Glass Ceiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Glass Ceiling - Essay Example The four have demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment in their fields. The ambitious dimension is eminent on its adaptive pole by self-confidence. It enabled them to nurtured dominant aspect with authoritativeness, pathological aggressiveness, and boldness. They end up being tough, unsentimental, and competitive. They have a tendency of not binding by the limits that apply to others (Jalalzai, 2013). A good example is Hillary Clinton. His ambition in being the United States first female president kept her as a front-runner for the Democratic nomination. She served in official positions and ambitiously made decisions that kept her on her move. For instance, problem-solving and decision-making roles in her position as the Secretary of State. Nancy Pelosi built a base within the Democrats caucus and consolidated enough power in winning the speakership position of the House of Representative. Being the first female in the position, she understood the tempo and the mannerism of the House. Ambitiously, she was determined in increasing the funding for AIDS research and in putting pressure on China to improve the human right policy (Palmer & Simon, 2006). Sarah Palin also demonstrated her ambitious nature from her determination of becoming the vice presidential candidate of the America despite serving less than half of her time as Alaska’s governor. She had less experience for the position but was ambitious in the post. Nothing could stop her to reach her goal (Barreto, Ryan & Schmitt, 2009). Condoleezza Rice, being African-American, became one of the well-known and much-loved members of the Bush administration. Second female Secretary of State, she demonstrated her character in handling of the arising events. She was ambitious in her field of foreign policy and helped the government to deal with the war in Iraq and the terror after the September 11, 2001 attack (Jalalzai, 2013). The man

Case Study - Disney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Case Study - Disney - Essay Example 191). At that time, the film industry, movies did not have sound; Mickey Mouse was supposed to make his first appearance in silent film called â€Å"Plane Crazy† (Richardson, 2004, p.19). Since then, the Company has a diversified international investment in a range of industries; it has five business segments i.e. parks and resorts, media networks, consumer products, studio entertainment and interactive media (Company Overview, n.d.). In the year of 1955, Walt Disney opened Disneyland. Subsequently, it converted into The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (WDP&R) as one of the leading facilitators of leisure experiences and family travel. Currently, there are five vacation destinations with 11 theme parks having 43 resorts in North America, Asia and Europe and sixth destination is under construction in mainland China’s Shanghai province. WDP&R also provide the Disney Cruise Line along with its four ships i.e. Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream; Disn ey Vacation Club along with 11 properties and more than 5, 00,000 participants as members are the main services offered by the company. Mainly, it is the contribution of the Walt Disney Studios that has provided the strong foundations to the Walt Disney Company. ... The Disney Theatrical Group issues licenses to and produces live events, encompassing Disney on Ice, Disney on Broadway and Disney Live. Subsequently, the Disney Music Group includes the Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records and Disney Music Publishing. Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the major business segment of the company. The DCP sells products such as home decor, books, stationary, beverages, foods, electronics and fine arts. Currently, DCP, which was formally launched in 1987, operates in North America, Japan and Europe through various retail chain stores under the label of the Disney Store. In the year of 2008, the company launched its new business segment with the label of Disney Interactive, which entertains families, kids through the products compatible with all sorts of digital media platforms including social and console games and blockbuster mobile. Situation analysis Environmental trends Macro Analysis Macro analysis can be carried out by PESTEL analysis of the C hinese market. PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal aspect of market. The acknowledged benefit of using the PESTEL analysis as macro analysis tool is to understand the strategic position of an organization within a macro environment. In the following parts, macro analysis would mainly focus on the Chinese macro environment particularly relevant to Shanghai Disneyland. Political The Chinese government has put in place a considerable number of regulatory conditions applicable to both domestic and foreign companies operational in China. For instance, the land in China remains under the ownership of

Legislatures learnsmart 5 Essay Example for Free

Legislatures learnsmart 5 Essay 1. True or false: Both chambers of Congress allow a member to speak for an unlimited time on the floor. A: false 2. Which of the following are members of the House leadership? A: Majority leader, majority whip and minority leader 3. Redistricting can diminish the advantages of being an incumbent because the candidate loses name recognition 4. Order the following general steps that a bill must pass through in order to become law 1. A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate formally proposes the bill 2. Subgroups within the House and Senate, composed of legislators who have expertise in the bill’s subject mater, review the bill 3. A majority of members in the House and Senate must approve it 4. The Conference Committee reconciles the bill when different versions have passed in the House and the Senate 5. President signs the bill 5. Members of Congress may experience conflict between their policy-making function and their representation function because A: They feel pressured to vote for a policy that clashes with their constituent’s interests. 