Translation and Interpreting Essay Example for Free

Translation and Interpreting Essay Introduction As I was preparing to put my ideas in order and reflect upon what I was going to write for my essay on International Communication, I suddenly remembered the last lecture on the subject. It was about translating and interpreting, so I figured out that an essay on the translation challenges in todays world would be a great idea to write about. I personally knew Dumitru Toncia, my sister-in-law relative, who had worked in the field for many years, so we had a meeting in which I took some interesting notes. He is specialized in English and French. There are a lot of definitions for International Communication, but I consider it to contain aspects of intercultural understandings, communicaton theory, intercultural communication, croscultural communication, mass communication, intercultural psychology, congnition psychology, area-study like society, culture, constitution, law, education, language etc Proper translation and interpreting has become more and more demanding, and this paper deals with the qualities translators or interpreters should posses in the international environment today. It also outlines some grammar and semantics issues that turn this filed into a real challenge. I hope the examples he drew from his experience in translation will give you an interesting insight into some of the most frustrating problems encountered when transferring ideas from one language to another. Taking part in the selection of candidates for translator jobs in international environments, Toncia has often been amazed by the fact that a number of candidates with a perfect knowledge of both the source and the target languages and an impressive mastery of the relevant field could be very poor translators indeed. Why is that? One of the human factors is the lack of modesty. The translators personality and intelligence interfere with the very humble task he has to perform. Instead of putting aside his own ideas, fantasies and style to follow blindly the authors, he merges, adds or transforms. Anyway, besides humility, candidates must possess two other qualities: judgment and flexibility. Judgment By judgment I mean the ability to solve a problem through wide knowledge of the field, through awareness that a problem exists and through taking into account the various levels of context. Wide knowledge of the field. Lets take the phrase to table a bill. The translator must know that if the original is in British English, it means to submit a bill i. e. a text proposed to become law to the countrys legislative body, in French deposer un projet de loi, but that if the author followed American usage, he meant to shelve, i. e. to adjourn indefinitely the discussion of the text, in French ajourner sine die lexamen du projet de loi Here is another example. The word heure in French can mean hour as well as oclock. To be able to translate correctly the French phrase une messe de neuf heures, you have to know that a Catholic mass lasting nine hours is extremely improbable, so that the translation is a nine oclock mass, and not a nine hour mass. Since the linguistic structure is exactly the same in un voyage de neuf heures, which means a nine hour journey, only knowledge of the average duration of a mass can help the translator decide. Awareness that a problem exists. When you become a professional translator, the chief development that occurs in you during your first three or four years consists in becoming aware of problems that you had no idea could exist. If you are transferred to another organization, the whole process will start anew for a few years because the new field implies new problems that are just as hidden as in your former job. Some people may know that in the history of international communication there was an organization called International Auxiliary Language Association. Well, if you ask people how they understand that title, you will realize that, for a number of them, it means international association dealing with an auxiliary language, whereas for others it means an association studying the question of an international auxiliary language. The interesting point lies not so much in the ambiguity as in the fact that most people are not aware of it. When exposed to the phrase, they immediately understand it in a certain way and they are not at all conscious that the very same words are susceptible to another interpretation and that their immediate comprehension does not necessarily reflect what the author had in mind. Similarly, most junior translators simply do not imagine that the words English teacher usually designate, not a teacher who happens to be a British citizen, but somebody who teaches English and can be Japanese or Brazilian as well from any English speaking country.. Taking into account the various levels of context. The English word repression has two conventional translations in French. In politics, the French equivalent is repression, whereas in psychology, it is refoulement. You might believe at first glance that translating it correctly is simply a matter of knowing to what field your text belongs. If it deals with politics, you use one translation, if with psychology another. Reality is not that simple. Your author may use the psychological sense within a broad political context. For instance, in an article dealing with the Stalin era, you may have a sentence beginning with Repression by the population of its spontaneous critical reactions led to In this case, although the text deals with politics, the sentence deals with psychology. The narrow context is at variance with the broad context. Flexibility Besides judgment, the other quality I mentioned as indispensable to make an acceptable international translator is flexibility. This refers to the gymnastics aspect of translation work. Mastering the specialized field and the two relevant languages is not enough, you have to master the art of constantly jumping from one into the other and back. Languages are more than intellectual structures. They are universes. Each language