Individual and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual and society - Essay Example Psychosocial explanations have emerged in an attempt to explain the different holdings on sex and gender values. This essay will discuss the new unifying religion in the society in relation to the different explanations used to describe the interpersonal and societal relations. The essay will also discuss on the love personality of Victoria Beckham and Hillary Clinton together with my view of their involvement into romantic affairs. The essay will also incorporate the societal expression of romantic love and the different perceptions in the modern society compared with the traditional expressions. Other groups that have emerged to express on gender issues include human sexuality researchers, religious liberals, and secularists. Others have described romantic love and desire to be a different religion and have dominated in areas like America. They believe that it is one religion that brings total fulfillment and is covered in music, movies, and writings too (Brown, 2006: 183). The modernized societies give individuals the freedom to choose on their involvement into romantic affairs at the individual desire to do so. This is unlike in the traditional societies where individual choice of partners was not given the opportunity and rather the elderly in the society did match making. According to the American’s love religion, they have even set aside a high holy day of the romantic faith in February and they call it Valentine’s day. This religion recognizes that shortcomings and disappointments are inevitable since the standards set by individuals are too hard for humans to meet (Beck & Gernsheim-Beck, 1999: 76). This religion recognizes the individual desires to give pleasure at the expense of other sources of joy like sports, play, friendship, careers, and travelling, which give pleasures from different dimensions. The religion holds that, lack of romantic love results to isolation and malnutrition of emotions. There exists detrimental effects of

Evolution of Orangutans Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Orangutans Essay Orangutans are apes with reddish-brown hair that originated 2 million-100,000 years ago. Orangutans are categorized the Hominidae family, which is commonly known as the Great Apes. Orangutans live in Asia, only found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. They are known for their long arms which can reach to a length of 7m, fingertip to fingertip (See Appendix A, Fig. 1). There is no real evidence of who the orangutan’s ancestors were. The primate lineage was thought to start 65 million years ago; this began as the Euarchonta which lead to the primates present today(See Appendix A, Fig. ). Primates were divided into two groups called Strepsirrhines, which included lemurs and lories, and Haplorhines, which included tarsiers, monkeys, and apes. After 35 million years, the Haplorhines split into another two groups called Platyrrhini, which included the New World monkeys of South and Central America, and the Catharinni, the Old World monkeys of Africa and Asia, and apes. About 10-15 million years after that, the group split into two superfamillies called Cercopithecoidea which includes Old World monkeys, and Hominoidea, which includes apes. Some researchers say that the orangutan originated from Lufengpithecus, while others say that they originated from Sivapithecus. Lufengpithecus has four species; Lufengpithecus lufengensis, Lufengpithecus hudienensis, Lufengpithecus keiyuanensis and Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis. Lufengpithecus lufengenis fossil was found in lignite beds at the Shihuiba Locality in Lufeng County, Yunnan, China. It was thought to represent Sivapithecus because of the similarities between the species. The Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis fossil, that dates back 10-13. million years ago, was discovered not long ago in Thailand. Researchers think that the Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis is the closest to the orangutan because of the shape of its jaw, and because it was found in Thailand near where the orangutans live today. But there is no true evidence that the Lufengpithecus is the ancestor of the orangutan by just looking at their face structure and where it was found (See Appendix A, Fig. 3). Sivapithecus lived in the woodlands of Central Asia 8-12. million years ago. It was about 5 feet long, weighing about 50-75 pounds. It had feet like a chimpanzee and it had a diet of plants with large canines. The large canines were used to eat tough tubers and stems rather than fruits. This species was when early primates came down from trees and started to explore the grasslands. Other than it’s chimpanzee like feet, its face resembled an orangutan (See Appendix A, Fig. 4). Sivapithecus mainly lived on the ground because of the size of their body. One of the things that a Sivapithecus could do is walk standing upright like a human. Standing upright for a Sivapithecus wasnt so easy as they didnt always have balance when using their hind limbs so they used their forearms to help. Walking vertically helped the Sivapithecus by walking on the ground rather than climbing trees, so they didnt need to use the trees to move around.. Walking on the ground might not have been an option because there were some areas that didnt have a lot of vegetation. As the continents were drifting apart, there was a decrease in vegetation. This was an environmental pressure for the Sivapithecus because it made them rely on their hind limbs to move around the area. Sivapithecus was so flexible that it made it easier to swing and climb trees. The extension and stable joints in their body gave them a huge advantage and helped them in the ability of hanging and swinging around in trees. There isn’t a lot of information about the ancestors of the orangutan and how it evolved because there isn’t enough evidence. Some researchers say the Lufengpithecus is the ancestor and some say the Sivapithecus is, but no one is absolutely sure if either of those two species are the actual ancestors of the orangutan. Just like the species Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis, which was discovered about 8 or 9 years ago, there may be a species not yet discovered and it might be the orangutan’s ancestor. From what researchers found, they don’t fully know how the orangutan evolved.

Responses to Poems :: War Poems Poetry Literature Essays

Responses to Poems Poetry is known to stimulate powerful responses in readers. Examine your reactions to these poems. How do they make you feel and why? Analyse the link between the various techniques used by the poets and your personal response. Use detailed references to the poems to support your comments. Reactions: #1 Reader feels disturbed; unsettled, because (No more Hiroshimas) d and u poet speaks about relics of the attack that remind us people were the victims of these attacks, not just buildings or far-off governments or high-flown principles (The Day After) d and u reader does not know who is right and who is wrong-what should the Americans have done rather than cause so much suffering? Was there another way to end the war? Could the countries have worked something out? (Monuments of Hiroshima) u only was a 'wooden box' too much to ask for? We should give the victims of the attacks some more substantial monuments, something that respects their courage or at least their individuality-makes reader think (Ghosts, Fire, Water) d and u the reader almost feels scared, frightened of the ghosts, who are reaching out their hands and blaming us, and he/she wants to run away, or find some excuse for the bombings, but cannot reader also wants to deny that he/she ever stopped "loving others", but cannot These poems make the reader feel unsettled. In "No More Hiroshimas", the poet describes Hiroshima as "a town like any other//Ramshackle, muddy, noisy". This makes the reader feel bad, and wonder why, if Hiroshima was so ordinary, it had to be destroyed. It makes the reader question how random the attacks that day were, and how much was planned. The poet also speaks of relics of the attack with great vividness and descriptive language: "The bits of burnt clothing,//The stopped watches, the torn shirts.//The twisted buttons". These relics are all to do with people; i.e., they are clothes or shoes or jewellery. The poet uses this vibrant imagery to remind us people were the victims of these attacks, not just buildings or far-off governments or high-flown principles. The reader realizes how inhumane the attack on Hiroshimawas. In "The Day After", the reader feels uncertain because the poet has left him/her 'sitting on the fence', unsure of whom is right or wrong. Edward Lowbury describes Hiroshima's pain with such intensity one cannot help but feel for the people-yet he also tells the reader "every scar of it's their fault". #2 Reader feels sad, because (No more Hiroshimas) The bomb left an ordinary, run-of-the-mill town in pieces; killed its people, destroyed its beautiful landmarks, and above all, saw that Hiroshima would, in a Responses to Poems :: War Poems Poetry Literature Essays Responses to Poems Poetry is known to stimulate powerful responses in readers. Examine your reactions to these poems. How do they make you feel and why? Analyse the link between the various techniques used by the poets and your personal response. Use detailed references to the poems to support your comments. Reactions: #1 Reader feels disturbed; unsettled, because (No more Hiroshimas) d and u poet speaks about relics of the attack that remind us people were the victims of these attacks, not just buildings or far-off governments or high-flown principles (The Day After) d and u reader does not know who is right and who is wrong-what should the Americans have done rather than cause so much suffering? Was there another way to end the war? Could the countries have worked something out? (Monuments of Hiroshima) u only was a 'wooden box' too much to ask for? We should give the victims of the attacks some more substantial monuments, something that respects their courage or at least their individuality-makes reader think (Ghosts, Fire, Water) d and u the reader almost feels scared, frightened of the ghosts, who are reaching out their hands and blaming us, and he/she wants to run away, or find some excuse for the bombings, but cannot reader also wants to deny that he/she ever stopped "loving others", but cannot These poems make the reader feel unsettled. In "No More Hiroshimas", the poet describes Hiroshima as "a town like any other//Ramshackle, muddy, noisy". This makes the reader feel bad, and wonder why, if Hiroshima was so ordinary, it had to be destroyed. It makes the reader question how random the attacks that day were, and how much was planned. The poet also speaks of relics of the attack with great vividness and descriptive language: "The bits of burnt clothing,//The stopped watches, the torn shirts.//The twisted buttons". These relics are all to do with people; i.e., they are clothes or shoes or jewellery. The poet uses this vibrant imagery to remind us people were the victims of these attacks, not just buildings or far-off governments or high-flown principles. The reader realizes how inhumane the attack on Hiroshimawas. In "The Day After", the reader feels uncertain because the poet has left him/her 'sitting on the fence', unsure of whom is right or wrong. Edward Lowbury describes Hiroshima's pain with such intensity one cannot help but feel for the people-yet he also tells the reader "every scar of it's their fault". #2 Reader feels sad, because (No more Hiroshimas) The bomb left an ordinary, run-of-the-mill town in pieces; killed its people, destroyed its beautiful landmarks, and above all, saw that Hiroshima would, in a

