Plastic Pollution In Modern World - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1799 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Ecology Essay Level High school Tags: Pollution Essay Did you like this example? Abstract Plastic pollution is one of the largest issues facing the worlds oceans. Plastic, which is not degradable and remains in the environment for long periods of time, is frequently disposed of improperly. As a result, oceans are littered with fragments of plastic, nets, packaging, bottles, and debris that poses a serious threat on marine wildlife. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Plastic Pollution In Modern World" essay for you Create order In order to protect aquatic animals and habitats, it is important to not only properly dispose of and recycle plastic, but to develop and use plastic alternatives as well. The following paper discusses the negative effects plastic pollution has on wildlife and the potential for biodegradable plastics and their waste management. Introduction With over 280 million tons of plastic produced annually1, the world has become a plastic society. Durable and inexpensive, plastic is an ideal choice for consumers. However, plastic is a substance that cannot be degraded. There are various forms of synthetic plastic, including polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyurethane. Over one third of plastics produced are manufactured into cups, straws, and stirrers that people use every day. To better understand plastic pollution, it is helpful to analyze the creation, lifespan, and disposal of a plastic bottle. In this process, plastic is produced by polymer chains of polyethylene terephthalate, which are melted and shaped into a plastic bottle. The bottle is then filled, packaged, shipped, and consumed. After consumption, the bottle is disposed of.If it is taken to a landfill, the bottle will take a thousand years to decompose and can poison water flow. If the bottle is disposed of in water, it will eventually reach the ocean and be drawn towards the vortex where plastic accumulates. If the bottle is recycled, it is transformed back into raw plastic and repurposed. Unfortunately, the bottle will most likely end up in the ocean, furthering marine plastic pollution.In the past century, there has been a growing concern over plastic pollution. Plastics are long-lived and non-biodegradable, making them a major marine environmental issue. Ocean gyres in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, have become the final graveyard point for plastics.1As a result, ecosystems and marine wildlife are severely impacted. Therefore, it is necessary to deter the negative impacts of plastic pollution on marine wildlife by developing and using biodegradable plastics.ResultsPlastics are lightweight and durable, allowing them to travel far distances. According to the Plastic Oceans Foundation, more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year.2When plastics are improperly disposed of, such as along shorelines, the ocean carries the plastic into gyres. An ocean gyre is a large-scale circulation pattern, flowing clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern. Due to Ekman transport, the flow of water perpendicular to driving winds, water eventually spirals into the center of the gyre, where i t accumulates plastic garbage. These garbage patches coincide with regions of the ocean that have low nutrient levels and depleted wildlife. Thus, plastic in the oceans is posing a great risk to marine ecosystems.The greatness of plastic pollution in oceans has increased drastically in the past century. One of the main concerns related to this pollution is danger it poses to marine wildlife and biodiversity. Oftentimes, aquatic animals are injured by the entanglement or ingestion of plastic. Animals such as seabirds, turtles, or dolphins can become entangled in debris in oceans, risking injury or death. The debris includes fishing nets, balloon ribbons, and six-pack plastic rings. The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission reports that 136 marine species have been reported in entanglement incidents, including six species of sea turtles, 51 species of seabirds, and 32 species of marine mammals. The ingestion of debris by animals can also lead to devastating effects on marine wildlife. Aquatic animals mistake plastic particles and debris for food. After ingestion, the plastic cannot be regurgitated. Instead, it becomes trapped in digestive tracts, reducing stomach capacity and causing internal injuries. According to the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. ingestion incidents have been documented in six of seven species of sea turtles, 111 out of the worlds 312 species of seabirds, and 26 species of marine mammals.4In broader terms, 23% of marine mammals, 36% of seabirds, and 86% of sea turtle species have been negatively impacted by plastic debris.1Sea turtles appear to be one of the largest victims of plastic pollution. Sea turtles ingest fishing lines, six-pack rings, and plastic bags, which look like jelly-fish. For example, leatherback sea turtles have slowly declined in population in the past few decades. In the last 40 years, of the 371 autopsies conducted on leatherback tu rtles, 37.2 % of them had plastic in their gastrointestinal tracts.1In these autopsies, plastic was also found to block the passage of female eggs, affecting reproduction.In various studies conducted on birds, it was found that plastic ingested by birds could be an indicator of increased plastic in the oceans. In a 1997 study conducted in the Pacific Ocean, Blight and Burger discovered that, of the 353 ingested items recovered from 11 species of seabirds, 29.2 % were industrial pellets and 70.5 % were broken pieces of everyday use plastics.1In 2009, the stomach contents of 67 fulmars were found to contain 36.8 pieces of plastic on average.1As a result, the study suggested an increase in the ingestion of plastics amongst birds.In addition to wildlife effects, plastic pollution can lead to habitat destruction. Debris in oceans can damage shorelines and fragile aquatic habitats. The garbage patches in oceans lead to opaqueness and block necessary sunlight. Another concern is that drifting debris can host entire communities of encrusting and attached organisms and transport them great distances.4As a result, these organisms can harm or compete with native species.Biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics exist. These biodegradable polymers are able to undergo decomposition and degrad e into carbon dioxide, methane, water, and biomass from the enzymatic action of naturally occurring microorganisms over a period of time. Biodegradable plastics may be classified as compostable or degradable.Compostable plastic is plastic that is capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials. In order for plastic to be classified as compostable, it must be biodegradable, lack toxic residue, and be indistinguishable in compost.Degradable plastic will undergo a significant change in its chemical structure under specific environmental conditions resulting in a loss of some properties.For something to be considered degradable plastic, the plastic does not have to be degraded by naturally occurring microorganisms.Biodegradable polymers include agricultural polymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactates, polycaprolactones, polyesteramides, polybutylene succinate adipate, and polybutylene adipate coteraphthalate.Following a pilot plant phase in the 1990s, biodegradable plastic production has reached a commercialized scale. A growing portion of these plastics now have renewable origins, rather than petrochemical origins. Yet, the current production capacity for biodegradable plastics is 350,000 tons compared to 280 million tons of petrochemical plastics. Although biodegradable plastics offer environmental benefits, bioplastics have not yet gained widespread use because of high costs. Biodegradable plastics can be two to 10 times more expensive to produce than conventional plastics.Biodegradable plastics can be disposed of through recycling, incineration, landfill, and biological waste treatments. Bioplastics are difficult for existing recycling systems to recycle because of the lack of continuous supply of bioplastic. Therefore, it is not economically reasonable for bioplastics to be recycled. Biodegradable plastics can be incinerated with energy recovery and is a good alternative after the plastic has been used. Bioplastics and biodegradable materials in landfills can lead to methane production. Although the methane can be used as an energy source, it is a potent greenhouse gas that poses a threat to our environment if released. Finally, biological waste treatments, such as composting or anaerobic digestion, can be used to degrade bioplastics.DiscussionPlastic is used every day across the globe. According to Professor Andrew Holmes, from the University of Melbourne, No-one in their daily life within a period of 10 minutes isnt touching something that is made of plastic. Plastic comprises clothes, phones, cars, and laptops. Yet, with the benefits plastic gives us, there are drawbacks and environmental issues.With the increase in plastic pollution in the past few decades, the impact on wildlife has been