Friday, January 31, 2020
Shearwater Case Study Essay Example for Free
Shearwater Case Study Essay Shearwater Adventures is an adventures tour operator in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. It specializes in rafting, canoeing, and kayaking on the Zambezi River. This river is the fourth largest river in the African continent. The company grew to dominate the â€Å"Adventure†market in Victoria Falls. As a result of this expansion, Shearwater Adventures became the most well known adventure-tour operator in the continent of Africa. This expansion occurred while the company was under the leadership of Robert Allen who joined Shearwater ten years ago. He began as a photographer with friend Mark Davis taking pictures and videos of the rafting trips. He went on to become Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after Davis’ departure. Shearwater was number one in the market. Regardless of their dominance in the Victoria Falls area and their position as leaders in the market, Shearwater adventures had to face the competition. They had to continue dominating while maintaining their reputation as a successful and profitable outdoor adventures operators. To achieve their established goals, Allen Roberts and his management team created different strategies in order to compete efficiently and to maintain their leader position. QUESTION 1: The fundamental strategies in 2006: First of all, the company was counting on its name and reputation since the word of mouth played an important role in new sales. Also, the goal of the Shearwater Adventures was to achieve repeat bookings from satisfied customers, maximize profit and increase their market share. Shearwater Adventures established partnerships and acquisitions with leading Tour Operators such as Jenman African Safaris to boost their reputation and to gain business. Acquisitions that have increased their competitive scope and profitability in the long run. Advertising is obviously key to attracting tourists who are confused about their choice concerning an adventure activity. The continuation of an advertising program was primordial for the company. The fundamental fact of their success and strength that made the company is the level of differentiation. Indeed, in comparison to their competitors, Shearwater Adventures differentiate themselves by offering far more activities than the competitors. This allows customers to have a wide range of choices from rafting trips to lion encounters. Meanwhile, most competitors offer more or less 3 options: white water rafting, boating and elephant riding. By offering more than the competitors, Shearwater created a competitive advantage by bringing customers what competitors could not. As a result, Shearwater remains a leader in the market and competitors will have no other choice than to design and create a new adventure. Otherwise, they could also copy Shearwaters products and services. In addition to its several activities, Shearwater offers packages allowing customers to choose from a selection of activities for one price. Through a differentiation strategy, and by distinguishing itself, Shearwater obtained a competitive advantage. This allowed Roberts to maintain his position in the market. As a result of these strategies, from 2004 to 2006 the number of guests increased from 26,351 to 41,868 as well as the revenue. QUESTION 2: Perform a 5-forces analysis of Shearwater’s competitive environment. FORCE 1: Rivalry among competing sellers The industry is ranges from around $400 $500 million, however this industry is fragmented: that is to say, it is spread worldwide in relation to areas offering the chance to perform such activities. There are many competitors: Over 40 areas of activities (i. e. kayaking, safari trips, extreme sports). Locations are all over the world and there are over 250,000 operators that compete in the same â€Å"outdoor activity†market. Yet, operators, such as Shearwater, focus on the local level when it comes to competing. Zimbabwe’s political and economical instability. Though Zimbabwe’s tourism had declined by 75% and inflation was at 1,200% Shearwater continued to be the market leader in the area with an 80% share market. It had managed to increase sales by 22 and 39% percent in the last couple of years. Shearwater dominates in Victoria Falls and become the most well known adventure tour in all of Africa. Even though Shearwater is the leader, companies have partnered up in acquisitions, associations and networks with other businesses in order to increase their market share. Rivalry among competitors is high. FORCE 2: Threat of New Entry For small businesses to enter the industry, the cost may be as low as $20,000 for a single activity operation. For larger, full-service operations a large entry cost of $200,000 is estimated. It may be difficult to start an operation in the U. S. because of cost of permits and government, state or municipal regulations. However, installing a new company is Southern Africa (for example Zimbabwe and other surrounding countries) is quite feasible for new operators in the market. We must continue to take into consideration the current economical and political instability of Zimbabwe for those organizations attempting to enter this market There is a certain â€Å"Experience Curve†path that a new company may experience. It is important for management