HR - Organization Environmental Pressures Essay

HR - Organization Environmental Pressures - Essay Example This paper gives a critical evaluation of these pressures, and it proposes a strategy that the organization can use, for purposes of solving or mitigating the pressures under consideration. In meeting the objectives of this paper, the researcher will create a table, identifying three environmental and organizational pressures that Wal-Mart faces. Furthermore, this paper will rank these pressures, in accordance to their influences. This paper will also contain a detailed description of these pressures, and how they have evolved over a period of time. Furthermore, it would identify how these pressures have impacted the organization, from its financial perspective, and also from the perspectives of its employees, and that of the researcher. An important organizational pressure that Wal-Mart faces is on the expectations that its stakeholders have on it. The stakeholders of the company expect it to be a high performer. This expectation on Wal-Mart is based on its position in the global retailing sector. As of 2014, Wal-Mart was voted as the world’s largest company, in terms of revenues. Furthermore, the company has employed more than 2 million people, and it is considered as the biggest retailer in the world. Furthermore, the company is considered as the biggest grocery in United States, and as of the year 2009, it was able to generate 51% of the total sales made by the company. Based on these statistics, the company is under pressure to maintain its good performance. Furthermore, because of increased competition, emanating from new retailers in the industry, the company is forced to develop strategies that would ensure it remains a market leader in the retailing industry. To be a high performer, the company has i nitiated a cost leadership strategy, whereby it sales its products at a cheaper cost, to attract customers to it. Furthermore, the company has sought to decrease its capital expenses, by

The Doctrine of Frustration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Doctrine of Frustration - Essay Example However, this has created many problems in practice as the common law position law stipulates that obligations due prior to the frustrating event remain in operation5, which has fuelled conflict as to the nature of obligations that remain operative notwithstanding the applicability of frustration. On this basis, whilst the theoretical guidance appears to be clear in that the doctrine of frustration will be invoked on rare occasions which fall under the above circumstances, however in light of the fact that there is no definitive list of frustrating events and the doctrine has been developed on a case by case basis, it is far from clear as to what constitutes frustration in reality6. Moreover, there has been much controversy as to when the doctrine should apply, the main issue is the fact that the courts determine when an event is sufficiently frustrating to merit judicial interference, which results in termination of the contract7. Indeed academic debate is polarised as to the circumstances in which frustration should be applicable8. Furmston highlights the five central theories advanced to clarify an area of law9 and the focus of this analysis is to critically review the applicability of the doctrine of frustration in practice and in particular consider whether the doctrine has been applied sufficiently widely in practice. Firstly, it is necessary to discuss the background and evolution of frustration as a doctrine in order to understand the complexities of its application today.

Theories of Crime Essay Example for Free

Theories of Crime Essay Due to the high rates of violent crimes in California, the state law makers and the people approved in 1994 an important decision that changed the sentencing law of criminals. Called the Three Strikes Law and You’re Out, the law aims to prolong the number of months of imprisonment for criminals who have recommitted a crime. The law was a product of public concerns wherein many violent offenders after their release from prison would just commit another crime. The strategic intention of the Three Strikes legislation was to make prison sentences longer and to make them mandatory when defendants with qualifying, prior criminal records were convicted of new offenses (Zimring, Hawkins Kamin, 2001, p. 91). With this reasoning the ability of criminals to commit further crimes would be restricted or make them discouraged and protect public safety. It is said to get rid of repeat offenders and prevent potential criminals. Before the average sentencing was 21 months but it is now extended to 25 months to life for three-time offenders. In 2004, the state tried to revise the law but majority of the people of California rejected the change and the law still remains as it is today. As to the theory of crime causation closely associated to the law, I find the psychological theory very fitting in explaining how criminals develop anti-social behavior early in childhood that continues to adulthood and become repeat offenders. This theory seeks to identify the character of a criminal how he thinks and decides. There are several factors that influence his criminal behavior mostly from family and individual. Psychologists cited broken homes as a leading cause of criminal behavior. In my research, I discover that children separated from their parents or suffer abused are likely to offend than children whose families are intact. Broken families often become grounds for trauma where children undergo painful experiences that have damaging effects on their development. In addition, children of broken homes have no choice but to confront parental conflict, loss of parents, poverty, and neglect that could give them emotional problems. Hans Eysencks, well-known for his studies on crime and personality, said that people who offend are those with weak conscience due to poor state of mind. Often these people are neurotic (emotionally upset), psychotic (deranged/loss contact with reality) or extravert (assertive/thrill seeker). According to Eysenck people who are psychotic tend to do harm because their emotions are unstable, they are not compassionate, they are hostile and lack of understanding. The psychological theory clearly answers how the Three Strikes law came into existence and how it should be applied to repeat offenders. It is within this theory that I see how people develop criminal minds. People who have multiple crimes should be dealt differently and this law should remind criminals of the consequences of their illegal actions. This law should be applied to its fullest terms and conditions so that criminals in our society would be prevented from harming the public. I believe that this could help lessen criminality and seclude the bad elements in our community. Giving criminals more days in jail should make them reflect of their future and perhaps assist them in transforming their lives into better ones. These kinds of criminals can be treated psychologically through counseling and the law can provide criminals the time for their rehabilitation. Such law could also offer better opportunities for criminals to prepare themselves in coming back to society at the same time the people in the community to accept them once again. In addition, the law could give criminals a good transition period from prison life to normal life in the community. There will be more chances for both criminals and society to patch up things and once more live together in the same community. For law enforcement, it is necessary to know the minds of criminals so that they would be equipped with the right tools in confronting and rehabilitating future felons and repeat offenders. Reference Zimring, F. E., Hawkins, G. Kamin, S. (2001). Punishment and Democracy: Three Strikes and Youre Out in California. Oxford University Press US, New York. Law Library. (2008). Crime-Causation-Psychological-Theories. American Law and Legal Information. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from http://law.jrank.org/pages/811/Crime-Causation-Psychological-Theories-Conclusions.html

India As A Tourist Destination Tourism Essay

