Mbaar free essay sample

Through a series of well-coordinated mergers and the growth of a vast selection of innovative food products, Nestle became the global giant it is today. Nestle’s success can be attributed to its deep agricultural supply chain, strong local market teams, hiring from within, and long tenured CEOs. Nestle has become the epitome of innovation and success in the retail food product industry. In 1996 Nestle established the Nestle Environmental Management System (NEMS) in an attempt to produce more environmentally friendly products. NEMS required innovative eco-design in the company’s products and activities, and gave preference to suppliers who worked to improve their levels of efficiency and sustainability regarding their use of resources. Aside from this, NEMS also requires independent environmental auditing regarding the practices of the company. In addition, environmental awareness training for the employees and business partners is required. Nestle launched Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Nestle (SAIN) in 2000 in order to optimize the transparency from farm-to-table and to increase efficiency and productivity. We will write a custom essay sample on Mbaar or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Nestle took a big risk as it was the first to implement this type of program. The program was effective, and other companies such as Unilever and Groupe Danone adopted the idea. In 2006 it further expanded the program to make water a central area of concentration. Five Forces Model Porter’s Five Forces Model was created to act as a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development. Porter singled out five different forces that impact competitive intensity which portrays an image of the overall attractiveness and profitability of a market. To aid in our evaluation of Nestle and its status in the industry, we will apply Porter’s Five Forces Model to the company. Threat of New Entrants The food processing industry is very large and competitive; it is not uncommon for firms within the industry to do quite well. As a result, many companies enter into the market every year in an attempt to gain a portion of the profitable market. Luckily for Nestle, the company has been around for over a century and boasts a long history of quality products and consumer satisfaction, which has allowed the company to obtain a considerable share of the market. As a result, new entrants into the industry must attempt to seize a portion of Nestle’s market share in order to survive. Essentially, Nestle is constantly a target, and so the threat of new entrants is moderate. Threat of Substitute Goods Due to the nature of the industry, Nestle is beset with the threat of substitute goods. From bottled water to lean pockets, there are arrays of similar products that compete directly with Nestle. It is vital for Nestle to continuously find new ways to improve its products because competition is so fierce. In recent years, Nestle has focused on the health and wellness aspects of its products to maintain its competitive edge in the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Nestle prides itself on creating and maintaining positive relationships with its suppliers all over the world. Due to the large purchasing power of Nestle, and because the suppliers of agricultural commodities offer a product that is far from unique, Nestle holds more bargaining power than its suppliers. Aside from this, Nestle prefers to create and preserve long-term relationships with its suppliers as this helps to ensure the quality of the raw materials being purchased. In addition, Nestle also offers useful advice to its suppliers on how to perform more efficiently to minimize unnecessary costs. Bargaining Power of Customers Customers have a large amount of bargaining power regarding their consumption of Nestle products. As stated previously, there are close substitutes for Nestle products which allows for the preferences of the customer to be very influential. Nestle understands the power of the customer and has taken specific steps to meet the needs of its products consumers. Specifically, Nestle is incorporating health and wellness into the creation of its products as society has started becoming more health conscious. Competitive Rivalry within the Industry Nestle is a powerhouse in the food processing industry but so are Kraft Foods and Groupe Danone. These companies, among others, are in a constant and continuous battle to outperform one another. Regarding advertising alone, these companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars in an attempt to appear more desirable than the competition. Rivalry is fierce in the food processing industry, and this is a good thing for consumers. As long as these companies continue striving to one up one another, consumers will continue to enjoy ever- improving product lines. - When applied to Nestle, Porter’s â€Å"Five Forces Model† depicts a competitive, but profitable market for the food processing industry. Furthermore, the model places Nestle in a somewhat comfortable position within the food processing industry, while acknowledging the threats to its market share. Specifically, the model notes a moderate threat of new entrants into the market and a substantial threat of substitute goods. In addition, the model shows that Nestle tends to maintain the upper hand over its suppliers as commodities have exact substitutes in the market. Also, customers have a considerable amount of bargaining power, as Nestle must adhere to consumer wants and needs because there are so many close substitutes. For the final force, the model depicts a large amount of rivalry within the food processing industry. - Goals - Nestle has established many goals throughout the life of its company. Being a highly innovative company, it is always looking for new ways to develop higher quality products. In order to maintain a competitive edge over top competitors, Nestle should improve its innovative technology; this will create new products and lead to better efficiency which will minimize costs for Nestle and its consumers. Another goal is to maintain growth by continuing to create value for consumers and shareholders through implementing an effective risk management policy. This can be done by ensuring compliance with Nestle business principles and international law. In addition, Nestle will ensure that its actions are environmentally sound, socially just, and economically viable. Lastly, it should continue to uphold and expand environmental policies (i. e. SAIN, NEMS). This will be done by improving the communication between farmers, employees, managers, and distributors. - Constraints - There are a few pertinent constraints that will affect the implementation of the goals. First, is the