Piaget's Brand and Competitive Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Piaget's Brand and Competitive Analysis - Essay Example However, the brand decided to expand by diversifying into jewelry making. They increased their expertise in gold by acquiring various gold work-shops throughout Geneva. 1990x-Now: During this period Piaget introduced various top-notch watches such as, Tanagra, Miss Protocole and 600P tourbillon caliber watches. During this period it also expanded by opening up production facilities in other cities of Switzerland. It also celebrated its 130th anniversary in the year 2004. In 2008, it was rated as the sixth largest luxury brand. As far as the future plans of the company are concerned, it wants to enrich and further master the art of watch making and jewelry manufacturing. It strengthens its faith in providing high-quality luxury items to its customers by increasing their know-how in watches and jewelry. (The Watch Quote, 2009) As far as the target market of Piaget is concerned, it serves to only a small market. The reason behind serving such a small market is that most of these watches are manually produced and are not produced in bulk so that they do not lose prestige associated with them. As a result, Piaget is content serving a small market, a market which includes rich people and those who can afford the expensive prices that are commanded by Piaget. Looking at the abov Piaget is very much aware of Synergy effect and that's why all the component parts of its watches are produced by the firm itself and Piaget believes in using top-quality material for all its watches. BRANDS CLASSIFICATION GRAPHS: 1) Feminity vs. Masculinity: SPORTS vs. Refinement Tradition Vs. Creativity Watch vs. Jewelry BATTLE OF THE BRANDS (COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS): Looking at the above graphical analysis, one can easily say that the five closest competitors for Piaget are: Cartier, Baume and Mercier, Richard Mille, IWC and Rolex. These firms are providing competition to Piaget by offering the same level of service and producing good which are close to the products that Piaget is producing, Similarly, Piaget is also affected by the pricing and advertising decision of these firms and there is a mutual interdependence between these firms. Starting from the type of market these companies lets compare and contrast these companies from Paiget's strategy. Most of

What Patriotism Means to Me Essay Example for Free

What Patriotism Means to Me Essay Patriotism, the word itself makes me think of people full of loyalty and pride. It makes me think of those who are loyal to their country, their country’s ideas, and those who fought and sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their country. You might be asking yourself, â€Å"What does patriotism mean?† To me it means a major love of a country and the willingness to die for that country. I love my country and honor those who sacrificed everything for our country’s freedom. I am inspired by those patriots who have spoken out and fought for our freedom. I am also inspired by the men and woman today who are still fighting and sacrificing their lives for our glorious country. Our forefathers were dreaming of a country with liberty and justice for all. They sacrificed everything to make this dream a reality and that is true patriotism. They fought against the most powerful army at that time. There are many examples of patriotism in the patriots of the revolutionary war. â€Å"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.†-Nathan Hale those were his last words right before he was hung by the British on September 22, 1775. Those words truly define that he was a patriot. He spoke those words so confidently. There are many more such as, George Washington, who boldly lead our country into battle, Samuel Adams who founded the sons of liberty, Patrick Henry who boldly spoke, â€Å"Give me liberty or give me death.†, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, and Thomas Paine. In my opinion they were all good patriots with the same dream; to create a nation full of liberty, which they did successfully by risking their lives to create this nation, our nation, full of liberty and justice for all! We will fight to keep it this way!

Uppsala Model, Transaction Cost Theory and Network Model

Uppsala Model, Transaction Cost Theory and Network Model According to Calof and Beamish (1995), internationalization is the method of adapting organizations operations (resources, strategy, structure,) to foreign environments. This process comprises of the amount and geographic distance of the foreign market that is entered; the different amount of activities that are carried out in the different countries and the intensity of integration of these activities. Firms go into internationalization as a result of their customers migrating and their competitors globalizing while some companies go into it as a symbol of success and progress (multinationalism idea). Due to the complexity of the processes involved in the internationalization, several theories have been designed by different scholars to enable the easy accomplishment of the international emerging markets. Amongst the theories and their different features that are to be discussed are; the Uppsala Model, Transaction Cost theory and the Network Model. Uppsala Model of Internationalization is the theory that is based on the learning and the evolutionary viewpoint. This theory is derived from the behavioral theory which is explained as the nature of the firm through behavioral actions of its customers and the country of its emergence (Cyert and March, 1992). This theorys strength is based on the knowledge on how to conduct a business in a foreign market on which without the knowledge, the intended company to internationalize would be rendered handicapped (Carlson, 1966). Firms using this theory have the tendency of entering a new market successfully through the geographic and psychic distance which means the summation of factors that is hindering the flowing of information from one market to another market; these include differences in language, education, business practices, culture, and industrial development (Johanson Vahlne, 1977, Johanson Associates, 1994). Just as it was mentioned in the 3rd lecture on the 8th of February, the socio-cultural environment/ culture and cultural differences have a big role to play when a company is entering a foreign market, this is because the ways of life of the people, organizations and government will be different from that of the domestic country of the entering firm. This means that the company has to plan on different strategies to use like using two or three languages pattern as the organizational language base and strategies to suit the countrys religion and other sensitive factors in order to be able to penetrate faster than it would have taken. Thus, the model expects that the internationalization process, once it has started, will tend to proceed regardless of whether strategic decisions in that direction are made or not. (Johanson Vahlne, 1990,) There are two types of knowledge that are involved in this theory; the general or objective knowledge which can be taught and the market-specific or the experimental knowledge which can only be learnt via personal experience and is difficult to transfer nor separated from its original source (tacit knowledge) Penrose, (1959). The experimental knowledge is very important as it cannot be easily acquired like the objective knowledge. An example of this can be the carrying out of marketing researches and reports. All the information on the threats and opportunities of the international market can best be gotten from the people working in that country just as it is explained in Johanson and Vahlne, 1990; That it is the experience that generates the business opportunities and constitute the driving force in the internationalization process. This is why this theory is seen to be a slow process because it involves the learning through experience from a firms own activities. It is always the lack of experiential knowledge in the new market that pushes the firm to use the internationalization characterized gradual process which is in stages and known to the Establishment Chain (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975). Critiques of Uppsala Model This model is too deterministic because its principles are predicted by the evolution of time. All its advances are based and controlled by the environment of which the firm exist or planning to internalize. The model does not take into account the interdependencies between different countriess markets of which a firm operates under. This model is mostly relevant to the physical product industries but usually very slow in entering distant markets in terms of psychic distance at an early stage and its frequently not valid for the service industries as services can be dynamic and more time compressed also requires initial commitments. Subsequently, there are many models and strategies that facilitate the faster and easier avenues to extend a business abroad, therefore, it is no longer necessary to build up knowledge using the in house method due to the present technology nature that stimulates the interactivity with customers. To conclude this theory, it is quite clear that this theory has the competitive advantage opportunities base to the amount of resources and researches that are carried out in the foreign country before entering. This model only focuses on the selected firm unlike other models that extends their researches to environmental explanatory variables rather than being static. The key features of Uppsala theory are: Firms first of all achieve their knowledge from the home market before moving to the distant markets. Organizations start their overseas operations from culturally/ geographically and religiously close nations and progress slowly to culturally and geographically further far-away countries. Organizations also launch their overseas operations by making use of the traditional exports and slowly but surely moving to the using of a more intensified and demanding operational modes like sales subsidiaries at the company and target country level. It is the objectives of the firm to produce abroad I all markets. Transaction Cost Theory is a cost that is incurred in creating an economic trading (which is the cost of taking part in a market, economies of scale and transportation cost). This involves all the cost incurred from the starting of a particular transaction to the end. This is the summation of all the expenses involved in establishing a new market in a foreign country, this include both the explicit cost and the implicit cost and it affects both the both the service provider and the customer. Normally, it is advantageous to have the external transaction costs more than the internal transaction costs, this will guarantee the companys growth but, if the internal transaction costs are more than the external transaction costs this will lead the company to a downscale by outsourcing. Transaction cost economics arises when multinational companies are more efficient than their markets and contracts in organizing interdependencies between their agents that are located in different countries. It is the theory of the role and size of a firm. If a company plans to utilize a firm-specific asset in a foreign market and this utilization has to be done in that market due to their localization factors for example, trade barriers, high transportation costs and some other specific factors, the company can best do this by obtaining the required license to invest abroad on their own facilities rather than using that of the foreign countrys market. This is because; the more intangible the firm-specific assets are, the stronger its tendency of being successful would be. Transaction Cost theory is closely related to the internalization theory. With the transaction cost theory, firms always strive to minimize their cost at all point during their operations and decision making. This is why firms would need to consider to either entering a foreign market with their total assets or collaborating with their external partners as externalization (Williamson, 1975). The failure of a foreign emerging market strongly depends on this decision (Williamson, 1979). The key features of the Transaction Cost Theory are: * The transaction cost approach focuses on costs and how these costs would affect a firms choice of market and their modes of entry into a new boundary market. * This theory views organizational structure as a single important arrangement for establishing and safeguarding transactions and reducing transaction costs between participants and across organizational boundaries. * The Transaction cost covers all the costs of searching for information about a foreign market, products, buyers and sellers; negotiation costs; and monitoring which is part of the enforcement costs. * Transaction costs and transactional difficulties increases when transactions are characterized by: Asset specificity; Uncertainty (internal and external); and Frequency of transaction. * The international market decision is made in a rational manner base on the analysis of the cost of transaction. * Organizations make decisions based on the evaluations and comparing of their cost of an entry mode that is related to their objectives. Critiques of Transaction Cost theory This theory can be wrong and also dangerous for corporate managers because of its assumptions on which it is based on. Firms are not mere alternatives for the structuring of efficient transactions when markets results disappoints; they hold a strong advantages for leading and controlling certain kinds of economic actions via a strategy that is extremely unusual from that of a market both national and international. Transaction Cost theory is bad for being put into practice because it fails to recognize the just mentioned difference (Masten, 1993). Conclusively, Firms should select the organizational forms and locations for which transaction costs are minimized. (Donaldson O`Toole, 2007).A firm should expand its operations until their cost of making an extra transaction within the firm is equal to the cost of making similar or more transaction in another place (foreign market). The firm should first of all continue to grow internally until external sources have a cost advantage before externalizing (Hollensen, 2007). Network Model: In the network model theory, the market is seen as a system of social and industrial relationships among customers, suppliers, competitors, families and friends within a given boundary and beyond. This is for the purpose of creating the opportunity and motivation for internationalization. Following the network perspectives, the strategic decisions that are usually taken by organizations strongly depends on the relationships between the various parties and individual firms also depends on the resources that are controlled by other national and international firms. The structure of the Network Model can be demonstrated below: Actors Activities Resources (Johanson and Mattsson, 1988) The key features of the Network Model are as follows: * This model is based on the theories of social exchange and focuses on firm behavior in the context of inter-organizational and interpersonal relationships. * The glue that bonds the relationships together between the actors is based on technical, economic, legal and above all personal ties. * The long-term relationships between business actors and the background in which the organization operates have the illustrative significance in the description of the internationalization of firms. * A firm does not act alone in relation to other actors in a market. * A conjecture in this model is that an organization is reliant on other firms resources surrounded by the same network; an example is the customer and supplier relationships. Critiques of the Network Model The start-up problem in this model prevents even-adoption of superior products; excess sluggishness can occur as no actor is be willing to put up with the over proportional threat of being the first adopter of a standard. In many cases, the existence of network effects could lead to a weak and inferior result in markets (pareto-inferior). Also, In the case of sponsored technologies, there is a possibility to internalize the otherwise more or less lost of network gains by strategic inter-temporal pricing. Private incentives to providing networks that can overcome the inertia problems can be made possible but still the assurance of social optimality would not be certain. Conclusively, the network relationships are significant opportunities for the acquirement of resources and knowledge that are necessary for foreign development of firms. Also, the relationships of firms in a domestic network can be used as bridges to other networks in other Countries. Such direct and indirect bridges to different country networks can be important in the opening steps abroad and in the successive entry of new markets in an emerging industry. References Books Cyert, R.M., and March, J.G., (1963). A Behavioral Theory of the Firm. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. Donaldson, B., and OToole, T., (2007). Strategic Market Relationships: From strategy to Implementation. Chichester: John Wiley Sons. Hadjiikhani, A., and Johanson, M., (2001). Expectation- The Missing Link in the Internationalization Process Model. New Plymouth: Pergamon Press. Hollensen, S. (2001). Global Marketing- A market-responsive approach. 2nd ed. Gosport: Prentice Hall. Hakansson, H., and Johanson, J., (1992). A Model of Industrial Networks. Stockholm: Almquist Wiksell International. Hollensen, S. (2007). Global Marketing A Market-Responsive Approach, London: Prentice Hall. Johanson, J. associates, (1994). Internationalization, Relationships and Networks. Stockholm: Almqvist Wiksell International. Johanson, J., and Vahlne, J-E., (1977). The Internationalization Process of the Firm- A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments. Stockholm: Almquist Wiksell International. Johanson, J., and Vahlne, J-E. (1990). The Mechanism of Internationalization. Stockholm: Almquist Wiksell International. Johanson, J., and Mattson, L-G., (1988). Internationalization in Industrial Systems A network Approach in Strategies in Global Competition (ed. By Hood, N Vahlne J-E. 287-314). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Penrose, E., (1995). The Theory of the Growth of the Firm (3rd ed.). Great Britain: Oxford University Press. Williams, O., (1985). The Economic Institutions of Capitalism, New York: The Free Press JOURNALS Kotabe, M., and Helson, K., (2008). Global Marketing Management. A Journal of Global Marketing. 6th February, pp. 329-331. Whitelock, J., (2002). Theories of Internationalization and Their Impact on Market Entry. A Journal of International Marketing Review. 7th February, 342-344. Williams, O., (1979). Transaction Cost Economics: The Governance of Contractual Relations, Journal of Law and Economics. 3rd February, pp. 233-262.