India As A Tourist Destination Tourism Essay The term marketing has a very important meaning in the area such as retailing, branding and other similar areas such as event marketing. On the other hand, marketing in tourism and hospitality sectors are still legging comparing with the other areas. In this paper, different elements of tourism marketing will be explained with the help of understanding the concepts of marketing theory and research within tourism and hospitality sectors (Williams, 2006). Tourism is broadly defined as a business activity which is connected with providing accommodation, service and entertainment for people who are visiting a place for pleasure, recreation, leisure, business and so on (Chaudhary, 2010). It becomes an integral part of todays lifestyle. Hence, tourism marketing is also one of the important sectors where more effort and concern has been given to increase the standard of tourism all over. The reason behind this new trend is due to the increase of cross-cultural activities and due to the pass ion of people for visiting new destination. Also, the volume of tourism activity and the value is increasing compare to holiday destinations. This creates an inconsistency between tourism demand and supply, thereby creating under-utilized tourism capacity (Kaynak Kucukemiroglu, 1993). Position: Scope and the Objective of the study This paper discuss about the different marketing concepts which are used in tourism marketing and their application to generate different marketing strategy. In this paper, India has been chosen as the holiday destination. Hence all the research and analyze has been done to identified different marketing strategies to increase and promote Indian tourism all over. Scope and Objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To study the  theoretical  framework for marketing in tourism and the concept of marketing  strategy  in the tourism  industry this includes: PEST analysis, marketing mix,  segmentation, targeting and positioning. Conduct surveys and analyze India as a holiday destination and compare it with other  holiday destination To explore the perception of India as tourist destination Global Tourism Industry Todays era, the tourism Industry is booming all over the world. Tourism has become one the significant ingredient of mankind. A new tourism industry is rising which is driven by new consumers, new technologies, new ideas and new management techniques (Poon, 1993). The opportunities in the tourism industry are increasing with time and it is considered that at the end of 21st century, the tourism industry will generate more than 500 million employments whole over the world which will results in the increase of GDP by the tourism industry upto 15% (LCS Parking, 2012). Emerge of special marketing concepts including special tourist segments where the special segment refers to the the provision of customized leisure and recreational experiences driven by specific interests of individuals and groups (Sung, 2004) increases the number of tourists all over. According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, despite of economic crisis in some of the major outbound markets around world, the total n umber of international tourists travel between the January to April 2012 is more than 285 million which indicates a growth of 5.4% compare to the last year (UNWTO, 2012). The main consideration of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) is to provide with the best possible facilities and service for a distinct and specific need of the tourists (Sung H. H., 2004) and ensure benefits for consumers, business, local people and the environment. To provide the best facilities there is an immense change in the Tourism Industry (World Travel Tourism Council, 2012). The infrastructure and accommodation is one of the key sectors of the tourist industry. Even the advanced and sophisticated communication technology helps the actual and potential tourists all over with their expectations, personalities, and ever-changing needs (Pyo, Uysal, Chang, 2002). Expected Result of the study Literature Review A General Overview of Tourism What is Tourism Marketing? A product can be idea, goods, or service. Since the tourism industry is primarily a serviced-based industry, the main products provided by tourism business are recreational experiences and hospitality. This are intangible products and much more difficult to market than the tangible product. The intangible nature of services makes quality control difficult but crucial. It also makes it more difficult for potential customers to evaluate and compare service offerings (Chaudhary, Indroduction to Tourism Marketing, 2012). In addition, instead of moving the product to the consumer, the customer must travel to the product (area/community). Travels forms a significant portion of time and money spent in association with tourism experiences and is a major factor in peoples decisions on whether or not to visit a place (Vukonic, 1983). Tourism marketing or the marketing in relation to tourism means the process of achieving voluntary exchange between: Tourist who want to appreciate/ experience product and service. Organisations which put together and offer the product and service. The WTO defines tourism marketing as a management philosophy that in the light of tourism demands makes it possible through research, forecasting, and selection to place tourism product on the market most in line with the organizations purpose for greater benefits. Nature of Tourism Marketing Marketing is different perspectives that provide an understanding of the nature of marketing and tourism marketing (Panda, 2009). Marketing is an activity: Marketing is explained as an activity that is carried by a marketer to give its offer to customers. For example, marketing of a tour packages involves assembling the package, promoting it, and arrange it for sales. The focus in this perspective is to make the activity cost-effective and efficient. Marketing is an economic process: Marketing generates revenues directly through transactions and indirectly through its multiplier effect and employment generation. Here efforts are made to maximize economic benefits. Tourism marketing in its initial phase focused on economic benefits. Marketing is a social process: Marketing as a social process involves interaction and relationship between participants coming from different walks of life and society. The social process make host-guest relationship an important part of tourism marketing. Right to travel and pro-poor tourism have developed in response to the different social process. Marketing in managerial process Marketing is considered to be a business function that undertakes all managerial functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling to carry out different activities. Overall, marketing can be combined together. It can be the economic, social, managerial process and activity at the same time. However, its different natures may dominate at different times. Process of Tourism Marketing Tourism marketing is a cycle process that begins with the understanding of drives, needs, wants and demands of tourists who are satisfied through suitable offers by entering into an exchange process with the marketers. The feedback of exchange is used by both the parties for the future relations. The different elements of a cyclic process give an insight of tourism marketing. Capture.PNG Fig: Tourism Marketing Process Understanding Needs, Drives, Wants and Demands of Tourists It is very important to know the tourist behavior as it will helps in delivering desired satisfaction. This begins with the identification of their needs, drives, want and demands. Need: Need is the felt gap between the existing and the desired state. Need motivates a person to act when it reaches the threshold level and it can be both physical and psychological. Marketers identify the need of people that direct their tourism behavior and offers alternatives to satisfy their needs. Maslows framework can be used to understand these needs. It divides the human needs into five categories of physical, safety, love and esteem and self-actualization. Tourists need a minimum acceptable level of food and accommodation at a place before travel. Safety need is reflected in the form of tourists need for law and order. That makes tourists avoid places of war, terrorism and conflicts. Need for love is the acceptance of tourists in the host society. In most of the cases, tourists prefer open societies than closed one. Esteem needs are tourists expectation that the host society would understand their importance and recognize the same. Lastly, self-actualization is undertaking trips that always been dreamt. Drive: Drive is the force created by needs. Unsatisfied needs create tension that drives the consumers to look for solutions. These solutions take the form of specific products. Buyers search for the best solution for their needs. The stimuli present in the environment