6. To balance the desire for representation at different levels, the framers made Congress a bicameral institution. 7. Congress has a number of functions other than lawmaking. These include A: Acting on presidential actions, setting the national agenda, and representing its constituents. 8. Because taxation was such an important power to the framers, they required that all these measures must start A: in the House. 9. Reapportionment is the reallocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state based on changes in the state’s population since the last census. 10. Which of the following is the most powerful leadership position in the Senate A: Majority leader 11. Which of the following are reasons why specific members of Congress are chosen for congressional leadership positions? A: Ability to guide compromise, to persuade and to negotiate. 12. When congressional district boundaries are redrawn within a state, it is known as redistricting 13. Two of the most important influences on congressional elections are incumbency and redistricting. 14. Which of the following oversight tools ensure that Congress has some say in how the executive branch administers the laws that Congress creates? A: congressional hearings, budgetary appropriations and confirmation hearings. 15. The single most important factor in determining the success of a congressional campaign is incumbency. 16. Which congressional function involves auditing agency implementation of policy? A: Oversight 17. The power of taxation, among other powers, was given to Congress: A: to limit the power of the president; and because it is more representative to the people. 18. Gerrymandering A: is usually legal. 19 Which of the following influence agenda setting in Congress? A: public discourse, House and Senate leaders’ goals 20 Which of the following of Congress, which all other functions of Congress are related to? A: Policy making. 21. Constituents influence the legislative process by ensuring that their representatives in Congress work hard to represent their perspectives and policy interests 22. True or False: A president’s popularity rating cannot affect a legislator’s decision to vote for a particular bill A: True 23. Committees are important because A: They help develop passable legislation; they facilitate the consideration of high volume of bills; and they each specialize in a certain type of legislation. 24. Congressional oversight includes the federal bureaucracy because it is a part of the executive branch. 25. Interest groups engage in which of the following activities in order to influence legislators’ decision? A: grassroots activism, financial contributions, and lobbying. 26. Each senator represents his or her state, while House members represent their congressional district. 27. Partisan voting occurs more often when members are voting on domestic policy issues that tend to crystallize ideological differences between the parties. 28. House and Senate members often rely on which of the following inform their decision making on legislation because they frequently have policy expertise that can guide a legislator on an upcoming vote? A: Staff member 29. The president’s opinion concerning a specific bill can influence members of Congress, especially A: when they belong to the same party. 30. Some examples of Congress’s use of the ‘elastic clause’ include A: determining an oil company’s authority to drill on federal lands; expanding law enforcement authority in terrorism case; and regulating stem cell research. 31. Which of the following is a legislative power the president does not possess? A: Line-item veto. 32. Legislators use pork barrel politics and earmarks to bring money and jobs back to their home districts to show their constituents that they are working toward their best interests in Congress. 33. For mundane matters about which their constituents are less likely to be aware or hold a strong position, legislators typically rely on the trustee model of representation. 34. Citizens wanting policies that benefit the elderly, while others advocate for legislation beneficial for children, is an example of the influence that Congress has A: in managing societal conflict 35. Which of the following is not a way new legislation can be introduce in the Senate? A: A senator’s staff drafts a piece of proposed legislation and the senator place it in the hopper on the Senate floor. 36. Congress manages societal conflict by representing a wide range of views and interests. 37. The U.S Congress has a number of Constitutional powers beyond lawmaking. For example, it A: govern the District of Columbia; regulates the armed forces; regulates interstate commerce; and declares war. 38. When a committee or subcommittee holds a hearing, they are trying to gather information and views from experts about a proposed bill. 39. Interest groups can be a valuable resource to legislators because A: They can provide financial and electoral support. 40. Oversight is an important function of Congress because it ensures that laws are being administered in keeping with legislators’ original intent. 41. Which of the following are duties of the Speaker of the House? A: Making majority party committee assignments; chairing floor debates 42. Match the characteristics on the right with the chamber, which they describe: House: Taxation policies start in this chamber; this chamber faces more frequent elections Senate: Treaties are considered in this chamber; this chamber is more deliberative. 42. In the House of Representatives, a member of a legislator’s staff drafts t he proposed legislation and the House member puts the bill into the hopper. 43. House leadership is chosen at the A: beginning of each session of Congress. 44, Congress continuously engages in agenda setting because it relieves the pressure parties face in getting their members to vote with their particular party. 