Comparison of the Olive Oil companies

Comparison of the Olive Oil companies The number of the companies that are managing to go internationally is raising every day. Organizations benefit from the globalisation because now there are much more opportunities to expand internationally and enter new markets. As the world is becoming more and more connected most of the companies are getting excited with the idea of increasing their market share in other countries (Root, 1994). There are a lot of countries which are trying to participate in the global industry of the olive oil and are attempting to produce and export this golden liquid. The main players in this marketing field are the countries which are located in the Mediterranean sea, such as Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal (Appendix A1). Countries with no traditional backgrounds such as America, Tunisia and Australia are getting also competitive. The competition firstly started with Spain and Italy being the leaders of the market. Globally, the olive oil industry is regulated by three main bodies (Olive oil council, EU, World trade organization) that support and help them controlling the trade of olive oil and ensure the high quality. According to internationaloliveoil 2009, Spain is the main producer of olive oil (Appendix A). Due to overcapacity in the market the European Commission has increased the standards of olive oils quality. A strategy called Olive Oil Quality was introduced in order to make possible a better distinction of high and low quality (Appendix A2). Valceschini, (1999) stated that the aims of this strategy was to certify the quality in order to meet different customer demands. Spanish olive oil market According to Mintel (2009) in 2008 the sales of olive oil fall 2.5% expecting the rates to reach 1.896 million for 2009. The sector has been having difficult times because of fall in unit prices caused by heavy olive harvest, overstocking, falling export decline in demand mainly in countries where olive oil is considered a premium product. As there is almost no innovation, the competition is concentrated mostly on price, which diverse the consumer choice. The economic crisis is forcing the companies to concentrate more on quality, brands diversifications, and products that are more affordable. The model of Spanish olive oil industry is based on family own businesses and this condition has little chances to bring any innovation and promotion changes to the olive oil sector. Nowadays the companies have put a lot of efforts on promotion and the quality of the olive oil which must fill all the European standard as far as olive oil is concerned (Mintel 2009) PETROLIVA Established in Spain in the middle of 19th century is one of the main dominant players that operate successfully in the olive oil market. Initially the firm was involved in buying and selling small amounts of olive oil. Having a successful history of 70 years, now Petroliva, a family owned company, is one of the most famous companies in its industry. The product list of the company includes several types of oil, such as: extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil. Petrolivas products are currently used all over the world by millions of people and its products are present in twelve countries of Europe, Asia and America. A high percentage of its revenue is derives from its export activities. Having developed efficient distribution channels worldwide the company now seeks to grow more entering also other countries. Of high importance is the fact that companys customers include big companies such as restaurants and hotels. Its main target now is to enter the developed UK market. Spain and UK are members of the European Union, which makes the trade between them even easier. Having built a strong brand image in its home market and in other countries Petroliva has all the necessary qualities to expand even more (notes from case study) (Appendix B). P.E.S.T analysis The PEST analysis is a functional tool which helps the company in scanning the market (either development or market decrease), understand the market situation, points the possibilities and the guidance for a business.(Chapman, 2006). In order to enter the UK market, a PEST analysis is needed for Petroliva to evaluate the market conditions. Political Factors The UK presently is a steady and prolific environment for making business. Being part of organizations like the EU, NATO, United Nations, WTO, G8, and OECD means that its performance is connected with these organizations. Great Britain is a region of the worlds biggest trading entity. UK is a stable country meaning that the government is balanced and there are not political risk .In UK there are many regulations about the csr system, building many market regulations for exporting companies.UK laws on retailers are not so strict if we take into consideration that there are supermarkets that operates 24 hours. Due to the fact that UK is part of EU makes it easier for Spanish companies to enter its market and comply with the existing regulations (Economy watch, 2010). Economic Factors According to Economy watch (2010) the British economy is the 2nd largest in Europe and the 5th in the world with GDP of 2,789 million US $. The UK economy is still trying to recover from one of the worst recession ever. The higher volume sales of olive oil are caused by the tendency of cooking at home due to that recession. It is positive for Petroliva the fact that the British pound now is weaker and there is not a big difference between two currencies. So the exchange rate is not going to have high impact