Al Qaeda 4

Paper 1 – Al-Qaeda 10/19/10 It would not at all be surprising if this decade comes to be known as the decade of terrorism in years to come. Since the turn of the millennium, terrorism, maybe more than any other global issue or topic, has plagued the world stage with constant news and horror. It can be argued that terrorism is a problem with no solution and no end in sight. The Islamic militant group, Al-Qaeda, is the most well known terrorist organization in the world.Al-Qaeda has been held accountable for some of the most tragic and horrifying acts of terror in history. Still, many people do not fully understand what Al-Qaeda is, who is behind it, and why it exists. A fluid, agreed-upon definition does not exist for the extremist organization, run by Osama bin Laden and responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks, but rather a multitude of beliefs on the number, strength, and whereabouts of Al-Qaeda. Most researchers and historians point to August 11th, 1988 as the o rigin of Al-Qaeda as an organized group.However, it was the events leading up to this meeting that caused Osama bin Laden and a small group of extremist leaders to officially organize what had grown into a large, strong Islamic following. From December 1979 through February 1989, the Soviet Union was engaged in a war with Afghanistan. The communist Soviet Union allied with the Afghan Marxist regime in order to fight the native Afghan mujahideen (Burke and Allen). The United States channeled funds to the native Afghanis in order to stop the spread of communism by the Soviet Union in a CIA program called Operation Cyclone.There are many people today that are of the belief that it was this CIA program that kick started Al-Qaeda, and that the US was directly responsible for the growth and success of the same terrorist organization that executed the most devastating attack on US soil (Dixon). Once the war ended, Osama bin Laden met with the leader of the Egyptian Islamic-Jihad, Abdullah Azzam and planned to expand their newly founded organization. Al-Qaeda relocated to Sudan from 1992 to 1996.During this time, Al-Qaeda grew through various forms of terrorist attacks, until the Saudi Arabian government exiled Osama bin Laden and forced him and his followers to once again relocate to avoid conflict (Bergen). After the Soviets left Afghanistan, there was a period of great turmoil and anarchy that took hold. There was no established form of government, and many separate groups claimed the rights to certain territories throughout the country. This was the perfect time for bin Laden and Al-Qaeda to return home and regain power in Afghanistan.They teamed up with the Taliban, an organization that garnered its strength through the education and training of children. The Taliban had been the most successful group to rise to power, and many recognized them as the governing entity in Afghanistan. With the protection and support from the Taliban, bin Laden was able to mobilize and organize Al-Qaeda into a dominant and strategically planned terrorist organization (Burke and Allen). Al-Qaeda’s mission has been summarized as â€Å"centralization of decision and decentralization of execution. In other words, bin Laden hoped to form a group in which he and a few close advisors would set out guidelines and make decisions for the smaller cells that would then spread around throughout the world and execute his attacks. Structurally, Al-Qaeda is formed just like any other corporation, with senior executives at the top and then smaller, less powerful roles towards the bottom. Bin Laden is the emir, which is the highest power in the organization, almost king-like. Ayman al-Zawahiri is Al-Qaeda's Deputy Operations Chief, and is known as bin Laden’s second in command.Similar to other organizations and corporations, Al-Qaeda has several divisions that handle issues specific to their role. First, the Military Operative is the most destructive and infamous . It is responsible for training soldiers, acquiring weapons, and planning attacks around the world. Second, the Money/Business Committee is responsible for providing the funding for the training operatives and attacks, using the hawala banking system (informal value transfer system that is not used in the United States).The Law Committee rules on whether certain actions follow Islamic law. The Islamic Study/Fatwa Committee issues religious edicts, also known as fatwas, that the rest of the organization and even the territory it controls must follow. For example, in 1998, Al-Qaeda issued a fatwa that all Muslims should kill any American if given the chance. The most recent addition to Al-Qaeda has been the formation of As-Sahab, Al-Qaeda’s media outlet that supplies video and audio recordings and sends them out to the rest of the world (Inside Al-Qaeda).Tapes of bin Laden have been released to the United States where he takes responsibility for the September 11th attacks, as well as numerous other hateful speeches about the evils of Western culture and perceived Muslim intolerance. Although there is a large following of people that believe Al-Qaeda has been dismantled and broken down since the War on Terror, evidence still points to a structurally organized and strategically planned organization in which each department works in conjunction with each other to carry out acts of terror.Osama bin Laden is advised by a Shura Council, estimated to consist of twenty to thirty members, who make plans and decisions for the entire organization. They recently released a document called â€Å"Al-Qaeda’s Strategy to the Year 2020† in which they outlined their military, political, and religious goals for the organization in the upcoming years. The strategy can be summarized into five stages. First, provoke the United States into invading a Muslim country. This was successfully executed once the United States invaded Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks.Second, incite local resistance to occupying forces. This way, Al-Qaeda creates the enemy and turns the natives against the foreign invaders, thereby leaving them as the only reliable solution to restore â€Å"peace†. Third, engage surrounding countries in the war so that the United States is trapped in a â€Å"long war of attrition†. Fourth, convert Al-Qaeda into a set of operating principles and ideologies that can be franchised into smaller countries and smaller cells. Then, these cells will engage the United States and its allies until they can no longer fight and must withdraw.Al-Qaeda was able to do this with the 2004 Madrid train bombings, but failed to impact British involvement with the July 7, 2005 London bombings. Finally, the fifth stage, which has thankfully yet to occur, is that the United States’ economy will crumble due to too many engagements in too many areas, and any allied nations supported by the United States will fall as well. Al-Qaeda will then be able to take control and set up the desired form of government, a Wahabi Caliphate, throughout the region (Atwan).Al-Qaeda has been responsible for several acts of terror in the 1990’s and 2000’s that were designed with the intent of furthering Al-Qaeda’s mission. In 1992, Al-Qaeda successfully executed its first terrorist attack. Two bombs were detonated in Aden, Yemen. The first target was Movenpick Hotel and the second was the parking lot of the Goldmohur Hotel. Although no Americans were killed and it went with little notice in the United States, the attack did signify the first attack on Western culture by Al-Qaeda.Then, in 1993, Ramzi Yousef used a truck bomb to explode one of the World Trade Center towers. The plan was that the bomb would crumble the foundation of the first tower, sending it into the second tower and resulting in the collapse of both. Although the plan did not work to perfection, it did kill six people and put Al-Qa eda on the radar as a potential threat to American security. There were several other attacks in the late 1990’s, such as the bombing of the U. S. S. Cole, a military destroyer based off of Yemen that killed 17 US servicemen (Terrorism Project).However, no attack in history has come close to the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. The September 11th attacks were the culmination and result of Al-Qaeda’s growth, organization, and mission. Once bin Laden was able to mobilize the extremist followers, he was ready to execute the first stage of its mission strategy. On September 11th, Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. The hijackers flew two planes into both towers of the World Trade Center, eventually collapsing both towers into debris and destruction.Another plane crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth was originally intended for Washington, D. C. , but crash-landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These attacks left 3,000 people dead and countless injured, allowing i t to be the worst attack in American history (Bin Laden). Following the attacks, an extreme sense of national unity erupted in the United States, and George Bush’s administration had no choice but to wage war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime. The War on Terror began on October 7, 2001 with the first set of US troops landing in Afghanistan.The original plan was executed swiftly and successfully, and by early 2002, Al-Qaeda had been dealt a serious blow. Many of its top executives and leaders were either captured or killed, and many of its training facilities and bases were destroyed. By the end of 2004, the United States government estimated that two-thirds of Al-Qaeda’s most senior figures had been captured and interrogated by the CIA. However, Osama bin Laden was able to escape each attempt at capture, and is still believed to be hiding out in an undisclosed location.Overall, the initial strike in the War on Terror was deemed a success, even though the aftermat h has divided the nation and raised serious questions about the United States’ involvement in the Middle East (9/11 Commission Report). The world changed forever on September 11th, 2001. Aside from the tragic consequences and the unfathomable death toll, a new evil was officially born into the world. There had been terrorist attacks before, but none that shook the United States, and the world stage, as much as September 11th did. As a result, this decade has been plagued by fear of terror.New organizations and strategies have emerged that solely engage in counter-terrorist activities. Airport security has been completely revamped following an extreme fear in almost all Americans that caused aviation activity to decrease significantly after the attacks. So, after all that Al-Qaeda has been accused of, and after all the intense fear that spread throughout the country, why is it that there are still such differing beliefs and theories on Al-Qaeda? Why do some people believe that , for the most part, it has become a brand name that smaller terrorist groups use, but in reality have no real affiliation with the defeated organization?And on the other hand, why are there people who strongly contest these views and believe that Al-Qaeda is still a functioning, organized militia run by Osama bin Laden? I am not sure whether there is a right or wrong answer, but a serious concern in the minds of both beliefs is that terrorism, as a threat, could be one that proves insolvable.Works Cited â€Å"The 9/11 Commission Report. † National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . Atwan, Abdel Bari. The Secret History of Al-Qaeda. Los Angeles, California: University of California, 2006. Google Books. Bergen, Peter. â€Å"The Osama Bin Laden I Know. Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"Bin Laden Claims Responsibility for 9/11. † CBC News. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . Burke, Jason, and Paddy Allen. â€Å"The Five Ages of Al-Qaida. † Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian. co. uk. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . Dixon, Norm. â€Å"How the CIA Created Osama Bin Laden. † Green Left Weekly. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"Inside the Alqaeda Terrorist Network. † Middle East: MidEastWeb. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"List of Known Terrorist Organizations. † CDI – Center for Defense Information – Security Policy Research Organization. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

Beach Day

Beach Day First, as I approach the beach, I get over worked with the thoughts of finding my favorite spot. Once I am there, I bring with me my red cooler, blanket, chair, umbrella and a CD player. As I head over to my favorite spot, stepping onto the white sandy beach from a distance, I can glance ahead to see that my regular spot is not taken. It’s such a relief to know that from a distance my spot is there waiting for me, as if it knew, I was coming and I had a private reservation.With relief, I set up the blanket, place the cooler next to the chair, and prepare a hole in the sand to place the umbrella. Second, I’m ready to drink some homemade lemonade, which I made earlier to pleasantly sip at the beach. I don’t know what effect it has, but it’s very relaxing and soothing to enjoy a cold glass of lemonade. I enjoy every part of this task as a ritual for getting prepared before I can completely relax. Then, I set the CD player on top of the cooler, slip in my favorite CD and start listening to the music.I begin to unwind and enjoy the view of the vast ocean; its immensity, the people around me and the noise of the children playing. At this time; the sun is bright, it feels great to feel the warm breeze. I close my eyes to hear and feel the surroundings. I inhale the mist of the ocean breeze opening my lungs to cleanse all the hectic and impurities of my daily events. The ocean waves sounds enchanting. Next, as I’m enjoying my day, a guy hits a beach ball and the ball knocks my radio down, lemonade spills and the CD breaks. I was stunned by the event.The guy came over, helped me pick up my items and offered to buy me a drink. He apologized for the incident and picked another spot to play. I have never experienced something like this before, but I am glad that this guy was nice enough to handle the incident appropriately. And finally, I feel so blessed and I give thanks to the creator for all the wonders of life, the beach and the opportunity for a magnificent day that has been provided for me to enjoy. These are the small things that make the beach and my favorite spot so heavenly.

