in delivering a unique ice- cream eating experience for customers to mingle and hang out with their friends and families. 320 Below is the early pioneer in Singapore to launch the concept of freezing ice cream by using liquid nitrogen. This unique and innovative ice-cream making process has revolutionized how ice cream is traditionally prepared and consumed. This interesting concept has also introduced an unique cafe experience, where customers can walk-in to choose from a wide variety of specially created ice- ream flavors that are freshly churned out on the spot from the mixing bowl. 20 Below Pet Ltd started its ice cream parlor business as a Limited Liability company (LLC), which is commonly known as Private Limited company. The company is registered under Singapore laws and tax regulations. Under the legal structure of a LLC, 320 Below intends to separate its legal entity from their owners and shareholders. By doing so, their business obligations only strictly remain within the legal entity itself and shareholders are excluded from any legal liability in their personal capacity. 20 Below also enjoy various legal and tax benefits as a LLC.For example, 320 Below is exempted from paying taxes during the first three years of incorporation for the first SAG $100,000 profits that they make every year. The corporate tax rate in Singapore is very attractive, which stood at below 9% for profits up to SAG $300,000 and capped at 17% for profits exceeding SAG $300,000. In addition, Singapore single-tier tax policy implemented across all corporation means that 320 Below will only be taxed once at corporate level. In the event of any dividends payout to their shareholders, they will not be tax again. 0 Below also benefited from the ease of raising capital for new venture or business expansion in the future. As a LLC, 320 Below will find it easier to get business financing from financial institutes, such as banks, and also raising capital through adding equity partners or investors. 4. 3 320 Below History, Mission, Goals & Objectives The brand name â€Å"320 Below' came about when the founder Allan Nag discovered that liquid nitrogen actually boils at minus 320 degree Fahrenheit (OF) and she decided to name after it. Lillian Nag, the founder and managing director of 320 Below has a passion and loves creating quality ice-cream.She believes in making ice cream that are low in sugar and do not contain artificial emulsifier, sta bilizer and preservative. During the early beginnings, Miss Nag experimented in creating numerous unique tasty ice-cream flavors from her home. Over a period of time, she had created and perfected numerous ice-cream recipes that have received good reviews from friends and family members. The idea of freezing ice-cream came about one day when she was doing online researches about ice cream making and found out about using liquid nitrogen to produces fresh creamy ice-cream, without paving icy crystals that can affects the taste pleasure.After mastering the ice-cream making process, Miss Nag decided to venture in the ice cream parlor business. 320 Bellows vision is to become the first-mover in new creation and innovation to ensure their products are always fresh, smooth, tasty and clean. Their mission is to ensure that their ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt are of the highest quality, smooth and tasty. 320 Below also endeavor to deliver exceptional customer service to their customer s in a clean, fun and relaxing environment to hang out. 4. Ownership Structure 20 Below currently have two outlets in Singapore, which is the Mackenzie Road main shop located near the city area and the Tympanis One branch, a neighborhood area in the eastern part of Singapore. The ownership structure of 320 Below consists of 3 Below employs a manager who takes charge of the daily operations in the Tympanis One branch and Miss Nag is in charge of the Mackenzie Road main shop. The manager at Tympanis One reports directly to Miss Nag pertaining any operations issues. At any time, each outlet hire at least two temporary staffs to service customers at the ice cream parlous.Miss Nag is also in charge of the marketing and production aspects of 320 Below. Her manager handles the financial accounting and human resources for both the outlets. 5. Product/ Service Factors 5. 1 Product/ Service Analysis 320 Below is the unprecedented ice cream shop that uses liquid nitrogen for their ice cream ma king process. As such, they have an advantage of offering new and interesting products to their customers in the F&B industry. They are not Just ice cream sellers but they also offer a wide range of products like frozen yoghurt and sorbets that are freshly made on the spot after customers have placed their orders.This kind of service are very rare in the Singapore market as traditionally ice cream are made in advanced and stored for later consumption in ice cream parlors or they can be conveniently bought in all supermarkets or convenience stores. 320 Bellows flagship main store at Mackenzie Road offers a unique experience of enjoying ice cream, which not other places in Singapore offers. The location of their ice cream parlor are conveniently located near city area and offer ample parking space for individuals or families who wish to patronize them. Next their shop is nicely decorated with a colorful theme that attracts passer by and want to come in.Students and teenagers are also attracted to 320 Below shop because they enjoy hanging out with their friends due to its cozy and comfortable environment it gives to their customers. 5. 2 Customer Profile/ Demand Analysis Thailand is a country with a hot climate for most parts of the year. It is common for people to seek out cooling food items to manage the heat and ice cream happens to be one of the highly sought after food items consumed. In Bangkok, the weather records a hotter temperature being an urban area with less greenery to cool the surroundings compared to other parts of Thailand.Therefore, the demand tends to be higher compared to other parts of Thailand. Other ice cream brands have been successful in Bangkok with constant demands from ice cream lovers. Thailand is ranked at 13th place, with 1. 5 litter of ice cream consumption per capita each year (Ice cream consumption 2013), Just 2 places behind Singapore. The consumer market for ice cream in Bangkok consists mainly of This who are in the working cl ass of age 25 – 40 and tourists who visit the kingdom for holidays. These groups of people generally look for uniqueness in the products they purchase.Thus, he technology of using liquid nitrogen to create ice cream instantly will attract their attention and given their access to education and the internet, they will better appreciate the ice cream making process of 320 Below. As ice cream brands that able to capture the attention of potential consumers in Bangkok and attract them to patronize the ice cream parlor. 5. 3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5. 3. 1 Bargaining power of suppliers (High) Liquid nitrogen is not only used in the ice cream making process but also for other food processing such as bakery in the Food & Beverage (F&B) Industry.As such, appliers may choose to supply to other food processing brands, which require a larger quantity of liquid nitrogen compared to 320 Below. Similarly, suppliers of other equipment in general required by 320 Below for its ice cream outlet operations have a bigger pool of customers in the similar business to choose from to create business ties. 5. 3. 2 Bargaining power of customers (Low) Customers are unable to make vast comparisons as brands offering the same product as 320 Below is relatively new in Bangkok. Furthermore, the Bangkok market is relatively new to this ice cream making process using liquid nitrogen to churn out CE cream.The lack of knowledge of the product further weakens their bargaining power. 5. 3. 3 Threat of new entrants (Low) There are very few ice cream outlets established in Bangkok that use the liquid nitrogen technology to produce their ice cream. Moreover, the frequency of new ice cream brands opening an outlet in Bangkok is low. Given the fact that Thailand is still a developing country and poses the risks of political unrest, other ice cream brands with similar technology might be hesitant to venture into the Thai market. Therefore, the threat of new entrants is low for ice cream br ands in Bangkok. 3. 