Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Book Review - Essay Example The author has described how the hormonal changes in different stages of woman’s life create different physical and behavioral changes in her and how these changes help her to cope with different roles that she plays at in her life. The book â€Å"The Female Brain† is a good book for understanding the difference in brain structure and hormones of women and men. However, the dramatic and the magazine like style of writing make the book lose the ‘depth’ of the subject matter. Hence, even though the book gives some meaningful and important facts about the female brain, the repetitive nature of the information makes the book lose its grip on the reader. After reading the whole book, the reader feels that the author had only few things to discuss about the female behavior and everything else was added just to increase the pages of the book. The essence of the book is the effort by the author to reveal that woman’s emotions, values, desires, decisions and the perception of reality are hugely influenced by the neurological effects caused by the hormones. The hormones that influence women’s brain and men’s brain are different and hence, their behavioral pattern, emotional pattern and thinking pattern are different. The author has discussed how the three major hormones of estrogen, dopamine and oxytocin influence woman’s mind and body to develop the ‘feminine’ qualities in her. The book reveals how estrogen is responsible for unique qualities like empathy and intuition in women. Women have a natural tendency to read emotions in body language, seek social interaction, trust others and remain loyal. According to the author, these qualities are unique to women because estrogen makes them seek social interaction and emotional bonding. The presence of the hormone oxytocin makes women tru st others easily. Hormone dopamine is responsible for craving of sex and love in women. On the other hand, as the

War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

War in Iraq - Essay Example Rather, it was pursued in economic reasons. Scott (2003) cites the internally stated goal of securing the flow of oil in the Middle East. Scott refers to a report from the James A. Baker Institute of Public Policy at Rice University (April, 1997) which stated the problem of "energy security" for the US and noted that US was increasingly exposed to oil shortages in the face of the inability of oil supplies to carry on with world demand. Particularly, particular the report addressed "The Threat of Iraq and Iran" to the free flow of oil out of the Middle East. It concluded that Saddam Hussein was still a threat to Middle Eastern security and still had the military capability to exercise force beyond Iraq's borders. Scott continues that as soon as the Bush administration took office in 2001, it followed the lead of a second report from the same institute, which was co-sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the report representing a consensus of thinking among energy experts of both political parties, and was s igned by Democrats as well as Republicans. Entitled Strategic Energy Policy Challenges for the 21st Century, the report concluded: The United States remains a prisoner of its energy dilemma. ... Therefore the US should conduct an immediate policy review toward Iraq including military, energy, economic and political/ diplomatic assessments. Following this note is the looming phenomenon known as Global "Peak Oil", which is projected to occur around 2010, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the final two nations to reach peak oil production. US geophysicist M. King Hubbert, who in 1956 correctly predicted U.S. oil production would peak in 1971, first illustrated this crucial concept of Peak Oil in bell-shaped curves wherein each oil field in the world follows a more or less bell-shaped curve, and the composite view of the world's thousands of oil fields is one gigantic, ragged edged looking bell-shaped curve. According to Clark (2003), once Peak Oil is reached, the supply of oil/energy will begin an irreversible decline, along with a corresponding permanent increase in price despite the presence of increasing demand from industrialized and developing nations alike. Another reason pointed out on the cause of the war was to preserve the dominance of the dollar over the world oil economy. Clark (Revisited: The Real Reasons for the Upcoming War with Iraq, 2003) on the other hand believes that the US media and government failed to report that the war itself is in large part an oil currency war. In Clark's words, "a war intended to prevent oil from being priced in euros". He cites that a core reason for the ongoing war is this US administration's goal of preventing further Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) momentum towards the euro as an oil transaction currency standard. However, in order to forestall OPEC, they need to gain geo-strategic control of Iraq along with its 2nd

Negative Impact of Social Websites Essay Example for Free

Negative Impact of Social Websites Essay Social networking has greatly impacted society, especially when it comes down to common sites such as Facebook, My space, or even Twitter. It has been noticed to have both a negative and positive effect on society. Although social networks can have good and positive effect on people but unfortunately it has plenty of negative effects on students. Through reports its evaluated that social networking sites has formed a new kind of addiction which we call the social media addiction and it is quite true in using Facebook,twitter,hi5 etc. Are you addicted to Facebook? Twitter? hi5? (etc. Some students would say yes and some would say no. It depends on the level of cravings. But it was found that a lot of students are by now addicted to it, to the extent that their school performance is affected. Children who spend much of their time online find it harder to focus in class and have short attention span, Researchers have found it out through the samples that 7 out of 10 teachers said that their students are becoming addicted with social websites such as Facebook or twitter. Their students tend to study while using Facebook or twitter and it shows that they got 20% lower grades. Social sites using students even perform study related task without completion for the reason that they spend more time looking on their updates about their friends and look up for their notifications rather than finishing their school tasks. Aside that Facebook affects student’s academic performance; it also has an effect on student’s emotional health. Students feel connected to others but study shows that they manifest depression through seeing their status updates. Some would utilize the site to express what they feel towards their rival in school or even outside the campus. They would blurt out through posting status that would target their opponent just to hurt their feelings. 1. Teenagers who use Facebook more often show more narcissistic tendencies while young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies. 2. Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems. . Students mostly use slang words or shortened forms of words on social networking sites. They start relying on the computer grammar and spelling check features. This reduces their command over the language and their creative writing skills. 4. The student’s motivational level reduces due to the use of these social networking sites. They rely on the virtual environment inste ad of gaining practical knowledge from the real world. 5. The more time the students spend on these social media sites, the less time they will spend socializing in person with others. This reduces their communication skills. They will not be able to communicate and socialize effectively in person with others. The employers are getting more and more unsatisfied with the communication skills of the fresh graduates due to this reason. The effective communication skills are a key to success in the real world. 6. Facebook and other sites can be very distracting for students and can impact negatively on their learning, reports have proved that the students who check their Facebook or social account at least once is a study time of 15 minutes has scored lower grades in their studies. For sure there can be many other reasons for a student’s inattention in studies. But somehow social networks like Facebook, Orkut, and Twitter etc. have a negative impact on the education of some students. Facebook could make students vain for better or for worse and it is the parent’s and teacher’s duty to watch and guide their children to get the utmost good benefits from Social networking website. GOOD MIND ALWAYS GOOD FIND

The Roles And Responsibilities Of The Design Team Construction Essay

The Roles And Responsibilities Of The Design Team Construction Essay Interior Designer Interior designers are sometimes used on contracts where the internal finish and dà ©cor is important or of a prestigious nature. Some high-profile house building projects or city-centre apartment conversions have been developers in conjunction with interior designers who can add considerable value to a project. Quantity Surveyor Quantity surveyors accurately determine the amount of materials needed to build the project. They prepare a bill of quantities establishing a record of all the materials needed and identify all the information necessary to draft out a specification of the works. The quantity surveyor can then advise and guide the architect or the client on the cost of the job, check tenders and evaluate any costs as work proceeds. Landscape Architect The landscape architect is sometimes contracted to design the external environment of the project. As with interior design, the landscape can be enhanced by a specialist to improve the completed project. Resident Engineer Resident Engineers are based close to the construction works, on the construction site itself. They report back to the structural engineer and the architect on the matters relating to the structure and the load-bearing components that have been designed by the structural engineer. Structural Engineer Structural Engineers determine the design of loadbearing elements of the building and ensure that each component is designed to safely withstand the loads that are imposed on the building. Structural engineers typically work for the client but are frequently engaged by the architect to inform and supervise the design and installation of structural elements as work proceeds. They work very closely with the architectural technologist and the principal contractor. Building Services Engineer Building services engineers design and implement a range of items into the project that dont improve the resources and the quality of the building. Building services and the effective use of heat, light, acoustics and other electrical appliances have seen significant improvements in recent years and many of these items, such as lifts, escalators, air conditioning and heating and ventilation systems, need to be integrated into the contract drawings at an early stage to avoid conflicts of space or to ensure that the design can accommodate machinery, plant and equipment. Clerk of Works The clerk of works is employed directly by the client, who will want assurance that a contractor is producing a building that meets specification in terms of both materials and workmanship. The clerk of works also reports to the architect on progress of the construction works. Clerks of works do not issue instructions and do not have authority to impose variations or changes to the design but will need to inspect the works as it proceeds and hence need to visit the site frequently. On some larger sites, a clerk of works will have a resident office and spend their entire working time there. Contractor Contractors perform many duties on site and thus they are in the best position to ensure that site activities are carried out safely. Contractors must ensure that subcontractors have information about risks on the site and that all workers and operatives working on the project have adequate training and a suitable induction to site procedures. Task 3 Explain the roles and responsibilities of the production team. (Identify then describe the members of a production team, this is the team that will produce the building from the design) The Production Team Projects Manager Site Manager Quantity Surveyor Site Engineer Task 4 Describe the legal implications that could arise from miscommunication Legal implications that could arise from miscommunication include- In terms of legal position The client is put at the top of any hierarchical chain. However, the client usually tends to place the responsibilities on the architect, the design team and the contractors. To prevent any legal implications, architects are required by law to hold qualifications that show that they completely understand the principles of design and can build a sufficiently strong structure. They must also comply with the legislations such as planning, building regulations and management regulations and the disabled and disabilities act. Furthermore, architects are required to have adequate public liability insurance to protect any third parties from any defects or problems related with their work. Task 5 Changes made are window size have been increased (communicate this to the production team) Write letter to (proof and backup needed, when communication has taken place) Paragraph on the different communications Produce a written communication between design and production team- Write sample letter to product team about change in window size Tell building to leave gaps for the windows (bigger gaps) Who needs to be told? QS Because specification will change Task 6 Describe a modern method of construction look for a sustainable method employing timber or a technological product. Describe what methods and components could be used to construct each type of building- Why is there a need for these different methods and components? Merit Criteria Task 7- Obtain a copy of RIBA current plan of works, how does it work? What are its merits? The benefits of using the RIBA plan of work are that it is easily understood, it is a well-planned, coordinated structured