Value Chain Of Unilever Management Essay

Value Chain Of Unilever Management Essay Any profit motive concern would like to keep the costs to the minimum and maximize profits that can be sustainable as well. Lean production and waste elimination is the product of years of innovation to reduce costs. (Karlsson and Ahlstrom, 1996) This has worked to the favor of external entities such as suppliers and customers, and to some extent, the employees. Companies have realized the importance to involve the community as a whole in the process to foster a sustainable infrastructure that can ensure growth for the company and other associated with it. Introduction Unilever is a large multinational company, having its sourcing, production and sales throughout the world. There are a large number of fast moving consumer goods including foods, beverages, home and personal care products, and cleaning agents. A single category of products sell under various brands, having different attributes and varieties within a single brand. Some brands are limited to certain regions while some brands are under partnerships or have been acquired from local companies. Production of many products has been outsourced to other companies, under strategic alliances, in order to cut on cost of production, like Lux. The company has been continuously engaged in implementing such strategic moves. To improve the value chain, the secondary activities are highly evident as well as the primary activities. Lean Production at Unilever Unilever has a focus toward eliminating waste and bringing lean production into practice, right from the sources through internal processes to the consumers. With its complex procurement network and production scattered in different places, the possibilities for further enhancement in the value chain are endless. Unilever aims to be a multi-local company, which can understand local needs, and produce new products tailored to local needs.(Jones and Decker, 2007) This localization takes into account the different strategies that have to be put into practice for the same product in different locations, which can be put into reducing costs. There have been various success stories from around the world in this regard. In Peru, Unilever does not has a production facility so it uses the cost effective strategic option of outsourcing to local companies including Alicorp S.A.A., which reduced labor requirements and more focus was given to marketing the products. (SOMO, 2006) The companies involved in these strategic alliances have been strong companies. Unilever has a policy to find a partner with a high innovation potential, that can be used to ensure efficient synchronization with Unilevers own supply chain. As Bonney, 2002 has said that the company practices have partners dedicating a team solely for joint development exercises, where knowledge is effectively shared and applied, and commercial agreements are reached on patents, which signified long term partnership approach. Garijo, 2002, adds that Unilever, before going for an alliance, analyzes its internal capability in a particular domain and asks a potential partner to do the same on its own end. Future agreements are based on such defined capabilities. The gradual shift from house of brands to branded house has involved better internal processes. One example is their investment in information technology, which is been superseded by knowledge management practices over the last decade. Knowledge workshops have led to the creation of the Community of Practice (CoP), which pertain to a certain domain such as supply chain or production RD, who are involved in Knowledge Management Groups (KMGs), which continually enrich the knowledge of the employees. Marketing is one domain where KMGs are becoming active, owing to the tacit nature of localized knowledge in this area, while there are already dozens in supply chain and production technology. (Pos et al, 2005) Unilever has used CoP effectively to deal with Agronomy issues in areas with scarce water. In Australia, innovative irrigation systems were developed while in Brazil, an improved system curbed over-irrigation and associated problems. The resulting agricultural products are low-cost, better quality and have lower disease rates. Through this way of sourcing of raw materials, Unilever has established long term control over its sourcing needs. Given the leverage of its size, Unilever can further and continuously leverage its size to strengthen the very entities that it interacts with; the customers, suppliers and strategic production partners. Waste Management Being a large and growing company, the company needs continuous innovation to manage its waste along the value chain. It has been observed that outsourcing looks convincing but it discounts the control factor. For example in Perus case, the outsourcing has caused considerable cost reduction however it has also made it difficult to impose the standards practiced by the company. The layoffs resulting from the outsourcing and further layoffs by the outsourced company, have spoken about the cost to the employees of such strategic moves. The company has reduced the waste of over-employment and has improved efficiency but created the waste in the form of tarnished labor relations, which shows the inability of the company to follow its own Business Partner Code. (SOMO, 2006) As already discussed, Unilever is effectively improving its inbound logistics. The case of Palm Oil controversy, is one of the reasons to do so, and has in fact made the company respond quickly to such issues. In the case, Unilever could not fully adhere to its Sustainable Development Report 2009 where the company aims to grow while improving the environment and recognizes that each stage of the value chain can affect the environment. Prior to this and earlier declarations, the company had been working hard to restore its reputation, damaged by Greenpeaces Cooking the Climate report, where the company was named as a largest buyer of palm oil made from non-sustainable sources. Further media revelation of the companys continued purchase compelled the company to order its Indonesian supplier to stop buying from a local rainforest. Despite the companys successful sourcing of 15% of its tea and palm oil from sustainable resources, the company has been inconsistent in fulfilling its pledge s. The company has to practically prove its 2015 plan to source all its raw material from sustainable sources. (Drnach and Dowding, 2010) Unilever has been able to nearly eliminate waste in its production facilities and in the outsourced production. This has been due to the implementation of latest technology in its mass production models. At the outbound logistics domain and marketing sales domain, more and more services are being outsourced. There are a large number of companies like advertising agencies, brand activation, event management, media planning, business process outsourcing, distributor networks and more which are specialists in their respective domains (McGovern, 2005). It has been beneficial for the company to outsource to these companies due to the nature of these tasks. However, a collaborative and strategic partnership is made with these companies which can ensure better quality of results. The waste that