Alcoholics Anonymous An International Mutual Aid Fellowship

Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. AA states that its primary purpose is to help alcoholics to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. With other early members Bill Wilson and Bob Smith developed AA s Twelve Step program of spiritual and character development. AA s initial Twelve Traditions were introduced in 1946 to help the fellowship be stable and unified while disengaged from outside issues and influences. The Traditions recommend that members and groups remain anonymous in public media, altruistically helping other alcoholics and avoiding affiliations with any other organization. Subsequent fellowships such as Narcotics Anonymous have adopted and adapted the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions to their respective primary purposes. The 2006 Cochrane Review of eight studies measuring the effectiveness of AA found no significant difference between the results of AA and twelve-step participation compared to other treatments, stating that experimental studies have on the whole failed to demonstrate their effectiveness in reducing alcohol dependence or drinking problems when compared to other interventions. and the first non-Protestant member, a Roman Catholic, joined in 1939. AA membership has since spread across diverse cultures holding different beliefs and values, including geopolitical areas resistant to grassroots movements. In the Fourth Edition ofShow MoreRelatedTeen Alcohol Problems Of Teens814 Words   |  4 Pagesplace that is for people that need help to stop drinking alcohol and provide food,bed and people that is going to help you. Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. AA states that its primary purpose is to help alcoholics to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.that is made for men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracialRead MorePrinciples of Psychopathology: Diagnosis and Treatment4567 Words   |  19 Pagesmental health issues; the argument is what disorders need to be discussed and how to organize the information. Before the advent of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) the most widely used manual in America was the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) (APA, 2000, p. xxiv, xxv). History progressed from the 1800’s with name changes from other organizations until the American Psychiatric Association Committee on Nomenclature and Statistics developed their own versionRead MoreHemp Cultivation in China 42289 Words   |  170 PagesInternational Hemp Association Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivation in the Tai an District of Shandong Province, Peoples Republic of China Robert C. Clarke Naturetex International B.V. Van Diemenstraat 192 1013 CP Amsterdam The Netherlands Clarke, R.C. 1995. Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivation in the Tai an District of Shandong Province, Peoples Republic of China. Journal of the International Hemp Association 2(2): 57, 60-65. This paper summarizes the history of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivationRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 PagesIntroduction to strategy Business environment: general Five forces analysis Capability analysis Corporate governance Stakeholder expectations Social responsibility Culture Competitive strategy Strategic options: directions Corporate-level strategy International strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategic options: methods Strategy evaluation Strategic management process Organising Resourcing Managing change Strategic leadership Strategy in practice Public sector/not-for-proï ¬ t management Small businessRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages1987, had a new coauthor, Barbara B. Moran. This edition brought additional insight, expertise, and depth to the discussions. With the fourth edition, published in 1993, the two authors expanded the coverage to include themes of importance for an international audience. Over that 15-year period, the previous editions had been translated into several languages—some without prior knowledge of the authors and publisher. That edition also changed its title to Library and Information Center Management to

Poetry Story Free Essays

An author writes a book or novel to have the whole story put right out for you with a clear cut beginning middle and end. A poet can write a â€Å"novel† in very minimal lines or a few verses. They tell a story but give the rest for you to think and ponder about A poet uses multiple literary devices in one single poem. We will write a custom essay sample on Poetry Story or any similar topic only for you Order Now When reading a poem you have to decode or decipher what the poet is really trying to say. They may use metaphors, Irony and much more, In the poem â€Å"l Finally managed to speak to her†, the poet, Hal Sorority uses both of these literary devices. The first literary device that is used in this poem is a metaphor. The poem â€Å"l finally managed to speak to her† is about a young man sitting across from a young girl on a bus. They are driving through New York City, and he would like to talk to her. He says â€Å"The trees look so much greener is this part of the country. In New York City everything looks so drab. † Although he is referring to the trees, Sorority uses the trees as a metaphor for him. Despite the fact that he has written about the trees you have to look deeper and the meaning and decipher what Is trying to be said. Since the metaphor is really talking about him rather than the trees it really brings out the meaning of the poem. In an interview Sorority said â€Å"she was too self-involved. Or to put it in nicer terms, she wasn’t into me. â€Å"(lengthier) When he said this what I got is that when he wrote that she said â€Å"when you find another one let me know† Is that she didn’t really want to talk to him so she Is finishing the conversation. The metaphors in this poem are outstanding and really give you a glimpse into the author’s life. Till you actually really take a deeper look into the poem and realize what he Is trying to say you may think that he Is literally talking about the trees In different parts of the country. The second literary device that Sorority uses in his poem â€Å"l finally managed to speak to her† is irony. Irony is used in Sorority poem â€Å"l Finally Managed to Speak to Her because originally reading the poem you blatantly see t hat he is talking to a girl on the bus about trees. While you reread the poem you start to realize that It Is not just the trees he is talking about, it is her. Even though you want to think one thing there are multiple ways to look at this poem. This is where the irony comes in. Is it Ironic that he says â€Å"everything looks so drab†? If he is trying to talk about her is he trying to refer to every other girl being drab so that she can feel special? Despite the fact that we can look at this many ways Sorority says, â€Å"l wanted her to see me rather than the differences in the trees. † (Interview) It is very ironic that the author is using Reese to talk about a love life that never happened. It’s like he is trying to put the trees and the girl he Is talking to out there for others to realize that you may get turned down every now and then but don’t give up. The literary devices Hal Slowly used in his poem, â€Å"l finally Managed to Speak to Her was metaphor and irony. He used them in two similar ways but when you look at them they are completely different. The way he uses his metaphors Is astonishing. The irony that Is put Into this poem Is all around noteworthy. The way he makes you think about what your reading, and does not just give it to you. Although it is a little more work for the reader it is worth it. When you are just reading It for what is written you will never get the tulle story. Weather you are a girl or boy you can relate to this story because almost every person in the world has been turned down once in their life time and that is what makes this poem over the top, almost everyone can relate to it. Works Cited: Sorority, Hal. â€Å"†I Finally Managed to Speak to Her†Ã¢â‚¬  E-mail interview. 10 Par. 2013 How to cite Poetry Story, Papers

