Defensive and Aggressive Securities

Defensive securities are kind of securities that exhibits less volatility than the market as a whole (i.e., its BETA is less than 1.0), providing lower, but more stable, returns. Investors often acquire defensive securities during periods of financial turmoil or uncertainty. Defensive securities tend to remain more stable in value than the overall market, especially when prices in general are falling. In times of market downturn, investors tend to seek defensive securities to provide a steady rate of return, or at least to lose less money than the market as a whole. Examples include stocks in utility companies and the health care industry. Defensive securities include stocks in companies whose products or services are always in demand and are not as price-sensitive to changes in the economy as other stocks. Aggressive in finance means relating to an investment or approach to investing that seeks above-average returns by taking above-average risks. Continue reading

Keynesian View of Inflation

John Maynard Keynes, one of the most influential economists of the 20th century, relates inflation to a price level that comes into existence after the stage of full employment. While, the quantity approach emphasizes the volume of money to be responsible for rise in the price level. Keynes distinguishes between two types of rise in prices (1) rise in prices accompanied by increase in production, and (2) rise in prices not accompanied by increase in production. If an economy is working at a low   level, with a large number of unemployed men and un-utilized resources then expansion of money or some other factors leading to an increase in demand will result not only in a rise in the price level but also rise in the volume of goods and services in an economy. This will continue until all unemployed men find employment and capital and other resources are more Continue reading

Diversity Management

The world’s increasing globalization trend demands more interaction between people from a vast diverse of cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than the past. Today, people no longer live and work in an insulated marketplace. The reality is they are now part of a worldwide (or commonly mentioned as flatten) economy with competition coming from nearly every angle of the globe. For this reason, businesses need to be open to change and accept the concept of diversity to become more creative. In daily conversation, the word of “diversity” has the meaning of differences or variety. However, in the business world and in the business textbook, diversity often refers to the many differences present among people today in workplace as well as marketplace that were not aware of by most people in the past. Diversity management is often referred as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, Continue reading

PESTLE Analysis of Starbucks

Starbucks started off as a small coffee shop in 1971. The founders consisted of Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Ziev Siegl who exchanged their ideas and launched their first outlet at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. In the early 1980s Howard Schultz joined Starbucks and has later felt the need that Starbucks needed to market themselves. He wanted to create a brand image that would attract customers and help them to differentiate their coffee outlet from other competitors. Schultz visited Italy and was ‘impressed with their popularity and culture.’ He thought it would be a good idea to bring the espresso bars, lattes and mochas to Seattle. Throughout the years Schultz has managed to differentiate Starbucks, creating a very strong brand image in the most unique way in American’s minds, gaining its competitive advantage through the comforting physical environment that they adapt encouraging the lounging experience. Schultz successfully embedded Continue reading

Adam, Hayes and Hopson Model of Transition

We experience change on a daily basis as our environment is continually changing, more so than ever before in this digital and rapidly advancing technological age, but change is not the same as transition. A transition in the context of this article is an internal (psychological) change within a person or persons. Change happens to people and transition is an internal process. Changes which people experience may or may not be accompanied by a transition depending on the level of change and how a person is affected by it. In the Adam, Hayes and Hopson model of transition a transition begins with a discontinuity in a person’s life which they are aware of and can be the end of a job, relationship, loss of a loved one, loss of identity, loss of a current mode of being and so on. A person has to adapt to a new environment, situation Continue reading

Strategic Business Plan

Either in the start up process or when re-inventing one’s business development, the design of a strategic business plan is an indispensable step towards a successful and viable business. Strategic planning involves setting up a sound and multifaceted plan or strategy to follow over a defined time period. It can involve all aspects of the business, or just a small part of it i.e. a selected department such as the marketing department. However, this does not mean that strategic business planning is only for large scale businesses since it can also benefit the small business, especially at start up, when the business sets its first goals and establishes itself in the business landscape. Writing up a business plan is an important step of a starting business, since most lending bodies will not authorize loans in absence of a detailed business plan. Why is it important? Imagine sailing off for a Continue reading