Midsummer Nights Dream Essays (255 words) - Fiction, Theatre, Hermia

Midsummer Nights Dream Love is something that will never be defined. No one knows what love is. When Egeus describes it as being "feign", and "cunning", he is, for the most part, corredt. Love can sneak on a person, or a person can sneak up on it. I can back the former from personal experience. Love can be truly cunning, and when it is, it hurts. For example, Hermia and Lysander have to make plans to elope because otherwise they cannot be together because of her father, Theseus. Theseus wants her to marry Demetrius because Theseus likes him better. This makes the love that Lysander and Hermia have for each other hurt more than love already should, and then puts them in danger when they decide to elope. Thus, love can be a problem. One solution to this would be for Lysander to challenge Demetrius to a duel, as was a custom in Shakespeare's days. If Lysander won, then he and Hermia would no longer have to worry about him, and they could be wed. In this however, there is a problem in the solution. Love is one of those things where there is no real "Gray Area". Many people know if they are or if they aren't. It's something that just comes. Often at the wrong times, like when it is not returned. Love can be a blessing, though, when it is returned, and can lead to many years of joy and prosperity, as long as the love is respected. Often times though, love is deceitful, and can stop on a dime. There is no solution for that.

Arguments against cannabis legalization essays

Arguments against cannabis legalization essays THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SOFT DRUG When it comes to discuss the problem of decriminalize or not cannabis, it is natu-ral that the interest is focused on whether or not we should classify cannabis to the same hard drugs category among other substances such as heroin. And this dilemma comes from the fact that for most people cannabis is considered as a benign substance com-pared to other drugs such as heroin or LSD. But recent studies and incidents from all over the world came to prove this allegation wrong. The separation of marijuana from the, so called, hard drugs is generally based in four arguments: 1. Marijuana is not an addictive drug. The UK Department of Health summed it up neatly: "Cannabis is a weakly addic-tive drug but does induce dependence in a significant minority of regular users." Around 9% of users become addicted, although some studies estimate that over 50% of users have "impaired control" over their use of cannabis. Of the 70 million Americas es-timated to have tried the drug, around two million uses it daily which means that 180.000 people are addicted only in the U.S. besides, if you are a regular cannabis smoker (every day) and you stop smoking, you will experience some of the following withdrawal symptoms: restlessness, irritability, mild agitation, insomnia, nausea, sleep disturbance, sweats, and intense dreams. These symptoms although mild and short-lived, lasting 2 to 4 days are vary similar to those one experiences when one stops using other drugs such as heroin. 2. You cannot die from cannabis use. The first death to be registered as having been caused by cannabis toxicity was reported in The Daily Telegraph in 01/18/2004. "The inquest in Haverfordwest, Wales, heard that Lee Maisey had smoked six cannabis cigarettes a day for eleven years. On August 22nd last year he complained of a headache, and was found dead the next morning. ...

A Study Of The Indigenous People Of The Masai And Samburu Rite Of Passage And How The National Government Can Play A Role In Preserving The Culture Of The Two Communities