detrimental. The ocean is full of waste that is improperly disposed of, with an estimated 236,000 tons of plastic contaminating the ocean. Consequently, marine animals become entangled in plastic materials, such as netting, ropes, six-pack rings, and fishing lines. The second biggest issue for these animals is ingestion of plastic. When ingested, these plastics can cause serious digestive tracts problems through perforation and leaching of toxic chemicals found in plastics.In order to protect marine wildlife, society must make changes on land. Individuals need to be made aware of the plastic pollution threatening aquatic animals and ecosystems. It would be beneficial for society to emphasize recycling and penalize those who do not, apply pressure to manufacturers to alter packaging methods, and implement a tax or ban on plastic-bag use. In addition, beach and river clean ups will prevent plastics from further contaminating the ocean.Plastics do not disappear and will remain in the environment until pollution is reduced. Therefore, the world should hasten the transition to biodegradable plastics. These biodegradable polymers will play an important role in society in the future, especially in the packaging segment. Biodegradable plastics can be classified as compostable or degradable and are best disposed of by biological waste treatment. Although these bioplastics can be 10 times more expensive than conventional plastic, bioplastic polymers have the potential to reduce landfills, improve material recovery, and decrease plastic pollution. However, biodegradable plastics require stringent control of collection, separation, and compositing, making the process difficult and narrowly accepted. Therefore, to improve this process and assist bioplastics in reaching their full potential, color-coding the plastics by the nature of material would make the process simpler. References Sigler, Michelle. The Effects of Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Wildlife: CurrentSituations and Future Solutions.SpringerLink, Springer International Publishing,18 Oct. 2014, link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11270-014-2184-6. Facts About Plastic.Plastic Oceans Foundation, plasticoceans.org/the-facts/. Sebille, Erik Van. The Oceans Accumulating Plastic Garbage.Physics Today, vol. 68,no. 2, 2015, pp. 60â€Å"61., doi:10.1063/pt.3.2697. Sheavly, S. B., and K. M. Register. Marine Debris Plastics: Environmental Concerns,Sources, Impacts and Solutions.SpringerLink, Springer US, 28 Nov. 2007,doi.org/10.1007/s10924-007-0074-3. Song, J. H., et al.Biodegradable and Compostable Alternatives to Conventional Plastics.The Royal Society, 27 July 2009,www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873018/. Poenie, Martin. Lecture 19 Plastics 2018. Renewable Resources:Environment/Future. Renewable Resources: Environment/Future, 5 April 2018,Austin, University of Texas at Austin. Are Biodegradable Materials More Expensive?Home Guides | SF Gate,homeguides.sfgate.com/biodegradable-materials-expensive-78496.html. Weule, Genelle. Plastic and How It Affects Our Oceans.ABC News, AustralianBroadcasting Corporation, 27 Feb. 2017,www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-02-27/plastic-and-plastic-waste-explained/8301316.

Pornography And Its Influence On Society s Greater...

Pornography sits at the intersection of art and obscenity, sexuality and morality. Explicit depictions of sex predate civilization, from figurines of Venus to cave paintings (Rudgley, 2000, p.195). However, during several periods throughout history more structured and intentional erotic works have been viewed as scandalous and immoral, especially in times of conservative religiosity. As sexuality became villainized into a personal sin and private affair, pornography became increasingly taboo, and blurred lines were drawn to divide fine artistic depictions of sexuality from depraved acts of carnality. Consequently its consumption has oscillated in legality, industry, and cultural acceptance. In more recent times, pornography has become a commodity coupled with culture and sexuality, especially as sex has become a topic for public rather than strictly private discussion (Cossman, 2009). Being able to freely explore eroticism is a symptom of a larger phenomenon of sexual liberation, whi ch is also reflected in modern gay and transgender rights movements. Unfortunately, the timing of society’s greater freedom of sexual expression coincides with and, perhaps, perpetuates the heightened risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in particular, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the subsequent acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Over the course of 25 years, HIV/AIDS has reached pandemic proportions, marginalized specific groups and populations, challenged publicShow MoreRelatedPorn and Censorship15240 Words   |  61 PagesPornography and Censorship Should the government be allowed to legitimately prohibit citizens from publishing or viewing pornography, or would this be an unjustified violation of basic freedoms? 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Research and Critical Thinking Essay Example For Students

Research and Critical Thinking Essay Research Critical Thinking Research and Critical Thinking Essay is such a crucial entity in the world of every single science and our every day lives. While a biologist is testing the effects of carbon monoxide on the environment, a little girl is pointing in the sky counting how many colors there are in a rainbow. Both of these scenarios involve research and critical thinking but are extremely different. There are no guidelines for the little girl but there are many that the biologist has to follow. The same goes for psychological research. Psychological research is almost exactly the same as scientific research. First you must make a hypothesis, experiment, collect data, and based off of the data you make conclusions as to whether or not your hypothesis was confirmed. The difference between psychological research and some other sciences is in whats considered data and how that data is gathered and processed. Because psychology deals greatly with the mind and sometimes focuses on things that are not measurable, research has been restricted to things that are observable and therefore can be traced. To do research that successfully gives birth to credible data there are certain elements that must be followed as closely as possible. First your hypothesis must be researched and generalized. Secondly, before starting an experiment one must have a dependent variable, a control variable, and an independent variable. Third the data must be collected and translated properly. In the case of the researcher who studied college students he has completely abused all the elements of research. He has done almost everything wrong in his research, therefore making his research highly un-credible and almost bogus. Starting with the first step in the scientific method, which is forming a hypothesis, I have reason to believe that after reading this researchers hypothesis he hasnt a clue how to properly conduct it. Comparing the four year college students to the two year college students is not the problem; it is the structure of the hypothesis. Instead of saying students at a four year colleges are more intelligent than students at two year colleges, the hypothesis should be if students who attend four year colleges and students who attend two year colleges take the same IQ test, than the students who attend the four year college will score higher than the students who attend the two year college. It is much more descriptive without being to constricting. At the beginning of the hypothesis it is better to be more descriptive than in the end. For instance if the hypothesis were to state that the four year students would score six points higher than the two year students. However both groups scored eight points higher. Even though they scored higher it would still disprove the entire hypothesis. The next step is the experiment. The way the researcher went about experimenting makes him an even bigger idiot. This is the area that was the most incorrect. First the researcher only tested ten students from each college. With the difference in gender, race, age, education levels, and so many other factors there should be a much larger sample representing each whole. Also he chose the ten people from each college differently. In the four year college he used the first ten volunteers. At the second college he grabbed ten students he found sitting in a T.V. lounge following their last class on a Friday. For one thing if he just found these students how did he know they were students? Just because he found them in a T.V. lounge does not prove that they are. If he randomly just found these ten students how did he know they had returned from their last class that day. I believe he didnt so therefore it wasnt random. Another problem with his selection of test subjects is that what if the first ten students who volunteered at the four year college were all female above the age of 25 with a 4.0 grading average while the ten he chose off the couch at the two year college were all males under the age of 25 with a 2.0 grading average? It would make the entire experiment unfair and the .

