Journal M5-M6 for art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journal M5-M6 for art - Essay Example This method is familiar to use from childhood (Getlein, 268). When modeling, the sculptor begins with a simple framework and adds material until the sculpture is finished. Carving basically, is a subtractive process whereby the sculpture starts with a mass of material larger than the planned sculpture and takes await the extra materials until the desired sculpture is attained. On the other hand, the author describes casting as a process of molding of some kind, whereby liquid or semiliquid material is poured and allowed to harden. Basically, this chapter describes each of these methods into detail and look at some of the materials they are used with (Getlein, 269). This chapter is very interesting and it brings out the theme of methods of sculpture. The chapter describes various methods of sculpture and their importance. The way the author describes the various methods is just splendid. He not only describes the methods but he accompanies every method with an example. This makes the chapter easier to understand and comprehend hence appreciating the work of art to greater lengths. Chapter 12 This chapter focuses on Arts of Ritual and Daily Life. In this chapter, the book describe the content that ‘art’ was derived from, objects made with great skill and inventiveness, rewards for contemplate and the ultimate meaning. The author argues that art was made to handled, touched, to be used in daily life or in ritual settings such as religious occasions. For these reasons, art possess a special human intimacy. Whenever we see art in the museum, it is good to recognize that they were once used by their owners who took them into their lives. The chapter starts by introducing various used media such as glass, wood, fiber, clay, ivory, lacquer and jade as described by the Western objects fashioned before the arise of the fine art. The chapter then discusses on how Western thinking about these arts has changed and been challenged in the 21st century since fine art was born. Various cultures are also revealed through art and the author explains this concept by the revealing the elements of exporting art through various cultures (Getlein, 271). The main theme of the chapter is the origin of fine art and the influence of Western culture to the development of fine art. According to the chapter, the modern concept of art took place during the 18th Century. During this period, the European philosophers separated paintings, architecture and sculpture from other kinds of skilled making and placed them in a new category called fine. My personal assessment after reading the chapter is that Western culture greatly was very vital and still influential in the development of current art. Chapter 13 Architecture is a very important aspect of art. More than any other arts, architectural arts demands structural stability. Every individual, there is a daily movement in and out of buildings, and some may take that for granted (Getlein, 280). Have you ever t hought about it? That maybe they might collapse on you? Well, all credit goes to architecture. This chapter focuses on structural systems in architecture in which a stable of a building is based. The chapter also describes various structural systems which are introduced in roughly chronological order in which they were developed. These structural systems include; load-bearing construction, Post-and-Lintel, Round Arch and Vault, Pointed Arch and Vault,