to be thoroughly aware of every detail concerning operations and financial matters, as well as the local market. This experience may take some time to acquire. On top of that, a new competitor should realize that it would be competing with other brands (especially Shearwater) that have an already established notoriety, a client list and advertising distributors. Threat of entry is relatively moderate. FORCE 3: Threat of Substitute Products This is an â€Å"Outdoors/ Extreme Activities†Market. The necessary ingredients to create this service involve irreplaceable factors such as: waterfalls, natural water rapids, mountains, fresh air, nature, scenery, etc. There are new activities that may be though of, however those would go directly into competition, and would not be considered as substitutes. Threat of Substitute Products is low. FORCE 4: Bargaining Power of Suppliers The nature of the service supplied is not a commodity, and cannot be reproduced or duplicated. Even though suppliers reach the 250,000 mark worldwide, these operators are vastly spread out concerning the nature of the activity. White water rafting for instance, requires a location with a water body, waterfalls, rapids, wild outdoors settings and beautiful sceneries, among other things. The company can only go as far as supplying the equipment needed to ride these waters. The only way operators may integrate backwards is if they decide to produce their own equipment and trained professionals. However, this would only be a good strategy if the costs were less than what they already pay to suppliers. Given the type of activity offered, there is a small chance of supply shortage. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers is moderately high. FORCE 5: Bargaining Power of Buyers The demand for this industry is moderately sized. The target age in the industry was from mid 40’s to early 50’s. These people had the drive to stay â€Å"young at heart†and the available income to fulfill these desires. Until recently, the media has created an awareness of adventurous locations, and their desire to explore them increased. They may only integrate backwards by buying their own equipment and training themselves on outdoor skills. However, since most of the consumers are over the age of 40, this seems to be a bit of a challenge. Although Shearwater advertised locally and partnering with tour operators, the local community seems to have a certain amount of power over the promotion of this company. It has progressively gained notoriety, and Roberts should be mindful that should he upset the community, they may bad mouth his business. The Bargaining Power of Buyers is moderate. QUESTION 3: What are the KSFs for competing in the Extreme Adventure Sporting Industry? There are several variables that have had a direct impact on the effectiveness of Shearwater’s business. The specific factors that underlie the success of Shearwater Adventures are: Brand Recognition: The company relied on its name to achieve their goal of repeat bookings, and cooperation with other companies (e. g. tour operators) for cross-selling opportunities could offer them a higher probability to gain exposure and business. Strong Leadership ; Management: Mike Davis and Allen Roberts were excellent entrepreneurs. Their leadership, particularly Roberts’ role as Shearwater’s CEO after Davis left, played a critical role in enabling Shearwater to dominate the outdoor adventure market. Favorable Destination: Opening an outdoor adventure company in the United States is difficult due to the cost of permits, so opening an adventure operation in South Africa was more attractive and cost-effective. Strategic Partnerships: Strategic partnerships played an important role in Shearwater’s successful growth, since â€Å"Industry leaders were partnering through acquisitions, organized associations, and reseller networks in order to increase repeat bookings from satisfied customers. †Strategic Advertising ; Marketing: Their goal was to target and direct customers at the start of their vacation. Shearwater engaged in intense local advertising to attract a large number of newly arriving tourists who had not chosen an adventure. This allowed it to attract a large share of newly arriving, non-committed tourists. Variety of Activities Offered: Larger variety of outdoor adventures activities was a strong differentiation for Shearwater. Most competitors had a limited number of activities, making Shearwater superior in the local market. Companies that could offer a variety of activities had a much higher probability of gaining repeat business. Pricing Strategy: Bundling activities that allowed customers to choose from a selection of activities for one price was highly attractive and added to the company’s value and success. Cross-Selling Opportunities: Shearwater’s expansion into related business activities, like tourist transportation, lodging, and video ; photos, allowed the company to cross-sell and increase its sales revenue through these related business segments. Community Support: Support from locals was also an important reason for the company’s success, as it added credibility to the company. It enabled smooth operations for Shearwater, increased its reputation, and thus increasing its strength in the industry. Skilled ; Qualified Team: Through Allen Roberts’ leadership, he continued to build a solid management team due to his knack for attracting the right person for the right job. These 10 Key Success Factors have contributed to the growth and success of Shearwater Adventures, and has continued to make them a current market leader in the outdoor adventures industry in the Victoria Falls area. 4. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Located in the touristic area of the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Shearwater is considered to be the giant leader of the area (with 80% market share), in fact leader of all Africa Company driven by a knowledgeable and experienced anager, Allen Roberts â€Å"Industry image†, extreme sports are seen as a way to enjoy time away from hectic lives (average age of customers between 40s and 50s) Shearwater Adventures LTD. offers a wider range of activities then competitors (at least 11 activities against 3 for competitors) Possibility to organize both individual trips and packages (e. g. â€Å"Ticket to Adventure†package, where you can make huge savings and choose what you want to do and when) Strong local level awareness, â€Å"Word Of Mouth†has helped increase sales Entertainment Media helps increase popularity of the industry (Fear Factor, ESPN, Survivor etc. Improved equipment quality Weaknesses: Although Shearwater Adventures have 80% of the market share, competition is tough enough for company to worry about continuing market domination while maintaining its reputation as a â€Å"successful outdoor adventures operator†The company clearly has a tight budget, â€Å"Roberts and his management team had already cut Shearwater’s expenses to the bone and had given up their company cars for motorbikes†(p. paragraph 3) Weak global level awareness, as companies looked to grow their market share and increase customer base on a local level (global level seemed ore of an obstacle) It appears that outdoor activities companies must deal with aging equipment and older owners when company reaches its maturity Opportunities: The Shearwater Adventures LTD. can link up with international travel companies for purposes such as gaining international awareness and prepaid guaranteed reservation Implement a better advertising plan for re peat bookings and cross-selling Maybe the business should consider acquiring other companies? Creating a new venture to attract a younger crowd Threats: Zimbabwe’s economical and political instability has caused a 75% decrease of the country’s tourism and inflation was 1200% causing prices to double every 22 days Competitors might offer a wider range of activities as it is relatively inexpensive and there are enough ventures to copy Shearwater or add new adventures 5. Provide recommendations concerning Shearwaters future strategy As we know Shearwater is already the leading company in the adventure/extreme industry for the contient, logically, the main question will be how to improve when you are already the number one or at least, how to stay number one? Buying Companies the idea of buying companies was from Allen Roberts himself and was, from my point of view, one of the most intresting. Buying companies allow you to kill the competition (within the area) and in the meantime to increase your market share by absorbing the competitors. In the other hand Shearwater will need a substantial amount of money for this type of investments, money that they may not be able to collect. Despite the financial factors, integrating competitors to the company will allow Mr Roberts to create his own rivalry in the Victorias fall area, allowing to expend, generate more revenues while controlling the all business. Targeting Market Segment The actual targeted segment, people who are â€Å"mid 40s to early 50†are certainly interested in lion encounter or safary but maybe less by more extreme sports such as kayaking or rafting. By focusing on this market segment they completely forget generation who grew up witth that kind of sports. Enhance by the media and famous energy drinks ( https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=mFo-HKKOsXchd=1 ) adventure or extreme sports have become a very important trend for the 20-30 years old. It would be a shame to miss such an opportunity to increase the market share when the only effort you have to make is to make people aware of your complex. Developing the companys assets A wide range of activities, affordables prices, but do they really focus on the essential? People around 50 are attracted by this healthy way of living so why dont they develop a healthy/fitness programme. Mixing sports and dietetic/healthy food as it is the trend nowdays. This strategy is using the current assets of the company in a different way that could be a lot more appealing for customers. Worldwide vision Advertising on a local/national level would be useless for Shearwater as it is already recognize as the number one. What they neeed is a worldwide vision, let people know that they are providing one of the best experience in the adventur industry, and if people are not interested in sport why wont they come for the location in itself. The use of new type of communication such as facebook twitter or threw sponsors (Red bull, Monsters.. ) have already helped the cause of extreme sports and pointed out the fact that people are more than intrested in that kind of leisure. Be a precursor In every single industry, leading