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Review

'The Jungle Book' by Rudyard Kipling Review The Jungle Book is one of the works for which Rudyard Kipling is best remembered. The Jungle Book falls in line with works like Flatland and Alice in Wonderland (which offer satire and political commentary underneath the genre title of childrens literature). Likewise, the stories in The Jungle Book are written to be enjoyed by adults as well as children- with a depth of meaning and symbolism that delves far beyond the surface. Relationships and events related to The Jungle Book are important to any human being, including adult men and women, with or without families. While the tales can be read, or children may listen to them from an older reader, these stories need to be re-read later, in high school, and again in later adult life. They are enjoyable in every subsequent reading and the longer one lives, the broader is the frame of reference one has against which to draw the stories into perspective.The Kipling stories offer a marked perspective of a reminder of human origins and history as well as animal. As the Native American and other Indigenous Peoples often state: All are related under one sky. A reading of ​The Jungle Book at age 90 will reach several more levels of meaning than a childhood reading and both are just as brilliant an experience. The stories can be shared inter-generationally, with interpretations shared by all. The book is a group of stories that are actually quite good for â⠂¬Å"Grandparents in the School† types of family literacy programs of the current day. Importance of the Tales Kipling is still much quoted, via Gunga Din and his famous poem â€Å"IF,† but The Jungle Book  is also important. They are important because they address the prime relationships in one’s life- family, coworkers, bosses- and everyone’s relationship with Nature. For instance, if a boy is raised by wolves, then wolves are his family until the last one dies. The themes of The Jungle Book revolve around noble qualities such as loyalty, honor, courage, tradition, integrity, and persistence. These are good to discuss and ponder in any century, making the stories timeless.My favorite Jungle Book story is of a young mahout and his elephant and the legend of the elephant dance in the middle of the forest. This is Toomai of the Elephants. From wooly mammoths and mastodons to our zoological parks, to the Elephants Sanctuary in the American South to Disney’s Dumbo, and Seuss’s Horton, elephants are magical creatures. They know friendship and heartache and can cry. Kipling may have been the first to show that they can also dance. The young mahout, Toomai, believes the tale of the infrequent event of Elephant Dance, even when the seasoned elephant trainers try to dissuade him. He is rewarded for his belief by being taken to that very dance by his own elephant, spending time in another world that few can enter. Faith makes entrance possible, so Kipling tells us, and there is the possibility that childlike faith can be translated to any number of human events. â€Å"Tiger-Tiger† After Mowgli left his Wolf Pack, he visited a Human village and was adopted by Messua and her husband, who both believed him their own son, previously stolen by a tiger. They teach him Human customs and language and help him adjust to a new life. However, the wolf-boy Mowgli hears from Grey Brother (a wolf) that trouble is afoot against him. Mowgli does not succeed in the Human village but makes enemies of a hunter, a priest, and others, because he denounces their unrealistic comments about the jungle and its animals. For this, he is reduced to the status of the cowherd. This story suggests that perhaps the animals are more just than Humans.The tiger Sheer Khan enters the village, while Mowgli takes half his cattle to one side of a ravine, and his wolf brothers take the rest to on the other side. Mowgli lures the tiger into the middle of the ravine and the cattle trample him to death. The envious hunter broadcasts that the boy is a wizard or demon and Mowgli is exiled to wander the c ountryside. This certainly shows the dark side of human beings, again suggesting that animals are nobler creatures.​ Other Favorite Tales Other favorites from this collection are â€Å"The White Seal†, the tale of a Bering Sea’s seal pup that saves 1000s of his kindred from the fur trade, and â€Å"Her Majesty’s Servants†, a story of the conversations heard by a man among the camp animals of the Queen’s military. The entire collection observes mankind from a stance of needing improvement that is possible if they listen to animal wisdom.

Samsung Strategic Management free essay sample

1. Introduction 1. 1. Background The Samsung Group was founded by Byung-Chull Lee in 1938, in Taegu, Korea, as an exporter of dried fish, vegetables and fruits. Byung later established flour mills under the name Samsung, which means three stars in Korean language. He also produced confectionery machines in this period. In 1951, Samsung Moolsan, a holding company, was established which later The building of Samsung Sanghoe in Daegu in 1930s became Samsung Corp. in 1953, Cheil Sugar Manufacturing Co. was set up, which later became an independent company. In 1958, Samsung acquired Ankuk Fire and Marine Insurance (later renamed as Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance) and DongBang Life Insurance in 1963 which was later renamed as Samsung Life Insurance. In 1966, the Group founded Joong-Ang Development, an entertainment theme parks and services company, which was later renamed as Samsung Everland. In 1969, Samsung Electronics Manufacturing Co. (SEMC) was incorporated. In the 1970s, the Samsung Group forayed into the shipbuilding, chemical and petrochemical industries. We will write a custom essay sample on Samsung Strategic Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In 1972, Samsung Electronics started to make black-and-white television sets for domestic and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) markets in its factory in Seoul. In 1974, the Group acquired a 50% stake in Korea Semiconductor Co. a joint venture between Korean Engineering Manufacturing Co. and Integrated Circuit International. SEMC started exporting its products in the 1970s. In 1978, the Group’s electronics exports crossed the 100 billion won mark. In February 1984, SEMC was renamed as Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. In 1980, Samsung acquired Korea Telecommunications and merged it with Korea Semiconductor, forming Samsung Semiconductor and Telecommunications, which then merged with SEC in 1988. In mid 80s, the small design was divided into three product areas – domestic appliances, telecommunications and computers serving an engineering driven culture in Suwon. When Byung-Chull Lee passed away in November 1987, his son, Kyun-Hee Lee, became Samsung’s chairman. In 1990, an industrial design department was established under Kook-Hyun Chung, who had joined the company in 1977 as an industrial designer. In 1995, Samsung began to mass-produce LCD Page | 5 isplays for both computers and TV sets and grew to be the world’s largest manufacturer of liquidcrystal display panels after a decade. By 2005, Samsung overtook Sony as one of the world’s most popular consumer electronic brands and now holds a position of 19 in the world rank. Samsung is considered to be the second largest by volume producer of cell phones after Nokia with a leading market share in the North America and Western Europe. 1. 2. Company Profile Samsung is the World’s largest multinational conglomerate corporation founded in 1938 by Lee ByungChul in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It has been the world’s most popular consumer electronic brand since 2005 and is best known South Korean brand in the world. Samsung is an ethical business as a digital leader with a responsible global citizen and a multi-faceted family of companies. At Samsung Group and Samsung Electronics, the products, people and approach to business are held to only the highest standards so that they can more effectively contribute to a better world. The Samsung Group is composed of numerous international affiliated businesses united under the Samsung Brand including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung CT and Samsung Life Insurance. These businesses have always been able to hold a position in the world’s top business ranking providing the most powerful revenue and market share worldwide. Samsung Electronics is the sole monopoly dominating a single market in Korea and now around the world for its fastest design based products. The company has a powerful influence on the country’s economic development, politics, media and culture, being a major driving force with a total of 173,965 employees till June 30 2010 (Samsung Company Profile). Samsung Financial Highlights in 2009: Revenue: Total Assets: Net Income: Total Equity: USD 172. Billion USD 294. 