Anti Smoking Essays

Anti Smoking Essays Anti Smoking Essay Anti Smoking Essay On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, the largest aerated beverage manufacturer of the world, launched a sweeter version of the soft drink named New Coke, withdrawing its traditional 99 years old formula. New Coke was launched with a lot of fanfare and was widely publicized through the television and newspapers. Coca-Colas decision to change Cokes formulation was one of the most significant developments in the soft drink industry during that time. Though the initial market response to New Coke was satisfactory, things soon went against Coca-Cola.Most people who liked the original Coke criticized Coca-Colas decision to change its formula. They had realized that the taste of New Coke was similar to that of Pepsi, CocaColas closest competitor, and was too poor when compared to the taste of the original Coke. Analysts felt that Coca-Cola had failed to understand the emotional attachment of consumers with Coke the brand. They felt that Coca-Cola had lost customer goodwill by- replacing a popular product by a new one that disappointed the consumers.As a result of consumer protests to New Coke and a significant decline in its sales, Coca-Cola was forced to revert back to its original formula ten weeks later by launching Coke Classic on July 11, 1985. Roger Enrico, the then CEO of Pepsi commented on the re-introduction of Old Coke in these words: I think, by the end of their Coca-Cola nightmare, they figured out who they really are. They cant change the taste of their flagship brand. They cant change its imagery. All they can do is defend the heritage they nearly abandoned in 1985. By 1986, New Coke had a market share of less than 3%. MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I) BACKGROUND NOTE Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta-based pharmacist, developed Cokes original formula in 1886. It was based on a combination of oils, extracts from coca leaves (cola nut) and various other additives including caffeine. These ingredients were refined to create a refreshing carbo nated soda. Pembertons bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, suggested that the product be named CocaCola. He also developed the lettering for the brand name in a distinctive flowing script.On May 8, 1886, Coke was released in the market. It was first sold by Joe Jacobs Drug Store in the U. S. The first advertisement of Coke appeared in The Atlanta Journal dated May 29, 1886. Pemberton took the help of several investors and spent $76. 96 on advertising. Initially, he could sell only 50 gallons of syrup at $1 per gallon. To make the drink popular, it was served free for several days only after this that the drink gained peoples acceptance. After Pembertons death in 1888, Asa Candler, his friend and a wholesaler druggist, acquired a stake in the company.Coca-Colas sales soared even without much advertising and as many as 61,000 servings (8 ounces) were Sold in 1889. This made Candler realize that the business was profitable. He decided to wind up his drug business and be associated with Coca-C ola full time. As the business expanded. Candler also invested a higher sum in advertising the drink. By 1891, Candler bought the company for $2. 300. In 1892, he renamed it as Coca-Cola and a year later. Coca-cola was registered as a trademark. Only Candler and his associate Robinson knew the original formula.It was then passed on by word of mouth and became the most closely guarded secret in the American industry. Though occasional rumors spread that cocaine was an ingredient of Coke’s formula, authorities mentioned that this was not true. By 1895, Coke was made available in all parts of the US, primarily through distributors and fountain owners. Coke was advertised as a drink, which relieved one of mental and physical exhaustion, and cured headache. Later, Candler and Robinson repositioned Coke as a refreshment drink. MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I)In the beginning of the 20th century, manufacturing firms in the US were criticized for promoting adulterated products and re sorting to misleading advertisements. Coca-Cola was an easy target for such criticisms. The US government passed the Pure Food and Drugs Act in June 1906. A case was registered against Coca-Cola and the trial began in March 1911. Eventually, CocaCola won the case. But the decision was reversed in the Supreme Court. Finally, the case was settled outside the court in 1917 with Coca-Cola agreeing to reduce the caffeine content of the drink by 50%.In 1919, the company was sold to an investment group headed by Ernest Woodruff for $25 million $10 million in cash and $15 million in preferred stock. Woodruffs major decision after taking over the company was to establish a Foreign Department to make Coke popular overseas. When Coke was released in foreign markets, several problems came up. Initially, it had to rely on local bottlers who did not promote the product with sufficient enthusiasm, or on wealthy entrepreneurs, not familiar with the beverage business. The company also faced problem s regarding government regulations, trademark registration, languages and culture.By 1927, Coca-Colas sales rose to nearly 23 million gallons. Even though Pepsi Cola emerged as its major competitor in the 1930s, Coca-Cola continued doing well. By the time the US took part in World War II, Coca-Cola was more than 50 years old and well established. In 1962, Paul Austin (Austin) became Coca-Colas tenth president and four years later, he became the chairman and CEO of the company. By 1965, soft drink sales in the US had risen to 200 drinks per capita, and Coca-Colas market share had risen to 41% against Pepsis 24%. In 1964, CocaCola also acquired a coffee business.The company developed drinks with new flavors and also targeted food chains, which were fast gaining popularity. In 1970, Coca-Cola faced tough competition from Pepsi. During that year, Pepsis advertising budget exceeded Coca-Colas. During the next few years there was a decline in Coca-Colas market share due to Pepsis rising s ales. In 1978, Pepsi was found to have beaten Coca-Cola in supermarket sales because of its dominance in vending machines and fountain outlets. Coca-Colas sales continued to decline during the late 1970s, as Austin began new ventures such as shrimp farming, water projects and viniculture.The political and social unres countries like Iran, Nicaragua and Guatemala had a severe impact on Coca-Colas market share. The companys poor performance and the increasing discontent of its employees led to Austins exit and the entry of Roberto Goizueta (Goizueta), a 48-year-old chemical engineer, as the companys new CEO in 1980. THE RATIONALE Soon after becoming CEO, Goizueta concluded that the obsession about increasing the market share was futile for Coca-Cola and in certain businesses, the return on capital employed ROCE) was actually less than the cost of capital.As a result, he sold Coca-Colas nonperforming businesses such as wine, coffee tea industrial water treatment and aquaculture. Even a fter this, Goizuetas focus strategy could not stop the decline in Coca-Colas market share, which fell from 24. 3% in 1980 to 21. 8% in 1984 a loss of 2. 5% in four years. The decline in each percentage point amounted to a loss of about $200 million for the company. All this happened in spite of the fact that Coca-Colas annual advertising budget in die early 1980s was higher than Pepsis by an average of $100 million.Despite this, Coca-Colas advertisements were not as effective as those of Pepsi were. Pepsi ads showed that even few Coke drinkers preferred Pepsi in blind taste tests. Coca-Colas market share continued to decline though it had more vending machines, occupied more shelf space and was competitively priced against Pepsi. Coca-Colas distribution was wider than Pepsi, which had enabled it to be the leader in the soft drinks industry. It was extremely popular because of its distinctive taste. By 1984, Coca-Colas overall market share had dropped from 9. 8% in the early 1970s t o 4. %. This became a major cause of worry for the top management of Coca-Cola. During the middle of 1983, the idea of reformulating 99-year old Coke formula struck Goizueta. The purpose was to increase Coca-Colas market share as well as to defend its position as the market leader. A thorough market research was conducted which included interviews with about 2,00,000 consumers. This involved an expenditure of $4 million over two years. The results indicated that consumers who were very fond of Coke constituted 10-12% of the total number of soft MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I) rink consumers. When asked for their reactions to the change in Cokes taste, half of 10-12% loyal Coke consumers said that they may oppose change initially, but would eventually accept it, while the other half said that they would never accept any change. In some cases, the response was contradictory. For instance, some of the consumers, who had said that they prefer Coke to Pepsi, were found to be drinking Pe psi most of the times. Others said Coke was their favorite drink but they drank even Pepsi, or any other drink, which were available at that time.It was discovered that many people preferred Pepsi to Coke because Pepsi was sweeter. Coca-Cola felt that the sweeter taste would appeal more to teenagers and youth. Hence, it decided to launch a sweeter version of Coke, the taste of which would be similar to Pepsi. Coca-Cola also conducted a Focus group research 2 that revealed that many people were willing to try New Coke. However, some believed that Coca-Cola should not alter the taste of the drink. Although both the surveys (Focus group and Survey research) indicated consumer dissatisfaction, their results were contradictory to each other.While the survey result indicated that such dissatisfaction was limited only to a small segment of the market, the focus group research observed a wider dissatisfaction. In September 1984, Coca-Cola introduced a new drink that tasted better than Pepsi and scored 6 to 8 points3 in blind taste tests. The original Coke already exceeded Pepsis popularity by 10 points. The launch of a sweeter version of Coke was expected to make Coke popular than Pepsi by approximately 16 to 18 points. Though the market research had shown customer dissatisfaction, Coca-Cola ignored it and decided to launch New Coke based on the results of the blind taste tests.THE LAUNCH AND ITS AFTERMATH Coca-Cola launched New Coke in April 1985 with the punch line Catch the wave. This change in Cokes formula was publicized through the television and newspapers. The company said that the introduction of New Coke conformed to its efforts to be innovative in its marketing strategies and establish good customer relationships. The announcement reached more than 80% of the American population within twenty-four hours. MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I) The launch of New Coke elicited mixed reactions from the public.The initial response to the product was encouraging with distributors reporting a fairly wide acceptance of it. According to the analysts, the reason for this was that consumers had not tasted the product yet, and were thus curious about its taste. The distributors stocked the product in large quantities due to such an encouraging consumer response. However, the consumers realized that the taste of New Coke was similar to Pepsis and worse when compared to the taste of the original Coke. Gradually, distributors began to accept less stocks of New Coke and later on, they did not stock any due to poor consumer response to the drink.A majority of original Coke lovers criticized the companys act of changing its formula (Refer Exhibit I). Many of them stored large stocks of original Coke at home. Consumers perceived New Coke as a me-too product4 with a sweeter taste like Pepsi. Some said that the original Coke had a unique taste that was stronger than New Coke. Some consumers reportedly complained that the taste of New Coke was similar to sewer water, furniture polish or two dayold Pepsi. An old Coke lover said that the company had spoiled the taste of its 99 year-old soft drink and betrayed the nations trust.Meanwhile, black marketers made a killing as they sold original Coke at an exorbitant price of $30 per six-and-a-half ounce bottle. Some of them even tried to import old Coke from abroad. By the end of May 1985, the scenario had worsened with consumer response at its lowest. After the launch of New Coke, Coca-Cola received more than a thousand calls per week from the Coke drinkers, most of whom informed the company that they were planning to substitute Coke with Pepsi since they found no difference between the two.Coca-Cola had received more than six thousand calls and around forty thousand letters from Coke loyalists from the US and abroad all complaining about New Coke after six weeks of its launch. Due to the protests from a huge number of consumers and a significant decline in the market share from 15% at the time of the launch to 1. 4%, Coca-Cola was forced to revert back to its original formula ten weeks later, by launching Coke Classic on 1lth July, 1985. By the end MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I) of 1985, Pepsi had more market share than the combined market shares of New Coke and Coke Classic.However, in early 1986, Coke again became more popular than Pepsi as the sales of Coke Classic picked up. By early 1986, New Coke had a market share of less than 3% which came down to 0. 6% in 1987 and further down to 0. 1% in the late 1980s. Coca-Cola later re-launched New Coke as Coke IF in 1990 (Refer to Exhibit IV) which soon phased out due to its unpopularity. NEW COKE WHAT WENT WRONG? Analysts attributed the failure of New Coke due to several factors. Some felt that Coca-Cola had failed to understand the consumers emotional attachment with Coke.Reportedly, their attachment with the brand was so strong that one of them went to the extent of wishing his bones and ashes to be preserved in Coke cans after his death. But, after the launch of New Coke, he said that he did not want to be associated with Coca-Cola anymore. Another consumer said that God and Coke were the only two important things in his life. Analysts felt that people had a high regard for Coca-Cola because of its innovative ideas, excellent products launched and the importance it accorded to people and the environment. During the 1970s, one out of every two cola drinks and one out of every three soft drinks was Coke.It was made available in more than 140 countries to 5. 8 million people. These statistics proved its popularity. Also, Coca-Cola was the pioneer in recycling plastic bottles. Analysts felt that Coca-Cola was losing the goodwill of its consumers by launching a product that went against their preferences, taste and opinion. Some analysts also felt that the findings of the market research group were erroneous and late. The research was either in an inappropriate manner or was interpreted incorrectly. Coca-Cola failed to understand that there was much more to marketing soft drinks than winning taste tests.According to the analysts, the research could not have measured the type of consumer feelings that were evoked from reformulation. MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I) Market researchers also felt that Coca-Cola must have gone for focus group testing of a new product concept first and then used individual interviews to verify and quantify the results of focus groups. But, in reality, Coca-Cola carried out individual interviews first and then undertook the focus group testing. Though the company knew that 10-12% of its loyal customers would not appreciate the change in its formula, it totally misinterpreted consumers response regarding taste.The company was totally unprepared for unseen possibilities and this caused its market share to decline rapidly after the introduction of New Coke. A MARKETING BLUNDER OR A PLOY? Notwithstanding the negative consumers response, some media report s claimed that CocaColas act of launching New Coke was actually a deliberate marketing ploy to make people develop a stronger liking of original Coke after they tasted a low quality version of the drink. Coca-Cola used cane sugar and com syrup for the sweet taste of New Coke. During early 1985, Coca-Cola ran short of cane sugar stocks, but had sufficient stocks of com syrup.Cane sugar was sweeter and more expensive than com syrup. When New Coke was introduced in the market, people did not like its sweet taste. Such customer response helped Coca-Cola, and only corn syrup was used while manufacturing Coke Classic. People were so eager to see the original Coke come back that they did not notice the difference between the sweetness of cane sugar and that of corn syrup because they were very similar. Coca-Cola thus saved millions of dollars by using corn syrup rather than cane sugar in its soft drinks. Another report said that the company never believed that New Coke would be accepted by the consumers.They deliberately introduced it with an inferior taste When people got a taste which they disliked they would demand for the original taste and when the original taste was introduced they would purchase it in large quantities. This would help Coca-Cola to regain a part of its lost market share from Pepsi. MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I) Though these media reports remain unconfirmed, there was jubilation among the Coke lovers around the world after the introduction of Coke Classic Coca-Cola received between 18,000 to 30,000 calls of thanks from every corner of the world.One of them said that it was like an old friend had returned home after a long time. The New Coke fiasco did not result into losses for Coca-Cola. The sales of Classic Coke went up to 10 times as that of New Coke soon after its launch. Coca-Colas stock price jumped from $61,875 to $84,500, a 35% increase. By early 1986, the stock hit an all-time high of $110 (Refer Exhibit II) in 12 years, between 197 4 and 1986. At the end of the whole episode, Goizueta was happy man since it resulted in building shareholders value.He said, But the most significant result of New Coke by far, was that it sent an incredibly powerful signal a signal that we really were ready to do whatever was necessary to build value for the owners of our business. Goizueta was rewarded with $1. 7 million in salary and bonuses and almost $5 million additional bonus for the increase in stock price. Questions for Discussion: 1. The launch of New Coke turned out to be a nightmare for Coca-Cola. Discuss the marketing implications of introducing New Coke. Was it necessary to re formulate New Coke? . Market researchers had expected Coca-Cola to conduct focus group testing of a new product first and then use individual interviews to verify the results of the focus groups. What other types of research methods would have been helpful to the company in providing consumer insights? Discuss. 3. Though some analysts felt that the launch of New Coke was a blunder, others thought it was a deliberate marketing ploy. Is the failure of New Coke really a marketing blunder? Give your opinion and substantiate it. MIT-SOB PGDM- 31st Batch (Sem-I)