A Strategic Analysis of Apple Essay Example for Free

A Strategic Analysis of Apple Essay Apple Inc. is an American based multinational corporation. It focuses on designing, selling and producing consumer electronics, software and personal computers. Its main product lines are; the iMac, iPhone, iPad and the iPod. Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Since then Apple Inc. has been one of the most innovative and competitive organisations in the technology industry. There have been significant ups and downs in the history of Apple. Throughout this, it kept its legacy of introducing new technology to the market. It is believed that over a hundred countries use Apple’s products. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) ranks the company as the most innovative company for the last 8 years running. It is important for an organisation like Apple to remain competitive in the industry for its survival. Apple has been working extensively to introduce new products and ideas since its inception. Apple has transformed its business segment over the last decade. This began with the launch of the iPod in 2001, increasing profitability and creating growth. Apple further enhanced their profitability by expanding the operating segment, launching the iTunes store, and more recently through the acquisition of ‘Beats’. NPD Group (2012) found 63% of digital downloads run though Apple. The major turnaround occurred in 2007 when the company launched an Internet enabled smartphone (The iPhone). This started the golden era of  profitability and technological expansion for Apple. Apple has penetrated most of the developed countries, and even reached saturation point in Europe with its high end products including iPhone and iPad. It is yet to make a significant impact in the developing countries including China and India, which has around 36.8% of the worlds population. The research firm IDC (2013), found Apple’s market share for androids in China was only around 7%, below Samsung and Levono Group. 1.2 Research Aims Alfred Chandler (1962) defined strategy as The determination of the basic long-term goals of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals.† In order to analyse the firms’ strategic position we will further this research into three sections. The first, looking at the impact of the environmental factors. This will be done using a PESTEL analysis, as well Porters’ Five Forces model. Secondly we will consider the strategic capability of Apple by using a SWOT analysis. Finally analysing Apple’s innovation and internationalisation strategy in more detail. Concluding by offering recommendations for Apple and its competitors. 2. Environment Analysis 2.1 PESTEL Analysis It is important for every organisation to identify the impact of environmental analysis on its business operations. Apple is currently operating in more than 100 countries, meaning external factors have a significant impact upon the company. Identification and constant monitoring of these factors is important to minimise the effect they have on Apple. 2.2 Political Apple Inc. Form 10-K (2013) stated that approximately 63% of the Apple’s revenue comes from countries other than America. Thus the political  environment of various countries will significantly impact the revenue of Apple. The current political unrest in Crimea and the annexation to Russia from Ukraine could affect Apple’s sales, due to USA and Russian relations. In 2013 Apple sold approximately 1.6 million iPhones in Russia making it an important market for Apple. It is important for Apple to continuously monitor this situation in respect to their sales in Russia. China is now the worlds largest market for smart phones with 26.5% of all smart phone shipments, Forbes (2012). As shown below. For Apple to enter the Chinese market, a joint venture must be set up with a Chinese partner. This led to Apple joining with China Mobile. Apple’s market share has grown by 1% in the last quarter of 2014. This has led to Apple now being the 5th largest vendor of androids in China. 2.3 Economic The analysis of the global economy is of vital importance. During a period of recession such as the one just seen, disposable income falls, and unemployment rises. Apple’s product could be seen to be a luxury product, where quantity sold declines as income falls. This may lead to a fall in sales for Apple. However, during the recent recession Apple’s sales increased. Asymco (2011) Report below: The graph shows how Apple maintained continual growth in revenue over the ’09 period and onwards. Although its product may be seen as luxury, Apple managed to differentiate its product from competitors, and so created an increased demand. Additionally, with a depreciation of the dollar, the purchasing power of parity in foreign countries improves, and so Apple’s products become relatively cheaper. This led to an increase in international sales. 2.4 Socio- Cultural Factors The social life of an individual has significantly changed over the past  decade due to the revolution brought by a rapid expansion of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These social media networks have their own applications on iPhone. This gives users both business and consumers, a good medium to communicate with friends, family and business contacts. Apple has shaped modern culture by doing such, and this has increased demand for its product. Furthermore, Apple has entered the media market by the commercial linking of consumer products, with the iPod and through the launch of iTunes. This made a significant impact on 12 to 35 year olds using such products to enhance their social lives. 63% of digital downloads occur through iTunes, which gives Apple a dominant position in this market. By staying up to date with the changes Apple can increase its demand for both product. 2.5 Technological Technological factors are instrumental to the success of Apple. As one of the leading innovators in a technological industry, Apple must stay at the forefront of new developments. Steve Jobs was well aware of this: ‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower,’ (The innovation secrets of Steve Jobs, 2001.) This led to Apple’s first steps, transitioning from a computer manufacturer to a leading technology company. This occurred through the iPod and more recently the iPhone and iPad. There was an awareness to develop new products as well as operating systems, which made the total range of compatible products attractive to consumers. KPMG’s Technology Innovation Survey (2013) found that the US is most likely to find a disruptive breakthrough in technological advancements, contrary to beliefs a few years ago. However, China is close behind, with 24% of the votes believing China will see the next disruptive breakthrough in innovation. Either way, Apple must be very aware of what competitors are producing. If they do not utilise advancements in production or ICT revolutions they will be left behind. 2.6 Environmental There is now a greater awareness on a global scale to reduce emissions and become more environmentally friendly. Laws and regulations in United States have changed and this has made manufacturers responsible for recycling their waste. For this purpose Apple has established domestic recycling facilities which will help the Company to recycle its waste in United States and to follow the rules and regulations. Apple has communicated its willingness to adopt a green production process in order to protect the environment. This may enhance its credibility in the local and international markets. Apple Website (2014) ‘We want to leave the world better than we found it.’ We aim to ‘create not just the best products in the world, but the best products for the world.’ Clearly Apple are making conscious steps to lead the way in becoming a green company, and to mold with the changing views of the population. 2.7 Legal Apple operates in more than 100 countries and the legal environment faced by the technology giant is of utmost importance. Apple has filed various lawsuits in court for violations of intellectual property rights (IPR) . Protection of IPR and patents will significantly impact revenue and future profitability. One of the most famous cases is where Apple won a $1.05 billion lawsuit against Samsung, showing the importance of the Legal system in the US. Furthermore, Apple is subject to international laws, policies and procedures. To compete in the Chinese market, Apple has ventured with China Mobile. Apple must continuously work alongside laws and regulations to maintain its brands equity. Operating in such a vast number of countries increases revenue, but leads to the arduous task of keeping up to date with all laws in all countries. 3. Porter’s Five Forces Michael Porter developed this Five Forces model, which is used as a tool for companies to analyse business strategies. The use of the forces can determine the intensity and the attractiveness of the industry, reflecting the profitability of the industry. 3.1 Threats of New Entrants If market entry is easy, and barriers to entry low, then the competition in a market will be much greater. There are a number of factors which limit the ease of entrance. In the PC and mobile phone industry, the market has high levels of competition, and so threat of new entrants isn’t high. Apple has managed to gain very high levels of brand loyalty with its customers. Apple emphasise RD and product innovation, which satisfies consumer demands. Apple also benefits from economies of scale, linking its production of different goods and services together. Finally, Apple has set up manufacturing plants in China where the labour and costs of production are cheaper. These factors all create high barriers to entry for new competition. Therefore, the main threat is between existing competition developing products to match that of Apple, and not from new entrants. 3.2 Threats of substitutes The more similar a substitute is to an Apple product the less power Apple has. This reduces Apple’s ability to charge higher prices. In the Mobile phone, PC, and Tablet industry there is a huge variety of products available. This puts Apple under constant pressure. For example, Apple’s flagship device, the iPhone, has rivalry from various smartphones, such as Samsung’s’ Galaxy S4 and HTC. The major reason for Apple’s success is due to its superior quality of product, along with brand recognition. This has made Apple the most valuable smartphone brand (The Worlds Most Valuable Brands Forbes. 2014). Apple must endeavor to maintain this brand loyalty to reduce the threat of substitution and charge to premium price for the products. 3.3 Supplier Power Apple has a few key suppliers for some of its components, such as Foxconn. Foxconn could use this fact to their advantage, and exhibit higher  bargaining powers. Apple uses its rival Samsung to produce the chips for their iPhone’s. This reliance on Samsung gives them great deal of bargaining power. Supplier power is slightly reduced due to the sheer size of Apple’s business, enabling them to force lower prices by buying in large quantities. Over the years, Apple has developed unique alliances with suppliers helping to streamline the supply chain. Alliances with music partners and software companies such as AT T has helped to increase the revenue base of the Company, without increasing the powers of suppliers. Steve Jobs was a known to be a control freak, and focused on reducing the bargaining power of suppliers from the use of vertical integration. 3.4 Buyer Power The bargaining power for most Apple consumers is low. Apple fanatics are willing to pay premium prices for Apple goods. In the case of the Mac laptops, the price is almost double of that of its rivals. Consumers are willing to pay this for both the name and the superior quality of the product. The vast number of Apple consumers has reduced their power to lower the price of Apple products. Apple’s goal should focus on reducing the consumers bargaining power. It has tried to do this by developing products specifically for consumers needs and wants, enabling them to charge a higher price. Griffin Consulting Group (2012) find that there are high switching costs for customers who want to change software or hardware which again reduces the bargaining power of customers. 3.5 Rivalry between Competitors The PC and Mobile industry is very competitive, with a large number of similar sized firms. Rivalry in this industry is seen by; aggressive pricing, rapid product innovation, intensive marketing, and after-sale services (Forbes Website, 2012). This is used to add value to the product. Apple tries to differentiate its product from its competition. It implements a focus strategy, only developing a few products and targeting them for the need of the customer. Steve Jobs was quoted saying this: People think focus means saying yes to the thing youve got to focus on. But thats not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. Im actually as proud of the  things we havent done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things, (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, 1997). For example, iPhone’s are targeted to consumers rather than businesses. Macintosh computers are targeted to creative professions such as designers and photographers. By doing this Apple has stayed competitive in a highly rivalrous market. 4. SWOT Analysis Apple The SWOT analysis of Apple will be used to evaluate the strategies with respect to its strength weaknesses opportunities and threats. Apple needs to further strengthen its strategies in order to attain benefits from the opportunities that exist in the environment. Below is the SWOT matrix, followed by a more detailed analysis of a few key points. Strengths Customer Loyalty Leading Innovator Strong Financial Performance Brand Reputation Retail Stores Strong Marketing Team Patent And IPR Protection Weaknesses High Price Incompatibility With Different Operating systems Decreasing Market Share Long Term Gross Margin Decline Opportunities High Demand Of iPad and iPhone iTV launch Application Processors Growth of Phone and Tablet Market Acquisition Of Smaller Firms. Strong Growth of Mobile Advertising Market Increasing Demand for Cloud Services Threats Technology Changes Increase In Supplier Prices Foxconn Workers’ Pay Levels Price Challenge From Samsung Android OS growth New Competitors. 4.1 Strengths Apple has won the award for being the leading innovator in the world BCG (2013). Apple’s core competency has helped it to establish itself as the most innovative company in the last decade. The fact that the RD expenditure of Apple in the year 2013 was approximately $4,475 million, which is approximately 30% of its total operating expenditure. Thus it is evident that the amount of RD expenditure helps the Company to remain leading innovator in this technology industry. By being the leading innovator, Apple has established a strong base of loyal customers. ‘Once Apple always Apple,’ is the phrase which is used by the customers of Apple and there is always strong interest and demand at new product ranges. The expansion of Apple into other product categories like iTV and other media will further increase customer loyalty. Apple expects its existing customers to use iTV, which will be more technologically advanced than its existing products. A strong marketing team has made Apple products famous among its customers. Last year it spent $933 million on advertising Forbes (2014.) Through the marketing of the products it is able to sell at a higher price compared to its competitors. Due to these factors the brand reputation of Apple is immense compared to its rivals, such as Microsoft and Samsung. Forbes (2013) valued Apple at $104 billion, whereas its rivals Microsoft and Samsung had brand values of $56.7 and $29.5 billion respectively. This shows the strength of Apple with respect to brand reputation and this is helping Apple  to increase its revenue and profitability over all these years. Apple controls its retail distribution by exclusive sales from its own network. Apple stores provide a higher quality customer service experience. Knowledgeable staff helps the customers, who increase the brand equity and thus increases the sales for the Company. They average Apple store size has increased by 3,000 square feet to 10, 500 square-feet. The average revenue per store of this is $50.2 million, Fox Business (2014). These stores are one of the best when it comes to sales per square feet, and this is a great strength for Apple. Finally, Apple is currently the leading company with a market capitalisation at the end of the fourth quarter of approximately $504 billion. This is due to the strength of their financial performance over the past few years. Apple’s cash balance is approximately $14.25 billion and their Balance Sheet shows an asset base of $207 billion in 2013, from Ychart (2014). Apple is therefore in a strong position to respond to most competitive threats. 4.2 Weaknesses One of the major critics about Apple products is that it is much more expensive than other comparable devices in the market. Fierce competition in the consumer product market is a disadvantage for Apple, as consumers can choose similar lower priced products. As well as this critics dislike the incompatibility with different operating systems. Products, particularly desktop and laptop computers manufactured by Apple only use its own operating system and thus the software and hardware are interdependent on each other. Critics argue consumers would rather buy products from various vendors, which is possible with Windows’ products. Apple computers are dependent on the growth of Apple’s OS, which could prove to be a disadvantage. If technological growth is limited then this will affects Apple’s ability to increase its market share in different industries. The market share of Apple has decreased over the past few years due to Android’s growing popularity, as it is a free operating system. It was  estimated that in 2014 the market share of Apple in smartphone industry would remain at 14.9%. Now it is expected to decrease to 14.4% in the year 2018, due to growth in the sale of the Windows’ phone. Thus it is important for Apple to improve on its technological advancement, including making more innovations with its operating system. More exclusive Apps on Apple could improve market share for Apple. Finally there has been a long-term gross margin decline for Apple. The major reason for the decrease of Apple’s margin is the increase in its cost of sales. In 2012 the gross margin was around 44%. This has significantly decreased in 2013 to around 38%, and thus shows that Apple needs to decrease its cost of goods in order to increase the gross profit margin in the long term. 4.3 Opportunities IDC (2014) found that 87% of connected device sales by 2017 would be from tablets and smart phones. Apple with its own product has the capability to produce and innovate technology in this sector to increase its market share. Apple has launched iPad mini 2 and the demand has been increasing for this tablet. Samsung has launched its Flagship smartphone S5 during 2014, and hence people are eagerly waiting for the new generation of the iPhone 6. This will considerably help it to further increase its market share and revenue over the next year. One of Apple’s opportunities is to increase its diversity of products through acquisitions. In the last 18 months alone Apple has acquired over 24 companies Tech Crunch (2014). Most recently acquiring Beats for $3.2 billion from Dr. Dre. There are a lot of new firms in the technology market, which are developing new products and features, which Apple can acquire. Due to the fact that these are patented features, Apple can get them through external acquisitions. Apple’s ability to purchase or negotiate will help to continue its long-term growth. A future revenue stream, which Apple has tried to utilise, is the increasing  demand for cloud services. IDC (2014) predicted that IT cloud services will reach $46.4 billion in 103, expected to increase to over $107 billion by 2017. This equate to a compound annual growth rate of 23.5%, fives times that of the industry. The Cloud based services offer huge potential revenue stream for Apple. Finally, Apple’s iTV product is a major innovation, to its product range and will support the Apple TV, which will help its penetration into the TV market. Furthermore, this will also diversify the portfolio of the Company and will further increase revenue and profitability along with the brand equity in the technology industry. 4.4 Threats Apple manufactures its products with the help of Foxconn. The wage level of Foxconn workers has tripled in recent years. This has led to rising costs for Apple. Further still, Samsung has asked Apple to pay more of its processing chips in its iPhones. The reliance on these suppliers has meant a rising cost level for Apple. Apple needs to identify more suppliers of processing chips, which should help it to decrease the overall costs. This in turn will improve their profitability and reliance on other companies. The technology sector is experiencing rapid technological changes. This puts Apple under severe pressure to launch new products and features with new devices. Inability to do such will lead to failure. Apple over the years has introduced new products and services, which is helping it to stay ahead of its competitors. Soon it will face fiercer competition and innovation is key for survival. Apple is facing a threat from the Android’s rapid OS growth. The free operating system for smartphones Android is the most widely used operating system. Approximately 80% of the smartphones shipped in 2013 were based on Android. Therefore it is important for Apple to further increase the innovations by introducing new features in their operating system. This will help to maintain or grow their market share in years to come. 5. Apple’s Strategies When considering the strategies that Apple had adopted it is important to consider how these strategies arose and the direction in which it moved the company. This is key in determining how the company can now move forward and pursue new goals. Apple was found to be the leader in innovation for the last eight years running by Boston Consulting Group. When considering how Apple has become the company it is today, it is vital to talk about the innovation strategy that Steve Jobs implemented, and now more recently how, Tim Cook is moving the company forward. In this section we will also look at the use of a diversification strategy, which was implemented at the same time. The last strategy covered is an internationalisation strategy adopted by Apple. 5.1 Innovation Strategy Freeman and Soete (1997) defined innovation as the ‘The first commercial application or production of a new process or product.’ It involves the conversion of a new knowledge into a product or services and then the implementation of this. It can take two different forms; technology push, or market pull. The former is created by new knowledge and understanding from technologists or scientists. The latter is caused by the pull of consumers in the market, leading to innovation. Before Steve Jobs turned Apple around John Scully decided that cost leadership strategy was vital. He did believe in a differentiation strategy as well, however he failed at differentiating Apple’s products from the leading rivals. This led to Steve Jobs taking control of the company and redefining the direction of Apple. He believed that innovation was the key to success. The industry was driven by low prices and expanding capabilities, so Jobs decided to innovate and at the same time differentiate Apple’s product from the market. In 2001 this with achieved with the revolutionary new product of the iPod. This allowed music to be stored on a  small device holding thousands of songs. From here, iTunes was developed. Compatibility between this and other software allowed the iTunes store to become highly profitable. With Apple growing rapidly, Steve Jobs continued with this successful strategy. The advertising campaign ‘think different’ developed in 1997 has been at the core of Apple’s strategy. By being highly innovative, he achieved extremely differentiated products and ideas from their rivals. The iPhone was just this, and by being the first smartphone it has left competing androids in its wake. From one innovation to another, Jobs set up the App store allowing applications to be downloaded to a phone. This vastly increased the range of activities that this smart phone could do. More recently with an economic downturn the need for a cheaper Mac like product was developed, which could target consumers in a slightly lower price range. This led to the creation of the iPad. This was an example of consumer pull innovation Apple has used. Finally, the iCloud which is a highly innovative product, allows customers to sync all Apple products using a network called the Cloud. This has been crucial in reducing the ability of consumers to switch between products, giving Apple the power to charge premium prices. This is an example of technology push innovation, an area Apple has specialised in. Most companies adapt to external environment and change strategies accordingly. Apple changed and drove these external factors. Focusing on innovation and by creating fashionable designs, Jobs changed socio-cultural factors, instead of adapting to them. The iPhone, iPad and iPod created a change in the culture, and the design of these was appealing, as well as technologically advanced. This has been a key factor in Apple’s Success. 5.2 Internationalisation Strategy Rui et Al (2008) defined internationalisation strategy as ‘The process by which a firm sells its good and services outside of its domestic market. They do this by both technology and managerial capabilities.’ Apple’s products are used in over a hundred countries. It is clear that Apple has  used an internationalisation strategy to its advantage by dramatically increasing its consumer market. In fact 63% of Apples revenue comes from outside of America. The product iPhone in Europe has almost reached saturation point. Apple’s internationalisation strategy is a Global one which standardises its products. The only modification is the power source. Apple’s engineering design and manufacturing is now controlled by one source, which is where it differentiates from its competing computer manufacturers. Apples engineering and design developers come up with ideas for products in the US, but then two large IT solution brans, Foxconn and Invetec manufacture this product. Manufacturing occurs in China and this is due to lower labouring costs. The use of this internationalisation strategy has been influential in driving costs down and so improving profits. More recently Apple has targeted the Chinese market with the release of the iPhone 5C. Apple has been working to extend its market share in the Chinese telecom industry, which is the world’s biggest telecom market with a subscription base of more than 1.01 billion in the mobile phone industry. This shows the potential significance of the Chinese telecom industry. A large market share of this industry would mean a significant increase in its profitability for Apple. Apple started to concentrate in the Chinese smartphone market in the last few years and have seen significant increase in its revenue from this market. According to the Annual Report of Apple for the year 2013, the revenue from the Chinese market has increased from 7% of its total revenue in 2011 to around 15% of Apple’s total revenue in 2013. This shows how significant an increase from the Chinese economy could be for Apple’s future. In accordance with the needs of the Chinese consumers, Apple identified innovation was needed to develop a new product for this market, and so launched the iPhone 5C. Apple also succeeded to negotiate a partnership with China Mobile, which is the number one operator in the Chinese telecom market with over 760 million subscribers. This has given a huge advantage to Apple, as now it will be working with China Mobile to increase its market share and eventually increase the profitability of the Company. Apple has established strategic alliances with a lot of mobile operators around the world, but  this is one of its best deals due to the sheer size of China Mobile. 6. Conclusion 6.1 Recommendation The ability of Apple to stay innovative and to keep its brandy loyalty is key to maintaining its position in the market. Many of Apples own products are substitutes for older products such as the iPod. Other smartphone competition such as Samsung and HTC are growing rapidly and rivalry is increasing in the market. The ability of competitors to catch up, and potentially develop products more advanced than that of Apple is a real concern. There have been fears that Apple is becoming less innovative. Forbes (2014) ranked Apple as the 79th most innovative company, and argues that their methodology for calculation was more detailed than that of BCG. Competing companies should look to exploit this weakness. Samsung and HTC should look at investing heavily in RD in order to release more and more sophisticated products. This would undermine Apple and its core strategy, allowing for huge potential revenues to be gained. To do this Apple’s competitors would need to advertise heavily in order to reduce brand loyalty to Apple. For this reason, Apple should continue to invest heavily in their marketing team. Apple have tried to diversify their product line, but at the same time have created products which are profitable in their own right, such as iCloud and iTunes. At the same time it has created its own ecosystem where their products interlink between each other. The use of this reduces the consumer’s ability to substitute. Apple should focus on maintaining and developing this route. The use of the iTV is a positive sign of Cook identifying this opportunity. The recent acquisition of Beats for an approximated $3.2 billion, Guardian (2014), may be an indication of a change or expansion of Apple’s strategy by  Tim Cook. Apart from the headphone product, the expansion in the media market compliments the iTunes library of videos and music. This creates an ongoing revenue stream for apple, and opportunity to expand its growing sector of loyal Apple customers. Finally, one main concern for Apple is sourcing of its components. With the increasing wages of Foxconn employees Apple should look to increases its suppliers. Or, Tim Cook should follow Steve Jobs view on this, and look at continuing the vertical integration to avoid reliance on others, and so reduce supplier bargaining power. 6.2 Conclude Since 2001 and the launch of the iPod, Apple has had an era of unbelievable growth and profitability becoming the most valuable brand in the world. Clearly without Steve Job’s and Tim Cook forging a clear and strong strategic platform this profitability would not have been sustained. The internationalisation strategy has been a huge success with levels of revenue from outside the US in the billions. A focus on continued innovation and the use of rapidly developing countries such as China and India will determine the future of Apple. 7. Bibliography Apple, (2014), ‘environment / our-progress’ [online] Available at: http://www.apple.com/uk/environment/our-progress/ [Accessed 2 May. 2014]. 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KPMG (2014), ‘Technology Innovation Survey 2013’ [online] Available at: http://www.kpmg.com/SK/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Technology%20Innovation%20Survey%202013.pdf [Accessed 2 May. 2014]. NPD Group (2013), ‘ After 10 Years, Apple Continues Music Download Dominance in the U.S’ [online] Available at: https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/the-npd-group-after10-years-apple-continues-music-download-dominance-in-the-u-s/ [Accessed 2 May. 2014]. Rui, H. and Yip, G. (2008). ‘Foreign acquisitions by Chinese firms: A strategic intent perspective.’ Journal of World Business, 43(2), pp.213226. The Boston Consulting Group (2014), ‘The Most Innovative Companies 2013’ [online] Available at:

