The Analysis of Strategy from movie Moneyball Essay

The Analysis of Strategy from movie Moneyball - Essay Example This approach involves the scouting and analysis of players followed by their acquisition. Through this strategy, they acquire Chad Bradford, a pitcher, and Scott Hatteberg, a catcher. They go on to win an American league record 20 games in a row. This team did not qualify into the World Series in 2002, and they have not made in back into the series ten years down the line. These years remained impressive ones, not only in the history of the game, but also in the franchise. The need to get this team back into World Series, and win more titles called for the team’s top management to adopt and implement new strategies, which will ensure the future success of this team. This paper, therefore, seeks to describe how new strategies, especially technology and innovation, can create a competitive advantage for an organization with reference to the movie â€Å"Money ball’s Strategy†. The Oakland A’s vision was to find young players who had little ability for pay ne gotiations (Rosner & Kenneth). In 1995, new management broke up the roster of the team in order to trim costs and this caused performances to nose dive. At this same period, they designed the new strategy based on a low budget, concentrating on on-base percentage. By 1999, performances had begun to improve, with their revenue responding to this performance. Attendance spiked dramatically, while ticket prices also rose. This showed that their strategy for getting victory in games was successful at exploiting the opportunity at profit. During the period spanning 2000-2004, the average position player’s wage went up from $2.6 million to $3 million (Rosner & Kenneth 358). Home run hitters earned approximately $3.5 million more than the rest of the players. This was difficult for the Oakland A’s team to follow, since they were not in a position to challenge well-established and financially sound teams. However, the Oakland A’s discovered that there was gross underval uation of on-base percentage in the market. The most significant method of measuring skill at batting had been batting average, which weighted home runs and singles the same. The slugging percentage was also in use where home runs counted four times as much as singles. These two, however, ignored walks and sacrifices. There was undervaluation of the ability to get on base. Lack of hitters possessing superior skill at market premiums, who master the patient art of touching base via walks, validated the A’s approach in identifying these players. This translated into winning more games at a discount compared to their competition. At first, however, the team’s scouts were hostile and dismissive to the sabermetrics approach that was non-traditional for scouting players. The manager began to select players based on base percentage, therefore, assembling a team with more potential than their finances would have allowed. The Oakland A’s used an integrated low-cost and d ifferentiation strategy (Rosner & Kenneth 358). This allowed them to adapt to the changing financial environment, which was going beyond them, allowing them to learn and integrate new technologies and skills, while improving their ability to leverage core competencies more effectively across their business model, and enabling them to purchase hitters with improved features at much lower costs. Using this strategy, they managed to exploit the low market demand that was there for those kinds of hitters

Diversity and Cross Cultural Differences in Work places Essay Example for Free

Diversity and Cross Cultural Differences in Work places Essay Diversity and Cross-Cultural Differences in Workplaces Introduction            Different people have different mental structures due to the diverse type of personality and cultural background. The study of psychology has enabled people to know about the mental functioning of others making it easier individuals and groups to understand one another. Since people must interact in the day-to-day activities, there is need to harmonize this differences and create an environment where every member feel a sense of belonging. Psychological counseling plays an important role in preparing individuals to be more appreciative the cultural and personality difference existing between people. Psychology counseling is a field of psychology focusing on the personal and interpersonal working and on the emotional, social and health related issues of individuals and groups of people. This paper addresses issues arising from interaction of people with differences culture and behaviors. It also focuses on criminal investigation process in the psychological perspective.            Key words: psychopathology, personality, behavioral therapy, individualistic, diversity Diversity and Cross-Cultural Differences in Workplaces            Every individual is characterized by a unique pattern of thoughts, behaviors and feeling that contribute to individual’s psychological structure. Despite the fact that each individual is unique in personality resulting in diversity in peoples’ way of lives, people have always found themselves in crowds- be it in schools, places of worship, or any other social, political or economic gathering. Leininger and McFarland (2006) writes that the need to coexist in harmony compels persons to sometimes subordinate individual goals so that they can accomplish the goals of a group. Those individuals who are not mentally ready to accept the cultural and personality diversity between different people often find it hard to coexist with others.            Psychopathology has enabled counseling psychologist to understand the various aspects of one’s mental structure including genetic and biological issues. Psychologists are able to identify people who undergo atypical or disordered development from those with normal or typical development. It is paramount for coworkers to be aware of their colleagues’ mental structure so as to engage in the right way with them. This is crucial for the creation and maintenance of a healthy and productive working environment that is composed of persons with diverse personalities. In such a set up where workplace colleagues have to cope with different personality traits, one may find it hard to maintain a stable mental behavior and physical emotions and may suffer from maladjustment in case one is in a new environment. Counseling psychologists help such persons to alleviate distress and improve their wellbeing (Woolfe Dryden, 1996). They also provide patients with assessm ent and treatment of psychological issues.            