Polar Sports Inc.

Polar Sports dominates the ski fashion wear market and has managed to stay profitable in an industry that has a lot of challenges. The firm uses unique production processes to manufacture high quality products which attract diverse consumers in the market.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Polar Sports Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the main challenges it faces is that it has to contend with high labor and operational costs which are likely to affect its future financial performance in the industry. In addition, some of its competitors manufacture their products in Asian countries which have cheap labor costs and as a result, they are likely to gain a higher market share in the long run. SWOT Analysis Strengths The firm has a strong financial position. It has efficient distribution systems that allow it to supply products to customers quickly. It has a strong brand. Weaknesses Its future perfo rmance may be negatively affected by high costs. It has to contend with unpredictable market forecasts and future risks. Opportunities It can focus on expansion into other markets. It needs to develop new product lines that appeal to new consumers Threats Its future profitability forecasts may be affected by low prices from its competitors. Unsustainable hiring labor practices. The seasonal sales volumes have helped the firm to maintain its competitive position in the industry. However, if the firm opts to go for level production, it may be able to attract new customers from other market segments and this will result in higher sales volumes. However, some of its brands may lose their appeal due to overexposure and this may have a negative effect on its long term prospects in the industry. Even though this approach is likely to change the firm’s operations in the short term, it may be forced to change its supply chain processes to avoid antagonizing its suppliers and dist ributors. The firm’s has a wide sales network which it can utilize to strengthen its financial position. However, it should not adopt a level production format for all its products because this approach is likely to expose it to different marketing risks. Wholesalers take close to two months to pay for their products. This situation may have a negative impact on performance during periods when the firm is unable to attain positive revenues from other sales channels. The firm has low debts and this shows that it has a positive borrowing capacity which can help it acquire more funds for expansion. However, it needs to use both seasonal and level production formats to safeguard the value of its brands in the market. Some of the potential courses of action the firm should look at include:Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Increasing its sales channels Developing more products Using online sales and payment systems to reduce distribution costs Increasing sales in foreign markets to grow its operations. The firm needs to find out consumer purchasing patterns and lifestyles to come up with a more effective production format. This approach will help the firm to find out the amount of profits or losses it is likely to experience after moving from seasonal to level production. In addition, the firm needs to find out how its cash flow situation is likely to be affected by this shift. The firm should also find out if it will be able to get adequate cash inflows to help it execute its crucial functions without any disruptions. Moreover, the firm needs to estimate quantities of products it needs to sell in the market to attain its long term objectives. Lastly, Polar Sports Inc. needs to assess the impact of this shift on consumers’ brand perceptions and if it is likely to affect their loyalty towards its products. The key criteria that would influ ence my decision are: brand value, market performance of each individual product, financial implications and internal operations of the firm. The above named criteria will determine if the firm will be in a position to reduce costs to sustain its positive performance in the industry. I would use both level and seasonal production approaches to safeguard the firm’s cash flows and to deal with different types of potential risks in the market. The seasonal approach would be used for all products when the firm registers high sales volumes from September to January. On the other hand, the level production approach would be used for specific products that are always in demand throughout the year to increase sales revenues. The firm needs to invest in more effective data gathering techniques to find out how consumers purchase its products in the market. It also needs to invest in systems that assess existing and future demand of its products. This will help the firm to plan the exac t quantities of products to be manufactured to satisfy market needs. The firm also needs to consider using foreign manufacturers for some of its products to reduce high production costs which are likely to become unsustainable in the long term. I would ask the lender to look at the sales and revenue figures for the past four years. During this period, the firm has managed to register good results from its operations. This case study on Polar Sports Inc. was written and submitted by user The Watchers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bear Debate essays