Joan of Arc :: Essays Papers

Joan of Arc One hundred years before the time of Joan of Arc France was developing a situation, which would thrust it into turmoil. At the time the ruler of France, King Charles IV, was sick and without an heir. Charles decreed that if the child that his wife was pregnant with turned out to be a boy, the boy would become king of France. However, the boy would rule with a regent until he reached an age of enough maturity to rule on his own. Charles’s decree also stated that if the child were to be a girl, then the twelve peers and the great barons of France should convene to decide upon the new rightful ruler of the country. The reason for this in a girl’s case was that there was an old French law that forbade women from claiming ownership of property, this meant that a woman could not be the heir to the throne. The child turned out to be a girl so the twelve peers and the barons convened with their meetings in Paris. While the meetings were taking place to make the momentous decisi on, the English sent a diplomat, which argued that the King of England had a claim to the throne of France. The English’s reasoning for this was based behind the fact that King Edward III was born by a French princess. The old French law would apply to the newly born French princess. However, Edward’s mother had married an English king, this in turn made her English and English women were allowed to own property. Edward III would then inherit the throne. The French, however, did not agree with their logic saying instead that they wished to follow their law and Charles’s decree. The committee chose Phillip of Valois as the new king of France. The English then went home without any land and thinking of the lands of France they had left behind. Shortly after began the Hundred Years’ War. The English won the majority of the battles and all of the large conflicts. They were, however, unable to conquer France. They were able to win the battles and take control of cities, but it is nearly impossible to rule a hostile people. After the majority of the war had past, the people of France began to divide and the favor eventually rested with the English. The Duke of Burgundy was one of those who allied themselves with England.

Lie

Ruby Villainies Moline Miss Kim 10 Semester September/2014 Lying for what? Secrets are everywhere, all around the world going back and forth, you see or heard them everywhere you go. Everyone has secrets, like the government, friends, teachers, including your family; but have you ever considered why do people lie? Why do we keep information? Why do we not speak or say all what we think? And what are the consequences if I lie?People lie because of the fear of the consequence of truth, to appear to be important and to â€Å"protect† others. The reasons why people lie are so varied; now at days the two principal reasons are to avoid hurting the feelings of others or to solve or avoid uncomfortable situations; like when you tell the people you are â€Å"fine† when you are sad or depressed or when you say that you already have a plan when actually you don ‘t want to go out with someone, the common known as white lies.Another reason is to have a â€Å"good† self- esteem or being accepted by others exaggerating a situation (inventing stories) creating a fake impression to the there pretending being some else because she or he does not feel good about his or herself, in fact all of this is caused by the reason that she or he has a low self-esteem and they need to feel that someone worry about them; a good example of this is when you meet someone that doses ‘t want you to know who is he or who she really is, so they lie to you about their-selves.And the last reason is to avoid others of feeling fear or be concerned; like the ones the government says because they need to pep some information in secret, but all of this is bad, at the end it becomes a bad and destructive habit or you get into a point where you can ‘t stop lying, because you need to protect one lie you have said and even if you want to say the true, you can ‘t (it becomes a vicious circle); like Steve H. Said: â€Å"lies grow, they never stand alone, they need mo re lies to support the first lie.So, if you don't fess up immediately†¦ It grows like a cancer. It cannot be stopped; however all of this happens because we are not blew to say or hear the truth, we prefer to live on a fake reality that on the real world† When we lie, we are trying to deceive others, when in reality the only person you are fooling is yourself by trying to create a fake reality to Justify your mistakes and our lack of responsibility and actually at the end we end up believing them, a reality that we create.Like I have said, lying can become a destructive habit, it can hurt everyone around, destroy the credibility of the people and create distance between the liar ND the lied, when really think about it, there is not a reason to say a lie because at the end the truth is always discovered and the main reason why you start lying you hurt it and you will end losing. Or example a friend asked you how does she/he looks on a cloth and he/she looks horrible and yo u lie to him/her because you don ‘t want to hurt him/her feelings and at the end he/she discovered the truth, she/he is not going to believe on you again and you also hurt her/his feelings; so what is the point of lying? At the end the principal person that gets hurt is you; but in the other way you told her/him that she/he looks horrible, the only think that could happen is that he/she gets changed and that is all.Concluding all have said lying is bad decision that at the end the only person you are fooling more is you. So there is no reason to lie in any case, it is easy to say the truth first than then retract whatever you have said and try to regain the confidence of others after losing it, and that we have the ability to solve our problems and / or to adequately handle unexpected events. What happens is that we are such cowards that we decide to go for the â€Å"easy' and â€Å"secure† side and at the end we end hurting ourselves.