occurs in this stage is that of the work rejected or delayed, for example, an advertising agency comes up with an advertising idea which is rejected or the distributor mishandles distribution, resul ting in inventory losses. Another waste that occurs in this area is in the form of delays that result in stockpiles of inventory. The distributor can misunderstand the change in the product brand image and fails to distribute to the markets intended for in the new branding. Failing to distribute the product properly can cause the product to lose its repeat or prospective customer. (Spence, 1977) The dual company structure does not create any impediments in the value chain as an equalization agreement eliminated dual board and management. (Jones, 2002) Under an agreed structure, where beneath the two parent companies are many local subsidiaries, the degree of involvement with the subsidiaries is gradually increasing, like its strategic plans, and moving from house of brands to a branded house. (Daye and VanAuken, 2007) It is highly recommended that Unilever should be more proactive by enlisting support and collaboration with their distributors and outsourced companies for marketing sales. The company should avoid being heavily dependent on the outsourced companies by having a system to create its own plans while approaching these companies.(Lei and Hitt, 1995) As for the inbound logistics, I adhere to Drnach, 2010 recommendations that the sources of supply should be tracked and audited regularly. The company should take a step in the improving its value chain without waiting for competitors to do the same, where there might be short term losses. It is also recommended that the knowledge management groups and related programs should be taken to other domains in the value chain by making its use compulsory for maintaining employment. Instead of using community of practice as a tool, the company should consider community of interest in order to create an acceptance of the knowledge management among the employees. It is important, also, to assign enriched roles or provide them alternate roles along the value chain, once the outsourcing has been done, rather than to lay them off. Any addition to the value chain, despite the cost, will add value to the organization as long term. The waste generated from the production itself should be utilized as a raw material for other production processes. Idle time can be utilized in training especially for factory workers, if it cannot be reduced immediately or not at all. This time can also be used in recreation activities for the employees. Employees should be given the chance to take part in decision making exercises that can help the top managers understand the complexity of problems inside the organization. Before the recommendations can be implemented, there should be a comprehensive audit of the value chain of the entire organization that can refine the recommendations. Impact of Change The recommendations will increase the efficiency of the organization and fewer resources would be used in production process. If implemented in letter and spirit, and with greater efforts, the recommendations can provide benefits beyond the intended ones. For example, by enlisting the support of distributors, the company can gather more information about the customers, through the retailers. Such information can be more meaningful than a consumer research conducted by a research company. With technological collaboration (like RFID Tags) with the distributors, the company can track the movement of the products from the production to the consumer in real-time, thus identifying where and when the products reach first and where the product demand varies owing to different factors, like seasonal and occasional. Distributors can also provide the company with information about changing consumer needs in various parts of the same location, leading to a different variety to be researched and launched for that area only, with a limited marketing budget. Maintaining linkages with the outsourced companies can be beneficial while having its own plans before approaching the outsourced companies can be even more beneficial owing to reduced dependencies on those companies. For example, it the company wishes to reposition the brand of an ice-cream, it should do complete planning of the work that is to be outsourced to different companies. With a plan in hand, the company will have a benchmark to compare the results with, so that they will not have to approach the companies again and again for improvements. The company can send a dedicated team to work along with these companies to report back the updates regularly so that the concurrent adjustment and enhancements can be made, rather than making a second approach to adjust the changes. For the inbound logistics the recommendations of tracking and auditing of the sources of raw material will improve the raw material quality and ensure long term availability. This will be possible as the audits will provide information whether the source of the raw material is sustainable. Furthermore the audit will provide information about the supply chain origins. For instance, in a South Asian country, the company can sell packaged milk like Nestle has. The company can reach the dairy farmers, who can be provided vital information as to the time they should deposit the milk. Technology at the village can be enhanced by installing lactometers that can measure how pure the milk is and the farmers are then paid according to the freshness of the milk rather than large quantities of low quality milk. Farmers would be encouraged to take care of their livestock to improve milk quality. Meanwhile the company can educate the farmers on taking care of the livestock through modern technique s such as medication and veterinarian care facilities. The village itself would find incentive to acquire such facilities. Thus by improving the technology of the village i.e. by going on a focused corporate social responsibility initiative, the company has a considerably better raw material that saves processing time and cost. Short term losses for implementing a value chain initiative can be high where the industry structure is not compatible with the initiative. A large company such as Unilever can bear such losses, but the impact it will have on the existing environment and the industry structure will be large enough to influence other players in the industry to follow suit. In my recommendation, that the company should not be reluctant at implementing a value chain initiative even if the losses seem to be high. The enhancement in the value chain will thus be beneficial to the industry not just the organization. The first company to implement the change will be the first one to benefit from the change, while other companies will be forced to follow the new industrial standards to survive. The long term sustainability will be created in term of continuous supply of better quality raw material from a sustainable source. The recommendations on forming knowledge management groups for more employees to share knowledge in their area of practice and interest, will considerably improve the quality of human resources at the organization. Community of interest should be promoted over practice, as it can diversify the views of the employees so that they can become more occupationally mobile rather than restricted strictly to their area of specialization.