Darden Consulting Case Book - 25163 Words

DARDEN CONSULTING CASE BOOK 2012-2013 EDITION TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. The Consulting Case Interview 1. Structure of the Case Interview 2. Frameworks 3. The Math 2. Company Overviews Interview Processes 3. Practice Cases 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Bike DVD Rental Service in NYC Dry Wall Competitive Threat Organ Donation Case Central Power Chemicals, Inc. Hospital Profitability Contact Lens Manufacturer Growth TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. E-commerce in the Airline Industry Big Green Biofuels New Rubber Plant Investment Asian Mobile Service Provider Radiator Lens for Defense Aircraft Capital Investment for Utility Electric Car Manufacturer Growth Miner’s Dilemma Big Truck Company Auto†¦show more content†¦Feel free to again ask for a minute to gather your thoughts, and it’s a good idea to write out a recommendation slide consisting of your actual recommendation (be direct and to the point!) some risks, and then next steps. When presenting your recommendation, immediately start with what you think the client should do (there is no need to rehash the analysis of the case first), with a few supporting arguments from your analysis. Then present your risks and next steps. Your verbal presentation of this recommendation should take no more than 30 secs – 1 minute. Be concise! FRAMEWORKS Frameworks The most important thing to remember about frameworks is that there is no one-size-fits-all framework. That being said, the profit framework applies to a large number of cases. For a good overview of how various parts of a framework fits together in one monster diagram, refer to the Tim Darling book. Marc Cosentino also presents good overviews in Case In Point of the most common frameworks, but do not memorize them. Instead, you should be able to use your intuitive business judgment to determine the most relevant issues to examine. When constructing your framework, remember to be MECE, a McKinsey-coined term that stands for Mutual Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. What this means is that you should cover all the relevant issues to the problem through several buckets (that have drilldowns into importantShow MoreRelatedDarden Mba Resumes16768 Words   |  68 PagesFirst Year Resume Book 2009-2010 ABHINAV AGRAWAL 105 Ivy Drive Apt 09 ï‚ · Charlottesville, VA 22903 ï‚ · (434) 249-7645 ï‚ · AgrawalA11@darden.virginia.edu EDUCATION Darden Graduate School of Business Administration University of Virginia Candidate for Master of Business Administration, May 2011 ï‚ · Awarded Batten Innovation Scholarship (merit-based full tuition scholarship); ï‚ · GMAT: 730; AWA: 5.5 ï‚ · Member of Finance Club, Energy Club and Darden Capital Management Club Charlottesville, VA NanyangRead MoreBusiness and Management3272 Words   |  14 Pagesviolation. Rev. Apr. 7, 2014 DARDEN BUSINESS PUBLISHING GETS LEAN (A) Darden Business Publishing (DBP) prepared business case studies for use in the Darden classroom and, simultaneously, for publication and sales worldwide through both its own website and those of partner distributors. The case collection was a key manifestation of Darden’s intellectual capital and value proposition; new cases kept the MBA curriculum relevant and imparted thought leadership by Darden faculty and researchers. ButRead MoreInvestment Decision and Cash Flows6639 Words   |  27 Pagesmay be important, but not to the decision at hand. This case was prepared by Professor Robert Harris, Darden Graduate Business School. The author acknowledges the contribution of Professor John Pringle, coauthor of textbooks on corporate finance. It was written as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 1989 by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reservedRead MoreDetective Solution3123 Words   |  13 Pagesdescriptions. Also, try to explain the differences in financial results across industries. while a consulting firm would not. A steel This case was prepared by sean carr, under the direction of Robert F. Bruner. It was written as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. copyright @ 2005 by the university ofvirginia Darden School Foundation, charlottesville, vA. All rights reserved Tb order copies, send an e-mail toRead MoreUps Case Study4350 Words   |  18 Pagesintercity package deliverer. This case was prepared by Edward D. Hess, Professor and Batten Executive-in-Residence. It was written as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. It was adapted from Professor Hess’s chapter on UPS in The Search for Organic Growth, ed. Hess and Kazanjian (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006). Copyright  © 2007 by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville,Read MoreUps Ipo Essay11073 Words   |  45 Pages$31.272 Billion Proj. LT EPS Growth Rate: 14% ROE 2002: 26.10% Earnings Per Share and Projections FY Ending Full Year 12/01A 2.13 12/02A 2.84 12/03E 2.29 12/04E 2.67 12/05E 2.94 Fundamentals P/E (12/02): 20.2 P/E (12/03E): 26.46 Book Value/Share: $11.09 Price/Book Value: 5.167 Dividend Yield: 1.46% Consensus Est. Avg=2.33 (yahoo) Avg=2.67 (yahoo) N/A 2 of 34 Executive Summary We are recommending the purchase of 350 shares of UPS, currently trading on the NYSE at $57.30. United ParcelRead MorePalamon case study6470 Words   |  26 Pagesand largest dollar value of capital invested as of 1999. This case was prepared by Chad Rynbrandt from interviews, under the direction of Robert F. Bruner, with the assistance of Sean D. Carr. Some details have been simplified for expositional clarity. The cooperation of Palamon Capital Partners is gratefully acknowledged, as is the financial support of the Batten Institute. Copyright ïÆ' £ 2001 by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. ToRead MoreCOMM292 Case Studies23202 Words   |  93 Pagesanalyst on Wall Street for a few different firms. He spent time at the London School of Economics, but had not traveled outside the country much over the past few years. With plans to target investment banking firms for his summer internship and post-Darden career path, Griffin had been spending a lot of nights networking with banking alumni and recruiters. Sandeep Prasad was from Bangalore, India. He received a degree in technology and worked for Intel in Bangalore for six years before coming to graduateRead MoreChrysler - Case Study10414 Words   |  42 Pageswill have a pre-eminent strategic position in the global marketplace for the benefit of our customers. We will be able to exploit new markets, and we will improve return and value for our shareholders. 1 Schrempp recounted, I just presented the case, and I was out again. The meeting lasted about 17 minutes. / don t want to create the impression that he was surprised. When the meeting was over, / said; If you thin I m naive, this is nonsense I m talking, just tell me. He smiled and saidRead MoreMerger and Acquisition Case18720 Words   |  75 Pageswill have a preeminent strategic position in the global marketplace for the benefit of our customers. We will be able to exploit new markets, and we will improve return and value for our shareholders.1 Schrempp recounted later: I just presented the case, and I was out again. The meeting lasted about 17 minutes. I don’t want to create the impression that he was surprised. When the meeting was over, I said, â€Å"If you think I’m naà ¯ve, this is nonsense I’m talking, just tell me.† He smiled and said, â€Å"Just

Psychoanalytic Concepts Of Dylan Thomas Poetry - 1386 Words

Psychoanalytic Concepts in Dylan Thomas’ Poetry A man â€Å"who [held] a beast, an angel and a madman in [him].† This accurately describes Wales-born Dylan Thomas, world renowned poet and writer. A developmental wordsmith of his time, Thomas presented the people with evolutionary compositions originated from his own personal experiences and conceptions. Although Thomas’ poetry portrays several messages involving loss of innocence and youth, his more prominent style bases itself around the Freudian concepts of psychoanalytic criticism. Observed through his opaque style and endless fascination of death, it can be concluded that the psychoanalytic impressions in Thomas’ stream of consciousness declare death to be inferior. This is made even†¦show more content†¦Immediately, the question of who this person may be comes to mind. As the second stanza begins it is clear the the point of view has switched to third person and Thomas’ goes on to describe how good, wise, wild and grave men have â€Å"[ra ged] against the dying of the light† (7). The entirety of the fifth stanza is a declarative sentence- a call to arms against the war on death. This is an apparatus to ignite passion amongst those who hear his words. But the sixth stanza comes full circle back to second person creating a more intimate effect. This illuminates the overwhelming distress and devastation he felt at the time because it is here that Thomas’ own father is revealed to be the subject of the poem. â€Å"Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.† (13-19) The powerful metaphors employed in this work compare the â€Å"good night† with the crushing blow of death and theâ€Å"wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight† to heroism and achievement. Dylan uses oxymorons and similes to emphasize the desperation he felt to highlight the conflicts of man. The â€Å"blinding sight†, the â€Å"fierce tears† and the â€Å"blind eyes [that] could blaze like meteors and be gay,† serveShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesoriginal of those wild regions of obscurity which are vaguely felt to be compassing us about in midnight dreams of flight and disaster, and are never thought of after the dream till revived by scenes like this. From â€Å"The Return of the Native†, Thomas Hardy (1878) Egdon Heath, as Hardy makes clear, is no mere neutral background to action, but a sinister, almost human (or even superhuman) force, intimately connected with the lives of its inhabitants. Hardy speaks of the â€Å"influences† of the Heath

