Organic certification Essay Example for Free

Organic certification Essay Marketplace Characteristics of U. S. Organic Sector The U. S. organic food industry crossed a threshold in 2000: for the first time, more organic food was purchased in conventional supermarkets than in any other venue. Industry estimates suggest that nearly half of the $7. 8 billion spent on organic food in 2000 was purchased in conventional retail outlets. Organic products are now available in nearly 20,000 natural foods stores (Natural Foods Merchandiser), and are sold in 73 percent of all conventional grocery stores (Food Marketing Institute). Growing consumer demand for organic products has been manifested in the market in many ways. Acreage of certified organic farmland is increasing to meet growing consumer demand. According to the most recent USDA estimates, U. S. certified organic cropland doubled between 1992 and 1997, to 1. 3 million acres. Preliminary estimates for 2001 suggest that certified organic acreage significantly increased between 1997 and 2001. From the consumer side, new products are being introduced rapidly. For example, over 800 new organic products were introduced in the first half of 2000. Desserts made up the majority of new products in 2000, while most new products introduced in 1999 were beverages (Myersand Rorie). The new U. S. Department of Agriculture standards for organic food, slated to be fully implemented by October 2002, are expected to facilitate further growth in the organic foods industry. The USDA standard defines organic production as â€Å"A production system that is managed in accordance with the [Organic Foods Production] Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. † 1 The national organic standards address the methods, practices, and substances used in producing and handling crops, livestock, and processed agricultural products (see box). All agricultural products that are sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be in compliance with the regulations after October 2002. Organic food is sold to consumers through three main venues in the United States—natural foods stores, conventional grocery stores, and direct-to-consumer markets—and a small amount is exported to foreign markets. USDA does not have national statistics on organic retail sales. Industry sources have reported retail sales for organic food, but those data are fragmentary and, at times, inconsistent. A trade publication, the Natural Foods Merchandiser (NFM) reported estimates of total U. S. retail sales of organic foods for 1990 through 1996. NFM estimated total organic sales through all marketing outlets rose steadily from about $1 billion in 1990 to $3. 3 billion in 1996, the last year that total sales were reported. Since 1999, Packaged Facts, a market research firm, has been reporting organic food sales. According to Packaged Facts, organic food sales in all venues totaled $6. 5 billion in 1999 and $7. 8 billion in 2000. This increase continues the streak of industry growth equal to 20 percent or more annually since 1990. Purveyors of natural products were the primary sales force for organic food since the beginning of the organic food movement over half a century ago. Until 2000, the largest retail outlet for organic food was natural foods stores followed by direct markets (such as farmers markets), according to NFM data (fig. 1). In 2000, 49 percent of all organic products was sold in conventional supermarkets, 48 percent was sold in health and natural products stores, and 3 percent through direct-to-consumer methods (Packaged Facts). In contrast, in 1991, 7 percent of all organic products were sold in conventional supermarkets and 68 percent were sold in health and natural products stores (NFM). Fresh produce remains the top-selling organic category (see fig. 2), followed by nondairy beverages, breads and grains, packaged foods (frozen and dried prepared foods, baby food, soups, and desserts), and dairy products. During the 1990s, organic dairy was the most rapidly growing segment, with sales up over 500 percent between 1994 and 1999. Sales of organic yogurt and kefir increased 56. 4 percent between 1999 and 2000. Following closely, sales of nondairy beverages (for example, juice and soymilk) increased 53. 1 percent and sales of fresh produce grew by 51. 4 percent between 1999 and 2000, according to industry sources. Overall, according to Packaged Facts, organic sales in natural product supermarkets and conventional stores increased by 20 percent between 1999 and 2000. Organic farmers market their food directly to consumers much more frequently than conventional farmers do, and the last decade has seen a renaissance in the use of farmers markets across the country. Producers capture a much higher share of the consumer food dollar when they market their produce directly to consumers. Several surveys of certified organic producers show similar findings on theirheavy use of direct -to-consumer marketing. A 1997 survey of certified organic producers in the United States conducted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF)—a California nonprofit group that sponsors research on organic farming—found that direct market use is extensive and varies by commodity sector, with fruits and vegetables the highest. Organic producers reported selling produce from about 23 percent of their vegetable acreage directly to consumers through on-farm sales (9 percent), farmers markets (8 percent), â€Å"community supported agriculture† subscriptions (4 percent), and other types of direct-toconsumer markets (2 percent). Also, produce from about 20 percent of the organic fruit and vegetable acreage was marketed directly to grocery retailers and restaurants. A 1994 USDA survey of certified organic vegetable producers in the United States found that the use of direct-toconsumer markets varied with farm size, with 60 percent of the growers with under 10 acres (three-quarters of the respondents) using this channel compared with 12 percent with 10 acres or more (Fernandez-Cornejo et al. ). Smaller growers tended to market directly to grocery retailers (11 percent versus 6 percent for larger growers) and through grower cooperatives (10 percent versus 3 percent for larger growers), while the larger growers marketed more heavily to vegetable packer/shippers, brokers, and food processors. Organically grown food is widely available in farmers markets across the United States, and organic-only farmers markets have been organized in Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, and other States. The renaissance in farmers markets in the United States during the 1990s—fostered by State and local municipalities wanting to revitalize neighborhoods and preserve regional farmland and open space— has been a boon to organic farmers who use this marketing outlet much more heavily than conventional farmers do. States are also producing directories of farm stands and pick-your-own farms, including organic directories, and developing logos like â€Å"Jersey Fresh† to promote locally grown food. