Monday, September 30, 2019

Discuss the problems of the Central Business Districts of MEDC cities

In this essay I will be writing about the Central Business District (CBD), it's problems, and possible solutions to them. Also I will show how the CBD relates to the Burgess and the Hoyt models. The main things that are located in the CBD are: shops, department stores, and office blocks. The main functions of the CBD are commerce, employment and entertainment. The CBD has the widest range of shops, and the highest amount of department stores, as it is very densely populated during the day. People come to the CBD for shopping, as you will have no trouble finding what you are looking for. In the CBD lots of businesses have their offices there. For example: solicitors, banks etc. The entertainment is also located in the CBD. Theaters, cinemas, nightclubs etc. are all located in the Central Business District because it is very highly populated in the evenings/nights. A good example is London's West End. The CBD is located in the same place on both Burgess's and Hoyt's models which is in the middle of the city. (As shown on the diagrams below.) It is located there because it is easily accessible and most of the public transport meets there. Central Business District Central Business District The CBD faces many severe problems due to the high density of people, cars etc. Many of those problems are trying to be solved by the government, but unfortunately so far they have not been successful. One of the major problems is traffic congestion. Traffic congestion is a very big problem that causes not only jammed streets, and delays but also pollution, which is another big problem. Traffic congestions is caused by the fact that the streets and roads where laid down before the car was invented. Back then horse-carriages were in use and the roads were not getting jammed. The other thing that causes this problem is the very high ownership of cars. Many people own more than one car. Many roads are being gridlocked for many minutes or sometimes even hours. Also lots of shops , services and offices are located in the CBD so people want to get to them, so the roads are congested. Some solutions have been attempted to solve the problem. These include: Ring roads, by-passes that divert the traffic from the CBD and instead go around it. It may seem that it would take longer, but that is not the case, as in the CBD you cannot travel fast, there are traffic lights, etc. but on the motorway there are no traffic lights and you can travel much faster so you take less time then you would if you travel through the CBD. An example of a ring-road is the M 25 going around London. It is so successful the government is planning to expand it so each side has 6 lanes, instead of the 3 it has now. Another solution proposed by me, is the banning of heavy lorries from going through the CBD as they take up lots of space and cause congestion. That way there will be more space for cars, and lorries do tend to block streets while turning, etc Also I think that multistory car park and † park and ride† schemes would help to reduce the traffic in the CBD. It would help because people would park their cars in a multistory car park or the would park it on the suburbs of the city and ride to the CBD using public transport, that not only would save them time, but also money because parking in the CBD is very expensive, and it's hard to find a space. In Rio de Janeiro in Brazil they have a scheme in which on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays only cars with an odd last number plate are allowed to drive in the CBD and on the remaining last 3 days, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Sunday anyone can drive. I think that this method of reducing cars in the CBD is good and successful for cities in LEDC countries because people can only just about afford one car let alone two. That's why this would not be doing so well in MEDC countries such as England, because people can afford two cars, one with an odd number plate and one with an even number plate so they will be able to drive on any day of the week. The solution attempted by the Mayor of London is † Congestion Charging†. Basically you have to pay 5 pounds so that you can drive into the CBD. This method has been successful in one-way, but yet still there are a lot of cars in the CBD, although some people do choose to go around now, that they have to pay, or they choose to travel by the public transit. I also think that if the government invested some money into improving the public transport drastically, then probably more and more people would choose to travel by it, recognising that it is faster than travelling by car and not so gross. Also another solution that I think would be successful is car sharing. For example I think that some people go to 2 places that are really close to each other, and yet still they take 2 cars, when they could take only one. That would help because there would eventually be less cars around, so there will be less traffic jams, so people will see that it is a good idea because they get to work on time, or maybe even they can sleep for another 10 minutes or so. Furthermore I think that pedestrianization of certain high streets is a good idea. For example Bond Street in London. That way it will encourage people to take the public transport as they won't be able to go on that road in their car anyway, and the pedestrians will have more space so they will move about more freely. Also allowing only â€Å"black taxis† and busses on to certain roads is a good suggestion, because it will also encourage people to take the public transport. In addition I think that introducing bus lanes is an excellent scheme, because the busses won't be stuck in the traffic jams, and they will take up less space because they will have to keep to their lane. That way more people might start to travel by busses, as they will see that it is quicker. This will result in the number of cars on the road to decrease. The second chief problem the CBD is facing is pollution. Pollution is the air that is polluted but also water, land, noise and garbage in the streets. Polluted air causes many diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. Not only it is not healthy for us to breathe in, but also it doesn't look to appealing when car fumes are floating everywhere. Vehicle fumes, especially petrol and diesel, mostly cause polluted air. Cars are the biggest air polluted in the CBD, as there are thousands of them. Traffic congestion makes the pollution even worse because while the car is stopped, it r releases more fumes than it does whilst moving. The government are tackling this problem, but so far they do not seem to succeed in it. In my opinion there are quite a few solutions to this dilemma. Firstly I think that banning heavy lorries (as I mentioned before) is a very good way of reducing pollutions as they give of many fumes and most of them run on diesel, which is very bad for the environment. That way fewer fumes will be released so it will be healthier to live/work there. Secondly I think that if all the busses were running on methane, then it would release less poisonous fumes than diesel. Methane is more environment friendly than petrol or diesel and it won't be so destructive to the surroundings. Thirdly I propose that people start to use bikes more than they do now. For example they could get to work by bike rather than by car. That way not only it would be better fro the environment, but also the people will work on their fitness, and some might find it highly entertaining. In Japan, China, and S/N Korea many people travel by bikes. Bikes are the mean form of transport over there and the atmosphere is cleaner. In addition I think that increased road sweeping can be successful. If the government invested more money into the cleaning processes of the CBD then it would help to solve the problem of pollution. If we had more road sweepers employed and maybe a higher pay for them then the CBD will ultimately be cleaner and the pollution level will drop (hopefully). Like they do in Holland. Also there is lots of garbage left lying around the streets at the end of the day left by coffee shops, cloths stores, restaurants etc. that should be cleaned up immediately, because it attract lots of diseases and looks unpleasantly. Another solution to undertake this problem is to enhance the tree and shrub planting. I think that would be successful, because trees and shrubs photosynthesis producing oxygen so they make the air cleaner. That way we could have more hedges, grass areas etc. and the air will be cleaner. Noise pollution can be sometimes unbearable as well. It is mostly produced by cars, lorries motorbikes etc. There aren't many solutions to this problem. The main thing is to reduce the amount of vehicles driven in the CBD and this is linked with traffic congestion. The further difficulty the CBD faces is the high cost of land. The land in the CBD is very expensive because lots of shops and businesses locate their stores/offices and it's become very cramped. Because of this, the competition some traders have had to leave and re-locate their business out-side the city center. Every business wants to set up there because all the people go there either for shopping, work or entertainment, also its easily accessible. One of the solutions I would attempt is to start building high-rise office blocks on a small area, but tall. That way we save space and money because we only pay for the space we take up on the ground. So now more offices can situate their offices in the city center. Another solution for this conflict is the building of out-of-town shopping centers in the suburbs or the rural-urban fringe. They need to take up lots of space so the land is cheap there so they have the money to build there stores there. People then travel there to and back. This process is called decentralization. Also most of them have free parking which is very attractive to customers, as they don't like paying for the parking space. In conclusion I think that the solution to the CBD's problems are hard to implement because the CBD is very crowded big, and it involved lots of co-operation from all of the people. Furthermore I don't think the CBD will ever get rid of it's problems because it will continue to get bigger and the amount of cars/shops/businesses etc. will always grow, and so will the competition, so it will be impossible to get ride of urban decline , pollution, traffic congestion etc.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Aloha Case Essay

