Application of Ict in Classrooms in Rural Area Essay

Abstract This project discusses how class room education without ICT has become one of the major problems in rural area, to be specific Fufore local Government area in Adamawa state. Class room Education in rural area is not as effective as the ones in urban schools, because of their poor standard of learning, lack of communication, information, qualified teachers in rural schools and they lack ICT facilities to help them and provide awareness of modern standard of teaching. So, this project shows how implementation of ICT in class rooms can help these students, its benefits from implementation, challenges and also expectations from results. It involves how the state Government, private organisations and private sources will come together to make this success by providing the necessary materials, ICT services such as computer workstations, projectors, power supply via solar energy, trained computer experts that will show the school how to manage these resources, internet connectivity and basic infrastructure by the Government for these Fufore nursery/primary schools for better education and better knowledge of ICT and how it will greatly affect and have a positive influence to these students and finally this implementation will only benefit the students only but also the teachers who don’t have computer skills. Introduction This project is focused in implementing ICT in rural area, and the case study is on fufore local government in Yola. As we all know rural areas in Nigeria lack quality and basic education, when you talk about education in rural area what comes to our head is low standard of learning, poor education, not well equipped class rooms for student’s education or lack of proper infrastructure suitable for education. An article defined rural education as: There is little dispute that basic education1—often characterized as the reading, math, and other skills and knowledge taught in the first four years of primary school—is critical to economic and social development. Without basic skills, according to one definition, a person cannot comprehend the instructions on a bottle of medicine or a bag of fertilizer or read a government notice. Neither can the person compute a bill or write a letter. Without basic skills, it is impossible to develop one’s potential or to contribute in anything more than a rudimentary manner to society (Greaney, 1999). (Moulton, 2001) Fufore Local Government is settled area in the southern part of Adamawa with five major languages known as Fulani (largest), Bata, Verre, Laka and Pere, it consist of 1500 people that live there, most of them engage in cattle rearing, poultry, farming etc. When i went to observe these schools i noticed there were at least 300 children that went to both nursery and secondary schools, but the problem is they lack facilities that will make these students feel they are learning which makes some students even drop out of schools and start engaging in house work activities. This project focuses on schools in fufore that need ICT services to improve student’s knowledge and ability to learn in order for these schools to have equal education as the students in urban schools, if students in the rural area are not given equal education as students in the urban area there is a result of inequality. â€Å"Unequal tools in an unequal environment create unequal results† (Ukpe, 2010). Implementation/ Application of ICT in class rooms in rural area is going to benefit the society as a whole, and both the teachers and students. It goes a long way to help the society, because when students start using ICT in classrooms some of their friends at home will also find it interesting this will make them also want to start schooling and know what school is about. This study will also be used as a case study to many parts of rural areas in Nigeria, making them aware of how value ICT is in our generation and also making these local students to fit into any schools they find themselves in in urban schools because this implementation of ICT will  not only make these students concentrate on just computer and information studies they will also learn how to apply the knowledge in their various courses. Methodology In order to have reasons for the implementation of ICT in classrooms, i will have to compare this primary/secondary schools in rural area with the once in urban. The methods i used are personal observation, interview and online research (internet). We can see most urban schools have well functioned classrooms with well equipped IT services such as using projectors in class rooms, computers, wireless LANs, File management using databases. In order to convince these organisations we have to state the reasons why we think ICT is important for these locals in rural area. Just looking at an example of an urban schools such as Abti Academy in Yola, Capital science in kuje, El-Amin International school in Minna; we can see they all have what it takes for them to have a well knowledge of what IT is all about, they do class interactions, they submit their works in timely manner especially the senior students, it broadens their minds which they can relate to other courses and apply them when necessary, The students have full access to the lab to do research, take courses in computer education, type documents and gather information on relevant topics for their coursework and from every observation i noticed that schools in the urban area have high rankings in their external and internal exams such as mock exams, WEAC exams . In order to know what is really the problem of these schools towards their lack of ICT knowledge an interview was taken with most principals in these rural schools shown below. 1. Do you know what a computer is? 2. Do you intend to learn how to use it and do you intend to teach these students if you have the chance to? 3. Do you own a computer? And do you know how to surf on the internet with it? 4. What do you think about implementing ICT in classrooms? 5. How do you think it will affect the students? Interview Summary: Results  The interview was conducted with three different principals of three different areas in fufore, but all their answers were closely the same. They stated they’ve had an experience using a computer, that it would be great to have such an opportunity to use computers and other IT services in their schools, it will surely help the students and enlighten them about what the world is all about now. They stated that they’ve all being provided by the school with just one computer and an internet connection, and in a rural place like fufore I believe there is a limited amount of power supply which makes it even more difficult to use this computer by anyone. They stated students in their area are in need of ICT in classrooms in order to making teaching easier for both the teachers and students, they also have a problem with their teachers who don’t acquire computer skills, it will be difficult for them to teach and guide these students through. ICT will greatly affect and have a positive influence on these students, they will have an opportunity to be going for national competitions because these services will not only improve them in one area, they will also have the ability to speak proper and fluent English, they can also learn how to type by doing their course works on their computers and doing research on the internet which will even help the senior students in history classes. They also mentioned that students in this area are always willing to learn, so it won’t be a problem for them to get used to it. Development and Implementation of ICT in class rooms in rural area: Fufore LGA Through ICT in rural schools it will expand the access to student’s education, now that technology is one of the things that help us develop in this world. So we have to make the rural schools aware of that which will greatly affect both the students and their lectures, it will also make them aware of what is happening in our world today (News) by browsing on the internet, also help them improve interactions in terms of video conferencing and distance learning; through video conferencing it will enable to share ideas and know about other courses that are not offered in the school. ICT is an extensively strong technology for extending and expanding educational opportunities in formal and informal ways, in this case rural schools. ICT is a technological development that reflects the new society and has its place within education. However, as with many new initiatives, ICT obviously has its problems that over time will be addressed. Meantime, ICT should continue to be promoted to assist with education and learning. I will heartedly agree with anyone who states that ICT is a valuable tool for both teaching and learning – speaking as someone who got the last lessons plan for my teaching from the Internet- but I can’t help feeling that the emphasis on the use of ICT detracts from other current ‘sexy’ education issue – socialisation. I believe that developing teachers’ social and counselling technique is a greater priority than their ICT skill (Sime & Mark, 2005). Access to remote learning resources: when this implementation is done, with the use of internet, teachers and students will no longer have to depend on textbooks for learning or even buy them due to how expensive they can be, they teachers can just find textbooks on the net and direct the students to access them too. With the use of Internet services you will find a means of learning materials or tools in almost every subject and can be accessed every day at anytime and also by unlimited number of people that can use it. This is significant for many schools in developing countries. Students will have control towards self learning: For example, teachers can just give a research paper as an assessment for the students, during that research they also learn a lot through searching and browsing different articles. This also broadens their minds to also think fast, observe the situation of the research, allowing their minds to take over and have control of what they are doing and also making their own opinions and what they think. Motivation to learn: the use of multimedia computer software that include sound effects, pictures can be used in learning process for people in rural areas, also as interactive radios and other performance. This will motivate the locals to learn because it’s new to them and then i believe that some locals tend to understand pictures or graphics rather than reading them that way they understand better. Use of modern teaching tools: in rural areas they still have an old way of teaching their students; some don’t even have notebooks, or other writing materials. Through ICT, students can learn how to manage their files on computers rather than writing notes in their notebooks, also teachers have PowerPoint to present to the class by that they can just write short notes on what the teacher is talking about. In order to improve the school from my own point of view it needs these requirements for students to have a basic idea of ICT is about. 1. Provision of hardware resources for internet connectivity such as WAN, LAN, MAN. 2. Software packages for learning or academic related CDs which they can install in their computers to improve self learning. 3. Television for the nursery school students because children in nursery school learn faster with images rather than using books, and Projectors for the primary and secondary students. 4. A well functional and equipped computer that contains at least 15 computers. 5. Power supply via solar energy, because electricity isn’t that reliable and effective in rural areas, and besides this implementation is based in fufore which is always sunny every day. So solar would be a good source of electricity. These implementations can be done with the help of private organisations and even the government, we all know nothing is free; these organisations can get profit out of this successful implementation and project. They will keep implementing ICT and improving other schools in this area. Since i noted that not all teachers have enough computer skills to handle the students learning or to control these equipments, the organisations also have to supply the schools with well trained teachers/experts to show them how to take care of things just for some time. This is an expensive and vital project due to many resources that are needed, power supply because without power supply these resources are just going to end up being there without no one using it and also this is the future of our children to enlightened them and making them have a knowledge of IT, making them have the same and equal education the urban schools are having so they won’t feel left out. After these resources have been implemented and are already in use, in observation we are going to experience and expect these changes in the schools: †¢ The students should have the ability to think as fast and be smart like the students in urban schools and also their results will likely match up. †¢ An increase in the students that will enrol in schools because most students in rural areas don’t really care about education, some are drop outs and with a new system it will motivate them to also learn like their friends. †¢ Will be able to compete in national competitions with other schools. †¢ Know how to use these ICT services provided to them and also apply them when necessary Conclusion From all observations we can see how value education is and rural education cannot be compared to the urban because they have more experience in ICT than the locals have. ICT in class rooms has a lot of advantages and benefits to our daily life now, makes students acquire skills, skills that will take them to the next level, skills that will improve their way of thinking and will also change their lives because after school they can go to these urban areas and get a good job instead of staying in their area and doing the basic occupation such as farming. Technology is part of our world now and its used in our daily activities, with the aid ICT in class rooms they will have access to distance learning which will enhance their learning skills and ability, not only within the class room but globally or worldwide. In order for these students to be equal with students from other developed schools, they need to be given a chance; they need to be given the opportunities that are being given to the more fortunate schools/students. Nigerian Government, private organisations and private sources have to come together to make this possible for our generation and also to help the nation. References Ayaga, T. (2009, November 19). Fufore Area Council As Adamawa’s Development Pivot. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from all Africa. com: http://allafrica. com/stories/200911190399. html ICT in Education/The Promise of ICTs in Education. (2007, June 20). Retrieved July 27, 2010, from WIKIBOOKS: http://en. wikibooks. org/wiki/ICT_in_Education/The_Promise_of_ICTs_in_Education Moulton, J. (2001, January). Improving education in rural areas: Guidance for rural development specialists. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from http://www. tanzaniagateway. org/docs/Improving_education_in_rural_areas_guidance_for_rural_develo pment. pdf Sime, D. D. , & Mark, G. (2005). Student teachers’ firt reflections on ICT and Classroom Learning: implications for initail Teacher Education. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from https://dspace. stir. ac. uk/dspace/bitstream/1893/135/1/priestley-jcal-2005. pdf Tinio, V. L. (2002). ICT in Education. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from http://www. apdip. net/publications/iespprimers/eprimer-edu. pdf Ukpe, E. (2010, July 7). ICT in Education(Himself).