A Study Of The Indigenous People Of The Masai And Samburu Rite Of Passage And How The National Government Can Play A Role In Preserving The Culture Of The Two Communities Traditions practiced by the Indigenous people, like the Samburu and Maasai, can be very questionable to us foreigners. After this week’s readings and videos, I feel that I can relate and understand them more though. What I found most intriguing were the rites of passages between the Samburu and Maasai. Although I cannot emphasize with the men and women of the tribes, I understand their devotion to the community’s traditions and culture. I also want to discuss throughout this essay is national governments involvement in the indigenous culture and community. There are different sides as to whether or not the government should encourage pastoralist to be more sedentary and I hope to come to my own conclusive thoughts by the end of the essay. The rites of passages for boys and girls of both indigenous tribes that we’ve read about are cruel and harmful, but they also come with a much greater reward. Maasai boys who go through circumcisions are taught that it is the only way to become a man and a full member of the indigenous society. Girls are treated much differently in the Maasai culture. Maasai girls think that they have no choice and no power when it comes to their family and tradition. In the circumcise traditions we can blatantly see the gendered divisions. I understand the traditional sense of circumcision for males and females, but I never knew about female circumcision. In America male circumcision is much more common therefore it makes sense why I understand it more. The one aspect I do not agree with in the tradition of circumcision is the pain that both boys and girls have to go through. While the actually process is only a couple of minutes, post procedure seems unbearable and disturbing. I don’t think a tradition should be followed if death is possible, but maybe that is what makes it worth it in the indigenous culture. The indigenous communities hold a lot of spiritual beliefs and follow what we might believe are myths, but does that make it wrong? One big sense I developed this week is how black and white our cultures can be. When one individual does not follow the same path as their community then they are outcast and that seems to be true in the indigenous culture and American culture. Girls who decide against their family and societal traditions are treated unfairly, but boys are treated somewhat differently. Boys who are educated, for example, or gone at school during the rites of passages still have the option to become a man and be accepted in their community. These initiations come with many privileges as well such as marriage. Another gendered difference is the processes for illiterate women. Illiterate women must go through a complete circumcision while educated men can wait. I also noticed the portrayed female stereotype in the indigenous society. Women are seen as sexual objects that must be contained and treated. Circumcision is supposed to heal girls to become mature, clean, and acceptable for marriage. This procedure, for women, is supposed to maintain their sexual appetites and unwanted pregnancies, but why not for the men? Some women would rather go to extremes like unsafe abortions than tell their family and be treated like outcast. In many of the traditional initiations, animals are involved. I have a soft spot for animals and so I understand government influences but it is difficult to ignore the indigenous culture and practices. I think a sedentary lifestyle is much more preferred in our American culture, but we don’t always think about how it will effect their lifestyle and social lives in the indigenous culture. By killing lions, for example, it expresses a boys transition to manhood, but also decides his role in the community. If a boy is unable to kill, hunt, or drink the blood of an animal they are basically worthless to the society. If government were to restrict their practices and traditions they could destroy the indigenous social life. I do not think the government should be able to control a community’s traditions or religious beliefs, but simply advocate. I don’t think we should mandate an entire culture because it does not comply with the majority. Pastoralists of Africa rely heavily on their agriculture for mobility, trades, and mass productivity of their herds as well. Livestock is the main cause for poverty in Africa. For a while, pastoralists were unable to out insurance, but now there is a way for both pastoralist and financial institutions to. The solution can only be passed and initiated through the government though. It should be the government’s duty to provide communal grazing land and water resources. These should be rights to the indigenous people and engrained in the law. I think if the government were to provide these resources then the indigenous communities can pursue a nomadic daily life. As much as I think the government should not be allowed to dictate traditional and religious practices, I also think it might be necessary for a solution. I respect the indigenous traditions because they rely solely on their community and family to reproduce these traditions with intense emotions. Unfortunately these undeveloped countries also need government assistance to pursue and reciprocate their traditions. I think if the indigenous people had the resources and education they would also comprehend the agriculture dilemmas they face and the positive reinforcements that the government can provide.

Analyis of financial objectives. financials projecttions and Essay

Analyis of financial objectives. financials projecttions and investment decisions - Essay Example Being employed in the finance department at Aztec Catering, this report analyses the tasks that Ms. Field, the Chief Financial Officer at Aztec Catering, has given and this report is aimed to review the three current objectives of the company, prepare and analyse the three year financial plan of Aztec Catering as well as evaluate the capital investment decision that the company can take and how this decision can add the value to the company. The report has been divided into three sections and each section aims to accomplish the three tasks that have been provided. The first section of the report critically evaluates the suitability of the current objectives of Aztec Catering. Moreover, this section analyses and compares the objective of the competing firm, Compass with the Aztec’s objectives. The second part of the report analyses and predicts whether the company would face any financing problem in the next three years. Moreover, this section also justifies the solution that t he company can implement in order to help itself from such problems. The third section of the report analyses and evaluates the capital investment decision that the company can take. This section analyses how this investment decision can be helpful in increasing the wealth of the shareholders of the firm and different investment appraisal techniques have been used in order to analyse whether investment should be made or not. Some of the techniques that have been used in order to analyse the investment decisions are: Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Accounting Rate of Return (ARR), and Economic Value Analysis (SVA). Section 1: Critical Analysis of the objectives of Aztec Catering and Compass Group The first section of the report cortically analyses the objectives of Aztec Catering and its competitor Compass Group. It is important to know that Compass Group is an international brand and it is not only operating and serving the clients of United Kingdom but it ha s presence in different parts of the world. Therefore the objectives of Compass Group should be considered as the benchmark and the company should and can use the objectives of Compass Group to achieve more success in United Kingdom and even then expand its offerings to other parts of the world. The current objectives of Aztec Catering that have been decided at the end of 2012 board meeting are as follows: a. To maintain a profit margin of around 24% b. To ensure the current strong financial position is maintained c. To satisfy the shareholders by maintaining a dividend payout ratio of 50% It can be found that all the three objectives of Aztec Catering have been focusing and emphasizing on profitability and financial position of the company. The first objective of the company focuses on maintaining a minimum profit margin (Tucker, and Lean, 2003). Profit margin of the company is the ratio of net profit after to sales. Or it is the ratio that the company earns after deducting all the expenses and paying of interest expense as well as taxes to the revenue (Cravens, and Piercy, 2008).. Therefore, the first objective encourages the management to focus on achieving higher profitability regardless of how it has to be done. In order to meet the first objectiv