(Curtis, 1959) Furthermore the strategic moves by the company are expected to result in shifting existing employees to different areas on the value chain. The more occupationally mobile the employees are, the more quicker they will be able to learn their new roles, reducing hiring and training costs as well as retaining the employees along with the company specific knowledge. New employees would have to be taught about the organization from scratch, and would require more training. Lastly the idle time and waste generated by the production process itself can be managed to provide training time to the employees. This will avoid wastage of time in activities unrelated to work. If it is possible, the idle time can be used as a reason to employ part time wage workers who can work between the idle time intervals, while being trained during the intervals. Technology can be used to allow workers to work from home, if they are well trained in their area of work, and use the free time to maintain a reasonable work/home life balance. Waste from the production process itself can be used in other production processes in another factory of the company. For example, certain waste material from the production of soaps can be utilized in producing more soaps. Improved value chain will provide benefits to the community and the company. If both of them grow well, the benefit is passed on to all other players in the market. Framework to Respond to Danger Signals Keeping the Porters value chain model as a tool, a new first-line manager at Unilever can use the framework to identify the waste that occurs at each stage of the value chain, find the danger signals of each waste and respond to it. Inbound Logistics The waste can be the lost production time owing to delay in arrival of raw material, or the low quality raw material. The danger signals can be the number of hours a production process has to be stopped or slowed down, and the number of hours factory workers may have to wait. For each progressive number of hours, the manager has take a certain action. For instance, initially the incoming logistics has to be contacted for verifications of delayed time schedule. Later the production manager has to be informed, while workers are to be informed of the expected time and compensation. If the logistics is too much delayed, the managers can send the workers back to reduce wage cost and inform the higher management through production manager. Production and Operation The waste can include the idle time inherent in various machines in factory due to cool-downs and maintenance. This can cause wasted labor hours, which are paid for the idle times as well. The number of hours elapsed since the shut down is the danger signals. Initially the manager has to inform the workers to wait while the maintenance is in progress. On further delay, the workers are paid and sent back, while the manager liaisons with the maintenance team to know the status and inform the same to production manager. Outbound Logistics The waste includes inventory losses on mishandling, the lost consumer due to delay, misdistribution or low stock at the retailers end and losses owing to miscommunication with the distributors. The danger signals can be the loss percentage. As the percentage increases, the danger signals increases, and so a more high level decision has to be taken. For instance, for a small loss, the distributor is sent the first warning, while both company and distributer assume loss and the manager process the proceeding and informs the production manager and accounts department. On a greater loss, the distributor assumes the loss, failing which the manager has to inform the same to the production manager, accounts manager as well as the Marketing department. Marketing and Sales The waste is the time involved in rejected work from an outsourced company, and lost customers owing to failed brand repositioning based on unreliable research. The line manager has little to do with this domain, however the danger signals is the accumulated inventory if the full or partial production has started concurrent to change in, for instance, product attribute takes place, but is not marketed as yet. The manager can stop the production and inform the concerned positions. Service The waste is the loss of consumer due to inability to attend to consumer complaint or suggestion. The danger signals can be the increase in unattended consumer complaints on which the production has not taken any action, as well as an increase in the inventory levels. The manager has to inform the production to check the complaints and improve the product quality, while coordinate the production with procurement in case a machine update in needed. Procurement The waste that can occur at this stage of the value chain is the negative publicity as well the long term depletion of a raw material from a non-sustainable source. The danger signals can be the increase in inventory as fewer orders are being taken. The manager has to inform the procurement and marketing department after a certain inventory level is reached. Technology Development The waste is the lost production time due to an outsourced production facility not being fully compliant with the technology standards set by Unilever. The danger sign can be the total number of accumulated idle time in a week. Considering that the line manager is employed by Unilever at the outsourced facility, the manager can first inform the outsourced company production department, then to his companys outsourcing manager and production manager. Later the technical team of Unilever can be informed to perform necessary adjustments. Human Resource Management The waste can be the lost production time caused by delays caused by training new personnel. The number of hours elapsed since shutdown are the danger signals. Line manager can inform the human resource and production department to quicken the training period Firm Infrastructure The waste can be the lost production time caused by delays due to unrealistic plans and lack of finance. The number of hours elapsed since shutdown are the danger signals. Line manager can only inform the management of the happenings and try in his capacity to facilitate solutions. Conclusion Operations management is now the key to achieve faster production rates and improve both the top line and the bottom line. (Mukherjee, 2009) This area of study is increasingly being merged with the domain of marketing based on indirect responsibility because of the realization of need to be agile in competition.(Pycraft, 2000) To make sure that consumers are reached in time, sourcing, production and distribution has to be achieved quickly and efficiently.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

