Are Labor Unions Necessary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Are Labor Unions Necessary - Research Paper Example Labor unions have been recognized for the unrelenting fight for the social welfare of the workers. In a number of countries, governments have succumbed to the pressure of labor unions to raise the living standards for their workers. In the past, the public sector employees and political parties formed the majority of the labor unions population. Workers in the public sector are many, and they cannot individually fight for their interests at work. This, therefore, necessitates the use of labor movements that act as the representative of their interests. According to the AFL-CIO, trade unions have been experiencing a decline from the onset of the 21st century because many employers, especially in the private sector, have endeavored to provide the best working conditions for the employees. In the public sector, however, trade unions have remained the single fighting voice for most of the employees due to their numbers. Major companies have stressed the need for national governments to r espect the rights of workers, raise their minimum wage rates and provide a better working environment (Meng 1638).These countries include India and China that are currently experiencing an increasing trend in production. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing operations to countries like China because of the low cost of production probably resulting from the low cost of labor (O'Grady et al.). These countries experience more labor union actions than more developed countries because of the dilapidated working conditions.

Marketing Exam Question (Marketing Mix) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Exam Question (Marketing Mix) - Essay Example So what is market segmentation? Consumers differ and they â€Å"place differing degrees of importance on the individual elements of the marketing mix.† â€Å"They differ not only in the price they will pay, but in a wide range of benefits they expect from the product and its method of delivery. As a result, the market becomes split into several segments.† (SBDC, 2005) SBDC, (2005) argued that understanding the concept of segmentation is central to marketing because each different customer group will require a different marketing mix strategy and that each segment will offer differing growth and profit opportunities so the trick is to deliver the best offer to the best segment. Assuming now that there is market segmentation, it is now easier to answer the question how to have differential advantage. SBDC, 2005 advised saying: â€Å"Differential advantage can be obtained via almost any element of the marketing mix - creating a superior product, more attractive designs, better service, more effective distribution, better advertising and so on. These are actually the three P’s which include the Product (creating a superior product, more attractive designs, better service), Place (more effective distribution) and Promotion (better advertising) The key is to understand that the advantage must be based on research into what customers really value and that the differential is developed after due consideration of competitive strategies and offers. (Emphasis supplied). With the three P’s strategically combined, the fourth P, which is Price, would be easier to handle. In fact the purpose of the differential advantage is to avoid mere competition based on price, because the customers look at the four P’s as four C’s. These four C’s include cost to the customer for price, convenience for place, communication for promotion and customer needs and wants for product. It must be noted that knowing what