has a certain atmosphere, a style of its own, that differentiates it from all others. If you compare such English expressions as software and, on a road sign, soft shoulder with their French equivalents, you realize that there is a very definite switch in the approach to communication. The French translations are respectively logiciel and accotements non stabilises. The English phrases are concrete, metaphorical, made up, with a zest of humor, from words used in everyday speech, although this does not contribute to better comprehension: knowing the meaning of soft and of shoulder does not help you to understand what a soft shoulder is. In French, the same meanings are conveyed by abstract and descriptive terms, which do not belong to everyday usage. You dont understand them either, but for a different reason: because they are based on too intellectual, too sophisticated, too unusual morphemes, so that most foreigners have to look up the words in dictionaries. The difficulty lies in the fact that this difference in approach has to be taken into account at the level, not only of words (a good dictionary may often solve that problem), but of sentences. Consider the sentence Private education is in no way under the jurisdiction of the government. It includes mostly English words of French origin, but common etymology does not imply a common way of expressing ones thoughts. In this case, a good French rendering would be Lenseignement libre ne releve en rien de lEtat. You will realize the importance of those differences in the approach to communication if you take the French sentence as the original and translate it literally into English. The result would be Free teaching does not depend in any way from the State, which means something quite different, especially to an American. In order to translate properly, you have to feel when and how to switch from one atmosphere to another. The problem is that with languages, you never know how you know what you know. If, in a text dealing with economic matters, a good translator meets the phrase the life expectancy of those capital goods, he knows because he feels that he has to translate it by la longevite des equipements. He also knows that when that same text mentions the consumers life expectancy, hell have to say, in French, esperance de vie, because the author for a while deals with a demographic concept which is included in his economic reasoning. But how does he know he knows? He doesnt know. This ability to adjust to the various approaches to reality or fantasy embodied in the different languages, linked to an ability to pass constantly back and forth, is what is called flexibility. This is the quality which is the most difficult to find when you recruit translators. We can now approach the same field from a different angle, asking ourselves the question: what are the problems built-in in languages that make judgment and flexibility so important in translation work? They relate to the grammar and the semantics of both the source and the target languages. Grammar The more a language uses precise and clear-cut grammatical devices to express the relationships among words and, within a given word, its constitutive concepts, the easier the task for the translator. The worst source languages for translators are thus English and Chinese. A Chinese sentence like ta shi qunian shengde xiaohair can mean both he (or she) is a child who was born last year and it was last year that she gave birth to a child. In English similar ambiguities are constant. In International Labor Organization, the word international refers to organization, as shown in the official French wording: Organisation internationale du Travail. But in another UN specialized agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the word international is to be related with aviation, not with organization, as shown, again, by the French version: Organisation de laviation civile internationale (and not Organisation internationale de laviation civile). This is legally and politically important, because it means that the organization is competent only for flights that cross national boundaries. It is not an international organization that deals with all problems of non-military flying. However, since the linguistic structure is similar in both cases, no text analysis can help the translator; he has no linguistic means to decide which is which. He has to refer to the constitution of the relevant organization. Many mistakes made by professional translators result from the impossibility, in English, to assign an adjective to its noun through grammatical means. When a translator rendered Basic oral health survey methods by Methodologie des enquetes fondamentales sur letat de sante bucco-dentaire, he was mistaken in relating the word basic to survey, whereas it actually relates to methods, but he should be forgiven, because only familiarity with the subject enables the reader to understand what refers to what. The correct translation was Methodologie fondamentale applicable aux enquetes sur letat de sante bucco-dentaire. Toncias wife teaches translation to American students who come to Geneva for one year. A standard translation task she gives them includes the subtitle Short breathing exercises. Every year, half her class understands exercises in short breathing, whereas the real meaning is short exercises in deep breathing. The fact that native speakers of English so consistently make the same mistake, although the context provides all the necessary clues, its still a wonder. The fact that, in English, the endings -s, -ed and -ing have several grammatical functions often complicates matters. In the sentence He was sorting out food rations and chewing gum, it is impossible to know if the concerned individual was chewing gum while sorting out food rations, or if he was sorting out two kinds of supplies: food, and chewing gum. Semantics Problems caused by semantics are particularly difficult for human translators. They are of two kinds: (1) the problem is not apparent; (2) the problem is readily seen, but the solution either requires good