5 Billion USD 13. 8 Billion USD 112. 5 Billion Source: Samsung Annual report 2009 Page | 6 1. 3. Values and Philosophy Samsung Philosophy â€Å"Devote talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contributes to a better global society†. Samsung Values: People Excellence Change Integrity Coprosperity Samsung Values, Source: Sam sung Official Page | 7 1. 4. Samsung Vision â€Å"Inspire the World, Create the Future† Creative solutions Industry New techonology Innovative Products Partner Employee Samsung Vision, Source: Samsung Official Website 1. 5. Samsung Principles comply with laws and ethical standards maintain a clean organisational culture Samsung Business Principles respect customers, shareholders and employees care for environment, health and safety socially responsible corporate citizens Samsung Principles, Source: Samsung Official website Page | 8 2. Competition As a global company, Samsung Electronics did not hold its business disciples within Korea but decentralised them locating them throughout the world. R D investment grew from $1. 81 billion in 2001 to $5. 34 billion with an increment 9. 4 percent of sales. With around 32,000 researchers in 16 research centres, Samsung had one of the largest RD organizations in the world. In 2005 alone, it registered 1,641 US patents ranking fifth at the US Patent Office (Freeze Chung, 2008). The following figures show the financial trends since 2000 to 2005: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Consolidated Sales 34. 6 35 48. 7 54. 1 78. 5 79. 5 Nonconsolidated Sales Domestic 27. 2 24. 4 33. 3 35. 4 55. 2 56. 7 8. 6 7. 9 9. 3 7. 8 9. 6 10. 2 Exports 18. 6 16. 5 24 28. 6 45. 6 46. 5 Net Income 4. 8 2. 2 5. 9 5 10. 3 7. 5 R D Expenditure 1. 59 1. 81 2. 42 2. 95 4. 59 5. 34 $ billion Samsung Electronics, financial highlights, 2000-2005. Source: Samsung annual reports. IMF Crisis of 1997 brought Samsung to the brink of bankruptcy. Samsung used the occasion to sell off some 100 business and to downsize the company’s workforce by 50,000 people. Samsung Electronics alone lost about 27,000 employees. But within a few years, the company was sustaining a sharp upward course on all fronts. Samsung increased its focus on its electronics division that has now become Page | 9 Samsung Electronics, which has gained global prominence as well as significant market shares worldwide despite from its Japanese and European counterparts. In 2005, the company reorganized into five businesses: Digital Media, Telecommunication Networks, Digital Appliances, Semi-conductors and LCDs. Many of its products enjoyed the leading market share worldwide. Below is the figure of Samsung’s market share in 2004 with selected categories of top three competitors: Samsung Market Shares 2004. Source: Samsung Company document The following figure shows the sales of Samsung Electronics in various regions in percentage. It largely enclosed the Asian market by 42% where as Europe being 24%, America 15% and Korea itself with 18% of sales. The least market share is held by Africa with just 1 %. Percentage of sales by region, 2005. Source: Samsung annual reports 2009 Page | 10 3. SWOT Analysis (Kamath et al. 2006) Strengths i. Market Leading Products: Samsung has a wide range of market leading products and enjoys a strong market position in most of its market segments. It is one of the leading manufacturers of digital TVs, memory chips, monitors, DVD recorders, printers, notebook PCs, DRAMs and much more. The company was the third largest cellphone seller with 12. 7 % global market share, as of the beginning of 2006. Being the market leader helps the company maintain strong brand image and attract customers. ii. Diversified Business Portfolio: Samsung manufactures a wide range of products. This enables the company to take advantage of opportunities within specific markets and locations and at the same time protects it from specific segment-related problems and makes it less vulnerable to a sudden decrease in demand for a particular class of products. The company operations are also spread over 5 major decisions: telecommunication network, semiconductor, digital media, LCDs and digital appliances, in addition to the plethora of products mentioned above. ii. Strong Brand and Global Presence: Samsung enjoys high brand awareness and reputation for innovation and quality. Its brand was ranked 20th in the world with over $ 14 billion value in 2005. A strong brand creates barriers to entry in the markets it operates in and helps guarantee future sales. The company operates in more than 30 countries whic h makes it a true global player. Almost 80% of its revenues are generated outside the Korean market. iv. High Returns: Samsung’s return on average assets, return on investment and return on average equity for the period of 2001-2005 were 10. 5 %, 18. % and 21. 9% respectively, significantly higher than corresponding electronics industry averages of 1. 9%, 3. 6% and 5. 1% respectively for the same period. High returns strengthen investors’ confidence and indicate the management’s ability to deploy assets profitably as well as take reasonable investment decisions. Page | 11 v. Strategic Alliances: Samsung has formed successful strategic partnerships with a number of well-known companies, examples being IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba, Sony and IMEC. Close relationships and cooperation with such companies provides Samsung with valuable technical knowledge. i. Focus on Research Development: Samsung’s strong RD operations enable the company to develop innovative prod ucts. The company’s research and development expenditure has grown from $1. 88 billion to $5. 44 billion over the last four years. The company filed 1,641 US patents in 2005, the fifth highest by a corporation in the US. Strong research focus has enables Samsung to develop several innovative products such as world’s largest LCD TV, the first Blue-ray player, the smallest colour laser printer and the first ultra-mobile PC. Weakness i. Poor Economic Performance: The company recorded poor operating performance in 2005. The operating profit declined by 36 % related to 2004. This decrease was mostly led by lower operating profit in LCD and digital media. Other divisions recorded diminished profits as well and the digital appliance division even had to face a loss. In the past few years the financial results were inconsistent, with repeated ups and downs concerning some crucial financial figures such as earnings before interest and taxes. Revenues declined mostly in America. Such under-performance can weaken the company’s financial position. ii. Bad Product Reception: The company’s sliding phones have not been well accepted in Europe, which affected sales and orders for components of these phones. Samsung may not be able to recover the expenses incurred from manufacturing the phones. iii. High Dependence on One Business: The company is highly dependent on semiconductor business to generate cash flows. The fact that one division contributes disproportionately to operating profit may turn into the firm’s disadvantage in case of a downtown in the sector. With the South Korea won strengthening and competition in the Page | 12 semiconductor business rising, Samsung may find it difficult to keep current profitability levels in this segment Opportunities i. Operating in an industrial with much possibility for innovation: Different electronic devices produced by Samsung offer countless possibilities in terms of their design and functionality. The company invests significantly in RD, so it is able to come up with new innovative products quickly which can satisfy the needs of various customers. It also improves Samsung’s image as an environment-friendly company as they boast of innovative energy-efficient refrigerators, mercuryfree backlights for LCD displayers or lead-free products as proof of their environmental concern. ii. Emerging Asian Markets: Leading technology companies are shifting their production base to Asia, particularly China and SouthEast Asia to take advantage of lower production costs and growing purchasing power of citizens. Those countries represent highly lucrative and attractive markets and provide good growth prospects for Samsung. Its products enjoy an excellent reception in these markets. ii. Growing Global Demand for Modern Technology: Wireless communication chips, LCD-TV panels, 3G technologies and so on are examples of products and industries with enormous growth potential. The LCD-TV market alone grew over 20 million units in 2005. Samsung is well-positioned to benefit from growing demand for those products and ready to win the correspond ing market share. Threats i. Consolidation in the PC Business: The PC business, the largest customer segment of the computer storage devices