Great Expectations By Charles Dickens - 1627 Words

They say, love is blind, but when individuals are willing to sacrifice everything they value for this so called â€Å"love†, maybe it’s time to grab a pair of glasses. In Great Expectations, a classic 19th century novel by Charles Dickens, the protagonist Philip Pirrip, primarily referred to as Pip, explores the realms of the world as he begins to discover what it really means to be a â€Å"gentleman† and how social class isn’t as it seems. Pip’s origins derive from his hometown of Kent, where he spends his early years with his best friend and fatherly figure Joe, solely concerned with the guilt of aiding a convict. However, once young Pip encounters cold-hearted and â€Å"high-class† Estella, he finds himself entranced by her unearthly beauty and†¦show more content†¦I am disgusted with my calling and with my life. I have never taken to either since I was bound. Don’t be absurd† (130). Pip’s statement reveals tha t he is repulsed at the thought of living a common life, deeming it atrocious despite how content Biddy is with her own. Instead of cherishing his life with Joe and Biddy, he chooses to take the arduous route, yearning for money and Estella as if she is the newest fashion statement sanctioned on the highest shelf in the store, with her revenge-fixated guardian Miss Havisham governing the price tag and Pip cashing in his friends, family, and ultimately, his mindset. Accordingly, Pip starts to wander astray from his previous beliefs because of the fortune he longs to have, and like a spider spinning an endless web, he comes to believe in all the promises that wealth seems to bring. With the influence of money at his fingertips, he believes he can clearly do anything, and that includes marrying Estella. But everything he’s â€Å"worked† for all come crashing down when he loses not only his fortune, but his whole nescient perspective on what it means to be a gentleman. â⠂¬Å"With [Pip’s] heart beating like a heavy hammer of disordered action, [he] rose out of [his] chair,† shocked beyond disbelief as the once thought

Family Rootedness and Racial Dynamics Free Essays

Living in contemporary America is coupled with different challenges. The fast-paced industry, the cultural diversity, the financial crises, and the indifference among neighbors all cause to build up some form of alienation in most people. The Virginia Tech massacre and other cases of mad shooting illustrate the struggles of some people of different cultures to assimilate in the American society. We will write a custom essay sample on Family Rootedness and Racial Dynamics or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Barack Obama’s â€Å"Dreams from My Father,† the author provides some insights on the importance of rootedness to one’s family and culture in order to survive and attain success in Contemporary America. The experiences of the characters lead readers to realize that one can easily undertake struggles in life upon acceptance of family and racial origins. The author attempts to delineate a number of issues, among which is the problem caused by dysfunctional families, a common scenario in the contemporary American society. Children like Obama manage to survive despite the absence of their parents, in some cases both parents are absent, in others like Obama’s, the father figure is vague. Until after his death, Obama’s father â€Å"remained a myth† (8) to him. He left when Barack was barely two years old, to go back to Kenya, his homeland. The last time he and his son saw each other was when Obama was ten. Due to this, Obama grew up quiet, with some coldness in the way he deals with people, although he always bears respect for others. His acquaintance with an old man who lived in the same building he occupied near Harlem demonstrates this attitude. Never, the absence of Obama’s father made him what he is right now. Although not clearly emphasized, the role of the grandfather in Obama’s life, along with his grandmother Toot, compensated for the loss of his father. In a way, Obama lived in the comfort and care of his mother’s family. Basically, the importance of family is demonstrated in the way his grandfather compensated the absence of his father. The family dynamics that he grew up with, was basically composed of loving and caring grandparents who usually told him stories of the past in order for him to know his father well, and a mother who served as inspiration and guide through the social service she rendered. However, the importance of family is later more emphasized with the connectedness of his father’s family—the extended family relationships that exist among his relatives in Kenya. Obama witnessed this when he met and visited his cousins. Even though he did not know them as a child, he easily got along with them, owing to belongingness to one family. Aside from the importance of family connectedness, rootedness to one’s race and culture is also emphasized. When his father died, Obama had a chance to establish connection with his origins. Prior to this, he felt he felt some void within him, and enmity towards his father. He wished to understand a lot of things, and saw it timely to go back to his roots. Unexpectedly, he found the answers in Kenya as he listened to stories about his father—his childhood, his struggles to prove himself, the reason why he went to America, and why he went back to Kenya. In the end, he found himself crying over the struggles his father fought, and for losing the man who remained in his shadow. Finding the answers to his questions about origins made Obama whole. For a long time, he did not realize that his father shared the struggles he fought. Although they had different situations, he understood that what his father bore was a lot heavier than his. Specifically, his father’s struggle to prove himself to the grandfather and to the rest of the world was double that of Obama when he was younger. For his father, going back to Kenya was the only way to regain himself though it was also a way to face his childhood fears. Despite the pains he tried to leave behind in relation to his past, the older Barack still went back to his people and chose to serve them. Such rootedness to race and culture taught the son the importance of knowing one’s origins. Clearly, the efforts Obama made to get to know his origins led him to what he is now. As he suggests, survival in contemporary American society is difficult. Racial discrimination, although it did not totally affect him, was rampant. Nevertheless, it made him long for his past. The presence of his mother was definitely not enough to fill in the father figure he missed, not to mention his mother’s difficulty to raise him and his sister apart from Obama’s grandparents. At the end, he still needed to know both his father and the race that brought his father up in order to be whole. Knowing one’s past is further emphasized as Barack struggles to build his own family. Lacking the father figure, he himself found it difficult to be an ideal father and husband that he wanted to be. His struggles can be rooted from his own experience, mainly due to the dysfunctional family that he came from. Nevertheless, when he finally gained the opportunity to know his roots, he found the courage to continue and reunite with his family. Based on this, the author makes us realize the importance of rootedness to one’s past and race relations. The familiarity of his aunt Nairobi as she calls her nephew Barry to inform him of his father’s death demonstrates the connectedness of the Kenyans, which other cultures can learn from. For them, distance and unfamiliarity are not barriers to achieving unity and love. Rather, racial dynamics are too strong, enough to conquer physical and cultural boundaries. How to cite Family Rootedness and Racial Dynamics, Essays

