Politics and Development in Asia

1. In what political respects is the developing world truly developing, and in what significant parts of it are not? Discuss and substantiate by giving examples (Focus: Asia)In understanding political developments in Asia, being the bulk of the world’s developing nations, I begin this paper by looking at the historical developments that have largely shaped and defined the Asian nations. More importantly I focus on the Southeast Asian region of the continent due to its diversity as well as the pervading regional cooperation that has directly affected, if not impacted other Asian countries during the years after World War II. Secondly I would draw three distinctions of how developing nations are truly developing with respects to three vital political areas, mainly: the functions of the government, the electoral process and the participation of civil society. These three aspects would focus on how developing nations in Asia have managed to progress politically after its democracy was established.Historical OverviewGeographically speaking the Asian continent spans 17 million square kilometers and is home to a population of over 4 billion people. In the past 60 or so years it has largely been host to over a dozen developing nations such as: the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and also to progressive developing or developed nations as well. This balance between developing and developed nations is attributed to the influences and a country’s experience under colonial rule. During this era, Europeans believed that Asians were largely backward both socially and economically and only served for the economic enhancement of its parent nation (Charskykh, 2005), more importantly the locals in these countries served the purpose of being the labor force of their colonial masters. It was through this labor and various instances of social, physical and mental discrimination that many of the Asian countries that had been colonized were f orced to revolt.This sense of nationalism, even at its most infantile  stages (as seen in Philippine society) had helped to consolidate and unify the different levels of society to enact political change that would help in the betterment of the country. Revolution being the catalyst for political change in Asia has helped foster the spread of independent governments, however it can also be said that revolution wasn’t the only catalyst for the development of early political change in the region.It was during the events that occurred after World War II—the Cold War—that further changed the political landscape of the Asian region, the age of multi-polarity in Richard Haas’ article on The Age of Non-polarity (2008) draws a distinction that countries were further developed wherein power of two sovereign nations (the United States and the USSR) helped numerous Asian countries as a means of spreading ideological and political attitudes among different countrie s. The age of non-polarity as well as the effects of the Cold War helped to consolidate and change the different Asian countries political institutions, structures and the very mechanisms, which are evident in today’s countries.Political DevelopmentIt can be said that countries in Asia, seeing from the events or circumstances that had shaped it historically, is seen as a progressive continent host to many of the world’s developing nations. In recent years, Asia has played a large role in defining East-West relations both politically and economically. With the growing influence and presence of China, the world has turned its eye on the eastern portion of the map and thus, this has helped to bring in numerous investments and interests to the region. However, despite this surge of regional interest, Asia still has many issues to tackle, such as the role of democracy and the democratization process that some countries are sorely lacking, this is part and parcel to the form ation of their government, its role and function that should help and aid the people. Secondly, the electoral process, which has served to gauge how democratized a country is to the point that it is willing to progress.More importantly, the electoral processes in a developing country is often observed and watched because of how it affects the people—being the  most basic right to political participation and representation—and by large its effects on a country’s relations with its Asian and global neighbors. Lastly the participation of civil society, in any democratized nation, civil society plays a key role in strengthening and forwarding the issues that are important to the people to the government. More than that, civil society has also played a role in disciplining the government through its â€Å"expose and oppose† tactics, tactics that have helped initiate change in the government through the passing of laws and reforms that would protect the basic rights of the citizens.Functions of the GovernmentAs mentioned earlier, Asian governments being a direct product of independence from the de-colonization process or a product of a bi-polar world order are currently experience what political scientists call the â€Å"third wave† of democracy. This third wave according to Samuel Huntington (1990) is essentially characterized by the loss of legitimacy of authoritarian regimes, a growth in economic output, changes in the Catholic Church; regional contingency factors; and external factors (notably the influence of the European Union and the US). Huntington’s Third Wave of democracy enabled many newly independent countries to establish themselves in their region, much in the same way the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Malaysia did after the Second World War and the subsequent years after. Moreover, because of the waves of democratization, these fledgling governments sought to establish their own national identity as well as strengthen its patrimony. Hence we see governments working to abolish and reform parts of their system from colonial influences or vestiges of it.Hence, governments in Asia are functioning however to use the standards of many Western nations, there are countries that are still in need of further development. Governments in this continent are developing in the sense that immediately after their independence they had begun instituting change, the passage of laws that would be favorable to its people and not to its foreign neighbors or former colonial masters. More importantly, it was the passing of their own constitution, which embodied their own ideals and aspirations.Besides that being a democratic country, governments have taken into effect the very thing that they weren’t able to have under colonial rule, their rights and privileges. Like any other democratic country, the government as well as its branches is tasked with the preservation of their constituent’s ba sic human, political and social rights. Moreover the governments of Asia during this third wave of democratization have largely distanced itself from the use of its military to coerce the people into action, as seen in the case of the political upheavals in Indonesia, Malaysia and even the Philippines that help restore civilian rule and enact legislation that places all decision-making processes of the military under civilian authority.Hence, the role of the government and its development in the political landscape of Asia is essentially characterized by the waves of democracy that had followed after numerous political and social upheavals that had happened in the region that had allowed for democracy to proper. Moreover, the political development of Asia is largely attributed to the national identity that had been formed prior to their independence as well as the belief that civilian authority should pervade in all aspects of the government structure.Electoral ProcessesThe electora l process of Asia and by large any democratic country for that matter has been part and parcel of strengthening the democratization of any country. More importantly the electoral processes is seen as the establishment and legitimizing of a government that would adhere to the standards of different political watchdogs, media and Western governments that have investments in a particular Asian country.Electoral process as a measure of political development in developing nations usually stems from the desire to fulfill some of the promises of democracy or change the democratic landscape to as fulfill the problem of diminished and failed expectations of democracy as embodied in Mark Warren’s article on democratic participation (p. 679, 2002), drawing from the  experiences from the Asian countries such as Thailand; democracy through its elections has failed to address the needs of its people. This has led to the disillusionment or disenfranchisement of voters that have led citize ns to become critical of their government.Elections in Southeast Asian countries strengthen the political participation of different levels of society by allowing greater sectoral participation as well as the existence of party-list systems that aim to bridge the gap between the government and civil society itself. More importantly elections are a way for allowing a wide-range of issues and platforms of dialogues to be tackled and addressed so as to initiate reform and change within a system that a citizen may no longer believe in. It is because of this most basic political aspect that citizens are duly empowered to create an environment that would allow them greater representation and for their issues to be heard because the electoral processes in any democratic country is an avenue for change.Civil SocietyThrough the efforts of electoral processes in developing nations, civil society also plays a larger role in the development of democracies in the continent. Civil society is the representation of the people to the government; they serve as the platforms of dialogues as well as the source of political lobbying and confrontation. Such as the case in Myanmar where various civil groups protested against government action levied by the military junta against Aung San Suu Kyi, in China the protestation of their freedom to express themselves freely has been an issue that had led to the pullout of some international companies that had censured their content.Besides these all too familiar modes of political confrontation, civil society also lobbies for issues that marginalize a certain group of people. They represent and voice out the concerns of societies that the government may have neglected to address. Secondly civil society also exposes and opposes those people in the establishment of their crimes. Governmental crimes that range from graft and corruption to other irregularities in the system that seek to create inequality or those that would benefit only a cert ain individual or group of people that would directly benefit from such  a malfeasance.Another aspect of civil society in Asia is that it is vibrant, in the sense that these groups are constantly vigilant of the government’s movements, procedures and every minute detail that would affect the people. One could say that the government cannot move without some group or party noticing it. Because of this vibrancy there is a wider range of perspectives and opinions that the government has to address to allow equality and participation of the people and the groups that represent their interests.ConclusionPolitically speaking, the developing nations in Asia are truly developing albeit at a slow pace, however these countries face numerous problems such as the prevalence of cacique democracy, patron-client relationships, the growing incidence of graft and corruption as well as the lack of accountability and transparency. Besides these institutional problems, Asian countries are quic k to act using means that would question the legitimacy of a government (i.e. People Power revolutions both in the Philippines and Indonesia).Thirdly, political developments in an Asian country has only helped to serve the elites of society by creating laws that would greatly benefit them or help them stay in power. And lastly there is the proliferation of political dynasties and the existence of bureaucratic powers that have limited the progression of democracy and equality in the government. 2. Are the main political trends experienced by the developing world in recent decades summed up best by increasing diversity or alternatively growing convergence? Discuss extensively (Focus: Asia).In today’s globalized world, political trends have been largely varied in different parts of the world, yet each of these trends have helped in the establishment of strong governments and a vibrant civil society. The growing political trend of today’s developing world is the use of med ia as a platform of dialogue and garnering a wider influence that spans not just local but international borders as well.Secondly, the sudden rise of terrorism and the increase of regional and global security at the onset of the 21st century, has made steady grounds in the discussion of what could  and should be done to address political upheaval brought about by the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States. Thirdly, the further strengthening of regional and international economic and political cooperation, with respects to China, Singapore and Japan as emerging economies of the 21st century and how this has affected Western influences in the continent.MediaAs mentioned earlier in my introduction, one of the prevailing political trends of the developing world is the use of media—in all its forms—to further the cause of both civilian and the government. In this highly globalized world, the media is at the forefront of providing information that would either h elp or discredit a politician or the government. In recent years, the prevalence of media in all aspects of society was seen through the formation of websites designed for greater interaction (Web 2.0) that allows ordinary people to post, comment or critique on issues that are miles apart.During the 2008 US elections, media helped to bolster the presence of candidates running for the presidency, using new technologies that allowed ordinary people’s opinions and questions to be heard and also to evaluate these candidates based on their answers. Hence, in Zaller’s paper titled â€Å"A Theory of Media Politics† (1999)â€Å"For politicians, the goal of media politics is to use mass communication to mobilize the public support they need to win elections and to get their programs enacted while in office. For journalists, the goal of media politics is to produce stories that attract big audiences and that emphasize the â€Å"Independent and Significant Voice of Journ alists.