Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix Free Essays

string(59) " the relative potential for growth within the new segment\." 1. INTRODUCTION Corporate strategic decisions are usually based on the methods through which an organization could leverage its existing competitive advantage in promoting value and ensuring growth (Lynch, 2009), while sustainable competitive advantage depends largely on how well a company performs these actions (Porter, 2008). The need for companies to grow and expand has been known to drive product and marketing innovation, which in turn prompts them into adopting different organisational strategies, based on the products they sell and markets they target (Ansoff, 1984). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Ansoff Matrix, developed by Igor Ansoff in 1957 highlights four major strategic options (Figure 1) through which an organisation could adapt its new or existing products into a new or existing marketplace. The matrix is employed by businesses in decision-making processes surrounding product offerings and market growth strategies. The matrix is also known as the Product/Market growth matrix and it major function is to help organisations in evaluating available options for growth given their product and market mix. Johnson et al (2008) also depict it as a method of ascertaining the benefits or risks associated with each strategic option. The major strategic options available, as depicted in Figure 1, are for an organisation to penetrate its existing market, develop its market, develop its products or diversity completely with a new product into a new market. Ansoff matrix Figure 1: Ansoff Matrix. Source: Ansoff (1957), adapted from Lynch (2009) 2. QUADRANTS 2.1. MARKET PENETRATION As stated earlier, there are four output options for the Ansoff Matrix. The first of which is market penetration. This is a strategic option for an organisation seeking to expand its market share in an existing market, with an existing product. Mercer (1996) states that the growth strategy inherent in the Market Penetration option is for an organisation seeking to maintain or increase share of its existing products within the market place, gain market leadership, change competitive processes within a matured market, or increase awareness amongst existing consumers. According to Hooley et al (2004), the option to penetrate deeper within the marketplace is a low risk option that makes use of existing resources. A typical example of an organisation using this strategy would be Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines aggressively offers low cost flights within small distance cities. The company’s existing product is low cost travel, which is an industry dominated by several companies and witnessing high competitive pressures across all major markets. However, through its combination of aggressive marketing and low cost pricing, the company is able to dominate the market within Southwest United States (Shaw, 2007). Another example of market penetration strategy would be that of Pakistan State Oil. The company experiences competition from local and foreign oil companies that sell petroleum through retail petrol stations. However, it has been able to increase its market share from 40% to 65% over a period of 4 years by opening new retail outlets and investing in external advertisement (Economic Review, 2005). The strategy adopted by Pakistan State Oil is similar to that of Southwest Airlines, in that they operate within competitive markets, but by investing competitively, they are able to maintain market share and grow within their respective industries. This strategy also illustrates the low risk advantage of market penetration. The companies utilise existing products in an already known market. They do not have to invest in research and development or excessively advertise within a new market in order to create awareness. Adopting this strategy would cement the organisation’s position within the industry and increase the barriers for entry for new competitors (Porter, 2008). Since market penetration is focused on retaining existing customers, it is a lot cheaper than acquiring new customers in an unknown market. However, a major disadvantage of this strategy is that it does not promote corporate growth into other potentially higher earning sectors (Watts et al, 1998). By focusing simply on retaining existing customers, Watts et al argue that the company loses out on the new investment potential, while Fifield (1998) also depicts that expanding market share within an existing industry poses a significant risk as the industry growth may decline and the organisation has lower growth potential. 2.2. MARKET DEVELOPMENT The option to develop a market is recommended by Ansoff to organisations that aim to offer an existing product into a new market. The various alternatives available would be to leverage an existing product into a new geographical region, using different product dimensions, distributing the products through new channels, or adopting different pricing strategies (Proctor, 2000). The major goal of market development would be to attract a new customer segment, using a slightly different strategy, into consuming an existing product (Ansoff, 1984). The risk associated with this strategy has been depicted by Watts et al (1998) to be moderate, due to the risks associated with entering a new market. According to a case study in Christensen et al (2005, p.51), Arm and Hammer owned a small business selling baking soda product and were able to attract a new segment of customers by identifying new uses for baking soda. They realised that apart from being used solely for baking, the products could be used as a household cleaning and deodorizing product, so they repackaged its contents and marketed them to supermarkets and corner shops as effective cleaning agents. Due to the relative infancy of the market, they had to engage in a series of advertisement that helped to communicate the relevance of their product and methods through which it could be used for other purposes. Through this strategy, they were able to increase revenue and adapt one product to different market segments. This case study confirms previous assumptions that through market development, a company could leverage an existing product into a new market (Collis and Montgomery, 2008). The market development actions they engaged in were essential in building product awareness amongst the new customers. According to Fifield (1998), companies engaging in market development would gain new customers, increase turnover and profits, and ensure corporate growth due to the relative potential for growth within the new segment. You read "Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix" in category "Essay examples" However, Hooley et al (2004) also discuss the risks associated with market development. The option to foray into a new market segment entails the cost of developing this new market, which consists of market costs and a potential change to the company’s marketing mix. If the strategy fails, then the company would have lost the substantial capital utilised in marketing and pushing this product into the new market. 