Biological Psychology

The Grafton Group Project

Understudy Names: Stephen Bray B00037534 Johnny GeraghtyB00020240 Alan LennonB00020051 Emmet Toft B00015911 [pic] Module Name:Strategic Management 2 Lecturer:Mr Liam Bolger Submission Date:29th April, 2010 Word Count:10,413 Table of Contents Background of the company:2 History of the company:3 The Environment7 PESTEL analysis7 Political7 Economic7 Sociocultural8 Ireland populace by Age 20069 Technology10 Environment10 Legal10 Key drivers for change10 The Industry11 Porters Five Forces analysis11 Substitute items/services12 Bargaining intensity of buyers12 Bargaining intensity of suppliers12 Rivalry/Competition13 Openings and Threats14 Opportunities identified15 Threats identified16 Financial Information Analysis17 Analysis of Financial Reports18 Liquidity Ratios18 Profitability Ratios20 Net Profit Margin per Segment20 Earnings per share (EPS)21 Analysis:23 Liquidity:23 Profitability:24 Debt:24 Return on Investment:24 Borrowings:25 issues with getting to credit. 25 Share Price26 Source http:investor/graftongroupplc. com27 Liquidity: Excellent27 Financial Strength:Excellent27 Profitability: Fair27 Growth: 027 Source www. corporateinformation. com27 Outlook for the Future28 Rationalization measures:29 Plans for 2010:29 Opportunities 2010:29 Group Strengths30 Weaknesses31 Strategic Capability31 Critical Success factors for clients (an example of however not restricted to):33 Corporate Governance35 Grafton Group’s Compliance with the Combined Code36 The Board †who reports to whom? 37 Directors’ Independence and Board Balance38 Performance of the Board39 Corporate Social Responsibility †CSR and Ethics39 Shareholder and Stakeholder Expectations and Influences41 Culture of Organizations and Grafton Group43 Strategic Direction and Corporate level strategy44 Corporate Parent44 The corporate parent as a Synergy manager45 Vital Drift46 International Strategy48 Table Pre-Merger48 Table Post-Merger50 Traditional purposes behind Merger failure51 Through a potential merger Grafton may:52 Strategic Directions53 Market Consolidation54 Market Diversity (Related)55 International technique †Travis Perkins and Grafton merger? 56 Bibliography59 Plagiarism Disclaimer:60 Background of the organization: Grafton Group plc is a free, benefit development situated organization with tasks principally in the UK and furthermore in Ireland. The Group has solid national and provincial situations in the merchanting, DIY retailing and mortar markets. The Group means to accomplish better than expected returns for investors. Grafton’s methodology is to expand on solid situations in organizations serving the UK and Irish development divisions, to create in related markets, and to develop in organizations with which it is recognizable. In Great Britain, Grafton is the fourth biggest merchanting business exchanging from 430 areas involving 219 Builders Merchanting branches exchanging chiefly under the Buildbase and Jackson brands and 211 Plumbers Merchanting branches exchanging primarily under the Plumbase brand. EuroMix is the market head in the UK dry mortar advertise where it exchanges from a system of nine assembling plants in England and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, MacNaughton Blair is one of the main builder’s shippers in the territory where it exchanges from 20 areas. In the Republic of Ireland, the Group is the biggest manufacturers and plumber’s merchanting business exchanging broadly from 62 branches under the Chadwicks and Heiton Buckley brands. The Group is the market chief in DIY retailing in the Republic of Ireland, exchanging broadly from 41 stores and is additionally occupied with the assembling of mortar, plastics and windows in the Republic of Ireland. Today, in Ireland, Grafton is the biggest manufacturers and handymen traders and the unmistakable market pioneer in DIY retailing. In the UK the Group’s merchanting activity is the fourth biggest in the market. 2005 turnover was â‚ ¬2. 6 billion and Profit after Tax added up to â‚ ¬166 million. History of the organization: Grafton’s beginnings go back to 1902 and from that point forward the Chadwick family have assumed a focal job in the improvement of the business. 1909 William Thomas Chadwick sets up his first business called Chadwicks (Dublin) Limited to flexibly developers vendors and significant structure temporary workers with Irish and imported concrete and mortar. Today Chadwicks is the second biggest manufacturers and handymen merchanting brand in Ireland, exchanging from 31 branches broadly. 1930 William Chadwick obtains control of a little firm occupied with the production of solid squares and rooftop tiles, which his organization was providing with concrete. In 1931 Concrete Products of Ireland was enrolled as a private constrained organization. Today it is called CPI Limited and is a main maker of dry mortar in the Irish market. William Chadwick, the Group’s organizer, kicks the bucket toward the finish of the Second World War, leaving the business to his two children †Terence and Finton Chadwick. 1965 Concrete Products of Ireland turns into an open organization and buys Chadwicks (Dublin) Limited from the Chadwick family. Simultaneously Marley Limited expands its holding to 51%. Marley’s relationship with Concrete Products of Ireland goes back to the finish of the Second World War when Marley procured a minority shareholding. 