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is an innovative direct marketing arrangement that organic farmers have been pioneering in the United States for about a decade. Consumers subscribe to the harvest of a CSA farmer for the entire upcoming season, and pay for their produce in advance. Under a CSA arrangement, consumers share the production risks and variable harvests of the farmer— including especially abundant harvests—and sometimes participate in festivals and other social activities at the farm. Over 800 CSAs are currently listed in the U. S. database maintained by USDA and the Robyn Van En Center at Wilson College. Most of the CSA farms use organic production systems. Production Characteristics of U. S. Organic Sector A growing body of research in the United States has been devoted to the economics of organic production systems— its yields, input costs, income, profitability, and other economic characteristics. A 1990 review of the U. S. literature concluded that the â€Å"variation within organic and conventional farming systems is likely as large as the differences between the two systems† and found mixed results in the comparisons for most characteristics (Knoblauch, Brown, and Braster, 1990). Several more recent U. S. studies have indicated that organic price premiums are key in giving organic farming systems comparable or higher whole-farm profits than conventional chemical- intensive systems, particularly for crops like processed tomatoes and cotton (Klonsky and Livingston, 1994; Batte, Forster, and Hitzhusen, 1993; Assadian, Esparza, and Ponce, 1999). Other studies have found that organic systems may be more profitable than conventional systems, even without price premiums. For example, some Midwestern organic grain and soybean production was found to be more profitable than conventional systems, even without price premiums, due to higher yields in drier areas or periods, lower input costs, or crop mix (Welsh, 1999). Also, a recent study comparing organic and conventional apple production in California’s Central Coast showed higher yields as well as higher returns under the organic systems (Swezey et al. , 1994). And another recent study compared organic, conventional, and integrated apple production systems in Washington State over a 6-year period, and found that the organic system was more profitable, had similar yields, better tasting fruit, and was more environmentally sustainable and energy efficient than the other systems (Reganold et al. ). We are not aware of recently published research that finds farming with organic methods is less profitable than farming with conventional methods. Of course, net returns to various production systems may vary with biophysical and economic factors (such as soil type, climate, and proximity to markets), and a system that is optimal in one location may not be optimal in another. Also, factors not captured in standard profit calculations, such as convenience, longer-term planning horizons, and environmental ethics, can motivate rational adoption of a particular practice or farming system. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the factors influencing net returns to organic farming systems. The promising results from the limited number of economic studies to date have led to an increase in research on organic farming systems. USDA, universities, and other U. S. institutions are increasingly examining the long-term economics of organic farming systems through replicated field trial research and a multidisciplinary systems approach. Most of these projects are less than a decade old, and promise to answer basic research questions about yields and profitability as well as to address farmer-defined management and production obstacles to the more widespread adoption of organic production systems. Farmers in 49 States used organic production methods and third-party organic certification services on 1. 35 million acres of farmland in 1997, according to an Economic Research Service (ERS) study. Crops were grown on about two-thirds of the certified U. S. organic farmland, and the rest was pasture. The ERS study analyzed data from 40 State and private certifiers (see box, p. 8, on organic standards and certification). Uncertified acreage was excluded, even though it may represent a large segment of organic production, because of the difficulty in determining the production criteria used by uncertified growers. ERS reports statistics on certified organic U. S. acreage in the Organic Farming and Marketing Briefing Room (www. ers. usda. gov/ briefing/organic). Organic farming has made deeper inroads in the fruit, vegetable, and other high-value specialty crop industries than in the major grain and oilseed industries. While less than two-tenths of 1 percent of the U. S.corn, soybean, and wheat crops were grown organically in 1997, over 1 percent of the dry peas and tomato crops and about 2 percent of the apple, grape, lettuce and carrot crops were organic. And nearly a third of the U. S. herb and â€Å"mixed vegetable† crops were grown organically in 1997. (A â€Å"mixed vegetable† crop is a mixture of numerous horticultural crops (mostly vegetables) grown on a small farm or parcel. ) The markets for organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs have been developing for decades in the United States, and these crops are grown organically in more States than any other type of commodity. State and private certifying groups certified over 180,000 acres of these crops in 44 States in 1997, more than double the amount certified in 1994, with the biggest gains for