Politics and Administration Essay

Introduction 186, 207, 221? Power Struggle between the pro-democratic and pro-conservatism One of the reasons that led to such a tragic end for Tian’anmen Movement is the power struggle between the two camps of leaders, pro-democratic (Former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Zhao Ziyang) and pro-conservatism (Deng Xiao Ping). In 2009, a memoir was published based on audiotapes recorded by Zhao Ziyang, called Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang, he mentioned that he â€Å"didn’t want to be a General Secretary who opens fire on the people.† From this, we could clearly tell by that time, Zhao differed in opinion from Deng and other conservative leaders, like Li Peng on how to handle the student movement, i.e. whether to pursue a peaceful or a military solution. http://blog.foolsmountain.com/2009/06/03/tiananmen-1989-a-need-for-dialogue-20-years-later/ One very crucial turning point that we know is that by that time, the CCP General Secretary made a scheduled official visit to North Korea, which turned out to be a bad decision at the time of turmoil; this was because on April 26th CCP Central issued an editorial on â€Å"People’s Daily† in the absence of Zhao Ziyang, which was titled â€Å"Uphold the flag to unambiguously oppose any turmoil†, denouncing that the patriotic student movement as a turmoil ignited by an â€Å"extremely small handful of opportunists†. http://www.alliance.org.hk/64/6420/?page_id=521 According to Wu Jiaxiang, a former aide and a leading political scientist in Beijing, Zhao Ziyang, before leaving for North Korea on April 21st, had instructed that â€Å"no politburo meeting should be held in his absence† but other CCP leaders, likle Yang Shankun & Li Peng immediately convened a â€Å"CCP Expanded Poliburo Meeting†, then reported to Deng Xiaoping with meeting opinions, and then borrowed Deng Xiaoping’s mouth in stating that CCP â€Å"should not fear bloodshed†. And in Zhao Zhiyang’s self account, recorded by Yang Jisheng, he claimed that it was li Ximing & Chen Xitong who contacted Wan Li on the night of April 21st in request of convening a commissar meeting; that Wan Li relayed the info to Li Peng. Later, according to ________, Li Peng convened the meeting on the night of 24th, reported it to Deng Xiaoping on 25th, and was authorized to relay Deng’s opinions to communist cadres; and that Li Peng took advantage of the occasion to draft a newspaper commentary for publication on April 26th. By the time Zhao returned to China after the scheduled visit, he found it was just too late to remedy the situation as hostilities between the government and the people have been greatly aggravated. Other than the mis-communication over the People’s Daily’s editorial, we may gain further insights into the power struggle between the party leaders by taking a look at a previous document obtained by CNN and written by Bao Tong, a close aide to Zhao Ziyang, describing in detail the events leading up to the crackdown on student protests in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. September 25, 1989 Comrade Hu Yaobang died on April 15, soon after which the student demonstrations began. I was extremely worried. Comrade Xiaoping pointed out in his speech on April 25 that the overwhelming priority in China is stability – I completely agreed with his point; I also wanted to maintain stability and prevent turmoil. Specifically, I wanted to make an effort to reduce tensions and to avoid precipitating the tension into clashes. The People’s Daily April 26th editorial, in my view, was harsh in language and lacked analysis and persuasiveness; I had my reservations about it. On May 19 and 20, the Central Committee announced the decision to send the military into Beijing and declare martial law; in my heart, I believed we made a terribly wrong move; I was afraid that we would be trapped in a very difficult situation, â€Å"riding a tiger, hard to get-off.† The Central Standing Committee collectively criticized Comrade Zhao Ziyang; I felt it was unfair. 1.1 – It was I who first informed Comrade Ziyang that the April 26th editorial had aggravated the confrontational mood of students and people who had previously taken a neutral position. Comrade Ziyang returned to Beijing from North Korea on April 30th. As soon as he returned, I reported to him as follows: Students have been demonstrating in the streets since April 27th. There were so many of them that it was impossible to blockade; there were also lots of onlookers following them. Some government officials sympathized with the demonstrations. There were signs that the incident was escalating and expanding; there were a great number of students and others who resented the April 26th editorial and believed that it was hostile towards them. I spoke about my opinion of the editorial: the positive side of the editorial was that it presented Comrade Xiaoping’s thoughts that Chin a must maintain stability and must not fall into turmoil. However, the editorial was written in a very harsh tone, did not adequately present reasons and lacked analysis. It also did not take into consideration the acceptance of people who were previously neutral. Since there were so many people who believed that the editorial was hostile to them, it was obvious that the editorial did not express its ideas clearly. Comrade Ziyang did not express his own opinions at that time. After a few days, he said to me: â€Å"It seems that there are flaws in the editorial.† Comrade Ziyang certainly formulated his opinions in his own way, but it was I who first reported to him about the editorial with this point of view. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/04/22/tiananmen.document.01/ Students’ Uncollective Actions As discussed above, power struggle among the party leaders is one of the factors in leading to the unwanted tragedy of the June 4th Movement, but as I argue down below, the chaotic and unsystematic internal management of various student movements are by nature underlying factors to the tragedy. After the April 27 demonstration, the government commenced to open up dialogues with students, and the government seemed to take the initiative to adopt a more positive approach towards the student movement. The government’s willingness to concede and negotiate have lit up the hope for the majority of students that the entire student movement might come to a peaceful end(Source: Book) Yet, almost by the same time, the leadership and organization of the movement among the student leaders became â€Å"problematic†. Not only did the student movement organizations hold different points of views towards the movement strategies, some of the student leaders also paid no respect to organizational claims, and much often instead, they themselves acted on behalf of their organizations. One fine example would be the case of Zhou Yongjun, who was the president of Beijing Autonomous Federation. He helped organize another big demonstration on May 4. However, without any consent from his fellows and colleagues, he announced the end of class strike â€Å"without a clear resolution within the leadership†. http://www.standoffattiananmen.com/2009/04/people-of-1989-zhou-yongjun.html In order to better describe the dividing powers among the student leaders during the late stages of June 4th Movement, Zhao (2001) simply grouped the student demonstrators by that time into three groups, which are called respectively Dialogue Delegation Group, Beijing Students’ Autonomous Group and the so-called â€Å"charismatic group† http://site.ebrary.com.eproxy1.lib.hku.hk/lib/hkulibrary/docDetail.action?docID=10402626 As Zhao (2001) noted, the students that belonged to Dialogue Delegation Group were â€Å"eager for the coming dialogue with the government†. References Gonzales, Eduardo, L. and Gillespie, C.G. (1994). Presidentialism and Democratic Stability in Uruguay. In J. J. Linz and A. Valenzuela (Ed.), The Failure of Presidential Democracy, Comparative Perspective (pp. 151 – 178). Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press Hanan, D. (2007). Presidentialism, parliamentarism and semi-presidentialism: Incentives and disincentives in achieving multiple democratic goals. Retrieved from http://djayadihanan.blogspot.com/2007/12/presidentialism-parliamentarism-and.html Linz, Juan J. (1994). The Failure of Presidential Democracy. The Case of Latin America. In J. J. Linz and A. Valenzuela (Ed.), Presidential or Parliamentary Democracy: Does it Make a Difference? (pp.7).Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press Maeda, K. & Nishikawa M. (2006). Duration of Party Control in Parliamentary and Presidential Governments: A Study of Sixty-Five Democracies, 1950-1998. Retrieved from http://www.bsu.edu/web/mnishikawa/MaedaNishikawa2006CPS.pdf Mainwaring, S. (1993). Presidentialism, Multipartiism, and Democracy, The Difficult Combination. Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 26 No. 2 (pp. 198 – 228) Mainwaring, S. & Shugart, M. (1993). Juan Linz, presidentialism, and democracy: A critical appraisal. Retrieved from http://www.nd.edu/~kellogg/publications/workingpapers/WPS/200.pdf Power, Timothy and Mark J. Gasiorowski. (1997). Institutional Design and Democratic Consolidation in the Third World. Comparative Political Studies. Shugart, M. S., & Carey, J. M. (1992). Presidents and assemblies: constitutional design and electoral dynamics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Valenzuela, A. (1994). Party Politics and the Crisis of Presidentialism in Chile: A Proposal for a Parliamentary Form of Government. In J. J. Linz and A. Valenzuela (Ed.), The Failure of Presidential Democracy – The Case of Latin America (pp. 93). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press