Taylor Swift and Feminism Free Essays

Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the goal of feminism to be empowered to do whatever you want? To establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment? To control your own life and make it into a success in a male dominated society? Taylor Swift Isn’t hurting feminism, the only thing being detrimental to fearfulness Is your own backwards ass Interpretation of feminism. I’d you hadn’t notice I have miserable luck with relationships. Actually luck isn’t Even a factor, thieve all been miserable failures. We will write a custom essay sample on Taylor Swift and Feminism or any similar topic only for you Order Now So what’s got me in a huff now? See I met this girl at a friends birthday party and we hit it off beautifully. Others thought we were really cut together and we Just clicked. For probably the first time I actually experienced someone who was legitimately interested in me even if It was Just a tiny sliver of interest. So she asked my friend about me and suddenly she has no interest In me. Why? Because I’m only 22. What the tuck. That has to be the stupidest reason I’ve encountered. What the bloody hell does my age have to do with anything? There is absolutely no reason age should make any difference unless its something dramatic like I was still in high school. Age is of no importance or an indication of anything, anyone can grow old all you have to do is live long enough. I was born at a very early age are you going to hold that against me? Jokes aside, its backward ass thinking like this that makes me shake my head in confusion at people. This excuse has been used twice before and I had to laugh at one use of It. One girl put forward that I was to old for her, which is funny because he still lives at home with her mom, her room basically resembles a 10 year olds with a bunch of Sailor Moon crap and she has no education or ambitions. I on the other hand have an education, am self-supportive (mostly) and have a job that gives Age isn’t a factor anyone can control if you like a person you like a person end of story. It’d be like me refusing to date any girls who’s name is Amy. My reasoning is backwards and stupid and its a factor that the other party can’t control. It’s not like one of us is underage or there’s like a fifty year age difference. Yet when I told some of my friends they defended this girl saying she was right. â€Å"Sorry but she’s right, it’s weird for a girl to be the older person in a relationship. † Oh that’s logical, way to stand up for your gender. I have no use for pathetic outdated thinking, and anyone that subscribes to this limited world view needs to rethink what it means to have freedom of choice. Makes me cringe that I have a better grasp of this than most, or that I’m the one who doesn’t get things because I don’t see rules in he same narrow world view that is considered the norm. You can’t date someone younger than you? Or some stupid preconceived notion prevents your brain from choosing on your own. Hopefully someday more people will be able to unlock their mind forgo manacles and think for themselves but until then I have to wonder why anyone thinks this is something. Maybe I am being ostracize and demanding a bit but I stand by this. If you meet someone and hit it off shouldn’t that be what you look for in a relationship? Or some sort of statistic. How to cite Taylor Swift and Feminism, Papers

Ikea Paper free essay sample

The company is known for its modern architectural designs on various types of appliances and furniture, often associated with a simplified eco-friendly interior design. In addition, the firm is known for the attention it gives to cost control, operational details and continuous product development, allowing it to lower its prices by an average of two to three percent over the decade to 2010, while continuing its global expansion. As of October 2011, IKEA has 332 stores in 38 countries. Most of these stores are directly owned but some are managed under franchise by owners outside the company. By doing this, IKEA faces a higher chance of success than in a sole proprietorship. In fiscal year 2010, it sold $23. 1 billion worth of goods, a 7. 7 percent increase over 2009. In recent years, IKEA purchases from developing countries have grown from 32% in 1998 to 48% in 2003; 29% of its output comes from Asia, 67% from Europe and 4% from the USA (Arrigo, 2005). For a long time, Poland was the second supplier of raw materials after Sweden, but there was recently a giddy increase in China which, in 2004, accounted for 14% of total output, followed by Poland with 12%, Sweden with 8%, Italy with 7%, and Germany with 6% (IKEA. com). To achieve its goal of boosting efficiency while cutting costs and prices to the end consumer, IKEA is constantly looking for convenient new locations. This paper will focus on strategic investments decisions with regard to innovation and advertising and strategic product feature decisions. IKEA Supply IKEAs vision is â€Å"To create a better everyday life for the many people. † To meet its vision IKEA provides many well-designed, functional products for the home. It prices its products low so that as many people as possible can afford to buy them. However, in creating low prices IKEA is not willing to sacrifice its principles. Low price but not at any price† is what IKEA says. This means it wants its business to be sustainable. IKEA supplies goods and services to individuals in a way that has an overall beneficial effect on people and the environment. Customers all over the world have responded positively to IKEAs approach. This is evident in its increasing sales. Supp ly chain IKEA has an extremely efficient supply chain and its management was the key source in IKEA in cost management which gave it a cutting edge among its competitors as it products where charged 30% lower than the cost of its rivals. With regard to the supply chain, the flow of production and processes go through three industrial sectors before the end product reaches the customer. Firstly, it starts with the primary sector concerning raw materials. Natural resources such as timber are extracted and developed. IKEA buys products from more than 1,300 suppliers in 50 countries (The Times 100). It uses a number of trading service offices across the world. They negotiate prices with suppliers, check the quality of materials and analyze the environmental impacts that occur through the supply chain. IKEA aims that all the products and materials it takes from the primary sector do not harm the environment. They also keep an eye on social and working conditions at suppliers. The second step is manufacturing where primary materials are used to build, manufactured and developed to finished goods. A key part of IKEAs success is due to its communications with materials suppliers and manufacturers. During manufacturing IKEA specifies to its producers that waste should be avoided. Where waste does occur the firm encourages suppliers to try to use it in the manufacture of other products. IKEA has a code of conduct called the IKEA Way of Purchasing Home Furnishing Products, the IWAY (The Times 100). This contains minimum rules and guidelines that help manufacturers to reduce the impact of their activities on the environment. IKEA aims that all there products are manufactured in a responsible way. The tertiary sector provides services needed to meet the needs of the end users such as retailing, distribution, insurance, and customer services. IKEAs retail stores add value to manufactured goods by providing a form of shopping different to the usual high-street experience. They meet the needs of the consumers in a number of different ways. Each IKEA store is large and holds more than 9,500 products giving lots of choice. Within each store, there are a number of realistic room settings that enable customers to see what the products would look like in their own homes. In addition, the IKEA store is built on a concept of â€Å"you do half, we do half; together we save money†. This refers to, for example, the customer assembling furniture at home. Customers handpick products themselves using trolleys. Also, IKEA provides catalogues and home delivery to save customers’ time. IKEA stores also have restaurants that provide Swedish dishes alongside local food choices. IKEA Competition To define the relevant market, IKEA operates in a perfectly competitive market. IKEA is a furniture store and there are many other furniture stores owned by various different entities (so there are many suppliers in this market). Normally the firms in a perfectly competitive market would be price takers. However, IKEA has a lot of market power as it is able to raise its prices above the perfectly competitive level without losing many consumers. Therefore it can be stated that IKEA is a price setter. There are off course competitors, however it seems that IKEA does not really take competitor’s decisions into account as they are not really relevant to their own decisions. IKEA sets its prices very low because they face low production costs as a result of strong relationships with its suppliers. Competitors are predictable but even if they were unpredictable, IKEA would not be affected by their decisions as the firm is already at the bottom end of the market. IKEA makes use of their concept in a global strategy that designed furniture for a lower price than other competitors offer that can be sold everywhere for the targeted market segment. Sometimes regional differences appear that arise form national habits, lifestyles and culture. What gives IKEA a huge advantage in selling its products at a lower price springs from their â€Å"young† concept is that the customers have to bring home the products and assemble it themselves. No other firm manufactures as much furniture as IKEA. The firm can and will eliminate any local competition by using their global position. It is a fact that they have no competitors on the global market. IKEA’s success was recognized to its vast experience in the furniture retail market, its product differentiation and cost leadership. Across markets where it presently has a presence, products are sold at prices that are 30 to 50 percent lower than competing products. This penetration pricing enables IKEA to gain significant market share. Low prices are a result of large-quantity purchasing, low-cost logistics, and store location in housing areas. In addition, IKEA also benefits from economies of scale and healthy supplier-firm relationships. IKEA enters into long-term contracts, provides leased equipment and technical support in exchange for exclusive, low-cost manufacturing from suppliers. For new markets, IKEA should retain its price-image to maintain the brand’s positioning. IKEA strives for cost leadership, and for this reason it negotiates the most cheap conditions with a very large number of suppliers, a large part of whom live in eastern Europe and Asia, where the cost of raw materials, manpower and warehouse rentals is lower than elsewhere. IKEA always tries to acquire raw materials at the best price, choosing the suppliers with the cheapest price but it is equally focused on maintaining good relationships with them to avoid late deliveries or poor workmanship. IKEA’s low cost policy is based on several factors. Firstly, and previously already mentioned, it is based on economies of scale where large volumes reduce the unit cost of production. Secondly, the low