Saturday, August 31, 2019

“First Party at Ken Keseys with Hells Angels” and ”The Great Gatsby” Essay

In both Allen Ginsberg’s poem â€Å"First Party at Ken Keseys with Hells Angels† and Chapter 3 of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, there are scenes of an exclusive, extravagant, fun party. Both writers employ a series of literary techniques in order to help convey their theme. The use of characterization and establishment of the setting of their parties in both works help depict a common theme that everything is not as it seems. This is shown in Kesey’s poem through his imagery when establishing the setting and his characterization of the partygoers. In The Great Gatsby, the setting shows a lot of the partygoers, but the way the author characterizes Jay Gatsby, the host, strongly reinforces the theme. Upon reading the poem and the chapter there are many parallels between the two when the way the author establishes the setting is analyzed. For one, they both have guests entertain by a prime party location better seen as â€Å"the huge wooden h ouse† or â€Å"Gatsby’s mansion†. Having a large venue allows there to be lots of guests which is another attribute to these parties. When it becomes evident in the poem that some of the partygoer’s don’t belong, the theme is strongly reinforced. It states that â€Å"children sleeping softly in their bedroom bunks.† From the description of the party, with all its drugs and alcohol and loud music, this is not a space for children. This could be an explanation for the presence of â€Å"4 police cars parked outside the painted gate.† This contributes to the whole idea that things have gone awry, and that the police had to come in to deal with it. This fact reveals a dark side to scenario created in the poem, and shows that everything is not as it seems. In The Great Gatsby, as Nick watches Gatsby’s parties closer, he realizes that â€Å"people were not invited—they went there†, revealing a different side to this scenario. The fact that people just show up willingly to his parties means that there is an alternate motive involved in this hospitality to complete strangers. It implies that the random people will not be turned away, creating a meeting ground for many, many different kinds of people, each here for a different purpose. Upon analyzing the setting and mechanics of each party, though they differ in the types of attendees, they show that there is a lot going on behind the scenes and thus everything isn’t as it seems. The types of attendees play a huge role in the development of the theme in each work. In Ginsberg’s poem it can be inferred that it is an after party for the band Hells Angels. These performers are seen as â€Å"tired souls hunched over in black leather jackets,† implying they are weary and either asleep or almost there. This stays consistent as it continues to talk about a tired, â€Å"skinned man sweating, dancing for hours† meaning that all the partygo ers are exhausted and the effect of the party is strongly shown. Another take on this is that something seriously wrong had happened and the tired men and women, lying there sleeping are the cause of something sinister. This explains the fact that the police are present and that at this supposedly â€Å"normal† party things aren’t so easily decrypted. In Fitzgerald’s novel the character who most strongly supports the theme is the host of the party himself. While Nick and Jordan Baker are roaming the party, they pick up many stray rumors about Jay Gatsby, hearing that â€Å"he killed a man once† or that he â€Å"was a German spy during the war†. All of these negative denotations to Gatsby’s image lead one to believe that he is in fact a bad person, and there must be something in it for him to throw these ridiculous parties. Upon meeting the fellow, Nick sees him as just the opposite of that making note of his incredulous smile. Nick becomes entranced in wanting to know more about Gatsby, but he still does not believe anything that he is being told. This still leaves Gatsby as the mystery man, and can be used as an example to show that at this party, even the host may not be who he seems to be. In conclusion, through their use of diction to develop the setting and the way characters are described, Allen Ginsberg and F. Scott Fitzgerald effectively convey this theme in both of their works. Ginsberg focuses more upon the way that the scene is set up and the actions of the characters as a whole. In contrast, Fitzgerald focuses on the development of a single character, the scene revolves around him and the way that the reader infers he is using the party. In different ways both works clearly exemplify a common theme that everything is not as it seems.

Friday, August 30, 2019

My Bondage, My Freedom Fredrick Douglass Essay

â€Å"It was not color, but crime, not God, but man that afforded the true explanation of the existence of slavery; nor was I long in finding out another important truth, what man can make, man can unmake† (Douglass 59). In My Bondage and My Freedom, Fredrick Douglass explains in detail the harsh and cruel realties of slavery and how slavery was an institution that victimized not only slaves, but slave holders, and non-slave holding whites. Fredrick Douglass could not have been more right with his observation of slavery. In my opinion, slavery is not only an institution, but is a prime example of a corrupt business model that thrives on free labor, ultimate control, and wealth. â€Å"A business is only as good as its workers. † It’s a common saying in modern day America. That saying would hold true during slavery, however slaves were not considered workers. Workers have rights and wages; Slaves on the other hand had no rights as human beings and no wages. Slaves were considered a property, no more useful than a mule or cattle. Slaves were apart of a system and in that system they were dehumanized to the point that they became an expendable commodity. Slaves were stripped of there individuality. Fredrick Douglass recalls not the date, month, or year when he was born. He also stated that the institution of slavery did away with the concept of family. Douglass had neither recollection of a father nor any account of his existence. Further more, Douglass had only a handful of encounters with his mother before her death and had become nothing more than a stranger to his brothers and sisters. â€Å"It had made my brothers and sisters strangers to me; it converted the mother that bore me, into a myth, it shrouded my father in mystery, and left me without an intelligible beginning in the world† (Douglass 39). â€Å"In 1840, 20 years before the Civil War, 60% of American exports were cotton and was produced mainly by slaves† (Shaping America: Lesson 16). Therefore, the business of slavery favored the slave holders, who were capitalizing on free labor to produce and distribute products across the world. Greed is the undertone upon which Douglass states that slavery â€Å"corrupted souls† and â€Å"turned good people into bad people. † The institution of slavery was based on the ultimate control and power over a human to whom he is stripped of all of his identity and becomes sub-human. Consequently, the institution forces slave holders had to buy into this concept in order to justify any and all cruelty toward slaves. Douglas states â€Å"Slave holders resort to all kinds of cruelty† and later describes various ways of torture and punishment â€Å"all are in requisition to keep the slave in his condition as a slave in the United States† (Douglass 272). Slave holders showed no mercy when reprimanding slaves. The brutality and cruelty of these punishments were more of a statement of power and control and often times the punishment was worse than the offense. â€Å"Racism was used aggressively to divide poor white southerners from slaves. The relationship between the wealthy and the poor was aggressively exploited by the rich white slave holder to ensure the poor whites non-slave holder that they had a similar cause† (Shaping America: Lesson 16). This caused non-slave holding whites to have a similar view as latter. Non-slave holding whites were in direct competition with slaves and more often than not were forced out of work due to the free labor slavery had offered. In conclusion, â€Å"Slavery is always slavery; always the same foul, haggard, and damning scourge, whether found in the eastern or in the western hemisphere† (Douglass 294). Fredrick Douglass could not have been more right with his observation of slavery. Slavery is a cruel and punishing way to oppress any human. â€Å"The slave is a human being, divested of all rights reduced to the level of a brute, a mere â€Å"chattel† in the eye of the law placed beyond the circle of human brotherhood cut off from his kind his name, which the â€Å"recording angel† may have enrolled in heaven, among the blest, is impiously inserted in a master’s ledger, with horses, sheep, and swine† (Douglass 293). The business aspect of slavery is even more disheartening. However, All parties involved (slaves, slave holders, and non-slave holders) were all affected by the institution of slavery and in the mist of all the hardships that he endured for over twenty years of his life Fredrick Douglass became a free man.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

German and Germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

German and Germans class - Essay Example 308) this attack on a civilian ship severely tested Wilson’s resolve but America remained steadfastly opposed to joining the war until some 22 months later. The sinking of the Lusitania, and the ensuing diplomatic row about U-boat attacks on civilian and supply ships was, not, therefore sufficient reason to justify American entry into the war. One of the main reasons why America entered the war was to protect its own financial interests: â€Å"By September 1916 Britain was purchasing American goods at a rate of over $210 million per month, and France at $38 million per month. (Burk, 1985, p. 14). While Germany also had lucrative trade deals with the United States, it was nothing like at this level, and so America had to think about the possible impact on its own position if the British and their allies should finally lose the war. There would be no possibility in the short term for these colossal debts to be paid back, and this would be bound to have a detrimental effect on the American economy for decades to come. It made financial sense, and indeed it was regarded as a matter of urgent expediency, for America to make sure that the British were on the winning side in this brutal war, and so there were very sound financial reasons why America had to step in and make sure that this would be the final outcome of the war. A further factor must also be considered, and that is the so-called â€Å"Zimmerman note† or â€Å"Zimmermann telegram† which was a piece of diplomatic correspondence sent by German diplomat Zimmermann to the Mexican ambassador, offering territorial inducements for Mexico to join the war on the German side. The proposal was, that Mexico would distract America with a war on its doorstep, while Germans, assured of victory, would recompense Mexico for its efforts with lands taken from the southern states of America. The telegram was secretly decoded by the British

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Management Function, Planning and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Assignment