loss of brand loyalty due to the current economic recession. With a strain on household incomes, Nestle consumers are more likely to choose less costly and lower quality alternative products from generic brands of competitors. Nestle must improve its certification process of raw materials to meet higher quality standards. An accurate trail of material/product quality information through the various levels of the food chain is key to Nestle maintaining the overall quality of Nestle end-products. The last constraint is the increasing cost of energy, which affects all levels of input, production, and distribution. - Nestle is constantly expanding its horizons. One example is that the company has taken on an ambitious task such as doubling sales and expanding its buyer market. As stated above Nestle continues to search for opportunities to increase efficiency to expand its profitability. With the ever-changing price of commodities, supplies, and consumer tastes, Nestle will continue to struggle with its market position. Nestle has stayed strong and adjusted well through many obstacles over its lifetime. Nestle’s executives are confident they can accomplish just about any goal and are developing new strategies to make this happen. Central Problem - Peter Brabeck, the chief executive, for Nestle uses the approach—when you aren’t growing, you are dying—in how he runs the company. For the past 30 years, this notion has worked for Nestle. Its shares have outperformed competitors in the Samp;P 100. Internally, a central problem for Nestle is how it plans to continue its glo bal capitalization while resisting plateaus or stagnation. Externally, Nestle’s problem is how it will keep the lead on competitors. Nestle has managed its organization around decentralization. This is the idea that globally there is no one specific taste or preference wanted by all. Instead, Nestle has made its productions more regional. This will ensure that it produces products to the wants of the local communities. This strategy has helped Nestle outperform its competitors in different regions. The problem is, companies have taken notice of this practice and are implementing similar strategies. Alternatives Alternative One Cocoa is essential to 40-50 million people’s lives worldwide. Over five million small holder farms produce it. Over the last 20 years, chocolate consumption has doubled, and in the last five years, it has increased 14 percent globally. There has been a shortage of cocoa for four consecutive years now because farmers are producing lower yields as demand continues to rise. â€Å"Many farmers struggle on small plots with aging trees that are vulnerable to disease. Economic pressures mean that farmers are focused on the short term and are not able to invest in good farm management which would help them secure better quality, higher quantity yields in the long term. This quote from Nestle. com states the most apparent reason for the cocoa shortage, which are poor resources for farmers in other countries. The shortage of cocoa has caused the prices to increase continuously. Nestle is one of the world’s biggest buyers of cocoa, and it has pioneered advanced technology in cocoa and coffee for 30 years. Several years ago Nestle created â€Å"Th e Cocoa Plan† as part of its goal of Creating Shared Value for shareholders, employees, farmers, consumers, and the communities where it operates. The plan will improve sustainability of the cocoa (and coffee) supply. This plan is a long term solution, not just a quick fix. It requires a step-by-step approach and implementation process. Over the next 10 years, Nestle will invest CHF 110 million in plant science and sustainability initiatives for cocoa. There are five activities in their implementation plan. The first activity is plant expertise. Nestle has a research and development center in Abidjan in the Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa and also gives training to plant scientists in other cocoa producing countries such as Ecuador and Indonesia. During this first activity, â€Å"The Cocoa Plan† looks to improve quantity and quality of yields by bringing 12 million plantlets to producer countries. The second activity is farmer training and assistance. This process will attempt to improve yields and to ensure sustainability by teaching better farming methods. The third is improving the supply chain. This is a commitment by Nestle to buy beans strictly from farmers who use sustainable practice and to help cooperatives by speeding up the process from farm to shipping. The fourth is better social condition that looks to improve conditions where there is poor access to healthcare and education, and child labor. Nestle is partnered with the World Cocoa Foundation and others in order to achieve these improved conditions. The fifth and last activity is consumer communication. Consumer communication utilizes a Cocoa Plan logo and a Web site dedicated to inviting consumers to learn about the cocoa supply chain and Nestle’s work with farming communities. Our alternative solution comes in at activity one, plant expertise. Nestle could supply these countries with genetically modified seeds and fertilizer, such as the products produced by Monsanto Co. , in addition to supplying producer countries with plantlets. Monsanto uses two techniques to develop seeds that meet the needs of farmers. The first type is breeding the seeds delivering superior genetics, allowing farmers to get higher yields from each seed. The second type is inserting one or more genes into the seed, which in turn protects against insects, controls weeds, and yields are preserved through the growing season. Better seeds make crops healthier and easier to grow, which then allows farmers to be more effective when producing food, feed, and fuel. The benefits of farmers’ use of these products are the following: increased productivity and reduced costs, healthier crops that are easier to grow, conserved time and inputs, and possibly the most important to producer countries—improved protection from insects or disease and increasing crop tolerance to heat, drought, and other environmental stress. Monsanto also offers conservation tillage. Conservation tillage is a protective cover of mulch over crops when they are not in season. This cover holds soil in place, minimizes runoff, and decreases erosion drastically. An advantage to implementing this strategy into â€Å"The Cocoa Plan† would be decreased cost in cocoa due to increased production. By obtaining these suppliers through this plan, Nestle would gain a competitive edge over competitors in the industry by having the best, most efficient, cocoa producers. Another advantage is that it would help to expand environmental policies such as SAIN because it will increase efficiency and productivity. It