give direction to drive. Want: Want is an expression of need in the specific form. Want are the thing which someone like but not really necessary. The need of recreation, leisure people generally tend to go for holiday. Marketers fit into the want framework other by redesigning offers or by assisting buyers in learning about new forms of product, services or idea. Demand: Demand is want accompanied by the purchasing power. It decides if the buyer has enough money to purchase. Demand changes with prices, substitutes, marketing efforts, inflation levels, income, etc. Demand can be created by building the purchasing power. For instance, when the demand for air travel has gone up than companies has introduced budget airlines. Growth of Tourism Marketing Tourism marketing evolved with the growth of tourism. The concept of tourism is very old, but its modern organized form started in the eighteenth century. Earlier, travel was undertaken for business and religious purpose. Tourism as a full- fledged a full- fledged business did not exist. Its marketing started with the first organized tours offered by Thomas Cook in 1841. Evolution of Tourism Marketing: Tourism marketing and its orientation has changed with the growth of tourism. Internationally, tourism came of age in 1950 and since then has seen a continuous change in the approach towards its development (Wang Pizam, 1998). The stages of tourism development and the corresponding marketing approaches are discussed below. Boosterism approach in the 1950s: It was the beginning of modern tourism and the emphasis was on boosting the tourism activity. This approach was based on the following assumptions towards tourism. Tourism is inherently good and should be developed. Cultural and natural resources should be exploited for tourism develop Economic Planning approaches in 1960s: As a result of the efforts of the earlier phases, the economic potential of tourism was well understood and new assumptions towards tourism were as follows. Tourism is like any other industry. Tourism can be used to create jobs, earn foreign exchange, and improve terms of trade, encourage regional development, and overcome economic disparities. Physical and spatial approach in the 1970s and the 1980s: The earlier approaches resulted in the massive growth in the massive growth of tourism. Mass tourism was not without consequences and its negative impacts on environment became visible and well known. This changed the earlier assumption of it being inherently good and harmless and new assumptions were formed. These were as follows. Tourism is a resource user. It exploits and destroys the natural resources used as tourism attractions. There has to be an ecological basis for its development to preserve the natural resources and tourism attractions. Tourism development can be geographically distributed to reduce the impacts. Community approach in 1990s: As tourism continued to developed, their social impacts were noticed. Particularly the local communication felt alienated. There were inconvenienced by the growth of mass tourism and were not in a position to decide on tourism development. As a result, tourism was opposed. It led to the focus on the following assumptions. Local community control on tourism development in the area is needed. Need for balanced development of tourism and search for alternatives to mass tourism. Social impact of tourism on a community and their attitudes toward tourism should be understood. Sustainable approach in the 1990s: Large-scale tourism development forced tourism planners to think of tourism development in a more holistic manner where the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural issues could be balanced. The concept of sustainable tourism was adopted for this purpose. The assumption for this approach is that a suitable balance must be established between environmental, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions of tourism development to ensure its long-term sustainability. Marketing orientation too becomes socio- environmental to balance the interests of tourism, marketers and the environment (Verbeek, Bargeman, Mommaas, 2011). Marketing Concepts for Tourism The marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions better than the competitors do. Under the marketing concept, customer focus and value are the two important paths to sales and profit. Hence, the marketing concepts depend on the determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively than competitors do (Kotler, Armstrong, Wong, Saunders, 2008). Different marketing concepts are used in tourism industry are as discussed below. PEST Analysis in Tourism Market It is important to know about the market environment first for any marketers. In tourism this competition is fiercer, since the competition is almost in the destination of various states as well as countries. Market environment refers to the constitute forces which exist in the environment and influence the customer decision making. For scanning the tourism-marketing environment in India, the PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) Political Environment: Political environment influence tourism marketing through pressure groups, policies, rules and regulations, and legislation (Bennett Strydom, 2001). Pressure Group: These groups in society use political influence for the furtherance of certain issues. Green groups work for ecotourism, consumer group for tourist protection, cultural groups for protection of heritage and culture, industry groups for reduction of taxes and so on. These try to influence law-making bodies to create a suitable mechanism to address their concern. Law and Policies: The government regulates tourism with the help of laws that govern its different sector. The government creates policies as guidelines to provide direction for the development of tourism. For instance, the Tourist Policy 2002 guides tourism growth in India. Rules and Regulations: Rules regarding land allocation for hotels and tourism development, tax concessions, permits, registrations of tour operators and travel agents, open sky, budget airlines, and tourism police gives a direction for tourism growth. Economic Environment: The general economic environment of a country influences any economic activity. Growth of new sector: Growth of new sectors, such as information technology (IT), travel and tourism, retails and banking has given jobs to young people. This income is finding its outlet in recreation, including travel and hospitality. Growth of economy: Growth of new sectors lead to growth of economy. Easy availability of foreign exchange: Increase of foreign tourism leads in increase of foreign exchange. Social Environment: The social environment decides buying patterns of the tourists and the response of the society to tourism. The socio-cultural environment of a place decides the holiday choices regarding the type of destination, activities, duration of holiday, expenditure pattern and so on. Group behavior: Indians are group oriented. This makes group travel acceptable and likable. The reference group in framing opinions is also very important. Lifestyle changes: Globalizations has changed the lifestyle of people. People take tours frequently for a change and rejuvenations. Technological Environment: Technology has completely altered the way the tourism business is conducted. Transportation: Transportation technology has given faster and better vehicles to facilitate the movement of tourists to far off places. Information and communication Technology (ICT): Major changes have been introduced by information and communications technologies in tourism. Internet and online distribution systems have been improved. Marketing Mix in Tourism Market Tourism Product Tourism product is a mix of tangible and intangible elements. Kotler (1984) conceptualizes product as anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that, might satisfy a want or need. It includes physical objects, service, persons, places, organization and ideas. This takes the concept of product beyond physical objects and can very well include tourism. Medlik and Middleton (1973) conceptualize tourism product as a bundle of activities, services and benefits that constitute the entire tourism experience. The bundle consists of five components: destination attractions, destination facilities, accessibility, images and price. According to Smith (1994) a tourism product consists of five elements in a series of concentric circles. The core is tangible and more controllable by management but the outward progression marks more