Management Function, Planning and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Assignment Example The other idea is related to decision roles of the mangers. Every organisation operates on the basis of decisions made by the management in particular. It can be noted that organisations operate in a dynamic environment during the contemporary period hence there is need to make informed decisions that can shape their operations. Therefore, it is the role of the mangers to take a leading role in formulating decisions that are meant to improve the organisations of the company. Failure to do so may negatively impact on the operations of the organisation. The second takeaway I have learnt from this module is related to the aspect of planning. According to Robbins (1993), planning includes defining the goals, establishing a strategy and developing plans to coordinate activities. The most important lesson I have leant is that planning gives direction in an organisation. Without proper plans, the organisation is directionless and it may be very difficult for it to achieve its set goals. The refore, planning acts as a framework to guide the operations of an organisation so that the set goals and objectives can be achieve. Without plans, there are no goals to be achieved hence they are very important to the survival of any organisation. Planning is effective in that it helps in establishing a strategy of attaining the goals. Planning is not an end in itself but a means to an end. It helps the managers to put measures that can be taken in order to achieve the set goals. Without a proper strategy in place, it may be difficult to achieve the set goals since there is no direction to be followed. Planning also helps the managers to allocate the resources that are needed in the... Therefore, it is the role of the mangers to take a leading role in formulating decisions that are meant to improve the organisations of the company. Failure to do so may negatively impact on the operations of the organisation. The second takeaway I have learnt from this module is related to the aspect of planning. According to Robbins (1993), planning includes defining the goals, establishing a strategy and developing plans to coordinate activities. The most important lesson I have leant is that planning gives direction in an organisation. Without proper plans, the organisation is directionless and it may be very difficult for it to achieve its set goals. Therefore, planning acts as a framework to guide the operations of an organisation so that the set goals and objectives can be achieve. Without plans, there are no goals to be achieved hence they are very important to the survival of any organisation. Planning is effective in that it helps in establishing a strategy of attaining the goals. Planning is not an end in itself but a means to an end. It helps the managers to put measures that can be taken in order to achieve the set goals. Without a proper strategy in place, it may be difficult to achieve the set goals since there is no direction to be followed. Planning also helps the managers to allocate the resources that are needed in the execution of various tasks.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Women give up many of their naturally granted values in fight for Research Paper

Women give up many of their naturally granted values in fight for gender equality, which is often mistaken for sameness - Research Paper Example ich include physical attractiveness/sexual selection theory and other social theories like exposure, familiarity, personality, dependability and intelligence. The purpose of this research paper is to identify which of the two approaches are more likely to be used by the two genders – male and female. To this end, the paper will be written on the basis of the thesis that men are more likely to be drawn to a romantic partner because of physical or sexual attractiveness whilst women are more likely to be drawn to a romantic partner on the basis of their personality, exposure and other social features and statuses. In testing the hypothesis to prove or disprove it, there are numerous theories and concepts that can be brought to the fore formulate and draw logical conclusions. The first question that comes to mind is why men often seek female partners who are younger than them? It is obvious that women are more beautiful and more attractive sexually when they are younger, than when they grow older. Therefore, it can be generalized with a degree of accuracy that men go for younger women because younger women are more beautiful and sexually more attractive. Charles Darwin’s sexual selection theory indicates that in most cases, men tend to desire younger and more attractive women as a symptom of their mid-life crisis (Darwin 17). On the other hand, the parental investment theory that is put forward by Robert Trivers states that men subconsciously seek traits that show signs of fertility and strong genetic features which can be found more clearly in younger and sexually attractive women than men (Trivers 3). This creates a kind of subconscious mental situation whereby men look for women with strong genes. However, women are more oriented to think in relation to a partner who has long-term abilities because they think within the context of raising a family. Hence, women look beyond just physical traits and sexual attractiveness. They look for a man who has the social

Monday, August 26, 2019

Deconstructing a Device Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deconstructing a Device - Research Paper Example Consequently, as technical knowledge increased and specialists in the communication field explored more option, the technology of advanced mobile communication devices also grew accordingly. This also saw the shift of the functions and uses of the mobile phones from just mere communication devices, to other extensive purposes. Similarly, the technological evolution also realized a shift of the partnering technologies and fields, to incorporate additional components facilitated by the other fields such as the software developers among others. Today, my mobile phone is not just a device that I carry around for communication purposes. Practically, the mobile is a companion to many users (Dhanendran 1). For instance, the number of people with mobile phones is enough evidence of the particulate use of the device. The mobile phones have evolved in its applications, from a simple communications device to an essential operating device that facilitates most of the daily lives of its users. In everyday life, we see people along the streets and in restaurants among other places holding their phones. What activities they engage using the phone, you may ask? Well, the phone is essentially and practically one of the most convenient devices of all time, with critical applications. Some uses include taking pictures and videos (Dhanendran 1). My phone, for instance, the HTC Android model has an inbuilt feature of sensitivity that gives it the best camera resolution, making remarkably clear images and videos (Hansen 1). Another notable application of the mobile device is the ability to send and receive text messages. Similarly, this incorporates the texting services provided by the host service provider as well as, applications that use the internet to facilitate texting. Another elemental use of the mobile phone is the ability to access the internet

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Ancient Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ancient Mythology - Essay Example We come now to the year of 1982 when Marion Zimmer Bradley published her astonishing book The Mists Of Avalon. We will compare Bradley's work with the original tales, to demonstrate that while the myth of Arthur was and is still powerful, the women in Arthur's life took center stage and became legends in their own right with Bradley's book. In the original legend, Arthur was born to Uther Pendragon and his wife Igraine. Arthur had an older half-sister Morgaine, also later known as Morgan Of the Fairies. Merlin the Magician was originally known as Taliesin, a Druid High Priest who transformed over time and many authors. The original tale of Arthur's destiny is kept true to form in Bradley's book, where Arthur winds up with a fatal wound at the hands of his son, Mordred. Some claim that Mordred was the son of Arthur and the golden-haired Guenivere, and others claim that Mordred was a bastard child of Arthur's who later attempted to lay claim as Arthur's heir to the throne since Arthur had had no other sons. Bradley's rendition of the Arthurian legend centers on the women of Arthur's life and court. Igraine was married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, with whom she had a daughter, the dark-haired, solemn-eyed Morgaine. Igraine loved her husband but felt a powerful draw to the beautiful, blonde Uther Pendragon. They were in love with each other, but could do nothing about it. Finally, Gorlois was killed in battle and Igraine married King Uther Pendragon, taking little Morgaine into the royal household with her. Later, their son Arthur was born, rightful heir to the Pendragon throne. This story took place in the early Christian times, when the pagans still held their festivals and Christianity had not yet dominated the land. When Arthur came of age, after having been tutored in the arts of kingscraft and druidism, he was to defeat the King Stag at the Beltain Fires and make love to the Maiden, representing Mother Earth. Arthur went to battle with the King Stag and won, then was led to the fires where he bedded with a prepared young virgin priestess. He later found to his horror that he had bedded his half-sister Morgaine. The child of Beltane would be Mordred. Bradley's book goes into a deeper explanation of the old religion, where the Isle Of Avalon was the place where the Lady Of the Lake (the High Priestess) was head of a special school for maidens who had the potential to become priestesses. In those days, unwed girls either went to nunneries or to the Isle Of Avalon. Viviane, the Lady Of the Lake, was Morgaine's grandmother with a vested interest in keeping the pagan traditions alive and defeating the Christian priests with their dirges and liturgies that oppressed women and insulted the Goddess. Morgaine trained under Viviane and did her bidding, like it or not. The first betrayal to Morgaine was the Beltane ceremony; Viviane knew full well that the royal blood of the Goddess must continue, and Morgaine and Arthur were the only two people possessing Viviane and Taliesin's bloodlines. Where the original legends portray Morgaine (Morgan Of the Fairies) as an evildoer determined to undermine Arthur's efforts, Bradley's Morgaine is the actual heroine as she struggles to keep the realm of the Goddess alive under the continued intrusion of the Christian pri

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York Research Paper

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York - Research Paper Example I will follow the continued growth of Chinatown and its divided two tier society that formed the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. I will discuss the ramifications of the Exclusion Act and the construction of the Chinese bachelor society. I will conclude with Ping Dong’s story of her entrance into the United States and the subterfuge she had to perpetuate in order to rejoin with her husband, following the lifting of the Exclusion and the entrance of War Brides after World War II. In the 1850’s and 1860’s, Chinese immigration began with arrival in the Port of New York, which was a passageway for westward expansion and the California Gold Rush. , Many men from China moved west to pan for gold and seek their fortune, but instead â€Å"busted† with little success. Unemployed and unwanted, Chinese workers were hired for manual labor to build the railroads, cook and clean. When the railroads were completed, and jobs were more scarce, animosity quickly developed between the â€Å"yellow peril† and the white workers. Enmity grew so much that racism became legal; the Workman’s Party in California adopted the slogan, â€Å"The Chinese Must Go.† ... Most left their families behind, hoping to make a fortune in the gold mines and to send for them, not expecting the backlash of harsh immigration laws aimed directly at their population. Most were poor and uneducated and worked at odd jobs, laundry, cleaning, and household help. Most were â€Å"unassimilated,† staying within the confines of the community for friendship and family, not easily conversant in English. As they were not allowed to become naturalized citizens, nor were they allowed to bring their wives, they were mostly a bachelor society, with men outnumbering women 27 to 1 (Foner 145). The Chinese community was close-knit, in part due to enforced segregation from the white populace, but also to provide for each other and for financial strength. It was common for a two room apartment to have 5-15 people, each with his own limited space. They slept in tri-tiered bunks, two or three to a bed (Burrows 1128). The Chinese looked to their own selves for self-support, they created a self-sustaining society with a government, social services, businesses, and jobs. In order to protect itself, the Chinese created the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, or the CCBA (McIllwain 215). It was through this association that one could buy a business, get a job, plan a funeral, or arrange for banking. This was self-governing and self-regulating for the Chinese community, a hierarchical system of courts within the community that also decided law and imposed taxes for the New York Chinese. Each section of Chinatown had representation through the Tongs. The Tongs collected the taxes and imposed the protection within the community. Chinese society was two tiered: Uptowners, or the Elite, mainly comprised of investors and businessmen, and Downtowns, or the Workers, made

