Saturday, August 31, 2019

Not White Just Right Response Essay

After reading â€Å"Not White, Just Right†, an article by Rachel Jones, I could not help but relate to her. In the article, Jones elaborates more on her popular essay, â€Å"What’s Wrong with Black English† while also mentioning others who share in her opinion. I, too, was ridiculed in school for talking too â€Å"white†. In public schools African American students are mocked and shunned by their â€Å"brothers and sisters† for speaking or even behaving in an intelligent manner, as if intelligence is unacceptable in our community. I have been the outcast for that single reason. However those who spoke like third graders in the tenth grade were praised and welcomed in the Black community. To that I have to admit that we have fallen from the times of Dr. King and Fredrick Douglas, when we knew as African Americans that we are just as intelligent as Caucasian men. This is not the future our leaders have fought so hard for. It is infuriating to witness young African Americans not only in public school but in college speaking as if they have no intelligence. I am only a freshman and I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard other freshmen and upperclassmen use grammatically incorrect phrases like, â€Å"what that is† and â€Å"I ain’t goin nowhere†. Speech like this amongst my African American peers only angered me in high school, now it depresses me. It is depressing to see so many educated African Americans speak as if they had dropped out of high school, just because it is â€Å"cool† and they do not want to talk â€Å"white†. A mentality like that will always keep us as African Americans at the bottom of society. How do we expect to be seen as equally intelligent as Caucasian people if we do not even speak as if we are educated on a higher level? Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to thank Ra chel Jones for writing those two texts about young African American lingual. It is about time that someone made it public to the Black community that this speech is NOT conserving our culture; it is keeping us from reaching our goals and becoming successful.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Language in Anthony and Brutus’ Speeches Essay

Compare and contrast Henry’s use of rhetoric to affect others in his Harfleur speeches with the effectiveness of the language in Anthony and Brutus’ speeches In Henry V, Henry uses rhetoric very effectively as he persuades the Governor at Harfleur to surrender and encourages his troops onward with his ‘Once more unto the breach’ speech. This is very similar to Anthony and Brutus of Julius Caesar as they use rhetoric to influence the ‘mob’; firstly Brutus wins the crowd over and they believe the death of Caesar is a good thing and then Anthony turns them around and they end up hating Cassius and Brutus. Henry uses rhetoric to create a number of different effects one of them being to persuade the Governor to surrender. Rhoda Koenig suggests that this scene ‘points up the character of this immature and disaffected king’, which I disagree with as I believe that this speech shows just how the King has matured as he is able to bluff his way through as his army is, really, worn and battered. This speech shows how Henry’s words are more powerful than his army, which is similar to Anthony in Julius Caesar who turns the mob into a state of madness just through the use of his oratorical skills. For example, Henry starts his speech with short, sharp sentences: â€Å"How yet resolves the governor of the/ town?† This creates an assertive beginning and one that makes Henry seem powerful and stern. This coupled with the use of a rhetorical question puts the Governor in a situation where the mercy of Henry is in his hands, as if the outcome of his men depends on his decision. This also removes the responsibility from Henry’s shoulders which is a recurring theme throughout the play. Henry also describes what the outcome could look like if the Governor doesn’t surrender: â€Å"The gates of mercy shall be all shut up.† The use of a metaphor here, ‘the gates of mercy’, refers to Henry as if once he starts the battle there’s no goi ng back. This is used to scare the Governor so that he believes Harfleur will be desecrated once the battle has begun. This, of course, is a faà §ade as Henry knows full-well that his army is worn thin and lacking in strength. This demonstrates Henry’s good leadership, as he bluffs his way through with confidence. Also, this quote contains lots of monosyllables which make it very powerful and reinforces the threat which forces the Governor to surrender. Bernard Richards raised an interesting point where he said that Shakespeare ‘wanted to show the full range of war – the glamour as well as the squalid and obscene violence.’ This interested me as throughout this speech there is talk of atrocities of war such as ‘shrieking daughters’ while elsewhere in the play we see the French think of war as glorious. This is very similar to Brutus in Julius Caesar who has to use rhetoric to convince the crowd to surrender, as they are initially angry at the conspirat ors for killing their leader. For example, he uses rhetorical questions to force the crowd to realise that the murder of Caesar will benefit them: â€Å"Who here is so base [†¦] Who here is so rude [†¦] Who is so vile [†¦] for him have I offended.† The crowd are forced to ask themselves if they would want to be slaves, for example, which they of course answer ‘no’. The use of a three-part list also emphasizes this and would allow the crowd to remember this more accurately: â€Å"Let him be Caesar!† This quote shows that Brutus’s rhetoric successfully convinces the crowd, although they appear to have missed the point as they want Brutus to be ‘the new Caesar’ and the sole leader of Rome which is what the conspirators were fighting against. It is also interesting to note that Shakespeare’s main characters usually speak in blank verse, but here Brutus speaks in prose. This is because prose is the perfect way to persuade so has a stronger affect on the crowd. It could also be argued that because he speaks to the low-life characters, they will understand prose better than blank verse. Within his speech Brutus also uses repetition which reinforces his message: â€Å"Hear me for cause [†¦] hear.† The use of framing repetition here grabs the crowd’s attention and makes them listen. He also repeats ‘honour’ throughout his speech: â€Å"Believe me for mine honour, and have respect for mine honour.† This repetition is used to emphasize to the crowd that the conspirator’s cause was honourable and that they have done the right thing while it also serves to remind the crowd how Brutus is an honourable man, which is a similarity with Henry who also takes great care in ensuring the cause for going to war is moral. The repetition would ‘grind’ it into the crowds’ heads so that it’s almost like subliminal messaging. The repetition also shows how Brutus is still unsure himself and that he is trying to convince himself that they have done the right thing. Henry also uses rhetoric to empower his army and urge them on at Harfluer in what Hal Hinson of the Washington Post calls ‘the greatest half-time speech in human historyà ¢â‚¬â„¢. Here, Henry is forced to persuade his army that they should not retreat but attack once again: â€Å"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.† Similarly to Brutus, Henry uses framing repetition to encourage his army to attack Harfleur once more. The repetition helps to reinforce the message and will stick in their minds through the battle. Also in this quote, he uses an endearing pronoun ‘friend’. This affects the army as they will feel that they are all friends of the King and will have a surge of confidence. This will help the army to conquer whatever they face, even though they have had to retreat. Interestingly, this contrast to what the Chorus says in the preceding scene as he states that the great British are invading France when really they are being forced to retreat. Henry also uses alliteration: â€Å"But when the blast of war blows in our ears.† The use of plosive alliteration here creates a powerful sound which suggests that the English army are powerful enough to defeat the French. This also shows Henry’s passion as if it’s bursting out of him as he desperately wants his men to survive as he feels guilty that the war may not have an honourable cause. Also is this speech, sibilance is used: â€Å"Stiffen the sinews.† This also creates quite an aggressive sound which would be passed onto the soldiers and make them feel aggressive and willing to fight. Henry also uses figurative language: â€Å"Let it pry [†¦] like the brass cannon.† This simile likens the mind prying to a cannon – an item associated with war – which would rile up the soldiers and also remind them that they are at war, its kill or be killed. Another simile used refers to Alexander the Great: â€Å"On, on, you noblest English [†¦] like so many Alexanders.† Here, Henry likens his army to a group of Alexander the Greats. Alexander the Great is a figure of Greek legend which states that he conquered the Persian Empire. It also says that he was often reckless with his own life and his soldiers as he believed he was indestructible. This would encourage his men and fill them with confidence as Alexander was a great warrior and Henry’s army will feel equally invincible. Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience were very interested in Greek culture so the simile would have been more relevant and had more effect than it would on our society who have a lesser interest. Also, in this quote he addresses the ‘noblest English ’while further on he addresses the â€Å"good yeomen.† Henry directly addresses each social class as his army was compiled of a number of different classes, even nationalities. King Henry V was known for uniting people under him as he prevented a civil war between the Church and the Government and th is unity is shown in the scene between Gower, Fluellen, Jamy and MacMorris. This scene also, as James Shapiro suggests, ‘prophetically anticipates the notion of a united kingdom’. Although these nations were far from united in 1599, when the play was written as England and Ireland were at war, and some were very hostile during Henry’s reign. For example, James Shapiro criticizes that Henry says the Scots may attack yet here they are united. This would make each soldier feel important, needed and a friend of the king’s, which would, ultimately, provide the soldiers with confidence to fight, and beat, the French. Likewise, Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar also addresses his crowd individually while manipulating them until they run riot around Rome: â€Å"Friends, Romans, countrymen.† Anthony immediately begins with a three-part list which grabs his audience’s attentions and the first word used is ‘friends’. This instantly makes the crowd warm to him as he is speaking to them as equals. This is similar to Henry who calls his army the ‘noble English’ and ‘good yeomen’, while it contrasts with Brutus who says, â€Å"Romans, countrymen, and lovers†, as if ‘lovers’ is an afterthought. This may hint at why Henry and Anthony were successful at convincing their audience while Brutus failed, because Henry and Anthony allowed the audience to warm to them while Brutus did not. Another way Anthony wins his crowd over is by using repetition: â€Å"And Brutus is an honourable man.† This is repeated at regular intervals throughout his speech and each time it becomes more sarcastic. The sarcastic tone induces the crowd to question whether killing Caesar was an honourable thing. Here, in the same way as Brutus, he uses subliminal messaging; however he uses it against Brutus and to much better effect as the crowd end up rampaging across Rome. In conclusion, Henry and Anthony use rhetoric and their oratorical skills very well – combining repetition, friendly language, and other techniques – to persuade their respective crowds to see their way of thinking. Brutus, however, fails to convince his crowd (or is unable to deliver a speech worthy of Anthony’s) which goes to show how good Anthony’s speech is. Henry manages to convince the Governor to surrender, and convince his battered army to continue, while Anthony manages to convince an audience who love Brutus, to hunt him down. Brutus, on the other hand, cannot prevent the people of Rome from turning against him as he didn’t endear himself to the crowd.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Superhero, a moral example