The Idea Of Establishing A Pizza Packaging Business †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Idea Of Establishing A Pizza Packaging Business. Answer: Identification of an idea: The idea of establishing a pizza packaging business can be regarded as an entrepreneurial opportunity. Pizza packaging business can be regarded as an innovative entrepreneurial opportunity since this essentially helps in delivering customer value proposition in a specific niche market. Essentially, the design as well as functionality of packaging of products can be considered to be an important element of branding. Identified idea needs to be scalable into a feasible and viable business model that can help in resolving the detected problems. As such, packaging design can be considered to be an appropriate way to make the current product that is pizza stand out from the product of other companies. Again, a packaging design can help a purchaser to remember a specific logo or else scheme of colour that was there on product. Again, the relationship that they essentially make with pleasure of your produce and design of the package can help them to identify and select company in the upcoming period. Problem statement and Target Customers People want their food needs to be enclosed in a package and have the need for protecting it from different other things such as jolt, compression, bacteria, temperature and many other things. Again, a shield is required from oxygen, dust as well as water vapour. Also, permeation can also be considered to be a necessary factor in development of design. It can be hereby mentioned that customers of the pizza require packages that essentially contain absorbers of oxygen, modified atmosphere or else controlled atmosphere for food packaging for keeping the food contents safe and the same time fresh and clean. There is also need for lessening the security risks associated to shipmen of the product and this calls for the need of tamper resistant packaging. The target customers include all the individuals as well as organizations for which the company is creating value, small businesses mainly pizza retailers and individuals such as family of married couples with children, college students, young professionals. Proposed Solution Some of the pertinent factors of pizza packaging that can be taken into consideration include hygiene, diverse environmental impacts, protection for consumers as well as toxins in packaging. Nevertheless, information on impacts can help in raising the awareness of the consumers and assist them to select packaging that can be considered to be safe and secured both at personal as well as environmental level (Bilgin and Danis). Developing and designing food packaging can hereby help in transportation in a hygienic way and appropriate storage of food products. This can subsequently lessen exposure of food to different types of contaminants that are present in the air as well as bacteria particularly during the process of handling. Thus this specific entrepreneurial idea can lead to illness counting food poisoning. Nevertheless, there are various concerns regarding the usage of diverse recycled objects for food packaging. This business solution of pizza packaging can resolve the identifie d issue and help in hygienic storage as well as safety utilizing recycled material (Schaper and Schaper). Types of research undertaken Different types of research that can be undertaken for examining the overall viability of the business idea of pizza packaging business. Essentially both primary as well as secondary data can be used for the study. Primary research based on responses of survey participants to questions in questionnaires can be collected and feedback to open ended questions asked in an interview can also be collected for primary data collection (Szopa et al.). In addition to this, secondary data can be collected from different sources that include books, magazines, prior academic research as well as official websites. Furthermore, mixed research methodology can be undertaken that includes both quantitative as well as qualitative research methodology. Quantitative research mechanisms involve delivering insights into identified research problems that in turn can help in the procedure of uncovering diverse trends. Again, quantitative research mechanisms help in quantifying diverse problems by means of ge nerating different numerical data that in turn can be converted into utilizable statistics. Identified idea that can be formed founded on ideas developed during brainstorming sessions. Diverse techniques can be used in this case. Different traditional groups can be formed for the purpose and present the problem, guide the entire discussion, engaging in brainstorming and thereafter taking action (Schaper and Schaper). Overall feasibility as well as viability of the present idea Overall feasibility as well as viability of the proposed idea using model The Business Model Canvas Problems -there is inadequacy of packaging that is unreasonable -natural vulnerability in the procedure of circulation, external strain during the process of transporting food materials -contamination that can influence the hygiene of the food that is pizza Solutions -Packaging system of pizza can necessarily shield quality of food as well as safety Value Proposition -value proposition indicates towards specific bundle of product/services that can generate value for different customers and are unique. These factors can satisfy the identified needs and characteristics include innovation, usability, price, prestige and customization. Value propositions also include catchy packages, on time delivery, shipping facility, unconventional as well as unexpected variations Unfair Advantage -The pizza packaging system cannot be effortlessly copied otherwise bought Customer Segments -Includes all the individuals as well as organizations for which the company is creating value -Small businesses mainly pizza retailers -Individuals such as family of married couples with children, college students, young professionals Key Resources -Key resources include the suitable infrastructure that helps in creating, delivering and vcapturing value. Also reflects the assets that are indispensable in the business model namely physical (inventory, instruments), intellectual (designs and branding), financial (capital investment and cash availability) and human (employees and suppliers). Channels -Refers to diverse touch points through which the pizza packaging business can interact with their target customers and deliver value. -Awareness can be generated through e-club, face book, snapchat and many others -Through delivery people who carry product door to door else wise UPS for shipments Cost Structure -Refers to the associated costs of operation that include both fixed and variable. Primarily, the cost structure comprises of accounting, contract labour, legal expenses, payroll as well as benefits, telecommunication, advertising, management and administration, rent and leasing Revenue Streams -Retail sales, e-commerce sales, diverse events, catering and business purchases, different menu offerings References Bilgin, Mehmet Huseyin, and Hakan Danis.Entrepreneurship, Business And Economics. New York, NY: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2016. Print. Rivas, Nicholas J.Asset-Based Community Development. [Pomona [Calif.]: [California State Polytechnic University, Pomona], 2014. Print. Scarborough, Norman M, Jeffrey R Cornwall, and Thomas Zimmerer.Essentials Of Entrepreneurship And Small Business Management. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2016. Print. Schaper, Michael, and Michael Schaper.Entrepreneurship And Small Business. Milton, Qld.: John Wiley and Sons Australia, 2014. Print. Szopa, Anna et al.Academic Entrepreneurship And Technological Innovation. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference - an imprint of IGI Global, 2013. Print.

