Ehe situation at the airport Essay

The heart rate increases the second you entry the terminal. There is a continuous sound of cheerful chatter, luggage wheels gently rolling across the cobalt blue floor, and mobile phones ringing. There are different emotions on everyone as you walk past, some people are depressed, excited or stressed out. The cue is long because it’s the early hours in the afternoon; the security grads are comfortably waiting for the passengers to place their properties in the security check tray. Each security uniforms display a shining gold badge that catches the eye; it’s so bright you have to wear sun glasses to look at the badge. The security grads are standing straight and are eager and delighted to help the next traveller. A mother and her child are joyfully placing their properties in the security check tray. The little boy was obviously dressed to see someone special; wearing a dark blue jacket, a green and grey striped shirt underneath, his trousers are clean but you can recognize they have been worn a couple of times and he has spent much time on his knees probably playing with his bright yellow racing car he is now happily placing in the tray which is now passing through the security check. He jumps eagerly as the scanner beeps, a sigh of relief as the boy got his yellow car back. As the time gets closer for takeoff, the more pressure; you just can wait to get on the plane but the time is dragging is like watching a snail run a marathon. I hear two business men behind me chatting about the weather in New York and the possibility of a snow. The disturbance of an airplane at a takeoff and the smell of an aircraft fuel. Young children listening to music on their mp3 player some even singing it out loud and playing video games as they wait for their gate to open. Voice on the public address announcing that flight 1907 is now boarding at gate A28. A Multiple of Billboards adverting different type of things the most eye catching one is the toothpaste billboard, because the man is beating of the billboard and the billboard is half done. It makes it clear that Formula tooth care gives you really strong teeth. Several people where admiring the art work as they took pictures of the billboard.

Othello – Trust and Betrayal

English Assignment In this image, Othello and Desdemona are sharing a passionate moment of love after being re-united in Cyprus. Both are wearing white garments; a symbol of purity, and framed in a black background. Othello’s white uniform contrasts with the colour of his skin accentuating his smiling feature, strength and regal stature. In the darkness behind them is the watching figure of Iago who is smirking. Othello calls her â€Å"My soul’s joy† which describes the depth of his love that Desdemona is intrinsic to his whole being.He adds â€Å"If after every tempest comes such calms/ May the winds blow till they have wakened death†. This ironic comment foreshadows the horrific fate that awaits them both. Desdemona replies â€Å"The heavens forbid/ But that our loves and comforts should increase/ Even as our days do grow†. This highlights her religious convictions and the sanctity of their union. This image explores the idea that Othello feels in finite love for Desdemona which later transforms into infinite rage and hatred through the jealousy created by the scheming Iago.Even at this moment, Iago is formulating his plan to convince Roderigo that Desdemona will soon â€Å"Begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor† and therefore leave the way open for Desdemona to take another lover. This is how he maintains Roderigo’s hopes for being with Desdemona and thus, can continue to trick Roderigo into handing him all of his money and jewels. Image of Kenneth Brannargh and Lawrence Fishberne *The first image on the sheet but it would not copy across* This image explores the relationship between Othello and Iago.Iago is to the side of Othello whispering into his left ear (the sinnister side) and it looks as if Iago is the demon on Othello’s shoulder. The lighting used has created a shadow over half of Othello’s face. This shadow represents Othello’s dark side which is revealed when he m urders Desdemona in act 5. His aggressive expression foreshadows grim events as he is hearing the news of Desdemona’s infidelity. This image also represents Iago’s manipulative character and through this, shows Othello’s naivety.Iago has already stated his position as a destructive force for Othello’s life. He has used animalistic and racist imagery to deter Brabantio from allowing the relationship to continue. He calls out to Brabantio â€Å"An old black ram is tupping your white ewe†. This voices the patriarchy’s deep fear. Brabantio is a senator and thus represents hereditary class and power and the fact that his daughter has married a black man destroys his status and power in society. Iago is determined to utterly destroy Othello.He leaves Roderigo stating â€Å"Though I do hate him as I do hell pains/ Yet for necessity of present life I must show out a flag and sign of love†. Iago hates Othello and uses the promotion of Cassio a s a justification for his actions. Iago builds up the doubt in Othello’s mind firstly by playing on Othello’s status as an outsider in Venetian society. He plans also to destroy Cassio at the same time â€Å"In double knavery† by suggesting â€Å"That he (Cassio) is too familiar with his (Othello’s) wife†.Iago begins by giving Othello advice that he (Othello) is unfarmiliar with Venetian women and that it is common to have an affair. His next step is to plant the idea that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. As Othello becomes weakened by Iago’s innuendos, Iago becomes more specific in his proofs, blantantly lying about Cassio’s behaviour. It would seem that success has been achieved when Othello no longer uses celestial imagery to describe his inner state and like Iago, uses profane animalistic images to express his thoughts.After Iago has confronted Othello with the handkercheif, Othello says â€Å"Now, by yond marble heaven, in due r everence of a sacred vow/ I here engage my words†. This changes after Iago puts the idea of killing Desdemona into Othello’s head by saying â€Å"But let her live† to which Othello replies â€Å"Damn her, lewd minx! †. The key idea of the play is the tragic undermining of the heroic and princely Othello by the manipulation and action of evil represented by Iago.