cost policy is based on economies of transport where large orders of products permit to IKEA to transfer transport costs to suppliers. Low running costs inside the stores is also a factor. For example, the group uses buildings that are easy to build and inexpensive to manage, and it also has a ‘dressdown policy’, with all employees wearing the same uniforms, which are very simple and ractical. A last factor with regard to low cost policy is the purchases of unassembled products from suppliers with a consequent reduction of costs (taxes are lower for components than for finished products). IKEA Demand With regard to the number of buyers, this market faces a great number of buyers as IKEA wishes to reach everyone who needs a new piece of furniture or accessory. IKEA provides its products to end consumers as it only supplies their final products. These consumers can be households, other companies, or governments for example. On the demand side, the active participation of its customers, who are seen as genuine partners, is a source of economic saving for IKEA. Most of its products are packed in flat packs and the customer has to take them home and assemble them, paying the cost of transport and assembly, and thus reducing storage costs for IKEA. Wherever consumers go to IKEA stores, products are always the same. Consumers therefore know what they can expect and for what price. This is a very strong characteristic of IKEA because familiarity with a brand makes consumers come back. The 9,500 products that IKEA supplies is available in all IKEA stores and customers can order much of the range online through IKEA’s website. By doing this, IKEA makes products easier accessible, reducing the distance a consumers has to travel when choosing to purchase IKEA products, and bundles its good together with home deliveries of the orders. An IKEA market strategy in terms of service providence to their customers is always a unique one. The stores and services of IKEA are very much different from the other furniture vendors. The stores are very much spacious and divided into cheerful model rooms. This provides wide range of services to its customers to choose the furniture according to the measurements of their house along with the prices and variety of designs that are showed in kiosks. In addition, IKEA also provides childcare centers and include restaurants and cafes serving typical Swedish food. They also have small food shops selling Swedish groceries, everything from the famous meatballs to jam. Stores are located worldwide. It welcomed a total of 565 million visitors to the stores during the year 2008 and a further 450 million visits were made to the IKEA website. Low prices are one of the cornerstones of the IKEA concept and help to make customers want to buy from IKEA. IKEAs products cater for every lifestyle and life stage of its customers, who come from all age groups and types of households. This is vital in times when the retail sector is depressed, as it increases IKEAs potential market. The wide range of products that IKEA offers are of most value for consumers. Consumers prefer to have a lot of choice for good quality and low prices. IKEA’s product based market strategy drew many customers to their store and kept it the top position in the global market of the furniture companies. As previously mentioned, IKEA issued variant catalogs of their products in different native languages so as to reach all sections of their customers. IKEA also adopted some of the experimental marketing strategies for the publicity of their products. In earlier years it has taken decision to decorate a chain hotel with their furniture that has become a beneficial market strategy for both the parties. Its main aim is to target the customers of that hotel and market their products. Even the chain hotel gets benefit to decorate their hotels with lavishing furniture at low cost. Furthermore, the most important strategy of IKEA is not providing the exit for the customers who had entered in to their stores without having seen all the furniture in store. In this phenomenon there is scope that the customers may go for the more furniture that is not actually needed (Kotelnikov, 2005). Since it was founded IKEA has always had concern for people and the environment. The IKEA vision â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many people† puts this concern at the heart of the business. IKEA has responded to the publics rising concern for sustainability in its choice of product range, suppliers, stores and communication. It has also spotted business potential in providing sustainable solutions. IKEAs concern for people and the environment encourages it to make better use of both raw materials and energy. This keeps costs down and helps the company to reach its green targets and have an overall positive impact on the environment. IKEA aims to be a responsible organization and believes that a strong environmental stance is good business practice, as it also has shown as the current trend of more â€Å"green† and environmental friendly preferences of consumers when choosing their products. Demand Supply Function Demand Function There are a couple of variables that are relevant to the quantity (Qd) of IKEA goods and services that consumers are willing and able to purchase, in other words demand. First of all the price of the goods (P) IKEA sets affects the demand. Next to P, prices of related goods and services (PR) are also important as those are goods from which inputs are derived to be used in the production of the primary good. The prices of related goods and services are therefore taken into account when IKEA sets its price (P). The expected future price of products (Pe) might also influence demand because if a consumer believes that the price of the good will be higher in the future, he or she is more likely to purchase the good now. In addition, prices of all other companies’ products (P1†¦Pn-1) have an influence on the demand function of IKEA. If their prices are much lower than IKEA prices, consumers will buy from other firms. However, as already mentioned, this is not the case for IKEA as they offer products for low prices. Also, if the consumer expects that his income will be higher in the future, the consumer may buy the good now. Therefore, expected future income (Ye) also affects demand. Thirdly, the incomes of consumers (Y) are also relevant to demand because this influences the ability to purchase the IKEA goods. Demand is also affected by the number of consumers in the market (N), the more consumers in the market, the higher the demand for the IKEA products. Moreover, advertising expenditure (A) affects demand as well. The more advertising, the more consumers are informed or persuaded to come and buy at IKEA. IKEA shows to be very efficient at this with providing their catalogs. Lastly, consumer tastes and preferences (T) also affect demand. It seems that consumers prefer IKEA products over other products because of its low prices and quality of the products. However, consumers incur transportation costs (t) that have an effect on preferring to buy from IKEA (which is often located just outside the city center) or to buy from a shop closer to their homes. Consumers know that IKEA provides very high quality products no matter in which shop they will buy the products and consumers could therefore prefer IKEA products over other. The general demand function for IKEA would therefore be: Qd = f (P, PR, Pe, Y, Ye, N, A, T(t)) or, Qd = a + bP + cPR + dPe + e(P1†¦Pn-1) + fM + gYe + hN + iA + jT(t) Where b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, and j are slope parameters that measure the effect on Qd of changing one of the variables while holding the others constant. We assume that, all in the short run, there is no change in taste and preference, that the income of the consumer is constant, that there is no change in customs, habit and quality of goods, no change in substitute products, related products and the price of the product, and finally, that there are no complementary goods. Supply Function There are a couple of factors that affect supply, the amount of products IKEA is willing and able to sell at a given price all other factors being held constant. Firstly, the price of IKEA’s products (P) influences the supply function. Ikea can be seen as a leader in this market and therefore it might be the case that the firm cuts its price, possibly as an attempt to keep the number of entrants low. Secondly, the price of related goods (PR) influences the supply function. If the PR increases, the cost of production will increase and therefore supply would decrease. Thirdly, technology (T) with regard to production affects supply in a way that whenever there is a technological advancement or technology used making production very efficient, the supply increases as production costs decrease. In addition, the price of inputs (PI) such as labor, energy, raw materials, influence supply. When PI increases, sellers are likely to raise P for each unit of output. For IKEA it is known that they have access to relatively cheap raw materials and an increase in PI would not quickly lead to an increase in P because IKEA aims to keep its prices low. Moreover, the number of suppliers (N) in this market might have a small effect on the supply function of IKEA. There are already many suppliers in this market and an increase in N would not lead to a significant decrease in P of IKEA. As stated previously, in creating low prices IKEA is not willing to sacrifice its principles (â€Å"low price but not at any price†). Expectations (Em) concerning the future market condition can directly affect IKEA’s supply in that whenever IKEA believes that the demand for its product will increase in the foreseeable future, IKEA will immediately increase production in anticipation of this increasing demand and therefore future price increases. Lastly, government policies (G) and regulations can have a significant effect on IKEA’s supply. For example environmental regulations could influence decisions IKEA has to take in consideration when switching to a new supplier of raw materials. The general supply function for IKEA would therefore be: Qs = f (P, PR, T, PI, N, Em, G) Assuming that all consumers know all things, about all products, at all times (including knowing the probabilistic outcome of all future events), and therefore always make the best decision regarding purchase. In addition, assuming that Ikea is the leader in a market with a large and endogenous number of firms. Decisions As IKEA is already at the bottom end of the market and operating very efficiently and profitably, the only decisions that they will face would be concerning future investments, advertising, and product features. One of the things that IKEA is now able to do is expanding more to new markets. So far, IKEA has limited its store locations to some of the most heavily populated markets in the countries in which it competes. To continue its growth trends, IKEA may have to begin investigating other (smaller) communities. IKEA has to consider how it will respond if and when a lower priced competitor enters its market. Also, IKEA may want to consider that its product assortment and promotions may not appeal to all cultures. However, for new markets, IKEA should retain its price-image to maintain the brand’s positioning. New cultures mean also that branding has to adapt to popularity in those particular new countries.