Senior Portfolio Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Senior Portfolio Project - Research Paper Example Therefore, this analysis will make a reference to the industry PESTLE analysis in which case it will analyze the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legislative and environmental issues. Moreover, the threats to the industry can also be viewed from the perspective of porters five forces analysis in which case according to Amrollahi and Akhgar (2013), all the threats to all stakeholders in the industry are analyzed. Therefore, this section will make an integration of these factors as far as the market is concerned. This gives an effective chance to view opportunities existing in it. It has also to be noted that America is a large region and there are some companies that can only provide their services to one state only while others serve a quite a number of states in the country. 1.1 Political and Environmental Factors The political system of the USA has had a very substantial control over the telecommunications industry. ... This, according to the state government is done for the public interest. Control of the media is done through a given number of ways among them censorship in which speech is suppressed depending on the perceived effects on those receiving this information. Censorship has always been done through the Federal Communication Commission. Many political factors have affected this industry to such an extent that some of the companies are wholly dependent on the government legislations. One of the legislations is that of taking care of the environment. The American governments are basing more emphasis on environmental issues. Disposal and care of wastes as well as care of dangerous radioactive waves have to be governed effectively so that the environment remains green. Moreover, some of the companies’ sources of raw materials are overseas nations that have different environmental rules. The companies have the obligation to take care of the environment or risk being removed from such m arkets. Another political issue is the trade regulations and tariffs laws. The communications companies are not supposed to charge beyond a given level of tariffs for their services. For instance, Verizon Inc. operates on the basis of low tariffs to all its customers because it operates on the basis of economies of scale in creation of the new technologies which make it close out any threat of entry into the same area of production. The company is not however allowed to have its rates go so low that they are below the market rates (Bukofsky, Marco and Espindola). Therefore, the telecommunications industry has been regulated by the government for a reason.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Marketing News Journal #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing News Journal #2 - Essay Example Who would not like to arrive in a store and not have to queue to make orders and then have to wait in the same queue to pick up the order after a hard day of work or study. I know I would be thrilled to arrive and have my order ready to go. This is what Taco Bell’s new order ahead app is all about. Customers download the app and when they want food from Taco Bell, they simply make their orders in their nearest chain store and go pick it up. In order to avoid getting cold food or having to wait for long before the food is prepared, the app allows the customer to inform the store as they arrive in order to have their order prepared and ready to go. The other good news is that the customer does not even have to leave their car to go pick up their order, it is brought to them. This is another positive addition in their customer service and it is a welcome relief to many. Those are not the only good news concerning the app, here is the better news. The app provides more food option on their menu that is not present in the physical store menu. This will provide a wide range of selection of the food, making special order of what is to be increased, reduced or completely eliminated from the menu. Those who are keen on their calorie intake are also mot left behind as they have a calorie counter on each food order and hence one can be able to monitor their calorie intake. This Taco Bell app is therefore welcome by even nutritionists and medical health professionals that have been trying to get the American people to reduce their calorie intake and eat healthier foods to reduce the high rate if obesity in the nation. People will be able to follow this and try eating healthy in the future as long as they continue making their order online. Taco Bell serves Mexican food of tacos and burritos which is a way to promote the Mexican culture in the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Description of a Personal Experience Essay Example for Free

Description of a Personal Experience Essay It happened on one Saturday evening. My mother and I went shopping to buy a gift for my father. After much thought my mother decided to buy a gold ring. We went to a goldsmith’s shop. The sales assistant showed us a lot of gold rings in various designs. My mother was enchanted by a ring with a sparkling diamond on it. As we were admiring the ring, four men wearing ski-mask rushed into the shop. They ordered all the people to stand up against the wall with their hands raised above their heads. The four robbers were armed with guns. They were dressed in black and wore gloves on both hands. One of the men placed a brief case on the counter and ordered one of the sales assistants to empty the trays of jewelleries into the briefcase. The sales assistant was shaking with fear, and quickly started to do what he was ordered to do. I noticed that the burglar alarm was not far from where I was standing. I slowly moved towards the alarm, and tried to reach it without being noticed. After much difficulty I managed to get close to the alarm. I cautiously lifted my right leg and pressed the button. The alarm started to ring loudly. The robbers panicked, they grabbed the briefcase and rushed to a waiting car and drove away. I rushed out of the shop to see the number of the car and quickly memorized the number of the getaway car. A few minutes later the police arrived. I told them the number of the robbers’ car. They immediately informed headquarters to put up road blocks. Before letting us go, they asked us some of the questions about the incident of robbery. Photographers also took photos of the scene of the robbery to be the evidence of the incident. Next day my father read in the newspapers that the robbers were caught and the stolen goods recovered. I felt very happy when heard this new from my father. This incident really an unforgettable experience for me and I thought that I will never forget about that shop. From this incident also, I realised that we should be alert and careful when we went outside as dangers was not predictable.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The introduction of the Tesco Supermarket