Jet Study Case Study Essay

1. What types of information systems and business functions are described in this case? Information systems: JetBlue’s reservation system used for tracking baggage and scheduling is an example of a Transaction Processing System (TPS) – a computerized system that performs and records the daily routing transactions necessary to conduct business. JetBlue’s system for managing planes and crews is an example of a Management Information System (MIS). The system served middle management with information obtained from its TPS that was essential in making the right decision when managing planes and crews. Business functions: JetBlue’s communication, reservation and computer systems were described in this case. They represent Sales and IT business functions. 2. What is JetBlue’s business model? JetBlue business model was saving money both from streamlined information systems and lean staffing, while offering top-notch customer service at budget prices. The airline featured new Airbus A320 planes with leather sears, each equipped with a personal TV screen, and averaging one way fares of only $99 per passenger. JetBlue was able to offer low fares by using information systems to automate key processes such as ticket sales by mostly selling them online and baggage handling, by introducing electronic tags to help track luggage. Both initiatives eliminated paper, increased efficiency and lowered costs. Initially, JetBlue flew only one type of aircraft: the Airbus 320. This approach enabled the airline to standardize flight operations and maintenance procedures. Both measures resulted in significant savings. How do its information systems support the business model? JetBlue used a single vendor, Microsoft, to design JetBlue’s extensive network of information systems. Using a single vendor provided a technology framework where JetBlue could keep a small staff and favor in-house development of systems over outsourcing or relying on consultants, allowing the company to keep its costs low. 3. What was the problem experienced by JetBlue in this case? JetBlue’s senior management made an incorrect decision to maintain its schedule during an ice storm. Nine airplanes were stranded on the tarmac for anywhere  between six and ten hours. JetBlue waited too long to solicit help for the stranded passengers because the airline figured the planes would take off eventually. Meanwhile, the weather conditions and the delays and cancellation of other flights caused customers to flood JetBlue’s reservation system, which could not handle that much traffic. At the same time, many of the airline’s pilots and flight crews were also stranded and unable to get to locations where they could replace crews that had just worked their maximum hours without rest, but did not actually go anywhere. What management, organization, and technology factors were responsible for the problem? Management factors: JetBlue did not have a Decision Support System that would support nonrou tine decision making and focus on unique and changing problems by using information from TPS, MIS and other external sources. Such a system would allow JetBlue’s management to make a better informed decision whether or not they should maintain their schedule during an ice storm or cancel all flights. Organizational factors: JetBlue lacked an Enterprise Resource Planning System that would help significantly to help locate missing baggage and quickly locate airline’s pilots and flight crews. Technology factors: JetBlue’s transaction processing system and lean staffing were responsible for the problem. Under normal circumstances, the lean staff was sufficient to handle all operations and the computer systems functioned well below their capacity. However, during a radical increase in activity, tasks such as rebooking passengers, handling baggage and locating crew members became impossible. 4. Based on what you’ve learned in this chapter, what kinds of systems and business functions were involved in JetBlue’s problem? It seems the company did not plan for something like that to ever happen. All systems and business functions focused on performing day-to-day activities. JetBlue did not have any enterprise applications that are designed to coordinate multiple functions and business processes. Enterprise systems integrate the key internal business processes of a firm into a single software system to improve coordination, efficiency, and decision making. It would allow their SkySolver and Sabre systems to communication more effectively and efficiently. During the crisis, some flight attendants were unable to get in touch with anyone who could tell them what do for three days. The system  would help locating the flight crews and off-duty crews and direct them to the correct destination. The transaction processing systems (TPS) used by JetBlue was not designed to handle a significant increase in activity. The principle purpose of TPS is to answer routing questions and to track the flow of transactions through the organization. Due to an increased number of phone calls, the system was not able to perform those functions. It also looks like JetBlue did not have a decision-support system (DSS) in place to support nonroutine decision making. Since DSS focuses on problems that are unique and rapidly changing, it could have helped the company deal with the crisis more efficiently and effectively. Since a well designed ESS system would expose the fragility of the infrastructure, it can be assumed that company’s executive support systems (ESS) was either non-existing or did not function as intended. There was also no Customer Relationship Management System. A well designed Customer Relationship Management System would allow JetBlue better communication with its customers. During the crisis when so many flights were cancelled, the process of rebooking and looking for baggage became unma nageable. 5. Evaluation JetBlue’s response to the crisis. What solutions did the airline come up with? Throughout the debacle, JetBlue’s CEO David G. Neelman was very visible and forthcoming with accountability and apologies. On the technology front, JetBlue deployed new software that would send recorded message to pilots and flight attendants to inquire about their availability. Once the call is returned, it would be entered into a system that stores the date for access and analysis. From a staffing point standpoint, the airline promised to create backups from the airline corporate office for the departments that were stretched too thin by the effects of the storm. JetBlue also created a customer bill of rights to enforce standards for customer treatment and airline behavior. The company changed its operational philosophy to make more accommodation for inclement weather. How were these solutions implemented? The new software was implemented by JetBlue. 100 employees from the Corporate Office were trained to serve as backups. Customer Bill of Rights enforced standards for customer treatment and airline behavior. JetBlue set the  maximum time for holding passengers on a delayed plane to five hours. JetBlue would be penalized when it failed to provide proper service and customers who were subjected to poor service would be rewarded. Do you think that JetBlue found the correct solutions and implemented the correctly? I think JetBlue’s took a step in the right direction. It implemented a new software that would search for available pilots faster and trained additional employees to serve as backups. What other solutions can you think of that JetBlue has not tried? I believe there are many solutions that would be beneficial to JetBlue. They are: * Creating an Enterprise Risk Management process in the organization. The process would allow JetBlue to identify possible shortcomings that might happen in the future and allow the company to be more prepared. * If JetBlue lacked expertise within the company to identified areas of concern, it could have brought outside consultants that would be able to pinpoint all of the company’s shortcomings. * The case did not talk about how JetBlue fixed its Open Skies reservations system, its website or its system for tracking lost luggage. All of the abovementioned systems failed during the crisis on February 14, 2007. Solutions such as a more powerful reservation system, an enhanced website that would allow more traffic and a computerized system for recording and tracking lost bags would be beneficial to the company. 6. How well is JetBlue prepared for the future? Are the problems described in this case likely to be repeated? Even though JetBlue made some changes to ensure that another crisis won’t happen, I am not convinced all necessary actions were performed by the company. JetBlue should be more proactive in ensuring that future problems won’t affect its operations – rather than being reactive and fixing problems that came to the surface. Which of JetBlue’s business processed are most vulnerable to breakdowns? The bigger problem for JetBlue is changing its culture and philosophy. It seems that JetBlue is still unwilling to invest significant amounts of money into modern and reliable technology and ensure they have proper staffing – that’s why I feel that IT area is most vulnerable to breakdown first. How much will a customer bill of rights help? The customer bill of rights was designed for the protection of the customer,  not the airline. It is there to ensure the airline is responsible for the unfair treatment of the customer. It will help bring some of the customers back, however, it won’t fix JetBlue’s problems to future breakdowns.

Mary Stuart †Elizabeths Rival †English Literature Essay (100 Level Course)

Mary Stuart – Elizabeths Rival – English Literature Essay (100 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Mary Stuart Elizabeths Rival Essay English Literature (100 Level Course) Mary Queen of Scots was Elizabeth’s great rival. She was very different from her cousin Elizabeth; she was a warm-blooded woman, who often yield ed to her private passions, and lacked the instinctive political skill and deep understanding of her people possessed by the queen of England.Mary Stuart was the grand-daughter of Henry VIII’s sister, Margaret, and next in succession after Elizabeth. She was sent to France in 1548, and in 1558 married the Dauphin of France, Francis II. In 1559 Francis became King of France, but he died in the following year. Mary returned to her country in 1561. When Mary had married the Dauphin, Scotland was still a Catholic country, but the great prelates were often corrupt and inefficient. The common people opposed the privileges and corrupt practices of the clergy, as well as the insolence of the French troops, who, in Mary’s absence, ruled Scotland as if it were a Protectorate of France. As the English had identified Catholicism with Spanish pride, so the Scots began to identify it with French insolence. This was the situation which John Knox, a Scottish Protestant reformer of Calvinistic tendency, was able to exploit by preaching the Protestant doctrines. He was successful because he had the help of many of the nobles, and of Queen Elizabeth, who was afraid of a Catholic Scotland. When Mary returned to Scotland, she thus found a Protestant country; she was nevertheless supported by the Catholic powers of France and Spain, who hoped that she would reintroduce Catholicism into Scotland, or that she would become Queen of England, if Elizabeth were declared illegitimate or died. For several years, however, Elizabeth did not interfere in the struggles between Mary, the Scottish nobles and John Knox. Mary would probably have been successful if she had been able to control her private life. But she married a descendant of the Tudors, Lord Darnley, who was mysteriously murdered in 1567. After three months, Mary then married a Scottish lord, the Earl of Bothwell, who was suspected of the murder of Darnley. Public opinion, the Pope, France and Spain abandoned the Queen. Many feudal lords took up arms against her. After some months of fighting, Mary was taken prisoner and deposed in favor of her son, James. She escaped from prison, and took refuge in England. Elizabeth kept her a virtual prisoner for nineteen years, from 1568 to 1587, but Mary became the centre of several plots. These were planned by Spain and by the extreme wing of the English Catholics, who wanted to see a Catholic queen on the throne of England again. Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth, but the majority of the English were for their queen, and the Commons repeatedly asked for the execution of Mary. For many years Elizabeth refused, partly because Mary was her cousin, a woman and anointed queen. partly be cause she knew that Mary’s execution would lead to a war with Spain, which England could not yet afford- Only in February 1587, after the discovery of the latest plot, did Elizabeth consent to her cousin’s execution: on February 8, Mary was beheaded, a tragic figure in a great and tragic age. Research Papers on Mary Stuart - Elizabeth's Rival - English Literature Essay (100 Level Course)Quebec and CanadaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Assess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBringing Democracy to AfricaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XMind Travel19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