4 Threat of substitute products (High) Ice cream is a product that has constant demand in Bangkok given the hot climate and relatively strong demand from consumers. Therefore, there are numerous brands that provide the similar primary product with Just slight variations. The price range of 320 Below is relatively higher than the average ice cream pricing due to the running costs involving the technology that is used. Consumers may be unwilling to pay for a higher price for their ice cream and may favor other ice cream brands that are much cheaper but not necessarily of higher quality.Others may look for other alternatives such as local cold desserts to replace eating ice cream. Therefore, the threat of substitute products is high in Bangkok. 5. 3. 5 Competitive rivalry within the industry (Low) The idea of using liquid nitrogen in the ice cream making process is still very new in Bangkok. According to research, there is currently one ice cream brand that adopted competitor that produces ice cream in a similar process. However, due to its huge demographic and population in Bangkok there is room for competition in the market. 6. Environmental Factors 6. Host Country Business Climate 20 Below was the first to introduce liquid nitrogen ice cream. It was quite a success for them as a lot of people are curious and wanted to try how does these ice creams taste like. Soon another competitor Just Like It came along. It create a buzz in the F&B industry as it invest in their marketing and advertising campaign. In order to expand their area of revenues income, 320 Below has began doing market survey and research to consider and plan their expansion. Either they open up another outlet to compete with their competitors or they can venture oversea to open their first shop overseas.In London and Hong Kong, there are already shops that sells liquid nitrogen ice cream. Thus venturing into these two countries are not advisable. The best two options are Thail and, Bangkok or Vietnam. 6. 2 SOOT Analysts of 320 Below Strength The strength of 320 Below lies in their Research and Development team and strong support from their management. The R&D are always encourage to develop new products and to cater to the demands of the Singapore market. Being able to understand the Singapore market makes 320 Below easier to target at their range of customers.The vertical integration have given 320 Below an advantage in the arrest. Lastly, the financial status of 320 Below are healthy and they are not in debts. Weakness The operating costs for the operations in Singapore have been increasing lately. This is due to the inflation of the market in Singapore. Also they are facing manpower issues. Even though it is still manageable, but still its difficult to find young service staff to be committed and loyal to the company. Most of the services staff are students working on a temporary basis and they do not tend to stay long in the Job. Opportunities opportu nities.To open their shops in Asia countries and to introduce their underfed products to the local people there. This can create more awareness and increase their market shares. Threats With the recent riots and social unrest in Bangkok, 320 Below will have to be very careful in their planning and execution of their shop opening. The economy in Thailand has fairly been affected by the power struggle between within the government parties. A possible delay in carrying out their plan might be necessary if the situation there worsen. Second, if the pricing of their ice cream is expensive, the local This might not patronize them and avoid eating it. . Government Constraints/ Incentives The Thai government has been having political uncertainties since 2010 surrounding their former prime minister and the current one. The former Prime Minister Taking Sinatra has been over thrown in a military coup in 2010. His sister was elected as the new Prime Minister for Thailand. At the end of 2013, hi s sister Youngling Sinatra has tried to pass on a bill, which could lead to allowing Taking to return to Thailand, Bangkok. This has caused uproar of protests among the Thai population. This was enough to lead to the recent demonstrations by the citizens in centralBangkok. Shops are still open for business even though protests and demonstrations are ongoing. But somehow, their business will still be affected. This feud between the anti government and the prime minister of Thailand will be ongoing for a long period. Travelers have been warned about traveling to Thailand and to avoid these affected areas. 6. 4 Laws/ Regulations/ Administrative Practices Thailand has a long history of corruption, bribery, extortion, leak of insider information used in securing lands, business deals, etc. This has created negative media publicity for the country.Organizations who want to venture into Thailand will have to seriously consider it before shifting in funds from overseas for investments. Ther efore, It is prudent to have the government support in our expansion plans. We also need to know and abide to their local employment laws and regulations. It is almost similar to our Singapore employment regulations except for some slight differences. For example, there are no limitations on the number of days for medical leave. Companies are to set up the Employee Welfare Fund and contributions are made from both employer and employee.These funds will be used to compensate employees who have resigned, laid off or suffer serious injuries during their service with the company. 7. Business Strategies organizational structure in order for organizations to be successful. Bangkok regulation on the food and beverage industry welcomes foreign investment. The threat in competition for the food and beverage sector is overwhelming and could result in high operation cost. If it franchises out its chain in Bangkok or Joint venture with a local, the organization may experience a communication ba rrier as the locals mostly speak Thai and know minimum English.As a new entrant in Bangkok as a franchiser as an option, 320 Below may face potential challenges such as having difficulties in obtaining the appropriate approval and permits from the respective authorities. Unnecessary expenses might incur during the process and might lead to higher cost. Due to cultural differences and language barrier, this could also result in misunderstanding, leading to conflicts when dealing with the respective stakeholders in the sector, as they may be amateurs to the business. The proposed mode of entry for 320 Below is franchising in Bangkok, with a few considerations to be analyzed.Egger Hefted 320 Below must identify the Hypotheses national cultural dimensions as one of the key factors before proposing and venturing in Bangkok as identifying the cultural differences amongst the neighboring countries are an added advantage. In determining the Hefted nation culture, he identified five dimensio ns, which comprise of power distance, individualism, Masculinity/Femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation. 320 Below identified the potential of individualism and long-term orientation as their top priorities in venturing into Bangkok.The company is keen to review individualism ND long-term orientation as part of their daily operations in generating growth with the support and directions from the top management. Figure 1 : Hypotheses Model Country Comparison As a comparison amongst the three countries and Singapore, Bangkok shows the highest significant similarities of what Singapore adopts. fps Strategy 7. 1 Product/ Service Positioning Every individual has a sweet tooth whether for breakfast, teatime, after a meal or anytime of the day when one desires for dessert.Every dessert craves yearn for a perfect flavor and a unique sweet course. The evolution of ice-cream originated jack then during the second century B. C. It is known that Alexander the Great enjoyed i ce and snow with a tinge of added flavors of honey and nectar back then. Tastes. Ice cream mostly appreciated by the elites remained a rare and exotic dessert in today's context. Due to technological innovations such as steam power, mechanical refrigeration, homogeneity, electric motors and new freezing concepts and equipment ice-cream production has improvised.It has been identified in the United States that the total frozen dairy annual production is more than 1. 