Married To Be Alone? Essay -- essays research papers

Married To Be Alone? Although marriage is the symbol of two lives ¡Ã‚ ¦ union, in the real world many people experience it in the opposite way. Gloria Steinem says:  ¡Ã‚ §The surest way to be alone is to get married. ¡Ã‚ ¨ In  ¡Ã‚ §The Story of an Hour ¡Ã‚ ¨ by Kate Chopin, we can certainly realize how well the author describes the loneliness of a marriage. There is another short story that also reflects the same point of view in a relationship; it is William Faulkner ¡Ã‚ ¦s  ¡Ã‚ §A Rose for Emily. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Both works serve as strong evidence for Gloria Steinem ¡Ã‚ ¦s opinion. In  ¡Ã‚ §The Story of an Hour ¡Ã‚ ¨ Chopin implies an idea of that Mrs. Mallard lives as a prisoner. Maybe it is because she grew up in a society in which women used to be properties of men, she has not noticed that fact until she receives her husband ¡Ã‚ ¦s death news. Marriage did not really unify emotionally her life with her husband ¡Ã‚ ¦s. This can be seen in the lines,  ¡Ã‚ §And yet she had loved him  ¡V sometimes. Often she had not ¡Ã‚ ¨ (8). She lived with this man, saw him everyday, slept by his side every night, but she did not even love him. Is that a how a relationship between a couple supposed to be? All those years she spent with her husband were as alone as being a prisoner; isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t that sad? But everything is solved (she thought so), as Mr. Mallard is dead, at last she can be liberated from that prison,  ¡Ã‚ §Free! Body and soul free ¡Ã‚ ¨ (8). This is not a usual expression of a woman whose husband has just died; here we can understand how alon e she has bee...

Meaning of Life and Dad Essay

The most influential person in my life is my dad. The reason why my dad is the most influential person to me is because he is my dad. My dad has been their for me since day 1. He always had my back through everything no matter how much fights we get into he will always be hear for me. My dad always wants to see me succeed in life he doesn’t want to see me fail. He inspires me in so many different way of what he does. A couple of examples of how my dad inspires me is he always helps me through everything he never let me down. He always told me to stand high and never give up on my dreams he was the one who pushed me to succeed to the person who I am now my dad has always been their for me and he will always have my back. He is my hero! My dad is such a hard working man he always told me to get a good job in this economy because you cant go no where in life without a good gob or a good degree in something. Growing up, my father taught me many valuable lessons, specifically to be kind to everyone and to never give up. These simple but important lessons have shaped my life in its entirety. My dad is the kindest man that I have ever met. He never talks bad about others always helps other people, and always tries to do the right thing no matter what the cost to himself. He is kind, thoughtful generous and honest. I attribute much of who I am as a person to my dad and I thank him for his dedication to our family . My dad gave me the confidence to go out and explore the world around me. From these opportunities, I have acquired skills, gained leadership experience and know that I can do anything if I persevere. I know what it means to be accountable for the decision I make and people entrusted to my care. I have stood up to those who were discriminating and demonstrated that respect for each other is important. I have learned in order to achieve a goal one must make a plan, get others on board, secure necessary resources and then go out and DO IT!!! I learned to not listen to the people who say it is impossible, and to get the complainers involved. I have had unique opportunities to train, lead and mentor. I have seen tragedies and poverty and have learned to appreciate what I have: my family friends university and country. None of these life lessons would have be possible without the support and guidance of my father. My dad always told me to follow my dreams and never let go ever since than I am following my dreams thanks to my dad! He is the most influential person to me in my life.