would help to overcome some of the constraints. The plan would allow Nestle to keep an accurate trail of product quality information. Nestle would know the quality of the products by contributing to the production process. It could ensure the farmers know the proper way to produce quality cocoa. It would also help with the constraint of increasing costs. By increasing production and reducing the cost of cocoa, Nestle would be reducing input costs. A disadvantage to providing producer countries with seed products is Nestle’s cost of supplying the products. Nestle has a planned budget of CHF 110 million for cocoa and would use part of this budget to purchase the products. Another disadvantage would be that the existing decrease in brand loyalty would not be improved through these methods. The cost of the product could potentially even increase slightly. The key to overcoming this issue would be to advertise and demonstrate to cocoa consumers Nestle’s efforts and attempts to positively impact less fortunate countries. Customers are attracted when businesses help communities in need and know the money they spend on a product will benefit others in need. Alternative Two Nestle currently offers an athletic/ sports nutrition line of products geared towards â€Å"smart energy† production and endurance called PowerBar. Nestle bought PowerBar on February 22, 2000, in an effort to expand its influence in the sports nutrition industry as well as show its commitment to a healthy nutritious lifestyle for its consumers. PowerBar is the largest energy and nutrition bar business in the United States. The PowerBar brand is widely distributed and a recognized name in the sports nutrition industry, but it provides a relatively low variety of products and seems to only focus on one segment of the sports nutrition market. When compared to other suppliers such as Apex and GNC, it falls short on many levels. This is because PowerBar, while being a â€Å"smart energy† source, does not provide nearly the punch that the other brands offer. The competitors in this industry offer products for people looking to jump-start, reinvigorate, or maintain their fitness routine. Its products specifically focus on high protein intake, electrolyte replenishment, and natural vitamins, amino acids, and molecular combinations geared towards rapid absorption into the body’s functions. Nestle’s PowerBar products are mainly geared towards maintaining light to medium intensity fitness regimens and recreational activity. None of its products appeal to the avid sports enthusiast/ highly athletic consumer looking to increase their performance. There are four main categories of sports products: energy/protein bars, protein shakes, electrolyte replenishing sports drinks, and daily vitamin/nutrient packs. For example, GNC and Apex provide an array of energy bars ranging from high protein, endurance, and snack bars to meal replacement, and Pro performance bars. These energy bars all provide high protein content, amino complexes and rapid absorption properties, but only some are considered all natural or organic. While all of Nestle’s PowerBar products are considered all natural, its highest protein bar has only 10 grams of protein whereas GNC’s highest protein bar has more than three times the protein with 32 grams. Nestle’s PowerBar does not provide a line of protein shakes or vitamin packs. It has a line of powder sports drinks that nutritionally compare about evenly with competitors; however, it is a powder. It is not offered pre-mixed and bottled, so it will not be found at a local convenience store like Gatorade or Powerade. The sports nutrition market has continued to increase during the recession with an estimated growth of almost 7% in 2008. This development has been accredited to people trying to avoid pricey doctor visits by staying healthy as well as turning toward sports recreation as a substitute to pricier forms of entertainment. Despite the recession GNC saw an increase of 2. 5% in the first six months of 2009. Nestle’s PowerBar is a much larger company than GNC; however, GNC is just one of the many suppliers seeing market increases in this industry. This shows that the sports nutrition market is growing, and there is definitely room for expansion and the potential to increase profits even during the recession. We propose that Nestle use its PowerBar brand to create a specialized segment of sports nutrition that focuses on all natural, organic superior training products providing the same or more benefit than the competition. This new segment would provide a whole body plan that includes supercharged vitamin packs, energy drinks, and protein shakes and bars marketed towards the GNC high intensity athlete consumer. By increasing its product diversity and appealing to a larger group of consumers, PowerBar could begin creating higher brand loyalty and capture a larger share of the market. Currently, PowerBar is a product that is found only on the shelves of distributor stores, but with this expansion, it could eventually be its own store. Consumers could go to the PowerBar wellness and nutrition store and get outfitted with everything they need for any type of athletic life style and level of performance they desire. Success in this type of product has the potential to be a â€Å"flagship line† for Nestle that could bring focus to the whole Nestle company as a leader in all natural, healthy foods. There are several disadvantages that stem from this alternative. One disadvantage is an increase in cost to expand Nestle’s line and establish its own distribution stores in hopes of the market continuing to expand and the line gaining market share. PowerBar focuses on a segmented market and expanding the product line could potentially dilute Nestle’s image resulting in loss of brand loyalty from customers. Alternative Three One of Nestle’s most popular product lines is its pet care brands. Nestle owns many common household brands such as Purina, Beneful, and Alpo. It currently operates its dog food production factories in Venezuela, Thailand, and China. Quality standards in these countries fall below that of the United States, and as a result, there have been recent recalls of dog food produced by Nestle in these particular countries. Recentralizing production by returning to factories in the United States would prevent these problems from occurring due to superior production standards. The advantages of returning to U. S. -based production would be higher quality products and less risk of product recall due to contamination. Several disadvantages present themselves if Nestle recentralizes operations: First, there will be increased costs of labor, which in turn, causes increased production costs. Second, increased costs associated with exportation of goods to foreign markets.