Business and Corporate Law Limitations of Economic Reasoning

Question: Describe about the Business and Corporate Law for Limitations of Economic Reasoning. Answer: 1: a) Issue: In the given case of Jane and Jack, Jane offers her care to Jack and he accepts, however, no exact value of the offer is given. It is provided that the market value of the car is $25000. Rules: Consideration means somewhat in return. In simple words, consideration is a cost or value which is paid by the buyer to the seller for the purchase of goods or services. As illustrated, goods, services, and money is some of the consideration of an agreement. Consideration is loss faced by a person who offers benefit conferred towards another party which should be in economical measurable terms (Bainbridge, 2015). It is one of the important aspects for validating the contract in a contract law. The reason behind this is that in contract, bargaining power of the parties is developed by the consideration of the other partys performance or for exchange return promise. Application: There should be something in return for both the parties namely promisee (Jack) and promissory (Jane) as per the Australian contract law. In addition to this, as in the given case, the agreement is moving from one person to another which also indicates the presence of consideration. Jack has accepted the offer presented by Jane; however, there is no exchange of money (value). As there is no exchange of value, it can be said; the consideration is not present in the given situation (Burrows, 2013). Conclusion: In the given case, the agreement is unenforceable between Jane as well as Jack. It is because, from the side of Jack, no act or promise is performed for the agreement. Additionally, no return or oral consideration is given by Jack in terms of price or goods. So, consideration is not present and agreement is not enforceable. b) Issue: In the given situation, Jane offers to sell her lotus super 7 sports car to Jack for $25000 and Jack accepts this offer. Rules: As per the contract laws, consideration is present in an offer, when there is exchange of some value from one person to another. In the situation of valid consideration, the contract is enforceable. Application The value of an agreement is $2500 which again make contract enforceable due to its price. Both Jane, and Jack, agreed upon the same point and views which indicate that agreement is enforceable. As illustrated, Jane has offered jack to buy her car for $2500 and jack has accepted the offer given by Jane. Therefore, by accepting the car of Jane in the same price makes this agreement enforceable (Wegen, Barth and Spahlinger, 2016). The contract is valid too as no legal defenses are found against it. Moreover, both Jane and Jack agreed to perform some action in return and exchange of something which again makes this agreement enforceable to Jack and considerable in the eye of law. Conclusion: It can be said that consideration is present in the agreement. It is because sufficient amount of money value or cost ($25000) for the sell of the car is offered by Jane towards Jack. Beside this, it is a legal value that helps both the party to make the agreement legal in the eyes of the law. Along with this, the value of good makes agreement considerable too. c) Issue: In the given case, Jane offers her car for $2500 to Jack. The market price of Janes car is $25000. There is huge difference between the market price and price offered by the Jane to Jack. It is to be evaluated whether the considertation is present or not. Rules: Consideration rules state there should be some value exchange, it is not required that value should be adequate as well. According to Australian law regarding consideration is to have sufficient consideration in the contract. Application: This case is similar to the case of Biotechnology v. Pace (Griffiths, 2014). In this case, the court has found unequal consideration in value offered by the party to other in an agreement by fair acts. Additionally, the unwise situation is faced by Jack by acceptance of car valuing $25000 in $2500 only. However, the agreement which has taken place among Jake and Jane has not breach civil law or public policy (Cartwright, 2016). Along with this, it is identified that adequate agreement was presented to both the party namely Jane and Jack with full enforceable and enforcement of law. Conclusion: The legal value of agreement indicates that there is an adequate consideration among the party that provides the rights to Jack to enforcement the agreement as per the Australian law (Wegen, Barth and Spahlinger, 2016). Moreover, mutual consideration is found in the given situation of a contact. However, sufficient amount of mutual consideration is missing in the case. In the case of Jack and Jane, sufficient consideration is found as Jane agreed to sell her car to Jack. Along with this, the agreement also has a value which indicated that the agreement is considerable in the eyes of Australian Law (Gordon and Ringe, 2016). On the other hand, if there is no consideration or legal value in agreement, insufficient consideration is considered in the Australian law. In addition to this, state and federal laws, never defend any of the persons from getting entry into an unwise contract. Hence, adequacy of consideration is never considered by the court. On the other hand, if the promise is illusory, then an agreement can be unenforceable in the contact act (Gibson and Fraser, 2013). In the given case, the agreement is unenforceable because the conditions of the enforcement of an agreement are not fulfilled properly. A valid offer of an agreement is not found among the party namely Jane and Jack. Because Jane was selling her car to Jack for $2500 only which is very low as compared to market value of the car ($25000) which is not valid offer and in this way, the contract becomes unenforceable in the law. 2. Issue: In the given case, the main issue is that a contract was made between two of the parties namely Shipbuilder Company and North Ocean Tanker. The contract was undertaken to build tankers for Shipbuilder Company. Due to, the devaluation of currency in the United States by 10 percent the Shipbuilder demanded extra US$3 million else they will stop the construction work for the Ocean Tanker. Also, a demand for paying extra US$3 million to shipbuilder was raised by the company towards North ocean tanker. Although, there was no provision made for any currency fluctuations in the contract (Haeri, 2016). Besides this, the North Ocean Tanker had booked a charter for delivery as it has to deliver the tankers on time. Ocean tanker was unwillingly agreed to pay the amount to shipbuilders. Now, in the given case issue raised is that whether the North Ocean tanker (buyers) will be able to succeed in recovering the excess money after nine months of delivery or not from the Shipbuilder Company (seller). Rules: In the given case Duress law will be applied (Engle, 2011). In the contract law, duress is a term use to define the person who enters into the contract due to threats such as physical harm or violence. The contract can be set aside by the court when a person enters into a contract due to the threat of physical violence in a contract. Originally, unlawful physical violence threat was recognized in the common law (Wilson, 2016). However, nowadays economic duress is also recognized by the court because of an increase invalid claim. In a case of the threat to goods, the court has less willing to interfere, although similar claims in restitution mention that there may be some or the other changes in the law. One of the basic vitiating factors in contract law is that there is no free consent for the parties. Additionally, it uses to work or functions at a common law. However, there may be an increase in an action for undue influence through pressure not amounting to duress. Moreover, the finding result of undue influence as well as duress is that the contract is voidable (Cartwright, 2016). The blameless party may claim the damages and has a right to withdraw the contract. There is basically three type of duress in the contract act which includes duress to the person, duress to the goods, and economic duress (Li, 2015). These are as discussed below: Duress to the person: The contract can be set aside by the court when a person enters into a contract due to the threat of physical violence in a contract. Duress to goods: A threat to damage of the property or destroy of property can be duress in a case of goods (Virgo, 2015). It also includes control or grabs of goods for an unnecessary reason, cause or wrongfully is all said to be duress to goods in the contract act. Economic duress: This explains that the consent of a party to a contract can be taken by financially treating the party (Zamir and Teichman, 2014). Further, the illegal use of economic pressure is made by one party in order to force another party to get involve, enter, and sign the contract. Essentials of the doctrine of economic duress include illegitimate pressure which means there is no choice left for the applicant instead of choosing contact entry. Moreover, an important cause of pressure which is responsible for entering into a contract by the side of the applicant is another essential of the doctrine of economic duress (Stone and Devenney, 2015). The elements of economic duress involve improper or wrongful threat and having no reasonable alternatives. Application: In the concern to the given case study, it is found that the case is related to the economic duress of a contract act. Because the shipbuilder forced the North Ocean Tankers to pay them an extra amount of US$3 million due to the currency devaluation loss in the country by the government. Along with this, it is found that shipbuilder illegally threatens the North Ocean Tanker to be involved in the contract. It is identified from the case that there was pressure on North Ocean Tankers to pay money to seller namely Shipbuilders which can be easily identified by the court (Burrows, 2016). As discussed above, there are three types of duress namely to the goods, to person, and economic duress. Hence, in the given case, economic duress is addressed as it is analyzed that the shipbuilder (seller) made the economic pressure or duress on the buyer (North Ocean Tankers) to enter into the contract (Poole, 2016). It is noted that threat to breach the contract is not considered illegitimate by the court due to demand reasonability as well as circumstances changes. As illustrated, in the case of North Ocean Shipping Co v Hyundai [1979] QB 705, an owner was not paying additional payment as compensation to shipbuilder because of a devaluation of the dollar (Bayern, 2015). Hence, the court ordered the Shipbuilder to break the contract with the party. However, the given situation is not the exactly as the shipbuilding company applied pressure and economic duress to pay for the additional amount. In the case of North Ocean Tankers and shipbuilder extra payment demanded by a seller is paid by the buyer for US $3 million under the protest. This will further result in the economic duress of the contract along with the right to the North Ocean Tankers to recover its surplus or extra payment from the seller namely the shipbuilder after nine months of the delivery Conclusion: In the given case, a seller (shipbuilder) has asked buyers (North Ocean Tankers) to pay US$3 million in consideration to the devaluation of currency by the government. It is examined that the buyer has the right to recover the excess money from the shipbuilder. Further, the contract becomes voidable if duress is found in the contract (Cartwright, 2016). Infected applicant has a right to cover losses suffer by the party in terms of goods or the money. In concern to the case, it is said that the contract is voidable as shipbuilder act will be considered illegal because an unlawful use of economic pressure is found in the case. Furthermore, threatening to break the contract given by shipbuilder again makes the contract voidable and the North Ocean Tankers are given the right to recover its excess payment after the delivery. References Bainbridge, S. (2015)Corporate Law. USA: West Academic. Bayern, S. J. (2015) The Limitations of Economic Reasoning in Analyzing Duress, Minnesota Law Review,99(141). Burrows, A. (2013) A Casebook on Contract. UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. Burrows, A. (2016) A Restatement of the English Law of Contract. UK: Oxford University Press. Cartwright, J. (2016) Anson's Law of Contract. UK: Oxford University Press. Cartwright, J. (2016)Contract law: An introduction to the English law of contract for the civil lawyer. UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. Engle, E. (2011) Corporate Law and Human Rights with Special Emphasis on the U.S. USA: Springer Gibson, A. and Fraser, D. (2013) Business Law 2014. USA: Pearson Higher Education AU Gordon, J. N., and Ringe, W. G. (2016)The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Law and Governance. UK: Oxford University Press. Griffiths, A. (2014) Embodied histories: exploring law's temporality in relation to land in Botswana, The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law,46(1), pp.37-59. Haeri, M. (2016) Analysis of Jurisprudence-Legal of Compulsion and Duress in Adultery, J. Pol. and L.,9(89), pp. 35-54. Li, E. (2015) Business and Corporate Law. USA: Thomson Lawbook Company. Poole, J. (2016)Textbook on contract law. UK: Oxford University Press. Stone, R. and Devenney, J. (2015) The Modern Law of Contract. UK: Routledge. Virgo, G. (2015) The Principles of the Law of Restitution. UK: Oxford University Press. Wegen,G., Barth, M. and Spahlinger, A. (2016) Corporate Laws of the World: A Handbook. USA: Hart Publication. Wilson, T. (2016) International Responses to Issues of Credit and Over-indebtedness in the Wake of Crisis. UK: Routledge Zamir, E. and Teichman, D. (2014) The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Economics and the Law. UK: Oxford University Press.