i) What causes PID and what happens to the body when someone gets it? Pelvic In?ammatory Disease (PID) occurs when an infection of the cervix, or to a lesser extent the vagina progresses into the upper genital tract, PRODIGY (2005). Warell (2003) de?nes an infection as an invasion of the body by harmful organisms (or pathogens) such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa or viruses. In the case of PID the two most common causes of the initial infection are the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis or Neisseria Gonnorhoeae.These two bacteria are most commonly referred to as the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) chlamydia and gonnorhea and are commonly passed through unprotected vaginal intercourse. Both infections present similarly, as in?ammations of the cervix and urethra with the associated symptoms of pain on urination and vaginal discharge. Some infected women however experience no symptoms (Caroline, 2008). Prodigy (2005) discusses how cervical mucus provides a relative barrier to the spre ad of the pathogens and the associated infections, but virulent microbes can traverse cervical mucus, which in any case, is lost during menses.Other factors that may in?uence the spread of bacteria up the genital tract are, pregnancy terminations and the complications arising from dilatation and currettage. Wyatt (2003), discusses, in reference to PID, how once an infection spreads beyond the cervix it can present in various regions of the genital tract: uterus (endometritis), fallopian tubes (salpingitis), ovaries (oophoritis), peritoneum (peritonitis). The assocaited infections/in?ammations can cause various symptoms: Pelvic or lower abdominal pain.Dyspareunia (pain during or after intercourse) Turbo-ovarian abscesses Abnormal vaginal discharge Pelvic peritonitis Perihepatitis (in?ammation of the peritoneum attached to the liver) The severity ranges from chronic low grade infection (with relatively mild symptoms) to acute infection (with severe symptoms) which may result in absces s formation. Salpingitis, or infection of the Fallopian tubes, is a particularly signi?cant feature of PID because of the long term effects after PID including infertility, ectopic pregnancy and pelvic pain.0% of women develop tubal infertility after a single episode, 20% after a second and 40% after three episodes (Prodigy, 2005). In summary PID is a collective term that encompasses a variety of infections of the upper female genital tract. ii) what investigations are considered at hospital and what medications might be prescribed? Warrell (2003), states that there is no symptom, clinical sign, or labratory result that is is pathognomonic (exclusive/unique) in the testing and subsequent diagnosis of PID.The hospital will therefore use a variety of investigations to rule out the likelihood of other diagnosis and allow the most appropriate treatment for cases of suspected PID. Wyatt (2003), advises Accident and Emergency (A&E) staff to ?rst consider whether a patient is presenting wi th any signs/symptoms of shock. If the infection has progressed and there are indications of sceptic or hypovalaemic shock such as tachycardia, pyrexia and assocaited blood pressure abnormalities then the initial treatment is to raise the patient’s legs, resuscitate with IV ?uids and immediately begin IV broad spectrum antibiotics.Sanders (2006) advises other routine tests to help with the differential dianosis for PID which include; appendicitis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancy, other STIs, HIV, urinary tract infection. These tests include: Urinalysis which can to help diagnose and/or rule out the presence of a UTI. A vaginal swab picks up a sample of cells from the vagina which are usually sent to a laboratory for testing. A full blood count (FBC) tests the levels of red cells, white cells and platelets.Abnormalities in these readings can help differentiate between the presence of bacterial or viral infections and/or parasitic/fungal infections. Blood tests are limited in that they do not distinguish what has gone before from what is happening now however they can pick up HIV, hepatitis B and C, herpes virus and chlamydia. Wyatt (2003) also advises that a pregnancy test is needed and if positive, an ectopic pregnancy or other pregnancy complication must be considered. If the ectopic test is negative Ultrasound or endometrial biopsy examined for plasma cells is useful to increases the accuracy of diagnosis.Where symptoms are severe or if initial treatment is unsuccessful a laparoscomy may be considered (Simpson, 2005). Here a rigid viewing instrument called a laparoscope is used to view the inside of the pelvis and the abdomen through small abdominal incisions. The procedure is always performed under a general anasthetic. Among 814 women who underwent laparoscopy because of a clinical diagnosis of PID, 12 per cent had intra-abdominal conditions other than PID: ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis, ruptured ovarian cysts, and endometriosis (P rodigy, 2005).Medications are aimed at eradicating gonorrhea and chlamydia and recommended antibiotics include O?oxacin, Doxycycline and Metronidazole. Ibuprofen is a reccommended analgesia however the choice of analgesia and which route should be guided by clinicla judgement, Prodigy (2005). iii) Discuss Legal (authorised/permitted by law), Ethical (the philosphy of good/bad, right/wrong determined by our cultural/religious and philosophical beliefs) and Capacity (the power to learn or retain knowledge to understand the facts and signi?cance of your behaviour) issues surrounding Lizzy’s views and those of her mother.A signi?cant factor in Lizzy’s case is whether she has capacity. Capacity is de?ned as the power to learn or retain knowledge, and to understand the facts and signi?cance of your behavior (Gillick, 1986). Assessing whether Lizzy has capacity places a responsibility on the practitioner to provide her with suf?cient information to inform her fully of the cli nical importance of seeking immediate treatment. Then assessing whether she understands the risks involved and also if she is able to retain the knowledge long enough to make an effective decision.In the case of Gillick, the court held that children who have suf?cient understanding and intelligence to enable them to understand fully what is involved in a proposed intervention will also have the capacity to consent to that intervention. This is sometimes described as being ‘Gillick competent’. A child of under 16 may be Gillick competent to consent to medical treatment that requires their consent.If Lizzy is deemed Gillick competent and is able to give voluntary consent after receiving appropriate information, that consent will be valid and additional consent by a person with parental responsibility will not be required. It is, however, good practice to involve Lizzy’s family in the decision-making process, if she consents to her information being shared, DOH (200 9). Another challenge arises as Lizzy states her reason for not consenting to travel to hospital is that she is scared her parents will ?nd out about her sexual activity and drug abuse.When assessing capacity you should also ascertain if the patient is free from external pressure to make their own decision? In Lizzy’s case this appears in doubt as she has previously stated that she feels pressured by her mother. There is therefore an argument that Lizzy does not have capacity in these circumstances. There is also speci?c legislation on how to act when there is an issue of contraception , or sexual health in relation to children; Here it is advised that we should try