Friday, December 27, 2019

Donald Trump Biography

Donald Trump is a wealthy businessman, entertainer, real estate developer and president-elect of the United States  whose political aspirations made him one of the most polarizing and controversial figures of the 2016  election. Trump ended up winning the election  against all odds, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton, and took office on Jan. 20, 2017. Trumps candidacy for the White House began amid the largest field of presidential hopefuls in 100 years and was quickly dismissed as a lark. But he won primary after primary and quickly became the most unlikely presidential front-runner in modern political history, vexing the pundit class and his opponents alike. Presidential Campaign of 2016 Trump announced he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination on June 16, 2015. His speech was mostly negative and touched on themes such as illegal immigration, terrorism and the loss of jobs that would resonate throughout his campaign over the course of the election cycle.   The darkest lines of Trumps speech include: The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t have victories anymore. We used to have victories, but we don’t have them.When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.Sadly, the American dream is dead. Trump largely funded the campaign himself. He was criticized by many leading conservatives who questioned whether he was really a Republican. In fact,  Trump had been registered as a Democrat for more than eight years in the 2000s. And he contributed money to the campaigns of Bill and Hillary Clinton.   Trump  flirted with the idea of running for president in 2012, too, and was leading that years field of Republican White House hopefuls until he polls showed his popularity sinking and he decided against launching a campaign. Trump made headlines when he paid private investigators to travel to Hawaii to search for President Barack Obamas birth certificate amid the height of the birther movement, which questioned his eligibility to serve in the White House. Where Donald Trump Lives Trumps home address is 725 Fifth Avenue in New York City, according to a statement of candidacy he filed with the Federal Election Commission in 2015. The address is the location of Trump Tower, a 68-story residential and commercial building in Manhattan. Trump lives on the top three floors of the building. He owns several other residential properties, however. How Donald Trump Makes His Money Trump runs dozens of companies and serves of numerous corporate boards, according to a personal financial disclosure he filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics when he ran for president.  He has said he is worth as much as $10 billion, though critics have suggested he is worth much less.   And four of Trumps companies sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the years. They include the  Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey;  Trump Plaza in Atlantic City;  Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts;  and Trump Entertainment Resorts. Donald Trumps bankruptcy was his way of using the law  to save those companies. â€Å"Because I have used the laws of this country just like the greatest people that you read about every day in business have used the laws of this country, the chapter laws, to do a great job for my company, my employees, myself and my family,† Trump said at a debate in 2015. Trump has disclosed tens of millions of dollars in earnings from: Residential and commercial real estate ventures, his most lucrative occupation.  Operating the Trump National Golf Club, which maintains 17 golf courses and golf resorts across the world including those in Scotland, Ireland, Dubai.Running the Mar-A-Lago Club resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Owning the Miss Universe pageant, from which he reported $3.4 million in income.Operating restaurants.Operating an ice skating rink in New York City, for which he listed $8.7 million in income.Speaking engagements, some of which bring in $450,000.A pension from the Screen Actors Guild that pays him $110,228 a year, from his roles in movies on television dating back to  The Jeffersons in 1981. Trump also appeared in Zoolander and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.His appearances on the reality television show  The Apprentice  and Celebrity Apprentice, which paid him $214 million over 11 years, the campaign said. Books By Donald Trump Trump has written at least 15 books about business and golf. The most widely read and successful of his books is The Art of the Deal, published in 1987 by Random House. Trump receives annual royalties valued between $15,001 and $50,000 from sales of the book, according to federal records. He also receives $50,000 and $100,000 in income a year from sales of  Time to Get Tough, published in 2011 by Regnery Publishing. Trumps other books include: Trump: Surviving at the Top, published in 1990 by Random HouseThe Art of the Comeback, published in 1997 by Random HouseThe America We Deserve, published in 2000 by Renaissance BooksHow to Get Rich, published in 2004 by Random HouseThink Like a Billionaire, published in 2004 by Random HouseThe Way to the Top, published in 2004 by Bill Adler BooksThe Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received, published in 2005 by Thomas Nelson Inc.  The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received, published in 2005 by Random HouseThink Big and Kick Ass, published in 2007 by HarperCollins PublishersTrump 101: The Way to Success, published in 2007 by John Wiley SonsWhy We Want You to Be Rich, published in 2008 by Plata PublishingNever Give Up, published in 2008 by  John Wiley SonsThink Like a Champion, published in 2009 by Vanguard Press Education Trump earned a bachelors degree in economics from the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Trump graduated from the university in 1968. He had previously attended Fordham University in New York City. As a child, he went to school at the New York Military Academy. Personal Life Trump was born in the New York City borough of Queens, New York,  to  Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump  on June 14, 1946. Trump is one of five children. He has said he learned much of his business acumen from his father. I started off in a small office with my father in Brooklyn and Queens, and my father said — and I love my father. I learned so much. He was a great negotiator. I learned so much just sitting at his feet playing with blocks listening to him negotiate with subcontractors, Trump said in 2015. Trump has been married to Melania Knauss since January 2005. Trump was married twice before, and both relationships ended in divorce. Trumps first marriage, to  Ivana Marie Zelnà ­Ã„ kovà ¡, lasted about 15 years before the couple divorced in March 1992. His second marriage, to  Marla Maples, an lasted less than six years before the couple divorced in June 1999. Trump has five children. They are: Donald Trump Jr. with first wife Ivana.Eric Trump  with first wife Ivana.Ivanka Trump  with first wife Ivana.Tiffany Trump with second wife Marla.Barron Trump with third wife Melania.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Changing Attitudes Toward Stem Cell Research Essay

Changing Attitudes Toward Stem Cell Research There have been new disappointments in embryonic stem cell research since the days of euphoric endorsement of therapeutic cloning by the media and biotechnologists. In the past two years, initial enthusiasm over embryonic stem cells has been dampened in the scientific community by some sober realizations, even as patient groups organize public campaigns based on earlier assumptions. These cells are not as easy to maintain in the laboratory as once thought. Researchers call them tricky and more tedious to grow than their mouse counterparts, as well as really difficult to direct toward more specialized cells. The dream of immortal cell lines that will easily†¦show more content†¦The embryos to be destroyed by researchers in this campaign are at the same stage of development as embryos in the womb who have been protected as human subjects in federally funded research since 1975.(4) President Clintons National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) and its 1994 predecessor, the NIH Human Embryo Research Panel, conceded that the early human embryo is a form of developing human life that deserves our respect(5). Treating human life as mere research material is no way to show respect. Finally, this proposal is unnecessary because adult stem cells and other alternatives are already achieving some of the goals for which embryonic stem cells have been proposed, and new clinical uses are constantly being discovered.(6) In our view, human life deserves full respect and protection at every stage and in every condition. The intrinsic wrong of destroying innocent human life cannot be outweighed by any material advantage -- in other words, the end does not justify an immoral means. Acceptance of a purelyShow MoreRelatedHuman Embryonic Stem Cell Research2490 Words   |  10 PagesFederal Government to fund stem cell research through the National Institute of Health. There are various types of stem cells, but the policy issue mainly covers human embryonic stem cells. This policy revokes President George W. Bush s executive order 13435 which put heavy limitations on federal funding for stem cell research. Although this policy has already taken effect, there are still bans and immense regulation on particular methods of human embryonic stem cell extraction that involve theRead MoreAltering Humanity : Ethical Or Immoral2347 Words   |  10 Pagesa major part of genetic testing is conducted on human embryos . A human embryo is created by the union of a single male sperm cell and a female egg. After fertilization by the sperm cell, the egg begins to divide into more cells (Szumski and Karson 11). These human embryos are very versatile and undifferentiated cells. With the potential to become any type of tissue cell in the body, these human embryos have the ability to be inserted into a human and repairing injured or malfunctioning organs andRead MoreThe Endangered Species Act President Nixon1711 Words   |  7 Pagesare being trapped for the aquarium trade and fished for fun† (What). Prohibited hunting targets larger mammals who are then being traded and trapped in zoos, on the other hand, others are having their body parts being merchandised for biomedical research. The Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, have worked together to prevent the global trade of wildlife. Unfortunately, there is a vast amount of animals that cannot be protected from being tradedRead MoreEssay about Silver’s Remaking Eden and the Silver Screen1193 Words   |  5 Pagesscientific curiosity, then the attitude consumers have toward genetic engineering and cloning must be weighed and examined. Therefore, the question arises, â€Å"How do consumers form their opinions about cloning?† As a Communications major, I am aware that popular culture is one powerful way that ideas about controversial topics are communicated. Therefore this question becomes more specifically: What can popular movies (like Jurassic Park) tell us about people’s attitudes toward cloning and the forces Read MoreContemporary Islamic Views Assisted Reproductive Technology1539 Words   |  6 Pagesshould be mentioned, that the flexibility of scholars had not undergone much changes in nearly a decade. The comparison of conclusions between the previously mentioned workshop and the First International Congress on Bioethics in Human Reproduction Research in the Muslim World (1991) does not seem to present much difference. Nevertheless, the further in-depth examination of different Muslim teaching schools will show that religious scholars do not possess a universal viewpoint on ART. Previously, theRead MoreThe Challenges and Opportunities for Healthcare Services in the Future2627 Words   |  11 PagesThe Challenges and Opportunities for Healthcare Services in the Future Today’s world is ever changing and rapidly advancing and the future of healthcare services is very uncertain. In the coming years healthcare services will face both wonderful opportunities and significant challenges. In our essay we have chosen what we believe to be the most important opportunities and the toughest challenges that lie ahead for healthcare services. Some of the most fundamental challenges will be the obesity epidemicRead MoreIs It Morally Acceptable?3016 Words   |  13 Pagesof time. This could be because of people beginning to realize and understand that animals are beings that has a behaviour similar to our own and that they have the capacity to feel pain and be appreciative like humans do after years and years of research has been done on them. Individuals who own pets could also possibly perceive this kind of response exclusively to domestic animals such as dogs and cats. There s other ways why a person s perspective of animals in general varies either po sitivelyRead MoreChange Management Research6716 Words   |  27 PagesRunning head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH Change Management Research University of Phoenix Change Management Research Effective Leadership Ââ€" FP International FP International is a privately held company with 550 employees worldwide and over $100 million in annual sales in 2005. FP International manufactures packing products such as bubble, air cushions, Kraft paper cushioning and ready-to-use products, polyethylene foam, loose fill made of 100% recycled polystyrene or cornstarch and Kraft/bubbleRead MoreA Scientific Attitude Towards The World1763 Words   |  8 PagesIn addition, a scientific attitude towards the world (Leaman, 2005) is another understanding. The outcome of globalisation is that of modernisation through the concept of secularism, separating state from religion (Al-Roubaie Alvi, 2005). Removal of religious principles has introduced a conception of man-made rules (Al-Roubaie Alvi, 2005, p. 140) this is evident through deep-seated disbelief (Reed, 2005). It’s a spiritless world that is branded by economical and military power (Al-Roubaie AlviRead MoreIntraprofessional Conflict Cause Of Conflict In Nursing1187 Wo rds   |  5 PagesIntraprofessional Conflict in Veteran and Novice Nurses New graduate nurses are a valuable resource in the healthcare system. They bring fresh attitude, updated policy and procedure, and advanced education to hospitals, clinics and agencies. Although their employment and retention are essential for the upkeep in the nursing profession, they are sometimes exposed to unsupportive colleagues and workplace violence, especially by veteran nurses. According to Ebrahimi (2017) this type of discrimination

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Murder on Orient Express Essay Example For Students