Poem Indirect Conflict Between Scarecrow and Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz Essays

Poem Indirect Conflict Between Scarecrow and Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz Essays Poem Indirect Conflict Between Scarecrow and Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz Paper Poem Indirect Conflict Between Scarecrow and Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz Paper Essay Topic: The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz â€Å"‘All the same’ said the Scarecrow, ‘I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one. ’ ‘I shall take the heart’ returned the Tin Woodman; ‘for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world. ’† – Excerpt from â€Å"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz† by L. Frank Baum A Woodman of tin, a man stuffed with straw Each with a human-like question and flaw Where’s the importance, in the head or the heart? Subtle opinions, but the question still sparks Small one caught in the middle of things But she has both, so the questions don’t ring Thoughts or feelings†¦ Does one overcome? Is one ever, and always over the other one With one is there balance, and strengths? Yes and no But with only one, those weaknesses show. Though the man of straw he thinks without Walking, and talking; solving problems all about The woodman of tin, subtly feels, doesn’t realize Sorrow regret from the tears which he cries As for Dorothy, Seemingly glad that she has both, But feels stuck between her friends’ opinions the most I don’t think that either is right, Heart or a brain I say we need to both, to be balanced and sane Without emotions to balance out or actions, and vice versa too I don’t know where we’d go, or what all we’d do Insanity, and lifeless nice, like living dead men All doing whatever, ‘cause there’s nothing to win Though the story is fiction, the questions are real And only with both does life seem surreal It seems like a dream, Like going to Oz With both of them inside of you, All mind and heart

What Javascript Cannot Do

What Javascript Cannot Do While there are a great many things that JavaScript can be used to enhance your web pages and improve your visitors experience with your site, there are also a few things that JavaScript cant do. Some of these limitations are due to the fact that the script is running in the browser window and therefore cannot access the server while others are as a result of security that is in place to stop web pages from being able to tamper with your computer. There is no way to work around these limitations and anyone who claims to be able to perform any of the following tasks using JavaScript has not considered all of the aspects of whatever it is that they are trying to do. It Cannot Write to Files on the Server Without the Help of a Server-Side Script Using Ajax, JavaScript can send a request to the server. This request can read a file in XML or plain text format but it cannot write to a file unless the file called on the server actually runs as a script to do the file write for you. JavaScript cannot access databases unless you use Ajax and have a server-side script to perform the database accesses for you. It Cannot Read From or Write to Files in the Client Even though JavaScript is running on the client computer (the one where the web page is being viewed) it is not allowed to access anything outside of the web page itself. This is done for reasons of security since otherwise a web page would be able to update your computer to install who knows what. The only exception to this are files called cookies which are small text files that JavaScript can write to and read from. The browser restricts access to cookies so that a given web page can only access cookies created by the same site. JavaScript cannot close a window if it didnt open it. Again this is for security reasons. It Cannot Access Web Pages Hosted on Another Domain Even though web pages from different domains can be displayed at the same time, either in separate browser windows or in separate frames within the same browser window, the JavaScript running on a web page belonging to one domain cannot access any information about a web page from a different domain. This helps to ensure that private information about you that may be known to the owners of one domain is not shared with other domains whose web pages you may have open concurrently. The only way to access files from another domain is to do an Ajax call to your server and have a server side script access the other domain. It Cannot Protect Your Page Source or Images Any images on your web page are downloaded separately to the computer displaying the web page so the person viewing the page already has a copy of all of the images by the time they view the page. The same is true of the actual HTML source of the web page. The web page needs to be able to decrypt any web page that is encrypted in order to be able to display it. While an encrypted web page may require JavaScript to be enabled in order for the page to be able to be decrypted in order for it to be able to be displayed by the web browser, once the page has been decrypted anyone who knows how can easily save the decrypted copy of the page source.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Case Study - Essay Example In this session we would be reviewing the leadership skills displayed by Navy commander D. Michael Abrashoff, in order to define and learn different theories of leadership. This review would be well backed by the statement of impact of these theories on the work force relating them to the leadership model of Navy commander D. Michael Abrashoff who captioned the three hundred highly skilled sailors of USS Benfold. This case study was selected, as the leadership skills which are being reviewed would fit into the improvisation methodology of any management scenario. The trait theory suggests that there are some identifiable qualities or characteristics that should be possessed by the leaders and the degree of efficacy of a leader would be directly proportional to the extent of these qualities or characteristics held by them. Some of the qualities which fall under the trait theory are as following A leader should be able to understand the context and content of his designation and assigned responsibilities. The dynamics of internal and external environmental variables which would affect the activities of the enterprise should be grasped well by the leader. It also implies to the technical competence and sound general education of the leader. The leadership quality of intelligence was reflected a number of times in the leadership model set by D. Michael Abrashoff while captioning the three hundred highly skilled sailors of USS Benfold, the U.S. Navys warship. His technical competence was proved as he had an excellent service record, combat experience, and had held prestigious posts in Washington, DC. Moreover his technical expertise had provided Benfold the reputation of being the best ship in the Pacific fleet. He could analyze the smartness and talent of his crew within no time and he viewed the internal and external environmental variables through the eyes of the crew. It was his ability to grasp the work situation realities,

5B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5B - Essay Example This seems to be an inconsistency in her behavior. While it is true that she is probably a very naà ¯ve little girl, even toddlers are made aware of significant dangers to avoid, such as large wolves appearing from the forest. If she is old enough to take food to her grandmother, Little Red Riding Hood is also old enough to know better than to fraternize with wolves. An alternate goal of this story might be a classic set-up job. The wolf refuses to attack children in the village where the men can easily attack him and thus rid the village of the danger he poses. At the same time, it is known that the wolf prefers young children and he is likely to go after Little Red Riding Hood if she is sent off to her grandmother’s house. If the little girl is instructed by the hunter to first tell the wolf where she’s going, the hunter can be sure to find him, making it possible to kill him. If the hunter was obliged to follow a discreet distance behind Little Red Riding Hood to be sure the wolf didn’t attack her on the way to her grandmother’s house, not knowing the wolf would run ahead and await the girl at the cottage, this would explain his late arrival and his failure to warn the old woman. In the fairy tale Rapunzel, there is no clear goal as to why the witch might demand an unborn child in exchange for the theft of some vegetables out of her garden or why she might lock the girl up in a tower once she becomes of marrying age. Associations of her as the overprotective mother are refuted by her complete refusal of Rapunzel once she learns of the prince, which should have meant a happy match for her ‘daughter’. Instead, I see the witch as obsessively consumed with ensuring she is provided with company until the end of her days. If the witch was growing the rapunzel plant as a needed ingredient for a cure for a loved one who is lost as a result of the stolen plants, this

Law and Social Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law and Social Movements - Essay Example Referred to as the Christian Right, they were the key to the Republican victories in 2004. They fueled the Republican control of the House, Senate, and Oval Office. Yet, they have still failed to control the destiny of their agenda of moving the Intelligent Design theory closer to the classroom. The movement has been unable to form crucial coalitions and enlist other groups to further their cause. With the exception of isolated activism at a local level, the movement has stalled in their efforts to spotlight Intelligent Design. Even the isolated, local court activity is waning. The stunning case of Kitzmiller vs. Dover in Dover, PA. has garnered the nation's attention. Because of the blatant Christian agenda, and the school board's past support for creationism, the district is in jeopardy of losing the case and acquiring a 1 million-dollar legal expense bill. (Goodstein, 2005) This will only serve to chill efforts by other school boards already strapped for much needed funds. Adding to the difficulty of the movement is the perception of the public at large. As people view the movement as a fundamental extension of Christianity, the movement does not portray other, more acceptable, aspects of the group. The values that one would anticipate the group to herald are not expressed in terms of social programs or pacification of defense policies. The movement has instead made a decision to live or die on the issue of Intelligent Design.In a technological world where the importance of education and the value of science is put to the forefront, Intelligent Design reaches another hurdle. Though the movement has packaged the theory as science, the public is still acutely aware of its theo-centric implications. Phillip Johnson, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and major supporter of Intelligent Design stated in a 2003 radio interview, "Our strategy has been to change the subject a bit, so that we can get the issue of intelligent design, which really means the reality of God, before the academic world and into the schools." (as cited in Nickson, 2004). In their effort to mandate the teaching of Intelligent Design, they have alienated the groups they need the most support from, educators and scientists. This miscalculation has left the movement with a weakened political apparatus and limited resources to turn to for support.The movement has failed in its efforts to be embraced by the scientific community even though they have a history and awareness of the importance of the requirements necessary to be accepted into the realm of science. Even so, they have lacked the will to make a major push on that front. Its critics contend that no scientific research has been published and no articles have been presented that meet peer review. They further charge that the theory does not meet the Daubert Standard set forth by the Supreme Court in 1993 as a standard for scientific evidence. (Wikipedia, 2005) The move to get Intelligent Design accepted by science without the credentials required has further polarized the opposing parties. Crippled with a stagnated and polarized political arm, the movement has turned to the courts. In various heartland arenas, local and state school boards have taken the issue to the courts for resolution. This may be one more expenditure of political capital and goodwill that they can ill-afford to squander. Courts can settle

Will China Be The Next Superpower Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Will China Be The Next Superpower - Essay Example China will be the next super power as it is the biggest Asian country and has emerged magnificently economically all around the globe. The pros of China becoming the next super power support their discussion through means of economy, trade, and technology and labor force. By nominal GDP, China is the second largest economy with a growth rate average of almost double figures for over three decades. It is the fastest growing economy, and it is concluded by many analysts that by the year 2020, it will be the largest economy of the world surpassing its rival country. America’s growth rate in comparison with China is very low, and it is also indulged in two wars, which makes it impossible to compete and lose its lead soon. In the trade, China is the largest exporter and second largest importer, which enhance its Balance of Trade, which is fruitful for its economy. China is also in contract with many other nations and does free trade with them, which increases its imports and exports and develops good relations with them. It has made prompt advancement in areas like infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing. In recent decades, China has also developed swiftly in science and technology with the help of its government, as it is considered socio-economic development of the country and also its national prestige. China is the most populous country, with the largest labor force, which helps the boom in their economy and is one of the reasons that will lead China in becoming the next super power. The people who are in favor to the debate that China will become the next super power give the above reasons for their support, as they are certainly the pros towards the topic. The group of cons of this topic strongly feels that China will not leave behind America and become the next super power. They believe that nations cannot become a super power