intangible elements and greater consumer participations. The tourism product is a synergistic combination of these elements. These elements are as follows. The physical plan: This is the core of a tourism product where the main attraction is produced. It can be natural such as landscape or waterfall, or facilities such as conference hall, theme park, hotel, etc. Service: Service refers to the performance of specific tasks required to meet the need of tourism. A hotel needs management, front desk operation, housekeeping, maintenance, and food and beverage provisions to function as a hotel. Hospitality: Consumers expect enhanced service or something extra. Hospitality is that extra provided over professional service. Freedom of choice: It refers to the necessity that the traveler has some acceptable range of options for a satisfactory experience. Involvement: This is participation by consumers in some degree in the delivery of service. Tourism is known to be a participative activity. Hegarty (1992) explain tourism product through the following components. Environment: It is the raw material of tourism that gives a tourist destination its particular appeal. It has natural, cultural, and social elements. Activities: These are based on and derived from the environment. Foe example, trekking, rafting, sightseeing and so on. Accommodation: A tourist must have a place to sleep and eat Transport: There must be ways of getting around the destination. Services: There are various services that support tourism such as information, health, booking and customs. Infrastructure: Tourism cannot work without basic infrastructure like roads, airports, telecommunication and medical support. Destination Life Cycle and Tourism Area Life Cycle: The concept of life cycle is applied to destination as TALC (Tourism Area Life Cycle) or DLC (Destination Life Cycle). It is defined as stages a destination goes through, from exploration to involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, rejuvenation, or decline (Howie, 2003). Tourism Area life cycle.PNG Fig: Tourism Area Life Cycle Butler (1980) proposed the tourism area life cycle model of a tourist destination that identifies the stage of exploration, development, consolidation, stagnation, and decline. Exploration: This is the beginning of the destination for tourist activities. At this stage the destination is relatively unknown and visitors initially come in small numbers restricted by lack of access, facilities and local knowledge. Development: The destination see development of amenities as more people discover them and word spreads about the attraction. Stagnation: Tourists arrivals grow rapidly some theoretical carrying capacity which involves social and environmental limits. The rise of exploration to stagnation often happens very rapidly, as implied by the exponential nature of growth curve. Decline or Rejuvenation: A destination would decline if it follows trajectories C, D, and E as shown in the above Figure. This will happen if the very attractions that created the destination are lost. However, it may continues to draw some tourists with increased consumption and unsustainable development but not for very long. Tourism pricing: Price is the momentary value decided for exchange of goods and services between the buyers and sellers. Both parties want maximum benefits from this exchange. Factors Influence Tourism Pricing Tourism pricing is influenced by a large number of factors relating to supply, demand and the environment. The cumulative effect decides the final price. Supply-side Factors: Supply of tourism services is characterised by perish-ability, geographical restrictions, and domination by intangibles, and with consumption that takes place instantly with production. All this affects pricing. The specific supply-related factors affecting prices are discussed below. Perishable: Tourism services tend to perish if not consumed. For example, if a place has a carrying capacity for 5,000 tourists per day, it will host 35,000 in a week. It cannot host all tourists in one day. Hence, tourism services are to be consumed as and when produced. To bear the cost of maintaining supplies throughout the year, the prices may fluctuate. Intangible: Tourism Services are dominated by intangibles and putting a momentary value for these is very difficult. Intangibility is used by the hotels to price rooms differently depending upon various factors. For example, room facing sea will be perceived differently from the one facing a road. Geographically restricted operations: All tourism services come defined with geographical constraints. For example, a diners clientele can get services at a particular place only where the diner is placed. Tourists can enjoy a national park only after getting there. This limits the potential of the restaurant and the park only to the people who get there. Fixed Capacity: Tourism supplies have a fixed capacity. In tourism, supplies are limited; hence prices tend to rise in relation to demand. For example, in a hotel double room cannot accommodate more than two people. Substitutes: Availability of substitutes increase total supplies and tourists shift to different options for reasons such as higher prices, non-availability, and so on. For example, paying guest accommodation is being a substitute for storage of hotel rooms. However, all components of tourism cannot have relevant substitutes. Costs: Costs decide the minimum level of revenue to be charged from the buyers. But if the costs are high because of inefficiencies of production, prices too are unreasonably high. Cost of tour packages are often not in the hands of marketers, when most of the components are bought from other suppliers. Both fixed cost and variable costs are accounted for pricing. Actively-based costing (ABC) is used to calculate costs in tourism. Competition: Competition in the market increases supplies, reduce inefficiencies and bring down prices. Demand-side Factor: Tourists option about services affects demand as well perception of price. The specific demand-related factors affecting prices are discussed below: Value Perception: Value perception of price is subjective and varies among and within market segment. It also varies with time and location. Level of Demand: The level of demand impacts prices. High demand leads to high prices as tourists compete among themselves for the experience. Demand Pattern: Tourism demand often marked by seasonal fluctuations with majority of tourists travelling during the tour season for the best experience. As a result, demand exceeds capacity in peak period and facilities remain underused in the off season. Prices are adjusted to the match the demand pattern and also to influence demand to balance it with supply. Environmental Factors: External environment constitutes many forces that directly or indirectly shape demand and supply factors and price. Tax Structure: The tax structure in the form of surcharges, airport tax, luxury tax and service tax adds to the cost and the final prices. Consequently, when the service tax rate is changed, final prices changes immediately. Market Structure: Type and level of competition in the market has a direct bearing on price. Competition can be easy or intense, negative or positive, with similar or dissimilar, government regulated of free. Less competition results in higher prices whereas the healthy competition leads to reduction of prices. Government Policies: Marketers have to abide by government policies on price. For example, India has a dual price policy wherein foreigners pay in dollar and Indians in rupees. Price is the momentary value of goods and services and fixing this value right is critical for the success of a firm in the market. The cost-based, buyer-based and competition-based methods are commonly used in tourism industry. Once a price-level is determined, pricing strategies are used to respond to the continuously changing environment. The strategies often used are market skimming, market penetration, price-quality combination, discount pricing, geographical pricing and differential pricing. Tourism Promotion: Promotion mix is the combination of different methods of promotion. Each method is suitable under different conditions and a right combination can be very powerful. Tourism promotion is persuasive communication for the target market. It follows the general rules of human communication and applies it to marketing (Jayapalan, 2001). The goal of promotion is to contribute to marketing goals but it has its specific objectives in terms of attitudes and sales behavior of the market. Promotion is