† For citizens, the goal is to monitor politics and hold politicians accountable on the basis of minimal effort†.Another instance of the use of media to change or forward opinion and movement was during the elections in Iran that were heavily critical of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election to the presidency of Iran. His re-election served as a catalyst for media and the Internet to react and criticize what  the public perceived as the massive fraud and failure of elections that was happening. On Myanmar, during the events that led to the arrest of an American that had â€Å"trespassed† opposition leader’s Aung San Suu Kyi’s home led to a media storm that called for the violation of human rights of both the leader and the American.Thus, media as a political trend is vastly critical in denouncing governmental actions that it perceives as the limitation of political movement (freedom of speech and expression) as well the protection and adv ancement of issues that span borders. It is evident that through the Internet and other forms of media that political issues are now known globally, that one portion of the world can already actively participate in issues that are important to them.Security and TerrorismEven before the events of September 11, 2001 terrorism and security in the developing world, specifically the Southeast Asian region of the world, had been experiencing increasingly high levels of terrorist activities due in part to the movement of terrorist cells that had existed during the height of the Cold War and after the fall of Communism in 1991 led to the establishment of different Islamic terrorist groups in Central Asia then would later branch out to the different regions of Southeast Asia. According to Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco in his speech titled â€Å"Islamist Terrorism in Southeast Asia† (2003) he mentions that the movement of these splinter groups led to the formation of the Jemaah Islam iyah terrorist cell which has been operating in different parts of Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.The terrorist group has played a large part in redefining internal security in the region due to its attacks following the events of 9-11 such as the 2002 Bali Bombings and other campaigns of terror done by the JI in Indonesia,. More importantly, Yuchengco stressed on the growing problem that this groups are privately trained and funded by Middle-Eastern groups such as the Al Qaida network. This has led to a crackdown of terrorist and militant groups as well as the pressuring of the United States of respective SEA governments to crackdown on suspected militant groups, individuals and organizations (Vaughn, B., et al, 2009).Regional and International CooperationWith the bulk of developing nations concentrated in the Asian regions as well the various emerging economies in Asia, it is evident and imperative that one of the political trends in developing nati ons is the bolstering of regional and international cooperation both economically and politically.The bolstering of these two types of cooperation is vastly seen in the scope of Foreign Policy goals as both milieu and direct national goals. Milieu in the sense that these Asian nations are doing not for the self-interest of their country but rather â€Å"nations pursuing them are out not to defend or increase possessions they hold to the exclusion of others, but aim instead at shaping conditions beyond their national boundaries†. And secondly, direct national goals those that focus on national dependence, or national/collective security or the enhancement of trade relations and negations between two different nation-states (Wolfers, A., 1962).Regional and International cooperation has since become a trend due to the growing number of emerging and so-called â€Å"Tiger Economies† that have helped attract the interests of Western nations in the continent, this has helped to bring in foreign direct investments. More importantly the cooperation isn’t just focused primarily on nation-states economic agreements with one another but also the existence of international NGO’s aimed at developing different parts of developing countries. These NGO’s sole purpose is to help achieve sustainable development and provide livelihood and to help alleviate poverty and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor (Todaro, M., 2008).Increasing Divergence or Alternatively Growing ConvergenceFrom the effects of globalization it is evident that the through the political trends of the media, security and terrorism, and regional and international cooperation among developing and developed nation-states there is an alternatively growing convergence. Through the events following the end of the Cold War as well as numerous political upheavals in Asian and European countries that have led to countries being democratized, there is a convergence of political trends.Convergences in the sense that the factors  mentioned earlier have been able to establish significant changes in the internal political structures of a country, which have ultimately affected its relations with its neighboring countries. This convergence of political trends enables countries to share the same ideas and perspectives regarding key issues that would help or empower their country and other countries as well. Because of the strengthening of key issues, there are greater levels of cooperation and dialogue that helps in the advancement of relationships between nation-states.3. Identify and discuss the internal (domestic) and external factors that contributed to the democratization of a developing world. After identifying, discuss the comparative importance of both factors in the process of democratization. (Focus: 1 Asian country).PhilippinesThe Philippines has long been considered to be the bastion of democracy in the Asian continent, moreover it is also its old est democratic country. In nearly a century, the Philippines has progressed democratically internally through the following aspects: democratic transitions after Marcos’ regime, the existence of constitutional reforms. On the other hand the external factors that contributed to the democratization of the developing world are: the Philippines’ relations with former communist countries and its relationship with the Islamic countriesInternal FactorsInternally, the Philippines contributed to the democratization of the world by showing exactly how it transitioned democratically from an authoritarian regime to that of a democratic one. It was the events of People Power I and thereafter that showed how much progress the Philippines had made during its darkest days. The People Power revolution showed that when the government becomes a problem, as specified in some of the categories when a democratic government is no longer a democratic one when its people has lost its trust on the government, it destroys the community order and many more.These  distinctions helped to unify the people to action because of the belief that democracy should fulfill and meet the expectations of its people. In the context of Philippine society, Marcosian rule helped to create a vibrant civil society hence Clifton Sherrill (2006 p. 224) states, â€Å"the need for such groups is critical given the existing social order.Because the traditional elites dominate society, only through mass organization can the lower class establish an audible political view†, in this statement it was evident that political participation by the people were severely limited. In any democratic country, civil society allows for the people to voice out their concerns, that Mark Warren (2002 p. 681) states that when the government has failed to realize the promises it had set out to fill, the citizens become critical of their government, thus the establishment is seen as â€Å"incompetent, untrust worthy, and even corrupt†.More importantly civil society drawing their experiences from the Martial Law period has opted to stay on the streets, since civil society is composed of different groups each with varying opinions â€Å"these groups have consistently played a crucial role in mobilizing civil society to defend the democratic transition and to check authoritarian tendencies on the part of political elites† (Eaton, K., 2003, p. 487). Hence it can be concluded that from our experiences under Marcos’ rule we have managed to create a democracy that is more critical and observant of the movement of the government. It is able to discernAnother aspect of democratic transitions after Marcos’ rule are the constitutional reforms enacted, mainly the creation of a multi-party/party-list system and the safeguards embodied in the constitution against authoritarian tendencies. Firstly the 1987 Philippine constitution allowed and introduced provisions that were â €Å"designed to widen democratic space and allow for greater participation of other sectors in Philippine society† and more importantly the inception of the party-list law was to serve as the mechanism for proportional representation in the different marginalized sectors of society (Teehankee, n.d. p. 180; p. 182).Through the introduction of such a provision, this allowed for greater civic participation of the people, the allowing of different marginalized groups help to put key issues of concerns such as: development, rights and those that have minimal representation or who have no voice in society (i.e. the  unborn). On the other hand, the framers of the constitution also included specific portions in the constitution that would limit the powers of the president and the military. Some of the basic safeguards is the often cited principle of â€Å"checks and balances† but more than that, the constitution also implemented provisions such as the declaration of martial law with the concurrence of the congress, the creation of the Sandiganbayan to curtail graft and corruption within the government (De Leon, H., 2001).External FactorsExternally the Philippines has contributed to the democratization of developing countries by pursuing a foreign policy that is mutually beneficial to both parties. In this portion of the paper I will be discussing how the Philippines in a span of 50 years or so years has maintained diplomatic and democratic relations between Islamic countries and former Communist countries. These external relations done by the Philippines shows how democracy has helped the country establish important economic and political linkages with many of the world’s fledgling democracies and maintain cordial relations with international organizations with regards to its own internal conflicts. I begin by looking at the Philippines and its relation with the Islamic countries, then by looking at the Philippines and its relations with a commu nist country, particularly that of China.The Philippines and the Islamic countries relationship has long been a colorful one, it stems from the Philippines’ relations with other Islamic nations. A relationship that had relied heavily on global interdependency in the Middle East, due to the large supply of oil in the region, the need to expand the markets of the Philippines, and the growing number of OFW’s in the region (Wadi, J., 1998). It was because of these key factors that the Philippines has remained strong diplomatic relations with the other Islamic countries, this type of relationship was geared towards a mutual interdependence both financially and economically. However, the Philippines had also play a significant role with regards to its special relationship with the United States.This relationship with the US as well as their influence over the Philippines’ foreign policy had alienated other countries, particularly Pakistan after the creation of the Isr aeli state in  1948. It was only in 1973 during the Arab oil boycott that the Philippines â€Å"embarked on an unprecedented diplomatic offensive to recognize almost twenty countries in the Islamic world in the 70s†. This form of action helped to bolster the presence of the Middle East not just in the Asian continent but also help in the growth of their presence in the Southeast Asian region. The pursuit of mutual interdependence is largely seen as an effort to democratize relations between former colonial countries as well as to establish strong cultural and economical linkages that would help the Philippines in tackling many of its internal problems, notably the conflicts in Mindanao.The second aspect is the relationship of the Philippines with other communist countries notably the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during the 1970s when it was advocating for the implementation of the â€Å"One China Policy† in the UN. The relationship of the two countries are strongly linked with our earlier formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) or Taiwan, during the height of the Cold War, the Philippines had maintained a decisively strong anti-communist stance and thus resolved to deal mostly with Taiwan, which at the time was the duly-recognized Chinese country.Our foreign relations with the ROC (due in part to the influence of Americans) were primarily focused on maintaining a strategic military advancement within the region as well as the curtailing of the spread of communism within the region. However, much in the same way that the 1973 Arab oil boycott affected the country, under the presidency of Marcos, the country began establishing more formal diplomatic relations with the PRC. A relationship that was to help the Philippines sustain growth by accepting oil shipments from them in exchange for the PRC to import Philippine products such as coconut oil, lumber sugar, copper ore, and other metals. Hence in the years that fol lowed, even after the fall of communism, the country’s relationship with China has been economically and culturally focused (Lim, B., 1998).Comparative ImportanceThe comparative importance of the two factors is seen in their reciprocation  towards one another. In the context of Philippine politics and society, internally we face numerous problems that hinder our growth and development, especially after numerous political and social upheavals that have constantly marred our progress and image towards other Asian nations. However, through the enactment of certain reforms internally, we are thereby creating a political landscape bereft of anomalies and other discrepancies that would otherwise hinder the maturation of the country’s political system.It was because of the events of Martial Law and the People Power Revolution during the early 70’s and the late 80’s that we have managed to transform the country into one that is highly critical of the actions of the government and yet allow it to function within the rule of the civilians as opposed to the rule of the military. More importantly, through the advancement of civic participation within the country, the Philippines is able to garner a wider perspective and opinion on the issues that it needs to tackle. By creating a strong society, the country is able to externally project itself as able to handle different and vital political relations that would be beneficial to the establishment of a stronger society both politically and economically.

