Disneyland Hong Kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Disneyland Hong Kong - Essay Example It helps the company to enrich its corporate values. Greater socialization allows the company to evaluate the cultural and traditional aspects and social preferences of a country, which helps the organization to innovate new services that would best suit the taste of the target consumers (Flamholtz and Randle, 2011). Disney on international forum The paper takes a look into the process in which the company has handled the cultural differences experienced by Disney in its course of expansion into the oriental world. Disney is an iconic symbol of entertainment amalgamating the western and the eastern culture through a highly innovative and customer oriented business strategy. The American cultural experience has been recreated in the Asian countries, and has become a controversial as well as hugely profitable model in Japan and Hong Kong. Although the company had not faced great success on opening the first theme park in Europe, in 1992, in the capital city of France, by 2003, Disneyla nd Paris had gained enough attention and has become a thriving business joint for the company (Aaker and Mcloughlin, 2010; Porter and Prince, 2007). More recently, The Walt Disney Company is taking an initiative to open a new theme park in India. The features of the Indian market are diverse which calls for a detailed study on the successes and hardships faced by the company in its previous ventures. Company background The Disneyland Park is a theme park originally based in America and embodying and representing the American culture. The company had made a humble beginning in 1923 with the Disney brothers, Walter Elias Disney and Roy Disney, starting the... It is present in different countries and is rated as one of the best elements in the global entertainment industry. Since 1955, The Walt Disney Company has set up different theme parks in the USA, France and in the Asian countries. All through these years the company has faced various hurdles and has achieved success by way of adjusting with the existing cultural background of the host countries and has made numerous adaptations in its own corporate culture. Disney has the potential to deliver such experiences that can go far ahead of the pleasure of watching cartoons. It aims at providing its visitors with an experience that is free from the hassle of the world outside the Disneyland. The company can make it possible due to its immense brand power and unmatched flexibility in the model of corporate culture that it follows. The parks have created a consumption culture that celebrates the middle-class virtues. This would help the park to find a booming market in the Indian sub-continent. Since India is a developing country, this process of business development would be beneficial for its expansion in India. Besides, India is a country with diverse geographical backgrounds, traditions and religions. Disney utilizes various strategies to make promotions of its services aiming the target groups and to design the theme of the localized theme parks in this country. A significant dissimilarity can be found between the cultures in the East and t he West. This is the root cause behind the diversity is the mentality of the tourists visiting the theme parks. Besides, the cultural elements present in these parks are different which might affect the response of the customers.

Differing views of salvation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Differing views of salvation - Essay Example The emphasis on soteriology in Revelation has mainly to do with perseverance. Christ is introduced as the one who died and was raised again. Christ is also the Lamb slain who calls the thirsty to drink of the water of life. This is shown in His anticipated second coming when He is expected to judge the world. As in (Revelation 1:7.). John’s book of revelation is unique because of its apocalyptic nature. In his book, he fosters a sense of crisis, proclamations and impending traumas, which reveals a sense of world-ending catastrophes, which are unimaginable. However, his visions are just to clarify the importance of the churches for God’s purposes in the world and push them to ensure the fulfillment of the purposes. The vision of a slain lamb (Revelation 5) standing victorious underscores that the congregations are supposed to walk faithfully with the one with the definitive triumph. Their suffering can only be saved by the one sitting on the throne because He has power t hat creates, sustains and also brings fulfillment. John talks about the beast, and their allies that conquer with retributive violence, force, deception and domination. It seems like an overwhelming situation that nobody can stand against, but those who follow the lamb wherever He goes come out conquerors (Revelation 14:4). These worship visions also remind believers that despite overwhelming plagues, they can overcome them because the God of Jesus remains the true God and the one worthy of their trust.