Murder on Orient Express Essay Murder on the Orient Express Thematic Essay. Justice; A fundamental theme of the American government comes into play in Murder on the Orient Express written by Agatha Christie. This crucial theme revels itself through the books interruption of trial by Jury, capital punishment, and evidence contamination and corruption. The passengers interpretation of Justice is present through out this book and is most prevalent in the end when the murder is revealed. The concept of Justice is brought up when the Jury of twelve passengers on the rain unanimously decided Ratchett was guilty. It is no coincidence that the number of passengers is the exact same number used in a court room Jury, 12. In section two chapter eight, Colonel Arbuthnot responds to Poirots interrogation with Well you cant go about having blood feuds and stabbing each other like Corsicans or the Mafia. Say what you like, but trial by Jury is a sound system (Christie 131). This statement not only shows no remorse for the actions committed but also indicates that the passengers concept of Jury was not inaccurate. The Jury system is used in the United States is to not burden any single person with the responsibility of someones life. We will write a custom essay on Murder on Orient Express specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now It takes every member for a guilty conviction Just as it took all 12 train passengers to kill Ratchett. A court room Jury has the power to induce capital punishment when seen fit by a judge but the law does not protect the train passengers for the same offense. These 12 people decided long before their interaction on the train that this man was to be killed. In section three chapter nine, Colonel Arbuthnot stated, We decided then nd there- perhaps we were mad-I dont know-that the sentence of death that Cassetti had escaped had got to be carried out, (Christie 263). Once well known to Ratchett, these 12 people witnessed first hand the heinous murder Cassetti committed in previous years and watched him get away with it when it was clear what he had done. At this time the passengers took it upon themselves to get revenge for the Armstrong family and kill this man. Legally this is forbidden under any circumstances but morally, they truly felt they were doing the right thing. By the end of this book, Detective Poirot announces two theories about how this murder could have taken place. The first properly incriminates each individual and gives a rational explanation for their involvement, the second is polar opposite and claims a random stranger committed this crime at the train station. Even after establishing the detectives originally theory was correct, Poirot still agrees to lie to the local police on their behalf. In section three chapter nine, Bouc concludes, In my opinion, M. Poirot, the second theory you put forward was the correct one- decidedly o. I suggest that this is the solution we offer to the Yugo-Slavian police when they arrive. You agree doctor? (Christie 2640). After working so hard to discover the happenings of the previous night, the detective simply ignores his findings only because physiologically he can relate to the train passengers and to some extent agrees with them. In the US courts, evidence tampering, and obstruction of an investigation is a federal crime but still appears in active trials. The Jurys are almost emotionally unattached decision. In a way this is exactly what the passengers did. They were personally to close to the events to be able to make a rational decision and relied on instincts and emotions to carry them through. The characters and decisions made in the book Murder on the Orient Express revolved around a corrupt theme of Justice that the passengers were clinging towards to make their actions morally acceptable. By twisting the traditional Jury system, personally involving themselves in capital punishment, and abstracting an investigation, each passenger knowingly obstructed Justice and the Justice system granted to US citizens in the Bill of Rights.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Technological solutions for human services

Human services are movements, which seek to address the needs of the less privileged in the society. While offering their services, organisations are faced with three main barriers in planning, funding and empowerment of their clients.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technological solutions for human services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These barriers include organization, provision of transportation to clients, keeping trail of clients, and ensuring that prospective clients are reached. To address these barriers, the use of technology became very essential for an organisation to concentrate on its core activities. Technological solutions also provide the human services with a chance to handle its responsibilities with ease and incur minimum costs. This involves the use of applications that address the barriers that exist in the human services on a continual basis and upgrading it to meet the changing demand s. The desire of human service to be more productive and organised involves the careful organisation of its activities, clearly portraying the sources of its funding, showing the track of its clients and finding means in which they can access their clients. For effective management and budgeting of these activities, it requires the incorporation of appropriate technology that can be able to reveal and store the records of the organisation. In management of funds of the organisation, it is essential to establish means in which anyone with authorisation can know the source of funding, how the funds are being utilised and ways in which they can contribute to the organisation. With the presence of good financial planning the human services can be able to offer its services to their clients accordingly and appropriately. The use of technology becomes very critical to offer the services to the clients who are widely spread in the inaccessible parts of the country. The offices that are dec entralised are interconnected with satellite and this facilitates the adoption of other essential software.Advertising Looking for essay on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Internet access by the clients in their areas of residence enables the human services to organise meetings and communicate consistently whenever there is any need. For communication to be effective the human services uses emails to distribute notices, meeting notes and any concerns of the organisation (Gillam 126). Such formality enables everyone to be updated any give any suggestion and direction to the agency. Application of technology like the development and use of spread sheets facilitate the organisation to critically maintain and utilise its data effectively. Spread sheets allow the organisation, management and utilisation of data. This application software is used to indicate where funding is obtained from, analyze how the funding i s used, process the financial data and indicate the financial standing of the agency. By use of this software the agency financial standing can be determined and be used to lobby for funds, presented to the federal government, negotiate for favourable laws and shown to any interested as a source of indicating the credibility of the agency. This software can deal with the barrier of organization sufficiently. For most of the active and prospective clients, transport is the hindering factor in their reception of services from the human services. Since transportation infrastructure is not extensive, the demand of means to access these clients become essential. Human services utilises the internet to provide information by use of application like PowerPoint presentation and Microsoft word. PowerPoint presentation enables the clients to learn new things by themselves at their dwelling points. Word documents facilitate the human services to provide the information regarding their services , links that give other relevant ideologies and updates of the agency. Moreover, notices can be issued to the clients through the application on the educational videos they can watch to meet their needs. Clients at the same time can be able to raise their concerns and complement for the services they receive. This technology adequately curbs the challenges of transportation and becomes environmentally and financially suitable for the agency (Ginsberg 224). The clients therefore see technology as essential and fundamental in the provision and reception of assistance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technological solutions for human services specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The activities of the human services involve the interconnection with several people inclusive of clients. To meet adequately this function, the use of technology becomes very demanding. Appropriate technology is the database, which can be able to keep records, collecting information and keeping trail of clients. Similarly, database enables the agency to ease its efforts of collecting, storage, retrieval and reporting of data. By keeping the database accurate and updated, the agency can be able to foster productive working environment and the limitless possibilities that the databases provide. Report generating applications provide the agency with the relevant need of statistical reports and analysis of its progress. Since the organisation is able to provide the necessary service to its clients of organising itself, keeping trail of its clients and reaching out to the potential clients, it must analyze its progress and performance. This software enables the agency to report the statistics and other material information of the agency. About this, an analysis of the performance, weaknesses, their client rating and inefficiencies that exist in their services can be dealt with periodically and accordingly. The reports generat ed can be used as a measure of their service standards and formulate policies and plans that can be used to liaise with the government on the needs of the clients of the human services. The incorporation of technology through such application software like databases, Microsoft word, PowerPoint presentation, reporting applications, webcam services and internet provide a means of breaking the agencies barriers. Although the use of technology portrays that human services organisation can handle their tasks with many efficiencies there exist some problems and weakness with its usage. Despite this, their importance outweighs their demerits.Advertising Looking for essay on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Gillam, Scott. Human services. New York: Ferguson Pub., 2010. Print. Ginsberg, Leon H., and Paul R. Keys. New management in human services. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: NASW Press, 1995. Print. This essay on Technological solutions for human services was written and submitted by user Franco Byers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Artist Biography Abakanowicz Essay Research Paper Magdalena free essay sample

Artist Biography: Abakanowicz Essay, Research Paper Magdalena Abakanowicz Magdelana Abakanowicz was born in 1930 near Falenty, Poland. Between 1950 and 1954 she studied at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, and sought to get away from the conventional art signifiers through weaving. This creative person has gone through many important artistic alterations. From 1954 # 8211 ; 1960 she painted a series of big gouaches on paper and canvas. She described that feelings, # 8220 ; My medium will be a portion of my ego and picture is merely a precursor of my hereafter # 8221 ; . During the 1960 # 8217 ; s Abakanowicz began making monumental three dimensional signifiers called Abakans, made out of stuffs woven by herself in her ain technique. During the 70 # 8217 ; s she created immense rhythms of nonliteral and non-figurative sculptures made out of gunny and rosins, called Changes. It was during the 80 # 8217 ; s that Abakanowicz created sculptures in bronze, wood, steel, ceramic, and gunny. She creates series of monumental sculptures utilizing bronze, rock, w ood firedog. Installs lasting outdoor # 8220 ; infinites to see # 8221 ; in Italy, Israel, S. Korea, Germany and America. Her chief topics are human and carnal figures presented in big groups of 50, 80, or 150 examples. Abakanowicz besides works in pulling, picture, choreographing dances, and architectural undertakings. Her work can be seen in museums all over the universe. Often in her work she explores the alerted world created by the groups of sculpture in a gallery while besides pulling to a great extent upon her personal and household history. Abakanowicz # 8217 ; s wor K demonstrates an development from subjects to homes, to worlds, to the primality of organic growing itself. Abakanowicz’s strong idealism and forceful speech production manner suggest a productive doggedness born of a defensive self-belief. She feels â€Å"overawed by the measure where numbering no longer makes sense. By unrepeatedly within such a measure. By animals of nature gathered in herds, droves, species, in which each person, while subservient to the mass, retains some distinguishing characteristics. A crowd of people, birds, insects, or leaves is a cryptic gathering of discrepancies of certain paradigm. A conundrum of nature’s abomination of exact repeat or inability to bring forth it. Merely as the human manus can non reiterate its ain gesture, I invoke this disturbing jurisprudence, exchanging my ain immobile herds into that rhythm.† She is genuinely an creative person of history doing her grade invariably each twelvemonth. In 1991, upon the invitation of the Paris governments refering the expansion of the Great Axis of Paris, she designs Arborical Architecture, her construct of a modern, ecological metropolis, in which edifices organic in form, are perpendicular gardens. Creates # 8220 ; Bronze Crowd # 8221 ; , group of 36 figures. Then from 1993-99 she had an detonation of originative pieces each typifying her feelings sing war, household, and difficult life issues. During 2000 she created a crowd of 95 figures standing and walking in bronze. She has been Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Poznan, Poland, 1965/90, and Visiting Professor at the U.C.L.A. ( 1984 ) Magdalena Abakanowicz lives and works in Warsaw.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Socrates and Thoreau essays