Voss Essays

Voss Essays Voss Essay Voss Essay VOSS Bottled Water Voss Inc. is a company established in 1999 which bottles and distributes Artesan water. The source of this water is a pristine aquifer in South Norway. It is packaged in a uniquely designed and patented cylindrical shaped glass bottle and sold at a premium price. Some of the Hollywood actors and celebrities have been spotted using this premium bottled water. Its close competitors are Fiji and Perrier who offer pure water at a premium price. Differentiation Based Strategy The founders of Voss, Christian Sandberg and Chris Harlem, recognized enormous potential for ultra premium bottled water from Norway after doing an extensive around the world research. Artesan water is the most purest form of water available and thus used as a unique value proposition to target the ultra premium segment. Differentiation point 1 : Purest Water It is recognised as the purest form of water by FDA and has recorded the lowest TDS of any bottled water ever tested by FDA. So, in a way it is a unctional product that is uniquely different from any other product in the market. Differentiation point 2 : Unique and patented packaging – Luxury Image According to a study, in the ultra premium bottled water segment, when people buy water it is for image and not just water. Voss roped in Calvin Klein’s former creative director Neil Kraft to design the packaging. He came out with a sleek cylindrically designed glass bottle when everybody else was offering plastic bottle s in traditional bottle shapes. The design was later patented by Voss. Voss, through its product offering, provides a unique value (purest water and image of Luxury /Exclusivity) which other competitors were not able to offer in the ultra premium segment. Value Creation and Delivery (Mechanisms) Value 1 Product offering : Purest water drawn from Artesan well in pristine South Norway. No human intervention. The water is drawn from an aquifer by pressurizing the impermeable layer of rock and ice without the use of mechanical pumps. Product Quality and consistency is unquestionable since no mechanical/manual process is required to purify water. Customer is always certain to get purest water when they buy VOSS. Value 2 – Luxury Image/Exclusivity : It is a market driving product. The strategy is to create exclusivity and associate luxury with the product. This is achieved by aligning all the marketing processes in a way that this value of luxury and exclusivity is delivered effectively. Price – Ultra premium pricing helps in targeting the right segment i. e. rich and affluent (exclusivity). Patented Designer Glass bottle – Unique packaging gives it an edge over others and helps in positioning and targeting the ultra premium segment Controlled Supply Sold almost exclusively through high-end hotels, restaurants, clubs and speciality stores (VOSS Red PET bottle). Voss‘s exclusivity is derived from the fact that Voss is served on the tables of the finest restaurant and lounges in the rooms of the most luxurious hotels and beachside at the trendiest resorts around the world. Voss is not available at retail outlets like 7-11 or corner convenience stores. Promotions – No discounts or giveaways to maintain its brand image of luxury. Advertisements Heavily relies on PR activities and viral promotion which further reinforces its positioning of unique brand. It does not engage in run of the mill advertising like other water companies and stays away from the crowd. Associations with Ultra premium brand ambassadors like Madonna, George Clooney, Lindsay Lohan are used as promotional activities. The product offering as well as the aura of exclusivity/luxury gives customer a feeling of pride to consume Voss water and pay a premium price for the same. Key Resources that create value Source of Water : The source of water in Norway is a unique and sustainable resource in itself. Target Segment : Targeting the ultra premium segment is a key to the strategy as the product has most value to this segment. The competition in this segment is not as intense as it is in the bigger mass market. This means less investment in promotions / discounts / advertisements. This is a sustainable strategy as this segment will always value a quality product that gives them image value as well. Distribution Channels : Controlled distribution follows from its strategy of targeting. By availing its product in upscale restaurant / bars / peciality stores gives them advantages as under: 1. Signals that it is not part of the crowd (mass market) 2. Developing strong relationship with the premium restaurants and bars 3. Helps in controlling the price Bottle design: They have a first mover advantage in introducing a patented designer bottle in the market. This is patented and hence cannot be copied. Advertisement/promotions/brand associations: No TV advt. and no discounts. Brand associat ions and viral campiagns are a very important part of the strategy and that is the only promotion method that VOSS uses. Run of the mill advt. will put in the same league as other bottled waters in the market. Strategic Alignment: It is critical to note that the strategic alignment of all elements of strategy is what makes the marketing strategy of VOSS extremely successful. The strategy driven by differentiation (purest water and associating it with image – great design) is ably support by targeting/segmentation of premium segment. This combined with premium pricing and controlled supply helps in positioning. This then followed up with appropriate promotional strategy makes their mkt strategy work. This alignment gives them a distinct advantage which is sustainable and difficult to copy. As rightly pointed out in Business strategy, the competitive advantage emanates from management of the core resources of the firm and VOSS seems to be doing it pretty well. Opportunities and Challenges Growth is one of the biggest challenge for VOSS as the ultra premium segment is not a very fast growing segment. Some options for growth are :- Expand internationally in Emerging markets : The ultra rich segment is growing very rapidly in emerging economies like India and China. It may be a good opportunity for VOSS to enter these markets. Though there are challenges of imitation and localisation. Also, will that mean that it will affect its brand as may be people may start doubting its exclusivity? Enter the lower end of market : This is a tricky one. This is the fastest growing and biggest segment of the market. However, capturing this means going against its core segment and strategy. Though it may choose to develop its separate brand (VOSS Red) and push it in the Retail channel. However, before doing that it has to do a proper study and research on whether this will impact its premium brand (VOSS silver) or not. Flavoured Water : This is another option where it can do product enhancements and enter the flavoured water market. However, this may put it in the same league as other flavoured waters (no differentiation point-cannot claim it as purest flavoured water) Whatever is done, one thing is for sure that it is very difficult for VOSS to deviate from its core strategy of superior product offering which right now sets it apart.

