Essay on Effects of Mass Media on Society - 1650 Words

In contemporary society, people are strongly influenced by mass media. Although traditional television watching and newspaper reading are no longer as popular as before, people spend more time in front of computers listening to music and radios, reading news and information, interacting with other people in social network and watching television programmes and films. The developing technology of mobile phone allows people to do almost everything they can do with the computer. Nowaday, people are living in a world ‘saturated by media sounds and images.’ (McQuail, 2008, p.456) In this essay, a general introduction of social change and media influence will be discussed in the first section. The second section will introduce Golding’s four†¦show more content†¦Obviously, media have some influence on our decision making, especially on our idea of consumption. John Corner (2000, p.379) named it as ‘circumstantial influence’. ‘A holiday progra mme may convince audiences to visit Greece in summer; a feature on cancer prevention may finally persuade some people towards a healthier diet.’ Good or bad economic news clearly affect business, consumer confidence and have strong influence on financial market. In special times such as war time, disaster or economic crisis, media are more influential. For example, during the period of the Sichuan earthquake in China, almost all Chinese media content focused on the progress of rescue. The media influence was very important for victims to obtain maximal concern from all over the world. Many people devoted themselves into voluntary work to help the victims. Similar situation also happened in Haiti after the earthquake in last month. Global media are focusing on the poor Caribbean country and gathering people from different countries to lend a hand for those earthquake survivors. News media is one of the most powerful and influential media forms. Golding (1981 cited in McQuail, 2008, p.467) distinguishes four different concepts of news and their effects: ‘planned and short term’, ‘unplanned and short term’, ‘planned and long term’and ‘unplanned and long term’. Planned news can be described for ‘propaganda’, ‘media campaign’, ‘framing news’ and ‘agenda-setting.’ It mayShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Mass Media On Society861 Words   |  4 PagesWhere do we get our information in society? How do we know what is true information from false information? Mass media, including T.V, Radio stations, newspaper has taken over the minds of people in society. According to Glen Smith and Kathleen Searles, Most assumption are being based off of what they see and hear on the television, social networks and on the radio because its mainly one side stories or one bashing o f individuals. People do not take the time to go in-depth about the situation beingRead MoreMass Media And Its Effects On Society1633 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen ideas and mass media in which we have access to, there is small changes in which The United States as a whole has been affected. There have been many discussions on how social media has played a part on American culture as we are becoming more reliant on computers and technology as well as we have in communicating. Social media and mass media has an affect modern society as technology has grown, so will its effects on people. Mass media and social media are, one social media is where anyoneRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media On The Society1145 Words   |  5 Pagesthe causes of aggressive behavior, crime, and violence in the society. The potential of the mass media for social mobilization, education, and attitude change has been recognized and has been exploited in different parts of the world with varying degrees of success. But the effect that the mass media will produce at given situation still remains a subject of debate even today. Summing up what is known about the effect of the mass media, Berelson (1948:172) in Mcquail (2000:457)submitted â€Å"that someRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media On Society1335 Words   |  6 Pages Mass media has inched its way into almost every facet of our daily lives. No one feels this intrusion more so than women. The market is geared towards them as the biggest consumer in our society. As a woman I am aware of this fact, but not only am I a woman, I am a woman who works in the advertising business. I have a unique perspective on both sides of the spectrum. How does all this focus effect us? How does this attention effect the way we perceive ourselves? Is it harmful? Can it be helpfulRead MoreThe Mass Media And Its Effects On Society1582 Words   |  7 Pagessecret of the overwhelming influence the mass media has over society. It has a great power and reaches large audiences. By presenting certain sorts of messages and facts skillfully, the media can manipulate people’s attitude and opinions without them even knowing. Business’ use of this constant exposure to their advantage and often invest and rely on commercials as a means to sell their products. Bec ause so many different people rely on the mass media, the companies need a platform that is universalRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media On Society Essay916 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking† perpetuates the rape culture which plagues much of society. Advertisements ultimately are designed to target and entice buyers by playing into the status quo (GW p. 412). However, mass media has been very effective in directly calling out advertisements such as Bloomingdale’s. It is comforting to know that the widespread use of mass media is useful in this way. This advertisement clearly perpetuates rape culture, especially the use of drugs suchRead MoreMass Media And Its Effect On Society1165 Words   |  5 PagesMass Media are organizations in our society. The medium industries provide information and entertainment, but mass media also can affect political, social, and cultural institutions. Mediums such as radio, newspapers, and television all reflect and affect American society. However, the main one that I am going to discuss is Radio. Radio is more effective in mass media as compared to the other mediums. The way radio was back then is way different from what it is in society today, it has changed overRead MoreMass Media And Its Effect On Society852 Words   |  4 PagesPeople are being depression and reflecting action in real life due to effective of mass media. Media has a power that can everyone has the same right and opportunity to access the information and enjoy their life. Teenagers are the most effective group of people because they can access and explode new technologies, creatives, curious, and proactive. Therefore, they are putting themselves in danger by performing challenge pictures or extreme dangerous things to be famous. People always attractiveRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media On Our Society1471 Words   |  6 Pagesalert system activates an urgent bulletin to galvani ze the community for assistance and safety. Today, mass media has undergone a significant change in terms of how they reach out to the public. During the early 19th century, the dominant form of media was the printing press through newspapers, magazines, and books. Eventually, the late 19th century throughout the 20th century, broadcast media provided easier access for entertainment, political issues, and current events gathering families aroundRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media And Communication On The Society1674 Words   |  7 PagesMedia Message Introduction Behavioral sciences play a central role in figuring out the likely effect of mass media and communication in the society. Different theories and approaches are used to figure this out. This study refers to the Uses and Gratifications, and Cultivation theories to consider the effect of the media article below on individuals. The uses and gratification theory argues that consumers of a given media uses this media to satisfy and fulfill specific desires and needs. On the

The Effects Of Harlem Renaissance On The Street Branch Of...

...Our problem is to conceive, develop, establish an art era. Not white art painting black...let s bare our arms and plunge them deep through laughter, through pain, through sorrow, through hope, through disappointment, into the very depths of the souls of our people and drag forth material crude, rough, neglected. Then let s sing it, dance it, write it, paint it. Let s do the impossible. Let s create something transcendentally material, mystically objective. Earthy. Spiritually earthy. Dynamic. - Aaron Douglas.During the time of the harlem renaissance Aaron Douglas used his artwork to take pride in his african american culture. All of his artwork conveyed one common message and that was the role that African Americans played in society. All of this was seen in one of his major artworks which was the â€Å"Aspects of Negro Life,† mural on the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library. Just before he became an african american advocate through his painting he had moved to Harlem June, 1925 and he had soon won a two year scholarship to work with German illustrator Weinhold Reiss who encouraged him to look to his African ancestry for artistic inspiration.Aaron Douglas felt that African Americans needed to become comfortable in their own skin and take pride into who the were at the time of the Harlem renaissance. So he began creating artwork that became an identity as to who he was and not being ashamed of being black but being proud and becoming apart of societyShow MoreRelatedHarlem Renaissance3262 Words   |  14 PagesHarlem Renaissance, a blossoming (c. 1918–37) of African American culture, particularly in the creative arts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history. Embracing literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts, participants sought to reconceptualize â€Å"the Negro† apart from the white stereotypes that had influenced black peoples’ relationship to their heritage and to each other. They also sought to break free of Victorian moral values and bourgeois shame about aspects ofRead MoreAfrican Americans in American Society 1920s2619 Words   |  11 PagesHowever, in places such as Harlem, New York City, many African Americans were forced into small ghettos due to the unavailability of housing to them. Despite this, migration to the North meant that African Americans had become a powerful voting group, one that many white politicians took interest in (such as the Communist Party of America) and also pushed for civil rights of African Americans as they realised that racism was not just a Southern problem. Another side effect of the Great Migration,Read MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagessegregation and racial injustice in the United States. As the manager of an electric company and owner of a ranch and mines, Jim expressed contempt for black Americans who continued to submit to segregation and live in poverty. Langston Hughes, 1933 (Library of Congress) Langston was not ashamed of being a black American. He had already written poems celebrating his heritage. He felt connected to the oppressed brown people of the world and hated his father for mistreating his Mexican employees. Witnessing

Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America Free Essays

Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America? (A Case Study) Before beginning this case study, Hurricane Katrina was a force of nature that ravaged the city of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005 leaving thousands of African Americans homeless and impoverished. Assuming the affirmative position of the debate in question is Adolph Reed and Stephen Steinberg. They argue that Hurricane Katrina did, in fact expose racism in America. We will write a custom essay sample on Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America? or any similar topic only for you Order Now They want to emphasize the need to address race and poverty concerns and focus more on blacks. Opposing them is Shelby Steele. He believes that blacks should begin focusing more on ways to overcome their underdevelopment instead of blaming whites for their predicament. Reed and Steinberg begin their argument with a quoted statement from Barbara Bush. â€Å"So many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them. † This quote already shows the attitude of white America towards the situation of those suffering at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They also mention the â€Å"Move to Opportunity† program that basically only addresses a miniscule percentage of the poverty stricken homeless GIVEN if they were qualified. Needless to say the majority of them did not participate in this program; as a result, they were to fend for themselves. The extent of white racism was best illustrated by the signing of a government-sponsored resettlement program by 200-plus of the nation’s most renowned social science names. This program is a classified by Reed and Steinberg as a â€Å"relocation scheme† disguised as a voluntary program designed to remove impoverished and unemployed blacks out of the area in attempts to blot out some of the nation’s more darker areas. â€Å"Move to Opportunity became a perverse euphemism for policy abdication of the poor people left behind who are in desperate need of programs, services, and jobs. † Steele dispels the accusation placed on Hurricane Katrina in regards to exposing racism in America by sourcing the cause in blacks themselves. Steele explains that whites have in a sense, owned up to their responsibilities and made themselves witness to racism. That we as blacks blame our inferiority on white racism therefore increasing white shame. Subsequently, for whites to admit that black inferiority is a product of white shame, they are admitting racism. Steele advocates that both races, especially blacks accept responsibility for their shames as each race constantly tries to usurp power from the other. We are attributing our underdevelopment to whites in order to shame them instead of claiming responsibility for our own progress or lack thereof. The progression of blacks in America is undermined by the constant irresponsibility of the race as a whole. From things to not taking care of our children to crimes, we essentially placed ourselves into this predicament. We are not living up to our end of the bargain. Black responsibility needs to be acknowledged by us in order for us to progress. Were we to do this, our open acknowledgment of our own underdevelopment will allow whites to hold witness over us; however they will have to acknowledge our overcoming of our underdevelopment. In a nutshell Steele is saying we must hold ourselves accountable for our own underdevelopment and by doing so we can finally achieve the long awaited progression that we have been looking for. After evaluating both sides of the debate, I chose to identify with Shelby Steele’s argument. Not only does his argument directly answer the question, it allows for more personal questioning among blacks. Are we really using whites as a clutch as to why we have not progressed? Is it more of clutch or more of an innate bitterness between blacks and whites that has developed and evolved over centuries of conflict? Blacks have been at the bottom of the totem pole of society for centuries by the hands of whites. Although I believe that whites in fact do impede black progression in society due to concealed racism among other things, I do not agree however that it is entirely their fault. Both races are in a power struggle; straining to take control and to make the other look inferior. It is this childish nature of these two races that halt the progression of our country as a whole. When both races accept responsibility for their shames then proper progress can be possible. Until then, racism will always be a factor of white shame and inferiority will always be a factor of black shame. I believe that Hurricane Katrina played a part in exposing racism. I feel as if Hurricane Katrina forced racism out into the open. No white person would have expressed any racist concerns prior to Katrina. Katrina basically served as a mental agent for white America, effectively expressing their attitudes towards black America. Also, I believe that if the majority of the population ravaged by Katrina were white they would have been rescued almost immediately if not sooner. The painstakingly long response time to the crisis was evidently showed the amount of concern and sympathy the government had for the blacks of New Orleans. Racism is still alive they are just concealing it. Thousands of blacks in New Orleans depended on the government to rescue them from a travesty that they could not control. And additionally the government attempted to relocate the survivors of the incident to remove the poor blacks and replace the area with whites. This illustrated the true intentions of the government. The strife that exists between whites and blacks are so low-key that it takes an act of God to bring it out of the shadows. There is no doubt that racism is still alive in America; however the extent of racism has definitely lessened over time. I chose to side with Steele’s argument because I identify with the argument that blacks and whites have a complex that won’t allow them to accept responsibility for their shames. If it were not for Hurricane Katrina, racism may have never been brought into the light. How to cite Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America?, Essay examples Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America Free Essays Adolph Reed is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and Stephen Steinberg is a professor of sociology at Queens College in New York City. Both Reed and Steinberg challenge the tendency of policy makers and other commentators to focus on African-Americans as the source of the problems faced by New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and emphasize the need to address race and poverty concerns effectively. In Reed and Steinbergs argument they expose the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy. We will write a custom essay sample on Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America or any similar topic only for you Order Now The supposed goal of the program is to â€Å"break up the concentrations of poverty, to break up the federal enclaves of poverty which existed in the city and to really give those low income residents more choice and opportunity. † Reed and Steinberg look at the â€Å"moving to opportunity†policy as a false theory and an empty slogan. When the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy is stripped of all its varnish it is just a program that will result in a â€Å"smaller† New Orleans that is depleted of its poverty population. Despite the 200 plus signatories of well known individuals in American social science, the secret agenda of the program was evidently overshadowed. Reed and Steinberg state how the federal Government is solely focusing on the drug dealers and gang members of the ghettos and poverty struck neighborhoods overlooking the industrious single mothers and infamous heroic grandmothers that also stay in those same communities; leaving a majority of them to fend for themselves. Reed and Steinberg provide information that show the true colors of the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy. Providing quotes from citizens in powerful positions. A politically connected white lawyer in the city remarked that Katrina provided the perfect opportunity to rebuild New Orleans into a city much like Charleston. Keep in mind that Charleston has only ample black servant class for its tourist economy but a white electoral majority. Which leads to another point made by Reed and Steinberg, if the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy is passed and everything pans out as planned than Louisiana will than be a Republican state. And somehow out of all the evident flaws in the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy the 200 plus signatories failed to realize them or at least recognize them. Reed and Steinberg did a wonderful job in supporting their clause, it would have been a tad bit better if they had included another example other than the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy. Shelby Steele is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and political commentator argues that the African-Americans of New Orleans and other African-Americans should focus on meaningful methods for overcoming their underdevelopment as revealed by Hurricane Katrina rather than emphasizing the shame of White racism as the cause of their phlight. Steele states the single greatest problem in America is African-Americans and Whites are forever blaming one another for each others great shames. Steele expresses her opinion of how this despair is not something that was just formulated among the poverty stricken but a feeling that has always been there, harvesting below the surface of our culture. A state of being in which is just now in the new millennium being discovered. Black inferiority can not be overcame by white responsibility. Blacks most also take responsibility for the change they want to see. Steele is saying each race is equally at guilt and how much of a shame it is that it takes a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina for the nation to take notice of this social issue. Steele had a good thesis, the idea just needed more detail and elaboration. Vincetta Ashley Dunnell November 18, 2010 5:30 P. M On that note my personal opinion lies with Reed and Steinberg in that I do believe Hurricane Katrina exposed racism in America. How could a force of nature have racial preferences and prejudice? It can’t. It just so happened that Hurricane Katrina was the perfect excuse to play the racial blame game. It was a great reason to release years of built of racial tension. And the perfect opportunity to push low class,poverty stricken blacks out of a infamous city because of racial stigmas. The federal government is using the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy as a coverup to deceive the public into accepting the policy as a beneficial program but failing to truthful tell who the policy is benefiting. Somehow this terrible scheme slipped by the eyes of 200 plus prominent individuals of the American social science community. They failed to recognize that if this policy is passed yes there will be no gang patrolled, drug infested New Orleans but there will also be no essence in New Orleans, all the history and pride will be wiped away. All the kind-hearted, working Blacks just attempting to make a better day for their families will be left in a worse position than they began in. All for the sake of America trying to perceive the ideal of a perfect nation; thinking that they can sweep all the dirt under the rug, forgetting that when you do so the lump of dirt is still there. Ignoring the problem that our nation has forever had is not going to help any. Trying to push the low class blacks out of New Orleans just to build suburbs and tourist attractions will help the economy but the social status will not change. While poverty still exists so does the main problem in America. How to cite Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America, Essay examples

Leadership Style Group Work

Question: Discuss about the Leadership Style Group Work. Answer: Introduction Leadership can be defined as a quality of behaviour of a group of people or an individual whereby they guide the people or the activities of the people in organizing efforts. In this case, the following leaders are going to be used in the analysis (Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs). It is considered vital to learn the impact of leadership styles indicated by the above leaders in order to develop individual approach on leadership, this will make one a productive and effective leader. I consider that the above three leaders are known to offer the best in leadership hence able to influence their people to the best. For example, Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader from India whose leading concept was based on situational leadership concepts and ideology (John and Taylor, 2014). According to situational leadership theory, leaders in this type of category are viewed as changing their leadership tactics based on the level of task ahead of them. This type of leadership can be attained by using participatory style whereby ideas are shared among followers. This leadership style also allow delegation of duties (Shriberg, A, Shriberg and Lloyd, 2002). According to Herrmann and Felfe (2014), Mahatma Gandhis leadership was full of selling style-all the decisions taken by the leader are explained to others and lastly he used telling style-specific concerns are shared to specific individuals while undertaking their chores and responsibilities (Preston, 2012). The other leader is Steve Jobs. He is considered as a transformational leader. Under this type of leadership he was able to use creativity and innovation amid his employees at Apple to drive his leadership style (Suanj and Jakopec, 2012). In addition he used rewarding system to attain the best performance among his employees or followers. Lastly, Martin Luther King was a transformational leader that incorporated charismatic and inspirational values to manage his followers. The key ideology behind this type of leadership is to foster motivation to create or boost performance. It can be deduced that leaders such as the ones discussed above used several leadership style, hence their success in leadership (Preston, 2012) Individual Feedback There is nothing good like undertaking a task in a group. We were able to integrate the course materials as well as come with better understanding of the assignment because of the efforts that each member of the group contributed. It is also evident that the group was split into further groups, this made efforts towards undertaking the task an easy one. I was given a task to undertake in the group. This is one of the added advantage that come with group work. I can deduce that there were various merits related to group work which I was part of. The below are example of the merits: All the work that was done individually was evaluated by other members of the group, as a result, the group was attained the best results ever. During the group was an added advantage in several ways such as timely delivery of the assignment done and that the work did meet the needs and the demands expected. I consider that group work was the best thing that ever happened in my academic life. I was able to understand all the coursework as well as undertake our group work assignment as a team. Lastly, I conclude that if it were not of the teamwork sprit vested in us, we could not have completed the assignment on time, not to say even doing it better than we did as a team. On the other hand, team accountability was key towards the success of the process, therefore, I consider that for an effective group work, all team members should be aggressive towards undertaking their roles as well did. References Herrmann, D. and Felfe, J., 2014. Effects of leadership style, creativity technique and personal initiative on employee creativity. British Journal of Management, 25(2), pp.209-227. John, M.C. and Taylor, J.W., 2014. Leadership style, school climate, and the institutional commitment of teachers. In International Forum Journal (Vol. 1, No. 2). Preston, T., 2012. The president and his inner circle: Leadership style and the advisory process in foreign policy making. Columbia University Press. Shriberg, A., Shriberg, D.L. and Lloyd, C., 2002. Practicing leadership: Principles and applications. Suanj, Z. and Jakopec, A., 2012. Fairness perceptions and job satisfaction as mediators of the relationship between leadership style and organizational commitment. Psihologijske teme, 21(3), pp.509-526.