European Expansionism and the Influences of Religion, Military and Research Paper

European Expansionism and the Influences of Religion, Military and Economics - Research Paper Example Owing to the monarch’s sole and indisputable sovereignty, the unilateral decisions made were considered unalterable and ultimately beneficial to the nation’s interests. This magnitude of power residing in the king was absolute. â€Å"Russia watched its (European) neighbors and crafted its own brand of absolutism. In the process, Tsar Alexei legally combined millions of slaves and free peasants into a single serf class bound to the land of their aristocratic masters.† European nations, inclusive of Russia constructed their own versions of empire which ended up stratifying society as states became hotly embattled as they competed with one another for land, resources and power. Extension of kingdoms inevitably breeds imperialism. Through his series of conquests, Napoleon â€Å"came near to establishing France as the sole power of the Western world.† The French Napoleonic empire soon stands as a threat against the other European nations as they conjecture that a â€Å"reinvigorated France might pose a threat to England’s colonial empire.† Religious, military and intellectual movement fostered and facilitated European expansion. Patronized by Christianity, European rulers would empower themselves claiming their own authority as divinely ordained.  European leaders employed religion as â€Å"the cultural and organizational foundations for †¦ European imperialism, if only to facilitate†¦ evangelization and conversion to  Christianity†4  Acting on the power of divine right, Christianity strengthens its hegemony by nullifying and suppressing other traditions. As a result, European nations gain the ascendancy through wars and forced conversions. Seeing themselves as royal representatives selected by Providence, the monarchs were â€Å"ministers of God and lieutenants on Earth5.† Therefore, being subject to God equates to being subject to the European king. Divine right decrees that God bestowed entit lement to rulers to hold sway over their states. This divinely appointed king is then assured of unswerving loyalty and unquestionable authority. Since Christianity ruled religio-politically in Europe, the king sees it as his duty to extend not only his kingdom, but to proselytize the vanquished and have them accept his faith. The Chronicle of Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (1798) cites Napoleon espousing the belief in divine right since he was â€Å"appointing (him)self controller of God’s secrets.†6 Encountering devout Muslims in Egypt, they view Napoleon as attempting to usurp an authority that belonged to God alone. Other evidences of the prevalence of the concept of divine right are manifest in Prince Klemens von Metternich’s Results of the Congress at Laybach (1821) in which Metternich pronounces the certainty of Providence creating and supporting the emperor Tsar Alexander of Russia and the king of Naples addressed in his correspondence.7 This magnitude of poli tical power was total, especially coupled with a preponderant military. One of the predominant ways of control a people is to overpower and conquer them by force. Kings implemented duress through open warfare to re-align nations with their own political designs. The 16th to the 19th century was a period in which might was right. Military prowess was secured via state-of-the-art navies and expert soldiers and cutting-edge martial tactics and arms; hence one sees that â€Å"Europeans enjoyed an advantage in terms of  military  technology†8. The British navy and the Spanish armada were held in great respect for their nautical proficiency. Napoleon Bonaparte was a military general with exceeding ambition to reign over the world. Very swiftly, Napoleon â€Å"

Cyborg and identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cyborg and identity - Essay Example Discussion The relationship developed between the bionic limbs of a user and their identity is evident from the fact that they give the user a sense of being a different person – which allows them the ability to become and act like whoever they want to become. This relationship between the bionic limbs and the identities developed by their users is evident from the case of Aimee Mullins, who is known to take the roles of totally different persons; she an athlete and an artist, whenever the occasion calls for it (TED 1). From the wide spectrum of the identities that she has developed, it is evidence that her bionic limbs play a role that exceeds the functional role of allowing her to walk like the other people (Warren 38). Further, many of the users of bionic limbs are able to keep them a secret to the general public, which implies that their functionality goes beyond that of enhancing their experience of the environment, but also allowing them to identify with everybody else ( Sobchack 20-22). The relationship developed between bionic limbs and the identity of the user is evident from their ability to fit into the social norm, which makes them feel like a part of the norm of having legs. The wearing of bionic limbs is viewed like an artistic replacement of the missing part of the body – which offers the user an artistic outlook and edge, besides making them appear like everybody else. This relationship of shaping the identity of the user and their impact on their identity can be traced from the conventional definition of a prosthetic, which is an object inserted or attached to the body of the user to replace a defective or missing body part (TED 1). This definition leads to the relationship between bionic limbs and the identity of the users, where, wearing these limbs is viewed like an artistic way of replacing the missing part of the body (Sobchack 20-22). The artistic replacement of the missing part of the body, apart from being imaged as the com plement that makes the user an able-bodied person, it makes them fit into the social expectations of the appearance of a normal person, which makes them feel like other people. The role of bionic limbs in shaping the identity of the users is evident from the fact that the users can do things better than they could do before – and in some cases better than normal people can do – including the ability to run faster and riding bikes. The new person with better abilities and in some cases, abilities that exceed those of ordinary people becomes the new identity of the user of bionic limbs (Warren 39). This ability to change roles from a disabled to a fully capable person contributes to the development of their new identity, which points out the integral relationship between bionic limbs and the identity of the user. This relationship is evident from the life of Aimee Mullins, whose lower legs were removed after birth, but she has matured to become a star in the Paralympics through the use of her bionic limbs. For example, as a Paralympics champion, her identity is developed around her use of bionic limbs, and without them, she may never become that star again. Further, her

European Expansionism and the Influences of Religion, Military and Research Paper

European Expansionism and the Influences of Religion, Military and Economics - Research Paper Example Owing to the monarch’s sole and indisputable sovereignty, the unilateral decisions made were considered unalterable and ultimately beneficial to the nation’s interests. This magnitude of power residing in the king was absolute. â€Å"Russia watched its (European) neighbors and crafted its own brand of absolutism. In the process, Tsar Alexei legally combined millions of slaves and free peasants into a single serf class bound to the land of their aristocratic masters.† European nations, inclusive of Russia constructed their own versions of empire which ended up stratifying society as states became hotly embattled as they competed with one another for land, resources and power. Extension of kingdoms inevitably breeds imperialism. Through his series of conquests, Napoleon â€Å"came near to establishing France as the sole power of the Western world.† The French Napoleonic empire soon stands as a threat against the other European nations as they conjecture that a â€Å"reinvigorated France might pose a threat to England’s colonial empire.† Religious, military and intellectual movement fostered and facilitated European expansion. Patronized by Christianity, European rulers would empower themselves claiming their own authority as divinely ordained.  European leaders employed religion as â€Å"the cultural and organizational foundations for †¦ European imperialism, if only to facilitate†¦ evangelization and conversion to  Christianity†4  Acting on the power of divine right, Christianity strengthens its hegemony by nullifying and suppressing other traditions. As a result, European nations gain the ascendancy through wars and forced conversions. Seeing themselves as royal representatives selected by Providence, the monarchs were â€Å"ministers of God and lieutenants on Earth5.† Therefore, being subject to God equates to being subject to the European king. Divine right decrees that God bestowed entit lement to rulers to hold sway over their states. This divinely appointed king is then assured of unswerving loyalty and unquestionable authority. Since Christianity ruled religio-politically in Europe, the king sees it as his duty to extend not only his kingdom, but to proselytize the vanquished and have them accept his faith. The Chronicle of Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (1798) cites Napoleon espousing the belief in divine right since he was â€Å"appointing (him)self controller of God’s secrets.†6 Encountering devout Muslims in Egypt, they view Napoleon as attempting to usurp an authority that belonged to God alone. Other evidences of the prevalence of the concept of divine right are manifest in Prince Klemens von Metternich’s Results of the Congress at Laybach (1821) in which Metternich pronounces the certainty of Providence creating and supporting the emperor Tsar Alexander of Russia and the king of Naples addressed in his correspondence.7 This magnitude of poli tical power was total, especially coupled with a preponderant military. One of the predominant ways of control a people is to overpower and conquer them by force. Kings implemented duress through open warfare to re-align nations with their own political designs. The 16th to the 19th century was a period in which might was right. Military prowess was secured via state-of-the-art navies and expert soldiers and cutting-edge martial tactics and arms; hence one sees that â€Å"Europeans enjoyed an advantage in terms of  military  technology†8. The British navy and the Spanish armada were held in great respect for their nautical proficiency. Napoleon Bonaparte was a military general with exceeding ambition to reign over the world. Very swiftly, Napoleon â€Å"

Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Ideology - Essay Example Ideology is a collective of this ingredient. The difference between an idea and ideology is that; an does not have believers. Meanwhile Ideology has believers.   A religion begins with an idea, when that idea captures attentions, then it becomes ideology. When an ideology has believers and followers, who are willing to act upon the idea then it changes to religions. Much like political movement or changes in anthropology, it always begins with someone thought. A thought with a consideration and then it is converted into a belief.  Ã‚   In the current society the terms ‘idea’ and reasons are common in different places such as among: Friends, family, school, work places. However no one really thinks of it and how it was made or what ideas and ideology is composed of it. In countries characterized by political activities, campaigns are usually distributed and commercialized in the media, they usually use the word â€Å"We needed this change† and they tell us all about why or how the targeted populace will gain from it. These changes are believed to be beneficial towards the believers; however, the reality is that, they benefit their composers who do not mention this during campaigns and in the advertisements. Changes cannot happen without being implemented by human efforts, they must inventors, motivators, or else they can be as well considered visionary ideals. A ‘change’ is a community product the sense that it facilitates the success of the targeted group, group of people, or a nat ion. Taking example of people such as; Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong il, Mao Zedong, Alexander the Great, or Genghis Khan, they all had their own vision of what a ‘good world’ is. They had great ideas that made senses in regard to logic as well as the view-points. They rose to power and directed their efforts towards convincing people to follow their ideas to the latter. For better or worse, these people made changes, which started from their ideas.  Owing to the fact that