Reflection on Personal Performance in Business Strategy Game

Reflection on Personal Performance in Business Strategy Game Business strategy games involving management process before confirming the decision to be made. Lesson learned taken from the business game, from the process and the content from the case (industry and situation condition of the business). Management Process Planning was the first process taken. Reading and understanding the relevant information was necessary and plays a significant role in planning process. Expectation was established in the planning, and followed stepping process until all aspects have been determined, including all distinctiveness in production (capacity, model, etc.), transportation (shipping), labor, etc. Planning is critical, and it was indicated in the business strategy games, in which it required quite some time to achieve an agreement. Time was also a factor should be considered, and it drove the discussion on the planning to obtain the agreement. Organizing was also needed in the game to obtain optimal process. One opinion was listened and it organized the discussion and the direction of the process toward certain strategy. Other opinion was taking in to consideration, whether support or as devil advocacy to the strategy. The process also managed by organizing the flow of discussion to center on the strategy with already decided to be focused on. One person plays role as organizer at one time became a source person or follower in the other time. This approach of organizing made the progress of the discussion in the one focal point that describes the strategy taken which leads to the decision. When a member played the role as organizer, then the member did directing the process and content according to the chosen strategy, and also can happened that the strategy can be changed according to the expected result and considering assumption of strategy of the competitors. Some times in the process, one or more member can have their drive going down. In this situation other member did motivated the team to keep up the winning spirit. Controlling was also involved in the process, by focus on one thing and sacrifices in other thing, align with the strategy. These four processes of management were implemented i n the process of gaining the final decision and in determining the content to be made (such as production/manufacturing, shipping, labor, price, etc.), in which the final decision was made by consensus. The experience in the game gives the learning point in practicing of implementing management process, planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. Within a given time, group should be able to do planning (including crafting the strategy, and establish the goal), organizing the process (including agreed on the road map of the process, listening and expressing opinion, and adjusting to the characteristics of the group), directing (including do and accept direction, motivating others, make or initiate decision), and controlling (to be aligned with strategy). Management Functions Strategy plays a critical role in the process, and aim to make the company have differentiation that creates competitive edge compare with the competitors. Decisions are determined align with the chosen strategy. Strategy such as increasing market share and or increasing price to obtain more profit, and or have a low cost production by moving the manufacturing to the low cost location, and or lowering the labor cost, and or increasing the quality of the product, etc., were became the issues discussed during the process. Any decision made in the process should be linked to the strategy and eventually to the expected result (goal). Marketing management initiatives plays important role in the process. Attention was put in the advertising or promotion program. The decision on the initiatives was made in relation with other initiatives, and initiative should be congruence to be able to reach expected impact. Operations management was also applied, in order to have efficient and low cost production, to be able to lower the price, or put emphasizing in better quality of product and therefore adjust the price to a higher number. Having different locations of manufacturing was also part of consideration in operation management, including the days needed for shipping, and inventory level. Financial management was critical. At the end of the day, the success of the strategy, whether the plan was achieved of not, was determined by facts and figures which was analyzed and interpreted in terms of financial. The situation or condition of the company was considering of profitable, safe or potentially bankrupt, and whether the strategy was effective or not was determined from numbers including financial ratios. Production plan and realization, exchange rate, labor cost, product sold or unsold, inventory level, price, etc. were contributed to the financial condition, and will be analyzed further for determining next strategy (for next run). Human Resource was also had major role in the decision process. Number of labor involved, salary and incentives, were several factors considered in human resource function. During the discussion it was also considered incentive factors as the factor that can boost the motivation of the employees, in which can increase the productivity and eventually proportionally can lower the cost. Experience in the business games told that the management functions will be more effective if it was take into consideration in integrated way. The strategy made was comprise of many functions of management, Working in Teams Team work was a factor that can smooth the progress of the practice toward a productive way. At one time one member took the role as leader, and expressed the idea or opinion which regarded as reference that was supported or argued by other members. The leader than guide or direct the process toward obtaining acceptable or best solution. Other member played role as follower, tried to understand point of view of the leader, and