Qantas free essay sample

Lowest price without jeopardizing the quality. 2. Better quality, simple way of operation and better look that means ability to be creative and innovative. According to Porter (1985) all generic competitive strategies have different way of cresting sustainable competitive advantage. And a company must always choose a strategy or else it will be stuck in the middle without coherent strategy (Acquaah amp; Yasai – Ardekani, 2006). Many companies for example Wal – Mart and AirAsia have been implementing a single strategy very successfully. Examples of companies which has used differentiation strategy as single strategy successfully: * Differentiation by Brand: Harley Davidson and Mercedes Benz * Differentiation by Design: Titan watches – with gold studded gems, diamonds, precious metals. * Differentiation by Positioning: Domino Pizza ‘ 30 minutes delivery’ * Differentiation by Technology: Apple Computers * Differentiation by Innovation: 3M. Furthermore there are successful companies which apply hybrid – strategy which implies both cost leadership amp; differentiation strategy at the same time. Eg: German’s Automotive, Tesco supermarket, IKEA. We will write a custom essay sample on Qantas or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Competitive Strategy: It is the way by which firms choose to accomplish and hold their competitive advantage. Regarding competitive strategy Porter stated that â€Å"taking offence or defensive actions to create a defendable position in an industry, to cope with †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦competitive forces and thereby yield a superior return for the firm†. Companies have established different approaches to competitive strategy, as per the crisis companies should apply respective strategy. The basic of generic strategy: Porter stated that company’s strength is divided into two attributes: cost advantage and differentiation. By applying these attributes in a broad and narrow focus, three generic strategies result: cost leadership, differentiation and focus. They do not represent any industry nor they are specific to any company. PORTER’S GENERIC STRATEGIES: Diagram 1: (Porter, 1980) Normally means â€Å"pursue a quality approach†. Enables a price premium to be charged for the quality difference. Normally means â€Å"pursue a quality approach†. Enables a price premium to be charged for the quality difference. Aim to have lowest cost-base industry. Will facilitate favourable / cheaper pricing and thus grow market share in elastic industries particularly. Aim to have lowest cost-base industry. Will facilitate favourable / cheaper pricing and thus grow market share in elastic industries particularly. Competitive Advantage Competitive Advantage Differentiation Differentiation Lower Cost Lower Cost Broad Target Broad Target 1. Cost Leadership| Competitive Score Competitive Score 2. Differentiation| Narrow Target Narrow Target 3 A. Cost Focus| 3 B. Differentiation Focus| Concentrate on one or a small number of market segments. Can be differentiation or cost leadership. Concentrate on one or a small number of market segments. Can be differentiation or cost leadership. Porter initially advised Firms to avoid attempting both Strategies Stuck in the Middle as out and out differentiators and cost leaders will tend to be more competitive. The success of Japanese (and other) firms with JIT, Kaizen and TQM techniques appears to provide evidence contrary to this view. Requirements for generic competitive strategies: Generic Strategy| Commodity Required Skills and Resources| Common Organizational Requirements| Overall cost leadership| Sustained capital investment access to capital| Tight cost control| | Process engineering skills| Frequent, detailed control reports| | Intense supervision of labour| Structured organization and responsibilities| | Products designed for ease | Incentives based on meeting strict quantitative| | Low-cost distribution system| targets in manufacture| Differentiation| Strong marketing abilities| Strong coordination among functions in Ramp;D, product development, and marketing| | Product ngineering| | | Creative flare | | | Strong capability in basic research| Subjective measurement andincentives instead of quantitative measures| | Corporate reputation for quality or technological leadership| Amenities to attract highly skilled labour, scientists, or creative people| | Long tradition in the industryor unique combination of skills drawn from other businesses| | | Strong co operation fromchannels| | Focus| Combination of the above policies directed at the particular strategic target| Combination of the above policies directed at the regular strategic target| Four strategic types and their approaches to strategy (Miles and Snow)? : 1. Defender: * protect market share * hold current position 2. Analyser: * seek market opportunities but protect existing areas * hold market share but with some innovation 3. Prospector: * find new opportunities * exploit and take risks 4. Reactor: * respond only to other * often late and inadequate COST AND DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY: Cost Leadership Strategy The cost leadership strategy represents cost control and efficiency in all areas of operation (Porter, 1980). A company that decides to follow cost leadership actually achieves it by performing important value chain activities with lower cost (Porter, 1985). Cost – Leadership strategy strives to supply a standard, no frills, high volume product with a competitive price to customers (Bingxin Li amp; Juan Li, 2008) which is preferred in developing countries India, China, Indonesia amp; Malaysia. This make product more competitive than others with brand image and good service (Hutchinson et al. 2007; Frambach et al. 2003; Porter, 1980). Cost Leadership aim requires strong focus on supply side as oppose to demand side of market – with high level competitor orientation (Day amp; Wendley, 1988). Cost Leadership strategy used by companies must benchmark them in a profitable position in the market place. As per Porter (1980), efficient cost leadership strategy minimizes cost in areas like Ramp;D, Services, Sales and Advertising. In Japan, Toyota Company has successfully implemented cost leadership strategy with increased efficiency (Schonberger, 1994) which is a different factor make up in this strategy when compared to the western countries. Allen amp; Helms, 2001) Differentiation Strategy – The generic of differentiation strategy can be based upon design and brand image, distribution amp; so forth (Frambach. Et al. 2003). It involves by creating a place in the market that is realized as being different in the industry and has the capability to endure for a long run (Porter, 1980). The effectiveness of str ategy depends on competitive offering to customers (Slater amp; Olson, 2001) with unique product for varied customer groups. This is with the aim to create minimum price of product in order to develop satisfaction and loyalty. A firm with differentiation strategy creates superior characteristics in terms of image, reputation, reliability and equality (Dean amp; Evans, 1994; Sashi and Stern, 1995). This creates qualitative difference in products amp; service, engaged in advertising programs, marketing techniques with premium prices (Miller, 1986). According to Acquaah and Yasai – Ardekani (2006). Firms with competitive strategies has advantage over their rivals as they realized how unique their products and services are. The differentiation strategy has been successfully implemented in France, Sweden, Canada with companies having advantage of Financial and technology resources, human capital and modern management (Aulakh et al, 2000) Focus Porter defined focus as one of the generis strategies but later on mentioned it as moderator of cost leadership and differentiation strategy, Companies which apply this strategy normally focus on the market where there are less competition. (Pearson, 1999). Firms uses this strategy to stress on a specific positioning in the market and so it offers quality and specialized products for that position. Therefore sometimes focus strategy is referred as niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). This strategy allows the firm the possibility to charge a premium price for its specialized products. Ferrari and Rolls – Royce are examples of company using such strategy. The only problem with the strategy is that niche characteristic is not sufficient to justify company’s attention. Stuck in the middle – When a company fails to make a choice between the strategies then it is implied that the company is stuck in the middle. Thus affecting its profitability and resulting poor financial performance. (Peter, 1980) THE COMBINATION (HYBRID) STRATEGY: The Porter Generic competitive Strategies (1980, 1985) can’t be given excessive prominence. Competitive forces ( Allen and Helms, 2006; Miller, 1992; Spanos, et al. , 2004) has been termed â€Å" hybrid, mixed, integrated or combination strategies. (Kim. Et al. , 2004; Spanos, et al. , 2004). They combine both low cost and differentiation elements (Gopalakrishna and Subramanian, 2001; Proff, 2000). A combination of cost leadership and differentiation strategies should be distinguish from ‘stuck in the middle’ where firm fails to successfully pursue both. (Acquaah amp; Yasai – Ardekani, 2006). A combination or hybrid strategy has been proved to be viable and profitable (Kim et al. , 2004; Miller amp; Dess, 1993; Wright et al. , 1991). Firms pursuing combined strategy achieved higher performance than the other firms which apply single strategy. Combined strategy also helps the firm to minimize their vulnerability