The Jungle Essay essays

The Jungle Essay essays Allegory of Charles I of England and Henrietta of France in a Vanitas Oil on canvas painting as done by Frenchmen by the name of Simon Renard de Saint-Andre between the years of 1669 and 1677. The main purpose in evaluating this piece of work is to be aware and describe the physical features, content and symbolization of this painting. This will undoubtedly include the complexity of painting and historical content of the painting. Allegory of Charles I of England and Henrietta of France in Vanitas has many admirable physical features. At first glance , it is a massive painting. It is much larger than other painting sand it seems to engulf the whole wall. The large bulky frame of the painting is plain until your eyes wonder to the top center of it. There is a large flat shell like protrusion surrounded by a flower and imbedded in beads giving it a slight touch of class that it did not have before. Starting from the top, are a low solemn dark atmosphere and further down the painting y ou go the mood gets lighter and more colorful. However the first thing we see at the top are four bubbles floating in the air. They are floating up from a shell. The shell is resting in the hand of a white stoned sculpted baby boy. The shell itself also holds four more bubbles . They could represent the bubble s of life. Bubbles in general reflect things, as in a mirror. Could these bubbles exemplify the life of a man? They seem to be telling us of times to come or of times past. Behind the baby are two half statures of women. They look Roman-like in appearance. These classical busts have on robes of possibly something like a toga. The statues seem to be in a darker background than the baby boy is . It could be the background or it could be that during these times the Romans were looked down upon and in this portrait they were neglected from the light as Judas was in Leonardos Last Supper. Going further down the picture, the light and the colors seem...

Organisational design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organisational design - Essay Example this paper is to assess the manner in which the business enterprises manage uncertainty in order to meet its goals and succeed against critical challenges. Herein, it is significant to note that the uncertainty in a business environment can arise in the shape of dealers, retailers, customers etc. Organizations tend to make a list of threats and weaknesses that would come in the way of business operations. Such lists are aligned with the uncertainty to manage complications. In this regard, the phenomenon to understand is complexity within the organization. It merely states the aspect or degree of complexity that a company has to face in a business environment. Business analysts claim that a lot of forces within the business environment act together and result in uncertainty (Daft et al., 2010). The best way to easily manage uncertainty is to allow each force to be evaluated on a single ground. In simpler words, business enterprises need to cater problems simultaneously. It will not only provide solutions to the problems but also avoid a lot of forces to work together and result in uncertainty. The definition of uncertainty itself explains the core function that it plays within the business environment. It is the different areas of the business that would impact the overall profits. At times, companies would not require strategies that are critical in nature because the stability of the environment is also expected since the business forces are in control (Daft et al., 2010). In addition, it is suggested that the company is relying on the elements that are predictable. In a case of uncertainty, the forces that have been trusted for many years tend to take control of the situation. Practically, it is named as the process of working with the reliance. It is important that the actors in the society that are operating with various channels and organizations are to be focused at the first place (Daft et al., 2010). Through the above analysis of the claims, it can be

Analysis of organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of organization - Essay Example He calls this the 20 mile walk and gives an analogy of two people walking from one city to another separated by a three thousand mile distance. Jim Collins says that the first person goes through a journey of 20 miles per day and makes sure that despite the bad weather or any other challenge, he manages this. This first person also makes sure that even when the weather is good, the person will still only walk the twenty percent and not more. The second person on the other hand walks longer distances during good weather but slips back to rest during the bad weather. Jim Collins shows hwy the first person is likely to reach the second city faster than the second person and also easy that the second person ay never be able to reach the destination. What the author is talking about here is that the first controlled progress is very important and involves setting achievable but significant goals that must be achieved no matter what. This, as the author puts it, means that the firm has to have the ambition to achieve and the discipline to restraint itself. Controlled progress then becomes the best way to steer the firm to the right destination and therefore means t that the firs will be able to grow during the bad weather as well as the good weather. Good versus bad leadership Jim Collins also identifies leadership as a very important factor to determine how the company will grow. According to this book, leadership is very important in determining how the organization will be able to fight through the fog of economic hardship. Good