6 billion gallons due to the ongoing advancement in technologies. The concept of 320 Below was originated from United States. The process of rapid freezing provided by liquid nitrogen allows the making of endless combinations of ice-cream, sorbets, shakes, yoghurt which provides freshest desserts and quality to every patron. The Victorian†Queen of ice cream,† Agnes Marshall was the first to use the liquid nitrogen concept in the making of ice-cream over 100 years ago.The Intro facts on the usage of liquid nitr ogen has gained competitive advantage at large as patrons get to witness their frozen dessert being made from scratch and this creates a unique experience for them. Liquid nitrogen utilizes smaller ice crystals than a conventional freezing process and is 320 degrees below zero which creates a creamier and smoother dessert. At 320 Below, guests are given the opportunity to create inventive flavor combinations by recommending their suggested flavors to the experimental team. 20 Below must be able to identify the needs of the consumers presently and in the future in order to develop the right product for its consumers. The targeted consumers for 320 Below are dessert lovers across all ethnic and demographic groups. By targeting the right audience and understanding the demands of its nonusers, 320 Below will be able to achieve competitive advantage amongst its competitors. 7. 2 Pricing Strategy 320 Below had accomplished its vertical integration in achieving a price competitive advantag e through providing a unique concept and flavor with a wide range of products.Generally, existing customers tend to be less sensitive about pricing as compared to new customers. In order to achieve optimal profits and being able to be price competitive in the market, 320 Below may reduce its raw materials costs and the equipments usage in the making of the ice-cream. However, 320 Bellows mission s to deliver its products at its freshest and smoothest and its vision is to be the first in new creation and innovation in ensuring its products are fresh, smooth, tasty and clean at all times thus they will not compromise its cost for optimal profits.Its products have been priced with its overheads being taken into considerations. 320 Below has been consistent in providing excellent service and its efficiency has earned them positive testimonials, acknowledgements and referrals. The pricing of its products are worth the money as its high service and quality have managed to match up consume rs expectations. The price range for its products with various flavors ranges from $5-$10. And the they been ranked number 15 out of 6,938 restaurants in Singapore by Trapdoors and 30% of its customers are tourists who have been referred to from Trapdoors. . 3 Distribution and Logistics Bangkok, an emerging city, with a population of more than 14 million and Thailand the world as estimated in 2013. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts a decline of five percent of tourists visiting Bangkok if the protests continue in the first quarter of 2014 and this will affect the hotel occupancy rate in Bangkok too, which is expected to fall by 30 to 40 percent. The political unrest has been predicted to affect the tourism in Thailand which may be damaging for all enterprises too.Some popular tourist attractions and areas have been affected as tourists have difficulties accessing such places. Such affected areas include international hotels like Hyatt, Four Seasons and InterContinental an d even tourist attractions such as Ask, Silos and the Orthographic intersection. 320 Below must outline its strategies before entering the market in Bangkok as there may be chief players existing there. As 320 Below possess a unique concept in South East Sean region, it may plan its initial early stages of exploring its potential in Bangkok.However, due to the political instability, it should delay its intention of entering its market there until the situation diffuses. It has its advantage of being a first mover entrant in Bangkok as the liquid nitrogen ice-cream is not available there. It will not be feasible for the enterprise to enter through franchising mode of entry if the local players are too powerful and strong. 7. 4 Promotion and Advertising 7. 4. 1 Modes Of Advertising 20 Below is new in the market and they have to thrive to gain more exposure for it's branding and showcase their products through different modes of advertising.Its point of purchase advertising is through its product pictures as consumers find the pictures too tempting and eager to try it. They must be more active in marketing its products although the advertising team have been doing a wonderful Job in order to reach out to a bigger pool of consumers and target the right demographic group by utilizing the suggested advertisements in faceable. This will create brand awareness o consumers with interest in desserts who will be able to receive advertisements on their news feed faceable page based on their respective interests.This mode of advertisement through faceable will go viral faster as it will be able to target the right audience as new consumers and even reach a regional or national audience. However, such types of media is not cost effective for smaller enterprises although one can reach a colossal group of consumers. Besides having a faceable account and participated in trade fairs , it may seek help from its consumers to spread the brand around through word of mouth. Word of mouth is the best and fastest mode of advertisement.By providing an excellent service and experience to its consumers, the brand will speak for itself. By offering good products, customers will share with their families and friends on the ice cream and many of 320 Below customers are referrals. The organization is also ranked Top 15 in Trapdoors which constitutes about 30% of their customer base whom are tourists. By winning its customers hearts, they will keep coming back and start introducing to their friends and share 320 Below faceable page on their faceable. International Management The purpose of this report Is to present 320 Below Pet Ltd a business proposal to venture Into Bangkok, Thailand. A series of relevant questions pertaining to the Ice- cream parlous business and its future expansion into foreign markets are proposed here to identify business opportunities and risks. The F&B industry in Singapore and the company's structure has been studied in depth to gain a better understanding of the industry. 320 Below is a Singapore based company that sells fresh ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt.The enterprise's legal structure, its history, mission, vision, alls, objectives and the ownership structure are further analyzed. The products and services offerings of 320 Below are highlighted and supported with the customer profile and demand analysis by the usage of Porter's Five Forces analysis. Moving forward, the environmental factors on the host country business climate are carefully examined. Based on the findings, the unique usage of liquid nitrogen in makin g the Ice cream is favored at large.Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of 320 Below will be evaluated In depth by using the SOOT analysis. A comprehensive business strategy Is finalized and proposed comprising of mode of entry and identifying the Hypotheses national cultural dimensions as it ensures that the different strategies will be carefully studied. Vital components of the fps strategies, which constitutes of pricing strategy, distribution and logistics, promotion and advertising and production and service strategies are also discussed.This will be followed with financial reports and the planning of cost analysis, the projected profit and loss statement expected to derive. The management considerations Including personnel, business advisers and contingency plans to be undertaken have been determined. Finally, recommendation will be presented to 320 Below based on the chances of success rate, which will influence its decision making to venture into foreign markets l ike Bangkok. 2. Introduction Being the first mover entrant, 320 Below Private Limited (Pet Ltd) first launched the unprecedented concept of freezing ice-cream using liquid nitrogen In Singapore.This unique Innovation has speed up the Ice-cream making process, thus enabling 320 Below to experiment with a wide variety of ice-cream flavors in the shortest time compared to traditional ice-cream making at large. The founder and Managing Director of 320 Below, Miss Lillian Nag is currently heading its business operations and business strategy for the gourmet ice-cream parlous. With the support of Miss Nag, our team kept in touch with her through numerous email correspondence to collect valuable information about 320 Below.This has provided our team with vital and useful findings which has facilitated us In preparing this business proposal. These justifications has indeed given us many insights in the ice-cream parlous business and helped us to draft out the necessary marketing tools that has helped to advertise the company. 