on the price of the product. The British pound currency is quite stable making the export less risky. Comparing to other countries the taxation and the entry barriers are not high for entrepreneurs in UK (Economy watch, 2010). Looking the food market in UK we can see that the spreadable oils, the fats and the olive oil are expected to be the fastest growing sectors. Values sales in 2009 are estimated to grow at a rate of 8% (Mintel 2009) Social Factors The UK has the best international reputation for being a working country and possesses the most skillful workforce in Europe. The country is the most international in Europe, with a lot of cultures, many religions, leading the customers to be open for new products (e.g. olive oil).The UK citizens are environmental friendly, so Petroliva must be friendly to the environment (e.g. must do recycling and have waste collaboration devices.). British people are changing their eating habits because they have realised the health benefits that are associated with Mediterranean food and the ingredients that make that food (e.g. olive oil). When it comes to the standards of living the private consumption is approximately 26 million euro, meaning that the market is big and the customers are rich. (Answers, 2010). (Appendix C) Technological Factors The UK is ranked in the 6th place in the world for the high technology used by manufacturers. Improvements in new technologies and UK online services may help Petroliva in the marketing and promotion of its products. The country is technological developed meaning that there are plenty of information for companies to exploit in order to make their supplying channels. Benefiting from the new technology there must be an enduring development from the companies in the UK in order to be more competitive (Innovate UK, 2010). Moreover, to meet the UK quality control requirements companies must multiply the needs for technological equipments. Petroliva should choose to enter the UK market because: There is a huge base of potential customers. There is an increasing demand for olive oil. The British are changing their eating habits. Within the EU there are not barriers, and the UK government rules are not strict. UK has one of the highest GDP in EU and the country is getting out of the recession which should impact the level of consumption spending. PORTERS FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS According to Porter (2008) there are five forces that direct every company and affect the strength, the direction of the competition and the profits of a company. These forces are: The bargaining power of the buyers. The ability that customers have to force down the prices. In commodity market customers are price conscious making them able to decrease the prices as there are also other choices. To have power the company should provide to them packages of excellent quality, logical price and use its environmental image in order to create loyalty between customers and company (Lee, D.Y. 2000)(Appendix D) The bargaining power of the suppliers. The ability of the suppliers to increase the delivery price/time of the products. Most of the problems in this field come from the wrong agreements between firms and supplying companies. Having a good contract with the suppliers and making sure that the agreement benefits both supplier and company, the competition will slow down. (Jones P et al, 2005)(Appendix E) Rivalry among existing competitors. The competition in the UK olive oil market is fierce with main players companies from countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece. According to Haymarket business (2003) the UK market leaders are Filippo Berio and Carapelli (Appendix F, G). Both of them have Italian backgrounds and share a big percentage of the olive oil market in the UK (Appendix G1). (See figure 2). Threat of new entrants. Countries with no traditional background such as America, Africa, Asia, Syria and Turkey are trying to enter the market making the competition even more difficult. Having a strong brand image and high quality Petroliva may avoid threats that come from new entrants. Threat of substitutes. Nowadays more and more technologically advanced materials are used in order to find which olive oil possible choice is more environmental and cheap. The supermarkets promote in an active manner their own-label products (Vegetable oils, Sunflower oils, Tesco oil, Asda oil) making it difficult for the consumers to chose between the low cost products and quality products. This variety of oils can confuse the British customers because they are not aware of the differences between the oils and the olive oil health benefits (the Independent, 2009). MODES OF ENTRY When a company has made the decision to go into a foreign market, there is a big question of choosing the best way to enter the market. Companies can use exporting, licensing, joint venture or WOS (new wholly owned subsidiary) in order to enter a new market (Ireland et al, 2007) Exporting This strategy is the easiest way to enter a new market. According to this mode products are produced in the domestic market and then are transferred to the foreign target market. There are two stages in this category: Direct export- The exporter deals with every aspect of the procedure. (agents, distributors, foreign retailers) Indirect export- this method does not require large amounts for marketing investment, but the company loses the control. (piggyback marketing, franchising, contract manufacturing) (Kotler Keller, 2006, p 674 675) Licensing The licensing mode is an arrangement between the importing company and the domestic company. The lifetime of the contract is small and aims in the utilization of licensors industrial assets (Kotler Keller, 2006, p 676) Joint venture This manner of operation is the less risky mode of entering a market because there is an arrangement with the hosting company for sharing equity and the business command (Kotler Keller, 2006, p 676-677) WOS (new Wholly Owned Subsidiary) According to Ireland et al (2007) this entry mode is referring to firms that want to fully own the facilities of their production. In this mode company has the overall control but it is costly and also it has higher risks.