1. What should be Aloha’s competitive strategy? Low cost? It is difficult for Aloha to compete with the industry giants like Nestle, P&G and Phillips Morris on low cost. The reason is simple – volume. These industry giants have much higher volume than Aloha and enjoy a tremendous advantage in economies of scale. It is probably suicidal for Aloha to try to adopt a low cost strategy. It will probably be crushed like an ant, unless the giants play â€Å"oligopolists† and charge high prices to maximize profits. Differentiation; i.e., selling gourmet coffee a la. Starbuck? It is probably easier for Aloha to position itself as a gourmet coffee maker, catering to the yuppie type and charging a premium price for a coffee experience different from that offered by â€Å"regular† brands. Differentiation seems to be the choice strategy for small companies in that its success does not rely on size or volume; anyone with little resources but a great idea can be the David that slays the industry Goliaths. Examples abound: Ben & Jerry in ice cream and Paul Newman in spaghetti source. In fact, while the case tells us little in this regard, I suspect that Aloha has been able to survive in this competitive industry for all these years and seems to be thriving entirely because it started out occupying a special market niche and positioning its coffee as a gourmet brand. 2. How should the roasting plants, and marketing and purchasing departments be evaluated? Roasting Plants Given the differentiation strategy, the roasting plants should be treated as a profit center, as it is already now. That is because the differentiation strategy can be successfully implemented only if the quality of the coffee lives up to its image as a gourmet brand, and evaluating plant managers on profit, rather on cost alone, motivates the managers to constantly improve the quality of the coffee and maintain it at high levels. In contrast with plant managers evaluated on cost alone, plant managers evaluated on profit are penalized if they sacrifice quality on the altar of cost minimization; when quality declines, so will revenue and profit. On the other hand, if Aloha pursues a low cost strategy, then the plant managers should be evaluated on cost control alone. For a firm adopting a low cost strategy, volume is the king in order to achieve economies of scale and the customers targeted are less conscious of the quality of the coffee brands they drink. Thus, keeping cost down would be the primary objective for the plant managers. Marketing Department Since Aloha positions itself as a gourmet coffee maker, the objective for the marketing department is to keep both the price and gross margins high. Volume would not be very important as the firm knows that it only appeals to a limited group of coffee connoisseurs. Thus, the marketing department should be treated as a revenue center and annual evaluation of its performance should be based on a comparison of actual prices with target prices. Alternatively, marketing could be treated as a â€Å"pseudo† profit center with its â€Å"profit† defined as sales minus standard cost of coffee sold. If a low cost strategy is pursued, then the marketing department should be treated as a revenue center as well. But the focus now is on volume, or more precisely, volume growth. Thus, the marketing manager and his lieutenants should be constantly reminded of the importance of sales growth over time and be rewarded for good sales growth. Purchasing Department The purchasing department currently purchases coffee on both the spot and forwards markets. The policy is to make purchase commitments (forward contracts) based on maximum potential plant requirements and sell the rest on the spot market. That sounds like speculation. One may argue Aloha should meet its need for coffee beans only on the spot market and refrain from the speculation business, which is distracting attention from is main business – grinding and selling gourmet coffee. A counter argument is that good coffee traders probably can spot market trends others cannot and are able to reduce the cost of coffee beans by purchasing forward contracts. I question that argument because it is doubtful that any market participants can â€Å"beat the market† and consistently purchase coffee beans on the forwards market at a lower cost than on the spot market. One drawback of the policy of buying forward contracts is it allows the purchasing department to transfer the most costly coffee beans to the plants and make the plants shoulder losses from their trading mistakes. Buying on the spot markets means that the purchased amount is equal to the need of the plants for coffee beans, and thus the purchasing department would not be able to burden the plants with high-cost beans and keep low-cost beans for themselves to boost trading profit. If the purchasing department is forbidden to play the forwards market, performance evaluation for the department is easy. It would be treated as a cost center, and the cost it incurs for coffee bean purchases will be compared with market price averages in the periods that the purchases take place.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

20th century poetry Essay Example for Free

20th century poetry Essay ? We have been giving to 20th century poems to examine. They are â€Å"Evans† by R. S Thomas and â€Å"Death in Leamington† by Sir John Betjeman. Both poems are about death, but in two very different situations. I will examine the poem Evans first of all. Evans was written by a man called R. S Thomas. He lived from 1913-2000. he was born in Cardiff. He became a clergyman and taught himself welsh so he could work with the people in the hills, because not many of them spoke English at this time. Evans is a 20th Century poem. The poem begins as if the writer is talking to somebody else. It looks like the other person has asked him something like, â€Å"Do you remember a man Evans? † and the writer replies, â€Å"yes, many a time. † The first verse of the poem describes Evans’ house. It talks about the â€Å"bare† stairs and the â€Å"gaunt† kitchen. We can depict from the first verse that Evans was a poor man, his house is not at all well furbished, and he doesn’t have much to his name. Everything that Evans owns has a dull, dreary adjective attached to it, like stark farm and black kettle. His kitchen must be filthy because crickets can be heard. The last line of this verse tells us that he lives on a lone farm upon a hill. From this verse we have found out that this man is poor, lonely and doesn’t really care much about what his house looks like. The 2nd verse tells us that something appals the speaker. He says that it isn’t the darkness around him, which seems to fill his mouth and that it isn’t the tree that the rain drips off. I think the tree is symbolism, because the speaker says, â€Å"of rain like blood form that one tree, weather tortured. † I think he is really describing Evans appearance. The speaker says that it’s the veins of Evans. He sees darkness in them, and that it is â€Å"silting† them. Silt is the thick sandy substance at the bottom of rivers. I think it means that the darkness is trapped in Evans’ veins and that it is slowly killing him. The writer says, â€Å"I left stranded upon the vast and lonely shore of his bleak bed. † The writer believes that he has failed is his job, which is to comfort the sick if they are going to die. The writer feels that he is inadequate and that he hasn’t done what he wanted to. Again we see another dreary adjective attached to one of Evans possessions, his bleak bed. The word lonely is used again here. The writer wants to get the point across that Evans has no one, no family or friends to comfort him, that is why the writer feels so bad that he cant do this for him. This poem is about the bad way to die, all on your own and no one to comfort you. The next poem, Death in Leamington, is about the other way to pass on. Death in Leamington was written by Sir John Betjeman. Poets of his day liked to write poems making fun of the middle class people. The first verse tells us that someone has died, and that it is a woman. It has happened in the late evening. She has died in her bedroom. The room has a plate glass window, which means this place wherever she was staying must has been pretty well off. The second verse gives us a little more insight to the woman. She owned a crochet, which means she must have been quite old. It lay beside her bed, which means she can’t have been too old because she was still able to walk. Again the writer tells us that she is dead. 20th century poetry. (2017, Oct 29).

Friday, September 27, 2019

International trade Operations individual 5 Essay

International trade Operations individual 5 - Essay Example Different countries have varying tariffs and perceptions on international trade which may affect the business positively or negatively. Researching before hand can guarantee a business profits by maximizing on countries with good free and fair trading conditions. Introduction International trade has changed much over the last decades. Most countries have gotten to agreements which ensure free and fair trade among them. Countries and individuals producing the various products in their respective countries benefit a lot. Some people have become rich as a result of international trade. However, there are goods which are better traded on the international front compared to others. Businesses and individuals looking to succeed in the international market should focus on goods that do better in that market. At the same time, they must have good marketing strategies; understand the difference between free and fair trade and who benefits in what trade. Concepts of Free Trade Free trade is tr ade focused between countries and large companies. Different countries agree on tariffs and taxation of the imported and exported goods with the objective of enhancing economic growth among countries. In fact, the main principle of the free trade is comparative advantage to countries and multinationals with agreements with each other. Businesses involved in these trades are usually very powerful and influential that the governments do not have much control over them. The agreements made are not necessarily good for the primary producers. In fact, most are the cases the primary producers are affected by the free trade negatively. Policies governing free trade agreements are made by the respective country governments under the influence of the large multinational companies (Nolen and Quinn, 1994). Concepts of Fair trade Free trade is different from the free trade in that it puts emphasis on the producers of goods (World Fair Trade Organizations, 2009). In most cases, the producers rec eive less compared to the end buyer and the brokers. The recognition that the primary producers are disadvantaged led to proposals to ensure they benefit better for their hard work. Fair trade attempts to enable the small scale producers and cooperative to become income sufficient and ownership. This is done by ensuring that fair trade buyers are available and can buy the products at a good price. Organizations involved with far trade ensure that fair trade practices are followed accordingly. On the side of the producers, they have to ensure good working conditions for the entire worker regardless of their gender and race. They also have to ensure they follow international guidelines on wage and labor. In this case, they have to pay all the workers well and ensure that all workers are grown ups. Another thing free trade incorporates is the respect for the environment. Primary producers are tasked to protect the environment and enhance environmental protection (Renard, 2003). Some bu sinesses have taken advantage of the fair trade for their own selfish gains raising questions whether indeed fair trade is fair (Maseland & Vaal, 2002). Fairly Traded products There are quite a number of fairly traded in the world according to Fair Trade International. Milk is not among the fairly traded goods internationally (Fair Trade International, n.d). However, there are some countries and multinationals which have successfully implemented fair trading of milk and milk

Thursday, September 26, 2019

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

English - Essay Example The dyadic personality is the main concept that defines the first century personality. A dyadic person functions based on honor and shame, which are both related to what other people are thinking. During the first century, being common and conforming to the norm is the important and proper character. One possible reason why the first century people detest uniqueness is based on the example that every person is a representative of his or her particular group, either family or community, thus needed to be giving the right impression at all times due to the lack of ways of international communication that can introduce people to other parts of the world. This is contrary to the 21st century attitude which promotes individuality and uniqueness. In the modern world, each person’s character is important, one example is that manufacturers of different products want to get to know individuals to produce that they want. There are significant differences between the first century people represented by the dyadic Mediterraneans and the 21st century people represented by the Americans. The primary character is the high value of conformity or being common in the first century person and the high value of individuality and independence in the 21st century person. Authoritarian attitude is also the main leadership trait in first century person world while democracy is more popular for the 21st century person. A first century person perceive attitude as a rule and segregation factor thus he or she would not dare mingle with people of different status. On the other hand, the 21st century person does not believe that status should define a person; people are still people no matter the status. In the first century, honor is defined based on 3 factors that are considered to define the whole social construct during that time namely power, gender status and religion. Honor is a claim or an access so a level of worth in the society. Like wealth it can be achieved