The introduction of the Tesco Supermarket Tesco started as a one-man business in Londons East End. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen, son of a Polish Jewish tailor. He sold groceries in the markets of the East End from 1919. The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name derived after Jack Cohen bought a large shipment of tea from T.E. Stockwell (formerly Messrs Torring and Stockwell of Mincing Lane), he made new labels by using the first three letters of the suppliers name and the first two letters of his surname forming the word TESCO. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, and London. The firm was floated on the London Stock Exchange on 23 December 1947. The first Tesco self-service store opened in 1948 in St Albans and is still trading in 2006 as a Tesco Metro store.The first Tesco supermarket was opened in 1956 in a converted cinema in Maldon, Essex. Tescos first superstore was opened in 1968 in Crawley, West Sussex. The group began selling petrol in 1974 and its annual turnover reached one billion pounds in 1979. Also In 1975 Tesco opened one of its first Hypermarkets in Irlam. The first Hypermarket under the Extra name opened in 1997. EXPANSION: In 1994, the company took over the Scottish supermarket chain William Low. Tesco successfully fought off Sainsburys for control of the Dundee-based firm, which operated 57 stores north of the border, paving the way for Tesco to expand its weak presence in Scotland. To the present day, Tesco has based its Scottish headquarters at the former Wm. Low offices in Dundee. From small beginnings in Scotland Inverness was recently branded as Tescotown, since an estimated 50p in every  £1 spent on food is believed to be spent in the three Tesco stores within the city. (Nationally, it is estimated that 1 in every  £8 is the proportion spent) It introduced a loyalty card branded Clubcard in 1995 and later an Internet shopping service. During the 1990s it expanded into Central Europe, Ireland and East Asia. In July 2001 it became involved in internet grocery retailing in the USA when it obtained a 35% stake in GroceryWorks. In October 2003 it launched a UK telecoms division, comprising of mobile and home phone services, to complement its existing internet service provider business. In August 2004, it also launched a broadband service. NATURE, SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT NATURE: Tesco opened its first store in Edgware, North London in 1929.It is founded by John Cohen and T. E. Stockwell. Tesco mainly used strategies to build customer loyalty. It reached the  £billion pound turnover in 1979.It became the first UK business to reach  £2 billion pound and became the largest retailer in UK. STRATEGY: According to Johnson and Scholes strategy is defined as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term; which achieves advantage for the organisation through it configuration of resources within a changing enviroment,to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. Tescos growth over the last two or three decades has involved a transformation of its strategy and image. Its initial success was based on the Pile it high, sell it cheap approach of the founder Jack Cohen. The disadvantage of this was that the stores had a poor image with middle-class customers. In the late 1970s Tescos brand image was so negative that consultants advised the company to change the name of its stores. It did not accept this advice, yet by early 2005 it was the largest retailer in the United Kingdom, with a 29.0% share of the grocery market according to retail analysts TNS Super Panel, compared to the 16.8% share of ASDA and 15.6% share of third-placed SainsburyHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SainsburysHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburyss, which had been the market leader until it was overtaken by Tesco in 1995. Key to success: Focus on customers. Focus heavily on value for money. Finest and low price. Core UK business. Non-food business. Retailing services. International Expansion. SCOPE According to Mintzberg and Quinn there are five definitions if strategy Strategy as a plan Strategy as a pattern Strategy as a position Strategy as a perspective Strategy as a ploy Tescos growth over the last two or three decades has involved a transformation of its strategy and image. Its initial success was based on the Pile it high, sell it cheap approach of the founder Jack Cohen. Levels of planning Planning of strategy in any organisation is categorised into three levels: Top level planning: this is done by the top management and is termed as strategic planning. It is a long range planning and is linked to long range goals. Second level planning: This is carried out by senior executives and is termed as tactical planning. The plans are devised to achieve the organisations main objectives. The long-range plans of the organisation are segmented and are oriented to functions and departments. Third level planning: This is the concern of the departmental managers and supervisors and is called activity planning or operational planning. It is confined to short term activities and also individual assignments and establishes performance of the organisation. Corporate strategy: It is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stake holder expectations. It is often expressed as mission statement of the organisation. The companys mission statement reads, Our core purpose is, To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. We deliver this through our values, No-one tries harder for customers, and Treat people how we like to be treated'. The underlying aim is of course to make higher profits, but there is a clear focus on customer service at the top level of the company. Business strategy: It is concerned with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. Tescos business strategy is to Expand overseas Maintain a strong uk business Expand into non-food merchandise Operational strategy: It is concerned with the operations to deliver the corporate and business strategy of the organisation. Tesco has its every little helps strategy to make both its employees and customers happy while achieving the organisational goals. PURPOSE Tesco adopts its strategy with a core purpose to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. This is expressed as two key values. No one tries harder for customers Treat people as we like to be treated. Tesco positions all its resources with a purpose to satisfy this strategy while achieving its organisational goals. PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT While the corporate strategy of an organisation sets the objectives for different businesses; business strategy deals with individual sections of the overall business and the operational strategy directs and determines each function of the organisation. The process of business strategy of Tesco can be outlined as: Stating and understanding The Companys vision. Stating and understanding The Companys mission. Analysing the business environment. Crafting and evaluation of strategy. Implementation, monitoring and control. VISION Tescos vision can be clearly understood in the statement of its CEO Terry Leahy we have got only 5% of the non-food market in Britain, we have got only 6% of the convenience market and we have got only 2-3% of the banking market In all these examples we could be much bigger. This statement clearly presents the idea where Tesco wants to be in the future. MISSION A mission statement spells out the central purpose and shared values of a business organisation. Mission of Tesco is To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty which is delivered through two key values no one tries harder for customers and treat people how they like to be treated. ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT For the formulation of strategy, it is necessary to analyse the organisational environment. These would include political, economic, social and technological factors. According to Johnson and Scholes: Managers face difficulties in trying to understand the environment. First, the environment encapsulates many different influences; the difficulty is making sense of this diversity in a way which can contribute to strategic decision making. A simple analysis of the business environment so Tesco involves three aspects: Analysing Internal capabilities and resources(core competencies) Analysing external environment by PEST Analysis Analysing the competitive environment by Porters five forces Core Competencies Core competences relate to those resources and capabilities if the firm which enable to Attain a competitive edge in the market According to Johnson and Scholes core competencies create and sustain the ability to meet the critical success factors of particular customer groups better than other providers in ways that are difficult to imitate. Tesco identifies core competencies by three factors: Creation of new products and services which provides potential access to a wide variety of markets. Skill which makes a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product. competitive unique skills which are difficult for competitors to imitate PEST ANALYSIS The external environment of an organisation is analysed by PEST analysis. It helps to identify the key changes that are taking place around the organisation and which influence it in the future. A PEST Analysis looks at Political Factors Economic factors Social factors Technological factors The following is the PEST Analysis for Tesco Political Factors Risks of potential competition commission enquiry GM- Food EU competition Law Economic Factors Intensive price competition between the large supermarkets Cost of products keep falling because of strengthening buying power Socio cultural factors Organic foods and drink Customer concerns about GM food, allergies and additives Animal welfare policies Environmental policies and practices Technological Factors Radio Frequency identity technology in operation of its supply chain Radio barcode technology for tagging cases. Self service check-out system. PORTERS FIVE FORCES Porters five forces are used to analyse the external environment of an organisation and to determine the attractiveness of the market. The five forces are: The bargaining power of customers The bargaining power of suppliers The threat of new entrants The threat of substitute products The intensity of competitive rivalry Bargaining power of customers The buying power of customers may influence Tesco to force prices down. This may lead to competition where the other rivals may also bring down the prices. Tesco should maintain the customer loyalty to stop them from drifting to others. Bargaining power of suppliers Demand of suppliers to pay high prices for their goods. Recently, the agitation by the dairy farmers to get high price for milk is an example. But market giants like Tesco has an overwhelming advantage over their suppliers where they dictate the price they pay their suppliers. Threat of new entrants Supermarket chains like Tesco manage the threat of new entrants by imposing barriers to entry. This is achieved by paying high price to suppliers and buying large volumes of goods. This makes Tesco to supply goods at cheaper prices to its customers where it corners the new entrants. Tesco also has the advantage of economies of scale. Threat of substitute products Tesco faces the threat of cutting down the prices of groceries and goods by other giants like Asda and Sainsbury. This may lead to lowering of prices where the buyer gets an advantage. Intensity of competitive rivalry Retail industry is the one where the profit margins are low and the competition is high. According to classical economics, rivalry between companies should drive profits to zero. All the above mentioned factors impact the intensity of competition for Tesco. Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons and others with their expansion plans and strategies are making the competition tough. Their disciplined approach towards prices setting is preventing the destruction in profit war. Environmental evaluation of Tesco The environmental audit is reliant on the monitoring activity undertaken by the organisation. It includes Market intelligence Largest supermarket chain with a market capitalisation of  £26.037bn New strategies for mergers and expansion plans to US Effective and low prices Continuous monitoring and direct information on the sales figures in stores Efficient maintenance of customer loyalty. Technical intelligence RFID technology for supply chain management EPOs and Bar-coding technology Extension of RFID technology for tagging the cases through out the supply chain by 2007. Effective implementation of one in front policy at the tills to satisfy the customers. Acquisition intelligence Decision of receding from the bid to takeover Safeway. Expansion plans for US Other issues Convenience stores according to the needs of the people Decisions regarding the environmental issues Crafting a strategy By considering the above factors Tesco clearly crafted a strategy that keeps it in the leading position in all the aspects: The selected strategy of Tesco is To provide all the customers with excellent value and choice in UK business which is its biggest market and where Tesco enjoys top slot. Having a six element approach to be an international retailer while focusing on satisfaction of needs of the different local customers. KEY FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGY The key factors for an organisation are those which exist within an environment and may generate a need for change. These are triggers for change in the organisation. The following is a brief description of the key factors which may lead to strategic change in Tesco. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Macro environmental analysis increases awareness of the relevant environmental changes at managerial level. This enhances strategic planning. Macro environmental analysis further focuses attention on the primary influences of strategic change and provides anticipation to opportunities and carefully develops responses to change. The following are the external environmental factors which pose challenges to Tesco High energy costs High recovery costs Improving position of competitors Risks of the potential competition commission enquiry Growing cautiousness among consumers STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders can be defined as As those individual actors and parties, organisations and professions and institutions that have a bearing on the behaviour of the organisation as revealed in its policies and actions on the environment. Stakeholders can be divided into two categories; Those view the organisation externally Those have an internal interest External stakeholders for Tesco are competitiors, customers, suppliers, shareholders government departments etc.They judge the efficiency and try to influence its activities. So Tesco always determines the outputs required by the stakeholders. Internal stakeholders for Tesco are the owners, managers and employees. In large companies like Tesco there are thousands of shareholders who have a vested interest in the success of the business. MEDIA Media plays a very important role in an organisations strategy. It works in two ways; Interest in the success of the organisation and its subsequent positive feedback Interest in the proposed developments Tesco notifies well that the influence of effective public relations on the opinions of a wide range of groups will enhance the likelihood of success for its strategy. So it always maintains good relations with the media. Tescos media centre contain the latest news releases, images and briefing notes. Their latest TV ad campaign can also be viewed from their video library. The media people can also access to their media centre for easy access to the latest developments. LEGAL Organisations need to anticipate and prepare themselves for changes in legal procedures. The potential competition commission enquiry and other regulations are important legal factors which can influence retail sector now.Tesco has all the legal resources which enables it to respond to such changes well in advance and as a part of its developing strategy. ETHICAL These are the moral principles that should govern human relations and conduct. These are very important considerations in formulating strategy which involve subjective personal feelings about human behaviour. Tesco identifies as one of the key factors in its strategy and accepts this with enthusiasm and commitment. EDUCATIONAL In the present business scenario, the capacity to transmit knowledge through devices as the internet has become formidable. The most important and interesting aspect of the improvement in education and subsequent growth of knowledge has been the increasing professionalism of workforces in an organisation. Tesco understand this well and implements it in the improvement of skills of its human resources. It conducts training programmes a least two times a year. POLITICAL Political factors generally effect the organisation in two ways. One driven by the government pr by the multinational political initiatives and another concerned with the political shifts within the particular business environment. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS The following are the factors that are instrumental to the internal environment of Tesco. Organisational policy The mission statement of an organisation sets out the purpose of a business The mission statement of an organisation is refined over the time to reflect the developed or enhanced capabilities of the business .The following are the purpose statements for Tesco which gives a clear picture of its policy Scope of an organisations activities is a fundamental element of strategy. Tescos scope relates to the extent of the market into which it sells its products and services. It is already the largest retailer in UK and is planning to expand to US .It has already wide markets in Europe and Asia. A key consideration for a firm is to identify what areas of activity to pursue in its markets. Tesco targets customers of all ages with its products and services ranging from food, household products and retail to insurance and personal finance. An important aspect of strategy is for a company to identify the positions held by their products and services in the market place. Tesco has already built a very strong businesses over the time with very strong market positions. Each and every one of them has huge potential for further growth. Human resources Tesco is the largest private sector employer in UK. Tesco is the largest private sector employer in UK. It employs 250,000 staff alone in the UK and 367,000 staff worldwide. It has 2365 stores all over the world. Tesco employs about 11,000 employees every year. It recruits about 80 to 150 graduates each year to two training schemes one store and one office based. It recruits by in-store advertising, events in local areas. and recommendations From existing employees through an employee referral scheme. These employees are the need for effective communication in the field of management. Financial resources As per the statistics of 2006 Tesco is the fourth largest retailer in the world. Its market capitalisation was  £26.035 billion which was the largest of any retailer based outside the united states. Tesco also has got tremendous property portfolio. It does its own development and owns about 85 of all its assets around the world. And always Tesco invests a lot in its property. According to company authorities over the next five years its property value will be  £5 billion and still be a predominantly freehold property company. All these factors are described as the key factors for Tesco DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS Strategy whether developed for a whole organisation or for an operating department or a team follows the same building process .Its central concern is to create a long-term vision of where we want to be or what we would like to become .Strategy that an organisation adopts should be feasible and practicable. Its pulling power is extremely important to survive in the tough competitive environment where an organisation operates .The art of strategic development involves a set of sophisticated tools to facilitate the process. The following is a brief context of different strategic options for TESCO and their evaluation. PEST ANALYSIS To develop a strategy for an organisation to assure its long-term effectiveness it should carry an analysis about its future. For this PEST Analysis is the best tool. It carries analysis of four or six major factors which can effect the organisation in future .TESCO which is the largest player in retail sector carries PEST Analysis to analyse the external factors which may affect in the future .The following is the PEST Analysis for TESCO: Political and legal considerations Risks of potential commission enquiry TESCO may face the risk of the potential commission enquiry in future which aims to curb the unhealthy competition in the retail sector. GM-Food With increasing awareness in the consumers all over the world TESCO may face the risk with Green peace workers regarding the labelling of genetically modified foods. . EU Competition Law EU Competition Law constituted to regulate monopoly power may impact TESCO and its expansion in the European Union in the near future. Economic considerations Intensive price competition between the large supermarkets Cost of products keep falling because of strengthening buying power Social Factors Organic foods and drink Consumers growing concerns about the organic food and drinks may influence in near future Customer concerns about GM food, allergies and additives With growing cautiousness and discontent about the GM food and use of allergic causing agents and additives in the manufacture of food may show impact Animal welfare policies Animal welfare policies which oppose the testing of the products on animals Environmental policies and practices Green peace workers and changing concerns about environmental issues. Technological Factors Radio Frequency identity technology in operation of its supply chain Use of RFID technology in its supply chain helps TESCO to efficiently carry its operations and maintain its position. Radio barcode Technology for tagging cases. Use of Radio barcode Technology to tag the cases and extending this technique to the entire chain by the end of 2007 will show an impact on operations in TESCO. Self-service checkout system SWOT Analysis IT is a commonly used tool .Its main purpose is to locate the organisation in its operating environment and try to assess its internal and external capabilities and vulnerabilities. SWOT stand for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths are internal and opportunities are environmental. Similarly weaknesses are internal and threats are environmental. The following is the SWOT analysis for TESCO Strengths These are the strengths of TESCO TESCO s Brand name Loyal customers Largest player in the retail sector Well established supply chain Excellent ware housing capability Largest online grocer Great store locations Skilled work force Club card scheme for enhancing customer loyalty. Weaknesses These are the weaknesses of TESCO Vast usage of fossil fuel in transport chain and super market heating systems Lack of integration between departments at certain times Opportunities These are the opportunities where TESCO can explore in future Improving customer relationships Real growth opportunity for grocery retailing in the newly enlarged European Union. Increasing sales through better integration of high street and internet resources Threats These are the threats that might affect TESCO in the future. High energy costs Increasing taxes on retail items Expansion of low cost supermarkets like LIDL. Recovering competitions like Sainsburys and Morrisons. A weakening economy An increase in unemployment PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGIES After establishing the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and analysing the competitive environment, we have to establish the generic strategy of the organisation. No set of the strategic tools will be complete without a look at Michael porters generic strategies. Porter advocates, Gaining and maintaining competitive advantage The three generic strategies of Porter are Differentiation This is a strategy where the organisation offers a product or service which is unique compared with those of its competitors .This differentiation must be known to at least a segment of the market. Cost Leadership This is a strategy where the organisation enables itself to provide the products or services at a cost less than any other competitive organisation. It is the ability the organisation has to price below competitors if and when it needs so. Focus This is a strategy where the organisation targets its products or services at a given sector of the market with great accuracy and with a depth of capability and knowledge to support its position in the sector. In the retail sector with a very low profit margin the environment is hypercompetitive .TESCO being the largest player adopts the Cost Leadership strategy to challenge its competitors. TESCO has all the capabilities to adapt to this strategy. It develops its internal resources and its core competencies to support this strategy. In addition to these a number of generic strategies have emerged to define the modern organisation .The following is a list of the strategies. Reducing cost base Improving quality Getting closer to the customer Shorter cycle times Strategic partnerships Ability to change fast Of the above mentioned generic strategies, TESCO adopts the following: Reducing cost base To cut down the expenses and to increase productivity and efficiency, TESCO adopts this strategy to face the challenges of price war with its competitors, high property costs a and to provide value based products to the customers. Improving quality TESCO always concentrates on improving quality to rule the existing markets. It adopts new techniques and softwares both in the logistics and in-store operations to consistently serve the customers. Getting closer to the customer Customers are whimsical, customers are fickle, customers are not loyal. The ability to anticipate this fickleness is a strategic strength.TESCO understands this well and introduced club card schemes which helps TESCO to have millions of loyal customers. THE ANSOFF MATRIX This is a classic model in strategy building .Its main purpose is to analyse the organisations approaches to its products and to its market to ensure that an appropriate marketing strategy is being pursued .The following is the An off matrix for TESCO Current products New products Current markets Market penetration Improving services Improving quality Product development Expand own brands like The Finest and TESCO Value. Expansion into non-food sector Adding new products to the existing product line New markets Market development International expansion and globalisation Home shopping Developing small express stores Diversification New services Using the Ansoff matrix in conjunction with the BCG matrix, TESCO conducts a useful review of its strategy to achieve its vision. EVALUATION The BCG matrix The Boston Consulting Group matrix is a valuable tool .Its purpose is to analyse the organisations product portfolio. The definitions used in the BCG matrix are very precisely expressed in terms of the generation and use of cash. This makes this matrix a sharp-edged tool. the following are the definitions used in BCG matrix Stars These are the products that are performing well .They are generating positive cash and they usually require continuous update to maintain their market share. Problems These are the products which are not performing and not generating sufficient cash to maintain them in their markets. Cash cows These are the products which are performing well in markets which are growing slowly or are static. They are probably generating more money that can be profitably invested in them. Dogs They have low market share in markets which are growing slowly or are static. They may be consuming more resources to maintain their availability. They need quick decisions. The following is the BCG matrix for Tesco Market share High low Star On-line shopping Organic foods Loyalty cards Non-grocery items New services Problems On-line shopping with demographic analysis Home delivery of