gave opinion to enrich the information for having the decision. In one process it can happened that the role of leader was switch from one member to another member, and lead the discussion toward the decision. Working in team in the business games demonstrated by listening to other opinions or ideas and, gave contribution to the group by doing analysis and expressing constructive argument and idea or opinion to the group. In the process of making group decision, group tried to obtain consensus, with all group members support the decision. Experience and Lesson Taken to Working Place In leading unit in the working place, it is important to have clear goals for the unit, which are determined in the process of performance planning that usually take place at the beginning of the year. The goals comprises of organization (unit) objective, and individual objective which should be clear and measurable (refer to SMART Goals principle) and cascaded from top to bottom, means that the goals are aligned from executive or manager position to staff position. Having a clear goals or expectations will make all employees within the unit know exactly what are expected to be achieved and will make the monitoring of performance become more effective, and eventually it will make the evaluation of the achievement more effective. Leader should be able to define the goals, which reflected what the unit wants to be, particularly for the respective year. For the unit, strategy than decided to define what is the best way to achieve the goals or answering how to get there. Leader should be able to determine the strategy, which should consider of having different way of doing rather than just following the same thing. Strategy should have put into consideration opportunities and obstacles that can potentially will be faced along the year. For the unit performance, flow of work, service level agreement, number of employee, training and development program that will have impact to the quality of work, compensation practice, etc. should be considered in order to have effective strategy. Every people in the organization have potential, and leader should put effort to unleash the potential of the individual and support them to perform in their work. Many initiatives of improvement or programs come from the people in the unit that can give positive impact to the unit. Motivation is needed to keep the work spirit not fall to the lower level. Leader should do coaching to ensure people in the unit understand and on track, make sure that people move to the same direction with same strategy. Every function of management can be implemented to achieve optimum result. Managing the operation implemented to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of work. Human resource management will help in ensuring what unit do are align with the business. Financial management can be implement whether in business or support function, for instance to measure Return on Investment of certain initiatives. As member of management team, we should contribute in a positive way by giving opinion and ideas, or doing what has been decided productively. Discussion should be conducted in conducive way, listen what other people say and express opinion to reach to the decision. When decision has been made, member should follow and committed to perform the decision in effectively. Success of the unit is also determined by the competency, performance, and contribution of the members. To have an optimum result, member should be able to look the purpose as unit purpose not individual purpose. This principle can create synergy between members in the team and can contribute more to the performance of the team. The business strategy games provide inspiration that can be applied in the working situation. Having competitors that can affect the result of one group convey the message that in establishing standard, one unit should not look into inside factors, but should also consider outside factors. The capability of the unit can be seen differently and will lead to different goals and strategy. Strategy can be different if the external condition is supportive and indicates opportunity and will be different if the external conditions are not accommodating. Macro and micro analysis can be conducted to have a more comprehensive analysis for obtaining effective and right decision.

Moral Law According To Kant Essay -- Morality Ethics Kant Philosophy E

Moral Law According To Kant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Immanuel Kant was a deontologist from Germany in the eithteenth century. He believed that the only test of whether a decision is right or wrong is whether it could be applied to everyone. Would it be all right for everyone to do what you are doing? If not, your decision is wrong. It would be wrong, for example, to make a promise with the intention of breaking it because if everyone did that, no one would believe anyone's promises. In ethics, Kant tried to show that doing one's duty consisted in following only those principles that one would accept as applying equally to all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant objects most of all to the principle that one's own happiness can be the ground of morality. He rejects this possibility because well-being is not always proportionate to virtuous behavior. By this I mean that one manÕs well being is not always universal to all. Most significantly, Kant renounces happiness as the principle of morality because it obliterates the specific difference between virtue and vices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Universality is the form of a moral law whereby all rational beings are subject to the same condition as the basis of morality. Kant argues that there can be principles for action that do not admit of exceptions, and that this occurs through practical reason. In other words, the possibility for morality does not hinge on the empirical world, but rather is a feature of the nature of the entity that is the ground for morality. Since all rational...