45. Congress engages in agenda setting when it determines which public policy issues the federal legislature should consider. 46. The framers had tax bills start in the House because A: it had a smaller constituency than the Senate; it had a shorter electoral term. 47. The practice in which members of Congress agree to vote for a bill in exchange for their colleague’s vote on another bill is called logrolling. 48. If a vote in the Senate is tied, the vice president breaks the tie. 49. Historically, which position has been honorary in nature? A: president pro tempore 50. Which of the following contribute to incumbents having an advantage during congressional elections? A: stronger name recognition; ease in attracting contributions; and easier access to media coverage. 51. An agency review provides an opportunity for executive agencies that would administer a proposed law to comment on the measure. 52. The Senate is more deliberative because A: its electoral terms are longer; it has fewer members. 53. A filibuster can arise when a member of the Senate wishes to halt or delay the passage of a bill. 54. After a committee agrees to the wording of a bill, the committee issues a report to the full chamber that explains the bill and its intent. 55. Creating â€Å"majority-minority† districts is a type of Gerrymandering. 56. Which committee sets the structure for the debate that ensues in the full House? A: Rules Committee. 57. An elderly person deciding to vote to reelect a House representative after the representative has tracked down the constituent’s Social Security check is an example of how casework can benefit an incumbent. 58. Unanimous consent agreements require that all senators agree to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation. 59. A joint committee is composed of members of both chambers of Congress. 60. Redistricting can lessen the impact of incumbency, especially in years ending in the number 2. 61. Congress gets its powers from sources other than the Constitution, including A: American citizens, the media, and Supreme Court decisions. 62. The House Majority leader acts as an assistant to the Speaker of the House in performing legislative duties. 63. In more populated areas, congressional districts in the House of Representatives are often A: homogeneous, cohesive units. 64. AN elected or appointed official acts as an ombudsperson when advocating for citizens by listening to and investigating complaints against a government agency. 65. Which of the following is true about the Senate minority leader? A: Leader of the minority party in the Senate; negotiates with the majority leader. 66. A select committee is created to consider specific policy issues or address a specific concern in legislature. 67. Redistricting sometimes makes incumbency less important. 68. If 51 or more Democrats are elected to the Senate, each committee and subcommittee will have a minority of Republicans as members. 69. When there is a designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure it is called A: an earmark. 70. Congressional leadership refers bills to the lead committee. 71. Which of the following is not true about a markup? A: The committee actually alters a bill 72. The framers structured Congress in way that A: made it an effective check on the president; made it powerful enough to govern, and kept it from becoming too powerful. 73. After 1995, joint referrals were abolished from the House 74. The House leadership position of whip acts as a liaison between A: leadership and part members in the House. 75. Which of the following terms describes the segment of voters who pay careful attention to political issues? A: attentive public 76. Subcommittees are a subset of a A: Standing committee. 77. A standing committee is a permanent committee in Congress. 78. Members of the House of Representatives are reluctant to defy the will of their congressional districts because A: Their short two-year terms increase the probability that they will be voted out of office for going against the electorate. 79. When an incumbent performs casework for a constituent, it helps to create a good-word-of-mouth reputation and attracts support for that candidate during reelection. 80. The ability to use franking to communicate with voters is a benefit inaccessible to non-incumbents. 81. The attentive public is the segment of voters who pay careful attention to political issues. 82. The term pork barrel describes legislators’ appropriations of funds via legislation for special projects located within their congressional districts. 83. To end a filibuster, a supermajority of sixty senators must agree to invoke cloture and end debate 84. Which of the following is required to extract a bill from committee in order to have it considered by the entire House? A: discharge petition 85. A consequence of having a congressional â€Å"safe seat† is that a house member A: can generally be partisan without unfavorable political outcome. 86. Committee chairs are often chosen using the seniority system, by which the member with the longest continuous tenure on a standing committee receives preference when the committee chooses its chair 87. Which model of representation insists that legislators vote in line with their constituents’ views even when this contradicts their personal views? A: Instructed delegate model. 88. What occurs after a conference committee reconciles a bill between the House and Senate? A: The bill goes back to both chambers for a vote 89. In this model of representation, a legislator may act in opposition to the clear wishes of his or her constituents, such as in cases where an action is â€Å"for their own good† or the good of society. A: Trustee model 90. The most powerful position in the Senate: the majority leader manages the legislative process and schedules debate on legislation 91. Senators sometimes find it hard to represent constituents because they are elected by an entire state’s population, which may contain citizens who have conflicting views, ideologies, and policy priorities.