Thermal Pollution Essays

Thermal Pollution Essays Thermal Pollution Paper Thermal Pollution Paper It is one of the pollution that effects on living things and the environment badly. The definition of thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature decreases oxygen supply, and affects ecosystem composition. Urban runoff?seawater discharged to surface waters from roads and parking lots-can also be a source of elevated eater temperatures. When a power plant first opens or shuts down for repair or Other causes, fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by the abrupt change in water temperature known as thermal shock. * Effects of thermal pollution on the environment There are several effects of thermal pollution * The dissolved oxygen content of water is decreased as the solubility of oxygen in water is decreased high temperature * High temperature becomes a barrier for oxygen penetration into deep Goldwater. * Toxicity of pesticides, detergents and chemicals in the effluents increases with increase in temperature. * The composition of flora and fauna changes because the species sensitive to increase temperature due to thermal shock will be replaced by temperature tolerant species. Metabolic activities of aquatic organisms increase at high temperature i nadequate more oxygen level falls under thermal pollution. * Discharge of heated water near the shores can disturb spawning and can Bienville young fishes. * Fish * Sudden migrations are affected due to formation of various thermal zones and periodic increase in temperature producing a thermal effect * Distribution of organisms among major and minor communities. Changes to reproductive powers and increased susceptibility to disease * production of heat shock proteins for thermonuclear. Bio indicators are the first to show the effects. * Decrease in productivity of the water body . * Economic and environmental damage * Effects of thermal pollution on the living things All plant and animal species that live in water are adapted to temperatures within a certain range. When water in an area warms more than they can tolerate, species that cannot move, such as rooted plants and shellfish, will die. Species that can move, such as fish, will leave the area in search of cooler notations, and they will die if they can not find them. It can be said that pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm of discomfort to the ecosystem and in this essay on pollution these problems will be discussed. The blacksmith institute issues annually a list of the worlds most polluted worst places. In 2007 issues the top ten nominees are located in Azerbaijan, china, Peru, Russia, Zambia including India. In the last industrial age, the term over pollution was common, representing a view that was both critical of industrial pollution but likewise accepted a certain degree of pollution as nominal industrial practice. Say on pollution. With the growing number of automobiles and the greenhouse effect problem becoming more and more of a threat, air pollution is something to be concerned with. Essay on pollution. This essay on pollution will also discuss the major forms of it. They are listed below along with the particular contaminant relevant to each of them. Essay on polluti on. *Air pollution:the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common gaseous pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Say on pollution. *Light pollution: includes light trespass and astronomical interference. Littering:the criminal throwing of inappropriate man made objects, unredeemed onto public and p riveter properties. Essay on pollution. *Noise pollution: which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise? *Solar contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. *Thermal pollution is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused y human influence. Visual pollution which, can refer to the presence of overhead power lines, motorway billboards. *Water pollution by the discharge of waste water from commercial and industrial waste into surface waters, discharge of untreated domestic sewage, and chemical contaminants such as chlorine, fro m treated sewage. Essay on pollution. About 400 million metric tons of hazardous wastes are generated every year. The United States alone produces about 250 million metric tons. Americans constitute less than 5 % of the worlds population. Essay on pollution.

Production system Essays

Production system Essays Production system Essay Production system Essay The production system is viewed as a combination of the materials supply, production planning, scheduling, control and material transformation functions. Together, these functions must respond to demands set either directly by customer orders (in a make to order situation), or to production orders generated by an inventory control function (in a make to stock scenario) Production/Factory responsiveness Production factory responsiveness can be defined in a number of ways: A responsive factory is a factory which is agile. Agility is defined as quick moving, nimble and active. Agility is the ability to thrive and prosper in a competitive environment of continuous and unanticipated change, to respond quickly to rapidly changing markets driven by customer-based valuing of products and services. Responsiveness is the ability of a production system to respond to disturbances (originating inside or outside the manufacturing organisation) which impact upon production goals. Typical disturbances might include, for example, the receipt of rush orders, machine breakdowns or degradations or variations in raw material supply. The disturbances may be internal or external and importantly their effect may be either positive or negative. Range of Production Environments and Responses Agility and Response Agility is described as the ability of a company to operate profitably in a competitive environment of continually, and unpredictably, changing customer opportunities. Four key imperatives have been associated with agile companies: a) Enrich the customer, b) Master change and uncertainty, c) Leverage resources and d) Co-operate to compete. Responsiveness helps in fulfilling the need for agility for mastering change and uncertainty. However, agility is also concerned with making full use of the influence a company has over the sources of change and uncertainty, to pro-actively remove them or drive them to support the organisations goals. An agile company pro-actively influences the various environments in which it operates by means of many different activities, including marketing, co-operative alliances, new product and process development. In contrast, responsiveness is about taking actions in response to actual or potential changes which the system either cannot control or has not planned. The link between agility and responsiveness is outlined as follows: From this diagram we can say that effective response is a critical attribute, and represents the reactive capabilities of an agile organization. Another important parameter to be considered over here is system flexibility. System Flexibility has received much attention as a manufacturing research topic in the last decade or so. It is the ability of a production system to change the mix, volume and timing of its outputs. Total system flexibility is a complicated function of many system attributes, including machine and subsystem flexibilities. While system flexibility constitutes a possible means for responding to disturbances (both internal e.g. machine breakdowns and external e.g. demand variation, rush-orders) it is not synonymous with responsiveness, since the system must also be able to judiciously use its flexibility in response to disturbances i.e. decide when to flex its outputs and by how much. Parameters to measure factory responsiveness We feel that factory responsiveness cannot be determined by a single variable. In fact, In order to improve factory responsiveness, first it is necessary to find those variables which would help us to measure quantify factory responsiveness. This will also help us to fix suitable benchmarks. Also, ignoring the factory, will only lead to increased inventory, longer cycle times, and higher costs as product variety increases. There are a number of compelling reasons why the factory should be the starting point in the journey toward demand driven manufacturing. First, converting to lean manufacturing in the factories will help ensure that ERP software is not merely automating an otherwise bad process. Secondly, the factory is often the starting point for companies intending to make broader supply chain improvements. When a company sees significant results from the lean manufacturing transformation, they can often convince suppliers to do the same, providing help and experience. Once the factory is lean, upstream supply chain improvements help ensure that supply disruptions do not hamper the lean factory.