Well Rounded Education Essays - Education, Academic Transfer

Well Rounded Education The first day of class for a college student is like drawing cards in a poker game. Just as the cards that one receives determines their outcome in poker, the types of professors a student gets on the first day will determine the success of their year. The difference between a helpful and a harmful professor can easily result in a much lower grade. College professors have a wide range of personalities and backgrounds. However, professors fall into one of 3 categories: helpful, malicious, or uncaring. One type of professor in the college system is the helpful professor. This professor can be recognized right away by their smile and joyfulness in the classroom. These professors give upbeat and interesting lectures, and are always looking for the classes input to make sure they comprehend. These professors are always willing to chat with a student. Be it after class or in office hours, the helpful professor will always take time out to talk to the student about the given subject, college matters, or even problems of life that do not even have bearing on the subject. Tests in the helpful professor's class are never difficult if one know the subject matter. The professor understands how stressful testing can be and is only interested in seeing whether or not the student grasped the facts presented to them. Good students receive good grades in the helpful professor's class. Those professors appreciate hard work and duly reward it. The best kind of teacher to get that first day is the helpful professor. The second type of professor one can get is the malicious professor. This professor has a sour attitude toward life in general; therefore they want the students to be miserable as well. Their lectures are never to the point and usually stray off to make some negative point about life. They encourage students to ask questions, but only so that they can make the person with the question feel incompetent for asking it. They are willing to talk with a student after class, but unlike the helpful professor, the malicious professor is only there to criticize. They will emphasize the student's faults but never point out their strengths, thus lowering the self-esteem of the student. The tests given by the malicious professor are vague, full of trickery, and composed of the most difficult material. These tests are not designed to survey the student's knowledge of the subject, but rather to trip them up and make them fail. If one works really hard it is possible to earn a good grade in this type of professor's class, but in general the grades will be as low as the malicious professor can make them. The third type of professor is the uncaring professor. This type of instructor has lost interest in teaching; therefore, they do not put any effort into it. This professor can be recognized by their monotonous tone of voice and lack of interest of the subject. Their lectures only cover the basics of the material. They make no effort to appeal to the students' interests; consequently, most students can hardly pay attention. This type of instructor is reluctant to give out office hours and can hardly ever be found there. They want to avoid all student contact because they are not interested in how the student is doing. Uncaring professors are unpredictable. They usually give the same tests year after year so that they do not have to make up a new one. Since the professor does not always cover the same material, the content of the test is unpredictable. The type of grade one will get in this class is also unpredictable. The teacher does not care enough to personally evaluate each student; so many students do not get the grade that they actually deserve. The personality of the professor of a course makes up as much of its content as does the subject matter. The right kind of professor can make a difficult subject easier and more enjoyable while other professors can ruin an enjoyable one. Students agree that many times it is the professor, not the subject, which makes a course easy or difficult. Therefore it is important when choosing a course to find out what type of teacher is instructing the class: helpful, malicious, or uncaring.

Johnson Johnson Company

Johnson Johnson Company 4.2.2 Public supervisionWhile most of the world's largest companies now have codes of ethics, ethical misconduct reported incidents have not seemed to decrease. This indicates that there is a gap between ethical and moral values and principles as well as difference in forms of expression there are also differences. It is not enough to depend on internal institution supervise company enforcement code of ethics. So it needs stronger power to supervise the company assessing code of ethics, such as legislation and associations. Current debate on business ethics in Australia continues apace as the excesses of the 1980s are exposed (Bruce N. K, 1992). Code of ethics is a high profile instrument in the business scene. Therefore according to Australia's changing legal frameworks may appear a greater role of codes of ethics.ReferenceJohnson Johnson Company. 2013. Our Credo.jnj.com/sites/default/files/pdf/jnj_ourcredo_english_us_8.5x11_cmyk.pdfJohnson Johnson Company. 2013. Employee Benefits.j nj.com/responsibility/Social/Our-Employees/BenefitsEvery Woman, Every Child. Sep, 20, 2011. 2011 Commitments to advance the Global Strategy for Women's Children's Health.who.int/pmnch/media/membernews/2011/20110928_ewec_commitments.pdfMandy, Hovland. 2013. Survive Thrive Global Development Alliance: Saving Mothers. Newborns and Children.mchip.net/node/1791Katie, Thomas. 2013. New Recalls by Jonson Johnson Concern About Quality Control Improvements. The New York Times.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/business/new-recalls-by-johnson-johnson-raise-concern-about-quality-control-improvements.html?_r=0Johnson Johnson Company. 2013. The Annual Report of 2012.https://www.jnj.com/sites/default/files/pdf/JNJ2012annualreport.pdfJohnson Johnson China. 2012. Johnson and Johnson China Volunteer Month 2012.http://gongyi.sina.com.cn/project/6 7 .html

Byzantine Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Byzantine Empire - Essay Example They also had a lot to do with installations and depositions of emperors (Sewter/Psellus 1997). To understand them better, it is important to note that these three Empresses lived at the time following the birth of Christendom, from about 770 to the middle of the second century, when the Roman Empire had its main base and 'headquarters' in Byzantium, a place we now know as Istanbul, in Turkey. It was a strategic place, in a prime position on the coast of the important Mediterranean Sea (Sewter/Psellus 1979). With part of its area firmly in Europe, and the other at the gateway to the Holy Lands (known now as the Middle East) and Asia, this area could dominate in terms of wealth, politics and power. Syria, whose cities of Aleppo, Damascus and Antioch were centers of trade and knowledge, was so close by that the men - and the important women - of this age and time had a lot of resources at their disposal, both in material wealth and in clever advisors, and this enabled them to mark history with their own names in all matters that had to do with culture, the military and without any doubt, the economy. Chronologically, the first of these women, Irene, was a powerful monarch in her own right, and it is an indication of her attitude that she chose to call herself by the masculine term 'Basileus' or Emperor (Garland 1999). After being expelled from the marriage-bed because of hiding icons when the Emperor had banned them, she became involved in a number of conspiracies. Intelligent and wily - probably because of her doubtful social status before she was married - she wielded power from behind the scenes, coming into her full might when she became regent for her son on the death of her husband Leo IV. Her son was to become Constantine VI, but while he was younger, his mother took advantage of the position of regent to enforce her beliefs in Christianity and the Pope. She used her wiles to promote some men and get rid of others. A famous action of hers was the idea of ordaining those who threatened the throne. Being priests disqualified them from being candidates (Sewter/Psellus ibid). No stranger to intrigue, she made her son extremely uncomfortable with her exploits when he came into power. There are several important political events of her time that have Irene's unmistakable signature: she liked underhanded dealings and plots. But, ironically, she became most famous for restoring worship of icons and other religious images. (Garland 1999). This seems to indicate that she felt her power came from her faith and that it absolved her of a lot of unethical or improper dealings. She deposed her own son and had him exiled, after which she ruled in her own right for five years. This grand conspiracy caused deep factions in the Church and the empire court. When she had her son's eyes gouged out, which killed him, people believed the heavens were angry, because the sky darkened for a number of days (Garland 1999). People believed she had enough power to affect more than just politics. She was revered just like a saint after her death, probably because of her political power that restored worship to those who wanted it. She has never been canonized. Irene was ultimately taken off the throne and had

Quantitative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Quantitative Analysis - Essay Example Re designing the operations to increase capacity continuing the same number of aircraft can be considered as primary issue. This can increase efficiency and as a consequence reduces congestion in securing seats in piedmont airlines flights. 1 Re modeling and re deploying aircrafts to increase hub operations where there is demand. For example 25% of the passengers traveling in Piedmont flight from charlotte to Boston are paying for another airline to have a connecting flight. If the company is able to introduce the connecting flight it can decrease the loss of market and can save time and charges by issuing tickets from charlotte to the passenger's required destination in charlotte itself. A detailed structure and decision making process should be developed to decide the number of seats that must be allotted by offering discount and the number that can be allowed in full fare. The seats that are allowed on discount must be open to both stimulators and diverters and no diverter (the person paying full fare must not be dissatisfied due to the reason that a discount seat was allotted to a stimulator after he was rejected on the cause of non availability. By increasing the number of seats in each aircraft, that is by remodeli... The decision must be applied both aircraft interiors and mainline operations. The decisions that are to be taken can be as follows (in millions) 2005 2006 Incremental profit improvement initiatives $ 400 $800 Non Pilot pay and benefit savings $250 250 De hubbing of selected flight operations $55 $70 Continuous hub redesign $50 $150 Total non pilot operational improvements $755 $1270 The above table is adopted from following website: https://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/19260/v1/images.delta.com/delta/pdfs/annual_reports/DeltaAR2004.pdf The firm can get benefits by converting banked flights to continuous ones. The other benefits the firm can consider were the concessions from aircraft leassors, creditors and vendors. It can be suggested to introduce more simplified fare structure all over the country and if possible for the flights operating overseas. These simplified fares must be able to meet the needs of all types of customers. They must simplify the way of doing business and must result in cost effectiveness. The implementation of fare cap also can be suggested along with the limitation in allotting the number of seats to H category (the discount category). It should be taken care that the introduction of simpli fares should not affect the revenue inputs negatively. So the implementation must in a step by step process. First the traffic must be stimulated and then the fare structure must be revised. But the both things must be planned with coordination by announcing the decision of fare simplification before the firm starts the stimulating the traffic. The announcement of the simplified fare structure must help in stimulating traffic. Analysis of Industry and company: The deregulation caused the number of