Italian Words Beginning With the Letter Z

Italian Words Beginning With the Letter Z Try out these Italian words beginning with the letter Z, with their English translations: zacchera – splash of mudzaccherone  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ mud-bespattered personzaffare – to stop upzaffata – stenchzafferano – saffronzaffirino – sapphirezagara – orange blossomzaino – knapsackzampa – leg, footzampare – to paw the groundzampillante – gushing, spurtingzampirone – fumigatorzampogna – bagpipezana – basketzangolare – to churnzanna – fang, tuskzanni – clown mask, fool, zanyzanzara – mosquitozappa – hoezappare – to hoezattera – raft, slabzavorro – ballast, dead weightzazzera – mop of hairzecca – mintzecchino – sequinzelante – zealouszelo – zealzenit – zenithzenzero – gingerzeppa – wedgezeppo – packed, crammed, burstingzibaldone – mixture, medleyzelo – zealzerbino – matzibellino – sablezimbellare – to lure, to enticezimbello – decoyzinc are – to coat with zinczinco – zinczio – unclezippolo – pin, pegzitto – silencezizzania – discordzocollaio – clog makerzocollare – to clatter about in clogszodiaco – zodiaczolfo – sulfurzolla – clodzollette – sugar cubezompare – to jump, to leapzona – zone, bandzoologia – zoologyzoppaggine – lameness, shake, ricketyzoppicare – to limpzoticaggine – roughness, boorishnesszoticone – boor, lout, rough personzucca – summer squashzucchero – sugarzuccheroso – sweet, sugaryzucchino – squashzuccone – blockheadzuffa – scuffle, frayzufolare – to whistlezuppa – soupzuppiera – soup tureenzuppo – soaked

Film studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film studies - Essay Example These films are then presented to the world in their language, as if the film is spoken in English, the audience won’t relate to the same thought process as to what is really being depicted in the film’s native tongue. The foreign film award promotes a sense of awareness of other cultures and practices which differ from Hollywood mainstream practices. Â   To qualify for the award, one of the primary requirements is that the majority of the film is presented in a language other than English although this is not necessarily required to be the language of the country that produced it and must first be released in theatrical format in a country other than the United States. The significance of this is that language has a great deal to do with our perceptions of the world. Word choice is important in any language to convey the nuances of meaning intended by the author. When it is then translated into English for an English-speaking audience, much of this nuance can be lost. According to scholar Benjamin Whorf, language also works internally to shape thoughts and emotions to help us understand our own perception of reality (cited in Kilgour, 1999). By presenting these films in their native (meaning original) language, the Academy is fostering recognition that important thoughts and ideas are pursued in other countries as well as the United States and brings the focus of these films into the mainstream theater audience, who might otherwise have missed them. This is significant when one considers the impact of foreign films such as Life is Beautiful (1998), an Italian film directed by Roberto Benigni. In this film, the director (and star) illustrates the dichotomy between pre and post war Italy as it is seen in the lives of members of one family. The beginning of the film presents a comedic romance between the Jewish Guido and the love of his life, Dora up to a

Discriminate Between Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship Assignment

Discriminate Between Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship - Assignment Example This discussion highlights that intrapreneurs act inside the organization, fighting for changing and renewing the system. They are considered to be the revolutionaries present with the systems of the company. This may even initiate some kind of conflict with the company and therefore factors such as respect must be used for channeling these conflicts and transforming them into some kind of positive aspect for the company. The resources of the company are used by the intrapreneurs for implementation of opportunities; however there are several objectives highlighting the fact why intrapreneurship is considered to be so difficult to be implemented within an existing company. From the report it is clear that both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship involves defining and recognizing opportunities. Both of these concepts take into account unique business ideas which take the form of a product, service or process by the end. Entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship are driven by one or two i ndividuals who then work with the team of people for bringing the concept into practical life. These concepts also require the balance between vision and management skills, reactiveness with patience and passion with pragmatism. Entrepreneurship as well as intrapreneurship involves concepts that are considered vulnerable in formative stages and therefore requires adaption with time. Both these concepts are known for entailing a window of opportunity for the firm within which the entrepreneur is successfully capitalizing upon.

The Activity Based Costing System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Activity Based Costing System - Assignment Example ta for input may be used differently according to different methodologies of the costing information system which may result in the production of varying outputs of information. A costing system is aimed at generating information to find ways to minimize waste in production. It should be taken care of that the benefits that are derived from the costing system should be higher than the resources used in designing, implementing and maintaining the costing system so that wastage is minimized. It is important to understand the fundamental working of the two systems i.e. The Traditional Costing System and the Activity Based Costing System in order make a comparison between the two. The traditional costing system The traditional costing systems use a single cost driver which is based on volume. Due to this reason, the traditional costing systems tend to distort the cost of the products. ... ies, the correct proportion of activity actually used for a specific unit of product is not exactly corresponding with one single cost driver (Akyol, 2012, p. 64). The conventional cost accounting system uses a volume based driver like the number of machine hours or the number of direct labour hours for assigning all the overhead costs incurred in the manufacturing process. But in almost all modern companies, the production process uses a combination of technology and manpower thus incurring overhead costs for both. But in the traditional costing model, the cost of goods sold is based on absorption costing and includes only the product costs as described in financial accounting. Therefore, the traditional costing model assigns the costs directly to the products before assigning costs to the activities involved in producing the product units first. The results generated thus a report about the information on the amounts spent on the product units but they do not give the reason as to why they are spent. This costing system is based on the application of costs to indirect cost drivers and the indirect costs are generally based on financial cost drivers. The traditional costing model uses a system in which the total costs incurred in the production is divided among the different products thus produced. Therefore, all the costs incurred in the production process have to be allocated to one or another product. The traditional costing model has the disadvantage that if overhead costs are cut down for reducing the total costs, only the signs of high cost are treated and the cause behind the higher costs remain unaltered. Also, the reduction of overheads is likely to result in the reduction of the quality of the products rather than in long term decrease in the cost incurred