Case Study Big Skinny Essay

Online Marketing at Big Skinny The case study is about a wallet company name Big Skinny. One day the Big Skinny CEO, Kiril Alexandrov bicycled his way to work and his phone rang constantly. His marketing director and wife, Catherine Alexandrov had called and said that they had sold 4,000 wallets. The problem was that the online store had glitches and most of these wallets were given away for free. A few weeks earlier the two were promoting their wallets at the Harvard street fair and were successfully selling wallets. The street fair sales had made Kiril think of what the next step in expanding his brand would be. He decided to create an online store to further increase his revenue and company. Kiril returned to his office to ponder what he and his wife should do. Catherine proposed that they cancel the orders, just as Amazon, Dell, and others have done in the past with the same experience. He realized that there was nothing else to do and agreed that it was the only option to cancel the orders because they would be losing wallets for free. With his confidence shook on the Big Skinny’s online store, Kiril pondered his priorities and wondered what really should be the next step for Big Skinny. He asked, â€Å"Should Big Skinny concentrate on drawing new consumers to its website through search engines, or should it focus on engaging existing customers through social and interactive media? Alternatively, should Big Skinny hand off more of its web marketing to retail portals like Amazon and Buy.com?† A Product That Sells Itself? Wallets are generally preferred with lightweight and that can easily carry stuff like credit cards, cash and receipts along with other stuff. Thin wallets are considered better because it will always keep you safe from back pain. Wallets are often in need of replacement and people buy them as impulse purchase or as gifts since it is not a costly item and also does not require much information processing. Big Skinny has just launched world’s thinnest wallet and got good response from the market during various trade fairs it participate in. Conclusion For an online marketing campaign to be successful, it is important that people resource all their options and make sure they are capable of fulfilling whatever objectives and needs they have to be successful. Big Skinny has to make sure consumers are buying high-quality wallets from them. Wallets are a kind of purchase that has a high element of look and feel. People who recognize the brand and have owned it in the past are more likely to make a purchase and be confident about brand. This means online purchases would have more returning customers. For now Big Skinny should look at online retail as complimenting to their physical distribution through various channels. Question 2 Algorithmic search means most accurate result to the users query. Ranking high in a search will allow a site to reach consumers, whose search was related to the site’s product. The output of the algorithmic search would entirely depend upon the keywords chosen to be enlisted to the search engines. It is a listing of Big Skinny links in organic search results based on the proprietary ranking algorithms of search engines which usually factors of keywords, pages linking to the item, location, and etc. In Sponsored search advertising, advertisers are allowed to key in search words in sections for sponsored search. The main difference for the algorithmic search and sponsored search is those sponsored searches is more focused and give better results. Generally algorithmic searches are free but needs technical skills whereas sponsored are paid and can be easily incorporate provided right keywords are chosen. Question 3 Price An example of price would be how the website sells Big Skinny wallets for $20. This is pricing strategy because it utilizes the cheap and affordable price for a wallet, while also promoting the main quality of the wallet being skinny and slim. Many different affordable prices are listed on the website and very easily seen. Sales Promotion The Big Skinny website offers many different sales promotions. One is spending $50 to get free shipping anywhere in the country. This is a great promotion that can increase sales and promote people to spend $50 on their website in order to gain free shipping. Place The website also offers pop up shops coupons from the website that can be  used at pop up shops at certain regions and stores. This can be used as a Place marketing strategy because it focuses on a certain area or store and promotes marketing to that specific store. This emphasizes on shopping at a certain place or store. Product and Target Product can be illustrated by the fact that the website sells many different types of wallets. The website has many different wallets for men, women, and children. Within these genders classed wallets there are also many sub categories that the consumer can choose to look and purchase under.

On Developing Instructional Designs Essay

Efforts to ensure improvement in the quality of education across all states have been the central focus in the education arena. Schools have employed many different ways to make learning easier and more qualitative. These ways include preparing instructional designs that meet the present-day needs of students. Instructional designs are needed to identify certain goals and methods to be employed during instruction. Designed accordingly, they promote improvement in teaching strategies, and identify needs of students that should be addressed during the learning process. Importantly, instructional designs should consider the learner as the focus of instruction. This means that the whole program should be geared towards providing all possible assistance to the student. Proponents of student-centered instruction promote the role of the learner as the major key player, whereas that of the teachers serves the supportive role. For instance, activities that maximize student participation (discussing, presenting in groups, etc. are more favored than those which highlight the effectiveness of the teacher. Another consideration in preparing instructional designs is the comprehensive review of learners’ needs which are briefly discussed under Goals and Challenges and Limitations. By gaining a comprehensive view of learners’ needs, teachers would be able to target each need, and give solutions to them. Such are the things specified under Results. In this part, the student is viewed to acquire or learn relevant skills designed for the instruction. Still another consideration in preparing relevant instructional designs is the selection, development or modification of instructional materials. To ensure relevant instructional materials, one may employ the research strategy. There are many ways by which one can explore the use of this strategy. It may involve formal search for peer-reviewed materials, or reading reviews or critiques by colleagues who had experienced using the same resource. It may also include online search and gaining feedback through online discussion boards involving colleagues from different states or countries. Moreover, the research strategy should examine whether the material may appropriately address the needs of the students. One need is to develop multiple intelligence of students to adhere to holistic goals of the school. Definitely, a good material is one that does not discriminate among cultures, skills, gender, and religion. As such, the role of the teacher is to examine whether the materials selected for instruction adhere to this standard. In order to do this, one must be sensitive to the language of the material and analyze its contents for the said purpose. Critiquing a material for instruction should be done in order to find out its implications to students, whether positive or negative. Although teachers have the ability to critique a selection, it may also help to seek opinions from students, for they themselves will be the ones to use the materials. During discussion, the teacher could ask students how they feel about certain passages in a text, and from this the teacher would know whether the material is sensitive enough to cultural differences. If the teacher discovers such fallible, s/he should refrain using the material or use it to emphasize the inability of the author to respect cultural differences. Finally, to test the usability of the instructional materials, the teacher could base findings from students’ performance in tests, activities, and discussion. These materials would truly determine usability of the materials because as the materials challenge students to react, create, and apply learning, more learning outcomes are achieved. Also, employing a survey among students at the end of each unit could prove effective. After each lesson, the teacher could devise an evaluation sheet to be answered by students to allow them to express whether the materials used had been helpful or not. Also, as mentioned earlier, the teacher could seek the help of colleagues in evaluating the material. In this regard, online forums are a great help to gain a worldwide perspective.

Postevent Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Postevent Nutrition - Essay Example A post-event meal should help to restore fluid and electrolyte losses, replenish glycogen stores and prevent low blood sugar (SMCA n.pag 2nd edition). Inappropriate food intake during post event can have serious implications on recovery. Post event meals are very important particularly for glycogen restoration. As it is a known factor that muscle glycogen is severely depleted for athletes, adequate recovery means that the muscles are rested, re-fueled, and ready to go again (Davis 2005). During an event the athlete encounters free radical attack and to overcome the free radical effects, it is important to take adequate antioxidants. Post event must also be the right time for replacing all those vitamins and minerals. These acts as co-factors in the body's enzyme complexes involved in the production of energy and vitamins which protect against free radical damage (SIS n. pag). The most critical factors that determine sports performance is the energy and hydration supply to the body. Similarly, after an event it is important to replace the lost energy and hydration. Athletes replace fluid and fuel by consuming both liquid and solid carbohydrate feeds.