cultivated and wild-harvested herbs such as St. John’s Wort. About 2 percent of the major fruit and vegetable crops—apples, carrots, lettuce, and grapes—were grown organically, and a third of the organic vegetable acreage was devoted to producing â€Å"mixed vegetables† in 1997. Mixed vegetable farms, as defined in the census of agriculture, are small farms—less than 50 acres—that produce a large number of vegetables. Large farms produce processing tomatoes, organic wine grapes, and other high-value crops on a commercial scale, while numerous small farms still specialize in mixed vegetable production for direct marketing to consumers and restaurants. The top producer of organic fruits and vegetables was California, followed by Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Washington. About a third of the total certified organic vegetable acreage in 1997 was for mixed vegetables. In 1997, U. S. farmers certified nearly 3,000 acres of organic mixed vegetables on farms or parcels that were 5 acres or less, and over 14,000 acres on farms and parcels over 5 acres. New York organic producers had over 1,400 acres in the 5-acres-or-less category. Mixed vegetable producers often target farmers markets, community-supported agriculture subscriptions, restaurants, and other direct marketing outlets. Organic farmers are also growing major grains and oilseeds on a small portion of the planted area in the United States. Wheat was produced under certified organic farming systems on over 125,000 acres in 1997, corn was grown on over 42,000 acres, and soybeans were produced on about 82,000 acres. Other field crops produced organically in 1997 include barley, oats, sorghum, rice, spelt, millet, buckwheat, rye, dry peas, lentils, dry beans, flax, and sunflowers. Organic acreage of these crops, especially soybeans, has undoubtedly increased since 1997. Thirty-nine States had certified organic hay and silage production, with most acreage in Idaho, Wisconsin, and New York. Acreage of these crops expanded 51 percent between 1995 and 1997 as the number of certified organic milk cows more than doubled during that period. Organic meat and poultry markets have lagged behind those for crops partly because meat and poultry could not be labeled as organic until February 1999, when a provisional label was approved by USDA. Food crops and non-meat animal foods (eggs and dairy products) are regulated by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, which allowed food packages to carry an organic label throughout the 1990s. 2 While the number of certified organic beef cows, hogs, sheep, and lambs declined during the study period (1992-97), the number of dairy cows and layer hens increased sharply. The market for organic meat products is beginning to grow now that organic labeling is permitted, and the growing market for organic milk and eggs has been pushing up the use of certified organic pasture and the demand for certified organic grains and oilseeds. Farmers and ranchers raised a small number of certified organic cows, hogs, and sheep in 23 States in 1997. Dairy cows were raised organically in 13 States in 1997, and New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were the top three producers. The number of certified organic milk cows in the United States nearly tripled between 1992 and 1994 and more than doubled between 1994 and 1997. California was the leader in organic poultry production, followed by New York and Virginia. Other organic animal specialties, including goats, fish, and colonies of bees, were certified in several States. Consumption Characteristics of the U. S. Organic Sector A number of academic and industry studies have been conducted to examine consumer behavior and identify their motivation for purchasing organic foods. Many of the industry studies use consumer surveys, which seek to identify how often consumers purchase organic food, their motivations for purchasing organic food, and demographic data on organic food purchasers. University studies have adopted different approaches to assess consumer buying behavior and to identify which characteristics (for example, income, food quality, educational level, concern for the environment, or family size) affect whether consumers will purchase organic food. Several industry groups have surveyed consumers about their preferences and buying habits for organic food. The results of the different surveys are not always consistent. The Nutrition Business Journal reported that 11 percent of consumers purchased some organic food in 2000, and less than 2 percent are regular purchasers. Results of the Hartman Group’s 2000 survey suggest that 3 percent of consumers regularly buy organic products. The Walnut Acres Survey (2001) found that 63 percent of respondents purchased organic food at least sometimes, and 57 percent of the purchasers had been doing so for at least 3 years. The Food Marketing Institute’s survey (2001) found that 66 percent of surveyed shoppers bought organically grown foods. In 2001, the Food Marketing Institute’s survey indicated that 37 percent of shoppers said they purchased organically grown food to maintain their health; and 44 percent of these shoppers had purchased organic food in the past 6 months. Consumers surveyed by the Hartman Group (2000) gave the following reasons for purchasing organic food: health and nutrition (66 percent), taste (38 percent), environment (26 percent), and availability (16 percent). 