Subvertising and advertising culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Subvertising and advertising culture - Essay Example Subvertising is a blend of two words â€Å"subvert† and â€Å"advertising†.It is about making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements,so as to make a statement. Subverts take the form of a new image of an existing image or icon generally, in a satirical manner. It is also a meme hack and a part of social hacking or culture jamming (Posner 1982). It mimics the look and feel of the targeted ad and the viewers suddenly realize they have been duped. Their primary goal is to damage political candidates and campaigns, corporations and other targets. Subverts create cognitive dissonance by cutting through the hype  and glitz of mediated reality and, momentarily, reveals a deeper truth within." History In 1972, the logo of Richard Nixon's reelection campaign posters were subvertised with two x's in Nixon's name (as in the Exxon logo). It referred to the corporate ownership of the Republican party. In 1977, The Billboard Liberation Front, used this techniq ue in San Francisco  . After the U.S. presidential election of 2000, John Kanis, a supporter of the Republicans, designed a saying "Sore Loserman" to mock Democratic party candidates Gore-Lieberman. However, the Supreme Court, halted the process. Over the years, no large organization or brand, has managed to escape the wrath of subvertising. Examples of such targets include Ford, Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, BMW, Visa, Nike, Marlboro, Smirnoff, Absolute Vodka, Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and a horde of the other best brands in the world. Even politicians and other celebrities like Richard Nixon, George Bush, John F Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Paris Hilton have not been spared. Subvertising vs advertising (Advertising is any paid) form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor. (Subvertising refers to the) practice of making spoofs and parodies of corporate and political advertisements. The following table draws up a compar ison and a contrast of the two concepts. \Advertising Subvertising Paid form Unpaid form Non-personal in nature Non-personal in nature Promotes goods, services Depromotes goods, services Sponsor identified Unidentified Creative Destructive Promotes brand building Encourages brand killing Encourages consumption of goods and services Discourages consumption of goods and services Humorous Satiric Positive message Negative message Initiated by marketers Initiated by anti-consumerists Wide reach and long lasting appeal Wide reach but short-lived appeal Benefits outweigh disadvantages Effects doubtful Positive publicity Negative publicity Subvertising - Strengths and weaknesses Subvertising does enjoy a host of advantages. They are: 1. Attention grabbers 2. Highly creative 3. Positive intent 4. Can be used for good causes 5. Promotes sustainable consumption 6. Highly inexpensive 7. Easy to create Subvertising is popular, essentially, due to its tremendous attention grabbing effect. It sho cks the viewer into a moment of reflection and thought. Obviously, subverts are highly creative. Parody and spoofery does require a lot of brain racking and though the individual does not have to create the subvert from scratch, unless it is very creative, the spoof will miserably fail. Though the subvert is negative in nature and tone, the intent behind the act is, can be, positive. The purpose is to make the viewer think about the negative aspects of advertising and create a positive influence. Though, most or almost all the time, Subverts are used for wrong purposes or causes, at times, good cause subvertising also exists. Subverts on smoking advertisements, promoting sustainable consumption, Greenpeace initiatives are a handful of cause-related subvertising examples. Advertising, essentially, encourages limitless consumption, for purposes of sales and revenue generation. Subvertising on the contrary forces us to think of sustainable consumption in harmony with nature. Since Subv erts need only to mimic the advertisement and bring

Plagiarism and Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Plagiarism and Nursing - Essay Example It has also been described as the intentional or unintentional use of another’s work or ideas, published or unpublished, without clearly acknowledging the source of that work or idea (Logue, 2004 cited by Lass et al., 2006). Plagiarism is considered the theft of intellectual property and therefore, according to Mike Todd, Editor of Anesthesiology, it is a serious challenge to the integrity of any publishing effort (cited by Editor in VAA, 2006). The word plagiarism has been derived from the Latin word for - kidnapper or plagiarius. The definitions given by the two dictionaries are more or less the same conveying that it the use of others’ ideas and thoughts. The definition of Todd cited in VAA appears to bear substance. Based on the above definitions, the most appropriate definition would be considering plagiarism as the theft of intellectual property and presenting it as one’s own ideas and thoughts. This appears to be the most appropriate because in words of the editor of VVA, plagiarism is considered a substitute for writing and so also a substitute for thinking. This makes it necessary that any proof of plagiarism must be acted on swiftly and comprehensively. Once plagiarism has been established necessary action can be taken. The nursing profession specifies in its code of professional ethics that nurses must be trustworthy and they must possess the qualities of integrity and honesty. This is in sharp contrast to fraud. Fraud has been defined as a deliberate intention to deceive and is based on dishonesty (Semple, Kenkare & Achilles, 2004). Today people are more concerned about presenting a deceivingly glossy image to the public and would go to any extent to achieve this. It has been found in the UK that nurses did not possess the requisite practical nursing skills expected of them by the employers. The medical schools do report of students

Subvertising and advertising culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Subvertising and advertising culture - Essay Example Subvertising is a blend of two words â€Å"subvert† and â€Å"advertising†.It is about making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements,so as to make a statement. Subverts take the form of a new image of an existing image or icon generally, in a satirical manner. It is also a meme hack and a part of social hacking or culture jamming (Posner 1982). It mimics the look and feel of the targeted ad and the viewers suddenly realize they have been duped. Their primary goal is to damage political candidates and campaigns, corporations and other targets. Subverts create cognitive dissonance by cutting through the hype  and glitz of mediated reality and, momentarily, reveals a deeper truth within." History In 1972, the logo of Richard Nixon's reelection campaign posters were subvertised with two x's in Nixon's name (as in the Exxon logo). It referred to the corporate ownership of the Republican party. In 1977, The Billboard Liberation Front, used this techniq ue in San Francisco  . After the U.S. presidential election of 2000, John Kanis, a supporter of the Republicans, designed a saying "Sore Loserman" to mock Democratic party candidates Gore-Lieberman. However, the Supreme Court, halted the process. Over the years, no large organization or brand, has managed to escape the wrath of subvertising. Examples of such targets include Ford, Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, BMW, Visa, Nike, Marlboro, Smirnoff, Absolute Vodka, Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and a horde of the other best brands in the world. Even politicians and other celebrities like Richard Nixon, George Bush, John F Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Paris Hilton have not been spared. Subvertising vs advertising (Advertising is any paid) form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor. (Subvertising refers to the) practice of making spoofs and parodies of corporate and political advertisements. The following table draws up a compar ison and a contrast of the two concepts. \Advertising Subvertising Paid form Unpaid form Non-personal in nature Non-personal in nature Promotes goods, services Depromotes goods, services Sponsor identified Unidentified Creative Destructive Promotes brand building Encourages brand killing Encourages consumption of goods and services Discourages consumption of goods and services Humorous Satiric Positive message Negative message Initiated by marketers Initiated by anti-consumerists Wide reach and long lasting appeal Wide reach but short-lived appeal Benefits outweigh disadvantages Effects doubtful Positive publicity Negative publicity Subvertising - Strengths and weaknesses Subvertising does enjoy a host of advantages. They are: 1. Attention grabbers 2. Highly creative 3. Positive intent 4. Can be used for good causes 5. Promotes sustainable consumption 6. Highly inexpensive 7. Easy to create Subvertising is popular, essentially, due to its tremendous attention grabbing effect. It sho cks the viewer into a moment of reflection and thought. Obviously, subverts are highly creative. Parody and spoofery does require a lot of brain racking and though the individual does not have to create the subvert from scratch, unless it is very creative, the spoof will miserably fail. Though the subvert is negative in nature and tone, the intent behind the act is, can be, positive. The purpose is to make the viewer think about the negative aspects of advertising and create a positive influence. Though, most or almost all the time, Subverts are used for wrong purposes or causes, at times, good cause subvertising also exists. Subverts on smoking advertisements, promoting sustainable consumption, Greenpeace initiatives are a handful of cause-related subvertising examples. Advertising, essentially, encourages limitless consumption, for purposes of sales and revenue generation. Subvertising on the contrary forces us to think of sustainable consumption in harmony with nature. Since Subv erts need only to mimic the advertisement and bring

The impact on business continuity from the failure of outside Essay

The impact on business continuity from the failure of outside utilities - Essay Example When Hurricane Sandy swept across New York City shut down many businesses, Goldman Sachs is one business which managed to mitigate and protect itself from the adverse impact of the disaster. When it was apparent New York City would not be spared of the hurricane menace, the business owner stacked bags around its head offices (The Economist). By the time storm was settling, Goldman Sachs’ headquarters was one of the few offices that remained safe, dry and with proper illumination in the downtown Manhattan area. Even as firms such as Goldman Sachs prepared themselves to counter the disaster, a block away was a completely disrupted and flooded headquarters of Verizon with all its services interrupted. Verizon had its phone and internet cables all submerged, cutting off millions of services of the company. However, the firm managed to reroute most of its traffic through their other networks. ConEdison, an electricity utility company which serves the city of New York had nearly a million of its customers with no electricity when their underground equipment and power lines destroyed. Although the company had designed its facilities to sustain up to 3.8 meters of any tidal surge, the Hurricane Sandy surpassed this and hit 4.3 meters (The Economist). This interruption went for more than nine days, causing massive losses to businesses and individuals homes that relied on their services. Hurricane Sandy is one of the disastrous events that clearly tested various firms’ ability to cope with unexpected disasters.