(Ireland et al, 2007, p. 228). According to Woodcock et al, (1994) in the entering process at a foreign market a company must identify three attributes: The recourse commitment that is required. (The company is a SME, and there is no need of risks and big investments) The company control amount (Petroliva is already present in many markets, meaning that company wants the total control in UK) Technology risk ( Having the best quality and the right managerial control, it is not difficult for petroliva to adjust) (Woodcock et al, 1994) PETROLIVAS MODE OF ENTRY IN UK Taking into consideration the modes of entry the less expensive and risky way to enter the market is by exporting. According to Ireland et al (2007), exporting does not demand the products to be produced in the objective-target country (Ireland et al, 2007). It is better for Petroliva to use the direct exporting mode because there will be no investment in the UK for production facilities. Petroliva is already present in many markets through exporting its products. Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that the company has high experience and has established its channels and created distributorships to export its products. In this mode Petroliva can have control over the entire export transaction. This way of direct-exporting will also be the best way for Petroliva to obtain maximum profits and the economic growth will be long termed. Company should make contracts with distributors who will carry the product and then supply them to retailers or dealers. Furthermore, Petroliva may sell as well at foreign retailers and then the retailers will make the connection with the customers. Being a SME company, Petroliva cannot use other modes of entry because the competition is high and the company must avoid risky moves in the market. Companys benefits for applying the direct exporting mode of entry in UK are: Entry very fast in the UK market. Increase the company/product scale using facilities that already exist. Reduce the investments in the UK. Overall control from the company. Minimize the risk with competitors or government rules. The importing policies are very liberal making the transporting easier. (Quickmba, 2010) ENTRY STRATEGY-POSITIONING According to Ireland at al (2007) an appropriate and interesting position for a company is the situation that allows the firm to hold competitive advantage over its competitors (Ireland et al, 2007) There are three generic strategies for a company: Cost leadership. The company focus on obtaining a low cost competitive position compared to rival companies. Focus strategy. This category is a set of actions which are used to make products for a particular target group. Differentiation strategy. The company focuses on the creation of a unique product of high quality and features to build a strong brand image. (Ireland et al, 2007). PETROLIVAS STRATEGY (Differentiation) Entering the UK market with a cost leadership strategy may be a mistake because Petrolivas oil quality is excellent and there is no need to drop off the quality in order to offer lower prices. The focus strategy is not appropriate for Petroliva because olive oil can be used by all the social ranks and ages. Petroliva targets almost all the groups of customers and regions in UK that seek for a product of high quality so focusing on specific groups is not necessary. Implementing a differentiation strategy is the most suitable for Petroliva because the company has an excellent quality of oil. A different product of high quality with a unique design-image will benefit the company when entering UK. To figure out why a company will stand out from its competitors in Uk market it should be answered the question why customers will choose to buy its products? The reason that customer will choose to buy Petrolivas product is because it is going to offer them olive oil of high quality at reasona ble price. This strategys aims are to offer to the customers a unique product with excellent features. Petroliva should emphasize on its unique product features (size, design, quality, package and health benefits) in order to increase sales and gain market share. By pursuing this strategy the company will have as a main goal to meet customers specific needs. Entering the UK for the first time, it will be difficult for the company to focus only on supplying companies. Therefore, Petroliva should consider both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) ways. Company can implement the differentiation strategy by applying the Marketing Mix concept which is commonly used by International Businesses which are implementing an International Marketing Strategy (Bennett, A. 1997). According to Armstrong Kotler (2003) the key factors of the marketing mix are: price, product, place and promotion. These key factors have a target of influencing the buyers decision (Armstrong Kotler, 2003 p. 17). To differentiate its products I suggest the below features that Petrolivas products should have. Product