The Proposed Legalization of Same Sex Marriage :: Gay Lesbian Homosexual Papers

The Proposed Legalization of Same Sex Marriage The proposed legalization of same-sex marriage is one of the most significant issues in contemporary American family law. Presently, it is one of the most vigorously advocated reforms discussed in law reviews, one of the most explosive political questions facing lawmakers, and one of the most provocative issues emerging before American courts. If same-sex marriage is legalized, it could be one of the most revolutionary policy decisions in the history of American family law. The potential consequences, positive or negative, for children, parents, same-sex couples, families, social structure public health, and the status of women are enormous. Given the importance of the issue, the value of comprehensive debate of the reasons for and against legalizing same-sex marriage should be obvious. Marriage is much more than merely a commitment to love one another. Aside from societal and religious conventions, marriage entails legally imposed financial responsibility and legally authorized financial benefits. Marriage provides automatic legal protections for the spouse, including medical visitation, succession of a deceased spouse's property, as well as pension and other rights. When two adults desire to "contract" in the eyes of the law, as well a perhaps promise in the eyes of the Lord and their friends and family, to be responsible for the obligations of marriage as well as to enjoy its benefits, should the law prohibit their request merely because they are of the same gender? I intend to prove that because of Article IV of the United States Constitution, there is no reason why the federal government nor any state government should restrict marriage to a predefined heterosexual relationship. Marriage has changed throughout the years. In Western law, wives are now equal rather than subordinate partners; interracial marriage is now widely accepted, both in statute and in society; and marital failure itself, rather than the fault of one partner, may be grounds for a divorce. Societal change have been felt in marriages over the past 25 years as divorce rates have increased and have been integrated into even upper class families. Proposals to legalize same-sex marriage or to enact broad domestic partnership laws are currently being promoted by gay and lesbian activists, especially in Europe and North America. The trend in western European nations during the past decade has been to increase legal aid to homosexual relations and has included marriage benefits to some same-sex couples.

A Comparison between Hills Like White Elephants

Below is a free essay on â€Å"Compare† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. Comparison between â€Å"Hills like white Elephants† and † Cat in the Rain† Similarities between â€Å"Cat in the Rain† and â€Å"Hills like white Elephants†: 1) Characters are couples in both. â€Å"Cat in the Rain† – â€Å"There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel† â€Å"Hills like white Elephants† – â€Å"The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside building† 2) The place where actions occur is not home, characters stayed there for a while. ‘Cat in the Rain† – â€Å"There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel† â€Å"Hills like white Elephants† – â€Å"He picked up the two heavy bags and carried them around the station to the other tracks† 3) In both works one of characters is girl an d she wants something, she was looking for something. †Cat in the Rain† – † And I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles.And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty and I want some new clothes† â€Å"Hills like white Elephants† – â€Å"Could we try it? â€Å", â€Å"We want two Anis del Toro†, â€Å"I wanted to try this new drink† 4) Secondary characters are speaking another language. â€Å"Cat in the Rain†- † The maid looked up at her. â€Å"Ha perduto qualche cosa, Signora? â€Å"Hills like white Elephants† – â€Å"Dos cervezas,† the man said into the curtain 5) Also secondary characters are staff. â€Å"Cat in the Rain† – The maid looked up at her â€Å"ha perdute qualche cosa, Signora? † â€Å"Hills like white Elephants† – The Man called â€Å"listen† through the curt ain. The Woman came out from the bar. 6) Characters a little bit nervous. â€Å"Cat in the Rain† – â€Å"I get so tired of it†, she said. â€Å"I get so tired of looking like a boy† â€Å"Hills like white

Essay on This Boys Life - 676 Words