carried out with the help of different methods and together these are called promotion mix. Important Promotional Tools in Tourism A few promotional tools, such as brochures, events and movies are more apt for tourism because of their distinct nature. Brochures: Brochures are popular form of promotion used for direct sales. These are defined as booklets or pamphlets used for sales and promotion. This has the following advantages. It targeted more specifically. If retained, it will have greater reminder value. It can also have secondary or pass-along audience. Events: Events are organized occasions of significance. They are used to promote and highlight the tourism potential of a destination. The following and many more types of events are used for promotion tourism. International trade fair: This fair bring large number of buyers and sellers to a place, and who are likely to spread the word about the products showcased there. Cultural fair: Destination-specific festivals like carnival etc., brings a large number of tourists to these place. Cultural events: Cultural events, such as film festivals, dance shows, musical events, etc., brings destination in news. Sports events: Sports events, such as Common Wealth Games, show that tourism can be promoted in the different city in the country. Tourism Distribution Tourism distribution is transfer of tour and associated facilities from the suppliers to the tourists through the tourism distribution system. It delivers many benefits to the tourists. These are as follows. Accessibility and availability: Attractions are made available conveniently by arranging transfer of tourists. Information: Tourists get information about places, flights, trains, routes and so on. Counseling and advice: Tourist may not be able to decide about travel destinations and plans and may ask for advice. Arrangements: Tourists want arrangements to be mad for them so that they have minimum hassles on tour. People in Tourism People are an important content of tourism marketing mix. The tourism experience depends upon sellers, tourists, other service providers, residents, and tour group member. Some people understand the importance of tourism but others may not and their behaviors or encounters with the tourists might spoil the whole tour experience. Customer can look for one time encounters or relational long-term encounters. In long-term encounters, customers get attached to the service provider or brand. Long-term relations give marketers a brand-loyal market and consumers get good service. The difficulty is created in encounter with the other service providers, tour group members, and other tourists at the destination who are not directly concerned with marketing. These too have to be marketed the idea of creating a good service environment. The main focuses of the firms are discussed below. Internal environment: The main focus of the firms remains its internal environment and it manages its employees and customers for the same. Transactional Intervention: It is use to improve and control employee behavior. It includes building awareness, training in relationship building, behavioral flexibility and professionalism, empathy, interpersonal skills non-verbal communications and improved physical surroundings. Customer relationship management: It implies entering into, building, maintain, and sustaining relation with customers. Process in Tourism Marketing Process is an important element of tourism marketing mix because of the service-intensive nature of tourism. Tourism service process or delivery of tourism service involves procedures, task schedules, mechanisms, activities, and routines by which a product or service is delivered to a customer. It is an operating system of workflow activities and their integration. The main objectives of service delivery are to build improved, simplified, real-time, on demand, guaranteed, cost-effective service. The process of service delivery includes activities and flows, procedures, mechanisms of transfer, time and cost of transfer, and involvement of tourists in transfer. Physical Evidence in Tourism Physical evidence performs specific functions in tourism and form an integral part of the marketing strategy. The important functions performed by evid

ed norton :: essays research papers

Edward Norton achieved instant stardom in his feature film debut in the 1996 Primal Fear. Norton was credited for saving a rather mediocre film with his portrayal of a Kentucky altar boy accused of murdering a Chicago Arch Bishop. This role earned Norton Golden Globe and Oscar Nominations for best supporting actor. With his instant fame Norton proved that he could go on and further his acting talents. Norton was born in Boston on August 18, 1969. He was raised in Columbia, Maryland and even in his early years Norton was known as an extremely smart and serious individual. He is the son of a former federal prosecutor and an English teacher. He became interested in acting at the age of five and made his stage debut at the age of 8 in a local production of Annie Get Your Gun. Norton enrolled in the Orenstein's Columbia School for Theatrical Arts, and after high school he studied history at Yale, while staying active in the university's theater program. After graduating from Yale with a degree in hstory, Norton spent a few months in Japan, then moved to New York. In New York he worked at the Enterprise Foundation, a group dedicated to ending urban decay. Norton still acted whenever possible, and finally decided to presue acting full-time. After appearing in several off-Broadway plays Norton won his role in Primal Fear after being chosen from 2,100 hopefulls. After stunning nearly everyone who saw his performance Norton continued to amaze in movies like Everyone Says I Love you and The People vs. Larry Flint. 1998 was a big year for Norton who turned in two great performances in Rounders and

Reverse Anorexia in Bodybuilders Essay -- Health Nutrition Exercise Pa

Reverse Anorexia in Bodybuilders Women compose the overwhelming majority of the reported cases of eating disorders. The, desire to be thin consumes many young women who idealize the false and unrealistic model form depicted in popular magazines. Recently, researchers have started to appreciate the role of exercise in the development of eating disorders. This shift has illuminated the striking influence of sports on body image satisfaction in men as well as women. The importance of a fit physique has grown increasingly salient to men in modem society as indicated by the rise of hypermasculine action heroes such as Arnold Schwartzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. One growing sport, bodybuilding, now has the sixth largest sports federation and has come to the attention of researchers. In the last few years, researchers have linked bodybuilding to an overwhelming drive for lean muscle mass coined "reverse anorexia" by Pope, Katz, and Hudson (1993) and "bigameraria" by Taylor(1985). The bodybuilders' obsessional behavior r esembles anorexia nervosa with remarkable similarity except that the drive for enormous muscles replaces the drive for thinness. This alarming psychological syndrome may motivate bodybuilders and weightlifters, to a lesser extent, to relinquish friends, to give up responsibilities, to pursue unusual diets, to overtrain and to risk their health by abusing steroids. Reverse Anorexia in Bodybuilders Bodybuilders who exhibit reverse anorexia strive constantly to gain more lean body mass, but even when successful persist in believing their size is inadequate. Pope et al. (1993) found that 8% of their bodybuilder subjects insisted that they were ver small when they were really big and muscular. This belief aff... ... 148, 917-922. Pasman, L., & Thompson, J. K. (19-8-8). Body and eating disturbance in -obligatory runners, obligatory weightlifters, and sedentary individuals. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 759-769. Pope, H. G., & Katz, D. L. (1988-)., Affective and. psychotic syndromes associated with use of anabolic steroids. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 487-490. Pope, H. G., Katz, D. L., & Hudson, J. 1. (1993). Anorexia nervosa and "reverse anorexia" among 108 male bodybuilders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 34(6), 406-409. Schwartzenegger, A., & Hall, D. K. @ 19-82). Arnold- The education a builder. New York: Pocket Books. Taylor, W. N. (1985). Hormonal Manipulation: A new era of monstrous athletes. Jefferson, N. C.: McFarland. Yates, A. (I991). Compulsive Exercise and the Eating disorders. New York: Brunner/ Mazel, Inc.