companies overcome difficulties by creating their own product and/or creating the demand. In the past few years a lot of new sports have immerged, creating one, could be the chance of an international recognition and healthy finance. Their status of number one is not immutable, they should use their monopoly on the market to create what they think would be the adventure industry of tomorrow. As a reminder, the main question of the case study was â€Å"how to continue to dominate the market while maintaining the reputation as a successful outdoor adventures operator†. The difficulty of chosing a strategy is emphasis by their status of number one, with no comparable company all over the continent the only reasonable choice seems to completely create the wanted path. They got the recognition, the infrastructures as well as a strong leadership. By having a step ahead of the competitions they can maintain their reputation but for how long? To conclude, strenghen by their position, they should choke the competition by redifining what aventure industry means in their own words.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Shakespeare in the Sound and the Fury Essay -- Sound and the Fury Essa
Shakespeare in the Sound and the Fury  The "Tomorrow" soliloquy in Act V, scene v of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth provides central theme and imagery for The Sound and the Fury. Faulkner may or may not agree with this bleak, nihilistic characterization of life, but he does examine the characterization extensively.             Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow            Creeps in this petty pace from day to day            To the last syllable of recorded time;            And all our yesterdays have lighted fools            The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!            Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,            That struts and frets his hour upon the stage            And then is heard no more. It is a tale            Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,            Signifying nothing (Shakespeare 177-8).            The passage suggests man is mortal while time is immortal. Time maintains its pace independently of man's actions; it creeps through man-made institutions eventually leading to man's death. However, time maintains indifference towards man. Life spans are infinitesimal in comparison to the smallest division of time. In reality, the significance man ascribes to human existence is false: life has no significance. Life is merely a brief episode of strutting and fretting, "full of sound and fury, . . . signifying nothing."  Every section of the Sound and the Fury relates to Macbeth's speech. Each narrator presents life as "full of sound and fury," represented in futile actions and dialogue. Benjy, Quentin, Jason, and Dilsey all emit constant wor... ... Faulkner's views on life, a supposed contrast to Macbeth's. After hundreds of pages of examining Shakespeare's passage, Faulkner concludes his work with an uplifting transcendence of nihilism. Faulkner leaves the reader with hope, the signification of meaning yet to come.  Works Cited  Commentary. The Sound and the Fury. Olemiss Resources               http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/faulkner/n-sf.html  Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.  Harold, Brent. "The Volume and Limitations of Faulkner's Fictional Method." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 11, 1975.  Irwin, John T. "A Speculative Reading of Faulkner" Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 14, 1975.  Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Â
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Cool
Identify two situations in which people would be expected to use the service described in the passage; and 6 summarize the main idea of the passage; discuss reasons why the business described in the passage seems likely to be a success. 8. Complete the exercise that follows. Writing in Chinese, use the space provided to narrate an incident or event that you experienced as a student in high school or college.In your response you may include, but are not limited to, the following information. When the incident or event took place here the incident or event took place the circumstances in which the incident or event took place 7 9. Imagine that a friend from a country associated with Chinese is considering enrolling in a postgraduate program at a college or university in the general area where you are currently living and has asked you to provide some information about the area in which you live. Write a letter in Chinese to your friend responding to this request for information.In your letter you must include, but are not limited to, the following topics: 8 a brief description of some important features of the area in which you live (for example, climate, natural features, distribution of people, mix of population, regional differences within the state, cultural amenities, educational and medical facilities, recreational and entertainment options); and an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of living and going to school in your area. 10. Read the instructions below.You will have two minutes to study these instructions. Then, when you are told to do so, begin to respond in Mandarin. You