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Addictions Millions of people across the world are addicted to drugs and other substances such as alcohol.
Addictions
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Millions of people across the world are addicted to drugs and other substances such as alcohol. While persons of legal age can purchase and consume alcohol freely, drugs are prohibited under the law, and anyone caught in possession of even the smallest amounts of drugs is likely to spend some time in jail. In the United States, the majority of drug addicts and drug-associated offenders belong to minority groups, and this has led to oppression of drug addicts without a real solution in sight. Drug addicts are sent to prison and punished in other ways that have led to an exacerbation of the problem rather than a practical solution. The United States has millions of people incarcerated in its prisons and jails across the country, and the majority of these are due to drug-related charges. The criminal justice system and the legislature have been slow to address the drug addiction pandemic, and they would rather maintain the status quo. This paper will examine the statistics on drug addiction in the United States, the factors contributing to the growing pandemic, the oppression of drug addicts and how this has affected their lives.
Statistics
The American Addiction Centers website provides an analysis of valuable statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) on drugs and substance addiction. In the year 2017, 19.7 million Americans 12 years and older struggled with substance abuse. Substance abuse has a high correlation with alcohol abuse, as 74% of those battling substance abuse also struggles with alcohol use disorder. One in every eight Americans battled both alcohol and substance abuse disorders in the year 2017. These numbers are a cause for concern because it is a widespread problem affecting people of all ages and other demographics. The NSDUH also reported that alcohol and substance abuse is highly related to mental health disorders, as 8.5 million Americans experienced the two issues concurrently in 2017 (Thomas 2020).
The United States pursues a prohibitionist stance when it comes to drugs, meaning that persons caught selling or in possession of drugs face criminal charges. By the year 2015, arrests for drug charges averaged 1.3 million annually. 20% of all persons incarcerated in the country’s prions are serving time for drug-related charges, and an additional 1.15 million are on parole and probation for drug-related offences (Thomas 2020). Drug addicts have been the biggest casualties in the war against drugs, which the country has lost on all fronts. In discussing drug addiction, race plays a crucial role, especially when it comes to minority groups, specifically African-Americans. The African-American population accounts for 12.5 percent of substances users in the country, yet they make up thirty percent of all arrests related to drug charges. These high levels have had no effect on substance abuse and addiction numbers which have been on the rise over the years. Black Americans are on average six times more likely to be jailed for drug-related charges as compared to their white counterparts, even with similar charges levelled against them. On average, sixty percent of those serving time for drug-related offences in state prisons are people of colour. This number is even higher in federal prisons, where 80% of persons jailed for drug offenders are either black or Latino. These numbers shed light on the disproportionate effects of the war on drugs on minority groups in the United States.
The systematic oppression of minority groups such as Latinos and African-Americans concerning the issue of drug and substance addiction is due in most part to the criminal justice system, the law-making organs, and law enforcement bodies in the country. Officers have systematically pursued persons of colour in their fight against drugs, and the law supports this. Law enforcement officers are permitted under the law to stop and search any vehicle for drugs, and officers apply this law mainly on persons of colour. Additionally, the criminal justice system has contributed to the oppression of people of colour in drug addiction by handing them disproportionate jail terms. For example, a black defendant in the federal system convicted of a minor drug offence will likely serve the same amount of time (58.7 months) as a white individual convicted of violent crime (61.7 months). Prosecutors also fight for mandatory minimum sentences for black defendants more than white ones, and this has resulted in people of colour accounting for 70% of all mandatory minimum sentences (Thomas 2020). Policymakers at different levels of government have consistently applied harsher laws, especially for low-level drug offences, and this has oppressed many drug addicts.
Theory
The systems theory is the best theory that can be used to explain how the issue of drug and substance addiction is created and maintained. The systems theory asserts that a person’s behaviour is significantly influenced by various factors that work as a system. When it comes to addicts, these factors include family, community, schools, economic class and the government. A majority of addicts develop their problems due to social environments such as peers and family. For example, a child born to addict parents or one who spends a lot of time with addict peers is more likely to become addicts themselves. Addicts could also turn to drugs and other substances to deal with problems in their lives such as poverty, violence, family problems, among others. This translates into an endless cycle of addiction. Addicts are often shunned by their family and community because they are seen as criminals and irresponsible individuals. This sends them deeper and deeper into addiction, and they may turn to criminal activities such as dealing drugs. They will then be arrested by law enforcement officers and sent to the criminal justice system, which puts them in prison. Their addiction is never cause for concern at any point within the system; instead they are vilified and shunned by all parties.