Masculinity/Femininity Essay Example

Masculinity/Femininity Paper Things Fall Apart Masculine/Feminine In most cultures an individual’s gender will influence their characterization. For instance, Ibo tribes in Africa classify people according to their gender. Women are thought as submissive individuals who are to some extent weaker than men. Men on the other hand are thought of as strong beings with much expected from them. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart strongly emphasizes on the categorization of masculinity and femininity in the society of Ibo tribes. Throughout the book, Okonkwo’s idea about masculinity situates him with respect to his community. In his community Okonkwo is greatly praised for his masculine traits. It is Okonkwo integration with masculinity that leads to him becoming an â€Å"outcast† in his community and to him committing suicide. According to Okonkwo it was better dead then to summit to femininity, any feminine action on a man’s behalf is considered to be humiliating his reputation. Okonkwo’s father Unoka is an example of a man with a humiliating reputation. Unoka is a failure in his community and considered an â€Å"unsuccessful† man, due to the fact that he was always borrowing money and his family suffers from hunger. We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. † (p. 8) For this reason Unoka is often referred to as being agbala, which is the word for a woman or a man with no titles. Okonkwo is the opposite of his father, he is a successful man. It is because of his father that he tends to look down at feminine actions of any kind, because of this fear of becoming his father or having one of his sons become like his father. In contrast to his father Okonkwo earns many titles and instead of being looked down upon, he is greatly admired for his achievements. Once of Okonkwo’s greatest achievement is his escapement from his father femininity and failure. â€Å"But for a young man whose father had no yams, there was no other way. And what made it worse in Okonkwos case was that he had to support his mother and two sisters from his meager harvest. And supporting his mother also meant supporting his father†¦And so at a very early age when he was striving desperately to build a barn through share-cropping Okonkwo was also fending for his father’s house. †(p. 22) Okonkwo is able to do what his father does not do. Okonkwo is able to take care of the family. From an early age Okonkwo has to do his work and his father’s work of supporting the family all at the same time. One can see that by taking on his father’s tasks and his own tasks that he wants to rise above his father’s legacy of spendthrift, lazy behavior, which he views as weak and therefore feminine. Not only does Okonkwo show that he is trying to rise above his father’s legacy but he also shows his aggravation and lack of patience with unsuccessful men. During the meeting held for men to discuss the next ancestral feast, Okonkwo let off on a man with no titles. The man with no titles contradicted Okonkwo and displeased with his comment Okonkwo fired back â€Å"this meeting is for men. † With this comment Okonkwo â€Å"killed† this man’s spirit by insinuating that the man was feminine for having no titles and for being stupid enough to contradict Okonkwo who is a man of titles. The people in the village were very displeased with Okonkwo’s comment asking him to apologize. This shows that although Okonkwo is viewed as a hero, his impatience and extreme masculinity make him an outcast among the people in his tribe. Okonkwo’s impatience and extreme masculinity is not what solely makes him an outcast in his tribe but ironically it was also his feminine sin that forces him to be cast out of his tribe for a long period of time. In the tribe there are two kinds of crimes a female crime and a male crime, when Okonkwo’s gun blows up, he incidentally kills a boy and that is a feminine sin. It is considered a feminine sin because it is done unintentionally. This shows how his masculinity as well as feminine crime makes Okonkwo an outcast in his community. Even though his faults are unintentional it is foreshadowing how Okonkwo will never again fit in with his native tribe or any other one for that matter. Similarly to his father Okonkwo is unable to fit in with the native tribe or even adapt to changing times. On the contrary to his father who stood for an inactive, poor, spendthrift, weak, calm, and a man that is interested in music, Okonkwo manages to attain great social and financial success by being the complete opposite of that a productive, wealthy, thrifty, brave, violent, and a man unalterably opposed to music. Yet, both Okonkwo and Unoka are incapable of adapting to changing times; as other people come to live with the people Umuofia, namely the white men. One can see his inability to cope with his culture or that of the white men, towards the end of the story when Okonkwo is speaking on how to deal with the abominable gang of white men. â€Å"Let us not reason like cowards, if a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does. These people are daily pouring filth over us and Okeye says we should pretend not to see†¦this was a womanly clan he thought. Such a thing could never happen in his fatherland, Umuofia† (p. 158-159) One can see that even in his exiled state in his mother land, he is unable to see things the way others in his mother’s clan see it. Unlike Okonkwo, the people in his mother’s clan feel that resorting to violence and brutality is unnecessary. They believe that violence and brutality is not their affair but instead it is of the gods and the offender. His masculine attitudes of not â€Å"reasoning like cowards† and â€Å"this is what a man does† are examples of how he cannot and will not back down from his war ways, which shows he is trying to strive away from his father’s legacy of a man who had no titles. Through out the book Okonkwo tries to get the most he can possibly attain. Okonkwo was really first recognized for throwing the cat and becoming the greatest wrestler in Umuofia. This probably has him thinking that the way to achieve greatness is through sheer strength alone. Okonkwo thinks that his mother’s clan is too womanly compare to his father’s clan of Umuofia, however even when he returns to his father’s clan after the completion of his exile he is also very much out of place there also. This is due to his obsessive masculinity and also because he just cannot adapt to the changing of times. Okonkwo â€Å"had lost his place among the masked spirits in the village† in addition to that â€Å"he had lost the chance to lead his warlike clan against the new religion† consequently he lost any voice he ever had and was a â€Å"stranger† in his land seeming as nobody appeared to have taken any special notice of the â€Å"warriors† return. He speaks with his friend Obierika about the strangeness of his home land saying, â€Å"Perhaps I have been away too long, but I cannot understand these things you tell me. What is it that has happened to our people? Why have they lost the power to fight I have also heard that Abame people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back? Had they no guns and machetes? We would be cowards to compare ourselves with the men of Abame. Their fathers had never dared to stand before our ancestors. We must fight these men and drive them from the land. † (p. 199-201) Okonkwo does not realize that everyone else in the tribe is adapting to the inevitable and that is the assimilation or the taking over of by British people’s culture. Okonkwo does not see that his place in society is diminishing very rapidly and his masculinity is not a match for what the other culture brings with them, that being its cleverness. He does not even understand his own people and why they are doing what they do. All he thinks of responding with is again violence and brutality another sign of his Macho only attitude. The people in his tribe are slowly and easily succumbing to the white man as his friends Obierika tells him right afterwards â€Å"It is already too late, our own men and sons have joined the ranks of the stranger. This is perhaps all Okonkwo can take in and also foreshadowing the events that will happen later on in the story. Even so Okonkwo feels that his tribe could still be saved if only people were to get together and strike back at what was upon them. Okonkwo blames Egonwanne saying that he is a â€Å"coward† and that if it was not for his womanish wisdom Umuofia would not be going through all that it is going through right now. Okonkwo does not know that there is really nobody to blame and its just the changing times. To put it simply Okonkwo is a lion in the snow left all by his lonesome self, not adjusting to the times and letting his masculinity get the best of him. â€Å"He had brought down his war dress, which he had not touched since his return from exile. † To further emphasize on his masculinity Okonkwo goes out with his war gear. This not only distinguishes him from the rest of the men in the town meeting but also completes his transformation into an outsider in his own community; a tribe that would not go to war. â€Å"Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape they had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in this tumult. †(p. 205) Okonkwo figures out the fact that Umuofia would not go to war during a meeting regarding the white man. In this meeting he cuts a white messenger’s head off and sees the looks of the people’s faces and how they will take no action against the â€Å"strangers† in their land. During this meeting Okonkwo sets on his path to becoming a complete outsider. He is a complete Outsider/Exile due to his masculinity and that the femininity of his â€Å"fellow’ tribesman. Okonkwo finally completes his transformation into a complete outsider in his tribe when he commits suicide. The district commissioner asks someone to take down the hanging body of Okonkwo. One of the people in the tribe responds to him saying that it against their custom. â€Å"†¦a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen. His body is evil, and only strangers may touch it. That is why we ask you people to bring him down, because you are strangers. †(p. 207) With this final act Okonkwo sets himself free from a culture from which he is no longer a part of but an old relic, a symbol of the changing times. His suicide makes it so that people know that he no longer wishes to associate himself with his tribe. He feels that it is all â€Å"falling apart† and his masculine ways just cannot adjust to the womanly way that the tribe is headed in. In conclusion, Okonkwo’s masculine way might appear too extreme to have led to suicide, yet the audience must understand that his masculinity was not only a way of life but also a way to escape from his father’s â€Å"feminine† lifestyle. Okonkwo’s father was degrading due to his lack of masculinity and Okonkwo could not bear to be the same. Okonkwo put his masculinity before anything. Okonkwo would rather be an outsider in his community than a doomed â€Å"feminine† man. When Okonkwo sees that his people have given up the will to fight and stand up for them selves, Okonkwo feel’s discouraged. Not standing up to fight for your country, your people and your family is cowardly, and Okonkwo just cannot and will not submit to cowardliness. Okonkwo insisted that his people go back to its war based lifestyle, yet his people refused to go to war against the whites. Okonkwo was to manly to change his mind and assimilate to the whites, he viewed that as weak and feminine. Although his refusal to adapt to his tribes new ways made him an outsider, Okonkwo could not and would not give up his manliness for anything, not even his life. Okonkwo choose his death before ever submitting to femininity, and his greatest fear of becoming just like his father who held such a trait.