industry is consolidating. Mergers and acquisitions have resulted in the formation of large clients with higher bargaining power. This is expected to further reduce margins of computer products including monitors, LCD panels and printers thus affecting the Samsung’s margins. Page | 13 ii. Unfavourable Products Specifics and Market Developments: Electronic devices and especially computer hardware and software tend to have short lifecycles which makes their manufactures work on new improved ones all the time. Moreover the market developments in the sector may force a company to reconsider its strategy quite often. This may be the case for Samsung right now that demand is gradually shifting from performance-driven products to entertainment-driven ones like MP3. The demand for DRAM is related to the demand for PCs and for this reason the market for those products is also currently experiencing a slowdown. iii. Image Problems: After getting rid of its poor standing in America in the 1980s and 1990s, when Samsung was selling lowcost and unreliable TVs and microwaves in discount chains, there came the cases of stealing know-how and technology from Japanese competitors, price fixing in some of the company’s business and the chairman receiving an honorary doctorate of a university to which Samsung had earlier donated a large amount of money. These scandals have undermined the company’s image and proven that big and strong brands are vulnerable and exposed. Samsung is now on its way to recover its image; however similar situations in the future may result in a negative brand perception. This would have a lasting effect on sales and general economic performance. iv. Intense Competition: The company’s competitors include LG Electronics, Sony Philips, Nokia and Motorola which are large multinationals with global operations and strong performances. Most of these companies are wellpositioned to match Samsung’s capabilities, if not surpassing it. Intense competition can decrease its market share and adversely affect its already diminishing overall economic performance. v. High Raw Material Prices: The price of copper had soared up in July 2006 by four times compared to 2002 levels. During that period the raw material cost highly increased and hampered in the company’s profits. Page | 14 4. Sustainability Samsung Sustainability Performance, Source: Samsung Sustainability Report 2008 Samsung has designated Economic, Environmental and Social responsibilities as the key elements of their sustainable management. Integrating corporate management and sustainable development is an issue of increasing importance in the business world and in today’s increasing expectations for social and environmental responsibility. In response to it, Samsung has been improving the process of collecting stakeholder’s ideas and setting up corporate-wide vision and strategies for sustainable development. Samsung commits to give continuity: ? ? ? To identify various stakeholders Build positive relationships within Ultimately enhance the value for both the company and stake holders Page | 15 5. Strategy Samsung’s journey towards design excellence started in 1993 when Lee realized that Samsung was paying too much attention to volumes and the cost of production, while ignoring customer value. And therefore he decided to make high quality, exciting products in order to survive in the business world. Although Samsung had no problems in funding and creating the design infrastructure, it faced a more difficult task in convincing the rank and file at the company that design was necessary for survival and growth. Most of the employees were more concerned about costs and volumes than design because it was all about keeping the price down and outselling. In 1996, Lee announced the Year of Design Revolution declaring that design would be Samsung’s strategic edge and priority for investment. Their first Design Revolution was highly encouraged by the traditional Korean culture Taeguk, the dual principle of Yin and Yang, where the company enhanced it’s visualization on the basis of company’s tone and manner and design principles. The overarching theme was harmony expressed by the phrase â€Å"balance of reason and feeling† (Freeze Chung, 2008). REASON Life styling: Compared Lifestyle needs: Problems, trends, behaviour, Values, Unmet needs Innovative: Stay One Step Ahead: Differentiate, Fresh, Inspiring, Clever, unique ideas Coherent: Balance Consistency and Variety: Identifiable, Unified, Market-sensitive, Integral FEELING Harmonies: Harmonize with Environment: Systems, Safety, Green, Appropriateness, Accord Intuitive: Convey Agreeable Use and Meaning: Instinctive, Direct, Friendly, Simple Interactive: Design for the Experience: Exciting, Fun, Sensible, Cool, Satisfying Reason Rational Intellectual Technological Feeling Emotional Adaptable Humanistic Harmony An enterprise’s most vital assets lie in its design and other creative capabilities. I believe that the ultimate winners in the twenty-first century will be determined by these skills. I have designated 1996 as the year of Design Revolution for all Samsung products. Let us focus our strength in developing unique designs that reflect the Samsung philosophy and sou l. † – Chairman Kun-Hee Lee, New Year’s Address, 1996 (Freeze Chung, 2008) Page | 16 â€Å"The future is not to be predicted. It is to be created. – Samsung Analyst Day 2005 The second Design Revolution was into a real action by creating 4 principles: 1. Create remarkable designs and establish a user interface (UI) identity 2. Recruit and secure the world’s best designers 3. Nurture a creative corporate environment 4. Reinforce its casting technology infrastructure Concurrent with these design goals, by the end of the year Samsung had revealed technical powers in several domains, introducing world’s first in the memory, mobile phone and TV business. The World’s most valuable brands, 2006 Source: Interbrand Page | 17 5. 1 Manufacturing Strategy Samsung has implemented a strategy of in-house production and investment in manufacturing research and development. Samsung’s primary manufacturing emphasis is on the assembly, efficient movement of material in its logistics operations, precision assembly and packaging and it achieves speed and maximum factory efficiency through minimum capital investment through constant innovation geared towards productivity. For instance, we can take an example of the manufacturing strategies of mobile phones and digital media. a. Mobile Phones Samsung’s strategy is based upon mid and high pricing that leads to higher margins. Samsung is focusing on implementing the newest technologies thus its products are amongst the top in the handset market. Progressive technologies combined with avant-grade designs trends providing a strong foundation of its position specially the clamshell and slide exterior that fashionably package the latest technology. In addition the speed of implementing a new product is very short: 5 months in comparison to Samsung’s competitor’s timelines of approximately 14 months (Kamath et al. 006). Samsung envisions prevailing as the world’s leading brand in the handset area. The main strategy for reaching this goal is â€Å"Next Generation Technology Leadership†, whereby Samsung wants to be the first mover into new technology. b. Digital Media Revenues in the area of digital media have been growing for Samsung steadily by 10 % annually with more than 80% of sales being foreign markets since 1999. Samsung achieved aggressive cost reductions from $20 per inch to $7 per inch leading to sales of 100 million units in 2005 in the field of LCD monitors (Kamath et al. 2006). However this industry is characterised by short life cycle, increase in size, multifunction products, networking, greater accessibility and convergence of products. Other challenges include low entrance barriers which bring about countless competition, price erosion and decline in profit rate that creates rapid price decrease and constantly narrowing price gap between competitors in the industry. Its historical success in introducing several ground-breaking products such as the world’s largest LCD TV and world’s fastest colour laser printer position it well to achieve its objectives. Samsung intends to focus intensively on design rather than pricing. The impetus can be seen in the number of design awards won by Samsung between 2001 and 2005 (19 awards) surpassing design-oriented companies such as Apple, IBM and NIKE. Page | 18 5. 