Through behavioral analysis, one is able to systematically analyze another person’s or one’s own behavior so as to know cause of certain behaviors and consequently improve social interaction. Bad behaviors can be corrected or good behaviors adopted or through behavioral therapy. This is a method that is used bypsychotherapists and psychiatrists to treat mood disorders an anxiety usually caused by variables such as; social phobia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. According to Lesilie (2008), behavioral treatment techniques include;Role playing, discussing about coping mechanisms, breathing and relaxation method, activities to promote focus, modifications to anger, pain or fear, social skills training, positive reinforcement.            These methods focus on individuals shaping their behavior to cope with the environment. When individuals with behavioral disorders try to change their behaviors to suit that required in the workplaces, they often find themselves struggling to relate with the others and this leads to seclusion and isolation. On the other hand behavioral therapy should focus aiding individuals acquire control over their own behavior and blending it with the requirements of the workplace. This is important because one manipulates the environmentand learns to control their own behavior without compromising their personality which is vital for maximum productivity. With one’s own personality, the reception of stimuli and the response is not affected and therefore there are no negative consequences influencing the next occasion in the brain (Lesilie, 2008).            Persons who find it hard to conform to workplace ethics due to cultural mismatches should set standards for assessing their own performance and progress in behavioral therapy. Techniques such as self-management, self-control and self-regulation are used to monitor one’s progress (Woolfe Dryden, 1996). Behavioral modification procedures are not procedures to punish those people with different behaviors but they are techniques to eliminate non-conforming working behaviors and also facilitate cross-cultural understanding. The make the workplace to feel better and builds a sense of satisfactory. For psychologists to offer the relevant advice to a person suffering from mental disorder, they must first find out the patients’ personality and understand how they think, feel, relate, influence and get influenced by others.            For applied social psychologists to attend to a patient they must try to adopt the personality of the patient so that they can employ the best techniques to treat a patient without affecting the patients personality. In this perspective the psychologist is able to develop development strategies that are aimed at improving the important aspects, programs and policies for the patient to have a positive recovery. Psychologists should aim at eliminating the negative attitude that a patient may have towards colleagues or the workplace. This is aimed at improving intercultural understanding and to offer a neutral platform where no culture is viewed as less or more important than the other. With cross-cultural understanding people will tend to be more committed to working together improving productivity.            Nevertheless, cultural competence is healthy for the growth of an organization that comprises of people from diverse cultures (Leininger McFarland, 2006). This should not be overshadowed by the tendency to express cultural superiority over others but should demonstrate the ability to effectively engage in cross-cultural dialogues without intimidating or negating another person’s culture. This requires one to appreciate social psychology and be in a position to balance between positive and negative criticism on another person’s culture. Since not all people are equipped with the understanding of social psychology, training on cultural competence should be conducted to avoid such problem from arising. Some cultures are individualistic while others are communists and this play a big role in defining how coworkers exist. This necessitates the need for effective cross-cultural team-building and training.            As colleagues engage in affairs of the workplaces, each and every one of them is entitled to a certain opinion which one would like to support. If such a situation gets tense, certain body changes occur such as breathing rates and emotional changes if certain people are intimidating others for decisions to go their way. Such a phenomenon may result in one becoming uncontrollable or violent. Biological psychology is concerned with balancingwhat the mind is processing and the effects it has on the body. It analyses how ones behaviors and thoughts are affected by the brain and neurotransmitters. Various neurotransmitters have different effects on the body. For instance, neurotransmitter dopamine is responsible for movement and learning. Varying quantities of excess or too little of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the body results in disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease respectively. (Woolfe Dryden, 1996).The comprehensive nature of bio-psyc hology encompasses diversity and cross-cultural aspects of an organization. A bio-psychologist will reconcile individuals or groups of people that are not in agreement resulting in abnormal behaviors. When addressing such a conflict a bio-psychologist figures out in which area of bio-psychology the problem is. The following are the main areas of bio-psychology; sensation and perception, emotion, learning and memory, motivated behavior and control of movement (Woolfe Dryden, 1996). Through these areas, bio-psychological problems and concerns are addressed.            