Isobelle Carmody’s “The Gathering” Essay

The book â€Å"The Gathering† by Isobelle Carmody explored the theme of â€Å"Good VS Evil† in such an intricate manner that every aspect of the text, the characters, themes and her own message portrayal, all become involved. This means that the reader can understand the plot of the book, and will be able to clearly read the message being revealed by the three main aspects of it. Other minor things, such as the title of the book itself, contribute to the feelings of the reader, all of which are designed by Carmody to make the book exactly what it is. By using the characters to develop the readers understanding of â€Å"Good VS Evil†, the themes to allow the reader to grasp the message being sent by Carmody and her style of writing, and the purpose of Carmody’s presence in the text itself, â€Å"The Gathering† has proven to be one of the most fascinating book of its kind. The characters in the book â€Å"The Gathering† help us to grasp the message which is being sent by the author, that is, â€Å"Good VS Evil†. Nathanial (Nat) Delaney, who stars in the novel as the main character, depicts the image of the good character. One who has found his place, and has managed to establish himself as a crucial role in the development of his own life, and that of those around him. In the fight against the current Kraken, Nathanial, as a character in the text, has helped the reader understand who the people around him are fighting for, whether it is good or evil. His relation to the book outside the Chain would be very minimal, as most of the text’s relation to him is connected in some manner. His study on Anna Galway as a veteran of Cheshunt exposed the truth about her past, that is, that she was part of a previous Chain, one which failed to do its job. Carmody uses these â€Å"two separate† issues in Nathanial’s life to create a feeling of hope and understanding, but also confusion, as to why that Chain had failed. The characters around Nathanial, although star a very important role in the progression of the story, are not focused on in the same way as that of Nathanial, and therefore are only know through the Chain. They, being Nissa, Indian, Nathanial, Danny and Seth, all relate to the â€Å"Good† side of the story, and the true meaning of being â€Å"Good† is developed in a very intriguing way by Carmody. The use of making these main characters â€Å"Good† rather than â€Å"Evil† creates a connection between the reader and the text. When this connection is made, through a series of hardships and moments  which make the reader realize just what role they are playing in the plot, the reader then begins to feel the same things as are being described by Carmody, the emotions, the desire for everything to turn for the better. The â€Å"Evil† side of the book â€Å"The Gathering† is also shone through the characters, particularly those fighting against what the reader and the Chain desire. While there is â€Å"Evil† present in a physical way through characters like Mr. Karle and Buddha, â€Å"Then the Kraken stepped forward and slapped her across the face. A trickle of dark blood ran from the corner of her mouth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  , â€Å"The match landed on his tail and flames swept forward up over him.† , there is still an ever strong emotional, physiological evil. For example, when the final fight between â€Å"Good† and â€Å"Evil† was set up at the abattoir, Mr. Karle uses his advantage of knowing each of the members of the Chain’s mental weakness. By picking at their weaknesses, the reader feels the sympathy and sorrow felt amongst the characters. â€Å"(Nissa) No one could ever love such a creature except out of pity† , â€Å"(Indian) you would recognize the signs of concussive brain damage.† , â€Å"†¦ (Nathanial) her only begotten son is going the way of the father. So terribly sad. So ironic.† , â€Å"(Danny) I think you truly must have damaged your brain in that field. The dogs must have bitten into it† . This makes the reader fully understand how the â€Å"Good VS Evil† is present within the text, as they are fully taken in to the emotions of their own understanding as to what is being done by the Evil. The themes in the book â€Å"The Gathering†, namely love, friendship, suspense, and believability, allow the reader to grasp the concept of â€Å"Good VS Evil†. The theme of love is explored and expressed through the characters of Nathanial and Nissa. Nathanial, throughout the text, has started to develop a fond affection toward Nissa. Although Nathanial initially regarded her as â€Å"†¦a girl up the far side with odd spiky red hair sticking up in all directions.† ,as the story progressed, the Chain was re-created, and issue arose which (to lay to rest) depended on the support and encouragement of one another, Nathanial fell more and more in love with Nissa. This ploy by Isobelle Carmody is an attempt to create a relationship between both them as a couple, and the reader with them as a couple. The reader then feels more for the success of the side in which this couple is committed to. This  connection between reader and characters is then played on by Car mody as they face struggles, and almost an absolute failure as the Chain. Another theme in the text is friendship. This ever strong theme is present throughout the whole book, one which supports the structure and plot of the text. The friendship and trust which is needed to create and hold the Chain was immense, and was evident throughout; â€Å"†You’re not one of us† Nissa was saying to Seth.