Gender Socialization in American Social Institutions Essay Example for Free

Gender Socialization in American Social Institutions Essay Socialization refers to how people learn different cultures and learn to live with the various aspects of the cultures. For an individual, socialization provides an opportunity to gain various habits and skills that are necessary for participating and acting at various levels within the society. For the wider society, socialization enables different people to exchange moral norms, values, attitudes, social roles, languages, motives and so forth, thereby attaining a form of social and cultural stability (Sapiro, 1990). Socialization is affected by many factors, which have contributed to factors such as social stratification with particular with reference to gender among various societies. Many social theories have suggested that gender is a core cause of social stratification in the American Society (Stone, 2001; Andersen Taylor, 2005; Levinson, Cookson Sadovnik, 2002; Giddens Griffiths, 2006). Social stratification with respect to gender has been noted in many areas such as place of worship, schools, workplaces, and many other areas that involve social interactions. According to Andersen and Taylor (2005), the various methods used in interaction in different institutions lead to stratification since males usually tend to dominate the social scene, thus creating a situation whereby females have to play a second role in socialization. This paper will evaluate the methods of socialization used by people in different American educational institutions with particular reference to the role of gender in the social scene. The format of the paper will involve a brief discussion of the various aspects of socialization in the American context followed by a discussion of the methods of gender socialization in American social educational institutions. Gender socialization among Americans According to Stone (2001), the American society places a lot of importance in the role of the family as the basic social unit of the society. In fact, the evidence for this is shown by the abundance in most libraries of published materials regarding marriage and family life in the United States. The interest in family life is instigated by the fact that there are various instances of gender interaction such as those involving children; between children and their parents; between parents; and between parents and their in-laws (Stone, 2001). An obvious gender interaction that is usually less mentioned is that between any parent and mother-in–law or father-in-law of the opposite sex. The aspect of mother in law in particular has been a problem to many couples in the American society. In this context, Stone (2001) quotes Eppie Lederer who commented on the persistent problem associated with mothers-in-law by asking the question â€Å"Must we outlaw the mother in law? † The products of family life, that is children, also socialise differently depending on where they are. Andersen and Taylor (2005) note that gender socialization among children is impacted upon by peers, parents, the media, schools, religious institutions and forth. It is at the child level that various paths of gender socialization are charted. For instance, in schools girls usually get involved in communal games and like getting into groups whereas boys tend to put interest in games that are individualistic (Andersen Taylor, 2005). The same authors also note that girls play more freely when they are involved in same sex groups. On the other hand, boys tend to wield power over girls when they play with them and have a tendency to create laws of play over girls. This is perhaps what leads to men’s dominance in scenes in later life (Andersen Taylor, 2005; Stone, 2001). Methods of gender socialization in American educational and religious institutions As is the case in all societies, socialization occurs at all stages of life, not just in childhood stages. The attributes displayed by children in their early days such as gender-typed forms of games are indicator of behavior that appear later during adult life. The aspects of competitive play displayed by boys prepare them for the kind socialization environment they encounter as adults. Giddens and Griffiths (2006) note that boys engage in more aggressive socialization activities because in future they get active in activities such as sports; and the large groups they socialize with also teach them to cooperate and compete when working together later in life. Among girls, there is a slightly different approach to socialization. Andersen and Taylor (2005) note that learn in the same way as girls but they don’t tend to value the attributes such as highly as boys or men even though these attributes are no less important to them. Thus, gender socialization in various American educational institutions is based on these attributes as discussed in the following sections. Gender socialization in schools Schools in have a distinct influence on gender socialization because of the considerable amount to time children spend them (Cookson, 1990). Teachers of either sex have different expectations for boys and girls. According to research findings, boys in American schools call out answers about eight times more than girls (Andersen Taylor, 2005). This makes boys get more attention from their teachers than girls. This point is emphasized by the fact that when teachers of either sex respond to the boys they increase the boys’ level of perceived importance. Another level of socialization in schools is the kind of books used in class. The kind of messages depicted in the books usually determine the kind of socialization that children have later in life or among themselves (Levinson, Cookson Sadovnik, 2002). If a person of a certain gender is used as a central figure and is portrayed to be powerful or a genius, a mentality is developed among children that people of that gender are powerful in all dimensions. Most of the characters depicted as such are men. Gender socialization and religion Religion is one of the aspects of gender socialization that is often overlooked in the American society. Different religious groups lay emphasis on different aspects of their culture such as gender differences. For instance, most Judeo-Christian religions found in the United States put much emphasis on gender, with a common perspective that men are superior to women. In religions that embrace Orthodox Judaism, men offer prayer to God thanking him for not having made a slave of woman for them. In addition, many other religions in the United States exclude women from leadership in religious functions to signify that women hold a lower position in the society (Levinson, Cookson Sadovnik, 2002). Aside from the religions that belittle gender, socialization in Christian and Muslim faiths encourages some form of gender equity (Cookson, 1990). Thus in both churches and mosques, women constantly use what they learn based on their faiths to question racist practices and other forms of unfair treatment by men. Along this line, protestant and evangelical churches in the United States campaign for shared household roles and equal job opportunities as part of socialization between men and women (Stone, 2001). Gender socialization and the media Different forms of media such as magazines, film, television, music and many others have a lot of influence on the kind of socialization in the United States. Communication through the various forms of media is facilitated through features such as cartoons, narrations, messages in music and so forth. Men and women play different roles in the media industry and this determines show they socialize at various levels. But a common tendency is that men are usually portrayed as more powerful figure in various media by their dominance in films, sports, and many other activities. This has changed how people view various forms of media and stratified the society (particularly learning institutions) in terms of popularity of some programs. Television in the United States has been criticized for portraying unrealistic images of women and men with respect to their appearance and age (Stone, 2001). There is a common opinion that women are usually portrayed provocatively on television in dresses such as underwear, nightwear, swimsuits and so forth. Media images in social scenes such as social halls, school halls, colleges and other institutions in the United States and so on are criticized for depicting white men as exercising higher authority than white women as well as black men and black women. Many advertisements in social settings also have the same tendency of depicting the male gender as being superior to the female gender (Stone, 2001). Gender socialization and employment in educational institutions Workplaces as schools are characterized by people of either gender playing different roles. The American system of job classification us characterized by hierarchical organizations which put men and women in different job capacities. For instance, most principals in schools and superintendents of colleges are men (Andersen Taylor, 2005). This therefore creates an ill-advised notion that leaders in social institutions are always men. Conclusion It is evident that various from of gender socialization in educational institutions such as schools, colleges, churches, social halls and so forth in the United States is greatly influenced by the kind of socialization that takes place in elementary levels of education such as junior schools. In addition, the kind of behavior that boys and girls are exposed to is carried into adult life. This is shown in many organizations that disseminate knowledge such as colleges, most of which portray men as being superior to women. References Andersen, M. L. and Taylor H. F. (2005). Sociology: understanding a diverse society. New York: Cengage Learning. Cookson, L. Gender equity, social institutions and the future of fertility. Journal of Population Research, 17(1):1-14 Giddens, A Griffiths, S. (2006). Sociology. New York: Polity Levinson, D. ; Cookson, P. W. Sadovnik , A. R. (2002). Education and sociology: an encyclopedia. New York: Taylor Francis. Sapiro, V. (1990) Women in American society: an introduction to womens studies. New York: Mayfield Pub. Co. Stone, L. (2001). New directions in anthropological kinship. New York: Rowman Littlefield.

Chaucer The Father Of English Poetry English Literature Essay

Chaucer The Father Of English Poetry English Literature Essay Chaucer is generally considered as the father of English poetry; looking specifically at The Canterbury Tales we can see that Chaucer attempted to portray a depiction of society as he knew it. It is also evident that he attempted to provide his own commentary on his society. Chaucer distances himself from the comments made in The Canterbury Tales as he tells his audience Blameth nat me (Chaucer, 2006, line 73) if they are to take offense from what the Miller says as it is not Chaucer, himself, saying it, he simply has too repeat what was said. This is a very clever technique that Chaucer uses so that he cant be faced with controversy or come under attack from any one as he has only repeated this tale. Chaucer would have had to ensure that his work did not offend those in the church, seeing as the church was the only place where literature was preserved. However Chaucer still attacks society, and the greed of the church amongst other social issues, by not personally saying it, he skilfully distances himself from the issues he highlights in this tales. Chaucer also manages to tactfully deal with these issues, resulting in highly enjoyable tale, which offers a social commentary on a society faced with corruption and hypocrisy. The Canterbury Tales was written in a time where an audible, social reading of literature (Ford, 1976, p86) was preferred, this is possibly because of the influence that the church had on Medieval Literature. One of the main reasons for this may be due to the church, as they supplied the only form of education, everyone at church would have been listened to preachers, and as preaching itself had throughout the Middle Ages a great influence on other literature of all sorts (Ford, 1976, p85) it is not unreasonable to assume that this is why oral forms of literature were preferred in the medieval period. The Canterbury Tales were written as thought hey were being spoken aloud, so they fit in well with this medieval trend. The language and diction used in both The Millers Tale and The Wife of Bath conforms to a plain, low style (King, 2000, p47). Chaucers dominant sentence structure is paratactic (King, 2000, p47); with a rhyme scheme consisting of couplets of iambic pentameters (King, 2 000, p47). The purpose of Chaucers use of language, allows both tales to be easily read aloud for a group of people, rather than just read alone. Aware of his language choices, Chaucer will have also been attempting to make the background story to The Canterbury Tales seem authentic. The narrator is telling these stories on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, so as we read the tales to ourselves we can get a sense of the pilgrimage, and the way these tales would have been told. Chaucer uses The Canterbury Tales as a social commentary. Through the general prologue we can see how he feels about whole sections of society by making individuals represent whole groups of medieval life (Bunting, 2003, p6). These representations slowly begin to build up an entire view of Chaucers life in the medieval period. The Canterbury Tales is famous for upsetting the social hierarchy. Despite the conventions, after the Knights tale is told at the very beginning the rest of the tales are not told in order of those with the higher social standing, as would be conventionally expected. Certain characters interrupt, pushing their tales over others, making The Canterbury Tale humorous as it does not follow the conventional order as som bettre man shal telle us first another (Chaucer, 2006, Line 21). Chaucer also satirises the medieval idea of romance, through the tales, he satirises courtly love, and how it is portrayed as being the ideal way to create a romance. The Millers Tale, in particular, satirises this concept as it is a parody romance (King, 2000, p73). This medieval concept is often found ridiculed in these tales. In the Wife of Bath she admits that I have wedded five! (Chaucer, 1995, line 44), if this had been a courtly love, surely it would have lasted and the Wife of Bath would not have been able to marry again, out of love for her previous husband. Absolon in the Millers Tale attempts to woo Alison using techniques expected of a courtly lover, however he fails to impress Alison and his efforts go unrecognised. Chaucer uses Absolon to demonstrate just how ridiculous the efforts of the courtly lover can be. Chaucer is viewed as inheritor of a great tradition as well as the inventor of a new one (Saunders, 2001, p5) he stuck to particular conventions of the medieval p eriod, and is work is characteristically medieval, however as he does question some of the medieval literary ideas, and many issues in society he can be enjoyed by a contemporary audience who can read the subtleties of his satirical prose narrative, without him alienating either his own audience or a more contemporary one. The main social issue that Chaucer is seen to satirise in both these tales is the idea that women are repressed. Chaucer seemed able to perceive the genius and subtlety of the female mind in making the best of their situation in life, while still allowing the men to think they were in control (Bunting, 2003, p5). This is perhaps best envisioned in The Wife of Baths Prologue. She mentions her having had wedded five! (Chaucer, 1995, line 44). However she is able to defend this position that she is in as God says that to be wedded is no sinne (Chaucer, 1995, line 51), she also asks when God commanded he virgintee? (Chaucer, 1995, line 62). She speaks out against the church and what they are saying in the medieval period, where women were given two stereotypes, either compared to the treacherous Eve, or had to live up to the standards of the Virgin Mary with her being both a virgin and a mother this was an impossible role model for women to achieve. The Wife of Bath is unashamedly a larger than life character designed to squash the constraints that medieval Christianity have placed upon women.