Getting our future back on the rails – slowly. How does the writer use written and visual language to attempt to persuade readers to share his point of view? The use of inclusive language and personal appeals positions the reader to share the writers viewpoint that a communal garden would be beneficial in not only the sense of convenience but also health, wealth and social. Throughout the article the writer attempts to make the reader believe that a community garden would be a far more productive use of land instead of a skate park and he/she does this with an logical and passionate tone and throughout the article it evolves into a feeling of determination and importance, and this is achieved by the use of imagery and statistics which†¦show more content†¦In this argument the use of the graph and the proper accreditation to the ‘NSW Environment Protection Authority’ shows the reader that the writer is trustworthy and the information that he/she is relaying is accurate. By addressing the readers informally as a community, the writer establishes a sense of intimacy not only with him/herself but almost as if with the entire audience that the article was addressed to. Inclusive language is language that does not belittle, exclude or stereotype people, instead it aims on bringing everyone together. Inclusive language includes the reader by assuming that they all agree or disagree, it engages the reader and may gain sympathy or persuade the reader to either accept or reject the idea or topic of the article. Some examples of the inclusive language that was used in this article include the words community, our own, ourselves, ‘to you, the community’ and neighbours, these words are all synonyms of the word group. In conclusion the writers main contention was to persuade all of the readers of this article to agree to the construction of a communal garden and he/she did this by using some powerful techniques the correct way in their article, these include but are not limited to inclusive language, repetition, statistics and imagery. The mainShow MoreRelatedThis Boy s Life By Tobias Wolff1671 Words   |  7 PagesThis Boy s Life, by Tobias Wolff (Wolff, 1993), is a 1950’s memoir describing the intimate emotional events during Tobias Wolff’s dysfunctional and difficult adolescent years. I believe the purpose of this memoir was not only to document this specific time in Tobias’ life, but this film was a way to raise awareness toward domestic violence. Wolff really did a good job at captivating his audience. Using a variety of family violence topics this resource includes: Abandonment when Tobias’s fatherRead MoreThis Boy S Life Practice Essay1261 Words   |  6 Page sï » ¿6. 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Toby’s family was split down the middle as a child, leaving his father and older brother on the East Coast and, for the most part, uninvolved in Toby’s life. The story begins when Toby and his mother, Rosemary, leave her abusive boyfriend in Florida to take their chances at becoming rich on uranium mines in Utah. They are

Strategic Analysis Of The Automobile Industry Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2276 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? 1. INTRODUCTION The automobile industry involves large capital for a minor decision to be made. Making decisions can be difficult because there are many competitors and one wrong selection can cause immense failure. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Strategic Analysis Of The Automobile Industry Finance Essay" essay for you Create order The victory of any firm in this industry depends on the sales of the vehicles, meeting the customer demands and overall control and management of the finance with appropriate implementations. A total of 6 manufacturing firms were competing in the industry with variety of vehicle class. Each firm had a management team according to the Stratsim programme. The teams had to formulate strategies and make decisions for period 2 to 5. This programme had two basic objectives; to manage the short cash flow for a positive return for the shareholders and to adapt to the changing environment so as to manage long term returns to the shareholders. This report illustrates the analysis of firm A(amazing cars)with the strategic decisions and goals of the automobile industry according to the team 2. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Initially, the economy was fairly stable with the reasonable gas prices the demand for vehicles had increased creating opportunities for the manufacturers to have maximum vehicles sales. All the firms started at the same level which gave all he firms a fair chance to compete in the industry, creating market and value for their vehicles. 