to persuade Lizzy to inform her parents, or allow us to do so.If however she cannot be persuaded, advice and/or treatment should still be given if it is considered that Lizzy is very likely to begin or continue to have sexual intercourse with or without advice or treatment, and that unless she receives the advice or treatment then her physical or mental health is likely to suffer. This is very relevant in Lizzy’s case and poses an ethical question on whether or not to respect Lizzy’s request of con?dentiality between her parents.Each of these possibilities will challenge the practitioner and whilst it is essential that the law is followed it is important to adopt a dynamic approach to Lizzy’s situation and not forget that ultimately it is Lizzy’s ongoing health that is the priority in this situation. iv) discuss the psychological (affecting the mind) and/or social (living with others as oppose to in isolation – developing relationships) effects of peer pressure (social pressure by members of ones peer group to adopt certain values – to conform or to be accepted) in relation to underage alcohol abuse.Since 1990 the amount of alcohol consumed by 11 to 15 year olds who drink has doubled and there has been increases in the numbers of children admitted to hospital as a direct result of their alcohol consumption. Early age of starting drinking is associated with higher trends of alcohol dependence in adulthood and a wider range of other adverse consequences (Donaldson, 2009). Peers play an important role in the onset of drinking behaviours. The effect of peers has been shown to be particularly powerful when parent– adolescent relationships are poorer in quality (Donaldson, 2009).Kroger (2000) identi?es that Lizzy is at the stage of her childhood development where she is asking herself, â€Å"Who am I? † Here adolescents establish sexual, political and career identities and/or may be confused about what roles to play. Identity crises can create storm and stress for the young person. Sociological theory suggest that changes within social roles cause con?ict, e. g. girlfriend and daughter, schoolgirl and work experience. In addition mass media and peers can cause con?icting values for this age; a factor that may be affecti ng Lizzy evidenced by the posters on her bedroom wall.It can be a very dif?cult time for the young person going through this stage of development. Studies such as Adams et al (1994) have found that adolescents report an increase in the importance of peers in adolescence. The proportion of time spent with peers correspondingly increases. Peer relationships also become more intimate than those of preadolescence, with a new focus on sharing secrets and disclosing feelings. Peer groups assume particular importance.Although Lizzy’s alcohol consumption is a concern it could be argued that this is an essential stage in development and here adolescent’s will begin to question whether their relationships are bene?cial or not. It is therefore possible that Lizzy’s drinking is temporary and her self realization of its effects on her life play an important part in how she develops relationships later in her life. v) discuss the advice you would offer promoting the health (a ction to maintain the best possible health and quality of life) of Lizzy considering all the various aspects of this presentation for her future well being.Ambulance services in the United Kingdom are being compelled to move away from being a relatively uncomplicated patient transport system towards becoming part of a fully integrated, national healthcare service offering a holistic approach to patient care (DoH 2005, Ball 2005). Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increases control over, and to improve their health and heir-in health is de?ned as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing (WHO, 1986).The ?rst action to address Lizzy’s health would be to ensure that Lizzy attends hospital. There is evidence from her observations that Lizzy could eventually enter into sceptic shock, which is potentially life threatening therefore this should be the ?rst priority above all other health promotion considerations. If it was unable to ensure this at the scene then Clincial telephone Advice desk should be contacted along with a Duty Station Of?cer and consideration to contacting Lizzy’s GP. Health Education is a process with intellectual, psychological nd social dimensions relating to activities that increase the abilities of people to make informed decisions affecting their personal, family and community well-being.This process, based on scienti?c principles, facilitates learning and behavioral change in both health and personnel and consumers, including children and youth (Ross, 1997). Of the three different methods of health education (Coercion, Persuasion or health empowerment) empowerment focuses on developing decision-making skills and the con?dence to bring about change; the decision on which health actions to adopt is the decision of the practioner.However Lizzy could potentially bene?t more from being given the tools to help herself in this situation and help develop the know-how to help herself at this critical stage of her adolescent development (Hubley, 2008). This is reinforced in the DOH (2006) paper (with relation to year groups 10 to 11 ((14-16 year olds)): pupils develop self awareness and con?dence needed for adult life, further learning and work. They have opportunities to show that they can take responsibility for their own learning and career choices by setting personal targets and planning to meet them.They develop their ability to weigh up alternative courses of action for health and wellbeing (DOH, 2006). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended that offering brief, one-to-one advice on the harmful effects of alcohol use, how to reduce the risks and how to ?nd sources of support is an effective approach for tackling harmful drinking among children and young people (Donaldson, 2009). Lizzy should be informed that contraceptive use in?uences PID rates. Barrier contraception reduces the risk of PID by preventing the acquisition of chlamyd ia and gonorrhea.Lizzy has used condoms however it is likely that she acquired PID on the occasions where she failed to use them (Prodigy, 2005). Another useful approach with considerable potential is that of information shops. These provide health promotion on an informal ‘drop-in’ basis from accessible loctions in high streets and communities (Hubley, 2008). Lizzy should be encouraged to improve her attendance at school; The contribution of schools to public health education and health are mutually reinforcing. Education and learning promote health literacy and an increased capacity to make informed decisions on health matters.A healthy child has a greater potential to bene?t from education than one who has poor health and misses schooling. Health promotion in education settings bene?ts public health in three ways: bene?ting directly the health of the child, promoting future health by providing the necessary understanding, skills values and competencies that they can use in later life, bene?ting the health of the community through the transfer of knowledge and skills from the school back into the home place and community (St Leger, 2001).