Application of Management Theories

Application of Management Theories Abstract Most successful corporations have applied either employee empowerment theory or the penetration pricing theory. A combination of both theories might also enhance market performance of any given corporation. However, empowerment theory facilitates a culture of employees’ contribution by allowing them to participate and contribute to the decision making processes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Application of Management Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The application of this theory enables an organization to discover the full synergy and power of its employees as regards to problem detection, solving alongside better service deliveries. In contrast, the penetration pricing theory might help a company to evade market competition. It can be applied when a company wants to operate at the least cost possible while setting the lowest product prices. Introduction Various theories have been applied during decision making processes. The memo however highlights the applications of the employee empowerment and penetration pricing theories as noted in human resource and marketing areas respectively. Moving towards workforce empowerment culture Workforce empowerment turned out to be a corporate catchphrase in early nineties and the corporate press accord deemed it to be a noble thing. During this periods, the customary view saw workforces as replaceable objects in corporations, individuals who ought to be well trained to execute well defined and narrow tasks as well as people who should be constantly supervised and watched every time (Rehkopf, 2009). With the advent of employees’ empowerment culture, there has been the necessitation that even the sophisticated and more educated employees have the urge of contributing in their workplaces and to the employers. Basically, employees’ empowerment in simple term implies the full-fledged cronies in pursuit of high quality le vels and better services. Empowered employees are always encouraged to make decisions, think and take personal actions on the basis of the defined corporate guidelines (Rehkopf, 2009). The organizational management must thus recognize employee abilities and offer the requisite authority and tools which enables them to incessantly advance their performances. The management is charged with responsibility of stating its expectations as regards to the recognition and solving of the problems through empowering the employees to so.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A practical example of empowerment Very few corporations truly embrace the employees’ empowerment concept. In fact, corporations that adopt this concept have realized the massive synergy and power which could be released when workforces are allowed to fully participate in the assumed operations. A practic al example where the concept of employees’ empowerment culture was widely embraced is Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Instead of marginalizing its employees by failing to listen to them and refusing to have them contribute in the hotel decision making processes, Ritz-Carlton Hotel does exactly the opposite. Employee empowerment is not merely used in guests’ satisfaction, but it is rather intended to crown them imaginary services (Hardina, 2007). Every employee at Ritz-Carlton Hotel has a chance to contribute to the decision making process and they have the mandate from the leaders to act accordingly. How the employee empowerment concept bring about specific actions Initially, Ritz-Carlton Hotel did not engage its workforce in the continual process improvement and in the development of work processes. It was thus very difficult to gauge how the indispensable service deliveries to partners could be made. There was equally laxity and non-commitment on the side of employees as regards to service deliveries and goal attainments. The morale and motivation in the institution was extremely low while the employees were less energized by failure to involve them in the decision making processes. The employees thus felt like they were not recognized and neither were they deemed part of the organization. Thus, they lacked the full sense of entrepreneurial commitment (Rehkopf, 2009). The theory of employee empowerment necessitates that each employee within the organization must totally sense the commitment of the organization to such an empowerment. Merely saying that the workforce is empowered is actually not real. In fact, the management and all leaders found at different levels ought to act by shunning the mere talks. This theory requires that the management ought to realize that workforce empowerment is not like the magical gifts that workers receive from the management. The leaders have the responsibility of establishing a pivotal atmosphere and environment where the workforce feels the real empowerment (Ryan, 1998). They should have a feeling that they are emboldened in the decision making process and must be aware of the management backing and support. Results achieved by practicing employee empowerment theory After the theory was implemented at Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the employees unleashed their full potentials as regards to service delivery and consequently participated in all the entrepreneurial operations. They aided the hotel management in detecting and solving the emerging problems besides providing guests with legendary services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Application of Management Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The employees felt like they had greater stakes in the hotel and fully remained loyal and accountable to their assumed tasks. Indeed, they equated their respective triumphs and purpose with those of the hotel. There were sky-high morale and motiva tions in the hotel devoid of sporadic campaigns and gimmicks by the management (Rehkopf, 2009). The employees were passionate about fellow workers and service deliveries to guests. What I could have done differently As a practicing manager, I could have aspired to know the employees by their names, share my time with them, treat them like adults and personally look for their welfare. Most important, I could have shared with them my visions and goals for the hotel by thoroughly and frequently communicating with them. Information and guidelines for empowered behaviors could also have been made available to each worker. Workers who attain beyond expectations could have been rewarded while any emanating member issues could have been instantly resolved. Thus, the employees could have been made and parcel of the hotel. Another theory that could be used in decision making is the self-determination theory. Based on this theory, workers have both external and internal perceived locus of loca lity which makes them feel that any force initiates and sustains their actions. Such forces might in turn cause motivation. Penetration pricing theory This concept has been widely employed by most new market entrants when they aim at winning clients and consequently garnering larger market shares from their competitions. The theory derives from the demand price responsiveness by assuming that clients will always move to the novel brands and products whose prices are seemingly low. The assumption is that provided brand loyalty has been developed, then the set prices might be raised progressively to attain the dominant market price. In case prices are low, then the preliminary goodwill will be generated and hence companies will be capable of holding unto their clients besides gaining other positively referred customers (Baker, 2006). A practical application of penetration pricing There are numerous issues that are addressed via applying this theory. As reported in the media, this theo ry has been extensively applied by Wal-Mart Corporation. The company believed that when higher prices are charged on commodities, market competitors will eventually outperform it by reducing their prices. Since identifiable and distinct prices segment are inexistent in the market while price elastic demand are exhibited, larger products market will permit competition take place. Prices will eventually reduce thus permitting subsequent price hikes which will operationally offset the preliminary low prices (Hardina, 2007). Wal-Mart applied this theory by setting low prices to help its clients save money and live better lives. The company did this by offering pleasant shopping experience, guaranteeing satisfaction, setting the least possible prices, providing knowledgeable experience and a variety of quality products. It was as a result of price antagonism and market competition that Wal-Mart opted to adopt this theory.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How penetration pricing concept bring about specific actions The theory of penetration pricing helps customers to recognize each other. Any company that draws on penetration pricing stands a better chance of countering the competitors’ actions and has exceptional positioning strategies. For instance, Wal-Mart applied this theory in its business operations and the corporation has had the chance to utilize economies of scale. Economies of scale in turn helped the company to produce numerous goods at the least cost possible. The end result is a reduction on the charged prices, avoidance of market competition and becoming a market leader (Winninger, 1994). Results achieved by employing penetration pricing theory When Wal-Mart applied this concept, it created a positive impression which made clients to believe that the corporation truly provides the lowest priced products. The created image overshadowed various clients’ expectations by creating a price loop. The company eff ectively applied penetration pricing to an extent that clients deemed it an imperative factor when making their product choices (Hardina, 2007). Therefore, while the suppliers assume low pricing strategies, the company offers better prices to ensure low sourcing costs. What I could have done differently Given that Wal-Mart employees and suppliers show their ill-treatment grievances at the company, the company is in the verge of being negatively portrayed. However, to make all market participants’ and employees happy, I could have offered the clients’ quantity and product loyalty discounts. The cost of production could have been reduced via economies of scale which in turn could have allowed the setting of low prices. Conclusion Employee empowerment can be applied to ensure performance improvement. It is considered as an important element for managers who are in quest for outstanding services. Any effort put towards employees’ empowerment could possibly give resu lts beyond expectations. Conversely, any company that applies the penetration pricing theory stands a better chance of making its products to be recognized by the clients. The theory helps in creating a positive brand image in the minds of clients. References Baker, R. J. (2006). Pricing on purpose: Creating and capturing value. Sudbury, MA: John Wiley and Sons. Hardina, D. (2007). An empowering approach to managing social service organizations. Florence, KY: Springer Publishing Company. Rehkopf, E. (2009). Club resources international: Making employee empowerment a reality at your club. Retrieved from clubresourcesinternational.com/media/8651/employee%20empowerment.pdf Ryan, J. (1998). Giving people the chance to sparkle. Journal of People Management, 1(13), 40-42. Winninger, T. J. (1994). Price wars: How to win the battle for your customer. Ontario, CA: St. Thomas Press.

Business plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Business plan - Essay Example The product section spells out the intended product of trade in this case not just water but clean, treated and safe water for domestic use and any other use deemed necessary and which could be adequately handled. As far as competition is concerned, any business entity has competitors who provide the same product or substitutes. It is this element that aggravates the risk, a component that forms one of the key features of any entrepreneur. Competition itself doesn’t exist in isolation. A market has to exist. The target market is the population that the firm hopes against all hopes to conquer in its bid to get whatever stakes that in play, profit maximization, increasing shareholders equity, social responsibility etc (Abrams, pg 41). The market strategy is all those ways, maneuvers and tactics employed by the management in establishing a brand in the particular market of concern. Penetrating any given market is vital. It is the key to the potential growth of the customer base, the product and/or service and the resultant profits either in the short but in most cases, the long run. Sales refer to the actual amount of the product or service usually in units (with varied units of measurement) that have been acquired by the clientele at a specified amount to which the customers would have the urge to purchase while the seller enjoys the profit (with the possibility of suffering losses). In every circumstance the sales of any commodity, in this case water, is determined by the price, ceteris Paribas. The selling price in itself is a derivative of the manufacturing costs including cost of labor, raw material, processing, warehousing and transportation. A fair price is therefore reached at after taking all these factors into consideration. In this case the storage facility would include the tanks which would be constructed underground as well as some raised above the ground for ease of pumping. After all this is done, the penetration of the market is always a co rrespondent of the intensity of advertisement and promotion, the more intense, the more customers are reached and this would only be reflected in the sales. The production process involves a proper mix of all the factors of production: labor, land, capital and entrepreneurship; the better the ratio the more, successful the business entity. Therefore the management and staff must also consist of highly qualified personnel (Abrams, pg 43). The financial data would show the projections, that is the available funds for operation at any given period of time and the forecasted estimates for use in the future time, in both the short run and long run. This is a very vital part of the business of any firm as it dictates every decision and action(s) implemented. The appendix will show the diagrams and table in the business plan. Aim The main object To acquire a start-up capital to drill, buy the necessary machines and provision thereof of clean, treated and safe water for domestic use. Other aims: To sensitize the public in the need of using clean, treated and safe water at all times. To educate the public on proper use of the natural resources. To sensitize the public on the need to preserve natural habitats. Interview Questions and Responses Q1What is

Can streaming transform the music industry in the same way it has Essay

Can streaming transform the music industry in the same way it has transformed the television industry with Netflix - Essay Example Examples of streaming media include the radio and television. On the other hand, the non-streaming media include books, video cassettes, and even audio CDs. Out of the two categories, the former has a higher level of success as it has been a faster and more efficient mode of information transfer, which makes it the most liked by millions of people across the globe. This research paper, therefore, seeks to explain whether streaming can transform the music industry in the same way it has transformed the television industry with Netflix. Streaming has over the years helped in transforming the television industry. These developments have also been witnessed in the music industry. Music lovers no longer need to be held siege of fulfilling their music passions by waiting for the broadcasting channels to air their favorite music videos. This is because they have the power to control what they want to listen to, where they wish to listen it, and when they wish to listen to it. However, streaming has brought with it its share of challenges as it has made the industry player draw their battle lines of who to take credit for some gains in the steaming industry. A case in point is the case of Taylor Swift pulling all her albums from Spotify, a popular streaming service (Carlson, 2014). She cited her reasons that she did not want to be part to the players who were shrinking the music sales (Davidson, 2014). Pulling an anti-streaming stance was meant to send out a message that the music industry thrived better in the non-strea ming media (Dredge, 2014); a move I entirely support. For a long time, the music industry has by large operated in the non-streaming platform. Though it has had its share of success, there has been increasing pressure by the music fans to increase the steaming of some music content to increase their accessibility (Dredge, 2014). This

Teaching Literacy in Reception Classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Teaching Literacy in Reception Classes - Essay Example This essay stresses that the students who are coming from different nations around the world meet a challenge of dealing with the difficulty of living and getting used to a the living that is accustomed for the foreign land that they ought to fit into. In this paper, a comprehensive set of lessons shall be discussed that would be directly applicable to any subject in general. The applicability of the said lessons is attested by the fact that in dealing with multicultural classes, there is a certain need of having a variety of approaches as to how the subjects are presented. This paper directly refers to multiculturalism as an agent of interest among students in a certain class. As per mentioned herein, it could be noted that the lessons that are suggested for implementation in this paper are mainly focused in enhancing the respect that students have towards each other’s culture. There have also been other suggestions addressed to the instructors as to how they are supposed to deliver the lessons for better results for the class. Through the usage and application of the suggested aids and attitudes towards the subject or lesson implementation, it could be noted that the technological innovations would be much helpful in creating an environment that would be susceptible for everyone to understand the main reasons of the lesson implication. In an overall view, it could be observed that the entire paper gives a high regard for creating a peaceful environment for learning within a class that is composed of multicultural students.