† â€Å"†Nissa, we’re the Chain,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"†The five of us make up the chain and he’s trying to break Seth away from us!†Ã¢â‚¬  . This shows that through hardship and times of struggle, friendship will bond one another together, and will prevail. Though not as clichà © as love, suspense plays the most important role in the story. Carmody uses suspense throughout the story, specifically when the text is nearing a rise in tension, a chapter conclusion, or a climax. This is so that when the reader has reached any of these points in the text, they do not want to put it down because there is a hook, te lling the reader that more information will be revealed, or leaving them on a â€Å"cliff-hanger†. Suspense is also used in the description of important scenes in the plotline. To do this, Carmody would, momentarily, leave the dialogue to give a description of the surroundings, or such, so that the reader can grasp the importance, or the feeling trying to be sent by her. â€Å"It was a grim joke, considering why I had come. She hummed to herself as she emptied the blackberries into a double boiler.† This shows us how something so irrelevant, as blackberries, can give an effect, and the effect in said situation was the fact that she was just an old woman, a genuine person. The last, but as important as all other themes, is believability. Carmody uses the technique of believability to connect the reader to the text, so that we feel what the characters are feeling, and we feel for them. She does this by making the reader understand the position they are in, and how each character depends on one another. Also, by influencing the reader to love the â€Å"Good† characters of the text, there is then a vile hatred for that that is evil, as with the characters. The contrast is then able to become more evident, between â€Å"Good VS Evil†. Throughout the book â€Å"The Gathering† by Isobelle Carmody has proven to explore the theme â€Å"Good VS Evil† in a very detailed manner, that is, by using things like the themes, characters, and Carmody’s own message, which seeps into the  text all through the story. This is the message of â€Å"Good VS Evil†, it is the message of the superior themes within the story, which help dictate everything from emotion to decisions. The text â€Å"The Gathering† by Isobelle Carmody has, in no doubt, managed to explore and enlighten the reader of the theme, â€Å"Good VS Evil†.

Lululemon Business Strategy Essay

Lululemon was founded by Chip Wilson who took a commercial yoga class in Vancouver and was immediately drawn in to the concept. After spending many years in the surf, skate, and snowboarding business, he found yoga was performed using cotton clothing and this seemed inappropriate because it neither removed sweat adequately nor did it allow for maximum flexibility. Given his passion and expertise in technical athletic fabrics, he began a movement in yoga clothing where he relied on feedback from yoga instructors to optimize his apparel. Lululemon was founded in 1998 to meet these goals. It opened its first store in November 2000 in Kitsilano, a beach area of Vancouver BC. Beyond getting feedback from instructors on how to improve the performance of the apparel, the firm sought to act as a community hub where people can interact and share the physical and mental aspects of having a healthy lifestyle. 1. What are the key elements of the strategy that Lululemon is pursuing? What generic strategy best fits Lululemon’s strategy? The five key elements are: Grow the company store base in North America The strategic objective was to add new stores to strengthen the company’s presence and then tap into new geographical markets in the Canada and US Increase brand awareness Leveraging the publicity surrounding, the opening of new stores with grass roots marketing programs. This included organizing events and partnering with local fitness coaches. Introduce new product technologies Continue to focus on developing and offering products that incorporate technology enhanced fabrics, and performance features that differentiate Lululemon for its competitor and increase its customer base. Broaden the appeal of Lululemon products This is divided in 3 sections 1. Adding men apparel to the line 2. Expanding to product category to items such as athletic bags, undergarments, sandals, outerwear 3. Adding products suitable additional sports and athletic activities Expand beyond North America Expand their presence in Australia and Japan. Then eventually pursue the Asian and European markets that offer similar, attractive demographics. Distinctive shopping expericance Provide a distinctive in-store shopping experience, complemented by strong ties to fitness instructors, fitness establishments and community events The two biggest strategic adjustments since 2007 had been to drawback from the use of franchising and sell directly to the consumers through the company website. Lululemon fits itself in a differentiated niche strategy 2. Is Lululemon’s strategy effective? Let’s look at the following to determine if the strategy is effective for Lululemon The firm currently has three