2 Marketing Strategies Using the mid and premium price portfolio, Samsung is focusing on marketing premium products. The higher pricing on these products helps achieve significant margins that lead to healthy revenues, which fund marketing activities, designing and technological improvements that improve Samsung’s position in the market. Samsung’s marketing strategy is shifting from awareness to preferences. The target audience of the brand is changing from sensible brand buyers to high life seeker. The brand focus is on promoting an easier, richer and more enjoyable life through technology allowing unlimited living (Kamath et al. 2006). The marketing is targeted towards an expected consumer pool compromising of young style-conscious, technology-savvy customers who pursue intuitive simplicity and appropriate passion, performance, creativity, excellence and fulfilment. Samsung wants to become an icon brand through product, brand and customer leadership. Product leadership can be achieved through meeting consumer needs and pioneer launches, brands leadership through premium branding consistency and strong emotional bounding and customer leadership through long-term partnerships with customer. 5. 3 Getting Close to Consumer Vice President of Design Research Lab Young Jun Kim explained the difference between marketing research and design research. According to him, marketing research is focused on the current solution like market share and so on but design research is focused on user behaviour and user experience. So Samsung designers visited people in their homes to see how they actually used products. This approach resulted in designs that translated into profits in the market and that won the designers respect and cooperation from the engineers and marketers. Samsung has learned to understand design as business. The core of Samsung is highly dependent on its product design. Samsung shows passion in the field of Future, Curiosity, Building, Growth, Challenge and Details by supporting communities, cultures and environment. Samsung believes respecting communication and encouragement are the keys to success. We have no crystal ball but we are working on many promising technologies in our labs†, states one of the designers of Samsung and promises to deliver hopes and dreams to the diversified cultures as well as disadvantaged group in society with satisfaction and happiness bridging great distances between people and products. Page | 19 â€Å"We believe in a better world† – S amsung Slogan The following are some basic artefacts of Samsung: New innovations and ideas help to make life more convenient, anytime, anywhere†¦ Samsung has always been a strong supporter of culture and artistic heritage. It takes great length to make products green by making them more energy efficient. Understanding customers’ need and anticipating how they are changing; always looking ahead to answer â€Å"What’s next? † Samsung Next is What? Source: Samsung Company Website Page | 20 6. Design at Samsung 6. 1 Design Management Team Organizational chart of the Corporate Design Centre, January 2006. Source: Company document Page | 21 6. 2 Award Winning Products Samsung had a string of design success in the 2000s. For example, the Syncmaster series of LCD monitors was lauded for its simple design and went to win several awards. Samsung Home Appliances Figure 1 three hinged, flat folding monitor Figure 3 refrigerators Figure 2 LCD TV Figure 5 vacuum cleaners Figure 4 washing machines and dryers Page | 22 Products: Samsung Electronics Figure 6 LCD monitors Figure 7 laptops Figure 8 MP3 players Figure 9 cameras and camcorders Figure 10 cell phones Page | 23 7. Samsung Mobiles The commercialization of Samsung handsets started in 1996 with CDMA Handset System gradually developing into GSM Handset in 1997. In 2000, Samsung commercialized World’s first Handset systemCDM A20001X. After gradual manufacturing of Samsung mobile series in 2008, it became the world’s second largest mobile phone maker after Nokia. With its continuous new technology and innovation, Samsung always created the newest and smartest design targeted to the youth. 7. 1 Samsung Mobile Competitions World Market Western Europe / Northern America 19. 1% 25% 36. 2% 21. 1% 9. 9% 16. 1% 6. 2% 9. 6% 5. 4% 6. 5% The market status 2009 shows that Samsung mobile leads the Western Europe and Northern America whereas in the world market, its biggest competitor is Nokia mobiles. Samsung holds second position in consumerism. Market Status 2009 Page | 24 7. 2 Criticism Jim Wicks, vice president of Motorolla Inc. said, â€Å"Samsung has improved, but I don’t see an identity in their design that really speaks to consumers†. Some critics commented that even if Samsung’s design capabilities had improved greatly, the company still lacked a coherent design. A lot of critics and business analysts criticized Samsung mainly on the idea of not appealing to the customer and not aligning their image properly. Other critics said that the company still did not have the design culture of Apple Computer Corp. or the breadth and depth in design that Sony possessed. During the past decade, this engineering-driven company had given way to innovative, design-driven company with a lot of focus on RD. however, despite worldwide design awards and engineering accolades, the â€Å"iconic† product available in the world such as the Apple iphone and Blackberry are much more popular than the Samsung phones. Page | 25 8. Samsung Visual Communication (Advertising) 8. Culture (Semiotics and Social Semiotics) I perceive Samsung as an international award winning brand, applicable to all users from the very sophisticated high level to the middle class group. It is compiled with latest technology, smartness, sleek and shine attitude, personality, elegance, distinctive, cool, wide colour range and affordable price. Samsung claims to be there for the whole family and not only for a special age group. Samsu ng electronics are designed in the simplest yet elegance style suitable from a housewife to an executive. From early teens to the old ones, all are Samsung’s target market with the range and varieties it provides with its holistic design approach for both gender. The main attraction of Samsung is the colour that it focuses on its every product and advertisement. The true natural colour reveals the power of Samsung and its effectiveness especially in its TV and LCD monitors. Black, silver, white, red, yellow are the primary colours that Samsung uses in its products. Page | 26 8. 2 Good life: Samsung provides an incredible valuable and luxury life by providing exclusive products in an affordable range for all people. It is bridging the gap between the product and its company so that everyone can dream of possessing Samsung to feel superior and powerful and rich. 8. 3 Gender, age, class: it mainly focuses on both genders equally depending upon the product design suitable to every age group, from cool teens to the high executive professionals. It demonstrates typical Asian style with cuteness and innocent personality for the Asian market and bold and beautiful stylish blonde models for the Western market. Samsung has a global audience in terms of its products. Page | 27 Bollywood superstar Amir Khan posing for the Samsung CDMA music phones. Similarly another celebrity, a female Pop singer and a Diva Beyonce Knowels is also seen in an advertising of Samsung mobile. It is trying to allure people towards the celebrity lifestyle by using celebrities as their brand ambassador and inspiring people to feel like a celebrity. By these advertisements, I feel that Samsung encloses all the diversified group of people from school and college students to the 8. 4 Celebrities Following advertisement is in the left is an Indian Samsung advertisement with a Page | 28 rofessionals, from housewives to independent career women. 8. 5 Psychoanalysis The other advertisement of Samsung TV focuses on the human emotions like love and Samsung is basically dedicated to the home and family so it more often communicates in a simple and more decent language for all age group. However in the above ad of Samsung Vacuum Cleaner, it shows a different aspect of communication to its au dience with a touch of sexuality and glamour in a very distinctive and appropriate way. Samsung visual happiness, relationships, togetherness and a dream. The graphic advertisement below is of Samsung washing machine, which shows the just the materials (shirt and colour) without any human activity but still it gives out the message about the characteristics and advantage of the product. communication is always criticized for being unappealing to the consumers but this ad has a very powerful message showing the effectiveness of the product. The focus is on the model who is shown naked from side in one image and the other image with her lingerie being held by the vacuum cleaner. It gives a clear meaning on the use and power of the products. This ad definitely appealed me and lured me to buy this product. Similarly, this one also shows the innovation and power of Samsung mobiles in a unique style encouraging people to express their talents and personalities. Page | 29 9. Conclusion Samsung Electronics have been trading and manufacturing