Main principles of industrial revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Main principles of industrial revolution - Essay Example According to North, "institutions change shapes the way societies evolve through time and hence is the key to understanding historical change"(1990:vii, 3). Poor economic performance is the result of inefficient institutional structures. The difference growth rates among nations are the result of different types of societal rules that nations have. The great progress made by England compared to Spain is the different institutional structure of the two countries. Spain adopted a conquest strategy while England used a commerce strategy. However, there are some who consider North's emphasis on the importance of institutions too naive. According to Donald Snooks, what determines the industrial climate and economic growth is not the institutions but individuals who are capable of making decisions (292). Ideal institutional framework alone cannot achieve success in economic progress. There should be the apt technology for the success of any economic revolution. The Industrial revolution in England was fuelled by great technological change. This may be called the dynamic strategy of technological change. The growth that England showed in the middle ages was slowly losing the impetus by the 16th century and resulted in gradualism. This continued for many more years and the English economy stagnated in the early 1700(Wringley, 1994:32). Only a big push could save the country from financial ruins. Luckily for England a combination of Technological strides coupled with matching strength of institutions came to the rescue of the nation. The commercial change of the industrial transformation was not connected with England alone. Even France was an ideal soil for a change. Certain combination of factors in England made it a possibility. A major chunk of these were technological leaps that England had made. The adequate institutions that England evolved were also a major factor. Transportation in England had the support of the railways and steam engines. Further steam engines reduced human factor in industry. The global markets became accessible due to navigation. England replaced the institution of regulation and encouraged the climate of competition. The central factor in the success of Industrial Revolution was the cheaper method of manufacturing products and cheaper ways of transporting them across the globe. There was adequate institutional support for these activities. The technology strategy replaced the need to conquer others and resulted in the realization that colonies are not necessary for economic growth but countries capable of entering into trade relations. Early in history England realized that economic growth is possible only if individuals worked through market. This realization helped England to form institutions based on laissez-faire policy. The English institutions were the individuals working through market. This resulted in legal system that protected the rights of the individual and private property. The political system gave enterprising individuals the chance to defend their sources of wealth. The educations system provided the skills required for cheaper production. In brief the system followed in Englan d for technological transformation was a system of freely operating market that gave the individual the ability to take decisions. So for the private individual to maximize returns on

Aids and hiv Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aids and hiv - Essay Example HIV infection occurs by the person to person transfer of semen, blood vaginal discharge, pre-semen or breast milk. Major sources of disease transmission are unsafe sex, used needles, breast milk and transmission from mother to baby at birth (Weiss, 1993) (Douek et. al., 2009). Governments and pharmaceutical companies around the world are taking measures to fight against HIV infection. We will specifically emphasize on the role of government & pharmaceutical companies in African countries towards prevention and eradication of HIV/AIDS from masses. Heavy health budgets, quality of life and growth of economy are few of many factors that push governments around the world to invest and legislate to fight against spread of HIV infection. Corporate responsibility, social welfare and philanthropic programs are some of the incentives that drive pharmaceutical companies to push for comprehensive AIDS prevention agenda. Government & pharmaceutical companies use legislation, research grants, dru g control, awareness campaigns and enforcement strategies as tools to counter the spread of AIDS. Pharmaceutical companies and government agencies in developed world are very efficient at promoting the understanding of drug use that leads to HIV infection. Research is being done into how social behaviors promote drug-use that eventually helps in spreading AIDS due to bodily fluid transfer (Williams et. al., 2000). African countries on the other hand generally lack pro-active approach in terms of educating masses regarding the spread of HIV infection. While there are success stories in Africa that include â€Å"The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria†, â€Å"The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief† (PEPFAR), Senegal and Uganda governmental initiatives to fight AIDS, there are also problems faced in countering the spread of AIDS. These problems include Prevalent corruption in governmental regulatory bodies Lack of political will in most of African leadership Social taboos and norms Lack of institutions and infrastructure Pharmaceutical companies trying to gain profits rather than penetration in African market With lesser amount of money and resources put into fight against AIDS due to factors stated above, a general lack of awareness prevails in most Africa nations. South African health minister, an ardent proponent of alternative medicine therapy for AIDS has been able to convince his followers into avoiding anti-retroviral drugs (an accepted primary source of AIDS treatment). Instead people lacking awareness regarding the treatment of the disease were lured to the false claims of using improved diet, or cheap generic vitamin pills as a simple and relatively inexpensive way to marginally delay the need to start HIV medication. A detailed study by Ben Goldacre, published in his book in 2009, reads out the following lines â€Å"†¦ Alternative therapists like to suggest that their treatments and ideas have not been sufficiently researched. †¦ research had indeed been done, with results that were far from promising.† (Goldacre, 2009, pp.187 – 188) Among the success stories, driven by governmental steps to eradicate the causes of HIV infection, the most noteworthy are the steps taken by Senegal and Uganda governments (UNAIDS, 1999). These include Problems regarding AIDS infection were recognized at promptly. Adequate funding was provided to fight HIV/AIDS. Difficult political decisions were taken to cater for

Fiscal Stimulus Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fiscal Stimulus - Assignment Example The appreciation in the average hourly earnings also remained more or less fixed in the last six months, hovering around 10.5 percent (United States Department of Labor: Online). To improve the circumstances in the labor market, certainly some sort of a fiscal stimulus is imperative. Resorting to the monetary policy adjustments alone is not sufficient to rescue the current economic slowdown. The handling of the Japanese economy has proved beyond doubt that it is always wiser to intervene when the situation could still be rescued (Coy: Online). The economy is deteriorating at a fast pace and monetary measures alone will not be enough to restrain the current economic meltdown. This is an exceptional situation that validates opting for hitherto untried initiatives. The damage wrecked by the recessionary circumstances can be limited by a second fiscal stimulus. It was definitely wise on the part of the government to deal with the excess capacity by nudging the companies like GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy (Coy: Online). However such measures have worsened the unemployment situation. Hence, enhanced public expenditure is the only possible way to create more jobs. It could be said that the first fiscal stimulus failed to rescue the unemployment situation. Yet it is too early to analyze its impact. So a second fiscal stimulus is a step more on the side of caution and care. ... Augmenting fiscal deficit is a cause of concern. However, it is a phenomenon that could be managed and whose impact will be felt in the long run. By that time, the improved economic circumstances caused by the second fiscal stimulus will cushion the fallout of a high fiscal deficit. The immediate priority should be to rescue the credibility of the sinking markets and assuring the apprehensive investors. Dwindling credibility of Fed is often cited as a grave issue. The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that a fiscal stimulus should be seen as a measure that is aimed to extend first aid to the ailing economy and not as something that will be continually and irresponsibly repeated.Hence a second fiscal stimulus do stands an approval in the contemporary circumstances. However, care needs to be taken that the proposed bill is trimmed of all the expenditure to be diverted towards activities that will yield a harvest over a prolonged period and could be classified as non-productive in an immediate scenario. Total Words: 555 (2 pages and 55 words)Works Cited United States- Monthly Data. United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 13 Dec. 2009 http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm Coy, Peter. "Do we Need a Second Fiscal Stimulus". Business Week. 7 July 2009. 13 Dec. 2009