due to reliance on cost – based advantages only (Yasai – Ardekani amp; Nystrom, 1996). This hybrid strategy success depends on ability to deliver enhanced benefit to customers with low price and sufficient margins to reinvestment. Tesco Supermarket is following same the same strategy (Strategy Explorer, 2010) THE APPLICATION OF SINGLE STARTEGY: Cost Leadership Strategy: The cost leadership strategy is the basis for long – run compare to price competition. Price competition is easily duplicated (Porter, 1980; Ellis amp; Kelly, 1992). In retail business cost reduction must be exploited which minimizes cost throughout value chain activities. Important issues in retail business are related with cost of goods sold. (COGS). Large retail business achieve more easily cost leadership due to more power supplier to secure low procurement prices for purchased goods (Ellis amp; Kelley, 1992; Anderer, 1997). Datuk Tony Fernandez as CEO of AirAsia Berhad said â€Å"Before business can grow it needs to have its cost under control, efficient and profitable and also it must create value†. AirAsia leader of LCC in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia will face competition from existing and new players and it need to make consideration amp; more stressed for the point of becoming the low cost carrier in the airline industries. Differentiation Strategy: It emphasis several dimensions such as image, gain customer loyalty, innovation and level of service (Kim et al. , 2004) by generating differences n product through intensive marketing amp; image management (Miller 1988) and creating products which are innovative, dependable, durable, and serviceable (Beal amp; Yasai – Ardekani, 2000) In retail business company, as for manufacturing companies two main arguments against Porter framework have emerged (Mintzberg, 1996; Worztel, 1987; Zentes and Anderer, 1994) – * Strategies that co mbine several competitive advantages are not considered by Porter. * The reduction of possible competitive advantage to two basic types is simplistic amp; especially differentiation advantages can be reached in different ways. The implementation of combination of Cost Leadership and Differentiation Strategy (Hybrid Strategy): This new hybrid strategy may become even more important and more popular as Global competition increase. With generic strategy company improve their ability to adapt quick environment changes and learn new skills and technologies involving customer’s value with products at low cost compare to competitor’s products. Cost leadership enables the company to charge the lowest competitive price and achieving competitive advantage by delivering value to customers based on both product features and low price. Competitive strategy is not only feasible but generates superior incremental performance result in multiple sources of competitive advantage. This will generate superior performance over the inability to success. The success of Japanese companies such as Toyota, Canon and Honda are best examples of cost leadership and differentiation strategies. (Ishikura, 1983). Porter’s Generic Strategies in Hospitality Industry: 1. Cost Leadership Strategy: Hotelier such as Fairfield Inns, Etap offer services which are basics. Thus by doing so, they keep the cost at minimum and attract lot of market segment. . Differentiation Strategy: Chain of hotels such as Marriott and Hilton apply this strategy by providing guests with high quality and special service and experience. 3. Focus Strategy: Four Seasons only stress on elite guests and Burj Al Arab hotel only target guests such as royal families, celebrities, and rich industrialists. Five Forces Analysis: Porter developed this model as a fram ework to understand the profitability about the industry. Mentioned below are the five forces: * Supplier’s power * Buyer’s power * The threat of substitutes * The ease of entry to the market The intensity of rivalry in the market Porter Five Forces that shape industry competition: Example of a pharmaceutical company in US: †¢ Potential New Entrants: There are high barriers for entry especially in the US market due to the regulatory compliance, patent laws and the risk associated with the industry this remains a weak competitive force. The cost related to the Ramp;D also limits the Potentials New Entrants. †¢ Suppliers: Supplier power in low as the majority of the pharmaceutical sale is among the ten large pharmaceutical companies also they remain the major costumer for the chemical industry. Buyers: The power of the buyers is a moderate competitive force. Increasing pressure is being applied on the manufacturers to reduce the prices. In the pharmaceutical in dustry the end-user of the product has very low power as they buy the drugs that the decision maker or the doctor prescribes. †¢ Substitutes: This competitive power is weak when the products have the patent production but gets medium when they are off patent. CONCLUSION: Successful organization adopts a combination of competitive aspect to build a hybrid strategy. i. e. Design and low cost, quality and price . Only competing on price is not good enough (Daan Assens’s Learning , 2010). Cost leadership and differentiation strategies are very successful in much different kind of industries, for developing, transition and developed economics. Cost leadership, Differentiation and hybrid strategies have been successfully applied for very broad range of products and services from retail products to luxury products. TABLE 1: STRATEGIES USED BY THE COMPANIES No. | Strategy| Where has the strategy been applied | Products/Services that the strategy has been applied | 1. Cost Leadership| Developing, Transition and developed economics (worldwide)| Cars Industry (Toyota), Airline Business (Air Asia), Retail Business (Giant and Carrefour Supermarket)| 2. | Differentiation| Developing, Transition and developed economics (worldwide)| Cars and Motor cycle Mercedes Benz, Harley Davidson, Titan Watches, Domino Pizza, Apple , 3M| 3. | Hybrid – (Combination of Cost Leadership and Differentiation S trategy)| Developing, Transition and developed economics (worldwide)| Car Industry – Toyota, Honda, Furniture Industry IKEA| REFERENCES: Acquaah, M. amp; Yasai-Ardekani, M. (2006). Does the implementation of a combination competitive strategy yield incremental performance benefit? A new perspective from transition economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Business Research 61, 346 – 354. * Anderer, M. (1997). Internationaliseerung im Einzelhandel. Deutscher Fachverlag, Frankfurt. * Aulakh, Preet S. , Masaaki Kotabe. amp; Hildy Teegen. (2000). Export Strategies and Performance of Firms from Emerging Economies: Evidence from Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 3 (3), 342-61. * Bingxin Li, C. amp; Juan Li, J. (2008). Achieving Superior Financial Performance in China : Differentiation, Cost Leadership or Both? American Marketing Association, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 16(3), 1-22. * Daan Assen’s Learning, (2010). Hybrid strat egy: sustainable competitive advantage. http://www. daanassen. com/hybrid-strategy-sustainable-competitive-advantage (3 Jan, 2011). * Dess, G. , G. amp; Davis, P. S. (1984). Porter’s (1980) generic strategies as determinants of strategic group memberships and organizational performance. Academic of Management Journal 27, 467-488. * Frambach, Ruud T. , Jaideep Prabhu. amp; Theo M. M. Verhallen. (2003). The Influence of Business Strategy on New Product Activity: The Role of Market Orientation. International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 20 (4), 377-97. * Hutchinson, Karise, Nicholas Alexander, Barry Quinn amp; Anne Marie Doherty. (2007). Internalization Motives and Facilitating Factors: Qualitative Evidence from Smaller Specialist Retailers. Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 15 (3), 96-122. * Kim, E. , Nam, D. amp; Stimpert, J. L. (2004). Testing the Applicability of Porter’s Generic Strategies in the Digital Age: a Study of Korean Cyber Malls. Journal of Business Strategies, Vol. 21, 19-45. * Miller, A. amp; Dess, G. (1993). Academy of Management Assessing Porter’s (1980) Model in terms of its Generalizability, Accuracy and Simplicity. Journal 36 (4), 763-788. * Mintzberg, H. (1996). Generic Business Strategies. In: Mintzberg, H. , Quinn, J. (Eds), The Strategy Process, thirded. Prentice Hall International, Upper Saddle River/Nj, 83-92. * Morshett, D. , Benhard Swoboda amp; Hanna Schramm-Klein. (2006). Competitive Strategy in Retailing – An Investigation of the Applicability of Porter Framework for Food Retailers. Science Direct. Journal of Retailing and Customer Services 13, 275-287. * Nayyar, P. R. (1993). Performance Effect on Information Asymmetry and scope in diversified Service Firms. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 28 -58. * Pearce, J. amp; Robinson, R. (1994). Strategic Management–Formulation, Implementation and Control, Fifth Edition. Irwin, Burr Ridge/IL. * Porter ME. (1985). Creating and sustaining superior performance. Competitive Advantage. New York : Free Press. Schonberger, R. (1994). Human Resource Management Lessons from a Decade of Total Quality Management and Reengineering. California Management Review, Vol. 36 (4), 109-134. * Worztel, L. 1987. Retailing Strategies for to Day’s Mature Market Place. Journal of Business Strategy 8 (Spring), 45-56. * Yasai-Ardekani, M. , Nystrom, PC. (1996). Design for Environmental Scanning Systems: Test of a Contingency Theory. Management Science, 187-204. * Zentes, J, amp; Anderer, M. (1994). Retail Monitoring 1/94: Customer Service as a Way Out of Crises. GDI-Retailer- Trendletter, Vol. 2(1), 1-29.