2.3. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT The product development strategy is directed at organisations seeking to offer a new product into an existing market. This definition entails any new or modified product aimed at an existing market. Lynch (2009) asserts that the decisions to develop the product prior to delivery into the market is based on the company’s intention to exploit new technology, protect market share by introducing innovative products and also to utilise excess production capacity. This strategy entails a moderately high risk due to the level of product development and research required to develop a new product for a market that is already used to an existing product (Watts et al, 1998). The Apple iPod is a real life example of a new product delivery into an existing market. Prior to its introduction, most individuals usually listened to music on cassette players, desktop computers and the Sony Walkman (CNet, 2008). There was no innovative product in the market that allowed individuals to carry their music library on a digital device without the need for cassettes or compact discs. The iPod is a typical example of product development due to its innovative approach to playing music. It consisted of the sleek wheel navigation system that was relatively easy to use and display methods, which made scrolling through vast amounts of music much easier. Due to the product innovation method employed during its development, the Apple iPod quickly gained market share and is now the market leader in music devices (CNet, 2008). In accordance to Johnson et al’s (2008), the product development strategy associated with the delivery of the Apple iPod enabled the organisation to increase its customer base, brand awareness, brand into the music business, and utilise the iPod’s success as a platform in establishing the iTunes Music Store. Also confirming Hooley et al (2004) view that if a product development strategy for entry into a new market is successful, it may lead the company into introducing more innovative products into the same market or parallel markets, such as in the introduction of iPhone into the smart phone market, and most recently the iPad into the slate PC market. However, the benefits associated with such a strategy seem to be limited to strong brands with an already existing brand image in similar markets. Watts et al (1998) depict that smaller firms aiming to introduce a new product into an existing market may face shortfalls in marketing the product and investing in product development. Doyle (1997) also states that the high costs and time related in developing a new product for an existing market may be discouraging. Lynch (2009) thereby concludes that careful research needs to be undertaken before an organisation can implement a product development strategy, due to the lack of guarantee regarding market success. 2.4. DIVERSIFICATION The final quadrant in the Ansoff’s Matrix is a diversification strategy. Such a strategy entails offering a new product in a new market and is often used when a market has become saturated and profits are limited (Lynch, 2009). Doyle (1997) asserts that diversification strategies are usually in three forms: full diversification, backward diversification, or forward diversification. The diversification form adopted by the organisation usually depends on whether they are entering a completely new market, integrating backward and competing with suppliers or integrating forward and competing with buyers. Diversification, whatever form it entails has a generally high risk due the fact that the company would be offering an entirely new product in a new market. The Virgin Group is a typical example of a company that has consistently diversified into new markets. It forayed into the credit card industry with Virgin Money offering competitive credit card rates to customers; it diversified into travel and offers holiday packages to holiday goers, it also diversified into the mobile phone market with Virgin Mobile and most recently into Fitness with its range of Fitness centres. Forward diversification is being utilised in all these business ventures and have proved successful for the company. It is able to consistently leverage its brand image across different market segments. Johnson et al (2008) argues that Virgin’s main product is its brand, which it sells across different markets, and not necessarily the businesses its runs. Holbrook and Schindler (1996) state that companies that consistently practice diversification strategies are usually large with a reputable brand image such as Apple, General Electric and Virgin. They are able to leverage their brands across different markets due to high customer loyalty (Hooley et al, 2004). Therefore it seems that this strategy, just like that of Product Development is practised best by organisations with a reputable brand and resources required to develop and market a product effectively, be it an actual product or a brand. Lynch (2009) highlights that the potential benefits of diversification could be numerous. The company enjoys the benefits of operating within diverse markets, thereby ensuring improving profitability and customer loyalty. The company is also able to attain market leadership if the market is not crowded and if it has a unique product to sell. However Mercer (1996) criticises diversification strategies as a jack of all trade practice of venturing into several markets and not being the master of one, a statement that is typical of Virgin’s position. It is not a market leader in any of its markets. 3. CONCLUSION The Ansoff matrix has proved useful, and with the use of real life evidence, it accurately depicts the most effective strategies that businesses could use depending on their market and customer segment. Though the four strategies apply differently to companies depending on their market and product intentions, it also depends hugely on firm specific capabilities such as brand image and research capabilities. Organisations seeking to adopt its usage when seeking strategic direction should therefore do so in due consideration of their firm specific strengths and benefits and how these could also be applied to the products being offered and markets being targeted. Word Count: 2,063 4. REFERENCES Ansoff, I. H. (1957) Strategies for Diversification, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35 (5), pp.113-124 Ansoff, H. I. (1984) Implanting Strategic Management, Prentice-Hall: NJ, 455pp Economic Review (2005) ‘Performance of Oil and Gas Sector.’ Economic Review, Vol. 36, pp4- 13 Christensen, C., Cook, S., and Hall, T. (2005) ‘Marketing malpractice: The cause and the cure.’ Harvard Business Review, Vol. 14(3), pp56-73 CNet (2008) The complete history of Apple’s iPod [online], www.crave.cnet.co.uk, [accessed: 30/03/10] Collis, D. and Montgomery, C. A. (2008) Competing on Resources, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug p140-150 Doyle, P. (1997) Marketing Management and Strategy, Prentice Hall: NJ, 4334pp Fifield, P. (1998). Marketing Strategy, 2nd Ed, Butterworth Heinemann: NJ, 344pp Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., and Hoskisson, R.E. (2009) Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization (Concepts and Cases). 8th edition. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Holbrook M, and Schindler R. (1996) Market Segmentation Based on Age and Attitude Toward the Past: Concepts, Methods, and Findings Concerning Nostalgic Influences on Customer Tastes. Journal of Business Research, 37 (1): p27-39 Hooley, G. J., Saunders, J. A. and Piercy, N. (2004) Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning, 3rd Ed, Pearson Education: London, 622pp Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring corporate strategy: text cases. 8th Ed. Pearson Education Limited: Essex, UK. 878pp Lynch, R. L. (2009) Strategic management, 5th ed, Pearson Education Limited: UK, 826 pp Mercer, D. (1996) Marketing. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Porter, M. E. (2008) The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, Jan, Vol. 86 (1), p78-93 Proctor, T. (2000) Strategic Marketing: An Introduction, London: Routledge. Shaw, S. (2007) Airline Marketing and Management. 6th edition. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company. Watts, G., Cope, J., and Hulme, M. (1998) Ansoff’s Matrix, pain and gain, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, Vol. 4 (2), pp101 – 111 How to cite Strategic Management Ansoff Matrix, Essay examples

European Union Agency for Network and Information Security Security I

Question: Discuss about theEuropean Union Agency for Network and Information Securityfor Security Infrastructure. Answer: ENISA An Overview of Case Study ENISA is a centre for the maintenance and implementation of security policies in the European Union and the associated organizations and agencies. It is referred to as European Union Agency for Network and Information Security and came up with the ENISA Technology Landscape (ETL) in 2014. The case study covers the current threats that exist and also lists the top threats for the year 2014 along with a comparison from the ones that were present in 2013. There were a number of measures that were taken to control the threats and ETL was designed with an aim to put a check on all the security loopholes. However, in spite of so many efforts and attempts, there were a number of occurrences. The case study covers the description of the top threats such as data breaches, insider threats, phishing, ransomware and many others. The case study also covers the threat agents that are involved in the execution of these threats and these agents are the cyber based agents such as cyber criminals, cyb er terrorists and many others. Technology is something that is changing at a rapid rate and the emerging technology trends and landscape has also been covered in the case study. The areas to focus upon in order to improve the security have been concluded in the end (Enisa, 2016). ENISA - Security Infrastructure Diagram The diagram depicts the various security areas that must be present in the security infrastructure so that the overall security of the system and its associated components can be enhanced. There are a huge number of entities that are present under ENISA and the same are required to be safeguarded against all the security loopholes. These levels and the sub-parts to be covered in the security aspect of ENISA has been shown in the security infrastructure diagram below. ENISA Security Infrastructure Diagram ENISA Steps to Deal with Insider Threats Administrative Controls The employees should be communicated about the policies and the list of dos and donts as far as the security mechanisms are concerned so that there may be no instances of mistakes or inadequate due diligence. Also, there must be trainings and administrative checks that must take place in a frequent manner to keep the internal employees aware about the security parameters to be followed (Musthaler, 2016). Physical Controls Physical security is something that is mostly overlooked and is not paid due attentions. However, physical controls must be applied such as display of identity cards, checking of the employee bags and likewise at all the entry and exit points (Cert, 2016). Technical Controls There are a number of technical controls and checks that must be applied and installed to make sure that the insider threats are prevented. Technical and automated identity and access management with the use of multi layer authentication and similar measures should be applied. There should also be maintenance of the technical logs and records so that the activities can be scanned and monitored at a non-stop basis. Risk assessment, network monitoring, network scans and many other technical measures should also be adopted. ENISA Data Breaches as Most Significant Threat There are a number of threats that have been listed in the case study as the top threats that were encountered in the year 2014. Data breaches that took place make up the threat that is most significant since its impact, likelihood and the risk ranking as well (Ko Dorantes, 2016). As per the data that has been recorded and analyzed in the case study, data breaches made up for the major portion of the threats that took place in 2014. Also, there were scenarios wherein the impact was extremely severe in nature. This threat has been judged and evaluated to be the most significant threat since it has the potential to hamper the confidentiality, availability and the privacy of the data. The information types that are associated with ENISA can be private or confidential such as there is a lot of healthcare information that the centre deals with. Any violation of the privacy of this category of data can be fatal for the organization and can result in some serious legal punishments. It is b ecause of this reason that the threat has been evaluated to be the most significant out of all (Amato, 2016). ENISA- Threat Agents and their Impact Cyber Criminals: These are the entities that make use of cyber platforms to introduce the web based attacked or inject the malicious code to the machine of the user. The intent behind these agents is to cause severe damage and also to gain unauthorized access. Online social hackers: Social hacking is the issue that is very commonly seen in the current era and these agents are the primary entities behind the execution of the same. Hacktivists: These are the threat agents that make use of a political motive to give shape to a particular threat or attack. Employees: The employees that are associated with a particular firm also add up to the major number of the threat agents and are involved in giving shape to the insider threats. These employees can be current or the ex-employees of a firm (Casey, Koeberl, Vishik, 2010). Script Kiddies: There is a great interest of technology among the young individuals