Another area of psychology is the forensic psychology – an area that deals with the relationship between psychology and law. When a crime occurs, a criminal investigative process takes place in order to determine the offender, motive and to allow the right punishment if any to be given to the offender. The investigation involves investigative psychologist who explores the relationships between the offender and the nature of the crime that has been committed. The investigation process has the following major areas; investigating the crime, gathering evidence, use of technology, search and seizure, arresting and charging the offender who may also undergo detention and interrogation (Simon, 2012). Throughout this process forensic psychologists are involved as they help to establish a connection between an offender and the crimes committed. Essentially the forensic psychologist offers the following services during investigation process: evaluating the risks of r eoffending by the offender, child custody evaluation, recommending the length of the sentence to be handed to the offender, competence evaluation and testimony as an expert witness.            Simon (2012) says that throughout this period from crime commission to when the sentence is passed, a forensic psychologist will engage with the suspected offended in an attempt to get insight on the motive behind the offence. In some cases, the offender may be suffering from a mental disorder and it is the duty of the psychologist to psychological expertise to provide analysis and recommendations in the criminal case. In addition a psychiatrics’ examination is required to determine whether the offender/suspect suffers from a mental illness an opinion that is taken to be of very high value by the court since it might require the court to charge the offender as a mentally challenged person and this also influences the type of prison the offender is to serve the sentence. In conclusion psychological is an aspects great and delicate influence on the diversity and cross cultural differences existing in workplaces. Coworkers should work towards enhancing intercul tural understanding and acceptance. References Leininger, M.M. McFarland, R.M. (2006). Culture Care Diversity and Universality: A Worldwide Nursing Theory. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Lesilie, C.J. (2008). Principles of Behavioral Analysis. Hove, UA: Psychology pr.Simon ,D. (2012). In Doubt. The Psychology of the Criminal Justice Process. Cambridge, CB: Havard University Press.Woolfe, A, Dryden, W. (1996). Handbook of Counseling Psychology. Oxfordshire, OS: Carfax International Publishers. Source document

Strategic Management Of Ryanair Commerce Essay

Strategic Management Of Ryanair Commerce Essay Ryanair was set up in 1985 andzz is one of the oldest and most successful low-cost airlines of Europe. In fact, Ryanair was one of the first independent airlines in Ireland. In 2001, many believed that Ryanair was like the Wal-Mart and Southwest Airlines of Europe. Ryanair transformed the Irish air services market where other airlines like Avair failed to compete with the more powerful national carrier Aer Lingus. 2. INTRODUCTRION RYANAIR: The ‘Southwest of European Airlines in 2007 Ryanair, Europes biggest low-fares airline (LFA ) reported its third quarter results for 2007 with net profits dropping 27 percent compared to a net profit of 48 million a year earlier. Ryanair cited poor market conditions, fuel costs (oil prices at $90 a barrel) and concerns on recession in the UK and many other European economies for its current performance and not so strong future profit expectations. With average winter fares dropping almost 5 percent its underlying net profit in the three months to end December fell to 35 million euros ($52 million). Other factors that contributed included doubling of airport charges combined with reduction of winter capacity at Stinted , significant cost increases at Dublin Airport combined with longer sector lengths and staff costs which increased by 18 pct to 67 million euros. Ryanairs net profit figure excluded a one-off gain of 12.1 million euros ($17.99 million) arising from the disposal of 5 Boeing 737-800 aircrafts. 3. CURRENT FACT THAT MAKES RYANAIR SUCCESSFUL * the Worlds favourite airline * 37 bases and 950+ low fare routes across 26 countries, connecting 150 destinations * 210 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with firm orders for a further 102 new aircraft * employs a team of more than 7 000 people * expects to carry approximately 66 million passengers 4. ENVIRONMNETAL ANALYSIS 4.1 PESTEL ANALYSIS For determining the key issues will be faced by any of internationally growing organisation such as Ryanair, PESTEL analysis plays a key role to highlight the problems in different sectors of competition issues. These factors are mentioned below: 4.1.1 POLITICAL FACTOR * Strengths and pressure of trade unions. * Global Village (I-e Growth and expansion of EU countries). * Terrorism increased number of security measures. * Involvement of environmental organisations is increasing environmental protection charges. * Support of French government to their own national airlines. 4.1.2 ECONOMIC FACTOR * Day by day increase in fuel charges.  · Devaluation of dollar price.  · Increase use of high speed travelling through cars and trains.  · European Union expansion. 4.1.3 SOCIAL FACTOR * Increase in grey market * Increasing travelling lifestyle * Increasing business travelling 4.1.4 TECHNOLOGICAL FACTOR  · Increasing volume of internet advertising.  · Use of satellite TV.  · Environmental friendly cars (Hybrid technology).  · Internet competition. 4.1.5 ENVIRONMENT FACTOR  · Control of noise level.  · Green house / carbon emission effect. 4.1.6 LEGAL FACTOR * Misleading advertisement driving towards increased number of allegations * Illegal subsidies for Airports * Wheelchair charges 4.2 PORTERS FIVE FORCES 4.2.1 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIER (LOW) 1. Boeing is RAs main suppliers 2. Only 2 possible suppliers of planes Boeing and Airbus witching costs from one supplier to the other is high because all mechanics and pilots would have to be retrained. 