Gender Language and Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender Language and Power - Essay Example Body Various theorists have focused on how males and females differ in the usage of language, one such theory is the Dominance Approach, and this approach has figured out that the difference between language usage of males and females is caused due to the difference between the degree of power experienced by males and females. The approach states that women exhibit lack of power in their speech and they use language in accordance to the subordinate role expected from them by the society, where as males use language too clearly exhibit power and they clearly reflect the role of superiority assigned to them by the society. Robin Lakoff was one of the early researchers to determine the difference between the usage of language exhibited by both genders and the research even proved that this imbalance is caused due to difference in authority. Lackoff identified that the language used my females is consisted of characteristics that exhibits empathy, lack of swear words that can really hurt , very polite words, words that exhibit intensity, words that contain emptiness, words that request for opinion from others, opinions that lack affirmation. Words and phrases such as: oh my god, extremely beautiful, isn’t it the best? kind off, great performance. Lackoffs observation of how females use language clearly exhibits that women lack confidence. According to Lakoff’s observation, the society is dominated by males and in this society, women are considered as subordinates to males and thus the lack of authority in their speech is expected by the society and same characteristics are even expected by women while they conduct behaviors in social settings (WEATHERALL, p.57, 2002). Dale Spender’s study even clearly state that society views females as a subordinate to males and the language used by females is dominated by the authority and superiority of males and this is majorly witness able in male dominated society (CHRISTIE, p.121, 2000). Recent studies ha ve linked language usage of both the genders with the orientation of relationship, rather than authority and dominance. These studies have concluded that males use language and speech to transfer and receive information, where as females use language to conduct the process of interacting with others. The way males and females interact with same gender or different gender even depends on the groups they joined in their early life as kids. These studies further suggest that males and females use same body language or words with different meaning, for example males might nod their head while exhibiting acceptance and females might not to exhibit that they want to listen more or obtain more information. This approach is recognized as difference approach, this approach focuses on the different ways males and females use language. According to Tannen, conflict arises when males and females from different cultural backgrounds interact with each other as both the genders talk through their own cultural experience (LURIA, p.180, 2006). Tannen states that women use language in a way to create further connections and one the other hand males use language to exhibit their knowledge and abilities and to exhibit

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Concept of Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concept of Marriage - Essay Example People in many African countries continue to practice polygamy and according to scholars, incidents of polygamy or plural marriage are highest in West Africa, where Senegal and Ghana have the â€Å"highest level of polygamy† at between 30 and 50% of all marriages (Hayase & Liaw 300). Despite the statistics, on a global scale, the traditional marriage between one man and one woman is the most common form of marriage. Proponents of traditional marriage argue that marriage is an institution which has stood the test of time and is a fundamental social institution. They believe that marriage between one man and one woman serves a variety of social purposes including the procreation of children, the establishment of a â€Å"stable household for raising children† and the promotion of the nuclear family unit. They also establish that â€Å"children need both a male and female parent for proper development† (Kolasinski 3). Furthermore, many advocates for traditional marriage also argue that homosexuality is wrong and should not be encouraged by society. By conferring the right to marriage and the benefits of this union on same-sex couples, they argue that is exactly what society is doing. Advocates for gay marriage emphatically argue that it is a civil rights issue and since marriage bestows certain social benefits, denying gays the right to marry infringes on their rights to equality. They further argue that marriage is not intrinsically tied to procreation and point to examples of artificial insemination to prove that lesbian couples can also give birth and rear children. It is also argued that civil unions – in lieu of actual marriage – fall short of the equality standard and promote the idea that same-sex marriage is both separate and unequal. The Supreme Court in Canada recently struck down the Marriage Act on the grounds that it was unconstitutional and similar challenges are being made

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

FINANCIAL STATEMENT RATIO ANALYSIS CASE Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FINANCIAL STATEMENT RATIO ANALYSIS - Case Study Example Financial ratio analysis is the calculation of harmonized relationship of figures that appear in the financial statements. These relationships are known as ratios and they are very useful in analyzing the financial performance and financial position of a business. The financial ratios enhance the comparison of different companies in the same industry since the financial statements alone cannot play this role due to the difference in size of businesses. These ratios measure the ability of a firm to make profit to its owners. They indicate the financial performance of a firm. The main profitability ratios are net profit margin, operating profit margin and gross profit margin. The calculation of net profit margin is (net profit/ sales) * 100%. The calculation of operating profit margin is: (operating profit margin/sales) * 100%. The calculation of the gross profit margin is (gross profit margin/ sales) * 100% (Bragg 54). These ratios indicate the level of efficiency in a business. The main management ratios are return on equity, return on assets and the inventory turnover. The calculation of return on equity is (net profit/ total equity) * 100%. The calculation of return in assets is (net profit / total assets * 100%). The calculation of inventory turnover is (inventory/ sales) * 100% (Bull 87). These ratios indicate the ability of a firm to finance its current debts using its current assets. The main liquidity ratios include; quick ratio, current ratio and the net working capital. The calculation of the current ratio is current assets/ current liabilities. The calculation of the quick ratio is (current assets - inventory) / current liabilities. The calculation of the net working capital is current assets – current liabilities. These ratios measure the going concern or the viability of a firm and its ability to meet its long-term debts. The main

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Explain how the U.S. attitude towards European integration has evolved Essay

Explain how the U.S. attitude towards European integration has evolved between 1945 and the enlargement of the EU to 25 members in 2004 - Essay Example The growth of European unity from a six nation trading block in the 1940s to the 25 nation political, military and economic confederation that exists today has been accompanied by a similar evolution in America’s attitude toward the integration of Europe. There are as many reasons for the US to view the European Union as a threat as there are to view it as a beneficial force. Economically, the EU exceeds the US in population and therefore has the potential to become an economic rival, if it has not done so already. The extent to which the EU has come to coordinate common defense policies and structures also poses a potential challenge to NATO, the primary vehicle by which the US has been able to project military influence throughout the world. Further, a key factor precipitating European integration has been an anti-Americanism born of Europe’s desire to become independent from US influence and to stand on the same stage in exerting its own geo-political influence. Ultimately, the official position of the United States has generally been positive toward the European integration project that has taken place over the past several decades. Official American foreign policy has commonly encouraged and praised European efforts to form cooperative economic, political and military institutions to which its constituent nations subscribe. Nevertheless, the challenge that a unified Europe poses for the United States has made unofficial attitudes somewhat less enthusiastic. In the end, whether American attitudes toward European integration are positive or negative will depend largely on whether Europe rises to become a true global challenge to the U.S. World War II devastated Europe and provided an impetus for the concept of integration as a pragmatic approach to avoiding similar destructive conflicts in the future. Making the countries of Europe economically interdependent, starting with the traditionally fiercest antagonists, France and

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The food Pip Essay Example for Free

The food Pip Essay Magwitch had been sent to Australia to work, and if he ever returned to Britain he would be sentenced for death. Pip did not expect a convict to be his benefactor he couldnt image such a dirty, poor, old man to give him that much amount of money. He wanted to get rid of Magwitch as soon as possible. However pip develops a real affection for Magwitch. Magwitch tell pip about Compeyson the man who made Miss Havisham the way she is. Pip gradually becomes fond of Magwitch. Pip tries to help Magwitch by smuggling him out of London by sea. As they were doing this they were being watched by Compeyson- who is terrified of Magwitch. As they are about to get on to the steamer, Magwitch fights Compeyson the two men fall in to the sea in the struggle Compeyson drowns. Pip dives in to the sea to rescue Magwitch. Once they are on dry land the escape failed and Magwitch is found guilty of returning to England. He was sentenced to death but he was dying anyway. He had caught something in the polluted sea; he swallowed the dirty water and became ill. Pip nurses Magwitch and starts to love Magwitch. Pip learns that Magwitch grew up without parents in a brutal society. Society did little for him. He blames society it forced him into becoming involved with some dodgy people. By Magwitch returning pip realises that he has mistreated those who were truly dear to him, like Joe who is always faithful towards Pip. The courts are incapable of showing compassion. Magwitch came back to Britain out of love for Pip. Eventually Pip learns that Magwitch has been generous towards him so he feels the need to return it. Pip realises that Magwitch is also human. Pip understands the true depth of the sacrifice that Magwitch has made for him. Pip is made to un-learn every thing that he has learnt to re-discover the importance of human relations. Dickens gave pip a chance to become more than he is only to have reverted back to the old kind and pleasant Pip. Pip learns that he cannot change who he is inside from Magwitch. Magwitch uses Pip as his revenge on Society. He uses pip like a doll and moulded it into a gentleman. Compeyson got a lighter sentence because of his status he wanted pip to have the same advantage. Dickens tries to tell us something about the legal system at the time in the twentieth century. However Magwitch s motives were not only revenge but also gratitude for the food Pip gave him. Pip could have turned a blind eye to Magwitch when he was in his hour of need. Magwitch develops a fatherly affection towards Pip. Magwitch relates pip to his daughter who he lost. Magwitch though that his little girl had been killed but pip told him that she was well and he was in love with her. Magwitch teaches pip that there are two meanings behind the term Gentleman 1. Is the status and class.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Market Entry Into Turkey For Lifeway