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, in 1892, about Sherlock Holmes, his famous detective. Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859, and was a known as a keen pigeon-lover. He studied medicine there and eventually served as a physician in the Boer War, and many other battles. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first Sherlock Holmes tale, A Study in Scarlet, in 1887. He was so successful in his writing that he gave up his career as a physician only five years after the creation of Sherlock Holmes. He wrote a total of fifty-six short stories and four Sherlock Holmes novels over forty years. The stories are realistic representations of the moral and cultural settings of this period of the Victorian era. The nineteenth century is known as the Victorian era due to Queen Victoria ruling between 1837 and 1901. Many changes came about during this period in Britain, and many discoveries were made. Inventions such as the steam train made travel more common, and journeys easier to pursue. There is evidence of this in The Speckled Band, when the daughter of Dr. Roylott is able to travel faster to the city to meet Sherlock Holmes as she took a train, You took a train I see. Along with this was the industrial revolution, which brought rising crime rates and pollution. As the cities were crowded, due to large amounts of working class going to towns to get work, the Victorian rich were scared for their safety. In The Man with the Twisted Lip Mrs St. Clair was to said to be, In the hope of seeing a cab as she did not like the neighbourhood. This shows how scared the upper class were of the neighbourhoods with working class. With the Industrial Revolution also came a transformation within the social landscape. New wealth was looked down upon by upper classes, and with capitalists and manufacturers being able to acquire great fortunes the upper class were in disgust. The upper class were strict and there were rules in Victorian Britain that governed behaviour. Manners and morals were of great importance to Victorians, along with the Church and religious beliefs. Victorian society believed that an English gentleman should have certain mannerisms, and dress and speak properly. His intentions were consistently good, and his manners impeccable. A gentleman should uphold laws and societys rules; leading a respectable life, not squandering it. As far as Victorians believed, gentlemen were superior, although they should never give offence to anyone, even lower classes. They should not be arrogant or of a snobbish disposition, yet should act wisely at all times.

Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales Proves How Historical Changes To The English

Chaucer’s fourteenth century story The Canterbury Tales can be considered almost impossible to read by many modern day readers. They tend to struggle thru understanding many of the words, as well as their meanings within this story. As I read The Canterbury Tales I noticed how the rhythm and rhyme differ from modern day English, the vowel are pronounced differently, and many of the words used within this story are no longer used in modern English. Additionally there are three main changes to that can be seen over time within the English language, vocabulary, pronunciation, and sentence structure. The many historical language changes that have happened since the fourteenth century can be found within The Canterbury Tales, and explain why so many people struggle to fully understand the original version of this story. It is very clear when you sit down and begin to read Chaucer’s work that he constructed his sentences extremely differently from how we construct our today. For example the first four lines of Canterbury Tales reads. â€Å"When that April with his showers soote its showers sweet The drought of March hath pierced to the root And bathed every vein in such liquor rootlet / liquid Of which virtà ºe engendered is the flower; When Zephyrus eke with his sweet. breath West Wind also Inspired hath in every holt and heath grove & field The tender croppes, and the young. sun young shoots / Spring sun Hath in the Ram his half. course y-run,3 in Aries / has run And small. fowles maken melody little birds That sleepen all the night with open eye Who sleep (So pricketh them Natà ºre in their courà ¡ges), spurs / spirits Then longen folk to go on pilgrimà ¡ges, people long And palmers for to seeken strange Strands† ( Chaucer lines 1-13) Which... ...s within Shakespeare work. Chaucer’s The Canterbury tales is truly a perfect example of how much the English language has changes. I instantly noticed the differences in rhythm, rhyme, sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation, which directly reflects the historical changes over the last five or six hundred years. These changes are what now cause many people to struggle to quickly understand Middle English text. It is also why many people feel that Chancers work is impossible to read let alone understand. â€Æ' Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. GENERAL PROLOGUE. The Canterbury Tales. "History of the English Language." EnglishClub. . Mahoney, Nicole. "Language Change." Language and Linguistics: Language Change. National Science Foundation, .

Pearl in Scarlet letter :: essays research papers

One of the most complex and elaborate characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is involved in a complex history, and as a result is viewed as different and is shunned because of her mother’s sin. Pearl is a living Scarlet A to Hester, as well as the reader, acting as a constant reminder of Hester’s sin. This connection leads to many different views of Pearl’s character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the child, â€Å"†¦whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion.† (81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin. Physically, Pearl has a â€Å"beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child.† (81-82). The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger from the other typical Puritan children, whom are dressed in traditional clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals, and ostracized by the other Puritan children. â€Å"Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world†¦ the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children.† (86). Pearl was not accepted by the children; her unavoidable seclusion was due to the sin of her mother. On the rare occasion that the children show interest in Pearl, she lashes out at them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The members of the Puritan society view Pearl as a weird, strange little girl, born from a sinful act. However, the characters with a closer, more in depth relationship to the child, feel differently towards Pearl. â€Å"She is a strange child! I hardly comprehend her! But thou wilt love her dearly, as I do, and wilt advise me how to deal with her† (186). Hester describes her unbalanced feelings and emotions to Dimmesdale. This statement shows that although Pearl’s quirks and oddities cause her to become â€Å"strange† in the eyes of others, they form into a love from Hester. This relationship between Hester and Pearl is important because both are ostracized for their irregularities and for the sin and shame of Hester. Dimmesdale responds to Hester’s statement with, â€Å"I have long shrunk from children, because they often show distrust- a backwardness to be familiar with me.

Are We Too Risk-Conscious These Days? Essay

In these times, this generation has evolved into a congregation of high-skilled individuals. The ability to decide on the best routes of life just at the perfect time has its way to change one’s life into a miracle! Henceforth, making the right choices is one of the fundamentals to living in this urbanized contemporary. Although some people tend to make deciding between important commitments and hobbies seem easy; the same number of people deem this as lifetime risks as they sometimes result to serious failure. In my perspective, I would not overlook the fact that choosing between one’s most favored interests should be a quick decision; but not considering the pros and cons in this matter thoroughly would bring a terrible outcome. The question is, is all of this too dangerous? Or, are we just too risk-conscious nowadays? From the eyes of many, risk-taking should be the necessity to achieve success while not taking any would be the biggest risk in one’s life. Taking risks is the action of sacrificing what one has for success knowing that failure will still persist, should it be the wrong choice made at the right time or vice versa. Risks are apparently essential for growth. Without having to grab risks in life, one is basically escaping from the challenges and adventures that one needs to face in order for a better understanding to take place. Without risks, one simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live. As ironic as it sounds, the greatest hazard is to risk nothing as I have mentioned before. Not having to risk anything for a change would be boring and one will continuously regret for not approaching the chance to act on. Life would be sadly monotonous too if there were not any risks taken in one’s life. Besides, there is no wrong in facing most of the bad first then only the good – without pain, one will gain nothing. On another note, risk actually offers one an opportunity to open up to one’s true talents, interests, abilities and dreams. Risks help one grow by setting a more realistic goal than an impossible dream; they help one discover new things about oneself and the world. Also, risks aids in evading the things that are yet to come, running away from risk is identical to running away from life. Risk is something that will benefit one in the future. One should know that it is alright to fail as it only makes one stronger to confront new obstacles. Risk-taking is something that none can escape in their lifetime. Why not just go on all out and do it?