and in their attempt to play with the technology; they may often result in being the part of a threat as a threat agent. These threat agents have a huge impact on the security architecture as these are the prime entities involved in the execution of a threat. It is therefore necessary to control their impact and the same can be done by improving the security infrastructure. Employees as threat agents can be controlled by implementing the administrative, physical and technical controls as described earlier. The other threat agents can be controlled by making sure that the security loopholes do not exist and there is advanced security mechanism applied across all the entry and exit points. ENISA Issues with Social Hacking Social hacking is a type of security assault that is executed by the social programmers as the operators of the dangers and incorporates the endeavor to change the social conduct of a client through various diverse means and methods. The present period is the time of social media and the nearness on this stage is right around an order for each and every person. The social programmers pick up favorable position through this wonder by performing dumpster making a plunge which the disposed of client profiles and information is gotten to recover imperative data and examples, for example, client name, contact data, email address and in like manner. Pretending is additionally a typical type of the social hacking issue that incorporates the pantomime of a specific client or association on a social stage to pick up data. Social hacking has come up a simple approach to break the web and system security as the nearness of the clients on the stage is enormous and it gets to be less demanding fo r the programmers to recover noteworthy data through various instruments. The effect of these social hacking issues can be moderate to amazingly extreme as these can possibly increase touchy and classified data through the medium. Such unapproved instrument of picking up the data can then be abused by the social programmers (Wood, 2016). ENISA- Common trends in the Threat Probability The table displays the comparison between the threats that occurred in the year 2013 and the threats that took place in the year 2014. The inclination and decline of the threats has also been displayed through the medium of the table. The threats that are seen to be more probable in 2014 and in the upcoming years are as listed below: Malicious Codes Web Based Attacks Injection Attacks Denial of Service Phishing Data Breaches Loss and Theft Information Leakage Identity Theft Cyber Espionage (Nichols, 2016) There are also attacks that have been seen and analyzed as less probable in the current era such as those associated with the botnets, spam, explore kits and scareware. There is a newer form of attacks which has been categorized as the insider attack and the probability that is associated with these threats is very high. It is because of the reason that there are lesser control and prevention measures that have been developed in order to put a check on them. The threat probability can therefore be defined as highly probable for the attacks that are on a rise as listed in the points above along with the insider threats. It would be lesser for the threats that are on a decline. ENISA Required Improvements in the ETL Processes The ENISA Technology Landscape was designed and implemented to make sure that the occurrences of the security threats and incidents could be minimized. However, in spite of so many efforts and measures there were still many threats that were seen with low o very severe impact. It is therefore necessary to bring about certain sets of improvements in the ETL processes which are as listed below (Microsoft, 2016). The design and implementation of the security policies must be done throughout the entities that are involved in ENISA rather than doing the same in a step by step manner. The policies that exist around the employee management and the processes involved with the same need to be improved. As soon as an employee quits an organization, the access and credentials allocated to the same must be dissolved. In case of missing the step, there may be access of information to the employee even after quitting the organization which may be dangerous. Cryptography and encryption techniques are still not very strong in the security infrastructure that is associated with ETL. There must be Advanced Data Encryption Standard (AES) that should be utilized to keep the information secure even if the attacker succeeds in the attempt to get hold of the same. Biometrics identity checks should be installed at all the entry and exit points to improve the identity management and keep the entire system automated to prevent any sort of manual intervention in the same. ENISA List of the Challenging Threats There are many of the top threats that have been listed for ENISA in the case study. The most challenging threats out of all are as listed below (Panetta, 2016). Insider Threats: These are the threats that are executed by the staff internal to the organization and thus are often difficult to predict or prevent in advance. The staff members are always aware of the security policies that are associated with the organization and form measures to curb the same. It therefore becomes challenging to put a check on these attacks. Data Braches: The amount of data that is present with the organizations in the current era is huge. It is because of this reason that the policies that are developed to control and prevent the threats associated with data breaches should be as per the type of information. The task can be troublesome to apply varied degree of policy for different type of data. Web Based Attack: The entire world is now using web for one purpose or the other and it is due to this very reason that the number of attacks is also huge from this medium. It is difficult to control these threats due to the amount and the severity of the same. Social Hacking Threat Agents and Issues: Social networking and the information that can be retrieved from these platforms is also an easy way out for the attackers and challenging for the security teams to put a check on the same. ENISA Current State of IT Security ENISA must not be satisfied at all with its present scenario of IT security. The reasons behind this are many such as the technology and the structure of technology is something that is not at all constant. It is changing with every passing second and therefore it would be necessary for ENISA to keep up with the same. There are also a number of security threats and attacks that are introduced in the agencies and organizations that are monitored by ENISA in spite of a number of countermeasures that have been developed. It is necessary to keep up the effort and come up with stronger parameters and mechanisms so that the attackers do not success in security breaches of any kinds and the number of threats also get reduced by a good margin. The effort that is required towards the support, maintenance and updates regarding the security measures must never be put to rest and it is essential to involve an element of innovation and technical advancement with the same to not allow the attacker s to succeed in their attempts (Aws, 2016). References Amato, N. (2016). The hidden costs of a data breach. Journal of Accountancy. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2016/jul/hidden-costs-of-data-breach-201614870.html Aws,. (2016). Overview of Security Processes. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://d0.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/aws-security-whitepaper.pdf Casey, T., Koeberl, P., Vishik, C. (2010). Threat agents. Proceedings Of The Sixth Annual Workshop On Cyber Security And Information Intelligence Research - CSIIRW '10. https://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1852666.1852728 Cert,. (2016). Insider Threat Best Practices. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.cert.org/insider-threat/best-practices/ Enisa,. (2016). ENISA draws the Cyber Threat Landscape 2014: 15 top cyber threats, cyber threat agents, cyber-attack methods and threat trends for emerging technology areas ENISA. Enisa.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.enisa.europa.eu/news/enisa-news/enisa-draws-the-cyber-threat-landscape-2014 Ko, M. Dorantes, C. (2016). The impact of information security breaches on financial performance of the breached firms: An empirical investigation. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://jitm.ubalt.edu/XVII-2/article2.pdf Microsoft,. (2016). Microsoft Core Infrastructure Optimization: IT Security Processes - Best Practices for Business IT. Microsoft.com. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.microsoft.com/india/infrastructure/capabilities/itprocesses.mspx Musthaler, L. (2016). 13 best practices for preventing and detecting insider threats. Network World. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.networkworld.com/article/2280365/lan-wan/13-best-practices-for-preventing-and-detecting-insider-threats.html Nichols, A. (2016). A Perspective on Threats in the Risk Analysis Process. Sans.org. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/auditing/perspective-threats-risk-analysis-process-63 Panetta, K. (2016). Gartner's Top 10 Security Predictions 2016 - Smarter With Gartner. Smarter With Gartner. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-10-security-predictions-2016/ Wood, P. (2016). Social hacking: The easy way to breach network security. ComputerWeekly. Retrieved 22 September 2016, from https://www.computerweekly.com/tip/Social-hacking-The-easy-way-to-breach-network-security

The tourism industry in Kenya Essay Example

The tourism industry in Kenya Paper The local people were denied an opportunity to make their contributions towards wildlife conservation and management as they were kept off protected areas. There was initially a lukewarm acceptance of the policy guideline that Kenya had an obligation of protecting the countrys fauna and flora for posterity by the local communities in whose areas the attractions abound. Equally, educational approaches and extension efforts were not very successful as the local communities were not benefitting directly from those resources within their areas.Empirical research however, indicated that direct sharing of benefits accruing from wildlife conservation and tourism were better appreciated by the local communities. These inadequacies which were inherent in the conservation policies of the 1970s thus led to the current concept of sustainable wildlife utilisation whereby economic sense and the utility of the product superseeds other considerations and in the process ensuring that the resource is managed on a rational and sustainable basis.The concept entails optimum resource management, efficiency in productivity as well as equitable sharing of the benefits. The Kenya Government, through its conservation arm, the Kenya Wildlife Service has put in place measures that ensure co-opting the support and participation of land owners in the management of wildlife. This involves sensitization, mobilization as well as education of the stakeholders.The Kenya Wildlife Service has also put in place appropriate measures which are aimed at capacity building by the relevant institutions in order that all the stakeholders become competent wildlife managers with adequate knowledge and skills regarding the contrib ution of wildlife visa-a-vis such alternative land uses as livestock keeping and agriculture. Optimum or sustainable consumptive wildlife utilisation therefore may only be achieved after area specific feasibility studies are carried out to determine its viability and compatibility with non-consumptive uses.Another important consideration is the sensitivity to the disparity in culture, ecology, and topography in the context of changing technology pertaining to game cropping, culling, game ranching, game farming and sale of live animals . The concept also entails accommodation of public interest without necessarily compromising private and community interests. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA The rich cultural diversity is an integral part of our tourist attractions since it is one of the main reasons why visitors travel to the outlying rural areas of Kenya.This product is therefore being developed and promoted as this type o f tourism can strengthen a societys culture and create employment at local levels thereby serving as an incentive for young people to stay in rural areas rather than migrate to urban areas in search of employment. It is with the foregoing in mind that made it necessary that sustainable tourism development be based on the ethics of care and respect for the respective communities culture. This approach ensures that the development is both people oriented as well as conservation based.Sustainable tourism in other words, means, using tourism constructively so as to support the conservation of the environment, reinforcing the cultural heritage of indigenous people as well as enabling them to benefit directly from revenue accruing from tourism and related activities. Kenya as a tourist destination has therefore adopted and encouraged sustainable tourism strategies in order to strike a balance between the needs of the industry and those of the local communities.Accordingly it has been foun d necessary to find ways and means of ploughing back the benefits accruing from tourism to the development of the local population. The main consideration here is to improve their living conditions, security, and their access to social services. Hence the important issues being addressed in this context include:- reducing vulnerability of exploitation of local communities by unscrupulous people and How to enhance retention of income accruing from tourism by the local communities so as to plough back into community based development projects.FUNDING OF THE KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE COMMUNITY BASED CONSERVATION EFFORTS Apart from core financing and moral support from the Central Government; community based conservation effort in Kenya has also benefitted from donor funding and private initiatives. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For instance in 1992, contracted with an American (U. S. ) consulting company, namely Development Alternatives, Inc. for the impl ementation of the Kenya Wildlife Serrvices Conservation of Biodiverse Resource Areas Project (COBRA) for a maximum investment by USAID of US$7,000,000.The amount has since been raised to US$8,500,000 and the time frame of the project has also been extended up to December, 1999. The goal of the COBRA project is to promote Socio-economic development through conservation and sustainable management of Kenyas natural resources. The main objective is to increase the flow of socio-economic benefits to local communities living adjacent to Kenyas National Parks and Reserves through the sustainable management of wildlife and other natural resources.This project has assisted in enhancing community awareness in conservation and wildlife management. The Conservation of Biodiverse Resource Areas Project (COBRA) has assisted the Kenya Wildlife Service in institutionalising a community based conservation component namely the Partnership Department, within the Organisation through the provision of s alary support to professional staff, training of lower cadres and procurement of vehicles, computers, and the necessary field equipment.The COBRA project has also assisted in the implementation of pilot community conservation programmes in three focal Districts; namely Laikipia, Samburu and Kajiado since 1993 as well as the coastal areas South of Mombasa. Although the COBRA project has assisted communities in the planning and implementation of community based development projects such as the construction of schools, clinics, water tanks among others, the projects main thrust since 1995 has been focused on the support of enterprises related to eco-tourism, which depend directly on wildlife.ALTERNATIVE FUNDING: PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP/ PARTNERSHIP APPROACH A CASE STUDY: LEWA DOWNS CONSERVANCY/ IL NGWESI The Lewa Downs Conservancy was formed to manage 55,000 acres of prime wildlife land for the purpose of protecting such endangered species as black Rhino and grevy Zebra, to establish Wildlife as a viable form of land use as well as to encourage the neighbouring land owners maintain wildlife migration routes. The conservancy has emphasized community involvement by the neighbouring land-owners.The projects include:- the development and operation of a health clinic, the establishment of community trust aimed at improving the standards of living of those juxtaposing the conservancy and assisting with the support of two community based wildlife trusts whose prime objectives are to use wildlife as a resource to generate money for people in neighbouring communities. A unique relationship was created between the Lewa Downs Conservancy and the IL NGWESI TOURIST LODGE, an income generating project, with a view to forming an ideal eco-tourism system.The IL Ngwesi Tourist Lodge which is located on Il Ngwesi Group Ranch (in North Eastern Laikipia) was built with Donor funding for the benefit of both visitors to Lewa Downs Conservancy and Borana ranch. The lodge has four ban das of unique architecture which are situated on an ideal site that overlooks the Mukogodo Escarpment and forest to the south and southwest and the picturesque hills of Wamba, Samburu Game Reserve, Mathews range and Sapashe to the North west. Natural materials have been used to construct the Bandas in order to blend with the environment thus making it an attractive eco-lodge.Construction of the lodge started in January 1996 and opened its doors to tourists on 19th December 1996. As of November 1997, it had grossed US$ 42,000 against an investment of US$ 140,000. The initial funding came from the Kenya Wildlife Service; and from Liz Clairborne and Art Ortenbury Foundations of U. S. A. The marketing and promotion of the lodge has been by word of mouth, but nevertheless the lodge has attracted a very enthusiastic clientele of expatriates living in Nairobi who are out to seek quietude and adventure in the in the African bush.To diversify activities, a cultural boma has been opened and i s visited by tourists from the lodge, Borana Ranch and the Lewa conservancy. Proceeds from the lodge are re-invested in community based development projects such as schools, cattle dips, water, bursary schemes and the group ranch members share dividends at the end of each year. The community formed a land management committee that limits the land to be set a side for cattle ranching.The losses incurred as a result of limited land for ranching are offset by revenues generating from the operations of the lodge and annual dividends. The Kenya Wildlife Service sensitizes and mobilizes the community through Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs), workshops, study tours and training of committee members on leadership and record keeping, as well as training scouts from the community. A general meeting is held each year to discuss the utilisation of funds realised from the bandas. Nearly all employees of the Il Ngwesi Bandas are members of the community.The Bandas thus have shown that the co mmunity based wildlife conservation projects can raise income and has also demonstrated the utility of the local natural resources. The enterprise has positively changed the attitude of the group ranch members towards wildlife conservation. This is a typical success story of an eco-tourism enterprise that has created direct linkages between conservation of the community land and tourism related wildlife projects by providing a focus for the community to preserve the environment and the rationale to do it.The tripartite co-operation between Lewa Downs conservancy, the community and the Kenya Wildlife Service partnership programme has created a model worth emulating in the development of sustainable tourism and distribution of benefits, especially in communities based in remote areas of Kenya. Il Ngwesi is a model product which is essentially a major departure from the Big Five syndrome that has been a driving force for our Safari visitors. It is important to note from this model the low cost capital out lay as compared to the unique compatibility of the projects and the distribution of the accrued benefits to the local communities.The Eco tourism Society of Kenya endeavours to help promote tourism in Kenya by projecting a positive image and encouraging high standards, green certification, carrying out consumer surveys offering consultancy services, advice and information, public information, public relations, organizing conferences and seminars, publishing appropriate newsletters, brochures and books as well as conducting research. DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM INDUSTRY WITHIN AFRICA REGIONDestinations in Africa enjoy a privileged position in relation to the major tourist generating markets