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Impact of Climate Change on the Arctic Circle

Impact of Climate Change on the Arctic Circle Introduction Oil, as a globally valuable natural resource, remains the focus of major international disputes and economic challenges spanning over recent decades. As climate change begins to open up untapped areas rich for drilling, these economic conflicts are only exacerbated by the tenacity of geopolitical rights in certain areas. A prime example of this phenomenon is in the Arctic Circle, bordered by powerful Western nations. Since the majority of the Arctic is ocean covered in rapidly melting glacial sheets, an unseen sovereignty problem arises as nations vie for drilling rights to oil reservoirs. Governments and scientists are attempting to find methods to substantiate their claims to features in the Arctic Ocean, however, there is a lack of defined policy and legislation over the Arctic. This has led to considerable tensions between the two main powers in this region, Russia and the United States. Empirical evidence has been compiled over the last century to give an incredibly clear picture of how climate change is severely affecting the rate of glacial ice melt and permafrost thaw in the Arctic Circle. These climatically induced changes are occurring in both the North American Arctic and Eurasian Arctic. The Arctic circle is the global area above 66 ° N, with the North American Arctic comprised of the ocean and landmass between 0 °E and -150 ° W and the Eurasian Arctic between 0 ° and  °180 E.() Total land ice in the Arctic covers about 273,000 km2. Glacial ice melt is chronic in the Arctic, with causality directed at steadily increasing global temperatures. Historic meteorological observations in the North American Arctic display that the mean temperature rapidly rose a whopping   Ëœ 1 °C from 1900 through 2000. (Harriss 2016) This change represents a double augmentation of increasing global temperature trends. Various studies complied by the IPCC have likewise indicated that the Eurasian Arctic is warming at approximately at a Ëœ0.12 °C per year rate, noted as increasing at significantly quicker rate than the global temperature average. (IPCC 2014) Hence, glacial ice melt is exacerbated in the Arctic, as is permafrost thaw on continental land. The Eurasian and North American Arctic areas have lost several hundred kilometers of ice in the past 50 years alone. In turn, the rapidity of this ice melt is allowing for access to previously inaccessible oil and gas resources in the Arctic region. Its been approximated that the Arctic circle contains about 412.16 billion barrels of crude oil and liquid natural gas, with the majority, about 63.4%, located in the Eurasian Arctic. (EIA 2008) The majority of Arctic oil and gas reservoirs have already been discovered, with approximately 61 large oil and gas fields currently located by various geographic agencies. Oil is a crucial resource for almost every nation on earth, as it used for the majority of energy production.(EIA 2008) Western nations especially rely on oil for lifestyle comforts, economic dominance, and global trade power relations. The energetic conversion of oil, uncoincidentally, also drives the temperature trends occurring with modern climate change. (Hobbie, et. al 2017) Of course, with such a high demand for these valuable fossil fuels, several states geographically located in or near the Artic have begun staking claims in fields and shelves. Russia, the United States, Norway, Denmark, Canada, and Finland have al l made claims for various Arctic shelves and basins containing natural resources. This has produced some geopolitical tensions, as the question of which states have certain sovereign rights over Arctic underwater features remains pertinent.() In order to fully understand the scope of these international economic topics, one must understand the concept of sovereignty. Sovereignty, defined at a base level, is the possession of total authority within a geographic territory. There are two types of sovereignty in political theory-external and internal. External sovereignty concerns the relationship between a sovereign power and other states in the international community. (Lansing 1907) States with external sovereignty are recognized by other states as being a sovereign entity in the international system. Internal sovereignty, defined by law theorist Robert Lansing, is that which is inherent in a people of any state, or vested by its rulerin its fundamental laws.(Lansing 1907) Simply put, internal sovereignty is simply the right of is the right of a state to govern itself within its own defined borders. Now, when examining how this concept applies to the geopolitical disputes over Arctic oil sources, one can hone it down to a fundamental issue; how does one establish sovereignty in a borderless ocean, that, by UN law, is international? Various Arctic states are exacting claims over areas in the Arctic that arent geologically part of a claimed continental landmass. According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state may claim an exclusive economic zone up to only 200 nautical miles from their internationally recognized borders, unless the state can prove the continental shelf on which it sits extends beyond these 200 nautical miles, in which case the zone is extended to 350 miles. ( 2015) For the United States and Russia, geopolitical tensions have risen over the past decade due to the tenacity of sovereignty in international waters. For example, in a deep-sea dive in the early 2000s, Russia dropped a tiny titanium flag under the North Pole ice sheet, symbolically asserting their claim over an area containing over 10 billion tons of oil, as well as a wealth of other natural resources.(Than 2007) This action raised alarms for the Arctic United States. The international system will need to figure out to what extent sovereignty extends to undersea geologic features and oil reserves, and who gets to make those decisions. The Arctic is a huge wealth of resources, and will be a key feature in the future development of the global energy market. Problem Statement https://www.jstor.org/stable/2186165?seq=1#fndtn-page_scan_tab_contents http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.nau.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=632f5f89-fa62-4633-9c0e-34c659a0468f%40sessionmgr4007vid=0hid=4211bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=114927740db=a9h http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.libproxy.nau.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5sid=73ae1002-3040-45a6-ba70-8a33d8ed07a9%40sessionmgr104hid=104bdata=JmxvZ2luLmFzcCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=120895930db=a9h http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.nau.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4sid=54d373a5-ab8d-4229-b295-4847b9bee2d9%40sessionmgr4006hid=4211bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=92014156db=a9h http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.nau.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=e5bcabc7-1a08-4e43-a460-7b6ac4db0737%40sessionmgr4010vid=0hid=4211bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=118931526db=a9h http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.nau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3sid=aa525d5e-8761-4704-99b3-b84d594cffdf%40sessionmgr4009hid=4211

Monday, August 19, 2019

Original Narrative Anticipated :: essays research papers

Original Narrative: Anticipated Crisis With the end of the millenium right around the corner, the statement coined by Rene Descartes, "I think, therefore I am," no longer holds true. This is mostly due to the emergence of monumental technological breakthroughs since the formulation of this statement in the seventeenth century. In fact, "I have technology, therefore I am" and "My God said so, therefore I am" could be contemporary versions of this statement that accurately describe us today. In the past, one was free to think for himself, or forced to think for himself, because no one else or nothing else could think for him. The rise in the use of computers this century, however, has revolutionized the way things are done. Those who own the technology no longer have to "think" about menial tasks. For example, when one buys a product in a store for $1.38 and hands the cashier a five-dollar bill, the cashier will punch in the five dollars and let the computerized cash register indicate the correct change of $3.62 to give to the customer. No thinking on the part of a person is involved. Instead, it is substituted by a reliance on mechanical and repetitious actions which are unproductive and unhealthy for the mind. We human beings are blessed with the capability to reason and to think logically; therefore, we cannot function as subservient individuals to the modern technology that we have created. Our growing reverence for technology and its comforts will ultimate ly strip us of our creativity and our curiosity to learn. This ultimately obviates the need to make decisions based on our own judgments because computers will take care of everything with a touch of a button. Obviously, once the computers malfunction, life as we know it will be in chaos since we would not be able to survive without the complex gadgets. Furthermore, as economic stability becomes more uncertain, the destitute and despondent masses will turn to religion and their God for consolation. Although this seems paradoxical in a time when the degradation of society is eminent, "I think, therefore I am" could be justly altered into "My God says so, therefore I am" to match the social atmosphere of today. These people are all foolishly deceived into thinking that they are notorious sinners who must incessantly repent now in order to enter the "kingdom" of Heaven later. Evidently, these desperate believers are again subordinate to a "supreme being" who has supposedly intended the present hopelessness to test the loyalty of those who perceive that "He" is omnipotent and is looking out for our best interests.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas Essay -- Slave Narratives

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas Frederick Douglas, a slave born in Tuckahoe Maryland, was half white and half black. His mother was a black woman and his father a white man. Though he never knew his father, there was word that it was his master. Douglas wrote this narrative and I felt that it was very compelling. It really showed me the trials and tribulations that a black man went through during times of slavery. In his early years, Douglas lived on a farm where he watched many slaves receive harsh beatings and whippings. For example, one of his masters whipped his Aunt Hester because she was not there when he desired her presence. At the time she was in the company of another man, which was something that Colonel Lloyd, her master, told her not to do. As Douglas witnessed the whipping, he saw Lloyd take his aunt into the kitchen of the house and strip her naked. He then told her to cross her hands and as he tied them together and hung her on a hook, leaving her body totally open. Lloyd then began whipping her with a cow skin until she began to bleed. â€Å"I was so terrified and horror-stricken at the sight, that I hid myself in a closet, and dare not venture out till long after the bloody transaction was over† (p. 4). As a result of witnessing many beatings such as this, Douglas was able to put much feeling and heart into his works. Douglas wrote about many whites that he had encountered. Only a handful of which were not cruel to him. The oversee...

Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre :: Families Literature Papers

Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre Jane does not experience a typical family life throughout the novel. Her various living arrangements led her through different households, yet none were a representation of the norm of family life in the nineteenth century. Through research of families in the nineteenth century, it is clear that Jane’s life does not follow with the stereotypical family made up of a patriarchal father and nurturing mother, both whose primary focus was in raising their children. Jane’s life was void of this true family experience so common during the nineteenth century. Yet, Jane is surrounded by men, who in giving an accurate portrayal of fathers and masculinity in the nineteenth century, fulfill on one hand the father role that had never been present in her life, and on the other hand the husband portrait that Jane seeks out throughout the novel. The reader first learns of Jane when she is an inhabitant of Gateshead. At Gateshead, Jane was excluded from the rest of the family. She was merely an outsider looking in on a nuclear family, excluding the father, who had died. We know that Jane’s Uncle Reed, the father and dominant figure of Gateshead, when alive, was a kind man. He was the guardian for Jane and when dying made his wife promise to always care for Jane. After his death, his wife resented the little girl and did not want to care for her. Knowing what we know of family life in the nineteenth century, we know that Jane’s life would have been much different if her uncle Reed had not died. Being the master of the home one can assume that he would have made sure that everyone in the household would have treated Jane well and with love and respect. A father’s authority was unquestioned. Once Mr. Reed had died, the masculine dominance was somewhat given to his son who did not care for Jane and made her l ife miserable by all of his cruelty and abuse. Although he did not rule the home, due to his young age, his authority as seen by Jane was unquestioned. Jane next lived at Lowood. This institution was anything but a true family unit. However, Jane sought out people to care for and who would care for her in return. Helen Burns and Miss Temple became very close to Jane. In ways like the mother of the typical family served as a moral guide and a nurturer, so too did Helen Burns, and to a certain extent Miss Temple.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Compare and contrast David Landes’ and Andre Gunder Frank’s explanations of economic development and underdevelopment Essay

Prompt: Compare and contrast David Landes’ and Andre Gunder Frank’s explanations of economic development and underdevelopment. How do these authors explain the development of Japan in the 19th century? This paper will analyze the arguments on development and underdevelopment from the point of view of David Landes and Andre Gunder Frank. At the very beginning of Frank’s essay, he clarifies three characteristics of countries, developed, underdeveloped and undeveloped. Meaning of developed country is obvious but Frank states that there are misconceptions about the other two terms. Undeveloped basically refers to countries that is not yet start developing or did not manage to develop whereas underdeveloped means not completely developed but still developing. Some of underdeveloped countries are dealing with the issue of disparities in income and cultural differences among the society. This situation leads to existence of social classes and this is called ‘dual society’. Main reason of this problem is while the capitalists are growing economically, the other part remains isolated thus they are less developed. According to Frank, Japan grew rapidly after the Meiji Restoration. Industrialization period was very successful in Japan even though they do not have adequate resource. Reason of this growth is Japan is not satellized during the Tokugawa and Meiji period. As a result development of Japan was greater than other satellized countries such as Russia and South American countries. On the other hand David Landes suggested some ideas that caused Japanese development. Landes thinks that society plays an important role on development. They were highly motivated to work for their country and they believed that their country would develop such as European countries. Thus they inspired by their success and carried themselves country to the same level.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Accounting. How to prepare income statements