Bhavesh.Amin

Bhavesh.Amin Essay CSC 4810-Artificial Intelligence ASSG# 4 Support Vector MachineSVM is an implementation of Support Vector Machine (SVM). SupportVector Machine was developed by Vapnik. The main futures of the programare the following: for the problem of pattern recognition, for the problemof regression, for the problem of learning a ranking function. Underlyingthe success of SVM are mathematical foundations of statistical learningtheory. Rather than minimizing the training error, SVMs minimizestructural risk which express and upper bound on generalization error. SVM are popular because they usually achieve good error rates and canhandle unusual types of data like text, graphs, and images. SVMs leading idea is to classify the input data separating themwithin a decision threshold lying far from the two classes and scoring alow number of errors. SVMs are used for pattern recognition. Basically,a data set is used to train a particular machine. This machine can learnmore by retraining it with the old data plus the new data. The trainedmachine is as unique as the data that was used to train it and thealgorithm that was used to process the data. Once a machine is trained, itcan be used to predict how closely a new data set matches the trainedmachine. In other words, Support Vector Machines are used for patternrecognition. SVM uses the following equation to trained the VectorMachine: H(x) = sign {wx + b}Wherew = weight vectorb = thresholdThe generalization abilities of SVMs and other classifiers differsignificantly especially when the number of training data is small. Thismeans that if some mechanism to maximize margins of decision boundaries isintroduced to non-SVM type clas sifiers, their performance degradation willbe prevented when the class overlap is scarce or non-existent. In theoriginal SVM, the n-class classification problem is converted into n two-class problems, and in the ith two-class problem we determine the optimaldecision function that separates class i from the remaining classes. Inclassification, if one of the n decision functions classifies an unknowndatum into a definite class, it is classified into that class. In thisformulation, if more than one decision function classifies a datum intodefinite classes, or no decision functions classify the datum into adefinite class, the datum is unclassifiable. To resolve unclassifiable regions for SVMswe discuss four types ofSVMs: one against all SVMs; pairwise SVMs; ECOC (Error Correction OutputCode) SVMs; all at once SVMs; and their variants. Another problem of SVMis slow training. Since SVM are trained by a solving quadratic programmingproblem with number of variables equals to the number of training data,training is slow for a large number of training data. We discuss trainingof Sims by decomposition techniques combined with a steepest ascent method. Support Vector Machine algorithm also plays big role in internetindustry. For example, the Internet is huge, made of billions of documentsthat are growing exponentially every year. However, a problem exists intrying to find a piece of information amongst the billions of growingdocuments. Current search engines scan for key words in the documentprovided by the user in a search query. Some search engines such as Googleeven go as far as to offer page rankings by users who have previouslyvisited the page. This relies on other people ranking the page accordingto their needs. Even though these techniques help millions of users a dayretrieve their information, it is not even close to being an exact science. The problem lies in finding web pages based on your search query thatactually contain the information you are looking for. READ: Homeless: What Has Been Done To Decrease The Probl EssayHere is the figure of SVM algorithm:It is important to understand the mechanism behind the SVM. The SVMimplement the Bayes rule in interesting way. Instead of estimating P(x) itestimates sign P(x)-1/2. This is advantage when our goal is binaryclassification with minimal excepted misclassification rate. However, thisalso means that in some other situation the SVM needs to be modified andshould not be used as is. In conclusion, Support Vector Machine support lots of real worldapplications such as text categorization, hand-written characterrecognition, image classification, bioinformatics, etc. Their firstintroduction in early 1990s lead to a recent explosion of applications anddeepening theoretical analysis that was now established Support VectorMachines along with neural networks as one of standard tools for machinelearning and data mining. There is a big use of Support Vector Machine inMedical Field. Reference:Boser, B., Guyon, I and Vapnik, V.N.(1992). A training algorithm foroptimal margin classifiers. http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~cjlin/papers/tanh.pdf

Interest Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Interest Groups - Essay Example Politicians are well aware of the popularity of interest groups and their ability to sway public opinion, which is very important to their election success. The political process dominated by the political parties but kept in check by the presence of interest groups is more favorable than the reverse. This is because politicians are elected to govern with the mandate of the people in diverse areas, which makes them accountable to the public. Interest groups are not elected officials and it is very difficult to hold them to account for their actions since they represent opinion. Also, interest groups depend on lobbying, which includes a lot of lawsuits, which would conflict with legislative agendas of politics. Interest groups serve the purpose of putting pressure on political parties in order to bring about change through amassing public support. If interest groups were to dominate the political process then they would most probably push only those interests that they find important producing a skewed type of governance. Politicians are best positioned to lead the governance process as they have more to lose and will naturally find balance through political pressures both the interest groups and other rival political

Ergonomic Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ergonomic Problems - Essay Example These are all influenced by the psychological/physiological and psychosocial capabilities, limitations, and dimensions of the person; layout, design, position, control, and distance of machine; temperature, lighting, humidity, noise, and vibration of the environment. Explain the role of anthropometrics when solving ergonomic problems Anthropometrics enables the customization of machine controls, position, and design to adapt to the worker’s physical built, equivalent capability, and movements. Explain the role of biomechanics when solving ergonomic problems. Biomechanics help the worker or humans properly adhere to the capabilities of machines through adaptable dynamics modified to the body components. List the categories of workstations Workstation categories vary depending on the industry from engineering, manufacturing, business, robotics, and even homes. There are the computer workstations and music workstations. In the construction industry, these are Architectural Structures, Bricklayer, Building From Blueprints, Carpenter, Cement Mason, Construction Measurement, Drafting (Mechanical), Drywall Installer, Electric Motor Repair, Electrical Wiring / Electrician, Floor Coverings Installer, Glazier / Window Installation & Repair, Hydraulics, Insulation Installer, Landscape Design, Machinist, Painter, Plumber, Pneumatics, Power Mechanics/Small Engine Repair, Residential Plumbing, Residential Wiring, Roofer, Sheet Metal Worker, Telecommunications Technician, Tile Setter, Wall Coverings Installer, Welder, and Woodworker stations.

Business Strategy in Kellogg Company Term Paper

Business Strategy in Kellogg Company - Term Paper Example The main external environment that necessitates firms to develop strategies include the general environment which entails demographic, economic, political/legal, socio-cultural, technological, global and physical trends, the interplay of the industry environment that often impact on the relationship between its customers and suppliers and competitors environment and analysis (Ireland, Hoskisson, & Hitt, 2008:59). Business strategy is a key plan of action for companies after the assessment of the above market factors and business environment and is often aimed at positioning the company, influencing the market balance and exploiting changes in the industry. This paper examines business strategies that have been employed by Kellogg Company and the reasons why such strategies have proved to be successful to the firm. Kellogg Company Business Strategy Kellogg Company is the leading producer of cereal and convenience foods such as cookies, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruits snacks, fro zen watts, and veggie foods in the world. Kellogg Company manufactures its products in more than seventeen countries and markets them across the world (Kellogg Company, 2012). The core reason for the establishment of Kellogg Company was for the Company to produce high quality, nutritious and great tasting food. The company has made tremendous growth and this can be evidenced by its ever-expanding market share and increased profits. The success can be attributed to the existence of key business strategies that ensures the growth of Kellogg Company amidst increased competition and entry of other players and dynamics of the market. Key Terms Kellogg Vision To be the food company of choice Mission statement To drive sustainable growth through the power of our people and brands by better serving the needs of our consumers, customers and communities. Objectives Encourage and support of among all sectors of the population Use of resources to run and sponsor community programmes for its con sumers and public Increase the association between Kellogg and physical activity Use the cereal packs to communicate the ‘balance’ message to consumers Introduce food labeling that would enable consumers to make decisions about the right balance of food Goals Remain consumer centric Product innovation Priority to win Continuous efficiency improvements Core Competence Baking The Vision and Mission Statements Business strategies of firms can be evaluated based on the design and definition of their vision and mission statements. This is because of the crucial role that vision and mission statement play in current business environment as they convey the aspirations of the organizations. Kellogg Company has exploited this concept and has formulated a vision and mission statements that focuses on sustainable growth of the company, social responsibility, its stakeholders (people) and its brands. Whereas the vision statement of Kellogg Co

Critically assess whether strategic HRM leads to 'high performance Essay

Critically assess whether strategic HRM leads to 'high performance - Essay Example Hence to survive in such a globally competitive environment organizations emphasize on attaining a competitive edge. An aligned strategy with HRM is a source to successful competitive edge businesses can achieve that focuses more on company’s resources than its costs. This is the reason that the role of HRM has been under the limelight recently as it serves as a competitive advantage to the companies it also has to deal with the challenging changes (Armstrong 2011). Unlike personnel management human resource management is linked to strategic level planning of the organization and execution of those plans in order to improve the organization’s overall performance. Human Resource Management is related to company’s vision, philosophies, practices, and policies that are influencing the management of people in a company. Strategic HR means aligning HR function with the company's strategies and then formulates and implements those strategies accordingly with the help o f HR activities such as recruiting, selecting, training and rewarding personnel. (Armstrong 2011; Reilly 2012) There are few theoretical perspectives to the Strategic Human Resources Management. First approach is the Universalist approach .This approach refers to one best way of dealing human resource to improve business performance only. It is also known as the best practice human resource management. This approach states that there is only one way people can be managed in order to improve the performance of the organization. Regardless of differences amongst different organizations, differences like size of the organization, to which sector it belongs, all organizations can be managed in same way by identifying a set of best HRM practices, committing to them despite the practical difficulties and applying and implementing them. This approach also measures organizational success in terms of financial performance. Results from past experimentations reveals that this approach leads t o high performance and it is becoming common to group or combine HR practices in order to create more coherent explanations of the HRM-performance link. (Gooderham, Cranfield, Ringdal, 2008 pg 7) Second theory is the Configurational theory that proposes that the relationship between HRM and performance involves complex interactions between bundles of HRM activities and outcomes. Once these complementary practices are bundled they produce high performance results and outputs than individual HRM practices. Firms have realized that rather than altering individual policies, their combinations are a better determinant and should be altered and worked upon to achieve better productivity. (Gooderham, Cranfield, Ringdal, 2008) There is a drawback of this approach as this approach has this assumption that HRM bundles and combinations are ideal and will give the same effective result under all circumstances. Secondly both universalistic approach and cofigurational approach are closely related approaches and it is problematic to differentiate between these two approaches at times. Groups of HR practices combined additively may clearly be universalistic but the identification of a configurational approach is sometimes problematic. (Gooderham, Cranfield, Ringdal,2008) Second, approach is the Contingency approach. Contingency approach is to create a positive impact on businesses by aligning HR