Is Booking Travel over the Internet Causing the Decline of High Street Travel Agents? Essay

Is booking travel over the internet causing the decline of high street travel agents? During the decade leading up to 2007, ways of buying tourism products as changed a lot. Ten years ago people choosing a holiday more often than not a package holiday, by going to the travel agent and choosing one from a number of brochures and after chatting with the travel agent. Many people still chose this method but a lot more people are buying packing holidays, more people now buy online, or over the telephone, through teletext. People tended to find it cheaper to and more flexible to buy their flights from one internet site, their accommodation from another and book a hire car with another site, rather than buying a package holiday out of a tour operator’s brochure. They are not always financially, protected when booking travel separately. Holidaymakers are â€Å"turning their backs on the traditional high-street travel agent in favour of booking trips online†, reports sundayherald. com. Between 2000 and 2004 there was an 11% drop in the number of bookings made at travel agents, with only 47% of overseas holidays now being reserved through a high street travel agency, according to figures from market researchers Mintel. Many people book breaks by phone, and just 31% of overseas trips were booked in person in 2004,† says the report. â€Å"The research shows that traditional sun, sand and sangria package holidays are the main type of trip booked on the high street, with just one in five d omestic trips booked at travel agencies. Richard Cope, international travel analyst at Mintel, reportedly said consumer confidence in the internet was driving people away from booking in person. â€Å"Mintel’s research shows that almost one in five UK holidays are now booked online, with consumers becoming increasingly confident about making their own travel arrangements. † Mintel figures also indicated that, overall, more holidays are being taken. In 2004 65% of British people went on holiday, compared to 62% in 2000. Some 44% of holidaymakers now take more than one holiday a year, up 14% since 2000. Altogether, Britons took 43 million holidays abroad in 2004. http://www. m-travel. com/news/2005/10/number_of_booki. html Technological changes within tourism surround several different factors from medical advances to the innovative space tourism. Similar to tourism, technology is an ever changing and sometimes unstable business. Better communication, transport and safety have encouraged new consumers to the industry. Improvements in water supply, medicine and knowledge have meant areas are opened up which were not possible before technological advances. In today’s society in which a consumer wants easier, quicker and cheaper service only technology has helped tourism fulfil the customers demand. Another massive effect on tourism is the rapid increase in online booking that has given consumers more opportunity to make a holiday. Through technological advances, online booking has been one of the biggest factors in affecting tourism, leisure and recreation in today’s world. There were 37,600,000 Internet users in the United Kingdom (representing 62. % of the population) in March 2007, according to Internet World Stats. This was up by 144. 2% compared to 2000. (Internet World Stats, March 2007) and a new Google Survey has shown that surfing the web has topped watching television as Britain’s favourite past time. On average residents in the UK spend 164 minutes online every day compared to 148 minutes watching television (Daily Mail, Friday 10th March 2006). This shows how much the internet is now an integral part of life and has had an effect on other aspects influencing the tourism business. More and more people are now booking their holiday on the internet, as many people are looking for a better priced deal than they’re being offered by their travel agent. Both holiday and airline bookings have not dramatically rose in sales from the travel slump of 2001-02 due to the massive consequences of September 11th and the threat of terrorism which has increased (it saw similar slumps although smaller after the Madrid bombings and 7/7 terrorist attacks). The Iraq war, the SARS/bird flu epidemics and very consistent hot European summers have persuaded the usual long haul travellers to stay at home. This has seen a loss in sales and therefore profits causing one of the hardest aviation crises of the industry. The number of job cuts that were announced in 2003/04 was well over 100,000 according to BBC News, November 2005. Routes had been slashed and several European carriers were barely clinging to life. The turmoil in the industry went from Aer Lingus to XL Airways, but times were changing and the industry needed something new. Survival tactics started to emerge and online travel started to show evidence of bucking this gloomy trend. The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), as cited in a May 21, 2002, Financial Times article had cited for many years that online spending was increasing and predicted it to triple at the end of the decade. Looking at e-commerce data overall, the firm counted travel as the biggest online sector, followed by electronic products and apparel. IMRG also said British shoppers were buying larger and more expensive goods online, such as furniture and kitchen appliances. This showed a large gap in the sub-market that needed to be exploited. Online Travel Spend ($bn) Europe N. AmericaU. K 20002. 4 6. 4 0. 20015. 8 11. 00 1. 8 200212. 7 18. 7 3. 7 Source: Datamonitor At the start of the boom these were seen as survival tactics by the airlines and the government also pushed for more progress in online booking to make the travel industry more prosperous. The economic realities forced travel companies to be more efficient in running their business. Websites, for example were able to promote the latest ticket prices, particularly at a time when they were being slashed on a day-to-day basis which was used to tempt travelers back into the air. Similarly travel sites e-mailed a wide ustomer base with relative ease to promote special deals. It is seen as the cheapest method of booking a holiday, the LogicaCMG (a marketing body) has said that phone bookings typically cost about ? 