Conflict and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict and Change - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the themes that the author uses is controlling the mind. He says the government changes news and books contents. It does this to change the history that blackmails it as bad. The government monitors its citizens in all their daily activities. It banned the citizens from indulging in any forms of rebellious thinking, speaking, or activities. What results is a society of stooges and zombies who have no rights over themselves (Orwell & Fromm 2010). People are forced to control and suppress their sexual desires. The government makes children spies to seek for those who violate the orders. The act is unethical as the children will grow with conflicting thoughts and feelings to their families. The society marks the children as betrayers (Orwell & Fromm 2010). The author further develops his work with the theme of oppression. The government uses unethical and immoral tactics to quell the activities of Winston Smith the Protagonist. It takes his girlfriend away and forces him to give her up. Winston finally gives up and joins the government. It also forces its citizens to engage in strenuous jobs in the morning. They had to love what it was doing for them to be free (Orwell & Fromm 2010). Forcing anyone to love and adopt indecent activities is inhumane. The author uses the novel and its themes to show and warn the consequences of a totalitarianism government. The society and people become ethically and morally

Natural Environment and Early Human Development Essay Example for Free

Natural Environment and Early Human Development Essay In order to support the idea of nurture influences on early human development, psychologists have done some researches on several factors of early human development. One of these factors is motor development. All children go through the same stages which begin with rolling over and end by walking. However, it seems that motor behaviours can be improved by practice or encouragement. This belief is supported by Zelazo and Kolb (1972) who did an experiment where infants, who were given stepping practice during the first two months, began walking five to seven weeks earlier than babies who had no practice. Such a result can be considered as an environmental influence. Another factor, which has been researched, is speech development. Speech can be improved by more talking with babies or rewarding them for making speech sounds. Kagan (1979) claimed that children, who were reared in middle-class American homes, begin to speak one year earlier than children reared in some villages such as San Marcos due to the fact that these children, culturally, have little â€Å"verbal interaction† with adults. This research assures the importance of the environments, nurture, in early human development. In conclusion, psychologists and scientist have been arguing as to whether nature or nurture has more influence on early human development. As a result both heredity or the nature and environment or nurture are important factors in shaping human personality, but environment is the more important one. Because nature only goes so far whereas further growth and development is formed by the environments influence on early human development.

The Teacher Who Changed My Life :: College Admissions Essays

Mr. Geis- the tall, bike-riding Calculus teacher who truly made me realize the value of education. As far as academics were concerned, I believed I had always tried my best in reaching my full potential. That is, until I met Mr. "G." He made me understand that I was not going as far as I was capable of Mr. Geis offered to help me out on a couple of problems I had been experiencing with Pre-Calculus, and after a short while he became not only a tutor, but a true friend. I cannot even begin to imagine how many hours I spent in his classroom after the last school bell had rung. Posters of music legends and helpful math mnemonics covered his walls. It was a very spirited room for the lively man he stood to be. He went over the math in great detail while also informing me of how eminently important it was for academics to be my top priority. As an avid swimmer and loyal friend, I was greatly dedicated to the sport and my social surroundings, but Mr. Geis would always be there to tell me to slow down and repeat his key phrase, "Studying always comes first." Although Mr. Geis's main purpose was to perfect my Pre-Cal, he did so much more that he was unaware of doing. He convinced me into believing that anything was possible if I put my mind to it and had a brain-full of determination. If I wanted to be the first woman President, he would say "Hey, the sky's the limit." After the year ended, my goals had unconsciously changed for the better. I believed in myself, my capability, and accomplishing anything as though the world was an open door to endless possibilities. I did not just want to be a newspaper reporter, my desire was to be sports editor of the