Historical Background
The historical problem that led to the oppression of addicts is the growing use of drugs that prompted President Nixon to declare war on drugs in 1971. different arms of government worked together to fight against the drug menace fast growing across the country, seeing prohibition as the best way to eliminate the consumption and production of drugs in the country. Drugs then became a law enforcement issue rather than the public health issue. Addiction has been a significant problem over the past few decades for various reasons. One of these reasons is that it has encouraged the illicit trade of drugs which has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry globally. Drug and substance addiction has ruined the lives of millions, leading to loss of employment, imprisonment, addiction, physical and mental health problems, and even death (Fellner 2009). Unfortunately, the war on drugs has disproportionately affected minority groups in the country. Although drug addiction affects all parts of the US population, minority groups make up the majority of those incarcerated for drug-related offences.
Life for drug addicts before the oppression was better than it is. For example, laws against minor drug offences such as possession of little amounts of marijuana were less strict. As the years have gone by, the laws have become stricter, and even minor offences get significant jail times. However, President Nixon implemented several draconian laws on drugs that proved oppressive. One of these was the mandatory sentencing laws that require any person arrested on drug offences be given some mandatory minimum sentence. Federal drug agencies control and presence was also drastically increased to improve surveillance and arrest of drug offenders. Since the oppression began, the number of drug-related arrests per year has been growing exponentially, tripling since the 1980s (Provine 2011). The number of arrests from drug possession is six times those from drug sales. The oppression of drug addicts has only grown since the introduction of oppressive drug policies in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, more people have been sentenced to longer jail terms, and the majority of those incarcerated for drug-related charges are from minority groups (Wyatt-Nichol & Seabrook 2016). The macro-component of oppression has also widened its oppressive efforts. Those imprisoned for non-violent drug charges now serve longer prison sentences as public prosecutors fight for mandatory minimum sentences, and judges rule in their favour. The Center for America Progress reports on the unfairness of the justice system to minorities in the war against drugs. For example, African-Americans are four times more likely to be arrested and serve longer jail terms for marijuana possession, than their white peers under similar charges.
Analysis
The macro-components keeping the oppressed population in their current system is law enforcement, the justice system, and drugs policymakers. Law enforcement has been consistent in their unfair bias against communities of colour in the fights against drugs (Fellner 2009). Officers arrest such persons even on the most minor charges, rather than implementing other interventions such as diverting drug users to social services . The justice system is similarly discriminatory to minority groups in the war on drugs. Drug addiction affects all demographics in the country, but users from minority groups have been the largest group of victims in the effort to fight drugs and drug abuse. They are often sentenced to longer terms for similar offences as others. Policymakers on the issues of drugs have also contributed to oppression because they continue to such prohibitionist policies that unfairly target addicts and users from minority groups (Wyatt-Nichol & Seabrook 2016). There are specific factors that encourage these macro-components to maintain status quo in the oppression of drug addicts, specifically those from minority groups. For law enforcement, the primary motivation for oppression is financial. Officers who make more arrests get more overtime pay and this coupled with their historical bias against persons of colour leads to the arrest of more addicts. The judiciary also has similar biases against offenders from minority groups, fanned by pressure from the prosecution and other public bodies.
These macro-component practices affect drug addicts, their families and communities. Addicts sent to jail suffer from even more problems while incarcerated and later when released. They do not get the medical help they need to tackle their addiction, and when they get out of prions, they simply go back to their old ways. After prions, they find it hard to get employment and face discrimination in other social fronts. Their families suffer when their breadwinner goes to jail, and they are left without an income (Coyne, & Hall 2017). This loss of wages could drive such a family into poverty. Additionally, such families face stigma from their society for having addict members. Communities also suffer when addicts get arrested or go to jail because they lose some productive members, and the root causes of addiction also fail to be addressed, which would benefit more members of the community.
The macro-component is quite effective at oppressing addicts from minority groups as the system is biased against such addicts, right from officers carrying out arrests and providing evidence, prosecutors seeking longer and harsher sentences, to judges who eventually sentence the offenders. The macro-component is funded through government mechanisms that allocate billions of dollars to the fight against drugs each year. There is significant social awareness surrounding the oppressive capacity of these macro-components in the war on drugs, spread by statistics from organizations such as the Drug Policy Alliance and documentaries such as ‘The House I Live In’, ‘The War on Drugs’ and others focusing on the failed war on drugs (Gray 2010).
