Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Effects Of Globalisation On Burger King

The Effects Of Globalisation On Burger King 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Reason for choosing project topic and organisation This Research and Analysis Project is based on topic 5: The effects of globalisation on Burger King Holdings Inc (referred as Burger King, the company or BK from now onwards). Among the reasons for choosing the topic include: Globalisation is neither a very elegant word nor a very clear concept, but the term has been accepted very quickly on a global scale (Wesseling, 2009). Globalisation reflects business orientation based on the belief that the world is becoming more homogeneous and that the distinctions between national markets are not only fading but for some products, will eventually disappear (Czinkota et al., 2004). Its fast growing impact on the world certainly attracts my attention. The ACCA course I am currently pursuing has provided me with some theoretical knowledge of this topic to analyze a real life company. This assignment will certainly allow me to put my theoretical knowledge into practical experience. By conducting research on an organisation, where BK will be my subject of research it will certainly widen my horizon of knowledge on this topic. Taking into account the information gathering analytical skills like computation, extrapolation and communication for the research which will help in my future career as an accountant, I will certainly benefit from my research on this topic. In any research project, ease of obtaining information is of main concern furthermore with most time and budget constraints. BK was chosen because its annual financial report, press release and other relevant information on the company are easily accessible online at its website www.bk.com. Further updates and company activities are also available by just a click away from academic databases and the internet. Another reason for choosing the company because BK is among the most well known fast food restaurants. BK is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. Every day, over 11 million guests visit a BK somewhere in the world (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2010).The tremendous market reach along with various achievements as listed in Appendix 1 as well as the fact that I am a fan of its offerings all compelled me to choose this company. Note: Only financial statement till June 2009 is used in this research as that was the latest annual financial statement published at the point of doing my research. 1.2 Project Objective and Research Question This research project involves the evaluation of the effects of globalisation on an organisation. After much research on this topic, I realised that different people around the people have different views and perception concerning globalisation. From quantitative point of view, globalisation is defined as the intensification of economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders whereas from qualitative point of view, globalisation is defined as a process comprising a number of qualitative transformation, which are represented by technological transformation, the financial transformation, the geographical reallocation of production, the process of commodification, the polarisation of wealth, the subordination of politics to economics and the related decline of the nation state (Talani, 2004). Globalisation process, driven by rapid and largely unrestricted flows of information, ideas, cultural values, capital, goods and services and people lead to a shift towards a more integrated world economy. These processes, promoted by converging market preferences, falling trade barriers, and the integration of national economies is emerging as the norm in a growing range of economic activities, changing economic theory and practices (Jutaliaviciene et al., 2006). Globalisation has resulted in both opportunities and threats in terms of all parties involved such as suppliers, customers and competitors (Burgers et al., 1993; Courtney et al., 2001; Oxelheim et al., 1991). Thus even though there are many ways to examine the effects of globalisation but I believe Michael Porters Five Forces Model ( Barriers to Entry, Supplier Power, Customer Power, Rivalry, and Threat of Substitutes) can give a clearer picture of the industry the company operates in and steps taken by the company to stand out among all the other competitors worldwide. Therefore, the research question can be structured as What is the impact of globalisation on BK in terms of barriers to entry, supplier power, customer power, rivalry, and threat to substitutes using Porters Five Forces Model? 1.3 Overall research approach Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979 (Porter, 1979). It uses a basic five forces framework that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness of a market is based on overall industry profitability whereas an unattractive industry is where overall profitability is driven down by the combination of forces. An industry approaching pure competition would be a very unattractive industry (Porter, 1979; 1980). Porters Five Forces Model consists of 5 fundamental competitive forces: Threat of new entrants contribute to the capacity levels, affect prices and possibly reduce the profitability of existing competitors (Williams et el., 1996). Threat of substitutes exist if there are alternative products with lower prices of better performance parameters for the same purpose (Reklies, 2001). Bargaining power of customer is determined by the size and concentration of customers. Other factors are the extent to which buyers are informed and the concentration or differentiation of the competitors ( Karagiannopoulos, 2005). Bargaining power of supplier attempts to capture pressures that suppliers to the industry can exert on industry profitability. A powerful supplier can raise the companys cost through demanding higher prices for its input or delivering lower quality inputs (Rothaermel, 2008). Rivalry among existing competitors describes how intense could the competition be between existing firm in an industry. Lower returns earned by highly competitive industries due to the higher cost of competition (RapidBI., 2008). Appendix 2 gives more details on the forces and circumstances affecting the strength of each forces. The diagram below should give a better view of how the 5 forces interacts with each other. Rivalry among existing competitor Threat of new entrants Bargaining power of customer Bargaining power of supplier Threat of substitutes Diagram 1: The Five Competitive Forces that shapes strategy (Porter,1979) The effects of globalisation on BK as done with the five forces framework will help me to understand the competitive situation of the company and how competitive advantages might be achieved using the concepts and analytical techniques. As a final note, this model also promotes clear strategic thinking since Porter (1979) argues that business with no clear strategy will have no basis on which to integrate its activities and achieve consistency between its various function and units (The Antidote, 1998). In the end, could lead to reduced profitability and even failure.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Philistinism In England And America :: essays research papers