approach. What are all the stages? How will the team members be coordinated to complete the project? RIBA Plan of works Feasibility phase- Inception Feasibility At this stage of the plan, the architect will work closely with the client to determine and prepare the requirements of the building project. Architects will provide clients with an appraisal and recommendation so that they can determine the form in which the project is to proceed, ensuring that it is feasible both in technical and financial terms. Pre-construction phase- Outline proposals Scheme design At this stage, the architect will usually have determined through sketch plans the layout, design and construction in order to obtain approval of the client on the outline proposals and accompanying report. To complete the brief and decide on particular proposals, including planning arrangements and appearance, constructional method, outline specification and cost, the architect will then draft plans and drawings for submission to the local authority to obtain all approvals such as building control and planning consent. Detail design At this stage, the architect will have to obtain final decisions on all matters related to design, specification, construction and cost. BVy creating working drawings and finalising the full designs of every part and component of the building, the architect draws together the construction team. Meetingds of the team will take place to discuss and decide materials, finishings, services, contributions by specialist firms and a range of other matters relating to the finalising of the building. It is important that any changes or modifications to the scheme are noted and accommodated so that everyone can be updated and work from the latest drawings. Changes can be accommodates at this stage, although they may result in increased costs due to the scheme being planned on an early proposal. Production information This part of the plan includes the preparation of product information used in the building, the drafting of bills of quantities, tender documents and project planning materials such as the programme of works showing duration of activities and the time taken to create the building itself. This is a very important stage in the process and particular care must be taken to ensure accuracy of the work involved in drawings and specifications so that the contractors undertaking the building work have all the necessary information to hand to complete the work to the appropriate standard. Drawings require at this stage include a location plan of where the work is found, a layout drawing of the construction site itself and a general arrangement drawing that shows the layout of the work to be done. From these drawings, a series of schedules and specifications will be drafted to provide any necessary additional information. Bills of quantity Specifications are dealt with in more detail later on, but their link with the bills of quantities is important. Bills of quantities are prepared by a quantity surveyor who reads the drawings and determines the quantities and amounts of materials needed to complete the constructions work. Any part of the building that is not yet finalised or has missing information can be allocated a provisional or prime cost so that there is an amount for the work to take place is allocated even when the actual cost or amount to do this work may be finalised some time later. If the architect has not yet appointed a construction contractor or team to complete the works onsite, discussions at this stage will begin to determine an appropriate company or contractor to appoint who is capable of undertaking the work. Tender The idea of tendering is to allow the client an opportunity to present a batch of work or a construction contract to contractors who learn about the complexity, the stages of construction, the limits and the constraints anticipated within the work so that a realistic and accurate price can be calculated by the contractors. The contractors then identify the price of the works and the client chooses the contractor best suited and able to do the work. Frequently, the cheapest tender or quote is selected as this can represent best value for the client. For some work selective tendering may take place, where a architect and quantity surveyor invite contractors that are either known to them or have an established reputation for completing work similar to the one they are working on, to tender. Again, the cheapest quote is most commonly selected in this process. Contractors may be approached so that they tender an interest in the work. Sometimes a pre-tender meeting may be held with contractors and the complexity and the details of the work can be communicated to the contractors so that the contractors, the architect and he client can satisfy themselves that they are all capable of completing the work within the appointed timescale and budget. A letter of invitation to tender can then be issued together with all relevant drawings, specifications and bills the contractors can then visit the site of works and the contractor will determine and cost the project. Tenders are returned to the architect at an agreed date and time. Initial comparison of the tenders received from different contractors takes place by the architect and sometimes this includes the client or their representative. This analysis of the tenders usually results in the lowest priced tender winning the contract and being appointed as the contractor. Construction phase- Project planning This is where the work to produce the building starts on the building itself. Contract documents are prepared and signed. At a project planning meeting, the architect will usually clarify any points undecided at this stage and agree anyfurther contractual points. Contractors draft a programme of works that illustrates the milestones and the total duration of the work. Key milestones include taking possession of the site, dates of the project progress meeting and other key dates that are achieved during the lifetime of the contract. The contractor is expected to sign the contract documents at this stage, which include: A copy of the contract A full set of construction drawings Bills of quantities Specifications A register of drawings Site diary and associated report forms Site operations The site is officially handed over to the contractor who can begin construction-related operations. The site is now the responsibility of the contractor who has to comply with all the legislative requirements and legal constraints. The contractor should be informed of any rights of way, preservation orders, protection requirements and any other environmental issues that need to be considered in terms of the work and the activities on site in the months ahead. the contractor has a duty to ensure the appropriate site supervision of all those involved in activities onsite. a clerk of works will check on behalf of the client and the architect that the contractor is complying and building the project to the appropriate standards of materials and workmanship. samples are taken of various materials, sometimes by a specific request from the architect and other