Bottle size: To differentiate from existing companies in UK an emphasis in the bottle should be given because it is an important element that influences the sales. Petroliva should focus in the category of 125ml and 250ml because these sizes offer to customers two benefits: firstly to introduce Petrolivas products to them and secondly to inspire them to try and experience its olive oil. (Appendix H1) Package: PET bottle is the best solution for the company. Being cheap and environmental friendly this kind of bottle will benefit company in its costs and also will attract customers (envis-icpe.com, 2010). (Appendix H2) Price According to Griffin and Pustay (2007) pricing policies are very important because they affect the success of the firm. Petroliva should try to find the best possible price after making a research in UK prices and also calculating the costs that the olive oil has from its production until delivering to the customer. In this way company can find a price that attracts customers and also offers good margins to the company. Place The best combination of communication channels, retailers and the perfect distributors it is needed in this category (Griffin and Pustay, 2007). The product will be distributed at the most profitable supermarkets, small and big retail shops, and gift shops. The retailers below are the best choice to sell its products. Promotion For the promotion stage Petroliva should use three marketing approaches. Television Internet Print The best promotion ways to reach faster market response are: Billboard advertising of Petrolivas product in UK ( creates curiosity to the customers) Cooking magazines- Cooking lifestyle magazines Supermarket magazines Sponsoring( Food TV, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson) Websites Cooking Lifestyle TV programs. Offer gifts (cups, cooking accessories). (Appendix H3) Cavusgil et al (2008) CONCLUSION (Appendix I) Taking into consideration the above analysis from my point of view the best way for Petroliva to enter the UK market is by exporting (direct) and by using a differentiation strategy. Petroliva is a small company and there are a lot of risks if the company chooses other options in order to enter the market. The benefits of direct exporting for Petroliva will be to minimize the needed investment in UK, to enter the market fast and to minimize government/rival risks. Moreover, knowing that the competition in UK market is fierce in this industry, it is better for the company to choose a differentiation strategy in order to attract customers by offering them a product of better quality. Following the strategies, practices and processes that I suggested above in this paper the company will have the most possible success entering this market. A new different product of high quality at a reasonable price has all the potential to have great success in a new market where customers are price co nscious and also want the best possible quality (Appendix I).

Movie Fight Club Essay -- Fight Club Movie Film films Movies essays

Movie Fight Club Fight Club may not be a traditional piece of rhetoric yet it lends itself surprisingly well to the principles of deconstruction as outlined by Foucault, Derrida, Grassi and Burke. The God-terms in the novel are not the God-terms that mainstream society is familiar and/or comfortable with, which is not an accident. The ideas and values that are given importance and dominance in this writing as well as the drama that the reader is invited into, are not those of mainstream society, which leads the reader to reevaluate his/her concepts of knowledge and power as well as the ethical self as created by the characters, situations, and the choice of language. The idea of logo centrism is a large part of the creation of the transcendental signified in this novel. In any given type of rhetoric the reader / listener / recipient inadvertently must decide what significance and value is placed on all aspects of the piece including that which in not shown by the language. The rhetoric of Fight Club forces the reader to make the uncomfortable choice of what the theme beyond the language is, what is assumed and what is taken for granted by the language in conjunction with what is taken for granted and assumed by the reader. In other words, the storyline and language in the novel force the reader to assign power and knowledge as well as importance to ideas and themes that rub against the grain of everyday common morals and blur the line between the traditional ideas of right and wrong. Faking an illness in order to find the feeling of acceptance as the protagonist in the novel does, is not â€Å"right† in the normal world view yet within the confines of this rhetoric it is â€Å"right† because of the peace that it brings ... ...whole. The reason that this works as rhetorical strategy is the reader is lured into a false expectation of the outcome of the novel. The reader assumes while reading that the participants in the fight club will come to some epiphany through their fighting. This is not at all what happens. The mini epiphany that takes place for the narrator is yet another prolonging and pushing aside the real problem, that of self acceptance. Another psychology of form with regards to the promise/fulfillment model is also prevalent in this discourse. The characters who feel othered are invited to accept that otherness and embrace it. What is promised to the reader by the discourse is the knowledge that their feelings of otherness are not theirs alone but are shared by many others and the promise of fulfillment is in the very fact that there are others.