Socrates and Thoreau essays The main difference between Socrates and Thoreau was the their views on the relationship between people and government. Socrates believed that the people are work for the government. They are supposed to obey the orders of the government and serve the government to the best of their abilities. On the contrary, Thoreau believed that the people shouldnt do everything the government says. He thought that the government did only bad things such as slavery and wars, and that people didnt need government. Socrates believed that the government made peoples lives better, more ordered, and civilized; Thoreau thought the government took things away from the people. In my opinion, both of these philosophies worked under the special circumstances that Socrates and Thoreau were in; however, neither would work in todays American society. Socrates lived under the democratic Athenian government, which was the first democratic society in the history of mankind. In order for this new system to work, the people fully supported the government and did everything for the good of the society. Socrates philosophies fit these circumstances perfectly. In todays society, Socrates philosophies would be viewed as ridiculous ideas. Because of all the scientific and economic developments, people no longer just focus on making a living and nothing else. People have time to read newspapers, find out about what the government is doing, and think about whether the things that are going on are right. In another word, nobody would just blindly follow the government. When they feel that the government is doing something to the detriment of the people, they would make their voices heard and try to get it corrected. Also, people nowadays are not doing whats best for the society. They usually do whats best for them. People no longer feel obl igated to obey the government and do whats best for the society. ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Current event Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current event - Assignment Example This way, the pharmacy will be placed above other pharmacies in distributing pharmaceutical products prescribed by other physicians and sold over the counter to individual customers and organizations. The pharmacy hopes to providing basic health services to citizens taking advantage of the shortage of doctors in the country (Martin & Esterl par. 2). CVS wants to be perceived as a store that really cares for the health of the public and patients. It also wants to be perceived as an organization that places the health of Americans above the profits it makes. Furthermore, the store wants to present itself as a convenient alternative to the hospital and doctor’s office. The partnership between Coca Cola and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is one that is symbiotic; the two organizations benefit from each other. While Coca Cola benefits by having a stake in GMCR, the latter benefits from the cash investment it has received from Coca Cola’s purchase of shares which translates to capital. Coca Cola also benefits from the partnership in that it hopes to make more sales of its products by targeting customers at an â€Å"at home† environment. Coca Cola being a strong brand commands a lot of respect internationally. This being the case, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ partnership with Coca Cola will strengthen the brand which may translate to more sales and profits. In a zero sum game, when one party loses, the other party gains by the amount that the first party loses. In other words, the sum of one party’s profit and the other party’s loss is zero. Muhtar Kent is explaining that the relationship between Coke and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is not one based on competing interests but rather is meant to be complementary. In other words, a win for coca cola will be a win for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and vise versa. Similarly, a loss for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will be a loss for Coca

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Russells On Denoting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Russells On Denoting - Essay Example Russell (1905) claimed that Meinong’s theory had difficulties as it â€Å"regard denoting phrases as standing for constituents of the propositions in whose verbal expression they occur†¦ This theory regards any grammatically correct denoting phrase as standing for an object† (p 482). And the main difficulty of this theory was that it was â€Å"apt to infringe the law of contradiction† (p 483). Russell’s critiqued on Meinong’s theory raised three important points: first, on the concept of subsistence. Russell maintained that if we presupposed that ‘It is false that A differs from B’, then ‘the difference between A and B does not subsist’. However, in Meinong’s theory since a denoting phrase was standing for an object, then, the denoting phrase ‘the difference between A and B’ must stand for an object. Therefore, the ‘difference between A and B’ must subsist. In this case, the self-contra diction was made apparent. As it was affirmed that ‘the difference between A and B’ must subsist (Meinong’s theory), so too the preposition ‘the difference between A and B does not subsist’ is affirmed on the statement â€Å"It is false that A differs from B†. (Sutler 1967). The second counter-argument rests on the concept of existence. Take the example ‘The King of France is bald.’ Again, using Meinong’s theory, as grammatically correct denoting phrase stand for an object then the statement must be true. But it is a known fact, within the frame of a particular time the preposition ‘the King of France is bald.’ does not stand or signify for any object.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A research paper on the 3 largest minority groups in the U.S Essay Example for Free

A research paper on the 3 largest minority groups in the U.S Essay The top three largest minorities in the United States are the Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. The United States 2000 census indicated the total population as 281. 4 million where the 3 minorities represent approximately 30. 1 percent of the population. The purchasing power for the 3 major minority groups in very important n marketing and is provided in this study (Sfm 2008). African Americans African Americans are the second largest group of minorities and heavily contribute in the national politics, social welfares as well as economy. The population has increased in number within the various government and states welfares. This helps the group to advance financially according to the joint center for economic studies survey (Dana 2007). The total population of African American consumers is approximately 36. 4 million which relates to approximately 12. 9 percent of the total population in the country. As a result, targeting these consumers and studying their growth impacts on the multiplication of wealth and properties in the country. A landmark survey conducted in 2008 illustrates increased growth especially in the â€Å"mortgage originations, medium household income, and small businesses entrepreneurs and obtaining of degrees in higher education levels† (Sfm 2008). According to census bureau, African Americans have the second highest purchasing power in the minorities with turn over of $532 billion which translates to 73 percent growth as compared to 1990. In the education sector, the number of degrees offered in higher education is hitting three times as much as that of general market. African Americans have made use of the mortgage system to own house hold houses and around 50% of the household resides in their own homes (Sfm 2008). On entrepreneurship and ownership of small and medium businesses, the rate of expansion is five times as much as white Americans where revenues according to a business study conducted has experienced a 60 percent growth. The average age for African Americans is 30 and around 15 percent earns a household income of more than $50,000. The average house hold income in 2008 was $34,000 (Dana 2007). Availability of income influences the purchasing power of an individual. A study conducted in 2007 indicate that around 300, 000 African American house holds has a house hold income of above $100,000. This indicates that approximately 1 in every 6 households in the group earns this income (Dana 2007). For the medium households, the group is experiencing 60 percent growth in comparison to the whites’ households. This has helped in offering various opportunities for this minority group with a â€Å"mean portfolio size of $115, 000 for each house hold and approximately $57, 500,000 dollars of investment at hand† (Sfm 2008). With the use of statistics for projection, the investment dollars is expected to multiply to $83,375, 000 in duration of five years and attain a mean of $115,920,000 after a decade (MacInnis 2009). African Americans according to the United States population census represent 12. 1 percent of national citizens. This composes of the of all those who have been born in the country and have resided with their families for more than 300 years as well as those who have immigrated from Africa in the recent past. African Americans represent people from the black race (MacInnis 2009). On the regional demographics, African Americans are not clustered in limited areas with respect to other minorities. However, the group is the main driver for the markets in most of the cities in the United States. Report from the United States census Bureau indicates that â€Å"76 percent of the total population in Detroit, 65 percent in Washington and approximately 62 percent in New Orleans† are African Americans (Sfm 2008). Their population is also evident in various other states including â€Å"New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, Baltimore and Memphis. † For the universities in these states, approximately 78 percent of the students are African American (MacInnis 2009). Extensive migration for the African Americans is being experienced mostly to the south. Various states including Atlanta are experiencing massive economic expansion through the group activities. There are also increased employment opportunities mainly in â€Å"Houston, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham and other states from the south† which are attracting the African Americans into the region. The region has also cheap real estate, moderate weather and easily affordable way of live (MacInnis 2009). Successive marketing in the African American society requires clear understanding of their culture. The group according to a survey is discerning shoppers and is very careful on quality and satisfaction. They are loyal customers and remain in the brands they use thus a good relationship is required. Appearance in advertisement is very appreciative for the group in the utilization of their talents (MacInnis 2009). The internet is another media form that is widely used by the African Americans through the on line commerce. In investment, the group mainly engages in real estates business and banking sector as opposed to the bonds and stocks which is popular among the whites (Sfm 2008). Hispanic Americans The Hispanic population in the United States the largest minority group and is increasingly growing and thus affecting various sectors. This might be from political to business view. The population for the Hispanics is currently approximately 35. 3 million, approximately 13% of total population according to census department which translates to a percentage growth of 38 percent in comparison to overall population growth of 9 percent (Dana 2007). The population is projected to reach a high of 96 million by 2050 where they will take a quarter of the total population. Among the Hispanics, approximately 2 million people earn more than $75,000 in every year. The average house hold income in 2008 was $40,800 (Sfm 2008). The population has a huge transactional power of approximately $428 billion. This is expected to reach $600 billion in five years. The Hispanics household income is significant and their mean number of people in every household is 3. 6. This also gives an average age of 26. As a result, there is need to understand the group’s culture for effective marketing (Dana 2007). Majority of the Hispanics originate outside countries. The dominating countries of origin are â€Å"Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rica, the Dominican republic and various countries in south/central America† (Sfm 2008). The group heavily embarks on their family with much priority hoping to offer the best. Respect of culture with marking of various events is also common with the group. The population like watching sports over the television with professional boxing followed by base ball being the favorite according to a study by MDI (Dana 2007). The United States census bureau indicates that majority Hispanics, approximately 80 percent reside mainly in five states. However, around 59 percent reside in ten states including â€Å"Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas, Worth and San Diego† (Sfm 2008). For effective marketing in the group, products relevant to their culture provide a consolidated base and increased number of customers. Products that would address family matters and its importance are also marketable in the Hispanics (Dana 2007). Language is very important for the Hispanics and they prefer the use of mother language thus advertising of products should be done with Spanish speaking media rather than English speaking media (MacInnis 2009). Creation of friendship and one to one contact with the customers is required due to relationship orientation by the group (Dana 2007). This would also call for recruitment of Hispanic personnel. Considering that around 30 percent of Hispanic population is below 18 years of age customization of vehicles is advisable. In the universities, approximately 21 percent of undergraduate students are Hispanic (Sfm 2008). Asian Americans Asians represents various nationalities including â€Å"Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, and Asian Indians. † In the United States, Asian Americans total to 11. 9 million which represents 4. 2 percent of the total population. This is projected to get to 35 million by 2050. The Asian Americans have a high purchasing power of approximately $300 billion annually (Louis 2010). Asian Americans have a mean age of 33 years where more than half of population aged 25 and above are married. The population strongly values their family. The Asians have a multi generational type of house holds with mean of 3. 8 per household (Sfm 2008). Majority speaks their mother language and educate their students on language schools mainly Chinese. Majority of the Asians are entrepreneurs with long working hours with reduced leisure shopping. They are ranked as the lowest group in leisure related activities. Due to their increased hard work, they are the highest income earners in the United States. The average household income for the Asians is was $66,900 in 2008 (Louis 2010). In the education sector, Asians household have the highest education level with comparison to the various other groups. It was reported that 38 percent of the Asians Americans have a degree certificate (Sfm 2008). Effective marketing in the Asian American population require intensive knowledge as well as preparation in addition to staffing from the group. In the advertising a number of agencies have already been established that specializes in the Asian American markets. Ethnic group members play the advertising procedure thus one requires understanding of community as well as language for excellence. The strong language preference has led to the growth of Asian media in the United States with increased Asian language television, radio, newspapers, and magazine (Sfm 2008). Asians reside in a few states and this provides n easier communication program for the population. Among the key states where Asian American resides include â€Å"California, New York, and Texas† (Louis 2010). They also reside in Los Angeles and San Francisco but in reduced numbers. Filipinos are more so concentrated in Los Angeles whereas the Chinese are in New York City. For the case of San Francisco, the two are concentrated. The Asian population is also expanding in â€Å"Washington, Seattle, Houston and Dallas. This is as a result of technological expansion and other investment gains (Louis 2010). References Dana, L. P. (2007). Handbook of research on ethnic minority entrepreneurship: a co- evolutionary. Massachusetts. Edward Elgar Publishers Louis E. Boone, David L. Kurtz. (2010). Contemporary Business 2010 Update. New York. John Wiley Sons MacInnis, D. J. , Park, C. W. , Priester, J. W. (2009). Handbook of brand relationships. New York. M. E Sharpe publishers. Sfm. 2008. Article accessed from http://www. sifma. org/services/hrdiversity/pdf/African. pdf