judgment or does not exist. An example of the first category is provided by the phrase malaria therapy. Since malaria is a well known disease, and therapy means treatment, a translator not trained in medical matters will think that it means treatment of malaria. But the semantic field of therapy is not identical with that of treatment, although this is not apparent if you simply consult a dictionary (Websters defines therapy as treatment of a disease). It would be too long to explain here the differences, but the fact is that malaria therapy should be rendered, not by traitement du paludisme, but by impaludation therapeutique or paludotherapie , because it means that the malaria parasite is injected into the blood to elicit a febrile reaction designed to cure the attacked disease, which is not malaria. In other words, it means treatment by malaria and not treatment of malaria. In the French version, published by Albin Michel, of Hammond Innes novel Levkas Man, one of the characters complains about les jungles concretes in which an enormous population has to live (Hammond, 1998, p.82). This does not make sense for the French reader. What the author meant by concrete jungles was jungles de beton, i. e. high-rise housing developments made of concrete. This is a case in which the translator was not aware of the existence of a semantic problem, namely that concrete has two completely unrelated meanings: a building material, and the opposite of abstract. An example of a semantic problem requiring good judgment is the word develop. It has such a wide semantic field that it is often a real nightmare for translators. It can mean setting up, creating, designing, establishing and thus refer to something that did not exist before. It can mean intensifying, accelerating, extending, amplifying, and thus express the concept making larger, which implies that the thing being developed has been concretely in existence for some time. But it can also mean tapping the resources, exploiting, in other words making use of something that has been having a latent or potential existence. In all other languages, the translation will vary according to the meaning, i. e.to that particular segment the author had in view within the very wide semantic field covered by the word. To know how to translate to develop such or such an industry, you have to know if the said industry already exists or not in the area your text is covering. In most cases, the text itself gives no clue on that matter. Only the translators general culture or his ability to do appropriate research can lead him to the right translation. Such a simple word as more can pose problems, because its semantic area covers both the concepts of quantity and of qualitative degree. What does more accurate information mean? Does it mean a larger amount of accurate information or information that has greater accuracy? And how can you translate cute into another language? The concept simply does not exist in most. Conversely, the French word frileux has no equivalent in English, so that a simple French sentence like il est frileux cannot be properly translated. Still, you can say he feels the cold terribly or he is very sensitive to cold. Although those are poor renderings, they are acceptable. What most resists translation is the adverbial form: frileusement. How can you translate il ramena frileusement la couverture sur ses genoux? You have to say something like He put the blanket back onto his knees with the kind of shivering movement typical of people particularly sensitive to cold. To those of you who might think that this is literary translation, something outside your field of research, I have to emphasize that descriptions of attitudes and behavior are an integral part of medical and psychological case presentations, so that the above sentence should not be considered unusual in a translators practice. An enormous amount of words, many of them appearing constantly in ordinary texts, present similar difficulties. Such words as commodity, consolidation, core, crop, disposal, to duck, emphasis, estate, evidence, feature, flow, forward, format, insight, issue, joint, junior, kit, maintain, matching, predicament, procurement and hundreds of others are quite easy to understand, but no French word has the same semantic field, so that their translation is always a headache. Dictionaries dont help, because they give you a few translations that never coincide with the concept as actually used in a text; in most cases the translations they suggest do not fit with the given context. Another case in point is provided by the many words that refer to the organization of life. You cannot translate Swiss Government by Gouvernement suisse, because the French word gouvernement has a much narrower meaning than the English one. In French, you have to say le Conseil federal or la Confederation suisse according to the precise meaning. The French word gouvernement designates what in English is often named cabinet. The English word government is one of the frustrating ones. You may render it by lEtat, les pouvoirs publics, les autorites, le regime or similar words, evaluating in each case what is closest to the English meaning, and you have to bear in mind that at times it should be sciences politiques (for instance in the sentence she majored in government, in which the verb major is another headache, because American studies are organized in quite a different way from studies in French speaking countries). The Russian word dispanserizacija illustrates a similar problem. It designates a whole conception of public health services that has no equivalent in Western countries. If you want your reader to understand your translation, you should, rather than translate it (it would be easy enough to say dispensarisation), explain what it means. Conclusion As you see, each one of the problems mentioned in the paper makes the translators task very arduous indeed. Problems caused by ambiguities, unexpressed but implied meanings, and semantic values without equivalent in the target language require a lot of thinking, a special knowledge