There are different ways in how two income statements are prepared. For example: the income statement (also known as P&L) of a merchandising company consists of Revenue, Expenses (related to the sales volume through the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and General & Administrative Expense (G&SA), which all result in Net Income. The income statement of a Service company consists of Service Revenue minus any Expenses related to that service, which results in Net Income. Another way to look at it is that inventory never leaves the balance sheet until it is physically sold to a customer, which transfers it to Cost of Goods Sold.The basic differences between the financial statements of a merchandising business and a service business include reporting cost of merchandise sold on the income statement and the : A. owner's equity section of the balance sheet B. other income section of the income statement C. inclusion of merchandise inventory on the balance sheet as a current asset D. inclusion of a n owner's equity statement The primary difference in handling inventory, accounts payable and accounts receivable. In a merchandising company you will probably have inventory that needs to be valued.This can be done FIFO or LIFO (first in first out, or last in first out) basis. The asset that your inventory represents can be offset by your accounts payable if you purchased inventory on account. At the end of the year for tax purposes you have to account for the change in your inventory value. In addition in a mechanizing company you may have to handle local sales taxes and such. In a service company there is no inventory and normally no local taxes on services sold. Distinguish the activities of a service business from those of a merchandising business.The primary differences between a service business and a merchandising business relate to revenue activities. Merchandising businesses purchase merchandise for selling to customers. On a merchandising business's income statement, reve nue from selling merchandise is reported as sales. The cost of the merchandise sold is subtracted from sales to arrive at gross profit. The operating expenses are subtracted from gross profit to arrive at net income. Merchandise inventory, which is merchandise not sold, is reported as a current asset on the balance sheet.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Gender Identity Paper Essay

Since the middle of the 20th century, psychologists, physiologists and medical professionals have been increasingly interested in the ways hormones impacted human behaviors. The dramatic progress which scientists had been able to make was due to extensive knowledge of pharmacology and chemistry, which could be used to study neural events that came as a result of hormonal activity in humans. Hormonal influences on humans were harder to document than those on other species, due to the fact that researchers could not perform laboratory studies with the use of placebo (Hines, Brooks & Conrad, 2004). Thus, the current information with regard to human sexuality and gender identity was mostly obtained from other studies, including the studies of abnormal hormonal activity in patients with genetic disorders. Pfaff, Philips and Rubin (2004) write, that â€Å"hormone / behavior relations always serve either homeostasis or reproduction†. A whole set of hormones works to maintain weight, temperature, and fluid balance in human organism. Hormones impact human responses to stress and pain, but hormonal influences are not limited to common behavioral reactions. Hormones are directly and indirectly linked to gender identification, and although relationships between human sexuality and hormones leave much room for further research, professionals are confident that hormones are the critical factors of gender identification in humans. From the viewpoint of physiology, mammals are usually divided into the two large (male and female) gender categories. The formation of one’s gender begins at chromosomal level. For the majority of mammals, the homogametic sex is female, and if not influenced by male hormones, a phenotypic female with XX chromosomal pattern develops. In the presence of the Y chromosome however, a locally acting protein transforms gonads into testes, which produce numerous peptide hormones, androgens, and determine masculine gender differentiation (Gallagher, Nelson & Weiner, 2003). Testosterone predetermines the development of external genitalia in boys; androgenic receptors and 5-alpha-reductase which are present in all females, may also lead to masculinization of female genitalia. Apart from impacting gender identity, hormones are directly responsible for a whole set of behavioral responses. Hormones work in ways that facilitate processing of sensory information in humans. â€Å"Females have generally greater sensitivity for chemosensory stimuli. [†¦] This sensitivity is further enhanced by increased periovulatory estrogen concentrations† (Gallagher, Nelson & Weiner, 2003). Given that hormonal impulses in men are different from those in women, men lack this kind of responsiveness, which is also suggestive of the positive relationship between hormones and human behavior. Extensive research of genetic disorders and sexual differentiation suggests that the formation of one’s sexual identity is also influenced by factors other than hormones. Social environment and psychological traditions may produce irreversible impacts on one’s gender identification. These influences are particularly visible in humans with physiological pathologies and genetic disorders, which lead to phallic inadequacy or absence. In the study by Reiner and Gearhart (2004), out of sixteen subjects with diagnosed genetic disorders fourteen had been raised as females. Later, under the impact of physiological changes only eight of them changed their roles to males, with the rest spending their lives as females. These findings prove that identity is influenced by the whole complex of hormonal and environmental factors; and researchers are still unable to determine, which of these factors produces the critical impact on gender differentiation in humans. The truth is that neither behavioral, nor psychological or hormonal factors can be held responsible for sexual differentiation in humans. In reality, â€Å"human differentiation is the result of a series of genetic and hormonal events that influence the development of the internal and external genitalia† (Sytsma, 2006). Whether gender identity is impacted by hormonal or environmental factors is not always clear, but it is clear that there is a whole continuum of gender experiences between female and male genders; and how humans identify themselves in this gender continuum will depend on the whole set of genetic and hormonal influences, as well as the external environment in which humans are raised. Conclusion For years and decades researchers believed that hormones were the critical factors determining gender identity in humans. With the extensive knowledge of genetic and sexual disorders, researchers have gradually come to realize the role, which environmental and psychological factors played in one’s sex differentiation. Neither hormones nor biological or psychological factors can be held responsible for the development of gender identity in humans; rather, a whole complex of genetic and hormonal influences will determine the paths of gender formation and differentiation in all human subjects. References Gallagher, M. , Nelson, R. J. & Weiner, I. B. (2003). Biological psychology. John Wiley and Sons. Hines, M. , Brook, C. & Conway, G. S. (2004). Androgen and psychosexual development: core gender identity, sexual orientation, and recalled childhood gender role behavior in women and men with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. Journal of Sex Research, 41(1): 75-81. Pfaff, D. W. , Phillips, M. I. & Rubin, R. T. (2004). Principles of hormone behavior relations. Academic Press. Reiner, W. G. & Gearhart, J. P. (2004). Discordant sexual identity in some genetic males with cloacal exstrophy assigned to female sex at birth. The New England Journal of Medicine, 350 (4): 333-341. Sytsma, S. E. (2006). Ethics and intersex. Springer.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Civil V Criminal Law

English law is made up primarily of Civil and Criminal Law. Civil Law is concerned with the the Laws of Tort and Contract. Civil law can be defined as that area of law which is concerned with private disputes that occur between individuals or between individuals and organisations and where a proceedings in court is initiated by the aforementioned. In contrast, criminal law seeks to punish those that has done wrongs against the community. For example, a person who decides to take the life of someone else commits murder. The community by way of its government has a duty to protect itself from being murdered. The result is Criminal Law which is enforceable by the State and initiated by the Police. Therefore criminal law is said to protect the community and punishes those that breaks the law with a fine, imprisonment or community sentences. Whereas, civil law seeks to compensate party who has suffered wrong. Civil law covers many areas of everyday daily life, most notable are domestic relations law like divorces and child custody law, probate like wills and estates, employment like agency and working hours laws, and personal injury law. Under pining those laws are Tort and Contract Law. A high level definition of tort law is that it deals with wrongs or injuries inflicted on one party by another and usually the parties involved are unknown to each other until something occurs which results in the tort action. Contracts on the other hand deals with the roles, relationships and obligations of parties that are engaged in a formal agreement. Under civil law an example of tort is acts of carelessness, or failure to act which result in injury or loss to another person. An example is a driver who fails to drive properly and as a result of that failure injures a pedestrian. This incident can give rise to negligence which is the failure to take reasonable care to avoid injury or loss to another person. However in order to prove a negligent claim, it must be proved that there existed a duty of care on the driver to not cause harm to others. The test of this duty of care is that the court will need to determine that a reasonable person would expect that a certain result might follow from an action. Therefore, by not driving properly the driver mounts the pavement and hits the pedestrian, if the result is foreseeable for a reasonable person, then liability may be imposed for the action. In comparison, contract law is an agreement between two persons where one binds himself, with respect to the other, to give something or to render some service. As such, a contract is said to be binding with obligations, and if not met, may lead to an action in civil court. For example a plumber hired to undertake the repair of a leaky facet has entered into a contract to repair the leaking facet in exchange for payment, if he fails to repair the facet within the terms of the agreement, there might not be any obligation to pay him as the terms of the contract has not met. To conclude, civil law covers several area of laws and is primarily concerned with private individuals or companies. The use of the term civil law as a blanket term to cover tort and contract is not confusing as the actions undertaken by the individuals will be indicative of the area of the law that is applicable. The principles are distinguishable, tort usually involves persons who have not entered into a contract or a formal relationship whereas contracts are legally binding agreements established by two or more persons. Where there might be a blurring of the distinctions is where there arises a case of tort while undertaking a contract. Such as an accident in the workplace where there exist a contract of employment. Bibliographies â€Å"Civil Law† Directgov http://www. direct. gov. uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Thejudicialsystem/DG_4003097 â€Å"Criminal Law† Directgov http://www. direct. gov. uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Thejudicialsystem/DG_4003097 â€Å"Tort† Stanford University http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/tort-theories/