30 to service. By contrast net bookings cost around 75p. One of the biggest online travel sites Expedia, took an initial knock from 11 September, but then saw its transaction volumes recover by 80-85% during October. â€Å"Like every travel company, we experienced a downturn, but we then recovered a lot more quickly than the traditional industry† said James Vaile, managing director of Expedia in the UK. Online travel sites are also well positioned to exploit the recent procrastination by consumers in booking holidays. People are booking later than usual in recent years and the internet is seen as the obvious and natural place to hunt down last-minute bargains. As this bar chart shows travel sales online rose rapidly from 2006-2007 and it is expected to continue to rise to over $30 billion. The consumers weren’t only using the internet to book their holidays but also to research and gain knowledge of the destinations they wanted to go to. The search engines were flooded with searches over cheap flights, accommodation and new destinations (as shown in the rankings). From the bar chart below it shows that web-search is the preferred method of obtaining travel information with it being preferred nearly twice as much as personal recommendation, the second most preferred method. This is then followed by TV programmes, but the travel agents became the fourth option of consumers to collect travel information. Web-searches are high due to people liking to make their own decisions at their own pace and this can’t be done in travel agents where they are pushed, poked and pressured. This is unpleasant for the consumer and has changed the trend in which consumers went to travel agents for advice, whereas now they would rather use the internet. As this pie chart to the left shows the internet has had a huge impact on the booking of a holiday, with 79% of all booked holidays using the internet in the process. Also, the internet has seen a large increase in the number of â€Å"last minute† business as many tourists feel it is better-placed and they can search for the best priced, most suitable holidays or excursions. Furthermore, since the growth of the internet, online advertising has been used as a huge marketing tool, where holiday and travel providers can target large quantities of potential customers and keep advertising costs low. This has also been used to great effect as they appear to be a successful method and an efficient way of gaining business from the wallet-conscious consumers, whereas high street advertising receives less notice. Moreover, the internet has caused the high street travel agencies to close, therefore creating job losses within the businesses. This is mainly due to the fact that more people are booking direct with the holiday providers, thus cutting out the middle man and saving money by doing the research and booking themselves. This is usually done by using the internet or telephone booking where the overhead costs are much lower as an outlet has to be staffed and incur running costs such as electricity bills and also because of the larger volumes of people that are able to access the service. A recent example of this is was in 2001, when Airtours, the UK’s largest tour operator had to cut one-in-seven of its high street branches in an effort to return to profitability. According to finance director David Jardine, around 120 shops going under the name â€Å"Going Places† were closed as the business stated that they were finding there was an â€Å"increasing trend in customers wishing to book direct†. On the other hand, online companies such as Expedia. com have seen their profits on the rise over the past few years as would be expected, although they had not anticipated such a large growth. For the last three months of 2001, Expedia saw its net income surge to $19m according to BBC News, compared with a loss of $2. 6m in the same quarter of 2000 and also the firms evenues were in excess of $80 million for 2001, over double that for 2000, showing how quickly it has established itself as an efficient internet booking service. So in conclusion online booking for travel has dramatically changed tourism in the world. It has provided a less time consuming, cost effective and an overall efficient/productive method in organising tourism which has seen triggered a rapid rise in sales. Airlines are now recovering after effects that were unforeseen. BAA Limited, formerly the British Airport Association said seven UK Airports handled a total of 11. m passengers in August 2006 making it a record summer with the highest number of passengers ever recorded over a two month period. BAA also revealed here was a 6. 8% increase in passenger traffic for the 12 months to August 31st 2006. Bigger discounts and better security could tempt more people to book holidays online, a LogicaCMG survey (http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/technology/3939035. stm) found. However, the future of online booking although seen as prosperous can also turn, but due to the recovery in airline business they are starting to hit back. Prices are starting to rise and now you must book early to get the best price. The same survey revealed that online discounts were still not high enough to tempt potential customers onto travel websites and that the process was still too complicated for some consumers. A serious issue with online booking is the fear of fraud. Consumers are not convinced that any personal and financial information they hand over would be kept secure by online travel shops and this is slowing the potential growth that could occur otherwise. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) sees the online travel market having a long way to go before it replaces high street travel agents. ABTA estimates that by the end of 2007 online travel will be 17% of the UK’s ? 28bn travel market but this growth will only occur if trends continue as it relies on steadily growing numbers of people happy to book holidays online and as well as improvements in technology and the creation of better websites by travel firms. Issues over security, faults and complications need to be solved if this method of booking is to prosper. The travel industry although brash will always be around due to the need and want of consumers to travel. â€Å"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