3. STRATEGIC ANALYSIS 3.1 INITIALLY STRATEGY Since all the firms had started on an equal ground, the main aim for firm A was to maximize the vehicle sales in order to overcome some of the debt by generating into existing markets for its vehicles with regard to positive customer feedbacks. Failure of any vehicle class would be discounted of produced in limited inventory while remaining resources can be used to develop and manufacture new/existing vehicle. 3.2 MISSION and VISION of Firm A (Amazing cars) Mission The mission was to develop quality cars in order to satisfy customer demands Vision The vision of the firm was to grow into the leading vehicle manufacture in the industry and produce a variety of other vehicles in the long run with competitive pricing so as to cover all the consumer market segments. 3.4 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.4.1 SWOT Strengths The team was working unanimously in all the decision making process by giving different strategies and various marketing, operational and technological tools to be used for the decisions. Our aim was to satisfy and overwhelm the customers by fulfilling the demand and requirements Weakness Decisions were made based on short- term returns thus causing financial loss at the end All the firms started at the same level with similar product specification, leaving no room monopoly of firm A The variety of the vehicles firm A offered was relatively less thus may not be meeting all the consumer market segments Weak financial position to start with as there was a debt and decision costs were high. 3.4.2 VRIO Value: initially the firm started with a positive cash flow to take the company forward. The decision to upgrade Alec and Alfa in period 2, was fruitful as it increased sales and there was a profit which helped to clear part of the debt Rareness: starting at the same level in the industry left rareness out of the box for firm A (amazing cars). The rareness came in the final decision when the new product AEV was launched, creating a need for it in the first three decisions made. Imitability: the imitability was relatively high in the programmes since any firm could duplicate other firms decisions because all the decisions were available on the web for the other firms to see. Thus there were high risk factors in the Stratsim programme. This programme had very little differentiating options to create uniqueness of the firms Organisation: the organisation started off well but due to mismanagement of the funds and weak strategic planning the decisions did not favour the organis ation resulting into the decline of the firms growth rate. At the end the firm had incurred a loss. (See appendix 1) The VRIO model was not practical at first due to the similar firm attributes in the industry but with the ongoing decisions and periods the model could come handy for firm A when undertaking strategies and decision making process. 3.5 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.4.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS Critical success factors are divided into two; threshold factors and differentiation factors. In the case of firm A (amazing cars), we have tried to concentrate on the basics like vehicle performance, safety and durability. Example for the family and economy vehicle, safety has been the main aspect and performance for the truck. The differentiating factors can be fuel efficiency and interiors because 5 of 6 firms are competing with the same vehicle class making it difficult to differentiate the vehicles from one another. 3.5.1 PESTEL ANALYSIS Political: the changing policies and government intervention on gas prices and pollution may cause the sales to drop because people may purchase fewer automobiles. Economical: financial crisis, economic instability and natural disasters may pop in anytime leaving the car industry in jeopardy. This is because cars are expensive and its not a necessity to have a luxurious automobile resulting into lower sales. Social: the change in taste and preference of the consumer may occur anytime due to the economic factors or rise in income which may lead to the demand of luxurious automobiles. Technological: the development in technology is increasing causing people to desire for new and eco friendly automobiles. The initial capital to manufacture cars is high thus the Firm may not be able to change and produce new cars all the time. Environmental: the automobile industry is always under great pressure as the gas emissions from these automobiles are harmful to the environment. In totality all aspects of pollution is covered like noise pollution is also another environmental factor which can and does affect the industry. Legal: the changing laws and regulations on traffic control and pollution may either favour the industry or not favour the firm thus causing a risk to the firm 3.5.2 SWOT analysis Opportunities Every firm started at the same level thus there was zero