What images will come into your mind when you are thinking about Superhero? People usually image superheroes as men that with extraordinary powers. And they are secret identity that would like to protect other people from dangerous but never ask for reward. Superheroes are famous to people since Superman debuted in 1978. Today, millions of dollars has spent on Superhero movie in Hollywood because more and more people become a superhero fan to identify with the heroes, sharing not only their special powers, but also their adventure stories.In the Hollywood movies, a superhero usually is a white man with extraordinary powers and abilities that beyond normal human beings. Superheroes devote themselves to fighting crime or evil without expectation of reward. The superheroes usually consider as the moral code, however, different people hold different attitudes toward superheroes that some people do not agree that superheroes are moral examples. They believe that superheroes are a kind of selfless heroism but they have done so by their self-interest. And superheroes usually break laws in their actions which are against our society.Moreover, a lot of people seem to think that superheroes will use their super power to destroy our world in the future. Thus, superheroes cannot be considered as moral examples. Even though self-interest influences superheroes’ heroism, superheroes are moral examples because their actions are lead to be greater good than evil. People usually doubt about a superhero like superman is a kind of selfless heroism but he has done so by â€Å"acting in his own self-interest† (Waid, 10). Superman acts this because his natural instincts, so we can argue that superheroes do this because their self-interest make them like to do this.Loeb and Morris point out that, some people think about Superheroes and their actives that â€Å"they do it because they like to do it† (13). However, Waid point out that â€Å"in helping others, Supe rman helps himself. In helping himself, he helps others† (10). When helping other people, superheroes are helping themselves. They are using their power to help people and not doing evil thing, as long as they are doing good, their actions are lead to be greater good and nothing evil. The symbol of Superman gives American people a lot of hope.For example, during the Great Depression, America, the most powerful country in the world, was not as strong as before. Therefore, the Americans imaged that the Superman could come and lead them toward a new world. They respected Superman because they believed that Superman could help them regain the confidence and give them good expects for the future life. The symbol of Superman made them feel hopeful in such despair. In addition, during the Vietnam War, many young people such as â€Å"hippie† in the United States rebelled the society by having long hair, using drugs, embracing sexual revolution and so on ( Hippie).This was total ly against the value of the Americans. At that time, people are looking for a man to save these young people, but who could come and save them? The answer is Superman, the alien from other planet with extraordinary power. In the movie, Superman, Clark Kent, is a reporter working for the Daily Planet. However, he is completely different from the American young people at that time. He doesn’t smoke, lie, or cheat. And he is very different from Hippie. Superman has a kind heart; he is helping others who are in need. As a result, Superman sets a moral example for the American young people during the Vietnam War.And Americans believe the image of Superman is the good example for the young Americans, and Superman will stop young people from doing evil things and lead them to a healthy and positive life. Therefore Superheroes are famous to all Americans. It was obvious that Superheroes are such a kind of people that have super powers and abilities that different from normal people. And they are the person helping those people who cannot help themselves from evil, and make the evil end with greater good. Many people insist that superheroes such as batman are not the moral example.Batman breaks some of the laws when he is fighting against criminals which are against our society. It may be true that Batman is a law breaker, but it doesn't mean that Superheroes like batman are not moral examples for us. For example, Batman’s emotions forced him into his role. He felt that it was his duty to avenge his parents by fighting against every evil thing that he meets. He considers Gotham City, which he lives in, as a city with criminals around every corner. Batman takes great pleasure in cleaning up all evil criminal around the whole city.He never worried about whether it is against the law. Because Batman knows that when he breaks some of the laws, he is going to capture the real criminals who are acting against more important laws, and to protect the law-abiding citizens of the city from these real criminals. For Batman, â€Å"laws may be unjust, politicians may be corrupt, and the legal system may actually protect the wicked† (Skoble 32). But none of these will stop him from becoming crime-fighting vigilantes. He insists that â€Å"Evil must be punished† (Skoble 37). Therefore he will keep on cleaning up the evil in his city.It is natural to believe that Batman is a â€Å"dangerous† and â€Å"fascist reactionary† (Skoble 31), but we shouldn't ignore that he has always been â€Å"cautious† and â€Å"measured† (Skoble 33) when using his extraordinary powers. Moreover, Batman has consistently using his extraordinary powers when he is fighting against criminals only. Although the nature of Batman’s violence makes him break some of the laws, there is no evidence to suggest that it is wrong for Batman to fight crime and keep innocent people safe by using his extraordinary powers.In addition, Super heroes’ actions force us to rethink our roles in this world. The terrorism continues in our world, and there are crimes happen all over the world every day. We all need justice and peace, but most of us do not want to take our responsibility to protect our world, we just looking for ways to feel better about ourselves. By contract, Superheroes are fighting a never ending battle for truth, for justice, for peace. They keep playing their roles as everyone’s protector; they devote their lives to fighting crimes.Sometimes, we may think about the law and morality when we value what superheroes have do for us. We may find out that, superheroes may do something against law and consider not morality. However, superheroes keep playing their roles as everyone’s protector; they devote their lives to fighting crime that inspired many people to become masked â€Å"crime-fighters† (Skoble 34). It was obvious that superheroes force us to rethink our views about law and social order, and ask us to use them as a mirror to see ourselves more clearly that lead us to take our responsibility to protect our world.

Criticism regarding a character ( the character is in the book Hamlet, Essay

Criticism regarding a character ( the character is in the book Hamlet, Shakespeare) - Essay Example Hamlet can sometimes be looked at as a noble prince despite the anger he had towards Claudius for his treachery. This argument is justified through explaining that evil usurper is capable of making good characters to be destroyed. In the critics towards Hamlet, there are several scholars’ works, which can be used. These issues are pointed out to implicate several characters of Hamlet, which can be seen, with the third eye of the audience and readers. Hamlet nature of masculinity and femininity is interpreted by Guo De-yan to be overshadowed by the tragedy in the story. His character of being indecisive, Oedipus complex and philosophical thinking makes him a hard nut to crack when it comes to giving him a responsible nature (Weitz 73). It is shown that he had difficulties dealing with his femininity. This trait makes him exhibit emotional, weakness and passive nature that can only be seen in women. At the same time, his masculinity makes him develop traits such as aggressiveness, rationality and courage. The feminist nature establishes his thinking to degrade his identity to self-hatred and self-negation. The patriarchal concept dealing with gender identity makes him weak to develop the courage of avenging the death of his father. One of the biggest masculine traits that are revealed is courage. This is vivid in during the appearance of the king’s ghost as the soldiers trembled and termed it as a dreaded sight. One of the greatest soldiers in the kingdom Heratio is seen to be shaken and pale. However, the case is different with Hamlet as he faces the ghost with courage and does not show signs of fear. He even challenges it before it attars a word. At the same time, he decides to follow the advice of the ghost though it was against the advice of Marcellus and Heratio (Weitz 90). His courageous nature is also depicted when he decided to participate in an art fence fighting that he was invited. He was aware that Laertes had a better chance of

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Anti-Semitism in Western Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Anti-Semitism in Western Europe - Essay Example History has witnessed the anti-Semite attitude in the form of the Holocaust and this attitude continues to exist even today. In this paper, I intend to explore the current presence of Anti-Israel sentiments in Western Europe, particularly in the political sector. I would like to explore whether or not Western European politics have become more biased against Israel in recent years or is it just a social and media-based war. I have chosen this topic because as a Jew who lived in Jerusalem for a year, I have very close ties with Israel and consider it my home. I have witnessed the atrocities committed by terrorists who wish to eradicate Israel and its people from the face of the earth. I would like to research the influence of major political figures, most importantly Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Western European politics. I plan on bringing forth evidence and examples from the recent Durban II conference in Geneva, the United Nations’ support for the Goldstone Report and specific incidents in certain European countries. For that matter I intend to address the following questions in my paper to support my argument: The methodology used for research for this paper was an analysis of secondary data. Journal articles were read and analyzed. Online articles were searched and made use of and it was made sure that the information obtained was only from trusted websites rather than the popular ones like Wikipedia and blogs. Data was gathered after a thorough study of the relevant literature. After proper reading, the information was reviewed and written about and a conclusion was arrived at. Jews have long been considered as scapegoats and as such have been used to expel evil. Such was the spiritual and religious notions attached with the Jews and it gave rise to anti-Semitism. However recently the term anti Semitism has been expanded and redefined as â€Å"new antisemitism† which includes hatred for Israel and Israelis. New Anti Semites preach hatred for Jews and Israelis to such an extent that they challenge the sovereignty of Israel simply because it is a Jewish state (Simon and Schaler, 2007).  

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

History of Bankruptcy and Law Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of Bankruptcy and Law Practices - Essay Example This concept originated from Italy where in the past bankers placed a bench in public areas which was referred to as bancus, when the banker could not continue with his business he or she would break his bench and therefore the Italians this to as bancus raptus which means broken bank. This practice was also evident in other regions example where by 1596 Spain had declared some of its four states bankrupt, in Asia individuals faced the death penalty if they became bankrupt more than three times. This paper discusses the origin of bankruptcy, the bankruptcy process, the consequences of bankruptcy, bankruptcy relief and the bankruptcy chapters as per the united state constitution and the 1978 and 2005 amendments on these acts. The paper also discusses bankruptcy crimes which involve debtors concealing information. Early in Italy bakers used to place benches in public areas where they would draw bills, count money and write letters, these bankers were wealthy individuals in the society and this made the public to have confidence in depositing their property with them. The banker wrote a note which was evidence of property held and assured the same amount on demand. The paper was transferable and this note would at any time exchange the note for money. However when there was a doubt about the note or when the banker could not continue with his busine... Bankruptcy laws were put in place to protect creditors. The laws encourage payment of debts to creditors, however recently the amendments have also helped protect individual debtors through the various acts present. It ensures that creditors recover their owed amount through the sale of the debtors' assets or through installments over a given period of time. Bankruptcy process: There is a procedure that is followed by whether the debtor or creditors when filing a petition, the first step is that the court receives the petition either from the debtor of the creditor, this is presented in federal courts because state courts do not handle bankruptcy cases, the court assigns a trustee whose duty will be to chair meetings, sell assets and distribute the amount recovered among creditors. The trustee shares the debtor and creditor meetings and the debtor is required to provide information regarding all his assets, if the debtor provides all the information without concealing information then he will be eligible to the relief of a portion of the debt. Depending on the arrangement the trustees duty is to distribute the funds to the creditors, when the assets are sold according to chapter seven then the trustee distributes the amount among creditors, however according to chapter 13 where the debtor is required to give a portion of his income over a specified period then the debtor must pay the trustee this amount who will then distribute the amount. Therefore the debtor does not directly deal with the creditor which is now the duty of the trustees. Advantages and disadvantages of bankruptcy: There are various negative and positive consequences when an individual or organization is