of the field and a certain amount of research as for instance when you have to find out if an industry being developed already exists or not, or if secretary Tan Buting is a male or a female, which, in many languages, will govern the correct form of the adjectives and even the translation of  secretary (Sekreter? Sekreterin? ) . Such problems take up 80 to 90% of a professional translators time. A translator is essentially a detective, Toncia uses to say, and it is true. He has to make a lot of phone calls, to go from one library to another (not so much to find a technical term as to understand how a process unfolds or to find basic data that are understood, and thus unexpressed, among specialists) and to tap all his resources in deduction. These days we all seem to take the right of being a professional translator, but on closer look things are not so simple. In the international environment today, proper communication has become extremely important, and seemingly insignificant mistakes could cause a lot of trouble for the parties involved. In cases when proficient translation or interpreting is required, saving money by hiring someone from your staff instead of a competent professional is not a choice I would recommend. Bibliography Hammond , I. , 1998 Levkas Man, William Collins Larousse, 1994 Dictionaire de la langue fracaise, Lexis Philip, B. , 2000 Websters Third New International Dictionary, Webster Inc. Websites www. iti. org. uk- Institute or Translating and Interpreting http://www. naati. com. au- National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

The Physics of Cooling Techniques :: thermodynamics physics refrigerator

There are many reasons for wanting to cool things, but whatever the reason, the Second Law of Thermodynamics dictates that cooling something will take effort (sorry, no spontaneously cool sodas). Different techniques have been developed to address this issue, each having its own limitations and ideal uses. The most commonly used method of cooling is with vapor-compression cycles, because it is fairly easy to construct a cooling device employing this method and the cost is low. In fact, conventional refrigerators use this method of cooling to keep your leftovers and drinks chilled! Air conditioners also employ a vapor-compression cycle to cool the ambient air temperature in a room. Basically, vapor-compression refrigeration employs a heat engine run backwards, so heat energy is taken from a cold reservoir and deposited into a hot reservoir. By the Second Law of Thermodynamics, heat energy does not spontaneously transfer from a cold to a hot reservoir. In order to have heat transfer in that direction (and not from from hot to cold, as the system is naturally inclined to do), it is necessary to do work on the system. Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle This refrigeration cycle is approximately a Rankine cycle run in reverse. A working fluid (often called the refrigerant) is pushed through the system and undergoes state changes (from liquid to gas and back). The latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant is used to transfer large amounts of heat energy, and changes in pressure are used to control when the refrigerant expels or absorbs heat energy. However, for a refrigeration cycle that has a hot reservoir at around room temperature (or a bit higher) and a cold reservoir that is desired to be at around 34Â °F, the boiling point of the refrigerant needs to be fairly low. Thus, various fluids have been identified as practical refrigerants. The most common include ammonia, Freon (and other chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, aka CFCs), and HFC-134a (a non-toxic hydrofluorocarbon). Stages of the Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle The Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Cycle is comprised of four steps. The conceptual figure of the process shows the PV changes during each part. Part 1: Compression In this stage, the refrigerant enters the compressor as a gas under low pressure and having a low temperature.

Green Marketing Plan †Nandos Essay

The purpose of this plan is to analyse the environmental efforts of the Nando’s Carnegie branch, and to develop strategies that propels them a step closer towards a more eco-friendly and sustainable future. Nando’s was established in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It has approximately 300 stores in Australia since the brand arrived here in 1990. Nando’s has already taken action to be more environmentally responsible, with better packaging designs and partnering with organizations that are tackling the world’s social problems. The sources of information for this  marketing plan include websites, articles and the management at the Carnegie branch of Nando’s. Since some data is unavailable to us (e.g. the annual costs of the business), certain assumptions will have to be made. Nando’s already has a clear focus on reducing its packaging, but energy and water usage have not been addressed as effectively. To reduce their usage of energy, they will have to consider their lighting, and the equipment that is used in the kitchen. Solar panels will also be installed to reduce their electricity use. Water usage will also be reduced by switching to more effi cient equipment in the kitchen and toilets. By employing the strategies that have been outlined, Nando’s will be able to target their triple bottom line by reducing cost, lightening their carbon footprint and consequently improving the lives of the people. Situation Analysis Nando’s Background Nando’s is not the common type of fast food joint, but is more of a casual dining place. Nando’s first began trading in 1987, in Johannesburg, South Africa. It arrived in Australia in 1990, with its first store opening in Perth. Since then, its popularity has grown in every state in Australia, with new stores opening all the time. There are approximately 300 stores operating nationally, with plans to expand further. Nando’s is famous for its unique Peri-Peri marinade that is used for all the chicken items on the menu (Nandos, 