Strategies and Plans Adopted by Businesses in the Recession Essay Example for Free

Strategies and Plans Adopted by Businesses in the Recession Essay The long-term strategies and short-term plans adopted by businesses in the recession The recession has different impacts/effects on businesses/organizations as all businesses do not operate in the same market/sector. This causes the need for businesses to come up with strategies and plans for business survival. Strategies and plans adopted by businesses are tactics developed by businesses to aid them reach a particular goal/target. Plans adopted by businesses help them look ahead, focus on key points and prepare for opportunities and problems. Then strategies are developed to assist the aim of the plan to eliminate or reduce flaws to make sure the plan is carried out successfully. Burger King (BK) and McDonald’s (McD’s) although both operating in the restaurant/fast food market, they both dealt with the recession differently. BK planned to increase sales by drawing in more customers and survive through a pricing strategy change and investments. They sold some of their products at a loss in order to cope with the recession as consumers were looking for cheaper value meals. I think the purpose of this plan was to increase the profitability of the business. This forced competitors to sell their products at a loss to try and increase sales and stop BK from benefiting from the current recession as it has a well-known brand name which spelt trouble for smaller competitor businesses. BK’s low price strategy was heavily skewed towards poorer economic groups in the US who have been hit particularly badly by unemployment this made their prices reasonable and affordable by all income groups. Focusing on customers from the poorer economic group might have helped boost sales as they and other customers not hit by unemployment would be able to make purchases without great concern. As BK’s sales during the 2006 trading period was weak, they invested $3m to strengthen its UK operation and a marketing push has since paid off. Part of the investment was put towards the development of products which as a result Angus Burgers and the spiced up Angry Whopper were created. A spokesman said these products have played well which means their strategy worked and the investment wasn’t in vain as they achieved a 13% rise in quarterly profits to $50. 2m (? 31. 7m) as stated by guardian. co. uk. BK’s menu remains unchanged centred on burgers, fries and fizzy drinks trying to gain more sales from repeat customers. Being narrowly focused in the recession is not such a good idea as the whole economy is affected by the recession even though it has a greater impact on some groups. BK’s strategy is a dangerous strategy because they are relying heavily on old repeat customers. If those customers changed their taste, it would have a huge impact on BK’s sales and solutions to their situation could be being used by McDonalds leaving BK with no room to improve their performance. The best way to go about a situation like this is to focus on a strategy that would benefit and target everyone bearing in mind the areas which have been heavily affected to assist in controlling price levels. Using the full potential of the business/extension strategies could help save a business from a recession. This could create a loss in the short run but the business can recoup its costs in the long run if successful. However, McD’s approach to the current recession is different compared to the plans and strategies adopted by BK. BK is narrowly focused compared to McD’s as McD’s provides a variety of menus like the breakfast and the kids meal menu. McDs has diversified into salads, Panini’s and cappuccinos in the hope of satisfying so-called soccer mums which is a strategy to attracts more customers. By diversifying its products, McD’s is able to attract different types of customers like healthy eaters and regular caffeine takers. This expansion of product range strategy widens their target customers range allowing them to increase sales and market share. British Airways (BA) operating in the airline market tackles the recession completely different from McD’s and BK. During the recession, according to BA’s first half (April September) pre-tax profit and loss chart, their profits dropped dramatically from roughly ? 610m to ? 50m according to the chart given in the period 07/08 to 08/09 which is around the time the recession begun. They went on to make a further loss of ? 292 Million in the 09/10 period. This sparked a cause for concern. BAA adopted a short-term plan which was heavily centred on the workforce as the airport’s operator was believed to be overstaffed. They decided to reduce the number of staffs and advice some workers to work for free in order to cut labour cost expenditure (inc. Bonuses and allowances) to reduce the loss their making to stay in the competition. Chief executive Willie Walsh and 800 workers agreed to work for nothing voluntary in the month of July to help the company survive and reduce expenditure. This strategy although would help, it brings disadvantages. From this plan, their employer name brand will be affected as a lot of the staff will be unsatisfied causing the union to get involve and also affecting BAA’s operations which in turn affects their customers as the airline will not be operating effectively and running smoothly causing disturbances and leaving customers displeased. The recession causes businesses to come up with plans and strategies in order to survive and stay in the competition. BK, McD’s and BA all adapted different plans and strategies to survive. BK remained firmly rooted in their burgers, fries and fizzy drinks menu, reduced their pricing levels, invested in the launch of new products and marketing and also, targeted those hugely affected by the recession to gain sales by reducing their prices for some products for the population with a low income; charging both high and low prices in other words their pricing strategy was universal pricing (appealing to everyone upper, middle and lower class). Their rivals adopted a different strategy and plan although they both operate in the same market. McDonald’s diversified their products – introducing new products to target other types of consumers i. e. â€Å"soccer mums† as it already has menu’s which targets other consumers like children and healthy eaters. Also, they ran plenty of bargains and distributed gazillions of coupons which played a good part in their survival. BA was making a huge loss so they reduced the amount of employees as a means of cutting expenditure to help them survive. This strategy caused complications for their operations which left customers dissatisfied during the crisis and also the trade union decided to get involved as some of BA’s staff disagreed to the changes that was to take place.