985 Mr. Michael Chadwick is named Executive Chairman. 1987 Marley plc chooses to focus on the assembling of building materials and as a result sold its controlling shareholding in the Group. The Marley shareholding was put with institutional financial specialists and the Group’s the board. The Group opens its first DIY retailing store in the Irish market. 1988 The Group chang es its name to Grafton Group plc and makes its first UK procurement, a little warming and plumbing business which gives the Group recognition with the huge UK merchanting market. 990 The Group secures MacNaughton Blair a since quite a while ago settled and notable Belfast-based manufacturers vendors. Likewise during the year Grafton secures Joseph Kelly and Son (1994) Limited in Dublin, a manufacturers merchanting business which was to turn out to be all around set to serve the requirements of the structure exchange the focal point of Dublin. 1994 The Group’s extends fundamentally in the UK with the obtaining of Bradley’s and Lumley and Hunt plumbing and warming tasks. All out deals in Britain and Northern Ireland increment by 53%, speaking to 21% of Group turnover. 995 Grafton gains P. P. S. Mortars †a storehouse mortar plant situated in Glasgow. This business embraces the EuroMix storehouse mortar plan of action and innovation, which has been effectively evolved by CPI, the Group’s Irish solid items business. Today EuroMix is the main UK mortar maker with eight plants. 1996 The Group proceeds with its vital improvement in the UK with its first securing of a builder’s merchanting business †R. J. Johnson, situated in Oxford. 1997 The Group keeps on procuring in the UK including a further 14 areas through six little yet huge acquisitions and accomplishes minimum amount in its UK activities. This is the Group’s tenth year as an autonomous open organization; a time of extensive accomplishment wherein deals expanded 18% every year and income per share developed at an annualized pace of 29%. 1998 UK builders’ merchanting tasks extend generously with the obtaining of British Dredging plc, the first run through an Irish organization procures a recorded UK plc. This business works an aggregate of 23 areas fusing 17 builders’ dealers and six plumber’s vendors. The builder’s merchanting activity is incorporated under the Buildbase brand, which was built up in 1997 as the exchanging name for the Group’s UK builder’s merchanting activity. During that year the Group makes another six acquisitions including a further 19 areas, including the London based Deben Builders Merchants business with 10 branches and A R Hendricks Limited, a substantial side manufacturers vendor exchanging from five branches. 1999 The Group proceeds with its jolt on procurement program including a 16 additional areas, through eight acquisitions in the UK. All through the nineties the Group proceeds with the extension of its Irish merchanting and DIY retailing activities and unites its situation as market pioneer in the two segments. 2000/2001 During these years, the Group proceeds apace with its jolt on obtaining system. A sum of 24 acquisitions were made during the period, many single branch activities that include an incentive through infilling the Group’s by and large system of areas in the UK. 002 This is a record year with a sum of 15 acquisitions adding a further 39 branches to the UK merchanting system. These acquisitions included five little chains: Lakes in Derby, BMB in Barnsley, and PDM in Edinburgh, Aizlewoods in Rotherham and JKS Heating and Plumbing Supplies in Manchester. 2003 The Group attempts its biggest ever securing up to this point †Jackson Building Centers in England including 18 branches †and makes another critical obtaining with Plumbline, Scotland’s biggest free handymen vendors with 17 areas. Generally speaking it was a bustling year with a further seven jolt on acquisitions finished, giving an aggregate of nine acquisitions for 2003. Grafton now has 137 plumbers’ merchanting branches exchanging under the Plumbase brand and 139 builders’ merchanting branches exchanging essentially under the Buildbase and Jackson brands. 2004 The Group finishes its 100th obtaining since 1998, averaging more than one every month. An aggregate of 19 acquisitions are finished during the year, another record year for improvement. Grafton agrees to secure Heiton Group plc, subject to administrative endorsement. 005 In January Grafton finishes the obtaining of Heiton Group plc. This business incorporates, bury alia, the No. 1 builder’s mercha

5 of the Best Audiobooks Narrated By Soneela Nankani