Team Building without Time Wasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Building without Time Wasting - Essay Example Arising from a variety of reasons, team members are not able to travel expeditiously to distant locations for organizational meetings or participate in distant projects. The reasons of hurdles generated in the process pertaining to inaccessibility to crucial and critical information sources, emotional and financial costs associated traveling to remote locations for business purposes, time lost during traveling or recovering from traveling. This is the reason why organizations working in partnerships are increasingly resorting to the development of virtual teams to work collectively across borders of nations without having to travel. In this way, much of the time and money lost due to traveling can be saved and work can be proceeded with at a fast pace because of online ease of communication. Organizational culture refers to the norms and regulations regarding information flow shared leadership and cross-border collaboration between organizations. Organizational norms and values which emphasize on collaboration, respect and encourage people working across cultures are seen to demonstrate successful teamwork and team building. Such organizations keep information sharing and criticisms constructive (Davidson, et al., 2002, p.102). The organizational culture sets the basic standards with regards to how it must operate and sets certain standards with regards to the ways in which team members can behave while working together. This can be particularly true for the technologically advanced, non-hierarchical and adaptive organizations which can be very effective in nurturing a team building and team working culture in the organization. The success of the virtual teams in organizations depends largely on the way organizations impede or fosters trust between itself and the partner organization. It is crucial to treat the partner organization as equal and eligible to have access to all its information.

Marketing Mix and the 7Ps Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Mix and the 7Ps - Assignment Example The assignment "Marketing Mix and the 7P’s" talks about the marketing mix variables and components that can be controlled by a business in making an enhanced performance in the market. To begin with, there is the product in the marketing mix. The demand market appreciates the products that are produced by a firm when the products are satisfactory. As such, the organization has to factor the design of the product. This will be followed by enhancing the usefulness of the products so that they can satisfy the needs of the demands market. Similarly, the organization will have to factor the value, quality, packaging, and branding of the product. This will appeal to the market, as they demand market will feel the need to use the product. In addition to this, the business might feel the need to introduce warranties, which warrants that the products are genuine. Secondly, a business has to make a strategy that is in concern to the place and situation. Customers are likely to purchase products when the products are in convenient places. Therefore, the business has to make a strategy that includes opening both retail and wholesale stores. This reduces the proximity to products of the business. As such, it will attract a larger market share for the products. Similarly, the business could use other means in ensuring the customers have easy access to the products. For example, in today’s world, the internet is an avenue of attracting a market, since the customers can make orders via the internet.