Galileo :: essays research papers

Galileo Galileo was born in Pisa in 1564, the son of Vincenzo Galilei, well known for his studies of music. He studied at Pisa, where he later held the chair in mathematics from 1589 - 1592. He was then appointed to the chair of mathematics at the University of Padua, where he remained until 1610. During these years he carried out studies and experiments in mechanics, and also built a thermoscope. He devised and constructed a geometrical and military compass, and wrote a handbook, which describes how to use this instrument. In 1594 he obtained the patent for a machine to raise water levels. He invented the microscope, and built a telescope with which he made celestial observations, the most spectacular of which was his discovery of the satellites of Jupiter. In 1610 he was nominated the foremost Mathematician of the University of Pisa and given the title of mathematician to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He studied Saturn and observed the phases of Venus. In 1611 he went to Rome. He became a mem ber of the Academia dei Lincei and observed the sunspots. In 1612 he began to encounter serious opposition to his theory of the motion of the earth that he taught after Copernicus. In 1614, Father Tommaso Caccini denounced the opinions of Galileo on the motion of the Earth from the pulpit of Santa Maria Novella, judging them to be erroneous. Galileo therefore went to Rome, where he defended himself against charges that had been made against him but in 1616, he was admonished by Cardinal Bellarmino and told that he could not defend Copernican astronomy because it went against the doctrine of the Church. In 1622 he wrote the Saggiatore (The Assayer), which was approved and published in 1623. In 1630 he returned to Rome to obtain the right to publish his Dialogue on the two chief world systems, which was eventually published in Florence in 1632. In October of 1632 the Holy Office to Rome summoned him. The tribunal passed a sentence condemning him and compelled Galileo to solemnly abjur e his theory. He was sent to exile in Siena and finally, in December of 1633, he was allowed to retire to his villa in Arcetri, the Gioiello. His health condition was steadily declining, - by 1638 he was completely blind, and also by now bereft of the support of his daughter, Sister Maria Celeste, who died in 1634.

Write About The Ways In Which Chaucer Presents Chauntecleer’s Dream?