5 of the Best Audiobooks Narrated By Soneela Nankani This list of audiobooks narrated by Soneela Nankani is sponsored by My Dark Vanessa, a novel by Kate Elizabeth Russell, on sale 3-10-20 from William Morrow. Enter for a chance to win one of 250 available early audio downloads of MY DARK VANESSA, an extraordinary debut performed by Grace Gummer. “Brilliant and stunning . . . an absolute must read.” â€" Gillian Flynn. My Dark Vanessa explores the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself. I’ve been listening to audiobooks most of my life, but I’m still delighted to find a new favorite narrator. This happened a few years ago when I first discovered Soneela Nankani. Her voice is clear and rich, adding depth to the stories she reads. She delivers dialogue with so much energy and personality; it’s no surprise that I was smitten with her voice from the very first lines I heard her read. Nankani narrates books from such a wide range of genres, so you’ll be able to find something to enjoy no matter what kind of books you enjoy! Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi As a huge Roshani Chokshi fan, I couldn’t wait for her series with Rick Riordan Presents, an imprint of Disney-Hyperion that publishes writers from different ethnicities, giving them a platform to share middle grade myth retellings from their own cultures. In this case, Chokshi’s Aru Shah and the End of Time retells the story of the Pandava brothers from Hindu mythology. In Chokshi’s version, the Pandavas have been reborn as girls! From the first few minutes of this story, I felt sucked into Aru’s adventure. Nankani’s voice felt so real, as if she was sitting down and telling me the story herself, and it was the first time that I felt mesmerized by Nankani’s talent. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey From the moment I started this audiobook, I knew Perveen Mistry was the hero I needed in my life. As one of the first women lawyers in 1920s Bombay, Perveen Mistry uses her skills to help her female clients. After a Muslim man dies, only Perveen possesses the skill and ability, as a woman, to visit the man’s widows in their seclusion from all men who aren’t their relatives. As Perveen gets to know her clients, she discovers that there may be more to this man’s death than she first realized. Nankani’s audiobook narration captures Perveen’s fiery spirit as she fights for her place in her chosen career. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty On the streets of 18th century Cairo, Nahri has made a home for herself conning rich people out of their coins with fake rituals and remedies. But Nahri’s life changes forever when she accidentally calls forth a djinn warrior who whisks her away to the djinn capital of Daevabad. From there, we enter a royal court filled with scheming nobles who would love nothing more than to see Nahri dead. With its intense world-building and complex plots, high fantasy can easily feel overwhelming, but Soneela Nankani’s narration helps listeners keep all the details straight and enables us to just sit back and enjoy the story. Our Women on the Ground edited by Zahra Hankir One of the best under-the-radar audiobooks from last year, Our Women on the Ground: Essays By Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World includes pieces by women journalists from a wide range of countries and cultures. Especially here in the West, it’s important to listen to these women’s voices reporting from the Arab countries. They’re fighting for peace, education, and women’s rights in the places they work in and call home. Each essay is a tour de force, shedding light on a different aspect of these incredible women’s chosen career, and Nankani’s voice clearly communicates their stories. MEM by Bethany C. Morrow Set in an alternative 1920s Canada, MEM tells the story of a MEM, a cloned memory, that has mysteriously become sentient. Throughout the story we follow the nameless MEM as she fights for a life of her own outside of her creator’s wishes. MEM asks readers to contemplate deep questions: What makes us human? Can we lose our memories and still be who we are? Through her struggles, the MEM finds a name for herself and learns to fight for the right to exist and for her place in the world. Sign up for Audiobooks to receive the latest from the audiobooks world. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Sample of Leadership Essay

Sample of Leadership Essay The Meaning of Leadership Leadership is an ability to lead people in order to achieve specific goals. This is a managerial relationship between the leader and his or her followers based on an effective combination of different sources of power for the specific situation. As a rule leadership is aimed at encouraging people to achieve common goals. The necessary requirement of leadership is the possession of power in certain formal or informal organizations of different levels and scale. These organizations may range from the state and groups of countries to government agencies, local governments, national or social movements and groups. Formalized leader’s power is traditionally fixed by law. But in all cases the leader possesses social, psychological and emotional support in the community or in groups of people who follow him or her. There is formal and informal leadership. In the first case the subordinates are influenced from the certain position. The process of influencing people through personal abilities, skills and other resources is called informal leadership. It is believed that the ideal leadership combines two bases of power: personal and organizational. Leadership aims at achieving organizational effectiveness. On the one hand, leadership is considered to be a particular set of qualities attributed to those who successfully influence the others. On the other hand, this is a process of no-force achieving goals by certain groups or organizations. Since ancient times the concept of effective leadership was traditionally defined on the basis leader’s qualities or samples of his or her behavior. Anyway, leadership is a

Missionaries Are to Blame in Chinua Achebes Things Fall...