2012). This green marketing plan is for Nando’s Carnegie and how they can incorporate sustainability into their operations. Nando’s Environmental strategies Nandos does not advertise their sustainability efforts much, but protecting the environment and â€Å"doing the right thing† has always been a part of their business strategy. They are already raising awareness for an organisation called â€Å"United Against Malaria†, which is a charity that raises awareness of malaria, and aims to put an end to it (Mumbrella, 2012). Nando’s Carnegie has been selling â€Å"United Against Malaria† bracelets to raise funds for the charity. All Nando’s restaurants also use recyclable packaging for their products (they signed the Australian Packaging Covenant in 2010, which means they must adhere to their guidelines). They have also begun selling water bottles which use 35% less plastic than the previous bottles that were used. Recycle logos and information are also printed onto the packaging to educate consumers (Nandos, 2010). Nando’s also makes use of recycling services, which are available at every branch, including Carnegie. Nando’s have implemented a system of having its suppliers of oil provide oil to each store in large quantities so as to reduce the amount of trips that they need to make. This system also reduces the use of steel drums for containing the oil. Spent oil is then sent to recyclers to produce biodiesel, which Nando’s then uses to run its trucks (Nandos, 2010). Analysis of environmental performance Even though Nando’s does undertake all of the above- mentioned activities in their business processes, they are still not realizing their full potential in terms of sustainability. Even though Nando’s does try to buy recycled products, they do not have an explicit policy that states that they should buy recycled. Nando’s also does not have a policy to encourage their overseas suppliers to improve design to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging (Nandos, 2010). Just by implementing these guidelines, Nando’s could improve their environmental performance substantially. However, Nando’s does print environmental logos on all its primary and secondary packaging to encourage recycling throughout its value chain all the way to consumers. Nando’s also discourages consumers to take away the food, and this helps to reduce the use of extra packaging. All Nando’s restaurants have a relaxed atmosphere and a â€Å"homely† feel that urges consumers to eat there rather than take the food home (Nandos, 2012) The fast-food chain also uses renewable resources i.e. sugar cane material, for most of its packaging. Also, they try to make sure that the packaging is made using no small parts so littering is minimized (Nandos, 2010). A few inefficient business methods that are specific to the Carnegie branch include the washing of dishes and the use of disposable gloves. The bulky dishwasher is used even when there are just a few dishes, which results in wastage of water. Also, workers use disposable gloves which are not made of  renewable resources, and are replaced quite often due to overuse. Evidently, Nando’s has integrated sustainability into its organizational plans. However, with a more concentrated focus on the environment, Nando’s will be able to reduce their impact further, and could position themselves as the industry standard in terms of environmental impact. Current marketing strategies Nando’s main message in its advertising campaigns is the fact that they use fresh chicken that is flame-grilled, not fried. They use this as a point of differentiation to gain an advantage over other fast-food chains, like McDonald’s or KFC (Baker, 2010). With its creative and occasionally controversial marketing campaigns and catchy taglines such as â€Å"Portugasm†, Nando’s targets an educated, younger demographic market. The organization has successfully used social media to connect with their customers, and its website to communicate any new plans, or to inform the public of any events taking place at Nando’s.  Nando’s also uses its store design to complete the brand experience for customers. Wooden tables, soft,fluid lighting and posters showing the history of its unique flavours convey an image of relaxation and a natural, friendly appeal to the brand (Nandos, 2012). Even though the target market may be a young demographic, consumers of all ages and backgrounds visit Nando’s, presumably because of its uniquely cooked chicken. Industry analysis The Australian fast food industry has flourished in the last decade, with industry revenue rising by 4.3% to reach $16,007,400,000 per annum. There were approximately 36,730 fast food establishments in Australia in 2010 (RAPS, 2011). With such a large number of fast food organisations, they definitely have a significant impact on the Australian environment and could make a massive difference if they incorporated sustainability into their business practices. The current macro-environment factors will further examine the current situation and trends in the fast food industry. Political factors – All businesses involved in the production and sale of domestic food products must abide by the guidelines set in the â€Å"Food Standards Australia and New Zealand† (RAPS, 2011). This ensures that all businesses follow at least the minimum requirements for sustainability. – The introduction of the carbon tax has resulted in prices of products like fruits, vegetables, bread and meat will rise (Sebo, 2012), this means all fast food chains including Nando’s will have to raise their prices. Social factors – Consumers nowadays place more importance on preservation of the environment and healthy eating, so businesses must ensure they must deal with these issues (Price & Lawson, 1992) – Fast food continues to be seen as unhealthy and pollutants of the environment (Price & Lawson, 1992). – Fast food businesses are also perceived as litterers by a majority of consumers (Price & Lawson, 1992). Technological factors – A new kind of method of utilizing solar power, referred to as solar thermal, means that power can be stored for a