Rich and Ruby Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rich and Ruby - Case Study Example The trust is designed to remain in place for the benefit of Harriet and be distributed equally between Rich and Rebecca when Harriet dies. According to the financial statements, Rich and Ruby have a net worth of $22,000,000 at their disposal which comprises various assets and cash and cash equivalents. Rich is involved actively in the family business and is concerned fully about the welfare of his children and their children. Rich also plans to pay for Katie’s remaining education balance for two years to finish her doctorate degree in bio-gastric anthropology and strongly believes that the world is not yet fully exploited by people with opportunities. Rich also plans to support Caryn, Katie’s life partner even though Ruby his wife and Alvin his son do not approve of the relationship. Rich is in a good financial position with the company’s net annual income of $750,000 and a salary of $200,000 annually. The fact also that the company is worth $8,000,000 and is exp ected to grow at an annual rate of 10% for the next 6 to 8 years makes it advantageous for Rich to use the finances at his disposal and allocate them effectively and efficiently. Rich also owns the building in which the Macadam company operates valued at $3,000,000 and is leased for $250,000. Rich has come to the realization that his estate has grown significantly over the years and will continue to grow further in the coming years. He further considers that his estate will increase as a result of the inheritance he receives from his father’s and mother’s estate. Rich is not opposed to a gifting program that will enable him and Ruby to enjoy their retirement’s years which he has set to be $300,000. Furthermore, Rich intends to pass on the company business to his son Alvin should he retire or die whichever comes first. Rich has a good plan regarding the estate inheritance that is aimed at passing on the benefits of the estate to the family descendants and ensurin g that the lives of all family members are stable and comfortable. Rich is aware of the financial constraints that are in the family and wants a plan that is fully beneficial and successive in nature. Rich wants his daughter Katie and Son Alvin to get an equitable distribution of the available inheritance given the efforts of his son to the growth and success of the business. Assuming that Harriet dies in 2013 with an estate of $15,250,000 and a federal state tax of $5.25 million, and the father’s inheritance of $500,000 and an equal inheritance share between Rich and Rebecca his sister, he will receive $7,250,000 of the estate inheritance. According to this case probate assets are those assets belonging to a deceased person which pass to the beneficiaries named in the decedent’s will or decedent heirs if there is no will as determined by law as part of the probate process. These types of assets do not have a beneficiary designation or survivorship feature to control t he reception of the property when the decedent dies. Examples of probate assets include; personal property, proceeds from a life insurance policy owned by the decedent on his or her life payable to the decedent’s estate upon death, banks or brokerage accounts that do not have a beneficiary designation, and, finally the real property owned entirely by the decedent. Non- probate assets, on the other hand, are assets

Rembrandt - Dutch Painting in the Golden Age Essay

Rembrandt - Dutch Painting in the Golden Age - Essay Example The essay "Rembrandt - Dutch Painting in the Golden Age" discovers Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's art and Dutch Painting in the Golden Age. His specialty was in the area of portrait painting where he achieved widespread reputation. Another characteristic of Golden Age painting was a focus on realism, yet Rembrandt was renowned for the expressiveness and skill in which he seemed to capture the essence of the individual being painted. To more fully appreciate these characteristics, it is helpful to understand the changes that were taking place in the country at that time and to examine one of Rembrandt’s works such as â€Å"The Noble Slav† executed in 1632.Rembrandt was born into an unprecedented time of prosperity for his country. It was a time in which the Netherlands began to grow in economic scale thanks to a tremendous influx of wealthy merchants and tradesmen into Amsterdam following the fall of Antwerp in 1585. The city was powered by energy provided by windmills , the economy driven by the advent of sawmills and the Dutch people’s historic proficiency in maritime activities quickly enabled them to establish themselves as dominant figures in the contemporary world market. By Rembrandt’s birth in 1606, the Dutch East India Company had already emerged as the world’s first multinational corporation fully engaged in importing the exotic spices and other goods that were making the Netherlands a rich land. In keeping with such dramatic change, the old rules of social status based on birth.