Comparison of Linguistic Differences in the Film and Novel of A Clockw

Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange - Linguistic Differences in the Film and Novel A Clockwork Orange, written by Anthony Burgess, is experienced differently as a novel than it is as the movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. The heart of the difference between the two forms is expressed by Bakhtin: "The potential for [‘double-voiced discourse’ between the author and narrator] is one of the most fundamental privileges of novelistic prose, a privilege available neither to dramatic nor to purely poetic genres" (Bakhtin, 320).1 An entire dimension of the novel’s story is lost in the movie when Alex’s role is reduced from narrator to commentator. The ability of Burgess to speak indirectly to the audience through Alex is removed, and the perspective on the Clockwork world revealed through Nadsat, the language Alex speaks, is lost. However, this does not mean that the movie is less effective than, or an inferior medium to the novel. The main drive of the story remains in the movie form: Kubrick utilizes the means, such as a musical score and th e visual dimension, unique to the dramatic genre to find ways around the loss of Nadsat and first person narration. He also tries to maintain the twisted sense of humor found in the book while working to promote the audience’s understanding of Alex’s universe. Kubrick preserves the unusual opportunity A Clockwork Orange offers the audience—a chance to immerse itself in Alex’s character and actions, and have its "nastier propensities titillated" (Burgess ix)2 by Alex’s "ultra-violence", instead of being frightened away. In the novel, Burgess is able to speak indirectly through Alex’s narration, telling the reader about the novel’s political setting as well as revealing Alex’s (and perha... ... Nadsat, is lost. And with the loss of a large and comprehensive language such as Nadsat, goes part of Burgess’ voice. However, Kubrick does an excellent job of retaining the novel’s spirit and structure, even while offering his own interpretation. He takes advantage of the visual and auditory possibilities that the film medium presents to fill in the gap created by the removal of Nadsat, resulting in an accessible and satisfying movie. In both forms, A Clockwork Orange draws its audience into sympathizing with Alex and ultimately enjoying themselves as they "rape and rip by proxy" (Burgess ix). Works Cited 1. M.M. Bakhtin, The Dialogic Imagination (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1981). 2. Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange (NewYork: W.W. Norton & Company, 1986). 3. A Clockwork Orange, prod. and dir. Stanley Kubrick, 137 min., Warner Bros., 1971.

The Supreme Court Essay

The Supreme Court made a ruling in Free Enterprise Fund vs. PCAOB saying that Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) will remain â€Å"fully operative as law† with the exception that The Securities and Exchange Commission will be able to remove at will members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Previously they were not able to and was said to violate the appointment clause of the constitution. This changed job security for its five board members ending a three-year battle between a Nevada firm Beckstead and Watts who sued PCAOB in 2006. The accounting firm declared that it was unconstitutional for SEC to appoint its board members rather than the president giving it to much authority unchecks by executives. However, a decision been made by the courts to meet the plaintiffs at the halfway, pointed out that if was against constitutional policy to remove board members completely it would violate separation of powers principle. The courts rest the power with the president to have comp lete authority to hire and fire PCAOB members. According to Susan Hackett general counsel, this was an important move because it invalidated the PCAOB appointment process and upheld the SOX Legislation. A power move to allow congress and the president to have ultimate ability to control institutions that possess significant insight of companies. This decision in my opinion opens up a fair market and does not allow larger company to push and over power smaller firms. Board members must go through a screening process so not to have bias authorizes in control. Reference Jaeger, J. (June 28, 2010). High Court Ruling only Tweaks Sarbanes Oxley Act. Enforcement and Litigation, 13. Retrieved from http://www.complianceweek.com

Competitive Strategies for Wal-Mart

The emergence of Wal-Mart as a big box retailer has changed retail in the United States, according to a 2008 article on Wal-Mart and competition in AllBusiness. com. Big box retailers typically have stores exceeding 50,000 square feet. This type of store is standard, with large windowless single-story buildings. Several other big box retailers like Toys â€Å"R† Us, Best Buy, Target, Lowe's and Home Depot have created competition for Wal-Mart. However, Wal-Mart has stood out as the perennial merchandise big box retailer, according to the AllBusiness. om article. Because of its big box status, Wal-Mart has exceeded small retailers in profits. Annual revenues for 2004 were slightly over $288 billion. Revenues in 2006 exceeded $350 billion. Wal-Mart maintains its status as a big box retailer by seeking profits through a high volume of low-price items. Low-Cost Leadership Wal-Mart's slogan is â€Å"Spend Less. Live Better. † The giant retailer prides itself on providing customers with low-cost items that beat competitors. Wal-Mart reported a 3.6   percent increase in net income from cost cutting, according to an August 2010 Associated Press article. Also read MGMT-QUIZ about types of competitive strategies Customers are cautious about spending because of a slow economy, and Wal-Mart continues to be their low-cost option. Customers choose to shop at Super Wal-Mart centers for groceries, rather than the local grocery store because of discounted items. For example, Wal-Mart offers $1 ketchup bottles and $4 for a case of soda. The Associated Press article stated that Wal-Mart benefited during the recession as affluent shoppers were forced to downgrade to cheaper options.

Case Study †Problem Employee

We often hear about the employers that don’t treat employees well; but you know, it sometimes works the other way as well. I had a call from a gentleman who was at his wits end as to what he could do with an employee that he has had on his payroll now for 5 years. This employee is running the entire show! He’s a bully and the employer is to the point that he is actually afraid of him – not in a physical sense – but in the sense that he’s afraid to stand up to him because – oh no – heaven forbid – he may quit! The employer has completely lost control of this fellow because he never had the courage to set any boundaries or expectations from the start and his leadership has been extremely inconsistent. So, how did this happen, you may ask? The background: The business owner has a small restaurant. He and his wife and brother-in-law opened the restaurant about 7 years ago. The business started to grow and he brought in the employee in question to help them out. At first, the employee was really good and the owner gave him more and more responsibilities, to the point that he felt fairly comfortable in leaving him to open up on occasion and actually assist with the business decisions, etc. The business continued to grow and he hired a few more people, mostly part time, to work during lunch and dinner times. After a few more employees were hired, the original employee (we’ll call him Joe), started to exhibit some less than desirable behaviours by coming in late; opening the doors and then within 15 minutes, he would go out back to have a smoke break (virtually leaving the business open without anyone inside, which the owner found out by coming in a couple of mornings right after Joe and finding the place empty); talking on his cell phone right in front of customers (putting the customers on ignore while he chatted away on the phone); and when the owner tried to speak with him, Joe just held his hand up right in the owner’s face shutting him down. On occasion, when Joe decided he’d made enough tips for the night – he would just leave – an hour – sometimes two hours before his shift actually ended! To heck with the schedule†¦ he’d had enough†¦too bad†¦so sad. Oh – and he didn’t like the owner’s wife – so he told the owner to keep her out of the restaurant – and he did! It has now gotten to the point (according to the employer) that Joe comes and goes as he pleases and in fact, he has told the employer that he can’t do anything about it because he’d have to pay him to terminate him. The employer, unfortunately, does not know his rights in this case – and he has let it go on for so long now that he is getting treated this way by all of his employees. The example has been set! The saddest part of all is that the employee tells the employer what he will and will not do and the employer has no one else that can step into this fellow’s shoes because everyone else is part time and does not have the same level of restaurant business experience. At least, that’s what the owner believes at this time. So; how did we go about finding a solution to this problem when up to this point in time nothing was documented?Case Study – Problem Employee – Part 2 Published: November 1, 2010 The first thing we recommended to this employer was to take a good look at his current employees and consider which ones he could provide more training and development to so that if this problem employee did walk out; he could still manage his business. We also advised him that allowing others to develop their skills would not only increase his ability to provide a better quality business for his customers, it would also provide learning opportunities for his employees that would encourage them to stay. The next thing we did for this employer was to give him information around the basic employment standards act that he needed. He was allowing an employee to tell him what was required by law, and in fact; most of what he was being told was inaccurate. Ignorance is definitely not bliss for a business owner who employs others. We gave him â€Å"fact sheets† with the main areas that he should make himself familiar with so that it was easy to understand and didn’t have a lot of unfamiliar language to interpret. The next thing we recommended is that he considers doing is allowing us to develop an employee handbook and some basic policies that would help him in communicating to his employees moving forward. We recommended that he have a staff meeting prior to the construction of the handbook to allow the employees to have some input or suggestions. We offered to provide support at the staff meeting if he wished; but certainly this is something that he could do on his own as well. We offered to present the handbook to the employees with him so that we could respond to any questions and he didn’t have to feel concerned about how to respond (particularly because he believes the problem employee is going to challenge the implementation of a handbook and policies). We next suggested that he implement a performance management system that aligned with the handbook and policies and we will assist him through coaching sessions as to how he can manage the process. While this is a lot of work for him and it will not be an overnight solution; he has unfortunately allowed his employee to gain control of his business – and not in a good way. Due to the fact that he has not managed the whole relationship well and it has deteriorated to this stage, it will be a long process to repair the damage. The good thing is that he did seek help and he will learn how to retain employees through the provision of learning opportunities; he will have some ‘standards of operation and behavioural expectations’; and he will have a performance management system to ensure a more fair and just working environment. Last, but not least; we are also going to provide some ‘culture coaching’ sessions so he can develop a strong and healthy workplace that fits within his mission and values. As this project is not yet complete, we will report back on occasion to let you know how we move through the recommended processes.