What is an Expository Essay

An expository essay is a type of academic writing where you investigate the topic by evaluating the evidence and expounding the idea to describe, explain, and provide the information to a reader.source: UnsplashSo, it happens again: a teacher assigns an expository essay to you.Nothing special, right? After all, who doesnt know anything about expository writing?*sarcasm here* Types of essays are so many, and the differences between them are so tiny, that its less than simple for a student to get lost in those writing jungles. Thats why craft the detailed guides for you to find a way out: persuasive essays, narrative essays, SAT essays – they arent that terrible if you follow the right path of writing them.Today, the time is for how to write an expository essay. Take a cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and learn about what is an expository essay and its aspects.Table of Contents:What is an expository essay?Expository essay topicsTypes of expository essaysExpository essay structur eHow to write an expository essayThe purpose of expository essay Expository essay outline (+ POET method)How to start an expository essayHow to end an expository essayBenefits of expository writingThe process of expository writingPrewritingDraftingRevisingEditingWriting tips to followExpository essay examplesAdditional resources to checkWhat is an Expository Essay?When asked to define expository essay, its significant to understand the characteristics of this essay type and its difference from argumentative and reflective papers.Here goes a standard expository essay definition:An expository essay is a type of paper where an author chooses a topic, investigates it by evaluating the evidence, and expound it to inform readers about it.So, as you see, the expository definition is not that tricky to remember. The characteristics of your expository essay are as follows:You write it to teach readers about the topic.You describe and explain facts on the topic to inform readers.You provide t he exhaustive information on the topic.You write it in the 3rd person, with a formal language, and in a precise, logical manner.To write an A-worthy expository essay, youll need to do deep research to provide readers with insights on the topic. As an author, you cant take any side or develop any arguments here: your goal is to inform and explain.Expository Essay TopicsExpository essay topics can come from different spheres. As a rule, teachers assign a definite topic and give further requirements on writing about it; but if not, students are free to choose from topics of their interest.You can write about education, health, law, movies, science, politics, social media, wars, history, etc. Just make sure you choose something you know about (its easier to research) and can explain it to readers.Think of topics that might attract your audience and meet the requirements of your teacher. Avoid too general topics; narrow your research sphere, be specific, and make your expository essay cl ear and concise.Here go some topic ideas for your inspiration. Feel free to choose any of them if they fit your assignment or ask writers to assist you.ElementaryExpository Essay Topics for BeginnersMy favorite music is rock: heres why.Lets give better protection to endangered species.This is my favorite country on Earth, and you should visit it.These are the benefits of going to the gym.Why a family is so important to have.If I could be another person for a day, youd choose Einstein.How science helps us live more.This one thing is what Id change about my school.Its better to live in a city than in the countryside.Why I want to have a dog, not a cat.Intermediate Expository Essay Topics for IntermediatesWhat I would do if became immortal.Do people need to be independent?The #1 secret of every successful person.Some practical advice to tackle bullying in schools.The science behind love: how we need to understand this feeling.Why weight-loss diets dont work as often as we want.The ban king system is killing economic growth.The book that has changed my worldview.How social media help students pass exams.Emotions help people overcome difficulties.Advanced Expository Essay Topics for IntermediatesWhat makes a great leader and why not everyone can be the one.Where to invest money after college, and why.The effect of privacy laws on Internet users.Minimizing the negative influence of media on our lives.The reasons of terrorism in modern times.The best alternative source of energy in the world of climate changes.Why its not dangerous to play video games for hours.Why do women stay in abusive relationships?How I cured my depression, and why it can back any time.Dropping out of college: a choice or a mistake?Types of Expository EssaysYes, its about types of essays within an expository essay. They are five:Definition (descriptive) essays: they give information by explaining the meaning of a word or a concept. Here you tell readers about places, situations, or experience c oncerning the concept.Classification essays: they break down a broad topic into categories. Here you start an expository essay with the general subject and then define and give examples of each subgroup within it.Cause/effect essays: they explain the cause of something and how things affect each other within the concept. Here you identify the relations between two subjects, focus on what happened between them, and tell about the effect of that interaction.Compare/contrast essays: they describe the similarities and differences between two or more concepts, places, people, etc.Process essays: they explain a step-by-step process of something, its procedure, or how to do it. Your goal here is to give instructions to readers. Sometimes, this type of expository essays is called a problem/solution essay: you describe a problem and then tell readers how to solve it.So, you can describe, explain, compare, tell about the process, or solve a problem in your essay. But before you choose, make s ure you understand what is expository writing and what differs it from persuasive (argumentative) essays.For many students, these essay types are the same. But its not so: while argumentative essays convince readers of your position or point of view, expository essays just tell about the issue and share the facts and evidence about it.Lets compare:The difference between persuasive and expository essaysPersuasiveExpositoryChoose a position/point of view about a topicExplore a topic in a neutral wayPresent your argument in a thesis statementPresent your topic in a thesis statementWrite in the 1st personWrite in the 3d personBe subjectiveBe objectiveExpository Essay StructureOnce youve decided on the topic and type, its time to think of expository essay structure.As well as all common types of essays, expository ones consist of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Usually, there are three paragraphs in an essay body, but you are welcome to change this number according to your topic and teacher requirements.An expository essay structure includes:A clear thesis statement in the first paragraph.Logical transitions between all paragraphs.Factual and logical evidence in body paragraphs.A conclusion that restates a thesis and readdresses it in the list of provided evidence.A pinch of creativity to impress readers.Expository Essay StructureSo, what to write in each part of your expository essay:Introduction: start it with a general statement about the topic, but do your best to hook the audience so they would like to continue reading; provide the context for the audience to understand your topic; and state a thesis for the audience to understand what you are going to expose in the essay.Body paragraphs: start with the main idea of the paragraph; include the evidence (facts, statistics, quotes, interviews, etc.) to support the idea; analyze the evidence: explain why you choose this particular information to support your thesis; complete each paragraph with a logical transition to the next one.Conclusion: overview the ideas you discussed in your essay and highlight the progression of your thoughts on it; restate your thesis and leave readers with food for thought.How to Write an Expository EssayAn expository essay is about research and informing a reader about an issue, a point of view, or a fact. To get the idea on how to write an expository essay, you need to understand its purpose and follow the steps of academic writing. The Purpose of Expository EssayWhat is the purpose of expository essay?In plain English, an expository essay explains a topic. You are just stating facts, no matter if you write a how-to paper or tell about the history of China or the cost of essays for students.Such essays are not about what you think about a topic. You inform readers, explaining it through investigation and argumentation in a logical manner.Use the POET method to organize your expository essay like a poss:Expository Essay OutlineBefore you sit a nd start an expository essay, write its plan. Its a kinda map that allows you to specify core elements of your essay and make sure you dont miss any fact or evidence while writing.Just write a sentence for each element of your essay to save time and ease the writing process. Feel free to use this expository essay outline template from :[Download this template]Fill it in – and you are ready to start writing your expository essay! How to Start an Expository EssayIts the most common question among students. Frankly speaking, it can lead to a writers block and procrastination: you sit, staring at a blank page, and cant find any words to start a sentence. It frustrates. It upsets. And it disappoints: you give up, postpone, and lose interest in writingWe wrote about how to start a persuasive essay already. As for how to start an expository essay, the elements of introduction will be the same but with the only difference: you wont argue about anything. Instead, youll be objective ab out the topic.And now, for the structure of your introductory paragraph. It consists of:An attention-grabbing hook: one sentence.Information about your topic, to give the context to your readers: 2-3 sentences.A thesis statement: one sentence about what you are going to write about.Expository Essay StructureTIP: Try writing an introduction after youve finished the draft of the essay body. Thus youll have all the points and evidence fresh in your mind, and youll be able to extract the thesis and decide on the best hook to start an expository essay. How to End an Expository EssayTogether with an introduction, a strong conclusion is critical for expository essays to have. It ties up the entire essay, wrapping up its thesis for readers and leaving them with thoughts on its topic.source: GiphyThink about a minimum of three sentences to write in your conclusion. And remember that you shouldnt simply restate your thesis here: dont repeat your thesis statement from the introduction but expl ain how the information from the essay body helped to come up to this conclusion.Your essay conclusion is the answer to what you discussed in the essay body. Dont introduce any new points to readers, and end your expository essay on a positive: give the audience something to remember your essay, and leave them with something to think about.Points to remember when writing an essay conclusion:Stay clear.Conclude the thoughts, not present new ideas.Restate the thesis and explain how your essay exposes it.Be objective, use straightforward language.Make sure it consists of three sentences minimum: sum up (1), answer the questions from your thesis (1-3), give readers the food for thought (1).Benefits of Expository WritingThats all well and good, butWhy the heck you need to spend time and energy on expository writing?Nope, its not because teachers hate you and want you to get buried in tons of homework. Its because expository essays help you develop some valuable skills youll need in the y ears since school is over. Below are the benefits you gain:Research and evaluating the information: In the Internet era, when tons of information is online, and its hard to understand whats true or false, this skill is more than crucial to have. Expository essays are about research, so the more you do it, the more skillful you become. You learn to evaluate the information, check if its relevant and trustful, and understand whats fake online.Critical thinking: In expository essays, you often need to evaluate the issue and approach to it from different angles. It develops your critical thinking, a must-have skill for each representative of Gen Z to have today.Ability to express your thoughts briefly and clearly: You need to gather tons of information for your expository essay but stay coherent when describing it. Thus you learn to express yourself and share your thoughts with others.Time management and organizational skills: Expository writing teaches you to organize thoughts and expr ess them logically. Its all about organizational skills we all need to develop and improve in adult life. Practice makes perfect, so youll learn how to manage time and organize your tasks. Not bad, huh?The Process of Expository WritingWhen writing an expository essay, youll follow at least four steps: prewriting (brainstorming, research, outlining), drafting (writing an introduction, a body, and a conclusion of your essay), revising (checking all factual and grammar/spelling mistakes), and editing.Yes, the process seems energy-sapping. But nothing is as bad as it looks.Here it goes, the process of your expository writing: Step 1 – PrewritingThis phase is when you brainstorm a topic (if a teacher didnt assign it beforehand), state a thesis, and do research to outline an expository essay before writing it.How to choose the best topic for your expository essay?Think of niches you already know something about. Make a list of topics that might be interesting for you, and you feel you might tell about to readers. Then, narrow it down to one that would be easiest for you to find research.When choosing, answer these questions:Is it interesting to you?Do you have any previous knowledge about this topic?Is it easy to find credible references for it?Can you explain this topic (issue) to the reader?Once the topic is ready, its time for research. Dont skip this step, even if you think you know a lot about the topic of your expository essay: youll need references anyway; plus, youll learn more details and discover new things about your topic to include to your writing.You need research to find examples for your essay, know what you will write in every paragraph, and state a thesis.Whats a thesis?Its the heart of your essay, and no teacher will grade your paper high if it doesnt have any thesis statement inside. In short, its a sentence in the introduction of your essay that identifies the main idea or a central purpose of your text.For most students, a thesis is the most challenging part of an essay to write. Thats why so many free essay generators are online now, and thats why thesis statement generators are so popular. Feel free to try ours:source: GiphyNB! A thesis is not a mere fact or statement. Its a claim, an idea, or an interpretation one can dispute. Your job as an essay writer is to give readers something they could think about. Example:Bad thesis: British indifference caused the American Revolution.Good thesis: By treating their U.S. colonies as little more than a source of revenue and limiting colonists political rights, British indifference contributed to the start of the American Revolution. (Source)Write down a thesis statement to the outline, with the researched info and examples. Now you are ready to start drafting. Step 2 – DraftingWhen the thesis and outline are ready, start writing your essay. Drafting each paragraph, refer to the thesis statement so you wouldnt miss any points. Use transition words in every paragraph to reinforce the message, support facts, and make it easier for readers to follow your train of thoughts.Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence to introduce what it will be about. Develop the idea and present the evidence in every paragraphTips for writing body paragraphs of your expository essay:Provide facts that will help readers get to the point.Avoid biased information, use straightforward language: short and clear words, active verbs, and appropriate adverbs.Choose evidence that would be the most telling example for your thesis.Step 3 – RevisingThis is a phase when you review your draft and reorganize, if necessary, for it to look and sound better.What to check when revising your expository essay:Revising Your Expository Essay: Questions to Answer Does it give an unbiased analysis of facts and examples? Do you communicate the information logically and clearly? Are there any unnecessary details you could omit for the essay to sound more focused? Are all sen tences clear? Is the word choice precise? Do you use logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs for readers to understand the information better? Do you restate the thesis and supporting ideas in the concluding paragraph of your essay?Step 4 – EditingThe final step of writing an expository essay is its editing. Read it once again to check for grammar and spelling mistakes, improve its style and clarity, and make sure its engaging for readers to check.You can ask a friend to read your essay and share advice on its editing.You can read the essay out loud: this trick helps to identify phrases and grammar constructions that sound weird.You can try some online tools to check the grammar and spelling of your expository essay: Hemingway App, Grammarly, After the Deadline, Ginger, and others.You can ask a professional editor to check your essay and give feedback on what to improve there.And only after you are 100% sure the essay looks great, submit it for a teachers revi ew and wait for your A+. Writing Tips to FollowFor expository essays, you need to investigate a topic inside out and report the facts, regardless of what you think about them. Follow these expository essay tips – and your paper will rock!Think about an eye-catching headline for your essay, but make sure it has something to do with your thesis statement.Research your topic, even if you think you know it well.Use reputable resources for evidence and references: studies, academic journals, educational resources, official figures, etc.Inform, share facts, but avoid writing about what you think about the topic.Use clear and concise language, avoid biased information.Organize facts logically, so it would be easier for readers to follow the information.Write in the 3rd person. If describing a process or an activity, the 2nd person is okay to use too.Avoid vague language, prioritize quality over quantity: introduce top facts and evidence only.Write sentences of different length for b etter rhythm.Use transition words to move between paragraphs.Write your first draft a few days before the deadline, and wait a day or two before revising and editing it. Thus youll have a chance to look at your writing from a fresh perspective.Read your expository essay out loud to notice its weak points or strange grammar constructions to revise.Ask a friend to read your essay and tell if you need to edit something.And last but not least:Remember about the difference between argumentative and expository essays. Dont persuade readers of your opinion. Tell about the topic, share facts and evidence, and let readers be the judge of that.Expository Essay ExamplesAre there any examples of what a great expository essay looks? Samples are many, and youll have no difficulty to find them in Google.But remember:All those expository essay examples are for assistance purposes only. You cant take and copy them to use in own papers. After all, you know what happens to students who plagiarize in a cademia and infringe copyrights, dont you?source: GiphyAdditional Resources to CheckDevelop Expository Writing SkillsExpository Essay, Step by Step100 Expository Essay Topic IdeasHow to Plan Write an Expository Essay (Video)Expository Essays: Types, Characteristics Examples