Combating Future Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Combating Future Terrorism - Essay Example Domestic terrorism has been described as the violence focusing on populations or the nation’s facilities but have no foreign direction. Such activities of groups of terrorists or individuals are homegrown, meaning they have no external assistance, such as funding, to attack populations or government elements. On the other hand, international terrorism involves activities that are either or both foreign-sponsored and foreign-based. Under the FBI’s foreign classification, the activities of violence may either extend beyond the US’s national boundaries or originate from foreign countries. In this sense, the distinction between international and domestic terrorism is not based on where the violent acts take place but rather, on the responsible groups’ or individuals’ origin (Enders & Sandler, 2006). Since the al-Qaeda led the 2001 September 11 attacks on the US, it has become difficult to clearly determine, define and predict the future characteristics of terrorism. Subsequently, the US has developed counter-terrorism strategies that will address any form of terrorist attacks aimed at its facilities and populations. Basing on the decision that foreign terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to the US, this paper will support the decision and discuss combating future terrorism using diversity, cultural and historic aspects. Terrorism, evidently, results from the interactions of human beings sharing an environment with other groups, individuals and governments. The government may or may not meet the expectations and needs of its people; the people increasingly and continuously identify with radicals founded on different reasons; the people may have experienced genuine or perceived trauma or discrimination, which may either be indirectly or first hand; the people may also have met charismatic leaders or heard of resonant messages that interconnect

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin and his Crimes against Humanity Essay

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin and his Crimes against Humanity - Essay Example From the essay "Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin and his Crimes against Humanity", it is clear that the theme of perfect loyalty is one of the integral themes perpetuated through all his crimes. In 1924, only 25% of the Russian population was located in cities, the rest of the country lived in agriculture villages. Stalin realized that the power was in the hands of those who owned the land. Power meant financial gain. He set out a plan to manipulate the people in believing that he was their new god by replacing the Orthodox Church. He also demanded perfect loyalty from the kulack in the Centralization plan. When Lenin came to power in 1917, he offered territory to the peasants (kulak). It was Stalin's plan to take back the territory and rid them of all power. There are three things that bound each family: faith, the Tsar and the fatherland. Ridding each family of these three icons and creating new images would give Stalin ultimate power. Stalin banned religion, replaced icons with photos of himself. He had to change the outlook of the fatherland. He understood the power of the media. Every time he made a speech, he had it recorded on a vinyl record. He made sure each village had a gramophone and received records of each of his speeches. Villagers were impregnated with Stalin. He became their faith and their Tsar. In 1924 Russia was a poor country with an abundance of natural resources. These resources could be exchanged for technology and other goods which would assist Russia in becoming an industrialized country. Within three years of power, Stalin initiated his 5 year plan: A peasant society to a World Power. Historian John Brent from Harvard University (Man 2008) and Historian Mark Kramer from Yale University (Stalin 2007) explain the reasons backing centralization. Technology was expensive. One way to pay for it was to centralize the agricultural fields of Russia and use the goods as an export commodity. "Centralization was an answer to the Bolshevik revolution and the chaos that followed. It was rationalized that it was the only way to meet the economic and structural needs of the economy". (Gouldner 1978) The last reasoning behind centralization was the simple fact

Harley Davidson in Pursuit for Female Riders Essay

Harley Davidson in Pursuit for Female Riders - Essay Example The project talks about the objective of the event, the marketing strategy applied by the company to gain success in the market and stay ahead of its competitors and the promotional methods adopted by Harley Davidson in respect to the event. Recommendation to HD is not required as it has adopted all the necessary strategies needed to make an event a success and HD being a big brand, the brand names is enough for it to generate potential customers and create awareness. Overview about the Company Harley Davidson is a US based manufacturing company of motorcycles which was founded way back in 1903. Harley Davidson started with a mission to ride with every customer and apply with them the connection in each and every market the company serves in order to create a superior value for the stakeholders. The company’s vision is to fulfill the dreams of every biker on the road by providing them with extra ordinary bikes and with satisfied experience. Harley Davidson aims to fuel the pas sion for freedom in their customers and express individuality. Hardly Davidson provides an emotional connection with Harley Davidson bikes and other related products. The company believes in providing superior quality of products because of the trust and brand loyalty the customer’s shows in the brand and the company1. As male section is often known for their urge to drive a Hardly Davidson and own one, similarly for the female riders Harley Davidson has introduced bikes and has conducted events to encourage the female riders to drive their HD. The Harley Davidson community has organized an event for females, the Garage Party mainly targeting the female sections2 . Situation Analysis Situation This project on event management talks about the event that Harley Davidson organizes for its female riders. The events are conducted by the dealers of HD and it continues for around a month in different states of US. HD conducts two events for females, the Garage party and women riders ’ month. It was conducted in the month of May when thousands of women across the world came together to become a part of HD. Women participated in events like Garage party and supported worthy cause3. Objectives The objective of such an event was to fulfill the dreams of females from learning to ride a HD to buy the right bike and to ride in the road with great confidence. The event was conducted for a cause which was attended by thousands of females across the world. Marketing Strategy HD had released that the bikes were not only ageing but also the percentage of female customers have increased over the years. The company knew that with a change in demographics the sales could be affected and realized the necessity to tap into the new market segment for females. The company’s initial strategy was to take over the brand Buell in order to tap the new market segment. The Buell bike was ideal not only for new riders but also for small riders and particularly for female ri ders. Seeing the growth in female customers Harley Davidson adopted the marketing strategy of product extension. The company introduced new bikes specially made for the women customers. Women are not only purchasing the smaller and light bikes but according to information on HD website, females purchasing the 883 Sportster Hugger which is designed with lower seat and short

Limiting Reagents Lab Essay Example for Free

Limiting Reagents Lab Essay Problem: What mass of precipitate will form when 1.69g of CuCl2.2H20 reacts with 1.31g of aluminium? Aspect 3: Materials: 150 mL beaker Erlenmeyer Flask 100ml Graduated Cylinder Funnel; Scoopula Electronic Balance Stir Rod Aluminum Foil CuCl2.2H20 Distilled Water Procedure: Day 1 Rinse beakerwith distilled water. Mass 1.69g of CuCl2.2H2O. Add to beaker and add 50mL of distilled water. Mass aluminum. Fold in 1/2 coil loosely. Place in beaker and let sit overnight. Day 2 Pull out Aluminum and rinse into beaker Mass filter paper, put name on it Put paper in funnel and funnel into the Erlenmeyer flas. Pour in mixture. Rinse beaker three times. Rinse funnel and paper twice. Remove Paper and let dry overnight. Day 3 Mass filter paper Data Collection and Processing (DCP) Aspect 1: Recording Raw Data: Mass of CuCl2.2H2O 1.93g Mass of Al ? (The massing of the aluminum was forgotten) Experimental mass of precipitate = .69g Aspect 2: Processing Data 2Al(s) + 3CuCl2.2H2O 3Cu(s) + 6H2O(l) + 2AlCl3(aq) m Al=1.93g M Al= 26.98 g/mol m 3CuCl2.2H2o = 1.69 g M 3CuCl2.2H2o = 152.47 g/mol (Chem 20 Data Booklet) m Cu = ? n CuCl2.2H2O = 1.93g / 170.49 g/mol n CuCl2.2H2O = .011320312 mol 3 mol CuCl2.2H2O = 3 mols Cu n Cu = .011320312 mol m Cu = .011320312 mol x 63.55 g/mol m Cu = .719g % yield = .69 / .719 = 96% Aspect 3: Experimental mass of Cu(s) precipitate = .69g Theoretical mass of Cu (s) precipitate = .719g % yield = 96% Conclusion and Evaluation (CE) Aspect 1: Conclusion: The mass of precipitate that forms when 1.93g of CuCl2.2H20 reacts with 1.31g of aluminum is .69 g. The % yield was 96%. The massing of aluminum was forgotten but when another piece was massed and the numbers were worked out, it was shown that there was an excess of aluminum and that the CuCl2.2H2O was the limiting reagent. Aspect 2: Evaluate: There were .029g of Cu precipitate less than expected. It is likely that some of the copper went into the Erlenmeyer or was stuck on the funnel. Despite thorough rinsing of the filter paper, some of the precipitate got through the filter paper and into the Erlenmeyer. Aspect 3 Improving Experimental Design: Instead of one piece of filter paper, two pieces should be used. This would lead to less precipitate going into the Erlenmeyer. Also, the water in the Erlenmeyer could be re-filtered.