3. Industry Business Description restaurants, fast food outlets, food caterers and others segment. In the â€Å"Others† segment, it generally refers to the different types of F establishments ranging from cafes, bars, food courts, pubs to coffee house.In 2012, Singapore F industry has substantially increased and generated approximately SAG 1 1. 98 billions in revenues, which is equivalent to 3. 5% of the country gross domestic product (GAP). According to Singapore Department of Statistics (2013), the year of 2012 has witnessed an increase of 3. 2% of new F establishment opening in Singapore. The total number of F establishment has significantly increase from 6,464 to 6,668 and is a good sign that the industry is expanding. With a population of over 5. Million, Singapore is ranked one of the highest food consumption country in Southeast Asia. In Singapore, eating is considered a national pastime, where people are willing to queue up for hal f an hour to over an hour for their favorite food. The majority of Singapore population's love for good food and their willingness to food hunt around the island display their passion and attitude towards eating. Within the social circles, it is viewed as an status leveler or status builder if you can recommend a particular place that serves great food to your friends or families.Being able to do immediately brings up your personal reputation (Wang 2006). The increasing affluent middle class and the rise in their disposable income has also fuelled the growth of the F&B industry. This group of affluent Singapore who are well-traveled are often attracted by what they see and experience during their holiday trips. Therefore, when these F&B establishments opened in Singapore, they would gladly patronize them. This has definitely spurred the demands of overseas food and produce (Rehearing's 2013).In addition, growing tourism activities in Singapore from overseas visitors have also suppor ted the growth of these F establishments. The future of the F industry in Singapore looks promising and is projected to growth in healthy levels due to its per capita consumption growth. 4. Company Description 4. 1 Type of Business Founded in October 2012, 320 Below Pet Ltd is a Singapore-based ice cream parlor that specializes in making fresh premium ice-cream, sorbet and frozen yoghurt purely from using natural ingredients. The company falls into the category of lifestyle cafes in Singapore F industry. 20 Below prides itself in delivering a unique ice- cream eating experience for customers to mingle and hang out with their friends and families. 320 Below is the early pioneer in Singapore to launch the concept of freezing ice cream by using liquid nitrogen. This unique and innovative ice-cream making process has revolutionized how ice cream is traditionally prepared and consumed. This interesting concept has also introduced an unique cafe experience, where customers can walk-in to choose from a wide variety of specially created ice- ream flavors that are freshly churned out on the spot from the mixing bowl. 20 Below Pet Ltd started its ice cream parlor business as a Limited Liability company (LLC), which is commonly known as Private Limited company. The company is registered under Singapore laws and tax regulations. Under the legal structure of a LLC, 320 Below intends to separate its legal entity from their owners and shareholders. By doing so, their business obligations only strictly remain within the legal entity itself and shareholders are excluded from any legal liability in their personal capacity. 20 Below also enjoy various legal and tax benefits as a LLC.For example, 320 Below is exempted from paying taxes during the first three years of incorporation for the first SAG $100,000 profits that they make every year. The corporate tax rate in Singapore is very attractive, which stood at below 9% for profits up to SAG $300,000 and capped at 17% for profits exceeding SAG $300,000. In addition, Singapore single-tier tax policy implemented across all corporation means that 320 Below will only be taxed once at corporate level. In the event of any dividends payout to their shareholders, they will not be tax again. 0 Below also benefited from the ease of raising capital for new venture or business expansion in the future. As a LLC, 320 Below will find it easier to get business financing from financial institutes, such as banks, and also raising capital through adding equity partners or investors. 4. 3 320 Below History, Mission, Goals & Objectives The brand name â€Å"320 Below' came about when the founder Allan Nag discovered that liquid nitrogen actually boils at minus 320 degree Fahrenheit (OF) and she decided to name after it. Lillian Nag, the founder and managing director of 320 Below has a passion and loves creating quality ice-cream.She believes in making ice cream that are low in sugar and do not contain artificial emulsifier, sta bilizer and preservative. During the early beginnings, Miss Nag experimented in creating numerous unique tasty ice-cream flavors from her home. Over a period of time, she had created and perfected numerous ice-cream recipes that have received good reviews from friends and family members. The idea of freezing ice-cream came about one day when she was doing online researches about ice cream making and found out about using liquid nitrogen to produces fresh creamy ice-cream, without paving icy crystals that can affects the taste pleasure.After mastering the ice-cream making process, Miss Nag decided to venture in the ice cream parlor business. 320 Bellows vision is to become the first-mover in new creation and innovation to ensure their products are always fresh, smooth, tasty and clean. Their mission is to ensure that their ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt are of the highest quality, smooth and tasty. 320 Below also endeavor to deliver exceptional customer service to their customer s in a clean, fun and relaxing environment to hang out. 4. Ownership Structure 20 Below currently have two outlets in Singapore, which is the Mackenzie Road main shop located near the city area and the Tympanis One branch, a neighborhood area in the eastern part of Singapore. The ownership structure of 320 Below consists of 3 Below employs a manager who takes charge of the daily operations in the Tympanis One branch and Miss Nag is in charge of the Mackenzie Road main shop. The manager at Tympanis One reports directly to Miss Nag pertaining any operations issues. At any time, each outlet hire at least two temporary staffs to service customers at the ice cream parlous.Miss Nag is also in charge of the marketing and production aspects of 320 Below. Her manager handles the financial accounting and human resources for both the outlets. 5. Product/ Service Factors 5. 1 Product/ Service Analysis 320 Below is the unprecedented ice cream shop that uses liquid nitrogen for their ice cream ma king process. As such, they have an advantage of offering new and interesting products to their customers in the F&B industry. They are not Just ice cream sellers but they also offer a wide range of products like frozen yoghurt and sorbets that are freshly made on the spot after customers have placed their orders.This kind of service are very rare in the Singapore market as traditionally ice cream are made in advanced and stored for later consumption in ice cream parlors or they can be conveniently bought in all supermarkets or convenience stores. 320 Bellows flagship main store at Mackenzie Road offers a unique experience of enjoying ice cream, which not other places in Singapore offers. The location of their ice cream parlor are conveniently located near city area and offer ample parking space for individuals or families who wish to patronize them. Next their shop is nicely decorated with a colorful theme that attracts passer by and want to come in.Students and teenagers are also attracted to 320 Below shop because they enjoy hanging out with their friends due to its cozy and comfortable environment it gives to their customers. 5. 