longer period of time as the technology does not rely on direct sunlight (Sorly, n.d.) – Advances in packaging designs so they use less material mean that costs for companies are decreased and they decrease their environmental impact (Joy, 2011). – Progress in the development of water efficient fittings result in reduced water usage for all businesses. Natural factors – Water is a major factor influencing all businesses in Australia, as Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world (White, 2009). – Growing population means more demand for food, which places more pressure on the sources of fast food businesses (White, 2009). – Depleting sources of fossil fuels, which are the main source of energy in Australia, will result in increased energy prices (White, 2009). Customer analysis There has been a significant increase of fast food consumption in Australia, with traffic to fast food joints increasing by roughly 7% in 2010 (Markey & Watson, 2011). People of all walks of life come to Nando’s, but a majority of them consist of younger people. Majority of consumers who purchase fast food do so for convenience (TheTelegraph, 2007). Therefore, they probably do not consider environmental factors in their purchase decision. However, with the green consumer group growing within Australia, opportunities for going green for businesses are becoming more appealing. In Australia, there are certain trends that define consumers today. Consumers can be divided into certain groups. These include the Value Consumer, the Busy Consumer and the Green Consumer to name a few (ACRS, 2010) The Value Consumer These are consumers who spend their money more wisely, and mostly consider only what they need. This is mainly a consequence of the Global Financial Crisis as consumers have become more cautious in their spending habits. This can be evidenced by the fact that consumer spending in Australia has been decreasing steadily, and this trend looks set to continue (Schwarten, 2012). These customers then force businesses to create value, so as to attract them to their brand. The Busy Consumer These are consumers who are becoming increasingly time-poor and convenience has a major effect on their purchase decisions. They place more emphasis on â€Å"speed, simplicity and convenience† (ACRS, 2010). Time is very valuable to them, so fast food is the ideal choice for these types of consumers. The Green Consumer This has become a growing niche in the market, and identifies those consumers who are more concerned about the environment than other people. They are willing to spend more for products if they know it will help to conserve the environment. They will actively seek out green products or even organic products, and they take into account the environmental practices of the  business before choosing to purchase. This consumer market is continuously growing, with an estimated buying power of US$500 billion in 2007 globally (ACRS, 2010). In Australia, consumers spent around AU$12 billion on environmentally-friendly goods in 2009, and the market reached AU$21 billion by 2010. Australians attitude towards environmental issues Australians are undoubtedly concerned about the environment, but the high costs of going green are stopping them from being very eco-friendly. This is confirmed by the fact that 100% of Gen Y and 91% of Gen X believe in the effects of climate change, according to McCrindle Research (n.d.). However, 65% do not want to pay more than 10% for green products, while only 10% are willing to pay any price. Consumers also feel that environmentally friendly products should cost less than other  products so as to encourage people to buy them (McCrindle, n.d.) Consumers nowadays expect business to be transparent with their activities and to be accountable at every level of business (Davis, 2007). Organizations are also expected to provide accurate information regarding the environmental impact of their products, and to minimize the impact through the use of innovative designs and manufacturing techniques (Savita, 2011). This means a restaurant like Nando’s is expected to provide the information about their environmental impact to customers, and do all they can to protect the environment, and provide safe products to customers. The purpose of this marketing plan is to target the growing Green Consumer market, and to inform the Value Customer of the high level of environmentally friendly business practices taking place at Nando’s Carnegie so as to give them another reason to eat there. Competitor analysis Direct competitors of Nando’s Carnegie include Grill’d, McDonalds, KFC,  Subway and other various dining restaurants due to their geographic proximity to the Nando’s branch. McDonald’s Strengths 1. Participate in the  government’s Energies  Efficiencies  Opportunities Program. 2. Engage in countrywide water saving  programs. 3. McDonald’s has full  control over its supply  chain, which allows it to  incorporate sustainability  into its operations easily. 4. Conduct extensive  research into reducing  the impact of their  packaging, and are a  member of the Australian  Packaging Covenant.  (McDonalds, 2012) Weaknesses 1. The strategies they are undertaking have  not changed their greedy, corporate brand  image (Barriaux, M. 2007) 2. McDonald’s does have a slight perception  of going green in the minds of consumers, but  its actual green performance is much lower  (Streeter, 2011) 3. McDonald’s customers alone produce 6.35  kgs of trash during peak hour. 4. McDonalds, due to its large size, is  susceptible to being sued by individuals or  organisations that see any weakness in their  sustainability efforts e.g. the 1986 court case  (Archives, 2007) 5. Damage the environment extensively from  their production techniques  (EthicalFootprint,2010) Strategies 1. Litter Control program helps  keep the restaurant grounds clean. 2. Restaurant includes rain water  tanks, dual flush toilets and water  restrictors on taps. 3. Use scorecard method for  sustainability targets for its  suppliers to make sure the goals  are being met throughout the  supply chain. 