Monday, August 26, 2019

SLP 5 HRM - 401 EMPLOYMENT LAWS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP 5 HRM - 401 EMPLOYMENT LAWS - Essay Example Over the past decades a body of legislations or law has designed employer/employee relations as well as the rights of both employers and employees in the workplace environment. These employment laws regulate the duties and rights of both employers and employees. It is also referred to as labor law (Kellough,  2007). Virtually, the rules are tasked to keep employees safe and ensure that they are treated well. However, several laws are there to safeguard the interests of the employers. In essence, employment laws are based on state and federal constitutions, court opinions, legislation and administrative rules. For example, the American labor laws are attributed to the oppressive practices of the industrial revolution. The first laws to compensate workers were passed in the early 20th century, it established a minimum wage, outlaws child labor and designed standard for work. During the onset of 1960s and early 70s the Congress sorted to forbid risk working environments and discrimination at work. The employment law advocates for free interaction between the employers and the employees. The current issues in the employment sector include equality in men and women as well as the employee healthcare. In a business scenario, employment laws should be used to create harmony and justice among the employers and the workers (Davis & National Business Institute, 2007). Indeed, the federal government is in the fore front to ensure that the rights of both the employees and their employers are not infringed. Wage and hour laws within the employment laws regulates hours that employees should work. In most cases the law requires that after 40 hours wage must be paid. A viable employment law should integrate matters of public policy. For instance, employers are not allowed to fire workers because of discrimination reasons. Additionally, employee cannot be fired because of filing a worker’s compensation claim

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Analytic Report about Disaster Recovery Plans in corporations Essay

Analytic Report about Disaster Recovery Plans in corporations - Essay Example This essay aims at detailing the steps that have been taken and those that should be taken to safeguard against such eventualities. Disasters can be manmade or naturally occurring like earthquakes and those arising from technological issues (Sundar et al. 119). According to Sundar, the objectives of sustainable development are to improve the natural strengths of all agencies, including the society, in addressing disastrous situations. The attainment of this objective requires sustained initiatives, which entails economic, social, and infrastructure issues (Sundar et al. 119). Disasters involving technology are the ones that have the most direct effect on humans at a personal level. Disasters involving nuclear technology have long-lasting negative repercussions on the health of people ranging from cancer and maiming disabilities produced by mutations caused by radiation. For example, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster killed dozens of people, and its effects are still present today. Disaster management is defined as an applied science, which seeks to advance regulations regarding relating to mitigation, emergency, prevention, preparedness, recovery, and response through systematic observation and analysis of disasters (Sundar et al. 84). The corporate sector is a substantial body that includes those that produce goods and services for the sole purpose of making a profit. Disasters jeopardize this main objective, and it is paramount that corporations put up mechanisms to mitigate the impact caused by disasters. Corporations team up with insurance companies to shield their entities from losses occasioned by the occurrence of natural disasters. There is an increasing paradigm shift by corporations moving from enactment of disaster response policies to executing pro-active policies aimed at preventing disasters. They insure

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Communication - Essay Example Verbal communication is an ability that everyone should develop to improve their interactions with others and to help them build relationships. In nursing, it is imperative to have excellent communication skills in order to have an enormous understanding about the feelings and sufferings of the patients. The profession desires good command over the words, using appropriate word not only enhances communication and understanding with the patient but also clarifies the precise meaning of the words. According to Beyea (2004) â€Å"verbal communication is a primary way in which vital information about a patients status and care is transmitted†. The Department of Health has also stressed the importance of verbal communication in their Essence of Care benchmarks. They stated that communication should be adapted to meet the needs of people, carers and groups. This was further supported by Terrado et al (2001). Terrado’s team firmly believes that nurses are required to have an e ffectual communication skills because of they are in the first position to contact with the patient and represent the healthcare team for patient’s appraisal. It is therefore it is essential that they have appropriate communication skills to be beneficial and supportive to the patients especially to those who need intense care like dysphagia and stroke patients and those who are paralysed and need thorough care for their recovery. I agree with these findings because as a student, I believe that learning better communication skills are the most imperative errand to my career. It is an indispensable part of my role and duty while in placement at University and later when I am serving the human beings. It is essential to for me to understand the cultural differences which are very sensitive issue that result in some kind of misinterpretation of my words or other’s words. Misconception could be devastating as can be understood with the help of Appendix 3. The prime responsibility of the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Analyse the contribution of yeats to the irish cultural literary Essay

Analyse the contribution of yeats to the irish cultural literary revival - Essay Example Yeast’s rich knowledge about Irish myths and legends and his meetings with Freedom fighters like John .O. Leary inspired him to write about the concept of Nationalist Ireland. Online article titled Irish Literary Revival gives relevant ideas about the Irish Literary Revival. It remarks; â€Å"But it was the Revival, and the Abbey Theatre, in particular, that brought the movement to redeem Irish culture and language from the closed councils of a few, to the mainstream life of the common person† (Usher, M., Jeremy, 2000). Researchers and historians have mentioned that both Abby theatre and the National Dramatic Society have played a significant role in literary revival. These two institutions have paved the way for new poets and dramatists in to the new world of literature. In his online article entitled Irelands Literary Revival: The Story of Irish Literatures Renaissance: Yeats, Synge, OCasey, Mike Gerrald comments : â€Å"It was a period when people including WB Yeats, JM Synge, George Bernard Shaw and Sean OCasey were writing† (Gerrard, Mike, 2007). Literary researchers mentioned that Yeats helped to drive out the existing political and cultural superiority of Britain in Ireland. Yeats and his followers have broken the shadow of British dominance in the field of Irish literature and they found the soul of Irish literature. Through his literarily works W.B Yeats had explored social, cultural and political tradition and diversity of Ireland. His poems have provided a new spirit of nationality to the people in Ireland lead the formation of various national organizations. The web article entitled W.B. Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival helps the reader to understand more about Yeast’s contribution in Irish literary revival. It comments that; â€Å"Yeats and the Literary Revival did indeed contribute to the formation of the new sense of national identity that was also being promoted by agencies such as the Gaelic Athletic Association and the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Mix Map Model Essay Example for Free

Mix Map Model Essay Mixmap model provides information that helps the company to determine the factors that effectively analyse the present tactics and based on the analysis it can determine future tactics. Mixmap model includes 4P’s, Product life cycle, BCG matrix and Ansoff matrix. * Product life cycle Product life cycles (PLC) are the stages that a product goes through during its life cycle in the market. Product life cycle is used in order to show current stage of the product or the company at present which including four stages, Introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline. PLC is useful for determining the current market position and it is significant for the company to adapt their product or brands marketing strategy to the changing condition of the market environment. Introduction – is first introduced. It offers something new in terms of its design or performance, with few competitors offering the same product. Growth – as volume grows, competitors may enter the growing market. Keeping up with demand could prove to be the main operations.. Maturity Demand starts to level off. Operations will be expected to get the costs down in order to maintain profits or to allow price cutting. Decline After time, sales will decline with more competitors dropping out of the market. Eg. MS is in a high fashion industry and its product offering is the latest trends and designs with a life of maximum 2 weeks so its product life cycle cure becomes like the above diagram. * Boston Group Matrix – Uses market share and market growth criteria for determining the attractiveness and balance of a business portfolio. Star – is a business unit within a portfolio, which has a high market share in a growing market. It is well- established and fantastic opportunities. Question mark – is a business unit within a portfolio that is in a growing market, but does not yet have high market share. Cash cow – is a business unit within a portfolio that has a high market share in mature market. Dogs – are business units within a portfolio that have low share in static or declining markets. Example MS in terms of BCG matrix is either ‘dogs’ (cash in balance) or question marks (cash cow). The portfolio of MSs products is good in clothing having star position and in food MS has occupied the position of question mark relative market shares is low with low industry growth and in financial services industry growth is high but MSs market share is low and will require substantial capital investment to turn them into stars. * McKinsey Matrix – Highlights the importance of fit between strategy, structure, sytems, staff, style, skills and superordinate goals. Three aspects of organizing. First, organizing involves a lot more than just getting the organizational structure right; there are many other elements to attend to. Second, the 7-s framework emphasizes fit between all these elements everything from structure to skills needs to be connected together. Third, if managers change one element of the 7-s, the concept of fit suggests they are likely to have to change all the other elements as well in order to keep them all appropriately aligned to each other. Strategy are plans an organization formulates to reach identified goals, and a set of decisions and actions aimed at gaining a sustainable advantage over the competition Structure – is the key ingredient of organizing for success. But structure can only work if they are supported by formal and informal organizational system System – can be subdivided in two ways. First, systems tend to emphasis either control over inputs or control over output. The second is between direct and indirect control. Style – refers to the leadership style of top managers in an organization and how key managers behave to achieving the organization goals. Staff – is about the kinds of people in the organization and how they are developed. Skills – relates to staff. It raises not only staff skills but also issues to do with how these skills are embedded in and captured by the organization as a whole. Superordinate goals – refers to the overarching goals or purpose of the organization as a whole. Superordinate goals are placed at the center of the 7-s framework: all other elements should support these. Example MS are fully exercising the 7s model and coordinating at all levels to generate maximum output. Structure is well defined since it is old player in this industry so they have learnt a lot from their experience curve and now have developed an outstanding structure. In the initial phase MS got experience through hit and trial method and now have developed good strategies and system. MS also has got excellent skills and is full getting benefit of these skills. They are well known figures in clothing industry and have gained professional and productive staff. MS have shared values which are widely spread in its all 7s and are reflected by their strategic moves * Ansoff’s Matrix – Is a very useful tool and can be used in nearly every scenario. It neatly summarizes many of the strategic options facing organizations. Market penetration – existing markets and products This is a strategy by which a company seeks to increase the sales of its present products in its existing markets. Product development – existing markets and new product This strategy has the aim of increasing sales by developing products for a company’s existing market. Market development – existing products and new markets This strategy has the aim of increasing sales by repositioning present products to new markets Diversification – develop new products in new markets This could be related to what we do at the moment. Diversification is a high risk strategy as the business is unfamiliar with the product and the target market. Example We can see from the Ansoffs Matrix, MS’s lunch of Financial services products will have involved a diversification strategy. As MS did not already sells financial products, so new market and new product. Both capability and market consideration has driven MS into development of new markets and products. 4Ps * Price – The price of a product or service is the important influencers in the decision on whether to buy. Eg. Marks and Spencer vary in price. However most of the products seem to be fairly cheap affordable prices. This is good because the clothes are of good quality; however the pricing isn’t too expensive. * Promotion – represents all of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different parties about the product. The promotion mix consists of four elements: advertising, sales promotion, public relations and personal selling. Eg. Marks and Spencer tend to promote ladies fashion mainly on Television and on their website. They also advertise on billboards etc. * Place – refers to providing the product at a place, which is convenient for consumers to access.eg. For MS all ladies fashion is placed on a certain floor in the store, so it is easily found and is easy to locate, and find particular product. * Product – Product covers both the usefulness and demand for an item in general and also any specific features and benefits. In general, when buying the fast fashion clothes, style and quality are the key requirements for customer. If it is to stand out from rivals products. It can be done by changing this brand name, quality, and packaging. Eg. MS offers many different clothing concepts for man, woman and children, and also sell accessary and cosmetic.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Gap Inc. in France Essay Example for Free