3. Price of aviation fuel is directly related to the cost of oil (Ryanair controls these through hedging). 4. Regional Airports have little bargaining power as they are heavily dependent on one airline 5. Bigger airports, where Ryanairs competitors operate, have greater bargaining power. Ryanairs policy is to try and avoid these airports. 4.2.2 BUYER POWER (LOW) LOW Bargaining Power of Customers 1. Customers are price sensitive 2. Switching to another airline is relatively simple and is not related to high costs (Internet-all airlines are online) 3. Customers know about the cost of supplying the service 4. No loyalty 4.2.3 THREATS OF NEW ENTRANTS (HIGH) LOW New Entrants 1. Some barriers to entry (restricted number of licenses for air carriers) 2. High capital investment 3. Restricted slot 4.2.4 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES (HIGH) 1. Fast speed trains running on short hales. 2. New hybrid technology introduced in the new cars which save fuel of holidaymakers and thay can enjoy nice breaks in different countries. 3. Other competitive new European airlines. 4.2.5 COMPETITIVE RIVALERY (MEDIUM) 1. Deregulations and increase in number of new routes will encourage other people carriers/ competitors to fill the gap which indicates the sign of increase in buyer power. 2. New mergers and alliances by big airlines such as British Airways and Iberia. 3. Other big competitors such as Air France and KLM etc. Will attract the customer by gathering the data of frequent flyers and offering them special perks/ discounts to increase their customer loyalty. 4. Various other airlines are thinking to provide comfort and extra services to their premium business passengers. 4.3 INDUSTRY PROFITABILITY 1. High forces are applied on other industrial competitors specially for new entrants as the gap in the industry is already covered by Ryanair and Easyjet after capturing low traffic airports. 2. By easily building a good infrastructure by Ryanair is made difficult for other competitors in industry to setup a new heavy budgeted cost to compete. 4.4 STRATEGIC GROUP ANALYSIS STRATEGIC GROUP Strategic group is the group of firms in an industry following the same or similar strategy along the strategic dimensions. (Page No. 129 Porter 1980) 1. In the light of all points discussed above, it is quite clarified that other strategic groups such as Easy Jet and Flybe are using nearly same kind of techniques to attract market share towards their company. 2. On the other hand, latest merger between British Airways and Iberia will be a new intimation for Ryanair in U.K as they will introduce low packages for American division where Iberia is already effectively working so that is the barrier for Ryanair to grow its market share in American region. 3. Cheap flights already offered by Lufthansa to get the good competition with Ryanair. 4.5 RESOURCED-BASED OF RYANAIR The resource based view does not focus so much on the actual labour and capital deployed by the company, but rather on the way in which these resources are utilised. (Strategic Planning, Prof. Alex Scott 2008) Resources are tangible and intangible assets a firm uses to choose and implement its strategies. Capabilities are the skills a firm uses to bring its resources to bear. The capabilities of the firm are: * Lowest airfare rates * Simple processes (no frills) * Large brand awareness * Clear offer (focuses on particular market segment) * Innovative strategies on cost cutting * Quick turnaround time The resource-based approach uses various terms for different types of resources. Resources include physical resources, human resources, financial resources and intellectual resources. Competences arise from the continual deployment and integration of resources over time and across activities. Core competences are necessary for successful performance. Distinctive capabilities are competences superior to competitors. Taken together these can be regarded as the companys strategic capabilities. 4.6 ANALYSIS OF CORE COMPETENCIES Threshold Capabilities Resources Competencies Threshold Resources Threshold Competences Tangible Ø Fleer Commonality Ø Quantitative Carrier Services Ø Keep maintaining Low Cost Ø Online Reservation Resources Ø Load Competence Intangible Ø Experienced/ Specialised Management Ø Customer Service Capabilities for Competitive Analysis Unique Resources Core Competences Tangible Ø Flight Frequency Ø Cargo Service Quality Ø Objective to Keep Low customer Fare Ø Provide Good Service of Online Booking/ No Luggage Booking Ø Low Fare Air Carrier in European Industry Intangible Ø Michael OLeary Ø In Flight Customer Care 4.7 USE OF PORTERS VALUE CHAIN MODEL BY RYANAIR RYAN1 4.8 OPPORTUNITIES: Europes bloodbath (again) 4.8.1 RECESSIONARY CONDITIONS SUIT TRUE LCCS BEST The synchronised global economic recession has handed Ryanair and similar carriers near-perfect operating conditions. As Ryanair explains, this recession has encouraged passengers to become much more price sensitive which is why they are switching to Ryanairs low fares and unbeatable customer service over all other competitors. The carriers near term outlook is bloody brilliant, according to Mr OLeary, who has warned, were determined there will be no green shoots of recovery for any of our competitors. In the coming Winter, there will be a bloodbath and we will be causing that bloodbath. The carrier expects a 15-20% reduction in average fares this year to around â‚ ¬32 per passenger. Ryanair is banking on several of its smaller rivals being unable to withstand falls of this magnitude over a sustained period. The resulting rationalisation of capacity would lead to a stabilisation of yields after the bloodbath or so the theory goes. Regardless, Ryanair is in a position to profit handsomely over the next 12 months. Ryanairs CFO, Howard Millar, summed it up; were the only airline in Europe predicting a profit for next year at this point in time. The airline forecasts a profit after tax of between â‚ ¬200 million to â‚ ¬300 million for the year ending 31-Mar-2010. 