International Business Strategy - Case Study on Unilever
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Every multi-national corporation has a business strategy that enables it to get ahead of its competitors. Unilever, as one of the global leaders that offers consumer goods including brand name foods, personal-care items and household products and owns an extensive global operation network in almost every country, has also developed its unique set of business strategies. Unilever is strong in making head start in emerging economies and has been making significant contributions to the economic growth in these countries. Emerging economies are developing countries that in general have less compatible infrastructure, in particular, for economic activities to take place effectively and majority of their populations are living in conditions that are below international standards. At present, over 44% of Unilever's sales come from emerging economies and further growth in consumption is expected in near future. This is in fact more than enough to take Unilever somewhere better than being the second largest in the global consumer goods market; nonetheless, as competition intensified, Unilever started losing the hang of it. Since Mr. Patrick Cescau became Unilever's sole Chief Executive in 2005, series of operation reforms were initiated. The strategic evolution under Cescau's management brought Unilever out of its dreadful situation and is regarded as one of
Supermarkets in UK - An oligopily
Introduction to super markets The "normal" way to buy food has changed dramatically over the last half century, with the small independent shops such as butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers and bakers which dominated the High Street in the 1950s disappearing and being replaced by the ubiquitous supermarket. Today, 60% of British shoppers purchase most of their groceries in one weekly shop. The growth of the sector over the last fifty years has been remarkable. In 1950 the multiple supermarkets represented just 20% of the food retail market. By 1961 this had risen to 27%; by 1971 to 44%. As the trend continued, a generation has grown up relying on the convenience and choice of supermarket food. Of course some independent retailers went out of business, but the consumer is king - and consumers felt that the price was worth paying. But the price tag got higher. Between 1997 and 2002 more than 13,000 specialist stores around the UK - including newsagents, Post Offices, grocers, bakers, butchers - closed, unable to cope with the competition from the multiples. A recent study by the Institute of Grocery Distribution revealed that 2,157 independent shops went out of business or became part of a larger company in 2004, compared with a previous annual average of around 300 a year. Traffic congestion rocketed as more large stores were constructed out of town. Tales abounded of the
Is Increased globalization a good thing?
Is Increased globalization a good thing? More and more people are becoming aware of the 'shrinking' world. The golden arch of McDonalds and the infamous Coca Cola logo are inescapable in almost every country. We only have to go as far as the nearest supermarket in order to see the extent to which citizens of one country are dependent on imported goods from other parts of the world. The World Wide Web is the most graphic example. In order to assess whether increased globalisation is a good thing or not, this essay will firstly discuss the term 'globalisation'. Then it will analyse the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation in our contemporary world. Over the course of the last few decades, the term 'globalization' has slowly crept into the words of politicians, economists, journalists, entertainers alike. It is a term especially controversial to define because it is a subject which undergoes constant dispute between academics about just what it means to speak of globalization. It is commonly associated with words such as capitalism, modernisation, liberalisation and is often used as a synonym for internationalisation and universalisation. Perhaps a good starting point for the discussion is one where globalization is defined as 'the process of increasing interconnectedness between societies such that events in one part of the world more and more have effects on
How can inflation be reduced?
How Can Inflation Be Reduced? Inflation is a persistent rise in average price level over a year, it is measured through CPI (Consumer Price Index). CPI takes a basket of goods ,which are weighted due to expenditure in a household budget (so you spend more money on food then shoes therefore food has a higher weight). CPI then looks at how the prices have changed and dictates a rate in accordance to the statistics. Inflation usually carries negative connotations as it usually comes in conjunction with economic instability therefore many different methods have been devised in order to avert the problems of inflation and reduce it. An example of high inflation which was reduced is in Britain. In the 1970's inflation was phenomenal and peaked at over 20%, through successful monetary policy however this was mitigated. By raising interest rates it reduces the growth of aggregate demand it encourages saving (which would stifle consumer spending and investment) as well as reducing disposable income. Monetary policy is a proven technique used to reduce inflation. Favoured by the US and UK it looks at the modification of interest rates in order to control inflation (and reduce) this is know as tightening monetary policy. Monetary policy is the control of money supply by the central bank (so in Britain it is the Bank of England and in the US it's the Federal Reserve). Inflation can
Advantages and disadvantages of Globalisation. Need for development.