3 The Fresh Trends (2001) survey revealed that 12 percent of the shoppers surveyed reported that whether a product is organic is a primary factor in their purchasing decision. Sixty-three percent of the respondents of the Walnut Acres Survey believed that organic food and beverages were better for them and were more healthful than their conventional counterparts. Fresh Trends (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002) found little difference between the purchasing habits of men and women. Over the years, Fresh Trends found that, of the shoppers that had purchased organic produce in the previous 6 months, more purchased vegetables than fruit (according to the 1996 survey, 24 percent purchased fruit and 84 percent purchased vegetables; according to the 2000 survey, 35 percent purchased vegetables). Apples and tomatoes led the list of fruit and vegetables purchased by the shoppers surveyed by Fresh Trends. According to the Hartman Survey (2000), the top 10 organic products purchased were strawberries, lettuce, carrots, other fresh fruit, broccoli, apples, other fresh vegetables, grapes, bananas, and potatoes. The Hartman survey also suggested that fruits and vegetables were â€Å"gateway categories† (typically the first organic products purchased by consumers). The Walnut Acres Survey (2002) indicated that 68 percent of consumers revealed that price is the main reason they did not purchase organic food. Academic researchers have taken a slightly different tack in studying organic consumers by complementing surveys with statistical analysis to depict the typical consumer. Some studies reveal conflicting results, most likely because of the different methodological approaches. Consumers considered the following factors important when purchasing fresh produce: price, size and packaging, whether the item is on sale, and whether the item is organic (Estes and Smith). Age, gender, and having a college degree had little impact on a shopper’s decision to buy organic produce (Thompson and Kidwell). Consumers with higher incomes and higher levels of education are willing to pay more for organic potatoes (Loureiro and Hine), while consumers with advanced degrees are less likely to buy organic produce (Thompson and Kidwell). Appearance of fresh produce mattered, and the larger the number of cosmetic defects, the less likely would an organic product be purchased (Estes and Smith, Thompson and Kidwell). One picture of the typical organic shopper is a younger household in which females do the shopping; smaller and higher income households are the most likely purchasers of organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia) and organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Households knowledgeable about alternative agriculture are more likely to purchase organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia) and those concerned about the environment are more likely to purchase organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Those concerned about food safety are more likely to buy organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia) and organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Those who enjoy trying new products are more likely to purchase organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia). Households with children under 18 are more likely to purchase organic produce (Thompson and Kidwell) and organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Consumers with children are willing to pay less for organic potatoes (Loureiro and Hine) and more likely than other households to purchase organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Strategies to increase purchases of organic food include shelf-labeling, which had a mixed effect on sales in an upscale grocery store but a significantly positive effect on sales of dairy products, pasta, bread, cereal, and carrots in a discount retailer in the Minneapolis and St. Paul markets (Reicks, Splett, and Fishman). The recent addition of organic food sales to scanner data, by AC Neilson and Information Resources, Inc. , has made possible econometric studies of consumer demand for organic food. Frozen organic vegetables, organic milk, and organic baby food all exhibited high price elasticity of demand, meaning that the quantity purchased responds greatly to price changes (that is, quantity purchased increases by more than 1 percent when prices fall by 1 percent) (Glaser and Thompson, 1999, 2000; Thompson and Glaser, 2001). For some frozen vegetables, there was little crossover between purchases of organic and conventional products, so that changes in prices of either commodity had no significant impact on quantities purchased (Glaser and Thompson 1999). For other products (milk and baby food), the conventional and organic products are substitutes, so that increases in the price of the conventional product result in consumers’ purchasing a greater quantity of the organic products (Glaser and Thompson, 2000; Thompson and Glaser, 2001). The Marketing Chain: From Farm to Market Food passes through many hands as it moves from farm to consumer. Some foods are fresh when delivered (apples and eggs) while others are processed before delivery (pasta and bread). Regardless of whether they are fresh or processed, higher quality products and products with unique attributes (such as organic foods) generally have a higher selling price. As a result, farmers have a strong incentive to produce and sell commodities with quality and other price-enhancing attributes intact. Yet, since most foods pass through a number of intermediaries as they move from the farm to the consumer, maintaining premium product integrity along the marketing chain can sometimes be a challenge. To do so, each agent along the marketing chain must begin by moving the product to the next agent quickly. Farmers need to sell their perishable commodities immediately after harvesting, while distributors, brokers, and wholesalers need to get fresh products to retailers as quickly as possible. Retailers want to be able to purchase a consistent and large enough supply of a wide variety of uniform quality fresh food. Consumers want to be able to buy a wide variety of fresh food that is both high quality and low priced. Organic food consumers, in particular, want to feel confident that they are buying food that not only was grown organically, but also has kept its organic integrity at each stage in its journey to the market. Each commodity, depending in large part on whether it is fresh or processed, follows an individualized path from farm to market. Because fresh foods rapidly deteriorate, they must be delivered to the market quickly. The storage and transportation systems along the way must provide the proper temperature and other conditions that help maintain freshness. Processed foods, on the other hand, have a longer shelf life—but the products that go into them must be harvested at the right time, delivered at the right time and satisfy the processor’s quality requirements. In the next sections, we trace the production and marketing chains for the major organic commodities in the United States, noting applicable regulations as well as observed marketing trends.