4.8.2 COLLAPSING AIRCRAFT ORDER BOOKS: Ryanair is also on the offensive for a cheap aircraft deal to cover its requirement for 200-300 aircraft between 2013 and 2016. Talks with Boeing have reportedly been scheduled for late Summer. With its negative net order book this year and a customer that is arguably too big to lose, Boeing may be more willing to deal than Airbus. The US dollar is certainly heading in the right direction for Ryanair at present, with a substantial delivery log. But both manufacturers know Ryanair needs more aircraft to keep its model working next decade and will not be too eager to discount. Contrary to OLearys charge that the aircraft order backlogs of Airbus and Boeing are collapsing, although there has been some churn in orders, the manufacturers still hold the upper hand. 12-18 months from now, it might be a different story. 4.9 THREATS: Distract and conquer 4.9.1 AER LINGUS HOBBLED, LUFTHANSA NEXT? Many analysts view Ryanairs pursuit of Aer Lingus as misguided by delusions of grandeur. It has certainly cost Ryanair dear, with another EUR222.5 million writedown of its investment booked in 2008/09. But Ryanairs total outlay for Aer Lingus shares will be a small price to pay for neutralising what was a well-oiled machine just a few years ago. Thanks to Ryanairs effective interference, Aer Lingus is now leaderless and adrift, discounting aggressively to raise cash to stay in the game. It may not survive the Winter independently. Some sort of rescue possibly involving Ryanair would result in a rationalisation of capacity and a restoration of yields in the LCCs core UK-Ireland markets. That too would help Ryanair, although the carrier would benefit more from simply growing its market even further. The airline posted a net loss of EUR169.2 million for the 12 months ended 31-Mar-2009, compared with a EUR390.7 million net profit a year earlier. Ryanair said it fell into the red chiefly because of a EUR222.5 million accounting write-down on the value of its 29.8% stake in Aer Lingus and higher jet fuel costs. Its pre-exceptionals operating profit was down 74% to EUR144.2 million, producing an operating margin of just under 5% well down on previous form. Ryanair operating profit margin FY06 to FY09 Source: Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation Ryanair The Master of Distraction, OLeary, has now turned his attention to Lufthansa. The German carrier is unlikely to be flattered that Ryanair has identified it as its next biggest threat, but would do well to maintain focused on the delicate task of empire building. If Lufthansa can effectively integrate Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and bmi (plus one or two others), the group will pose a major threat to Ryanairs dominance, particularly as European economic conditions improve. But Ryanairs organic growth is arguably a better bet. 4.9.2 FUEL THREAT NEUTRALISED Surging world oil prices could hamper efforts by many airlines to stem losses this year. After a hedging misstep last year (which contributed to a 59% surge in fuel costs to EUR1.3 billion), Ryanair looks to have got it right, hedging 90% of its fuel requirements for the first three quarters of the current financial year (to 31-Dec-2009) at USD62 per barrel (although there was no word about currency hedging in the report). If oil prices remain at current levels, Ryanair expects its full-year fuel bill will be EUR450 million lower than last year. This factor alone makes its current earnings guidance appear conservative. Over the longer term, Ryanair faces a massive conundrum regarding fuel costs. Unlike McDonalds, Aldi and Ikea, Ryanair is unable to control its fundamental cost line. It may have missed the chance to lock-in fuel prices at low levels (like Southwest did at the start of this decade) for the next few years. The airline faces a medium to long-term margin squeeze as fuel costs rise on a scale it cannot cover with ancillary revenues. http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2009/06/03/ryanair-swot-analysis-addicted-to-growth-a-great-model-for-bad-times/page1 5. POSITIONING DEFINITION Positioning is the act of designing the companys offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market. The goal is to locate the brand in the minds of consumers to maximize the potential benefit to the firm. (Marketing Management, Philip Kotler Kevin Lane Keller 2006) RYAN-2 Ryanair has the purest form of low cost airline in Europe. Ryanair boasts many No.1s: †¢ No.1 for passenger traffic- over 23m for 2004 overtaking Easyjet. †¢ No.1 for passenger growth- 50% + this year. †¢ No.1 for European routes (149) and bases (11). †¢ No.1 for customer service delivery- punctuality, flight completion and fewest lost baggage. 6. PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGY So as we can see from the above representation Ryanair is the most radical low cost airline, it * Differs from the closest competitor on the graph (i.e. Easyjet) because it uses secondary airports * To lower its cost base whereas Easyjet does not. Virgin Express is nearly stuck in the middle; it * Still offers seat allocations†¦ Aer Lingus is an interesting case as it has been gradually getting * Closer to the low cost model on its short haul flights. Ryanair comes out as the purest low cost carrier. * Also in appendix is a comparison of Ryanair against other LCC and traditional carriers based on * Some key operational measures. (Revenue, employee/passenger, revenue/employee†¦). 