NUCOR Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NUCOR Case Study - Research Paper Example Most importantly, the company should consider going global in order to exploit emerging opportunities with globalization. 1.4 Recommendations: The most commendable action is for the company to go global. This will diversify its operations by establishing business across the world markets. It is also a better hub within which its technological aspects can be fully put to use, thereby enhancing its competitiveness against rival firms and cheap imports. 1.5 Implementation: Plan implementation by Nucor has to identify market and industry gaps, and then take advantage of the situation. This may require the company to reevaluate its strategic and long term planning, and assess both financial and non-financial implications of the operational decisions made. This is more so in relation to acquisition of firms, self-development, product and brand development. The U.S steel industry has become significantly competitive as the number of operating firms increase. Foreign firms continue to dump low-cost steel in the U.S markets, thereby affecting the operations of domestic firms, and most importantly those of Nucor. Nucor has had to compete against low-cost steel imports in the U.S, as China, Russia, Brazil, and India continue to dump their steel in the U.S markets. The analysis of the U.S steel industry and the subsequent position held by Nucor in that industry are based on Porter’s five forces model. Nucor’s integration of this model into its operations can be summarized by the figure below: Competition in the U.S steel industry is intense and characterized by both domestic and foreign firms (Thompson 214). Foreign firms compete with the domestic firms on the basis of supplying steel imports to the United States. Nucor engages Mittal Steel and U.S Steel in stiff competition since all the three firms are set up in the United States. In other words, the two companies are the key

What was the role of the noblemen in Owain Glyndwr's revolt Essay

What was the role of the noblemen in Owain Glyndwr's revolt - Essay Example In1277, Edward I invaded Wales and after a fierce battle defeated them. He immediately set out to safeguard his dominance by constructing a ring of strong impregnable castles all around his dominion. This area became the power seat of the English and was designed in such a way so as to subjugate and intimidate the Welsh people. After a century had passed England was ruled by Richard the II. The domination exercised by the English with their restrictive land and tax policies became too much of a burden for the people of Wales and they chafed under the English yoke. According to the myths and legends of the Welsh, it was proclaimed that a national leader and redeemer would emerge from among them and so they faithfully prayed for his coming. This man would be the chosen one to stand up and fight against the English domination and restore the long awaited independence of the Welsh once again. Fortunately for them, there emerged a leader in Owain Glyndwr from amongst the shambles and struggles of the country. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Welsh put their faith in the charismatic leadership of Glyndwr even though England was endowed with a strong and massive army. The Welsh were successful in defeating England and drove them out of their land. The Welsh enjoyed their independence which lasted for a very short while. Since the 19th century, there was a resurgence of nationalism in Wales and hence the exploits of Owain Glyndwr was praise worthy. Glyndwr on the other hand did not seem the right candidate to don the cloak of a freedom fighter. Glyndwr, enjoyed all the trappings of a wealthy and privileged life as one of the great and powerful lords in Wales. This was due to his parentage that dates back to the year 1354 when he was born into and upper – class family having descended on his father’s side from the princes of Powys and on his mother’s side he inherited the lands of Rhys ap