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Massacre Of Maguindanao Media Essay

The Massacre Of Maguindanao Media Essay November 23, 2009 since a horrible massacre happened in Maguindanao on one of the islands of the Philippines Mindanao .   A number of civilians were killed which shook the whole country and among those civilians excluding motorists, drivers, politicians, lawyers, women, 34 journalists were named.   This fact shocked the press, the government, and the ordinary citizens as well.   But why did this senseless massacre happen in a country like the Philippines where freedom and democracy are being took care of?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nearly few months have passed since this most horrible killing of civilians marked the history of the Philippines , and because of this, it leads us to many realizations.   Politicians were killed thus morality was killed.   Women were killed thus their rights were killed.   Lawyers were killed so justice was also killed.   And journalists were killed therefore freedom was also killed.   And the latter realization inspired this paper the freedom of the press.   And since the Maguindanao massacre became one of the most talked about issue until now because of its massive killing of journalists, thus killing of freedom, it leads us to be more aware of the work and responsibilities of the press, the laws which made to protect the rights of the press, but eventually made us notice that there are some laws which restrict the said freedom.   In this case, since the press must have its independence, there should be no restrictions t o such an institution because its independence will be repressed.   Furthermore, a country could be considered non-democratic nation for democracy doesnt prevail on that community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Then, the researcher chose this study to come up with an answer to the personal question:   Why is there such freedom of the press if freedom here does not have the same meaning if read from our constitution from how the ordinary people understand it?   Hence, this paper will cover only about press freedom here in the Philippines .   If it is so, the paper will not tackle any issue that would probably come out while the paper is being discussed.   Moreover, the objectives of the paper are firstly, to present situations where freedom of the press was repressed, secondly, to state how freedom of the press go along with democracy, and thirdly, the paper would want the researcher to be more aware of what is happening around him/her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now, for the researcher to start discussing what this paper is all about, a question will be first asked.   That question would be:   What is freedom of the press? Definition of Freedom of the Press   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freedom means independence and independence means boundless, therefore, press freedom means press independence, meaning there should be no limits to whatever the action of a member of the press would be.   But as part of the social equality authorization, the right of the people, and not of the press, is what the term freedom of the press really means.   It can be stressed, moreover, as the right of the press is the right of the people to be informed and to be heard (Reyes, 1992).   Press freedom is not a sectoral right, a right to be asserted and enjoyed only by members of the media sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Freedom of the press is a basic right of the people, that is, of the entire body politic and every ordinary citizen (Reyes, 1992).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Here, we come up with two different denotations for the term freedom of the press, but since the press plays the role of being the voice of the Filipinos here in the Philippines as well as serving as an instrument to inform the public, then the press, particularly the journalists, could represent the entire Filipino community.   Because of this, the next pages will focus mainly on the first meaning the researcher has presented wherein the press is the term used to represent the journalists and other media sector not the people in general.   Then we substitute the word 3 journalist to press thus making the term freedom of the press as the right of the journalists to freely express what they want to express.   Moreover, freedom of the press is not merely freedom for the press, and to have social equality isnt competence.   It is indeed the freedom of every individual, and its the hard and risky method but it has a reward in the end (Coronel, 1991). In connection to this, our constitution provides: No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech and of the press (Section 4, Article III). This means that no one could prevent any media sector from writing what he/she wants to write as well as from speaking what the person wants to say.   Nor even the government has no right to prevent any member of the press from doing so.   And since the press has its full access on newspapers, radios, and televisions, the information could be spread to the people easily and freely.   But how did it become a right? Freedom of the Press as a Right   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The researcher defines freedom here as the right of journalists.   This is because everyone has his/her own rights and since the press includes journalists and journalists are human, then, journalists should have their own freedom too.   Press freedom should not be excluded as a right of an individual for it is one of his/her rights when he/she was born.   It is a right that if oppressed violates human right (Reyes, 1992).   But in a deeper meaning, freedom of the press not only stands for the right of every journalists but also for the right of every people to be informed, because media exists to serve the people. 4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journalists work could be seen on newspapers as well as could be heard from radios and televisions.   But they do not only present the truth to the public with supporting evidences but also give their own opinions towards it.   And an idea can never be misleading nevertheless, its destructive power we still hang on for its amendments because of the opposition of other existing ideas (Zelezny, 1993).   That is why, debates and other discussions were lead by journalists and other media sectors because, otherwise, if the ideas of oneself is not being told to anyone, freedom is unreal or fictitious (Reyes, 1992).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consequently, freedom of idea is the persons right to search for truth that the surrounding is hiding from his/her.   It is our right to communicate to others what we have in mind freely.   Moreover, it is also our right that allows us to do actions freely regarding our thoughts (Reyes, 1992).   Likewise, freedom of the press is the freedom of truthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Pinon, 1960). And if truth firms and is unbreakable, it is free to say ones side (Reyes, 1992).   This is mainly the function of mass media to reveal the misconducts in its country, freedom of truth to its sovereign. Media in the Philippines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Media plays a very risky role in the society for it reveals the truth which people are refusing to admit even with irresistible proofs (Braid, 2005).   And journalists have chosen a more risky career because their work needs to, and they could do their job through critiquing and even criticizing an issue.   Particularly, they are not only supplying the truth because he/she also gives his/her own opinion and view on a particular issue (Coronel, 1991).   And so, under the freedom of the press, people has the right to criticize on things which matters them (Pinon, 1960). 5 But most people misunderstood this.   Comments from an individual do not mean insulting someone or something.   Still, it is inevitable for an individual to have his/her own assessment towards it.   It is public opinion, since the individual is the basic unit of any government, which is the uniform foundation of freedom and social equality (Bookwatch Legal Editors, 2006).   Furthermore, freedom of the press is the uncontrolled freedom wherein a person can freely express his thoughts (Pinon, 1960).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, it is also the responsibility of the journalists to make the younger generation involve themselves to issues which also affect them.   Media contributes in giving information to the people and it also educates them to the real work of justice.   Media men shows to the public that justice should not be passed within laws but must also showed to the people that justice really prevails in their society (Braid, 2005).   This is why there are shows like Y-Speak where students voices are given the time to be heard.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the mass media have an essential part to play in the education of young peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in making known the views and aspirations of the younger generation (Holopainen,1987). Like it had been said, the youth is the hope our hope, hence, whatever the opinions of the youth are, it will contribute a big part on the decision-making of that certain issue.   Everyone has the right to freed om of opinion and expression; the right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart in information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Reyes, 1992).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But even though it is really the right thing to have media as a tool to spread information to the reading and listening public, few Filipinos knew that there are laws which restrict some of the possible actions of the journalists when doing his/her work.   Those few people are only those 6 who have knowledge on laws, then how about the ordinary people who, in reality, do not have any knowledge about such laws because they only gain knowledge from what the television brings to them?   If the majority of the sovereign do not have any way to learn information other than through tv, then, in the case, is the truth being concealed from us?   And from our experience to Maguindanao massacre, press freedom and rights are oppressed in the most monstrous way killing, yet killing is not the only way to oppress the press freedom because there are laws which restrain that freedom in some situations.   If so, why is it still stated on the constitution that no laws should shorten the press to the right of free speech? Limitations of the Press   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a society, to see the misconception on a functioning country and to see the lies existing on it, the step to make is to express what is in the mind.   Repression to freedom is only acceptable in spare times (Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991).   For example, if the people are to be informed about the corruption of an official, the journalist shall gather first data to support his/her idea.   But highlighting a corrupt official isnt that easy so the journalist shall have a great strategy like spying, eavesdropping, and even making his/her way to a private place.   These are normally what a journalist will do, but he/she isnt aware that he/she is stepping into some offenses such as theft, robbery and trespass.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Free speech is everyones right and freedom of the press is exercised in protecting every citizens right to know what his government is doingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Reyes, 1992)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another is all of us are paying our ITRs (Income Tax Returns) and because of this, everyone should know information on what the Bureau of Internal Revenue is collecting from us.   And, therefore, if a journalist will try to gather information about these ITRs for the public to be 7 informed, he/she will again stepping to the law, which is on some aspect, a sort of national security.   But freedom of the press means that people has the right to know what is happening around them and its country, and to speak up what they want to tell the government.   It is also the right of the people to have an entry to information.   Moreover, journalists and media men exist just to serve the rights of the people (Reyes, 1992).   Consequently, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦based on the peoples right to know what is happening in their government because the people are the sovereignà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991).   In other way round, there are cases were the government puts tax on some published works.   But it is invalid in the case of putting tax on published works because, if do so, it will restrict such periodical to have its freedom to disseminate information to the public (Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991).   In this case, journalists have the righ ts to comment freely on an issue, but have no right to do so for he/she must follow laws concerning his/her action (Coronel, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, we all know that journalists chose words with more striking impact to the readers that they would be more interested on the works the journalists have produce.   And works of media overstate what the real story behind.   It is their work to put great intensity on anything they produce and the impact of that intensity to the people is the basis of their success in their profession (Braid, 2005).   Moreover, press is an excellent source for the search of truth.   Its impact to the people is merely for them to feel anger and thus, it is more likely to stay for many days, than the feeling of having good news for that day.   Its good works are quite forgotten but its scandalous works long for many days in the memory of the readers (Gerald, 1948).   But there are cases wherein journalists were accused because he/she uses words like coward, savage, etc., and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and writing and publishing an article containing the wor ds coward, vile soul, dirty-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   8 sucker, savage, hog who always looks toward the ground is libel per seà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦( Coronel, 1991).   And libel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is a public and malicious imputation of a crime vice or defect a real or imaginary, act or omission, condition or status tending to cause dishonor, discredit of a person and even to blacken the memory of a dead personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991).   Media do, in connection with their profession, brings out works by chance without meanness, but unacceptably though.   