Addiction should be addressed at different micro and macro levels such as family, community and institutional levels. At the family level, an effective social work strategy is to encourage family members, especially parents and guardians, to be on the look-out for early signs of substance abuse and addiction. Most of them are clueless about the problem until it gets out of hand. Social workers should educate families on some things to look out for such as truancy, change in behaviour, and lack of concentration, irritability and withdrawal, especially in young people. Families should also be educated on the resources available to addicts and those struggling with substance abuse (Rolles 2010). These social work strategies at the family level also apply at the community level such as schools, churches and neighbourhoods so that people can look out for their neighbours and others in the community. At the institutional level, some social work strategies include engaging with leadership such as college administration to increase awareness on dangers of drug and substance abuse, offering counselling services and spreading information on services available to those struggling with such problems. When it comes to the macro component of oppression, these should be policy changes and anti-bias training for the relevant bodies. For example, law enforcement officers should be given anti-bias training to address issues of bias against minority groups, as well as alternative ways of dealing with petty, non-violent offenders. The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program is an effective solution where officers refer minor offenders to treatment and social programs rather than arresting them (Fellner 2009).
Reducing oppression and increasing cultural diversity contribute to social equality. Most of the victims in the war on drugs are minorities affected by poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Doing away with oppressive policies against them will promote social equality as they get fair and equal treatment, as well as the help they need for addiction. Addressing the actions of the macro components in promoting oppression will promote the rights and entitlements of the oppressed. All sick people have the right to get treatment, and this applies to addicts. Doing away with Oppressive policies such as harsh and long sentences promote the rights of the addicts. When such people get the help they need, they can lead productive lives, get employed and earn an income and improve their social status in the community. Such events also give addicts, and their families improved quality of life as they get the treatment they need, allowing them to lead normal lives. Addicts and other low-level drug offenders will have a more positive interaction with the community once the oppressive mechanisms are eliminated. They no longer have to be treated like criminals but as people who need medical and social intervention, and this improves interactions with their community. These goals align with principles of social work such as acceptance, access to resources, and non-judgmental attitude.
In conclusion, addiction is a major problem in society today. Millions of people are addicted to drugs, alcohol and other substances. One of the major problems in tackling the issue of addiction is the oppressive policies and laws targeting drug users and other drug offenders. The oppressive organs in the system include the justice system, law enforcement and policymakers. People of colour make up the majority of those convicted for drug-related charges, and consistently receive disproportionately harsher sentences for their crimes compared to other demographics. The country should abandon its prohibitionist policies in favour of decriminalization and addressing the drugs pandemic as a public health issue. The war on drugs has failed on all fronts, punishing addicts for a health condition.
References
Coyne, C. J., & Hall, A. (2017). Four decades and counting: The continued failure of the war on drugs. Cato Institute Policy Analysis, (811).
Fellner, J. (2009). Race, drugs, and law enforcement in the United States. Stan. L. & Pol’y Rev., 20, 257.
Gray, J. (2010). Why our drug laws have failed: a judicial indictment of war on drugs. Temple University Press.
Provine, D. M. (2011). Race and inequality in the war on drugs. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 7, 41-60.
Rolles, S. (2010). An alternative to the war on drugs. Bmj, 341, c3360.
Thomas, S. (2020) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Statistics. American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statisticsWyatt-Nichol, H., & Seabrook, R. (2016). The ugly side of America: Institutional oppression and race.