Women Breaking Free From Their Traditional Expectations Essay -- essay

Women Breaking Free From Their Traditional Expectations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All throughout the early part of history women were portrayed as the inferior sex, because at that point in time, women were seen as beings only born to have children. Men didn’t think that women were capable of being anything other than a typical housewife. It was unthinkable that women would actually need an education, let alone earn a living, or become a leader. These ideas are revealed all throughout classical literature. Rarely was a woman seen as doing anything but being dominated by males in some form, whether she was a man’s submissive devoted wife, a sexual object, or a woman being punished for wanting her freedom. We finally begin to see women trying to break free from these traditional expectations and barriers through the lives of Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, John’s wife in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Louise Mallard in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, and Songlian in Raise the Red Lantern by Su Tong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Were Watching God shows how the lives of American women changed in the early 20th century. Janie Crawford is an example of a woman in society who follows her dreams, takes control of her soul, and finds her own identity in a male dominated world. After two marriages in which Janie is ‘owned’ by the men in the relationship, she finds that she can own herself. â€Å"Janie was an unusual protagonist for her time—black, female, independent, and strong† (Shafer). Janie’s first effort to free her soul is from her husband Logan Killicks. Logan works her like a mule, making her do house chores as well as outside work. When she finally realizes that she doesn’t want to spend her life as a slave or with someone that she doesn’t love, Janie runs away to be with a man she had met only a few days before. Janie faces reality and gets out from under Logan’s rule before she becomes consumed into his world. Again Janie is only a possession of her new husband, Joe Starks. He displays her like a medal around his neck. He is so jealous of other men lusting after his wife that he restricts her to always tend the store, leave fun situations, and wear a head rag to hide her beautiful hair. Janie slowly breaks out of the shell that Starks has molded her into when she verbally defies him in front ... ...oper place was in the home. Even the laws and literary writings reflected this position. As women became more educated, they began to seek their freedom and a voice in society. This movement to gain equal rights for women has been referred to as feminism. Slowly have we made our way in history, but profoundly do we take our stand in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Aull, Felice â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† The Feminist Press at the City Univ. of New York (New York) 1892 7 July 2000 http://mcip00.nyu.edu./lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/gilman87-des-.html Gribben, Alan. â€Å"Chopin, Kate† The World book Encyclopedia. 1990 ed. Maloney, Karen E. â€Å"A Feminist Looks at Education: The Educational Philosophy of Charlotte Perkins Gilman† Teachers College  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Record vol. 99. Spring98: 514 Roberts, Edgar V. Fiction/An Introduction to Reading and Writing.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1987. 599 & 306 Shafer, Audrey. â€Å"Their Eyes Where Watching God† Harper & Row (New York) 1937 7 July 2000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://mchip00.nyu.edu/lit-mid-db/webdocs/webdescrips/hurston1137-des-.html Stolle, James. â€Å"A Cruel Tale From China—But What A Climax!† Albert Report/Newsmagazine,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6/21/93: 44

The Multiple Person Complex :: Writing Education Teaching Essays

The Multiple Person Complex Well, I am embarrassed to admit this, but the assignment of the metaphor for life at a university was not something I worked very hard to write. Even more embarrassing is that it is evident when you read my paper. When I look back on it, I don't see a metaphor at all. A comparison? Yes. But there's no metaphor in my paper. That proves to me, and everyone in the class, that I didn't put a lot of thinking into my writing. So I have to ask myself why a paper that was easy enough to write could have turned out so wrong. I think that I truly intended to use a jigsaw puzzle as a metaphor for my experiences of life at Bemidji State University. But as I wrote the paper, I remember feeling removed from the project and the contents. I was merely "creating" in to hand in. So I started with an object I could use for a metaphor, the puzzle, then just wrote out a simple comparison. I didn't even think about it not being a metaphor until I got it back a couple of days ago. It wasn't at all how I viewed life at the college. It was simply easier to do, than to explain way I really felt, like some strange force just keeps pushing me through school, and that I don't feel comfortable with the idea of what my education will bring me, or won't bring me. Instead of putting my real experiences on the paper with my real voice pulling the reader into my paper, I ended up with a dull, simple paper that didn't even fulfill the assignment. The difference between me as the writer and the "me" portrayed in my papers is evident in my paper "Thoughts on Organization." I was very unsure of how to do the assignment, so I followed Marnie's advice and just started writing as things came to me. I wrote my thoughts as they occurred, basically. My little quirky comments are very true to my personality. In the metaphor paper I didnà ­t use any of them. In fact, I purposely kept them out, thinking they had no place in a paper or essay. (How very institutionally OS of me, huh?) The reason I put the into other papers, is because I worked really hard on the, gave them long consideration, and wrote them with me as the "character" in them.