Refection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Refection paper - Essay Example The speaker based her presentation on life experience and the entire event was informative and identified concepts that are applicable to my real life situation (Syracuse University). The event was informative and improved my knowledge on existence of challenges from different aspects of life. It also enlightened me on different aspects of life and their roles in facilitating strength and coexistence among individuals. With the knowledge of natural and human imposed limits, the event taught me of the benefits of courage in facing challenges. A courageous heart will for example have strength to embrace difficulties and uncertainties until success is realized and therefore reduces chances of missed opportunities. The event has also taught me the concept of persistence and determination in pursuing a venture. These concepts define continued efforts in spite of possible challenges in a situation and they eliminate possibilities of losing a viable opportunity because of lost hope from frustrations. Close to the concept of persistence is the concept of perseverance that I also learnt from the unit and that facilitates success in initiatives (Syracuse University). I also learnt of the importance and significance of having a purpose in an individual’s life, of having a driving factor in a person’s life, of being spiritual and being able to maintain established potentials. A purpose establishes targets to be attained and facilitates development of strategies for attaining those targets. I have also learnt to understand purpose as an intrinsic motivator that encourages efforts towards achieving desired goals. The event also enlightened me of the need to be a motivated person in order to embrace and even overcome challenges in life. Hope, courage, and faith that are developed from spiritual aspects of life are other sources of power and strength towards managing challenges and overcoming them to achieve success (Syracuse University). The ‘30th Annual

Gender Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Communication - Essay Example However, the major difference that plays a role in determining the manner which men and women communicate is their sexes. In the recent years, linguistics have begun studying the differences in the communication styles, between a man and a woman. The main reason for carrying out these studies is for purposes of identifying the differences in the communication styles that exists between a man and a woman. This in turn would help both men and women to adapt with each other, and hence form a meaningful relationship (Berger, 2006). The differences in these communication affects men and women in a variety of ways, and this includes in any social set up, and examples include in a religious set up, at work, in sports, and even in academics. Therefore, having an understanding on the manner of managing these differences is important in developing a relationship between a man and woman. This paper examines the various differences that exist in the manner which both men and women communicate. The roles that women and men play, is reflected in the manner which they are able to interact with each other, and the methods that they use for purposes of interaction. One of the most important elements that exist in the communication methods of women is to establish and maintain relationship with other people. This is one of the most dominant methods of defining the feminine use of the process of interaction. Berger (2006) explains that women normally use language, for purposes of developing connection, maintaining a sense of closeness, understanding each other, and providing support to each other. These are some of the essential elements that are needed for any relationship to be formed. Berger (2006) further explains that women normally value creating equality through achieving of asymmetry. In their communication, women are also known for expressing their emotions, and using language that can help in

Women in a patriarchal society and trifles Essay

Women in a patriarchal society and trifles - Essay Example The play Trifles revolves around the investigation conducted by a sheriff and a county attorney in the house of a woman who was accused of murdering her husband who was found in his bed with a rope around in his neck. Accompanying them is the couple’s neighbor who was the first man to discover the body. In the background, are wives of the sheriff and the neighbor who tagged along with their husbands while the men went around the house searching for evidence that would clearly show the motive of the wife in the killing of her husband. Glaspell’s play highlights the structural distinction between men and women in a patriarchal society in which women are regarded as inferior to men. Men, for example, hold significant jobs while women were kept in homes, cleaning, cooking, quilting and having babies. This inequality between the sexes places wives at a disadvantage because while men hold jobs keeping them out of the house most of the time and exposing them to a social life, women were tied down to their chores in homes with no one to share their thoughts with and no one to keep them company except husbands who come home at night and who did not treat them on equal footing. Minnie Wright exemplifies this type of a woman whose world had been confined to the four corners of her home, lonely and desperate and living with a husband who obviously kept to himself and who wanted to shut the noise out of their home. When he wrung the neck of her bird, her last source of joy, perhaps to keep it quiet forever, Mrs. Wrigh t finally snapped and tied a rope around his neck while he was asleep. All throughout the play, the same pattern of inequality between men and women are reflected by the other characters of the play with women playing secondary role to male characters. II In Trifles, Glaspell shows that men regarded women as beneath them and

REFLECTION Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

REFLECTION - Term Paper Example This integrative experience has helped me to develop my knowledge in health care provision and in building my long term and short term professional goals. This essay seeks to provide a reflective approach to the academic experience in Liberty University as one of the recommended superior ways of conducting a re-evaluation of learning experiences. My experience in undergraduate program has had a significant transformational effect on my attitude towards health care provision as part of the community service. One key aspect of nursing that has come out clearly in the learning experience is the sensitivity of nursing practice especially in its application in community service. Human life is delicate and having to handle a patient it is vocational to exercise extreme caution to avoid severe consequences that are associated with carelessness while handling patients. Wise to note also is the high level of professionalism expected with every nursing practitioner in handling matters regardin g patients (Rigolosi, 2005). As one of the most regulated professions in the United States, ethical standards must be adhered to strictly and comprehension of the various policies governing this field has prepared me to enter the nursing field with more expertise. In addition, I have gained a lot academic knowledge as pertains patient treatment and handling of medicine. In fact, the undergraduate program has formed a foundation for advancement in this field and has helped me to set up my career development path in future as part of perfection nursing. In the course of learning, I have found a number of courses crucial in modeling my professional knowledge and skills. One of the courses that has had a great impact on my understanding of the nursing profession is the Nursing leadership course. In this class, I have learned what is expected of me as a novice in the nursing field and how to avoid common mistakes that new entrant in the nursing field often make. A unique content of this course is the nursing sensitive quality indicators that are used in evaluation of the key elements of patient care that reflects the structure, process and outcomes of professional nursing care. In the three processes, I have learnt the level of skills expected from nursing staff, methods of patient assessment and the expected patient outcomes as measures of quality of nursing care. As Rigolosi (2005) points out, nursing practice is a vocational service that demands the application of Christian principles while providing honest and care-driven services to the community. Through this course, I feel that the university has prepared me with the necessary servant attitude while commissioning my duties as a young nursing professional. Another course that has become an eye opener in my learning process is nursing management. One of the key dimensions of nursing practice that were emphasized in this course is the existence of health facility as a business entity. Just like in any other bus iness, resources in the medical sector are scarce and their effective utilization determines the achievable quality of health that can accessed by the community (Rigolosi, 2005). I found the part of human resource management as critical especially in nursing staffing and hiring of medical professionals. However, I found this

The Production Function for Buses - Edgeworth Box Assignment

The Production Function for Buses - Edgeworth Box - Assignment Example Our function will reproduce increasing returns to scale. This means that with an accumulation of production factors volume of produced goods will grow. To find a number of buses with every combination of production factors, it is necessary to substitute each number of employees and the number of machines for K and L indicators. Hence, if a number of machines are 14 and number of employees who make buses is 5, the calculation of production output will be the following: In accordance with above example, we can calculate all the rest level of production. (K=10, L=3): (K=8, L=1): etc. From the table, we can also see that in accordance with the accumulation of employees, the number of produced buses grows. Part (B) Make an ‘Edgeworth box’ diagram for the production of buses in Utropica: put the number of employees making buses on the horizontal axis (0 to 6), and a number of machines used to make buses on the vertical axis (0 to 16). Draw an isoquant line for 5 buses. On the same diagram, add an isoquant for 7 buses, and an isoquant for 10 buses. To draw an ‘Edgeworth box’ diagram for the production of a specific number of buses, it is required to find all combinations of factors that are able to create the stated level of production. Hence, using a table above, it can be seen that 5 buses can be produced by 10 machines and 1 employee or 8 machines and 2 employees. So there are several alternatives for this output. Consequently, finding all possible combinations, we receive points that will form the isoquant line on the diagram. Using the same method, we find combinations of the factors for producing 7 buses.

Nest Coffee Essay Example for Free

Nest Coffee Essay 1. Batch: 2011-2014 Course Code: 50121308Course Name: Marketing II Roll #601 Assignment #302 †¢ 2. Brand Name: Nescafe Parent Company: NestleYear of Establishment of Nestle: 1866 IntroductioNestle was established in Switzerland by Henri Nestle n Year of Entering the Indian Market: 1961 First Plant set up at Moga, Punjab Brief Overview: In 1930 the Brazilian governmentapproached Nestle to create a new instant coffee that would give the consumer another option and at the same time increase the dwindling coffee exports of Brazil. It took eight years but in 1938 Nestle introduced Nescafe. †¢ 3. Product Range (in India) †¢ 4. STP Analysis Targeting A target market is a set of buyers sharing common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve. Positioning. Position is the act of designing the company image to occupy a distinctive place in the minds of the target markets. A product position is the way the product is defined by consumer attributes Segmentation Market segmentation means dividing a market into smaller group with distinct needs, characteristics, or behaviour who might require separate products or marketing mixes. †¢ 5. Segmentatio n Geographical Segmentation Nescafe has divided the country into four segments i.e. Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western. The Southern Segment consumes the most amount of Coffee and prefers hard and roasted coffee. Where was in Northern region, Nescafe instant coffee is consumed in higher quantities. Demographical SegmentationNescafe has tried to segment every age group, families, region, gender and different socio-economic. †¢ 6. Segmentatio Past n Nescafe was targeted to morning people PresentNescafe is now targeting the Youth According to Andrew Ward, worldwide account director ofNescafe has launched a $30 millionglobal campaign, specifically aimed at 16-24 years old. Use of Youth Icons like Purab Kohli, Vir Das and Deepika Padukone as According to McCann-Erickson Brand Ambassadors World Group, coffee is the most popular drink among the youth. †¢ 7. Examples NESCAFE CAPPUCCINO Targeted to †¢ Premium urban consumers †¢ Core audience aged 17-30 †¢ Concentrates on the theme of â€Å"The magic world of endless pleasure†. NESCAFE CLASSIC Targeted to †¢ The urban professional †¢ Core audience aged 20-30†¢ Concentrates on the classic taste of coffee with the tagline â€Å"Coffee at its Best† †¢ 8. Positioning Nescafe’s positioning is â€Å"1 coffee cup, 1 good feeling † The TVCs and all Promotional Messages focus on passing love between two person. Sharing a cup of coffee is shown as a symbol of sharing happiness. The Red Nescafe mug is another popular symbol which associates the Brand Nescafe with the concept sharing happiness. Nescafe Classic is positioned as â€Å"100% Pure Instant Coffee† Nescafe Cappuccino is being positioned as â€Å"A true Cafe† †¢ 9. Tvc and Print Ads They all focus on positioning the brand as a symbol of shared happiness.