Bear Debate essays Hunting, to me, has always been the reason my dad disappeared on the weekends once the whether turned colder. I never paid much attention, nor did I ever really form a view on hunting itself. The men in my family are big on it, so I was always hearing the its in the thrill of the hunt comments; and to be perfectly honest, it must have been because I can only remember one time when the unshaven, plaid laden men didnt come home empty handed. It being the year 2004, its official that I can vote. Everyone who knows me could tell you Im not the politically sound type, so it was no shock that I wasnt all that keen on casting my votes in the upcoming elections. Whos ya papi? was echoing throughout Fenway Park. I was watching the Sox Pregame show on NESN with my family when it broke to a commercial. There appears a Maine black bear, howling due to it experiencing severe pain and anguish, as he is stuck helplessly in a trap. Alongside the trap is a large barrel of meat and human scraps that is intended to bait the bear to the area. Within seconds, men are shown on the screen, standing within feet from this occurrence; and instead of calling for help and trying to free the bear, a man calmly walks right up to the bear (close enough to touch him), pulls out a gun, and fires shots directly at the it. VOTE YES ON QUESTION #2 flashes on the screen to bring the commercial to an end. What a powerful message. I admit Im not overly informed on hunting and its laws, but what I saw seemed outrageous. There was no way that could be seen as anything other than wildlife abuse. Realizing the amount of propaganda that fills campaign ads, I decided to research the issue to ensure that Id make an informed opinion. I found one of the biggest debates within the topic of bear trapping to be that if we were to make it a crime and illegal, ...

Clostridium difficile infection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Clostridium difficile infection - Essay Example difficile infection, 2013). C. difficile bacteria are present in soil, water, air, processed food including meat, animal and human feces. It gets to the body through feces when people don’t wash their hands or touch anything contaminated. Although intestine has millions of helpful bacteria but use of antibiotics actually destroys some of them which subsequently increases the harmful functionality of C. difficile (Diseases and Conditions: C. difficile infection, 2013). Here, patients may lose hydration and need to be hospitalized. The colon tends to become inflamed which subsequently form raw tissue patches. These patches are also subject to bleeding and pus release. Additionally it might have following symptoms: In few circumstances the doctor might examine the interior colon so as to confirm C. difficile infection. Colonoscopy is usually used for this purpose in which a small tube with camera is inserted into the colon to analyze inflamed and affected areas. When C. difficile infection is identified then antibiotics which incited the infection should be stopped immediately. However, this is not possible in every case hence it is most appropriate to use other antibiotics which do not strengthen the activity of bacterium. Moreover, the antidiarrheal medicines should not be used for treating this infection because these can initiate toxic megacolon. If patients are having severe abdominal pain and fever then Vancomycin is best suitable for them (C. difficile Infection, 2012). Antibiotics should be used with extensive care (Stopping C. difficile Infections, 2012). Moreover, physicians should remain careful about the symptoms of C. difficile infection so as to take immediate actions. Community service programs and control recommendations can also help in tackling with the disease and its severe consequences. Adults, patients and medical professionals should be well aware about the disease and its

Strategy and change management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategy and change management - Essay Example With the aim to reduce the operational cost several business enterprises engaged in the airline industry decided to merge. The year 2008 marked the emergence of the world’s largest airline named Delta after the successful merger of two proclaimed organizations namely Delta Airlines, Inc and Northwest Airline Corp. The capability of the newly developed airline company increased as a result of the merger. Northwest Airline is now a subsidiary of the former organization. The low cost airlines seem to compete in the market where the density of passengers is high and in such a market the low cost airlines can enjoy the competitive advantages. They offer timely services and the low cost acts as the catalyst in driving the travellers to the airlines booking offices. In the airline industry the economies of scale theory has a major role to play. The density of traffic allows the airline organizations to offer such low fares and is a prime feature of the industry. The economies of scale theory also bring some non price benefits along with it. The airline companies try to compete with the tool of product d ifferentiation and the quality customer service seems to make up the other tools of competition. The airline operators in Europe and America had to face turbulences during the period of downturn. The competition revolved around fares, service and operational efficiency. The over reliance on the market of North America has been one of the reason for the turbulence for the company under consideration. The topic of merger and acquisition is a topic of discussion in the airline industry. The price of fuel and the increased cost of operation have acted to shuffle the balance of the forecasted growth for the airline operators. The assignment will take into consideration the significance of the merger that exists between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. In 2008 the two companies discussed