Missionaries Are to Blame in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart The burden and calling to reach out and help others, enfold many people in society throughout the world. Rich or poor, young or old, black, red or white, the motive is helping those with a need. As Chinua Achebe points out in his book, Things Fall Apart, though there is the aspiration to lend a hand, it can sometimes become deadly, and even fatal to the lives of people. Although the missionaries try help convert the Ibo village of Umuofia to Christianity, their presence in Africa is harmful to the lives and culture of the Ibo. The men that come to Umuofia destroy the cultural balance of faith and religion that encompasses the native people in Africa.†¦show more content†¦They assist in, ...[building] a trading store and for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia (146). Economically, the Ibo villages improve, and slowly schools and hospitals are erected. Education and knowledge from the outside world becomes accessible, as well as quality of the lives of many, both spiritually and physically. The missionaries rescue and, ...welcome twins and such abomination (130), and save them from cruel deaths. After that, the osu or outcasts also think that it is possible to be accepted into society. A new society, which saves twins from dying because of superstition from the tribes and receives outcasts with warm and loving hospitality. However, although the missionaries bring the start of advanced technology and education to Africa, their wish to im prove comes with a price that greatly outweighs the good. The strategy of the Europeans is to attack religion, the central factor that controls the lives of so many. Slowly, with that influence, they win many of the tribes brothers, and [their] clan can no longer act like one. (145) Anarchy reigns, when the two clans are torn apart with the superior white mans religion overcoming traditional beliefs. 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The novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe is about the Ibo people and how they have to face the threat of colonization and the white people’s religion which is Christianity. When Achebe portrayed the missionaries and Europeans,Read More Parental Relationships in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood1818 Words   |  8 PagesParental Relationships in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, are two novels that emphasize the complexities of relationships between parents and their children. In Achebe’s story, the protagonist of the novel, Okonkwo, has distant relationships with his children (particularly Nwoye and Ezinma) because their father sees them as inadequate in many ways. Okonkwo hasRead MoreThings Fall Apart and a Small Place: Comparing the Theme of Cultural Integrity1295 Words   |  6 Pagesweakness. 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Enzymes and Temperature Free Essays

Zaquia Austin Enzymes and Temperature Laboratory #6 3/13/2013 Purpose (Objectives): The purpose of this experiment was for students to be able to understand the enzyme-facilitated reaction and explain how enzyme activity can be affected by environment conditions. Abstract: This experiment mainly delt with enzymes and the reaction that enzymes have with different solutions in various temperatures. Three different exercises were done. We will write a custom essay sample on Enzymes and Temperature or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first exercise had to do with enzymes and temperature. During this exercise three different test tubes were used for three different temperates. The first test tube which involved 0 ? C water bath had a total conversion of starch to sugar in the first 15 minutes, and the second test tube which involved 37? C water bath had a total conversion of starch to sugar after the first five minutes. While the third test tube took a little longer. The second exercise had to do with enzymes and substrate concentration. This exercise took longer for the all of the starch to be removed from the test tubes, and it involved 37? C water bath for all five test tubes. The last exercise had to do with enzymes and pH. This exercise involved four test tubes all put into a water bath of 37? C. The fourth test tube had a total conversion of starch to sugar in the first five minutes while the other three took a little longer to convert. Experiment Observation: First the water baths and the 1% Alpha-amylase was prepared. Three different water baths were prepared. One being set at 0? C, the next being set at 37? C and the last one being set at 100? C. Next a 96-well microplate was marked with times and numbers based on the test tubes number. Then using a pipet one drop of iodine was placed into each well (1,2,3) up to total of 30 minutes. Then the test tubes were marked 1cm and 6cm from the bottom. Afterward, 1cm of alpha-amylase was pipetted into each test tube. Then, test tube 1 was incubated at 0? C, test tube 2 was incubated at 37? C, and test tube 3 was incubated at 100? C for five minutes. After that 1% starch solution was added to the 6cm mark. Next it was put back