leaders, he argues, will be able to help their followers to achieve better and to achieve growth regardless of the situation the economic condition. Good leaders will help those under them to have the willpower and the motivation to press on even through the bad times. They will also inspire those under them to be able to act in the professional and ethical way. This book identifies that the leaders are most able to go on and make a bi dif ference in the way the organization will be able to survive in a very harsh marketplace. Jim Collins’ revolves around the role of leadership in determining whether the organization will manage to growth during the bad times and even during the good times. He gives an illustration of how bad leadership can lead the failure of an organization. To do this, the author uses the real life example of two team that set to visit the south pole and gives and account of how the first team, led by Scott was able to arrive at the south pole over a month earlier than the second team and managed to come back safely while the other team perished. Good leadership combined with controlled growth makes organizations to be able to grow evenly regardless of the economic conditions or even regardless of the bad situation they may be going through. Jim Collins lists a number of organizations which can be seen to be able to achieve this kind of growth and those which have failed to achieve this kind of growth. One example of an organization that Jim Collins says has been able to achieve this is the Stryker Corporation which is a medium scale firm that manufactures medical equipment. Stryker Corporation was able to achieve continued growth even during the time when many other

Planning for further diversification and the sharing of good practice Assignment

Planning for further diversification and the sharing of good practice - Assignment Example y of Justice, Lord Chamber, The Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), The Lord Chief Justice, Legal Service Commission and the Lawyers. Similarly, the report will also analyze the structure of the judiciary in the English Legal System. Inherently, the work of the Ministry of Justice with regard to the English Legal System includes supporting the judiciary as well as providing legal aid and guidance on the constitutional reforms (Slapper, 2009). In addition, the Ministry of Justice is also responsible for ensuring that there are policies with regard to the civil, family, criminal, and administrative justice system. More importantly, this also includes the Law commission. Moreover, the ministry of justice is supposed to ensure there is adherence to the sentencing policy, as well as provide support to both the courts and the tribunals and make sure that they are fully operational. The Lord Chancellor plays a pivotal role in the English Legal System. This encompasses being a member of the government, as a cabinet minister (Elliott, 2012). Secondly, the Lord Chancellor has a law making role since he is a member of the second legislative chamber the House of Lords. The Lord Chamber also serves as the head of judiciary, together with being a sitting judge and as such the Lord Chamber has the mandate to appoint judges, or recommend judges for appointment. Under the Lord Chancellor, there are superior judges together with inferior judges. The superior judges include the Law Lords, Lords Justice of Appeal, High court Judges who sit in the House of Lords, court of Appeal and High Court respectively. Similarly, the inferior Judges include the Circuit Judges, Recorders, who are full time judges and part-time judges respectively in county court and crown court respectively (Slapper, 2009). More importantly, the District Judges are also part of inferior judges who sit in Magistrates’ Court and county court. Notably, the

Cultural Barriers in International Marketing

Cultural Barriers in International Marketing The research area of this proposal is focused on the broad area of international marketing. More specifically, the focal point of the research will be the sociocultural environment and how this has an impact on a multinational company whose ambition is to enter a new market (Hollensen, 2007). As indicated by Doole and Lowe (2008), the sociocultural factor affects the consumer and buyer behaviour, making the development of international marketing strategies inevitable. In addition, this researchs centre of attention will be the elements of culture which is a popular method of discovering cultures (Albaum Duerr, 2008). Furthermore, the layers of culture will be presented from two different perspectives as well as the relation of culture with consumer behaviour. Finally, an attempt to examine the Japanese culture will be made by reviewing the high- and low-context concept (Hall, 1960 cited in Nguyen et al., 2007: 207), and some additional models introduced by key authors. 3.3 Background Primarily, understanding ones culture before entering his market has a dual aspect. On one hand, the effectiveness of the established marketing strategies and its implementation by locals could be verified (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2007), and on the other hand you familiarise with your own culture (Yamada, 1997: xvi). Furthermore, Japan is one of the most culturally homogenous countries in the world (Engel Murakami, 2001: 21), citizens of which consider their heritage valuable and indispensable (Keillor Hult, 1999). Consequently, this creates trade barriers for the multinational companies (Albaum Duerr, 2008) whose intention is to enter the Japanese market. These barriers can be eliminated by understanding the Japanese values and expectations (Engel Murakami, 2001: 20). Moreover, the ability of overcoming these barriers and cultivate relations with the target market is the fundamental stepping stone for an effective marketing strategy (Ford, 1984 cited in Lohtia et al., 2009). In order to achieve that, companies should be culturally sensitive, in other words they should acknowledge the dissimilarities between domestic and international markets and handle them effectively (Holzmuller Stottinger, 2001; LaBahn Harich, 1997; Rice ODonohue, 2002 cited in Lohtia et al., 2009: 241). However, it is difficult to achieve cultural sensitivity to Japan (Hall, 1987 cited in Lohtia et al., 2009:242), and companies that will achieve it will gain the appreciation of the Japanese consumers (Lohtia et al., 2009). 