Supplier Relationships: a Strategic Initiative

Supplier Relationships: A Strategic Initiative Jagdish N. Sheth Goizueta Business School Emory University Arun Sharma University of Miami Jagdish N. Sheth is Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing, Emory Business School, Emory University and Arun Sharma is Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Miami. This paper extends research published by the authors in Industrial Marketing Management (March 1997). Please address correspondence to Arun Sharma, Department of Marketing, University of Miami, P. O. Box 248147, Coral Gables FL 33124, Telephone: (305) 284 1770, FAX: (305) 284 5326.Supplier Relationships: A Strategic Initiative* Abstract In an increasing competitive marketplace, firms are seeking new methods of enhancing competitive advantage. Today, purchasing is becoming a strategic function and a key factor in competitive positioning. This paper suggests that effective relationship with suppliers will provide firms with next-generational competitive advantage. With conso lidation of firms within industries, continuos product evolution and constant pressure on costs, supplier relationships will become more critical in the future.This paper discusses the emergence of supplier relationships, and how this shift toward supplier relationships has and will change the role, processes and strategies of firms. Although purchasing has strategic importance within a firm, good relationships between customers and suppliers are elusive. Firms, therefore, need to emphasize aspects that will enhance supplier relationships. * This paper extends research published by the authors in Industrial Marketing Management (March 1997). Supplier Relationships: A Strategic InitiativeIntroduction Firms are facing increasingly competitive environments characterized by continuos pressure on costs, large global players, continuously evolving products, customer fragmentation and emerging technologies. To ensure success, firms realize that they cannot be experts in all businesses and are concentrating on their core competencies. As an example, Westinghouse is selling its power and defense lines to concentrate on the broadcasting business. To enhance their performance in non-core competency areas, companies are reevaluating business relationships so as to form closer relationships with strategic suppliers [1, 2, 3].Firms have realized that collaborative business relationships improve a firm's ability to respond to the new business environment by allowing them to focus on their core businesses and reduce costs in business processes. In an earlier paper, we had suggested that the source of next-generational competitive advantage will be collaborative relationships that firms have with their suppliers [4]. We suggested four reasons for this phenomena. First, marketers or sellers are driving this change as firms have started identifying and catering to the needs of specific customers.Thus, having a relationship with suppliers will enable firms to receive better servi ce and therefore be more efficient in procurement. Second, firms recognize that supplier relationships will allow them to be more effective. It is easier to implement strategies such as quality platforms, if firms have relationships with their suppliers. Third, there are enabling technologies that allow firms to select their best customers and suppliers. Computer programs allow firms to calculate profitability Page 2 associated with each customer or supplier.Finally, competition and the growth of alliances are forcing firms to develop better supplier relationships to maintain a competitive edge. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize that supplier partnerships will provide a strategic advantage to firms. This paper identifies the benefits of supplier partnerships and provides guidelines for future supplier partnering. Shift in Organizational Strategy The reason for the emerging emphasis on supplier relationships is the shift in organizational buying strategies [4]. Organizational purchasing strategies have been dramatically changing for four reasons (please see Figure 1).First, global competitiveness had made firms realize the competitive advantages of creating and managing supply chain relationships. Second, emergence of the Total Quality Management philosophy has encouraged â€Å"reverse marketing† starting with external customers and moving backward into procurement processes. For example, Demand Driven Manufacturing or flexible manufacturing and operations have been instituted in order to serve the diversity of demand with respect to form, place and time value to customers. The role of suppliers is critical in this regard.Third, industry restructuring through mergers, acquisitions and alliances on a global basis has reorganized the procurement function from a decentralized administrative function to a centralized strategic function. This is further intensified by outsourcing many support functions such as data processing, and human resources. Fin ally, uses of information technologies have restructured the buying philosophy, processes and platforms by allowing firms to share market information and use market information to schedule design and manufacturing of products better. Page 3Fundamentally, the consequence of changing paradigms of organizational strategy is likely to result in a two dimensional shift as shown in Figure 2. Organizational purchasing strategy shifts from a transaction oriented to a relational oriented philosophy, and from a decentralized domestic sourcing to a centralized global sourcing process. Relationship with Suppliers As stated earlier, we suggest that developing relationship with suppliers will be critical for the effective functioning of firms. This trend is reflected in Table 1 that shows that large firms have substantially reduced their number of suppliers.This trend also suggests that some suppliers would be exclusive to firms. The primary reasons are that corporations are becoming leaner. The procurement function is becoming more centralized while the profit-and-loss (P) responsibility of firms is becoming less centralized. Business-unit heads are raising more questions about the way things are bought. And as vertically integrated companies – those that have complete internal capabilities and are self-sufficient – become relics and outsourcing of operations become a reality, more opportunities to partner with suppliers will arise.Taking advantage of these opportunities is increasingly important for several reasons: †¢ Declining market prices. Nobody expects prices to rise anymore. There is going to be a tighter squeeze on the margins of customer companies. They would like to get that margin reestablished by working with suppliers. †¢ Rising competitive intensity. With the restructuring of the world economy, the formation of the World Trade Organization, and greater economic integration within and between regions, global and regional consolidation is clearly taking place and resulting in greater Page 4 competition. Advanced technology enablers. Electronic commerce and networked computing are here. Dramatically reduced cycle times are becoming an ordinary achievement. These require partnering with suppliers. †¢ Reverse marketing strategies. The traditional process flow – from R and sourcing to manufacturing, sales and service – is becoming a thing of the past. Today, market-focused organizations are organizing into reverse marketing – starting with the end users. Partnering with suppliers is critical to this strategy. †¢ Strategic positioning. In the past, companies partnered primarily for operational efficiency (i. . , just-in-time procedures or zero-inventory models). Today, intense competition is coming from existing rivals, new entrants and the threat of substitutes. Partnering with suppliers is an increasingly important way of