Gap Inc. in France Essay Since the 16th century, France has been the epicenter of high fashion. From elegant designs of the old royal court to the stylish threads made by contemporary French Fashion Designers like Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Jean-Paul Gaulthier. Im very sure we would all agree that location is a key factor in the success of a business and France is  known to many if not all  as the fashion capital of the world hosting many world renowned designers such as Gucci, Chanel, Prada and many more. The country has advantages in being well known for fashion in that many consumers have often travelled to France to obtain firsthand experience of the beautiful glamorous lifestyles associated with the country of fashion. In terms of tourism, France is the most visited country in the world and hosts seventy-five million visitors a year. The success of the tourism industry through the fashion attraction has help the economy grow in that people from all over the world bring money from various countries to spend in France. What better place to set up a GAP, Inc. like banana republic. With our growing base of loyal customers in our various different locations, both in our stores and online, we’re confident that shoppers in France will have a strong appetite for banana republic’s proposition of affordable luxury, as we open yet another location. Introducing something new and slightly different would most definitely be a challenge but would also attract and build a new customer relation experience. Identifying Global Business Opportunities Siddha Param of Worldwide Business Connection online magazine begins one of his articles with the quote â€Å"Opportunity is very often found in solving existing inefficiencies in a market†. I believe this statement as true because identifying global markets; making a proper assessment the inefficiencies affecting that particular market; and making a strategic move to fill that need, is the formula for creating successful business. For instance, a local water purification company may be looking to expand their markets. They may see where a particular region has been affected with a natural ditsier, economic straits or any number of situations; but where left with the need of fresh water. A smart opportunity would see the needs of that community and began to supply their goods to fulfill the demands that region. This would be an example of solving existing inefficiencies by identifying business opportunities. In most cases of supply and demand with in the global community has practically fulfilled the wants and need of all consumers. Leaving no room existing inefficiencies to be resolved. In the case of introducing GAP Inc. to France, an already established fashion haven, I would have to ask where the opportunity to succeed in this market is. A possible opportunity would be establishing GAP as an affordable alternative for clothing competitors. In doing so, you would have created an inefficiency to be filled thus opening the door successful operations in a new global market. Analyzing International Competitors Potential Competitors: Gap Inc. competes with local, national, and global department stores, specialty and discount store chains, independent retail stores, and online businesses that market similar lines of merchandise, probably too many to mention. But to name a few of these companies, we feel are similar to ours include brands like Zara (owned by a Spanish company Inditex) and H;amp;M (from Sweden). This designer brands cater to the same target market as GAP Inc. they offer high quality clothes at an expensive price and the crowd is willing to pay that much to look good. Competitive Advantage: Gap’s style will be rooted in simple, easy to wear pieces that form the foundation of any wardrobe – the jean, the khaki, and the pocket tee. It will epitomize casual cool which transcends trend making it easy for people to express their personal style. Our company offers a range of great versatile wardrobe solutions, delivering elevated design and luxurious fabrications at approachable prices while combining contemporary and traditional elements to evoke the brand’s essence of affordable modern. Assessment of the Geographic and Economic Environment of France Geographical Influences: France is located in Western Europe, bordering Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. The total area covered by France is 419,328 square miles. This number includes France’s other territories located throughout the world including French Guiana (South America), Guadeloupe (Central America and the Caribbean), Martinique (Central America and the Caribbean), Mayotte (Africa), and Reunion (World). Metropolitan France covers an area of 342,807 square miles. France is the 43rd largest country of the world. In comparison, France is slightly smaller than the state of Texas (World Fact book, 2012). France lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel on the west and northwest, and the Mediterranean Sea on the south giving France access to numerous waterways. Metropolitan France is mostly flat plains and gently rolling hills in the north and west, and the remainder is mountainous, especially the Alps in east and the Pyrenees in the south. France’s geographical location allows for a great business opportunity with access to many other European nations. The climate in France is also welcoming with generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean. Major Products and Industries: France is a significant producer of uranium, bauxite, nickel, iron ore, crude steel, aluminum, and coal. According to French Customs, France is the worlds second largest agricultural producer after the United States (Department of State, 2012). France’s agricultural productions include grain, dairy, pork, poultry, apples, beef, fruits, vegetables, and wine. Current Economic Conditions: The current economic conditions in France are looking good. France is currently transitioning from an economy that was mostly controlled by the government to one that relies more on a market driven system. Being able to operate under this new economic system will allow us to control more aspects within our company. This is definitely something to consider in regards to our foreign direct investment (FDI). Frances current leaders remain committed to capitalism by looking to maintain social equity by means of tax policies, laws, and social spending (Department of State, 2012). France’s GDP is $2. 214 trillion dollars, which is 10th in comparison to the rest of the world (World Fact book, 2012). The French government expects GDP growth of 1. 0% for 2012 (Department of State, 2012). This is a great time for us to open a GAP in France knowing that the economic forecast is looking bright. France is one of the founding members of the European Union (EU) and well respected by other members. The currency used in France as well as other countries within the EU is the euro. One euro is currently equaled to 1. 32705 USD. This is one negative aspect of our business proposal that we will have to deal with. The French government’s current economic policy aims to promote domestic growth and investments. Reducing the high unemployment rate and creating jobs has been a top priority (global EDGE, 2012). Infrastructure of France: This will be a welcoming approach to help solve unemployment issues in France. Cultural Analysis: The ethnic groups within France include Celtic, Latin, Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Sub-Saharan African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities (World Factbook, 2012). Religions in France include Roman Catholic (Majority), Muslim, Protestant, and Jewish. France is home to the largest number of Muslims and Jews in all of Europe. The language spoken in France is French. Throughout history, French has been the international language of commerce and diplomacy (Department of State, 2012). Some of France’s biggest cultural accomplishments include those made to fashion, cinema, and cuisine. Noteworthy, Paris, France is considered one of the fashion capitals of the world and is home to successful fashion brands such as Jean-Paul Gaultier Celine, Chanel, Balenciaga, Chloe, Dior, Givenchy, and Vuitton (ParisDigest, 2012). France’s love for fashion will open great opportunities for our business and help us to establish the GAP brand throughout Europe. The reputable fashion industry in France will can be beneficial for us in the development of our operation guidelines. Social Institutions: France is made up of different ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and cultures which we must consider when executing business activities such as marketing. I would suggest that all employees heading to France to conduct business participate in a cultural awareness program. Informal Trade Barriers: Being a member of the EU has helped France and other European nations maintain healthy trade relations. However, there are some informal trade barriers that may hinder these trade relations. Communication failure is one of the biggest informal trade barriers that exist. A current goal of the French government is to reduce budget deficits to help ensure sustainable growth. In 2008, in order to become more competitive, the National Assembly passed four bills to modernize the economy and reform the labor market (Department of State, 2012). President Sarkozy is credited with increasing the tax credit for investments in small and medium enterprises, as well as eliminating the annual flat business tax. These are definite signs that France is moving in the right direction in regards to their economy, and a great sign that this is the perfect time to establish our business. Formal Trade Barriers: There are two factors that seem to motivate the trend toward globalization. These two factors include declining trade barriers and changes in communication, transportation technologies, and information (Hill, 2011). Regional economic integration has stimulated France’s economy by lowering trade barriers and emplacing fewer restrictions to help increase trade among members of the EU. However, if the EU decides to erect trade barriers on non-EU members, France will have to abide by them. This could cause a negative impact on trade relations with other countries outside of the EU. Trade and investments between France and the United States are extremely strong. France currently ranks as the U. S’s eighth largest trading partner for total goods (Department of State, 2012). Promoting Global Business: Promoting global business is a priority among all EU members, especially France. France has worked to strengthen political and economic influences of the EU throughout the world. France’s drive to promote global business will aid us in the establishment of our business. Tax Implications: Recently, France has been pursuing a policy to reduce corporate tax. Currently the nominal rate of corporate tax is 33. 33% higher than the European average. However, according to international comparative studies, France had the lowest business setup and operating costs in the EU (Invest in France, 2012). These costs include labor, facility costs, transport, utility costs and corporate tax. Selecting a Global Company Structure Strategic Planning In an attempt to broaden our customer base GAP Inc. looks to expand its market into France. Today, Paris, along with London, Milan, and New York City, is considered one of the worlds fashion capitals, and the city is home or headquarters to many of the premier fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior, Vuitton, and many more. Fashion has been an important industry and cultural export of France since the seventeenth century. It is our desire to maintain a permanent presence in the region to capitalize on the long-term growth opportunities of that country. Entry Mode Entry will be gained by establishing facilities in the new market. With the help of independent representatives and agents who reside in the new market, we look to construct and capitalize on the market available to us. Organizational Structure Due to the difficulty of working globally with a centralized functional structure, and the communication gaps that come from working in divisional silos, most modern companies employ a hybrid structure that combines elements of each. We look to do the same thing. There is no single hybrid structure, but rather a range from mostly-functional to mostly-divisional, which varies between companies. We will have a central headquarters that sets strategy and high-level policy, combined with geographic divisions that determine their operational methods, and may have internal functional departments within the division. The Action Plan Our business operations will simply be an extension of what has already been established in the U. S. We look to provide France with its very own unique selection based on the trends of each market and region. Our objectives are to establish a long-term presence in the region through participating in one of the country’s most valued areas and also capitalize on the opportunities available within France. One facility will be used as the starting point of this expansion. We will begin by uniquely designing and advertising clothing that fits the new region of France. With a reputation as one the worlds fashion capitals, we will have to adapt to a higher class of fashion and consistently keep on pace with the latest trends and styles. Specifically we will consult some independent designers residing in the new region and work with them alongside our own designers to collectively create new clothing and designs crafted just for this market. This will be and ongoing process for the beginning of the entry into France. Once a solid customer base has been established we will look to expand and establish more facilities within France including Paris. Product and Target Market Planning Product Concept We have a unique opportunity here to expand the knowledge of our multifaceted company. Although GAP, Inc. is our parent company, Banana Republic, Piperlime, Athleta, and Old Navy are well recognized brands we are proud to provide affordable, classic American style clothing. Product Life Cycle There is a previous history of opening locations within this country and we will continue with these vendors and contractors. Expansion projects in France for the entire brand have been on schedule, on budget, and well established within the community. Branding and Packaging With Stephen Sunnucks as President of Gap Inc. ’s International, we have the talent developed in fashion and local icons at New Look, which topped 700 locations throughout Europe. Colin Funnell runs Gap, Inc. Global Supply and has a record of dependable logistics. Our brand has worldwide recognition for our leadership and for its reliable supply of goods. Target Market The primary target for the GAP stores, which are known as iconic, inventive, and classic American, is the original vision for the founder, Don Fisher, and that is the â€Å"Generation Gap† of the 1960’s, and thus the name â€Å"Gap†. This would be middle aged shoppers of both genders. The clothes in the Gap stores have a more timeless and properness about them. The style is not suggestive or skimpy at all. Banana Republic appeals to a more luxurious taste, fashion forward and youthful shoppers. The shoppers here are more confident, mature, and sophisticated when choosing accessories and fragrance as well. Men and women in their twenties and up will enjoy the finer side of casual dressing. These stores even smell wonderful. Old Navy offers more whimsical and friendly side to affordable fashion for all ages of family members. Colorful and durable make it a working class family’s problem solver. Piperlime is where hot trends, fashion news, and boutique styling all meet. Our shopper here is getting a diverse and creative collection of ladies day and evening dressing. Courageous and adventurous style is common and prices vary by item, so anyone can enjoy this eclectic boutique. Athleta is a line of ladies performance and exercise garments. Strong sponsorship in tournaments and health promotion make ladies seek this store out. From newborn pajamas to prom night accessories to a matriarch’s distinguished garments, we have many bases covered in this family of Gap, Inc. We grow with our clients, literally. We have an extensive presence in the region including national and international advertising, promotion, and logistics ensured by proven leadership and secure contracts. Designing a Global Distribution Strategy Promotional Goals: As we continue to expand our presence internationally, were more aware than ever how our decisions affect the communities in which we do business. And our philosophy will be to seek to make a positive, lasting impact on the people in France. We plan to listen to our customers, and share their expectations. For us, that means looking deeper into our supply chain to ensure that we take a responsible path throughout the product lifecycle, from the source to our stores. Promotional Strategy: We will intensify the presentation of denim and sweats, both of which we feel has been under merchandised, and merchandise additional categories such as accessories, outerwear and swimwear, and finally, create more of a departmental distinction between the mens and womens business, particularly the latter which requires more fixturing for hanging garments as the fashion component increases. Media Plan: Advertising is a way of promoting a business, product or service. Advertising introduces consumers to new products and services. It provides exposure and legitimacy, so the more a business spends on advertising, the more consumers are aware a business exists. Here are some different methods of advertising that we would use; magazines- which will give us a way to target a variety of consumers, television-which will give viewers visual representations of our products, the internet- through the internet we will reach out to more households and business enterprises than any available medium, and lastly, another method of advertising that we would use is word of mouth. We would accomplish this by providing a satisfactory service and product to every customer. Planning a Global Promotion Strategy Distribution Channel: Well-chosen channels constitute a significant competitive advantage, so our products will move directly from us to our consumers. Distribution Barriers: Opening a new location in France will be a good strategic plan for the company but the company will be exposed to social, political and economic risks in France. Import restrictions, including the alterations in tariffs and quotas could influence the importation of our products and add to the company’s cost or diminishes supplies.