Next PESTLE Analysis | Next Plc

Next PESTLE Analysis | Next Plc Tags:  PESTLE Analysis, PESTEL Analysis, PEST Analysis Introduction A PESTLE analysis provides and analysis of six of the key macro level factors which affect a business and the decision which it makes (Grant, 2008). This assignment will apply the relevant factors within the PESTLE framework to the international clothing retailer Next and its subsidiaries. Data upon which the assignment is based comes from a variety of sources including the companys annual report (Next, 2012) and released and well as information from the academic and business press. In order to give the assignment a greater level of focus, the report will be limited to an analysis of the external environment in the UK. Political There are a wide range of political factors which affect Next at present but also factors which may have an impact upon the company in the future. One key political decision which affects Next in the UK is the rate of tax levied by the government. This has the ability to affect both the bottom line of the company in the form of corporation tax but also the ability of customers to spend with next, linked to income tax. At present, levels of corporation tax in the UK have been lowered in order to attempt to stimulate economic activity (Telegraph, 2012). However, given the continuing deficit, there is no guarantee that governments in the future will maintain the rate of corporation tax at its current level. Other key political decisions consider interest rates. At present, UK interest rates stand at an all-time low of 0.5% (BoE, 2010). This may be seen as a positive factor for firms such as Next who are effectively able to borrow large amounts of money for the purposes of capital expansion at much lower rates than have been previously seen. Such borrowing may take place in the form of long term borrowings from banks and financial institutions, alternatively the company may choose to issue corporate bonds (Arnold, 2008). Other political issues relate to the governments relatively arms length approach to Europe and remaining outside of the single currency area (FT, 2012). For a UK based business such as Next that has international operations in the Euro Zone, this could be seen as negative with the prospect of foreign exchange rate risks being felt and the introduction of additional transaction costs which would be eliminated if the government decided to join the Euro Zone. From a more general perspective, the UK political system based upon parliamentary democracy may be seen as providing Next with a relatively low risk political environment in which to operate within (CIA, 2013). This may be seen as an advantage in comparison some of Nexts ventures into potentially less stable political nations such as Russia and those of the Middle East. As such, this makes the UK a relatively safe market for Next to make further long term capital investments in where the company may think twice in the case of less stable political environments. Economic A critical factor which may have an impact upon Next in the UK is the current state of the economic environment. As a business which makes use of a premium based differentiated strategy, as opposed to being a cost leader, it may be seen that swings within the economic environment have the ability to impact the fortunes of the company to a greater degree than those operating in the necessity and budget sector of the market (Johnson et al, 2008). From a purely statistical perspective, the years since 2007 have been an economic rollercoaster for the UK. Following the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007, the subsequent year saw GDP growth revert to negative figures with -1% contraction in the economy. This was followed by even worse performance in 2009 with a -4% contraction. Low levels of growth have been seen since in 2010 and 2011 with GDP growth of 1.8% and 0.8% respectively (World Bank, 2013). However, while the statistics show a slight recovery in 2010 and 2011, others within the business press (BBC News, 2012) indicate that the UK economy could continue to flat line or worse result in a double dip recession. These headline figures may seem to paint quite a negative picture for retailers such as Next which are highly reliant on the UK economy as a source of revenue. However, an analysis of more detailed economic data may highlight a different perspective. Tutt (2012) presents data which looks at the level of unemployment and household disposable incomes in the UK. In this case an alarming pattern is seen. On the one hand, levels of unemployment have been increasing in recent years with a rise from 0.86m in 2007 to 1.53m in 2011. However, conversely, the levels of disposable income of individual households during the period has consistently risen from  £14,308 per household in 2007 to  £16,042 per household in 2011 (Tutt, 2012). For Next and other premium end retailers this may have a key impact upon strategy. While there may be few customers able to by the products and services of Next due to rising unemployment, those who have remained in employment have generally become wealthier. As a result it is likely that such economic patterns may help Next to improve its average spend per customer, even if the total number of customers falls. Social-Cultural There are many social and cultural changes taking place in the UK at present which may have a high level of impact upon the performance of fashion retailers such as Next. In many cases, as representatives of an essentially socio-cultural industry, the fashion industry itself may be seen as an industry which is affected by such trends to a greater degree than other industries (Curtis et al, 2007). One of the key issues in the UK market, but also seen across Nexts wider European markets is the general aging of the population (Parliament UK, 2012). This may be seen as both problematic but also an opportunity for Next. One the one hand, an ageing population may see Next having to adapt its product portfolio in an attempt to ensure that the products supplied by company appeal to this aging demographic of the population. In addition, the prospect of an aging population may also see that competition for the increasingly smaller younger demographics of the market becomes more intense for Next as time progresses. Despite these drawbacks, there are also advantages linked to the issue. On consideration is that ageing populations tend to be less mobile than younger demographics, this may be a key advantage for Next given that its home delivery and online business model offer a convenient solution to the problem. Other socio-cultural factors include the consideration that the UK has since World War Two become an increasingly culturally diverse nation with an influx of diverse cultures, races and ethnicities all contributing towards the socio-cultural backdrop of the UK social system (Shepherd, 2010). For Next, this has not only external implications such as those linked to aligning product ranges to specific cultural segments, in attrition, the company musty also ensure that it deals with issues such as managing diversity in the context of its own organisation. In this case, increased cultural diversity can be seen as both a source of a competitive advantage yet also a potential source of conflict (Liff, 1997, Ivancevich et al, 2010). As EU expansion takes place and the new member states become further integrated into the EU, there is a distinct possibility that the trends for increased diversity in the UKs labour and consumer markets will increase rather than decrease. Technological There is little doubt that new technological developments have transformed the UK business environment, especially those operating in the retail sector. Key developments may be seen as those technologies which are internet or communications based in nature, such as the wide spread diffusion of broad band (Jobber, 2007). Key technological developments such as the internet have allowed firms such as Next to develop online business models which complement traditional bricks and mortar retail establishments. Empirical evidence from the ONS (2009) on the subject shows that the growth has been almost exponential with a rapid acceptance on the behalf of customers of online shopping in both retail and other markets. Yet communications technologies have not only been used by the sector to facilitate online sales and shift away from the traditional high street place. Other aspects of new technological development have seen a range of new marketing options opened up to retailers such as Next. Most important amongst these are developments which have allowed retailers to interact with customers using online social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. These are now seen as key ingredients in the development of a successful marketing strategy (Zarrella, 2010), largely the product of technological changes in the sector. Other technologies have simply allowed businesses to develop better relationships with their consumers and communicate in a more effective way. Take for instance the technological developments of smartphones and apps. Such technology has allowed companies to develop apps which allow consumers to find their nearest branch or check the facilities and product availability at a branch before making a visit. This allows an effective bridge to be built between the purely online business model such as those operated by a company like Amazon and those falling into the bricks and clicks category (McGoldrick, 2002) such as Next who must seek to leverage the benefits of both arms of the business. While technology in this section has largely been presented as an opportunity, there is of course a risk factor. Many have expressed concerns over the abandoning of the high street as consumers flock to online business models. The case is illustrated only too recently with the example of Jessops going into administration, a business which may be seen as falling victim to technological developments (Goodley, 2013). Legal Like all businesses, Next must conform to the legal minimum standards which are enforceable in a jurisdiction. The case of Nexts UK operations legal elements may be seen as more complex given that the company must comply with both UK law and EU law. Some of the key legal regulations which affect Next in the UK are considered below: Minimum wage legislation A key piece of legislation in the UK which affects organisations such as Next with a large number of low paid workers is that of various minimum wage regulations. In this case, the legislation requires UK employers to pay their employees a minimum of  £6.19 per hour for those aged over 21 (Gov UK). Given the large number of employees of firms such as Next which are affected by the National Minimum Wage, temporary shifts in legislative policy can have a high impact upon the sector. Other key legislative issues include equal opportunities legislation and various other acts of parliament designed to ensure equality both in the work place and in the recruitment and selection process (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). In this case, such legislation has a