2 Customer Profile/ Demand Analysis Thailand is a country with a hot climate for most parts of the year. It is common for people to seek out cooling food items to manage the heat and ice cream happens to be one of the highly sought after food items consumed. In Bangkok, the weather records a hotter temperature being an urban area with less greenery to cool the surroundings compared to other parts of Thailand.Therefore, the demand tends to be higher compared to other parts of Thailand. Other ice cream brands have been successful in Bangkok with constant demands from ice cream lovers. Thailand is ranked at 13th place, with 1. 5 litter of ice cream consumption per capita each year (Ice cream consumption 2013), Just 2 places behind Singapore. The consumer market for ice cream in Bangkok consists mainly of This who are in the working cl ass of age 25 – 40 and tourists who visit the kingdom for holidays. These groups of people generally look for uniqueness in the products they purchase.Thus, he technology of using liquid nitrogen to create ice cream instantly will attract their attention and given their access to education and the internet, they will better appreciate the ice cream making process of 320 Below. As ice cream brands that able to capture the attention of potential consumers in Bangkok and attract them to patronize the ice cream parlor. 5. 3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5. 3. 1 Bargaining power of suppliers (High) Liquid nitrogen is not only used in the ice cream making process but also for other food processing such as bakery in the Food & Beverage (F&B) Industry.As such, appliers may choose to supply to other food processing brands, which require a larger quantity of liquid nitrogen compared to 320 Below. Similarly, suppliers of other equipment in general required by 320 Below for its ice cream outlet operations have a bigger pool of customers in the similar business to choose from to create business ties. 5. 3. 2 Bargaining power of customers (Low) Customers are unable to make vast comparisons as brands offering the same product as 320 Below is relatively new in Bangkok. Furthermore, the Bangkok market is relatively new to this ice cream making process using liquid nitrogen to churn out CE cream.The lack of knowledge of the product further weakens their bargaining power. 5. 3. 3 Threat of new entrants (Low) There are very few ice cream outlets established in Bangkok that use the liquid nitrogen technology to produce their ice cream. Moreover, the frequency of new ice cream brands opening an outlet in Bangkok is low. Given the fact that Thailand is still a developing country and poses the risks of political unrest, other ice cream brands with similar technology might be hesitant to venture into the Thai market. Therefore, the threat of new entrants is low for ice cream br ands in Bangkok. 3. 4 Threat of substitute products (High) Ice cream is a product that has constant demand in Bangkok given the hot climate and relatively strong demand from consumers. Therefore, there are numerous brands that provide the similar primary product with Just slight variations. The price range of 320 Below is relatively higher than the average ice cream pricing due to the running costs involving the technology that is used. Consumers may be unwilling to pay for a higher price for their ice cream and may favor other ice cream brands that are much cheaper but not necessarily of higher quality.Others may look for other alternatives such as local cold desserts to replace eating ice cream. Therefore, the threat of substitute products is high in Bangkok. 5. 3. 5 Competitive rivalry within the industry (Low) The idea of using liquid nitrogen in the ice cream making process is still very new in Bangkok. According to research, there is currently one ice cream brand that adopted competitor that produces ice cream in a similar process. However, due to its huge demographic and population in Bangkok there is room for competition in the market. 6. Environmental Factors 6. Host Country Business Climate 20 Below was the first to introduce liquid nitrogen ice cream. It was quite a success for them as a lot of people are curious and wanted to try how does these ice creams taste like. Soon another competitor Just Like It came along. It create a buzz in the F&B industry as it invest in their marketing and advertising campaign. In order to expand their area of revenues income, 320 Below has began doing market survey and research to consider and plan their expansion. Either they open up another outlet to compete with their competitors or they can venture oversea to open their first shop overseas.In London and Hong Kong, there are already shops that sells liquid nitrogen ice cream. Thus venturing into these two countries are not advisable. The best two options are Thail and, Bangkok or Vietnam. 6. 2 SOOT Analysts of 320 Below Strength The strength of 320 Below lies in their Research and Development team and strong support from their management. The R&D are always encourage to develop new products and to cater to the demands of the Singapore market. Being able to understand the Singapore market makes 320 Below easier to target at their range of customers.The vertical integration have given 320 Below an advantage in the arrest. Lastly, the financial status of 320 Below are healthy and they are not in debts. Weakness The operating costs for the operations in Singapore have been increasing lately. This is due to the inflation of the market in Singapore. Also they are facing manpower issues. Even though it is still manageable, but still its difficult to find young service staff to be committed and loyal to the company. Most of the services staff are students working on a temporary basis and they do not tend to stay long in the Job. Opportunities opportu nities.To open their shops in Asia countries and to introduce their underfed products to the local people there. This can create more awareness and increase their market shares. Threats With the recent riots and social unrest in Bangkok, 320 Below will have to be very careful in their planning and execution of their shop opening. The economy in Thailand has fairly been affected by the power struggle between within the government parties. A possible delay in carrying out their plan might be necessary if the situation there worsen. Second, if the pricing of their ice cream is expensive, the local This might not patronize them and avoid eating it. . Government Constraints/ Incentives The Thai government has been having political uncertainties since 2010 surrounding their former prime minister and the current one. The former Prime Minister Taking Sinatra has been over thrown in a military coup in 2010. His sister was elected as the new Prime Minister for Thailand. At the end of 2013, hi s sister Youngling Sinatra has tried to pass on a bill, which could lead to allowing Taking to return to Thailand, Bangkok. This has caused uproar of protests among the Thai population. This was enough to lead to the recent demonstrations by the citizens in centralBangkok. Shops are still open for business even though protests and demonstrations are ongoing. But somehow, their business will still be affected. This feud between the anti government and the prime minister of Thailand will be ongoing for a long period. Travelers have been warned about traveling to Thailand and to avoid these affected areas. 6. 4 Laws/ Regulations/ Administrative Practices Thailand has a long history of corruption, bribery, extortion, leak of insider information used in securing lands, business deals, etc. This has created negative media publicity for the country.Organizations who want to venture into Thailand will have to seriously consider it before shifting in funds from overseas for investments. Ther efore, It is prudent to have the government support in our expansion plans. We also need to know and abide to their local employment laws and regulations. It is almost similar to our Singapore employment regulations except for some slight differences. For example, there are no limitations on the number of days for medical leave. Companies are to set up the Employee Welfare Fund and contributions are made from both employer and employee.These funds will be used to compensate employees who have resigned, laid off or suffer serious injuries during their service with the company. 