times by established practice in some cases, such as the sampling of concrete which is regularly tested by way of a slump test to ensure workability when it arrives on site, and its strength assessed by testing to destruction samples at regular intervals after the concrete has been placed. brickwork panels are sometimes erected to enable the architect and the client to see what the brickwork will eventually look like. tiles, blocks, panels, etc. may also be subject to a request that the contractor builds a mock-up or sample panel for viewing by the architect and the client so that the quality and the desired finish of the work can be ascertained and ensured. The contractors duties at this stage of the plan are to work diligently on the construction works adhering to all relevant health, safety and welfare legislation. the contractor is also expected to maintain a site diary to record relevant information about the progress of the construction works. typically, a site diary will include information on: weather conditions visitors on site for the period any deliveries of materials to site progress of work to date personnel onsite including subcontractors any comments and notes taken about the work undertaken Discrepancies and any inconsistencies in contract documents. Completion as the building starts to take shape, the contractor may be required to hand over part of the building to the client. the actual date of handover is planned and any outstanding issues relating to the construction works can be determined and a solution found. the period of notice required varies from site to site, but usually adequate notice is required in order to prepare the area and any other supporting documentation. the client should be in a position to accept the building for its proper use so the architect will usually insist on inspecting the area and determining for themselves that the work is to the appropriate standard of materials and workmanship, that all services and equipment are functioning appropriately and effectively and that the as-built record drawings are a true record of the actual building. the building manual which in the case of a simple domestic dwelling or house will be simple could extend to a complex and detailed manual of several volumes for an industrial or more intricate commercial building. a certificate of practical completion can be issued by the architect to the contractor which then enables the contractor to claim monies due for the construction work and address any defects and snags that have arisen so far. at this stage, the contractor has effectively completed the construction stage and has no responsibilities for the insurance of the building or its works. When all defects or amendments or outstanding issues are addressed, the architect will issue a final certificate and the account will be adjusted for variations, subsequent instructions and fluctuations in labour and materials prices and/or costs Feedback the final part of the riba plan is to analyse and evaluate the progress of what was expected with what was actually delivered. architects will need to determine what has happened in order to achieve better performance in the future. typically, an analysis and evaluation could include the following: what does the client think of the completed building? Does the building function effectively? What parts of the design were particularly successful or problematic? Could this design process have been undertaken differently and have provided a better service to the contractor or the client? What relationship and communication existed between the design team and the construction team? How could these be improved in the future? Did the contractor meet all the performance targets in a timely and effective manner? Did the design process run smoothly? If not, why? Was the job profitable and was the contract fulfilled? Why will my company use RIBA and what happens if it is altered or not adhered to. Why the company will use RIBA The riba plan is usually accepted as the most suitable plan, although many other types of plan are acceptable for smaller building projects or for instances where the riba plan may be too inflexible when conditions change frequently. The RIBA plan of work is known for being well planned, coordinated, and known for having a structured approach. Task 8- Compare the methods available for communication, for example, advantages and disadvantages of each. Explain why the contractor must implement these changes Distinction Criteria Task 9 Analyse and discuss in detail the RIBA plan of work in terms of handling a design change after work has started. Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan from design to construction phase and provide examples of the plans flexibility to resolve changes of design quickly. Include how these changes are quantified.

Free College Essays - Characters of The Parable :: Parable Essays

Characters of The Parable In The Parable several characters are presented to the reader.   Each one has their own   behavioral characteristics which one may or my not approve of.   The two characters whose behaviors I most approve of are Lee Pai and Hernando.   The characters whose behaviors I do not approve of are Sven and John.   There are several reasons why I approve of the behaviors of Lee Pai and Hernando and do not approve of   the behaviors of Sven and John.   All of   these reasons I have based on my interpretation of the story, The Parable.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Parable is a story about Rosemary, a young woman   who is betrothed to a man named Hernando.   Rosemary is supposed to meet Hernando for there up coming wedding but she is faced with a dilemma.   In order for her to get to her wedding she has to cross a very deep and wide river that is full of crocodiles.   Rosemary is clueless on how she is to get across   this river, so she decides to turn to people, she knows, for help.   The first person she turns to is Sven for he owns a boat.   Sven listens to Rosemary's   problem and tells her he will take her across the river if   she spends the night with him.   Rosemary, surprised and shocked at hearing such an offer, declines and turns to another acquaintance, Lee Pai, for help.   Lee Pai tells Rosemary he is sorry but he can't help her.   Not knowing what else she can do, Rosemary goes back to Sven for help.   She spends the night with him and the next day he takes her across the river.   Rosemary and Hernando are then together at last.   The evening before their wedding, Rosemary feels the need to tell   Hernando what she had to do to get across the river.   When she tells Hernando, he is very hurt and upset.   He calls the wedding off and "banishes Rosemary as a soiled woman" (The Parable).   Rosemary is very distraught over this and turns to John (an acquaintance) for a little comfort.   After hearing her story John says to Rosemary that even though he does not love her, he will marry her.   With this, the story comes to an end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are   two characters in the story, The Parable, that   I approve of .   These two characters are Lee Pai and Hernando.