Critique 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique 1 - Essay Example For this Partita there were six individual movements announced in the recital program: sinfonia, allemande, courante, sarabande, rondeau and capriccio. Sinfonia part is a kind of introduction, or prelude for the following four individual parts. â€Å"A partita is made up of popular Baroque instrumental dances† and thus, next four parts naturally were stylized as different dances of 16-17th centuries, and named after them (The Bach Partitas). The last part, capriccio is a flexible academic form of music, which in case of this Partita was also composed by Bach in a style of Baroque dance. At the beginning of this Partita, a piano served to convey a melody and a rhythm in turns. Naturally, a melody was played by Pavey right hand, while rhythmically accompanied by a left one and was absolutely distinguishable, until the very technical end of a first part. There were a lot of short notes, so Pavey tried not only to play them right, but play them light. Yet I noticed, how focused on a technique Pavey was when playing some fast parts of this Partita. Compering to other music performed that night, Pavey’s Bach sounded most full of notes, most technically, but less complicated. Though melody did sound distinguishable, it was sounding very inseparably from dance rhythms, even in the most â€Å"free† capriccio part. I think it was the most academic sounding part of a recital and most successfully performed by Pavey. When Pavey started performing a second piece of music, - Sonata in E Major, Op. 109 by Ludwig van Beethoven, - he revealed how more independent a piano sounded in 1820 when Beethoven composed this Sonata, comparing to Baroque piano. It no longer required a dance activity. Pavey used piano to convey Beethoven’s specific idea, which was highly lyrical and emotional. Sometimes it was undistinguishable where the rhythm was, because more attention was paid on a melody development. While developing melody,

Hotel Industry Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hotel Industry - Research Proposal Example An Organizational structure defines how job tasks are formally divided, grouped and coordinated. The main elements to consider while designing an organizational structure are Work Specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization and formalization. The most common Organizational designs found in use are The simple structure is characterized by a low degree of departmentalization, wide spans of control, authority centralized in a single person, and little formalization. The strength of the simple structure lies in its simplicity. It's fast, flexible and inexpensive to maintain and accountability is clear. One major weakness is that it is difficult to maintain in anything other than a small organization. The decision making becomes slow as the organization grows in size because of its low formalization and high centralization. A bureaucracy is characterized by highly routine operating tasks achieved through specialization, much formalized rules and regulations, tasks that are grouped into functional departments, centralized authority, narrow spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command. The primary strength of bureaucracy lies in its ability to perform standardized activities in a highly efficient manner. One of the major weakness of this structure is that it causes departmental conflicts and highly inflexible always following the rules. There is no room for modification The Matrix structure is characterized by dual lines of authority and combines product and functional departmentalization. IBM adopts a modified version of the matrix structure in its overall operations. The strength of this structure lies in its ability to facilitate coordination and efficient allocation of specialists. The major disadvantage lies in the confusion it creates, its prosperity to foster power struggles, and the stress it places on individuals. The Team structure uses teams as the central device to coordinate work activities. Companies like DaimlerChrysler, Saturn, Motorola and Xerox have made extensive use of self managed teams to improve productivity at the operational level. In smaller companies, the team structure can define the entire organization. For instance, Imedia, a 30 person marketing firm in New Jersey is completely organized around teams. This structure is highly unsuitable for large companies. A Virtual organization is a small core organization that out sources major business functions. Ancle Hsu and David Ji run a virtual organization. Their firm, California based Apex Digital, is one of the world's largest producers of DVD Players, yet the company neither owns a factory nor employs an engineer. They contract everything out to firms in China. This is suitable for small and large organizations. The major advantage is the flexibility and the disadvantage is lack of managerial control in key aspects of business. The Boundaryless organization is an organization