Technical entrepreneurs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Technical entrepreneurs - Essay Example Rated by Forbes Magazine as the 2005 wealthiest person in the world for the twelfth consecutive year, Bill Gates estimated wealth amounts to $27.38 billion based on Microsoft's current stock price (Marcus, 2006). Bill Gates is the co-founder, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft Corporation, the world's largest software company. He is also the founder of a digital image archiving company that goes by the name of Corbis, which is one of the world's most promising resources of visual information - a broad digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections worldwide. He is one of the best known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution and is widely respected and also widely criticised as having built his business through unfair, illegal, or anti-competitive business practices, and this was recently demonstrated by the US government taking Microsoft to court, an action which was repeated in Europe as well (Didion, 2004). Despite his vast wea lth, Bill Gates has donated approximately 51% of his total fortune to various charitable organisations and scientific research programmes. Bill Gates was born on the 28th of October 1955 in Seattle, Washington to William Gates Senior and Mary Maxwell Gates (McSheriff, 2002). His family was wealthy, and had a strong tradition of education and professionalism. His father was a prominent lawyer, his mother was the first woman regent of the University of Washington and his maternal grandfather was a national bank president (McSheriff, 2002). It is safe to say that Bill Gates came from a privileged background. Bill Gates also has two younger sisters, Kristanne and Libby Gates. Bill Gates was educated at some of the most prestigious schools in the state, and he particularly excelled in elementary school in mathematics and sciences (McSheriff, 2002). Bill Gates went to Seattle's most exclusive preparatory school, Lakeside School where tuition in 1967 was $5 000, more than that at Harvard which was $1 760 (McSheriff, 2002). It was at this school that Bill Gates got introduced to computers as the school rented time on a server, which allowed Bill Gates to pursue an interest in computers at a time when they were not commercially available. He was also a member of the Boy Scouts of America, even attaining the rank of Life Scout during his membership (Peerman, 1999). When he was at high school, he founded a company which sold traffic flow data systems to state governments with Paul Allen. He also helped to create a payroll system in COBOL for a company in Portland, Oregon (Peerman, 1999). In 1973 he enrolled in Harvard University for a pre-law programme where he met his future business partner Steve Ballmer. During his second year, together with Paul Allen and Monte Davidoff, he co-wrote Altair BASIC for the Altair 8800, and dropped out of Harvard during his third year to pursue a career in software development (Murdock, 1998). Despite his success, Bill Gates was briefly jailed in Albuquerque for racing his Porsche 911 in the New Mexico desert. Bill Gates first recognized an opportunity in 1975 after reading an issue of the Popular Electronics that demonstrated the Altair 8800. Bill Gates contacted the creators of the new microcomputer to inform them that he and others had developed a version of the

Entry Strategy Used By Wal Mart Commerce Essay

Entry Strategy Used By Wal Mart Commerce Essay This report examines Wal-Mart as a case study. An introduction of the history, objectives and strategy was first examined. It later went on to determine what motive the company into international strategy using secondary data obtained through Websites and journal articles. Taking into consideration Wal-Mart operates in about 15 different countries its entry into Brazil was investigated. The entry strategy used by Wal-Mart was examined using the four categories of timing of entry, market choice, and investment scale and entry mode. The companys corporate strategy was examined and it was discussed in terms of whether Wal-Mart strategy was Global, Multi-domestic and Transnational. Wal-Mart strategy was concluded to be more on the transnational strategy as it took into account its global strategy and local strategy as well. Wal-Mart is known for being a company that has competitive advantage in logistics and customer service which are among its functional analysis. The logistics was examined in full as the main functional analysis affecting Wal-Mart in its entry into Brazil. Finally, recommendations were given on what Wal-Mart could do better when entering another international Market and a conclusion was made. Introduction This report discusses the Wal-Mart was first established in America in 1962 by Sam Walton .Wal-Mart is known as one of the Worlds Largest retailers serving more than 200million customers and members per week (Walmartstores.com). As at 2010, its fiscal year sales was $405 billion and is one of the Worldss most admired Companies Survey. Wal-Mart has over 8400 stores in 15 different countries (Wal-Mart.com) due to its need for globalisation. In this report, Wal-Mart entry into Brazil would be looked upon enabling the discussion on what motivated the firm into globalisation, its entry strategy into Brazil, its corporate strategy that enables it success and its functional analysis. Secondary datas would be used for this analysis. Firm Motivation In order to be able to analyse Wal-Marts entry strategy, it would be worthwhile to understand what motivated the firm into globalisation. Management realised, that by the 2000 the market in the United States would become saturated and reduce their market share and decided to expand global. Also in 1990s, Wal-Mart was facing stiff competition from key players such as K-Mart and target (Angela da Rocha 2002). These two companies were taking up Wal-Mart market share and expanding their global strategy. The competition strategy used by Target and K-Mart left Wal-Mart with no choice than to enter the international market with the aim of increasing market share and sales of the company. Wal-Mart believed in its strength and technology development to help in markets abroad. Wal-Mart was also motivated in terms of thinking about the benefits of economies of scale and scope obtained through globalisation. Wal-Mart deals with major international firms like Unilever (food products) which has its own international operations thereby using its large size to demand deeper discount on items (Hills 2008). Also, another reason Wal-Mart might have decided to entry Brazil could be because of the knowledge and expertise to be gained by other firms competing in such a country and be able to integrate the knowledge obtained into other operations in the future. Diagram derived from: http://www.themanagementor.com/kuniverse/kmailers_universe/mktg_kmailers/wal-mart.htm The diagram above details the competitive advantage that Wal-Mart has in order for it to internationally encourage to enter different markets. Entry Strategy According to Hill 2008, there are four categories of entry strategies used by firms they are as following using Wal-Mart as analysis. Market Choice In 1994, Brazil experienced a new thrust in the economy where there was implementation of lower inflation. This improved the purchasing power of Brazilians and also enhanced economic growth, Wal-Mart saw this as an opportunity to invest in the country. In 1995, Wal-Mart began operations in Brazil; Wal-Mart entered Brazil in order to be able to obtain the benefits to be derived from the potential demand of the population and potential the economic growth Wal-Mart did not use one single strategy to enter different countries. The selection of market choice was based on the detailed information of the business, competitive and economic environments of the country of operations. Govindarajan and Gupta stated After choosing the country, and understanding the environment, the management at Wal-Mart would decide on the best entry strategy. The selection varied from starting new stores from scratch (to acquisitions), joint ventures, and alliances. Wal-Mart establishes its presence in local markets by first understanding the uniqueness of each market, and then by adapting its business model to suit that market. Entry Mode Wal-Mart, through partnership with Lojas Americanas which one of Brazils leading discount store chain entered Brazil. Wal-Mart chooses to own 60% whereas Lojas Americanas would retain 40% which is a joint venture. Wal-Mart holds 60% makes decision making easier has they control a larger percentage of the company and can make quick and managerial decision compared to if it was 50:50. According to the data founded by Hill 2008, UN estimated that some 40-80% of Foreign Direct investment were in form of mergers and acquisition. It is easy to execute joint venture than to start a company from scratch .Within the time taken to start a company from the beginning a competitor might have acquired another company within the country and limit the market share to be obtained. Joint Venture makes it easier for Wal-Mart to meet its objective of becoming a globalised company in international market. The logic behind this partnership and its success is that Lojas Americanas brings in the cultural integration whilst Wal-Mart brings in the managerial skills and resources needed for the partnership to work. Wal-mart decided to open Supercenters (50,000 different items) and Sams Club stores (buyers club which required a fee for membership) because it believed its discount operations would work. The idea of the Supercenters was to provide a new product mix and varieties for the Brazilian market at lowest price. Timing of Entry Wal-Mart entered Brazil as a first mover advantage as technology was not readily available in Brazil at the time of entry given them a competitive advantage against Carrefour. This helped the economy to imitate the technological advancement and incorporate them into other businesses. Although, the sharing of technology was an advantage it could have also been a disadvantage as Wal-Mart was sharing its knowledge with its competitors and this could have been used against them. Investment Scale Wal-mart entered with Lojas Americanas which was known for its aggressive strategy in dealing with businesses thereby helping Wal-Mart gain an advantage. It entered with US$120 million to construct its stores with one in the largest city (Kotabe 2003).It entered at a large scale in order to gain competitive advantage this could have also been a problem if Wal-Mart failed in Brazil thereby losing the revenue used in entry. According to Kotabe 2003, it was stated that Wal-Marts objective was to achieve number one retailer position in Brazil and in order to do that they setup a logistics and communication system competent of supporting no less than 80 units in the Brazilian Market Wal-Mart also employed Brazilian executives who understood the market, cultures, and customers and would be able to manage the company effectively. Wal-Mart continued investing into Brazil has the demand was becoming more than the supply for their manufactured goods and services. Corporate Strategy According to Sam Walton, Wal-Mart strategy is low prices always. Wal-mart is known as Wal-Mart greeters where customers enter the store and they are greeted with a sweet face a, huge smile and a shopping cart (Burbano 2004). Wal-Mart also offered attraction of employees at disposals of consumers helping them as they enter into the stores. Wal-Mart company strategy is based on four pillars cost leadership, customer orientation, logistics and information technology (Angela da Rocha 2002). Fig 1 explains the reasons such as pressure from local responsiveness and pressure from global integration helps in determining the corporate strategy of the firms. When a company such as Wal-Mart chooses a corporate strategy it needs to decide how strong would the pressure of global integration or the pressure of local responsiveness affect its overall objective? Global Strategy In terms of Wal-Mart being a global strategy based in the beginning they prided themselves on being global. It brought the cultures, product, ways and products of the United States into Brazil and thought it could work since Brazil could not be different from America. It was later realised that it would not work and it revised it strategy by incorporating the culture of the Brazilians and the product to satisfy customer needs. Multi-Domestic Strategy In terms of localization strategy, Wal-Mart could not be seen as being localised because it never forgot its strategy of lowest prices and it incorporated some of its American product as well as Brazilian products in the market. Wal-Mart had to change its product from being USA focus and included variety of product that was an attraction to the Brazilian people. Wal-Mart prides itself on being a customer oriented in terms of good service, product at lowest prices. Wal-Mart boasts that it has a global strategy but it is also locally focused we people the people first (Walmartstores.com) Transnational Strategy Wal-Mart could also be seen as a transnational company in terms of the striking the balance between global standardization of operating strategy and local customization of store layout and stocking practices. Wal-Mart took into account what the Brazilians want by buying product from the local manufactures thereby integrating the cultures and customer needs. Also Wal-Mart adjusted to the situation of Brazilian market by increasing the deadlines of delivery by manufactures, it did not use the United State to bring in the products. Functional Analysis In order for Wal-mart to be successful in its chosen country it needs to work as a team with different departments. The departments such as Marketing, Purchasing, HRM, Logistics and Distribution etc come together to analyse the details and decide what is best for the companys operation in the chosen country. Wal-Mart prides itself on its logistic systems being that it enables the company have competitive advantage over its competitors. As Wal-Mart began operation the demand of their merchandise was increasing compared to the supply that they had in store. The checkout lines were longer than expected; there was storage of parking space, traffic congestions and aggressive reaction from Carrefour its competitor. In accordance with Kotabe 2003, Wal-Mart experienced an alarming 40% stock out rate in Brazil, as compared to 5% in the United States. Although the stock out rate has decreased since, the problem is far from being completely eliminated. Brazilian suppliers are lagging behind the U.S. counterparts in logistics technology as that level of technological advancement has not been reached, thus making computerized inventory management systems useless. Additionally, the presences of traffic congestion present another major challenge to consistency and predictability in supply of both Wal-Mart stores and distribution center. At the time of entry, Brazil was in no comparison to the United States in terms of technological advancement. Wal-Mart believed that its logistics was good enough to help them in Brazil; what they failed to consider was the population of the Brazilian people and the demand for their merchandise. Consumers were eagerly interested in the lower prices of merchandise sold by Wal-Mart, and there was no indication of stress of traveling long distance to obtain merchandise. Wal-Mart had a flexible logistics, which enabled it realize the problem the problem of distribution and transport costs from the United State into Brazil. It decided to set-up alliances with local suppliers to deliver some goods that the store needed. This enabled reduced costs due to reduce transportation and fuel by drivers of their trucks and due to the technology it had it was able to determine the quality of the products. Recommendation When Wal-Mart decides to enter into an international market it needs to fully understand the market and the potential demands, political and suppliers issues in order to be fully prepared for adverse reactions. Wal-Mart believes in its logistics as one of its competitive advantage and believes it could help them in any market. It is recommended, that they put into account the tastes and cultures of consumers and how they would be able to adapt to the countries ways of doing things. It is recommended that Wal-Mart could go a long way in benefiting internationally if the above recommendations are considered. Conclusions In this report, the motivation of Wal-Mart into internationalisation was analysed. Also, the entry strategy which included the market choice, the timing of entry, the type of entry mode and the investment scale was analysed. The corporate strategy of Wal-Mart whether it being multi-domestic, global or transnational was analysed. Its functional analysis was examined as well taking into account its logistics system. It was finished with a recommendation on what the company could do better in fir the next entry into another market.