Case Study on Leadership Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Case Study on Leadership: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
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Part 1: Leadership Styles of the Two Primary Characters: Mr. Walt Disney & Mrs. Travers
Walt Disney’s leadership style blends the key features of the democratic and authoritative styles. He is a visionary leader who maps the way for his followers and sets expectations, while energizing and engaging them in the process of management. He is also democratic because he shares information with his team of employees about all issues that affect work responsibilities, seeking their opinion and approval before major decisions. He runs his company with a lot of love, evident friendship, and the notable involvement of every employee. For example, in Saving Mr. Banks (Hancock, 2013: 21:03), he insists on being called Walt, and is in first name basis with all of his employees. According to Iqbal, Anwar, & Haider (2015), such leaders inspire confidence in their employees, make them feel valued, and instill a sense of commitment and value in their abilities. The employees understand what Walt Disney desires not just from them but also for the company, in terms of direction, commitment, and how to go about every step of their role and responsibilities. Blanchard, Hodges, & Hendry (2016). The benefits to Disney’s participative and visionary leadership style is realized throughout the battle to win over Mrs. Travers. His ability to engender trust and help in the promotion of cooperation and tea spirit from every employee are beneficial to the company. It is clear from Saving Mr. Banks (Hancock, 2013: 1:05:21) that Disney’s democratic and authoritative styles have allowed the employees to be creative and has led to their growth and development. Walt Disney rarely tells his employees what to do, he leads through sharing his vision, and enabling the employees to be innovative through ideas and implementation of the same. His leadership style gets the employees to do as he wishes but in ways that feel more as if they want to do it. Combined with his authoritative style, he leads his team out of any uncertainty by allowing people latitude and choice on the best ways to achieve company and individual goals.
In Saving Mr. Banks, the character of Mrs. Travers portrays autocratic leadership. According to Iqbal, Anwar, & Haider (2015), autocratic leadership is exhibited in a leader whose style shows individual control relating to all decisions without much input from other members of the team or group. Mrs. Travers shows how autocratic leaders base their choices on their own judgments, interpretation, and ideas without necessarily factoring in the opinion of others, even when the others are experts on a matter that the autocratic leader is not. For example, at the start of the movie, Mrs. Travers, without consultations or taking into consideration the opinion of her lawyer, cancels an important contract and insists on having everything her way (Hancock, 2013: 4:50). She is very detail-oriented and asserts control over every matter, even dictating how she should be addressed by her own lawyer. She is obsessed with being right all the time, lacks empathy and does not seem to read social cues properly. Her leadership style is exerting, assertive, controlling, and she always wants to be in charge of every decision. Her leadership style comes out as a bit delusional, for example when she demands that the proposed film features no red, despite the setting being in London, England where everything from buses to mailboxes are characteristically red. She threatens to cancel the cooperation with Walt Disney if all of her demands are not fully met. She leaves no room for a bargain, even though some of her demands are not very realistic. Overall, Mrs. Travers uses her own beliefs to decide on everything and exercise authoritarian control over others and all situations, a characteristic of the authoritarian or autocratic leader.
Part 2: Leadership Styles of the Supporting Characters
Ralph is an exceptional character in the way he remains bubbly despite Mrs. Travers overwhelming and constantly gloomy nature. He is a ray of sunshine in a very dark day, when his happy and lively persona is pitted against Mrs. Travers uptight and ever-agitated personality. Their differences emerge in a conversation where Mrs. Travers prefers the rain as it is more responsible since it brings life, but Ralph counters this by expressing how happy he is for the sun because it also brings life (Hancock, 2013: 11:31). As a supporting character, Ralph’s servant leadership style allows him to take the weight of Mrs. Travers stubbornness. He helps Walt to soften Mrs. Travers heart, by driving her around without losing his temper, bringing her tea, and joining her in her moment of breaking down on the grass and so on. Although Walt gets to work on softening Mrs. Travers’ position too in one or two instances, Ralph gets the bulk of this task, dong it with so much grace because of how he is as a servant leader, a role that he executes with utmost perfection.
Ralph is a servant leader in more ways than one: he put the needs of others first, shows empathy, listens, is aware of the surrounding, is persuasive, and displays stewardship. Two of his strongest leadership qualities include empathy and fostering healing through spiritual and emotional well-being. Servant leadership allows Ralph to not only recognize but also understand the emotions and feelings that Mrs. Travers is going through. For example, in the film (Hancock, 2013: 32:13), Ralph is able to recognize and understand that Mrs. Travers is not in a pleasant mood. He constantly checks his rare view mirror to check on the emotional condition of Mrs. Travers. He seems to know just what to say to trigger a conversation that takes his passenger away from her own thoughts. He deeply experiences emotions to match those of Mrs. Travers as evidenced by his constant sighs and facial expressions. Because Ralph understand Mrs. Travers so well, despite only knowing her for a short while, his actions are all motivated by a real desire to help her navigate a new country and understand how to cope with the overwhelming demands of making a film. He succeeds as a servant leader by making a friend out of a very unlikely partnership, evidenced in the concluding scene in the film (Hancock, 2013: 1:51:28) where Mrs. Travers lovingly embraces him.