Free Essays on I Want A Wife By Judy Brady

Who wouldn’t want a wife? Judy Brady will tell you exactly why you would want a wife. Written in 1970, I Want a Wife still rings as true today as it would have thirty years ago. Brady will tell you what a wife is good for and what the wife should and shouldn’t do. This essay is a very witty and satirical view of the classic role women play in families. Judy Brady paints a picture of somebody who will satisfy your every need and want, someone who will provide for you. Someone who will bring home the bacon, take care of the children, plan outings and gatherings. Someone who will do everything for you - needs - wants - wishes - you name it, and a wife will do it. If that wife should become unacceptable, or a better wife should come along, the previous wife is completely disposable. A wife is the perfect accessory to anyone’s life. Now, if you could package the idea of a wife that Judy Brady describes, you would have the perfect product. A Wife takes on every needed personality and puts it to good use. A wife is a mother, a secretary, a nurse, even a maid. The â€Å"Wife† would be sold out across the nation. Back ordered as soon as it hit the shelf. Mix the idea with some creative advertising and you would have the most profitable product ever. Just think, big neon signs outside stores flashing - wife sold here. Upgrade every year and add a new trait, and you would never worry about a consumer base. Brady’s idea of a wife is something - that despite your sexual preference - everybody would want. Brady shows us that you can be completely selfish and the wife would stay by your side and support your decision. You would never have to worry about it talking back or drinking too much and embarrassing you at company parties. This perfect product would be completely disposable. Nobody wants last years model. Compare the idea of a wife to a computer. Every year a new model comes out, and a large portion of the consumer base thr... Free Essays on I Want A Wife By Judy Brady Free Essays on I Want A Wife By Judy Brady Who wouldn’t want a wife? Judy Brady will tell you exactly why you would want a wife. Written in 1970, I Want a Wife still rings as true today as it would have thirty years ago. Brady will tell you what a wife is good for and what the wife should and shouldn’t do. This essay is a very witty and satirical view of the classic role women play in families. Judy Brady paints a picture of somebody who will satisfy your every need and want, someone who will provide for you. Someone who will bring home the bacon, take care of the children, plan outings and gatherings. Someone who will do everything for you - needs - wants - wishes - you name it, and a wife will do it. If that wife should become unacceptable, or a better wife should come along, the previous wife is completely disposable. A wife is the perfect accessory to anyone’s life. Now, if you could package the idea of a wife that Judy Brady describes, you would have the perfect product. A Wife takes on every needed personality and puts it to good use. A wife is a mother, a secretary, a nurse, even a maid. The â€Å"Wife† would be sold out across the nation. Back ordered as soon as it hit the shelf. Mix the idea with some creative advertising and you would have the most profitable product ever. Just think, big neon signs outside stores flashing - wife sold here. Upgrade every year and add a new trait, and you would never worry about a consumer base. Brady’s idea of a wife is something - that despite your sexual preference - everybody would want. Brady shows us that you can be completely selfish and the wife would stay by your side and support your decision. You would never have to worry about it talking back or drinking too much and embarrassing you at company parties. This perfect product would be completely disposable. Nobody wants last years model. Compare the idea of a wife to a computer. Every year a new model comes out, and a large portion of the consumer base thr...

Correcting Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Correcting Subject-Verb Agreement Errors This exercise will give you practice in identifying and correcting errors in subject-verb agreement. You may find it helpful to review the guidelines and examples of Tricky Cases of Subject-Verb Agreement. The Exercise All sentences in this exercise are in the​ present tense. For each sentence, write correct if the verb in italics agrees with the subject in person and number. If the verb does not agree with the subject, write the correct form of the verb. When youre done, compare your responses with the answers at the bottom of the page. Music soothe me.Once a month our teacher bake brownies for the class.Mary never take the bus to work.Paul and Douglas are arguing again.Both of my daughters are professional gymnasts.One of those mechanics have a set of jumper cables.One of my brothers friends is a pilot.Each of the children are allowed one extracurricular activity.The woman who owns those cars live in my apartment building.Every one of my professors drives a hybrid car.Almost everyone in my town remember the night that the firehouse burned down.The last two questions on the exam is especially hard.The pulses emitted by a neutron star recur at precise intervals.My sister in Tucson and my brother in Yuma is coming home for the holidays.Weight loss, dietary changes, and exercise is often all you need to keep your blood pressure under control. Here are the answers (in bold) to the exercise: Music  soothes  me.Once a month our teacher  bakes  brownies for the class.Mary never  takes  the bus to work.CorrectCorrectOne of those mechanics  has  a set of jumper cables.CorrectEach of the children  is  allowed one extracurricular activity.The woman who owns those cars  lives  in my apartment building.CorrectAlmost everyone in my town  remembers  the night that the firehouse burned down.The last two questions on the exam  are  especially hard.CorrectMy sister in Tucson and my brother in Yuma  are  coming home for the holidays.Weight loss, dietary changes, and exercise  are  often all you need to keep your blood pressure under control.

Epidemiology Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Epidemiology Paper - Essay Example These viruses are HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-2 virus is mostly found in Africa particularly West Africa, while HIV-1 is the major cause of HIV/AIDS basically in all regions of the world. These viruses attack the immune system and they have the capacity to become part of the human DNA. There are many indications of HIV/AIDS. it is important to assert the fact that the signs or indications of this disease are analogous to the signs or indications of a range of other common diseases that affect human beings. However, the signs and indications of HIV/AIDS are prolonged and more rigorous as compared to those of other common disease. Signs that are prevalent at the initial stages of the disease include high fever, lilac or lavender blemishes or spots on the skin, wound and abscesses that fail to heal when medicated, long lasting weariness and fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, fast or swift loss of weight, sore or broad whitish looking glaze in the orifice and anus, frequent or recurring flu and diarrhoea (Mayer and Pizer, 2004). According to the World Health Organization (2014), there are a number of ways through which HIV/AIDS can be transmitted. These include all incidents that exposes the blood of an individual to that of an infected person through sex, through sharing needles and other prickly substances such as razor blades. This disease can also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child if measures are not taken, and also through blood transfusion. There are many complications of HIV/AIDS that are as a result of the abating of the immune system. This makes infected individuals prone to a range of other diseases or complications otherwise referred to as opportunistic ailments. One of the most common complication of HIV/AIDS include tuberculosis and is one of the major causes of death among those infected. Other complications include bacterial infections such as salmonellosis, candidiasis, cryptococcal menengitis, cancers, wasting syndrome,

Globalisation and mass media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Globalisation and mass media - Essay Example vior that makes up the institutional structure of a larger society, mass media is a considered a system which enables us to communicate messages and symbols to the public† (Herman & Chomsky 1988, p. 5). One of the most significant impact of globalization towards the mass media is the change in the type of mass media ownership not only from within but also outside the national borders. For instance: Between 1970s and 1980s, the independent newspaper publishers like Washington Star and Philadelphia Bulletin were all earning good profit until the rapid development of information and communication technology existed (Compaine & Gomery 2000, p. 1). Since a large number of newspaper readers are able to gain access to electronic news information, some of the independent newspaper companies were forced to enter into merger contracts or buy-outs in order to make the company financially survive the challenges within the global markets. Over the years, similar changes took place in other form of mass media including book publishing and the magazine, radio, television, Aiming to give the readers a better understanding of the impact of globalization on mass media, a literature review will be provided regarding the main purpose of globalization. Eventually, a social scientific research will be conducted to determine the political economy of the modern mass media. In the process of going through the main discussion, a full overiew with regards to the impact of globalization on mass media will be tackled followed by contextualizing its development which started to occur during the twenteeth century. Prior to conclusion, the most current issues that are being debated by the mass media people aside from the possible economic, social, and political consequences of these issues towards the cultural industries will be thoroughly analyzed and discussed. Globalization is a process of interaction and integration of the world economy, culture, technology, business governance, human

Ernie Davis Essay Example for Free

Ernie Davis Essay A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis would go on to win MVP title in both the Cotton Bowl and the Liberty Bowl, and was inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1979. He was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, and to be picked 1st overall in the NFL draft. His career was cut short when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1962. Athlete. American Football player. Ernie Davis was born on December 14, 1939 in New Salem, Pennsylvania, USA. He is the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy and the first black athlete to be chosen 1st overall in the NFL Draft. A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Davis set yardage and scoring records at Syracuse University. He would go on to win MVP title in both the 1960 Cotton Bowl and the 1961 Liberty Bowl, and would be inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1979. His honors and accomplishments on the gridiron were matched only by his adversity off the field; As a black athlete playing many games in the south, he was the victim of racism on several occasions. The most publicized incident occurred when he was selected as the Cotton Bowl MVP in 1960. Davis was told by organizers that he would be allowed to accept his award at the post game banquet, and would immediately have to leave the segregated facility. Ernie refused to receive the award, and his entire team agreed to boycott the banquet. A man of firsts, Ernie Davis was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, the first to join the prestigious Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity (a nationally recognized Jewish fraternity) and, in 1962, became the first African American player to be picked 1st overall in the NFL draft. Tragic Death Although the details are somewhat disputed, Davis contract was considered to be the most lucrative ever offered to an NFL rookie. His teammates and supporters looked forward to seeing Ernie sharing the backfield with the great Jim Brown, breaking countless records and leading the Cleveland Browns to a decade of victorious seasons. Those seasons would never come, however, as Ernie was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. Although treatment had begun immediately, the disease would prove incurable and Ernie died on May 18, 1963 Having never played a professional football game. Both the House and the Senate eulogized him, and his wake was in The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. Accolades from JFK His character and his athletic accomplishments caught the eye of John F. Kennedy, who had followed Ernies college career and made several attempts to meet the star. In 1963, when he heard Ernie would be honored by his high school with a school holiday, the president sent a telegram reading: Seldom has an athlete been more deserving of such a tribute. Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field, reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. Its a privilege for me to address you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a worthy example of our youth. I salute you. Ernie Davis was the subject of the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express, based on the non-fiction book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher.