Development in a Country Cause Significant Damage to the Environment? Essay

In this essay I am going to examine whether development in a country causes significant damage to the environment. Firstly, when a country becomes developed, they have to become industrialised first. This means that the country changes from being mainly an agricultural production and people living in the countryside, to the people flocking to the newly increasing cities, in search of more money and work from the factories that have been put there. With lots of people living in one area, things and places start to become contaminated, such as rivers as many cities are based around them. Fish that would once have lived in the river would be extinct due to the boats driving up the river to take or deliver supplies to the city. This is a serious issue for the world as for humans to wipe out an entire specie can have serious consequences, for example people further up the river might depend on the fish to eat, and just because the city being there, could threaten the existence of the community. Secondly, TNC’s will move their factories to developing countries due to lower tax laws which will boost their overall profits. When they build these factories the amount of pollution that is produced will be incredible that it is visible when you look at them. This causes the air that people breathe when they are at work and for the people are living in the surrounding areas to be very dangerous and contaminated, with some cases of people becoming very ill. In a country such as china for example, lung cancer is more common here than anywhere else in the world; and this is caused by the amount off pollution produced by the factories. Also, whole cities in china have been built in china where practically no one lives in, so people can go and live their to work in the factories, however, as no one lives there the raw materials have been wasted and caused pollution being made, but being useless. Finally, in developing countries, their natural resources are usually drained by western countries or TNC’s who exploit the developing countries for the materials that they desperately need. However when the resources have run out, if the world doesn’t have another energy resource other than oil, then the world will go backwards in time and technology, because we won’t be able to run simple things like radiators for example. In conclusion, I feel TNC’s are a major part to blame in the damage to environments, especially in certain areas like Asia, as they the exploit the easy law on pollution ect. to maximise their profits, but however don’t think of the effects and consequences. Natural resources – going to run out soon – be moving backwards instead of forwards