Market Entry Into Turkey For Lifeway The term global business is becoming more familiar in the current business context where, more and more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) trying to expand into overseas market. A similar company called Lifeway is a U.S.A. SME, which is rapidly growing in the home market. In 2008, the company was named 49th Fastest Growing Business by an American Magazine, Fortune Small Business (Lifeway, 2008). Given that Lifeway intends to expand into overseas market (outside U.S.A), the Group report requires to provide analysis for the proposed host countrys strategic environment as well as a properly evaluated market entry mode for the company. We used three different analytical tools for analysing host countrys strategic environment that are described below: Hofstedes Model of National Culture Porters Five Forces PEST Analysis We evaluated different Market Entry Modes for Lifeway and selected Exporting as a Market Entry from the following: Licensing Strategic Alliances Foreign Direct Investment Export We selected Turkey as a host country for Lifeway to expand its operations into overseas market. Turkey is one of the largest producers of dairy products in its region as well as the countrys location is of a strategic importance, as its geographical location is connected to both sides of East and the West (Europe). We chose exporting as a market entry for Lifeway to expand into Turkish market. Host country strategic environment analysis It is crucial for Lifeway to critically evaluate Turkeys strategic environment. The strategic environment comprises of various variables such as Government regulation, Countrys financial risks, culture, political stability, economy security risks, competitors, suppliers and technology. Hofstedes Model of National Culture According to this model a countrys cultural values can be implicated with different aspects of the business e.g. Human Resource Management, Leadership Styles, Motivational Assumptions, Decision Making and Organisational Decisions and Strategy (Hofstede Bond, 1988). Power Distance According to Hofstede, Turkey is a comparatively high power distance culture as compare to U.S.A. Organisational structures of companies in Turkey are likely to be tall pyramid with many supervisors and managers. Only top level management has the power to make strategic decisions. The wage difference between superiors and workers is high; management is authoritative and high level education takes precedence over performance. In contrast the opposite is true for the companies and businesses in U.S.A. like Lifeway. Individualism The figure-1 (see p.2) shows clearly a huge difference in both the countrys cultural values in individualism. In collectivist society like Turkey, job selection process for management is usually based on family references. It is also assumed that managerial promotions are based on seniority and age. Conversely in U.S.A. an individualistic society, promotions are based on an individuals ability and qualification rather than age and personal references. Masculinity According to Hofstedes model masculinity in Turkey is low, 45 and high in United States, 62. In most cases Turkish leadership styles emphasise on quality of life rather than work. Moreover organisational structure is small with decision making mainly by groups. This is quite opposite to American society where organisational structure is usually large; emphasis is on achievement, motivation and self reliance. Uncertainty Avoidance There is a high level of uncertainty avoidance in Turkish cultural as compare to American culture. In business perspective, organisations in Turkey would have clear rules, regulations, standardise procedures, formalised structure and risk avoidance. People want job security, are committed to long-term contracts as well as loyal and predictable. It reduces potential employee turnover in the organisations. However organisations and people of U.S.A are willing to take risks, businesses have less regulation and workers have autonomy. Long-Term Orientation There is no data for Turkey; however United States is a short-term oriented society (see figure-1, p.2). In U.S.A., employees are selected on the basis of skills and ability with quick rewards and promotions having less job security unlike long-term oriented societies. Turkey can be classified as a long-term oriented society on the basis of other Hofstedes dimensions. There are a few question marks about Hofstedes cultural dimensions concerning the accuracy of the data. Information found may be contradicting e.g. Turkey, a high uncertainty avoidance culture implicates larger organisations however it is also low in masculinity which implicates smaller organisations. Hence information should be considered as a guideline therefore cultural pa, therefore, stereotyping should be avoided. However it is a good starting point for Lifeway to have an idea of a very diverse culture as compare to its own. Porters Five forces Porters five forces is a widely known strategic business analytical tool which helps managers to understand better the industry context in which the firm operates. Industry competitors There are numerous competitors in the probiotic industry. All of these companies operate internationally as well as in Turkey. This indicates the presence of market within the country. According to a new market research report, Probiotics Market (2009-2014), published by (Marketsandmarkets, 2010), the global probiotics market is expected to be worth US$ 32.6 billion by 2014, with the Europe and Asia accounting for nearly 42% and 30% of the total revenues respectively. The global market is expected to record a CAGR of 12.6% from 2009 to 2014. The following list below mentions Lifeway main competitors. Group Danone: their main probiotic product is Actimel probiotic yoghurt drink containing a unique culture called L.casei Imunitass, which is exclusive to Danone. (Presence in Turkey). Yakult Honsha: they produce a drink called Yakult. Yakult is a fermented milk drink containing lactobacillus casei Shirota Developed by Dr Minoru Shirota, the drink has been around for about 70 years in some form. It was initially only produced in Japan but is now made in Holland for distribution throughout Europe. (presence in Turkey) Nestle Nutrition Nestlà © probiotic products are mainly based on its LC1 brand and include: Ski BioVita: probiotic yoghurt containing LC1 culture. Sveltesse Optimise 0%: a probiotic, fat free, dairy drink containing a probiotic and fibre, available in Strawberry and Pineapple flavours. Munch Bunch Drinky (UK): a yogurt drink designed for children, containing fruit puree and a gentle probiotic for children. It is claimed that the probiotic, lactobacillus fortis, is specially designed for children. (Presence in Turkey) Probiotics Whilst functional drinks still occupy the largest market share (at around 50% of all sales) probiotics (mainly dairy products) and probiotics (comprising mainly dairy products, cereals and baked goods) are the next largest sectors. Across Europe, the probiotic industry accounts for more than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.4bn at consumer prices. These figures speak for it, the probiotic drink market has been rising since the year 2000 and the forecast is increasing (RTS Resource Ltd., 2010). Potential Entrants Entry Barriers: The capital cost of entry into the food industry is high especially since it will have to compete with the big name such as Danone, Yakult and also Lifeway Kefir. Substitutes These are some examples of substitutes to probiotic drinks: Probiotic capsules (new trend) Symprove (new probiotic in a non-dairy drink) The level of differentiation for Lifeway products is moderate as they manufacture all of their range, quality being one of the most important feature as well as health and wellbeing. Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers on the food market have high power as there is a large range of probiotic drinks, therefore competitors will be offering similar products and prices. Buyers will go to the store that offers a lower price. Everyone needs food on a daily basis; the number of buyers involves everyone. Lifeway could introduced their latest ranges created recently which could lead to product differentiation in regards to other probiotic drink, these approach could lead to a decrease in the bargaining power of buyers. The cost of switching from one brand to another is very low; usually there is more than one probiotic drink on the shelf of supermarkets. New trends have pushed buyers to purchase their goods online. Bargaining Power of Suppliers In this particular case the business is considering expanding to Turkey, suppliers will have less power. Lifeway is attempting to gain competitive advantage by cheaper outsourcing; a search for best suppliers in Turkey should result in a good deal. Suppliers in Turkey will want to secure a contract with a company with Lifeways profile. However at the present Lifeway is only intending to export their goods to Turkey. Lifeway is the countrys leading manufacturer of Kefir, these represents a main advantage as the organization enjoys the benefits of economies of scale in the home country. Pest Analysis In view of Lifeway new environment (Turkey), the PEST analysis is a critical analytical tool for evaluating a countrys strengths and weaknesses. It focuses on political, economical, social and technological factors and also helps to develop a broad view of a countrys landscape. Political Factors Turkeys policy is based on liberalisation and free trade and also attempts to create location advantages to attract foreign companies (Datamonitor, 2009). In 2003, the Turkish government introduced the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Law to improve FDI policy. It mainly contains the abolishment of restrictions which leads to an equal treatment of foreign and domestic companies. Furthermore, Turkeys main political goal is to achieve EU membership. This is a major political advantage if the country achieves EU membership, as companies would benefit from EU free trade policies in Turkey. This in turn opens the door to invest easily in other EU member countries for companies based in Turkey. Lifeway is one of the first companies in the dairy sector intending to expand in Turkey. In contrast, there still exists a high political risk in Turkey. According to A.M. Best Company (2009), Turkey seems to be unstable especially focusing on regional, social and governmental aspects. Major reasons for these instabilities are the terrorist groups, who are responsible for a mass of attacks in recent years and the existence of high corruption (Datamonitor, 2009). In addition, the tax system is very unstable according to OECD. The IMF, the World Bank and the investment environment by FIAS (Foreign Investment Advisory Service) have signaled concerns about the complexity of Turkeys tax system. This complexity has been exacerbated by tax policy instability coupled with high and unstable inflation rates (OECD, p.6). These high inflation rates, e.g. 10.4% in 2008 are quite higher than inflations rates of other western European countries (PRS Group, 2010). Generally Turkey indicates a high political risk (CRT-4) which is defined as Relatively unpredictable and nontransparent political, legal and business environment with underdeveloped capital market, stated by AMB (2009, p.4). Hence high political instabilities and risks have an adverse effect on foreign companies like Li feway where it takes time to adapt to the political condition in Turkey. Economic Factors Due to the political instability in Turkey, this has a negative impact on the overall economy. Comparing the GDP growth rate during last year decreased from 9.2% in 2004 to 1.1% in 2008 meaning its economy is in recession (PRS Group, 2010, Country Forecast, p.8). Besides the financial crises above all high inflation and interest rates 6.5 % in 2009 (fxstreet.com) caused this economic downturn. Turkeys economic risk is moderate because it experienced an erratic growth over the last few years due to a weak banking system, large current account deficits, and a lack of structural reforms (AMB, 2009, p.2). It means that although there is the existence of an economic upswing during the last decade but overall economy is still not recovered e.g. imports are still higher than exports. In contrast, plans for the implementation of free trade agreements raise hope among the Turkish population (Datamonitor, 2009). These agreements shall increase the international competitiveness and boost the relationships with foreign countries. In addition to that by starting to act and trade more internationally Turkey could also implement the EU criteria very soon. This would help the company in the future to expand the investment. Social Factors The unemployment rate of 10.4 % in 2008 is obviously caused by the lack of investment in education. Only 34.5 percent complete vocational or higher education which signifies a weak distinct tendency in the range of the service sector (PRS Group, 2010, Country Conditions, p.9). On the contrary primary and secondary sector workforce is about 59% which shows that Turkeys excellence in these two sectors. For further analysis of social and cultural factors of Turkey see section 2.1 on page 2-4. Technological Factors Turkey only spent 0.71% of GDP in 2007 for research and development according to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (2010). The lack of support in this sector would have an immense negative impact on foreign companies. Particularly the number of patent applications which is a major indicator of rating a countrys development in RD and it was 24.50 per million inhabitants in 2007 (Federal Statistical Office, 2010). Although the Turkish dairy sector is distinctive, its products are still behind the quality of the EU (Reuters, 2009). Equipment and hygiene have fulfilled the recent EU standards but Turkish milk quality can still be considered as low. However established government institutions try to compensate such deficits by giving financial aid to companies and private citizens in the form of subventions and loans for RD projects (PRS Group, 2010, Country Conditions). Additionally there is an appearance of drain brain (Datamonitor, 2009). It means that Turkish academics that are living abroad are coming back to their native country, recognising the potential of Turkey becoming an EU member. Thus foreign companies like Lifeway with the intention of expanding could profit by future trends. DIFFERENT MARKET ENTRY MODES There are four major market entry types which will be analysed and evaluated in order to make a decision that which market entry Lifeway should choose for Turkey. Licensing Licensing is a contractual transaction in which the firm-the licensor-offers some proprietary assets to a foreign company-the licensee-in exchange for royalty fees (Kotabe, 2008, p.293). For instance, a company is allowed to use the technology, know-how or even a whole product itself of another company against payment of so-called royalty fees. Licensing does not need investing capital and is especially used by small companies which are looking for a fast and easy access to a foreign country (Kotabe, 2008). Lifeway could for example save transportation costs and tariffs and invest them in other branches. This is an easiest way of investing where there is no financial risk involved, no risk of product or performance failure. By licensing, the company would get its profits (royalty fees) and it would also benefit the Turkish government and national suppliers. In contrast licensing may result in a firms giving away valuable technological know-how to a potential competitor (Hill, 1999, p.202). Lifeway loses its competitive advantage by sharing knowledge of producing the different kind of flavours that are very popular among the US. Adopting technology could improve the partners business and lead from co-operation to competition. Additionally, Licensing does not give a firm the tight control over manufacturing, marketing, and strategy in a foreign country that may be required to maximize its profitability according to Hill (1999, p.202). Lifeways brand name might become weak with the possibility of losing the license as a result domestic companies could gain success. Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances are cooperative agreements between two or more firms from different countries to participate in business activities, as stated by Parboteeah Cullen (2011, p.161). Lifeway especially focuses on the International Joint Venture (IJV) which is the most common form of strategic alliance. International joint ventures bring together otherwise independent firms to share resources in product design, production, marketing, and/or distribution (Chan et al., 2007). The company can gain the knowledge and the know-how of similar companies which could improve Lifeways Kefir. Lifeway could obtain the possibility to share its losses and it will reduce its amount of investment in Turkey (Kotabe, 2008). Additionally, by cooperating with a domestic Turkish company Lifeway can fit its Kefir to the peoples taste. Consequently additional costs for introducing and adoption can be reduce and Lifeway could get an insight of how to avoid cultural misunderstandings (Kotabe, 2008). However at the same time cultural misunderstandings might appear within the alliance, especially when it comes to controlling the company, see Hofstede (section 2.1, p.2). Furthermore, Lifeway might lose its competitive advantage of developing and creation which made it unique in the US by sharing know-how and technology (Kotabe, 2008). Like it is said before that the Turkish dairy industry is behind the EU standard in the development of equipment and technology. Gaining the same knowledge as Lifeway, competitive companies in Turkey could conquer the European market and further expansion in Europe could result in increasing the competition. Evidently this would lead to a disadvantage for Lifeway. Foreign Direct Investment Parboteeah Cullen states a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) occurs when, a multinational company owns, in part or in whole, an operation in another country (2011, p.161). Investing in manufacturing or RD (research development) facilities that are made or bought in foreign countries can be considered as FDIs, for example. Turkeys strong FDI policy is especially attractive to foreign companies because of its market potential, geographic proximity, and low labor costs (Deichmann et al., 2003, p.1771). This type of market entry potentially leads to higher profits in the early expansion of the company because it also avoids transportation costs. Lifeway can even save more money, in virtue of prevention of double taxation agreement between Turkey and the US (worldwide-tax, 2008). In Turkey huge proportion of the workforce works within the primary and secondary sector because of the low education this provides low cost labour making Turkey even more attractive (Turkish Embassy, 2008 PRS Group, 2010, Country Conditions). However based on the low quality production of milk in Turkey Lifeways brand image could be damaged resulting in the production of the low quality of Kefir (AgriPolicy, 2009). (Paliwoda, 1997 p.154) described his point of view for FDI as, a wholly owned subsidiary is slow to achieve, expensive to maintain and slow also to yield any tangible results. Lifeway that just developed during the last few years the decision of such a risky market entry might be too early on the evidence of a country which is still characterised by uncertainties, instabilities and insecurities. A high risk is also applicable to the acceptance of the product among the population. Furthermore, there is a huge cultural difference in the society as well as in a business context. Therefore it is difficult for Lifeway to adjust quickly into the local way of doing business, see Hofstedes cultural dimensions (section 2.1, p.2). Hence its not in the interest of the company to choose this market entry. Export According to (Hill, 1999, p.201) export can be defined as, producing goods at home and shipping them to the receiving country for sale. There are two major forms of export: direct and indirect export (Kotabe, 2008). In direct exporting, a company will appoint an internal team that is responsible for exports by trading goods or services with a foreign middleman. While indirect exporting is when a company will sell its goods or services through some other domestic companies, so-called intermediaries (Kotabe, 2008). Some major advantages could be attained by direct or indirect exporting. This type of market penetration is easiest and cost effective (Kotabe, 2008). Firstly, Lifeway doesnt have to invest in production facilities such as building factory, warehouse, overhead costs and also labour costs etc. Lifeway, which is considered as an SME having small amount of equity (as compare to large MNCs) would want to have minimum financial risk. Secondly, time is an important factor, exporting makes it possible to get an immediate market access (Kotabe, 2008). Especially entering in a Turkish market which might experience an upswing in the near future, it should be realised that the company could profit from new regulations and subventions. In contrast, exporting is unprofitable because of the existence of high transportation costs, tariffs and trade barriers (Hill, 1999). The Turkish government intervened to protect and support domestic companies of the dairy sector by demanding high tariffs for importing dairy products (Export.By, 2010). Products like Lifeway Kefir can be produced in almost any location because of a low value-to-weight ratio (Hill, 1999, p.201202). As a result it can be said that the demand of Lifeway Kefir in Turkey may not be equal to other diary producing companies in Turkey. Benefits of direct exporting would be to avoid information asymmetries because Lifeway would be still responsible for major orders and dispositions (Parboteeah Cullen, 2011). Furthermore direct exporting is connected with higher sales potential and profit as compare to indirect exporting. However indirect exporting causes less committing errors. New environment, culture and language barriers could be avoided by this market entry mode or at least reduced (Kotabe, 2008). Therefore, it is decided that Lifeway should pursue indirect exporting for market penetration in Turkey. This is because of various reasons such as Lifeway is relatively a small company with limited finances, the product is a simple and standardised hence no need for training and after sale support and also Turkish culture is very different than Lifeways business culture which is American, according to Hofstede (see section 2.1 on p.2-4). The company would achieve foreign market presence in less time at low cost and also with the passage of time increase market knowledge and reduce psychic distance (cultural differences). This would increase companys prospects of investing further in the country. Conclusion After critically analysing Turkish strategic environment, it is suggested that exporting is the best suited form of market entry for Lifeway. The company is a relatively small and medium size enterprise and is only locally based in U.S.A. hence essentially it would have limited finances as compare to other large global companies. Finance is the biggest asset that any company holds thus cost effectiveness is the one of the fundamental strategic principles in businesses. Exporting could be viewed as the quickest and most cost effective form of market expansion. It doesnt require complex activities and Lifeway could focus its efforts mainly on the marketing area to attract the new target market in Turkey for its Kefir products. It should also be considered that the desire of Turkeys inclusion into EU makes it a safer choice as it complies with the laws and regulations of EU countries than others in the Far East. Although there are some drawbacks of exporting for example, high tariffs, transportation costs and trade barriers. Nevertheless looking at Lifeways context and comparing the disadvantages of other market entry modes it is clear that exporting is the easiest and most cost effective form of expansion. Subsequently the company could invest further and make strategic alliance as a joint venture with the local popular branding company upon success in Turkey. With the passage of time and depending on Lifeways success the best form of investment would be having a production unit in Turkey. This would also be very beneficial for the company if Turkey becomes EU member. It would open the doors for Lifeway to easily expand and penetrate into EU market. Even if Lifeway doesnt get the best responses from exporting, it would not be a disaster. Since the company would have taken minimum financial risk in expanding into foreign market. It would be a good learning experience for Lifeway. Whenever business environment becomes viable the company could strategise again and correct the mistakes.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Sexual Roles in Time of the Temptress :: Temptress Essays