Electronic Product Code Project Essay -- Business Management Marketing

Electronic Product Code Project Table of Contents Executive Overview†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Stage 1: Determination of Scope and Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....4 Stage 2 – Systems Investigation and Feasibility†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Stage 3 – Systems Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.7 UPC DFD (Legacy System)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....9 Stage 4 – System Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 Stage 5 – Detail System Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 EPC DFD (New System)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 Stage 6 – Implementation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 Stage 7 – Changeover†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.15 Stage 8 – Evaluation and Maintenance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...17 Appendix A – Cost Benefit Analysis Chart†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...................23 Executive Overview: As a small grocery chain we are currently struggling to maintain our revenue stream and profitability against the competitive threats of the global warehouse chains (Costco, Wal-Mart, etc). We continue to find ourselves behind the curve in this competitive situation. These larger retailers have been able to use their greater resources and economies of scale to not only beat us on cost but also industry innovation. According to the electronic periodical Baseline, â€Å"Several dozen retailers and suppliers, including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, and Wal-Mart have signed on to the next generation UPC called the Electronic Product Code (EPC)†, (Mullin, 2002). With the implementation of this technology a customer will be able to virtually walk through a store, collect all their groceries, and walk out without ever having to stop for a cashier or checkout procedure. The electronic retail chain Best Buy, which sells electronic devices along with household appliances, implemente d this technology in many of its stores and has increased revenue, along with customer satisfaction due to always having proper stock on hand. We believe that this innovation will have a profound effect on our customer base, especially the highly desired, short attention span, and technically astute demographic of the 20-45 year olds. There are many other large retailers looking at this technology for the same reason (increased revenue) and studies show that smaller retailers would be willing to implement this same technology if initial installation costs decreased (2002). Our groc... ...illion USD 0.002 USD Reduction in Unsaleables 3.0 million USD 0.001 USD Reduction in Out-of-Stock 4.2 million USD 0.002 USD Point of Sale Efficiency 7.5 million USD 0.003 USD Total savings at outlets 46.9 million USD 0.022 USD Estimated Costs: Annual Costs: 9.7 million USD Tag Costs: 0.0 million USD One-time Costs: 96.6 million USD Integration Cost: 7.8 million USD Reader Costs (including installation): 88.7 million USD It is assumed that all tags costs are carried by your supply chain partners References Mullin, Eileen; (September 5, 2002). Electronic Product Code, Baseline, Retrieved February, 17th 2004 from http://www.baselinemag.com EPC Global Website: http://archive.epcglobalinc.org/aboutthetech.asp AARFID Incorporated Website: http://www.aarfid.com/middleware.html RFID News Website: http://www.rfidnews.org/ RFID Journal Website: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/archive/9?topics=9&imageField2.x=11&imageField2.y=5 RFID Online Source Book: http://www.frontlinemagazine.com/rfidonline/

Point of view in Poe’s “The Telltale Heart” Essay

Point of view is so important in Poe’s â€Å"The Telltale Heart† because Poe’s narrators are always unreliable.   The reader reads this story from the perspective of a narrator who actually kills another human being, dismembers him, and is attacked by his own guilt.   Poe chose this narrator to add chill to the story.   The narrator is insane; the old man has done nothing to him to cause this attack and is completely unprepared for it.   The story would be greatly different if told from another point of view.   The act would seem much more irrational if told by a sane person. The chrysanthemums are a symbol of Elisa’s freedom and longing to venture outside her own life.   The peddler gets these flowers because he wants to get work from her, not because he is so interested in her beautiful flowers.   She feels flattered, and he opens her world by describing the way he lives to her.   When she sees them lying on the road, her hopes of a less-defined life deflate.   He has only kept the pot, which he can resell.   They symbolize the only part of her life that she truly enjoys. Sammy quits his job because he is astounded at the way his boss treats those girls.   They come into the store and are looked down upon because they are young and pretty.   This sets Sammy up to defy authority.   He will not live his life looking down on others and following the status quo. Houses are important in â€Å"Shiloh† because houses are built on foundations.   The foundation of this marriage is slowly crumbling as the woman becomes stronger and the man becomes weaker.   Leroy wants to build a log house to disappear from the world and sink into an easier past where roles were more clearly defined.   Norma jean is becoming to modern and too strong for him. The cathedral is so important because it is such a huge and majestic structure.   It would be hard enough to describe other more mundane objects to a blind man, but a cathedral is such a monumental undertaking.   The only way the husband can describe it to Robert is by taking Robert’s hand atop his own and drawing.   In this way, the two men bond, and the husband begins to look at Robert in a whole new light.

Key Dimensions

It is a matter of fact that change is essential and inevitable part of the modern society and it significance is really dominant and great. Every public and private companies/organizations are subjected to rapid and frequent changes, because the world changes as well. A location and size of company doesn’t matter. Simply saying, it is practically impossible for the company to avoid changes, because they are phenomena which are universally accepted. Modern managers are working on finding ways how to staff a sense of control over changing situations. Actually resistance to change doesn’t mean that that the staff is against them, it means that they object only the way the changes are implemented. (Organizational Change 2006)Staff resists to changes simply because the reason for the change is unclear for them. Negative reactions can be caused by, for example, by ambiguity in jobs, costs and equipment.   The next reason is that staff wasn’t consulted about the possi ble changes and they appear to be an accomplished fact. It means that employees are willing to know what is going on in organization, especially if their jobs may be affected.The third reason of resistance is when the possible changes may threaten the existing patterns of working relationships between employees. People resist to changes also when they are not satisfied with personnel, monies and timetables or when the benefits for introducing changes are inadequate for the involved trouble. Especially staff is against changes when their power or status in organization is affected. Therefore, managers should tactfully introduce changes so that the majority of employees will be satisfied.(Rosenberg 20)The most important task for managers is to make their firms learning organizations. There are many tactics and approaches, but the most proper approach is to teach the staff well providing relevant stimuli for such learning. Different teaching and education programs may be successfully i mplemented. Also bonuses and personal approvals are allowed. Employees actually should be highly motivated. (Yerkes 462)Innovations are very important if the firm/organization wants to remain competitive in modern environment. Innovation is introduction of new methods and things with a definite purpose to improve the organization’s performance. Innovation is combination of knowledge applied to new service, processes and products.Organizational innovation involves creative ideas in order to make â€Å"tangible difference in the domain in which the innovation occurs†. (Hyde 64) Innovation is characterized by the following issues: relative advantage meaning that innovations have to produce significant improvements to be adapted; simplicity meaning that innovation should be easily understood and presented; inexpensiveness; easy to try meaning that new method should be easily introduced and abandoned if necessary; easy to measure meaning that benefits such as time, efficien cy and money should be easily calculated.(Hyde 64)It is apparent that stresses are also inevitable part in each organization. There are many potential sources of stress within organizational structure. For example, organization size may be a stressor.   Large organizations sometimes cause the sense of helplessness among employees. The next source is technology used by an organization for products or service production. Design of organization may negatively affect employees creating the sense of being controlled as a machine.The additional stress sources are personal conflicts, job design and work roles. (Laurus 773) It is known that stresses have negative results as they are the reasons of high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stomach ulcers and heart attacks. Stress results also in depressions and anxieties as well as sleeplessness may worsen cognitive functioning. In the result a person may lose concentration and confidence in decision-making. There are many ways to mana ge stress such as, for example, altering stressors themselves, altering moderators of the stressors, lessening individual’s responses and alleviating the stress consequences. Organization can manage stress by providing support services, conflict resolution and cognitive therapy. (Kahn et al. 99)ReferencesAdaptation to change (2006) Bitpipe White papers online, Retrieved September, 30, from http://www.bitpipe.com/rlist/term/Change-Management.html?psrc=RTP.Hyde, A.C. (2002) Understanding Innovation in Management. The Public Manager, 31, 3, 64.  James Morrison, & Ian Wilson. (1996) The Strategic Management Response to the Challenge of Global Change, Strategic Management, 7, 3, 25-27.Kahn, R.L., Wolfe, R.P., Quinn, R.P., Snoek, J.D., & Rosenthal, R.A. (1964). Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity. New York: Wiley, 98-102.Lazarus, R.S., DeLongis, A., Folkman, S., & Gruen, R. (1985). Stress and Adaptational Outcomes: The Problems of Confounded Measures.   American Psychologist, 40, 770-779.Organizational change management (2006) Journal of Organizational Change Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited Retrieved September, 30, from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/jocm/jocm.jspRosenberg, Deanne. (1993, January) Eliminating Resistance to Change. Security Management, 37, 1, 20-23.Yerkes, R.M. & Dodson, J.D. (1988). The Relation of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit-Formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 18, 459-482.