Corporate Strategy: British American Tobacco

British American tobacco is one of the world’s renowned multinational organizations that has managed to create a strong corporate brand name and has through various products across the many markets created strong product brands. The success of the company can be attributed to many individual factors though all of them condense to form the company’s strategic corporate policy.A corporate strategy can be said to be a culmination of all the other strategies such as marketing, expansion, etc integrated into one with the single goal of achieving the company’s mission, vision and objectives.The corporate strategy adopted by any organization thus gives a general direction of where the company is headed in the long term and in the near future. In this paper, we discuss the corporate strategy adopted by British American Tobacco since the year 2003. Specifically the paper discusses the initiatives adopted by the company in recent times and compares them to theoretical mode ls proposed by modern management experts and learned in class.In addition the paper looks the company’s environment in terms of competition and proposes additional models and theories that the company can adopt in the face of increasing awareness of corporate social responsibility and anti-smoking legislation.Company overview The parent company is located in the UK with 47 other factories operating outside the UK spread out globally in 40 countries. There are also associate companies with a global presence. Its tobacco products are sold in over 180 countries with varying market shares with the highest being over 50%.The company employs over 3. 5 million people globally. According to the 2007 financial year report, the company has other 16 associate factories in 10 countries. Globally, according to the company’s website, it enjoys over 17% dominance in the market and over 60% in the UK market through its various brands. The company has over 300 brands in its portfolio a nd among the major product brands in the global market are Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Kent, and Pall Mall.This paper discusses BAT’s corporate strategy and looks at how its strategy has positioned it in the market in reference to the prevailing business environment and competition. Vision statement: â€Å"Our vision is to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility†. This is further expounded by the company’s goals generalized as â€Å"Our goals are to grow our brands and the value of the business, to improve productivity and to embed the principles of corporate responsibility around the Group†. Mission statement:Our goal is to create long term value for our shareholders by consistent achieving of superior quality returns from the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and to remain the world’s leading tobacco company as measured by market share, by commitment to quality, and by our own ability to meet the needs and interests of our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate in. The company’s growth strategy has four main pillars which were unveiled in 1995 as growth, productivity, responsibility and winning organization.In the path of growth the company has utilized several strategies that we can attributed to the success of the company in the journey towards achieving its goal. Over the past five years for example, the goal of increasing shareholder value was most exemplified with the increase in investment returns by 294% according to the current company CEO, Paul Adams. By combination these specific company values with the company’s goals, we get an idea of where the company is headed to. As of the company’s annual report of 2007 presented in November revenue was ?7,312m representing a 1% increase from the previous year’s and profit from operations was? 2,304m representing a 19% rise form the previous financial year. To achieve this and the company’s long-term objectives and other endeavors the company has visualized a growth path that will seemingly keep in on the way to achieving its vision. Again, the fact that there is empirical evidence of the success of the company as shown by the increase in investors returns in the last five years, there are specific strategies that this paper discusses as the drivers behind the implementation of the company’s strategy.According to the report from the Guardian newspaper the growth of the company’s stock market performance is as shown below (Obtained from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/britishamericantobacco) Strategic fit of the company Drucker (2008) defines strategic fit as the matching of the mission strategies of an organization to its internal structure and external environment. In this context, we limit our study of the company to corporate social responsibility, strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions and look at how they have played the role in achieving the company’s set goals mission and vision.Strategic alliances In the business world, alliances are either formed by competitors or complimentary industry in order for the involved companies to strengthen their position in the market or achieve some common objective such as fighting competition and reducing costs. As such, BAT has been using its international presence to forge alliances with a number of players in the tobacco industry in various markets. In the recent past BAT entered into an agreement with one of its competitors, Phillip Morris International to manufacture and distribute some of the company’s brands in specific markets.On another case, BAT has entered into agreement with Imperial Tobacco to manufacture and distribute some of Imperial’s brands in Africa such as Embassy brand. Such alliances have enabled the involved partners to concentrate their efforts in specific markets while at the same time having their bands represen ted. Though this idea may seemingly appear to be benefiting Imperial Tobacco only, it on the other hand helps BAT to fully employ its resources in such markets. Mergers and acquisitionsEarlier this year the company acquired Danish conglomerate Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (ST) for? 2. 01bn. This is in addition to the taking over of another Turkish manufacturing company, Telkel for ? 860m. Now, such acquisitions are meant to expand the operations of the country and presence in the global tobacco market. Currently holding 15% of the total global market, the vision of becoming the global leader in the manufacture of tobacco products looks achievable.According to the company vision as to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility, the idea of forming mergers and acquiring already existing companies in new markets not only indicates the financial strength of the company but the ability of the management to identify potential growth opportunities in making of such decisions.The acquisition of ST was according to the company’s CEO made in order to acquire a new market segment of the non smoking market as oral tobacco, Fielder & Lundgren owned by ST. This non-smoking tobacco is aimed to be introduced into markets where there are strict regulations.This comes in the wake of increased pressure from health organization bodies calling on the restriction or total banning of smoking in certain areas. Therefore, the company is strategically positioning itself in the non-smoking market by acquiring already established brands in the market with strong brand names and subsequent strong brand equity.Corporate responsibility In October this year, BAT was included among the top leaders in the field of corporate responsibility reporting by a leading corporate social responsibility consultancy firm, Salter Baxter, a move that has received a lot of criticism.The company still insists that its inclusion in the list is in recognition of its strong p olices in corporate social responsibility as spelt out in the company’s corporate ideals of operating responsibly. Michael Prideaux, the company’s director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs says that â€Å"If a business is managing products which pose health risks, it is all the more important that it does so responsibly†. BAT’s corporate responsibility agenda is articulated in three directions as environmental management, globalization and human rights and regulation and lobbying.Similarly, the company’s health and science department is involved in researching into the development of less harmful products. This is most necessary as health reports have continuously highlighted the dangers of smoking and the devastating effects it has on non smokers through second hand smoke. According to the World Health Organization report on global smoking released earlier this year, it showed that the number of smoke related deaths in the US alone for 2007 wer e in excess of half a million.When faced such glaring facts, the company has had to give its fair contribution in educating the public and more so warn their target market of the dangers of consuming their products. Through as ironical as may seem, BAT has gone ahead and introduced a science website http://www. bat. com/science that delves into research findings on the dangers of smoking and related issues. Again the company has complied with stringent regulatory measures put in place to protect the public from exploitation by players in this industry such as BAT. PEST analysisThis analysis seeks to identify the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors affecting a given company in this case BAT. Political This pertains to how the company is structured in order to comply with the government policy in the country of operation. Given that BAT is a multinational company with its brands in about 190 countries, it has had to comply with diverse government polices that have varying effect on the operations of the company. Its operations in Russia are at the moment facing a great threat after being targeted by the country's consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor.Early September this year, Gennady Onishchenko, director of Rospotrebnadzor accused BAT of â€Å"misleading consumers† and infringing on their rights on the basis that the company was marketing its products as less harmful specifically targeting the light and super light brands. This is just one of the many political challenges that the company facing.Other instances that are worth highlighting the tough taxes imposed on tobacco and tobacco products in many countries. Economic factors The company operates generally in large scale to produced around 850 billion cigarettes a year among other tobacco products.Economics of scale have thus favored the company and contributed greatly in achieving the growth that the company desires. In addition to this, presence of the company in many ma rkets cushions the company from making losses in case of decreased sales in on market that may be caused by a variety of factors.Socio-cultural factors The culture of smoking as a fashion statement is the greatest driver in sales for tobacco companies in general. Unfortunately, the same idea is being used in campaigning against smoking which is greatly affecting sales for BAT and other tobacco based companies.On the other hand, there are some traditional believes and practices that profess the goodness in smoking of unprocessed tobacco leaves thereby denying the industry a huge chunk of the market. Technologic factors A lot of research is being directed towards analyzing the harm of tobacco and more so tobacco smoke.As such BAT and players in the tobacco industry are constantly faced with the challenge of improving their manufacturing and processing units in order to comply with the requirements of reducing the harmful content of tobacco. SWOT analysis This test seeks to analyze the external and internal environment of BAT.It is one of the methods that Drucker (2008) proposes for analyzing organizations.StrengthsStrong leadership and planning has enabled BAT to recognize threats and thereby partnering with other players for mutual benefit. This as aspect as a strength has been the driving force behind the strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions as discussed earlier.BAT recognizes that â€Å"customer is king† through market research and subsequent product innovation to identify the selling trend in the market.BAT as a group has interests covering different regions and categories thereby enabling it to have more stable cash flow prospects.It has a portfolio of brands meeting demands for upscale, mid-scale and economy tobacco consumers covering a wider market segment.International experience; diversified portfolio, great locations for major factories in tobacco producing regions and superior quality products also make count as some strengths of the c ompany.WeaknessesThe company has failed to alienate itself from the legal tussles pertaining to smokers suing the company for damages obtained from consumption of the company’s products. BAT has suffered a lot legal battles in courts where the company has been forced to compensate consumers for damages. As such the company has become an easy target for legal â€Å"bounty hunters†.Its presence in many markets presents a management challenge in that a lot of resources are utilized in the harmonization of organization’s policies and strategies.OpportunitiesWith BAT’s experience in operations, there are numerous opportunities in spreading operations over in new markets such as the most recent one targeting the Scandinavian market.As a dominant brand in the UK market, BAT has the opportunity of influencing the market to have benefit through strategic decisions such as being the price setter.The company’s experience in research and development of less ha rmful tobacco products presents the company with an opportunity to market her brands as the less harmful alternative to relatively harmful brands in the market.ThreatsThe tobacco industry is faced with strict environmental laws which increase costs of production and impact on the general productivity of the players.The increased awareness on the dangers of smoking may lead to contraction of the market for the industry.Increased deaths and illnesses from tobacco use are rapidly decreasing the market for the industry.A report by the Guardian says of BAT â€Å"it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit (smoking)†.Political uncertainties in foreign markets are forcing BAT to with draw operations such as in North Korea and Burma where the company has already withdrawn from the markets. Competitor analysis There are two main competitors for BAT in the UK market: Gallaher Group and Imperial Tobacco Gallaher Group It is the fourth largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the global market. It has its headquarters in Switzerland and it operates in 80 countries around the world.The company owns Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut Cigarettes brands among many others. The company reported a 5. 0% increase in net sales as of 2006 to stand at ? 2. 74 billion. In this market it faces competes with BAT and Imperial Tobacco. Due to stiff competition in the UK market, its share volume in the market has been on a decline while its international operations are on the rise. In 2006, it distributed over 18. 8 billion cigarettes in the UK market. Imperial Tobacco The company has its headquarters in Bristol and is second to BAT in the UK market and fourth in the global tobacco market.The company prides itself in top of the range brands and is has the best two selling brands in the UK as Lambert and Butler and Richmond. Other brands in the market are Embassy, Escort, Camel, Drum, Windsor Blue etc. It dominates the f ine cut market with a market share of about 63% as of last year. The company reported net revenue of ? 8. 69 billion for the 2007/08 financial year with increase in profits in excess of 30%. The company has adopted a corporate strategy very similar to BAT and thus poses the greatest threat in the market.It recognizes its core objectives as sales development, cost optimization and efficiency improvements and effective cash management. Success or failure of these strategies is further evaluated through key performance indicators which have been identified as earnings per share, total shareholder returns, cash conversion rate, cigarette market share, volumes, operating margin and productivity. The company’s shareholder returns have increased by 106% in the last three years surpassing FTSE expectations by 74%. Its growth path according to the company’s official website is as below.The growth in financial strength o the company and the ability to gain investor confidence sh ows that the company is set to offer even more competition to BAT. Comparing this growth path with that of BAT, then it will be probably a matter of time before BAT loses out its market position in the UK.The future of BAT The prevailing economic crisis is presenting financial and management problems to many businesses. The ability to survive the crisis and move on will be used greatly assess the strength of many businesses and indicate investor and consumer confidence levels. As it is, the current situation for BAT is not promising.The company is being accused of targeting the youth in their marketing efforts and thereby losing consumer confidence and criticism from various quarters. Negative reports such â€Å"as BAT's main product, cigarettes, is so deadly that just to maintain its 15% global market share, it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit† carried in the Guardian do not do any good to the company. This was in addition to being accused of targeting teenagers in international markets such as Nigeria and Brazil. Therefore, it would seem that the company has to reconsider its marketing strategies.Developing a new marketing strategy and adopting strategic means to â€Å"sanitize† the corporate brand name will prove essential in the way forward in markets where the company is losing ground and facing criticism. Again, the company has not been according to accusations very keen on following some of the rules and regulations governing the tobacco market in different markets. Other concerns for BAT affect the whole industry. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been spearheading the fight for tobacco use citing the numerous health problems and deaths emanating from the habit.In 2007, claimed that if the current smoking trend continues, the world will contend with 10 million deaths annually as a result of tobacco use. In addition WHO reports that smoking causes 61% of all TB illnesses globally (Hooper, 2004). Companies such as BAT again have been forced to limit their marketing strategies by regulation such as the banning of public advertisement of cigarettes or romanticizing or fashioning smoking in any manner.Works cited Drucker, P. , Management, Transaction Publishers, Birmingham, 2008, p. 286, 456 Elion, S., Management strategies: a critique of theories and practices, Kluwer Academic, London, 1999, pp. 212 Robinoof, M. , Ending the tobacco holocaust, Elite Books, London, 2007 Hooper, M. , Tobacco industry: Do ads and new products still target teens? Congressional Quarterly, CQ Press, London, 2004.The Guardian http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2007/apr/26/smokeandmirrors Additional information on the above obtained from Official BAT website http://www. bat. com/ Official Gallaher Group website at, http://ir. gallaher-group. com/ Official Imperial Tobacco website at, http://www. imperial-tobacco. com/.