Sexual Roles in Time of the Temptress      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Violet Winspear's Time of the Temptress may not be considered a literary masterpiece by many critics, but it does give a specific example of male dominant and female submissive sexual roles. Even though the novel contains no explicit or even implied sexual scenes occurring between the main characters, the actions and speech of Wade and Eve serve as a substitute for erotic passages.    Eve is labeled as an obvious submissive character as soon as she was introduced in the novel. She appears as a helpless woman in the company of nuns. Nuns might be considered some of the purest and most vulnerable creatures alive, second only to children. Her affiliation with these women imply that she is innocent and as helpless as they. Eve and the nuns are at the mercy of the brave warrior who rescued them from their mission. When Eve volunteers to walk across the jungle, even her act of courage seems weak. " 'Please'-Eve caught on impulse at the khaki-clad arm, 'if room can be found for Sister Mercy and the others , then I am sure I can trek the rest of the way' " (6). She asks, or begs, for permission to make a sacrifice, and through out the novel she never stops apologizing for it.    Before they begin their trek, Eve becomes quickly furious with the man who saved her and she declares that she is "not helpless" (12). In spite of her outburst, the rest of the novel makes her out to be anything but helpful. For example, she cannot bathe without a monkey stealing her Bond street apparel. It is impossible for her to search for them naked, and to top it all off, the fearless Wade O'Mara has to save her from toe-snapping crabs before finding her pants for her. Later on Eve acknowledges her situation. "She was glad he was so tough and self-reliant, but at the same time he was so disturbing and awoke in her a feeling of being a helpless and vulnerable female" (38). She is correct. She doesn't make their dinner, the only useful thing she does is sweep out a hut and slaughter a few of the harmless insects that lived there.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Analysis of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essay -- Papers Poem Po