Obesity and Addiction: Theories and Concepts

Obesity and Addiction: Theories and Concepts As a want-to-be conscious eater and as an individual susceptible to diabetes through a prevalent family history, I was intrigued by the article Why One Cream Cake Leads To Another published in The Scientist. It caught my eye to learn that maybe there was a scientific reason behind my cravings of Starkbucks’ Frappucinos and Insomnia’s S’mores Deluxe cookies; and maybe there is a valid and researched explanation as to why, when experience of consuming these particular treats, even when â€Å"full†, is it like a bitter sweet ending? Is this a minor case of a food craving? Is there some biochemical reason as to why one feels they must have much and must have it often? Can it be lack of discipline to keep these things a reoccurring part of my diet even when attempting to make my eating habits cleaner and more nutritious? Why One Cream Cake Leads To Another, begins to answer these questions. A chronic high-fat diet is thought to desensitize the brain to the feeling of satisfaction that one normally gets from a meal, causing a person to overeat in order to achieve the same high again. Newer research however, suggests that this desensitization actually begins in the gut itself, where production of a satiety factor, which normally tells the brain to stop eating, becomes dialed down by the repeated intake of high-fat food. High-fat foods produce an endorphin response in the brain when they hit the taste buds; the gut also sends signals directly to the brain to control our feeding behavior. Mice nourished via gastric feeding tubes, which bypass the mouth, exhibit a surge in dopamine—a neurotransmitter promoting reinforcement in the brain’s reward circuitry—similar to that experienced by those eating normally. This dopamine surge occurs in response to feeding in both mice and humans. But evidence suggests that dopamine signaling in the brain is deficient in obese people. Ivan de Araujo, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, has now discovered that obese mice on a chronic high-fat diet also have a muted dopamine response when receiving fatty food via a direct tube to their stomachs. To determine the nature of the dopamine-regulating signal emanating from the gut, Araujo and his team searched for possible candidates. â€Å"When you look at animals chronically exposed to high-fat foods, you see high levels of almost every circulating factor—leptin, insulin, triglycerides, glucose, et cetera,† he said. But one class of signaling molecule is suppressed. Of these, Araujo’s primary candidate was oleoylethanolamide(OEA), food-intake modulators . Not only is the factor produced by intestinal cells in response to food, he said, but during chronic high-fat exposure, â€Å"the suppression levels seemed to somehow match the suppression that we saw in dopamine release.† It is not clear why a chronic high-fat diet suppresses the production of oleoylethanolamide. But once the vicious cycle starts, it is hard to break because the brain is receiving its information subconsciously, said Daniele Piomelli, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, and director of drug discovery and development at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa. â€Å"We eat what we like, and we think we are conscious of what we like, but I think what others are indicating is that there is a deeper, darker side to liking—a side that we’re not aware of,† Piomelli said. â€Å"Because it is an innate drive, you cannot control it.† Put another way, even if you could trick your taste buds into enjoying low-fat yogurt, you’re unlikely to trick your gut. So if eating has much to do with biochemical and people dealing with obesity have a lack thereof, at what point is one addicted to food? Tuomisto, T; Hetherington, Mm; Morris, Mf; Tuomisto, Mt; Turjanmaa, V; Lappalainen, R. (1999) study was to examine similar affective, physiological, and behavioral variables in chocolate addicts and control subjects. Method: Sixteen addicts and 15 control subjects took part in two laboratory experiments in which their heart rate, salivation, and self-reported responses were measured. Results: In the presence of external chocolate cues, chocolate addicts were more aroused, reported greater cravings, experienced more negative affect, and also ate more chocolate than control subjects. Self-report measures on eating attitudes and behavior, body image, and depression confirmed that a relationship exists between chocolate addiction and problem eating. Chocolate addicts showed more aberrant eating behaviors and attitudes than controls, and were also signif icantly more depressed. Discussion: Chocolate addicts may be considered to be a parallel with addicts generally, because they differ from controls in craving for chocolate, eating behavior, and psychopathology (in respect of eating and affect). According to Corwin and Grigson (2009), food addiction is a pervasive, yet controversial, topic that has gained recent attention in both lay media and the scientific literature. The goal of this series of articles is to use a combination of preclinical and clinical data to determine whether foods, like drugs of abuse, can be addictive, the conditions under which the addiction develops, and the underlying neurophysiological substrates. Operational definitions of addiction that have been used in the treatment of human disorders and to guide research in both humans and animals are presented, and an overview of the symposium articles is provided. We propose that specific foods, especially those that are rich in fat and/or sugar, are capable of promoting â€Å"addiction†-like behavior and neuronal change under certain conditions. That is, these foods, although highly palatable, are not addictive per se but become so following a restriction/binge pattern of consumption. Such consumm atory patterns have been associated with increased risk for comorbid conditions such as obesity, early weight gain, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse as well as with relapse and treatment challenges. The topic of food addiction bears study, therefore, to develop fresh approaches to clinical intervention and to advance our understanding of basic mechanisms involved in loss of control. Ifland JR1, Preuss HG, Marcus MT, Rourke KM, Taylor WC, Burau K, Jacobs WS, Kadish W, Manso G. (2009), study found the following: Overeating in industrial societies is a significant problem, linked to an increasing incidence of overweight and obesity, and the resultant adverse health consequences. We advance the hypothesis that a possible explanation for overeating is that processed foods with high concentrations of sugar and other refined sweeteners, refined carbohydrates, fat, salt, and caffeine are addictive substances. Therefore, many people lose control over their ability to regulate their consumption of such foods. The loss of control over these foods could account for the global epidemic of obesity and other metabolic disorders. We assert that overeating can be described as an addiction to refined foods that conforms to the DSM-IV criteria for substance use disorders. To examine the hypothesis, we relied on experience with self-identified refined foods addicts, as well as crit ical reading of the literature on obesity, eating behavior, and drug addiction. Reports by self-identified food addicts illustrate behaviors that conform to the 7 DSM-IV criteria for substance use disorders. The literature also supports use of the DSM-IV criteria to describe overeating as a substance use disorder. The observational and empirical data strengthen the hypothesis that certain refined food consumption behaviors meet the criteria for substance use disorders, not unlike tobacco and alcohol. This hypothesis could lead to a new diagnostic category, as well as therapeutic approaches to changing overeating behaviors. In drug addiction, the transition from casual drug use to dependence has been linked to a shift away from positive reinforcement and toward negative reinforcement. That is, drugs ultimately are relied on to prevent or relieve negative states that otherwise result from abstinence (e.g., withdrawal) or from adverse environmental circumstances (e.g., stress). Recent work has suggested that this dark side shift also is a key in the development of food addiction. Initially, palatable food consumption has both positively reinforcing, pleasurable effects and negatively reinforcing, comforting effects that can acutely normalize organism responses to stress. Repeated, intermittent intake of palatable food may instead amplify brain stress circuitry and downregulate brain reward pathways such that continued intake becomes obligatory to prevent negative emotional states via negative reinforcement. Stress, anxiety and depressed mood have shown high comorbidity with and the potential to trigger bo uts of addiction-like eating behavior in humans. Animal models indicate that repeated, intermittent access to palatable foods can lead to emotional and somatic signs of withdrawal when the food is no longer available, tolerance and dampening of brain reward circuitry, compulsive seeking of palatable food despite potentially aversive consequences, and relapse to palatable food-seeking in response to anxiogenic-like stimuli. The neurocircuitry identified to date in the dark side of food addiction qualitatively resembles that associated with drug and alcohol dependence. The present review summarizes Bart Hoebels groundbreaking conceptual and empirical contributions to understanding the role of the dark side in food addiction along with related work of those that have followed him.  ( Parylak SL1, Koob GF, Zorrilla EP. 2011) So what stands to question, after all this secondary data analysis, is this just another way of demonizing fat? Is food addiction a fact or is it fiction; an excuse built on â€Å"monuments of nothingness?† Must one really hope for another scientific revelation, to overcome bad eating habits? Though many factors go into the food we intake, how much, how often, and how we will or will not obtain enjoyment from it, there are also non-chemical factors. Such as, keep an open and level head about yourself when searching for a food high, it can mean more than your current weight or health, it can mean your life.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Julius Ceasar Flattery :: essays research papers