3rd Problems and Solutions - Globalisation Problem 1. Globalisation and multinationals. First the positive image. Globalisation has two meanings, 1.a good meaning of increasing free trade and capital flows to the 3rd world so they grow and develop and 2. a less pleasant aspect of unfair Globalisation - all the bad aspects in reality where the west imposes high tariffs keeping ldcs out of its rich markets and farm subsidies wrecking 3rd world farmers and the 3rd world. Positive results of globalisation Globalisation is where the world's separate economies become integrated into one as trade grows, capital moves from MDCs to LDCs and labour migrates the opposite way. This comes from the removal of barriers to integration bringing a single world market. The WTO negotiations have brought many trade barriers down, cheaper transport, the internet and telecommunications and the rise of the NICS all are leading to rapid globalisation. We all gain from increased specialization and CA. The 3rd world gains jobs, exports and allocative efficiency as they concentrate on what they are best at producing. Western capital and technology sharply increases their productivity and living standards. Cheap labour "exploitation" leads to an income, and an end to absolute poverty and then higher wages. The open economies that welcomed foreign investment, that focused on exports and created
Assess the importance of international trade to the UK economy
Assess the importance of international trade to the UK economy Introduction International trade is an essential feature of the UK economy, it is vital for the UK so that it can sustain its economics strengths and progress in an increasingly competitive global economy. In this essay I shall examine the significance of international trade. First I shall identify how the UK economy operates on an international level. Second, I shall consider the costs and benefits of international trade, and how the UK economy has been influenced by international trade and the consequences of an increasingly globalised economy. As we shall see, international trade has been vital for the UK economy to develop throughout the colonial period, and the post war period. The issue of globalisation has created clear economic uncertainty and the evident understanding that the UK economy is susceptible to effects that are clearly outside its realm of influence. Introduction to International Trade International Trade can be phrased as "the exchange of goods and services across international borders (Wikipeda.com). In most countries, it represents a significant share of GDP. The significance of international trade varies within each economy. Some nations export essentially to expand their domestic market or to aid economically depressed sectors within the home economy. Many other nations rely on
I will be evaluating on the article "UK inflation drops to Bank target" by the BBC which only focuses on this problem. Brief summary: The main issue in the article
Recently in United Kingdom- a powerful and wealthy economy, there has been an issue being discussed with growing worry. The problem, not so strange to most countries in the world, is inflation, more specifically "the surge in UK inflation rate" in 2005. I will be evaluating on the article "UK inflation drops to Bank target" by the BBC which only focuses on this problem. Brief summary: The main issue in the article is the drop in the inflation rate in 2005 in three successive months, what causes have led to such a decrease after months of increasing inflation, what actions have been taken to bring down the rate of inflation and the effects that such a drop created. The major concepts involved in the article are inflation itself, CPI, RPI, inflation rate, cost push inflation, interest rate. The first concept, inflation itself is actually a sustained increase over a period of time in the general price level, in other words a fall in the real purchasing power of money. To understand about inflation, another concept is involved which is CPI: The consumer price index (CPI)-the measure of the consumer price level. What is CPI? CPI reports the cost of a fixed "market basket" of consumer goods and services over time. The formula of calculating CPI for a particular year is found as follows: Price of the most recent market basket in the particular year CPI =
Discuss the merits of road pricing (25)
Discuss the merits of road pricing (25) 4 L1. Road Pricing - a direct charge for the use of road space Negative externality - these exists where social costs of an activity is greater than the private cost, congestion is an example of a negative externality L2. For example, The London Congestion Charge - a flat rate indirect tax levied on all vehicles entering a designated charging zone between 7 am & 6 pm, Monday-Friday. It was introduced in Feb 2003 at the rate of £5 per day. It was ? to £8 per day in July 2005. In Feb 2007, the charging zone was doubled in size to cover a substantial zone in London. This is an example of hypothecation (a situation where revenue from tax is directly allocated to some other purpose) as most of the new revenue has been used to improve bus services Another example of road pricing is in Singapore you must buy a car permit for 10 years, which costs up to £75,000. L3. Road Pricing is beneficial to an economy as it is a way of internalising the external costs of congestion and makes the polluter pay. The fact that the 'polluter' now has to pay for the negative externalities exerted by the congestion they cause, means that they will be less likely to use their cars as often, to avoid the charge, or use alternative (more economical) means of transport such as the train or tube, or they may simply think twice about using their car if
The aim of this essay is to discuss the relevance of John Keynes to the current macroeconomic situation in the UK.
The aim of this essay is to discuss the relevance of John Keynes to the current macroeconomic situation in the UK. Macroeconomics can be defined as "the study of whole economic systems aggregating over functioning of individual economic units" (Bannock G, 2003: 236). It considers aspects of the economy from a government perspective such as the general price levels in an economy instead of a price level in a single market. John Keynes and economists who share a similar view to his on macroeconomics strongly believe that an economy will frequently settle below full employment. In such a situation aggregate supply will most likely be price elastic and increases in aggregate demand will mainly affect output. Keynes theory suggests government intervention through demand side policies in order to boost aggregate demand and reduce unemployment. However, Keynes theory is opposed by classical economists who believe that an economy will be at full employment and as a result demand side policies implemented by the government with the intent to boost demand will likely lead to an increase in prices and cause inflation. On the contrary to Keynes's recommendation classical economist insist government should implement supply side policies aimed at shifting aggregate supply to the right (Gillespie. A, 2007: 307). The government of any economy will set policies in order to achieve set
What are some of the problems of WTO mechanisms will pose for national governments?
Question 2: What are some of the problems of WTO mechanisms will pose for national governments? World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995 at the Uruguay Round of General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs (GATT). It was the successor of GATT, and is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. At the year of 2006, WTO has 149 members and is accounted for over 97% of the world trade. As the main objective of WTO is to establish a single global market with uniform rules, the goals of WTO mechanisms are to minimize government interference in the conduct of trade and eliminate the nation-state's capacity to regulate commerce. However, these mechanisms have posed a threat to national governments to certain extent when formulating its own policies and laws. The regulatory system in WTO is quite different from GATT. A new concept - Self Executing Enforcement is introduced, which is never been used in any International Law. Self executing enforcement granted WTO legal personality and the capacity to enforce decisions on signatory countries, even though they cannot reach a unanimous consent. Moreover, WTO is empowered to facilitate further rule-making that binds all members even in the absence of their explicit consent where only two thirds vote of the membership can bind all the members. However, if the country wants to stop