In the Nun's priest's tale, the denizens of the widow's barnyard, in particular Chauntecleer and Pertelote are used to poke fun at very human sorts of behavior. The rooster's dream is significant as it and the discussion that follows takes up much of the tale itself. The focus is not on the action (Chauntecleer's capture by the fox) but on who is correct. Is Chauntecleer's position on dreams correct or is Pertelote's? The extensive discussion of the dream steers the story away from the â€Å"moral† of Chauntecleer's vanity. Chaucer uses numerous diverse techniques in-order to present chauntecleer's dream to the audience; I feel that he presents his dreams very successfully. For instance in the opening line, the use of a discourse marker is extremely effective, ‘and so bifel', it immediately catches the readers attention. ‘Bifel', meaning ‘it happened', and so the audience ask themselves, ‘what happened?' Furthermore, in line 5 and 6, the use of alliteration helps empathize that chauntecleer is somewhat distressed, slightly troubled. For example, ‘gan gronen' and followed, ‘ dreem is drecched'. Several times in the passage, Chaucer refers to religion; he uses the word, ‘God', as part of his sentence or in order to explain something. This highlights that they are significant points in which he is trying to get across. ‘For by that God above', almost means that God is watching at all times. Further down Chaucer creates a sense of imagery, implying that he was almost captured, held in captivity. He does this by involving the words, ‘prisoun' and ‘beest' sequentially to generate tension. When describing what the fox looked like on lines 20-25, you also notice that imagery of colour is put into effect, to stress how influential the animal is. Chaucer chooses very fiery colours to do this. ‘bitwixe yellow and reed'. Once more, Chaucer includes the technique alliteration, when describing the animal, this in a sense signifies his power. ‘Tipped was his tayl' and ‘Snowte Smal'. On the same line, line 24, Chaucer describes the animal in great detail, very insignificant aspects are included. Again a sense of imagery is created for the audience, ‘Glowynge eyen tweye', this is talking about the eyes of the animal. The use of discourse markers on line 27 and 28 brings the passage to a climax as Pertelote implies that Chauntecleer is a coward. ‘Avoy', which is followed by, how could you? You heartless coward! Beneath, is followed by, ‘Allas', in order to take the tension away from the point just brought up. The way Chaucer prevails his dream allows Pertelote to think differently of him, note that Pertelote's indignation at the thought that Chauntecleer might be a coward (and thus unworthy of her love); Chauntecleer's gallant compliments to his â€Å"lady† and statements concerning the effect of her beauty upon him; his references to the physical side of their passion. All the way through the tale Chaucer perceives the chickens as humans, and he continues to do this in his description of the dream. ‘To han housbondes hardy, wise and free'. This is basically indicating that they are husband and wife almost. But in fact they are just rooster and hen, which are made out to be more than that. In a sense mock-heroic by where Chaucer is exaggerating extensively. When talking about the fox, Chaucer uses the technique, rhetoric, which is the clever use of language which I have already touched upon, for example when describing his eyes the use of language is so complicated yet it is describing something very simple. Overall I feel that Chaucer have been very effective in presenting Chauntecleer's dream to the audience, this is only been helped in the techniques that he has included. Personally he interacts very well with the audience because of the way he makes out the two to be elderly humans instead of a rooster and a hen.

Essay about Plato vs. Machiavelli - 1695 Words

Plato vs. Machiavelli A longstanding debate in human history is what to do with power and what is the best way to rule. Who should have power, how should one rule, and what its purpose should government serve have always been questions at the fore in civilization, and more than once have sparked controversy and conflict. The essential elements of rule have placed the human need for order and structure against the human desire for freedom, and compromising between the two has never been easy. It is a question that is still considered and argued to this day. However, the argument has not rested solely with military powers or politicians, but philosophers as well. Two prominent voices in this debate are Plato and Machiavelli, both†¦show more content†¦The appetite is concerned with the pursuit of bodily pleasure. This aspect of the soul is satisfied only by the creature comforts such as food, sex, and drink (167). These three divisions are found in the individual, but in varying degrees. Som e will lean more towards the appetite, while other are spirit-driven, and still others find greater fulfillment through the intellectual pursuits of reason (168). Plato clearly favors the reason in his three part soul, since it is with reason that one can grasp the Forms, which themselves are the ultimate in beauty and truth. To this end, the State, like the individual, has three parts that correspond to the parts of the individual soul. The lowest of the parts is the appetite, which is comprised of the common people. These would be craftsmen, laborers, and farmers who perform the menial tasks essential to the functioning of the State. Those who make up this part of the State are best left to their own devices, to enjoy and pursue physical and material pleasures, because they are not capable of grasping the Forms. The second tier, the spirit, would be comprised of soldiers. It is the soldiers who have a slight understanding of the Forms, but not enough of one to allow reason to dictate their actions. Soldiers fight to the death to defend the State because of their emotional ties to it. In fact, Plato proposes that the government raise children,Show MoreRelatedMachiavelli Vs Plato1614 Words   |  7 PagesRowan DeGasperis Brandon Ives GVPT241 Due: 10/13/17 Socrates’ View on Machiavelli’s Ideologies Niccolà ² Machiavelli and Socrates are two thinkers who are highly regarded, respected, and renowned by today’s scholars due to their roles in shaping their separate versions of an ideal political system during their respective times of uncertainty, political fragmentation, and violence. 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