7. Business Strategies organizational structure in order for organizations to be successful. Bangkok regulation on the food and beverage industry welcomes foreign investment. The threat in competition for the food and beverage sector is overwhelming and could result in high operation cost. If it franchises out its chain in Bangkok or Joint venture with a local, the organization may experience a communication ba rrier as the locals mostly speak Thai and know minimum English.As a new entrant in Bangkok as a franchiser as an option, 320 Below may face potential challenges such as having difficulties in obtaining the appropriate approval and permits from the respective authorities. Unnecessary expenses might incur during the process and might lead to higher cost. Due to cultural differences and language barrier, this could also result in misunderstanding, leading to conflicts when dealing with the respective stakeholders in the sector, as they may be amateurs to the business. The proposed mode of entry for 320 Below is franchising in Bangkok, with a few considerations to be analyzed.Egger Hefted 320 Below must identify the Hypotheses national cultural dimensions as one of the key factors before proposing and venturing in Bangkok as identifying the cultural differences amongst the neighboring countries are an added advantage. In determining the Hefted nation culture, he identified five dimensio ns, which comprise of power distance, individualism, Masculinity/Femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation. 320 Below identified the potential of individualism and long-term orientation as their top priorities in venturing into Bangkok.The company is keen to review individualism ND long-term orientation as part of their daily operations in generating growth with the support and directions from the top management. Figure 1 : Hypotheses Model Country Comparison As a comparison amongst the three countries and Singapore, Bangkok shows the highest significant similarities of what Singapore adopts. fps Strategy 7. 1 Product/ Service Positioning Every individual has a sweet tooth whether for breakfast, teatime, after a meal or anytime of the day when one desires for dessert.Every dessert craves yearn for a perfect flavor and a unique sweet course. The evolution of ice-cream originated jack then during the second century B. C. It is known that Alexander the Great enjoyed i ce and snow with a tinge of added flavors of honey and nectar back then. Tastes. Ice cream mostly appreciated by the elites remained a rare and exotic dessert in today's context. Due to technological innovations such as steam power, mechanical refrigeration, homogeneity, electric motors and new freezing concepts and equipment ice-cream production has improvised.It has been identified in the United States that the total frozen dairy annual production is more than 1. 6 billion gallons due to the ongoing advancement in technologies. The concept of 320 Below was originated from United States. The process of rapid freezing provided by liquid nitrogen allows the making of endless combinations of ice-cream, sorbets, shakes, yoghurt which provides freshest desserts and quality to every patron. The Victorian†Queen of ice cream,† Agnes Marshall was the first to use the liquid nitrogen concept in the making of ice-cream over 100 years ago.The Intro facts on the usage of liquid nitr ogen has gained competitive advantage at large as patrons get to witness their frozen dessert being made from scratch and this creates a unique experience for them. Liquid nitrogen utilizes smaller ice crystals than a conventional freezing process and is 320 degrees below zero which creates a creamier and smoother dessert. At 320 Below, guests are given the opportunity to create inventive flavor combinations by recommending their suggested flavors to the experimental team. 20 Below must be able to identify the needs of the consumers presently and in the future in order to develop the right product for its consumers. The targeted consumers for 320 Below are dessert lovers across all ethnic and demographic groups. By targeting the right audience and understanding the demands of its nonusers, 320 Below will be able to achieve competitive advantage amongst its competitors. 7. 2 Pricing Strategy 320 Below had accomplished its vertical integration in achieving a price competitive advantag e through providing a unique concept and flavor with a wide range of products.Generally, existing customers tend to be less sensitive about pricing as compared to new customers. In order to achieve optimal profits and being able to be price competitive in the market, 320 Below may reduce its raw materials costs and the equipments usage in the making of the ice-cream. However, 320 Bellows mission s to deliver its products at its freshest and smoothest and its vision is to be the first in new creation and innovation in ensuring its products are fresh, smooth, tasty and clean at all times thus they will not compromise its cost for optimal profits.Its products have been priced with its overheads being taken into considerations. 320 Below has been consistent in providing excellent service and its efficiency has earned them positive testimonials, acknowledgements and referrals. The pricing of its products are worth the money as its high service and quality have managed to match up consume rs expectations. The price range for its products with various flavors ranges from $5-$10. And the they been ranked number 15 out of 6,938 restaurants in Singapore by Trapdoors and 30% of its customers are tourists who have been referred to from Trapdoors. . 3 Distribution and Logistics Bangkok, an emerging city, with a population of more than 14 million and Thailand the world as estimated in 2013. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts a decline of five percent of tourists visiting Bangkok if the protests continue in the first quarter of 2014 and this will affect the hotel occupancy rate in Bangkok too, which is expected to fall by 30 to 40 percent. The political unrest has been predicted to affect the tourism in Thailand which may be damaging for all enterprises too.Some popular tourist attractions and areas have been affected as tourists have difficulties accessing such places. Such affected areas include international hotels like Hyatt, Four Seasons and InterContinental an d even tourist attractions such as Ask, Silos and the Orthographic intersection. 320 Below must outline its strategies before entering the market in Bangkok as there may be chief players existing there. As 320 Below possess a unique concept in South East Sean region, it may plan its initial early stages of exploring its potential in Bangkok.However, due to the political instability, it should delay its intention of entering its market there until the situation diffuses. It has its advantage of being a first mover entrant in Bangkok as the liquid nitrogen ice-cream is not available there. It will not be feasible for the enterprise to enter through franchising mode of entry if the local players are too powerful and strong. 7. 4 Promotion and Advertising 7. 4. 1 Modes Of Advertising 20 Below is new in the market and they have to thrive to gain more exposure for it's branding and showcase their products through different modes of advertising.Its point of purchase advertising is through its product pictures as consumers find the pictures too tempting and eager to try it. They must be more active in marketing its products although the advertising team have been doing a wonderful Job in order to reach out to a bigger pool of consumers and target the right demographic group by utilizing the suggested advertisements in faceable. This will create brand awareness o consumers with interest in desserts who will be able to receive advertisements on their news feed faceable page based on their respective interests.This mode of advertisement through faceable will go viral faster as it will be able to target the right audience as new consumers and even reach a regional or national audience. However, such types of media is not cost effective for smaller enterprises although one can reach a colossal group of consumers. Besides having a faceable account and participated in trade fairs , it may seek help from its consumers to spread the brand around through word of mouth. Word of mouth is the best and fastest mode of advertisement.By providing an excellent service and experience to its consumers, the brand will speak for itself. By offering good products, customers will share with their families and friends on the ice cream and many of 320 Below customers are referrals. The organization is also ranked Top 15 in Trapdoors which constitutes about 30% of their customer base whom are tourists. By winning its customers hearts, they will keep coming back and start introducing to their friends and share 320 Below faceable page on their faceable.