Implementation of a Risk Communication Plan

Implementation of a Risk Communication Plan Following the reported deaths of hundreds of birds in Esperance in Western Australian between December 2006 and March 2007, it was discovered that lead being transported through the towns port were responsible for their deaths. However, much of the community was unaware of this until it became public as part of the investigation into bird deaths in the local environment. Esperance saw itself as an idyllic rural community, with a sound economic basis, but removed from the problems associated with cities, such as pollution. Once the lead problem was identified, residents became very concerned about their childrens health and demanded immediate action. In order to address the concerns of the affected parties, a risk communication plan is essential so as the risk assessment team is able to improve risk understanding among target groups, disclose information about hazards to people whom might be exposed, legitimise risk-related decisions in favor of acceptance or rejection of specific risk sources. It also has the role to breakdown the risk management process to the target audience so that assessors can build up trust in the risk fairness of the management process while at the same ensuring that there is enough individual risk reduction information to improve public protection. Finally the risk communication plan promotes support towards the communicating agency as it provides guidelines for emergency situations and educates decision-makers about public concerns and perceptions. (Sue Lang, Lorna Fewtrell and Jamie Bartram, 2001, p.320) There are multiple stakeholders involved in this crisis, starting with the residents of the community, governmental departments such as the department of water, environment and planning, local businesses, the companies exporting the metals, the port authorities and media. A risk communication (RC) needs assessment was run prior in order to identify the major stakeholders involved in the in this crisis and to identify the issues of concerns of for each group, the goals from the interaction with each group and be able to choose and adequate technique of approach to each type of stakeholder. The RC needs assessment had led to understand that various stakeholders had different issues of interests and concerns and that whether their concerns were, the techniques of approach to them may overlap. The key stakeholders were identified to be the residents of Esperence, health department, water department, port authorities, tourism operators, business owners, the media, local authorities and department of environment, local government and department of planning. The key issues noted during the assessment were the risk to the health of the residents, risks to local businesses such as tourism, relocation of locals, and panic within the community due to health hazards. The table below identifies the issues that meant to be addressed in a risk communication plan and how they are link to the plans goal together with the activities needed to be carried out so as to reach the goals. It should also be noted that descending order of the issues representative of the priority given to each individual issue. (R Brian Pickard, Risk Communication Plan Guidance,   2013 p.24) ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED PLANS GOALS ACTIVITIES Local residents concerns regarding the hazards Provide the residents necessary   and adequate information to address their concerns Provide information to the residents by activities such as distributing information on physical or electrical mediums. Develop and maintain relationships and supports two-way communication with public community groups, and the news media. Concerns of the health department regarding crisis Provide them with the outreach of the crisis; how many people are affected and to which extent. Maintain direct communication for health persons via phone, email or in person. So that they received necessary data as they require it. Level of information between assessors and Department of water Share findings obtain through research to concerned department so it knows where they stand and how they can mitigate the situation Ensure that they receive   tangible information in terms of documents and findings which they can consult and base action plan upon Concerns about treat to local businesses. Assess impact of contamination on local businesses. Hold meeting with the concerned stakeholders and discuss ways by which they are being affected and try find solutions. Department of planning Provide the department expected outcomes in case of an imminent crisis Ensure that they receive   tangible information in terms of documents and findings which they can consult and base action plan upon Nature and types of information being released by the media Audit the quality of information being released to the press. Monitoring of information released through various media outlets; websites, newspapers, television and radio by appointing media trackers Threat to port activities and jobs at stake Assess situation and find possible links between issues and port. Minimize potential risk of activities shutdown. Meet with responsible of activities and discuss Communication at all stages of the program is important. People need to be informed about key developments so they will be able to make the most of the program. Information should be disclosed to community members throughout the program, especially before starting key activities, before making changes to the program and upon encountering delays. The order/timing in which information is disclosed to the various stakeholders depends upon who they represent in the community and the value of their feedback so that when a wider public is informed, the risk assessment plan has already been revised to that it understood by the majority of the stakeholders. The resources to be deployed for the risk communication plan relies greatly on the budget allocated to the assessment. While a great part of the resources remain man power which favors easier communication, builds up trust among the community, provides for skills for data collection and analysis depending upon the budget communication methods such as mass media and dedicated can employed, else inexpensive methods inexpensive, such as sharing information at community meetings, working with community and committees creating simple posters can be used., There are various challenges that might hinder the implementation of this; unwillingness for stakeholders to cooperate, coordinate risk communication messages among multiple communicators who are communicating about the same issue or time constraints. (Cabinet Implementation Unit Toolkit, 2013, p.3). The roles and responsibilities in order to implement the risk communication plan correctly are as listed below. ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES Public Information Officer Implement risk communication plan and directs information disclosure Provide information to stakeholder through various mediums Create and uphold two conversation between all stakeholders .Maintains current information summaries and/or displays on the incident. Responsible to communicate information to   pertinent staff Develop presentations for utility executives Prepare responses to constituent inquiries. Content and Message Coordinator Develops pathways to receive information rapidly from various institutes regarding public health emergencies and works with available subject matter experts to create situation-specific fact sheets and updates. Media Coordinator . Assesses media needs (e.g., briefings, statements) and bridges the gap between the public and sources Direct Public Outreach Coordinator Responsible for public service announcement and initiates telephone information line Partner/Stakeholder Coordinator Sets up communication protocols based on agreements with identified partners and stakeholders. Media Tracker Monitors available internally and externally identifies misinformation, provides, assess the quality of communication, takes action to amend wrong information, tracks press releases, monitors news outlets and web sites, and drives away (stories that may or may not be true)

The Drug Ecstacy :: essays research papers

Ecstasy is a slang or short word for Methylenedioxymethamphetamines (MDMA). It is a very serious mind-altering, psychoactive drug that can kill you. This drug can cause confusion, paranoia, sleep problems, anxiety and depression even after weeks of not taking it. Ecstasy was first developed in 1914 as a diet pill or appetite suppressant and it was a legal substance until 1985. In the mid-1980s, ecstasy burst out in the streets becoming the most popular drug used in Raves (wild all night parties) because it helps you keep dancing and mood enhancement. Ecstasy can be taken orally, sometimes snorted and rarely injected. The price for one capsule can range from $25 to $40 and the effect can last 3 to 6 hours. Ecstasy pills may come in a lot of different colors shapes and usually have small cartoons or logos branded on top (such as play boy bunnies, CK, love symbols, etc.). There are also a lot of names by which ecstasy can be found, for example, XTC, M&M, Love drug, Love trip, Adam, Rollin, etc. MDMA immediate effects are sweating, heart rate and blood pressure rising, dehydration, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, etc. Ecstasy can make you feel like you trust someone and it can break down barriers (that is why people call it in the brain which are critical to the memory and thought. Studies show that a drunken person has more memory than a person who smoked ecstasy heavily in the past. Ecstasy has been becoming dangerously popular in the last couple of years but due to the hard work of the Partnership For A Drug Free America the usage of Ecstasy has been lowering dramatically. They make public service announcements warning teens of the dangers and downsides to using ecstasy and helping to understanding the dangers of using drugs. There are places such as Greenbriar Treatment Center which offer help for people suffering from chemical dependency such as ecstasy. It is located in Washington, PA and their approach is to respect the people who they treat and reassure them that addiction is a curable disease.