Analysis of The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost ?The Road Not Taken? (1916) tells of someone faced with two of life?s decisions however only one can be chosen. Whichever road is taken will be final and will determine the direction that their life takes. Frost drives this poem by a calm and collective narrative, spoken by the traveler of the diverged roads. Who is speaking with himself trying to convince himself of which road is the better choice. Frost wrote this poem using standard, modern language. In line one Frost introduces the diverging roads, which are his main metaphors. Diverging being the key word in this line because it suggests that the traveler must make a choice. Line two the speaker expresses his grief of not being able to travel both. Yet, the choice is not easy, since ?long I stood? (1.3) before coming to a decision. The next two lines examines the path as best as he can, but his vision is limited because the path bends and is covered over. This indicates that the speaker would like to know more about this road but is prevented by the immediate environment. Six through eight seems to be suggesting that the second path mentioned is a more attractive choice because it appears to have not been traveled recently. However, he seems to contradict himself since he also describes the path as being ?just as fair? as the first rather than better. Although the poet breaks after line ten, the main idea continues into the third stanza, creating a link between these parts of the poem. Here the speaker states that the paths are ?really about the same.?(2.1 0). Neither path has recently been traveled, although he is searching fro a clear logical reason to decide one path over the other, he cannot find a suitable reason. Lin... ...ng were clear. ?The Road Not Taken? was far from complex, its metaphor was blatant and the word traveler left no room for assumption as to what the speaker was referring. I identified with the theme immediately and because we are all faced with important choices in life, I was able to relate to Frost. The poem was psychological because it dealt with thoughts. Through out the entire poem the speaker held an internal conversation. His choices where entirely thought through by himself. It was definitely a psychological narrative. This poem in its condensed state contains a dilemma of everyday life choices. Bringing forth the sometimes-harsh reality that, whichever decision is made ultimately makes all the difference. Works Cited: Frost, Robert. The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems, Complete and Unabridged.New York. Henry Holt and Company, Inc. 1979.

Hamlet :: English Literature Essays

Hamlet Hamlet wants to wipe his memory clean, as one would erase a slate. All of the images he has of his mother and uncle are insignificant to him now in the face of their betrayal. He will erase those images in his memory so as to not be deceived again. With his memories erased, Hamlet will be able to properly avenge his father's murder. There are many images of sickness, disease, wickedness, blemishes on the body, and other loathsome things that are metaphorically descriptive or the unwholesome condition of Denmark. Examples of this are on most pages. A few examples are found in the following places: 3.4.43 4.5.18 3.4.74 1.4.27 ACT IV, SCENE 4, LINES 28-30 "This is th' impostume of much wealth and peace, That inward breaks and shows no cause without Why the man dies." Hamlet is talking to Fortinbras' captain about the land, which has been symbolically given to Norway to prevent them from invading Denmark. This statement is however, also descriptive of Hamlet's own condition. The events that have caused his madness fester inside him like an abscess or tumor. The cause is unseen by others though it is destroying him inside. THEME ANALYSIS The true nature of Hamlet's madness has been an issue of debate for scholars over the centuries. One theory is that Hamlet's madness was for his own protection. In the time period in which Hamlet would have lived, governments functioned through the usage of intricate spying networks. In Hamlet's Denmark, no one is permitted to go unwatched. Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius are all sent to spy on Hamlet at various times. Polonius meets his death in the process. When Hamlet discovers the atrocity committed by his uncle, he wishes for revenge. In that time, it would have been quite natural to take matters into his own hands. In order to keep his plans secret; he cannot let on that he knows of the crime. Since he is constantly being spied upon and having his actions and words reported to Claudius, he must act enigmatically. Shakespeare puts Hamlet into a situation in which he must deal with the betrayal and murder of his father by his own family members. Communication of feeling is done solely in monologue or through the reports of a third party, or spy. Hamlet must use the player's performance to observe the reaction of Claudius because the topic of the death of King Hamlet is not acceptable discussion material.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Gitanjali: Rabindranath Tagore Essay

Gitanjali is a collection of 103 Bengali poems which were translated to several languages like in English, and other European languages. The meaning of the term explains the nature of the book. Gitanjali, the term comes the merger of two words ‘git’ and ‘anjali’, ‘git’ means song and ‘anjali’ means offering. Therefore, it means ‘Songs of Offerings’. Gitanjali is a book to feel and cherish, the greatest book of a great writer. Tagore wrote poems for various moods, be it love ,devotion, stories, sorrow, joy even realism. Rabindranath Tagore has provided Western culture with strong example of Eastern Philosophy in both prose and poetry. Tagore had written his Gitanjali (song offerings) in Bengali, and after he learned from William Rothenstein of Western interest in them, he translated them into English. Chiefly for this volume, Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, the same year that Macmillan brought out a hard-cover copy of his prose translations of Gitanjali. This poem shows the charm of humbleness: it is a prayer to help the poet open his heart to the Divine Beloved without extraneous words or gestures. A vain poet would produce vain poetry, so this poet wants to be open to the simple humility of truth that only the Divine Beloved can afford him. As Yeats says, these songs grow out of culture in which art and religion are the same, so it is not surprising that we find our offerer of songs speaking to God in song after song, as is the case in #7. And the last line in song #7 is a subtle–or perhaps not so subtle–allusion to Bhagavan Krishna. According the Paramahansa Yogananda, â€Å"Krishna is shown in Hindu art with a flute; on it he plays the enrapturing song that recalls to their true home the human souls wandering in delusion. † W. B. Yeats, in the introduction to Tagore’s Gitanjali, writes that this volume has â€Å"stirred my blood as nothing has for years . . . .† He explains, â€Å"These lyrics . . . display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my life long. † Then Yeats describes the Indian culture that he feels is responsible for producing this remarkable work: â€Å"The work of a supreme culture, they yet appear as much the growth of the common soil as the grass and the rushes. A tradition, where poetry and religion are the same thing, has passed through the centuries, gathering from learned and unlearned metaphor and emotion, and carried back again to the multitude the thought of the scholar and of the noble. † He contrasts the art of his own culture: â€Å"If our life was not a continual warfare, we would not have taste, we would not know what is good, we would not find hearers and readers. Four-fifths of our energy is spent in this quarrel with bad taste, whether in our own minds or in the minds of others. † Yeats might seem harsh in his assessment of his own culture’s motivation to art, but, no doubt, he has correctly identified the mood of his era. Yeats having been born of Western culture, his birth dates are famous as the markers of two horrendous Western wars 1865 and 1939. So his rough estimate of the artists being motivated by warfare is quite understandable. On the other hand, his assessment of Tagore’s achievement is accurate. As Yeats tells us, Tagore’s songs are not only respected and admired by the scholarly class, but also they are sung in the fields by peasants. Yeats would never have expected his own poetry to be accept by such a wide spectrum of the population. My favorite Gitanjali poem (song offering) is #7: My song has put off her adornments. She has no pride of dress and decoration. Ornaments would mar our union. They would come between thee and me. Their jingling would drown thy whispers. My poet’s vanity dies in shame before thy sight. O Master Poet, I have sat down at thy feet. Only let me make my life simple and straight like a flute of reed for thee to fill with music. Gitanjali poem #7: My song has put off her adornments. She has no pride of dress and decoration. Ornaments would mar our union. They would come between thee and me. Their jingling would drown thy whispers. My poet’s vanity dies in shame before thy sight. O Master Poet, I have sat down at thy feet. Only let me make my life simple and straight like a flute of reed for thee to fill with music. These words are metaphysical yet have a beautiful message hidden. A message that is subtle yet clear. It says that love is liberated from all the social constraints†¦ pure feelings. It is a free bird just in need of communion. Human love and celestial love are brought parallel†¦ like Jayadeva does in his GeetGovind. Vaishnavs like Jayadeva derived inspiration from Lord Vishnu and his most admired avatar, Krishna. But, Tagore saw elements of similarity between human and celestial love in the Baul community of Bengal and translated them into his poetry. I feel that literature like this binds the whole country into one, highlighting pure emotions like love. The universal yet multiple culture of our country is displayed in this beautiful string of songs as one, the universality lying in emotions and the multiplicity in the many types of cultures. This string is not that of pearls or stones but of love and one that brings us closer to divine. Tagore, like Chaucer’s forerunners, writes music for his words, and one understands at every moment that he is so abundant, so spontaneous, so daring in his passion, so full of surprise, because he is doing something which has never seemed strange, unnatural, or in need of defence. These verses will not lie in little well-printed books upon ladies’ tables, who turn the pages with indolent hands that they may sigh over a life without meaning, which is yet all they can know of life, or be carried by students at the university to be laid aside when the work of life begins, but, as the generations pass, travellers will hum them on the highway and men rowing upon the rivers. Lovers, while they await one another, shall find, in murmuring them, this love of God a magic gulf wherein their own more bitter passion may bathe and renew its youth. At every moment the heart of this poet flows outward to these without derogation or condescension, for it has known that they will understand; and it has filled itself with the circumstance of their lives. The traveller in the read-brown clothes that he wears that dust may not show upon him, the girl searching in her bed for the petals fallen from the wreath of her royal lover, the servant or the bride awaiting the master’s home-coming in the empty house, are images of the heart turning to God. Flowers and rivers, the blowing of conch shells, the heavy rain of the Indian July, or the moods of that heart in union or in separation; and a man sitting in a boat upon a river playing lute, like one of those figures full of mysterious meaning in a Chinese picture, is God Himself. A whole people, a whole civilization, immeasurably strange to us, seems to have been taken up into this imagination; and yet we are not moved because of its strangeness, but because we have met our own image, as though we had walked in Rossetti’s willow wood, or heard, perhaps for the first time in literature, our voice as in a dream. REFERENCE: 1. Rabindranath Tagore. Gitanjali. Electronic text center. University of Virginia .