Googles Competitive Strategy: Analysis

Googles Competitive Strategy: Analysis a) Cost Leadership Strategy-Any organization achieves competitive advantages by able to produce goods or services at a low cost. It lowers the operating costs in order to achieve this strategy. Cost advantage is the main objective of this strategy. Costs are tried to be marginalised in every step of the production of goods or services. But low cost of production of goods or services does not mean that pricing would be low as there can be a high promotional cost for the goods or services. Products can be priced competitively so as to achieve bigger margin than the competitors. b) Differentiation Strategy-Organization adopting this strategy attains competitive advantage through satisfying customer needs. This results in competitive pricing of the differentiated product or services and higher margins for the organization. The organization adapting to the differentiated strategy will incur more cost than before for creating the competitive advantage of the product or service. This cost can be compensated by increase in sales of that particular product or services. c) Focus Differentiation/ Cost Leadership Strategy- Focus strategy is focusing differential or cost leadership strategy on a particular segment of the market. The source of Googles competitive advantage comes from the infrastructure of database Google has created over the years, relevance of search results, cost of executing the search speed of the search, product offering from AD words to social networking site to mobile application platform. Distinctive competency of an organization can be defined as how the company differentiate its product and services from the competitors, how to segment the market, price their products and what is the range of the products available with the company. Google scores over its competitors over relevance of search results, cost of executing the search and the speed of the search. This is the differentiation advantage Google is having over their competitors. Googles competitive advantage comes from the infrastructure they have built over the years. Continuous innovations, ease of use, relevancy in results are some Googles distinctive competencies. Googles ability to connect with the internet users, advertisers, website owners differentiates it from the competitors. Google has technological advantage over its competitors as they use high performance system which can take workload more than the general systems. Because of this capability they have a cost advantage over their competitors. 2) What value does Google create for customers and advertisers? Googles customers are advertisers ranging from a SME to large scale enterprises to the end users like the common man. The sites are ranked according to the key words and the key words have got some price tags. The advertisers put their advertisements of products and services in Google and they pay to the company when someone clicks the advertisements. Googles Ad word is the latest addition to this foray. Google also pay the other companies to display Googles advertisements. Google is continuously reinventing itself to be miles ahead of other companies. So with the addition of millions of internet users every year worldwide internet has became the latest buzzword. Whichever organization wants to be ahead of the competition they have to be present in the cyber space and who else than the search engine giant Google to show the way. The relevance of search results cost of executing the search and the speed of the search and continuous innovations makes Google the ultimate destination for advertisers as well as the end users. Let us take an example of Google Ad words. The benefits advertisers can get are The customer can easily set up the Google Ad word within 30 minutes. Advertisements will be displayed at the right hand side of the website. Customer does not need a website. They can be an affiliate marketer to promote their products. Customer can market any type of product using Ad words. Customer can sell their own products like eBooks, music etc. Customer can test market their product before the original launch. They can specify the budget they want to spend on each day. Advertisements can be country specific, city or town specific. Customer can split test their Advertisements to see which is working and then can put their best Advertisements. Google cannot afford to lose the customers attention and trust. Some years ago average search time was 3 seconds and they have bought it down to .2 seconds and now they are working towards reducing the time further. Also the relevancy of search result has to be maintained to retain the customers if it means losing in revenue for the company. So we can have an idea about the value Google wants to create for the advertisers and the customers. These are the intangible values Google is creating towards their customers. 3) Apply the four building blocks of competitive advantage to Google. Analyse each factor by providing detailed examples from the case. Ans- For any organization efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness are the four building blocks of competitive advantages for their products and services. a) Efficiency- In order to achieve efficiency a company needs to have economics of scale, learning, experience, good marketing, Research and development, optimum use of Human resources and infrastructure. (Jones, 2007) From a mere 10000 search in a day to 75% of search made using it has came a long way. The revolution in hardware technology coupled with innovation it has considerably reduced its unit cost. Googles optimal use of Human resources can be seen as only 650 employees are there in Google worldwide. They claim that their employees are 50 to 100 percent more productive than their competitors. b) Quality-Quality of goods or services can differentiate one organization from the other. Maintaining quality will lower the defects and operating cost increasing the profitability of any organization. (Jones, 2007) Google has maintained the relevancy of search result to retain the customers if it means losing revenue for the company. c) Innovation-Google believes in continuously reinventing itself by innovative products. At the start Google found a way to generate revenue from the corporate by keywords bidding and advertisements. Some years ago average search time was 3 seconds and they have bought it down to .2 seconds and now they are working towards reducing the time further. So Google is continuously trying to innovate and upgrade its technology as well as strategy to be ahead of the competition. d) Customer Responsiveness-Customer responsiveness can be defined as giving products or services to customer at their price what, when, where they want. Google has worked in the same way. It has given its advertisers and end users the ease of search, speed, reliability and deliverability at a cheaper price. As their business is customer centric they do not hesitate to test market a product or services before the actual launch and seeks feedback from the user to improve it. The RD division of Google invites its users to their lab and includes them in the development process of the new products as well as enhancement of the existing one so by seeking their feedback. 