7. CRITICAL KEY SUCCESS FACTORS †¢ low ticket prices †¢ frequent departures †¢ possibility of advanced reservations (online reservation and luggage bookings) †¢ reliable baggage handling COST REDUCTION STRATEGY †¢ fleet commonality †¢ contracting out services †¢ airport charges and route policies †¢ managed staff costs †¢ productivity and managed marketing costs 7.1 FLEET COMMONALITY †¢ Only one kind of plane (Boeing Planes) †¢ Limits the costs for: Ø Staff training Ø Maintenance services and facility of obtaining spares Ø Facility in scheduling aircraft and crew assignment 7.2 CONTRACTING OUT SERVICES †¢ ancillary revenue 16% of profit (revenue from non-ticket ources) Ø deals with Hertz car rental hotels Ø ticketing handling (phone cards bus tickets) Ø aircraft handling 7.3 AIRPORT CHARGES AND ROUTE POLICIES †¢ no use of travel agents no agency commissions (saves 15% on agency fees) †¢ direct marketing techniques to recruit and retain customers (Effective use of internet sources) †¢ use of secondary and regional airports encourages: Ø no traffic jams Ø fees incomparably lower 7.4 MANAGED STAFF COSTS †¢ modest salary performance related pay structure helps to increases productivity †¢ pilots recruited when being pilot cadets so that will help and encourage them to: Ø work hard Ø take early promotion Ø move on after 10 years to further their careers Ø cabin crew pay for their uniforms to be cleaned that tends to: Ø invest in their own training Ø responsible for passenger safety and ancillary revenues on board 7.5 PRODUCTIVITY AND MANAGED MARKETING COSTS †¢ spend as little as possible †¢ national and regional Irish and UK newspaper, on radio on television †¢ no advertising agency †¢ OLeary himself overseas promotion †¢ simple adverts (No hidden charges onn time of booking) 8. COMPETETIVE ADVANTAGES †¢ one class travel †¢ ticketless boarding †¢ flying to secondary airports †¢ point-to-point flying †¢ in-house marketing †¢ no frills †¢ reduced turnaround times †¢ no refund policy †¢ corporate partnerships (WITH SUPPLIERS) †¢ no cargo service †¢ bargaining power †¢ new aircrafts †¢ owns own fleet †¢ operations denominated in euro †¢ hedge fuel risk †¢ highly successful ancillary service offering †¢ outsourcing of services at international airports †¢ advertising on airplanes †¢ uniform fleet †¢ high productivity †¢ general cost reductions †¢ eliminating seatback pockets †¢ no blankets or pillows †¢ airsickness bags distributed on request †¢ charges larger penalties for overweight luggage 9. BUILDING BLOCKS OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE  · Hills Jones 2007 According to Hills Jones â€Å"Building the internal capabilities that deliver competitive advantage involves and integrated approach all areas of the organisation. These key capabilities involves in context of Ryanair are: 9.1 SUPERIOR EFFICIENCY (HIGH) As the competitive advantage of Ryanair reflects that the marketing strategy in respect of efficiency is very good (i-e Maximum number of flights to maximum destinations in minimum time interval). 9.2 SUPERIOR QUALITY (LOW) The policy of No Frills reflects the quality of customer services as ryanair promise to offer cheap flights but no extras on the top. 9.3 SUPERIOR INNOVATION (LOW) Ryanair is not that much innovative towards customer attraction in respect of giving them good attractive holiday packages, hotel stay or different classes of travelling (i-e Business class). 9.4 SUPERIOR CUSTOMER RESPONSIVENESS (HIGH) Customer responsiveness of ryanair is always high according to current market recession, as they offer cheapest flights to customer and this is the main key towards customer retention. 10. SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Ryan Air continues acceleration towards the low cost airline in Europe is manages to maintain its leadership in cost reduction despite the presence of other low cost airlines. The successfulness of competitive advantage of the company include its ability to lower down costs to compete with low fares offered by other competitive carriers while at the same time remains profitable. This is done through: 10.1 FLEET COMMONALITY The airlines fleet is consist of Boeing 737, the most common aircraft being used by most of the carriers at present. Keep using the same aircrafts in the fleet made easy for ryanair to get spares and maintenance services easily. 10.2 CONTRACTING OUT OF SERVICES Other than Dublin Airport where the firm maintains its staff and services, Ryan Air outsources its contracts of aircraft handling, ticketing, baggage handling and other functions to third parties, so it makes easy for ryanair to get cheap competitive rates and make the long term contracts on the said rates. Third party contracts also limit Ryan Airs direct exposure to staff retention responsibilities and potential disputes. 10.3 AIRPORT CHARGES AND ROUTE POLICY Airport charges include landing fees, passenger loading fees, aircraft parking fees and noise surcharges. To make reduction in these particular charges ryanair avoids to use main congested airports and chooses secondary and regional airport destinations which works as effective competitive advantage to increase passengers output. 10.4 STAFF COSTS AND PRODUCTIVITY In order to control employee compensation costs, the firm implements a performance related pay structure. Although the company provides lower labor costs, the employees can earn additional pay or remuneration base on their performance. 10.5 MARKETING COST To reduce marketing costs, ryanair tries to avoid the services of travel agents. If it is necessary to get the travel agent services then it will be getting at lowest possible commission. Main advertisement tools of ryanair are newspapers, radio, television and its company website. 11. FUTURE STRATEGY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 11.1 MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Most important corporate level strategy in current economical condition of the world is to use mergers and acquisitions policy if necessary. As ryanair continues growth will help the company to think about to exquisite other companies such as Buzz, in order to improve its capabilities and acquire more competitive advantage. 11.2 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The human resources of the company are not seen as a potential source of competitive advantage. The company do not seem to value its people. The belief is getting stronger that companys human resources strategy is the most important source of competitive advantage. Companys staff retention policy is the main objective of sustainable competitive advantage. In a fast-changing environment where technological innovations and other strategies can be copied, it is the human resources that bring a sustainable competitive advantage. Ryan Air, in its commitment to low-cost airfare have sacrificed its processes and services, but in the future ryanair will have to think to adopt some effective human resource strategies to make their staff work for them in the long run. REFERENCES 1. http://university-essays.tripod.com/porters_5_forces_analysis.html 2. http://www.slideshare.net/The_E_group/Ryanair-Study-version-7 3. Strategic Planning, Prof. Alex Scott 2008 4. Marketing Management, Philip Kotler Kevin Lane Keller 2006 5. http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2009/06/03/ryanair-swot-analysis-addicted-to-growth-a-great-model-for-bad-times/page1 6. Clark, Andrew (2004), No How low can they go? The Guardian, June 5, 2004. 7. http://www.eubusiness.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=17503 8. http://www.grin.com/e-book/50631/the-ryan-air-model-success-and-impact-on-the-european-aviation-market 9. http://www.bitterwallet.com/ryanair-immune-from-ad-regulations-while-oft-dilly-dally/12473