minimizing the competition’s negative impact on an industr y. Example of Companies Benefitting from Supplier Relationships The major research regarding the advantage of supplier relationships comes from a study of the Japanese automotive component industry [5]. They found that the average length of the relationship between suppliers and buyers was 22 years.In addition, the major customer bought about half the output of the supplier firm. About 26% of the supplier’s development effort was devoted to a single customer. Competition was restricted to 2-4 other suppliers. Finally, the quality of delivered product was very good. The data would suggest that supplier relationship enhanced the design efforts of the buying company and reduced uncertainty and costs for the Page 5 supplier company. Eastman Kodak, Ford Motor Company, Levi Strauss, DuPont , McKesson and Bose corporation demonstrate that some savings can be achieved by supplier relationships [2].These firms as well as examples of other firms using specific tactics to benefit from s uccessful relationships are discussed next: Eastman Kodak Company: Eastman Kodak Company has outsourced its data and information processing system to IBM. Kodak has achieved substantial cost savings through reducing personnel, assets and capital expenditures in an area that is not its area of core competency. This shift toward asking data processing and systems management consultants to manage the information and data processing of a firm has accelerated as major firms such as Xerox and Ryder have outsourced their internal data processing systems.Ford Motor Company: Ford formed a relationship with one of their own clutch suppliers. Ford examined the production process of their supplier and was able to reduce the cost of the clutch by 20% benefitting both Ford and the clutch supplier. Similarly, based on their past experience with Donnelly, Honda picked Donnelly as an exterior mirror supplier, although Donnelly had no experience in the area [3]. Honda sent its engineers into Donnelly ’s plant, and Honda and Donnelly engineers reorganized the plant and re engineered the product process.Sales are expected to be $60 million in 1997 and costs are expected to decline 2% annually benefitting both Honda and Donnelly. JC Penny and Levi Strauss: JC Penny and Levi Strauss are linked with an electronic Data Page 6 interchange (EDI) that allows Levi Strauss to obtain sales data. Levi Strauss obtains data on the exact size of jeans sold in individual stores. This data allows Levi Strauss to better plan the production process as well as better control inventory and delivery. This saving leads to a reduction in costs and prices benefitting both JC Penny and Levi Strauss.DuPont: Dupont has reduced the costs of each purchase transaction in the maintenance and repair supplies division from $120 to $16 by working with a smaller number of suppliers. DuPont selected one distributor in each region for a supplier relationship. They then implemented a paperless order, receipt an d payment process. In addition to decreased costs of transaction, inventory at the maintenance and repair facilities were reduced by 50%. McKesson Drug Company: McKesson a major drug distributor, developed a relationship with Johnson and Johnson, one of their major suppliers.Through a joint computer system development effort, both firms receive data on inventory, point of sale, demand, and customer information. This has led to Johnson and Johnson providing better service to McKesson increasing the level of service that McKesson provides to its customers. Due to the success of the relationship, Johnson and Johnson has turned over a million dollars worth of business to McKesson. Bose Corporation: Bose corporation has attempted to eliminate both purchasers and salespeople by bringing suppliers into the manufacturing process.Suppliers have access to Bose’s data, employees and processes. They work with Bose’s engineers on present and future products. The Page 7 reduction in personnel reduces costs for both sides, and a direct contact between the user and producer enhances quality and innovation. Establishing and Maintaining Supplier Relationships Wilson [6] suggests that the majority of alliances fail. We feel that most of the problems are associated with the selection and maintaining of supplier relationships. We present research finding from academic research, USGAO [2] and our own experiences.In order to establish relationships, we suggest that firms be very selective in their criteria. In addition to the normal criteria of competency and quality, we suggest the following additional factors be taken into consideration: †¢ Trust and Commitment to Long-term Goals. Both suppliers and buyers need to demonstrate trust and commitment toward a long-term vision. Trust and commitment have been shown to be the major predictors of successful relationships. †¢ Mutual Benefit. The relationship should be of benefit to both the buyer and the seller.If t he relationship has one-sided benefits, the relationship will not last. †¢ Top Management Support. Most successful relationships are associated with support from the top managers of a firm. As examples, the success of Walmart and Corning in forming relationships is because their CEOs have supported supplier relationships. Also, DuPont and Roadway Express have formed an Executive Board that meets at both companies to enhance their relationship [2]. †¢ Compatible Organizational Culture. The culture of firms should be compatible. This Page 8 uggests that they share common values and share common reward systems. A major relationship initiative between two telecommunication firms did not work because they did not share a common work philosophy. One firm was very intense, whereas the other firm was laid back. The relationship dissolved in six months. †¢ Sharing of Information. Relationships require sharing of information. The benefits of relationships arise from reducing th e uncertainty associated with transaction oriented exchanges. Information increases certainty and reduces needless interaction.As an example, Bailey Controls, a manufacturer of control systems shares data with two of its main electronic distributors that has allowed Bailey to reduce inventory and costs [3]. †¢ Strong and Open Communications. Strong and open communications reduces misunderstanding and enhances the quality of relationships. Maintaining Successful Relationships The following aspects are regarded as important for the successful maintenance of relationships. †¢ Simple and Flexible Contract. Simple and flexible contracts enhance relationships as they are used as guides rather than specifying all contingencies.For example, when Kodak outsourced their computer support services to IBM, they used an eleven-page contract [2]. In contrast, typically simple business contracts run to about 30 pages. †¢ Intensive Management Involvement. Cross functional teams from b oth the supplier and buyer organizations that meet periodically to enhance their relationships. For example, Ford uses salespeople to provide suppliers with consumer feedback [2]. Page 9 †¢ Periodic Performance Monitoring. We have found that performance monitoring is critical for relationships. Suppliers also appreciate a formal performance evaluation method.As an example, Motorola evaluates and generates a score card for all of its suppliers [3]. The supplier’s next order is based on the supplier’s previous performance. Suppliers appreciate this knowledge and compete better. †¢ Internal Controls. It is intuitive but companies need to protect access and distribution of confidential information with rigorous internal controls. †¢ Problem Solving Procedures. Companies need to establish problem solving procedures that reduce conflicts or prevent conflicts. One of the simplest forms is frequent communication at all levels of the customer and supplier organiz ation.Organizational Changes Need to Establish Supplier Relationships As stated earlier, as we traverse from a transaction and domestic orientation to a relationship and global orientation, firms will need to emphasize the development of relationship with suppliers. This emphasis of a relationship orientation toward suppliers will lead to an expertise in many aspects of business buying. These areas are highlighted in Figure 3, raised in our earlier paper [4] and discussed next. 1. Supplier as a Customer. As discussed earlier, there will be a thrust toward developing and maintaining relationship with customers.However, firms’ understanding in this area is very limited. Firms will need to develop commitment, trust and cooperation with their suppliers. Firms will need to invest in mutual goals, interdependence, structural bonds, adaptation, non Page 10 retrievable assets, shared technology and social bonds to ensure successful relationships [6]. 