Comments on Matthew Arnold’s "Philistinism in England and America" In his essay, "Philistinism in England and America," Matthew Arnold examines the ancient ideas of Plato in the context of a twentieth century, capitalist society. As he agrees with almost all of what Plato had to say, he also admits that he is outdated, and that some of his teachings cannot be applied to us, living in an industrial superpower such as the United States. Still, though, Arnold defends the ancient philosopher. Education as a route to mental and physical righteousness is always a good idea, whether it is in modern America or Ancient Greece. I disagree with this, and it is here that I must contest the writings of Plato, as well as the essay by Arnold, for he is definitely a strong backer of the ancient ideals. In Plato’s mind, the value of an education is to clear one’s mind of impure thought, bring it to a higher lever than at the start, and attain a certain level of righteousness. This may have been a good idea 2300 years ago, but today, I see it as very limiting and impractical. In his time, only the rich aristocrats went to school. It’s purpose was not for the students to learn skills or ideas that would help them later in life, but to expand their minds, thus making them into ‘better people.’ There was no need for them to learn any job skills. Back then, if you came from a rich family, you were rich. Working at simple jobs was for the peasants and slaves. Today, life is different. Our society is completely unlike that of the ancient Greeks. We have no caste system limiting the wealth and prominence of any citizen, we have no slavery to handle all the manual labor, our army is proportionately smaller and much less honored, and religion is a part of one’s private life, not a dominating public force as it was to the Ancient Greeks. Most people today have a regular, day to day job, whether it be in an office, store, factory, or anywhere else. We have to earn our wealth by working, not inheritance. That is why most people go to school today. I am attending NYU so that I can get a job later in life. I study chemistry and engineering, in the hopes that I can become a chemical engineer.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Why Is Agriculture Important in the World of Today

Since the dawn of history, agriculture has been one of the important means of producing food for human consumption. Today more and more lands are being developed for the production of a large variety crops. In Asia, vast areas of land are being used to produce rice, wheat, rubber and a variety of other crops. In Asia, vast areas of land are being used to produce rice, wheat, rubber and a variety of other crops. More than half of the lands occupied and developed by human beings in the world are devoted to agriculture. That agriculture is one of the most essential means of producing food is realized easily when we think of the types of things that we eat. The rice or wheat that we eat comes from the land. Even potatoes and other roots or vegetables and even leaves such as tea, as well as the fruits that men eat are the products of the soil that covers the earth. In fact, everything that we eat except meat, fish and other kinds of flesh comes from the land and what grows on the land is part of agriculture. Even the sugar, oil, coffee and other beverages that we use are products of plants that grow on the land. In the same way, many of the medicines that we use are made of plants that grow in various parts of the world. The tobacco that we use for relaxation also comes from a plant. Thus, it can be easily observed that without agriculture we would be almost without food. It is true, however, that in the remote past men did live mainly on flesh that he obtained by hunting. But such a kind of life was unhappy and inconvenient, for animals were not found everywhere easily. Therefore, men turned to agriculture for his livelihood. Today, agriculture continues to provide almost all the foods that men require to survive on the earth.