The Social Dynamics of the Weight Room Essay -- Personal Narrative Wei

The Social Dynamics of the Weight Room Missing Works Cited As I walk down the streets of Hollywood, I can’t help but notice all the billboards advertising numerous products. The symbols of these products are beautiful young people with rock hard, chizzled bodies. It is interesting to note what defines a female as beautiful and a male as beautiful. The females seem to look extremely thin with tight arms, stomachs and buttocks’. These models for â€Å"Levi’s† or â€Å"Banana Republic† don’t have all the curves, but look feminine in a rather boyish manner. When viewing males on these billboards, you will notice that they are often times cut, trim, and more curvy than the female. They commonly shave their bodies for companies like â€Å"J-Crew† and â€Å"Abercrombie and Fitch†. We can see that there may be a possibility of gender crossings (males looking more feminine and females looking more masculine). These images represent beauty and are seen as cultural icons of appearance in o ur culture. The media seems to determine and drive the social stigma of society. Looking for the effects of these icons in our culture, I decided that it would be beneficial to explore the source of the image building†¦a fitness gym. Weight lifting has many connotations for social interaction. The purpose of this ethnography is to discover possible explanations to lifting weights, how lifting weights personifies masculine and feminine gender roles, to understand the social interactions within the weight room, and to investigate how much the media plays into the development of the masculine and feminine image. The weight room is a culture in its own that represents the masculine and feminine image of our culture. When I first entered the â€Å"Muscle Madness ... ...is not heterosexual at all, but homosexual: not only is she ‘unnatural,’ but the female boldybuilder possesses the power to invert normal male sexuality. Since Bev Francis [female bodybuilder] looks and moves ‘like a man,’ homophobic patriarchal ideology whispers that men who find her attractive must be gay, and, further, that women who find her attractive must be lesbians. Bev’s muscles, dress, heavy facial features, and ‘unfemine’ body language evoke the stereotype of what a lesbian looks like: the butch, the lesbaian who is immediately recognizable as such, visibly different†¦.gay men are assumed to be wimps who worship ‘he-men,’ while lesbians are assumed to be women who are ‘he men’ or women who worship ‘he/she men’. †¦sexuality is surreptitiously linked with sex and gender in such a way as to support heterosexual and patriarchal ideologies. (Holmund, 150-51)

Marketing Planning Essay

Assume you have been appointed as a marketing consultant for Jollibee. As part of the international expansion program, the management wants you to prepare a report to identify marketing opportunities. The report should cover the following information: a) Identify three potential markets for expansion Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is banking on franchising and overseas expansion to continuously boost its earnings in the long run. The aggressive expansion program is in line with doubling the company’s earnings in 5 years, company officials said. JFC board chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said the ideal business mix is 50-50 for franchising and company-owned expansion. JFC’s branches outside the Philippines are all company-owned, except those in the Middle East. In the Philippines, 45% of the stores are company-owned while 55% are franchised. For its overseas expansion, CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said the quick-service restaurant chain plans to expand its global footprint by putting up stores in Malaysia, Myanmar, Europe and Japan â€Å"after five years because we need to focus on China and the US.† JFC is also branching out in Canada next year while the company is still studying prospects in Indonesia, one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. The potential markets for expansion are the following: Three Options for Expansion Papua New Guinea- Raising the Standard New Entrant into 3 store fast food chain Tingzon offered to put up all capital required Hong Kong- Expanding the Base 3 Store already established, possibility of a 4th one. High volume with Filipinos but not with residents (Chinese) 4th store location high traffic but few Filipinos California-Supporting the Settlers Success in Guam led them to believe US had potential Food Appealed to Filipinos and Americans Decided on Daly City-Large Filipino population Plans to appeal to Asian Americans and then Hispanic Americans b) General information about the potential markets (geographical location, capital, population, per capita income, literacy rate, language spoken) Geographical Location Jollibee started with five branches in 1978 and has grown to a strong network of a total of 801 stores in the country, and 96 stores internationally. In total, Jollibee has 896 stores worldwide as of November 2013. It is the largest fast food chain in the country with international locations in Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. JFC is planning to expand Jollibee to other markets like Europe. Asia Brunei (launched 1987) Hong Kong (launched September 1996) Indonesia (to be launched 2015) Kuwait (launched 1995) Malaysia (to be launched 2015) Philippines (main hub) Qatar Saudi Arabia (launched 1995) Singapore (launched 2013) Vietnam (launched October 1996) North America United States (launched 1998) Canada (to be launched 2015) The first Jollibee branch in Vietnam was opened on October 1996 at the Super Bowl in Ho Chi Minh City. To date, Jollibee has more than 30 stores in Vietnam, they are located in the cities of Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, in the provinces of Vinh Phuc, Dong Nai and all provinces in the  Mekong Delta Region. In Hong Kong, there is currently one branch located in Central. At present, it is in the process of being renovated, while the opening of a second branch in the country is currently under consideration. As of end-September 2012, Jollibee was operating 2,040 stores in the Philippines for all of its brands: 765 for Jollibee, 383 for Chowking, 201 for Greenwich, 209 for Red Ribbon, 457 for Mang Inasal and 25 for Burger King. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: There are five million people in Papua New Guinea with extremely limited fast food options. Jollibee can come in and set a high standard, attract many customers, and scare future investors away. However they would have to quickly add three to four stores to be competitive and cover costs. There was also question as to whether the area could handle 20 stores. Either they will get the first mover advantage or they will sustain huge loss. Since the benefits offered by the local partner are uncertain and profit potential is low, Jollibee should not seek to enter New Guinea at this time. HONG KONG: In Hong Kong, Jollibee are located near a very densely populated area, which has a very loyal Filipino customer base. These people gave them great business on the weekends, but sales fell off during the week because the local Hong Kong people rarely frequented the Jollibee establishment. Also, there were tremendous problems with the Chinese stores. All of the managers resigned and many employees quit because the Chinese like to work for Chinese. There was obvious friction between the Chinese and Filipino’s. While the fourth store in Hong Kong represents a valuable learning opportunity, it will not generate the revenues needed to build a global empire. Catering to the local Chinese palette would allow Jollibee to build its competitive advanta ge by learning to balance flexibility in menu offerings with consistency across the global brand. Additionally, a success in cosmopolitan Hong Kong could give Jollibee the brand exposure it needs to attract better partners. However, given the staffing issues and uncertainty involving the local Chinese customer, it would be better for Jollibee to improve its current operations, rather than to commit additional resources to a new store. CALIFORNIA: It will be a very good idea to target the Asian community living in U.S and California is the best place to start from. The intense competitive atmosphere of US fast food market will provide Jollibee tremendous opportunity of global learning. Furthermore, they also discovered that there were many elements of their  restaurants that appealed to Americans. Similarly, there was great support from Filipino-Americans. Likewise, Jollibee was going to expand throughout California before it moved east. They were determined to gain recognition. Another helpful aspect is the diversification of America. In any given city a person can find Chinese, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Japanese, American, German, Polish, Indian, and other ethnic restaurants. Americans like to try food of different cultures and there is no reason to believe that we will not try Filipino food. There is very little reason to believe that Jollibee cannot successfully enter the fast food market in the United States. But on the other hand, United States is home to some of Jollibee’s most formidable competitors. As a late-mover, it will be difficult for Jollibee to obtain access to the distribution channels, suppliers, and store locations which allowed it to become a cost leader in the Philippines. Additionally, aside from its experience in Guam, Jollibee does not have any real experience operating in a Western business environment. c) Specific information about each market (legal and ethical requirements, market trends, competitors, size of the market, potential sales volume) Legal and ethical requirements When markets in foreign countries offer a higher profit potential than your home market, it makes sense to expand internationally. As you prepare your expansion and research target markets in other countries, you will often find that the legal structures and ethical frameworks differ substantially from those in the United States. You have to address the legal and ethical issues of your entering these markets to make your expansion a success. Traditional Small Scale Bribery- involves the payment of small sums of money, typically to a foreign official in exchange for him/her violating some official duty or responsibility or to speed routine government actions (grease payments, kickbacks). Large Scale Bribery- a relatively large payment intended to allow a violation of the law or designed to influence policy directly or indirectly (eg, political contribution). Gifts/Favours/Entertainment- includes a range of items such as: lavish physical gifts, call girls, opportunities for personal tr avel at the company`s expense, gifts received after the completion of transaction and  other extravagant expensive entertainment. Pricing – includes unfair differential pricing, questionable invoicing – where the buyer requests a written invoice showing a price other than the actual price paid, pricing to force out local competition, dumping products at prices well below that in the home country, pricing practices that are illegal in the home country but legal in host country (eg, price fixing agreements). Products/Technology – includes products and technology that are banned for use in the home country but permitted in the host country and/or appear unsuitable or inappropriate for use by the people of the host country. Tax Evasion Practices – used specifically to evade tax such as transfer pricing (i.e., where prices paid between affiliates and/or parent company adjusted to affect profit allocation) including the use of tax havens, where any profit made is in low tax jurisdiction, adjusted interest payments on intra-firm loans, questionable management and service fees charged betwee n affiliates and /or the parent company. Illegal/Immoral Activities in the Host Country – practices such as: polluting the environment, maintaining unsafe working conditions; product/technology copying where protection of patents, trademarks or copyrights has not been enforced and short weighting overseas shipments so as to charge a country a phantom weight. Questionable Commissions to Channel Members – unreasonably large commissions of fees paid to channel members, such as sales agents, middlemen, consultants, dealers and importers. Cultural Differences – between cultures involving potential misunderstandings related to the traditional requirements of the exchange process (e.g., transactions) may be regarded by one culture as bribes but be acceptable business practices in another culture. These practices include: gifts, monetary payments, favours, entertainment and political contributions. Involvement in Political