Bidvest Corporate strategy Essay

1. Executive Summary Bidvest is a South Africa-based distribution services and trading business and the largest foodservice business outside North America. The group is active in freight management, outsourced services, industrial and commercial products and services, printing, packaging closures, stationery, office products, corporate travel and automotive retailing. Bidvest is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with over 105,000 employees on four continents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidvest_Group .The group is also highly debt-averse – a position it is able to maintain through its ability to generate cash. This assignment firstly provides an introduction into who is Bidvest and provides a broad and critical evaluation of Bidvest strategy. The group used approach that evaluated Bidvest started with highlighting the key success factors of Bidvest. Secondly we used the two competitiveness models, firstly the generic business strategies which are also supported by Porter for possible use in adoption to gain competitive advantage model and Porter’s diamond model. From investor perspective Bidvest shares are very appealing for their stability and or growth and for anyone who is in the market for a job, they will not go wrong with Bidvest. Lastly any small innovative struggling company out there who would like to will like to be on the shoulders of a giant they should not look elsewhere. 2. Introduction The Bidvest Group started as an idea to raise capital to acquire, fix and develop underperforming services business by Brian Joffe. Joffe consolidated what was a highly fragmented support services sector and created the enabling working conditions for people to enjoy their work and flourish. It started with the acquisition of Chipkins Catering Supplies in 1988 Bidvest was founded by Mervyn Chipkin and Brian Joffe in 1988 via an R8 million cash shell (a little over US$1 million in 2011 rands). The shell was a fast-track to a 1989 stock exchange listing. The next acquisition was the purchase of Sea World frozen foods. Bidvest listed on the JSE and its appetite for acquisitions has been insatiable ever since. Since then, Bidvest acquired a range of companies in diverse sectors from hygiene services to sports marketing to logistics to stationery. The group’s international expansion began in 1995 when it acquired 50.1% of Australian Stock exchange listed Manettas. This business was renamed to Bidvest Australia. Bidvest has a small corporate office to give strategic direction, pursue strategic growth opportunities, support divisions, monitor performance, and maintain the entrepreneurial spirit and a red-tape free environment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidvest_Group#Business_model 8 August 2013 Bidvest currently operates four divisions – Bidvest South Africa, Bidvest Foodservice, Bidvest Namibia, and Bidvest Corporate. Its businesses span four continents namely Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. In South Africa Bidvest has a footprint in a variety of about ten industries and focus on food services in the international market. The group is active in freight management, outsourced services, industrial and commercial products and services, printing, packaging closures, stationery, office products, corporate travel and automotive retailing. 3. Bidvest Key Success Factors To critically evaluate Bidvest Corporate Strategy we will highlight some of their key success factors: a) Leadership of original creator Leadership of the original creator, Brian Joffe is one of the key contributors to the success of Bidvest. His dreams are inherited the way Bidvest operates. b) Decentralised corporate management approach Bidvest pursues a decentralized business model where local businesses are autonomous and local management stay close to their businesses, industries and customers. It is people-driven and talent retention is one of its key strategic objectives. Despite its decentralization business model, it has a common culture of information and experience sharing across its divisions. It thrives on locally focused businesses and their empowered manager’s approach and its businesses are often industry leaders. In the South Africa market, the support for local small businesses is a priority. The Bidvest’s corporate centre adds value by identifying opportunities and implementing Bidvest’s decentralised entrepreneurial business model. Bidvest firmly believe in non-interference with individual business expertise/management. Others may think decentralisation is not always a good thing but Bidvest is an international organization with no standardized product/service for global market s. The following are advantages of decentralisation: Distribution of burden of top executive – Decentralisation enables its executives to share his burden with others at lower levels because here authority is delegated. The top executive is relieved of some burden and concentrates his activities to think for the future of the organization. This is definitely applicable to Bidvest Corporate where the Top Management focuses on the company strategy and not get burden down with the day to day management of activities. Increased motivation and morale – The moralities of the employees are increased because of delegation of authority. Decentralisation helps to increase employees’ morale because it involves delegation. The employees are motivated to work. Greater efficiency and output – Decentralisation gives emphasis on care, caution and enthusiastic approach to the work which in turn results in increased efficiency and output. This is possible because it involves delegation of authority and responsibility. Diversification of Activities – Decentralisation helps in diversification of activities. It crests more employment opportunities because new managers are to be entrusted with new assignments. Better Co-ordination – The various operations and activities are coordinated in a decentralised set up. Maintenance of Secrecy – Decentralisation enables to maintain secrecy without much cost and unnecessary trouble. Facilitate effective control and quick decision – Decentralisation enables to measure the work according to standard easily and quickly. This facilitate taking up quick decision. http://www.preservearticles.com/201101143290/decentralization-and-explain-its-advantages-and-disadvantages.html/ 8th August 2013 c) Business acquisition model It is argued that at the time when corporate giants were unbundling to focus on their â€Å"core competencies†, Bidvest took the opposite direction by acquiring different businesses in diverse markets under its fold, albeit with a lean central corporate structure supporting all its divisions. www.moneyweb.co.za/ 8th August 2013 One of the tactics Bidvest applies is to ensure that it owns 100% of almost all its underlying companies and keeping the original entrepreneur in charge of the purchased business/entity. This allows Bidvest to provide business, financing and strategic support to grow these firms’ to levels they could not have achieved on their own. Bidvest is a highly diverse and equally highly focused group – intense focus by managers steeped in their industries, drives Bidvest performance every year. d) Flair for