In this case, media should be quite careful in doing their right to publish (Coronel, 1991). There is also this Right to Reply Bill which was proposed by Senators Pimentel, Revilla Jr., and Escudero in year 2008.   According to this bill, all persons natural or juridical who are accused directly or indirectly of committing or having committed or of intending to commit any crime or offense defined by law or are criticized by innuendo, suggestion or rumor for any lapse in behavior in public or private life shall have the right to reply to the charges published or printed in newspapers, magazines, newsletters or publications circulated commercially or for free, or to criticisms aired or broadcast over radio, television, websites, or through any electronic device.   This means that the person being attacked by the works of a journalist has the right to reply on that work of the journalist.   That person could say that the journalist do not have the credibility of writing that issue to him/her.   Moreover, he/she could not only go against the journalist but also to the newspaper who published it.   But à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦speech shall be free even though that law be written into the Constitutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Coronel, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To sum it up, laws are made to limit the press to protect other rights in some situations.   Libel laws are designed to protect the name and character of a person; national security laws, to 9 protect the very existence of the State; obscenity laws, to protect the morals of society; and contempt to efficient functioning of the judiciary and the legislatureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991). These laws are really needed to have a healthy country and the researcher is aware of the benefits that these laws could bring.   But the researcher is concerned mainly on the term freedom of the press thus having laws which restrict the journalists is the researchers primary problem because à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to dare abridge these indivisible freedoms, and in effect negate them, assaults human dignityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Reyes, 1992).   And à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a more liberal atmosphere has made the media even more powerful in fosteringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦bringing public opinion to bear on politicians who once wheeled and dealed with impunityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Eng, 1997). Freedom of the Press to a Democratic Nation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If freedom of the press will not be restrained as well as the freedom of the people, then democracy prevails on that country for [f]ree speech is indispensable to free governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Coronel, 1991).   When a nation is controlled and its rights and those of the people, then democracy dies.   After this instance, the right of the media men and of the people to speak out their opinions and thoughts are also been oppressed (Reyes, 1992).   Having limitations provided by law concerning public officials could be said as anti-democratic.   Those limitations are cannot be opened to the public.   But in the sense of wanting to have a better nation, open and free discussions between individuals, and access to the government, are ways to know the underlying truths of a nation (Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991).   Moreover, in the search of truth, an unrestricted and unlimited conversation is needed for the ideas that made up a good conversation which came from the people whose concern matter (McCormick and MacInnes, 1962).   And in a democratic country, it is better to have means of communication between the 10 functioning government and its society.   Choosing to have a newspaper than to have a government is what democracy really means, for newspaper is something where free discussion of thoughts could be seen (Salvilla, Penasales, Sornito, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Going back into the problem in the first place, the government is the one who made and accepted this laws which limit the press freedom, and the government must be doing this things just for their own sake.   In addition to this reality, people accept these restrictions as necessary for their own benefits (Reyes, 1992).   And this isnt new for all of us because of its transparency on our own government.   And since the superior power is being held by the government, there are cases where it [government] uses its power to take actions opposed to individuals who freely gave their opinions without the government being analytical if their actions are under the international law (Reyes, 1992).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, violence against newspeople remained significantly oppressiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there were more newspeople killed in the Philippines than in any other nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Case, 1991).   But this problem could be resolved.   We may preserve freedom of speech by making no laws which restrict it.   If repressive laws are passed they may be carefully circumscribedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Coronel, 1991).   Moreover, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free speech and press not as a separate entity deserving nurturing, but as part of a larger processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free speech and press as contributing to good governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Chamberlin and Brown, 1982). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press freedom doesnt mean that it is the freedom of the media establishments or other media members.   And to defend for it is not only defending the freedom of this media men, but also defending the freedom of the people because all freedoms are being took care of the people 11 Yuyitung, 2000).   But media people do not have the assurance that they will have their freedom every time, because the government is making laws that, for the eyes of ordinary people, are a good law to be implemented but if observed with critical eyes, is indeed a way to interfere with the freedom of the press itself (Malaya, B9+B15).   And if à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the public restrict journalists freedom, the public restricts its own freedomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦( Reyes, 1992). Moreover, having freedom of speech and of the press in the Philippines means the people can freely express their thoughts and ideas.   Consequently, it is true that those laws stated in the body of this paper are implemented to not violate other human rights.   But, even if these limitations were good, to have those to restrain such freedom isnt freedom at all for freedom means no restrictions, no bound.   Yes!   There is really freedom of the press existing here in the Philippines because the press still has their freedom to write, speak, and publish what is the truth.   But still, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦concepts as a less-free press or a freer pressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Reyes, 1992) do not exist.   It is because the term freedom of the press has no comparative form for it is if and only if process to acknowledge this right of free publication and also of free expression (Reyes, 1992).   Then, even though the press can still express what they want to express, but on the other hand still has limitations, then we could be on one side only.   Therefore, because of those limitations we have discussed before, freedom of the press do not exist.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Skil Corporation

Harvard Business School 9-389-005 op y September 15, 1988 Skil Corporation On March 23, 1979, Emerson Electric Company acquired Skil Corporation, a manufacturer of portable power tools, for $58 million. With sales of $2. 6 billion in 1979, Emerson Electric produced a broad range of electrical and electronic products and systems. tC Emerson Electric Company Emerson Electric, originally a manufacturer of electric motors and fans, had gradually expanded into a broad range of consumer and industrial products.It classified its businesses into commercial and industrial components and systems; consumer goods (including portable electric tools); and government and defense products (see Table A). Table A Sales and Pretax Income of Emerson Electric by Business Segments ($ millions) 1978 Pretax Income No Sales Commercial and industrial Consumer Government and defense Intercompany sales $1,380 698 176 (20) $201 123 21 1979 Sales Pretax Income $1,570 865 199 (20) $232 141 24 Source: Company annua l reportsEmerson’s business units manufactured products principally in electrical and electronic fields, such as electric motors, controls, drives, and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment. The company also manufactured power chain saws, gas cutting and welding equipment, vacuum cleaners, bench power tools (which it sold to Sears), and other consumer goods. Do With a stated goal of being the so-called best-cost producer in as many of its markets as possible, Emerson stressed cost reduction. Emerson defined best cost as the lowest-cost producer of high-quality products, making its products a superior customer value.Each division was measured on growth and return on invested capital. Cheng G. Ong wrote this case in collaboration with Professor Michael E. Porter on the basis of published materials and interviews with company executives. It is intended as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 1988 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163.No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. 1 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 Skil Corporation op y Emerson had embarked on a program of acquisitions to meet its aggressive goals of growing sales 15% annually and doubling earnings by 1981. Previously, Emerson had acquired only financially successful companies and had retained existing management.With the Skil acquisition, it broke precedent. Carried by a highly profitable electronic switch company, Skil had regist ered mediocre financial performance. Because of Emerson’s major position in the chain saw industry with its Beaird-Poulan Division, for antitrust reasons Emerson had to divest Skil’s $20 million in chain saw sales on acquiring Skil. From Emerson’s perspective, Skil was a turnaround situation. Chuck Knight, CEO of Emerson, wondered if Skil would represent a successful new diversification approach or prove that Emerson’s past acquisition philosophy had been correct.Jim Hardymon and Bill Davis, Emerson veterans installed as Skil’s new president and marketing vice president, had a more pressing problem. Faced with stiff competition from Black & Decker, Sears, and emerging Japanese competitors, Hardymon and Davis had to forge a new strategic direction. tC The Portable Power Tool Industry The power tool industry consisted of portable and stationary tools powered by electricity, gasoline, or air. Stationary tools such as table saws, band saws, radial arm saws, large grinders, and sanders were large, heavy units mounted on floor stands. Portable tools were hand held and mostly powered by an electric motor.The gasoline-powered chain saw was one of the few portable tools with a nonelectric engine. Pneumatic power was largely restricted to automotive tools such as grinders, buffers, impact wrenches, drills, and hammers. In 1979, portable electric power tools accounted for the majority of industry volume. No Portable electric power tools came in a wide range of sizes, prices, and qualities. Principal products were saws (circular, reciprocating, sabre, or jig); drills (corded or cordless, regular or hammer); and sanders (disc, orbital, belt, or combined sander/grinders). Other products included outers, planes, roto hammers, impact wrenches, polishers, and screwdrivers. Exhibit 1 shows domestic U. S. sales of portable tools by type of tool. A typical company product line consisted of about 200 tools plus accessories, for which a variety of sizes and price points were available. The portable power tool market was becoming increasingly segmented by price point. Circular saws, for example, ranged in price from $24. 99 to $199. 99 with typically 20 price points in between, each point designating a certain level of quality, durability, horsepower, and other product features. A typical manufacturer had 15 models. DoPortable electric power tools were used primarily for woodworking, metalworking, or automotive repair. Power tools could be broadly divided into professional (also called industrial) and consumer categories. Professional tools were designed for heavy-duty use and had higher horsepower and a longer useful life. They were markedly superior in quality and precision to those designed for the consumer market. For example, the gears for a professional saw were made of steel, whereas consumer saw gears were made from powdered metal, a lower-strength material. Professional tools sold at higher prices and gross margins t han consumer tools.For example, while a professional drill retailed at $100 or more, a consumer drill typically cost less than $50. The average gross margin for a consumer drill was 37% compared with 45% for a professional drill. Within both markets, the range of price, quality, and size gradations was wide. As consumer tools were becoming more sophisticated and of higher quality, however, the traditional distinction between consumer and professional tools was blurring. As a result, more and more tradespeople and other professionals were buying consumer tools, especially in developing countries where both markets were served through the same channels. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation 389-005 op y Product improvement in portable power tools took several forms. First was the use of battery power. Although the first cordless drill, driven by nickel cadmium batteries, was introduced in the early 1960s , cordless tools did not become commercially successful until the early 1970s. Cordless tools were generally less powerful than corded ones because of the limits of battery power and lightweight motors. They were generally regarded as consumer tools.As battery technology improved, professionals began using cordless tools for quick â€Å"touch-up† jobs while using corded professional tools for the main job. By the late 1970s, sales of cordless tools were growing rapidly. tC The second improvement was the availability of lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium, and plastic. For example, Skil and Black & Decker, leading U. S. competitors, had pioneered the use of high-strength plastic in consumer tools and had lowered their costs significantly. Tools were also being redesigned for improved ergonomics and balance.Japanese and European manufacturers had taken the lead in creating tools with better-fitting handles and improved gripping surfaces, thus providing better control for the user. Producers were also designing tools to be more energy efficient. Safety was the final area of development. Saws and other tools increasingly had features such as impact resistance, safety switches, and guards. Typically, using a team of four to six engineers, the design development for a new tool took two to four years, at a cost of $200,000 to $700,000 a year. Manufacturing a new model required $250,000 to $800,000 in tooling. Buyers NoProfessional buyers of tools were a highly diverse group that included metalworkers, building contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and farmers. They were concerned with performance, quality, durability, and service. They were very knowledgeable about portable electric power tools, which were often the primary tools used in the professional’s work. Tradespeople frequently purchased what they perceived as the best individual tool of each type and were only moderately influenced by the brand name. Portable electric powe r tools were also used in manufacturing firms for production activities and plant maintenance.Users in factories were generally less concerned than tradespeople about a tool’s quality and generally purchased whichever brand was available at their supply stores. Sales to the professional segment were growing steadily at 8% per year. Do Consumers were mainly hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers who bought mostly drills and circular saws. Consumer users tended to be more price conscious than professionals and more susceptible to brand advertising and promotions. The consumer segment had grown rapidly in the early 1970s and by 1979 accounted for half the U. S. power tool market.The growth rate for consumer tools varied greatly by individual product category. For example, between 1978 and 1979 alone, sales of cordless tools grew 50%. In the United Kingdom, the do-it-yourself market was growing at 23% annually and the industrial market, at about 2%. The do-it-yourself market in Europe w as projected to grow at a similar rate. In 1979, the portable electric power tool market was approaching $2,350 million worldwide, with about $868 million of that in the United States. Western Europe represented about one-third of the world market and Japan, 12. %. Table B shows the sales distribution of portable electric tools by geographic region. Developed country markets were similar in their channels and product varieties, although safety and electrical standards differed. In Europe, the industrial segment had traditionally dominated, and Black & Decker had pioneered the introduction of consumer tools. European tool designs tended to be more stylish than American ones. In Europe, tools were used primarily on concrete, and in the United States, on wood. 3 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright.[email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 World Portable Electric Power Tool Market in 1979 (sales by geographic region) Region Dollar sales United States West ern Europe Japan/Far East Latin America Canada Australia Other Total 37. 0% 34. 5 12. 5 3. 7 3. 1 2. 2 7. 0 100. 0% Units 40. 0% 32. 2 12. 5 3. 3 3. 3 2. 2 6. 5 100. 0% Channels op y Table B Skil Corporation No tC There were 15 separate distribution channels for power tools, ranging from specialized industrial outlets to mass merchandisers. Exhibit 1 gives estimated sales and growth rate by channel.Traditionally, industrial suppliers supplied professionals with their job needs and carried a broad range of higher-priced tools. Consumer channels such as hardware stores and mass merchandisers carried tools for consumers. With the advent of the do-it-yourself market in the mid-1970s, consumers also began shopping at more industrial channels such as lumber and building materials supply stores. These do-it-yourself consumers demanded higher quality and more features in their tools. By 1979, these stores were being partially displaced by home centers, which catered to both professionals an d consumers.A substantial volume of professional tools was increasingly sold through consumer channels. There were significant product and price point overlaps between the high-price consumer channels and the contractor and mill supply outlets. Industrial channels included plumbing supply, electrical supply, contractor supply, automotive repair, tool rental, mill supply, and lumber/building materials supply outlets. Consumer channels included mass merchandisers, hardware stores, home centers, and new outlets such as catalog showrooms and buying clubs.Consumer channels had not developed fully outside the United States and Europe but were emerging in Japan. Industrial channels generally purchased directly from manufacturers; consumer channels were served direct, through wholesalers, or via buying groups. Both types of channels provided customer assistance, while manufacturers supplied service and repairs through company service centers. Fast service was a strong factor in stimulating sales, especially to tradespeople who relied on their tools for their livelihoods. Do Industrial Channels Contractor supply. In 1979, there were about 750 contractor supply stores in the United States.These stores supplied building contractors with a variety of products, ranging from fasteners and tools to generators and building materials. This channel stocked a complete line of portable power tools from many different manufacturers, including at least the top two brands for each tool. Usually independent or part of small chains, contractor supply outlets purchased portable power tools directly from manufacturers. It was a common practice for manufacturers to train the contractor supply outlet’s sales force in selling their new tools to tradespeople and contractors at job sites.Portable electric power tools represented 20% to 30% of a contractor supply outlet’s total business and were generally priced below tools sold through other industrial channels. Mill supply. Mi ll supply stores were usually small, independent outlets buying directly from manufacturers. In 1979, there were about 1,100 mill supply houses in the United States. These outlets 4 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation 389-005 op y carried a broad line of products for factories, ranging from food to work clothes to tools.Although power tools comprised only 1% to 2% of total sales for mill supply stores, they were the most important channel for portable electric power tool sales to factories. Mill supply stores carried a limited line of portable power tools, selecting their assortment from only a couple of manufacturers. They sold mostly drills and grinders for metalworking and maintenance. Mill supply stores expected fast delivery of tools from manufacturers since customers often purchased tools on the spur of the moment. Portable power tools were usually sold at abovemarket prices. tC Tool specialist s.The 300 tool specialists in the United States were mostly independent single outlets whose primary buyer groups were general contractors and manufacturing workers. In 1979, sales of portable power tools were $45 million, growing at an estimated 5% annually. Tool specialists carried the greatest number of product lines, especially low-volume tools. The tools carried were usually the brand leader, high-priced, of professional quality, and sold at prices similar to those of contractor supply outlets. Electric-powered tools constituted about 30% of total sales. Plumbing and electrical supply outlets.In 1979, there were about 700 plumbing and 1,800 electrical supply outlets in the United States. Although several electrical supply chains were large and some were consolidating, plumbing and electrical supply outlets were usually small, independent stores; Graybar, Westinghouse, and General Electric maintained national electrical distributorships. These outlets carried a limited line of h igh-priced tools, especially reciprocating saws and drills, for sale to plumbers and electricians, respectively. Tools represented a minor (1% to 2%) portion of their total business.These outlets normally stocked only one or two brands and bought directly from the manufacturers. No Lumber/building materials supply outlets. These outlets stocked products similar to those in contractor supply stores, but concentrated more on materials. They carried a limited line of portable electric tools, those most in demand by contractors. Automotive distributors. These distributors supplied a wide range of products to the automotive service industry. The portable power tools they carried, such as grinders and impact wrenches, represented less than 1% of total sales. Tool and equipment rental outlets.These outlets rented higher-priced tools such as roto hammers and large sanders to tradespeople, contractors, or do-it-yourselfers for the occasional job. There were a few national rental companies. C onsumer Channels Do Mass merchandisers. Department stores such as Sears, J. C. Penney, and Montgomery Ward and discount merchandisers like K Mart were the largest sellers of portable power tools, accounting for almost 40% of U. S. consumer portable power tool sales in 1979. Sears sold private-label tools under its Craftsman line, which was primarily manufactured by Singer Company.Sears was the most significant single consumer outlet for portable electric power tools. Montgomery Ward and J. C. Penney sold Black & Decker, Skil, and Rockwell products under those brands and private labels. Department stores carried low- to mid-price point products for the middle market, while discounters concentrated on low-price point items. Mass merchandisers generally carried a narrow range of branded consumer tools. Sears offered the broadest line of all consumer channels. Sears, for example, stocked six to ten circular saws, while K Mart stocked two.Discount merchants frequently engaged in aggressi ve promotional campaigns, and tools were often highly discounted, sometimes to the level of the wholesale price of 5 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 Skil Corporation op y the tool to a hardware-store. Customer service was generally limited, although Sears offered aftersales service. Hardware stores. Independent hardware stores and chains offered a broad range of consumer tools and accessories, and some professional tools, often from several manufacturers.Hardware stores offered high levels of customer purchase assistance and service. Manufacturers sold direct to hardware chains and buying groups or through wholesalers. In 1979, there were 5,000 hardware stores serviced by 200 wholesalers. Manufacturers frequently engaged in cooperative advertising with this channel. Sales of portable power tools through hardware stores had been static. Home centers. Home centers were an emerging channel in 1979. They carr ied a wide range of merchandise connected to the home, including tools, lumber, lawn mowers, and general hardware.Home centers carried broad lines of tools at a number of price points but tended to avoid the lowestpriced consumer lines. Home centers offered customer purchase assistance and service. They had partly replaced traditional lumberyards. Other Channels tC Both consumers and professionals shopped at home centers. Consumer-oriented centers carried fewer product lines and lower-priced items than professional home centers or hardware stores. Home centers competed with mass merchandisers for consumer sales. Home center sales were $83 million in 1979 and growing rapidly at 12% to 14% per annum. NoOther smaller channels included government supply agencies, military supply stores, catalog showrooms, agricultural and farm supply outlets, premium and incentive supply outlets, hobby stores, and general merchandise stores. Marketing Most companies maintained a sales force to call on t he channels. The sales forces provided training to the outlet’s sales teams and demonstrated tools at job sites and in the store. They also maintained the company’s product displays. Tools were sold to each channel using different price lists with different discount structures. High-volume channels could qualify for volume discounts.Cooperative advertising with major channels was a common promotional practice by manufacturers. Catalogs and point-of-sale merchandising at industrial channels supplemented co-op advertisements. All the manufacturers also participated in trade shows. Do Competitors that targeted consumer users engaged in heavy media advertising. Exhibit 2 gives the advertising expenditures of major manufacturers. Manufacturing Portable electric power tools generally consisted of an outer shell, an electric motor, and screw machine parts such as gears and shafts, switches and attachments.The manufacture of portable electric tools involved fabrication and ass embly of these components. Parts fabrication technologies included machining, die casting, metal stamping, and heat treatment. The motor housing and tool handle were often made of molded plastic. Professional tools usually had more aluminum diecast parts than consumer tools. Purchased materials, machining, diecasting/ molding, motor win ding and assembly, and final assembly were the most significant costs in manufacturing. Diecasting and molding were subject 6 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright.[email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation 389-005 op y to the most significant economies of scale. In-house diecasting and molding reduced costs by about 20% over purchased components. The costs of molding, machining, and diecasting depended on the volume per part. The cost of motor and final assembly was determined by the volume per product family, that is, product lines that could be produced with the same manufacturing process. Purchased materials were the least scale-sensitive of the cost elements, with cost falling by only 3% when volume was doubled.Table C gives an approximate breakdown of manufacturing costs for a typical manufacturer. Table C Breakdown of Manufacturing Costs Consumer Tool 56% 5 5 14 20 100% 43% 25 14 10 8 100% tC Purchased materials Machining Diecasting and molding Motor assembly Final assembly Total Industrial Tool No Manufacturers could achieve significant cost savings through automation. Single-task machines like screw machines and grinders were being replaced by machining systems. A typical machining system cost $400,000, but the cost could be much higher.An automated motor production line cost $3 million and required that a million motors be produced a year to break even. Hitachi, a Japanese competitor, and several European manufacturers had invested heavily in automation and developed lines of tools from common base designs. Table D shows estimates of the percentage of total manufacturing cost, wit h and without automation, represented by each part of a circular saw with annual production of 100,000 units. Table D Estimates of Manufacturing Costs Saw Without Automation (% Unit Costs) 25. 0% 23. 0 5. 0 2. 0 1. 5 Do Housing MotorElectrical Bearings Packaging With Automation (% Unit Costs) 20. 0% 20. 0 5. 0 2. 0 4. 0 Manufacturers varied in their levels of integration, but none were completely integrated. The largest manufacturers produced attachments such as saw blades or feet for jigsaws, which smaller manufacturers purchased from outside suppliers. No tool manufacturer possessed the technology or scale to produce all the necessary components. Critical components that directly affected the performance of the tool (i. e. , parts that required machining or diecasting) were generally fabricated in-house.Most manufacturers also produced the motor, which consisted of two basic parts, the armature and the field. Proper balancing of the 7 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyr ight. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 Skil Corporation op y armature was critical to the performance of a tool. A motor’s power depended on the number and size of the laminations. Because of the high cost of the equipment and the long changeover time per model, lamination stamping was extremely scale-sensitive. A lamination press cost between $750,000 and $1 million, and a set of tooling dies cost $250,000.Production of about 10 million of a particular lamination size was required to break even. Typical motors required 10 to 20 laminations each. Manufacturers could purchase all the main components for power tools from specialized suppliers who sold to a variety of industries. Many supplier industries were mature, and some components were sourced from abroad. The components most often purchased included batteries, direct-current motors, metal stampings, plastic resins and parts, powdered metal parts, switches, cord sets, motor laminations, saw blades , ball bearings, and packaging.The cost of most purchased materials was determined by the overall volume purchased. Table E gives an approximate breakdown of costs as a percentage of sales for a typical manufacturer. Estimated Costs as a Percentage of Sales tC Table E Materials and supplies Direct labor Indirect labor and overhead Advertising expense Sales force expense Competition 35%—53% 6%—8% 10%—22% 4%—10% 4%—8% No In the 1960s and early 1970s, more than 70 manufacturers worldwide made portable electric tools, with approximately 20 located in the United States and the balance in Europe and Japan. Until the mid-1970s, competition in ower tools was largely domestic. Except for Black & Decker and Skil, few competitors exported or manufactured abroad. When manufacturers began selling in foreign markets, they differed in their marketing approach to buyers in different countries. U. S. manufacturers produced a different and wider line of products in their foreign plants compared with that produced for U. S. sale. Japanese manufacturers tended to offer the same range of products worldwide from plants in Japan. Table F lists the brand share of dollar sales in the world market in 1979. Table F Brand Share of World Portable Electric Power Tool Market, 1979Company 31. 1% 11. 1 10. 7 8. 3 7. 1 5. 0 4. 3 3. 5 2. 6 1. 9 1. 5 1. 4 1. 0 1. 0 9. 5 Do Black & Decker Makita Bosch Hitachi Skil AEG Singer Milwaukee Metabo Rockwell Peugeot Fein Elu Ryobi Others Percentage 8 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation 389-005 op y In 1979, there were approximately a dozen manufacturers of portable electric power tools competing in the U. S. market. Of these, seven were U. S. companies. Exhibit 3 shows the share of major companies by distribution channel in the United States.Black & Decker had a U. S. market share estimated at 40% to 43% of total dollar sales. Sears Roeb uck was in second position, with an estimated 16% to 20% market share. Skil was third with about 15%. The balance was held by Milwaukee, Rockwell, small specialist producers, various private-label manufacturers, and some emerging foreign competitors. In the industrial tool segment, Milwaukee was market leader with approximately 25% market share. Black & Decker was second with an estimated 20% market share. In third position was Skil with about 15%. Exhibit 4 lists selected financial data for the major U.S. portable electric tool manufacturers. tC Black & Decker Manufacturing Company. Black & Decker manufactured a broad line of electric and cordless portable power tools, portable air tools, and stationary and gasoline-powered equipment. In the late 1960s, Black & Decker moved into lawn care and began manufacturing lawn mowers and hedge trimmers. A chain saw company, McCulloch Corporation, was acquired in 1974. McCulloch began manufacturing moped engines in 1979. In the same year, Bla ck & Decker introduced its hand-held rechargeable vacuum cleaner. In 1979, worldwide sales were $1. billion. Portable electric tools represented about 75% of Black & Decker’s overall sales. The company’s goal was a yearly 15% growth in sales and earnings per share. In 1979, Black & Decker appointed the first person outside the Black and Decker families to head the company. No Black & Decker was known as the world’s oldest and largest power tool manufacturer. Black & Decker segmented the portable power tool industry into consumer and professional markets. Its product line was extremely broad and consisted of 280 models designed specially for either the professional or consumer markets.The company was best known for its consumer drills and industrial sander/grinder. Black & Decker’s line was designed around approximately 200 motor sizes. 1 Table G shows Black & Decker’s sales by market category. Black & Decker sold to virtually all distribution chann els, including national merchandisers such as K Mart, J. C. Penney, and Montgomery Ward. It had an extremely strong position in consumer channels, especially in low-priced drills and saws. In industrial channels, Black & Decker had established leadership in most product categories in mill upply outlets by focusing on the largest regionally dominant distributors where they were the sole line. The company’s products were in more than 70% of all U. S. homes. In the United Kingdom, Black & Decker had a 90% market share. Black & Decker’s distribution system involved more than 100,000 outlets worldwide. The company sold direct, through wholesalers to smaller outlets and via its network of 104 company-owned service centers in the United States and 221 in 45 foreign markets. Black & Decker’s service centers were supplemented by several hundred authorized service centers operated by independent local owners.Do Black & Decker enjoyed an extremely strong brand reputation a mong both consumers and industrial users. Black & Decker’s tools were priced below most of its competitors’. The company spent heavily on print and prime- time television advertising. Its worldwide advertising budget for 1978 was $47. 3 million, a 20% increase over 1977. Black & Decker had 31 plants in 10 countries. The company was largely nonunion, with only one unionized plant. Manufacturing was divided between professional and consumer tools. Each division produced tools for its own market. Black & Decker plants were partly automated.The company required a three-year payback on its investment in automation. In 1979, the company began replacing single-task machines with machining systems. The machining system comprised four units, an automatic sawing machine, a facing and centering unit, and two tracers. 1In 1979, Black & Decker’s U. K. company had reduced its number of models from 130 tools to 50. 9 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 Skil Corporation op y In late 1978, the company began to standardize its motors and armature shafts. Its U. K. plant produced 3. million consumer motors with one standard field lamination and one armature shaft; the different power requirements were achieved through variations in the windings, produced on an automated winding line. Black & Decker had developed its own â€Å"production flow† system, a combination of conventional flow-line techniques and group technology, in which machine tools were grouped around the production needs of components rather than components distributed among successive production processes. To reduce its work-in-process inventory, the company relied on computerization to organize the flow of parts through its plants.Black & Decker first adopted group technology and related automation in the mid-1960s. It applied the technique to the production of 7 ? -inch power handsaws, with a resulting decrease in direct labor from one hour per saw to 30 minutes and a 16% reduction in selling price. Black & Decker was one of the most vertically integrated manufacturers in the United States. Table G tC Foreign subsidiaries were responsible for marketing and product development in their markets. Research and development was conducted in the United States and four other countries on a budget exceeding $15 million.Each manufacturing facility had its own engineering staff. Black & Decker transacted 60% of its total business outside the United States. Black & Decker’s distribution of sales by geographic area is shown in Table G. Distribution of Black & Decker Sales By Market Category (percent) 1978 1977 63% 28 9 63% 28 9 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 $531. 9 480. 0 193. 2 $386. 4 414. 5 159. 0 $311. 4 361. 7 138. 5 $277. 8 334. 5 135. 9 $249. 0 293. 2 111. 7 67% 25 8 No Consumer products Professional products Service 1979 By Geographic Area ($ millions) Europe United States Pacific 1976 63% 2 6 11 1975 58% 31 1 Source: Black & Decker Annual Report, 1979. Do Sears Roebuck & Company/Singer Company. Sears Roebuck & Company operated 866 retail stores, 1,388 miscellaneous other stores (mostly catalog stores), and 14 catalog merchandise distribution centers. Sears also provided after-sales service at its retail centers. Positioned as a general-line retailer, Sears carried a broad mix of lines directed at the middle-class customer. Many Sears products were sourced from outside vendors and sold under a variety of Sears brand names. Sears had by far the highest sales of power tools of any single retailer.Sears’ own brand, Craftsman, had been an established trademark for more than 55 years. Craftsman portable power tools were seen as a consumer line and priced moderately. Sears’ excellent reputation for service was a major Sears advantage in selling power tools. Portable power tool sales at Sears had been flat. Singer manufactured all of the portable power tools for Sears, which for more than 40 years had been its sole tool customer in the United States. Singer also produced lawn and garden appliances and floor care products for Sears. In 1979, Singer’s total sales were $2. 9 billion. The company also manufactured sewing machines, furniture, and air conditioning and heating equipment for consumers, and aerospace and marine systems for the government. 10 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation 389-005 op y Singer manufactured 50 models of portable power tools in two plants. Its pricing was on a known-cost basis. Sears paid Singer an agreed-on markup over its actual costs, which were disclosed to Sears. Sears owned most of the specialized tooling.In 1979, Singer and Sears marketed power tools for the first time in Brazil under both the Craftsman and Singer trademarks. Singer was believed to enjoy above-average profitability in power tools. Rockwell Internationa l Corporation. Rockwell International was a diversified company operating in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, graphics, textile, and power tool industries. Rockwell had entered the power tool business in the early 1960s with the acquisition of Porter Cable, a well-respected industrial portable tool manufacturer, and Delta, an industrial stationary tool company.The company then marketed professional tools under the Rockwell label. tC Rockwell’s power tool division was estimated to hold just over 6% of the market. Rockwell tools had been sold through industrial channels until the late 1970s, when the company began marketing a new line of tools to consumers through mass merchandisers, hardware stores, and other retailers. Rockwell’s new product line matched Black & Decker’s. Rockwell set out to aggressively grow the business through heavy advertising. The company advertised to end users through comparative advertisements in trade and consumer magazin es.Rockwell’s bench top (stationary) power tools became quite popular among consumer users, although progress in portable tools had been modest: Rockwell produced a line of 130 tools in three plants. It had both company-owned service centers and a network of authorized independents throughout the United States and Canada. Components had been standardized so that 80% of the repairs involved 40% of the parts, lessening inventory requirements. Rockwell entered the U. K. market with its line of consumer tools in the late 1970s and suffered losses.In 1979, Rockwell took a $35 million write-off in consumer tools. No Milwaukee Tools. Milwaukee Tools was a subsidiary of Amstar Corporation, the largest producer of sweeteners in the United States, with sales of $1,056. 4 million in 1979. Milwaukee had been producing portable electric tools since 1924 and was acquired by Amstar in 1976. Amstar’s Industrial Products Group consisted of Milwaukee and other companies producing hoists , jacks, fluid joints, couplings, and other industrial tools and equipment. Sweeteners accounted for 84% of Amstar’s sales, although it was seeking greater diversification.Sugar prices were severely depressed in 1979 and were expected to be soft for the next few years. Milwaukee concentrated on tools for the professional market. Its line consisted of about 280 models of portable electric tools manufactured in three plants. The Milwaukee Sawzall and drill were the company’s best-known tools. Milwaukee sold through more than 5,000 distributors in the United States and Canada serving industrial channels. It had a very strong brand image in the professional market and a good position in all industrial channels, especially plumbing and electrical supply outlets.Milwaukee had established a strong position in contractor supply in high-priced drills and reciprocating saws. Milwaukee’s tools were priced above other brands. Do Makita Electric Works Ltd. Makita Electric Wo rks (Japan) was originally a motor repair shop. It entered the power tool market in the 1950s. By 1979, its annual sales approached $250 million, with international sales accounting for about 45%. Makita concentrated on tools for the professional market, especially for woodworking. The company had 250 professional-quality tool models in its product line.There were strong similarities in Makita tools sold in domestic and overseas markets. Makita priced its tools aggressively, sometimes 20% to 30% below prevailing market prices for the normal professional tools. Makita had pioneered the introduction of lower-priced materials on professional tools (for example, plastic versus metal housings). To sell its tools, Makita had to convince users they were as good as conventional tools but less expensive. 