Counseling via Internet a good idea Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Counseling via Internet a good idea - Coursework Example The quick advancement and utilization of the Internet to convey data and foster correspondence has brought about the making of new types of counseling ("The practice of Internet counseling"). Nowadays there is a variety of tools that enable to conduct counseling through the technology advancement – though the telephone or Internet. There are many ethical issues that Internet counseling raise. First of all, confidentiality is one of the core principles in counseling. Is there a guarantee for the client that all the messages remain confidential? Psychological diagnostics may be not so effective as live communication nd counseling. Another issue is that Internet counselor has to be competent and licensed anyway – how frequently Internet counselor is eligible to work with the clients? How can the client to be sure the name corresponds the real person who is the counselor (Hughes, 2000)? In my opinion, counseling practice conducted through the Internet is possible, still I would prefer traditional way to do it. First of all, real presence of another human being heals. It is better for the client to receive an actual help. I believe professional would manage to do online-counseling as well. Yet all the ethical and professional questions have to be satisfied. Hughes, R. S. (2000).  Ethics and Regulations of Cybercounseling. ERIC/CASS Digest.  Greensboro, NC: ERIC Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse. (ERIC ED446326), Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/Resources/Library/Selected%20Topics/Cybercounseling/Hughes-Digest-2000-03.htm The practice of Internet counseling .  National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc.  , Retrieved from

Effects of Brand Association on Small Scale Traders Essay Example for Free

Effects of Brand Association on Small Scale Traders Essay Effects of Brand Association on Small-Scale Traders Introduction            What are the effects of brand association on the performance of small-scale traders? Brand, in this case, refers to the version of a product made by one particular manufacturer. Levitt (1983) affirms that positive brand associations are developed if the product which the brand depicts is durable, marketable and desirable. He further asserts that the customers must be persuaded through advertisements, that the brand possesses the features and attributes that will satisfy their needs. This will lead to customers having a positive impression about the product. Positive brand association helps an organization to gain goodwill, and obstructs the competitor’s entry into the market.            Hypothetically speaking, one would say that effort coupled with utmost discipline on the side of the small-scale traders would assure them total success. It makes so much sense when looked at on the surface. Truth be told, brand association is inevitable if the small-scale traders are to thrive. Though an idea that I am suggesting for the big question throbbing on every small-scale trader’s mind, it has not yet been proved to be correct. The bottom line is, brand association has an influence on the performance of small scale traders. This is because it provides consumers with a point of differentiation of the various types of products provided by the small-scale traders. Brand association is an important dimension of brand equity because, like human association, it is both differentiating and enduring. Consumer perceptions of price, quality and value are considered pivotal determinants of shaping behaviors and product choice (Bishop, 2004). Methods of recruitment            When looking at the methods to be used in recruiting people who would carry out the research, it would be prudent to seek the work of professionals. This would be because professionals are adequately equipped and have been in the practice for a while, hence would render the very best. This way value for the finances spent on the whole process is sure. A matter of great importance that cannot be ignored would be how the recruitment process should go down. This is in order to take in, not just professionals, but the best in the market. There are a number of viable and proven recruitment methods that will most assuredly give the best results, in terms of professional personality. Firstly, I would develop a job description making crystal the requirements necessary for the work at hand. Sending local e-mails would not be an option to ensure extensive coverage of the advertisement (Managing Agency workers, 2013). The e-mails would inform potential staff of the opening an d ask them to share the information with family and friends. More to that, posting on a website with a link to employee testimonies would go a long way in communication in regard to the recruitment. Finally, since advertising via television would be a bit costly, radio would be the perfect media of communication. This is because it would especially get to the people at the grass roots Levitt (1983).            In conclusion, measure is key in the whole process and must be put in check. Measure refers to the quantitative necessity in the whole research process. The study measure to be used will totally be dependent on the market size occupied by the small-scale traders (Meenaghan, 1995). Using large, medium, and small market sizes, having 2 hectares as the size of a small market, approximately 3 employees would comfortably cover the area. The question of relativity cannot be ignored to clearly and acceptably bring home the key question here, which is, ‘what study measure?’ With all that in place, the question of the effects of brand association on performance of small-scale traders would have been adequately and appropriately responded to. References Levitt, T. (1983). The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, May/June, pp. 23-26. Meenaghan, T. (1995). The role of advertising in brand image development. Journal of Brand and Product Management, Vol. 4 Issue 4, pp. 23-24. Source document