Affairs- related to the combination of marketing activities and politics including the following: the exertion of political influence by multinationals, engaging in marketing activities when either home or host countries are at war or illegal technology transfers. Market trends More focus on youths Popular trendy cafà © Wi-Fi internet access Creative location Multi branding Cleanliness environment Competitors Size of the market Claimed market size Jollibee was able to capture 65% of the market share in hamburger market in the Philippines. The JFC reported Php 82 billion by the end of 2011 Based on the annual report of JFC, Jollibee earned Php 50 billion revenue on 2011 Total sales of JFC claiming 65% market share is Php 82 billion. The total market share is Php 126 billion Potential sales volume Local fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. grew its 2013 net profit by 24.5 percent year-on-year to P4.64 billion as sales from its restaurant network here and abroad expanded by a double-digit pace. In the fourth quarter alone, JFC’s net profit rose by 20.3 percent year-on-year to P1.52 billion. System-wide retail sales—a measure of consumer sales from company-owned and franchised stores—grew by 13.9 percent in the fourth quarter and by 12.8 percent for the full year, to P28.87 billion and P104.1 billion, respectively. The full-year retail sales growth marked the highest rate of rise in organic sales in six years and allowed JFC to breach the P100-billion mark for the first time, JFC chief operating officer and incoming chief executive officer Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a statement. Apart from growing its sales volume and distribution network, JFC also unlocked higher margins by improving the operating efficiency of its growing store chain. Net income margin for 2013 increased to 5.8 percent from 5.2 percent the previous year. JFC opened a total of 98 stores in the fourth quarter—the highest number opened in a single quarter in the company’s  35-year history. It ended 2013 with an international store network of 2,764, of which 2,181 are in the Philippines. â€Å"Our progress in building the business has been taking place across our brands in different countries. In the years ahead, we look forward to further strengthening our brands and accelerating our profitable growth by keeping our intense focus on the fundamentals of our business for the benefit of our consumers: Superior product quality and taste, value, service, restaurant experience and store locations made possible by an even stronger JFC organization,† Tanmantiong said. For 2014, Jollibee has earmarked P6.3 billion in capital spending. It will be used to open new stores and renovate old ones. The budget is higher than the P4.1 billion capital outlays in 2013, when the company opened 235 new stores. In the fourth quarter of 2013, system-wide sales in the Philippines alone rose by 12.2 percent, while business grew by 19.2 percent in China, 17.2 percent in the United States, and 35.3 percent in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In Southeast Asia, growth was led by Vietnam, where business rose by 40.2 percent. Same store sales across its global network for the fourth quarter grew by 8-9 percent year-on-year on higher customer traffic and purchases per store. With higher net profit last year, JFC’s return on equity improved to a 15-year high of 21.3 percent from the 18.3 percent seen in 2012. Aside from the flagship Jollibee brand, JFC operates Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal and Burger King. In China, it operates the Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan and San Pin Wang chains. It likewise has a 50-percent stake in the joint venture operating Highlands Coffee (in Vietnam and the Philippines), Pho24 (in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau and Cambodia) and 12 Sabu (China). d) An assessment of external factors for each market (PEST analysis) The general environment consisting of 6 segments and the analysis of its effects on Jollibee is as shown below. Demographic In the local Philippines context, the million consumers walking into Jollibee’s stores daily represent strong demand for its products. The uniqueness of the geographical landscape of Philippines has also made it a challenge for fast-food companies. Globally, there are many Filipinos workers situated in the overseas market, especially in the United States where there are estimated to be around 2 million Filipino immigrants.  Besides the US, many Filipinos are also situated in parts of Asia such as Hong Kong, Brunei and Indonesia. Not limiting to Filipinos, their stores have also attracted other Asians to eat at their restaurants. Economic The growing economic capabilities of developing countries have attracted major players in the fast food industry to establish their stores there. Likewise for Jollibee, the growing market possibilities in Indonesia for Chinese food enabled Jollibee to venture into the market by introduction of Chowking Brand. The potential China market for fast food also led Jollibee to acquire 85 percent ownership in Yong he King Chain. Sociocultural The social and cultural of each country differs from one another. For example, a Chinese might prefer to have noodles instead of rice in Japan. In our case of Jollibee, the â€Å"langhap-sarap† concept adopted by them may be hugely popular to Filipinos consumers, but this concept may not do so well in global markets. Foreign consumers might not like the traditional taste of Jollibee’s food, as compared to bigger global players such as McDonald. Global The ever changing global landscape is one of the critical factors Jollibee has to consider. As illustrated in the case study, Philippines have seen major global players entering the fast-food market having a take on this pie. Although Jollibee have always been the dominant in this segment, competing in foreign markets seems to be in a different story. Not only they have to penetrate the foreign market with their proven and successful local recipe, they would also have to compete against already established players such as McDonald, Wendy’s and KFC. e) Estimate the costs, risks, financial viability for each market. Papua New Guinea: Raising the Standard In early 1996, at the recommendation of Quality Assurance Manager Gil Salvosa, a local New Guinea entrepreneur in the poultry business approached Tony