3.4 Conclusion Initially, Craig and Douglas (2006: 338) confirm that due to globalisation and the rapid change of cultures, a deeper understanding of culture is necessary. Moreover, Steenkamp (2001: 41) verifies that culture is a complex phenomenon and that many dimensions are required to be developed, so that marketers can distinguish effectively one culture from another, and thus establish the appropriate marketing strategy. In the dissertation, the researcher will try to uncover as many dimensions that capture culture as possible, focusing on the Japanese culture, hence identifying the cultural barriers. Japan was chosen as it is a high context country (Hall, 1987 cited in Lohtia et al., 2009), and subsequently the higher the context of a culture, the more effort will be needed from a company to adjust its strategy to that culture (Hollensen, 2007: 221). Literature Review 4.1 Introduction The aim of this literature review is to present definitions of international marketing that are related with Japans sociocultural environment. Additionally, a synthesis of the existing literature was conducted in order to provide a thorough description of the elements and the layers of culture, the available models that examine cultures and their implications for consumer behaviour. Moreover, the data collection was achieved by using the universitys library and ebrary database. The keywords international marketing resulted in 543 and 18.719 hits of secondary data respectively, and lastly 9 books were used. Finally, the e-library was used to obtain academic journals in order to inject scientific ideas in the research. The search engine showed 66798 results of which only 240 were available. Eventually, 10 articles were selected to be used, mainly coming from Emeralds and ScienceDirects databases. 4.2 Definitions and concepts To start with, before attempting to define culture, international marketing should be introduced. There seems to be a consensus regarding the definition of international marketing. More specifically, Doole and Lowe (2008: 6) as well as Ghauri and Cateora (2005: 8) defined it as the procedure that a companys goods and services are targeted in customers of more than one country, which seeks the maximisation of its profit. Additionally, Ghauri and Cateora (2005: 8) raised the difference between international and domestic marketing, where the latter focuses only in one nation. Furthermore, Doole and Lowe (2008: 7), and Hooley et al. (2008: 61) used the SLEPT model to identify the environmental impacts on international marketing. These are: Social/Cultural, Legal, Economic, Political and finally Technological. This proposal will focus only on the Sociocultural influences. Moreover, 160 definitions for culture have been recorded (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2007), proving the significance of the role that culture plays in marketers strategy (Ghauri Cateora, 2005). Firstly, the etic approach of culture, which focuses on the contrast between two cultures (Luna Gupta, 2001: 46) was identified by Hofstede (1997) as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another (Hollensen, 2007: 216; Luna Gupta, 2001: 46). In contrast, the emic approach of culture was proposed by McCracken (1988: 73) cited in Luna and Gupta (2001: 46). He defined culture as the lens through which all phenomena are seen. It determines how these phenomena are apprehended and assimilated. Second, culture is the blueprint of human activity. It determines the coordinates of social action and productive activity, specifying the behaviours and objects that issue from both. The objective of the emic approach is to achieve a thorough comprehension of the study of culture (Luna Gupta, 2001). 4.3 The elements of culture Primarily, culture was divided into different elements to direct marketers to a deeper examination of the cultural differences between international markets (Ghauri Cateora 2005: 82). More detailed, Ghauri and Cateora (2005: 83) identified six elements of culture: Material culture, Social institutions, Aesthetics, Belief system, Education and Language. Furthermore, Albaum and Duerr (2008: 122), and Doole and Lowe (2008: 74) added Technology with Material culture, as well as Law and Politics, with the former omitting Aesthetics. Hollensen (2007: 225) included Technology to Material culture, added Manners and customs, and omitted Law and Politics. Finally, Czinkota and Ronkainen (2007:57) added Manners and Customs, and omitted Law and Politics. It is worth mentioning that all the elements will be examined thoroughly in the dissertation from the perspective of Japan. 