Kingdom of God Essay -- Christianity, Psychology

In Psychology and Christianity Integration, Stevenson reveals three points about God our Father. The first point is that God is all knowing; God knows and sees all that His people do. Majority of humankind think that they can hide their evil thoughts or that He cannot see them when they sin. God sees everything and knows the hearts of his Children. It would not be implausible to assume that our Creator could be disappointed in the world today. With such evils as murder, theft, and abuse carrying on daily in this world, God is saddened. For these reasons it is that much more important that, as Christians, we stay in the light of God. (Stevenson, 2007) The second point is that God knows all possible things; God knows our present as well as what will happen in the future. Our lives have already been laid out and planned for us. He already knows what we are going to do even before we do it. God knows how our stories will be told and how they going to begin and end. He even kn ows who is going to turn their backs on him before the offender knows that he is going to do it. (Stevenson, 2007) The third point expressed in this text is that God knows what should be. (Stevenson, 2007) Many times, we as humans think we know what is best for ourselves and we stray away from God’s plan. Through free will, God allows us the ability to choose our own paths. When we travel our own path, instead of the one that God has predestined, we end up with feelings of hurt and loneliness. Even with all of these faults, our Heavenly Father is such a forgiving God that He will take us back. These three points give us an overview of how powerful and merciful the Father truly is. The author provides us with substantially positive statements abo... ...lly to deal with issues raised by the client that fall outside a counselor’s own perimeter of expertise, and a referral can be made; there are books, videos, groups, classes, broadcasts, conferences, and much more, available for the promotion of psychological health. The journey is an adventure that takes a lifetime. (Feldman, 1987) References Feldman, Robert S. (1987). Understanding psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. Holy Bible. Authorized King James Version Pittman, Bill; B., Dick (Eds.). (1998). Courage to change: The Christian roots of the twelve-step movement. Center City, MN: Hazelden. Johnson, E. (2007). Christ the lord of psychology. In D. Stevenson, B. Eck & P. Hill (Eds), Psychology & Christianity Integration: Seminal Works that Shaped the Movement Batavia, Illinois: Christian Association for Psychological Studies, Inc. .

German Buying Habits

German Costumer’s Buying Habits Online According to figures released by the German Association for Consumer Research (GfK), 34. 1 million German consumers buy merchandise or services on the Internet (2010). Among the most popular purchases are books, clothes, travel and concert tickets, and cars. Unlike in other European countries where there is a reluctance toward online shopping by seniors, almost half of Germans between the age of 50 and 69 buy merchandise on the Internet. Decision Making The Internet also plays a major role when it comes to decision-making among German consumers.Before buying merchandise or services,, they usually consult the web for information and to compare prices. The cheapest bidder is not always the winner; tidiness, easy-return options, sustainability and quality of the product are more important in the decision-making than the price. International Shopping German consumers do not necessarily choose German products. The most popular online vendors i n Germany are eBay and Amazon, with their international communities. Food and wine, consumer electronics, and even cars are among the most popular imported article. Corporate Social Responsibility 4% of consumers want to see more ethical behavior. And they hold both the government and brands accountable to deliver; up 34% compared to 2007 for government and up 23% compared to 2007 for corporations. Small correlates to responsible in our respondents minds. 68% said small businesses act more responsible. By stark comparison only 16% thought big business could be responsible, irrespective of sector or origin. National pride and ‘Made in Germany’ continue to gain relevance in the area of CSR. 52% of consumers believe national brands are more responsible, with the exception of the financial services.This is evident by their choice of the Top 5 most responsible brands (all German): Landliebe, DM, Bosch, Audi and Tchibo. By comparison, 37% believe European brands act responsib ly, 18% for UK brands, 11% for USA brands, and only 7% for brands from Asia. Companies and brands are an integral part of German society. And as such, society looks up to them to find the solutions. 47% of Germans see this as a critical factor for their brand choice (up from 43% in 2007) As we have stated before, strong brands that engage in CSR initiatives that dovetail with their offerings are better positioned to reap the rewards. And the research backs it up.