may take up to two minutes to complete your response. You will be told when the two minutes are up. You may begin studying the instructions now. You will be told when to begin peaking. (The examine will read in the test booklet:) Imagine that a friend from a country associated with Chinese has been offered a Job in a city near where you live, and asks your opinion on the p ros and cons of living and working in your area.Speaking in Mandarin, discuss the advantages and but are not limited to, the following topics: a brief description of some of the important features of the area in which you live (for recreational and entertainment options); and an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of living and working in your area. (The examine will have two minutes to study the instructions above; then two minutes to respond on audiotape. ) 9 11. Imagine that you are attending a summer institute at a university in a country associated with Chinese.You are asked to speak to a group of students about your previous college experiences. Speaking in Mandarin, describe a college or university you have attended. In your response you may include, but are not limited to, the following topics: a description of a college or university you have attended; an explanation of why you chose to attend that college or university; an analysis of what you liked and disliked a bout the college or university. Cool Ice free northwest passage for half the year, flooded cities in Asia (Bengal), raciness, severe drought affecting food production, emergence of new deserts, etc. 4. ) How are warmer temperatures affecting the migration of crops? Champagne region of France is becoming too warm for traditional champagne grapes, so they are starting to grow them in England, along with olive trees. 5. ) What is involved in the carbon footprint a common product such as a cheeseburger?All the energy consumed to make up the component parts of the cheeseburger and the greenhouse gases produced as a result= the feedstock for cattle, growing lettuce, wheat for bun, milking the cattle, processing milk for cheese, ND processing cattle for meat, trucking (transporting) the various parts, keeping the meat cold, plus methane gas produced by the cattle 6. ) So, what is the carbon footprint off cheeseburger in the US? 200 million metric tones, more than all the Subs In the united States 7. How might an Increase of DC affect the planet? Rapid changes in the biosphere, especially marine life of the oceans, dying off of coral reefs, flooding of island states, melting of Grassland's glaciers, etc. 8. ) What significant ocean system could break down that could magnify the warming effect? Carbon sink provided by tiny sea creatures that absorb carbon dioxide from which they build their shells, but warmer water changes Its coldly which dissolves their shells and prevents them from forming new ones.This loss in turn will affect the marine life food change and loss of biodiversity. When the oceans can no longer absorb Carbon dioxide it will escape into the atmosphere adding to the levels of the atmosphere. 9. ) What Is a glacial Million and why are they so dangerous In terms of speeding up straight through to the bottom of the glacier creating a hydroplane on which huge asses of ice get propelled faster into the sea where it will melt and add its mass to ocean levels. 10. ) How much would the melted Gree nland Ice field raise sea levels by? M which would flood London, Bangkok, New York Shanghai, etc. 1 1 . ) In what way is the melting of Arctic Ice such a concern and a potential â€Å"runaway train†? Lack of ice means more sunlight can be absorbed by the oceans which in means less heat is reflected back into space, creating even more heat and more melting†¦ The warmer it gets the faster it gets warmer. 12. ) How much warmer does it eve to get before we are arguably at a â€Å"tipping†point of climate change? ICC 13. ) What major changes will a ICC warming cause for the planet?Arctic is ice free all summer, Amazon rainforest's dries out, snow caps on the Alps disappear, El Onion's extreme weather becomes normal, heat waves would be the norm, temperatures in Europe would more like what is currently typical of the middle east, etc. 14. ) What was the first global warming disaster to affect a wealthy nation in 2003 and what was the impact? A heat wave across Europe t hat killed 30 000 people, over 14 000 of them in France over a period of a few weeks. On August 10th alone, 2500 to 3000 people died, mostly elderly. 15. What else happened during the 2003 headwater that was an indication of another unforeseen side affect of warming? Trees and other vegetation started to release carbon dioxide instead of being able to absorb it as photosynthesis broke down. 16. ) What ominous changes occurred in the Amazon river basin in 2005? Tributaries dried up, forest fires spread and killed large quantities of trees needed to produce rainfall, therefore making conditions drier. 17. ) What conditions are common to El Ion patterns and how might a ICC warmer limited be affected by them?Trade winds and ocean currents move east instead of west across the Pacific bringing torrential rainstorms to South America and drought to Australia and Indonesia, with ICC warming this could mean even more energy to drive hurricanes whose fuel is warm ocean water. 