due mainly to their unique features, history as well as a wide range of products on offer. The strong awareness for conservation of the environment and the demand for exoticism by potential travellers translates into increasing demand by an ever growing number of foreign visitors. Accordingly there is need for destinations in Africa to co-operate more closely in areas of product development, research, manpower development and training as well as exchange of tourism experts and tourism information.It is also necessary to harmonise travel formalities within the region so as to encourage free flow of visitors and maximisation of benefits accruing from tourism interactions within the region. Indeed such close co-operation can be forged and enhanced within the framework of the existing regional economic groupings such as the Common market for Eastern and Southern Africa(Comesa), Preferential Trade Area (PTA), Sadacc, East Africa Co-operation, Indian Ocean rim association for regional co-operation.These economic groupings can play a pivotal role in positioning Africa to be a major force in the envisaged tourism growth. In the development, promotion and marketing of our respective destinations we should always bear in mind the complementary nature of our products wi thin the region. Secondly although by and large the countries within the region are destination countries rather than tourist generating countries, there is a vast market for intra-regional tourism, which has not yet been fully tapped.This observation holds true for example for both the Republic of South Africa and Kenya, which incidentally share a lot in common. However the free flow of visitors from each country has been hampered by among others, travel formalities and failure to capitalise on our complementality. CONCLUSION Most of Africas Eco-system still remain intact and unspoiled thus providing a strong basis for a sustainable tourism development. All that is required proper planning and management of the available resources. It should be born in mind that sustainable tourism cannot thrive if we do not take care of our fragile environment.In this context, therefore, we should always remember the cardinal point that we all have a duty to practice responsible tourism so that at the end of the day we shall be able to conserve our fragile environment and biodiversity for the benefit of mankind. To this end there is therefore, an urgent need to put the necessary legislations and codes of conduct in place so as to ensure balanced development of tourism in African tourist destinations. Exchange of information and experience among African National would also be vital in achieving the requisite results for the development of sustainable tourism in conservation of the environment. We will write a custom essay sample on The tourism industry in Kenya specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The tourism industry in Kenya specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The tourism industry in Kenya specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Understanding Passive Vocabulary

Understanding Passive Vocabulary A passive vocabulary is made up of the words that an individual recognizes but rarely uses when speaking and writing. Also known as recognition vocabulary. Contrast with  active vocabulary.   According to John Reynolds and Patricia Acres, Your passive vocabulary is  likely to contain more words than the active one. One way to improve the range of the vocabulary in your own writing is to try to transfer words from your passive to the active vocabulary (Cambridge Checkpoint English Revision Guide, 2013). Examples and Observations A passive vocabulary . . . includes the words stored in verbal memory that people partially understand, but not well enough for active use. These are words that people meet less often and they may be low frequency words in the language as a whole. In other words, activating them takes longer and it demands greater stimulus than most textual contexts provide. Words stop being passive if people are regularly contracting relations that activate them, since this lowers the amount of stimulus needed to put them to use. A facility in using the words develops. Again constraints of another kind in the extralinguistic context may also restrict the active use of some words. This can happen even when words are available for active use in principle, such as cultural taboo words that most people know but rarely use outside certain settings.(David Corson, Using English Words. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995)Media saturation may . . . provide what Dennis Baron called a passive lingua franca. We al l understand what we hear on the radio or see on TV, giving us a passive vocabulary, but that doesnt mean that we use that vocabulary actively in writing or speaking.(Robert MacNeil et al., Do You Speak American? Random House, 2005) How to Estimate the Size of Your VocabularyTake your dictionary and peruse 1 per cent of its pages, i.e. 20 pages of a 2,000-page dictionary, or every hundreth page (you need to take a range of letters of the alphabet). Note down how many words: (a) you are confident that you would regularly use; (b) you would recognize and understand if you read or heard them. Be brutally honest with yourself! Then multiply your totals by 100, to give a first approximation of your likely active and passive vocabularies.(Howard Jackson, Grammar and Vocabulary: A Resource Book for Students. Routledge, 2002)A Passive-Active Continuum[A]  commonly drawn  distinction is between active vocabulary, that which can be produced at will, and passive vocabulary, that which can be recognized.  However, as discussed in Teichroew  (1982), the picture is really more complicated. Lexical knowledge cannot be captured by means of a simple dichotomy. Teichroew proposed that vocabulary knowledge can best be repr esented as a continuum with the initial stage being recognition and the final being production. In her view, production should not be viewed in a monolithic fashion, for productive knowledge includes producing both a range of meanings as well as appropriate collocations (i.e., what words go together). For example, in our discussion of the word break  with regard to the work of Kellerman . . ., we noted the many meanings of that word. Initially, learners may know the meaning of break as in break a leg or break a pencil, and only with time do they learn the full range of meanings and such collocations as His voice broke at age 13.(Susan M. Gass and Larry Selinker,  Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course, 2nd ed. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2001)

A Tragic Hero Things Fall Apart English Literature Essay