My Home :: Descriptive Essay Examples, narrative

My Home    Each year millions of dollars are spent on therapy because people want to re-live their childhood. These people discover late in life that childhood was the time period where the most meaningful parts of life were. Things from our past don't just fade away, they are part of us, and most people greatly miss them weather they know it or not. My most meaningful place is my parents' house because it is a symbol of reliving my childhood, indulging in good times, and just plain feeling at home.    Childhood is the time in life where personality traits are formed and memories haven't yet taken a sentimental feeling. Now that those times are gone, I remember running through the neighborhood with my friends and many other happy times where I knew I was having fun. The time my brother and I were playing hockey in my living room was fun. It was a friendly game, and we even had the cushions form the couch set up so nothing would get broken. Little did we know one stray puck would have us replacing drywall at 11:30 PM so our parents wouldn't see it, but, like everything else, we did it because it was enjoyment. My theory on life is, in order for something to be meaningful, you have to want it. I don't always want the irresponsible times of discovery that were my childhood back, but I do strive for the feelings I had toward life when I was there. Having a pleasant attitude all the time may not be possible this day in age, but I know it's a good feeling when you can. I can recall these memories at any time, but they are especially present when I am at my home. It's not just because most of these things took place while I was at home, but because I actually feel like I can do everything again while I am there. In this aspect, my parents' home is a giant playground of memories with every toy I can imagine.    I don't live far from this home. I've decided to make it a habit to visit every Sunday with the rest of my siblings that have moved on. I recall lots of fighting when we were children. We weren't dysfunctional or anything, but like most families, the children argued.

Macbeth and the Jacobean Scot

In Macbeth, the Jacobean Scot, and the Politics of the Union, Sharon Alker and Holly Faith Nelson demonstrate a well-informed opinion of the relation between the idea of the Jacobian Scot and it’s arguable relation, or lack thereof, to William Shakespeare’s Elizabethan play, Macbeth. Though many scholars find it easy to draw a connection between the traditional Jacobian Scot that was typically presented in Elizabethan plays during the Jacobian era, Alker and Nelson seek to highlight the ambiguous nature of the play by demonstrating the various ways in which it can be read and/or interpreted. Not only this, but Alker and Nelson also manage to shed light on the conflicting aspects of Macbeth in relation to it’s connection with Jacobean ideas and portrayals of Scots at the time. At the time that Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, is thought to have been performed in 1606, a huge change was making it’s way across what we now refer to as Great Britain. During this time, the former king of Scotland, James VI, became the king of England as a result of the Union of Crowns, following the death of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. This union caused much friction between Scotland and England, as many English felt imposed upon and thought the Scottish to be inferior and somewhat barbaric in their ways. Due to the attitudes of many English people towards the Scottish during the Elizabethan era, the Scottish were most often characterized as people who were opposed to what was thought to be â€Å"legitimate† authority by the English, along with being represented as lesser than and in need of subordination to the English. The typical ‘stage Scot’ was often portrayed as dualistic, lacking in loyalty, and intrusive of other’s property in their relentless ambitions for power. However, there were three different views regarding the union of England and Scotland. One English view thought that English systems and such should be most prevalent across Britain, while another view (mainly called for by Scots) looked to equality by maintaining political and religious institutions separately. The third view, held mostly by those who supported King James, sought for a unity â€Å"in the hearts and minds of the two peoples. Due to the fact that Macbeth is thought to have been performed in the time between the proposal of these 3 policies and the actual implementation of any new policies, many critics believe that the play is a direct representation of English views of the ‘Jacobian Scot’. In contrast to this idea, Alker and Nelson would like to â€Å"demonstrate that Shakespeareâ €™s Macbeth does not present a particular position on the Anglo-Scottish politics that defines itself in relation to the belief system of one small political body†. Instead, Alker and Nelson did a more flexible reading of the play that consisted of possible relations to any of the three models of the union. First of all, Alker and Nelson bring the character of Macbeth into consideration, as he is not only the main character of the play, but also natively Scottish. Although Macbeth does seem to maintain all the traditional