18. ) What would the planet be like with a ICC average global warming? Delta areas, home to a billion people will be flooded, other areas will become deserts, west Antarctic ice would melt, major losses of fresh water such as the glacial source of the holy Ganges River in India. Compared to developed countries?Developing countries like India, Indonesia, etc. Do not necessarily have the billions of dollars that would be needed to invest in hydrophilic dams like developed countries such as England has. 20. ) How many refugees might there be with warming of ICC? Ass's of millions of climate refugees. 21 . ) What would the consequences of an average global warming of ICC be? There could be mass extinctions, ocean wastelands, massive desertification on land, a global catastrophe 22. ) What is ironic about our current global warming crisis due to the burning of fossil fuels, given the Earth's past history?The last major mass extinction occurred due to global warming, whereby the earth corrected its climat e imbalance by the â€Å"killing†off of mass quantities of life that were then buried by eroded material. This corrected the abundance of CO levels in the atmosphere by â€Å"sinking†them. The irony is that we have extracted them now as our sources of fossil fuels, and are releasing that stored carbon into the atmosphere as we burn them for energy, creating a previous cycle that led to mass extinction. 23. ) What are some practical changes we must make in order to prevent warming of this scale?Reducing the use of energy that uses fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases, use energy more efficiently, such as unplugging appliances to avoid wasted â€Å"vampire†energy draws, doubling fuel efficiency of vehicles, using solar power, wind power, tidal power, geothermal energy, etc. Starting now! 24. ) How much time do scientists believe we have to avoid going over the tipping point into accelerated global warming and climate change? As little as 10 years 25. ) Mak e a commitment: what 5 things can you commit to changing in your lifestyle to reduce your ecological footprint and cut down on energy consumption? Answers will vary. Discuss.
Monday, January 6, 2020
When Did Gloria Steinem Get Married
When Gloria Steinem got married at age 66, the media paid attention. One of the most famous feminists of the 1960s and 1970s, Gloria Steinem continued as an activist, critical thinker, author and spokesperson on womens issues for decades. Anti-feminists often associated Gloria Steinem with a false stereotype of feminists as man-hating. Gloria Steinems marriage to David Bale was another chance for the media to trot out misconceptions about feminism. A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. - Gloria Steinem Who Was Gloria Steinems Husband? Gloria Steinem married activist David Bale in September 2000. The couple had met at a fundraising event for the Voters for Choice organization and for Democratic candidate Bill Curry. Gloria Steinems marriage to David Bale lasted until his death from brain lymphoma in late 2003. David Bale, father of actor Christian Bale, was an activist known for his commitment to environmental, humanitarian and animal rights causes. He worked with several nonprofit organizations, including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. He was a commercial pilot. David Bale was originally from South Africa and had lived in several different countries, including England. His opposition to the apartheid government had, at one time, ended with his being banned from his native country. Bale had been married and divorced twice before. Gloria Steinem and David Bale lived in New York and California during their marriage. The Shock of Gloria Steinems Marriage At the time of Gloria Steinems marriage to David Bale in 2000, several news stories poked fun at the idea of the longtime feminist finally giving in to societys tradition. Was Gloria Steinem opposed to marriage? She had certainly pointed out its flaws and inequities. Feminists of the 1960s fought against the unfair view of married women as less than legally whole people. They also tried to change laws that prevented married women from independently owning property or obtaining financial credit in their own names. Gloria Steinem said in 2000 that she had worked for years to make marriage more equal but that she, too, was surprised to actually be partaking of the institution. She responded to questions about whether she had changed her beliefs that, in fact, she hadnt changed--marriage had. It had become more equitable and fair to women since the mid-20th century and the early days of the womens liberation movement. Often a target of anti-feminists, Gloria Steinem was the subject of a few snide articles and opinion columns. One writer even referred to the news of Gloria Steinems marriage as the taming of the shrew, alluding to the Shakespeare play and choosing a word with a particularly negative connotation, often used for women. Others suggested that Gloria Steinem and David Bale married for immigration reasons because he had overstayed his visa. The New York Daily News quoted Gloria Steinem in September 2000: Apparently there is a need to look for ulterior motives when a feminist marries. Steinem once referred to her husband, when asked about her marriage, with It walks. It talks. Its a feminist.
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