A Tragic Hero Things Fall Apart English Literature Essay Things Fall Apart is an intriguing story of how an Indian tribe is cultivated and one man’s pride brings him down. Okonkwo is flawed but has a desire to do good for his clan. As the protagonist the clan’s conflict is sought out by Okonkwo and his excessive pride. Building his compound from nothing, Okonkwo demands authority and power amongst his fellow clansmen. By the end of the story Okonkwo is unwilling to compromise due to his pride and is brought down by it even though he has a good clan stature and power. Okonkwo is a tragic hero and fulfils all the qualifications to be considered one. There are four criteria of a tragic hero, which shape the character’s fate. The character must be flawed but have the potential or want to do good, and have a lot of pride. Conflict is attempted to be resolved by the hero because they are often the protagonist. A protagonist is a leading character that is used to influence the direction of the plot. The tragic hero has oppor tunity, wealth, or power. In the end the tragic hero’s quality of excessive pride will bring him down and the opposite of what the reader thinks will happen does indeed occur. Okonkwo is the son of Unoka, who was a very lazy and worthless man who held no tribe titles and did not look after his family. Many people knew Unoka as this and his name was soiled. He borrowed lots of money from friends and deceived them by not so much as attempting to repay them. Having been born at this disadvantage Okonkwo had to work extra hard to have a normal lifestyle or even to rise above that as a leader in the Umuofia clan. â€Å"Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit†(Achebe, 19). This quote exploits Okonkwo’s father as a failure and defines Okonkwo as a tragic hero not because of his low birth status but because of the internal hatred it creates in him. He becomes cold he arted to anything weak or lazy and can not easily be pleased with anything. Later his son Nwoye leaves him because of his harsh treatment, even though Okonkwo had good intentions. Nwoye attended the Christian church and was brutally beaten when asked where he had been. A neighboring tribe committed a crime against the Umuofia clan and Okonkwo was sent as a messenger to lay out options. â€Å"And such was the deep fear that their enemies had for Umuofia that they treated Okonkwo like a king and brought him a virgin who was given to Udo as wife, and the lad Ikemefuna† (Achebe, 59). Okonkwo is very strong and his chi agrees with him making him more powerful. He is aggressive and respected due to his pride and confidence that he carries about himself. This leads him to be uncompromising and violent, but he uses these qualities for what he thinks is good.

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 Essay

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 - Essay Example The analysis looks at the Spanish-American war which took place in 1898. This war is said to have been started by Cuba following its urge for independence. The key figures include President Woodrow Wilson and Charles Evans (who was the secretary of state). An event like the Swedish emigration to North America between 1840 and 1920 is well captured by the author. The real cause for this emigration was poverty and Swedish were trying to run away from it. The highest number migrated in 1869 and1887. He approximates the number of Swedish to be about half a million, most of who settled in Canada, Australia and Brazil. They left Sweden by boat from Gothenburg and traveled to Liverpool from where they were ferried to New York and Boston by the emigrant ships. One of the authors Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) who even wrote a book titled the emigrants. It is also features Buchanan's (1856) whose art compromise skills led him to be the only president in America to be from Pennsylvanian. He ruled for four years and declined to take another term. He was succeeded by Abraham Lincoln. It was the informal agreements between Buchanan himself and South Carolina that kept was on hold. All these writings by this author acts as an eye opener to the reader giving him/her a chance to clearly examine rationalization and the inner thoughts as portrayed by the author. This can help in documenting the America's history and the changing spheres that can perpetually change America's history and its connection with the today's world1. This paper incorporates analysis from the book titled The Colonial Period of American History that was authored by Andrews and published in 1930. Materials from this book are meant to appear as confirmation to the author's information so as not to come up with conflicting history regarding the America's experience. The book concentrates more on the events that took place between 1865 and 1918, thus covering up to the first world war.America's Experience World War 11 For many years the United States has been largely involved in the world war. During the year 1865 America was involved in the civil war with its principal problems being: - Preservations of Monroe Doctrine integrity - The doctrine were a treaty that pledged signatories to a joint control of any future, unfortified isthmian canal dominion by one of the involved parties. Preventing the southern independence recognition by France and Britain. Holding those powers to proper

Rule Developing Experimentation and Its Use in Marketing Research Paper

Rule Developing Experimentation and Its Use in Marketing - Research Paper Example   It means with a very little effort a huge target can be achieved. There need be motivation and interest to adhere to it. RDE helps in yielding high dividends. RDE can be implemented for not only consumer good companies but also B2B companies. RDE is nothing new, but Alex Gofman and Howard R. Moskowitz, have exhibited the essence of it very nicely in their book. Importance is given to the development of items that are not yet well known in the market, but that will be highly acceptable. RDE is a solution-oriented learning experience. The customers help the manufacturer to design and create a new product, which has come to the market after it is produced through rigorous research and development programme. â€Å"It is systemized solution-oriented business process experimentation that designs, tests, modifies alternate ideas, packages, products or services in a disciplined way using the experimental design so that the developer and marketer discover what appeals to the customer, ev en if the customer articulate the need, much less the solution.†(Alex Gofman & Howard Moskowitz, 2007) At the outset, it was made use of for product optimization and then message optimization for advertising, promotions etc. Applications of RDE are there in any field that involves human choices and decisions, for example, social science, public policies, the stock market, crisis communication management etc. 1) Identify the free offer that accompanies the main product. For example, take the case of credit card. The offer may be with respect to Annual Percentage Rate (APR). In the case of others, there may be rewards, monetary benefits or discounts. The structure of RDE grants higher success than any other method. It is accepted that the seven steps are given above clearly make the consumer understand the problem and arrive at the proper solution.