4. Use recyclable material for  packaging, and continuous  research is put into finding new  ways to reduce packaging material.  (McDonalds, 2012) KFC Strengths Weaknesses Strategies 1. Benefit from alliance  with Carbon Trust, as  they provide them with  ideas of green  technologies. 2. Yum! Brands, (KFC’s  parent company) are  always looking for new  ways for environment  sustainability (Yum!  Brands, 2010). KFC  benefits from this as  they have access to all of  the green technologies  that Yum! Brands  develops. 1. KFC has been linked with deforestation  activities in several parts of the world  (Halladay, 2012). 2. KFC has experienced problems with animal  rights groups, hygiene problems at certain  restaurants, and poor working conditions for  workers. This has had an adverse effect on  their brand image. 1. Switched to recyclable material  for packaging in 2009  (EnvironmentalLeader, 2009). 2. All wrappers for chips, burgers,  and cups are put through a dual  waste stream bin, which is then  sorted and sent out to recycle  (KFC, 2012). 3. Dual flush system and waterless  urinals in the restaurant help to  conserve water. 4. Increased insulation for floor,  walls, and ceiling (KFC, 2012) Subway Strengths Weaknesses Strategies 1. Work with  International Purchasing  Companies Ltd to  generate ideas for  environment  sustainability (Subway,  2012). 2. Subways brand motto,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Eat Fresh†Ã‚  complements its  sustainability goals  (Fitzgerald, Brown &  Stewart, 2009). 3. Member of the  Australian Packaging  Covenant, which  provides Subway with  clear goals for reducing  environmental impact  (Subway, 2012) 1. Subway received some bad press for an  incident involving animal cruelty, which may  have damaged their brand image in the minds  of a few consumers (Reale, 2011) 1. Switched to more energy saving  lighting and low flow water  faucets. 2. Furniture and cleaning materials  are made from more sustainable  materials. 3. Majority of the paper packaging  used is completely recyclable.  (Subway, 2012) – Grill’d is also a competitor of the Nandos Carnegie branch. They have a brand image that promotes healthy living and their supply consists of only fresh ingredients. Their Local Matters initiative, which is used to support local charities, is a fundamental part of their corporate social responsibility program (Grilld, 2012) Internal analysis Human Resources The management at Nando’s Carnegie has had experience with Nando’s for quite some time, so they know how to implement any new operations into the business effectively. Also, this Carnegie branch is family-owned so they would be enthusiastic about any positive innovations or advancements. Marketing capabilities Nando’s uses several mediums to reach its consumers. It uses social media such as its own Facebook page and Twitter account. They also re-designed their website to give it a more informal, fun look. Nando’s also advertises in-store with a variety of posters and brochures. Nando’s also utilises TV advertising but not as intensely as the other fast food franchises. Nando’s is known for its somewhat cheeky advertising, and this has improved brand awareness since it first moved to Australia (Squidoo,n.d). Financial Resources Average revenue daily for the Nando’s Carnegie branch is approximately $2,200. So average annual revenue is approximately $791,720. Objectives To incorporate sustainability into Nando’s accounting framework, the Triple Bottom Line will be used. This means that objectives will be formed so as to address business, society and environmental factors. The TBL framework considers people, planet and profit at the core of the business. Objective 1: Reduce overall environmental impact by intensifying focus on water usage, energy usage and packaging material. By doing this, Nando’s Carnegie will aim to achieve a 50% reduction in costs. Objective 2: Increase awareness of Nando’s Carnegie’s environmental efforts by 50% among consumers by December 2014. Green Marketing Strategy Objective 1: Reduce overall environmental impact by intensifying focus on water usage, energy usage and packaging material. By doing this, Nando’s Carnegie will aim to achieve a 50% reduction in costs. Strategy Reduce water usage by 50% by December 2014. Strategy Reduce energy use by 50% by December 2014. Actions 1. Replace existing  dish washer with  dishwasher that has 4  Star Water Efficiency rating. 2. Ensure all employees  use the dishwasher only  for a full load. 3. Install time flow taps  and dual flush toilets. Actions 1. Replace fryer with  energy-efficient fryer  that has earned the  ENERGY STAR. 2. Install ENERGY  STAR convection oven. 3. Add strip curtains and  automatic door closers  to the walk-in  refrigerator to keep  inside temperature low. 4. Install CFL bulbs in  every part of the  restaurant. 5. Install demand based  exhaust control. This  regulates the exhaust fan  speed in the kitchen to  meet ventilation needs. 6. Install energy  efficient Reverse Cycle  Air Conditioner. 7. Install 7 solar panels  on roof of building. Cost $3000- $6000. Time flow taps- $300 each Dual flush toilets- $500 Cost $950- electric $4,400- gas $1,800- electric $ 3,400- gas $5 per bulb. (Times approximately 25 bulbs for the restaurant = $125) $1500 – $2000 $3000- $4000 Through the implementation of these strategies, Nando’s will be able to reduce their overall operating cost. The investment in green technology might have a high initial investment, but will definitely be profitable in the future. For example: – Energy-efficient fryers can save up to $100 for electricity or $470 for gas annually. ENERGY STAR electric ovens can save up to $190 annually CFL bulbs can reduce energy consumption by 75% Cutting down on idle time for the combination oven can save up to $800 annually. By turning down the central cooling by 3 F, air conditioning costs can be reduced by 12-15 percent. The solar panels could help save up to $400 in electricity costs. (Energy Star, 2012) Clearly, these cost savings are quite significant, and a 50% reduction in costs is therefore perfectly realistic. Strategy 4: Nando’s is already committed to eco-friendly packaging practices, as they follow the strict guidelines under the Australian Packaging Covenant. However, Nando’s does not currently work with third-party organizations to improve design and recycling of packaging, they must begin doing so in order to benefit from specialist knowledge that those firms (e.g. The Cardboard Pallet Company) have acquired. Objective 2: Increase awareness by 50% of Nando’s Carnegie’s environmental efforts among consumers by December 2014. Strategy Actions Increase communication efforts  of eco-friendly changes taking  place through a range of  mediums and creative tactics. 