Slavery And Southern Honor Essay -- Slavery Essays

Parallels To southern men, honor was everything. I dictated their standing in society, whether or not they could own slaves; it basically was a secret caste system. A man held in the highest honor experienced a good life from a social stance in the south. The honor system used in the south was related to the language used by southern gentlemen.# Honor and Slavery by Kenneth S. Greenburg attempts to explain the vernacular and customs used by men in the antebellum south. It would be hard for a person in today's society to understand the way honor was shown; it would have even been a challenge for men living in the Northern United States to understand at that time.# As Greenburg states, "Since the language of honor was the dominant language of the men who ruled the slave South, we will never understand masters, the nature of slavery, or the Civil war without first understanding that language."# To be a powerful man in the south, society also had to consider you to be an honorable man. H onor and power in the South were parallel to each other; a man with a high honor ranking was usually a prominent member of society.# The white gentlemen of the South used honor as a means for running society and it slightly resembled a monarchic society, as if a person was born into honor whether or not they chose so. It was very important to a Southern man the family name he carried because it would prove his honor in some situations.# The biggest insult that could be given in the antebellum South was accusing an honorable man of lying.# It could be over something trivial or something serious. Either way, if a man was accused of lying, his very livelihood was being challenged. If a certain person fell out of societies favor an... ... high honor holdings were usually wealthy also. Today, money is not necessary to achieve honor. Honor is not dictated by social standings but by the actions and decisions that people make on a daily basis. Most consider religious figures, soldiers, doctors, firefighters, etc. to be honorable positions because they make a helpful contribution to society. Honorable people help others even if they cannot gain anything from the situation. An small example of honor would be taking an hour out of your busy schedule to help brighten someone's day. This clashes greatly with the perception of honor in the Old South. We consider slavery to be an illegal act and something bad but the Old South considered most slave masters to be very honorable people. If honor has changed so significantly over the past 150 years just imagine what it will be like in the next years to come.