Friday, January 3, 2020

External And Strategic Management Audit - 1145 Words

External strategic management audit, also known as external audit, is the identification and evaluation of events that cannot be controlled by the organization. For example, population shift, increased domestic and foreign competition, the revolution of technology and computer information, etc. To perform an external audit, it a difficult process to do so, because it covers a lot of information to analyze. The external audit shows the important opportunity and threats the company might face, which leads the management of the organization to create appropriate strategies. By doing so, the organizations can gain from those opportunities and can avoid any threats. There are five important external key factors that plays an important role in the external audit. The following are the five main factors of the external audit: †¢ Economic forces †¢ Social, demographic, cultural and environmental forces †¢ Political, legal and governmental forces †¢ Technological forces †¢ Competitive forces. All the mentioned above forces are events that influence the organization, its products, and its services. The external forces can affect the consumer demand of consumers themselves, and the industrial products services, suppliers and distributors. Market segmentation can also be influenced by the external forces. When an organization identifies and evaluates the external opportunities and threats, it allows the organization to have a clear mission, to create strategies that will complete long termShow MoreRelatedDescription Of The Implementation Plan Essay1021 Words   |  5 Pagesfive risks, which are compliance risk, strategic risk, credit risk, operational risk, and financial risk. The corporation has established risk management committees to assess and manage the corporation’s exposure to the above risks. Then, the committees will prioritize these risks and establish guidelines for risk management processes. 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There are external auditors, internal auditors, government auditors, forensic auditors, public auditors, and information technology auditors. Each of the auditors have different roles and can perform different types of audit that conforms to the company they are auditing. Auditor roles According to CA Sanjay R. (2016)., The dutiesRead MoreThe Company’S Board Of Directors Plays A Determinative1392 Words   |  6 Pagescompany’s internal and external risks. The effective risk management is an integrated part of the company’s successful business performance. The Board is ought to identify, measure, and manage the potential risks and hazards. The Board ought to evaluate the efficiency of the company’s internal controls’ management, its strengths, and weaknesses. The Board of Directors decides on the scope of the actions necessary to maximize the efficiency of the internal controls’ management. The Board needs to evaluateRead MoreTechnology Audits : How They Work1405 Words   |  6 PagesKarli Miller MIS 552 Technology Audits: How They Work April 17, 2015 A technology audit is a method of investigation. Its main purpose is to evaluate technological capacity and procedures. This is not only to ensure that everything a company is using is legal, but that it is also being used properly in order to sustain efficient and effective work. It is a process that helps identify the strong and weak points of technology through the knowledge of the company, or firm’s resources. It is knownRead MoreChanges And Responsibilities Of An Office Assistant1188 Words   |  5 Pageshave been unfavorably treated because of a protected attribute. Becoming an Auditor Types of Auditors and Audits When it comes to auditor there is no one specific type. There are external auditors, internal auditors, government auditors, forensic auditors, public auditors, and information technology auditors. Each of the auditors has different roles and can perform different types of audits that conform to the company they are auditing. Auditor roles According to CA Sanjay R. (2016)., The dutiesRead MoreMarketing Plan827 Words   |  4 PagesBusiness Environment Marketing Planning: An Overview of Marketing 6 main questions to ask in order to create your marketing plan: 1. Where are we now? (Business Mission, Marketing audit, SWOT analysis) 2. How did we get here? (Business Mission, Marketing audit, SWOT analysis) 3. Where are we heading? (Marketing audit, SWOT Analysis) 4. Where would we like to be? (Marketing objectives) 5. How do we get there? (Core Strategy, Marketing mix decisions, Organization, Implementation Plan is vital!

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Political Communications Malaysian Airlines Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Political implication on Malaysia and China China does not believe in the theories that Malaysia Airline detectors said about the plane. China is claiming that the theories about the missing airline are not satisfying since Malaysia is unable to take the system design into account. China has a problem with this theory of the missing airline climbing up to 35,000 feet since it claims that within the moment the airline took off, it was not supposed to climb to such high point thus saying that it exceeds the Airline services ceiling by 3,000 feet which occurred in few second. This makes China not to understand about the claim saying that this was a plot to kill the Chinese residents. This makes China and Malaysia to be at loggerheads politically since China does not believe the theory (Sevastopulo, 2014). Malaysian government failure to notify the Chinese government about the crash earlier makes it hard for the Chinese government to understand why they were not involved in the search and rescue mission. This makes China to see a s if it was a plot to subject the Chinese residents to death. United States while carrying the rescue mission stated that the flight 370 stayed in the air for about four hours until it reached the confirmed location in the southern Indian Ocean (David, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Political Communications: Malaysian Airlines or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The public is kept with first hand information about how the government is doing in collaboration with other countries that are developed in terms of technology. The use of website is used to communicate and advertising media but currently it is used to indicate how the rescue and search mission is being conducted to make sure about global awareness of the Malaysian missing airline.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Exploring Iagos Possible Motives in Shakespeares Othello...