40 Helpful Words Ending in -Ade

40 Helpful Words Ending in -Ade 40 Helpful Words Ending in -Ade 40 Helpful Words Ending in -Ade By Mark Nichol Words ending in -ade (or -cade) have a certain panache to them, often denoting a vivid action (including, frequently, military activities or endeavors) or a product or outcome of an action hence several words referring to food or drink. Most terms in English are borrowed from the French suffix -ade, cognate with the Italian form -ata (which also appears, for example, in inamorata, meaning â€Å"lover†) and the Spanish -ada (found in such words as armada, meaning â€Å"armed fleet†); all three elements are derived from the Latin suffix -atus (as in apparatus). In several words with -ade endings, such as brocade, decade, invade, pervade, and pomade, the suffix is not derived from -atus, but check out this list of those that are: 1. Accolade: an award or an expression of praise, or a ceremony at which one or both are given 2. Ambuscade: an ambush 3. Aquacade: an aquatic entertainment in which participants swim and dive to music 4. Balustrade: a row of vertical supports for a railing, or any barrier 5. Barricade: a barrier or other obstacle, or the action of creating one (unrelated to barrier, which comes from the Anglo-French word barre, meaning â€Å"bar†) 6. Blockade: an obstruction to prevent supplies or military personnel from moving from one place to another by land or sea, or any similar preventive action, or an interruption of physiological processes; also, to undertake such an action 7. Brigade: a large military unit, or an organized group (as a bucket brigade, a line of people relaying buckets full of water to douse a fire) 8. Cannonade: a bombardment, or the figurative equivalent, as in a verbal attack 9. Carronade: a short-barreled cannon (unrelated to cannon, the word is from the place name of Carron, Scotland) 10. Cascade: one or more steps in a waterfall or any similar movement, a cascading pattern in material, or a process that occurs in stages in which each one causes another; also, used as a verb to describe one of these actions 11. Cavalcade: a procession of people riding on animals or in vehicles or vessels, or a series 12. Charade: a puzzle or game (the latter referred to as charades) in which participants try to guess a word or phrase, or a pretense 13. Chiffonade: a vegetable or herb serving or garnish 14. Crusade: an enthusiastic effort to remedy or improve a situation; also a verb and, as crusader or crusading, an adjective 15. Colonnade: a line of regularly spaced columns 16. Defilade: a fortification that narrows the enemy’s maneuvering area, or the area in a structure or in a terrain out of the enemy’s line of fire 17. Enfilade: a flanking attack along the enemy’s line of fire, or a series of rooms, each of which opens into the next 18. Escalade: an act of climbing, especially a fortification 19. Escapade: an unapproved or unconventional activity or adventure 20. Esplanade: an open area for walking or driving, especially on a shoreline 21. Fusillade: shots fired simultaneously or in succession, or a similar attack of projectiles or the figurative equivalent, as in an outburst of spoken or written criticism 22. Gallopade: a type of spirited dance 23. Gasconade: boasting or bravado 24. Glissade: a gliding or sliding ballet step, or any movement suggestive of one; also, to undertake this action 25. Lemonade: a drink made of lemon juice, sugar, and water 26. Limeade: a drink made of lime juice, sugar, and water 27. Marinade: a savory sauce used to flavor and/or tenderize meat; the verb form is marinate 28. Marmalade: a jelly that includes pieces of fruit and fruit rind 29. Masquerade: a party whose attendees wear masks and costumes, or the costume itself; also, something done for show or to deceive, or to disguise, or a verb describing this type of behavior 30. Motorcade: a procession of motorized vehicles 31. Orangeade: a drink made of orange juice, sugar, and water 32. Palisade: a protective fence made of pointed stakes, or one such stake, or a line of cliffs suggesting a barrier 33. Parade: a procession or mobile array, a formation of troops or the site of the formation, people strolling or the place where they stroll, or a spectacle or a series of actions or efforts suggestive of such an exhibition; also, to perform one of these activities 34. Pasquinade: a satire 35. Promenade: a place where people stroll, or a public walk or ride undertaken for enjoyment or to show off, a march at the beginning of a formal ball in which all guests participate, or a movement in square dancing (in addition, the word from which prom is truncated); also, to undertake any of these activities 36. Renegade: one who defies normal standards of behavior or abandons one cause for another 37. Scalade: an archaic variant of escalade (see above) 38. Serenade: a musical performance intended to compliment the listener, especially one performed as part of a courtship, or a specific type of musical composition for a small group of performers 39. Stockade: an enclosure of posts or stakes constructed to keep prisoners in or the enemy out 40. Torsade: an ornament, especially for a hat, of twisted cord or ribbon Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?20 Ways to Cry

50 Words with Alternative Spellings

50 Words with Alternative Spellings 50 Words with Alternative Spellings 50 Words with Alternative Spellings By Mark Nichol What is one to do when one finds a choice of spellings in the dictionary? Most dictionaries specify the preferred variant when two or more spellings of a word are listed, but others aren’t so clear. According to Merriam-Webster’s website, the former spelling is more common than the latter for the following words and is the preferred alternative: 1. acknowledgment / acknowledgement 2. adapter / adaptor 3. adviser / advisor (but advisory) 4. aeon / eon 5. ambience / ambiance 6. amok / amuck 7. appall / appal 8. around / round 9. ax / axe 10. caliber / calibre 11. counselor / counsellor 12. doughnut / donut 13. enclose / inclose 14. enroll / enrol 15. furor / furore 16. glamour / glamor 17. gray / grey 18. impostor / imposter 19. ingrain / engrain 20. inquire / enquire 21. judgment / judgement 22. lambaste / lambast 23. likable / likeable 24. linchpin / lynchpin 25. meager / meagre 26. mollusk / mollusc 27. movable / moveable 28. ocher / ochre 29. omelet / omelette 30. opossum / possum (but playing possum) 31. pincer / pinchers 32. pixilated / pixillated (distinct from pixelated) 33. pompon / pom-pom 34. racket / racquet (but racquetball) 35. sherbet / sherbert 36. somber / somber 37. specter / spectre 38. sulfur / sulphur 39. T-shirt / tee shirt 40. theater / theatre 41. till / ’til or til 42. timbre / timber 43. vial / phial 44. woolen / woollen 45. woolly / wooly 46. yogurt / yoghurt Discussion of distinctions in alternative spellings of some other words follows: 47. Bologna is the name of the meat product; baloney is a quaint slang synonym for nonsense. 48. Lasagne is an alternate spelling for the pasta usually referred to as lasagna; the latter spelling predominates for the name of the baked dish. 49. Mic and mike are both acceptable as short versions of microphone. 50. Savannah is spelled as such only as the name of the city in Georgia or the name of a hybrid of the serval, an African cat, and the domestic cat; otherwise, it’s spelled savanna. This list omits spelling variations that are primarily distinct in usage in American English versus British English (though some, such as gray/grey and specter/spectre, are also variations divided by an ocean). See this discussion on that topic with a list of categories of spelling differences. (But it’s a stick and tricky matter, so check out the comments for input from site visitors as well.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Writing the CenturyPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Evaluating Fronties North Adventures Corporate Social Responsibility Research Paper

Evaluating Fronties North Adventures Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Frontiers North Adventures is one of Canada’s most successful tourist's company. The company started in 1986 in northern Canada to provide Authentic Arctic Experiences. The company is a family owned, and it has over 30 years experience in Eco-tourism. The business’s clients have always felt satisfied with the arctic experience after using Frontier’s North Adventures. The company has collaborated with several international and national organizations to ensure that its commitment to sustainability and conservation policies adheres. In addition to this, a company has collaborated with Polar bear international to provide some of the best and breathtaking polar bear sightings while ensuring that the ecosystems in which this polar bear live in are not endangered. Frontiers North Adventures most famous adventurous tourist attractions include Northern Lights Viewing, Beluga Whale Watching, and Polar bear Experiences. The c ompany has successfully managed to operate in this tricky field for more than 30 years. The company has been named as one of the top three sustainable tourist operators in Canada because of its Corporate Social Responsibility. The company has been lauded nationally for its programs involving Sustainability. The company has also been recognized for its work and has won a number of awards including, SKAL International’s 2009 Ecotourism Award, Travel Manitoba’s Sustainable Tourism Award, and several other Ecotourism Awards both Nationally and Internationally. Frontiers North Adventures provides exciting wildlife packages in Northern Canada. The goal of Frontiers North is to deliver to their guests a value worth wildlife familiarity in a responsible and an ecologically friendly manner. The company not only inspires visitors to view and learn about local wildlife but to also learn about the antiquity and culture of the North Canadian society. Frontiers North Adventure is de voted to social, environmental, and ethical accountability in order to uphold the well-being of visitors, the local public, and the ecosystem in which they run.

Delphi Technique of Forecasting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Delphi Technique of Forecasting - Case Study Example There after results are tabulated and issues raised are identified one by one. This step helps the planner to carefully study the various important issues to be addressed in the next round. It needs to be mentioned here that it is the same questionnaire that is given to all the experts in the panel. These days the questionnaire is sent through mail. Now we come to the second round where the planar tries to hold a meeting with all the experts together and the results of the questionnaire are then return the experts. There are issues where experts agree where as there are some other issues on which they disagree. It is carefully noted by the planner and a general consensus is reached. Finally we come to the third round where the various factors are reevaluated by everyone together and the issues are carefully discussed. In this particular Delphi method group judgments are more important than individual judgments. Information processing. The experts collect the answers in the form of questionnaires and comments. The panel head controls the exchange of ideas among the experts by processing the data and deleting the unnecessary content. Usually the experts engage in disagreements during the panel discussion and hence it has negative effect. Anonymity of participants. ... Regular Feedback: The experts give comments on their own forecasts and it is very much valued by the planner. Anonymity of participants. There is complete anonymity of the participants because the nature of the experts might vary and during the discussion they may try to bully others or some not voice their opinion due to fear of opposition. Role of the facilitator. The role of the facilitator is very important during the discussion among the experts. He interprets the various view points raised by the participants and comes to a conclusion. Uses of Delphi Method in forecasting The Delphi method is very useful in the field of science & technology. Since my organization is into a broadband connection it is particularly very helpful in analyzing the market. The researcher of my organization through his questionnaire has tries to find out the demand of various broadband connection plans across the length and breadth of the country since India has a huge market which needs to be covered by the internet network the feedback given by the participants becomes very valuable to the company. The feedback highlighted various issues on which the experts agreed i.e. the example the different broadband scheme to suit everybody's budget. But they disagreed as to the pricing of the various connection plans. But however a general consensus was reached in the final round and the outcome was positive. The Delphi method however has its drawbacks and may not be always as accurate as it states but the method is not at fault rather the reporting or the interpretation of the feedback taken from the participants may not necessarily give us the true picture as to the future predictions. The