into its assigned water bath for another 5 minutes. Then two drops of solution was put into its corresponding number on the microplate in the 5 minute row. The color was immediately recorded. The steps were repeated for a interval of 30 minutes or until each well had an amber color in it. Test tube 3 did not change within the 30 minute interval so it was placed into the 37? C water bath for another 30 minutes. Then one drop of solution and one drop of iodine was added into the well. There was still no color change, so another 1cm of alpha-amylase was added to it and was incubated for another 30 minutes, the color became amber. Table 1. Effect of Temperature on Amylase Enzyme Conversion of Starch to Sugar |Time/Minutes |Test Tube 1 / 0? C |Test Tube 2 / 37? C |Test Tube 3 / 100? C | |5 |+ |- |++ | |10 |+ | |++ | |15 |- | |++ | |20 | | |++ | |25 | | |++ | |30 | | |++ | | | | | | |60 | | |++ | | | | | | |90 | | |- | The color of iodine that indicated that starch was still present in the test tube was the Black/ Blue-Black color. The color that indicated that the starch was gone was the Amber color. Amylase breaks up the starch which makes it disappear, it does not react with iodine anymore. The variable in this experiment can be an independent variable. The change in the experiment is the starch to sugar. The temperature that is optimal is 37? C. The temperature that facilitated first was the 37? C, then it was 0? C. No 37? C was chosen as the mid-range temperature because that degrees in Fahrenheit is 98. 6? F. It was important to immediately observe the color because after a while it changes colors again. If you would have just added the iodine in test tubes that would have ruined the entire experiment because there wouldn’t be anything to test if it didn’t work the first time. Once the test tube was incubated at 37? c nothing happen. The starch did not disappear, maybe because there wasn’t enough amylase. After 1cm of alpha-amylase was added and incubated at 37? C the starch eventually disappeared. This probably didn’t happen the first time because the more amylase there is the better chance of it breaking up the starch. [pic] My initial hypothesis was that the more starch solution there is the longer it will take for it to break down amylase. My hypothesis was actually supported, there was more starch then amylase, when there needed to be more amylase then starch. I learned that amylase breaks up starch, and that its an digestive enzyme. Exercise 2: First a water bath was set at 37? C. Then the microplate was label this time five test tubes were used. One drop of iodine was placed into each well (1,2,3,4,5) up to 30 minutes. Then 1/2cm was marked from the bottom of the test tube. Next for each tube an additional cm was added. For test tube one 2cm above the bottom, test tube two 3cm above the bottom, test tube three 4cm above the bottom, test tube four 5cm above the bottom, test tube five 6cm above the bottom. Then 1/2 alpha-amylase was added to the 1/2 cm mark on the test tube. Afterwards the test tubes were placed into the water bath for five minutes. Next 1% starch solution was added to the next cm mark on the test tubes. The test tubes were put back into the water bath for another five minutes. Then two drops of the solution was added to each of the corresponding wells. This was done for all five test tubes. Immediately record the colors. The steps were completed for an interval of 30 minutes. The tubes that had not changed color within the 30 minute interval was put back into the water bath for another 30 minutes. Two drops of solution and one drop of iodine was put into the well and the amber color was recorded. Table 2: The Effect of Concentration on Amylase Enzyme Conversion of Starch to Sugar |Time/Minutes |Tube 1 |Tube 2 |Tube 3 |Tube 4 |Tube 5 | |Concentration of Amylase: |0. 5cm/2cm |0. 5cm/3cm |0. 5cm/4cm |0. 5cm/5cm |0. 5cm/6cm | |Per test tube |25% |17% |12. % |10% |8% | |5 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |10 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |15 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |20 |++ |++ |++ |++ |++ | |25 |++ |- |++ |- |++ | |30 |++ | |++ | |++ | | | | |++ | |++ | |60 |++ | |- | |- | The variable in this exercise the substrate concentrations. Test tube 3 This experiment could be improved if each test tube had its own water bath. My hypothesis was that test tube five would convert to sugar first. The reason I hypothesized this was because test tube five had the most starch. In this exercise I learned that enzymes can be used over and over again to facilitate the conversion of substances before they are denatured. Some practical applications can be Food and Beverages D. Another way this experiment could be done is by using different temperatures of water baths. Exercise 3: First a water bath was set at 37? C. The microplate was labeled, this time only four test tubes were used. Each test tube was marked 1cm, 2cm, and 4cm from the bottom. Next one drop of iodine was added to the weel (1,2,3,4) and u to a 30 minute interval. Then a different pH buffer was added to each test tube at the 1cm mark. For test tube one pH 3. 