Free Essays on The Shipbuilder

There are many instances in Ken Mitchell’s play The Shipbuilder, where the main character Jaanus Karkulainen, insists on being called by his Finnish name Karkulainen. In the play, many characters call him Johnny Crook. This situation creates controversy about names and shows how important names are to some people. Jaanus and Jukka create most of this controversy. Jaanus and Jukka are brothers who are born in Finland. Jukka move’s out of Finland and he becomes a Canadian, in name, in body and in soul. Jaanus relocates to Canada several years later, but he’s different. When Jaanus moves to Canada he doesn’t become a Canadian. He is a Finn living in Canada. His body is in Canada but his name, and his soul still belong to Finland. When Jaanus first enters the play he insists that his name is Karkulainen. This immediately shows that although he lives in Canada he will still go by his Finnish given name. The differences between Jaanus and Jukka are shown when Jaanus and Jukka first reunite in Canada. Jukka Karkulainen now goes by the name of Yuki Crook, and thinks nothing of it. His name means very little to him. Jukka then tells Jaanus that there are no Fins living in Canada even though Jukka himself is Finnish. Jukka is now a Canadian. His heritage meant nothing to him. Jaanus would never let that happen to himself. He was born Finnish he would die Finnish. One scene that really shows Jaanus’ idea of the importance of names to your heritage, is when Jaanus goes to court. The Judge asks him how he will plead to all of his charges, and calls him Johhny Crook, not Jaanus Karkulainen. To plied his case, all that Jaanus replies is â€Å"I am Jaanus Karkulainen.† He wouldn’t give up his heritage for anything. One scene later, after two years apart, Jaanus and Bender reunite. Bender is a friend of Jaanus’ who met Jaanus when he first came to Canada. When Bender greets Jaanus he calls to him, â€Å"Johnny. Johnny Yer back!† Ben... Free Essays on The Shipbuilder Free Essays on The Shipbuilder There are many instances in Ken Mitchell’s play The Shipbuilder, where the main character Jaanus Karkulainen, insists on being called by his Finnish name Karkulainen. In the play, many characters call him Johnny Crook. This situation creates controversy about names and shows how important names are to some people. Jaanus and Jukka create most of this controversy. Jaanus and Jukka are brothers who are born in Finland. Jukka move’s out of Finland and he becomes a Canadian, in name, in body and in soul. Jaanus relocates to Canada several years later, but he’s different. When Jaanus moves to Canada he doesn’t become a Canadian. He is a Finn living in Canada. His body is in Canada but his name, and his soul still belong to Finland. When Jaanus first enters the play he insists that his name is Karkulainen. This immediately shows that although he lives in Canada he will still go by his Finnish given name. The differences between Jaanus and Jukka are shown when Jaanus and Jukka first reunite in Canada. Jukka Karkulainen now goes by the name of Yuki Crook, and thinks nothing of it. His name means very little to him. Jukka then tells Jaanus that there are no Fins living in Canada even though Jukka himself is Finnish. Jukka is now a Canadian. His heritage meant nothing to him. Jaanus would never let that happen to himself. He was born Finnish he would die Finnish. One scene that really shows Jaanus’ idea of the importance of names to your heritage, is when Jaanus goes to court. The Judge asks him how he will plead to all of his charges, and calls him Johhny Crook, not Jaanus Karkulainen. To plied his case, all that Jaanus replies is â€Å"I am Jaanus Karkulainen.† He wouldn’t give up his heritage for anything. One scene later, after two years apart, Jaanus and Bender reunite. Bender is a friend of Jaanus’ who met Jaanus when he first came to Canada. When Bender greets Jaanus he calls to him, â€Å"Johnny. Johnny Yer back!† Ben...

20 Examples of How to Ask for a Customer Review (Plus Templates)

20 Examples of How to Ask for a Customer Review (Plus Templates) Does anyone buy anything these days without reading *at least* a handful of customer reviews first? The answer is no†¦ or very  few. 90%, actually – that’s the percentage of consumers who read online reviews before visiting a business or purchasing a product. It stands to reason†¦. People trust each other more than they trust companies. But how can a company encourage current or former customers to leave reviews? This post covers *a ton* of real-life examples of how companies have encouraged customer reviews for better credibility and conversion rates. Before you dive into all these examples, here are a few free templates to help you along. You’ll find: 5 â€Å"Ask for a Review† Templates to help you communicate with your customers. An Email Marketing Calendar  to plan all your outgoing drip campaigns. A Best Time to Send Email Kit to ensure you’re emailing at optimal times. Email Marketing Bundle  to get your email marketing strategy in order.21 awesome examples of how to ask for customer reviews.Reviews and the Customer Lifecycle You’ve made a sale – which is awesome. BUT, the sales funnel  doesn’t end when someone makes a purchase. The customer lifecycle and funnel extends beyond the sale – where customers are made into loyal advocates. Recommended Reading: The Best Way to Set Up and Troubleshoot Your Sales Funnel Great service makes for happy customers; happy customers leave reviews; customer reviews make for better product pages; better product pages make more sales. It’s one big circle. So just sit back and wait for all those great reviews to come pouring in, right? Well, you could†¦ OR you could take a more proactive approach. Post-purchase emails which encourage customer feedback play an important role in building loyalty and advocacy. You may be wondering... What’s the best way to get someone to leave a review of your product? How can I find some examples of what other companies do? Are there different approaches to this and is one better than the other? I got you. This post contains 20 real-life examples of how to ask customers to leave a review... so you can decide what approach you want to try and how to layout your email for the best results. Reviewing the Product or the Company This first thing you’ll want to consider when asking someone to leave a review is if you want them to review the product they purchased or your company as a whole. You will likely want to choose the individual product  if†¦ You’re selling on an external site like Amazon. Your company sells many different products. The item the customer purchased is a new release. The products you sell aren’t big-ticket items. It’s probably best to ask for a company review  if†¦ Your company only sells a few products. The products you sell are big-ticket items. You’re a new company. Asking for a Product Review s Here are a handful of examples of companies that ask for customers to review their products. J. Crew Here’s a simple example of how to ask customers to leave reviews for products they recently purchased. The company has a dynamic email that auto-populates with the recently purchased products. The customer can easily leave a review by simply clicking on the â€Å"share your thoughts† CTA. What’s good about this? It’s straight forward; no beating around the bush here. As a customer, you know exactly what the purpose of the email is. It’s easy to navigate. The links make it easy to navigate to the review page. It’s short. Review emails don’t have to be lengthy. Do like J. Crew and keep them short and sweet. Barkbox Subscription service, Barkbox, reaches out to customers to rate their most recent box. The email is a good example of how to ask for a product rating when your company only offers one or two services. Since the customer is receiving a curated box of products, Barkbox can use the customer feedback to continually improve its offering. What’s good about this email? Again, this is a very simple email that gets right to the point. The scale rating makes it easy to rate the product without a ton of thought. By allowing the customer to rate the product directly in the email, you can increase the likelihood of someone leaving a review. Crate Barrel Crate Barrel takes it one step further by combining a review email with a plug for a current promotion. This makes sense since the individual has already purchased from the company, but it could also distract from the purpose of the email. If you’re going to insert a promotion into your review emails, make sure it is only one and it is included after the leave a review section. What’s