11 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 89-005 Skil Corporation op y Makita manufactured tools in two plants located in Japa n. Dedicated equipment manufactured specific product families. The cost-conscious company awarded employees for recommendations on cost savings or new product ideas. In Japan, Makita had 400 salespeople selling directly to retail outlets. Makita’s sales in the U. S. market had grown from less than $10 million in 1976 to approximately $25 million in 1979. Makita was making a major push for U. S. market share, combining high quality with aggressive pricing.In 1979, Makita sold primarily through industrial channels, although it had an aggressive direct sales force selling at job sites. Robert Bosch Gmbh. Robert Bosch (West Germany) was the second-largest portable electric power tool manufacturer in the world. The company manufactured a variety of products and equipment, ranging from automotive parts to production machinery and systems. In 1979, sales of portable electric power tools were approximately $400 million; $22 million were in the U. S. market. tC Bosch had a very strong position in Europe and distributed through all channels.The company manufactured about 250 models in six plants located throughout Europe. In the United States, the company concentrated on the professional segment. In 1979, it acquired Stanley Tool’s portable power tool business in the United States. Stanley was a strong brand name in routers. Hitachi. Backed by Japan’s largest electrical manufacturer, Hitachi had portable electric power tool sales in 1979 of $175 million, commanding about 40% of the market in Japan. Sales in the United States were less than $1 million. No Hitachi’s power tools were of industrial quality, primarily for metalworking.The company was regarded as an industry leader in several tools. Tools were designed for the world market and manufactured in one plant located in Japan. Others. AEG Telefunken of Germany was an established manufacturer of portable electric power tools in Europe. Ingersoll-Rand, a U. S. manufacturer, also produced po rtable electric tools under its Millers Falls brand. Skil Corporation Skil Corporation was founded in the 1920s in Chicago. Its original product was the circular saw, which it invented, but gradually it expanded into other power tools.Skil had a long history of introducing new products. It had a number of industry firsts or near firsts to its credit, including an early cordless drill, the first portable electric saw, and the first consumer electric hedge trimmer. Do Skil entered the Canadian market in 1946. In the 1950s, Skil invented the roto hammer but, while retaining manufacturing rights, sold the patents to Hilti, a company in Liechtenstein, to raise cash. In the 1960s, the company began producing lower-priced tools for consumers. During the same period, Skil began manufacturing in Europe and Australia.In the 1970s, the company entered markets in the Far East and Latin America. In the 1960s, Skil developed an electronic switch and formed a new company, Capax, in the Netherlands to produce and supply electronic switches to Skil and other power tool manufacturers. Various competitors soon used electronic variable speed switches to control speed in many tools. The Capax subsidiary was still highly profitable. Since its inception, Skil had been managed by members of one family that had controlling interest in the company.Under increasing competitive pressure, Skil’s financial results had not been 12 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation 389-005 op y stellar, although reported profitability had improved in recent years. Exhibits 5, 6, and 7 give recent Skil financial results. Products Skil served both the professional and consumer markets. It had a broad product line, including all significant types of tools in numerous shapes and variations at all price points. In the United States, more than 130 models employed 11 motor frame sizes.Skil also had about 150 different Europ ean models and about 75 for the rest of the world. Its circular saw line remained Skil’s single strongest product area. The company also had good positions in mid-priced drills and roto hammers. tC Skil engineers were encouraged to aggressively develop new models, and the company strove for the best product performance rather than commonality with other models. New designs were released for manufacturing at one of Skil’s plants. In 1978, Skil had 93 engineers and technicians employed in its research laboratories.Expenditure for research and engineering was approximately $2. 7 million. Skil product designs varied in different countries according to local needs. In circular saws, for example, Skil had seven different U. S. saws, two European versions, two Canadian versions, and two for other export markets, totaling 35 models using 12 different motors worldwide. Skil had a higher percentage of professional tools in its product mix than Black & Decker. Skil tools were pre dominantly metallic, with cut steel gears and metal housings. Channels No Skil sold through all the distribution channels for power tools.Skil was well established in hardware stores and had a strong position in circular saws in contractor supply channels due primarily to a â€Å"worm drive† professional saw that was the industry standard. Skil tools were also sold through department stores. The company’s major domestic accounts were with Montgomery Ward and J. C. Penney, which represented 10% of its sales in the United States. Skil’s sales force serviced all its distributors except the mass merchandisers, who were sold to direct, and hardware stores, which were served through wholesalers.The company had 2,200 customers, including 200 wholesalers, which serviced hardware stores. From the beginning, the company had established service centers throughout the country. In 1979, it had 76 company-owned service centers and 427 authorized service stations throughout th e United States. Marketing Do Skil’s 150-person sales force was broadly specialized by channel. Merchandising techniques included self-contained displays that show-cased promotional tools to the consumer. Skil seldom advertised (except in cooperative programs with channels), relying more on product publicity.Occasionally the company sponsored sales promotions and consumer media advertising campaigns in magazines, newspapers, and television. Manufacturing Skil manufactured products in 13 plants throughout North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Plants were dedicated to either component fabrication or assembly. Components plants were generally single-function facilities for such activities as diecasting, screw machining, saw blade manufacture, and motors production. The most popular motor frame size was manufactured in five 13 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright.[email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 Skil Corporation op y plants located in four countries, with annual production ranging from 50,000 units to 800,000 units per plant. Annual motor production in other frame sizes varied from 12,000 units to 870,000 units per plant. In the United States (Illinois, Arkansas, and New York), three feeder plants produced components and four manufacturing plants produced different products. The Netherlands had two plants, one for electronic switches, as did Canada; Australia and Brazil (a joint venture) had one each.Skil plants were partly automated with motor winding lines and some machining centers. Skil’s newest plant in Heber Springs, Arkansas, had opened in 1979. International Do No tC Skil sold tools on a worldwide basis, with its greatest international strength in Europe. The company’s worldwide operations were divided into three regions: the United States, Europe, and Other. Each was autonomous and had plants that produced the full product line for that region. A network of country managers was responsib le for sales and service in each country. 14 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright.[email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. Skil Corporation U. S. Portable Electric Power Tool Market in 1979: Product Sales by Distribution Channel ($ millions) Consumer Mass Merchandisers Circular saws Drills—corded Drills—cordless Jigsaws Orbital sanders Belt sanders Roto hammers Sander/grinders Planes Miscellaneous Parts/service Total Percentage growth $ 40 36 3 21 19 11 — 6 2 29 22 $189 2%–4% Industrial Hardware/ Home Centers $ 37 37 9 12 7 6 — 3 1 37 42 $191 Mill Supply Contractor Supply Plumbing/ Electrical $ 20 46 2 3 5 8 4 26 1 14 15 $144 2%–3% $ 36 32 3 3 2 8 6 0 2 11 12 $135 2%–3% $2 25 2 2 1 1 3 2 — 13 11 $ 62 2%–3% Others/ Service Total $8 19 1 1 3 1 19 2 — 18 75 $147 $143 195 20 42 37 35 32 59 6 122 177 $868 Do No tC Product op y Exhibit 1 389-005 15 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyrig ht. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 U. S. National Consumer Advertising of Portable Electric Tools by Leading Manufacturers, 1975–1979 ($ thousands) 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 $2,613. 5 178. 7 1,793. 5 590. 1 51. 2 $4,479. 3 — 3,506. 1 973. 2 — $6,487. 6 12. 8 6,339. 4 135. 4 — $6,208. 3 — 5,560. 1 648. 2 — $1,222. 258. 4 345. 3 618. 3 — — $870. 6 318. 6 — 396. 0 — 156. 0 $2,147. 3 761. 4 1,252. 7 77. 0 — 56. 2 $320. 5 217. 7 — 102. 8 — — $1,038. 5 270. 8 767. 7 — — — $1,769. 8 584. 4 1,169. 7 — 15. 7 — $2,541. 7 950. 1 1,425. 2 — 164. 6 1. 8 $3,808. 1 926. 4 1,608. 2 1,163. 8 109. 7 — $4,252. 7 699. 8 2,712. 2 771. 2 69. 5 — $940. 3 106. 4 256. 9 577. 0 — — $1,800. 4 153. 6 — 1,645. 0 — 1. 8 $852. 7 — — 848. 2 — 4. 5 $1,342. 2 — 1,217. 7 13. 8 110. 7 $2,724. 9 99. 9 1,839. 3 699. 9 85. 8 Rockwell Total Magazines Network TV Spot TV Outdoor Newspaper $1,396. 8 434. 2 927. 9 33. 3 1. 4 —No tC Black & Decker Total Magazines Network TV Spot TV Newspapers Sears Total Magazines Network TV Spot TV Radio Outdoor op y Exhibit 2 Skil Corporation Skil Total Magazines Network TV Spot TV Radio Outdoor — — — — — — Source: Leading National Advertisers, Inc. , â€Å"National Advertising Investments. † Includes companies spending $25,000 or more on the combination of national magazines, newspaper supplements, network TV, network radio, spot TV, and outdoor advertising. The data do not include cooperative advertising by retailers, the cost of which is shared by manufacturers. DoNote: No data on advertising expenditures for portable electric tools were available for Bosch, Milwaukee, and Makita. 16 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783 -7860. Skil Corporation U. S. Portable Electric Power Tool Market in 1979: Brand Sales by Distribution Channel ($ millions) op y Exhibit 3 389-005 Hardware/ Home Centers Skil Black & Decker Milwaukee Rockwell Bosch AEG Millers Falls Makita Hilti Singer Wen Total $8 54 — 9 — — — — — 107 11 $189 $ 44 115 6 14 — — — 2 — — 10 $191 Mill Supply $ 12 93 11 13 7 3 2 3 — — — $144 ContractorSupply Plumbing/ Electrical Others/ Service Total $ 26 36 33 11 10 3 5 11 — — — $135 $1 13 35 2 3 2 2 4 — — — $62 $ 15 63 10 5 5 2 1 4 32 9 1 $147 $106 374 95 54 25 10 10 24 32 116 22 $868 Do No tC Company Mass Merchandisers 17 Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617-783-7860. 389-005 Selected Financial Information on Portable Electric Tool Manufacturers ($ millions) 1976 Black & Decker Sales Net income ROS % Debt/eq uity % ROE % Capital expenditures 1978 811. 7 51. 7 6. 4 0. 22 13. 4 29. 4 959. 9 66. 2 6. 9 0. 20 15. 6 38. 3 1,205. 0 94. 4 7. 8 Skil Corporation INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKIL CORPORATION CASE ANALYSIS STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SECTION: C ASSIGNMENT #: 3 INSTRUCTOR: ABDUL QADIR MOLVI DATE: 12TH MARCH, 2013 Q1. What is your analysis of structure of possible Electric Power Tool Industry? According to the Porter’s Five Forces Analysis the industry is moderately attractive. Q2. How the industry structure is changing? Are these changes for better or worse? The power tool industry consisted of portable and stationary tools with wide range of sizes prices and qualities.The industry was becoming increasingly segmented by price point, with each point representing a certain level of quality. The power tools were broadly divided into two categories; professional/industrial and consumer. The professional tools were superior in quality and therefore were sold at higher prices and greater gross margins than the consumer tools. However, as the consumer tools were becoming more sophisticated and of better quality the distinction bet ween both the categories started to blur.As technology was improving the trends of usage of power tools changed (corded tools were replaced by cordless ones). The other improvement was the availability of lighter materials (aluminum, magnesium and plastic). This helped in lowering the costs of production. Also, energy efficient tools were developed and safety was emphasized as an area of development. All the occurring changes reflected growth potential in the power tool industry.Some of the changing factors which indicated the potential for development, betterment and growth of the industry include the increasing emphasis on quality, safety, more energy efficient products, advancements in technology and wide ranges of product with varying prices. Q3. What was Skil’s competitive strategy in 1979? How would you evaluate its relative position? In 1979 Skil Corporation had 76 company owned service centers and 427 authorized service stations throughout United States. It followed a lower-priced tools strategy for its consumers.Also, it differed in its strategy while catering to each country’s (where it exported or manufactured) particular needs. The corporation encouraged its’ engineers to aggressively develop new models and strive for the best product performance. Skil hardly advertised its products and relied mostly on product publicity. It catered to both professional and consumer markets. Initially, circular saws were strongest product among the contractor supply channel because of the industry standard for a professional saw which any other competitor did not match.The circular saws remained Skil’s strongest product area. The evaluation of Skil Corporation’s relative position indicates that it was focusing on new products in existing markets. In short, it was inclined towards new product development. Q4. What strategic options does Skil Corporation have? According to the analysis of Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Mode l the industry was moderately attractive. On the other hand we can also notice that the competition was extremely fierce in the industry by analyzing the brand shares given in the case:Company| Percentage| Black & Decker| 31. 1%| Makita| 11. 1%| Bosch| 10. 7%| Hitachi| 8. 3%| Skil| 7. 1%| AEG| 5. 0%| Singer| 4. 3%| Miiwaukee| 3. 5%| Matabo| 2. 8%| Rockwell| 1. 9%| In this situation it’s not just merely selection and implementation of a strategy that matters but also the right selection (out of the options) and adequate implementation along with follow-up. Following were the strategic options for Skil Corporation: * To go for mergers & acquisitions in order to increase sales and profitability. To use defensive strategies in order to put obstacles in the path of would-be challengers and fortify the company’s present position while undertaking actions to dissuade rivals from even trying to attack. * To use best-cost strategy. This strategy would have enabled Skil to creat e strong market presence by giving buyers more value for the money. * To go for divestment. Q5. What strategy will you recommend to Skil Corporation? Skil can gain its strong position back in the market if it follows certain strategies such as: * Focusing on a particular segment or broadening its distribution horizon to more than just the departmental stores.In short, Skil’s relative position in the market of only around 7% share (1979) is clearly due to the company trying to please more markets than it is capable of and hence, focus and integration could ensure a better position to an extent. * Considerably more spend on consumer advertising. According to the figures shown in Exhibit 2, it is quite evident that the advertising spend of Black & Decker in 1978 was approximately 300% more than Skil Corp.