4.4 The layers of culture The layers of culture can be a great opportunity for multinational companies to familiarise themselves with the behaviour (Hollensen, 2007), attitudes and values (Doole and Lowe, 2008) of people with different cultural backgrounds they hire (Hollensen, 2007). On one hand, Hollensen (2007: 219) indicates four layers of culture: national culture, business/ industry culture, company culture and finally individual behaviour, with each layer affecting the next one. On the other hand, a different approach was presented by Doole and Lowe (2008: 73). They portrayed the layers of culture in a national, a regional/ ethnic/ religious/ linguistic, a gender, a generation and finally a social class level. In a nutshell, companies should familiarise themselves with the characteristics of the Japanese employees, as they hardly ever quit their jobs and they are astoundingly bonded with them so as to receive a flourishing career (Engel Murakami, 2001: 29). 4.5 Culture and consumer behaviour Consumer behaviour regarding a product or a message is affected by different components of culture (Doole Lowe, 2008). Jeannet and Hennessey (2004) cited in Doole and Lowe (2008: 80) presented the procedure that consumer behaviour is affected by culture. In contrast, Hofstede (1997) cited in Luna and Gupta (2001, 47) argues that consumer behaviour is influenced by four manifestations which are: values, heroes, symbols, and rituals. Moreover, Craig and Douglas (2006) stated that customs and rituals play a significant role for Japan, in maintaining well-balanced relations among its citizens. However, Usunier (1996) cited in Holden (2004: 567), partly agrees with Hofstedes view, since he believes that consumer behaviour, which consists of consumers values, attitudes and decision making, is affected by cultural dissimilarities. Lastly, Doole and Lowe (2008: 80) identified four ideas that marketers should reflect on when using Western ideas to comprehend the foreign consumer behaviour. 4.6 Cultural analysis 4.6.1 High- and low-context cultures The model of high- and low-context cultures was defined by Edward T. Hall (1960a) as a way of understanding different cultural orientation (Hollensen, 2007: 220). As indicated by Hall (1976) cited in Nguyen et al. (2007: 207), in low-context cultures the message itself is of great importance. On the other hand, in high-context cultures, people tend to elaborate on the message to gain a deeper understanding of it (Hollensen, 2007: 220; Doole Lowe, 2008: 86). As argued by Hollensen (2007), the Japanese have the highest context culture, while the Swiss have the lowest. 4.6.2 Hofstedes model To begin with, Hofstedes dimensions should be taken into consideration when marketers construct their marketing strategy (Hollensen, 2007: 228). Ghauri and Cateora (2005), as well as Hollensen (2007) mention four dimensions of culture; distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and masculinity, while Hofstede adds long-term orientation (Hofstede, 2009). The importance of these results is due to cultural dimensions illustrating the traits of a country (Rivera-Vazquez et al., 2009). Consequently, the results for Japan are intended to be used for the dissertation. Lastly, strengths and weaknesses of this model were introduced by Hollensen (2007: 229). 4.6.3 Schwartzs model An alternative framework was created by Schwartz (1994) cited in Steenkamp (2001). He mentions three dimensions through which he will provide answers to his societal topics: conservatism versus autonomy, hierarchy versus egalitarianism and labelled mastery or labelled harmony (Steenkamp, 2001: 32). 4.6.4 Alternative models Primarily, Keegan (2004: 14) supports that the focus on marketing changes and that concepts need updating regularly. Based on this idea, Holden (2004: 570) disapproves the reliance on Hofstedes model, while suggesting an approach to culture from a different perspective. Finally, an alternative model for approaching Asian cultures was introduced by Fang (1999), cited in Fletcher and Flang (2006: 438). 4.7 Conclusion Primarily, although there is a large amount of literature concerning international marketing and culture, there seems to be some disagreements between authors, as well as some omissions by others. For instance, Hollensen (2007) supports that it is inevitable to examine cultures without referring to Hofstedes cultural dimensions. On the other hand, Holden (2004) criticises the validity of Hofstedes model. As a result, the researcher will try to compare and contrast the models that have been developed for gaining knowledge of the differences amongst cultures. Methodology 5.1 Introduction The approach that was developed in order to accomplish the objectives was based on desk research. More specifically, the researcher utilised existing written material such as books, e-books, and some scientific journals (Gummesson, 2000: 35). Finally, the World Wide Web (Internet) will be used to obtain the empirical results regarding the cultural dimensions of Japan suggested by the key author Hofstede. The qualitative research method is going to be used. Primarily, the researcher uses secondary analysis which is a qualitative method (Bryman Bell, 2007: 326). Secondly the thesis of other writers will be introduced, instead of the researchers own opinion (Bryman Bell, 2007: 425). Additionally, of great importance should be the fact that the use of mixed methods -both qualitative and quantitative- was avoided because these methods are two different paradigms (Bryman Bell, 2007: 642). Finally, concerning the relationship between theory and research (Bryman Bell, 2007: 11), the inductive theory (Bryman Bell, 2007) was used. Although Fisher (2007: 322) argues that a combination of inductive and deductive method can be employed, only the inductive method was used for this proposal. This can be justified by the fact that the researcher moves from observations, which is the aim of the proposal, to the general which is the theory (Bryman Bell, 2007: 14). 