electronic goods for nearly 70 years and today it has become one of the world’s leading electronics companies specializing in digital appliances and media, semiconductors, memory and system integration. Today Samsung’s innovation and top quality products and processes are world recognized. It is the only company to achieve the highest quantity of design awards in 2011 2005 for its cutting edge designs and styles (13 products including TFT-LCDs, monitors and CDMA mobile phones). Samsung is found No. 1 in customer loyalty for 8 years consecutively by Brand Keys of the USA. Samsung has built the World’s largest mobile phone as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. It also received a â€Å"Quality Management Award† in Malaysia. Samsung started its journey from 1938 and started diversifying in the field of industries and electronics since 1970. It entered into the Global market in the 1980s and enhanced itself competing in the changing Tech World from 1990. Since 1994 it implemented design theory into practice and evolved into becoming a Global force and by 1997 advancing into a Digital Frontier to become a Pioneer of the Digital Age today since 2000. Samsung sold more than 20 million full touch phones in shortest time ever and took up high share market in LCD monitors. It sold 500,000 units of its LED TVs in 100 days since its release. It released world’s first solar-powered mobile phone in India and first infrared video phone. It sold 50 million touch screen phones in 2 years. Samsung became No. 1 in the US digital TV market for the 4 th consecutive year. Samsung now has announced its â€Å"Green Management† strategy to sustain in the world of Competition. Samsung used Design based strategy to enhance their consumerism and revenue always coming up with new idea and innovation in every product especially in terms of cell phones. It holds second position in the World market after Nokia and is planning to become number one in the near future. Page | 30 10. Recommendation Samsung is a well established brand that has a diverse product portfolio and is aggressively pushing for RD so as to innovate stylish, user-friendly and functional products that are priced competitively. It is facing intense competition and rising costs of raw materials due to globalization. Therefore Samsung has recently experienced a decline in its performance. It needs to improve in brand image and continue diversifying its product portfolio to prevent overdependence on the semi-conductor business while concentrating on its core competencies in the electronics industry. It possess the capability of increased expansion in the Asian Market but needs to tailor its marketing and business strategies to better suit the tastes and circumstances of these markets. Especially India and China can be the best option for Samsung because they both possess an escalating middle class that is becoming more affluent, consumerist and brand conscious. India is the world’s fastest growing wireless services market and hence offers a huge market for mobile phones due to poor land telecommunication infrastructure. And it is the same with the rural part of China. So Samsung can fascinate the Chinese market by its cutting edge design since Chinese markets are becoming more design oriented with additional quality control measures, excellent customer service and brand reputation. I believe this will help Samsung to become number one consumerist and corporate in Asian market by leading these two huge markets in terms of brand image, customer service, innovative technology, extraordinary quality control and sleek and shine designs for today’s generation. Page | 31 11. References Freeze, K J. Chung, K 2008, Design Strategy at Samsung Electronics: Becoming a Top-Tier Company, Design Management Institute, Boston Case Study: Samsung Electronics: Success by Design, 2006 viewed 15 June 2011 Samsung Corporate Profile, Samsung Electronics 1995 2011, viewed 4 June 2011 Samsung History, Samsung Mobiles, viewed 5 June 2011 http://www. samsung-mobiles. net/history-ofsamsung. html Samsung Annual report, Samsung Official Website, viewed 20 June 2011 Luk e W, Design Vision: In Korean, viewed 20 June 2011, Rocks D Jhlwan M, Samsung Design, viewed 20 June 2011 http://businessweek. om Verganti R, Managing design-driven innovation for competitive advantage, viewed 20 June 2011 Wikipedia, Samsung, viewed 5 June 2011 Kamath S, Kulheyko I, Kuvik I Niziolek P, 2006, A Historic and Strategic Overview of South Korea’s Champion Chaebol: Samsung Electronics, viewed 25 June 2011 Page | 32 12. Appendix Managing Resources for Competitive Advantage Master of Design Assessor: Ross Spence Assignment Presented by Sushma Shrestha A worldwide leading electronic company Page | 33 Introduction Industry: Conglomerate Founded: 1938 Founder: Lee Byung-Chull Headquarters: Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea Employees: 173,965 ( June 30, 2010) RD: USD5. 34 Billion Financial Highlights 2009 Samsung Financial Highlights 2009 Revenue: USD 172. 5 Billion Total Assets: USD 294. 5 Billion Net Revenue Income: Income Total Assets Total Equity Net USD 13. 8 Billion $ 13. 8 $ 112. 5 $ 294. 5 $ 172. 5 Billion Billion billion Equity: Billion Total USD 112. 5 Billion Page | 34 Philosophy evote talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contributes to a better global society Values People Excellence Change Integrity Coprosperity Page | 35 Vision â€Å"Inspire the World, Create the Future† Creative solutions Industry New techonology Innovative Products Partner Employee comply with laws and ethical standards Principles maintain a clean organisational culture Samsung Business Principles respect customers, shareholders and employees care for environmen t, health and safety socially responsible corporate citizens Page | 36 Achievements IDEA ( Industrial Design Excellence Awards) 2006: Gold Award for Touch Screen Messenger 2006: Silver Award for Portable Digital Projector 2001-2005: 19 Awards for Cutting Edge Designs surpassing the design Company like Apple, Sony and NIKE Competition Samsung Market Share 2004 Page | 37 Distribution SWOT Analysis Strengths i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. Market Leading Products Diversified Business Portfolio Strong Brand and Global Presence High Returns Strategic Alliances Focus on Research Development Page | 38 SWOT Analysis Weakness . Poor Economic Performance ii. Bad Product Reception iii. High Dependence on One Business SWOT Analysis Opportunities i. Operating in an industrial with much possibility for innovation ii. Emerging Asian Markets iii. Growing Global Demand for Modern Technology Page | 39 SWOT Analysis Threats i. Consolidation in the PC Business ii. Unfavorable Products Specifics and Market Developments iii. Image Problems iv. Intense Competition v. High R aw Material Prices Page | 40 Strategy Design based STRATEGY ‘The future is not be predicted. It is to be created† Samsung Analyst Day 2005 Strategy â€Å"Balance of Reason Feeling† Harmony Reason Rational Intellectual Technological Feeling Emotional Adaptable Humanistic Page | 41 Products Design Centre Organizational Chart Page | 42 The beginning of Samsung mobile †¢ †¢ †¢ 1996: Commercialization of CDMA Handset/System 1997: Commercialization of GSM Handset 2000: Commercialization of World’s first Handset/System CDMA2000 1X 2002: Commercialization of World’s first Handset/System CDMA2000 1X EV-DO 2008: Samsung became the world’s 2nd largest mobile phone maker after Nokia Mobile Phones †¢ †¢ World Market Western Europe / Northern America 19. 1% 25% 36. 2% 21. 1% 9. 9% 16. 1% 6. 2% 9. 6% 5. 4% 6. 5% Market Status 2009 Page | 43 Dilemma Samsung’s Design vs. Market Page | 44 †¢ Touch screen †¢ 3 MP auto focus camera †¢ Video recording †¢ Voice Control †¢ Digital Compass †¢ Cut, Copy Paste †¢ MMS †¢ Spotlight Search †¢ Landscape keyboard †¢ Voice Memos †¢ Stay in touch †¢ GPS capabilities †¢ Entertainment on the go †¢ Camera and video recording †¢ Media player †¢ Roxio media manager †¢ Browse, shop and buy †¢ Blackberry wallet †¢ Ticket master Page | 45 What’s Next on Samsung? A design that would beat the iphone and Blackberry market Elegance, smart, and technology Page | 46 Competitive Designs Advertising Page | 47 Conclusions Samsung started journey from 1938 and diversified in electronics industry since 1970 Applied design based strategy to compete in the market Implemented design theory into practice since 1994 and won many awards becoming a Pioneer of Digital Age since 2000 Competitive Advantage RD Innovation Employee Culture Page | 48 THANK YOU Page | 49

Social policy and youth studies- Written personal statement, The WritePass Journal