Main principles of industrial revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Main principles of industrial revolution - Essay Example According to North, "institutions change shapes the way societies evolve through time and hence is the key to understanding historical change"(1990:vii, 3). Poor economic performance is the result of inefficient institutional structures. The difference growth rates among nations are the result of different types of societal rules that nations have. The great progress made by England compared to Spain is the different institutional structure of the two countries. Spain adopted a conquest strategy while England used a commerce strategy. However, there are some who consider North's emphasis on the importance of institutions too naive. According to Donald Snooks, what determines the industrial climate and economic growth is not the institutions but individuals who are capable of making decisions (292). Ideal institutional framework alone cannot achieve success in economic progress. There should be the apt technology for the success of any economic revolution. The Industrial revolution in England was fuelled by great technological change. This may be called the dynamic strategy of technological change. The growth that England showed in the middle ages was slowly losing the impetus by the 16th century and resulted in gradualism. This continued for many more years and the English economy stagnated in the early 1700(Wringley, 1994:32). Only a big push could save the country from financial ruins. Luckily for England a combination of Technological strides coupled with matching strength of institutions came to the rescue of the nation. The commercial change of the industrial transformation was not connected with England alone. Even France was an ideal soil for a change. Certain combination of factors in England made it a possibility. A major chunk of these were technological leaps that England had made. The adequate institutions that England evolved were also a major factor. Transportation in England had the support of the railways and steam engines. Further steam engines reduced human factor in industry. The global markets became accessible due to navigation. England replaced the institution of regulation and encouraged the climate of competition. The central factor in the success of Industrial Revolution was the cheaper method of manufacturing products and cheaper ways of transporting them across the globe. There was adequate institutional support for these activities. The technology strategy replaced the need to conquer others and resulted in the realization that colonies are not necessary for economic growth but countries capable of entering into trade relations. Early in history England realized that economic growth is possible only if individuals worked through market. This realization helped England to form institutions based on laissez-faire policy. The English institutions were the individuals working through market. This resulted in legal system that protected the rights of the individual and private property. The political system gave enterprising individuals the chance to defend their sources of wealth. The educations system provided the skills required for cheaper production. In brief the system followed in Englan d for technological transformation was a system of freely operating market that gave the individual the ability to take decisions. So for the private individual to maximize returns on

Fiscal Stimulus Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fiscal Stimulus - Assignment Example The appreciation in the average hourly earnings also remained more or less fixed in the last six months, hovering around 10.5 percent (United States Department of Labor: Online). To improve the circumstances in the labor market, certainly some sort of a fiscal stimulus is imperative. Resorting to the monetary policy adjustments alone is not sufficient to rescue the current economic slowdown. The handling of the Japanese economy has proved beyond doubt that it is always wiser to intervene when the situation could still be rescued (Coy: Online). The economy is deteriorating at a fast pace and monetary measures alone will not be enough to restrain the current economic meltdown. This is an exceptional situation that validates opting for hitherto untried initiatives. The damage wrecked by the recessionary circumstances can be limited by a second fiscal stimulus. It was definitely wise on the part of the government to deal with the excess capacity by nudging the companies like GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy (Coy: Online). However such measures have worsened the unemployment situation. Hence, enhanced public expenditure is the only possible way to create more jobs. It could be said that the first fiscal stimulus failed to rescue the unemployment situation. Yet it is too early to analyze its impact. So a second fiscal stimulus is a step more on the side of caution and care. ... Augmenting fiscal deficit is a cause of concern. However, it is a phenomenon that could be managed and whose impact will be felt in the long run. By that time, the improved economic circumstances caused by the second fiscal stimulus will cushion the fallout of a high fiscal deficit. The immediate priority should be to rescue the credibility of the sinking markets and assuring the apprehensive investors. Dwindling credibility of Fed is often cited as a grave issue. The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that a fiscal stimulus should be seen as a measure that is aimed to extend first aid to the ailing economy and not as something that will be continually and irresponsibly repeated.Hence a second fiscal stimulus do stands an approval in the contemporary circumstances. However, care needs to be taken that the proposed bill is trimmed of all the expenditure to be diverted towards activities that will yield a harvest over a prolonged period and could be classified as non-productive in an immediate scenario. Total Words: 555 (2 pages and 55 words)Works Cited United States- Monthly Data. United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 13 Dec. 2009 http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm Coy, Peter. "Do we Need a Second Fiscal Stimulus". Business Week. 7 July 2009. 13 Dec. 2009

Discuss Dickens portrayal Essay Example for Free

Discuss Dickens portrayal Essay Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations in 1860. He wrote it about attitudes in Victorian England, towards children especially. Children were highly disciplined, and the main character in Great Expectations, Pip, was a typical example of a child of this time. Society in England at this time was built into two main classes- upper and lower. The middle class society, that is most common today, was just beginning to break through. Pip and his family, consisting of his sister, Mrs Joe Gargery, and her husband, Mr Joe Gargery, were a typical lower class family. They had a very normal lifestyle, with little or no education, a small house, with very little money, and a simple life. Great Expectations was set in Southern England, in the marsh country, within, as the river wound, twenty miles from the sea. From this sentence, you can begin to build up a picture of Pips surroundings. Dickens uses harsh adjectives, such as bleak, dismal, dark and savage to describe Pips world. By doing this, we get a real picture of how Pip lives. In a way, Dickens uses the environment around Pip, and compares it to Pips life. This brings me onto my next point. Pip must have had a very lonely childhood. His mother, father, and five brothers all died, and his sister, Mrs Joe, has unwillingly bought him up. She makes it blatantly obvious she doesnt want him throughout his life, by making certain comments. I may truly say Ive never had this apron of mine off me, since born you were. Its bas enough to be a blacksmiths wife (and him being a Gargery) without being your mother. Pips only friend is Biddy, and he also has a strong bond with Mr. Joe. Both him and Mr Joe are fellow sufferers of Mrs. Joes strict ways, and this brings them closer together. They can confide in each other, and Joe is like Pips mentor. Ever the best of friends, ant us, Pip? Despite Mrs. Joes image of being harsh, a very, very independent, it is obvious she could not live without Mr. Joe, because, as with all households at this time, he is the breadwinner and as she does not work, she could not survive without him. Pip is a very innocent, nai ve young boy. He does not understand things that happen in his life, he simply accepts them. Why Mrs Joe uses the tickler on him, he does not know. When the reader gets to the part about the convict and the hulks, he doesnt know why people are locked up, and cannot see the bad side of people. He fears Mrs.Joe, but he knows without her he would be dead, and she makes a point of telling him this. If it warnt for me youd have been to the churchyard long ago, and stayed there. When Pip meets the convict, he is understandably terrified. He immediately intimidates Pip, but although Pip is scared, he still treats him with respect, and calls him sir. The convict threatens Pip, but still Pip is polite. If you would kindly please to let me keep upright, sir, perhaps I shouldnt be sick, and perhaps I could attend more. This gives the reader the impression that Pip is very polite, and respectful to everyone, and he hides his feelings. For example, on Christmas day, when Mr Wopsle and uncle Pumblechook are saying how ungrateful he is, he does not retaliate and simply bites his tongue, because he does not want to be disrespectful to his elders. I think that this is the way Dickens wanted to portray Pip, so we would believe what Pip is saying, and see him as being innocent, and not really capable of lying to us. Pip and the convict can be seen as fairly similar, in a strange way. Once the convict learns of Pips background he begins to feel sorry for him, and I think that Pip feels sorry for the convict, because of his situation. It is also obvious that the convict trusts Pip, because he sends him for food, even when he knows Pip could easily tell on him, and he could get recaptured and sent back to the prison ship. Pip doesnt tell on him, however, and returns with food. When the convict is finally recaptured, he makes up a story about breaking into the forge, and stealing the food, and he does not say Pip stole the food for him. Although the meetings between the two were short, they developed an understanding, and trusted each other. The way Dickens portrays the convict and Pips friendship gives us an idea as to how trusting Pip is, and his kind nature and personality. Something clicked in his throat, , as if he had works in him like a clock, and was going to strike. Then he smeared his ragged rough sleeve over his eyes. The something that I had noticed before, clicked in the mans throat again, and he turned his back. I think this click Pip refers is the convict having a lump in his throat, and showing emotion, and the click is him swallowing this lump. This shows that although the convict could be dangerous, he has emotions, and Pip can tap into this emotion. As the novel develops, Miss Haversham and Estella are introduced. Mrs. Joe is very pleased when Pip is given the chance to go to Miss Havershams house and play. She believes it will give him the chance to become a gentleman and make something of his life. If this boy ant grateful this night, he never will be! Pip goes off to Miss Havershams, and although the house in which she lives in decrepit, and in a very bad state, he is very impressed because it is so large, and unlike what he is used to. He is continually polite, even when Estella is rude to him. He calls the knaves, Jacks, this boy! Said Estella with disdain, before our first game was out. And what coarse hands he has! And what thick boots! She patronises him, and it dents Pips confidence, and he begins to feel he is not good enough for anything. This makes him insecure, and he wants to go home. Dickens makes the reader see his insecurity by saying Her contempt was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it. This makes the reader see that before the meeting, Pip is fairly content with himself, and his life, be it a lonely one, but after Estellas comments he realises he is not as good as her, and he probably will never make anything of his life. When he realises this, you can gradually see his ambitions growing, and whereas before he was perfectly happy to become Joes apprentice, he knows he wont be happy, and wants to become someone who is respected. To sum all of this up, Pip is disciplined, and fearful of certain things. He can be intimated easily, but is still respectful. He has ambitions, and plans to make something of his life, but he is also insecure about his background, and whether he has the strength of character to pull himself out of the lower class society. He is very innocent, and gets bewildered easily. Dickens shows all of this by making Pip seem a lonely young boy, with no real family or friends, and he uses imagery to portray this. We watch Pip grow up, and learn about life, and try to make sense of things that are happening around him. Dickens makes the reader feel sorry for Pip, and lets us see we can trust Pip, because he himself trusts everyone and does not doubt anyone. We can read this book and see life through a nai ve young boys eyes, and feel we are being told the absolute truth. This is the power of Dickens writing- we believe the protagonist, and feel it would wrong not to believe him.