Moral Value Novel Back to the Dreamtime

NOVEL: BACK TO THE DREAMTIME Based on the story â€Å"Back to the dreamtime† the relationship of two main characters which I choose is Richard and his adoptive brothers, Tom. Richard father was an aboriginal descent, and he died when Richard was two year old. This proof from page 7, said Richard â€Å"my father was an aboriginal and he died when I was two year old.They very close relationship because they in same age and Tom are more elder then Richard, this can be proof on page 23 from the conversation between tom and Richard â€Å"that what older brothers are for† said by tom jokingly, yeah only just a bit older said Richard â€Å"two months to be exact† from this we know that, tom is older than Richard two month, but there are not brother with blood relation. Richard is adoptive children in Tom family and from Aboriginal family. Then, parent Tom is Joe and Sonya and have only one sister, Judy.This family is happiness family because parent Tom take care and lo ve Richard same with their children. Tom and Richard very close because always share sadness and happiness together. We can see in chapter 1, Tom ask Richard about problem Richard and plan Richard after study. They study in the same school. Every day they went to school together. Proof from page 6, â€Å"come on now, let go, or we will be late for school†. Richard, Tom and Judy also usually play together in weekend and they favorite sport is cricket .They always cooperation to become good teachers in cricket to their sister, Judy. They also together to clean up the attic together that ask from their father. They very respect their father and not protest when their ask father to clean up attic and that time, they in start to play cricket together with their sibling. In chapter 2, although they think cannot to finish their job that day because very mess that attic to clean up, the steady to clean up and accept opinion Judy. Tom also close with Richard friend, they always hang o ut together.They usually hang out at their favorite place that just down the road and sat near the edge of the cliff. This proof from page 14, tom and Bradley left the school grounds secretly to go to their favourite place just down the road, but still close enough for the school bell to be heard. They also enjoy with watching the surfers battling the waves and coming off second best. In chapter 3, they discuss about camp at Alice Spring at that place. In chapter 5 also, they have hang out at the railway tracks.They discuss about planning to go Alice Spring and Bradley planning to follow together and they agree with that because Bratley and his father usually go to explore. Tom also responsible brother, in chapter 5, Richard and their parent need go to Alice Spring to solve problem about carver, Tjurunga. That time, with feel responsible ,he ask Richard to follow go to Alice Spring together because he know Richard not go that place to holiday but have serious matter. He as brother f eel responsible to take care and help their brother.For example Tom wanted to come along with Richard to go to Alice Spring to help Richard find more information about his aboriginal life. Although Tom has no connection with Richard’s life but he is willing to sacrifice his break time and not going for holiday to come along with Richard. He know when together ,their parent and Richard will a lot better . He only give reason to go take great photos at that place. Tom also easy to suitable with Richard environment that from aboriginal. In chapter 6, they meet Mr. Aranda to ask about carver, Tjurunga and Mr.Aranda invite to go their house to rest and eat. Although first meet, they start to close with Mr. Aranda because he so nice and ready to help . In chapter 6, they go Hermannsburg Mission to meet Mr. Urandangi to solve their problem about carver, Tjurunga. That place over forty years ago not have guest from white people and Tom and Bradley is first after that. Although they c an suitable with that condition and have some time they see villagers always see they with strange sight. As conclusion, Tom and Richard so close and always take care together as like friend.Although Richard only adoptive children, their family still consider Richard like son and Tom still take care about Richard same he take care their sister Judy. In addition, Tom is a good friend for his brother Richard. For example, when Richard look so confused, Tom come to give Richard some advice such as Tom told Richard that not to give up. Then, Richard must face up to who you really are and he has to come to terms with his new world. Richard also must to be a strong person. So, this advice make Richard feel happy.

Chris Peterson at DSS Consulting Essay

This case discussed the events that occurred during a change in DSS Consulting’s organizational structure. Three retired school district administrators established DSS Consulting during the late 1990’s. The company offered administrative support to small school districts located within the mid-west and mountain west region. They specialized in handling the negotiating of labor agreements as well as implementation of permanent system solutions designed to enable those organizations to run efficiently. The firm experienced a significant degree of success during their early years, which was primarily attributed to the founder’s personal relationships within each school district that utilized their services. The demand for the services offered by DSS grew quickly given the changing dynamic of challenges faced by each district. Some of those challenges related to reductions in budgets and subsequent reduction of administrative staff. The firm structured themselves to accommodate the change in services needs of their customers. As a result, DSS designed an organizational structure that consisted of the four areas of specialization: Procurement and Systems, Information Technology, Contract Negotiation and Facilities Planning. By the mid-2000’s, DSS experienced some significant changes in their organizational structure and their customer base. It was during this time that the founders of the company reduced the amount of time they were spending in client engagement and relying upon the expertise of the management teams for each