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Visual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Analysis - Essay Example The picture comprises of four groups of human elements. These are: Batman, Batkid, a policeman and people on the street. Non-human elements in the photo include trees, buildings, batman’s motor vehicle, a bicycle and another motor vehicle. In the picture’s foreground we see Batman, Batkid and an automobile. Batman is seen to be standing and encouraging Batkid in the picture. In the picture, Batman is portrayed as wearing his â€Å"Batman’s† costume as is usually the case in sci-fi movies when he is fighting villains. On Batman’s side we see Batkid who seems anxious and somehow agitated. Batkid has worn a costume that is similar to the costume that Batman is wearing. However, Batkid has put on black shoes with orange laces unlike Batman who is wearing black boots with black laces. From Bat kid’s left side there is a motor vehicle, the vehicle has Batman’s emblem engraved on its hood. The vehicle in the picture seems to be a sports car, most probably a Lamborghini. It is assumed that this is Batman’s automobile. In the picture, it seems as though Batman and Batkid have just alighted from Batman’s automobile. In the background of the picture various objects are visible. The background of a picture can indicate the location of a picture (Lester, 2006). The picture shows Batman’s vehicle as having stopped at a passenger crossing on a street. Behind the vehicle there are trees which have green leaves. This shows that the picture could either have been taken during summer time or the start of the autumn. From the picture, we are also able to view a block of buildings. The buildings are behind the trees and are made of concrete. The buildings seem to be modern and thus we can conclude that the picture was shot on a city street. In the background of the picture we are also able to view an audience that seems very elated to see Batman and Batkid. Many of the audience in the picture are wearing coats. T his could be because of cold weather and thus we can conclude that the picture was taken during autumn. From the picture we can also observe a policeman behind Batman and Batkid. The policeman is in a vehicle that is opposite Batman’s vehicle and is seen to be peeking outside the vehicle’s window. Focal Point Batkid is the focal point of The Batkid picture. The main point of focus in an image is its focal point (Lester, 2006). From the picture it is evident that the main point of focus was on Batman and Batkid with a lot of emphasis laid on Batkid. While taking the picture, the photographer seemed to have focused more on Batman and Batkid as compared to events happening in their background. The photographer seems to have especially paid greater attention to Batkid, trying to bring out the finer details of Batkid. The photographer is able to capture Batkid’s belt which has Batman’s emblem. The photo also lays some emphasis on Batkid’s gait. Colors T he most abundant color in the picture is the black color. Various elements in the photo are colored black or have black adornment. Batkid has a black costume which is also the case for Batman’s costume. The vehicle that Batman and Batkid seem to have alighted from is a black vehicle. From the background of the photo we are able to see a fan of Batman, behind the vehicle, who is wearing a black coat. Many of the audience in the photo are also dressed in black coats. The tarmac on which Batman’

Assessed assignment 2 - Data Analysis Exercise Essay

Assessed assignment 2 - Data Analysis Exercise - Essay Example The plural form of ‘time’ is used in English but in specific contexts and with different connotations. Lot of – the speaker has used this term to qualify both count as well as non- count nouns. He seems to prefer this term and has never used ‘very† or â€Å"many’ as native speakers would have done. One children, a children –We do find subject verb agreement between â€Å"are’ and ‘children’. The speaker says, â€Å"there are only one children.’ For the native speaker, it is an irregular plural but the speaker has mis-analysed the form, hence his use of one/a is consistent with his treatment of this form as singular. We can conclude that for speaker A, children is semantically singular but syntactically plural. The bare verb form is used as nominals where native speakers would use –ing form for deriving nominals from verbs in these contexts. When –ing forms of verbs are used as nouns or adjectives they are called gerunds. Own – this word sounds more or less like earn. Perhaps, the speakers have never come across the word in writing or have never learnt it as an item of vocabulary, but may have just heard the word from others in speech. Hence they replaced it by the similar sounding word that they knew. Independent, independence – Both have made a different kind of mistake and both are incorrect. When natives speak about being independent of something, there is an implication that it was a nuisance or troublesome. It cannot be said about parents. The speaker B uses the noun form where the adjective form should be used. From the use of the above regular and irregular plurals, we can conclude that speaker B uses these words correctly and target like. He seems to have understood the count noun singular –plural contrast. CONCLUSION – The two speakers are similar in the way they diverge from the expected target forms in some respects, and different in other respects.

Monday, August 12, 2019

Personal Values, Motivations, and Emotional Intelligence Essay

Personal Values, Motivations, and Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example From the results of the Disc Assessment, it was revealed that the highest Disc dimension which exemplifies one’s personality is dominance and the classical pattern is a results-oriented pattern (Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). These results are therefore aligned with personal values and motivational drives for achievement. As a result-oriented person, the strengths included: exuding self-confidence, quick thinking abilities, determined and persistent, direct, focused, and individualistic. The weaknesses allegedly include: impatience, fault-finders, could be perceived as blunt and uncaring (Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). Thus, emotional intelligence could be perceived as needing improvement due to the innate ability to achieve tasks and responsibilities individually and independently; rather than reliance on other people. All of these values, motivational drives, and emotional intelligence results were found to be exhibited in the work setting. For instance, one’s previous work in a healthcare institution has proven conformity to ethical, moral, and legal standards, as well as abiding with indicated values through adherence to the organization’s policies and procedures. As a healthcare institution, it was specifically guided by standards proposed by the Joint Commission, which focuses on providing a high quality of patient care (The Joint Commission, 2013). One’s personal values were most appreciated and applicable in the healthcare setting and aligned with motivational drives of being a high achiever. One was tasked to undertake assigned responsibilities and submit reportorial documents in prescribed time frames. Likewise, all endeavors were observed to be undertaken in conjunction with the need to satisfy the needs of the patients and of the people one gets to interact with.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Effects of the Westward Expansion of the Colonies of the United States Essay

Effects of the Westward Expansion of the Colonies of the United States - Essay Example Gradually the Americans moved far into the west in search of fertile lands irrespective of being converts to Christianity or having religious freedom. They even began trading with the Indians, which led to several treaties with them. Inspite of these peace treaties war continued as the Indians hardly assumed to be bounded to treaties and the US government was loyal to its duty of protecting the movement towards the west. In 1848 San Francisco was a small region, which grew into a big city based on rapid commercialization, and industrialization while the mining industry became popularized. The move towards the west was initiated owing to a search for new and better opportunities in terms of land for farming and jobs to survive. The Midwest became the attractive zone for the settlers and the industrial revolution encouraged commercialization. The proprietors of the lands began to promote their commodities by proving adequate connectivity with the east. As the forest areas became reduce d in the east during 1849 the lumber industry moved westwards to Michigan and Minnesota. This would ensure they were not moving away from civilization. Again, the professions gradually shifted from farming to other activities like lumbering and mining. Industrial revolution brought about machineries, which saved labor, and farming became smoother.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Branding - Lexus Car Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Branding - Lexus Car Company - Essay Example Therefore, the re-branding process constitutes the development of a new ‘‘name, term, symbol, design or a combination of them’’ with an aim of reaching a new position in the stakeholders’ and competitors’ minds. Therefore, re-branding is measured by the level of changes in marketing aesthetics and brand position. Re-branding is either evolutionary where it involves minor, gradual and hardly perceptible changes in the aesthetics and positioning, or revolutionary where it involves major and identifiable changes in aesthetics and positioning that lead to fundamental re-definition of a company. This is a proposal on how to re-brand Lexus. Therefore, I shall examine the brand’s background and determine its position in the automobile industry. I shall then establish the reasons why the company would require to undergo a re-branding process. I shall then proceed with the formulation of the re-branding plan by taking advantage of underlying oppo rtunities and establish measures to counteract the challenges that might arise. The process shall culminate in the selection of an appropriate branding agency that will carry out the re-branding process. ... Although Lexus is fully owned by Toyota, it has developed its distinctive luxury image in the consumers’ minds. This image is entirely different from Toyota’s image that provide feisty and reliable cars and not flashy cars. In this case, Lexus was provided with its own brand values. The launch of a Japanese luxury car to compete with the likes of Cadillac, BMW and Mercedes Benz would have seemed preposterous some decades ago. However, the introduction of the Lexus LS 400 after the investment of colossal amounts and production of numerous prototypes broke this notion. Over the years, Lexus has evolved from an improbable outsider to a formidable force in the luxury automobiles industry. The competition among the leading luxury vehicle manufacturers has been heating up over the last few years. This race involves pushing sales, leading in profitability, admiration for its models and incorporating innovative technologies. Furthermore, to lead in this industry a company has t o offer better service and quality besides selling more units than the competitors. Although Europe has been experiencing an economic slump, the luxury automobile producers have been increasing their investments and production capacity. These efforts aim at increasing sales in growing markets such as the United States and China. This is because the luxury industry demands players to continuously raise the bar. Therefore, making counter-cyclical decisions, although not easy, can determine the level of progress that a company will achieve (Ciferri, 2013). Rationale for Re-branding The automobile industry is facing new challenges in controlling carbon dioxide emissions and in reducing fuel consumption. Manufacturers are focusing on developing ‘green’ concept vehicles that can be mass-produced.