Charlotte Temple By Susanna Rowson English Literature Essay

Charlotte Temple By Susanna Rowson English Literature Essay Charlotte represents an average girl and how society was building them to be, very insecure and weak; not prepared for the real life and the dangers lurking beneath those pleasures. Therefore, it is very easy to bamboozle and seduce these young ladies. The term seducing in this content is defined as tempting not necessarily used in a sexual manner but more of a convincing strategy used to do something they would not do on their own. When Mademoiselle La Rue asked Charlotte to go with her to a summerhouse belonging to a gentlemen she met at church, who had asked her to bring some of the ladies with her, she mentioned the gentlemen as a relation, and spoke in such high terms of the elegance of his gardens, the sprightliness of his conversations, and the liberality with which he ever entertained his guest, that Charlotte thought only of the pleasure she would enjoy in this visit (pg.58). Charlotte was not a girl of bad intentions. As a matter of fact, most of the time she even regretted going because she was astonished at the freedom Mademoiselle La Rue had allowed them to have and how free the conversation was. In return, this all made her feel uneasy, guilty, thoughtful, and wishing she was back at the safety of her chamber. In this story seduction plays a huge role, the thought of fitting into societys expectations and achieving your role as a house wife was all that matter to these young ladies; which made it very easy to convince them that a certain path is the correct without having to provide many explanations. For many however, the reality was that, In affairs of love a young heart is never in more danger than when attempted by a handsome young soldier (pg. 59). A soldier with many empty promises, a man that is dressed nicely and says a couple of good words to her to make her feel she is in love and believe he is all she needs. He would make her believe in abandoning everything she knows, her family, friends, and virtue; to follow someone who perhaps has n o idea how to be a gentleman and treat a lady like she should be treated, who simply has no idea what life is about himself. All of this just to fit in with what everyone expects of a women. Mainly in the case of a soldier, an active member of the military, which in any case can be sent to defend their country, and in many cases pay the ultimate sacrifice. In one of the many attempts to stop this tragedy from happening throughout the book, Montravilles father says that a soldier has no business thinking of a wife until he has achieved a rank high enough that he would not have to fear losing his life or not having enough money to support himself and his family. At this time in America, everything the women did was supposed to revolve around the men. Women were educated to please, to educate their young boys, to take care of the men when they were grown, to advise and console them, to surrender everything they had; these were the duties of women, and this is what was taught to them from their infancy. Making it all they knew of life and this is all they wanted. At the party in the summerhouse, Montraville gave Charlotte a letter; explaining all of his feelings and how he desired only to be with her. Charlotte knew that reading the letter was a bad idea since her mother had always mentioned to her that if she were to receive a letter from a young man, she should not read it without given it to her mother first. At which, all Mademoiselle La Rue said was, Lord bless you, my dear girl! Have you a mind to be leading strings all your life time. Prithee open the letter, read it, and judge for yourself; if you shew it your mother the consequence wi ll be you will be taken from school, and a strict guard kept over you, so you will stand no chance of ever seeing the smart young officer again (pg. 62). La Rue then continues lighting the fire by telling her how Montraville is going to war in America and how she will not alleviate him by permitting him to think that she would remember him when absent, and pray for his safety. The thought of adventure, love, and one day being a wife; were enough to make this words sound like words of wisdom and being the turning point of her life. As Charlotte read the letter, Mademoiselle eyed her with a malignant pleasure knowing that she had accomplished her goal in convincing Charlotte. She saw that the contents of the letter had awakened new emotions in the young and innocent girl, and before they parted it was determined that Charlotte was going to meet Montraville the next evening. If young women at this age were more exposed to reality and had more freedom to discover things themselves; they would have had a better understanding of life in general. However, being acknowledged as nothing more than a housewife, they were secluded from normal everyday experiences that would have taught them many lessons. For example, casual dating was not allowed and it made you look like a trashy woman. On the contrary, they had to wait for the one man that would tell them how beautiful they were and get married. In most cases, the women would barely know the history behind this man with whom they were going to spend the rest of their lives. This must have sent various sensations which agitated the womans mind. In Charlottes case it did, the book states that, Several times did she almost resolve to go to her governess, shew her the letter, and be guided by her advice: but Charlotte had taken one step in the ways of imprudence, and when that is once done there are always innumera ble obstacles to prevent the erring person returning to the path of rectitudeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (pg. 69). If Charlotte would have gone to her governess or even had experience a similar situation in the past, she wouldnt have been so desperate or confused about her decision. Charlotte would question herself, pondering if she was being ungrateful for what Mademoiselle was doing for her. Nowadays things are very different. In sixth grade young girls all over the country are having their first boyfriends or have already had a boyfriend. Not looking for marriage or any type of serious commitment but just learning from experience to prepare them for what life is like. As many say, Making mistakes just means you are learning faster. Charlotte Temple was not as fortunate as nowadays women are. Her first letter concluded with her making a horrible decision, leading to her death. Like all women during that era Charlotte, was a victim of society and their expectations. Of everyones beliefs, that women were just beautiful and did not have a saying or could do anything other than being a wife. She was a victim of tradition, being taught to be nice to her husband, cook, raise the kids, and take care of the house. Moreover, she was a victim of her so called friends, who gave her what she believed was great advice then turned around and left her with nothing but poverty, loneliness, and a baby. The reality is that she never really had any real support; from the very beginning she was being misinformed and deceived. Just like many of the other women, in search of happiness, love, and acceptance; left everything they had and gained nothing in return.

Escape Through Dementia in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gi

Escape Through Dementia in The Yellow Wallpaper   Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper" is an excellent story on several levels. It works as a suspenseful thriller about the effects of mental illness. It also serves to make several points about feminism and the pervailing attitudes of her time. John, the husband, serves as a metaphor for masculine views of the time, and for the masculine side of humans, the side of reason and logic. "John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horor of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures" (1658). His character is almost stereotypical in its adherence to reason and its attittude towards his wife. He negates her intuition; "there is something strange about the house - I can feel it. I even said so to John one moonlight evening, but he said what I felt was a draught, and shut the window" (1658) He attributes her condition to "a slight hysterical tendency" (1658), which is, etymologically speaking, just a polite way of saying that she is instable due to being a woman. He is not interested in his wife's actual condition, rather in his diagnosis; "John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfie s him" (1659). His best advice is to not use her imagination (though trapped in an ugly room), but to become more reasonable and to resist her condition through willpower. When he does put her to bed and asks her to get well, he asks, not for her own self, but with him as the motivation; "He said [. . .] that I must take care of myself for his sake, and keep well" (1663). John is reasonable and educated. He represents a stifling pr... ...eedom from the bars in the pattern. This creeping about is certainly at odds with her husband's requests. It is irrational, in that she thinks she has escaped, when it is actually time to leave for good, and she has locked herself in. She defies his orders of bed rest, physically exhausting herself crawling about and pushing the bed and biting the bed and tearing the wall-paper. She overcomes her husband's forthright sensibility by acting so crazy that he cannot deny it, cannot make sense of it, cannot do anything but faint away, leaving her to crawl right over the top of him. She has escaped his oppression by going into her dementia and embracing it. Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wall-paper." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Eds. Nina Baym, et. al. Shorter 5th ed. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999: 1656-1669.

Carowinds Versus the Pavilion :: essays research papers

Carowinds Versus the Pavilion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whenever considering what amusement park you would like to attend to, you look for the one with the best rides, atmosphere, admission. Carowinds is a better amusement park than The Pavilion when considering types of rides, atmosphere, and cost of admission.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carowinds is compiled of many gravity-defying rides. Top Gun: The Jet Coaster is the Carolinas’ only inverted steel roller coaster. While on the ride, you are hurled through six swirling inversions while in the air. The Vortex is a stand-up roller coaster that takes you on a 50 m.p.h. series of loops and drops. Drop Zone Stunt Tower is a ride where you can experience the rush of gravity as you descend sixteen stories in seconds and falls at 56 m.p.h. to safety. The Carolina Cyclone is a steel coaster that spins you through four 360-degree loops and a 450-degree uphill helix. Thunder Road is a twin-racing roller coaster takes you backward and forward through North and South Carolina. The Xtreme Skyflyer is a ride that gives you the thrill of hang gliding with the suspense of skydiving as you are hoisted 153 feet in the air then pull a ripcord that plunges you into a 50-feet free fall at 60 m.p.h. The atmosphere of Carowinds is very live and exciting. While you walk through the park, you can hear miles and miles of laughter, music, and screams. The intense smell of Chinese food, barbecue, French fries, and funnel cake just makes your hunger crave for it and your mouth water. From my experiences, it is always sunny and cool. By the sun being so bright, it brought out the ambiance of the entire park by showing the bright colors. The general admission at Carowinds, which includes the cost to get in and unlimited riding of rides, is children ages two and under free, seniors, sixty and up, and children, three to six, $26.99, and adults, seven to fifty-nine, $38.99.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rides at The Pavilion are not as adrenaline rushing as the rides at Carowinds. Top Spin is a lot like a Ferris wheel and a boat in one. While one part of the ride is going back and forth in a rocking motion, the seat of the ride is turning 360 degrees high in the air. Mad Mouse is a small roller coaster, but full of speed. It is like being strapped to the back of a mouse while it is running away from a predator.