Marketing Myopia and article critiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Myopia and article critiques - Essay Example Levitt spoke of the ‘Error of Analysis’ whereby, the company defines its scope inaccurately and is unable to grow because it has restricted itself. Companies tend to stop growing, not because of fall in demand or increased competition, but because they were mismanaged and failed to realize their own potential and the opportunities that would have come with it had they managed themselves properly and expanded their horizons, instead of having a very myopic view about their business. He gives the example of the railway, which has steadily declined over the years as other vehicles become mainstream transport. This failure is not because the demand for rail travel declined, it is because they had a â€Å"product-oriented instead of customer-oriented† approach (Levitt, 1960). In the same vein, the TV business is bigger than the film business ever was, just because Hollywood restricted itself to movies by categorizing itself as being in the film business and not the ent ertainment business and massively restricting its horizons. To explain the reverse side of the argument, TV is a success story because it has not restricted itself to one category. ... Levitt talks of the ‘Shadow of Obsolescence’ whereby companies stop growing once their products lose the sparkle, this often happens when a specific feature of their product that was supposed to have been bringing in the demand, becomes outdated and easily substituted by competition with time. He gives the example of the dry cleaning industry. Once thriving because it provided an effective way to clean wool garments, the industry is now dwindling as synthetic fibers replace wool, ones which are easier to clean and the dry cleaning industry becomes obsolete due to innovative products such as automatic washing machines. Another mistake is the ‘Population Myth’ whereby companies assume that a growing population is synonymous with a growing market demand and the ‘Idea of Indispensability’ whereby companies think they are safe from competition because their product is irreplaceable. This lulls them into a false sense of security and they end up funct ioning under a complacent strategy. An example of this scenario is the petroleum industry; due to its elaborate success throughout its history the petroleum industry has become complacent in its strategy and assumes safely that as long as the world’s population keeps growing, its customer base will forever increase. Complacency however, makes the industry myopic to the fact that many people are now becoming environment conscious and are interested in adopting alternative forms of energy that do not pollute, unlike petroleum products. Another mistake is due to ‘Production Pressures’, since companies are so engrossed in meeting production quota deadlines they lose focus of their

Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies

Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies Chapter 2 2.0 Literature Review In this chapter, the author will review the literature concerning Michael Porters Five Competitive Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies. This study centres on the housing industry and draws parallels to studies done by others. The author will critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the model. 2.1 Background Numerous studies have been done around the world to develop and market housing projects suitable for different demographic segments. The studies on the Sri Lankan housing market are mostly policy papers/reports, leaving a void in regard to studies pertaining to market strategies and competition. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia have well structured strategies resulting in a vibrant housing market available to all this research will focus on drawing parallels on this subject. (Jones Lang LaSalle, Research Report). The California State has used Porters Five Forces Model to understand the industrys attractiveness and competitiveness. The main trend seems to be the increasing rivalry among firms and the consolidation of capital in the industry (William, Mack, 2005). The author intends to draw parallels to the Sri Lankan context. The literature on gaining competitive advantage at business unit level has been growing over the years and the author has attempted to relate academic theory and the tools and concepts of Porters Five Competitive Forces and the Generic Strategies to finding a winning market strategy for the housing industry in Sri Lanka. Although in the international arena the above models have been used extensively in research on housing industry, no such work exists on Sri Lanka. 2.3 Michael Porters Five Forces Model The Five Competitive Forces and the Generic Strategies model was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book ‘Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors in 1980. Since then it has become an important tool for analyzing an organizations structure and strategic processes. Porters models are based on the need for a corporate strategy to meet the opportunities and threats in the organizations external environment. Competitive strategy should be based on an understanding of industry structures and the way they change (Porter, 1980). The ultimate aim of a competitive strategy is to enable a business to defend against competitive forces or in the alternative influence such forces in its favour. The key is to go below the surface and analyse the resources of each competitor. Analysis of such underlying forces will show the critical strength of firms and clarify areas that yield greater profits and highlight areas that show promise of either opportunities or threats (Porter, 1980). As explained in Figure 3, Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and market, which determine the intensity of competition and the profitability and attractiveness of an industry (Porter, Michael. E, 1979: 137- 145). The author will use the model to deal with the issues below to develop a winning market strategy for the housing business in Sri Lanka. (i) The need to evaluate the suppliers to understand bargaining power and supplier/seller collaboration. (ii) The need to study the pressures of buyers bargaining power and buyer/seller collaboration. (iii) The need to consider the threat of new entrants and the possibilities of new players entering the market. (iv) The awareness of the threat of substitutes and attention to attempts by outsiders to win buyers over to their respective products. (v) Investigating the competitiveness within the industry to keep abreast of market position, increased sales and market share, to have a competitive edge over rivals. A classic example of competitive rivalry is the battle between Coca Cola and Pepsi (Draft, 1988: 251). To understand the strengths and weakness of the model each of these industry forces must be evaluated. 2.3.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Supplier bargaining power is likely to be high when the market is dominated by a few large suppliers, when there are no substitutes for their product, the suppliers and customers are fragmented and customer bargaining power is low and switching costs from one supplier to another are high (Porter, 1980). The supplier integrating forward to obtain higher prices and margins is a possibility. This threat is especially high when, the buying industry has a higher profitability than the supplying industry, forward integration provides economies of scale for the supplier, the buying industry hinders the supplying industry in their development, for example, reluctance to accept new releases of products and the buying industry has low barriers of entry. In such situations, the buying industry often experiences high pressure on margins from their suppliers. The relationship to powerful suppliers can potentially reduce strategic options for the organization. 2.3.2 Bargaining Power of Customers Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when they buy large volumes and there is a concentration of buyers, the supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators, the supplying industry operates with high fixed costs, the product is undifferentiated and can be replaced by substitutes, switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and is not costly, customers have low margins and are price sensitive, customers could produce the product themselves, the product is not of strategic importance to the customer, the customer knows about production costs and the possibility of the customer integrating backwards. 2.3.3 Threat of New Entrants When the competition in an industry is high it is easier for other companies to enter the industry. In such situations, new entrants could change major determinants of the market environment (e.g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. There is always a latent pressure for reaction and adjustment for existing players. The threat of new entrants will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. These are typically economies of scale, high initial investments and fixed costs. Cost advantages of existing players are usually due to the experience curve effects of operation with fully depreciated assets, brand loyalty of customers, protected intellectual property like patents, licenses etc., scarcity of important resources, e.g. qualified expert staff, access to raw materials controlled by existing players, distribution channels are controlled by existing players existing players have close customer relations, e.g. from long-term service contracts and the high switching costs for customers, legislation and government action. 2.3.4 Threat of Substitutes Threats from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices and better performance parameters which can potentially attract a significant proportion of the market, thus reducing potential sales volume for existing players. This category also relates to complementary products. Similar to the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes is determined by factors like brand loyalty of customers, close customer relationships, switching costs for customers, the relative price for performance of substitutes and the current trends. 2.3.5 Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players in an industry. High competitive pressure, results in pressure on prices, margins and hence on profitability of every single player. Competition between existing players is likely to be high when, there are many players of about the same size with similar strategies, there is not much differentiation between players and their products resulting in high price competition, market growth rate of a player is possible only at the expense of a competitor and the barriers for exit are high. 2.4 Five Forces Analysis The Five Forces Analysis can provide valuable information for three aspects of corporate planning described below. 2.4.1 Statistic Analysis The Five Forces Analysis enables determining the attractiveness of an industry. It provides insights on profitability. Thus, it supports decisions about entry to or exit from an industry or a market segment. Moreover, the model can be used to compare the impact of competitive forces on ones own organization against that on competitors. Competitors may have different options to react to changes in competitive forces from their different resources and competencies. This may influence the structure of the whole industry. 2.4.2 Dynamical Analysis In combination with a PEST Analysis, which reveals drivers for change in an industry, Five Forces Analysis can reveal insights into the potential future attractiveness of the industry. Expected political, economical, socio-demographical and technological changes can influence the five competitive forces and thus have impact on industry structures. 2.4.3 Analysis of Options With the knowledge about intensity and power of competitive forces, organizations can develop options to influence them in a way that improves their own competitiveness. The result could be a new strategic direction, for example, a new positioning and differentiation for competitive products and strategic partnerships. Thus, the model allows a systematic and structured analysis of market structure and competitive situation and can be applied to particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. 2.4.4 Influence of Five Forces After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, managers can search for options to influence these forces in their organizations interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, ones own strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. The objective is to reduce the power of competitive forces. 2.5 Michael Porters Generic Strategies Model According to Michael Porter a companys strengths ultimately fall into one of two headings; cost advantage and differentiation. Applying these strengths in a broad or narrow scope can result in effective cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter Michael. E, 1980: 35-40). Each of these strategies runs its own risk. In reference to a low cost strategy, other companies too may lower their costs to be competitive. In the case of differentiation too, competitors may change customer profiles to latch onto the market segment. With regard to the focus strategy, competitors may try to make changes to the target segment to attract a greater market. (Thompson Arthur. A., Strickland A. J., Gamble John. E. and Jain Arun. K., 2009: 115 138). In this study the focus group is the middle income market segment. Competitive strategies focus on ways in which a company can achieve the most advantageous position (Pearson, 1999). Therefore high profitability can be achieved through achieving the lowest costs or the highest prices vis-Ã  -vis the competition, called ‘cost leadership by Porter and ‘differentiation, is the way in which companies can earn a price premium (Porter, 1980). As explained in Figure 4, there are three generic strategies available to companies to attain competitive advantage, namely overall cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter, 1980). These three strategies require a total commitment and organizational arrangements which could be diluted if there is more than one primary target. The basic generic strategy is to outperform competitions, which means a firm could earn high returns. Success of one of the generic strategies will help a firm obtain a just return (Porter, 1980). Companies can achieve competitive advantage essentially by differentiating their products and services from those of competitors and through low costs. Firms can target their products by a broad target, thereby covering most of the marketplace, or they can focus on a narrow target in the market (Lynch, 2003). Each competitive strategy will be evaluated to understand the strengths and weakness of the model. 2.5.1 Cost Leadership Companies using cost leadership strategy attempt to become the lowest-cost producers in an industry. Lowest costs would earn the highest profits where competing products are essentially undifferentiated and sell at a standard market price. In certain instances, the company can charge an average price while following low cost leadership strategy and reinvest the extra profits into the business. Companies like Ryan Air and Easy Jet and ASDA and Tesco adopt a cost leadership strategy (Lynch, 2003). 2.5.2 Differentiation Porter (1980) argues that companies employing differentiation strategy will incur extra costs . These costs may include high advertising to promote a differentiated brand image for the product, which is both a cost and an investment. McDonalds for example is differentiated by its very brand name and brand images of Big Mac and Ronald McDonald. While differentiation has many advantages some problematic areas include the difficulty in ascertaining whether the extra costs entailed in differentiation can actually be recovered from the customer through premium pricing. Moreover, successful differentiation strategy of a firm may attract competitors to enter the companys market segment and copy the differentiated product (Lynch, 2003). 2.5.3 Focus Porter initially presented focus as one of the three generic strategies, but later identified focus as a moderator of the two strategies. Companies employ this strategy by focusing on areas with the least amount of competition (Pearson, 1999). This strategy can be applied by focusing on a specific niche in the market and offering specialised products, hence the name ‘niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). This strategy provides companies the possibility to charge a premium price for superior quality, known as ‘differentiation focus or by offering a low price product to a small and specialised group of buyers, termed ‘cost focus. Ferrari and Rolls-Royce are classic examples of niche players. Both have a niche of premium products available at a premium price. 2.6 Analysis of Porters Generic Strategies Firms can choose from one of the three generic strategies to compete in the marketplace, regardless of the context of industry (Porter, 1980). Kay (1993) and Miller (1992) have cited empirical examples of successful companies like Toyota and Benetton, which have adopted more than one generic strategy. Both these companies used generic strategies of differentiation and low cost simultaneously, which led to their success. Companies that are successful at making use of the cost leadership strategy are often positioned to capitalize on a value proposition which emerges from their low cost emphasis, like the classic success story of Tesco in the UK. Interestingly, an emphasis on cost leadership in this sense can act as a form of differentiation. Successful implementation of a cost leadership strategy would benefit from process engineering skills, products designed for ease of manufacture, access to inexpensive capital, tight cost control and incentives based largely on quantitative targets. McDonalds for example, achieves low costs through standardised products and centralised buying of supplies, etc. Unlike cost leadership strategy, there is empirical evidence to support the differentiation strategy (Pearson, 1999). Hall (1980) investigated sixty-four American companies and the findings of the study revealed that companies following a differentiation strategy had superior performance compared to those companies that were not following the same. The focal point for the company pursuing a differentiation strategy should be the customer, and not per se the competitors. Note that for a differentiation strategy to be successful, the point of differentiation perceived by customers as valuable should coincide with the distinctive competence of the company (Pearson, 1999). For example, Orange succeeded by providing the most basic requirements for mobile phone communication, bettered the competition and created a differentiation in the minds of the consumers. (Barwise et al, 2004). Notably, only a number of small and medium sized companies use the niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). Application of Porters generic strategies to the Portuguese Crystal Glass, the Mould and Porcelain showed that organizations following differentiation strategy tended to achieve higher performance relative to organizations which did not show the presence of a non-classical differentiation based on a time based tendency. (Strategic Orientations of Manufacturing Organisations in the European Market: Evidence from Portugal; Available Online). Notably, most successful firms exhibit one or more forms of differentiation, along with forms that are directly associated with cost leadership and focus orientation. This is one of the grey areas in the analysis of generic strategies that reality can be different and more subtle than the stark contrasts that are highlighted by Porter (1980). Kim et al (2004) have argued that Porters generic strategies of differentiation and cost leadership will be applicable to e-business firms in a broad sense, while the focus/niche strategy will not be as viable for e-business firms, compared to their traditional counterparts. 2.7 Exploration of information for Porters Generic Strategies Analysis The information necessary for conducting the generic strategies analysis can be found in company and competitor websites. Annual reports of companies can be used to analyse the relationships between costs and profitability and how a particular strategy is affecting the firms overall performance. Marketing communication tools used by the company and competitors may also reflect the generic strategies. Advertisements can be a useful source of information to analyse the strategy that is being pursued by the company, and how that differs from that of the competition. Journal articles, trade publications and reputable magazine articles are useful sources of information to analyse industry trends, customer preferences in a given market and the strategies that are being pursued by the companies in a particular industry. 2.8 Relationship between Porters Generic Strategies Analysis and the Five Forces Model The three generic strategies suggested by Porter (1980, 1985) can be effectively utilised to defend against competition in the business environment. The industry forces take the form of competitive rivalry, barriers to entry, threat of substitutes, buyer power and supplier power, explained below (Lynch, 2003). 2.8.1 Competitive Rivalry If the competition in the industry is fierce, the advantage of a cost leadership strategy would be that competitiveness in price. However, cost leadership strategy is not the most desirable, as competitors may put intense price pressures, forcing all players to reduce their prices drastically. Differentiation may be a better strategy as loyal customers may stay with the company. It would also be hard for competitors to cope with specialised needs of customers who are part of a niche segment in the market. 2.8.2 Barriers to Entry A company employing any one of the three strategies would find it easy to create barriers for new entrants. The learning curve of cost leaders in an industry, along with the economies of scale through experience curve effects, would often make it impossible for potential entrants to compete on price, as the more mature firm can further lower prices without comprising its profitability. High customer loyalty towards a companys brands, which is true for the differentiation strategy, can play a vital role in discouraging potential entrants. Customers often choose to be with a niche player because of a certain core competence that only that particular player is providing in the market. Also companies that make use of the focus strategy over time often develop a thorough understanding of their customers needs, which is a very difficult task for a potential entrant. In this way, focus can act as an entry barrier too. 2.8.3 Threat of substitutes It is the differentiation and differentiation-focused strategies that effectively reduce the threat of substitutes. Threat of substitutes is reduced in case of the differentiation strategy due to customer loyalty to the unique aspects of a particular product or service, which no substitute product can offer in the customers mind. In case of the later strategy, the very nature of the companys products and core competence of the firm reduce the threat of substitutes. 2.8.4 Buyer Power The power of buyers changes in accordance with the three generic strategies. Cost leaders have the unique ability to offer lower price options to large and powerful buyers. However, the scenario differs for companies making use of the differentiation and focus strategies. Buyers in case of these two strategies would have less power as there are few alternatives available to them. 2.8.5 Supplier Power Suppliers can exercise their power primarily in case of differentiation and focus/niche strategies. Companies making use of these strategies have the ability to pass the price increases of suppliers to their final customers, through the premium pricing strategy. 2.9 Strengths and Weaknesses of Porters Models Porters model of Five Competitive Forces allows a systematic and structured analysis of market structure and competitive situation. The model can be applied to particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. The strength of competitive forces determines the inflow of investment and drives the returns to free market levels. The five competitive forces such as entry, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and intense competition among rivals reflecting that competition in industry goes beyond established players. Porter identified that these five competitive forces shapes every industry and every market. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The objective of corporate strategy should be to modify these competitive forces in a way that improves the position of the organization. Porters model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the scope of the market to be analyzed in a first step. Following, all relevant forces for this market are identified and analyzed. Hence, it is not necessary to analyze all elements of all competitive forces with the same depth. The Five Forces Model is based on microeconomics. It takes into account supply and demand, complementary products and substitutes, the relationship between volume of production and cost of production and market structures like monopoly, oligopoly or perfect competition. After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, managers can search for options to influence these forces in their organizations interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, the own strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. The objective is to reduce the power of competitive forces. The model is based on the idea of competition. It assumes that companies try to achieve competitive advantages over other players in the markets as well as over suppliers or customers. With this focus, it dos not really take into consideration strategies like strategic alliances, electronic linking of information systems of all companies along a value chain, virtual enterprise-networks or others. As for the limitations part, nothing in this world is in itself PERFECT, so is this five forces model. Sometimes, it is better if some new player enter the market. It gives way to fresh thinking and catches the attention of the customers, in addition to benefits like infrastructure development. Again, it is better if a decent number of substitutes are valuable in the market, as it makes one think how to better his product and win the hearts of the clients. In reference to the generic strategies it became clear over time that in reality there were some shades of grey in the distinction between differentiation and cost, compared to the black and white that is projected in theory. It is very difficult for most companies to completely ignore cost, no matter how different their product offering is. Similarly, most companies will not admit that their product is essentially the same as that of others (Macmillan et al, 2000). It is important for analysts to bear in mind that Porters generic strategies should be considered as a part of a broader strategic analysis. The generic strategies only provide a good starting point for exploring the concepts of cost leadership and differentiation and may not provide relevant strategic routes in the case of fast growing markets (Lynch, 2003). It is important to conduct other analyses like PESTEL analysis to analyse how the generic strategy being employed by a company should change in accordance with external factors. Other useful analyses would include SWOT analysis of the key success factors etc.