Carrefour Hypermarket Essay Example for Free

Carrefour Hypermarket Essay A hypermarket or multi department store is a superstore which combines a supermarket and a department store. The result is a very large retail facilitywhich carries an enormous range of products under one roof, including full linesof groceries and general merchandise. When they are planned, constructed, andexecuted correctly, a consumer can ideally satisfy all of his or her routine weeklyshopping needs in one trip. The example of hypermarket have been set up inMalaysia is Carrefour, Tesco, Jusco, and Giant (foreign hypermarkets) besidesother local hypermarket such as Mydin. Following are background of theCarrefour hypermarket and Mydin hypermarket.The first Carrefour store opened on 3 June 1957, in suburban Annecy near a crossroads (carrefour in French). Today it is the smallest Carrefour location inthe world. The group was created by Marcel Fournier and Denis Defforey andgrew into a chain from this first sales outlet. In 1999 it merged with Promodà ¨s,known as Continent, one of its major competitors on the French market.Marce Fournier and Denis Defforey had attended several seminars in theUnited States led by The Pope of modern distribution Bernardo Trujillo, whoinfluenced other famous French executives like Édouard Leclerc (E.Leclerc),Gà ©rard Mulliez (Auchan), Paul Dubrule (Accor), and Gà ©rard Pà ©lisson (Accor).Their slogan was No parking, no business.The Carrefour group pioneered the concept of a hypermarket a large supermarket and a department store under the same roof. They opened their first hypermarket 15 June 1963 in Sainte Genevià ¨ve des Bois, near Paris inFrance.1976 Carrefour introduces  ³produits libres ´ which are unbranded product but ³just as good, and cheaper ´. In 1992, Carrefour creates filiere quality systems,which quarantee product origin and traceability. Carrefour opened their firsthypermarket 1994 in Malaysia. In the 21st century, hundreds of millions of men and women will become part of the consumer society within a globalized economy. Globalization does, however,pose new types of risk for both human society and our planet. Faced with suchrisk,  and in order to improve prospects for future generations, it is crucial tofollow the path of sustainability, which combines economic profitability, respect for the environment and both social and ethical development. mission Carrefour are totally focused on meeting the expectations of their customers. Carrefour mission is to be the benchmark in modern retailing in each of their markets, by offering : * Their customers: the best prices and the best merchandise, in every banner and every country. * Their staff: the possibility of growth and fulfillment in a trusting environment, withinteresting jobs and motivational compensation. * Their shareholders: a sustained return on their investment and the growthprospects of a global, multi format retailer. * Their partners, franchisees or affiliates: leading banners and brands, marketingand sales expertise, purchasing power and constantly improving techniques. * Their suppliers: markets, customer intelligence, and cooperation to improveproducts through long term, mutually beneficial relationships. * Public, local and national authorities: a deep commitment to the community,as a socially responsible economic actor and good corporate citizen. Objectives †¢Improve customer satisfaction †¢Improve profitability †¢Significant reduction in excess inventory Carrefour is a public limited company with a share capital of 1,790,354,427.50 euros divided into 716,141,771 shares and with some 460,000shareholders. Carrefours employees own 2.98% of the Groups share capital.Their attention to social and environmental performance preserves their share price and attracts new investors sensitive to social and environmental issues.Carrefour strives to guarantee to its shareholders the transparency of its corporategovernance. Ethical, social or environmental issues are dealt with by Carrefour’s key decision making bodies : 1. The Board of Directors is Carrefour’s main governing body. It comprises 11members of whom 3 are independent directors, and is assisted by a Strategic Steering Committee, an Audit Committee and a Wages and Salaries Committee. 2. The Executive Committee is the backbone ´ of Carrefour’s managementstructure. Under the impetus of its chairman, it recommends strategic directionsand guidelines and organises their deployment. Its membership reflects the waythe Group is structured per geographic area with cross sector support functions. 3. The Quality Sustainable Development department, which manages thesustainable development programme, reports directly to the CEO and advises theExecutive Committee on sustainability issues. Carrefour products Besides, With its customers needs in mind, Carrefour decided in 1985 toreplace its produits libres, generic product line created in 1976, with an own -brand line, which is produced for the most part by small and medium sizedbusinesses and manufacturers. Today, Carrefour sells over 2,000 products thatmeet very strict specifications with regard to their price / quality ratio, taste,authenticity, food safety, traceability and innovation. Carrefour also sells 5,000 non- food products under its own brand names. Outside laboratories conduct qualityaudits of our non-food products at various stages in their production to make sure theymeet our specifications. Carrefours organic line now offers 130 products in its freshfood, grocery and frozen food aisles. All products in the Carrefour organic lineare inspected and certified by the independent certification organization ECOCERT,and must meet organic farming specifications (no chemical fertilizers, no syntheticpesticides). Everyone who works with Carrefour to produce its organic line makes a long term commitment to adhere to demanding production control and producttracking specifications. Regular inspections are conducted at every stage of themanufacturing process, up to and including inspections of the finished product. Carrefour market positioning Carrefour does business, its stores have further moved its marketpositioning towards the discount end through a policy of low prices andlargescale promotions. The banners concerned by the conversion to the eurolocked in their prices through May 2002 and maintened a freeze on own brandsover the whole year. The price positioning was supported by many promotionalcampaigns. In the first half, Carrefour won back market share in Brazil byconducting three short promotional campaigns a week. In the second half, thegroup’s 40th Anniversary offered a worldwide opportunity to display thecompetitive nature of the product range. Other international promotions such asthe ones in countries involved in the World Football Cup, helped to boostthe stores financial performance. Carrefour branches With operations in 30 countries, Carrefour is the world’s second largestretail group. It is the number one retailer in Europe. Carrefour has  also been present in the Americas since 1975 and in Asia since 1989. This success stems from their ability to adapt their strategy to fit local markets and to make globalisation an Opportunity for progress. Wherever they do business, they striveto raise local standards in terms of quality, service, working conditions and preserving the environment. They also mindful of their contribution to the labour market, in some countries, like Argentina. Carrefour is the largest private sector employer. Market positioning is the act of designing the company’s offerings and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of target market for its product, brand, or organization. It is the relative competitive comparison their product occupies in agiven market as perceived by the target market. Market positioning strategy usedby all retail in dustry such as foreign hypermarket. Below type of market positioning strategy used by retail industry . Product offered by Carrefour is a basis to differentiate other hypermarket product. The bases used in Carrefour hypermarket are * Quality Quality is one of Carrefour main source of competitive differentiation and is partof the fundamental policies defining the implementation of the Carrefour’s strategy. It always corresponds to what the customer explicitly or implicitly wantsand must be clearly perceived as such. The value for money must be the best.Controlled products whether banner brands or own brands, offer exemplary qualityand safety. A product must demonstrate the required quality level before it canbe approved for purchase. * Guaranteeing food products safety and quality The best possible value for money is offered at every price level (first priceproducts/ own brand and banner brand products). For own brand and banner brand products, the quality process includes signing a set of specifications,approving production sites and product control plan, processing and archiv ing anycon-compliant products and following up of customers claims. To complete thissystem, Carrefour has deployed in 2005 a Quality Scorecard available on theintranet site, which enable all the Carrefour to track products at every stage of their marketing and to react more efficiently in case of a crisis. * An approach shared with our suppliers To guarantee the quality of its food products and its own brand and banner brand products, Carrefour systematically conducts audits on its suppliers’s production sites, which are audited health and safety conditions. Suppliers’s production sites are audited by Carrefour,  its service providers or certificationagencies. Suppliers are audited with respect to health and safety conditions, riskcontrol, traceability and compliance with specifications. In addition, Carrefour endeavours to verify progress in product development Quality at the best price: first price products First price No1 ´ products launched in Malaysia. Drawing on synergies andpurchasing volumes at the Carrefour, these products are intended to offer consumers quality products at a price that is 5% to 7% below hard discountprices. In addition to meeting existing legal requirements, No1 products alsoreflects the quality and safety approach that characterizes all their own brandand banner brand products. Carrefour has decided to apply the same position for No1 products as for own brand and banner brand products by excludinggenetically modified organisms from the composition of all products. * Quality information on non food products labels To promote the quality of its own brand products and retail brand productsamong consumers, Carrefour hypermarkets decided to optimize the quality of information on the packaging of its Carrefour brand non food products. Four criteria, symbolized by four icons, were adopted, referring to usage, safety, health and the environment or social conditions of production. The packaging points outthe most striking criterion for each product by explaining in one or two sentencesthe product’s added value. This is signed with the commitment logo of Carrefour, which provides Consumer services with evidences of its procedures.Carrefour has already used this method on paints, backpacks, toys and scents. This approach will be extended to include children’s products, paper goods,sporting goods and food containers. * Ensure in store safety