Monday, September 16, 2019

Mcdonalds Marketing Communication Strategy Assignment

Marketing Communications Strategy – Our Marketing Communication Strategy will be mainly focussing on advertising and personal selling in the marketing communications mix, with a television commercial for advertising and in store marketing for personal selling. – The television commercial will be a short introduction of our product with associations of the season, surrounded with the McDonald feelings and sounds which come always with their commercials. The in store marketing consist of billboards in the stores of the new product and, which we think is very important, trained cashiers who are asking every customer, after they made their order, if they want to add the ‘Vla’ to their order. – We choose television because it’s relatively cheap to reach a very large audience. We think is important to let the whole country know about our product (product awareness). This product is for everybody in the Netherlands, although some segments will be pur chasing it more than others (families for example).With television we can bring the associations of the season with our product, which is valuable. We do not use television for direct-response purposes, but want to let the customer know about our product and make them curious. The next time they step into a McDonald’s branch they are aware and curious of the existing of the product and that will result in a higher chance that the customer purchase the ‘Vla’. – Furthermore we choose in store marketing because it’s a very effective and cheap way to let McDonald consumers purchase the ‘Vla’.We use it to reinforces the television commercial, because customers already notice the existence of the product, maybe are already benevolent to try the new product. If they see the product on billboards in the store and thereafter are asked proactively to them if they want to try the new product the chance that they will purchase the product will incr eases substantially. Now we can speak of a integrated marketing communication mix for our product. Summarize the main features of all the company's products. State what other products your company produces, and describe briefly where the new product fits into your existing product line. To start with, the products of McDonalds are fast food products which have consistent quality, are easy deliverable and consistent across all markets in their taste and their range of products. – McDonalds have a broad scale of products. The main food product is the hamburger. They serve it in different variants. Fish burgers, chicken nuggets, salads and fries complement the main products. – You can pick menus of these products, which comes with drinks or milkshakes. The Happy meal is worth mentioning, which is the popular menu for the kids. – Relatively new for McDonalds are the breakfast products. Then you have the Dessert products, where our product fits perfectly into. â€⠀œ If you look at the temporary Desserts of McDonalds we differentiate the McFlurry, Apple pie, Donut, Sundea Ice cream, Chocolate Muffin, Softice and Fresh Fruit. – We think our product ‘Vla’ will perfectly fits into the range of Dessert products McDonalds is serving at the moment. It a totally other product then the contemporary Dessert McDonalds serve. But more important: it’s already a popular, traditional Dutch, dessert and serving it in the McDonalds will be valued by the customers in different moods.Like customers who eating a menu and love to finish with the ‘Vla’, customers just walking by and order a ‘Vla’ for on the way and also not to forget: the kids will love the (smaller sized) Vla in their Happy Meal. It’s a healthier alternative then the other contemporary products except the fresh fruit. So parents are also more likable to choose this dessert for their children instead of the other more fat making desserts . SWOT Analyses: Strengths – What do you do well? – Holiday season associations – Bringing a typical Dutch dessert – Good quality/price ratio Good products in the McDonald’s strategy of serve worldwide similar products with in addition serve in every country local products that are influenced by the local kitchen. Our product is the local product influenced by the local culture. Weaknesses – What are you not so good at? Where might you need to improve? – Only holiday season (for the test phase, if it will succeed we will bring more seasonal Vla’s) – High cost of marketing with our form of marketing communication, the television commercials. Will we generate enough revenues from the dessert? – If we don’t capture the market, we will fail in advanceOpportunities – What's coming that might be an opportunity? – The timing of our product, in the season of ‘Sinterklaas’ and Chrismas. â €“ To convince tourists that they must try the traditional product ‘Vla’ as their Dessert. – Make our product ‘the’ traditional product of McDonald’s, which will be a classical McDonald Dessert in the next decennia. Threats – What's coming that might cause you problems? – Cannibalize the present Desserts of McDonalds that are available in the Netherlands. – Bring a product that is similar with products in supermarkets (Albert Heijn, Dirk van den Broek, C1000 etc).

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Apply Ethics in Practice Essay

This brief synopsis as a human service worker in which I make every effort to help people, groups, and communities to triumph over their issues and struggles. As a human service worker I almost certainly would come across many ethical predicaments that involve susceptible issues such as discrimination, social unfairness, and oppression, poverty, substance abuse and mental health issues. As a human service worker or provider my personal principles may become an ethical difficulty with reference to discrimination of any sort because of my private belief but of course I am conscious of how many ethical standards that can be challenged if I allow my individual view to develop into concern. Nevertheless of course I identify with knowing and should no bet use as an unbiased conclusion unless the circumstances turn out to be dangerous to myself or the client involved. Next, if this circumstance come to pass then I would use the code of moral principles produced by the national association o f human service workers as a most important point addressing ethical predicament which it may cause. On the other hand, I was in a circumstance where a person that I was helping he was very serious and clear in his mind and full detail about who he wanted to work with and talk too. He was discriminating against a co worker because of skin color and race although we were on the job and others was watching him he decided to be rude and very sarcastic for no apparent reason. I wanted to voice my opinion but I didn’t but finally one day I decided to read the code of ethics at work and fill out a report on him with other co workers so that the discrimination could stop. It ended up being better than before the man was disciplined but functioning in the human service department there will be times when you do not agree with your client and your own principles could turn out to be an fair matter. My individual principles possibly will develop into an ethical concern if I meet a family unit where a close  relative is a drug user or a pregnant mother is a smoker. I am a well-built advocate in captivating concern of the happiness of offspring and unborn children in a drug badly treated atmosphere. I do not believe any close relatives ought to abuse drugs more than ever with child, it is not in favor of my ethical importance. I also be inclined to be very guarded when it comes to serving a family where whichever together parents or just one parent is a drug user. I want to make sure that the family be taken care of and will most importantly loving towards the children. Finally in conclusion I consider a situation to may have found myself, as a human service expert or professional, wherever I used private ideas may perhaps develop into an ethical matter and in closing apply ethics in all situations. Reference Dittmer, J. (2013). Ethics Applied. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/ap.ethic

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The relative importance of the following marketing factors