5.2 Desk Research To start with, the only method that was used in order to obtain data for this proposal was desk research. Although Gummesson (2000: 34) argues that knowledge coming from secondary sources is limited, Bryman and Bell (2007: 328) believe that secondary analysis provides the researcher with high quality data. Additionally, it is more cost-effective in a way that secondary data are easier to interpret than primary (Bryman Bell, 2007: 333). Moreover, part of the secondary data collected came from scientific journals. The researcher focused on journals that were related to culture and cultural barriers. The journals that were used came from: The International Marketing Review The Journal of Product Brand Management The European Journal of Marketing The International Business Review The Journal of Knowledge Management Finally, text books were used in an attempt to achieve a deeper understanding of the theory related to international marketing and culture. Some of those used are: International Marketing Strategy by Isobel Doole and Robin Lowe International Marketing by Ghauri and Cateora Global Marketing by Svend Hollensen Passport to Japan by Engel and Murakami 5.3 Alternative Methods Ideally, the researcher could have used alternative methods to complement the validity of material found (Gummesson, 2000: 35). These methods could be: case studies, questionnaires and qualitative interviews (Gummesson, 2000: 35). Primarily, the researcher could have used existing case studies in this proposal to support the data found from existing theory (Bryman Bell, 2007). Unfortunately, word limit prevented him from including material found, as more theoretical findings were included to help readers gain basic knowledge on international marketing and culture. However, it is unquestionably that in the dissertation the researcher will use existing case studies. Finally, the researcher could conduct a case study by approaching a multinational company which maintains its operations in Japan. More specifically, the use of questionnaires or qualitative interviews would have helped the researcher gain an insider perspective (Bryman Bell, 2007: 443) of the marketing strategy that a company deploys in Japan. Unfortunately, the difficulty of approaching a company and accessing its confidential data prevented the researcher from implementing it. However, it is worth mentioning that the researcher has not had the chance to meet his supervisor. Consequently, the research methods could possibly change with the intention of writing a high-quality masters dissertation. Ethical issues There are no ethical issues concerning this proposal since only desk research was conducted. To be more specific, there was no distortion of data and every secondary source has been acknowledged by in-text references and a reference list, adhering to the rules of Aston Business School on plagiarism. Last but not least, copyrights of published books, articles and journals were respected. Task List Tasks Problems Solutions Search and obtain existing literature on theory and concepts of culture in books and e-books Limited searching skills, due to restricted previous experience Received advice from professors as well as from library staff on effective research techniques Search and obtain existing literature from scientific journals Not all journal articles are available in full text in the Aston e-library and many of those available were not completely relevant to the topic of the proposal Methodical and detailed research for alternative articles Select the most relevant articles Time consuming Skim and scan the articles found Obtain text books from the Aston library that are related to differences across different cultures Not all books are available in the Aston library Obtained e-books from ebrary of Aston University Obtain results from empirical studies regarding the culture of Japan Not all data is available in text books Access World Wide Web (Internet) to obtain the information needed Write the assignment Limited previous experience Guidance on the structure of the assignment via lecture notes and slides Conduct an effective literature review Limited previous experience Guidance provided through lecture notes and slides Combine information provided from different books, producing a uniform text Large amount of information from secondary data sources available Skim and scan all secondary data sources to combine all information provided and highlight any omissions observed in the literature Use case studies of different multinational companies that examine similar problems Word limit Not covered by the proposal but will be covered in the dissertation Proof-read and edit the assignment before submission Possible mistakes or omissions Thorough reading and correction of mistakes

Essay --

My topic that I have chosen is the Casablanca Conference . This conference basically changed a lot of things during WWII. The Conference was held in the year of 1943 January 14 – January 24, also it was held in Morocco, Casablanca. The conference was decided to be held in Casablanca, Morocco because it was the safest place and closest for all the allies to meet together. Morocco welcomed the allies because they wanted the war to end as bad as anyone. Some countries loved the war because even though it might kill your population a war would bring money into your country because all of the trade going on. The allies consisted of leaders of the allied countries, the countries were United States of America, Great Britain, Soviet Union and some undocumented allies. United States had the President Franklin D. Roosevelt and some commanding generals at the time come and represent the U.S . Great Britain had Winston Churchill the Prime minister of Great Britain. The soviet’ s president could not make the conference because he had to help at his Front line in Soviet. They were in-between...