Free Essays on Han Nolan

Han Nolan in my view is a wonderful author, she has written books that reflect on the harsh problems people face in their lives. Nolan is the author of â€Å"Born Blue† which tells the story of a child growing up and making her life a mess. Janie was four years old when she had almost drowned. As she was swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and her mother was paying her no attention, she had managed to wander out too far and a current had took her under. Due to that incident and the fact that her mother was heavily into heroin she was placed into a foster home that she had considered to be the â€Å"stink house†. The foster home was always a mess, with dirty diapers, dishes never being done, and no one ever picking up after them selves. In the foster home there were other kids, amongst them were a few babies and one seven year old little black boy named Harmon. Janie became to look to Harmon as her big brother and he was the only on she ever came to know as for the babies she could barely stand to be around them. Harmon was one known to be quiet and very shy, he always carried a shoe box with him every where he would go not letting any one know what was in it because he always thought it would be taken away from him. As Harmon came to trust Janie he would finally decided to share with her what was in the box. In it was a collection of music tapes including Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald and other divas such as them. Harmon and Janie would take the â€Å"ladies†, which is what they had considered the tapes to be, and listen to them in the basement or sometimes in the tree house on headphones so no one could hear what they were doing. Janie would love to do this she always thought of it as spending time with the ladies. Janie and Harmon of course had a caseworker, she would bring them to church on Sundays and sometimes take them out for ice cream. The first time Janie attended church she saw how everyone would sing and s... Free Essays on Han Nolan Free Essays on Han Nolan Han Nolan in my view is a wonderful author, she has written books that reflect on the harsh problems people face in their lives. Nolan is the author of â€Å"Born Blue† which tells the story of a child growing up and making her life a mess. Janie was four years old when she had almost drowned. As she was swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and her mother was paying her no attention, she had managed to wander out too far and a current had took her under. Due to that incident and the fact that her mother was heavily into heroin she was placed into a foster home that she had considered to be the â€Å"stink house†. The foster home was always a mess, with dirty diapers, dishes never being done, and no one ever picking up after them selves. In the foster home there were other kids, amongst them were a few babies and one seven year old little black boy named Harmon. Janie became to look to Harmon as her big brother and he was the only on she ever came to know as for the babies she could barely stand to be around them. Harmon was one known to be quiet and very shy, he always carried a shoe box with him every where he would go not letting any one know what was in it because he always thought it would be taken away from him. As Harmon came to trust Janie he would finally decided to share with her what was in the box. In it was a collection of music tapes including Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald and other divas such as them. Harmon and Janie would take the â€Å"ladies†, which is what they had considered the tapes to be, and listen to them in the basement or sometimes in the tree house on headphones so no one could hear what they were doing. Janie would love to do this she always thought of it as spending time with the ladies. Janie and Harmon of course had a caseworker, she would bring them to church on Sundays and sometimes take them out for ice cream. The first time Janie attended church she saw how everyone would sing and s...

Getting Started With CoSchedule [Demo] - CoSchedule Blog

Getting Started With [Demo] Blog New tools always have their learning curves! The Getting Started at demo will empower you with the tools you need to rock your editorial calendar. Join our awesome Customer Success team to discuss the basic features of . In this demo, youll learn the basics of setting up your calendar, get a walkthrough of key features, and learn how to edit, schedule, and draft your first piece of content! Want to get started with ? [Demo](0:00) Discovering your calendar Intro (1:50)  What is ? (2:32)  Get an overview of all your tasks and notifications inside the Dashboard. (7:07) Learn the basics of your calendar view. (4:42) Diving into content to manage your first project. (8:43)  Creating your first piece of content. (9:23)  Adding tags and color labels to your content. (10:23)  Manage and create all projects using the content editors. (11:26)  Use the team workflow tools to make sure your team is staying on track. (13:30)  How our  marketing team schedules and creates email campaigns. (16:38)  Schedule social messages faster and easier with . (16:28) Creating standalone  messages on your calendar. (19:53)  Curate content to your calendar faster with s Chrome Extension. (20:55)  Add a social campaign to any content to create a social message campaign. (24:33)  See all the results in using our awesome analytics features. Recommended Reading: Ultimate Guide to

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Management - Essay Example The key opinion/position or argument of the author is that it is essential for EU to take advantage of the potential opportunities of the Southeast Asian region if they are to maintain their global trading power. Therefore EU has to strengthen its linkages with the region to counter the regionalism taking place. He argues that those firms placed within the Southeast Asian region in the form of Multinational operations, International Joint ventures and other forms of FDI, stands to gain favourably from the opportunities emerging from the regionalization process taking place in this part of the world economy. It is him opinion that by taking advantage of the simultaneous drives of these nations to attract FDI ventures that target outward bound export activities, EU firms can capitalize on these trends of regionalism. Southeast Asian region is growing at an average rate of 7.2% compared to 2.4% of EU and these growth markets offer high potential. The techno industrial capabilities of the countries in the region have developed to match those of the EU countries. Countries such as Australia and USA are benefiting form the regionalism taking place through its linkages to the region in terms of APEC and will benefit from the overlapping member relationships of APEC and ASEAN. Those EU firms that have achieved the â€Å"insider† status by locating themselves within the region has benefited by being able to compete effectively not only in the host country market but in export activities to all other nations in the region, compared to outsider firms in EU as well as other nations in pacific rim and USA. If EU firms are to take advantage of the impact of regionalism, by countering negativities and maximising opportunities, they can do so by locating themselves within the region, especially the Sub Regional Economic Zones which operate on interlinked business relationships. Although

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Research paper - Essay Example The value and importance of IT field in any economy is also brought forward in this paper. The UAE, United Arabs Emirates, lies on the South-eastern side of Arabian Gulf. It occupies eighty three thousand six hundred square kilometers in the East of Arabian Peninsula. Some of the countries it shares boarders with include Qatar (north-western side), Saudi Arabia (Western and Southern sides) and Oman (Eastern and North-Eastern sides). The United Arabs Emirates, which is a federation of 7 emirates which were known as Trucial States, was established in 1971. The name â€Å"Trucial States† traces its roots from a perpetual Treaty of Maritime Truce signed by their rulers and the British In the eighteen fifties with its main aim being to keep and maintain peace at the sea especially during the pearling season. There was some uniqueness with the treaties they signed in that the British undertook their foreign affairs responsibilities and external defense while agreeing not to intervene in their internal affairs. There were some disputes and differences between the rulers o f the emirates. In 1971 British terminated the treaty having not treated the Trucial States like its other colonies and aiding nothing to the economic development of the country. UAE was therefore as a result of the rulers of the emirates realizing they could accomplish more united rather than divided hence they formed a federal state. Thirty years ago, there were very few tarmac roads. High rising buildings were virtually unknown. The larger part of the country was under developed. In the education sector, those living in major town were the only one accessing education. The illiteracy level was so high to an extent that out of a UAE population of about 180000, only 46 nationals had a University degree (Kirkwood, 1995), most of which had been acquired in