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata Dialog Telekom PLC (The Company) operates Sri Lankas largest and fastest growing telecommunication network Dialog GSM. Dialog Telekom is one of the largest companies listed under the Colombo Stock Exchange. It is a subsidiary of the Axiata Group Berhad. Due to Dialog the Sri Lankan mobile industry has achieved new heights and has come at par with the developed world. The telecom company operates 2G, 3G and 3.5G mobile services, supporting the current trends in mobile internet and multimedia services, as well as international roaming. Dialog Telekom accounts for more than 50% of Sri Lankan mobile phone subscribers. Along with the mobile telecommunication business Dialog Telekom operates a wide portfolio of international telecommunication services including retail and wholesale international voice and data services. Dialog Broadband Networks Pvt. Ltd. (DBN) is an owned subsidiary of the Company, and is an important player in Sri Lankas ICT infrastructure sector. DBN was also the first service provider in Sri Lanka to introduce high-speed broadband internet services based on Wi MAX technology. Dialog Television Pvt. Ltd. (Dialog TV) is another subsidiary of Dialog Telekom PLC. It operates Dialog Satellite TV, a Direct-to-Home (DTH) Satellite TV service. Dialog TV supports a wide range of international and local television channels. Regarding the structure of the company, Dialog Telekom Ltd. has got a Hybrid structure which is a combination of Matrix structure as well as Modular structure. As in each Strategic Business Unit (SBU) works independently and every function of each SBU has communication linkages with one another. Top down as well as bottom up communication is available and it uses worldwide resources and technologies. MICRO ANALYSIS THROUGH SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Dialog has the first mover advantage of GSM technology in Sri Lanka. Due to its strong infrastructure it has got one of the best and far reaching mobile telecommunication coverage. Relationship with a telecommunication tycoon in the same region; Telekom Malaysia Group. Extension in collaborations maintaining good relations with other Telecom companies has enabled Dialog to have a global approach with services such as and Satellite Coverage high roaming. Dialog Telekom has got a very aggressive marketing strategy which enables it to have a good and stable Brand Equity. Companys financial analysis proved excellent stability in financial statements regarding investments. Strong Public Relationship that has been built up over the years. Expanded CSR initiatives increased the social value of the firm. High quality technical innovations has made dialog market leader in Sri Lanka. Constant rise in the share prices has gained the confidence of the investors leading to value increment. Strong distribution network spread throughout the entire island.. Well managed customer care support techniques has increase the level of customer satisfaction. Wide variety of products. Management Team is efficient and hard-working. High level of corporate business knowledge retention through low employee turnover (W)eaknesses Though the investment on advertising and value addition through technical innovation is high, there is no clear aim and idea of a broader market Poor performance as on ISP. Compared to its competitors Dialog lags behind in innovations related to pricing strategies. The head office in Colombo is of a distributed nature due to non-expandability of the current location. The level of motivation of internal employees is decreasing. Due to the rapidly growing customer base the trends in Quality of Service are going down by the day. In the front-office employee turn-over is high. (O)pportunities Telecom is one of the fastest growing sectors in Sri Lankas 19.5million people As per estimations 4.5million users would have mobile phones by the end of 2006 The communication industry is growing rapidly. Fixed line penetration is low. The approval and acceptability of the Value Added Services (VAS) by the users has increased the probability and success of any new VAS initiative. The strategic partnership of Dialog Telekom with Vodafone UK. Dialog has got the potential to gain benefits of Value Chain Convergence. Technology advancements especially in mobile multimedia technologies and the advent and use of the next 3G mobile communications. (T)hreats Strongest Competitor of Dialog, the Mobile wing of fixed line telecom giant SLT is focused on cost-cutting strategy through its low cost pre-paid products in the market. Rapid changes in the political, social and economic conditions as well as the laws and regulations. Changes in currency exchange rates and high inflation which is inversely affecting the global business. Rapid change in customer preferences and their growing needs due to high level of customer awareness. Constant changes in technology. Dialog had to switch off all base station in northern-province during the last few months due to military operations by the Sri Lankan Govt. forces. Thus there is an uncertainty due to the growing counter terrorist campaigns. PESTEL Analysis (P)olitical Sri Lanka has very positive foreign investment policies. However though Sri Lanka identified importance of liberalization early as in 1977, due to political interventions bureaucratic attitudes inherited from colonial reign and poor governance, the country as a whole and specifically the industry has not grown as it was foreseen at the time of liberalization. During the past two decades, terrorist activities have remained constant as well. (E)conomical Unstable macro-economic environment and trade policy regime has a negative impact on the