Iago is undoubtably the villian in William Shakespeares Othello, however the reason behind his evil deeds are less clear. There are many possibilities as to why Iago betrayed his superior Othello. Was he simply envious of Othellos status or did Iago plot to destroy Othello for his own enjoyment? In act One, scene one we see Iagos conversation with Roderigo about Cassio being promoted ahead of him and how Iago believes that this is because of favourtism. This suggests one of many reasons why Iago plots against Othello. From this conversation we see that Iago is envious of Cassio being promoted ahead of him, and plotting against Othello as a means of seeeeking revenge. â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†. Iago believes that he†¦show more content†¦But not only this, he goes on to say that he believes that Othello has had sex with his wife, Emilia â€Å"Hath leaped into my seat†. In this silioquy Iago shares the beginning of his plan, to make Othello so jealous with the idea that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair â€Å"jealousy so strong that judgement cannot cure†. However because of the reasons he put forward to Roderigo earlier in the play, we cannot be sure that Iago is telling the truth to the audience, even though he is see n to be confiding in the audience with his master plan. Through the use of this silioquy, and the others in the play, Shakespeare creates dramatic irony, where the audience know more about what is happening than the characters themselves do. This assists his portrayal of Othello as a tragic hero, as the audience is able to see his fatal flaw, and learn the devastating result because of it. The two passages I have looked at share just some of the possible motives for Iagos master plan. It has been suggested that Iago is motiveless maliginty, meaning that he has no real motive for destroying both Othellos reputation and chance for happiness with Desdemona. This could be explained in act five, scene two when Othello asks â€Å"why he hath ensnared my soul and body?† and Iago refuses to answer â€Å"I will never speak word†. This suggests he has no motive for his actions and may have acted out of pure entertainment. Another explaination for Iagos motives is that he is the devil incarnate. ThisShow MoreRelatedOthello, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 Pagesprofitable in condition of good and immorality. Othello is presented as good and Iago as evil, but Iago and Othello’s relationship also shares a distrust of their wives. The overall logical argument is based on love, jealousy and betrayal between two lovers that ultimately leads to their sep aration because of Iago’s evil plan. I am using this article to agree with Berry s view on how Iago separates two lovers just so he can take retaliation on Othello by manipulating everyone to unmasking their true

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION Essay Example For Students

SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION Essay Christian De ChurchProfessor ZeckMicro-EconomicsWhen President John F. Kennedy said Americans would be the first to walk on the moon, incompetent people said it could not be done. NASAs technology lagged years behind Russias and the Russians never did put a man on the moon. But Neil Armstrongs one small step made the dream reality. When it comes to visionary social policy, beware of those incompetent people who would reject a great plan simply because it means doing something for the first time. Take the farsighted idea of transforming our troubled Social Security system into a system of personal accounts. Conservative estimates show that workers who invested their payroll taxes in personal accounts would get 3 to 5 times more retirement income than Social Security provides (http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/articles/dao-12-02-98.html). The Cato Institute has a long history of seeking alternatives to the current Social Security system. Since1979 the Cato Institute has published more than 40 books, articles, and reports outlining the programs problems and crafting innovative policy solutions. Founded in 1977, the Cato Institute is a nonpartisan public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington D.C. The Institute is named for Catos Letters, libertarian pamphlets that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution (http://www.cato.org/about/about.html). The Cato experts examine the problems facing our current system, the methods that can be used to move towards a system of personal retirement accounts, and the effects that a new system would have on American workers (http://www.socialsecurity.org/about/about.html). On August 14, 1995 the Cato Institute launched its Project on Social Security Privatization, the largest undertaking in the organizations history. The objective of the projec t is to formulate a viable blueprint for privatizing the Social Security system. Rather than paying taxes into a government-owned fund, workers should be allowed to redirect their payroll taxes into individually owned, privately invested accounts, similar to 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). But skeptics, fearful of change, have attempted to smother the infant in the crib by latching onto the issue of the administrative costs. Imagine, they say, the logistical nightmare, the paperwork, of managing 140 million individual accounts. No system to date has the capacity to administer such a system, said the Employee Benefit Research Institute. To be sure, no one knows exactly what the costs will be, but we have plenty of experience with a variety of retirement programs that indicates that we have no need to worry (http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/articles/dao-12-02-98.html). Rockets scientists did not know exactly how to put a man on the moon in 1965 either, but it did not take them very long to figure it out. Economic and financial experts have the knowledge, experience, and foresight to overcome the hurdles that are inevitable with any new programs. We will write a custom essay on SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This current system is acting as a drag on economic growth in two important ways. First, the payroll tax distorts the supply of labor and the type of compensation sought by workers. These losses are inevitable because of the low return implied by the pay-as-you-go character of the unfolded Social Security system. Second, the system reduces national savings and investment. But even if Social Securitys financial difficulties could be fixed by raising taxes or cutting benefits, the system would still need to be reformed because it is a bad deal for most Americans. Social Security simply costs too much and pays too little. Social Securitys rate of return on payroll taxes is a dismal 2 percent and declining (http://www.socialsecurity.org/faqs.html). Privatizing Social Security, transforming it from an unfolded pay-as-you-go system to a system of private savings accounts, would solve both of these problems and increase economic growth. Conservative assumptions imply that Social Security privatization would raise the well being of future generations by an amount equal to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) each year as long as the system lasts. Although the transition to a funded system would involve economic as well as political costs, the net present value of the gain would be as much as $10-20 trillion (http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/ssps/ssp7es.html). .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 , .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .postImageUrl , .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 , .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:hover , .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:visited , .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:active { border:0!important; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:active , .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734 .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7ed47db4e86662e9a3e2db18a40c2734:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Environmentsl Sys EssayWomen are known to be disproportionately dependent on Social Security benefits in their old age and because of longer life expectancy and employment patterns, an elderly woman is twice as likely to be living in poverty as is an elderly man. Although the Social Security system is gender neutral on its face, it produces some financial outcomes that place women at a disadvantage in retirement compared with men. The employment patterns of women, characterized by fewer years in the labor force, lower earnings, and more frequent job changes, translate into lower Social Security benefits. The dual-entitlement rules of the system often impose a penalty on wi ves and widows of two-income couples. The loss of up to 50 percent of a couples benefits at the husbands death throws every fifth widow into poverty. The privatization system in fact would offer tangible financial benefits to women because the higher rates of return would boost the retirement savings. (http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/ssps/ssp12es.html)Middle Class America would enjoy the higher retirement benefit, improved economy, and personal ownership of a personalized retirement account. For example, take Middle Class Mike who is a thirty-five-year-old union worker who makes about $33,200, which is the average salary for a union worker. He can expect just $1,559 from Social Security. In a system of personal retirement accounts, Middle Class Mike would enjoy an account of $411, 052 with a 5.75 percent rate of return (http://www.socialsecurity.org/faqs.html). Low wage workers will also benefit from the personalized accounts with their minimum wage earnings. Low wage Larry, in a system of personal retirement accounts, is a 28-year-old earning $13,500 a year. He would get just $815 from Social Security but would receive $2,292 if he invested in a mixed personal fund that would earn a 5.75 percent return (http://www.socialsecurity.org/faqs.html). In Conclusion, Privatizing Social Security would lead to an increase in national saving, with hundreds of billions of dollars invested through individual accounts every year. Those investments, in turn, would substantially increase national investments, productivity, wages, jobs, and overall economic growth. In addition, privatizing Social Security would amount to an effective cut in payroll taxes, boosting productivity, and employment. Works Cited1) It Can Be Done. Social Security. Online. Available: http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/articles/dao-12-02-98.html. April 3, 2000. 2) About the Cato Institute. Online. Available: http://www.cato.org.about/about/.html. April 11, 2000. 3) The $10 Trillion Opportunity. Online. Available: http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/ssps/ssp7es.html. April 3, 2000. 4) FAQs About Privatization. Online. Available: http://www.socialsecurity.org/faqshtml. April 3, 20005) The benefits of Social Security for Women. Online. Available: http://www.socialsecurity.org/pubs/ssps/ssp12es.html. April 3, 2000