entrepreneurship According to business dictionary, entrepreneurship can be defined as the capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risk in order to make a profit. www.businesdictonary.com/ 8th August 2013. Because of the strong entrepreneurial flair in Bidvest, it has been a driving force that has fostered growth in a variety of sectors, creating the Group as we know it today. Clear vision about the way forward has become essential. e) Healthy organizational culture; a diversified product/service offerings Bidvest with its diverse businesses, have the advantage of collective diverse resources, capabilities and alliances, respectively, which it uses to leverage its overall performance as a group. f) Adding value by building a reputation for quality reliability and innovation In a price-sensitive environment the challenge, common to all Bidvest’s businesses, is to add value by building a reputation for quality, reliability and innovation. Market share growth and margin management were fostered by range extension, range differentiation and new product introductions that anticipated the lifestyle needs of the consumer. g) Quality of Bidvest brand The biggest factor that leads to the success of Bidvest is the quality of its brand and slogan ‘Proudly Bidvest’. This brand has penetrated so many industries and as well as the global arena. h) Bidvest’s philosophy is one of transparency, accountability, integrity, excellence and innovation Bidvest is consistently searching for newer and better innovations to satisfy consumer needs. i) Product innovation Sales growth at Bidvest’s is underpinned by organic growth, acquisitions, and product innovation and range extensions. j) Strategic Innovation To capture economies of scale, a centralised sourcing operation was established, Bidvest Procurement Company (BPC). Early experience at BPC was highly encouraging. The new business is centred in Hong Kong and Shanghai, but will ultimately be responsible for procurement across Asia. A new smartphone application was rolled out in Australia, New Zealand and the UK that enables customers to place an order via a handheld device. Close watch is maintained on handheld scanning technology for new business. 4. Corporate and Business strategy Grant (Grant 2011:19) see strategy in two dimensions by making a distinction between corporate strategy and business strategy. He defines corporate strategy as the scope of the firm in relation to the markets and industries in which it competes (where to compete). In this area the firm can make five fundamental strategic choices – diversification, vertical integration, acquisitions, new ventures, and allocation of resources between the different businesses of the company. He further defines business strategy as the function of how the firm competes within a particular industry and market (how to compete) – this is where the firm’s competitive advantage over rivals comes in. The above two strategy dimensions, are usually reflected in most organisations’ organizational structure – where the executive level focus on the scope, where to compete and divisional managers focus on the how to compete within particular industries. (Grant 2011:19). 5. Porter’s Diamond of National Competitive advantage Further to the key success factors above we will also incorporate Porter’s diamond shaped diagram as a basis of a framework to illustrate the determinants of national advantage. The diamond represents the national playing field that the countries establish for their industries. As a system the diamond system, the effect of one point depends on the others and it is a self-reinforcing system. http://www.smartstudentsok.com/porters-diamond-model 8th August 2013 According to Michael Porter on his work on firm-level factors (1986) and clusters of firms (1990) competitive advantage is created and not inherited. His view differs from the traditional economic thinking which focuses comparative advantage. Comparative advantage refers to things like availability of basic factors of production, like cheap labour or energy, or natural resources. On the other hand competitive advantage is created. Sustained industrial growth has hardly ever been built on inherited factors. Sustained industrial growth has been the outcome of interlinked factors and activities. The following are Porter’s four interlinked factors: i. Business / Company strategies, structures and rivalry According to Porter despite all differences and national peculiarities one characteristic shared by competitive economies is that there is sharp competition among national firms. In a static perspective, national champions may enjoy advantages of scale; but the real world is dominated by dynamic conditions, and here it is direct competition that impels firms to work for increases in productivity and innovation; here, anonymous competition often turns into concrete rivalries and feuds, in particular when competitors are spatially concentrated. â€Å"The more localized the rivalry, the more intense. (Porter 1990, 83) This is all the more true, as its effect is to cancel out static locational advantages and compel firms to develop dynamic advantages. Bidvest has achieved this by going global and maintaining the decentralised approach, as well as performing to stretch targets despite economic downturn. Competitive advantage Michael Porter identified two basic sources of competitive advantage – cost advantage and differentiation advantage. A company has cost advantage when it is able to deliver the same product/service benefits as competitors but at a lower cost. On the other hand a company has differentiation advantage when it delivers benefits that exceed those of its competitors’ products. Essentially a competitive advantage enables the company to create superior value for its customers and superior profits for itself. Cost and differentiation advantages are known as potential advantages since they describe the organizations position in the industry as a leader in either cost of differentiation. A competitive advantage is achieved by offering consumers greater value, benefits and service, which justifies premium or higher prices. Porter further recognises four generic business strategies for possible adoption to gain competitive advantage – these strategies relate to (1) scope (the extent to which business’ activities are narrow versus broad and (2) the extent to which a business seeks to differentiate its products. The four strategies are illustrated in Figure 1.1 below. Figure 1.1 – Source of competitive advantage (www.tutor2u.net/ 8 August 2013) Differentiation leadership and cost leadership strategies – seek competitive advantage in a broad range of markets/industries, Differentiation focus and cost focus strategies – applies in a narrow market or industry. Bidvest seeks competitive advantage in a broad range of markets / industries, operates in diverse industries/markets, and targets developing economies, both nationally and internationally. Based on this is it clear to us that Bidvest pursues the differentiation leadership and cost leadership strategies. Bidvest is differentiating itself from their competitors by being strong in their respective markets having sufficient market share to gain. As a group they achieved their growth target irrespective of