Flattery will get you nowhere. At the beginning of the story this quote might appear to be false, but as the story unfolds it only leads to the down fall of all involved. Throughout Julius Caesar, both friends and enemies use flattery and manipulation to obtain their goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first main use of flattery is used by Cassius on Brutus in Act 1, Scene 2 and in Act 2, Scene 1. Cassius tries his hardest to force Brutus to join the revolt against Caesar, but Brutus resists, stating his loyalty and faithfulness to Rome. However, after Brutus accidentally blurts out, â€Å"I do fear the people choose Caesar as their king.† Cassius continues his pursuit to convince Brutus to join the conspirators. He thinks the best way to flatter Brutus is by talking about how noble the plebeians view him. Cassius chooses to send Brutus a letter supposedly from a Roman citizen. It boldly states â€Å"Brutus, thou sleep’st. Awake, and see thyself! Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, and redress!† These words persuade him to join the conspirators because he prides how high the public views him and does not want to let them down. Cassius swayed Brutus by complementing him and saying the people depend on him. Without flattering, his nobility Bru tus would probably never have joined the conspirators. In Act 2 Scene 2, there is thunderstorm outside and Caesar’s wife is having a nightmare about her husband’s death. She dreamt that smiling Romans were washing their hands in Caesar's blood. When she awakes, she tells Caesar who tries to calm her by sending the augurers to make a sacrifice. However, the results of the sacrifice do not comfort him, â€Å"They could not find a heart within the beast.† When Decius Brutus comes to take him to the senate, Caesar declares that he will stay home. Caesar tells him about Calphurnia's dreams; Decius Brutus cleverly gives them a flattering interpretation by â€Å"This dream is all misinterpreted. It was a vision fair and fortunate. Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, in which so many smiling Romans bathed, signifies that from you great Rome shall suck reviving blood.† Decius also says that the members of the senate are planning to crown him today, but they might rethink it if the found out he stayed at home due to his wife’s dreams. Decius toyed with Caesar’s pride by flattering him; he caused Caesar to change his mind and go to the senate to be murdered.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Baz Luhrmanns Film Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet Essay -- Papers

Baz Luhrmann's Film Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare's use of language reflects the theatre of his day. There were no elaborate set designs, costumes, lighting or sound effects and there were also only a small number of actors playing many different parts. This could get confusing and therefore the language and imagery had to do all the work for the audience, as the words were the only tools available to help them imagine the scenes vividly. In the prologue of "Romeo and Juliet", line number twelve; "Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage" and the very last words; "our toil shall strive to mend", have significant meaning. These sentences, spoken by the chorus, highlight to the audience the key plot elements to come. It gives the audience an idea of what they are about to watch or read and makes the ensuing action more intelligible. This dramatic convention therefore acts almost like a movie trailer. In Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of the play, the prologue begins with a long shot of a television (within a television), with a reporter speaking to us from inside of it. Behind the reporter's left shoulder are the words "star-crossed lovers" and a symbol of a broken ring. This, in the first minute of the play, already introduces us to the fact that Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers, which is a major theme throughout the entire play. The news reporter then delivers the whole prologue from beginning to end, before the camera zooms further and further in until the point of extreme close up, at which point the prologue changes. This is how Baz Luhrmann achieves a similar effect to Shakespeare's dramatic use of the pr... ...rologue! At the very end of the prologue, the title "Romeo + Juliet" comes up and the 'plus' sign is actually made to suggest a Christian cross. This subtly reminds us of the religious side of the play. This includes the Friar, who is a religious personage, the wedding that Romeo and Juliet have and also the whole theme of destiny and some divinity or higher power looking over and controlling us in life. So in conclusion, this is how Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of the prologue from "Romeo and Juliet" successfully visually highlights Shakespeare's rich language and imagery. We can see how he has gone through the prologue and then fairly systematically translated its deeper meaning, in remarkably creative ways. He effectively translates all the messages of the prologue in a contemporary and entertaining context.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Identity and Violence Analysis Essay -- recognition,

Identity and Violence may seem isolated from each other on a superficial level, but on a deeper analysis both seem to depend on each other. To put in a different way, just as long-stagnant water can give birth to deadly mosquitoes, similarly a logged and rigid definition of identity may lead to violence which could be similar to Aedes. To briefly explain this analogy it’s essential to refer to Charles Taylor who argued that identity is shaped in three ways:- 1) Recognition of identity 2) Absence of identity 3) Misrecognition of identity. All three modes of shaping identity have the potential to bring out violence which is latent. Here, Sigmund Freud’s idea of human instincts being of two kinds: those that conserve and unify and, the instincts to destroy and kill is very significant. These instincts work according to the motive, when individual works for their ‘motive’ that is of shaping the identity leads to use of violent means and ends mostly. Our presentation will include Terrell A. Northup idea of identity as a system of beliefs or a way of construing the world that makes life predictable rather than random. This way, he conceptualizes that social constructs of an identity become so entrenched that the conflict surfaces as violence. The identity first takes the form of threat, which later gets distorted and extremely rigid and ultimately colludes in maintaining the conflict. Thus, it can be said that, identity is central; almost core to individuals and their sense of connectedness to themselves and the society-scope they engage in. Kriesberg examines how there is a formation of not only one's own, but also a sense of identity of the other, which further reinforces the self. Though identities can be both 'ascribed' a... ...llows that the intervention is contingent on the identity dynamics of the groups involved. For instance, peripheral would limit itself to the objective component. Similarly, change in the dynamics of the relationship between parties,will not change the core schema, but alter the nature of the existing relationship between parties. This carries connotations of a relatively enduring change. Changes that occur in the identities of the parties are aimed at reconstructing the core schema, in this case, the perception of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Such would be the case if the Israeli State recognizes the Palestinian State as an equal and de-emphasizes the differences between the two. This level implies a change approximating utopia. The introduction of super ordinate goals establishes a commonality between the groups, forcing them to acknowledge the ‘other’ as more like ‘self’.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Ghani Glass (Strategic Management Report)