and quality The proper upkeep of stores and the respect for the cold chain and food safetyare key elements of the Carrefour’s policy in Malaysia . Thus the Carrefour mobilizes all its employees to ensure respect for health and safety rules. Thisinvolves training, establishing procedures, and systematic hygiene and qualityaudits in stores and warehouses. * Improve nutritional information on food products labels Facing with a disturbing rise in food-related problems and to help customers tocombine food products better for a more balanced diet, in early 2005, Carrefour has optimized the labelling of its Carrefour brand products. The Carrefour’s Commercial Department has worked with the CLCV to develop a more accessibleand helpful presentation of nutritional  information. The packaging has now a ³nutrition box ´ indicating the share of daily needs for six main nutrients ( fats,sugar, carbohydrates protein, fibre and salt) provided by the products. Brand The Carrefour has had successful financial results, has gained market share,and makes customer happy. This is a reward for all employees, as all of themplay a role in this result. In fact, over 90% of the employees work in contactwith customers. That means that customer happiness is closely linked to theemployees’ performance. The Carrefour has developed various tools, depending onthe employee’s position to assess the employee’s performance. For instance,tools for cashiers include such indicators as turnover and absenteeism. A number of teams participated directly in the preparation of the strategicplan through participating. In task forces that brought together people from allstore formats and all geographical areas. Being linked to the global strategy is agreat motivation for store managers. Moreover, the strategy is probably moreappropriate this way, so it is in turn easier for managers to implement theprograms with the employees. Since 2000, hypermarkets have systematized listening to employees toassess their satisfaction. Over 8,000 persons, both managers and employees,used it to express their point of view. It enables the Group to have a fair overview of labour relations, to adjust its management style and to draft actionplans that factor in employees’ recommendations and comments. Besides, general staff benefits include such as * Contractual Bonus * Service Awards Programme * Out Patient Treatment Benefits * Group Personal Accident Plan * Group Health Plan (Cover includes immediate family members) * Structured Skills Career Development (Programmes Structured SkillsCaree) Additional benefits for Non-Executives include allowances for: * Transportation * Attendance * Punctuality * Cashier ( cashier only ) * Festive incentive ( ie: Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali) At Carrefour, they constantly strive to be a responsible corporate citizen andundertake various measures to give back to the community and society as awhole. Carrefour strive to make a difference in the lives of the community fromthe urban to the rural and they are driven by the belief that all life is special anddeserves attention. Carrefour believes in operating business with integrity andcommitment to quality. This conviction that begins with us as an individual andthrough this inward conviction, Carrefour will make a difference in the lives of people around Malaysia. Personnel Differentiation The Carrefour Group has formalized its progressive approach based onthree key commitments: quality and safety, respect for the environment andeconomic and social responsibility. Safety commitment on Drug Perfume and Hygiene products (DPH) All suppliers are required to abide by Carrefour’s policy on cleaning,detergent and cosmetic products. No cosmetic product has been tested onanimals by Carrefour’s purchasing office or on its behalf for 10 years. Products and their formulas are rigorously scrutinized by a team of six internal specialists,with the support of an additional team of recognized external experts. Some of the group’s banners are taking this approach even further. Safety commitment on textiles and clothing for babies and children In 2003, Carrefour has developed specifications to improve the safety of clothing and textile products intended for children and babies. In two years, morethan 5,000 textile products involving over 200,000 substances were tested byindependent agencies. This safety requirement has been boosted by regular monitoring conducted with the help of specialists, toxicologists and allergists for all textile products. Based On services Differentiation The Carrefour puts its customers at the heart of everything it does. To thisend, it has simplified its organization, giving more independence to storemanagers to enable them to adapt their business as closely as possible to theneeds of their catchment area. Alongside this, the Carrefour has expandedcustomer choice, adapted its store brand ranges and increased its  serviceoffering. New store concepts have been introduced to respond to evolutions intheir customers’ lifestyles. For some years now, the Carrefour has also beenstrengthening its loyalty programs around this country to ensure that they reflectthe latest consumer and social trends.Over the years, Carrefour has added numerous practical and accessibleservices to its offering. The Carrefour has thus become a competitive player andthe benchmark in several areas of activity outside of its core business line.Carrefour made significant capital expenditures in 2002 to reconfigure its stores tomake them more attractive and im prove customer service. Reorganized salesareas and product staging make the best of the Carrefour’s various areas of expertise. This applies to both the food and non  ± food areas in hypermarkets. At Carrefour, they welcome customer views and comments which will help themimprove their service to customer. As in many other businesses, it is a crucial point for the Carrefour to learnabout their customers and to do everything they can to satisfy them. ThusCarrefour has defined what builds up a positive experience for the customer;apart from the differentiation strategies, price positioning strategies, distributionchannel and marketing mix, can see that the success factors contribute on itsproducts or services. The Carrefour mostly sells consumer goods and servicessuch as: * Convenience goods (food products, gas) which are sold by all formats of retail stores. * Shopping goods and services (household appliances, electronic devices)which are sold by hypermarkets only. * Cash Carry and wholesale stores sell industrial goods (mostly food) asthey sell to businesses (food trade professionals).Carrefour’ s success factors used on its product are: * The Carrefour ¶s product be unique and different from the existingproducts in the market. (CG Home theatre system very unique and different from other Hometheatre at market). * The product has sales in needed and wanted by the consumers.(Carrefour arrange different product in festival seasons such as HariRaya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas. Example: LuckyBamboo, cai Shen scoll, honey mandarin and assorted paper card inChinese New Year and Christmas table, Christmas trees and colourfullights  ± in Christmas.) The product have hi gh consumer demand and a high growth rate. ( allkind of product). * The product has to be reasonably priced and affordable to the majorityof consumer. ( all kind of product). * The  Carrefour have sufficient funds to build consumer awareness andcarry on other promotional activities. ( Carrefour Gift Vouchers, Carrefour Bonus ) . Form The products design different from other products, example GC product.QualityCarrefour always guarantee that all products they sales are safety and goodquality. Brand At Carrefour they sales CG brand products, which one mostly unique anddifferent from other brand products at market. Besides Carrefour also sales other product such as TOSHIBA, PENSONIC, ELBA, FABER, SAMSUNG, SHARP, LG,Goldsonic and etc.Durability A product that can last for many years is perceived as a product of goodquality.FeaturesCG products have various attractive features such as CG television set with loudstereo sound, clear picture quality , remote control and a big screen falls into thegood quality product category. Carrefour FreshFOod Carrefour also offer fresh food to consumers which one given the opportunity toconsumer to make many choices, an opportunity which has so far been lacking in Malaysia Carrefour. In terms of fresh produce, choice also pervades. Pursuingthe unconventional, for example, Carrefour will carry those items that other storesshy away from: at Carrefour one can find curved cucumbers, freshly harvestedcabbage (ones that have not gone through any additional processes), and other items that suffer from no real, discernible defect in quality. Besides Carrefour also carry fresh food like fresh chicken, fresh fish, fresh Australia Beef, freshprawn and etc.Differentiation strategies on Carrefour Fresh Food are based on productdifferentiation.QualityThe Quality Way products are the result of the collaboration between Carrefour and chosen producers, who have committed themselves to strictly follow a qualityletter statutes agreement. The aim of the collaboration is to provide consumerswith healthy and safe products. The products certified with the Quality Way signare quality and safety guaranteed, from the first production stage until the finalpositioning on the shelves. Some fresh food in Carrefour certificated as QualityWay are : Halvah quality way, Chicken quality way, Free Range Eggs quality way, Fresh Fish tsipoura quality way, French beef, Salmon, Biological bread, Barrel Feta quality way, Pork quality way, Apples agorin quality way, Peaches and Nectarines Veria quality way, Seabass quality way, Kiwi quality way, Feta Tin quality way Based on services differentiation.Carrefour also provide customer service such as Cutting Service (Scalling / Cuttingservice for meat products upon request). Carrefour Family G oods.  