2. Cross-Functional Supplier Team s. Marketers have used interdisciplinary teams to contact and maintain relationships with their customers. As individual suppliers relationships become more important we expect a similar thrust toward cross-functional teams that are dedicated or focused on their key suppliers.The importance of individual suppliers is expected to increase because of the emergence of sourcing on a global and relational basis with a few key suppliers. Firms will need to change goals, reward structure and group norms of the purchasing function. 3. Does Partnering Pay? Firms will need to monitor the return on investment in establishing relationships with suppliers. Therefore, firms will need to develop a performance metric that analytically quantifies supplier relationship equity. We feel that supplier partnering with smaller share suppliers will not be economical.The cost-benefit analysis of supplier relationships should result in increased supplier selectivity. 4. Supply Experience Curves. Managing sup plier relationships will not be an easy task. The task of managing relationships on a global basis will be more complex and not analogous to domestic supplier management as most business customers have realized. Therefore, in industries where supply function is a key strategic advantage, companies need to focus on creating core competency in supply side management and develop sharper experience curves. Page 11 5. Hub and Spokes Organization. We expect organizations to reduce the number of uppliers in each product or service category. In addition, re engineering has forced firms to out source internal activities. We expect the results of these two trends to lead to a hub and spoke organization in which one or two suppliers in each product or service category are the spokes and the procurement organization becomes the hub on a global basis. 6. Bonding with Suppliers. Marketers, specifically those that practice relationship marketing have learned to bond with their customers. Bonding r elates to the empathy that the marketing organizations feel toward their customer groups.With an increasing trend toward creating, managing, and enhancing ongoing relationships with suppliers on a global basis, organizations will have to invest in supplier bonding processes and philosophies. 7. Global Sourcing. We expect global sourcing to be a source of strategic advantage. While several global enterprises, especially in the automotive, high technology and the aerospace industries are establishing processes and platforms, it is still at an infancy stage of practice in other industries. Firms will have to develop expertise in global sourcing strategies as well as global logistics. . Cross-Culture Values. Firms will need to be more aware of cross-cultural values. These values may be in conflict with the firm’s present value system. As an example, firms in the US are accused of focusing on short-term profitability whereas firms in Japan are concerned about long-term positioning . Similarly, in some cultures, reciprocity is declared illegal and unethical Page 12 whereas in other cultures it is the preferred way of doing business. What is considered as an agency fee in one country is recognized as a bribe, subject to prosecution under the anticorruption laws.Similarly, doing business with family members and politically connected individuals are presumed to provide a sense of trust and commitment in some cultures whereas it is considered as nepotism and unethical behavior in others. 9. Cross-National Rules. Firms will also have to learn about cross national rules. Specifically, the two tier regulations (one for domestic and the other for foreign enterprises) are common with respect to ownership, management control, and co-production practices in countries such as China.With the rise of nationalism in recent years, this has become a key issue for global enterprises such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, General Electric, and Enron, especially as they expand their mark et scope and supply scope in large emerging nations such as India, China, and Indonesia. 10. Services Procurement. As organizations out source more and more internal services, and as suppliers engage in providing value-added services to their customers, firms need to better understand and research services procurement. Additionally, as most advanced countries are services economies, services procurement will rise in prominence.Conclusions The paper examined the reasons for the emergence supplier relations as source of Page 13 competitive advantage. The paper discusses successful relationships, rules for developing relationships and concludes with organizational strategies that will enhance supplier relationships. Page 14 References 1. Napolitano, Lisa, Customer-Supplier Partnering; A Strategy Whose Time has Come, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 4 (Fall), 1-8 (1997). United States General Accounting Office, Partnerships: Customer-Supplier Relationships can be Improv ed through Partnering, Report Number 94-173, Washington, D.C. (1994). Magnet, Myron, The New Golden Rule of Business, Fortune, February 21, 60-64 (1994). Sheth, Jagdish N. , and Arun Sharma, Supplier Relationships: Emerging Issues and Challenges, Industrial Marketing Management, 26 (2), 91-100 (1997). Wasti, S Nazli, Jeffrey K. Liker, Risky business or competitive power? Supplier involvement in Japanese product design, Journal of Product Innovation Management, 14 (September), 337-55 (1997). Wilson, David T. , An Integrated Model of Buyer Seller Relationships, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 23, 4, 335-45, (1995). Emshwiller, John R. Suppliers Struggle to Improve Quality as Big Firms Slash their Vendor Roles, Wall Street Journal, August 16, B1, (1991). 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Page 15 Table 1 Reduction in the Number of Suppliers Company Number of Suppliers Current Previous 5,000 10,000 9,000 10,000 1,800 22,000 520 7,500 Percentage Change 90. 00% 70. 00% 66. 66% 45. 00% 44. 44% 36. 36% 26. 92% 20. 00% Xerox Motorola Digital Equipment General Motors Ford Motor Texas Instruments Rainbird Allied-Signal Aerospace 500 3,000 3,000 5,500 1,000 14,000 380 6,000 Source: Emshwiller [7]. Page 16 Figure 1 Changing Paradigm of Organizational Purchasing StrategyGlobal Competitiveness Technology Enablers Changing Paradigms of Procurement TQM Philosophy Industry Restructuring Page 17 Figure 2 Shift in Organizational Purchasing Strategy Global Sourcing Changing Paradigms of Procurement Transaction Oriented Relationship Oriented Industry Restructuring Domestic Sourcing Page 18 Figure 3 Emerging Areas of Expertise in Supplier Relationships Service Procurement Supplier as a Customer Cross Functional Supplier Teams Cross-National Rules Partnering Cross Cultural Values Supply Experience Curve Global Sourcing Bonding with Suppliers Hub and Spoke Organization Page 19