American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Essay

                    The utility that is currently regulated by a regulatory commission or agency is electricity. The state, federal and local agencies regulate electricity that is delivered to the consumers while at the same time determining the rate of return for the utility. One of the major bodies that perform the duty of regulating electricity rates is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009). Regulation of electricity as one of the commonly used utility is done by regulatory agencies and authorities that determine the prices that are charged. Apart from the regulation of prices of electricity that consumers are charged, the regulatory authorities also determine the terms of service to the consumers, the budgets and the various construction plans that have been put in place (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009).                  Electricity is a crucial utility that needs to be regulated so as to ensure the protection of the consumers from unscrupulous retailers of the utility (McGrew & American Bar Association, 2009). The regulatory rules laid down help in setting the retail rates that are charged on consumers while at the same time helping the retailers to recover the various expenses that they have incurred hence provide them with a rate of return on its capital that can be considered to be â€Å"fair.† Regulation of electricity retail rates by government agencies and regulatory commissions is also faced with the problem of allocating the common costs that are involved in the regulation (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009).                  Furthermore, the utility’s rate of return for the retailers is also affected by the politics, whereby this allows latitude that is involved in the setting of rates for the different consumers in the market (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009). The regulation by the government as well as the regulatory agencies and commissions also require that the utility serves all the customers as well as be able in planning expansion and additions of facilities for the purpose of anticipating growth in the market (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009). Deregulation has been part of the strategy that has been found to have some impact on the supply of electricity as well as the rates charged on electricity supply and distribution.                  According to the â€Å"Federal Power Act† (McGrew, J. H., & American Bar Association, 2009), the wholesale price of electricity in addition to the charges on transmission, needs to be based on the costs of production (McGrew, & American Bar Association. (2009). However, due to deregulation, the FERC tends to accept the prices that are set by the markets as long as the set standards by the agency are met. The main reason for this acceptance of prices set by the markets is to encourage and support competition within the industry and reduce monopoly (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009).                  The deregulation of the industry in general makes economic sense in that when there is sufficient competition. Competition within a market helps in the provision of quality service to consumers because each of the suppliers tries their best to attract customers (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009). Therefore, it means that the rates charged on consumers will not be as high as when there is monopoly in the industry. The general policy by FERC of wanting to expand the role played by the markets as well as increase deregulation makes economic sense in terms of revenues that suppliers will make as well as a healthy market for consumers (McGrew, & American Bar Association, 2009). Reference McGrew, J. H., & American Bar Association. (2009). FERC: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. Source document

As You Like It By William Shakespeare Essay

1. As you like it is full of characters pretending to be someone other than themselves. To what degree are the characters aware that they are role-playing? Does their acting have serious consequences, or is it merely a game. In the text as you like it by William Shakespeare many characters have alter egos in whom they use to influence and associate themselves with other characters. The two main characters that are pretending to be someone other than themselves are Celia and Rosalind. In act 1 of the text Rosalind is banished from the court of the duke and decides to seek upon her father in the forest of Arden. Rosalind and Celia decide to disguise themselves, Celia as a country girl named Aliena and Rosalind as a young man named Ganymede. Rosalind and Celia are unaware of the consequences that occur from having disguises. A consequence of Rosalind’s male disguise as Ganymede is that she makes Phebe, a female shepherdess in the forest of Arden fall in love with her. This disturbs the natural order in which Phebe is in love with a fellow shepherd Silvius. Rosalind’s gender swapping has created a consequence in she has made a woman fall in love with her when she is in love with Orlando. In the end Phebe goes back to Silvius and the consequence of Rosalind’s role-playing is resolved. The role-playing in the text does have effects on the other characters but Rosalind does end up marrying Orlando, Celia ends up marrying Oliver and Phebe ends up marrying Silvius. So the long-term consequences of Celia and Rosalind’s role-playing are miniscule only making the text more intricate and interesting for readers. In conclusion although characters in the text as you like it do pretend to be someone else, the consequences add to detail in the text and have have no serious consequences.

Week three Team D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week three Team D - Essay Example The Management and operational leaders of Boardman Management, empowers its staff to provide them with quality customer service with the little acts of kindness and offering them the hotel’s specialty services. The mission of Boardman Management Groups also includes retaining its customers by offering them a luxurious and unforgettable experience by continuously improving the quality of its employees, which ultimately improves the overall environment of the Resorts and cottages. The main goal of Boardman Management Group is to identify the individual attributes that an employee adds to its job, after getting acknowledgement and respect from its employer. The main goals of the existence of Boardman Management group also includes designing staffing, recruiting policies and to offer their employees certain benefits and payrolls. Boardman through its employee management practices try to improve the conditions of its resorts and cottages it manages, as the employees are considered to be the key component in the effective management of any place (Baderman Island, 2005). Baderman Island. (2005). Retrieved January 12, 2014, from Boardman Management Group: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/BadermanIsland/Board

Analysis of Socrates' Passage in Apology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Socrates' Passage in Apology - Essay Example In Apology, he quoted: For if you kill me you will not easily find another like me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by the god; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life (Plato, in McIntyre 20). In this statement, Socrates compares himself to a gadfly – a biting, noisy insect commonly found buzzing around and refers to the state as the horses. What Socrates meant by this is that his frequent questioning (or â€Å"biting†) is intended to wake the state up. For him, the people during that era were in an idle stage because they are just accepting the things that have been set for them by the previous generations, by the government, the rich and powerful, or by the church. Socrates does not want that. Socrates would like the people to wake up, ask questions that challenge their minds, like – Where are we from? Is th ere really a god? Why do we live? He wanted to bring the people to reality by taking them out of their ignorance. I think what Socrates feels is that ignorance is like a chain that restrains the people and the first way to make them free is to recognize that they still do not know everything. For Socrates, the â€Å"horses† (referred in his statement as the state) only looks at him as a â€Å"gadfly† or a nuisance. ... Socrates sees himself as a catalyst whose purpose is to formulate questions to irritate a person’s minds. Socrates understands that this is the foundation of progress and change. He asked questions and attempted to find answers for them; questions that lead to another questions; questions that probably made the citizens annoyed of him; questions that reduced the nobles and the most powerful into blubbering idiots (Ober â€Å"Socrates† 11). Socrates said further: I daresay that you may feel irritated at being suddenly awakened when you are caught napping†¦ then you would sleep on for the remainder of your lives unless God in his care of you gives you another gadfly. This statement means that Socrates also served as a critique to those who are in power and pointed out their mistakes. Of course when someone does that to people with power, they will go mad at you, hence he was condemned to prison. However, he reminded the people that if they do not want him to point ou t their mistakes, then they will never realize that there is something wrong with the system. And therefore, we will not be able to adjust the world into something more that is more just and something more human. For me, Socrates is truly God’s precious gift. It is difficult to find someone with a mind as inquisitive as he is and someone who is willing to swim against the current, someone who willingly labeled himself as a gadfly in order to bring about change. By becoming a gadfly, Socrates opened a trend to the philosophers of the new generations. More and more people are acting like gadflies themselves. People are nowadays asking more questions and finding ways on how the humanity can improve. The journalists and the mass media for example are

E-business and value chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-business and value chain - Essay Example The source of revenue for Amazon is mainly from direct sales of items ordered and processed by customers. QXL ricardo plc operates through auction model of e-business where bidders and sellers are connected to undertake different transactions. Commissions are identified as the main source of revenue and are based on what has been agreed upon between site administrators and seller of merchandise. QXL ricardo plc has introduced a number of innovations such as live auctioning which resulted in combination of internet and television in the process of auction to involve viewers therefore attracting more users. Daum Communication Corporation is the third business organization analysed and operates using portal model of e-business with horizontal portal being specific system used to offer content from different areas potential users of company portal are interested to visit. Core value proposition for Daum is based on user access to a range of content on different topics and services offere d by Daum. Duam earns revenue from sales of different services and products while also providing an advertisement and database-marketing platform. Analysis of different business models is an essential practice which helps in understanding available methods of doing business more suitable for a company to sustain its operation through generation of revenue. It is possible to use business model to identify how a business makes money and therefore be able to determine its position in the value chain. In order to tap into potentials presented by scientific and technological development of internet and computer technology, companies have developed different business models. These business models that are web- based have taken advantage of benefits of personalized service, high-quality customer service, and improved supply chain management that can be generated from conducting an e-business. To understand how different e-business models