Ralph’s listening skills and awareness allow him to foster a sense of healing. Burch, Swails, & Mills (2015) mention that servant leaders are very good with other people, connecting emotionally and being able to see the world from their point of view. In Saving Mr. Banks, Mrs. Travers is broken, as seen through her constantly complaining and disapproval of almost everything around her. She seems utterly unmoved even in situations where everyone else awes pleasure. Ralph recognizes this and takes on the challenge of being there for Mrs. Travers. He connects to her on an emotional level, insists on calling her Mrs., against her will, and takes on the role of a friend, knowing very well that this may not be reciprocated. By taking on this role actively, Ralph is able to inspire a markedly exceptional level of faith and trust from Mrs. Travers. In the end (Hancock, 2013: 1:51:28), they are happy to see each other, Mrs. Travers smiles and embraces her friend, Ralph, who through servant leadership was able to connect to her, understand her, and even insisted on calling her friend.
Ralph faces a mountain of a challenge in managing to establish a relationship with Mrs. Travers, without showing signs of frustration or anger. Clearly, Mrs. Travers is both condescending, rude, and very opinionated. It is very easy for Ralph to decide to only perform his role as a driver ferrying her from one point to the next. In their first encounter, Ralph’s servant leadership allows him to recognize that Mrs. Travers would not be his conventional client. She slams the partition window shut to keep out Ralph’s bubbly interaction and chooses to remain in her somber mood. This is especially a challenge for Ralph who is keen on establishing a relationship. He uses the foresight of a servant leader to break through the barrier by predicting how Mrs. Travers would act or respond. He relentlessly tries to get her to communicate and is very persuasive. Ultimately, he overcomes the challenge and is able to connect to her on a personal level. It is clear that Ralph is committed to see others grow, and is therefore actively involved in their journey towards the same.
Part 3: Forgiveness and Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is all about forgiveness, not just for the shortcomings of others but also for oneself in a process of healing and being able to overcome emotional and spiritual challenges. In Saving Mr. Banks, the concept of forgiveness is paramount to the entire story. Mrs. Travers is very uptight and prefers to see disappointment in everyone else as a way of coping. She does not understand the concept of forgiveness and is yet to forgive her father who put his own family in a lot of problems from his drinking and poor decision-making. Ralph, on the other hand, is a servant leader who easily forgives. For example, he forgets about the poor treatment from Mrs. Travers and moves on quickly to try and forge a relationship. He is happy to connect to her emotionally even when sometimes it backfires on his face. He chooses forgiveness over resentment, a quality that is uniquely characteristic of servant leadership. In another example, Walt Disney displays qualities of a servant leader where he overlooks al of the misery that making the film Mary Poppins has brought to his company and staff members. He is not bitter against Mrs. Travers but also attempts to understand why she is so difficult, obsessive, compulsive, and controlling. In these instances, I learnt that forgiveness and servant leadership go together. Forgiveness improves every relationship in the film Saving Mr. Banks. Forgiveness allows the Ralph and Walt Disney to tolerate Mrs. Travers, and bring out the best in her in the long run. I learnt that the servant leader desire to honor every relationship that they are a part of, even when the relationship is strictly professional. For example, Ralph does not look at Mrs. Travers as a client but as a friend in need of emotional help. I have appreciated how the film combines the role of servant leadership and forgiveness to bring out the qualities that matter in every relationship.
Ultimately, forgiveness is an important quality in a servant leader because it improves a relationship and fosters a way forward for everyone involved. It allows one to shed off their pride and embrace a spirit of forgiveness, overlooking the shortcomings to focus on the positive. Walt Disney is able to forgive Mrs. Travers, so does Ralph, and others involved in the film. Most importantly, Mrs. Travers forgives herself and her father, a situation that allows her to start enjoying the world.
References
Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016). Lead like Jesus revisited: Lessons from the
greatest leadership role model of all time. Thomas Nelson.
Burch, M. J., Swails, P., & Mills, R. (2015). Perceptions of administrators’ servant leadership
qualities at a Christian university: A descriptive study. Education, 135(4), 399-404.
Hancock, J. Lee, Thompson, E., Hanks, T., Giamatti, P., & Newman, T. (2013). Saving Mr.