segments: Corporate-Owned Stores The corporate-owned stores segment includes all sales to customers through corporate-owned stores in North America and Australia. This segment is by far Lululemon’s largest revenue base and will continue to be successful as Lululemon looks to expand its base in 2012 by opening 30 stores in the United States and 2 Ivivva Athletica stores in Canada. Direct To Consumers The Direct to Consumers segment involves Lululemon’s e-commerce website. Which is 10.6 % of revenue (2011) comes from this segment. The idea behind is to shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online channels, Lululemon’s commitment to increasing its presence in e-commerce will help the company expand its customer base and improve brand awareness. Franchise While previously franchise sales were part of their strategy, the company  reported that it will no longer partake in the business and that it had reacquired its four remaining franchise stores during fiscal 2011. SWOT Analysis Strength Trademarked fabrics Community involvement – offered free yoga class on monthly basis Employee training Innovation Style/comfort Multiple green initiatives Quality – products designed to sustain 5 years of intended use while maintaining functional Brand identity Weakness High retail price Narrow product line Quality control/supply chain Marketing targeted to mostly yoga instructors/studios Loss of customer service with increased scale Weak brand recognition Lack of targeting to men Opportunity Expand product line Serve additional market segments Expand into additional geographic markets Increased demand in athletic apparel Fitness craze Threats Increased competition from current large players in the market Copy cats Economy New entrants Risk of banking on niche markets Lululemon only went public five years ago and have not entered any new industries (focusing mostly in the fitness apparel industry). They have done some corporate restructuring shortly after the company was formed, Lululemon  entered into franchise agreements and then a joint venture. The idea behind this was based on growing the brand to meet consumer demand while conserving financial resources. This was a very effective strategy and served Lululemon well in establishing themselves as a multinational company, helping to build on economies of scope, increasing brand awareness and building a larger customer base. In 2011, Lululemon finally repurchased all the franchise organizations and now all of their stores are corporate owned. The ultimate motive for closing out the franchise business was to preserve and maintain control over branding and focus more on e-commerce. We believe this strategy will work well for Lululemon as it preserves its brand image / competitive advantage and st aying competitive in the online market as well. 3. Top Key Issues facing the company needs to focus on are: The analysis shows us that the retail apparel industry is competitive with very low barriers to entry. Lululemon’s success will attract new competitors to the industry and attract interest from existing competitors. Ultimately, this is a competitive industry with limited barriers to entry. The athletic apparel industry is very competitive, with well capitalized rivals such as Nike and Gap, Inc. Lululemon has limited intellectual property in regards to its performance fabrics and manufacturing processes, therefore the quality and innovation components of strategy could easily be replicated. Lululemon’s self reinforcing activities, such as target customer base, tailored products and community based marketing approach make it very challenging for existing retailers to challenge Lululemon in its market from their own store bases. However, there are limited barriers to entry in this industry and Lululemon should expect new competition to try to copy its format This analysis brings us to issues the company is / could face: Increasing Competition Despite occupying a unique niche within the athletic apparel industry, Lululemon has recently gained competitors in recent years. I.e. Big  companies with large market capitals such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor have dominated the athletic apparel industry and keep gaining more ground. With the exception of a commitment to creating innovative products in apparel, these initiatives are in contrast to Lululemon. In order to market its products, Lululemon completely shuns away from print or media advertising and instead focuses on selecting ambassadors within carefully selected markets. As a result, it’s possible for Lululemon’s competitors to achieve and maintain brand awareness and market share more quickly Narrow focus Lululemon is targeted towards sophisticated and educated women who understand importance of active, healthy lifestyle. Under-Armor, Nike, and Adidas are targeted towards men and women of all ages. New Threats Apart from the big name athletic apparel manufacturers, competitors such as Gap’s Athleta brand, Lucy Activewear Inc. and Bebe Stores’ BEBE SPORT collection have emerged as competitors to Lululemon. Price Point and Manufacturing In light of the new and old competitors, Lululemon could be forced to sell their products at lower price thus reducing margins. Plus Lululemon does not own exclusive intellectual property rights to the technology for its products. This