4) What business-level strategy is Google pursuing? (Identify the strategy and justify your answer) Ans -According to the Google CEO they never made any strategy but what they have made is what the customer wants. In my opinion they are pursuing cost leadership strategy as well as differentiation strategy. Google has technological advantage over its competitors as they use high performance system which can take workload more than the general systems. Because of this capability they have a cost advantage over their competitors. Google scores over other competitors on the technology advancement.It scores over its competitors over relevance of search results, cost of executing the search and the speed of the search. The value it has already created in the mind of consumer if the product or service is differentiated customer will not be price sensitive. 5) What corporate-level strategy and international strategy has Google implemented? (Identify the relevant strategies and justify your answer). Ans-Corporate level strategy decides which business and which market the organization should look to enter. An organization needs corporate-level strategy to a) penetrate the existing market, b) Wants to enter new market with existing product, c) develops new product for existing market, d)develops new product for the new market. The business options are wether to work in the same business or diversify, wether to cater the home or national market or to go international. Google saw China as a fast growing competitive market. They entered in to an agreement in 2006 and Google is known as google.cn. This was a market development strategy followed by Google. From the year 1999 Google has presence in China but due to censorship issues Google was losing its market to Chinese origin search engine Baidu. From the year 2002 to 2007 Baidus market share went up from 3% to 58%.This promoted the search engine giant to enter in to an agreement with China and to operate its office from China abidin g the laws of censorships. In 2006 there were over 105 millions of online users only in china and that was only 8% of the Chinese populations. So Google sensed the opportunity in that market and entered in to an agreement with them. In the year 2003 Google took over Pyra Labs, a blog company to strengthen the speed and relevance of articles searching in its search engine. In the years Google has acquired YouTube (Video Streaming Company), JotSpot, Gap minders Trendalyzer, Adscape Media, Peak Stream Technologies. Google has enter new market with the existing product, new market with new product as well as tried to penetrate the existing market with new product. It has also diversified form their main business of internet advertisement and has gone to acquire a radio advertising company dMarc.

Plagues And Diseases Essay -- essays research papers fc

Plagues and Diseases Plague. A word that has struck fear in the hearts of man since the earliest of times. It has also lead to some of the greatest historical events and stories of our time. The ancient cities of Rome and Athens, in their downfall, were finished off by pestilence. The Bubonic Plague, also known as The Black Death, devastated Europe in the 14th century, starting a new age. The great warrior Ivan the Terrible was stricken with disease, and driven mad. During the "exploration" of the new world, Cortes's greatest ally against the Aztecs was smallpox. Napoleon's Grand Army was defeated by the Russians, and typhus. Queen Victoria spread hemophilia to her heirs, leading to the illness of the only son of Czar Nicholas, and the fall of monarchy in Russia.1 All the events are horrible in every way, but have struck a chord with people around the world. Perhaps it is our inherent morbid curiosity. So, the question is, if these events happened once, why can't they happen again? Let us take a look at the most horrible, so far, of the plagues: The Black Death. It took Europe by storm from approximately 1345 to 1361. It would also make small comebacks throughout the next 400 years, but never like it did the first time. It also reached into Africa, China, Russia, and the Scandinavian countries. It was truly a worldwide pandemic. But, it has a secondary effect that not many people are aware of. The colonies of Greenland, settled by the Vikings, were stricken by the plague and they soon disappeared. It is known that these colonies kept in contact with "Vinland", which was near New Foundland, in Canada. The Vikings had already discovered North America! But, alas, with these colonies all dead, Greenland was forgotten, and not discovered again until 1585.2 It is estimated that the plague took 24 million lives, about a quarter of the European population. This may seem incredulous to people today, but it happened. During those times, where there were humans, there were black rats. And where there are rats, there are fleas. And where there were fleas, there was the plague. Bubonic plague, and also pneumonic plague, were everywhere. France, Italy, Russia, England, you name it. When a village was infected, people fled, most likely taking the plague with them to the next village.3 One ca... ...n't, but it sure does sound good. I hope to have entertained you through this paper, and given you something to chew on for a few weeks. And I have just one more thought. When people think of the end of the world, they think of a big mushroom cloud destroying everyone in a pillar of light. But, I just don't see that. I see something less spectacular. When the end comes, it won't be with a bang. No one will see it coming. An army of the smallest soldiers will attack us from the inside out. One-billionth of our size, and they'll beat us. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Abel, Ernest L. America's Top 25 Killers. Hillside, N.J.: Enslow Publishers Inc., 1991 2. Archer, Jules. Epidemic! New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich, 1977. 3. Berger, Melvin. Disease Detectives. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1978. 4. Cartwright, Fred F. Disease and History. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1972. 5. Guerrilla Warfare. "Time: Frontiers of Medicine." Vol. 148, No.4, Pg. 58-62. 6. McNeill, William H. Plagues and Peoples. New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1976.