industry. The fall of the exchange rate over the years happened on a gradual pace. Since the inception of liberalization policy it has undergone massive reforms in this sector. However Sri Lanka lags dynamics incorporated by India to attract foreign direct investments. The attitude towards foreign direct investments needs to be improved. (S)ocio-Cultural Sri Lanka has better social conditions for example literacy rate is high, infant mortality rate is low and life expectancy is long. The country also has an educated and trainable work force. Nevertheless Sri Lankans inherit a bureaucratic attitude from the colonial administration that results in inefficiencies and discrimination. (T)echnological Sri Lanka depends on technology transfers from foreign direct investments. However TRCSL encourages local research and development. The country comparatively has not performed well enough to adapt technological changes on a timely manner. For example the shift from analogue to digital and the adoption of CDMA technology materialized in a slow pace. (E)cological (L)egal TRCSL the regulatory body takes up multidimensional roles. It ensures fair enforcement of Govt. policy, hold operators accountable for performance, address consumer issues, monitor changing industry needs and provide feedback to the policy making units. However TRCSL has been criticized over the years for information asymmetry, inefficiency and discrimination. Porters Five Forces 1. Threat of New Entrants Indias Bharti AIRTEL has got the fifth mobile operator license in Sri Lanka As per TRCSL, no more licenses would be awarded Thus it creates an entry barrier for all others to the market 2. Bargaining Power of Customers Consumer protection groups are almost non-existing As compared to the west, consumers are not that strong in their demands Quality standards and supports are comparatively not major concern if they exist at a basic level Low switching costs Customers are highly cost conscious 3. Threat from Substitutes Almost negligible Alternatives are fixed line and the more recent CDMA connectivity This is a much smaller market as compared to the huge total market 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Local and International suppliers for Dialog Depends on SLT, MTT and a few other VSAT operators to access the national backbone Thus these particular suppliers are extremely powerful Acquisition of MTT and the creation of the new subsidiary known as Dialog Broadband Network 5. Rivalry Among Competing Firms Very high competition with constant pricing wars Dialog certainly has an edge because of their Value Added Services and differentiation strategy and the huge customer base Value Added Services are becoming very popular among the consumers Strategic Groups Adopted by the Company Dialog strategies are visible in the companys corporate, business and functional levels. They have already diversified their business across many areas during the last few years. For instance, by acquiring MTT, Dialog managed to strengthen its transmission backbone. Also recent past it has acquired CBNSAT, a satellite TV transmission company, and DERANA TV Channel with a long term objective of a value chain convergence. In addition to reach the customer, Dialog has created many alliances with other business corporations. Cargills-Dialog alliance to allow Cargills customers to settle Dialog bills is just one such example. The business plan is formulated at the beginning of the year considering main objectives of the company. The progress of each project is monitored in a monthly basis through different strategic committee meetings. On the other hand, Dialog tries to introduce latest technologies into the market considering global mega trends through its comprehensive Research and Development wing. Among them, the Dialogs initiative to setup the Dialog Research Lab at the University of Moratuwa is of importance because it effectively enabled Dialog to provide tailor made solutions to the local market. Nokia phones with Sinhala language support and Tsunami warning system for mobiles are just to name a few such examples. These technology initiatives can be considered as a strategy used to capture the market by effectively staying ahead from the competition in the technology and innovation sphere. Structure The Companys business and operations are managed under the supervision of the Board of Directors comprising of 5 non-executive directors and 1 executive director. The Board has the power to appoint executive directors including the CEO. Divisional structure can be identified in company level but performances of the divisions are measured through different strategic committees. Systems Apart from the technical backbone, Dialog uses several systems to execute their business strategies successfully. For example- SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) This was launched in 2006 January to integrate identified key process in the company. CCBS (Customer Care Billing System) Currently existing billing system is going to be migrated into a new system to provide more customer centric services. HRIS Used for Human Resource Management and all the day to day functions are carried out through this system. Style The management style always depends on targets and objectives. Strict deadlines are imposed while performance and progress are very closely monitored at all levels of the organizational structure. Rewards and benefit schemes are in line for the top performers and better achievements. All the employees will have a number of recreational opportunities such as trips, get-together, sports etc. to take some time off from busy work schedules. Staff The Company currently employs a workforce of 2500 who in turn are considered pivotal to the organizations growth and success. Annual manpower planning and recruitment is carried out in parallel with the business plan preparation. The capabilities required by potential employees are based on the requirements of the business plans applicable to respective departments of the company in any given year. Recruitment to the Company is governed by several policies. The core policy on filling vacancies spells out the Companys intention to attract the best with the aim of exploiting the individuals potential while providing career development opportunities irrespective of communal or gender differences. 