Kfcs Explosive Growth in China Essay Example for Free

Kfcs Explosive Growth in China Essay Kentucky fried Chicken (KFC) has achieved another milestone in delivery. The explosive growth in Asian region most particularly in their current trends in China that KFC fried chicken, burger and fries is gaining its way to superstardom. In China, Yum! Brands is opening a KFC store every day. But this is not the KFC you know in America. A recent case study written by professor David Bell and Agribusiness Program director Mary Shelman reveals how the chicken giant adapted its famous fast-food formula for the local market. Key concepts include: In China, KFCs strategy was to be part of the local community, not be seen as a foreign presence. (Su, 2011) China division chairman and CEO Sam Su combined the best ideas from the US fast-food model and adapted them to serve the needs of the Chinese consumer. Only a small number of menu items would be familiar to Western visitors—the Chinese KFC offerings include fried dough sticks, egg tarts, and foods tailored to the tastes of specific regions within the country. To counter concerns about fast food and obesity, Su offered a healthier menu and supports exercise and youth events. The traditional strategy is the involvement of their culture has largely influence the family ties to consider their food. According to Bell (2011) one key issue the case examines is how to implement the rollout of a fast-food chain involving so many stores across such a vast—and regionally different—country.† (Stravish, 2011) When their customers walked into their restaurant they see Chinese customer service. Chinese food and Chinese employees welcome customers and that’s why it becomes easy for them to initiate interaction. Sus strategy was that KFC would not be seen as a foreign presence but as part of the local community â€Å"There is no room for ego,† (Su, 2011) China doesnt have the same culture of individualism that is present in the United States. (Su, 2011) Along with being smart, driven and great entrepreneur, Su hired the right people. For Su, this meant employees who read and spoke the language, who understood the restaurant business and Chinese consumer, and also experience on doing business in the Western way. Trained labor is a very valuable asset even in a land of 1.3 billion-plus people. (Stravish, 2011) The large conflicting crowd should have one idea about the taste and preference as much as possible they have outperformed the number one fast food chain, which is McDonald. Sam Su also consider diversification of food items so that they can cater to a wider customer range especially those  people who are healthy conscious about their body, they offer fat free food and vegetables menu to their customers that attract and re-invent even more heterogeneous customer demand. The wide variety of choices can help the customers to make healthy options and balance diet, their strategy also involve presenting their choices. They have also practice sponsorship and promotion about healthy living in 2010 that has become another successful endeavor on their part that various exercises has been promoted inside the stores and customers are free to join, they have gathered at least 260,000 customer participants in 438 key cities. Their promotion has been very successful that makes their store even more popular. (Starvish, 2011) KFC and China has become a Yum Republic. It is certain that globalization not only helps KFC profits, but it’s international, which benefits China and the consumers. Additionally some of their popular food sisters company includes Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver and AW All American Food. I believe globalization happens to be great for the country and the overall market economy because it promotes prosperity to participating countries. All that we need to do is educate people on multiculturalism and diversity within the work place, as well as the sensitivity of culture within participating countries. Opportunity costs, trade terms, balance trades, comparative advantages, changes in consumption and production, and how much cheaper it is to purchase than to produce are some benefits to globalization. The greater interdependence that globalization is causing means an increasingly freer flow of goods, services, money, people, and idea across national borders. (WildWild, 6th ed, pg 6) Su has done a great job on hiring employees that know the language, understand the business and Chinese customers, and also having experience on doing business the Western way. Because of technological changes, continuous development and research, the market economy remains to be dynamic. Reference: Starvish. (2011). KFCs Explosive Growth in China. HBS Cases. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6704.html WildWild. International business: the challenges of globalization/ John J. Wild, Kenneth L. Wild- 6th ed.

the videogames industry Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The video game industry has become a huge influence on society and the economy today. It is an industry that is so huge that it is estimated that 70% of U.S homes will own a Video game system by the year 2005, (Cassandra, 2002) Just one year away. But what made it the way it is? Since it is still an industry it has to follow the natural laws of economics. In this paper we will dive into the industry that now has gone beyond movies and recordings in profit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first is that the video game consol industry is an oligopoly and has to deal with the game theory. It is an oligopoly because it has high barriers to entry such as hardware subsidies and very fierce competition amongst already established firms (Scevek, 2001) Also there are only three major producers of video game consoles: Sony, Nintendo, and the recently Microsoft. Because these three all have personal interests the game theory applies quickly. The most recent example is the releases of the Playstaion 2 by Sony, the Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft’s X-box. Early in the year of 2001 Sony released its latest Playstation 2 and its profits surged. They had increased 3.1% to 24.8 billion Yen, and 22.t million units sent world wide in the first fiscal year (IGN, 2002). Microsoft and Nintendo however had a different story. They decided to hold off sending of their product until the holiday season of 2001, a well-known purchasing time for consumers. However this induced competition for personal interests and both ended up worse off. While the Xbox had sold 1.4 million units, and Gamecube 1.3 million, Sony had 1.4 million units sold in its fourth quarter (Weintraub, 2002). That 1.4 million was in addition to the millions sold before hand. This unwise release is catching up with Microsoft as the profits for the X-box had halved to 190 million in 2003 compared to the loss of 60 million the year before (Yabedo, 2003), and it may soon be forced to leave the gaming industry. As it stands now the current owning of systems in households is 75% own a Playstation 2, 12% own a X-box, and13% own a Gamecube (yabedo, 2003). While the figures may be small Nintendo is building up slow but steady steam with its big name titles, and domination of the hand-held industry. Its recent release the Gameboy Advance has caused a make up for the loss by GameCube. It had so... ...t (Chmielewski,2002). With this increase investment and demand in human capital it is clear to see that the industry is bound to only continue growing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion the video game industry is growing, it has been for the last thirty years and will continue maybe for the next hundred. But it is an industry none the less, it has to follow the same laws as any other firm in the game of economics, and in this game there is no save point or pause button. We have seen that because of the game theory the console companies make choices for what they believe to be their best option only to have a worse outcome than if they had released at a different date, that as a compony earns an economic profit other componies will try to enter that area driving down economic profit, as well as examples of their fierce competition to stay on the cutting edge. We have also seen that they follow the laws of demand, and develop only on the desires and tastes of the buyers, the costs that come with producing a game both explicit and implicit, and the externalities that come with the products. And what investments are being made for the f uture in this billion-dollar industry.

Nine-Phase Change Model Process Essay

Introduction In undertaking any change project in an organization it is imperative that business executive understand that properly tailored coordinates and strategically sound routes are paramount to the success of the project from its planning phase to its execution phase. Linda Ackerman Anderson and Dean Anderson have formulated the nine-phase change model that when implemented properly is a powerful tool in helping organizations better tailor their change strategic plans to be in line with the organization’s influential areas of change; change needs, employees’ needs, and the desired outcome. The Nine-phase Change Process Model The Andersons’ model of change is called the nine-phase change process model, this change model is general enough to fit any organizational structure and size and specific enough to organize its nine phases into a logistical flow that makes for better adaptation. The phases of the nine-phase model are 1. preparing to lead the change, 2. creating organizational vision commitment and capacity, 3. assessing the situation to determine design requirement, 4. designing the desired state, 5. analyzing the impact, 6. planning and organizing for implementation of the change, 7. implementing the change, 8. celebrating and integrating the new state, and 9. learning correcting the course. It is non-invasive and since it doesn’t confine the change agent to adhering to stringent restrictions, rather, it provides a workable method for organizations to align their mission of where they currently are to their vision of where they want to be and provide guidance on how to attain those vi sions with as little resistance as possible, bettering the chance of success. Personal Change Plan The Andersons’ nine-phase change process model closely resembles my personal model of change. A general explanation of my change model is that it includes an investigation of an organization’s stated and implied vision, mission, and credo and how their business practices measure up to them. A strategic and rhythmic method properly planned to include thorough research  on facets of internal and external environmental changes that may affect the change, an overall risk analysis and contingencies to counter those risks, hierarchical charts of both the project management team and the organization in general; this is an attempt to give everyone a better understanding of where they are in the command chain with the hopes of facilitating orderly communication flow. My plan would also include a work breakdown structure that will include a budget tailored to different departments. The project plan will be properly communicated to all employees in terms understandable to them; employees will be encouraged to give constant feedback and input on the project. Milestones will be clearly stated and celebrated, standard departmental training will be given prior to and during execution of the project plan. Meetings will be held with departmental heads to track progress of the project and everyone will be kept updated. Documentation of processes and procedures followed during the project will be made and kept for future reference. Research Method In conducting further research on the change model I intend to use companies like Wachovia and Peace Health that have implemented or is implementing the change model as testimonies to the effectiveness –or lack thereof- of the change model. I will also seek to explore the criticisms of this model and compare and contrast it with my own. My resources will include websites like Linda Ackerman Anderson’s Being First website, EbscoHost, Lexis Nexis, and the course text book â€Å"Managing Organizational Change.† This resource pool will provide credible information to conduct a thorough research.