The Iliad of Homer Essay -- essays research papers

When analyzing the Greek work the Iliad, Homer procures an idealistic hero with an internal conflict, which questions the values of his society and the Greek Heroic Code. The Greek Heroic Code includes respect, honor, and requirements to procure an exorbitant image. To be considered a Greek hero you must meet the perquisites and fulfill all of the aspects of the code. Achilleus was deemed a hero, he was the strongest and swiftest of the Achieans. Achilleus lived up to all of these aspects until his internal conflict began in the Iliad. Homers purpose in the ending of book XXIV is to restore Achilleus after his reconciliation with the Greek Heroic Code.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Achilleus was the most honorable Greek warrior of his time. No one questions Achilleus, nor challenged him, because if they do they would be smite. Achilleus is honorable, he pays respect that is due, and gratefully thanks those who respect him. Up until his outrage in Book XXII all of Achilleus rituals have been consistent. When his temper overcame his natural inveterate intuition Achilleus immediately invoked all ordain and involvement in the Greek Heroic Code. One of Achilleus' major omissions can be found where he defies the corpse of Hektor. This motion surprised and befuddled the Greek Gods, and had them viewing a plan on a sleuth method of manipulation of the body of Hektor. This probationary period of time that the Gods created gave Achilleus enough time to debate and redirect his ritual...

Humor and Healing : The Mind Body Connection :: essays research papers fc

Humor and Healing: The Mind-Body Connection "As it is not proper to cure the eyes without the head, nor the head without the body; so neither is it proper to cure the body without the soul." —Socrates(Cousins, 56) The word, to heal, comes from the root word "haelen" which means to make whole. Bringing together the body, mind and spirit can be healing. The word humor itself is a word of many meanings. The root of the word is "umor" meaning liquid or fluid (Moyers, 221). In the Middle Ages, humor referred to an energy that was thought to relate to a body fluid and an emotional state. This energy was believed to determine health and disposition. In modern dictionaries, humor is defined as "the quality of being laughable or comical" or as "a state of mind, mood, spirit". Humor enhances the creative process and is one of the coping devices used to combat stress and disease. Humor can be used successfully in the classroom, in the workplace, in therapy and counseling, and in medicine to assist in the healing process (Cousins, 78). Laughter improves self-esteem, enhances social interaction, and generally makes life more enjoyable. Laughter can provide a cathartic release, a purifying of emotions and release of emotional tension. Laughter, crying, raging, and trembling are all cathartic activities which can unblock energy flow. Laughter is more than a visual and vocal behavior. It is accompanied by a wide range of physiological changes (Swencionis, 162). During vigorous laughter the body brings in extra oxygen, shudders the internal organs, causes muscles to contract, and activates the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands. This results in an increase in the secretion of endorphins (internally produced morphine-like molecules). This â€Å"internal jogging† produces an increase in oxygen absorption, increase in heart rate, relaxation of the muscles, and increases in the number of disease fighting immune cells (Moyers, 230). Humor is a quality of perception that enables people to experience joy even when faced with adversity. â€Å"Stress is an adverse condition during which one may experience tension or fatigue, feel unpleasant emotions, and sometimes develop a sense of hopelessness or futility. Responding to these demands while protecting oneself from the potential harmful impact will help one to remain healthy† (Dreher, 27). Hans Selye, a pioneer researcher in psychosomatic medicine, defines stress as "the rate of wear and tear within the body" as it adapts to change or threat (Dreher, 20).

Growing Up With Nature – William Wordsworth’s “Nutting”

Touch-for there is spirit in the woods.† That small extract from William Wordsworth's â€Å"Nutting† represents very well the theme throughout the poems I will look at, the theme of growing up with nature and how nature teaches and guides him through life. In the poem â€Å"Nutting† Wordsworth starts off the day as he has done many times before, going out and looking for chestnuts, the childhood ritual which all children do at one stage during their life. But unlike before he goes to a part of the wood he has never been and which no one else has been to either, â€Å"I came to one dear nook Unvisited.† This untouched area of the wood delights Wordsworth and he is overjoyed to have found it himself, â€Å"A little while I stood, Breathing with such suppression of the heart As joy delights.† A tree full of, â€Å"tempting clusters†. This â€Å"virgin scene† began to seduce Wordsworth and he falls in love with it and begins to think that he owns the tree. So of course trouble is inevitable. â€Å"Then I rose, And dragged to earth both branch and bough, with crash And merciless ravage: Deformed and sullied, patiently gave up.† Wordsworth has totally â€Å"mutilated† this tree and feels â€Å"rich beyond the wealth of kings.† He really does feel delighted with the work he has just done but as the reality of it sets in and the picture of what this scene once was begins to give Wordsworth â€Å"a sense of pain.† This pain caused by the anguish of what he has just done to this defenceless tree. From this sense of guilt Wordsworth begins to realise that â€Å"there is a spirit in the woods.† And the foundations for his future beliefs in pantheism have been set. Wordsworth has moved on from his previous thought of a tree just being an object but now believes it has a kind of life force in it. In the poem â€Å"The Prelude (I)† Wordsworth follows a similar theme of growing up. In this poem young Wordsworth takes a boat which is not his and he is feeling very adventurous. â€Å"It was an act of stealth And troubled pleasure.