competition. Thus firm A had a fair chance to make its mark in the market with its strategies Firm A was manufacturing 3 vehicle class meaning that other market segments for the remaining vehicle class like AEV , minivan and luxury were untapped creating an opportunity for Firm A Appropriate use of the funds in research and development can lead to profitable long term returns. Threats Every firm had the advantage of being first mover in the industry since all the firms started at the same level making it a risk for Firm A. This is because the other firms can launch a new product before Firm A. Changing laws and regulations of the economy regarding gas emissions Economic instability like inflation and recession could lead to downfall in the vehicle market. The ongoing competition for the top manufacturer by the firms in the industry. 3.5.3 PORTERS FIVE FORCES Threats of new entrants: the threat of new entrants if low due to the high capital investment required for the manufacturing plant. Also the programme started at a fixed level allowing no liberty for new entrants Threat of substitutes: the threat of substitutes is low. 5 of 6 firms are producing similar products in industry and the period for competition is fairly less so there are very little options for substitutes. Manufacturing new product takes time so that is another contributing factor. Bargaining power of supplier: according to my knowledge car parts and necessities are manufactured by few specific suppliers for a single firm thus giving an upper hand to the suppliers. The other aspect it that there are very few suppliers in the overall industry making it difficult for a Firm to change/shift to other suppliers, therefore bargaining power of the suppliers is medium to high. Bargaining power of consumer: with 5 firms producing similar product in the market, the consu mers have their pick with the best vehicle available considering the major factors like price, quality, safety and efficiency. The bargaining power of the consumers can be a risk if other firms have competitive price range. Existing rivalry amongst firms: with the ongoing level of competition in the industry the existing firms are giving a stiff competition to Firm A. The fraction of differentiation between the vehicles is relatively less and the time frame of the programme limited product differentiation resulting in all the firms into using price differentiation strategy. Thus the existing rivalry is high in the industry 4. SIMULATION RESULTS Initially, in the first decision the management team upgraded 2 vehicles, Alec and Alfa. These were minor upgrades done in the area of interiors, safety, style and quality. The dealer were offered higher discount percentage so to increase sales and also dealerships in north and south were increased 10 and 20 respectively. The first decision brought significant profit and amazing cars was going on the right track. (Appendix 6.1) The family car did subsequently well and become the most preferred vehicle until period 4. The sales for both Alec and Alfa increased. Ace, the truck was upgraded in the 3RD period since the Firm had 2 development centre and only two products could be upgraded at the same time. In period 4, the sales dropped due to poor strategic planning. According to the decision in period 2, a new product was to be manufactured in period 4 but due to less funds and poor marketing decisions, the firm postponed the launch till period 5. This resulted into risk from other firms as firm D launched a car in period 4 using the first mover advantage. The team tried to market the products in the best way possible by increasing dealers in north, south and west regions so as to get maximum coverage. We also offered extra discount to the dealers which would motivate them to sell more vehicles in order to earn higher commission. In the technological aspect no new development centres where launched as the cost were really high. The team was not ready to take the risk which probably caused the decline at the end. The portfolio analysis shows the vehicles are between question mark and dogs implementing that the vehicles need to either be enhanced to suffice the customer needs or further decline may cease manufacturing one of the vehicles. (Appendix 6.10) The launch of two new vehicles Altima (AEV) and Acra (minivan) is expected to boost sales and do well in the market. This will only be known in period 7 since the programme has been over with. Thus this remains suspense. 