Hamas, hezbolla and islamic jihad Essay Example for Free

Hamas, hezbolla and islamic jihad Essay Hamas is an Islamic resistance movement formed in 1987 to fight for Palestinian occupied land of Gaza strip, West bank and east Jerusalem. However, its initial creation was to destroy Israel and form a Palestinian Islamic state. It is highly known for its suicide bombings and other violence against Israeli military facilities and civilians. Despite these, Hamas has performed various social, military and political activities having provided social and welfare services, such as schools and hospital facilities to Palestinians. It dedicates much of its funds to the welfare, cultural and educational services, which are meant to influence Palestinians so as get their support in their military actions against Israeli. Most of these funds originated from OPEC countries such as Kuwait, Iran, and Saudi Arabia etc. Hezbollah or party of God is a political and paramilitary organization found in Lebanon. It was formed during the Lebanese civil war as the army of Shia followers and they were trained, organized and financed by Revolutionary Guards of Iran. Its main aim of creation was to put to an end Western colonialism, punish the phalaghists and develop a political Islamic nation in Lebanon. To many Western countries, it is considered a terrorist group after being connected to Beirut bombing in 1983, but to Arabian and Islamic countries it is viewed as an organization opposed to Western ideologies and policies. More so, it is highly popular in Lebanese and of them in support of its activities as to them it is legitimate organization. It receives its training, financial and military support from Iran. The organization has its leaders in Lebanese Government, a radio station and a satellites television as well as social and welfare programs such as provision of health and educational facilities. In addition, it is believed to be one of the first Islamic groups to use suicide bombing, assassination and kidnapping of foreigners so that they grievances could be attended to; but later on, they turned to military actions such as firing of missiles etc. Islamic Jihad refers to religious wars, which are declared by Muslims whenever they feel like their Islamic religion is being attacked or threatened. The Islamic groups or organizations have no big difference between them, as they were created to fight for certain grievances or policy changes those they felt inappropriate to the Islamic society. In most cases, they wage terrorist attacks and wars against their opponent without regard for the innocent citizens. They actions are out of desperation and bitterness, given the fact they have to rely on other Arabic and Islamic nations for military and financial support. Without these aid, they have no other way to let world know their grievances and that is why they have to use each and every opportunity to ensure that they point is home, even if its suicide bombing. They differ in terms of their location, financial and military powers, and possibly, their grievances. For instance, Hezbollah is more powerful in terms of its political, economic and social influence than Hamas, this can be attributed to the fact that it is highly effective in its tactics and its policies. The radical groups pose a very big danger to the United States, due to the fact they have a well trained and organized network of their dedicated army strategically positioned waiting for any chance to hit the Americans. These has been portrayed clearly in their current effort to bomb United Kingdom, though one may believe that they are enmity is focused towards Israel. Nevertheless, the fact remains that U. S. support is biased towards the Israelites hence the enmity. At the same time, Muslims believe in religious wars so to them war is part of their religion, hence when they kill a person in the name of protecting their religion they believe there is a reward. Lastly, the fact they are financed by other Islamic and Arabian countries implies that they have the means and the capabilities of attacking the U. S. For instance, Hezbollah was able to defeat Israel with the help of Iran out of Lebanon, and considering that, there is Muslim unity that it is just a matter of what believes. These forms their network which highly in detectable even with the most accurate detecting gadget. Before any negotiations are made, there are several factors, which should be considered: the inducement to commit a terrorist attack is highly determined by the result of a certain terrorist operation, hence the attack that has notably positive impact for the groups are highly and that is the only time when a negotiation is initiated. The Kurdish occupied territories of the Middle East came under the governance of indigenous Kurdish chiefs during the middle era, though they never formed a unified government. However, from 14th century the territories were incorporated to the Ottoman Empire. The incorporation of the Kurdish occupied regions of turkey of eastern Anatolia into turkey angered many Kurds and ended up in a long running war where many people lost their lives. There were major Kurdish conflict in the territory and it was declared a no go zone for foreigners by Turkish authorities for its military use in the year 1925 and 1965. However, turkey first president undertook serious actions to curb the Kurdish cultural and political activities, and this trend followed closely under his successors. For instance, a number of regions were put under martial law to curb the activities of Kurdistan workers party (PKK), and this resulted to severe violent guerilla warfare. This caused much of the country be evacuated and a number of Kurdish inhabited villages destroyed and various judicial execution carried out by both turkey and Kurdish. Since 1999, the state of affairs has cooled down with the abduction other PKK leader Abdullah Ocala, and with the European Union encouragement for official tolerance of Kurdish cultural actions. There are countries that have stake in the Kurdish, turkey and Iraq conflict. These include members of European Union and the western states like U. S, U. K. etc.