the prevailing economic downturn. They further need to multi-currency earnings; and sharing of resources and best practices across all businesses in the group. ii. Existence or lack of related and supporting industries Spatial proximity of upstream or downstream industries facilitates the exchange of information and promotes a continuous exchange of ideas and innovations. On the one hand, he points out that even upstream industry should in no case be sheltered from international competition; and he notes on the other hand that when certain upstream industries are lacking, recourse can be had to the supply available in the world market. http://www.meso-nrw.de/toolkit/tools/tools-diamond-2.html 8 August 2013 iii. Analysis of Bidvest international/global business approach The Bidvest global strategy is driven by its foodservice operations and its objective criteria for full entry into any foreign/national market is based on the following three main pillars namely, (1) acceptable levels of infrastructure development, (2) existence of a strong corporate sector and (3) The potential for outsourced services. Bidvest is not fixated on a particular geography. Bidvest argues that it uses its African heritage with a strong focus on respect for diversity, as leverage in its global business approach to appreciate local conditions for its products, services and customers. The following are Bidvest’s uniqueness: a) It is an international organization with no standardized product/service for global markets; b) Does not have centralized business processes for its entities; c) Due to its diverse focus it operates in multiple national markets rather than in a single global space. Bidvest mainly focuses on providing necessities to developing economies and whilst its revenue is earned in multiple currencies, none it of it is denominated in U.S. dollars. It is our view that Bidvest should consider that their earnings be in US dollars in foreign countries. Internationally, foodservice has been the focus and Bidvest has developed globally competitive skills in this area to the extent that one-third of its trading profits are generated from foreign operations. Bidvest does not show specific interest to any geographic region or type of business. Its foodservice offerings and focus on developing economies, takes advantage of the urbanization paths of these economies . It however, remains alert to other support services opportunities on a case by case basis. Bidvest has an impressive international presence which is highlighted in brief as follows: Western Europe, – The Eurozone is facing many challenges which according to Bidvest leadership it is greatly attributed to poor decision making and policy considerations. Despite these challenges Bidvest finds Europe an attractive region for selective investments. Its rationale is that Europe has a well-educated workforce, infrastructure is generally well developed and the population is sizeable. Therefore, policy environment is a critical consideration for Bidvest in its international business strategy. Eastern Europe – Bidvest has recently acquired foodservice operations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia creating a platform for further growth in central and Eastern Europe and its entrepreneurship is flourishing in Eastern Europe and a business-friendly environment has developed. www.bidve st.co.za/ 8 August 2013). South America – Bidvest entered this market by the acquisition of a controlling interest in a small Chilean foodservice operation with exciting growth prospects. According to widely published reports at the end of 2011 South America’s largest economy (Brazil) has overtaken the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy and this is an indication of growing momentum in this region that Bidvest can benefit from. Bidvest is set to benefit from this growing economy. Southern African – the creation of Bidvest Namibia and its successful recent listing further enhances its presence in the region. iv. Managing global organisations Managing an international business is different from managing a domestic business for at least four reasons (Hill 2011:65): 1. Countries are different 2. An international business manager faces more complex challenges than a domestic business manager 3. Manager is an international business manager operates within limitations and constraints imposed by government’s intervention in the international trade and investment systems. 4. International business transactions involve multiple currency conversions. In view of the above research shows that Bidvest has found a solid recipe to overcome the above challenges. It is our view that Bidvest’s ability to succeed is its diversity in business locations and rich South African history and make up of national diversity often referred to as rainbow nation. Using Diversification as a strategy Diversification refers to a firm’s strategic choice to enter into other products and/or markets by through internal or external development. Hill describes diversification as a conundrum/challenge or puzzle, because a strategic choice/quest to enter new markets has more potential value destruction yet, it also offers growth options and the potential for expansion and to free itself of the restriction of a single industry (Hill 2011:403). There are basically two broad forms of diversification, first is related diversification which occurs when a company develops beyond its present product and market but remaining in the same sector and use its current capability/strengths and expertise to develop new interests in same sector. Secondly, unrelated diversification occurs when an organisation move its present interests into unrelated markets or products / services. Basic reasons for diversification may be summarised as follows: a. Efficiency gains, in the situation where a company has underutilized resources and competences that it cannot effectively close or sell, it makes business sense to use the resources and competences by diversifying into a new product or service activity. b. Increasing market power, a company can decide to cross-subsidize one business from the surpluses or proceeds earned by another in such a way that its competitors may not be able to. c. Stretching corporate parenting capabilities into markets and products d. Responding to challenging market declines e. Spreading risk Advantages of diversification as a strategic choice in relation to Bidvest: a. Take advantage of existing expertise, knowledge and resources in the company when expanding into new activities. This may result in transfer of skills, such as research and development knowledge and sharing of resources. b. Bidvest does not rely on single market which provides better risk control for their existence. c. Bidvest is doing well is avoiding risk by avoiding the syndrome of having all eggs in one basket d. Control of inputs, leading to continuity and improved quality. e. Control markets by guaranteeing sales and distribution. This can arise through a combination of linkages in the value chain. f. Provide movement away from declining activities Disadvantages of diversification strategy in relation to Bidvest i. Adding bureaucratic complexity. In addition to direct financial costs, there may additional bureaucratic complexities necessitated