Importance of Discipline in the Leadership Process

Importance of Discipline in the Leadership Process Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Is discipline as important as reward to the leader in influencing followers? If so, what is the best method of implementing?† Discipline is as critical to good leadership. In order to motivate and manipulate followers to do things they are not inclined to do on their own, a leader will have to prove and show their authority. This statement is conditional in regards to the following factors: 1 – Consistent treatment of all followers 2 – The manner the discipline is administered is respectful 3 – There is a clear understanding by the followers and they perceive the disciplinary action(s) is (are) necessary â€Å"Workplace discipline means regulating the employees, making them abide by the rules and policies of the company and follow guidelines.† (Williams and Kings, 2009) In order to administer fair discipline a leader must gather as much information, as time allows, as they can. Once they have gathered the information the must make a detailed analysis of where the wrongs have been made and to whom the blame falls. The leader must look at the situation from the angle of the direct problem and employee action as well as from the perspective of what could lead an employee to think/act in this manner. Because disciplining subordinates is an unpopular leader responsibility, especially with charismatic leaders, far too many do not take this time and therefore administer discipline poorly. In order to be successful the leader must be perceived to be â€Å"fair†. Gene Levine believes â€Å"the fairest work policies are the ones that allow employees to discipline themselves when they have demonstrated undesirable behavior which extends even to the point of terminating themselves. I also hasten to add that there are not and cannot be fair policies on anything, to everyone, all the time. No matter how good the policy, someone, some day, will claim that it is unfair. (Levine, G, 1998) One of the biggest factors affecting hostility in the workplace is inequity and selective discipline. Employees frequently site favoritism and unfairness as their reasons for discomfort and intimidation at work. (Vokoun, n.d.) This is due to leaders improperly yielding their authority. This is a problem when leaders use their authority for self enabling or enhancing reasons or any other reason that to improve the out put of the team. Mastering the administration of discipline will allow a leader to reach a deeper level of trust and kinship with the followers. The leaders’ example is critical in developing and solidifying this. When a leader disciplines themselves for the good of the team, it is easier for followers to accept the disciplinary measures. There is no best method for discipline. We have learned that situations and followers have a large impact on the leadership process. They, as well, will dictate how a leader should discipline a follower. The team and follower might be best served by the leader disciplining the individual in a private setting such as a CEO might discipline a senior executive on their team. Dependent upon the situation, it might be better to admonish the individual in front of the entire team as a football coach might yell at a star lineman for making a mistake to get the entire line to focus on its importance. After factoring in the individuals personality, the team make up and current stage of building, the leader should reach into their toolbox and apply the necessary effort and action to resolve the matter quickly. References: Levine, Gene, 1998. â€Å"Firm-but-fair approach key in workplace discipline† accessed at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3638/is_n5_v39/ai_20298340/ On 14 November 2009 at 7:25pm GMT+3 Williams and Kings, 2009. â€Å"Maintaining Office Discipline at Your Workplace.† Business Article accessed at: articleblast.com/Business_and_Management/General/Maintaining_Office_discipline_at_your_workplace/ on 14 November 2009 at 4:45pm GMT+3 Vokoun, Mellissa, n.d. â€Å"Avoiding a Hostile Workplace – Fairness in Employee Discipline†. Ezine Articles, Accessed at: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=555351 on 14 November 2009 at 5:30pm GMT+3 Research Papers on Importance of Discipline in the Leadership ProcessBringing Democracy to AfricaDefinition of Export QuotasMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesResearch Process Part OneThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTrailblazing by Eric AndersonPETSTEL analysis of IndiaStandardized TestingBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Community & Economic Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community & Economic Development - Essay Example For the purpose of understanding the issue, the city of Orlando can be used as a case example. It is of the essence to note that different locations are endowed differently when it comes to the endowment of business opportunities. This is something, which ranges from one location to another. There are a few things, which a person who wants to engage in the business ought to consider. The individual in question ought to ask himself or herself whether it feels right or whether the decision that is made makes sense at all. This is bearing in mind the financial implications, which come into perspective. There are certain things, which make Orlando a good and attractive business spot in the country. For starters, there are several industries, which are located in the city. These are significant pointers of how businesses and the private sector can be influential in the creation of jobs to individuals in the population. The presence of many of these industries in the city makes it possible for people to seek employment and get it in the long run. At the same time, these businesses may come up with incentives, which may serve to attract even more individuals from the local population. In most cases, the incentives in this scenario are always better in comparison to those from the government. As a result, a significant number of individuals in the population will opt to go into the businesses as opposed to seeing employment that is initiated by the government or the local authorities. The role, which the business sector plays when it comes to the city of Orlando, is a fact, which cannot be overlooked. The local authorities have also recognized this and as such, the policies, which they develop in relation to business activities, are those, which are favorable to the individuals who have the desire to engage in business activities. The authorities have also realized that through their partnerships with business entities and

Prudential Insurence Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Prudential Insurence Case - Assignment Example The company’s tangible resources are financial, human and physical resources. It had in its possession several physical resources that she managed; they include equipment and buildings. The strong financial position of the company ensured that it had very stable financial resources for conducting its duties or operations without substantial problems in terms of shortages of money. This considerably put it in a position of avoiding unnecessary debt financing. Nevertheless, the company also ensured that it maintained a workforce that is highly motivated; which has been a major driving force in ensuring that it achieves its intended goals of service delivery to its clients. Furthermore, the company invested heavily in the development and training of its employees as this is a critical factor in making sure the employees that are fully involved or fully engaged in the service provision deliver work or services of high quality, and those that deal with matters marketing or promotio n make sure that the potential clients are made aware.On the other hand, the intangible resources of the company included, goodwill, intellectual and technical (Hopkin, 2012). The company had for a very long time enjoyed the technical resources that greatly facilitated its goals. Events identified by the management The most critical events that were identified by the management were fraudulent practices on the side of the sales agents. This was reported by the internal auditors of the company in the year 1982. A failure by the management of the company to ensure that consumer protection regulations and laws are enforced was also detailed during the early 1990s by the internal audits of the regional offices and individual divisions. At first, we can say that the management did not take the events seriously, which means that they considered them as opportunities to continue their fraudulent practices until when matters got out of hand as the reputation of the company started going dow n significantly, when they were again seen as risks that called for drastic actions or solutions. Management’s primary risk response The management cannot be commended wholly for identifying the risks that were facing the company as they were revealed but no drastic measures were taken, instead they were viewed as opportunities; this can be said so as it failed to enforced the consumer protection laws and regularities, meaning that there was no goodwill to seal the loopholes. The management did not react immediately when it was realized that there were serious fraudulent activities on the side of the agents, which was turning out to be the biggest undoing or problem of the company. When a report was released by the internal auditors to the board of directors of the company, they continually insisted that the management was aware of the problems and was taking the necessary measures in ensuring that they were solved amicably and completely (Hopkin, 2012). When matters got wors e, the board of directors found it necessary to ensure that there is a change of guard, whereby a new manager in the name of Ryan was brought in to try his part even though he was largely untested. However, when Ryan came in, he deemed it necessary to overhaul some of the company’s structures by first changing the business approach of the company