Science Research Paper :: essays research papers

Corrosion and rubbing alcohol vs. corrosion and hydrogen peroxide â€Å"Are brass, lead, iron, and aluminum more likely to corrode in solutions of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide?† a. Definition-corrosion, rust, oxidation Corrosion is the atmospheric oxidation of metals. Rusting is essentially a process of oxidation in which iron combines with water and oxygen to form rust. Rust is the reddish-brown crust that forms on the surface of iron. Rust, a chemical compound, is a hydrated ferric oxide Fe2O3 ·nH2O, where n is usually 11/2. The chemical mechanism of rusting is not fully known, but is thought to involve oxidation of metallic iron to ferrous ion, (Fe++) and reaction of the ferrous ion with oxygen and water to form rust. This reaction is catalyzed by water, acids, and metals (e.g., copper and tin) below iron in the electromotive series. Because iron is so widely used, e.g., in building construction and in tools, its protection against rusting is important. Although metals (e.g., aluminum, chromium, and zinc) above iron in the electromotive series corrode more readily than iron, their oxides form a tenuous coating that protects the metal from further attack. Rust is brittle and flakes off the surface of the iron, continually exposing a fresh surf ace. Rusting can be prevented by excluding air and water from the iron surface, e.g., by painting, oiling, or greasing, or by plating the iron with a protective coating of another metal. Metals used for plating include chromium, nickel, tin, and zinc. Zinc plating is called galvanizing. (www.encyclopedia.com/articles:2000). Many alloys of iron are resistant to corrosion. Stainless steels are alloys of iron with such metals as chromium and nickel; they do not corrode because the added metals help form a hard, adherent oxide coating that resists further attack. The iron hulls of ships can be protected against rusting by attaching magnesium strips to the underside of the vessel. An electric current is generated, with the magnesium and iron acting as electrodes and seawater acting as the electrolyte. Because magnesium is above iron in the electromotive series, it serves as a "sacrificial anode and is oxidized in preference to the iron. This is called cathodic protection, since the iron serves as the cathode and thus escapes oxidation. This method is also used to protect the pipes of electric generating plants where saltwater is used as a coolant.) (www.encyclopedia.com/articles:2000). The involvement of water accounts for the fact that rusting occurs much more rapidly in moist conditions as compared to a dry environment such as a desert.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Analysis Essay

Vladimir Nabokov’s choice of subject in his novel Lolita shocked readers, but that was essentially why he chose it. Beetz, states that Nabokov’s first inspiration for the novel came from a newspaper story about an ape â€Å"‘who after months of coaxing by a scientist, produced the first drawing ever charcoaled by an animal: this sketch showed the bars of the poor creature’s cage’ Nabokov said. As many critics have remarked Lolita is not about sex but about love. Even more it is about obsession-and the destructive power it can hold over the lives of its victims.†(Beetz 2481) Also with out the shock value of Lolita’s risque subject of the â€Å"love story† between a man and his twelve year old step daughter, the book most likely would not have become as famous as it is. As Serafin states, Lolita became very popular underground after it was banned in Europe. The taboo of it being banned mixed with Nabokov’s sparkling wit made Lolita a sensation.(338) As Hart says in the 1950’s peoples attitudes towards sex were still very puritanical and conservative.(158) By exploiting the scandalousness of the violation of the last sexual taboo, the relationship between an adult and child, Nabokov was able to really show the extent of the power of infatuation, love and obsession. As Nabokov shows in his novel Humbert Humbert knows what he is doing to Lolita is wrong, but his burning desire for her drives him to violate his own morals. He even used morals to try and justify his actions, â€Å"The moral sense in mortals is the duty†¦We have to pay on mortal sense of beauty†(Nabokov 300) In this quote Humbert dilutes himself into thinking he has a moral obligation to appreciate the beauty that is Lolita, when in reality he has a moral obligation to leave Lolita alone and allow her to have a normal childhood. Another quote in which Nabokov shows how Humbert’s obsession controls him is the following; â€Å"I felt proud of myself. I had stolen the honey of a spasm without impairing the morals of a minor. Absolutely no harm done.†(Nabokov 65) In this quote he is referring to â€Å"pleasuring him self† while near Lolita with out actually touching her. The very nature of his actions show his desperation and it soon become apparent that Humbert’s twisted fantasies will not satiate his obsession for long and that he will act on it and â€Å"impair the morals of a minor†. By using the shock to readers of a relationship between an adult and a child, Nabokov successfully was able to show the extent of what obsession and love can drive a person to do. Humbert’s obsession lead him to ruin the lives of himself, Clare Quilty and the childhood of Lolita. Nabokov choose his taboo subject for Lolita to increase the impact of the character’s actions as driven by his own infatuation.