Journals from New America essays

Journals from New America essays My Dear Family: 12 September, 1914 I am writing to tell you I am fine and well and have arrived in the great city of New York. I must tell you that the journey was long and hard. It was a twelve day trip aboard the S.S Patricia and my ticket cost thirty five dollars, but fear not because Aunt Ladka assures me that I will earn much money here in the great city (CD Rom- American Identity Explorer). When we arrived on Ellis Island the statue of liberty held her torch high, almost like she was welcoming us to her land of freedom. I heard a young woman cry out, We have made it! Once we got off the ship we were separated into two lines: one for men and one for women and children. A large man with a stick and a blue uniform instructed us to go in groups of three into the examination room. The doctors there had to make sure we did not bring any sickness to America. I met another young woman on the ship, Hanna, and she told me that when her sister came to the America they did only have men doctors. Not to worry, Pap a, a woman doctor checked me and said I was okay. From there we were told to go to the registry room. It is this great hall filled with many people. There were many American flags on the walls and you could hear many languages. While I sat to wait for Uncle Uri and Aunt Ladka I could see Lady Liberty outside the windows and I felt very anxious. This new world has brought to me much excitement, but I fear all the things I do not know. I hope this letter finds you in happiness and good health. I will write you again soon. O dear Family, 6 November, 1914 I write to tell you that I am fine and well and in good health. I am living with Uncle Uri and Aunt Ladka in their tenement on the East Side of this great city. It is very cramped. I ...

The Persian Gulf War essays

The Persian Gulf War essays The Persian Gulf War Why did a coalition of over 30 nations find it was necessary to go to war to help Kuwait after it was invaded by Iraq? How did the Coalition defeat the Iraqis? Although the Coalition won there were many consequences to face. The causes of the war started with Saddam Hussein, then the Iraqis economic condition, and the dispute over boundaries, and finally oil. When the Iraqis invaded Kuwait a coalition was formed against them, which consisted of the use of many types of military strategies. When the coalition won there were casualties, the Gulf War Syndrome, and still some things to deal with in Kuwait. Since the invasion of Kuwait caught the world by surprise the question in everybodys mind was What were the reasons for the invasion? The first reason was Saddam Hussein. Saddam had two distinct characteristics: one, the determination to be remembered in history, two, and a certain vision of the future. Saddam wanted to have a unified Arab world with Baghdad as its center. Hussein also felt that after that after the fall of the Ottoman Empire there was an uneven distribution of wealth from oil reserves to the allied nations. Iraqs only hope of survival was clearly oil revenues from its neighbor, Kuwait. Iraqs economy was also hurt with the consequences of the 8-year Iran-Iraq War. When Iraqs leaders claimed victory there were three-quarters of a million casualties (one third Iraqis), and heavy debt from weapon purchases and reconstruction costs. The debt totaled nearly $130 billion. After the war countries slowed the granting of loans to rebuild Iraq. At this time Iraq had to find money or it would not survive. The only source of money would be to sell Iraqs oil at high prices or to get Kuwaits oil. Kuwait was a major oil target for Iraq because it would give them major control over the worlds...

Communication and Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and Language - Essay Example It is always good to focus on your positive experiences (Campbell, 1957). If Thais do bring up a complaint with you, such as how polluted parts of Bangkok are, or apologize for how dirty their factory is, it is best not to agree with them directly, but simply state 'It's fine--don't worry about it.' Be careful not to give too much praise in regards to a Thai's possessions, as he or she may feel embarrassed, or obligated to give you the item in question. It is best to give general praise, such as 'You have a wonderful office.' Age is also a common question, especially if you are not yet going bald or grey! Direct replies are appreciated, but can be avoided if you don't feel comfortable replying (Campbell, 1957). 'I feel like I'm 21 again!' is a good example of an indirect response. Be aware that Thais will often state bluntly that you are either fat or fatter than the last time they saw you. Don't take offence at this and simply laugh it off and give a simple reason--usually all the delicious Thai food you have been enjoying recently. There is no need to reply with a similar comment. The Thai language uses a phonetic alphabet of 44 consonants and 32 vowels (Noochoochai, 1978). All syllables must contain a vowel sound, but may begin and/or end with a consonant sound. A syllable which ends in a vowel sound is called open, and a syllable which ends in a consonant is called closed.

Iraqi Refugee Settlement in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Iraqi Refugee Settlement in Australia - Essay Example Their state of mind tends not to be trustful or overly optimistic; indeed, these are people who have escaped from wars, from persecution for beliefs or affiliations, and in many cases suffered human rights violations. These people often include those whom have arrived in Australia under the government's Humanitarian Program, in the refugee stream, as Special Humanitarian Entrants, and have been granted permanent protection visas after arrival. There also include, and this is an important distinction, people that have arrived as asylum seekers and, after an assessment, have been granted only temporary protection visas. Classification issues, whether one is granted permanent or temporary protection, is highly relevant. The Iraqi communities in Australia have become an increasingly important concern as war rages in their homeland and as more and more Iraqis seek refuge in Australia. The 2001 Census recorded 24,760 Iraq-born people in Australia (an increase of 77 per cent over 1996); these people were diverse in terms of precise ethnic backgrounds, and actually included Arabic Iraqis (44 per cent), Assyrian Iraqis (41 per cent) and Kurdish-speaking groups from Iraq (4 per cent). (Victorian Multicultural Affairs, 2003) As an instance of local increases in Iraqi refugee populations, Victoria's Iraq-born population has increased from 3500 in 1996 to 6773 in 2003; this is a significant 93 per cent increase (Department of Victoria Communities, 2003). Some 77 percent of Iraqi arrivals since 1996 have been humanitarian entrants (refugees). Others have come as family members or as skilled migrants. Some came as unauthorised arrivals by boat, were put in detention centres, and were subsequently recognized as refugees, but were only granted temporary protection. Thus, not only is the Iraqi population in Australia fractured by diverse ethnic affiliations, but they are also present under different legal designations. Many settled in NSW and other state; Greater Shepparton is a city of some 55,000 people, 180 kilometres north of Melbourne, where many Iraqis have decided to settle. Local estimates are that the Iraqi community living in the Shepparton area in 2004 numbered about 3000 people, including Australian-born children. There are also some seasonal increases. The refugees have been mainly Muslims from the centre and south of Iraq. Various accounts are given of the first Iraqis coming to Shepparton. The first few Iraqis apparently came to the fruit and vegetable-producing Goulburn Valley in the early 1990s seeking employment. Larger numbers of Iraqi refugees arrived from 1997, having come from camps in Saudi Arabia and gone first to Sydney and Melbourne, then on to Kyabram, Cobram, and Shepparton. These refugees were granted permanent protection status. Within a couple of years, most of the Iraqis who had come to Kyabram relocated to Shepparton. Then, from 1999, some Iraqi refugees started arr iving in Australia by boat and were placed in detention centres and later released with Temporary Protection Visas. Some of these Iraqis settled in Shepparton with the support of the Ethnic Community Council. There were some 700 to 800 Iraqis on

Response paper about what you thought about Gandhi's work and his Essay

Response paper about what you thought about Gandhi's work and his life. Be sure to include citations - Essay Example According to Francis Sejersted, Alfred Nobel is quoted in his will as having stipulated that his wealth was to be devoted to the annual award of five prizes "to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." With regard to the Peace Prize, Nobel defined this as having "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." (Sejersted) It is difficult to imagine how a man who dedicated his life not only to the freedom of his people but to abolishing well-established systems of institutionalized racism and religious oppression could have been overlooked for so many years. In my opinion, this oversight is one of the greatest failings of the Nobel committee in its entire history. Despite the failure of the Nobel committee to recognize the work of this great man, his legacy remains a shining example for all who wish to change the world (or even their own small corner of it) through non-violent