Online Inquiry System

Introduction Now a day, in a highly technological society, human productivity is made more efficient through the development of computer. Now, with the advent of such modernization in prison, one way to globalize the process of research is to realized that technology is advancing at an incredibly fast pace. Computers are not confined to being used for entertainment but its role in prison is also vast. Prison from old French â€Å"prisoun† which means an institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment. Prison is a place where people usually deprived of a range of personal freedoms.It is also organized for the safety of the prisoners and the management and to easily identify the prisoner’s information and the visitor who come and visit their relatives inside, that is why we make this system called Visitors Monitoring and Prisoners Information system. This system is for the Imus Municipal Jail. Statement of the problem * The Imus Municipal Jail lack s in an automated system for visitor’s monitoring. This is a problem causing them to a slow process and losing of data. * Time consuming because they can’t do other tasks. Security problems, records maybe lost due to lack of database. Objectives of the Study To make their system automated for fast use and for security purposes, and make it easier for them to monitor the visitors and prisoners and lessen their task. Time and Place of the Study July 23,2012 3:00 PM. The proponents prepared for the study by composing a letter to conduct a interview for the company at lobby of Cavite State University Imus Campus at July 25 around 1:00 PM at the proponents conducted an interview in Bureau of Imus Municipal Jail.After the proponents conducted an interview August 2,2012 9:32 AM they started constructing the 1st chapter. September 3,2012 4:00PM they start constructing the 2nd chapter of the research paper and then September 26,2012 1:00PM the proponents finish the chapter 3 an d finish the documentation. Normalization Visitor visitor_code|cisitor_name|contact_no. |relationship|address|age Prisoner Inmate_code|inmate_name|relationship|address|case|date_imprisonVisitor_code|inmate_code|control_number|datevisited Visitor_code|inmate_code|control_number|datevisited Employee Date visitor_code inmate_code date_visited remarks time visitor_code inmate_code date_visited remarks time A A Username, visitor_code Username, visitor_code Visitor Visitor If login is correct If login is correct A A No Stop Stop Logout Logout Reschedule visit Reschedule visit If prisoner exist If prisoner exist Check prisoner info Check prisoner info Yes Visit Visit No

Free Essays on Hedda Gabler

In Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, the main character, Hedda Tesman represents a manipulative and powerful young woman seeking to control the lives of those around her. Although Hedda lives in the Victorian era where the women are to live in the shadow of the men, she defines herself negatively. Hedda destroys the things which she cannot accept. The critic John Northam defends Hedda’s character when he states in Ibsen: A Critical Study, â€Å"Hedda is caught in the contradiction of being simultaneously a person whose deepest urges are towards a poetry of living- defined at least approximately by her recurrent use of key terms- but whose social position has educated her to accept [. . .] the restraints demanded by society. The basic conflict is between the self and society (180). Though Hedda lives in a society that suppresses restraints on the women, it gives her no right to be an unworthy, detestable, repulsive, despicable human being. In Act I, it demonstrates a pathological quality of Hedda’s personality early on. Hedda cruelly insults Aunt Julia by complaining that the servant left her bonnet lying in the chair, â€Å"Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying about on a chair† (9). Hedda is never satisfied with anything and she always feels a need to stir up some sort of commotion. By complaining about the bonnet left on the chair, Hedda tries to undermine Aunt Julia’s sense of worth. Again in Act I, Hedda shows more of her negative side when she demonstrates characteristics of manipulation and control. When Hedda and Thea are conversing in the parlor, Hedda insist that they use the familiar form of you when speaking to each other, â€Å"No, not at all! I can remember quite distinctly. So now we are going to renew our old friendship. There now! You must say du to me and call me Hedda† (15). As old schoolmates, Hedda and Thea were merely acquaintances. She wants to renew their friendship with pu... Free Essays on Hedda Gabler Free Essays on Hedda Gabler In Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, the main character, Hedda Tesman represents a manipulative and powerful young woman seeking to control the lives of those around her. Although Hedda lives in the Victorian era where the women are to live in the shadow of the men, she defines herself negatively. Hedda destroys the things which she cannot accept. The critic John Northam defends Hedda’s character when he states in Ibsen: A Critical Study, â€Å"Hedda is caught in the contradiction of being simultaneously a person whose deepest urges are towards a poetry of living- defined at least approximately by her recurrent use of key terms- but whose social position has educated her to accept [. . .] the restraints demanded by society. The basic conflict is between the self and society (180). Though Hedda lives in a society that suppresses restraints on the women, it gives her no right to be an unworthy, detestable, repulsive, despicable human being. In Act I, it demonstrates a pathological quality of Hedda’s personality early on. Hedda cruelly insults Aunt Julia by complaining that the servant left her bonnet lying in the chair, â€Å"Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying about on a chair† (9). Hedda is never satisfied with anything and she always feels a need to stir up some sort of commotion. By complaining about the bonnet left on the chair, Hedda tries to undermine Aunt Julia’s sense of worth. Again in Act I, Hedda shows more of her negative side when she demonstrates characteristics of manipulation and control. When Hedda and Thea are conversing in the parlor, Hedda insist that they use the familiar form of you when speaking to each other, â€Å"No, not at all! I can remember quite distinctly. So now we are going to renew our old friendship. There now! You must say du to me and call me Hedda† (15). As old schoolmates, Hedda and Thea were merely acquaintances. She wants to renew their friendship with pu... Free Essays on Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsen wrote Hedda Gabler in 1890. It takes place in the Tesman’s house in Norway. The main characters are Hedda, the well-bred aristocratic daughter of the famous General Gabler, George Tesman, Hedda’s newlywed husband and an intelligent scholar, Juliana Tesman, George’s aunt who supports and raised him, Mrs. Thea Elvsted, a childhood friend of Hedda’s, Judge Brack, a worldly and cynical man who likes to meddle in people’s affairs, and Eilert Loevborg, Tesman’s biggest academic competitor and a former suitor of Heddas. The play starts off as Hedda and George are just getting back from their six-month honeymoon. George has gone through great lengths to purchase the house that he thinks Hedda so badly desires. He is not a rich man and Hedda is accustomed to living a wealthy lifestyle. Hedda does not love George, but he is ignorant to that fact. She has only married him because she thought he had more money than he really does. Hedda thinks it will be a marriage of convenience. She is bored with his dull personality and despises his family and the fact that she is tied there. Throughout the play it is hinted that Hedda is pregnant. She confides to Judge Brack that ‘she has made her bed and now she must lie in it.’ Hedda is deeply stirred by the return of her former suitor, Eilert Loevborg. He was once a drunk and a public outcast, but now is an aspiring writer and scholar. Eilert has a close relationship with Mrs. Elvsted. Together they have written a brilliant manuscript, which is portrayed as ‘their child’. Their relationship makes Hedda extremely jealous. One night all the men go out drinking and Eilert ends up losing the manuscript on his way home. He is so ashamed he cannot remember what happened to it that he lies to Mrs. Elvsted and tells her he destroyed it. George found the manuscript and brought it home with intentions to give it back to Eilert after he sobers up. In the meanti...