Iliad and Achilles Speech - 849 Words

In the modern world, people, as a society, have always given themselves a goal or goals that they would like to attain at some point during their lifetime. Many people seek to attain riches, love, happiness or high stature within society. When we people set that goal, we tend to mold our lifestyles around it. As people work throughout their lives to achieve this ultimate goal, it becomes apparent to others what it is we are working so hard for. Just as this pattern is evident in modern society, it can also be seen in the times of Homer, particularly in the great Greek epic, the Iliad. This distinct pattern can be seen in Achilles, one of the most vital characters in the story. Achilles, being the ultimate most powerful warrior of all†¦show more content†¦This insecurity is the source of Achilles #8220;duty#8221; to exact revenge upon Hektor, the assassin of Patroklos. Achilles makes the decision to kill Hektor in spite of the fact that his fate will be to die. Even th ough Achilles plans to attack Hektor for vengeful purposes, he has an underlying motive. Because Achilles feels he has failed his friend, he wants or needs to save face. This is in order to keep his goal of ultimate glory within his grasp. Achilles sees the opportunity his been waiting for all his life. By killing Hektor and then being slain himself, he achieves his lofty goal of ultimate glory. It is evident through this passage that Homer is building up this grand battle between two of the greatest warriors of this time period. Achilles, already regarded as the greatest fighter, speaks of Hektor not in a degrading manner, rather in a respectful manner, taking into account his numerous heroic feats. #8220;#8230;my other companions, who in their numbers went down before the glorious Hektor#8221; (378, Iliad, 18.102). Homer wrote this line as if he were a promoter of a boxing fight. He lifts the strength of Hektor#8217;s character, and in doing so makes for a more rivaled bat tle. At this point in the passage, Achilles in a sense forewarns everyone of his intentions,Show MoreRelatedJustice and Love in the Iliad 959 Words   |  4 Pages Simone Weil argues that the way Homer presents war and the use of force in the Iliad, in all of its brutality, violence, and bitterness bathes the work in the light of love and justice (pg 25). The point Weil is making is that by depicting the suffering of all of these men regardless of their side, or strength Homer equalizes them in a â€Å"condition common to all men†(pg 25). Because Homer equalizes them the reader can feel empathy, or at least compassion for all of the men. However while Weil isRead MoreHow Does Homer Use The Effectiveness Of Ajax s Speech1723 Words   |  7 Pagesthe effectiveness of Ajax’s speech, specifically Ajax’s similarities to Achilles and the speech’s focus on the Greek value of timÄ“ (one’s honor or how one is perceived by others), to reveal the motiva tions and nature of Achilles. In book IX of the Iliad, Ajax, known primarily for his brute strength and martial prowess, delivers the speech Achilles finds most compelling. Conversely, Odysseus, although the most adept orator sent, is the least effective in convincing Achilles to rejoin the war. In my opinionRead MoreHomer s Iliad : A Wealth Of Contradiction And Manipulation1612 Words   |  7 PagesILIAD Homer’s Iliad is a wealth of contradiction and manipulation. The epic tale serves as a lesson in human nature and desire. It follows the journey of those involved in the Trojan War. Homer paints the arrogance and humility of man and God in the same manner. This concept is best illustrated through the many speeches found in the epic poem. Time and again, the cast of characters drive home their own desires and beliefs. Each individual is imploring their compatriots and enemies toward their desiredRead MoreThe Role Of Women And Their Influence On The War1446 Words   |  6 PagesNevertheless, another vital component in The Iliad is the role of women and their influence on the war and their association with different characters. Scholar Mary R. Lefkowitz, disputes that ladies had some freedom and were under the supervisions of man. The scholar inscribes: In the Homeric epics, women seem to have little independence; they were always under the guardianship of a man, whether a husband, father, or even a son. 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The scholar writes: In the Homeric epics women seem to have little independence; they were always under the guardianship of a man, whether a husband, father, or even a son. Wives must live in their husband’s cities; women like Chryseis or BriseisRead MoreThe Impact of Classical Literature on Machiavellianism Essays1442 Words   |  6 Pagespassed on through history via The Iliad by Homer. The Greeks, one of the earliest recorded civilizations that our species is aware of, had a large influence on the Roman Empire and by extension most of the civilizations of our known history. Through history and different cultures, there are various stories of heroes and heroism, and it seems that the definition of heroism has changed frequently since classical antiquity. â€Å"Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’s son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that costRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Iliad1050 Words   |  5 PagesThe Iliad is an ancient Greek epic that depicts the conflicts of the Trojan War. 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It becomes apparent inRead MoreOdysseuss Appearance in The Odyssey and the Iliad1416 Words   |  6 PagesOdysseus a major role is the Iliad. When Agamemnon suggests to his men that they sail home they do not hesitate in agreeing and stream out to their ships. Odysseus steps in, restrains them and brings them back to the assembly (Homer, Iliad 2.55-225). Odysseus can be seen here as a keeper of peace and order. He does not allow the men to take the easy way out. Once the men have left the ships the fool, Thersites, begins to shout at Agamemnon. Odysseus and Achilles both share a mutual hatred of