good about this email? The copy is clever and is a play on interior design. Combines a promo to encourage further sales. Takes you directly to the review page. Gap Gap takes a more personal approach by including a personalized intro paragraph. This takes a more indirect approach compared to some of the earlier examples, but it does a good job of making the reader feel like Gap’s customer service cares about their opinion. What’s good about this email? It’s personalized. The headline makes it clear what the company is asking for. Includes the recent order number as a reminder. Etsy Etsy’s product review emails are written in a way to make it seem like there is a necessary task waiting for completion. The emails highlight the need for a review with a large, prominent CTA that stands out from the text. What’s good about this email? The button is prominent. The copy is compelling and makes the reader feel like there is something that still needs to be completed. Includes a short sentence about why it’s important to leave a review. Under Armour Here’s another example that is very straight forward. The reader knows exactly what the company is asking for, but also why reviews are important to the company’s mission. What’s good about this email? The headline stands out in highlighted yellow. The CTA’s are clearly marked with large buttons. The vertical layout makes it easy see each product available for review. L'Occitane French skincare brand, L’Occitane, combines both a personalized intro paragraph and easy to find CTA buttons to make sure the reader can easy navigate to the product review page. What’s good about this email? It has a short personalized intro paragraph. The vertical layout is easy-to-read. There are buttons vs just linked text. Sephora Sephora has a truly unique way of collecting customer reviews. The company offers users a special area of their site called, My Beauty Bag. My Beauty Bag is a personalized area that collects the user’s favorite products and organizes recent purchases as well as product reviews. What’s good about this email? It informs the receiver of what My Beauty Bag is. Has links to go directly to each product review. Michaels Michaels’ leave a review email is a fun play on arts and crafts and fits the company’s brand perfectly. What’s great about this email? The branding is on point for the company’s product offering. The copy offers a fun play on words. The products are clearly laid out with an image and CTA. Society 6 Society 6 offers the ability to do the entire product review directly in the email. They make it easy by including the ability to leave a star rating for the product AND write your text comments without navigating away from the email. They also highlight their Instagram hashtag to help the company curate user content. What’s good about this email? Readers can leave a review without navigating away. Incorporates their social media strategy. Offers two different review styles. Target Target’s customer review email is a good mix of all the best elements listed above. It has a clear title that stands out from the rest of the text; It offers an easy-to-see star rating that can be done directly in the email; and a bold CTA if you want to leave a more in-depth review. What’s good about this email? It’s short and sweet. The star rating makes it easy to rate without navigating out of the email client. The headline and the CTA button stand out.

LAW OF EUROPEAN UNION. Discuss, with references to relevant EC Treaty Essay

LAW OF EUROPEAN UNION. Discuss, with references to relevant EC Treaty provisions and decided cases, whether or not a reference should be made in this case, and - Essay Example Article 234 of the EC Treaty provides a mechanism by which citiziens and bodies within the European Community may obtain clarification of Community law. In a typical case a question is referred to the European Court of Justice and the general puropose of Article 234 is to ensure that all laws within the European Community equally reflect Community law. In general Article 234 provides that the European Court of Justice will have the authority to â€Å"give preliminary rulings†1 with respect to: Article 234 goes on to provide that when â€Å"such a question is raised before any court of tribunal of a Member State,†3that court or tribunal may if it deems it necessary for the purpose of ruling in the matter before it, â€Å"request† a ruling from the ECJ.4 Moreover: â€Å"Where any such question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a Member State against whose decisions there is no judicial remedy under national law, that court or tribunal shall bring the matter before the Court of Justice.5 The result of Article 234 is the development and application of Community law. Principlay Article 234, the ECJ by deciding cases by way of references it rules on points of law and does not sit as an appellate court. In Foglia v Novella [1980) ECR 745 the ECJ ruled that it would only determine references arising out of genuine disputes and refused to accept a reference where a clause was inserted into a contract solely for the purpose of creating a legal challenge.6 In the case of Melicke v ADV/ORGA AG [1992] ECR I-4871 the ECJ refused a refence because it lacked specificity in the sense that the court was required to rule on a hypotheical bases. The ECJ ruled that it could not decide on the disputer because it did not have: The first issue for Jane is whether or not the Social Service Adjudicator presiding over Jane’s complaint is a proper body under

Argumentative Structure in A Long Way Gone and Sizwe's Test - A Essay

Argumentative Structure in A Long Way Gone and Sizwe's Test - A Comparative Study - Essay Example More importantly each of them have revealed an as yet undiscovered face to the causes that they explore – adding significantly to our understanding of them and their potency. The purpose of this paper is to discern the argumentative structure in either narration and to provide a comparative study based on specific examples from either. Very often, such a study in itself can be very fruitful towards understanding the works better as a pivotal change in narration, a particular emphasis on a style of argument that permeates a given work, or certain paragraph that stand out clearly in it’s narration as opposed to the rest of the text, add significantly to the depth of the work and subconsciously affects the reader’s enjoyment adding or subtracting from it as the case maybe. Before we proceed to the core of our discussion, it would be advisable to consider both works separately and understand the gist of their argument, as this would be important for understanding why a particular work has adopted a particular point of narration. A Long way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, written by Ishmael Beah, published in 2007, is an autobiographical account of the plight of boy soldiers in world’s conflicts and in particular tell this story from the war ravaged Sierra Leone. ... He presents his story in front of the United Nations where he meets many other people like him and story carries him to the United States where he begins a new life 2. The story tells the hardship of the life of boy soldiers, children who anywhere else in the world are still in the innocence of their childhood and hands that carry books haven’t yet the crassness of a knife. Sierra Leone opens before us in wonderful detail, with the layers of it’s social interaction being visible in greater strides finally dissolving into a medley of social interactions that we all can identify and relate to. Sizwe’s Test by Jonny Steinberg, published in 2008, tells the story of the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. No other country perhaps has been at the peril of this scourge as perhaps South Africa where one in eight men are HIV positive1. Steinberg is puzzled that despite this, most people do not get tested for HIV, nor do they adopt widespread safe sex practices. His story tells us the complex socio – economic realities in the suburban slum of Lusikisiki, thorugh the eyes of Sizwe – a local shop owner 3. The story begins and then proceeds at a casual tone of narration, getting the reader to the characters and the environment in which they live. Then they reveal in wider and ever expanding circles the layers of this semi-urban community and finally tells us why the people are so stigmatized about HIV. Sizwe has had unprotected sex with many women and is at great risk himself, but he refuses to get tested. He becomes the window through which Steinberg narrates the tale of Lusikisiki. The absolute lack of privacy, the fear of being shown as