5 buffer was added, for test tube two pH 5 buffer was added, for test tube three pH 6. 8 was added, and for test tube four pH 11. 5 was added. Afterwards, 2cm of alpha-amylase was added. Then the test tubes was placed into the water bath to be incubated. After five minutes starch solution was added to the remaining 4cm mark, then placed back into the water bath. After five minutes two drops of solution was put into each corresponding well. Immediately record color. The steps were completed for an interval of 30 minutes. The fourth test tube showed color immediately, but the other three test tubes did not. Table 3: The Effect of pH on Amylase Enzyme Conversion of Starch to Sugar |Time/ Minute |Test Tube 1 |Test Tube 2 |Test Tube 3 |Test Tube 4 | |pH |3. 5 |5. 0 |6. 8 |11. 5 | |5 |++ |++ |++ |- | |10 |++ |++ |++ | | |15 |++ |++ |++ | | |20 |++ ++ |++ | | |25 |++ |++ |++ | | |30 |++ |+ |+ | | | | | | | | |60 |+ |+ |+ | | The variable in this exercise is the pH. Only the fourth test tube converted starch to sugar, I think this happend because it had an higher amount of buffer. Yes the first three test tube did not exhibit a change in color.. There pH was much lower then the last one. I hypothesized that the test tube with the pH buffer would convert to sugar first. My hypothesis was refute. Conclusion: Temperature, and the times of incubation. You can get different substrates if you change the incubation times. In this laboratory I learned how to recognize enzyme-facilitate reactions, and how to tell when starch is converted into sugar. Some practical applications could be yeast, detergent, leather and bioethanol. Discussion/Error Analysis/Conclusion: The first part of this laboratory was based upon testing the alpha-amylase enzyme activity on starch under three temperature environments, 0? C, 37? C, and 100? C. The next part was to demonstrate the effects of substrate concentration on enzyme reactivity. The last exercise was based upon testing how alpha-amylase functions at four different pH levels (3. ,5,6. 8, and 11. 5). A few errors that occurred was one, the changing of the water bath temperatures. If the bath stayed at a constant temperature then it probably would have made a difference to some of the tubes. Another laboratory error could have been that there were only a select few of pipets. If there were pipets for each exercise that could have made a difference even though the pipets were cleaned after each experiment, it still would have made a different if it was a clean dry pipet. Another laboratory error could have been the incubating times. These errors could be minimized in the future if there were a few arrangements before hand. How to cite Enzymes and Temperature, Papers

Task of the International Marketing Researcher free essay sample

Below I will outline the many problems/challenges that the international market researcher is likely to encounter. Defining the problem and establishing research objectives. (5) The research process starts with defining the research problem and creating detailed research objectives. (3) This can only be achieved if the researcher is able to translate vague research objectives into specific, measureable and attainable objectives. In known and familiar markets the researcher frequently begins with unclear and undefined clarity of the actual problem and this is further exacerbated when dealing in unknown and unfamiliar markets. 5) With sociocultural and economic markets differing so much from country to country, international market researchers must be able to adapt research questions and research instruments to varied markets. (6) One of the main considerations that researchers fail to recognise or include as part of their research is the inclusion of local culture and the failure to a lso include self-referencing criterion. So now what occurs is that the researcher deals with the problem/objective in exactly the same way they would if they were dealing with it in their own domestic market. We will write a custom essay sample on Task of the International Marketing Researcher or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is one of the most important aspects when conducting research in a foreign market and that is to understand the local market and recognise the SRC. For e. g. in Slavic countries (e. g. Slovakia), the national drink, Slivovica is often drank first thing in the morning to give one an adrenalin boost for the day whereas in South Africa if one were to drink a very high alcoholic drink so early in the day, one would be considered to be an alcoholic. If the researcher considers the SRC and is not blurred by the SRC and they ask the correct questions in the beginning phase of the process, they will be able to satisfactorily define the specific challenge and will be able to establish specific, measureable and attainable objectives. Problems of availability and use of secondary data. (5) Many first world and developed countries have masses of secondary data available. However in less developed and emerging countries there is very limited availability of secondary data. Even if there is data available, questions must be asked about the reliability, accuracy, comparability