Great Filipino Music Artists (80s - Present) Essay Example for Free

Great Filipino Music Artists (80s Present) Essay Basil Valdez Like many Filipino singers in the 1970s, Valdez started solo on his career as a folk singer. In 1972, he joined the Circus Band and after it was disbanded, he released Ngayon at Kailanman, his first solo album. In the Circus Band, he met Ryan Cayabyab, who was then part of other band. When Valdez was preparing his album Ngayon at Kailanman, he asked Cayabyab to give a few songs, he did. Cayabyab stands as Valdezs musical director for 27 years. In the 80s, Valdez republished himself as a singer of movie theme songs; some of them are Paano Ba Ang Mangarap, Muling Buksan Ang Puso and Paraisong Parisukat. A circumstance which sidelined his singing career occurred in 1990, when he found himself as a healer. Valdez then sought the guidance of his Jesuit friends. They explained to him that he has gift of healing. Ryan Cayabyab A great Filipino music artist known as the Executive and Artistic Director of the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts. He was also a resident judge for the solo season of Philippine Idol in 2006. A versatile artist with his works ranging from commissioned full-length ballets, theater musicals, choral pieces, a Mass set to unaccompanied chorus/congregation, and orchestral pieces, to commercial recordings of popular music, film scores and television specials. Cayayabs current project includes the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), a group of seven young adult singers comparable like his group Smokey Mountain in the early 90s. After FreemantleMedia decided not to renew the Philippine Idol franchise, Cayabyab decided to transfer to rival show Pinoy Dream Academy (Season 2), replacing Jim Paredes as the shows headmaster. PDA 2 started on June 14, 2008. Nonoy Zuà ±iga Nonoy Z’s singing career spans more than 3 decades; as a folksinger from 1971 to 1975 and then as one of the lead singers of the Family Birth Control Band  which performed in the best nightspots and hotels like Philippine Plaza, Holiday Inn and the Manila Hotel from 1975-1980. To hone his skill, he took special voice training from the late Aurelio Estanislao, a well-known tenor singer and music-voice professor at the University of the Philippines. With his clear baritone voice he started to attract the attention of music buffs. His style and rendition of different songs especially love songs made him acquire a number of distinct awards, Bayang Barrios Lumad origin, born on June 12, 1986. A Filipino musician who hails from Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, and is known for her use of indigenous instruments and styles. In 2005, Barrios song Isipin Mo Na Lang was used in end credits of the indie Filipino film Ang Pagdadalaga Ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros). In September 2008, she launched her fourth album entitled Biyaya. Ramon Jacinto Jacinto has always tried to put music and business together. He started to enter the world of entrepreneurship at the young age of 15. He built up his first enterprise called RJ Enterprises, a company which dealt with producing and release records. RJ Enterprises pioneered multi-track recording in the country and eventually became the primary studio choice for many artists and advertising agencies at that time. Two years later, Jacinto ventured to establish what would become a legendary radio station in the Philippine broadcasting industry – DZRJ. It served as a venue for on-air experiments of radio concepts which were never heard before in Philippine entertainment history. Manned by students, mostly coming from Jacintos high school class, the radio station introduced alternative music to the Filipino youth. It was the first station to play songs from rock legends such as the Beatles, the Ventures and the Beachboys. The radio station also gave emphasis on playing the music of local talent. Apart from DZRJ, Jacinto also established the now defunct, DZUW. Pepe Smith a Filipino singer-songwriter, drummer, and guitarist. More commonly known alternately as Joey Smith and Pepe Smith, he is an icon of original Filipino rock music or Pinoy Rock. Gary Valenciano Born 6 August 1964, better known as Gary Valenciano or Gary V., is a Filipino musician. Also known as Mr. Pure Energy, Valenciano has released 26 albums, and won the Awit Awards for Best Male Performer eleven times. In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines first National Ambassador. His most notable songs include Di Bale Na Lang (Never mind), Eto Na Naman (Here we go again), Sana Maulit Muli (Hope it repeats again), Natutulog Ba Ang Diyos? (Does God sleep), Gaya ng Dati (Just like before), Pasko Na, Sinta Ko (Its Christmas already, my love), and Narito (Here). He is currently part of ABS-CBN contract actors, and is frequently tapped to sing theme songs for the networks soap operas and films. Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros Fr. Honti, as he is fondly known, was educated at the Capiz Elementary School and the pre-war Ateneo de Manila in Padre Faura, graduating from high school in 1939. From 1939 to 1945 he was at San Jose Seminary. He entered the Society of Jesus after the war in 1945, pronouncing first vows at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches in June 1947. He finished his studies of philosophy there and then proceeded to Ateneo de Zamboanga for his three-year regency, teaching religion, Latin, and English, and moderating the Choir String Band. In 1951, he traveled to the United States to study theology, and was ordained in 1954 by Francis Cardinal Spellman. After earning a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, he returned to teach in the Philippines in 1958. He pronounced final vows in the Society of Jesus in 1960. Fr. Honti’s initiatives have been recognized with the Ateneo de Manila University’s Tanglaw ng Lahi Award (1976), the Asian Catholic Publishers’ â€Å"Outstanding Catholic Author† (1992), and the Papal award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (2000), among many other awards and citations. He suffered another major stroke in early January 2008, and died  on January 15th. At his funeral Mass at the Ateneo’s Church of the Gesu, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was present to honor him with the Presidential Medal of Merit (awarded posthumously). Fr. Manoling Francisco Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ entered the Society of Jesus after second year in college in 1985. As a child he had aspired to be a concert pianist; nevertheless he decided to discontinue his classical piano training at the age of 14 to devote his time to school and socio-civic activities. It was in his First Year High that he composed Hindi Kita Malilimutan. has been popularized by Mr. Basil Valdez. During the past 17 years he has composed more than a hundred and fifty songs such as Tanging Yaman, Sa ‘Yo Lamang are being sung all over the country – indeed, whatever there are Filipinos gathered together in prayer and liturgical celebration. Today, he is easily one of the most gifted musicians in the country.

Mansfield Park’s Fanny Price Essay -- Jane Austens Mansfield Park

Jane Austen’s novels are recognized for their competent heroines. From Elizabeth of Pride and Prejudice to Anne Elliot of Persuasion, Austen’s heroines are independent, indomitable, and intellectual. Mansfield Park’s protagonist Fanny is viewed in the eyes of countless readers as weak, quiet, and even snobbish. Yet when her accomplishments in the Bertram household are taken into account, Fanny reappears as a deeper figure. Fanny Price, though reserved and sullen at times, aptly presents herself as a determined and ethically sound character in a family marked by wanton behavior. Taking Fanny under his guidance to protect and support her since the day of her arrival, Edmund Bertram sought to lift her from the place the Bertram’s drove her to, a menial position of near servitude. Mrs. Norris made it apparent to Fanny that she was subordinate to her cousins Maria and Julia due to her lack of education and the consequence of their noble birthright. Edmund sustained Fanny at her most vulnerable moments – the times she knew she did not fit in, when she missed her brother William, and when she did not understand why people who were supposed to love her treated her so abrasively. At times Fanny became concerned by Edmund’s behavior, particularly related to Mary Crawford because she knew Mary had immoral intentions in her hopes of marrying Edmund. Regardless of how she felt, Fanny persevered in supporting her beloved cousin and eventually succeeded in becoming his virtuous wife. ...

Feminist Criticism of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare And Fe

Many literary critics have presented theories on the meaning of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, ranging from claims of Oedipal Complexes to insinuations of homosexuality. Though most such interpretations can be considered true at some level, there seems to be some basic theme - some driving force - that underlies all other interpretations. While most criticisms focus on individual characters, a more insightful criticism of the true nature of Hamlet can be drawn simply by analyzing the key relationships in play. These relationships - especially those dealing with women or issues of femininity - allow a level of interpretation that examines not merely the events of the play, but the true underlying significance of gender both to Shakespeare and to the characters he presents. In order to interpret the significance of the feminine within the relationships in the play, one must first understand precisely the nature of 'feminine.' Though this term is typically associated only with women, Hamlet in many regards breaks down these barriers. While women are almost always feminine in some respect, the male characters in Hamlet are often embodiments of feminine virtues, such as female sexuality, motherhood, or sisterly love. As one author states, "thanks to feminist criticism, gender is not indissolvably fixed in Shakespeare. Male characters can profitably incorporate female characteristics, and women characters can assume masculine ones" (Kolin 5). While the women of Hamlet are the bearers of individual and unique feminine qualities, a feminist interpretation of the work also reveals the broader ideals of femininity within many of the male characters. The first of the truly significant women in Hamlet is Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. ... ...nd Feminist Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Erickson, Peter. Patriarchal Structures in Shakespeare's Drama. Paraphrased in Philip Kolin, Shakespeare and Feminist Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Klein, Joan Larsen. "'Angels and Ministers of Grace': Hamlet, IV, v-vii." Paraphrased in Philip Kolin, Shakespeare and Feminist Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1991. Kolin, Philip C. Shakespeare And Feminist Criticism: An annotated Bibliography and Commentary. New York: Garland Publishing. 1991. Web. 26 May 2015. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0895769X.1995.10545153 Watts, Cedric. Twayne's New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare. Boston: Twayne Publishers. 1991. Â  

Greed for Money Essay

Today, greed for money, together with greed for power, is one of the chief causes of human misery. No wonder our Lord put as his first beatitudes;† Blessed are the poor in spirit. † Poverty in spirit is the opposite of greed for money, for it means detachment from material things coupled with trust in God as the only Savior. People cheat other people for money. They betray friends for money. Members of the same family – sometimes parents and children quarrel and sue each other in court over money. Jesus was very well aware that money would rival God in the eyes of many people. That is why he warned â€Å"No man can serve two masters, you cannot serve God and money†. He himself was the victim of greed. In the end, He was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver by Judas. It takes real grace to see the seduction of money and the emptiness of its promises. Aspiring politicians have heard of the sad end of Ferdinand Marcos, and other dictators whose billions benefit only the Swiss banks but not those who robbed their own people. And yet given the opportunity, how many will resist the temptation to take advantage of one’s public trust? In the song Hello Dolly, it says â€Å"Money my dear is like manure. It is good for nothing unless it is spread around to make your things grow. † Many of us are rather more fascinated by the manure and love to store it, more than to share it.

Funny Birthday Quotes to Tickle Your Imagination

Funny Birthday Quotes to Tickle Your Imagination A birthday is a joyous occasion. What could be a better birthday gift than the gift of happiness? This birthday, share happiness by spreading laughter using a funny birthday quote. If you enjoy wisecracks, this page has funny birthday quotes to suit your sense of humor. Robert FrostA diplomat is a man who always remembers a womans birthday but never remembers her age.You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.Sir Norman WisdomAs you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I cant remember the other two.AnonymousA well-adjusted woman is one who not only knows what she wants for her birthday, but even knows what shes going to exchange it for.AnonymousI never forget my wifes birthday. Its usually the day after she reminds me about it.AnonymousWhen I have a birthday I take the day off. But when my wife has a birthday, she takes a year or two off.AnonymousAge is a number and mine is unlisted.Larry LorenzoniBirthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.John GlennThere is still no cure for the common birthday.