specialized area. As a result, a gap was created surfacing the need for a strategy for attracting and retaining new business. This would require adapting their service offerings to meet the demands of rapidly changing market base. These factors led to a halt in the firm’s growth and forced the company to redefine the organizational structure to remain a competitor. The key issues of this case involved successfully redesigning the firm’s strategy, implementation of those changes while  maintaining their level of success. The firm would need to realign their management structure and create functional teams to design, develop and implement product offerings that would appeal to an expanded market (i.e. larger school districts). A major consideration for the firm was how to achieve this goal and maintain the level of commitment from employee’s as change in any form can be a daunting task. A new management structure was determined and Meg Cooke was appointed the Chief Operating Officer of DSS. Ms. Cooke and the Board of Directors made the decision to adopt a new structure that created cross-functional teams each assigned to a specific region for which they would design and create products for customers specific to their region that could potentially be marketed to additional regions with similar demands. Based on my review of the case, the major issues identified can be categorized as communication, leadership, organizational culture and organizational change. Communication The manner in which the new strategy was communicated at all levels of the organization appeared to lack a clear concise message which defined the redesigned strategy, new organizational structure and a detailed implementation plan to achieve the desired results. The communication of these changes wasn’t handled in the most efficient manner and subsequently not received by all employees in a favourable manner. Study results that have been published by the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Business School have indicated that effective communication skills have become one of the most important factors when recruiter’s are screening candidates for potential managerial positions. Both Ms. Cooke and Ms. Peterson failed to communicate in all phases of the organizational change. Although it appeared that Ms. Cooke met regularly with other department leaders, she and Ms. Peterson never had regularly scheduled planning meetings or informal weekly check-ins to ensure that sh e and her team were on target for successfully delivering the team’s objectives. Although, Ms. Peterson communicated and fostered open, collaborative conversations with her team, she failed to communicate with her manager to ensure that she understood expectations for herself as the leader and for her team. Successful communication is only achieved when the sender and receiver of information  have the same understanding of the information presented. (See Figure 1) For example, when Chris Peterson was assigned to lead her team in delivering new products that would appeal to larger districts within and outside of her designated region. She received the message as â€Å" create/design new product offerings that would appeal to districts within the southwest region. Leadership The style of leadership varies with every individual. It has been stated that today’s successful leaders have created in their organizations an atmosphere where every employee believes in management, their strategy and the importance of their individual contributions in achieving the organizations goal. Blake Mouton’s Managerial Grid is a model using in identifying leadership style that is based on the concept that there are two behavioural dimensions: concern for people which can be defined as the degree to which leaders are aware of and consider the needs of their staff, their skill sets and development potential when making decisions about specific tasks to be completed. The second dimension is concern for production and is defined as the degree to which leaders place importance on objectives, efficiency and production specifically what it takes to meet the desired result. Based on these definitions, I would classify Ms. Cooke’s driving leadership behaviour dimension to be in the latter category of concern for production and Ms. Peterson’s as concern for people. It was evident that Ms. Cooke’s leadership style resulted in a disorganized and poorly motivated organization. Her lack of leadership to Ms. Peterson resulted in the team being led in the direction of focusing their efforts on a project that would not be approved. Ms. Peterson clearly valued the skills of each team member as well as taking extensive steps to ensure that a collaborative, innovative environment existed for her team to design and develop a new product offering for the districts in the southwest region that would meet their needs. Organizational Culture and Organizational Change The culture that exists within any organization plays a vital role in the behaviour and actions of employees. Organizational culture as defined McLean and Marshall is a collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs  and attitudes that constitute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organization. Based on this definition, DSS’s original organizational structure could be classified as so-called Power Culture (Handy, 1993). This culture is typical for small entrepreneurial organizations similar to DSS, where the founders had a strong influence and played a central role in managing the company and securing contracts from their school district contacts. These types of cultures rely heavily on trust, personal communication and empathy. The structure is very informal and there are few rules and guidelines in this culture. However, the changes implemented at DSS to redefine their strategy forced a culture change as well. The organizational structure changed from functional to a more structured matrix type. The appointment of the COO position shifted the organizational culture from the personal interactive environment to one of project and task oriented nature. This shift made implementation of the new strategy increasingly more difficult as this was new to everyone at all levels of the organization.