direct impact upon the processes and practises of an organisation such as Next who are required not only to design corporate polices which facilitate equality but also to record activities related to recruitment and selection should an employee call foul at a later date. The issue here for businesses such as Next is that the legislative environment often places the burden of proof on the defendant rather than the claimant in such cases. As such, the development of detailed HR processes and practises is critical (Bratton and Gold, 2007). Further issues relate to potential moves on the behalf of legislators to become tougher in relation to issues of tax avoidance. While Next has to date not been implicated in any of the tax avoidance scandals, there is a consideration that the actions of other retailers such as Starbucks and Amazon (Syal, 2012) may have provoked the onset of a tougher legislative environment in the future which may have an impact upon innocent parties such as Next. Environmental The physical environment is also a key issue for firms operating in any given national market and consideration should be considered two how firms treat the physical environment and the impact this has on the business, but also the impact the physical environment generally has upon a business. In general terms, the physical environment which Next operates within in the UK may be seen as relatively benign in comparison to other parts of the world which suffer from high intensity natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and forest fires. Despite such an environment there have been a number of environmental issues recently in the UK which have affected the retail sector. These have included increasing more frequent floods (Retail Bulletin, 2013) and poor sales due to snow storms and the failure of local authorities to prepare for periods of inclement weather (Hall, 2011). Other aspects of the environmental analysis require firms to consider their own impact upon the environment. In general terms, the literature (Parsons and MacLaran, 2009) considers that consumers are becoming increasing aware of the impact of businesses upon their environment. As such, if businesses are to maintain customer loyalty and avoid negative backlashes, then they must seek to minimise their impact upon the environment. In the retail sector, this may include reducing waste, running more efficient transport operations and implementing ethical sourcing policies. While failure to comply with such consumer demands may result in a negative consumer backlash, with the adoption of the right approach, high environmental credentials can be used to add value to a product or service. Such an example is seen in the Marks and Spencer (2013) and Body Shop business models in the retail sector. Conclusion Having reviewed the key factors within the macro level environment as presented in the PESTLE framework, it is possible to come to a number of conclusions in relating the model to Next and its UK operations. On the one hand, it would appear that the external environment is a significantly challenging one for Next with the prospect of further poor economic performance and a requirement to comply with what may be seen as a relatively tough legislative environment. However, the PESTLE factors would also seem to indicate that there are some large opportunities for Next in the UK. Such opportunities include the ability to borrow at low interest rates to fund capital expansion and increased opportunities to link technological developments to changes in the social fabric of society in order to drive more sales through web based platforms. Other factors such as changing technologies and increases in diversity may be seen as neither positive or negative intrinsically but still require some ch ange on the behalf of Next. Having reached these conclusions, the final opinion of the writer is that the external environment is essentially neutral for Next at the moment and that the success of the business will be largely dependent upon whether managers of the business capitalise upon the stated opportunities or allow the challenges to see Next becoming another casualty of the death of the high street. Bibliography Arnold, G. (2008). Corporate financial management. 4th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. BBC News. (2012). UK economy in double dip recession. Available online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17836624 [Accessed on 18/01/13]. BoE. (2010). Bank of England maintains bank rate at 0.5% and the size of the asset purchase program at  £200 billion. Available online at:  http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2010/084.htm  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Bratton, J, Gold, J. (2007). Human resource management theory and practise. 4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. CIA. (2013). World fact book UK. Available online at:  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Pilbeam, S, Corbridge, M. (2010). People resourcing and talent planning. 4th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Curtis, E, Watson, H, Sephton, L. (2007). Fashion retail. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons. FT. (2012). UKs Euro trade supremacy under attack. Available online at:  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/736bd72a-3c9a-11e2-a6b2-00144feabdc0.html  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Goodley, S. (2013). Jessops goes into administration, putting 2,000 jobs at risk. Available online at:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/09/jessops-verge-administration-jobs-risk  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Gov UK. (2013). National minimum wage rates. Available online at:  https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Grant, R, M. (2008). Contemporary strategy analysis. 6th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Hall, J. (2011). Snow costs Next and HMV  £42m in lost Christmas sales. Available online at:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8240799/Snow-costs-Next-and-HMV-42m-in-lost-Christmas-sales.html  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Ivancevich, J, M, Konopaske, R, Matteson, M, T. (2010). Organisational behaviour and management. 9th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Irwin. Liff, S. (1997). Two routes to managing diversity: individual differences or social group characteristics. Employee relations. Vol. 19. No. 1. pp11-26. Marks and Spencer. (2013). Plan A Doing the right thing. Available online at: http://plana.marksandspencer.com/we-are-doing/sustainable-raw-materials/stories/6/ [Accessed on 14/01/12]. Next. (2012). Annual report 2012. Available online at:  http://ir2.flife.de/data/next/igb_html/index.php?bericht_id=1000007index=lang=ENG  [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Parliament UK. (2012). Aging population. Available online at:  http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/key-issues-for-the-new-parliament/value-for-money-in-public-services/the-ageing-population/  [Accessed in 13/01/13]. Retail Bulletin. (2013). Its time for retailers to prepare for the worst and adapt to climate extremes. Available online at: http://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/its_time_for_retailers_to_prepare_for_the_worst_and_adapt_to_climate_extremes_07-01-13/ [Accessed on 18/01/13]. Shepherd, J. (2010). Englands schools are becoming more diverse. 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Automobile Sector Analysis: Five Forces and SWOT Automobile Sector Analysis: Five Forces and SWOT 1. Overview of the automobile sector Five forces analysis Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: High Competition between existing automobile companies is high. Although the automobile market was dominated by the three big auto manufacturers in US, Toyota and Honda in Japan, the situation is changed. With the growing demand in emerging market, the emerging competitors in China and India may drive an intensified price competition. However, the competition could also focus on the safety, warranty and financial services etc. Threat of New Entrants: Medium Although the entrant barrier is high for the automobile industry because the requirement of capital and technology, an increasing number of automobile manufacturers are emerging in China and Asia due to the economic expansion and growing demand. However, these automakers are in the development status and may not catch up the leading technology in Japan and US, so the threat from new entrants is medium. Threats of Substitutes: Low Customers could choose to switch to transportation means other than automobile such as bicycles, buses and subways. However, the automobile is still the favourite despite the relevant high cost than other mentioned transportation means because its flexibility, comfort and convenience. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low In automobile industry, the component supplier has little bargaining power because the manufacturer could switch to other suppliers easily. On the other hand, the components are generally low value and the suppliers find it difficult to bargain with automakers. Bargaining Power of Customers: High The competition in the automobile industry is intense as mentioned above. So the customers have many choices on the brands and models. Customers care about the quality, price, safety, comfort, appearance of the car. Recently, customers are also more and more concerned about the environmental effect of the automobile and the energy efficiency. So the customers get more and more bargaining power in automobile industry. 