Thomas Jefferson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example The contention that it is inconsistent to proclaim equality of all yet to maintain ownership of slaves is perhaps the apex of the criticism against Jefferson. In my opinion, this criticism might be valid, but it is not fully. Indeed, Jefferson owned slaves, but he sympathized with them. In the letter to Edward Coles, he blamed the British who brought the practice of slavery in the colonies. It can be inferred from the letter that he treated slaves with dignity. (Jefferson, 1894) The criticism being valid up to a certain extent hinges on the assumption that Jefferson should have not owned slaves in the first place. But this is just a matter of opinion. Circumstances during that period, where slavery is not illegal, gave Jefferson no obligation to set his slaves free. Nevertheless, his Liberty of owning slaves should be respected as this did not conflict with his conscience, which sought for better conditions for slaves. During the early 1800s, Spain decided to cede the Louisiana Territory to France. When Jefferson learned of this incident, he instructed his cabinet for the negotiation to purchase this deal from France.

Russian Standard Vodka Strategies For Global Markets

Russian Standard Vodka Strategies For Global Markets Introduction Roustam Tariko, founder of the Roust Holdings planned to establish a brand that will set up new standards of world class quality for new breed of global Russian brands. Tariko focused on setting up the standards by a product which is distinctive because of its Russian Heritage so that Russians can take pride in it, and to fulfill this requirement vodka was the obvious option as it is developed in Russia and strongly associated with the country. Tariko launched the vodka and by 2002, Russian Standard was outselling all other brands achieving the top position in the vodka market. This success of the Russian brand was attributed because of its consistent product quality, packaging, and merchandising and of course because of its strong depiction of Russian heritage. Encouraged by its success, Tarikos management launched the Russian Standard in the European countries aiming to make it the best vodka globally. Russian Standard vodka was making business in around 10 European countries, the company wishes to enlarge the business by further crossing the boundaries by entering into the US Market. Vodka is very famous in the US; it has a huge market, largest around the globe and there are many best selling companies which offer premium quality vodka. Launching Russian Standard vodka in US would mean high competition with the already existing brands that are quite popular among customers. The Russian Standards also expanded the list as Tariko decided to launch a new type of bank which will serve foreign trade companies, small business and individual customers. The challenge faced by the Russian Brands team was to make the two diverse businesses compatible with each other while maintaining the standards of the Russian Brand. The report presents a brief overview of the brand equity concept of the Russian Standards and the reasons behind its success story, discusses the horizontal brand diffusion in terms, and also debates over the possibility of launching Russian Standard in US and whether it needs to change its strategies to attract the customers. Brand equity is considered to be a crucial source for profitability. A firm with strong brand equity can have a significant edge in the market as compared to its competitor. It can be able to charge higher prices with its brand image backing it up. The firm can also enjoy a larger market share, a possibility of further product extensions and even draw more investment into the existing business. This is the reason why in the present world, branding or brand image has become a very important strategic issue for businesses. Businesses such as Pepsi, Coca Cola, Ralph Lauren, Nestle etc have very strong brand equities, because of which they are able to enjoy huge market shares as well as the ability to price their products higher than what they would have if they did not have their respective brand names. Brand equity is the value of a company which is only because of its name. As observed by Dr. Ramachandran (2010) brand equity is the outcome which is attributed to the products brand name as compared to the same product without a brand name. Due to the benefits strong brand equity can provide, every corporate entity works their utmost to excel others in the retail sector. However the question arises that what makes a brands equity stronger than it is? According to Kellers (2003) brand equity pyramid, there are mainly four steps and six building blocks which establish a consumer based brand equity for a firm, namely; Salience (identity), Performance and Imagery (meaning), Judgments and Feelings (Response) and finally Resonance (relationship) (Appendix 1). These are the steps at which the consumer asks respective questions related to the firm, and each step leads onto the next until the consumer places complete confidence in the firm, and thus the firm is able to acquire strong brand equity. This model by Keller (2003) can be used to explain how the Russian Standard brand was able to establish strong brand equity and how this brand equity helped the company to gain commendable success in Russia. Brand Salience The very first step in the pyramid is that of Salience, or identity. This is the step where the consumers ask the firm or product, who are you. This means that when a firm is introduced in the market, the firm establishes distinct identity. It establishes its association to a particular product class, i.e. consumers consider the firm/product according to this distinct identity. Brand salience can be defined as to how often and easily the brand is evoked under various situations and circumstances? (Keller, 2001) The beginning of the Russian Standard brand was with a mindset that its products were to be established in such a way which would be able to gain long lasting consumer association. The objective was to establish an exclusive product, which focused on Russian traditions. The brand identity established by Tariko was such that the Russian Standard brand was identified as the standard for Russians. The aim was to reach for the emotional aspect of consumers while they can relate themselves to the brand and claim pride in owning it. As the case study points out that the Russian Standard Vodka is identified as a traditional Russian souvenir, like matryoshka wooden dolls, Red Army captain watches, and lacquer boxes from Palekh (Grigorian, 2000). The intricate details taken into account in establishing the brand salience for the Russian Standard Vodka can be largely attributed to the brand equity that it enjoys today. Keeping the brand equity in order to build and protect the equity a brand positioned as a premium brand has to keep up with the expectancy by the consumers. For a premium brand the customer expectancy is not only from the quality of the product but it starts from the manufacturing to the pricing to packaging to delivering as well as to promotion (NetMBA). In all these levels a premium level of quality is expected. Russian standard has been careful in keeping quality at the utmost level while carrying out the four Ps. The product was produced with quality ingredients. The packaging was outlining quality in every aspect including meticulous details like design, labels, bottle caps and cases. The pricing was done to put the product in the premium to super premium category and the distribution was carefully laid out to acquire shelf spaces in fancy restaurants and night clubs and even in the highly perceived supermarkets. Brand Meaning Moving onto the next step of the Kellers pyramid, Performance and Imagery are what gives a brand its meaning in the minds of the consumers. The performance block includes all the principal characteristics of the brand, i.e. how well is the brand able to conform to the consumers psychological and functional requirements. This portion of the pyramid basically includes the basic features of the product, pricing, design, durability etc. Whereas, the brand imagery portion of the pyramid includes all the characteristics that are connected to the product, i.e. the products user profile, the values and history that the product reflect along with the distributional structure of the product(Keller, 2003). The Russian Standard brand was known for its quality, packaging and strong distribution channels. It was designed to be the first domestic brand to create a rich mosaic of imagery. It focused not only on quality but also on the price, packaging, merchandizing and communication. The Russian brand emphasized on depicting the Russian heritage to connect to the Russian customer and also achieve and ensure product quality that will attract the customers and make them loyal to the brand. The Russian major scientific institute which specialized on food research, in 1990s, along with Mendleev formulated a formula for vodka, this was patented to be exclusively Russian, it was considered a symbol of quality. The quality based on Mendeleevs recommendations of the vodka was of utmost importance to Tariko, which was then communicated to the people through extensive advertisement promotion, the designed bottle of vodka showed Mendeleves signature so that the customer will felt secure about the qua lity of the product. By establishing this strong connection of vodka with the Russian heritage, Traiko developed a certain sense of meaning and understanding among his customers that they were attracted emotionally and physiologically towards the Russian Brand vodka, and this sense of owning and connecting to the product not only attracted as many locals but also ensured their loyalty towards the product. Other than this, the Russian Brand also priced the product in a very appropriate way; the price was in support of its image as an exclusive brand. The vodka was priced more than other local brands, while still it was less expensive than the imported brands. This helped the Russian Standard Vodka to be recognized as an elite brand, in league with the imported brands; whilst at the same time it helped in gaining profits for the firm as well (Appendix 3) (Anselmsson, 2007). It mainly targeted the connoisseurs and strivers who preferred high quality products and prestigious brands. Moreover, the packaging of the Russian Standard Vodka was unique and fashionable. The exclusivity of the product and its other brand values was reflected by its packing. Attention was paid to every little detail of packaging of the vodka bottle; from bottle case to its cap and more importantly the shape of the bottle all were designed to emphasize on Tarikos objective of depiction of the Russian heritage and also ensure class and quality to the customers requirement and satisfaction. The packaging was designed by one of the top most design house, so that it would reflect the brands quality. The act of focusing on the packaging of a product was in itself something new for a business in Russia. Quality used to be the sole source of focus for a product, leaving the focus from pricing, packaging or the distribution channel, whereas, in modern marketing techniques, product, price, place, packaging and promotion make up the marketing mix for any product. Therefore, packaging was another on e of the major reasons for the Russian Standard vodka to acquire its brand meaning in the eyes of the consumers. Furthermore, the nostalgic touch to the packaging which reflected the value of the brand increased the brand meaning. The shape of the bottle resembled that of the traditional Russian orthodox churches, and there was a historical signature on the packaging as well.. This helped the consumers in establishing distinct brand imagery for the Russian Standard brand and relate to it. On the other hand, the strong distribution channel of the Russian Standard Brand also helped to setup its brand imagery. The Tarikos import business before the Russian Standard brand helped the new vodka to acquire advantaged shelf space as opposed to what it would have had in case Tariko had no prior reputation. Therefore, the beginning for the Russian Standard Vodkas placement in the market was privileged with supermarket promotions, access to prominent restaurants, clubs and bars. Brand Response The judgment and feelings of the consumers are the next building block. . This is basically the feelings and perceptions of the consumers about the brand (Keller, 2008). The brand judgment includes the brand quality, credibility, and differentiation. The quality includes the value or satisfaction the brand provides the consumers. The Russian Standard Vodka was trusted by the consumers for its quality. The advertised quality was supported by the actual quality of the product. The appropriate marketing mix helped the consumers to relate to the product. The idea of the campaign was to show a transformation from the previous Russian standards and the new ones. It was meant to create a modernized image in the minds of the consumers. However, this was not perceived as desired by many consumers. Most of the people thought of it as disrespectful to degrade Russian traditions no matter which era they belonged to and the message could not transfer to most people as well. So the campaign failed to communicate the intended premium image. It was designed for the international market but the response from the Russian market stopped it from being used abroad. It was not portraying the embracing the past and inspiring progress mantra the company was following. The feeling that was called upon by the advertisement within the consumers was such that they preferred using the Russian Standard Vodka as opposed to the imported brands. The brand acquired more appeal through its unique packaging and quality. The on-premise promotion on the other hand worked better for the company. It was promoted as a prestigious brand in restaurants and night clubs. The off-premise promotion was also carefully planned to portray its elegance by acquiring quality displays and shelves in the supermarkets. Brand Resonance The consumers in the modern times demand much more than just the functional benefits from a product. They demand intangible benefits such as image, status, personality, lifestyle, success and other factors that they can strongly relate to (Aziz and Yasin, 2010). The Russian Standard brand was one of the very first brands in Russia which used all these aspects into account when introducing its products in the market. Prior to this, quality and the product was the only consideration for the businesses. They believed in the supply making its own demand style of selling as opposed to the making a product in accordance to the demand of the people. However, the Russian Standard brand changed the traditional style of marketing and therefore was able to hugely benefit from rapid success in Russia. The Russian Standard brand used all the five Ps of the marketing mix to powerfully introduce itself in the market. From there onwards, it maintained its quality and built a solid name for itself by being consistent and innovative in promotion. The Russian Standard brand was able to establish a reputation which appealed to the consumers nationalistic sense. The idea was to create a strong consumer-brand relationship. Brand resonance can only be healthy if the consumers feel that they are in synchronization with the brands identity and values. Because of its patriotic look the brand was able to delve into the Russian market well. It was in complete harmony with the traditions of the Russian people. Therefore, from the analysis above, it can be said that the rapid success of the Russian Standard brand was not only because of the strong product quality they offered but also due to its right choice of marketing mix and most importantly its uphold with the Russian Identity. As the Roust Organization has already developed strong merchandizing and communication skills and relationships with the both kind of trades that is on-trade and off-trade, it was easy for the Russian Standards to be introduced to the consumers, but it was the Russian Standards strong conviction towards the brand equity that they become increasingly popular with the people and establish a certain kind of bond with them. It can be rightfully said that