Social policy and youth studies- Written personal statement, Introduction and Aims Social policy and youth studies- Written personal statement, Introduction and AimsWork Experience BackgroundSkills, Attributes and Values Gained During Work Experience Personal Skills and Attributes for Employability Next Steps and Career Development ReferencesRelated Introduction and Aims Having completed a period of work experience within a childcare environment, I have gained a wide variety of experience and developed my own personal attributes, which I feel will ultimately enable me to become a valuable and responsible member of a childcare team, focusing on youth studies and social policy (Farrell Travers, 2005). This personal statement aims to chart the journey which I have undergone in the last year, including looking at those attributes and skills that I have either developed or improved, as a result of applying the learning which I have obtained during my time operating within a work experience environment. Crucially, I also had the opportunity to speak with far more experienced individuals than myself and this gave me an insight into how my career was likely to develop, from this point onwards. I am currently coming to the end of my second year of studies and therefore, whilst I gained considerable knowledge during this work experience, there are still certain aspects of my own personal development which I need to focus on and further areas of development that will enable me to become even more efficient, in the future (Sanderson Percy-Smith, 1995). Work Experience Background My work experience took place within a childcare environment, dealing with eight year old children. I worked alongside several different professionals, including those who dealt with the day-to-day care of the younger children, as well as those involved more in the policy development of new skills among the older children, such as preparing them for formal education and supporting those who were already in formal education (Callender, 2000). I worked primarily alongside the lead individuals dealing with children of school age, i.e. those who were six to eight years old and this involved looking at the types of activities and work they were undertaking during the school day, in order to ensure that childcare activities outside of the school day, at the very least, did not contradict the work being undertaken within the school environment. A greater emphasis was also placed on social and emotional skills which were seen to be developing at a rapid rate during this age category, particu larly when children entered formal education for the first time (Pettit et al 1999). Skills, Attributes and Values Gained During Work Experience During my work experience within a childcare environment several skills attributes and values were gained. Many of these were gained as a result of shadowing a very experienced member of the team, as it enables me to identify ways in which I could potentially operate, in the future. The main skills which I gained during this work experience included the ability to think in a much more rounded way about situations being presented to me. During my first year of education, a large proportion of the activities were based on developing the ability to complete worksheets that would be appropriate for the children in my care, as well as much of the administrative activity that I perceived to be central to the childcare environment (Training and Employment Agency 1999). Whilst it remained important to follow educational policies, particularly with those children who were already of compulsory school age, I became much more aware of my need to adapt and to be flexible to the needs of the chil dren, rather than simply shoehorning the day-to-day activities within the childcare environment into my chosen plan or policy. I also gained a much greater value when it came to the discussions with children and recognising the importance of social interaction and giving children the opportunity to express themselves (UEA, 2002). My own ability to identify potential social and psychological problems, as well as identifying children who were possibly having issues outside the immediate childcare environment increased dramatically, as a result of shadowing my mentor and spending time simply observing activities within the childcare environment (Smith Barker, 2000). Personal Skills and Attributes for Employability Many of the skills and attributes which I developed in myself were those that I identified in the more experienced member of the staff and I felt would be good as transferable skills within my future studies. However, although the focus here was on children between the ages of six and eight, these skills could potentially be applied across a broad range of different ages and this is therefore something that will be useful for me in my future work experience and employment. The ability to identify key policy issues and then apply them in a wide variety of different situations is incredibly useful and a central aspect of my studies. Understanding underlying social policies is also critical, as anyone involved in a childcare environment needs to be able to look at the broader social implications, so that the day-to-day work that is undertaken with the children supports these social policies (Munton, et al 2001). I also feel that I have developed additional skills in terms of identifying the various different needs of children, depending on their demographic situation. This type of understanding, again, will be useful in a wide variety of different situations. Moreover, the ability to apply policies and practices in a sensitive and appropriate manner will provide useful opportunities for me, in the future, particularly when it comes to leading change within a childcare environment (SQW and NOP, 2002). Next Steps and Career Development Following on from this period of work experience and when combined with the skills and knowledge which I achieved during my first two years at university, I feel that I am now ready to look towards applying these skills in a practical sense (Alderson, 1995). Furthermore, I am looking for opportunities to work within an environment that will enable me to lead change and develop new working approaches that were potentially allow the childcare environment to adapt to different situations, rather than following strict lesson plans or care plans. By placing a heavy emphasis on dealing with general social policies, I feel that I shall be much better placed for establishing ways of working which are not currently being used and this is where I intend to focus my work, in the future. References Alderson, P, (1995), Listening to Children: Children, Ethics and Social Research London: Barnardos Callender, C, (2000), The Barriers to Childcare Provision Department for Education and Employment Research Report 231 London: Stationery Office Farrell, P., Travers, T. (2005). A healthy start: Mental health promotion in early childhood settings.Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 4(2), 1–10. Munton, A, McCullum, B, Rivers, K, (2001), Childcare Quality Improvement and Assurance Practices Department for Education and Employment, Research Report 266 Pettit, G, Bates, J, Dodge, K, Meece, D, (1999), ‘The Impact of After School Peer Contact on Early Adolescent Externalising Problems in Moderated by parental Monitoring, Perceived Neighbourhood Safety and Prior Adjustment’, Child Development, 70, p768-778 Sanderson, I, Percy-Smith, J, (1995), The Out of School Childcare Grant Initiative: An Interim Evaluation Department for Education and Employment, Research Series no 44 Smith, F, Barker, J, (2000), The Childcare Revolution: A Decade of Kids Clubs London: Kids Clubs Network SQW and NOP, (2002) The 2001 Childcare Workforce Surveys Department for Education and   Skills Training and Employment Agency (1999), An Evaluation of Playcare Report by Policy Research Institute for Training and Employment Agency, Belfast UEA, (2002), A National Evaluation of Breakfast Clubs Department of Health

Andrews Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Andrews - Research Paper Example It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every dollar of net assets. The RoE of the company is 0.8 and 0.6 for 2006 and 2005 respectively. The numbers shows that the company is not so much good in generation revenues and is not increasing the share holders wealth. High ROE yields no immediate benefit. Since stock prices are most strongly determined by earnings per share (EPS). The benefit comes from the earnings reinvested in the company at a high ROE rate, which in turn gives the company a high growth rate. Inventory turnover ratio shows that how the company is managing its stock the numbers for the company is 31 nad 19 for 2006 and 2005 respectively. By analyzing the company's inv. Turnover ratio we have analyzed that the company is not managing its inventory in 2006 that of 2005.The asset turn over ratio gives an idea about how well the company is using its assets in generating revenues.