2. Toyota Motor Company 2.1 Overview of the company Company profile Toyota Motor Corp. is one of the largest and leading automobiles manufacturers in the globe. It operates in three main business segments; the two biggest are automobile and financial services whereas the third one is comprised by many smaller other divisions. It is spread worldwide as it has 50 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries and regions Toyota designs, manufactures and sales passenger cars of several types and utilities, trucks, tractors and material handling equipment, minivans and other car accessories. Its products can be divided into 2 main categories, conventional and hybrid vehicles. The company sells its products under Toyota, Lexus, Hino and Daihatsu brands The company is also engaged in the financial industry as it provides financing to its customers and dealers. It is also involved in housing, marine, e-commercial, ITS and biotechnological activities. Toyota sells its vehicles in more than 170 countries and regions worldwide. Toyotas primary markets are Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. It is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan and employed around 316,121 people as on March 31, 2008 Strategy Analysis Toyotas strategy can be summarised under three key principles; growth, efficiency and stability. These are the three priorities the companys management will pursue to achieve future sustainable growth and increase the economic value. Growth will be achieved through continuous investment mainly in hybrid vehicle segment to meat the increasing demand. Efficiency is mainly focused on cost management and further reduction in order for the company to be able to provide high quality products in affordable prices and maintain its competitive advantages. Stability will be ensured by maintaining a solid financial base. Within the economic downturn it is important for Toyota to maintain sufficient liquidity in order to continue to finance its investments in research and development of new technologies, which is an integral and essential part of the companys advantages. Peer Group As Toyota operates in the global market its competitors come from all around the world. Its major competitors are BMW AG, DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat S.p.A., Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Honda Motor Co. Ltd., PSA Peugeot, Renault S.A., Volkswagen AG and many others SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong overall financial performance Strong reputation and quality Strong position is Asian market Research and development Production pipeline system and cost management Diversified product portfolio Financial services are still undeveloped Huge expenses on pensions and post-retirement benefits Opportunities Threats Increasing demand for hybrid and environmental-friendly cars Expansion in emerging Asian markets Financial and other non-auto division development New car models Global economic crisis Strong competition in automotive industry Yen and US dollar exchange rates Tight environmental regulations on carbon emissions Problems with specific components of sold cars. (Recent brake problem) 2.1. Key Financials Analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Sales 207,852.40 264,120.58 202,821.01 178,294.05 173,443.60 Operating Income -4,667.52 22,809.82 18,959.84 15,919.51 15,192.39 Net Income Available to Common -4,423.79 17,259.05 13,923.62 11,629.63 10,950.45 Total Assets 292,725.95 324,979.61 275,051.76 242,604.35 227,515.08 Total Liabilities 185,398.39 199,132.47 169,488.89 148,104.55 138,230.49 Common Equity 101,865.07 119,249.79 100,242.15 89,502.94 84,563.86 Net Cash Flow Operating Activities 14,724.7 26,357.6 27,783.5 22,136.2 22,144.6 * IMPORTANT First year to report losses * Stable increase in sales Decline in 2009 greatly affects income * Severe decrease in cash flow from operating activities, nearly 50% * Very big difference between sales and operating income points out severe cost expenses for the company. As this differences is constantly increasing it is not far from the truth to say that Toyota is gradually loosing its competitive advantages in cost efficiency against its competitors. * General trend in key financial s shows a steady and permanent increase until 2008 and a sharp decline in 2009, due to severe problems of economic recession and its great impact on automobiles industry. This trend applies for almost all financial s, pointing out that the companys performance as a whole followed a movement like this. 2.3. Multiples analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Price To Earnings -22.43 9.19 14.74 15.25 11.23 Price To Book 0.97 1.32 2.04 1.97 1.44 Price To Cash Flow 7.41 4.83 7.83 7.80 5.87 Price To Sales 0.5 0.7 0.8 1.0 0.7 * Multiples follow companys general trend, namely increase until 2007 and then decreasing sharply * Consistent with overall picture of company, multiple analysis show the economic downturn of the entity from 2007 onwards * Point to mention: negative P/E ratio. Markets expectation about company looks really slim. The economic crisis, alongside with its severe problems generating income and its recently damaged reputation, create really unfortunate future prospects for Toyota. The negative P/E ratio and specifically its magnitude (-22) implies that nobody is neither willing to pay to buy the companys share nor expecting any profit generation. * Very sharp decline as well; 31.62 units is something extremely noticeable. If we focus on decline itself, it shows an extremely quick unfavorable turn of the market towards the company. 2.4. Companys performance 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Profitability Return on Equity -3.98 14.49 14.68 14.00 13.60 Operating Profit Margin -2.25 8.64 9.35 8.93 8.76 Asset Utilization Total Assets Turnover 0.71 0.81 0.74 0.73 0.76 Net Sales % Working Capital 28.93 180.70 1412.62 29.78 15.30 Gearing EBITDA / Interest Expense 20.94 86.19 77.33 153.70 146.20 Long Term Debt/ Common Equit 62.63 50.40 52.92 53.41 55.44 Valuation Investment Earnings Per Share -1.41 5.43 4.34 3.57 3.32 Dividend Yield Close 3.21 2.82 1.59 1.40 1.63 Liquidity Quick Ratio 0.81 0.77 0.76 0.81 0.87 Current Ratio 1.07 1.01 1.00 1.07 1.15 * Negative profitability in 2009 * Fluctuating sales/working capital as a result of fluctuation if investments (working capital) * Gearing increase in 2009 at the same time with high decrease of interest cover * Stable and quite low liquidity 2.5. Cash Flow analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Cash Flow Operating Activities 14,724.7 26,357.6 27,783.5 22,136.2 22,144.6 Cash Flow Investing Activities (12,265.3) (34,254.0) (32,727.4) (29,704.4) (28,591.6) Cash Flow Financing Activities 6,967.4 6,242.7 7,565.6 7,716.8 3,917.0 Effect of exchange rates -1,294.04 -749.27 218.18 604.94 232.09 Net Cash Flow 8,132.86 -2,402.99 2,839.91 753.58 -2,297.85 * Severe decrease in cash flow from operating activities, nearly 50% which vividly affects its operating income * Extreme decrease in investing activities around 70%, probably caused by cash shortage and policy change. The company issued a new project with main goal to improve profits and cover operating expenses and as a result we see a large negative impact in new investments. * Financing activities exhibit a stationary trend over the past few years indicating the stable financial policy of the entity. * Adverse effects of exchange rates during the last two years indicating the risk the company runs because of the Yens depreciation to the U.S dollar and the Euro. 2.6. Stock Performance The companys share performance seems to move according to the index, with the trend to over perform it constantly. We can see the decline of the shares price, which started right before the end of 2008, following the global economic recession. At the turning point, which is in the beginning of 2009, we observe a relatively high trading volume, probably indicating the forthcoming upward movement. It is also really significant to point out the extreme high trading volume observed during the first months of 2010, followed by a new decline of the shares price. This reflects the problems that Toyota is facing nowadays. There is a considerable lack of trust from the market towards the company which is mainly caused by its severely damaged reputation and loss of quality. 3. Ford Motor Company 3.1 Overview of the company A . Company profile The group operates in two segments: Automotive and Financial Services. For the automotive segment which consists of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo has a main operating activity in manufacturing, sale and service of component for cars and trucks. The Financial services segment is included of financing, insurance and leasing regarding to cars, trucks, industrial equipment, construction equipment and other activities. The company has operation in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia- Pacific. B. Strategy Analysis  · One Ford The Company has initiated the new strategy called â€Å"One Ford† which has detail as follow: o ONE TEAM focuses the significant of team work in order to reach the automotive leadership. The measurement is satisfactory of business partners, employees, investors, and related companies. o ONE PLAN: The four-step plan has been established which composed of: balance between cost structure and revenue; develop new product follow customer preference; develop balance sheet status and finance the plan; and cooperation around the world to leverage companys resources. o ONE GOAL: That is â€Å"to create an exciting and viable company with profitable growth for all†. Ford has started the restructuring business process before the economic crisis which the Company has reduced the excess capacity, closed some unprofitable plants and lower excess workforce. In addition, Ford has improved the product line in term of higher quality, more safety, use less energy and more economic. * Affordable Fuel Economy: Focusing on deliver fuel efficiency engine to the market. For example, the 2010 Ford Fusion is now Americas most fuel efficient midsize sedan for both the hybrid and conventional gasoline models. * Electrification strategy: plan to bring pure batteryelectric vehicles, next-generation hybrids and a plug-in hybrid to market quickly and more affordably over the next four years. * Safety leadership: Ford got totaling 16 models picked from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety which more than other brands. * EcoBoostâ„ ¢ Engine: delivers significant gains in fuel economy along with a great performance drive feel. C. Peer Group Fords peer group is Daimler AG, Fiat Spa ¸ Honda Motor Company Limited, Motors Liquidation Company, Nissan Motor Company Limited, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG. D. Fords SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses l Wide geographic Operate throughout the world and has a strong market in North America, Europe and Asia. Sales of each region of 2008 are 49%, 39% and 12% respectively. The well diversified market of ford reduces the risk of economic problem in specific area. l Brand royalty Ford has renowned reputation about quality and also owns other renowned brands such as Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. l Quality car Ford owns totaling 16 models of car that rated as safety car by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety l Product Recall Experienced many recalled products due to the quality of defective cruise control switch which may cause fire. Even though there is no fire cases reported but the Companys reputation is negative affected. l Negative operating result l Low gross margin GSKs long-term debt increased by 115.5% in 2008, which may lead to problems such as heavy interest payment, risk of having too little working capital and even increasing possibilities of bankruptcy. l Too much long-term debt This may lead to problems such as heavy interest payment, risk of having too little working capital and even increasing possibilities of bankruptcy. Opportunities Threats l Expanding market in emerging market Ford has a plan to expand its sale in the emerging market which has great buying power in the future. l Eco-friendly engine Ford has high reputation in the eco-friendly engine such as hybrid engine which has very promising market. l Fuel efficiency Ford found another opportunity in the market for fuel-efficient in small and middle car. l High competition Due to new competitor, lower demand and excess capacity. l Economic crisis Economic crisis and regression in USA where is the main market of Ford caused severe effect to the Company. 