Banks. Widescreen. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLywdHpuFY&t=350s” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLywdHpuFY&t=350s
Iqbal, N., Anwar, S., & Haider, N. (2015). Effect of leadership style on employee
performance. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 5(5), 1-6.
MRC Rubber Company
MRC Rubber Company
Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165900” SWOT Analysis PAGEREF _Toc378165900 h 1
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165901” Strengths PAGEREF _Toc378165901 h 1
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165902” Weaknesses PAGEREF _Toc378165902 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165903” Opportunities PAGEREF _Toc378165903 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165904” Threats PAGEREF _Toc378165904 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165905” PESTLE Analysis PAGEREF _Toc378165905 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165906” Political Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165906 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165907” Economic Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165907 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165908” Social Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165908 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165909” Technological Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165909 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165910” Legal Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165910 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165911” Environmental Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165911 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165912” Strategy and Implementation Summary PAGEREF _Toc378165912 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165913” Marketing PAGEREF _Toc378165913 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165914” Marketing Communications PAGEREF _Toc378165914 h 7
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165915” Sales Strategy PAGEREF _Toc378165915 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165916” Distribution PAGEREF _Toc378165916 h 9
SWOT AnalysisMyanmar is a growing rubber industry player with expectations of production hitting over 95,000 metric tons, which reflects various operations features. With low rubber prices in the country, setting up MRC as a rubber company in the country would gain the benefits of value addition hence increased production (Khaing, 2012). In this SWOT analysis, the prevailing market attributes likely to support and affect productivity for the new production plant are highlighted.
StrengthsThe rubber industry in Burma is currently projected to enjoy an estimated annual growth of 10,000 metric tons, a reflection of 11.8 per cent. A strong production capacity is important in determination of the source of raw materials, which cuts down on the costs of operation as well as assurance of constant production around the year. Locating the business in the Mon State will facilitate production due to its massive interest in the crop. Alternatively, the position of the country as a typical developing nation leaves Burma having a readily available labor market at a low cost than in western countries, which implies that the production cost apportionable to labor is generally lower than in many other parts of the world.
Additionally, Burma has a ready market in the emerging Asian economies like china and India, with Japan also providing sufficient cushion against absorption issues. Equally, political transformation taking place in the country indicates emergence of a stable economy country ready to support business and investment than it did before.
WeaknessesComplete political reforms are not guaranteed as episodes of violence reported in the country hinder meaningful investment improvement. Political difficulties that led to trade sanctions against the country may not yet pave the way for the new order, despite support from China. Low prices for the crop means that, farmers may opt to venture in other types of production such as food crops for higher returns. Additionally, chronic poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of credit may discourage farmers to participate in meaningful production.
OpportunitiesGrowth in production in the recent years would need to be sustained by tapping on the current output to maximize production. Strong but slow recovery indications paint the country in good faith among trade partners, making international trade more promising. International community recognition of Burma’s efforts towards reconstruction presents a lucrative chance for the growth of business at the international level. The majority of the Burmese population is composed of an emerging middle class that holds promise to economic development and consumption.
ThreatsThe main threat of the industry is perhaps declining Chinese economic growth leading to reduced consumption of rubber products in its main market. However, other regional trade partners may step in place of china for instance Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Thailand (Khaing, 2012). The threat of climate change places Burma in a risky agricultural setting, which may influence interests in food and cash crops (Boot, 2012). In addition, unstable economic performance poses a threat to production costs. Despite the relaxing of US and EU sanctions, the economy of Burma remains volatile for investor confidence (Roughneen, 2012).
PESTLE AnalysisPolitical FactorsThe country is experiencing dramatic changes in the political organization and processes, with recent democratic milestone of peaceful elections paving the way for a bright future. Increasing confidence from the international community has led to the easing of trade sanctions slapped on the country on grounds of government abuse of civilian rights. In terms of economic freedoms in the country, investors can for once in a decade and a half find assurances of a civilian regime eventually taking over from authoritarian extremists (Hoag, 2012). Despite the huge difference from a standard global business environment, Burma is making impressive steps towards public-private cooperation balance in development of the economy. Setting up MRC in the country will be based on the current trend of investment flow into the country, with some experts tipping Burma as a competitor to more seasoned business hubs in the region, including Indonesia and Thailand. Assurances of political and business cooperation for instance with the US implies that the Burmese administration will have to continually improve its involvement in development to attract such cooperation. Numerous changes in Burma civil rights have been registered in a very short time, including rise of parliament, freedom of expression and public participation (Shoemaker, 2012).