† He felt very good when he took the boat and was having a very good time, until Wordsworth realises what he has done wrong but this is not realised until he reaches his destination in the lake. â€Å"The horizon's bound, a huge peak, black and huge, As if with voluntary power instinct Upreared its head.† This is the climax of the poem and helps show the sudden change in mood. Wordsworth is happily rowing the boat when suddenly this huge big thing shows itself. To Wordsworth this is some sort of hideous creature. But in fact as you go through the poem you learn that this is the first few signs of his developing conscience. â€Å"For many days my brain Worked with a dim and undetermined sense Of unknown modes of being; o'er my thoughts There hung a huge darkness†¦. †¦moved slowly through the mind By day, and were a trouble to my brain.† These show the signs of a guilty conscience, guilty from knowing he took the boat: a conscience Wordsworth is being taught about from nature and it again points to his emerging belief of Pantheism, that nature is God. The main focus in this poem â€Å"The Prelude (II)† is that of moving on. The poem has a picturesque setting of the â€Å"twilight gloom† This type of light however would tell Wordsworth to go inside, as if nature was telling him as a parent calls their children. But â€Å"I heeded not their summons.† So he carried on â€Å"All shod with steel, We hissed along on the polished ice in games:† a nice use of alliteration to convey the movement of ice skating. But Wordsworth being a Pantheist he cannot stay so he wonders off â€Å"not seldom from the uproar I retired.† Wordsworth here shows his poetic ability and understanding of nature because he realises that the hills are â€Å"melancholic.† His subconscious understanding of nature forces him to go off and explore. What he realises is that everything around him is moving. â€Å"With visible motion her diurnal round! Behind me did they stretch in solemn train, Feebler and feebler, and I stood and watched Till all was tranquil as dreamless sleep.† As a child he is travelling with the spirit of nature. I think everyone could relate to Wordsworth poems in someway: I know that I can relate to his feeling of a spirit in the woods. When I was lost I in the woods I felt as if someone was there showing where to go. So I will end on this note â€Å"Touch-for there is a spirit in the woods.†

Evaluation Essay of China Charges into Electric Cars Essay

The article â€Å"China Charges into Electric Cars†, which written by Dumaine, Brian, talking about the plan of develop electric cars in China. This article detailed introduction of the problem which exist in building an electric automobile infrastructure in China and the money which are invested by the Chinese government to help in the expansion of the electric automobile industry. This information is very important for the electric car manufacture who want to enter Chinese market. As a new and potential electric car market, China draws attention from all around the world. If one the electric car manufacture could have a head start, it will predominate in this market for a long time. The author described the plan and policy which related to electric car by Chinese government, analyzed the current situation of Chinese electric car market and predicted the future trends. The data and information in this article are very useful and reliable, especially for an electric car manufacture such like Tesla. In this article, we can easy to find that why China will be the biggest electric car market. The author stated his purpose by using some fact and comparison between China and America. For example, at the beginning of the article, the author described a popular auto show which hold in southwestern part of China. The heavy demand and the interest from Chinese consumer can be found through this auto show. After that, the article talking about problem of Chinese environment which is an important and hard to ignore issue. Electric car alleviate the growing traffic jam and lower greenhouse-gas emissions. But the most important for China is getting out of oil addiction. The gas price for a country which per capita income is USD 2800 a year is too expensive. The second half of this article focus on the Chinese technological strength and forms of cooperation for the foreign brand who want to share this market. Those information point the way to the future for the electric company. The article’s intended audience should be the electric car manufacture and associated components supplier. In addition, it also provide some valuable information for the investors in new energy industry. This article published in Fortune magazine in 2010. Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. and founded by Henry Luce in 1930. It has strengths in professional finance analysis and report, which is named one of the world’s most influential business magazine. The author of this article, Dumaine, has worked at Fortune for 28 years in various writing and editing positions including assistant managing editor. He has won numerous journalism awards and written more than 100 feature stories for the magazine, including covers such as ‘America’s Toughest Bosses,’ ‘The Innovation Gap,’ and ‘America’s Smartest Young Entrepreneurs. ‘ Throughout his career, he has produced investigative pieces as well as articles on marketing, investing, technology, and corporate crime. As a result, this article has adequate qualification by the magazine and the author, it’s very helpful and reliable to use in the Final essay. All in all, this article reports on the present and future of Chinese electric car market and how Chinese government to develop this new industry. The author also reasons why China is interested in having more electric automobiles and wanting to stop its addiction to oil. It’s very clearly to prove that China will be the biggest electric car market in the next 50 years, the support from the Chinese government and the the actual conditions of China provided enormous opportunities for the electric car manufactures. Reference: Dumaine, B. (2010). CHINA CHARGES into ELECTRIC CARS. Fortune, 162(7), 138-148.