by the need to coordinate and control core activities with additional activities. ii. Cross subsidizing of loss business may take too long to be turned around while canabalising the revenue stream. iii. May result in slowing growth in its core business due to additional management cost incurred. iv. Losses may be incurred during market consolidation process resulting in some business units being subsidized by other profit making units. v. May result in negative synergies. Negative synergies should be avoided at all times. vi. Diversification through acquisition across national boundaries may result in the organization having to deal with varying intricacies of the political and legal requirements of the different countries where the company is operating. Political and legal requirements and or changes are nasty beasts to contend with mainly because in other countries they can be implemented over night. In a case like this a company like Bidvest may at times face closure where there is political turmoil. vii. Diversification through acquisition may result in failure where there is a mismatch between core competencies or experiences of the acquirer and acquired businesses http://www.scribd.com/doc/12376024/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Diversification 8th August 2013 iv. Factor conditions Governments control provision of roads and airports, electricity, telecommunication infrastructure including cables and wireless; and education and healthcare. Leading to 2010 Soccer World cup South Africa provided a lot of capital infrastructure which is our view Bidvest benefited from. These provisions can in turn help or hinder industries dependent on these infrastructures and utilities for sustainable growth. Further, governments also create laws and regulations which affect the ability of firms to compete nationally and globally. Governments can provide subsidies to farmers as the US government does, or restrict foreign companies from doing business within their borders, as India did to Coca-Cola in the seventies. In South Africa we saw Government stop the involvement of Korea Telecoms in Telkom SA. South African encourages an environment which is conducive to innovation to stimulate growth in industries by skilled resources and technological base. These factors are upgraded / deployed over time to meet the demand. Local disadvantages force innovations and new methods and hence comparative advantage. http://www.franteractive.net/Porter-Diamond.html: 8 March 2013 Here, disadvantages in general factor endowments need not necessarily prove disadvantageous, and they can even stimulate the development of competitiveness. If cheap raw materials or labor are available in abundance, firms will often yield to the temptation to rely solely on these advantages, and even to put them to inefficient uses. Conversely, certain disadvantages (high real estate prices, scarce labor and raw materials) can force firms to behave innovatively. This of course presupposes that positive impulses are generated by the other factors. http://www.smartstudentsok.com/porters-diamond-model: 8 March 2013 v. Demand conditions The more demanding the customers in an economy, the greater the pressure facing firms to constantly improve their competitiveness via innovative products, through high quality, and so on. And the more localized the competition, the more directly firms feel it, and the better their performance has to be. 6. Conclusion on Evaluation Bidvest’s corporate culture and managerial competence are also the envy of many. This was illustrated during a recent restructuring exercise, in which all the new senior appointments were recruited from within the business. Thanks to Bidvest Academy designed to instill the culture of problem solving and implementation. We agree that success behind Bidvest is driven by autonomy, entrepreneurship, decentralised businesses and management. Local teams optimise opportunities in their own markets. It is our view that Bidvest is still under geared and we recommend that they further acquire more companies in the global space for further growth. Secondly, the fact that Bidvest’s earnings are in multi-currency and none of the currencies is dollars we find this as yet another opportunity for Bidvest to pursue for further global growth. Even though the barriers to entry in many of the businesses in which Bidvest operates are low, it has established such dominance and efficiency in operation that it is difficult to challenge. The group is also highly debt-averse. It is because of this position that Bidvesst is able to maintain through its ability to generate cash. The biggest challenges facing Bidvest are the current world economy, regulatory and legislative changes imperatives in the countries where it operates, the fact that technology lifecycle is forever getting shorter and shorter and the emerging economic giants from and in China and India. The challenge we faced in our evaluation of Bidvest is that research does not provide much on the company that operates unique business model like Bidvest. This unique business model can also be regarded key to their success and therefore its strengths. In our evaluation we found that because Bidvest is such a complex company which does not fit into the traditional business model and corporate / business strategy capsule for analysis. It has an organizational structure which is so complex and pursues business on a non-standard approach. It offers diversified products and or services to the market. On the other hand the size of Bidvest classifies it as a conglomerate and may need to be looked. Business analysts are increasingly questioning the size of the operation. Many feel that Bidvest needs to consider shedding some of its bulk in order to realize more value for shareholders. In conclusion Bidvest seems to have a solid corporate governance and integrated financial, social, governance and environmental culture. Even though the barriers to entry in many of the businesses in which Bidvest operates are low, it has established such dominance and efficiency in operation that it is difficult to challenge. Despite challenges being posed by China and India, the fact remains that Bidvest were early starters and a will continue to lead for some time. 7. REFERENCE 1. Robert M Grant. 2010. 7th edition A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Publication Contemporary Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases West Sussex, United Kingdom 2. Hill C.W.L. 2012. 7th Edition. Global Business Today, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc 3. www.bidvest.co.za 2. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/decentralization.html/ 8th August 2013 3. http://www.preservearticles.com/201101143290/decentralization-and-explain-its-advantages-and-disadvantages.html/ 8th August 2013 4. http://www.smartstudentsok.com/porters-diamond-model 8th August 2013 5. Bidvest Annual Integrated Report, 2012 6. www.tutor2u.net 7. http://www.meso-nrw.de/toolkit/tools/tools-diamond-2.html 8 August 2013 8. www.moneyweb.co.za 9. http://www.scribd.com/doc/12376024/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Diversification 8th March 2013 10. http://www.franteractive.net/Porter-Diamond.html

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