Economic Factors
As an observation by Shoemaker (2012) on Burma illustrates, the country has an impressive chance for improvement from the downtrodden economic infrastructure. Falling risk levels such as interest rates and inflation show that the country is destined for a brighter future ahead. Incentives currently advanced to investors in the country add investor confidence, which underscores the need for the MRC rubber production to set shop in Burma (DPS, 2006). International community assurances of assistance for the rebuilding of the country show the guaranteed growth setting. As an illustration, Japan wrote off a debt of 3.7 billion US dollars, enabling participation of Japanese infrastructure construction companies accessing opportunities to reconstruct the country. Telecommunication investment opportunity in the country is on an upward trend and the interest from investors in this sector shows the openness that technology flow in the country will support industrial processes. Availability of important resources for the growth of the economy such as oil and gas has attracted investment support steps towards industrialization. These and other impressive economic strides happening in Burma provide assurances of an upward trend in future growth, making it advisable for the rubber MRC project to take the opportunity while these impressive indicators prevail.
Social FactorsAs mentioned above, Myanmar’s features of a developing nation underscores the rising status into a middle level economy, with impressive population demographics supporting business in the country. An active labor market of about 18 million people with an interesting mix of skilled and semi-skilled labor markets available at relatively lower than in the regional economies create an opportunity for setting up MRC production plant. Population growth factors support the development trends in availability of market and labor in the country with current population estimates of about 57.5 million supporting annual growth rates of about 4 per cent (GPS, 2006; Myanmar, n.d.). Increase in government interest in social services such as social security, education and healthcare further support stability of the economy as an investment destination.
Technological Factors
The state of the technological advancement has not been supportive of business until the dramatic turnaround of the socioeconomic and political development began several months ago. Low automation and technological research in the economy has hampered meaningful investment in the country when compared to the other nations in the region. However, a deliberate move by the authorities to accommodate internal innovation and welcome external technology indicate an upward growth in development in the country. At the current information and communication technology rates in the global economy. Burma is poised to benefit from massive inflow of technology at a relatively lower cost than other nations achieved when the technologies were newly introduced in the market. With technology giants such as Japan, South Korea and the US having a keen interest in the country and region, Burma’s rise into technology productivity setting will not take as much time. Investment in the country in industrial projects will therefore find it easier by the day to set up operations that it was a few years back.
Legal FactorsIn terms of preparedness by the country to accommodate business interests witnessed over the last several months, Burma is actively involved in restructuring its legal framework. Several legislations have passed in the country’s parliament that is making tremendous contributions in the socioeconomic and political advancement in the country. As an illustration, the Foreign Direct Investment law was passed in September, paving way for synchronization of the country’s foreign investment policies with globalization setting (Mizzima News, 2012). Business registration bureaucracies in the country prove to hold back operations by businesses with international market interests and the indications sent by such laws sends the appropriate signals to investors since willingness to remove bottlenecks is high in parliament. Challenges to drastic changes in the business legal framework are expected, however, but an increased political participation will eventually settle out differences (Gweri, 2012).
Environmental FactorsThe integrity of the environment in Burma was severely damaged by the military regime, with virtually no legal framework taking care of environmental issues in the country. Few steps were made to control the environmental pollution activities since the British laws in force in 1962 were repealed by the junta (Gutter, 2001). The current difficulty in management of environmental mess created during the military rule could have been avoided if the appropriate legal framework was forthcoming (Rispoli and Strizzi, 2001). Since the political restructuring started in the country, several environmental consciousness enhancement laws and policies have taken place in the country. Natural location and resources that the country enjoys such as vegetation act as sinks for a significant quantity of pollutants, which shield it from extremes of climate change facing the global community (Myanmar, n.d.). Steps towards a responsible environmental regime indicate the appropriateness of the country for a rubber producing plant.
Strategy and Implementation SummaryMarketingAs an amorphous environment without definite competition strategy with regional rubber players, operations in Burma by MRC will need specialized marketing for success to be recorded. The initial step for the marketing functionality of the new rubber business will be characterization of the regional and global markets in order to approach marketing from an informed perspective. Rubber consumption is increasing in Japan, China and India, with supply competition arising from Thai and Indonesian companies. In order to penetrate through the market established by these players, the MRC project will venture in production of diversified products and concentrate on the segment with a high demand for marketing compatibility. To market tires, rubber gloves, rubber moldings and motor vehicle brake parts will require expansive marketing for each product line (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005).