5. CONCLUSION The firms objective was to increase returns and become the largest manufacturer in the industry. The first two decisions made it a little possible but gradually the sales dropped (appendix 6.1) and the growth curve was going downwards. This may be because the firm wanted to play safe with the funds and did not invest in the right areas of technological aspect and marketing aspect. According to the performance summary the firm is forth out of five firms for Alec and Ace. Alfa did a slightly better and is rated 3 from the 5 firms In totality the firm started off well with high returns and declined towards period 5. This may be due to the lack of strategic planning. Although the firm has made a significant profit over 4 years as the initially opening cash balance was 485 million and ending cash balance was 616 million, but debt has increased to 14902 million. (Appendix 6.3 and 6.4) 6. APPENDIX 6.1  Performance Summary Period 5 Firm A Per. 2  Per. 3  Per. 4  Per. 5  Sales ($) $19,478.2 $20,132.7 $18,477.2 $14,461.6 Sales (000s units) 1,229 1,270 1,170 930 Market Share ($) 21.4% 20.5% 20.1% 15.2% Market Share (units) 21.5% 20.5% 18.9% 14.2% Net Income $120.9 $89.3 $-294.9 $-3,187.8 Cum. Net Income $805.0 $894.3 $599.4 $-2,588.4 Stock Price $29.54 $26.44 $20.61 $5.88 Market Value $14,771.0 $13,219.7 $10,305.9 $2,942.0  Return on Sales 0.6% 0.4% -1.6% -22.0% Return on Assets 1.6% 1.3% -3.8% -22.5% Firm Preference 19.0% 17.6% 16.9% 14.2% Dealer Rating 61 61 60 57 COGS 80.1% 80.9% 82.3% 83.2% Capacity Utilization 123.4% 133.0% 130.1% 120.1% Debt $3,897.0 $3,401.0 $4,795.0 $14,902.0 Stock Issue/Purch. % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Note: Dollar amounts are in millions. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.2 Income Statement Period 5 Firm A $Mill. $Mill. Sales 14,462 100.0% Materials 8,259 57.1% Labor 3,768 26.1%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Gross Margin 2,434 16.8%  Marketing 240 1.7% Research and Development 929 6.4% General and Administrative 904 6.3% Manufacturing Overhead 580 4.0% Depreciation 800 5.5%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Income from Operations -1,019 -7.0%  Extraordinary Items -530 -3.7% Interest Income/Expense -1,639 -11.3%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Net Income -3,188 -22.0%  Tax 0 0.0%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Income after Tax -3,188 -22.0%  Dividends 100 0.20/sh StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.3 Balance Sheet Period 5 Firm A Assets $Mill.  Liabilities $Mill. Cash 616 Accounts Payable 1,684 Receivables 1,128 Short Term Debt 14,902 Inventory 6,152 Long Term Debt 0 Plant and Equip. 11,714   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Total Liabilities 16,586 Depreciation -5,436 Stock ($1 par) 500 Retained Earnings -2,912   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Total Equity -2,412  Total Assets 14,174 Total Liab. and Equity 14,174 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304   6.4 Cash Flow Statement Period 5 Firm A  $Mill. Starting Cash 485 Income from Operations -1,019 Plant Investment -3,714 Financial Operations 8,368 Adjustments -3,504 Ending Cash 616 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304   Product Contribution Period 5 6.6 Firm A Product Contribution  Vehicle  Units (000s) Dealer Sales (mill.) Direct Sales (mill.)  COGS (mill.) Gross Margin (mill.) Adv  Ãƒâ€š Promo (mills.) After  Ãƒâ€š Mkting (mill.) Ace 185 $3372 $0 $2524 $848 $55 $793 Alec 286 $2857 $0 $2925 $-68 $60 $-128 Alfa 460 $8233 $0 $6579 $1654 $75 $1579 Total 930 $14462 $0 $12027 $2434 $190 $2244 Note: Dollar amounts are in millions. 6.7 Per Unit Contribution  Vehicle Per Unit Revenue Per Unit COGS  Per Unit Margin Margin Pct.  Ãƒâ€š Adv  Ãƒâ€š Promo Per Unit Contrib. Contrib. Pct.  Ãƒâ€š Ace $18243 $13654 $4589 25% $298 $4292 24% Alec $9998 $10235 $-237 -2% $210 $-447 -4% Alfa $17908 $14311 $3597 20% $163 $3434 19% Total $15545 $12928 $2617 17% $204 $2413 16% Note: Dollar amounts are per unit. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.8 Distribution Detail Period 5 Firm A North South East West Total Full Coverage 200 250 150 200 800 Established Dealers 138 165 120 128 551 Coverage 69% 66% 80% 64% 69% Planned Openings -10 -20 0 -15 -45 Support/Dealer (000s) $86.1 $74.2 $96.9 $91.7 $86.2 Units/Dealer 1,509 1,679 1,634 1,944 1,688 Sales/Dealer (mill.) $24.9 $28.0 $26.8 $31.7 $27.8 Service/Dealer (mill.) $1.4 $1.4 $1.7 $1.8 $1.6 Gross/Dealer (mill.) $1.9 $2.2 $2.2 $2.5 $2.2 Dealer Rating 57 57 58 58 57 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304   6.9 Manufacturing Detail Period 5 Firm A Capacity (000s) 1,000 Coming on Line (000s) 500  Vehicle Prod. (000s) Sales (000s) Inv. (000s) Days Inv.  Comment Ace 224 185 125 246 Alec 353 286 94 120 Alfa 625 460 244 193 Total 1,201 930 462 181 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.10 Portfolio Analysis Period 5 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304