Kitchner about a Jollibee franchise. He described a country of five million people served by only one poorly managed, 3-store fast-food chain, that had recently broken ties with its Australian chicken restaurant franchise. â€Å"Port Moresby does not have a  single decent place to eat, â€Å"he told Kitchner. He believed Jollibee could raise the quality of service and food enough to take much of the Australian chain’s market share while discouraging further entrants. Although the original plan had been to open just one store in the foreseeable future—in the capital, Port Moresby—Tingzon was certain that the franchisee could only cover the costs of developing the market if he put in at least three or four stores soon after. But he was uncertain whether Papua New Guinea coul d support the 20 stores that he saw as the target critical mass for new markets. (For comparison, in the Philippines, approximately 1,200 fast food outlets competed for the business of 75 million people. GNP per capita in both countries was almost at US$2,500.) Hong Kong: Expanding the Base Also on Tingzon’s plate was a proposal to expand to a fourth store in Hong Kong. The franchise, owned by Jollibee in partnership with local businessmen and managed by Tommy King, TTC’s brother-in-law, opened its first store in September 1996 to instant, overwhelming success. Located near a major transit hub in the Central district, it became a gathering place for Filipino expatriates, primarily domestic workers. However, appealing to the locals had proven more difficult. While volume was high on weekends, when the Filipinos came to Central to socialize, it fell off during the week, when business was primarily from local office workers. Although two more stores in Central had attracted many Filipinos, they both relied extensively on Chinese customers and generated sales of only about one-third of the first outlet. One problem was that, despite strenuous efforts, Jollibee had been unable to hire many local Chinese as crew members. According to one manager, Chinese customers who did not speak English well were worried that they would be embarrassed if they were not understood by the predominantly Philippine and Nepalese counter staff. Another problem was that in a city dominated by McDonald’s, Jollibee’s brand recognition among locals was weak. Working with Henry Shih, the sub-franchisee who owned the second store, Jollibee staffs were trying to help launch a thematic advertising campaign, but due to the Hong Kong operation’s small size, the franchise could not inject sufficient funds. California: Supporting the Settlers Soon after signing his contract, Tingzon had learned of year-old plan to open one Jollibee store per quarter in California starting in the first quarter of 1998.Supporting TTC’s long-held belief that Jollibee could win enormous  prestige and publicity by gaining foothold in the birthplace of fast food, Kitchner had drawn up plans with a group of Manila-based busine ssmen as 40% partners in the venture. Once the company stores were established, they hoped to franchise in California and beyond in 1999.Much of the confidence for this bold expansion plan came from Jollibee’s success in Guam, a territory of the US. Although they initially targeted the 25% of the population of Filipino extraction, management discovered that their menu appealed to other groups of Americans based there. They also found they could adapt the labor-intensive Philippine operating methods by developing different equipment and cooking processes more in keeping with a high labor cost environment. In the words of one International Division veteran, â€Å"In Guam, we learned how to do business in the United States. After succeeding there, we felt we were ready for the mainland. â€Å"The plan called for the first store to be located in Daly City, a community with a large Filipino population but relatively low concentration of fast-food competitors in the San Francisco area. (With more than a million immigrants from the Philippines living in California, most relatively affluent, this state had one of the highest concentrations of Filipino expatriates in the world.) The menu would be transplanted from the Philippines without changes. After initially targeting Filipinos, the plan was to branch out geographically to the San Francisco and San Diego regions, and demographically to appeal to other Asian-American and, eventually, Hispanic-American consumers. The hope was that Jollibee would then expand to all consumers throughout the U.S.Like the expansion strategies in PNG and Hong Kong, this project had momentum behind it, including visible support from Filipino-Americans, strong interest of local investors, and, not least,TTC’s great interest in succeeding in McDonald’s back-yard. f) Rank the opportunities in terms of their viability and likely contribution to the business According to the corporate website, Jollibee International currently has over 50 locations in Brunei, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and U.S. There are now a total of 26 Jollibee stores in the U.S. including 9 stores in Northern California, 15 stores in Southern California, one store in Las Vegas, and one store in New York. According to Jollibee’s website, the company has modified its global strategy and stopped international  franchising temporary. The California franchise has been a success. Since opening the first U.S. store in Daly City in 1998, the company has expanded their U.S. presence to a total of 26 stores. The company has the advantage in the California market because there are a lot new immigrants entering the state with 80,000 Filipino migrating per year. Jollibee currently has only one Hong Kong store located in Central, implying that at least two Central stores have been closed since 1998 in addition to the Kowloon district store. Finally, there is no Jollibee presence in Papua New Guinea indicating that efforts to expand to this country were not successful. References: http://www.pinoyinvestor.com/smartinvestor/jollibee-banks-on-franchising-overseas-expansion-to-boost-long-term-earnings-04-aug-2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jollibee http://www.allfreepapers.com/print/Jollibee–Case-Study-Analysis/1794.html http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/12111.pdf http://business.inquirer.net/164038/jollibee-13-profit-up-24-5 http://nhobeelab.weebly.com/industry-analysis.html