Carrefour also carry family Goods such as Carrefour Baby Goods (Food range,hygiene, perfumery, childcare products, toys, apparel developed under the adviceof a committee of pediatricians and specialists, in order to guarantee the baby’s development from 0 to 36 months with security and comfort.), Carrefour KidsGoods ( Food range, general merchandise, apparel, designed to develop goodhabits (fight against obesity with less fats, sugar and salt), as well as developingautonomy, satisfying the tastes of children between 4 and 10 years old throughadapted packaging and the use of the mascot: Genius), Men’s clothes, Lady’ sclothes (variety of clothes) and etc. Differentiation strategies on Carrefour Family Goods are based on productdifferentiation.QualityCarrefour always guarantee that family goods they sales are safety and goodquality specially Babys Goods. To guarantee the quality of its products and itsown brand and banner brand products, Carrefour systematically conducts auditson its suppliers’ production sites, which are audited health and safety conditions..Suppliers are audited with respect to health and safety conditions, risk control,traceability and compliance with specifications. Distribution Channel The Carrefour as a whole is an efficient channel of distribution: it is a whole setof marketing intermediaries that have joined together to transport and store goodsfrom producers to consumers. The Carrefour acts as a wholesaler as the Groupsells products to franchises. All the retail stores are other intermediaries. Some of the producers are local while other goods  are bought by bulk purchases or global sourcing. That means that Carrefour has to organize the wholetransportation to its retail stores. Carrefour is mainly concerned with outboundlogistics as they manage flows of finished products to ultimate customers (and tobusiness buyers for cash carry). This is a critical activity for Carrefour: they just cannot have empty shelves because that would not make customers happy!Each day, 8 trucks are needed to deliver products to one hypermarket! They usesophisticated software to create an efficient link between sales and purchases.They use  ³push  ± pull push ´ logistics. It means that they both do forecasts andthey also control what is sold in order to adapt. Before the merger Carrefour  ±Promodà ¨s, both firms had their own channels of distribution. After the merger,they decided to organize a common and efficient channel of distribution. It can bedivided into three networks: î€ grocery products which stay a very short time in warehouses for hypermarkets the same products for supermarkets, convenience stores and Promocash î€ products which stay a bit longer in warehouses, and that are delivered toall formats of stores This new system enables to reduce the distance over which the products aretransported (thus reducing the cost), and also shortens the time for the delivery.Moreover, with the  ³multidrop system ´, only one truck is used to transportproducts from a manufacturer to two close warehouses. Carrefour owns manyhuge logistics platforms (also called distribution warehouses). They gather products from different manufacturers (which are suppliers for Carrefour), andredistribute these products to the different stores when they need them. Theyhave introduced technological tools: those who prepare orders are helped by avocal recognition tool, in order to avoid any mistakes. Manufacturers used tostore finished goods in their own warehouse, and then, the goods weretransferred to Carrefour warehouses. Carrefour now wants to transport directly thefinished goods from the manufacturers’s to Carrefour warehouses. Marketing mix The marketing mix looks at the four main factors that go into a marketingprogram (Product , Price , Place , Promotion ) , which are referred to as the 4 Ps. PRODUCT The Carrefour needs to design their stores so that they meet customers need.This includes having the right store format, helpful services, the  appropriateproduct mix , and a reliable private label brand.Carrefour have adapted the kinds of products they sell to the local culture. For instance , Chinese people do not always have a huge refrigerator , so theyappreciate fresh products. Thus , Carrefour , by guaranteeing both prices andquality for lots of fresh products has a real advantage : it is much easier andpractical to buy fresh goods.Moreover , in Carrefour , they also sell western products for the western peopleliving here. This market segment needs were not yet fulfilled, as westernproducts are not sold elsewhere. In Carrefour Malaysia, people can buy suchgoods as chocolates, wine, and even cheese or cookies just like in France. Thegroup also adapted its services to local shopping habits. For instance, inMalaysia , people often drive to hypermarkets , only once a week. They buyeverything they need for the week, and a car is very useful to transport thegoods back home. That is why big parking lots are needed. ( in convenience stores ) Although the Carrefour sells a lot of goods with a manufacturer’s brand names(such as Danone , Yoplai t or Nestlà © ), they also sell dealer (private label)brands: * Carrefour (in Carrefour hypermarkets) , * Champion( in Championsupermarkets ) * Grand Jury ( in convenience stores ). Thus, these products donot carry the manufacturer’s name. The Carrefour product range now includes11,000 mass-market products and miscellaneous household goods.They have paid a special attention to the packaging so that the brand isimmediately recognizable . It has a special colour code , displays the Carrefour’squality commitment, complete labelling information and a display of the Carrefour’s satisfaction or consumer money back ´ policy. In order to improve these brandsequity, they use widely recognized labels to promote trust among customers. The brand loyalty  is very high. The Carrefour brand is the best selling brand inCarrefour hypermarkets, representing 25% of the total sales. Nine out of 10customers fill their shopping carts with Carrefour brand products. Thus, these products donot carry the manufacturerss name. The Carrefour product range now includes11,000 mass-market products and miscellaneous household  goods.They have paid a special attention to the packaging so that the brand isimmediately recognizable . It has a special colour code , displays the Carrefourssquality commitment, complete labelling information and a display of the Carrefourss satisfaction or consumer money back ´ policy. In order to improve these brandsequity, they use widely recognized labels to promote trust among customers. Thebrand loyalty is very high. The Carrefour brand is the best selling brand inCarrefour hypermarkets, representing 25% of the total sales. Nine out of 10customers fill their shopping carts with Carrefour brand pro ducts. PRICE This is a very important P in Carrefour’s strategy, they even talk of the  ³priceimage ´ of the group.The objective of the Carrefour is to reduce prices in all formats of stores.In 2005, the clearly stated objective of each hypermarket was to be the leastexpensive store within its market radius. This is a competition based pricing,their strategy is based on what other competitors are doing (including harddiscounters and informal traders), and the Carrefour tries to set the price belowthe competitors.However, they also seem to have a demand based (or target) pricing  as theyconstantly try to reduce prices to meet or exceed customers expectations, eventhough they are already under their competitors’ price. The objective of this pricereduction strategy is to attract more people to the stores, thus gaining market shares. The objective can be explained as a virtuous circle: the more they sell,the more economies of scale they can do, the more they can lower prices thusattracting more customers. The Carrefour has reduced the necessary time toanalyze the research data and to adjust price displays in each department to 24to 72 hours maximum. They pay a particular attention to the pricing of  ³sensitive ´categories of products (those that the customers notice). They have also studiedwhat factors contributed to this image. The main ones are fresh product pricecompetitiveness, reliability and quality of the price indications, pricecompetitiveness of the private label range. PLACE This P is about putting the product in a place where people will buy it.The  Carrefour adds value to goods or services by different means. Form utility The fresh bakery department in hypermarkets uses variousingredients to make croissants, bread and baguettes on the spot. Other departments such as the butchers’s and the fish department also perform formutility. Time utility. In order to make products available when they are needed, theCarrefour has developed a new format according to consumer needs and wants. Place utility In order to sell products where people want them, the Carrefour has different store formats. For instance, in Malaysia , hypermarkets are intown suburbs easily accessible by cars. Possession utility The group provides credit. With the PASS Card, customerscan spread out their payments and make their purchases on credit. TheCarrefour also helps to take a loan to buy a car for example. When you buybig goods, hypermarkets can deliver them to you. PROMOTION Promotion is the effort to inform and remind people in the market about productson sale in the stores, and to persuade them to buy. Carrefour uses various tools(advertising, public relations, sales promotion) which altogether are called thepromotion mix. It is worth noticing that as other big retailers, they do not usepersonal selling. Advertising Carrefour slogan (Lebih Jimat, Lebih Hemat ) is probably one of the best knownamong Malaysian people. It is quite simple to remember. It just means that withCarrefour, can be very optimistic as everything is so great in these hypermarkets. As they target the local market, it is highly efficient as people see the billboardsmany times. Time to time, they use other medias such as the TV to promotenation  ± wide events. Public relations In order to inform the public of the changes that are being made by Carrefour,and to show how this is a good thing to customers, Carrefour has a veryefficient information programme. Moreover, as Carrefour is one of the biggestfirms, there are many newspaper articles about the Carrefour. Overall, thesepublications are a good publicity for the Carrefour. Sales Promotion is the promotional tool that stimulates consumer purchasing anddealer interest by means of short term activities. Carrefour Hypermarketsregularly send catalogues to all households that live nearby. In each hypermarket, they have a reserved zone where they make special displays to present newproducts. There are also reduction coupons for those who have  the loyalty cardCarrefour. They can have reductions of 20% on most popular products. Specialevents are organized each time they open a store. They also use bonuses (buyone, get one free), especially one they want to get rid of their stock. The Carrefour’s need to attract the greatest possible number of people totheir retail stores. As different market segments have different needs, they needto have different formats of retail shops to fulfill these needs. For instance,elderly person often do not have a car and live alone, so they need a storenear their house, they need district shops. However, large families with childrenare looking for hypermarkets where they can buy goods at a cheap price, justonce a week. So that Carrefour need deploying an ongoing and aggressive low-price policy by expanding its in  ± store promotions and communications.Besides Carrefour need to: Strengthen environmentally conscious product and packaging design anddevelop a range of products with social and environmental added value. * Ensure product safety and quality, and customer and and employee safetyat our store locations. * Guarantee respect for human rights internally and along their productssupply chain. * Promote staff training and development, and inform staff of their view of the world, and their core values, their policies and their approach tosustainability. * Respect customers freedom of choice by offering them a wide range of products at attractive prices with full, factual information. * Making the brand work harder will help Carrefour grow sales and profitsin Malaysia. * Offer a more diversified product mix than traditional with hard discount. Reference * Carrefour Malaysia. (online). Available: www.Carrefour.com.my. * Carrefour Group. (online). Available: * www.Carrefour.com. * Wal-mart store inc. (online). Available: www.Wal-mart.com

