Managing for Competitive Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing for Competitive Advantage - Essay Example t would be known as the Chip and PIN programme bringing banks, building societies and retailers together to combat the ever expansive problem of credit and debit card fraud. The trial began in fiscal year 2003 where cardholders would authorise purchases with the use of a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in place of their signature. (M&S Annual Review 2003 inside cover operating highlights) Year 2003 HR – Improvement in quality was managed in several ways including reconstitution of the store management structure including the presence of a store manager at each of the stores. Each of these store managers would have clear goals, responsibilities and accountability. There would be a field-based area management team offering the benefit of internal and external experience, which brings M&S in line with leading industry standards, thus providing a basis for further improvement in customer service, leadership and overall store standards. (M&S Annual Review 2003 inside cover operating highlights) Year 2003 Operations –There was increased market share in Women’s, Menswear and Lingerie with both strong product appeal and quality. The opening of thirteen Simply Food stores garnered 250,000 new customers shopping per week and the pilot program of the new credit and loyalty card proved successful with national roll-out in the second half of fiscal year 2003/2004. Considerations for the improvement of customer service involve potential for relocating the fitting rooms and the customer service within them. (M&S Annual Review 2003 inside cover operating highlights) Year 2003 Financial Management – The chairman, Luc Vandevelde, believes that â€Å"the key to regaining market share has been a focus on improving both the appeal and value of our products, thereby making aspirational quality more accessible to our customers, The Home programme opening just prior to the launch of the credit and loyalty card in Financial Services. During the fiscal year 2003 operating

Informative Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Informative - Speech or Presentation Example Anorexia and bulimia are psychological disorders which affect a large percentage of people in the world today and it is most rampant in the United States. It is necessary for these disorders to be studied not only as psychological problems, but also as social problems and a chronology of experiences related to these problems should be made so that studies can be conducted to facilitate their cure. It is a fact that these conditions are extremely difficult to treat because it is often difficult to make an assessment of how the people affected by anorexia and bulimia behave as well as how to find ways of curing different individuals from these conditions (Lacey 1694). Among the greatest causes of anorexia and bulimia are the societal expectations that are pressed on those individuals affected by these conditions. Many of the patients with these conditions tend to have been brought up in an environment where the need to succeed and to excel in every aspect of their lives has led them to develop such a low opinion of themselves that they have developed an obsession with their bodies. One will find that the drive for these patients to succeed is so great and the societal expectations placed on them so great that the pressure becomes too much on them and these tend to affect them negatively as they try to fulfill these expectations. The mentors of these patients are often perfectionists and because the patients would like to emulate every aspect of their lives, the pressure to do so becomes very demanding because in order to impress their mentors, they often set such unreasonable goals for themselves that to achieve these goals becomes overwhelming for them. It is also a fact that anorexia and bulimia patients are often raised in environments where they are not given the required attention while growing up and this comes to affect them in later life (Strober et al, 394). This comes about because their parents are probably always too busy attempting to make a living f or their families and have not enough time to get to know their families better, creating a situation where their children grow up in isolation. Such environments end up making the children involved to develop low self-esteem which is one of the reasons for the development of anorexia and bulimia, and their increasing prevalence. Statistics show that while anorexia and bulimia are disorders that are more prevalent in upper classes of the society, there are also increasing cases of these disorders in the other strata of society and this trend is most worrying (Chakraborty and Basu 175). It has been stated that main reason for the prevalence of these conditions among the upper class is because of the higher expectations that are set for the members of such families and their feeling of inadequacy because of the fact that they are not able to fulfill these expectations. In the lower classes, on the other hand, it has been found that one of the most prevalent causes of anorexia and buli mia is the fact that the patients tend to be influenced by the media, especially that of perfection that is propagated by Hollywood as well as other forms of mass media. The increasing prevalence of anorexia and bulimia in society has made it necessary for all individuals within it to be made aware of the symptoms so that they can get a hint of the development of