and validity of the data. If we consider the availability of data, some countries just don’t have any data available. For e. g. If we in South Africa wanted to conduct research in Burkina Faso about â€Å"living standards measurement† there is no data or research that has been composed. The researcher would struggle to find such information. If we consider reliability of data we would have to take the following into account: is the data collected reliable? For e. g. if a foreign country wanted to conduct research on the amount of people who have died in South Africa from AIDS in the nineteen nineties the South African government stated that only a limited number of people had died from AIDS. However, this figure was skewed as they did not take into account or failed to admit that when doctors completed a â€Å"Death Certificate† they stated that the patient died from pneumonia or TB etc and not from the main reason which was AIDS. So this turned out to be unreliable data. The researcher must consider the reliability of secondary data before attempting to utilise this information. If we look at comparability of available data we must consider the following: For e. g. if a researcher wanted to use census data from Angola, the last time a census was done was in 1970 and in turn this information would be very outdated and not comparable. If we consider the validity of secondary data we must always verify and interpret the data received very circumspectly. For e. g. if a researcher wanted to check the readership of South African daily newspapers in 2004, the information provided by the daily newspaper â€Å"ThisDay† would have been invalid as it inflated its readership to obtain more advertising and to receive increased advertising rates. To rectify and to validate the data received the researcher could have obtained actual records from the printing press to verify and compare figures of newspapers actually printed. Gathering primary data Once all secondary data is collected and it is not enough to answer the research questions satisfactorily, then the researcher must collect primary data to ensure that all the objectives are acceptably answered. There are two types of primary data collected: 1)Quantitative data is where data is collected and the researcher is able to quantify the amount of data collected. For e. g. a researcher would like to know how many people frequent a specific shopping mall. A survey is conducted which provides you with a specific amount of how many people frequent the shopping mall. )Qualitative data is where a person’s feelings, emotions and attitudes are required to determine a person’s thoughts for a specific topic. For e. g. Mugg Bean would like to enter the American market and they would first conduct qualitative research to determine what are the trends and restaurant concept that Americans are looking for in a restaurant. We cannot assume that if it works in South Africa t hat the exact same concept would work in America. Challenges of collecting primary data. (5) If we have clearly defined our research objectives, the next obstacle that awaits the international researcher is to ensure that all data collected addresses the research objectives accurately. However, when carrying out research for primary data, majority of challenges stem from either how cultures differ from country to country or the language barrier. †¢Ability to communicate opinions (5) We form opinions and attitudes about products from using them or seeing other people using them. If a person has not experienced or never seen the product, it is very difficult to form an opinion or attitude. For e. g. getting people’s opinions and attitudes about Automated washing powder who live in deep rural Africa †¢Willingness to respond (5) Respondents in other countries are not that willing to share information as readily. When providing data to a researcher, the researcher must consider that the respondents are culturally habituated and are hesitant to respond to research been conducted. Gender based questions could be offensive or culture can prevent a female from answering. When designing research surveys care must be taken not to offend the respondent’s privacy. (5) For e. g. n international company wanting to conduct research in Saudi Arabia and they send a female to carry out interviews; she would not get far, as only certain females can work in Saudi and it is also to do with respect. †¢Sampling in Field surveys (5) Sampling can only be considered to be accurate if there is dependable demographic data available. This makes it difficult for the researc her to have an adequate sample from which to conduct a valid and reliable survey if conducting research in a less developed market. In many markets there is a lack of means from where to extract information, i. . telephone directories, census data and any data needed for the research is either unavailable or outdated. This usually leaves the researcher to make an educated guess about what data is required, for e. g. if wanting to conduct research in Burkina Faso where a telephone directory is required as a source of information, the researcher would struggle as there are no