The rise of online foodshopping

The rise of online foodshopping BY beast4242 Using frameworks from the chapter analyse the strategic capabilities of Dyson. According to Johnson, Whittington, Scholes stated that the capabilities of an organisation that contribute to its long-term survival or competitive advantage. Here we can use VRIN framework to analysed Dyson's strategic capabilities. The four key criteria of strategic capabilities are Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Non- substitutability.Strategic capabilities are of value when they provide potential competitive advantage in a market at a cost that allows an organisation to realise acceptable levels of return. Rare capabilities are those possessed uniquely by one organisation or by a few others. Inimitable capabilities are those that competitors find difficult to imitate or obtain. Non-substitutability refers to that the organisation is not at risk from substitution. In term of identifying whether a product has competitive advantages, VRIN is really a ood tool. As the product is manufactured by Dyson, that are attracted more people pay attention to and the founder are becoming their main signs, so that the products of Dyson also becoming more and more valuable. Since the products of Dyson have featured shaped and unique innovation. They spent a long time to developing and engineering prototypes special for household product. That seeks to provide a twist to the typical device. For example, vacuum cleaners that provide smooth turning round the corners, the Dyson air multiplier perform the same function as a conventional air, etc.The most important thing is that are 11 patents application in Dyson desk fan, so that the products of Dyson are able to avoid being imitating. On the other hand, Dyson also invest heavily in Chinese and Asian manufacturing in order to make their product cheaper and then to maintain profit margin benchmarks. This design of their organizational planning does not mean that many products can be manufactured. But they s ell to the target†¦

Data collection techniques

A non-probabilistic sampling technique – the convenience sampling method, was utilized in this research. Since there was only one group, the issue of subject assignment to groups did not arise. Even though the convenience sampling method is easy to organize, cheaper and fast to carry out, the subjects chosen are usually not representative.Therefore, it is virtually impossible to generalize the outcomes of this study. Since the outcomes cannot be generalized then the study can be thought of as lacking in validity. Besides, the convenience sampling method enhanced the possibility of bias in the study.Data was collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire used was a 14 question survey instrument. The instrument was sectioned into 3 parts with 6 questions in part 1, 4 questions in part 2 and 4 questions in part 3. The type of data collected was primary data and was qualitative in nature. A major flaw in this research is that calculation of the validity and reliability of the test instrument was not conducted. No controls were usedResearch methodologyIn terms of the research methodology and design used, the research was an empirical, qualitative study. As it was conducted in the real world setting, it cannot be easily replicated, and lacks internal validity as well. Â  Lack of internal validity is indicated by the absence of alternative explanations to the outcomes obtained.Besides, the study is more prone to subjective interpretation, lacks external validity since the data was particularized to one case, and it is not possible to generalize the findings to other settings. Other flaws in the design include the possibility of bias in the survey instrument, interviewer bias, bias in the questionnaire design, learner bias and bias in the administration of the questionnaire.Statistical analysisThe investigators made use only of descriptive statistics. Since no inferences were being sought, no relationships were being examined and the data was qualitative, t he statistical method chosen was very suitable for the study. The data analysis is appropriate to answer the specified research question.Critique of articleThe study is presented in a simplified manner, has logical flow, and the reader is able to follow the article with relative ease. Even so, the researcher could have made better use of graphics by using graphs, pie-charts and bars to present the outcomes.Since it was devoid of recondite terms and terminology, the writing style is deemed to be appropriate for the target audience. Flaws in the structure of research pertained to the design and include lack of validity and bias.To reduce the errors and flaws identified in the study, the researcher can use randomized sampling methods. To eliminate bias in questionnaire design, appropriate formatting should be done and redundant and lengthy questions avoided. Bias due to administration of the questionnaire can be eliminated by blinding the interviewer. This will also help to ensure the objectivity of the interviewer.The test-retest method can be used to enhance the validity of the outcomes and culturally sensitive questions formulated. Language used should be consistent, unambiguous and devoid of jargon. Finally, respondents should not be asked to answer attitudinal, behavioral or knowledge questions for others.