Training And Development Programme For Coca Cola Commerce Essay

Training And Development Programme For Coca Cola Commerce Essay The purpose of this task is to analyze the main Training and Development issues experienced by Coca Cola and to give them possible solutions and best methods to resolve those issues. (Coca Cola, 2010)Furthermore is how Training and Development is used to identify the reliability of the workers to perform more effectively which enhances the businesss performance. Coco Cola has hired Valmax Consultancy which is a permanent and temporary agreement recruiting consultancy which provides recruiting solutions, seeking and offering quality team and offering the workers training to perform in a company. Current strategy and Organizations goal The company has been in continuous efforts to be one of best from the day it started. The company would never want to settle anything less than No1 position, the vision as per Coca Cola is to be the best in the class, just not to fulfill but to exceed the demands of consumers. They are moving with 2020 plan where they look to become world leaders.   The US generates 40% of TCCCs operating revenues. (Coca Cola, 2012) Internal context Coca Cola is a famous product that has been regarded as a living symbol of Joy, Youth and Prosperity. Since its beginning in 1886 Coca Cola has obtained momentum making it a worldwide identified product with a profile of more than 3000 beverages. Coca Cola has led the beverages industry growing to other marketplaces accomplishing an oligopoly position with an enormous business creating them the world innovator for carbonate drinks. (Coca Cola, 2010) External context Coca Cola has been working on the saying slow and steady wins the race, side by side retailing to every more of its competitors. With the evolution of being one of the top brands, it is always difficult to sustain with the competitors. Various brands that give tough competition to Coca Cola like PepsiCo,inc. Nestle S.A etc., manufacturing soft drinks and also various other products that makes the competition tough. 200 countries and more than 500 products do have a huge competition to face. (Coca Cola, 2012) Training and Development Vision The training strategies in Coca Cola focus on bridging the gap between the organization needs with the consumer needs. The target is to produce quality of labor with various educational, technical and analytical skills among employees. The perspective of Coca Cola is to enhance its training and development in way which does not affect the creativity of the workers, and therefore allows it to create an advantage for the company. (Emerald, 2011) Training need analysis Training need analysis is about identifying the training gap between your actual or current performance and your required standards. For Example If you need to go to A to B you must know what is A and what is B. Valmax Consultancy has identified the required performance standards of Coca Cola i.e. what skills, knowledge and behaviors are needed to do the job effectively for the workers through which employees can do their work differently and in a better way to fulfill the objectives of the company. Organizational component Coca Cola needs to make sure that the strategic needs of the company are taken into account. The business training needs are especially arranged to make sure that the company can benefit from the performance enhancement of the workers. (Emerald, 2011) Operational component In the needs evaluation a functional research looks to analyze the objectives of the company (short-term and long-term), and the styles that are likely to impact these objectives. Coca Cola needs to make sure that the potency of the company can enhance to be able to improve the functional efficiency. (CIPD, 2012) Personal component This analysis obliviously targets individual workers. A very critical facet of individual research is to decide which necessary KSAs have already been discovered by the potential trainees so that valuable training time is not lost repeating what has already been obtained. (Blanchard and Thacker, 2010) 7S McKinsey framework (Please refer Appendix 3) Best Practice Training Methodology Among the various methods, the company uses techniques like Training on wheels an initiative that provided relevant sales managers or staff for retail chain. (Henry, 2008) Training and Learning Theories Social learning theory According to Albert Bandura, the Social learning theory has become the most influential theory of learning and development. He argues that people can learn new information and behavior by watching other people i.e. modeling or observational learning can be used to analyze the employees behavior. (Deeming and Johnson, 2009) C:UsersNIKHILDesktopelaboration theory diagram.jpgSource Google image 2012 Social learning theory is also the rationale behind using specific training methods for Coca-Cola. A modeling process will be involved in the training program in which employees will be able to learn through the observations. This will be done while having the role plays and workshops to make the social learning successful. Certain requirements and steps will be followed which are as follows: Attention The employees need to pay attention to avoid the negative effect of observational learning. Retention They must keep the given information in their mind so that they can use it later and act accordingly. Reproduction This time the employees will have to perform whatever they have observed. Motivation Experiencing these motivators can be highly effective. For example if a student comes in the class on time and he has been rewarded by the tutor so you can get motivation through that and start coming on time. (Blanchard and Thacker, 2010) Trends in Training When the Coca Cola started the journey towards being one the best manufacturers for soft drinks, the company did not need much of training to be conducted as the jobs were assigned with respect to the labor available (Emerald, 2011). Later the competition and the business needs did create a requirement where the employees need to be trained in technical skills, business skills and leadership skills. (Henry, 2008) Training Program structure and Design The basic structure would be like senior level management team, then the business managers, supervisors and then ground level employees. The hierarchy would mostly remain the same however; it might change with the requirement with the business needs. (Blanchard and Thacker, 2010) Leadership Training audience:  Senior level Managers, Top level Executives Training Objective:  Management will be able to evaluate modifying company surroundings and its corresponding results on company. Management will also be able to implement the new possibilities and to find alternatives for possible risks. Training method:  The business leaders have different role play to do when compared. Leaders mainly interact with clients directly or indirectly, understand the requirements of the clients and what resources they can provide for fulfillment of the contract or the business. Coaching Coaching to the business leaders have to be done with a person who have vast experience in the field and probably have seen many companies shaping up on his career. This is just to polish the skills and then provide guidance in decision making and objection handling when making and business decision or a deal. (CIPD, 2011) Conference Like the business schools meets, every big organization have their own conferences arranged at various business locations. This helps in business leaders interact with other leaders across the globe. Management Training audience: The group will have customer service managers, sales managers, design managers or line managers. Training Objective: The objective would be to understand the current skills of the managers and help them learn and understand new set of skills that matches business requirements.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training method:  Role play is something like wearing someone else shoes to understand the depth of the job. This is very much like an actor trying to play a role in a skit. She/he has to shape according to the requirement of the character. E- Learning: E-learning technology is like bringing world in front of our eyes. This is one of solution for organization to reduce the time for trainings and have employees go through different phases of training by sitting at desk with a computer or in a conference with co-managers. (Jethro, Grace and Thomas, 2012) Technical Training audience: The target crowd would be like assistant managers, middle level supervisors and co-workers Training Objective: Objective behind this would be to train the employees to be more efficient in technical skills and with the latest technology. The global leaders would want new innovations to come through that would improve the business strength. Training method: Guided discussion and storytelling: This would be more a practical way of leaning the things rather than just be a theoretical way of training that takes through various slides or modules. This helps the employees to come out with the new ideas that can be implemented for business needs. Trainings can be held in a closed environment like a meeting hall or we can build training rooms in the office premises that could accommodate a group of people with latest equipment. Coca colas and organization have professional training rooms with all infrastructures that can provide complete assistance in training. Benefits of Training and Development Thereby, training and development is beneficial not just for the company itself but also to the individual workers. Here, training and development leads to improved success and more positive behavior toward profit alignment, enhance the job abilities and knowledge at all levels of Coca Cola. On the other hand, this training and development program benefits personal workers through helping them make better choices, helping in motivating and achieving self-development and self-confidence, helping an employee to handle stress, disappointment and moving the individual toward personal objectives. (Blanchard and Thacker, 2010) Learning Outcomes The greatest aim of this training technique is to create and enhance a lifestyle of company learning at Coca-Cola. It helps to build a future living in the present and working together toward the dreams. E-Learnings and job training benefits to build leaders among the co-workers. Additional resources are available for the management and can use them when required. 50% of the investment cost in training the employee after being assigned to a role would reduce. This would be most cost effective and efficient methods. Risk management Risk management is one of the aspects which cannot be prevented in training strategy. A number of threats are associated with creating this training strategy for Coca Cola. One of the key threats is the workers level of ability to resist change. This can cause level of resistance from employees, as well as the growth of anger among employees (CIPD, 2012).The way to decrease this particular danger is to make sure that an employee participation approach is used, which can decrease the concerns of the employees, while also helping the advancement within the worker. (CIPD, 2012) Evaluation of the Training Evaluation is the last level of the training process which helps the company to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program (CIPD, 2012). Kirkpatricks model of evaluation includes four levels of evaluation which can be used to evaluate the potency of the training of Coca Cola. (Please refer Appendix 2) Reaction will be determined as what the members thought of the system, such as material, trainers, features, technique, content, etc. Responses on reaction set of questions will help to ensure against choices based on content of unhappy participants. (Omar, 2009) (Please refer Appendix 1) Learning assessment involves calculating the level to which concepts, information, techniques, and abilities have been obtained. There are many different actions of learning, such as paper-and-pencil assessments, expertise methods, and job models. (Iqbal, Maharvi, Malik and Khan, 2011). Behavioral change will be calculated to determine the level to which abilities and knowledge discovered in the system have converted into enhanced behavior on the job. Evaluation of results includes tracking business enhancement such as cost benefits, work outcome and quality changes. (Kirkpatrick, and Kirkpatrick, 2010) Conclusion This training technique is designed with organizational objectives and perspective of Coca-Cola and also the present difficulties they are experiencing. At Coca Cola, we create it a concern to cure their individuals well, help them create and provide them a fulfilling operating life. By offering training and development program, role plays, coaching and feedback, we make sure that everyone who performs in Coca Cola has the sources they need to understand more and develop their professions. And also to have some fun along the way we want CocaCola to be a good place to work where individuals are motivated to be the best they can be. References Blanchard .P and Thacker .J, 2010. Effective training: Systems, strategies and best practices, 4th ed. New Jersey: Pearson CIPD, 2011. The coaching climate [online] Available at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/binaries/Coaching%20climate%202011.pdf [Accessed 21st November 2012] CIPD, 2012. Evaluating learning and talent development [online] Available at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/evaluating-learning-talent-development.aspx [Accessed 22nd November2012] Coca-Cola, 2010. Annual Review: Business Profile [pdf] Available at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/ar/pdf/TCCC_2010_Annual_Review_Business_Profile.pdf [Accessed 21st November2012] Coca-Cola, 2012. Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, H.J. Heinz Company, NIKE, Inc. and Procter Gamble today announced the formation of the Plant PET Technology Collaborative (PTC) [online] Available at: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/dynamic/press_center/2012/06/pet-collaborative.html [Accessed 21st November 2012] Deeming .P and Johnson .L, 2009. An application of banduras social learning theory: a new approach to deafblind support groups, Journal of the American Deafness Rehabilitation Association (JADARA), Available through: Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, [Accessed 22nd November 2012] Emerald, 2011. Interview with Robin Gee, Head of Employee Engagement for Coca-Cola Refreshments, Development and Learning in Organizations, 25 (3) Available through: Emerald Insight [Accessed 21st November 2012] Jethro .O, Grace .A and Thomas .A, 2012. E-Learning and Its Effects on Teaching and Learning in a Global Age, International Journal Of Academic Research In Business Social Sciences, 2(1), Available at: Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, [Accessed 22nd November 2012] Iqbal .M, Maharvi .M, Malik .S and Khan .M, 2011. An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Characteristics and Formative Evaluation of Training, International Business Research, 4(1), Available through: Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost. [Accessed 22nd November 2012] McKinsey Quarterly, 2008. Making talent a strategic priority: The War for Talent never ended. Executives must constantly rethink the way their companies plan to attract, motivate, and retain employees. [online] Available at: https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Making_talent_a_strategic_priority_2092 [Accessed 21st November 2012] Omar .M, 2009. Training evaluation: a case study of training Iranian health managers. Human resources for health 7(1) Available at: Directory of open access journals [Accessed 22nd November 2012] Henry, A., 2008, Understanding strategic management, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kirkpatrick, D. L. and Kirkpatrick, J. D., 2010, Evaluating training programmes, 3rd ed., Accessible Publishing Systems.