How to Calculate the Variance of a Poisson Distribution

How to Calculate the Variance of a Poisson Distribution The variance of a distribution of a random variable is an important feature. This number indicates the spread of a distribution, and it is found by squaring the standard deviation. One commonly used discrete distribution is that of the Poisson distribution. We will see how to calculate the variance of the Poisson distribution with parameter ÃŽ ». The Poisson Distribution Poisson distributions are used when we have a continuum of some sort and are counting discrete changes within this continuum. This occurs when we consider the number of people who arrive at a movie ticket counter in the course of an hour, keep track of the number of cars traveling through an intersection with a four-way stop or count the number of flaws occurring in a length of wire. If we make a few clarifying assumptions in these scenarios, then these situations match the conditions for a Poisson process. We then say that the random variable, which counts the number of changes, has a Poisson distribution. The Poisson distribution actually refers to an infinite family of distributions. These distributions come equipped with a single parameter ÃŽ ». The parameter is a positive real number that is closely related to the expected number of changes observed in the continuum. Furthermore, we will see that this parameter is equal to not only the mean of the distribution but also the variance of the distribution. The probability mass function for a Poisson distribution is given by: f(x) (ÃŽ »x e-ÃŽ »)/x! In this expression, the letter e is a number and is the mathematical constant with a value approximately equal to 2.718281828. The variable x can be any nonnegative integer. Calculating the Variance To calculate the mean of a Poisson distribution, we use this distributions moment generating function. We see that: M( t ) E[etX] ÃŽ £ etXf( x) ÃŽ £etX ÃŽ »x e-ÃŽ »)/x! We now recall the Maclaurin series for eu. Since any derivative of the function eu is eu, all of these derivatives evaluated at zero give us 1. The result is the series eu ÃŽ £ un/n!. By use of the Maclaurin series for eu, we can express the moment generating function not as a series, but in a closed form. We combine all terms with the exponent of x. Thus M(t) eÃŽ »(et - 1). We now find the variance by taking the second derivative of M and evaluating this at zero. Since M’(t) ÃŽ »etM(t), we use the product rule to calculate the second derivative: M’’(t)ÃŽ »2e2tM’(t) ÃŽ »etM(t) We evaluate this at zero and find that M’’(0) ÃŽ »2 ÃŽ ». We then use the fact that M’(0) ÃŽ » to calculate the variance. Var(X) ÃŽ »2 ÃŽ » – (ÃŽ »)2 ÃŽ ». This shows that the parameter ÃŽ » is not only the mean of the Poisson distribution but is also its variance.

Virgie Ammons Patents a Fireplace Damper Actuating Tool

Virgie Ammons Patents a Fireplace Damper Actuating Tool Virgie Ammons was an inventor and woman of color who invented a device for dampening fireplaces. She received a patent for a fireplace damper actuating tool on September 30, 1975. Little is known about the life of Virgie Ammons. One source says she was born on Dec. 29, 1908 in Gaithersburg, Maryland and died on July 12, 2000. She lived in West Virginia for most of her life.  Ammons filed her patent on August 6, 1974, at which time she was living in Eglon, West Virginia. There is no information to be found about her education, training or profession. One unverified source says she was a self-employed caretaker and a practicing Muslim who attended services in Temple Hills. Fireplace Damper Actuating Tool - Patent US 3,908,633 A fireplace damper actuating tool is a tool that is used to open and close the damper on a fireplace. It keeps the damper from opening or fluttering in the wind.   If you have a fireplace or stove, you may be familiar with the sound of a fluttering damper. A damper is an adjustable plate that fits in the flue of a stove or the chimney of a fireplace. It helps control the draft into the stove or fireplace. Dampers could be a plate that slides across the air opening, or it could be fixed in place in the pipe or flue and turned so the angle allows more or less air flow. In the days when cooking was done on a stove that was powered by burning wood or coal, adjusting the flue was a way of controlling the temperature. Virgie Ammons may be have been familiar with these stoves, given her date of birth. She may also have lived in an area where electric or gas stoves were not common until later in her life. We have no details as to what her inspiration was for the fireplace damper actuating tool. With a fireplace, opening the damper allows more air to be drawn into the fireplace from the room and convey the heat up the chimney. More air flow can often result in more flames, but also in losing more heat rather than warming the room. Keeping the Damper Closed The patent abstract  says Ammons damper actuating tool addressed the problem of fireplace dampers that flutter and make noise when gusty winds affected the chimney Some dampers do not remain fully shut because they have to be light enough in weight so the operating lever can open them easily. This makes small differences in air pressure between the room and the upper chimney draw them open. She was concerned that even a slightly open damper could cause a significant loss of heat in winter, and could even result in loss of coolness in summer. Both would be a waste of energy. Her actuating tool allowed the damper to be closed and held closed. She noted that when not in use, the tool could be stored next to the fireplace. No information was found as to whether her tool was manufactured and marketed.

How Apple Does It (Time Magazine Oct 24 2005) Essay

How Apple Does It (Time Magazine Oct 24 2005) - Essay Example 1 According to the conventional wisdom, described in the article, the Apple is operating like closed mini economy, and thus the company might be doomed as it attempts to do everything at once. Apple produced hardware, operating system for it and programs; traditional approach would allow Apple to license some of its products to other companies that specialize in the development of the products and then access the products produced by the companies mentioned. However in my opinion, the company would really increase the efficiency and competitiveness of its products if it followed more traditional approach as in this case, new innovations and consequently new products might appear much quicker, then the current policy adopted by the company. Huge diversification in one company might erode specialization, which is the cornerstone of innovations; it certainly does mean that differentiation and strategy adopted by Apple might not be successful in some circumstances, as the example of ipod clearly indicates, yet in my opinion it was rather the exception from the rule rather than the result of it. In order to access the effectiveness of the strategy implemented by the company, one should understand the princ... In spite of the fact that this product is just several years old, none of the competitors of Apple so far has been able to provide its customers with identical products of digital music industry. So the price of the Ipod certainly reflects some unique added features related to this product. Another element of competitive advantage strategy is the differentiation focus, when the company attempts to differentiate within the segment of the targeted audience. In this case the company should provide the customers with the product that matches the needs of the customers in the situation when current products of the competitors may not meet the needs of the targeted customers. All this features are present in this case as ipod has many unique features not available in the products of the competitors. Let us evaluate the this product within five forces model designed by Michael Porter that comprises the threat of new competitors, the threat of entry in the market, the threat of substitutes, the threat of bargaining power of suppliers and buyers.3 The threat of competitors. Not strong. Sony has started providing the customers with its new product- mini version of Walkman at the end of 2004. According to the research conducted by Moseberg, journalist from the Wall Street Journal, new mini player of Sony was thinner and wider, thus design was more convenient in use, as well as the battery life of the product was much longer. 4 However, when the Sony products appeared in the market the ipod was still unbeatable in the speed with which MP3 songs could be transferred to the player; whereas it took 2 hours and 13 minutes to transfer the 416 to the player of Sony, it took less than five minutes to

The Highest Quality of Under Armour Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 95

The Highest Quality of Under Armour - Case Study Example It is not well established as compared to the established competitors like Nike, Puma, and Adidas, Under Armour is gain, ng lead in the industry. The function is in terms of the products abilities to conform to situations and perform as per the expectations. Since the company concentrates on the American domestic market, the information necessary to pinpoint performance is timely. Domestic sales are an indicator that Under Armour has a small sales volume. Apart from using the function system to pinpoint performance results, the company can use the area and unit system to pinpoint performance results. Benchmarking is essential to any organization (Baiman and Joel pp. 201). While aware of the existing competitors who include Nike, Reebok, Puma, and Adidas among others, the Under Armour, through benchmarking has managed to evaluate its performance. An issue of concern is its high dependence on few third-party suppliers. The competitors rely on a variety of third party providers thus easy to counter pricing and ensure efficient product distribution all over the market segments. Under Armour suffers massive losses because of relying on few suppliers who end up demanding high prices. Should the demand for suppliers’ products exceed what the company supplies, it can end up affecting its operations due to reduced access to supplies and raw materials. A key measure and standard that Under Amour upholds is obeying laws and regulations. It is an important element in its code of ethics. Launching of a new product in market demands Under Armour to observe standards of identifiability, accessibility, substantiality, and measurability. It is an indicator to show the company’s ability to assess response patterns and incorporate marketing mix in its standards. Trough this information, Under Armour can segment its market and strive to attain a competitive advantage. The strategy is in line with its recommended strategic plan, which has a passionate taglineâ€Å".

BUS599 MoD 1 Case Assign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BUS599 MoD 1 Case Assign - Essay Example Whole Foods Market tangible resources are categorized into the three dimensions: organizational resources, the financial resources, physical resources, and technological resources. Its core values include selling of the highest organic and natural products, satisfaction of the customers, support of the team member excellence and happiness, caring about the environment and our communities, and creation of wealth through growth and profits. Through the core values, the company has developed aids through core competencies, which give them a competitive advantage among its competitors. Whole Food Market’s strategy goals is based on supply and demand and placement. The company is actively determined to meet supply and demand by investing a great amount of resources into political reform in regard to organic farming, carrying out R&D to provide high quality products & services, & engagement in outsourcing to ensure efficient production of its products and services (Harasta and Hoffman, 2007). On the side, placement acts as a guidance for setting strategic goals such as; development of the supportive nutritional, investment in the sales and financial research, etc. (wholefoodsmarket.com, n.d.: 2011) Based on the financial reports from the fiscal years, 2005 to date, the profit margin for Whole Food Market has been generally decreasing (United Natural Foods, 2011; UNFI, 2011). The decrease has been largely attributed to the rising costs of goods and increased debts. In addition, compared to its competitors, Whole Foods Market has recorded low EPS and extremely low revenues (McLindon, et al., 2012). According to Yahoo Financials, Whole Foods Market capitalization has increased. The marketing of Whole Foods Market is not that effective as compared to its competitors hence necessitating the need for R&D to help it maintain a steady and upward market capitalization, which is essential in