Marketing of tires, brake and other rubber motor vehicle spare parts, in the growing motor vehicle markets in India, China, South America and in Africa will require physical marketing and distribution as well as online marketing. Rubber gloves marketing in all construction works in the country will require marketing functionality with the authorities to facilitate consumption of locally produced products. Rubber moldings will have an online marketing functionality due to the diversified market locally and on the international market. The opportunity of the social media as an emerging marketing platform will be exploited to access regional and international markets using an aggressive marketing campaign. Other online marketing options such as use of mailing lists will also form part of the marketing strategy to consider. A marketing outsourcing concept with rubber market experts such as HJ Ventures will be weighed to cut down on costs of marketing (HJ Ventures, 2012). Such a joint venture may facilitate in studying the market and providing marketing and production diversification insights.
Marketing CommunicationsBurma as an emerging market in next several months in the rubber industry will require MRC’s efficiency in relaying of products information for maximum productivity. In order to facilitate an effective marketing functionality, the 4Ps model will be employed in the MRC marketing strategy (NGFL, n.d.). Communication trends in the market imply that the relaying of marketing information will be internet intensive, by use of electronic messages on television, mobile applications, SMS, blogs and microblogs backed by the social media. Search engine optimization in the marketing communication strategy will be enhanced to ensure that the MRC products find the right market entry. An efficient data collection and monitoring of responses in order to inform marketing decisions will be a central theme in the communication strategy adopted. The integrated system will require harmonization of all relayed messages as well as reconciling it with the customer responses, which can be direct or indirect.
Integration of the relayed messages as well as customer cues in informing marketing and production patterns will be geared towards accuracy and efficiency in the operations of MRC, considering that the market has bigger players offering competition in the market. Marketing communication with respect to different rubber product will facilitate marketing segmentation of the respective performance with an aim of reducing mismatch in operations. MRC will give marketing the attention that it deserves by making sufficient investment in electronic and other marketing media. An efficient system will monitor advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling and social media blogging (MSG, 2012a).
Sales Strategy
MRC will formulate a sales strategy that defines the market in accurate estimations, taking five considerations. Firstly, target markets for the different products identified in the products portfolio will be identified to complement marketing outlook. Newer markets will also form part of the deliberations since the Blue Ocean strategy also encourages creative sales packaging (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005). Secondly, the most readily available and best outreach that the MRC will afford to create sales outcomes will be specified and enriched. In addition, sales operations will require a very professional team with solutions to queries raised by the customers to facilitate establishment of customer loyalty and confidence. Alternatively, orders and inquiries will be effected immediately to avoid losing acquired ground. This implies that the sales and delivery teams will need to perform highly coordinated operations to take care of sales achieved. Finally, constant reviews and monitoring of the sales experience will be facilitated to ensure that the correct results are maintained throughout the sales processes (MSG, 2012b).
In terms of the appropriate review procedures, sales targets set and results achieved will keenly be followed to ensure growth in operations. Management of the details of sales experience will formulate important strategic approach by MRC, including initial cue decoding, creation of contact, information exchange and follow-ups, need identification, scheduled meetings, prospecting for sales, negotiations, sealing deals as well as after sales follow-up (Helbig, 2011). These details will ensure that the initial sales establishment support long-term objectives of the MRC.
DistributionAs mentioned above, the sales and marketing functionalities of the MRC will need close coordination with the delivery system in order to ensure that revenue from orders is not lost. Across the expansive regional and global market space, MRC will have definite supply system that corresponds with current capacity of logistics and network of supply and demand. In order for the company to convert demand into supply outcomes needed for growth, wholesale and retail considerations will be considered (Gaebler Ventures, 2012). Due to the new entry status in Burma, it may not be immediately possible for the company to make an efficient presence on its own.
Wholesale and retail functionalities may be possible at the plant outlet to be constructed and implemented immediately. Supply across country and across the region as well as the global market will require partnerships and joint ventures as mentioned above. Various joint venture opportunities will be effected immediately, supported by agreements on delivery. International orders will be coordinated through shipping companies such as DHL. Online ordering and shopping portal will be integrated with the joint venture with shipping partner of choice. The initial supply targets will first cover the local and regional markets before the larger global market.
References
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