The relative importance of the following marketing factors in driving product choice: brand, quality, distribution and pricing is commonly defined by a number of varied customer behaviors towards a particular product. Some of these behavioral traits may encompass taste, style, fashion as well as personal trend(s). Good and Service For instance, there are those consumers who would opt to posses a cello phone with such as brand name as Sprint. By examining the basic features of the Sprint, it would be paramount to assert that, they innately captures the consumers imagination and more building a personal touch and class.Thus, it can be argued that, when the consumers purchases this particular brand, he or she is profoundly compelled by the desire to build a personal relationship which is more established by the nature of his preference (Kotler, 1999). Despite the price variations with other brands in the market, also, the brands quality, market eminence as well as its status singularly, the consumer will definitely pay particular attention to the attributes of the given product chosen and it is here that a strong bond between the consumer and the products develops.This infers that, the chosen product will be in a position to provide unmatched services to the user, hence, reinforcing the overall customer-product relationship. Also other influential elements may include; store, buying option, product, package, method of procuring among other market factors. Good Only Basically, when opting to a purchase a particular product or good, there are a number of unforeseen forces that determines which good is to be purchased.Though there are a number of attributes which may compel an individual to consider a particular item, it would be essential to assert that, any purchase is greatly influenced by the desire to build a health relationship with the chosen brand whether be it for immediate use or not. Take for instance; Colt is a brand name that is synonymous with top milit ary experts more so, it is highly linked to professional marksmen. This is due to its qualities which include it loading and recoiling power, weight as well as the length and duration it can be used without jamming.Examining such attributes, it is fundamental to assert that, the market drives the given client to seek a gun that is reliable, also due to the nature of its market status, such aspects as durability, price, brand trust as well as its value makes it a brand of choice among the gun loving clients. Therefore, it can be started that, there are a number of factors which drives a product choice, in case of good, such attributes as product stability, brand, price as well as its quality and this instrumentally have been cited as some of the major factors that are involved in shaping a client-product relationship (Fournier, 2003).As a result, the more a product or a good is steady the more the relationship is sturdy. hence, another profound aspect may be attributed to personal at titudes and outlook change are subjective to consumer(s) individuality and lifestyle towards the given good as well as the source of the given product, hence, an individual may be compelled to be associated with a Colt due to the brand which is market wise renown rather than purchase the new market entrants. Therefore, it would be essential to agree that, customers develop relationships with brands and the implications of this for brand management.Service Only Examining the service only markets, it is essential to assert that, consumers are more than often attracted by the very first impression of the service provided. This infers that, a bond was formed. Consider for instance, a movie fan may get hooked to Paramount pictures productions due to the nature and of the quality of their movies, more so, this can also be due to the quality of their production in terms of theme, plot, storyline as well as how they employ such instruments as sound and visual effects to tell a story in thei r movies.Therefore, despite market influences which may include the scope of pricing as well as the trust developed towards a particular brand, it would be instrumental to argue that there are other factors which may compel a client to go for Paramount pictures instead of other film productions brands such as Warner or Columbia pictures. Some of these factors may entail individual preference making the client-product to go beyond emotionally level (Birger, 2003). ConclusionsA number of diverse elements are singularly influencing the manner the marketing issues of brand relationships and brand communities are being developed. It would be paramount to assert that, where a consumer develops a relationship with a brand, it is likely that, the quality, package, brand or other key aspects may have contributed to such a development. Consider the fact that, such marketing aspects as psychographic and normative characteristics have a profound impact on the manner a customer relates to a prod uct resulting to its purchase or rejection.Marketers have found that, these features have an impact on purchase intentions and these variables include: quality consciousness, deal proneness; value consciousness, attitudes of reference groups and price consciousness (Freeman, 2008). It can be argued that, consumers’ behavioral approach towards an immediate product interest as well as its purchase is in one way influenced by the manner marketers employ strategic promotional aspects in order to build client-product relationship.And this can be attributed to two essential behavior theories pertinent to aspects of marketing: namely utility theory and the theory of reasoned action (Callingham, 2004). References Birger, W (2003). Marketing Strategy . Massachusetts: MIT. Callingham, M. (2004). Market intelligence. NY: OUP. Fournier, S. (2003). Brand relationship . Florida: UMI. Freeman, J. (2008). Products and Branding. TUI. Kotler, P, (1999). Management. NY: OUP.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Issue 14 no 2510 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Issue 14 no 2510 - Essay Example Every child has the right to quality education. In the rural parts of the Kenya, the preference to educate the boy child over the girl child is the essence of this big may hem. This cripples the girl child mind. Rights to education and training should be available to all and at the right time, (Ghai p 291). The arguments of the girl will get married and get a comfortable life wherever she is married are arguments that should be thrown to the bottom lake of fire. With the right education in place, the women are able to brain box their opposite gender for an equal share. In the lake region for instance the ‘luos,’ geographically located at the Lake region along the river Nile, traditionally practiced wife inheritance. The women lived in great agony after their husbands’ death. The rights to own property and make decisions were nowhere near the script, (Ghai p 292). This polygamous life was the birth of psychological torture. The exposure the sexually transmitted killer diseases could not be ruled out. Thanks to civilization that this never happens. In central Kenya where ‘bantus, kikuyu, the embu’ and the ‘meru’ tribes owned huge chunks of land. On the death of the husband, this property was illegally taken by the brothers to the deceased. This left the family to languish in poverty. The daughters of these rich tycoons were unfortunately not inheriting any form of property or land. The land was meant for the sons, (Ghai p 293). The belief that the women would get portions of wealth wherever they got married is an act that is highly condemned. This paper is in agreement that women have a reason to smile in Kenya today. The new constitution was promulgated towards the end of August 2010 have brought new tidings to the women in Kenya. The right to own property and the enactment of a trusted functioning judicial system is something to be proud of to the Kenyans. The general praise from

Thursday, September 12, 2019

BRIC Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BRIC Analysis - Case Study Example However, because the outlook for this industry is bright, multinationals are now eyeing the manufacture of the product. But none has targeted China yet, and the market concentration is US, Canada, and Japan (Annex C). There is a high growth potential in the market. Rivalry concentration is low since most of the electric car models of U.S. manufacturers are yet to be introduced in the years to come. The threat of substitutes to the electric car industry is fairly mild because people are now conscious of green environment, and the spiraling cost of gasoline. There are other types of automotive vehicles but none offers clean air and a reduction of energy consumption although models and design are comparable with regular cars. The electric car models offer the comfort of charging it at home and do not need to line up in gasoline stations. Popular electric car models are shown in Annex B. The inherent culture and attitudes kept people out from owning cars, and ownership is not yet spread out as discussed in density of ownership. But because of increasing rate of population and rise of income, the culture of car ownership in China is slowly changing; added to the fact that it is encouraged by the government, The barrier to entry in the automotive industry is significant. The start up capital needed for a new company to set up an efficient manufacturing capacity is prohibitive. The manufacture of electric cars needs expertise and specialization, and in case of failure is difficult to retool. Entry to market may not be so difficult because of the joint venture with a local Chinese automotive manufacturer. A joint venture is considered a better alternative in entering the Chinese market because Chinese partners have an insight into the local customs and traditions. A joint venture offers the opportunity of access to restricted market, and the advantage of the low

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Gone With The Wind Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gone With The Wind - Research Paper Example Authority/Credentials of the Author The author of the article, Neil Netanel is a professor at the UCLA School of Law where he has been since fall 2004. Prior to that, the author was a member of fuculty at University of Texas Austine School of Law for a decade. Here, the author was the White, Durkee and Arnold Centennial Law Professor. The author practiced law between 1981 and 1984 at Loeb and Loeb located in Los Angeles, as well as in Tel-Aviv at Ygal Arnon & Co. between 1985 and 1992. Concerning educational background, Netanel holds B.A. from Yale university received in 1976, J.D. received in 1980 from UC Berkely Boalt Hall School of Law and J.S.D. received in 1998 from Stanford University. Hence, Netanel is well educated making information that he provides reliable. With regard to experience, Netanel has authored and co-authored several texts used in learning institutions among other institutions today. He is mostly an expert in teaching and writing about free speech, copyright, te lecommunications law and policy, and international intellectual property. Some of the most recent books authorted by Neil include 2008 Copyright’ Paradox, The Development Agenda: Global Intellectual Property and Developing Countries (2008), From Maimonides to Microsoft; The Jewish Law of Copyright Since the Birth of Print (2011)Â  both published by Oxford University Press. From the evaluation of author experience, credentials and educational background, it is clear that he is well vast in this area of law and other isues sorrounding legality of copyright and free speech. Therefore, article is written by an experienced author, thus, the credibility of the information is trustworthy. Validity of Research The information provided in this research is of high quality because it achieves almost all the parameters that determine the validity and credibility of a research article. For instance, the article refers to several other sources of information, which are all referenced thro ught the article. Furthermore, since it is dicussing fair use, which is related to court issues, it also refers to several past court cases. These cases, especially landmark cases, provide adequate evidence for the argument that the aauthor puts across in this article. The references used and cited inside the text are also listed at the bottom of every page in the form of footnotes, which enhances the quality and validity of the information provided in the article. Evaluation of the evidence presented by the author in this article clearly indiactes that it supports the author’s claim about fair use. Moreso, the author refers to variuos sudies and research to draw his conclusion about this issue. The major conclusion from this research is that the courts have embraced tranformative use doctrine more that they did ten or twenty years ago, and this contributes to high win rates of defendants with regard to fair use. In addition, the author uses objective research to support his claim as opposed to personal opinion or narrative. This is because he draws information from several books, and in addition, uses emphirical data to as evidence to support his cl

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Marketing management - Essay Example As marketing strategy, Slick has chosen to use the song â€Å"Sharp Dressed Man† to popularize its products. Slick’s products will be endorsed by the band, ZZ Top. Slick chose this band and that specific song because; its lyrics depict how a smart man should look like. In this song, ZZ Top talks about how a man puts on a silk suit, a clean shirt, a black tie, cufflinks, and new shoes (Beard, Hill, & Gibbons 1983). As the song goes, every girl likes a man who is sharp dressed. All this encompasses the essence of Slick, which is to give working class men that enviable look. It is important to know one’s competition in business (Berry, 2012). Slick’s major competitor is â€Å"Masculine†, a mall that also specializes in men’s wear. Located a few meters from Slick, Masculine puts pressure on Slick to ensure proper service delivery to customers. Unless Slick meets customer needs, then the latter may decide to leave for Masculine. Both Slick and Masculine are one-stop shopping areas, where their customers can shop for both clothes, and shoes. Just like Slick, Masculine targets middle-class working men. Both enterprises also offer matching accessories to accompany their clothes. However, one major difference between Slick and Masculine is that, Slick conducts promotions for their goods after every six months, while Masculine does not have any promotions on their products. Another difference is in service delivery, where Slick offers home deliveries for purchased products, whereas Masculine’s customers pick up the products