the success story of Russian Brand vodka emphasizes on all the aspects of the brand equity i.e. to establish brand salience and keep themselves intact with brand meaning to strengthen the bond with the customers keep counter check on the brand response and improve i ncase of any negativity and maintain the high standards, and last but not the least to provide brand resonance to the customers so they can feel pride in using the Russian Brand vodka. Thus it enjoyed rapid success and managed to maintain its position at the top, with these brand equity concepts followed it is today thought as to be one of the traditional Russian Souvenirs. Diversification Horizontal brand extension is one of the diversification strategies for the businesses. As can be seen in the Ansoffs matrix in appendix 2, when a firm increases its business into new products and markets, it is said to be diversifying its business. The benefits from diversification include, profitability, growth, reaping economies of scale if the diversification is within the same product range, avoiding dependence on a single product etc. Capitalizing on the equity of existing brands can produce many benefits for the company (Strach and Everret, 2006) even enhance the perception for the core brand (Aaker, 1991). There are two types of diversification strategies; concentric diversification or conglomerate diversification. Concentric diversification is the one where the product class remains the same. This strategy is to add related products or markets from that of the current line of business. On the other hand, conglomerate diversification is where the firm diversifies into areas that are unrelated to the current product range. Synergy Synergy is the ability of two or more instruments to work together to create something more than what they would have created separately. In a firms case, a synergy would be the extra benefit acquired by two different organizations working together, as opposed to what they would have acquired if they worked separately (Ellwood, 2002). In the Russian Standard brands case, the banking industry and the vodka industry are two unrelated industries. However, the Russian Standard brands aim to establish both these businesses under a single brand name could have been to benefit from synergies. This is possible if the bank and the vodka business together can give a stronger brand equity or profitability as opposed to their working as separate businesses under two different brand names (Aaker, 1991). Conglomerate Diversification: Benefits and Problems The possible motivations for conglomerate diversification include profitability, reducing firm specific risk, and limited growth in the current business along with other benefits of diversification in general. As observed by Martin and Sayrak (2001), the diversified organization may benefit from a larger tax liability than the initial business. Moreover, there may be other benefits from diversification such as risk from suppliers can be reduced, overhead costs can be distributed amongst a larger business (economies of scales), and the debt capacity may increase as well (Lewellen, 1971 as cited in Martin and Sayrak, 2001). Furthermore, the additional business can become a source of internal financing for the combined brand, which can considerably reduce the firms financing costs. This can be done by the management of the combined organization, by redistributing resources within the organization, where a larger amount of funds can be placed in the areas where there is potential of a hi gher gain than some other department (Stein, 1997 as cited in Martin and Sayrak, 2001). On the other hand, conglomerate diversification may create a number of problems for the existing firm. There are chances of administrative problems arising with an increase in the scale of operations (VanAuken, 2011). There can be managerial issues, i.e. an intensification of the principle-agent problem in an organization. Along with this, there can be an inadequate level of experience for the existing firm in the new industry. There may be requirements of the new industry that the current management is completely unaware of. New marketing mix, technical equipment, personnel and a lot more will be required for the new business which the current management may not be able to obtain. Support for and against Conglomerate Diversification In conglomerate diversification there are cases where the diversification has been extremely successful as well as cases where diversification was a source of loss in shareholders value in the initial business (Martin and Sayrak, 2001). Maksimovic and Philips (2002) in their research found out that conglomerate diversification reduces shareholder value, whereas in Martin and Sayraks (2001) work they have given a wide range of supporting as well as opposing arguments, without a significant conclusion as to whether conglomerate diversification is beneficial for the initial firm or it actually dilutes its initial shareholder value. However, it has to be noted that most of this literature is on merging or acquiring conglomerate businesses and not establishing a new business like the Russian Standard brand did. In case of the Russian Standard brand, (Grigorian, 2000) the bank was met with immediate success. Therefore, the success of the bank could be attributed to the existing brand name of the Russian Standard Vodka, but even if it was not because of that then there was definitely no dilution of the brand because of the conglomerate diversification. However, it may be difficult to measure in the Russian Standard brands case whether the success of the bank was because of the credibility of the brand or the right marketing mix for the bank itself. It can be the case that the bank may still have had the same success without the Russian Standard brands name associated to it, because the strategies to establish the bank were appropriate and the marketing mix was correct for the respective environment. This may be very much possible considering the fact that most of the people did not associate the Vodka and the Bank even with the same brand name; few customers made a clear link between the two businesses (Grigorian, 2000). Another aspect in this situation could also be the fact that the owner of the company, Roustam Tariko, had established much credibility for himself as well by being successful very early. His sense of strategic business thinking made him successful in creating a brand image of Russian Standard. The aim to meet international quality standards and improve the image of his country reflected well in his branding strategies. The Russian standard vodka and bank, though both were quite different in terms of relativity but as both were being run by Roust their relativity was somehow subsided by the credibility of the parent company (Ellwood, 2002). Both the brands were leveraging on the Russian Standards image. So the brand could very well diversify instead of considering to be diluted. Therefore, it can be said that even when the banking and vodka businesses are not compatible and few modern businesses actually go for conglomerate diversification, the Russian Standard brand was able to handle the two businesses well. As reputation (Ali, 2008) is one of the main factors that can affect the results of brand extension, the Russian Standard brand had a strong brand equity because of its vodka business which could very well afford to withstand any brand extension. Market Extension Another diversification strategy is to extend ones existing business into new markets. As can be seen in the Ansoff matrix (appendix 2), the market extension (Jewell, 2000) is when the existing product is introduced in some new market. This is another extension strategy that the Russian Standard brand was taking into consideration, i.e. extending its vodka into the US market. The benefits of market extension include profitability, an opportunity to reap economies of scale as the basic product will remain the same and growth of business and operations (VanAuken, 2011). Whereas, the market extension process may cause difficulties for the existing firm, because the new market may be completely different from what the firm has been working in initially. An in depth analysis of the potential market, information of the competitors and consumers, legal regulations, economic and social environment, all are required before the extension may be made. An entirely new marketing mix is required f or the same product for it to be introduced in a new market. If the product is launched in the new market with the same marketing mix, then the probability of its success may be reduced considerably. This is because, consumers in each market have distinct requirements and the social, economic and legal situation is also different from the existing market. Moreover, the potential market may already be saturated with competition, as is the case with the US market for Vodka (Sahani, 2008). The US market already has a number of well positioned, distinct local and foreign brands. Each of the brands available in the market is distinct in its own way, i.e. each has a specific segment of the market that it is very well catering to. Therefore, it can be said that introducing the Russian Standard Vodka in the US market is a difficult task, however with the quality product that it has, it may as well be successful to grasp a section of the market. In order to do this, a new marketing mix will be required for the Russian Standard Vodka to be successful in the US. The Russian Standard Vodka in the US market The Russian Standard Vodka was hugely successful in Russia not just because of its quality, but also its appeal to the nationalist sense in Russia along with its privileged distributional channels. These are the attributes of the Russian Standard Vodka that may not be present when the vodka is introduced in the US market. The US market which is todays largest consumer of vodka, is already very saturated in terms of premium vodka brands. The consumers will not be attracted to the brand merely because of its Russian origin, nor will the brand be able to acquire advantaged distribution channels (Sahani, 2008). Also considering the fact that the relationship between the two countries have always been on a verge of disagreements (Graham, 2008), this can act as creating a certain biasness for the origin of the brand. Based on the market analysis the super premium to premium segment already includes a lot of imported brands. For Russian Standard to create its space the super premium segment will have a benefit in terms of no competition from local brands, since the super premium segment only includes the imported variety. So if Russian Standard vodka changes its market strategy they can be noticeable in the US market. Change in the strategy will have to be emphasized in new and creative ideas of marketing and advertising, for this purpose it is very essential for the Russian Standard management to carefully study the US market, understand what the customers need and want, and what does the other vodka brands offer them, whether is there any loopholes or any gap between the customer requirement and brands offers and if Russian Standard vodka can overcome that gap. The American market is completely different from the Russian market, therefore Russian standard faces a great challenge in first capturing the attention of the American and consumers and then providing them with a better vodka than its competitors. The Russian Standard vodka can be launched in US market, but for a successful launching a lot of literature review and planning is required. From the discussion above it can be said easily that the Russian Standard will have to adapt to the US market to make their space. Many aspects of the Russian Standard vodka advertising and management campaign will plays vital role, among which pricing is the most crucial of all. The price should be appropriate enough to capture the attention of the Americans and maintain class as well. The quality of the Russian Brand vodka will ensure brand loyalty from the customers, but the real challenge is faced in actually making space in already so brand crowded market of the vodka in the US. The Russian Standard Vodka marketing mix for the US market will have to have a significant media campaign as well. This is because, all other competing brands in US have noteworthy amounts of money spent on advertisement, and are using user profiling (associating celebrities to add value to the brand) to their advantage. This is one place, where the Russian Standard Vodka will have to focus to establish a brand image that will appeal to the respective consumers. With the current scenario going pretty well for Russian Standard at home a global impact will add to the equity of the brand. As far as the image and global inconsistency is concerned in order to venture into a foreign market the characteristics must be understood. Since the US is a big market and the people are very accustomed to freedom and rationality Russian Standard will have to adapt to the culture in order to create the brand image (Deresky, 2006). This might impact global consistency of the brand but in order for it t o be associated exclusively to Russia the Russian Standard brand has to be put up as a brand for the elite. One the brand recognition will be spontaneous and second it will enjoy cost effective global positioning (Sahani, 2008). As the current situation of the brand is leading in the Russian Market the intervention in the US market will not be a wrong decision. Another aspect in consideration with the adaptation to the US market involves the brand name Russian standard itself (Deresky, 2006). This can have a positive as well as a negative impact while branding in US. The word Russian associates the Russian traditions with the brand. This can impact in the unique positioning in imported vodkas market. The name will give the product a Russian trait and the market does consist of people inspired more by brands with foreign attribute associated to them. However, the market also consists of people who can be biased in terms of foreign associations. Since Russia has been on major disagreement terms with US in history, some sort of biasness or stereotyping might result in the undermining of the brand (Graham, 2008). Launching Russian Standard Brand vodka in the United State would be challenging but not entirely an impossible job. With change in strategies and with new concepts of brand equity that will be according to the US markets, the Russian Standard Brand may be able to make their space in the strong world of vodka in the United States. Conclusion Therefore keeping these aspects in mind the venture into the US market can be risky at some points since it is the largest vodka market in the world. On the other hand it can also provide Russian Standard the global position it is looking for. It will add to the equity at home and in other markets it plans to venture into. The loyalty will increase and so will the company reap economies of scale by pricing it in the super premium market. References Aaker, A., David 1991, Managing brand equity: capitalizing on the value of brand name, New York, Maxwell Macmillan International. Ali, T. 2008, How Do Consumers Evaluate Brand- Extensions: A Five-Factor Approach, Routledge. Anselmsson, J., 2007, Understanding price premium for products: a conceptual model of customer based brand equity, Journal of Product Brand management, volume 16, issue 6, pp. 401-414, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. Aziz, N. A., and Yasin, N. M., 2010, International Journal of Marketing Studies, volume 2, issue 2, Deresky, H., 2006, International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures, 5th Edition, Pearson Education Ltd. Ellwood, I., 2002, The essential brand book: over 100 techniques to increase brand value, Biddles Ltd. Graham, T., 2008, US-Russia Relations: Finding Reality Pragmatically, CSIS, Washington D.C. Grigorian, V., 2000. Russian Standard Vodka: Strategies for Global Branding and Expansion into the US Market INSEAD. Available at: [27 February 2011]. Jewell, B. R. 2000 An Integrated Approach to Business Studies, Pearson Education Limited. Keller, Lane K., 2008, Strategic Brand Management, third edition, Pearson Education Ltd. pp. 246-260. Maksimovic, V. and Phillips, G. 2002, Do Conglomerate Firms Allocate Resources Inefficiently Across Industries?