3.2. Key Financial Analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Scaling Factor : 1,000,000 USD Currency: USD 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Net Sales or Revenues 146,277.00 172,455.00 160,123.00 177,089.00 171,652.00 Operating Income 3,518.00 8,031.00 -8,167.00 7,010.00 10,681.00 Earnings Before Interest And Taxes (EBIT) -4,885.00 6,792.00 -6,689.00 9,354.00 11,669.00 Interest Expense On Debt 9,682.00 10,927.00 8,783.00 7,643.00 7,071.00 Net Income Available to Common -14,681.00 -2,764.00 -12,615.00 2,441.00 3,634.00 Total Assets 215,773.00 276,459.00 275,337.00 264,891.00 294,447.00 ST Debt Current Portion of LT Debt 63,972.00 61,052.00 62,456.00 59,904.00 66,433.00 Long Term Debt 90,716.00 107,478.00 109,593.00 94,428.00 106,540.00 Total Liabilities 231,889.00 269,410.00 277,643.00 250,812.00 277,525.00 Common Equity -17,311.00 5,628.00 -3,465.00 12,957.00 16,045.00  · Net sales decreased from 2007 about 15% as the economic crisis in the State which is the main market of Ford. The Company has had substantial losses from operation since 2006.  · Ford has high outstanding of long-term loan which may causes liquidity deficiency or bankruptcy if the Company still has continuously loss in the future.  · As a result of net losses from operation since 2006, Ford has had negative shareholders equity since then. 3.3. Multiples Analysis MONTHLY HISTORICAL MARKET PRICES Y2008 Y2007 Y2006 Y2005 Y2004 January 6.64 8.13 8.58 13.17 14.54 February 6.53 7.91 7.97 12.65 13.75 March 5.72 7.89 7.96 11.33 13.57 April 8.26 8.04 6.95 9.11 15.36 May 6.80 8.34 7.16 9.98 14.85 June 4.81 9.42 6.93 10.24 15.65 July 4.80 8.51 6.67 10.74 14.72 August 4.46 7.81 8.37 9.97 14.11 September 5.20 8.49 8.09 9.86 14.05 October 2.19 8.87 8.28 8.32 13.03 November 2.69 7.51 8.13 8.13 14.18 December 2.29 6.73 7.51 7.72 14.64 . 5 Year 5 Year VALUATION Y2008 Y2007 Y2006 Y2005 Y2004 Y2003 Growth Rate Average P/E Ratio (High) -1.36 -6.93 -1.41 12.94 9.63 34.66 -1.04 2.57 P/E Ratio (Low) -0.16 -4.75 -0.90 6.64 7.01 13.16 -1.01 P/E Ratio (Close) -0.35 -4.81 -1.12 6.77 8.13 32.00 -1.01 1.73 Price/Sales 0.04 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.18 0.18 -0.80 0.10 Price/Book Value -0.32 2.62 -4.14 1.14 1.74 2.62 -3.94 0.21 Price/Cash Flow 0.44 1.24 1.76 0.70 1.11 1.35 -0.67 1.05 Price/Working Capital 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.16 7.78 TARenderChart.png * P/E ratio turned to be negative since net losses from operation since 2006 and also the market price has continuously decreased from 8.58 in the beginning of 2006 to 2.29 at the end of 2008. * P/B ratio had negative value in 2008 from the negative book value of Ford. 3.4. Companys performance Worldscope Currency: USD PROFITABILITY RATIOS 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Return On Invested Capital 0.25 1.92 1.95 2.95 3.32 Operating Profit Margin 2.43 2.94 3.12 5.02 6.54 ASSETS UTILIZATION RATIOS Asset Turnover 0.63 0.60 0.59 0.59 0.58 Net Sales Pct Working Capital 10.62 6.21 5.68 11.06 41.64 LEVERAGE RATIOS EBITDA / Interest Expense -0.50 0.62 -0.76 1.22 1.65 LT Debt Pct Common Equity -76.88 233.49 316.38 1,268.12 1,229.66 LIQUIDITY RATIOS Quick Ratio 1.05 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.03 Current Ratio 1.21 1.25 1.30 1.25 1.19  · Profitability ratios do not show the good performance as Ford has had net loss from operation since 2006.  · Leverage ratios also go in the same trends as a result of negative equity and high outstanding balance of long-term loan.  · Liquidity ratios present that Ford still can generate cash to supply its working capital but if consider to the long-term debts Ford may cannot provide enough cash to support its debt payment since these ratios are still in the low range compared with its debt outstanding amount. 3.5. Cash flow analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Scaling Factor : 1,000,000 USD Currency: USD 12/31/08 12/31/07 12/31/06 12/31/05 12/31/04 Net Cash Flow From Operating Activities -179.00 17,074.00 9,609.00 21,674.00 22,591.00 Net Cash Flow From Investing Activities 3,143.00 6,457.00 24,862.00 -7,462.00 8,567.00 Long Term Borrowings 42,163.00 33,113.00 58,258.00 24,559.00 22,223.00 Inc(Dec) In ST Borrowings -5,120.00 919.00 -5,825.00 -8,591.00 4,937.00 Reduction In Long Term Debt 46,299.00 39,431.00 36,601.00 36,080.00 36,021.00 Net Cash Flow From Financing Activities -9,104.00 -5,242.00 15,273.00 -20,651.00 -14,226.00  · The Company cannot generated sufficient cash from operation and had negative net cash flow from operation. Moreover the Company had to pay interest expenses for loans and had high net cash paid for financing activity. 3.6. Stock market performance  · Ford shares have been traded lower than SP500 since 2001 until 2010. Especially since 2006 that the operating results had continuous substantial losses. 4. Honda Motor Company Limited 4.1. Introduction Honda Motor is one of leading automobile manufacturers in the world. The company develops, manufactures and markets automobiles, motorcycles and power products. The company also provides financing services to the dealer and customer for the sale of products. Honda has global operations in areas including North, South and Central America, Asia, Middle East, and Europe with its headquarter at Tokyo in Japan. Strategy analysis Honda Motor has three strategies. They are â€Å"Staying Close to Customers†, â€Å"glocalization† and â€Å"five region strategy†. Staying close to customers mean the maintenance of the qualities of a small company, Provide value product with flexibility and efficiency as a small company does and maintain global reach and technology advantage as a large company does is the drive to the future growth of Honda. Glocalization means the effort to launch subsidiaries in regions that could best meet the demand of local customers and expand the subsidiaries as the local demand increases. Five region strategy requires the operations focus on five areas the world. They are North America, South America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Oceania and Japan. The management decisions are served to suit the situation in different areas. The advanced RD capacity equips the Honda to provide flexible products to adjust the need of these regions. Business activities The company operates through four business segments: the automobile business, motorcycle business, financial services, and power products. The automobiles business division manufactures passenger cars, multi-wagons, minivans, port utility vehicle, sports coupe and mini vehicles. Hondas automobiles use gasoline engines of three, four or six-cylinder, diesel engines and gasoline-electric hybrid systems. Honda also offers alternative fuel-powered vehicles such as natural gas, ethanol, and fuel cell vehicles. In 2008, the company sold 3,925,000 units of automobiles. The motorcycle business produces a range of motorcycles, including scooters, electric-motor-assisted bicycles, sports bikes and large touring cycles. Hondas motorcycles use gasoline engines developed by Honda that are air or water cooled, two or four cycled, and single, two, four or six cylinder. In 2008, the company sold a total of 9,320,000 units of motorcycles. Honda offers a variety of financial services to its customers and dealers through its widespread finance subsidiaries. Hondas power products manufactures a variety of power products including power tillers, portable generators, general purpose engines, grass cutters, outboard engines, water pumps, snow throwers, power carriers, power sprayers, lawn mowers and lawn tractors (riding lawn mowers). Honda also manufactures the major components and parts used in its products, including engines, frames and transmissions. Peer Group The globalization of the Honda motor makes it face the global intense competition. The competitors include Ford Motor, Nissan Motor, Toyota Motor, Volkswagen etc.(in the automobile sector) and Yamaha Motor, Harley-Davidson etc.(in the motor vehicle industry). SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses l Global diversification The company operates a total of 397 subsidiaries, and 104 affiliates all over the world. l Leading market position and good brand image Honda is one of the largest vehicle and motorcycle manufacturers over the world with strong brand strength. l Strong Research and Development capacity The large investment in RD could equip Honda the capability to differentiate itself in the intense competitive market. l Declining Market Share in Sector Evident of decline in unit sales and lost of market shares in the automobile industry. l Low employee productivity Honda has a weak proportion on the number of employees and the revenues. Opportunities Threats l Growing demand in Asian market Honda has taken measures to occupy the huge potential Asian market. l Growing demand in hybrid electric vehicles The companys emphasis on hybrid technology innovation will capture market trends as an opportunity to enhance its market share. l Global competition The competition would result in price pressure and thus reduce the profitability. l Tightening emission regulations The emission standards will cause Honda to occur more costs in product development, testing and manufacturing process design. 4.2. Key Financials Analysis Source: ThomsonFinancial Currency: JPY Scaling Factor : 1000000 JPY 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Sales 10,011,241.00 12,002,834.00 11,087,140.00 9,907,996.00 8,650,105.00 Operating Income 189,643.00 953,109.00 851,879.00 730,889.00 630,920.00 Net Income Available to Common 137,005.00 600,039.00 592,322.00 597,033.00 486,197.00 Total Assets 11,579,494.00 12,439,610.00 11,964,917.00 10,533,995.00 9,187,808.00 Total Liabilities 7,449,150.00 7,753,539.00 7,359,399.00 6,320,785.00 5,828,513.00 Common Equity 4,007,288.00 4,544,265.00 4,482,611.00 4,125,750.00 3,289,294.00 Net Cash Flow Operating Activities 383641 1126918 904525 576557 746624 l The operating income reduces dramatically, approximately 80% from the previous years result. This result is caused by the severe decline in the sales and the consequently increase in inventory cost. l Before 2009, all the s are in a healthy and steady upward trend. But in the fiscal year ended at 31st march 2009, the volumes all experienced a dramatic decline. They are caused by the sales plunge. l The declines trends are due to the economic recession caused by the financial crisis because the demand in Japan, US and Europe shrank. The automobile industry faces a severe challenge and most companies in the sector reported unsatisfactory results. 4.3. Multiple analysis 31/3/2009 31/3/2008 31/3/2007 31/3/2006 31/3/2005 Price To Earnings 30.7 8.6 10.3 Price To Book 1.0 1.1 1.6 1.5 Price To Cash Flow 4.6 4.2 6.8 Price To Sales 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.6 l Although the P/E ratio increases significantly, its not a good sign. The increase in P/E ratio is not due to the high expectation of the investors and the fundamentals such as growth opportunities. Instead, the soaring P/E is the result of the plummeting earnings to common shareholders. l The price to book ratio and price to sales declined in 2008 and 2009, indicating the declining