Literature Search Strategy â€Å"Strategic Management can be defined as the Art and Science of formulating, implementing and evaluation cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives† [1] â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term which achieves advantage for the organization t Through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations†. [2] Stages of Strategic Management The strategic-management process consists of 3 stages that are; pic] Strategic Analysis This is all about the analyzing the strength of businesses' position and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be assisted by a number of tools, including: †¢ PEST ANALYSIS – a technique for understanding the â€Å"environment† in which a business operates †¢ SCENA RIO PLANNING – a technique that builds various plausible views of possible futures for a business †¢ FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS – a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition in an industry MARKET SEGMENTATION – a technique which seeks to identify similarities and differences between groups of customers or users †¢ DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX – a technique which summarizes the competitive strength of a business’s operations in specific markets †¢ COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – a wide range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summaries a businesses' overall competitive position †¢ CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR ANALYSIS – a technique to identify those areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT ANALYSIS – a useful summary technique for summarizing the key issues arising from an assessment of a business’s â€Å"internal† position and â€Å"exte rnal† environmental influences. STRATEGIC CHOICE This process involves understanding the nature of stakeholder expectations (the â€Å"ground rules†), identifying strategic options, and then evaluating and selecting strategic options. STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION It is the trickiest part†¦ When a strategy has been analyzed and selected, the task is then to translate it into organizational action. VISION STATEMENTS Vision statements are defined by organizations as â€Å"What do we want to become? † [3] â€Å"Strategic visions ought to convey a larger sense of purpose- so that employees see themselves as â€Å"building cathedral† rather than â€Å"laying stones†. [4] MISSION STATEMENTS â€Å"Mission Statements are enduring statements of purpose that distinguish one business from other similar firms. A mission statement identifies the scope of the firm’s operations in product and market terms. † [5] â€Å"A mission describes the organization’s basic function in society in terms of the products and services it produces for its customers†. [6] A clear Mission statement should have each of the following elements: [pic] External Assessment: Porter 5 Forces Model That Shapes Industry The process of performing an external audit must involve as many managers and employees as possible. Awareness of the 5 forces for external assessment can be very useful for the firm as it is able to determine the position of the respective company in the industry. To perform an external audit a company must accumulate competitive intelligence and information about economic social cultural demographic environmental political governmental legal and technological trends. Other sources include magazines, newspaper, internet and business journals. Following are the 5 forces that shape strategy. [7] These 5 forces determine the attractiveness of the industry. If the rivalry is intense, for example in auto and gaming industry, we can say that it has reduced the attractiveness of the industry. Similarly, if the forces are moderate, as they are in industries such as software, soft drinks, and toiletries, many companies are profitable. Industry structure drives competition and profitability, not whether an ndustry produces a product or service, is emerging or mature, high tech or low tech, regulated or unregulated. While a myriad of factors can affect industry profitability in the short run – including the weather and the business cycle – industry structure, manifested in the competitive forces, sets industry profitability in the medium and long run. These five forces are further affected by the external environment which are rather uncontroll able and are widely popular as PEST in Porter theory of 5 forces. They are called Political, Environmental, Social and Technological. Relationship between External forces and Organization [pic][8] Internal Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses A strategic-management audit of a firm’s internal operations is imperative to organization’s health. Increasing number of successful organizations are using the internal audit to gain competitive advantage. Management, marketing, financial/accounting, production / operations and management information systems represent the core competencies of the organizations and their value chains. An organization should identify and evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively formulate and choose among alternative strategies. [9] GENERIC COMPETETIVE STRATEGIES The second central question in competitive strategy is a firm's relative position within its industry. Positioning determines whether a firm's profitability is above or below the industry average. A firm that can position it well may earn high rates of return even though industry structure is unfavorable and the average profitability of the industry is herefore modest. Each of the generic strategies involves a fundamentally different route to competitive advantage, combining a choice about the type of competitive advantage sought with the scope of the strategic target in which competitive advantage is to be achieved. The cost leadership and differentiation strategies seek competitive advantage in a broad range of industry segments, while focus strategies aim at cost advantage (cost focus) or differ entiation (differentiation focus) in a narrow segment. The specific actions required to implement each generic strategy vary widely from industry to industry, as do the feasible generic strategies in a particular industry. While selecting and implementing a generic strategy is far from simple, however, they are the logical routes to competitive advantage that must be probed in any industry. [10] COST LEADERSHIP: Cost leadership is perhaps the clearest of the three generic strategies. In it, a firm sets out to become the low-cost producer in its industry. The firm has a broad scope and serves many industry segments, and may even operate in related industries — the firm's breadth is often important to its cost advantage. The sources of cost advantage are varied and depend on the structure of the industry DIFFERENTIATION: The second generic strategy is differentiation. In a differentiation strategy, a firm seeks to be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It selects one or more attributes that many buyers in an industry perceive as important, and uniquely positions itself to meet those needs. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. FOCUS: The third generic strategy is focus. This strategy is quite different from the others because it rests on the choice of a narrow competitive scope within an industry. The focuser selects a segment of group of segments in the industry and tailors its strategy to serving them to the exclusion of others. By optimizing its strategy for the target segments, the focuser seeks to achieve a competitive advantage in its target segments even though it does not possess a competitive advantage overall. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: A firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is â€Å"stuck in the middle. † It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. If a firm that is stuck in the middle is lucky enough to discover a profitable product or buyer, competitors with a sustainable competitive advantage will quickly eliminate the spoils. In most industries, quite a few competitors are stuck in the middle. Ghani Glass – An Introduction: The founder of Ghani Group Sheikh Abdul Ghani (late) started business in 1963 and established a coal / silica sand mining firm in the name of Ahmad Brothers and Company. Now, the group is running a diverse range of businesses including three glass manufacturing plants, an automobile plant and a number of leading mining companies have an annual turnover of over Rs. 8 Billion. The origins of this group can be found in the mining industry given its involvement in coal, salt and sand mining since 1959. The substantial strategic benefits of vertical integration led them to consider venturing into the manufacturing field in subsequent years. The chosen manufacturing field was glass manufacturing due to the robust demand for glass products in the country. The Ghani Group was not new to the glass manufacturing industry. They had been supplying silica sand to the glass industries four decades back. Their dedication to quality and customer service allowed them to land an exclusive 25 year excellence certificate from Phillips. Their venture into the manufacturing field took the form of Ghani Glass, incorporated in 1992 and starting production in 1995, forming the first step on the road to success of Ghani Glass limited, which today own three glass plants namely GGL1 – Hattar, GGL2 – Landhi and GGL3 – Sheikhupura Road. Companies of the Group The diversified businesses operating under the umbrella of Ghani Group are as follows: †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Hattar (GGL-I) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Karachi (GGL-II) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Sheikhupura (Float Glass Plant) †¢ Ghani Automobiles Limited (formerly Ghani Textile Ltd. †¢ Makerwall Collieries Limited †¢ Ghani Mines (Pvt. ) Limited; †¢ Ghani Chromites Mines Pvt. Limited †¢ Ghani Corporation †¢ Ahmed Ghani Joint Venture †¢ Al-Muhandus Corp. †¢ Ahmed Brothers and Co. Vision: To indulge in honesty, integrity and self determination, to encourage excellence in performance and most of all to put our trust in Allah, so that we, eventually through our efforts and belief, become the leader amongst glass manufacturers not only in Pakistan but in Asia. Mission: The company has no mission statement and according to them, their vision connotes their mission. External Environment Porter’s Five Forces Applying Porter’s five forces to the Glass Industry allows us to acquire a fair view of the potential attractiveness in terms of profitability of the industry and Attractiveness. | | |Yes |~ |No | |A | |(+) | |(–) | | |Threat of New Entrants | | | | | |Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in your segment of the industry? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any Proprietary product differences in your industry? | | |[pic] | | |Are there any established brand identities in your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do your customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? | |[pic] | | |Is a lot of capital needed to enter your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is serviceable used equipment expensive? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer to your industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does experience help you to continuously lower costs? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer have any problems in obtaining the necessary skilled people, materials or | | | | | |supplies? |[pic] | | | | |Does your product or service have any proprietary features that give you lower cost? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any licenses, insurance or qualifications that are difficult to obtain? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Can the newcomer expect strong retaliation on entering the market? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | The threat of new entrants is significantly low as there is high capital investment required for establishing a manufacturing facility in this industry. Besides, the current players in market are well settled and have strong brand identities. Incase any new firm wants to enter this industry; it will be faced with predicaments in setting-up distribution links as the existing companies have substantial control over main channels. PEST ANALYSIS P: The Government of Pakistan has certain regulations related to establishment of a manufacturing facility. All new firms are subject to different licensing and regulatory procedures and the industry’s tax structure in also not supportive. E: Primarily, the economic conditions do not affect the behavior of this industry as glass has no direct substitutes and all the buyers including domestic and commercial ones are bound to buy glass when they need it. S: With a strong cultural heritage, Pakistanis are well known for their arts and crafts. The words beautification and decoration are directly related with glass. Besides basic usage, people decorate their houses with vases and other decorative items made up of glass (mainly float glass). Hence, the social and societal values are in favor of this industry. T: Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and one of the basic reasons for that is lagging behind in the field of technology. The technology required in this industry is not only expensive but the manufacturing / processing equipments are also not easily available in Pakistan. All existing companies have to import the machines from countries such as Japan, Germany and China. | | |Yes |~ |No | |B | |(+) | |(–) | | |Bargaining Power of Buyers | | | | | |Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? | | |[pic] | | |Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? | | |[pic] | | |Does the buyer need a lot of important information? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is there anything that prevents your customer from taking your function in – house? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. | |[pic] | | |Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding. |[pic] | | | | |Your customer’s business are profitable |[pic] | | | | |You provide incentives to the de cision makers. |[pic] | | | In this industry bargaining power of buyers is very low. This is due to low number of producer of glass compare to large number of buyers of glass. There are hardly four companies existing in this industry. PEST ANALYSIS P: As such, the politico legal system has not influenced the bargaining power of customers in this industry. Even in the turbulent times, the company has been successful in achieving sales targets and net income is continuously showing an upward trend. E: Economic conditions do not impact the bargaining power of buyer in this industry because the offerings of Ghani Glass are quite high in quality as compared to that of others. S: The float glass has become an indispensable element of modern infrastructure thereby; it has resulted in an increase in demand and decrease in bargaining power of buyers. T: The element of technology is very significant in glass industry and the processes involve high-tech machinery which makes superior glass. It can, therefore, be concluded that technology factor is lessening the buyers’ power. |C | |Yes |~ |No | | |Threat of Substitutes |(+) | |(–) | | |The industry is growing rapidly. | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Industry is Not Cyclical with intermittent over capacity. | | |[pic] | | |The fixed costs of the business are a relatively low portion of total costs. | | |[pic] | | |There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. | |[pic] | | |It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and | | |[pic] | | |facilities or long-term contract commitments, etc. | | | | | |My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. | | |[pic] | | |My product is comple x and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. | | |[pic] | | |My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. | |[pic] | PEST ANALYSIS P: Political conditions of our country don’t hit the rivalry factor of this industry up to large extent. But when small players in the industry leave the business due to unrelenting political mayhems, big players like Ghani Glass take the advantage of a decrease in competition, direct or indirect. E: The GDP of our country is growing and so is per capita income. Glass is a commodity where consumption is dependent on income. As incomes of individuals and corporations tend to increase, the consumption of glass also increases. Glass is also used in bottling of soft drinks, medicines and automobile industry. The consumption of consumer goods also helps glass industry to endure economic slowdowns. S: Since the social factors are causing an increase in demand for glass, every player gets a chance cater certain segment of users. Thus it reduces the intensity of rivalry among the exiting competitors. T: Due to the enhancement in technology and emergence of internet, both domestic and corporate customers have easy access to different suppliers thus it is increasing the rivalry among the existing competitors. F | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Opportunities |   |   |   | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 20 |4 |0. 80 | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply rising demand in |0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |construction of business arcade (in which float glass is the main | | | | |ingredient) | | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince Glass which is |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | |technologically well-equipped | | | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional conglomerates in |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |pursuit of globalization | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in Afghanistan, Iran and Indian |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |markets. | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | |Threats | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 0 |3 |0. 