characteristics of a Jacobian Scot: disloyal, subordinate, and barbaric, Alker and Nelson point out the characteristics of Macbeth that stand in complete contrast to this traditional model. To begin with, the traditional stage Scot would never possess noble values such as loyalty, kinship, and hospitality. However, in Shakespeare’s play the Scottish character of Macbeth, though troubled and duplicitous, is read to possess such qualities somewhere in the make-up of his conscious. This is apparent in Macbeth’s back-and-forth notions of whether or not to kill the king and gain power or preserve his loyalty to the king and maintain his integrity as one of Duncan’s kin. Although Macbeth ultimately proves to allow evil and selfishness to rule his decisions, the agonizing consideration of right and wrong that Macbeth struggles through prior to murdering Duncan shows that Macbeth is not simply a barbaric creature driven solely by greed and desire. Rather, Macbeth is seen working through his conflicting desire for power and his code of honor and sense of respect for the king. The typical stage Scot normally would not embody such qualities as guilt and/or remorse. Also, there is a hint that Macbeth may not fully understand his own desires and actions, as he was not initially driven by the idea of power when the witches first prophesized his coming kinghood. Instead, it was Banquo who first displayed excitement and anxiousness at the witches’ prophecy and spurred later excitement and ambition in Macbeth. Along with Banquo, Lady Macbeth is portrayed to having been more ambitious towards ideas of power and kingship than Macbeth originally was. This aspect of the play hints at the fact that Macbeth was aided, or led to his violent ways, rather than singularly contriving an evil murder plan against the king. The traditional portrayal of the stage Scot would be that of stubborn, insistent, uncivilized, and unconcerned with duties or issues of loyalty. In the case of Macbeth, he was more or less guided into such characteristics as he was governed by his wife’s unrelenting desire for power in order to first summon up such murderous notions and ideas. The typical stage Scot would have possessed these qualities initially, without the need of any sort of encouragement. In conclusion, the character of Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, as Alker and Nelson would argue, stand in contrast to the role of the typical Jacobian Scot that was predominately presented in Elizabethan plays. Though Macbeth ultimately possessed many of the characteristics that the traditional Jacobian Scot would possess, he also held many contradictory characteristics. Where Scots were typically portrayed as immoral and barbaric, lacking any sense of guilt and/or consideration for others, Macbeth is portrayed as a less-stubborn, remorseful character that is filled with anxiety and logical dualism over any sort of misdeed or wrong doing he considers. Therefore, although Macbeth may be read as a villainous and selfish character driven by greed and other characteristics thought to have been attributed to Scottishness, he can also be read as a regretful and conscious-stricken man whose inner-turmoil is the result of conflicting instincts of morality and of power.

Person Experience Essay Essays - Cold Winter Days, Lifetime Goals

Person Experience Essay Essays - Cold Winter Days, Lifetime Goals Person Experience Essay Syracuse University 8:02 a.m. Saturday. It's still dark, as usual, on these cold, winter days. Everybody else is still sleeping and enjoying the comfprting heat of their beds. I crack open the locked window by my bed, an act some deemed downright idiotic. I strip off my pj's, throw on my robe, and head for the shower. Drying off, I think about where I am abou to go. I dress piece by layered piece. I can't wait to hit the slopes! I round up my tools: body, boards, boots, bindings. Everything is in working order and ready for take-off. As I open the front door, I am shocked by the cold and fight my way through the wind to my car. I turn the key and put the heater on full blast. I am almost there. I step out of my car and survey the parking lot. Not too many cars. That's the way I like it. I take a deep breath and savor the frsh air. Already, I can feel the pressure of deadlines lifted off my chest. I strap my skis on, and prepare not just to tackle a run but other situations in my life as well. I skate over to the first pitch of the double diamond slope, and map out where I will take the first couple turns. It is almost like I am assessing my goals in life: getting accepted into Syracuse, owning a house in Colorado, raising a healthy family. I appreciate the sound of carving the first turn as if it was my very last. The crunching of the snow under my feet empowers me to crush the antagonists in my everyday life. The second and third turns secure my self-confidence. Only with the fourth turn do I start to realize that things are not always that easy. I heard it said often, "It's easier said than done." I never believed it until now. I only skid slightly over a patch of ice, but it is enough to start my heart thumping. I am suddenly aware that to finish this run or to reach my goals, I have to be ready for the tricky spots. I know that at any moment I could fall and be forced to start over. My lifetime goals can be affected by any number of things - grades slipping, drugs and alcohol - and I have to be ready to handle anything. I clear my mind of all fear and continue through turns, but with more caution. Once the focus of my goal is on track, I persevere to attain it. I quickly aquire my rhythm. I become more determined. Now, I take sharper, shorter turns. I glide swiftly toward the chairlift just now appearing in my sights. I know that through hard work I can achieve these realistic goals! I am almost there! I thrill at the prospect of conquering this hill. I feel proud of myself. I am gratified to know that I can accomplish a goal endurance. I can achieve despite the many ice patches I encounter. I ride the lift back to my car. I only came for one run, the run to help me survive the week. I drive home grinning ear to ear.