7% of the total HR cost is devoted to training and development. The training needs for individuals and teams are identified from the competency requirements arising from the Companys business plan and employees annual performance review. Subordinate Goals All individuals with different backgrounds, different ethnics and nations are teamed up and driven towards a common set of goals and objectives at Dialog Telekom. The company has been successful in focusing the entire team towards a single vision by incorporating all individuals goals and personal objective together. Skills Dialog team consists of number of individuals with distinctive capabilities and competencies from top to bottom. Dialog is proud to have a very energetic and talented CEO in the caliber of Dr. Hans Wijesuriya. In addition to that Dialog is served by a team of top class individual in the Sri Lankan industry with lot of talent and exposures. Different Strategies Adopted by Dialog Telekom Corporate Strategy Considering the current performance, the key success factors and the SWOT analysis the directional strategy alternatives would be the following Growth strategy to expand the activities of Dialog Telekom further would be the first alternative. Since the current product lines have real growth potencial concentration of resources on those would be ideal. In concentration Dialog Telekom can follow the vertical growth strategy to take the benefit of the value chain convergence opportunity that is existing in Sri Lankan context. Stability strategy to continue with current activities without any changes to the direction would be the second alternative. Here Dialog Telekom can utilize pause/proceed with caution strategy to have only incremental improvements while the weaknesses stated are overcome. It can use this time to stabilize the organization due to the changes took place due to multiple strategies it adopted earlier such as acquisitions and investing on innovative developments, which will help to get back the loosing internal employee motivation. The first alternative will move Dialog Telekom further away from the competition and create a monopoly temporarily for converged industries of telecommunication, content, media and retail. However unfocused highspeed growth to capture the market without stabilizing the existing acquisitions can disassemble everything. The second alternative will give Dialog Telekom and its employees much needed breathing space. The recommendation would be to implement the second alternative initially to stabilize the organization without any other drastic change in the direction. And after some time they can adopt their long term beneficial value chain convergence option depicted in first alternative. Business Strategy The business strategy alternatives available for Dialog Telekom to improve the competitive position in the industries it operates would be The first alternative for the competitive strategy would be to improve on the current strategy of differentiation. It can improve this by having unique Value Added Services for each of its current strategic business units DBN, CBNSAT and Dialog Telekom itself. This can improve the customer loyalty and thereby can charge a reasonable premium rate than competitors. Second alternative which Dialog Telekom can try to implement is cost leadership to overcome the threat of lower rates provided by competitors, Mobitel. Since the VAS are less in Mobitel the switching from Dialog to Mobitel is not much in urban people who use these VASes. But people who are using purely as a voice/sms only are shifting as most of them are cost conscious and there is not much of a difference in coverage. Hence if Mobitel improves on its VASes it would become a serious threat at a stage at which only the rates would decide the attraction of that segment of the market. Typically the differentiation strategy is more likely to generate higher profits than low cost strategy. However differentiation strategy implementation may involve higher investment than low cost strategy. Competitive scope is an important factor when considering competitive strategies. The recommended alternative depends on the competitive scope in this situation. Considering both alternatives and the pros and cons of each most ideal would be to have culmination of both differing from the segment of the market. Dialog Telekom should have a focused differentiation strategy in the market where people are valuing the VASes and cost focus in the market where usage is purely for voice/SMS. Simultaneously Dialog Telekom should look at strategic alliances as a corporate strategy to gain competitive advantage by working with other organizations. Currently they have stated this with some banks and some supermarket chains as mentioned earlier. However this can be vastly improved to include alliances with insurance companies, stock brokers, popular food chains etc.