30 | |The emergence of substitute products such as aluminum and wood |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium and Malaysian Float Glass |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 05 | INTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION | |IFE MATRIX | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Strengths |   |   |   | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |2. Team Vigilance |0. 10 |3 |0. 20 | |3. Loyalty of employees |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their business |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |5. Better product quality compared to rivals |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |6. A widely recognized brand |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | |7. Strong distribution channels |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  8. Dedicated human resource at managerial levels |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | | |   | |Weaknesses | | | | |9. Weak R & D related to new product development |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 | |10. Lack of technically-sound labour |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  11. Not upgraded training facilities for labor |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 15 | COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX (CPM) | | |Ratings |Total |Ratings |Total | |Product Quality |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Technology |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Advertisement & Communication |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |1 |0. 05 | |Financial Position |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Management |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Market share |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Competition |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |1 |0. 10 | |Price Competitiveness |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 |2 |0. 20 | |Dedicated Human Resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Distribution Channels |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 20 | |2. 20 | Competitors Analysis Pharmaceutical Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Float Glass Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 75% in this industry. Food & Beverages Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Major Customers: Leading national and multinational companies of Pakistan †¢ Construction companies – local and multinational †¢ Architectural and engineering companies †¢ Also being exported to over 12 countries KEY SUCCESS FACTORS UNMATCHED QUALITY: Ghani Glass is successful because of the quality it offers. In connivance wi th same, they charge a premium price and this results in high profit margins. Consequently, the company has more money to reinvest. STRONG DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ALL OVER PAKISTAN: Ghani Glass has successfully formed a strong distribution network by giving better margins to distributors. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY: Ghani Glass uses the most advanced technology in the industry. The company installed its first state on the art plant in 1993. Later on, the company set-up first Float Glass manufacturing facility in 2003. Since then, they are constantly improving their technology and resultantly, they have been able to make quality oriented products and it helped them in becoming a trend setter and market leader. MARKETING STRATEGIES: Word of mouth is the most important tool which they have used for the promotion of their products. They have also used billboards and personnel selling tools to promote their products. In nutshell, they were able to position their product as the best in terms of quality through marketing strategy. This also increased their brand equity. SKILLED ENGINEERS HIRED FROM FOREIGN MARKETS: In Pakistan, the education level is backward that has led to lack of availability of skilled labour in the country. Also there is such institution in Pakistan that engineer can be trained to handle the technology. Therefore to overcome this hindrance they have hired employee mainly engineer from foreign market. As compare to their rival their engineer are more skillful and efficient. DEDICATED HUMAN RESOURCE & EMPLOYEES: Ghani Glass provides is staffs with three time meal that is breakfast, lunch and dinner free of cost. It means that they make sure their employee and labors are fit and healthy. It is due to their policy that their labor has become dedicated and hard working. Company makes sure that no labor or employee is ill-treated. They follow strictly the labor law which has made the labor and employee loyal to the company. Core Competencies: – Technology: The company is using superior technology as compared to others in market and it has helped them in retaining market leadership status. – Dedicated HR: The employees are extremely loyal and the company is using strategic tactics to retain their motivation level. For instance, there are no overtimes and each and every employee is given free meals throughout the day. – Product Innovation: Ghani Glass is leading the industry by innovating round the year and becoming pioneer in every segment of glass industry. Value Chain Financial Ratio Trends Financial Ratio Trends |Ratios |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Activity Ratio | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |6. 55 |6. 13 |5. 67 |4. 04 |2. 0 | | | | | | | | |Fixed Asset Turnover |1. 86 |1. 78 |1. 6 |1. 45 |2. 68 | | | | | | | | |Total Asset Turnover |1. 04 |0. 78 |0. 79 |0. 86 |1. 04 | Analysis Ghani Glass is the market leader of its industry. It is financially sound with increasing returns and stable inventory control. Following is an in depth analysis of Ghani Glass Ratios: LIQUIDITY RATIO Liquidity ratio examines the liquidity position of the company. This means, whether the company has enough liquid or cash or inventory to cope up with its short term liabilities and expenses. The current ratio FY2005 was 2. 9 which is very high. Ghani had a lot of liquid FY2005 which was idle and needed to be invested back in the company, and hence doing so GHANI reduces its current ration to 1. 98 FY2009 which is still very high, but it defines GHANI to be in a strong position with enough liquid to cope with short term liabilities. Quick Ratio describes whether the company is able to pay its short term liabilities without relying on its inventory. GHANI FY2009 has an adequate quick ratio of 1. 05, hence defining GHANI to be in a better position even if it runs short of inventory. Price to earning ratio, though has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06x in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical , law and order situation. Profitability Ratio Ghani has been able to produce good profits and returns for its investors. Ghani has been able to maintain its Gross Profit Margin between 25-30% and Net profit Margin between 15-20%. This explains a balanced business operation that has been able Ghani to maintain this level of profits, despite deteriorating political and economic conditions. Return on Capital employed has been increasing since 2006. In 2006, the return on capital employed was 12. 06% but now has been increased to 25. 65% which is clearly overwhelming. It clearly shows that Ghani have been successful in producing excellent returns but every penny invested in the company by its investors. This proves Ghani to be a market leader and why Ghani is financially sound. Price to earning ratio, though ,has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06 xs in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical, law and order situation. MATCHING STAGES THE Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix is another important Stage 2 matching tool of formulation framework. It explains that what is our strategic position and what possible action can be taken. It is not closed matrix. It is prepared on graph. It is closed matrix. This follow counter clock wise direction. It contains four-quadrant named aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive strategies. The axes of the SPACE Matrix represent two internal dimensions financial strength [FS] and competitive advantage [CA]) and two external dimensions (environmental stability [ES] and industry strength [IS]). These four factors are the most important determinants of an organization's overall strategic position. |Financial Strength (FS) |Rating | | | | |1. Return on investment |+4 | |2. Leverage |+3 | |3. Liquidity |+3 | |4. Cash Flow |+3 | Financial Strength: Ghani has a strong Financial Condition with increasing returns and has enough liquidity to cope with its short term liabilities. |Industry Strength (IS) |Rating | | | | |1. Growth Potential |+4 | |2. Profit Potential |+3 | |3. Technological know-how |+3 | |4. Financial Stability |+3 | Industry Strength The growth potential of the entire Glass industry has been on the higher side since the demand of glasses in households and offices had taken shape in our businesses and daily lives. Financial stability is quite positive in the industry as Ghani has been performing well along with its competitors who are located in the informal sector of the market. Technology is an important factor here as people get more and more aware of the new technologies coming in the market & their benefits the more they will demand it as influenced by the external as well as internal forces. Profit potential in the industry is quite high as population & demand are ever growing factor. Environmental Stability (ES) |Rating | | | | |1. Technological Changes |-2 | |2. Barriers to entry into market |-2 | |3. Competitive Pressure |-1 | |4. Price range of competing products |-3 | Environmental Stability Barriers to entry are low as Technology required for producing glass is very high. Competitive pressure is low du e to only 2 major companies in the Industry. Also price range of competing product is stable in the industry Competitive Advantage Ghani has excellent market share which accounts for 71% in the market. Ghani has a good product quality to cater to its audiences. The industry doesn’t necessary has customer loyalty and any customer would be looking for good quality affordable glass irrespective of the producer of the glass. |Competitive Advantage (CA) |Rating | |1. Market Share |-1 | |2. Product Quality |-2 | |3. Customer Loyalty |-3 | |4. Technological know how |-1 | SPACE MATRIX RESULT |x-axis: 5 + -2 = 3 | |y-axis: 6 + -3. 25 = 2. 75 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | |POSITION |   |   |   |   |   |   |COMPETITIVE | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | | | | | |IV |V |VI | | | | | |VII |VIII |IX | [pic] 3 to 4 [pic] 2 to 2. 99 [pic] 1 to 1. 99 |STRENGTH |WEAKNESSES | | |Superior Technology than competitor. |Weak R&D related to new product development | | |Team Vigilant |Lack of Abundant quantity of quality labor | | |Skilled and abreast with knowledge employers|Not upgraded training facilities for Labor | | |Ample financial resources to reinvest and | | | |grow their business. | | |Better product quality relative to rivals | | | |A Widely recognize market leader | | | |Strong Distribution channel | | | |Dedicated Human resources | | |OPPORTUNITIES | Strengths-Opportunities SO |Weakness-Opportunities WO | |Increasing demand of glass products | |With increasing demand of glass products, | | |With superior technology, better skilled |Ghani glass should improve its research and | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |employees and increasing demand of glass, |development department. (W1 O1) | | |Ghani Glass can pursue product development | | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply |by producing products such as bowls and |Partnering and ventures with regional | |rising demand in construction of business |glass crockery. (O1 S1 S3 S4) |conglomerates will bring in skilled labor. |arcade in which float glass is the main |Ghani should export glass to Afghanistan (S4|(O5 W2) | |ingredient |O6) | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince |Ghani should install plant in Iran (S4 O6) | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |With ample financial resources, Ghani Glass | | |well-equipped |can acquire small businesses in the | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional|industry. (O4 S4) | | |conglomerates in pursuit of globalization | | | |Uprising demand in Afghanistan and Iran | | | |markets. | | |THREATS |Strengths-Threats ST |Weakness-Threats WT | |Gas Load Shedding |Increase trade promotion as a proactive |Ghani R&D should produce new products to | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |measure to silent emerging rivals. (S4 S5 S6|compete with emerging rivals like Khawaja | |The emergence of substitute products such as |T2) |Glass. (W1 T2) | |aluminum and wood |Negotiate with the Government to receive | | |Importing of glass from China, Saudi Arab, |exemption in Gas Load Shedding. T2 O6) | | |Malaysia a nd Belgium | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From the I-E Matrix it can be concluded that Ghani Glass is internally very strong with the IFE of 3. 15 and EFE weighted score of 3. 05 which means that it lies on the first quadrant of the I-E matrix. Company lying on the first quadrant of the matrix are suppose to adopt aggressive strategy. Company which lies on Quadrant I,II or IV are suppose to grow and build. Here Ghani Glass lies in First Quadrant so it should Grow and build its market which means it has to adopt aggressive strategy such as forward integration, Market penetration or product development. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE Q S P M | |Key Success Factors |Weight |Market Develop. In Iran & |Product Development (Glass | | | |Afghanistan |Crockery) | | |AS | | |TAS | | | |TAS |AS | | |Opportunities | | | | | | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 0 | | | | | | | |4 |0. 80 | |0. 60 | | | | | |3 | | |Forward integration (opening retail |0. 10 | | | | | |outlets) | |- |- |1 | | | | | | | |0. 0 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply | | | | | | |rising demand in construction of business | | | | | | |arcade in which float glass is the main | | | | | | |ingredient | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 5 | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince|0. 15 | | | | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | |well-equipped | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Partnerships and joint ventures with |0. 05 | 2 |0. 10 |2 |0. 10 | |regional conglomerates in pursuit of | | | | | |globalization | | | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in |0. 05 | | | | | |Afghanistan and Iran markets. | | | |3 | | | | |2 |0. 10 | |0. 15 | |   | | | | | | |Threats | | | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 0 | | | | | | | |- |- | | | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 10 | | |2 | | | | | | | |0. 20 | |The emergence of substitute products such |0. 05 |- |- |- |- | |as aluminum and wood | | | | | | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium made and |0. 05 | 3 | 0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |Malaysian Float Glass | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | | | | | | | |Strengths | | | | | | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |2. Team Vigilant |0. 10 |- | | | | |3. Skilled and abreast with knowledge |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |employers | | | | | | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | |business | | | | | | |5. Better product quality relative to |0. 10 |- | |2 |0. 20 | |rivals | | | | | | |6. A Widely recognize market leader |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |3 |0. 15 | |7. Strong Distribution channel |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |8. Dedicated Human resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 0 | |Weaknesses | | | | | | |9. Weak R&D related to new product |0. 10 |- | |1 |0. 10 | |development | | | | | | |10. Lack of Abundant quantity of quality |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |- | | |labor | | | | | | |11. Not upgraded training facilities for |0. 5 |- | |- | | |Labor | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 60 | |2. 35 | Interpretation of QSMP After tho roughly analyzing the QSPM scores, it can be concluded that the Market Development in Afghanistan and Iran is much more feasible rather than opting for product development. The pitfall in applying this strategy can the cultural mismatch in the organization. Balanced Business Scorecard | | | [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] ———————– [1] Fred R. David, Strategic Management Concept and Cases 12th Edition. p. 4 2 Johnson and Scholes, Planning and Strategic Management, 1999. p. 10 [2] Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 [3] Thompson, Strategic Management 13th edition p. 40 5 Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 6 Mintzberg [4] Strategic Management by Thompson, 13th edition p. 80 [5] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th edition p. 73 [6] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th Edition p. 104 [7] Creating and sustaining superior performance by Michael E. Porter Free Press, 1998 (1985) ———————– 10 2 1 3 1 10 4 10 1 2 10 1 3 10 1 [pic] Objective 1. Continuous training and development 2 Organizational cultures which encourages change and development. Measure Create a supportive work environment & corporate culture. Target 1. Increased one-to one contact at all levels; 2. Real time communication. 3. Collective decision making Initiative 1. Empowerment. 2. Restructuring of Human Resource department and policies. Learning & Growth Initiative Simplify procedures and streamline workflows. Target More strategic acquisitions of small players Measure Engineering efficiency, continuous technology adoption Objective To bring continuous improvement in business processes and reduce costs Internal Processes Objective To strengthen relationship with customers. Measure Number of co-operative efforts Target Maximum customer participation and involvement Initiative Increase focus on check-in services. Customer Objective Increasing profit by 3% in F. Y 2010 Initiative Trade promotions locally and internationally Target Retain Market Domination Measure Strive for an incline in Sales Revenue Financial TOWS Matrix AMMa