1. Change in-store poster design  to a green theme to emphasize  the changes taking place. N/A Cost 2. Advertise in local â€Å"Caulfield  Glen Eira Leader† newspaper  and â€Å"The Daily Green† website  about the restaurant’s green  efforts. 3. Use outdoor banners to  advertise sustainability practices. 4. Distribute brochures inside  store to raise awareness of the  shift to sustainability at  Nando’s. $500 (approximately) $300 ($150 for each banner) $2000 Other strategies that Nando’s could undertake involve: Using their food waste and turn it into compost to use it to grow plants. They could do this by having their own compost recycling operation or send their food waste to a compost facility. Encouraging more eat-ins by providing facts about the environmental impact of packaging to consumers. Using the strategies listed, Nando’s will be able to affect its Triple Bottom Line positively. Through the implementation of the strategies, they will be able to minimise their environmental impact, reduce their costs significantly and improve the store environment for the people who visit the store (i.e. through improved design and having more decorative plants in the store). The achievement of these objectives will show Nando’s devotion to sustainability. References Archives (2007, April 11). McDonalds, Environmental McNasty? Retrieved 27 September, 2012 from http://theconcordian.com/ Baker, R. (2010, June 30). Nandos has lipsmackin’ giveaway plan. Marketing Week. Retrieved from http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/nandos-has-lipsmackin-giveawayplan/3015217.art icle Barriaux, M. (2007, July 05). McDonalds goes green, but not all customers are lovin’ it. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Davis, P. (2007, November 13). Is your company naughty or nice? Consumers want to know before buying. Retrieved September 27, 2012 from http://www.marketingexperiments.com/blog/ Energy Star (2012). Energy Star Guide For Restaurants. Retrieved from http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/publications/pubdocs/restaurants_guide.pdf?04bb-ca54 Environmental Leader (2009, January 28). KFC Switches to Earth-Friendly Packaging. Retrieved September 28, 2012 from http://www.environmentalleader.com/ Ethical Footprint (2010, May 14). Unethical companies: McDonalds. Retrieved 27 September, 2012 from http://ethicalfootprint.wordpress.com/ Fitzgerald, T., Brown T. & Stewart E. (2009, April 01). Cover Story: Subway’s Journey to Green. Retrieved September 28, 2012 from http://www.chainalytics.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/2009-04-Subways-Journey-to-Green.pdf Grilld (2012). Retrieved from http://www.grilld.com.au/ Halladay, J. (2012, June 25). Kentucky Fried Chicken Destroying the Rainforests. Retrieved 28 September, 2012 from http://www.the-platform.org.uk/2012/06/25/kentucky-friedchicken-destroying-the-rainforests/ Joy. (2011). 50+ Eco-friendly & Recyclable Packaging Inspiration. Retrieved from http://jayce-o.blogspot.com.au/ KFC (2012). Markey A. & Watson C. (2011, May 27). News.com.au. Retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/ McCrindleResearch (n.d.). Australians on Climate Change: Attitudes and Behaviours. Retrieved from http://mccrindle.com.au/ResearchSummaries/Australians-on-ClimateChange-Attitudes-and-Behaviours.pdf McDonalds (2012). Retrieved from http://mcdonalds.com.au/ Mumbrella. (2010, June 07). Nando’s launches single with Disco Montego in lead up to World Cup. Retrieved September 25, 2012 from http://mumbrella.com.au/nandos-launchessingle-with-disco-montego-in-lead-up-to-world-cup-27672 Nandos. (2010). Action Plan: Implementing the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines 2010-2015 (Australian Packaging Covenant). Retrieved September 25, 2012 from http://www.nandos.com.au/sites/default/files/nandos-australia-apc-action-plan.pdf Nandos. (2012). Retrieved September 24, 2012 from http://www.nandos.com.au/aboutus/nandos-australia Price, S. & Lawson, J. (1992). Nutritional and Environmental Issues in Fast Food. Nutrition and Food Science. 92(2), 4-10. Reale, R. (2011, July 15). Nike and Subway, like NFL, Support Animal Cruelty and Torture. Retrieved September 28, 2012 from http://realetybytes.com/ Retail and personal services training council (2011, n.d). Fast Food Environmental Scan 2011. Retrieved from http://rapstc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Fast-Food-EnvironmentalScan-2011.pdf Savita, H. (2011). EMERGING ISSUES IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: ISO GUIDANCE ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD CONSUMERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR MARKETERS. AMA Summer Educators’ Conference Proceedings. 22, 109-116. Schwarten, E. (2012, September 20). Consumer Spending falls again, Commonwealth Bank of Australia says. Retrieved September 26, 2012 from http://www.news.com.au/ Sebo, T. (2012, July 03). Carbon Tax: The Great Unknown. Gouldburn Post. Retrieved from http://www.goulburnpost.com.au/ Sorly, P. (n.d). The Top 5 Green Technology Breakthroughs. Retrieved September 25, 2012 from http://greenopolis.com/ Squidoo (n.d.) Nando’s Franchise. Retrieved from http://www.squidoo.com/nandos-franchise Streeter, A. (2011, August 10). â€Å"Best† Green Brands List Implies That Greenwash Works. Retrieved September

The Scope and Severity of Arson for Profit Essay - 1640 Words

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