telephone directories available. †¢Languages and comprehension (5) Researchers must be able to design their research questions so that all respondents are able to fully understand. When trying to conduct research in a foreign market, language barriers are one of the largest challenges that researchers have to deal with. To try and communicate the benefits of a product or service, the respondents are sometimes unable to fully understand the benefits and advantages so are unable to communicate their exact emotions/opinions/attitudes about that product or service. (2) People in different countries have different meanings of certain words. E. g. in South Africa when you speak to someone from an African culture, they sometimes include friends as their â€Å"sisters or brothers. Literacy is a huge concern in many undeveloped countries. For e. g. if a researcher wanted people from a rural part of Ivory Coast to complete a written questionnaire, he would definitely have no luck as their literacy levels are very low. It is critical that a native speaker of a country ensures that all questionnaires are written correctly without any faults in order to ensure that when th ey are completed, they are completed with the answers that are needed to complete the research design. For e. . if a South African wanted to conduct research in the UK and in the question wrote â€Å"Robots† instead of â€Å"Traffic lights† the respondents would be very confused. †¢Multicultural research (5) When companies want to enter other markets they must consider what they can and cannot use of their marketing mix before they continue with any facet of the marketing strategy. However when engaging multicultural research, many of these challenges further exacerbate the complexity of cross cultural similarities Multicultural research involves dealing with countries that have different languages, economies, social structures, behaviour, and attitude patterns† (Cateora and Graham, 2007, pg 2. 29) It is critical that these differences are considered when developing multicultural research. †¢Other challenges ?Gathering information outside of your countr y can be very time consuming and expensive. Conducting market research in Europe can take double the time and cost double the price than if you conduct the same research in the USA. Japan can be 3 to 4 times more expensive. (8) ? Lack of technological infrastructure available to conduct research. ?Level of researcher’s capabilities and skills in a foreign market. ?Interpreting and analysing data from less developed countries can present challenges for researchers from different sociocultural backgrounds. Also when interpreting and analysing data, researchers must be aware of all the challenges discussed above. For e. g. they must understand the attitude of the respondent’s attitude towards a specific product. Speed in collection and interpretation of research from various and geographically different markets can also present a challenge Opportunities of the Internet for international marketing research The internet is significantly revolutionising the way in which international marketing research is been conducted. This applies to the accessing of secondary and the collection of primary data. Literally day by day tens of thousands of new people are coming on line globally. With the internet the researcher has access to traditional sources of data and data that is only available on the internet. Primary data can also be collected via the internet. This can be done either by tracking respondents on a specific website or an electronic questionnaire can be completed online or can be sent to the respondent’s email address. An advantage is that once the questionnaires are completed they can be interpreted and analysed in real time and the responses can be automated. One of the biggest benefits with the internet is that you are able to collect samples worldwide. When a respondent visits a site their behaviour can be tracked and analysed. New product and service ideas can also be researched on the internet. A further benefit is that with a questionnaire a researcher can include things such as product facts, photos of products and can even include graphics and sounds. There are various other uses of the internet for research, such as online surveys, online focus groups, observational research etc. A researcher can even translate surveys into many languages quickly. A large benefit is the access to secondary data which was previously only available in print and there is almost immediate access to the data. The internet has clearly many advantages and even more benefits will materialise in the near future. (5) (1) Conclusion The international researcher clearly has many multifaceted challenges ahead of him, which vary from country to country. Even with all these challenges the market researcher is expected to present research that is accurate and correct and is received speedily. The successful researcher will consider all the above challenges and seek out creative ways to ensure that the research is of the highest quality and seek the best way forward to deal with the increasingly fast paced competitive global environment.