fallacy :: essays research papers

Description of Fallacies In order to understand what a fallacy is, one must understand what an argument is. Very briefly, an argument consists of one or more premises and one conclusion. A premise is a statement (a sentence that is either true or false) that is offered in support of the claim being made, which is the conclusion (which is also a sentence that is either true or false). There are two main types of arguments: deductive and inductive. A deductive argument is an argument such that the premises provide (or appear to provide) complete support for the conclusion. An inductive argument is an argument such that the premises provide (or appear to provide) some degree of support (but less than complete support) for the conclusion. If the premises actually provide the required degree of support for the conclusion, then the argument is a good one. A good deductive argument is known as a valid argument and is such that if all its premises are true, then its conclusion must be true. If all the argument is valid and actually has all true premises, then it is known as a sound argument. If it is invalid or has one or more false premises, it will be unsound. A good inductive argument is known as a strong (or "cogent") inductive argument. It is such that if the premises are true, the conclusion is likely to be true. A fallacy is, very generally, an error in reasoning. This differs from a factual error, which is simply being wrong about the facts. To be more specific, a fallacy is an "argument" in which the premises given for the conclusion do not provide the needed degree of support. A deductive fallacy is a deductive argument that is invalid (it is such that it could have all true premises and still have a false conclusion).

Unit 1 Assignment 1 Windows 2008 Network Services

Unit 1 – Assignment 1 – Windows 2008 Network Services If you have a routed local area network and high-speed links that are fairly reliable, you might be able to use one DNS server for a larger, multiple sub-netted network area. If you have a high number of client nodes on a single subnet design, you might want to add more than one DNS server to the subnet to provide backup and failover if the preferred DNS server stops responding.When determining the number of DNS servers you need to use, assess the effect of zone transfers and DNS query traffic on slower links in your network. Although DNS is designed to help reduce broadcast traffic between local subnets, it does create some traffic between servers and clients that should be reviewed, particularly when used in complexly routed LAN or WAN environments. Consider the effects of zone transfer over slower speed links, like those typically used for a wide area network (WAN) connection.Windows 7 Check Your UnderstandingAlth ough the DNS Server service supports incremental zone transfers and DNS clients and servers can cache recently used names, traffic considerations are sometimes still an issue, particularly when DHCP leases are shortened and, as a result, dynamic updates in DNS are performed more frequently. One option for dealing with remote locations on WAN links is to set up a DNS server at these locations to provide caching-only DNS service. With most installations, you should have at least two server computers hosting each of your DNS zones for fault tolerance.DNS was designed to have two servers for each zone, one as a primary server and the other as a backup or secondary server. When making any final determinations about the number of servers to use, first assess the level of fault tolerance you need for your network. Because there is no fixed limit to the maximum number of clients a DHCP server can service or to the number of scopes you can create on a DHCP server, the primary factors to cons ider when you determine the number of DHCP servers to use are network architecture and server hardware.For example, in a single subnet environment, only one DHCP server is necessary, although you may want to use two servers or deploy a DHCP server cluster for increased fault tolerance. In multiple subnet environments, routers must forward DHCP messages between subnets, so router performance can affect your DHCP service. In both cases, DHCP server hardware affects service to clients.