Branches of the Tree of Knowledge

Branches of the Tree of Knowledge In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley warns that with the advent of science, natural philosophical questioning is not only futile, but dangerous. In attempting to discover the mysteries of life, Frankenstein assumes that he can act as God. He disrupts the natural order, and chaos ensues. Mary Shelley goes to great lengths to emphasize the beauty and order of life when man engages in à ¬naturalà ® pursuits. She idealizes Frankensteins home life: à ¬I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mindà ® (38). His family is orderly and wonderful. Clervals à ¬presence brought back to my thoughts my father, Elizabeth, and all those scenes of home so dear to my recollectionÃâ€"I felt suddenly, and for the first time during many months, calm and serene joyà ® (58). Shelley also stresses that man should feel at one with nature, not at odds with it: à ¬When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most delightful sensationsà ® (68). Certain occupations allow man to be at one with nature and his fellow creatures. Shelley feels that science should be useful and beneficial to mankind. Clerval, a clearly pure and benevolent character, studies languages. He loves poetry. These disciplines allow man to help others and glorify nature without questioning it. In childhood, Frankensteins studies contained à ¬bright visions of usefulnessà ® (38): à ¬I betook myself to the mathematics, and the branches of study appertaining to that science, as being built upon secure foundations, and so worthy of considerationà ® (41). But Frankensteins interests soon turned away from mathematics; he speaks of his change of mind as if an evil spirit had taken control of his brain. He begins to thirst after higher knowledge, hoping to discover the deepest mysteries of nature: à ¬I had gazed upon the fortifications and impediments that seemed to keep human beings from entering the citadel of nature, and rashly and ignorantly I had repinedà ® (39). Frankenstein delves into these studies, hoping to à ¬unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creationà ® (47). à ¬Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark worldà ® (52) Frankenstein succeeds in discovering the secrets of life and death, and becomes able to bestow à ¬animation upon lifeless matterà ® (51). While Frankenstein is involved in this pursuit, Shelley portrays his life as grotesque and unnatural in comparison to his childhoodà ³he abandons everything that clearly made his life natural and good: à ¬The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupationà ® (53). Frankenstein cuts off contact with his family, and no longer appreciates the glory of nature. He confines himself to a roomà ³his occupation is unnatural: à ¬Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the graveÃâ€"and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frameà ® (53). With these descriptions, Shelley tells the reader that Frankenstein treads on forbidden groundà ³he does not discover secrets, but à ¬disturbsà ® them. When Frankensteins completes his creation, he finally realizes the horror of what he has done. He sees immediately that his aspiration to make à ¬a new species [that] would bless me as its creator and sourceà ® was far from realized. Instead, à ¬the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heartà ® (56). His actions, performed in isolation, did nothing to better human kind, being so far removed from human nature. He realizes the full horror of what he has done in his dream, which foreshadows the chaos and destruction that is to come. He sees how horrid it is to meddle in superhuman affairs and attempt to alter natural processes. In his dream, he sees his beloved Elizabeth, and kisses her. But to his horror, she turns into his dead mother, à ¬a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of flannelà ® (57). With this image, Shelley illustrates the evil of man trying to venture into the domain of God. Frankenstein succeeds in creating life, but this creation results in nothing but death and destruction. He profanes his mothers death, and turns a vibrant life into decaying nothingness. His attempts to change lifes natural boundaries can only lead to chaos. As a mortal, he cannot do what God does. He can create life, but he cannot create order. Man stepping out of his natural place can only cause disorder. Shelley further portrays Frankenstein as a perverted God through references to Adam and Eve. The monster laments having been created by such an imperfect God. He says, à ¬How dare you sport thus with lifeÃâ€" I ought to be thy Adamà ® (97). Frankenstein, however, is no God. The monster eventually realizes this, and reproaches Frankenstein: Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with and acquire knowledge from beings of a superior nature: but I was wretched, helpless, and alone (126). Frankenstein is no better than his monster, being ruled by the same human passions. He is not a superior being, and cannot support creation of a new species. The humility that Frankenstein should have before his own creator is demonstrated through Shelleys powerful descriptions of nature. Frankenstein feels small against the à ¬dashing of the waterfalls around, [which] spoke of a power mighty as Omnipotenceà ® (91). He can never really penetrate these secretsà ³Ãƒ ¬the pine woods, and ragged bare ravine, the eagle, soaring amidst the cloudsà ³they all gathered round me and bade me be at peaceà ® (93). He also notices the perfection with which his creator formed the humans, and marvels at Clervals qualities, à ¬Has his mind, so replete with ideasÃâ€"whose existence depended on the life of its creatorà ³has this mind perishedÃâ€"No, it is not thus; your form so divinely wroughtÃâ€"has decayed, but your spirit still visits and consoles your unhappy friend.à ® With this statem ent, Frankenstein realizes that life and death are not really the à ¬ideal boundaries.à ® There is so much more to life and death than humans can possibly conceive. Biology is not necessarily the answer to the secrets of life and death. Thus, humans should live within their bounds, and not struggle with forces that are beyond their grasp. Frankenstein regrets his foray into natural philosophy. He wishes for à ¬the light-hearted gaiety of boyhoodà ® (92), when man did not seek to know these secrets. He laments: Alas! Why does man boast of sensibilities superior to those apparent in the brute; it only renders them more necessary beings. If our impulses were confined to hunger, thirst, and desire we might be nearly free (94). Shelley equates mans grappling with higher questions with Adam eating from the tree of knowledge. Frankenstein wanted to stop the destruction, à ¬but the apple was already eatenà ® (183). But mans knowledge is never as perfect as Gods knowledge. His presumption to know the secrets of life made him à ¬like the archangel who aspired to omnipotencechained in an eternal hellà ® (204). Frankenstein finally realizes this. He never should have presumed to create life, because the creation of life is more than the physical actà ³the order and harmony of the world can only be produced by a perfect creature. Frankenstein cries: à ¬ManÃâ€"how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom! Cease; you know not what it is you sayà ® (194)! Frankenstein has finally learned his lesson. Or has he? After his excruciating pains and hardship, Frankensteins dying words are: à ¬I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeedà ® (210). Unless Frankenstein is referring to beneficial, pragmatic scientific knowledge, then he has not yet acknowledged that man cannot know the secrets of nature. Shelley means his final words to be a warning to the reader. Mans growing ambition and intellect will render him desperate to discover the deepest mysteries of lifeà ³it is a difficult task to halt this ambition. But this ambition is greater than mans intellect. He can never know all, though he aspires to heaven. Until he realizes his limitations, the spread of science can only lead to chaos and destruction.

Older peoples' experiences of crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Older peoples' experiences of crime - Essay Example ultural and political authorities came into being with the passage of time, to evade disturbance and control deviancy from the prescribed manners prevailing in some specific area. Punishment and penalties were implemented leading towards the formulation of the sets of laws and penal codes. Agencies were originated to cope with the individuals deteriorating the peace and stability of society. Abnormal attitude creating public nuisance was declared as crime against the state and its individuals. Durkheim views crime, states Coser (1977:141), as normal in terms of its occurrence, and even as having positive social functions in terms of its consequences. In his words: "Where crime exists, collective sentiments are sufficiently flexible to take on a new form, and crime sometimes helps to determine the form they will take. How many times, indeed, it is only an anticipation of future morality--a step toward what will be." As criminal behaviour contains universality in its concept, it is not limited to one social class or age group only. Though there is no hard and fast rule for the victimization of specific crime on specific group, yet there are some types of pestering which can be attributed to particular group or class. The nature of crimes varies from one age group to the other. Also, there is diversity in respect of gender while enduring criminal behaviour. For instance, crimes like sexual assaults, rape and abduction are inflicted upon women and children, and males are often victim of robbery and murder. In the same way, older people are usually victim of theft, embezzlement, robbery, misrepresentation and white collar crimes. â€Å"Although individuals may be abused†, McDonald and A. Collins view, â€Å"at virtually any life stage – childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age or old age – the nature and consequences of abuse may differ depending on an individualâ⠂¬â„¢s situation. Older adults experiences of abuse, for example, may be related to their