makes it easier for current and future competitors to manufacture and sell products with similar performance capabilities and styling. Cross-country differences in demographic, cultural and market conditions. Buyer tastes for a particular product or service sometimes differ substantially from country to country. Sometimes, product designs suitable in one country are inappropriate in another because of differing local standards. Lululemon is operating in an international marketplace and they have to wrestle with whether and how much to customize their products in each different country market to match the tastes and preferences of local buyers or whether to pursue a strategy of offering a mostly standardized product worldwide. For example, the clothing for women offered in the winter  season will be different from Canada to Australia and vise versa. Firstly, Australia gets hardly any snow and while Canada on the other hand, gets majorly hit every winter. Therefore, the running gear and the hoodies offered in both countries will vary because of the temperature and the climate. Making products that are closely matched to local tastes make them more appealing to local buyers, customizing Lululemon’s products country by country may have the effect of raising production and distribution costs due to the greater variety of designs and components, shorter production runs, and the complications of added inventory branding and distribution logistics. The second issue of transnational strategy incorporates elements of both a globalized and localized approach to strategy making. This type of middle ground strategy is called for when there are relatively high needs for local responsiveness as well as appreciable benefits to be realized from standardization. This strategy that Lululemon is trying to apply has its own disadvantages, such as; it is more complex and harder to implement, conflicting goals may be difficult to reconcile and require trade-offs and implementation more costly and time-consuming. All major global companies employ the franchising strategy. With the franchising strategy, the franchisee bears most of the costs and risks of establishing foreign locations; while Lululemon would have to expend only the resources to recruit, train, support, and monitor franchisees. The big problem that Lululemon is facing currently has to bear all costs of stores all around the world. With this, they would have to ensure that they are providing the products at discounted costs but also having to monitor to ensure that their standard for stores and customer service and experience is maintained. 4. Recommendations for management to improve performance / address key issues The recommendations we have for management is to improve performance and address the key issues, are employing a think global and act local strategy (Transnational). They need to ensure that each country does have the required customizations because the demographics, cultural differences and market conditions vary from country to country. They need to ensure that all their locations follow the same guidelines and customer satisfaction guidelines like they have for their primary locations. Price point and Manufacturing Lululemon does not own any intellectual property to the technology of what processes their products. In turn this makes it easy for competitors to imitate their style. Through analysis, a recommendation to solve this issue would be to patent their processing system. This would be beneficial to the company in such ways as; increasing price points, which in turn increases overall profits. It will also allow for a higher competitive advantage, making it difficult for competing company’s to imitate or copy their style. Sponsor Events and Shows Lululemon should sponsor some sort of events to gain publicity and increase brand awareness. Such can be done by organizing yoga events on a grand scale or some sort of sporting event. Not as high scale as done by its competitors (Nike sponsors the PGA Golf and Adidas sponsors FIFA) E.g. Lululemon could organize a yoga event at the Metro Convention Hall, Toronto Expand in Asia and Europe The company should plan to enhance its European and Asia market, recruiting new management talent and initiating an aggressive program to regionalize this business utilizing a consistent brand image throughout Europe and Asia. New Customers Lululemon should find new customers base other than its niche market. A potential target niche would be adding apparel for golf and tennis into its stores. Action Plan to address issues and improve performance The following action plan is the recommended steps we believe would be the appropriate approach to successfully completing these recommendations. Appendix 1 Value Chain Analysis Supply Chain Management 45 different manufacturers, no long-term contracts – can improve quality control and lower costs by decreasing # and agreeing to contracts Operations Tighten inspection and verification processes to ensure another recall does not occur (see-through pants issue) Distribution Facilities only in Vancouver-BC, Sumner, Washington, and Melbourne, Australia Limits Company’s reach Growth in online sales can offset Sales/Marketing Depend on word of mouth and community based marketing – can increase marketing via media (television, magazines, etc.) and other avenues