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The New Strategy by the Seven-Eleven Stores Essay

Friday, November 29, 2019

Shadow of a Doubt free essay sample

The mystery of the film is not what causes the suspense, but rather the anxiety that the audience feels stems from Hitchcock’s use of duality as a means to force the audience to face the fact that human contradiction comes from the discontinuity between natural impulses and intellect. He creates parallels that underline similarities and differences that occur simultaneously in society and individuals. Uncle Charlie comes back to his hometown of Santa Rosa, California to visit his sister and her family. There’s also â€Å"Little† Charlie Wright, who loves and adores her uncle. As the movie progresses, Charlie discovers that her beloved uncle might not be what he seems to be—is he the notorious Merry Widow strangler that preys on old, rich women? Or is he an innocent man, wronged by the law? With clues such as the Merry Widow Waltz stuck in her head, the detectives that show up on her doorstep and the expensive but curious ring that her uncle presented her with, Charlie discovers that her uncle is in fact the sick man who believes that killing women is a good idea, and nothing like the man she believed him to be. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadow of a Doubt or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With her knowledge, Charlie is a liability to her uncle and his safety so he tries to kill her off by making her death seem accidental. When Uncle Charlie is leaving Santa Rosa to head back east, he lures Charlie onto the train and attempts to suffocate her and throw her off. However, Charlie is able to fight back and she ends up pushing her uncle off the moving train to his death. Shadow of a Doubt takes place in a quiet California town: it is innocent, sweet suburbia where the biggest scandal might be a controversy at a pie-eating contest; but, cynicism penetrates the walls of the town, and evil shows its human face. Hitchcock begins by uses establishing shots of the protagonists’ homes to acclimate the audience with the safe place that will soon be violated. Film Scholar Kevin Hagopian once wrote that Hitchcock â€Å"made the home a place where exotic terror lives uneasily with domesticity† (Kevin Jack Hagopian; imagesjournal. com) referring to the introduction of Uncle Charlie, aka the Merry Widow Murderer, into a typical American family. Having the story take place in an idealistic town makes the drama that evolves all the more exciting. The more happy-go-lucky the setting is the greater kick the audience gets out of the introduction of unexpected drama. However, Hitchcock does not create a stark contrast between the setting and the plot merely for the sake of entertainment purposes; it is the way things happen in real life. Tragic events and sinister crimes are not foreshadowed by the weather. There is never the confirmation that a catastrophe is coming and so the characters in the film (namely Little Charlie) are just as taken aback at the series of events that are unfold, as any other person would be if they were put in the same situation. In this sense, the setting is chosen to create a false sense of security for the characters, because in reality, security is but a thin skin stretched over the whole world. Individual scenes also set up important comparisons and contrasts, either by foreshadowing scenes through repetition or with the use of props and staging. The opening scene of the movie foreshadows the funeral scene at the end. Uncle Charlie is reclining on his bed with his hands crossed over his chest. His spirit is dead, and later on he even suggests to his niece, Little Charlie that he had been considering suicide. The train that causes his demise parallels the funeral procession through the town of Santa Rosa. The cars in the funeral procession move in a grim, single file line the same way the train cars speed down the railway. When Uncle Charlie arrives in Santa Rosa, the train belches black funeral smoke into the sky and a dark shadow is cast over everything to symbolize the arrival of evil in a clean and bright town. The scene in which Little Charlie and Detective Graham go out to dinner and discuss the case at hand parallels the scene in which Charlie’s uncle takes her into the cocktail lounge. When Charlie is with Graham the world is untainted and safe. Graham even mentions that while at dinner they were like two normal people, having normal conversation and enjoying themselves. But when Charlie is escorted into the cocktail lounge by her once-beloved uncle, the bubble that she has lived in is popped and she is forced to accept the fact that the world is â€Å"a foul sty† and an evil place where even the most adored people are not always what they seem to be. The ring that Little Charlie accepts from her beloved uncle is not only onfirmation of his crimes, but it is also a symbolic object. Even though the film is in black and white, Hitchcock makes sure that viewers are conscious of the fact that the stone is an emerald. Emerald is a dualistic color according to Western culture. The color can either be a symbol for nature and the vibrancy of life or it can stand for the negative feelings of greed and jealousy. When Charlie receives the ring, and her uncle places it on her finger, it is representative of the strong bond between them and their almost incestuous relationship. However, towards the end, that same ring is the only evidence that Little Charlie needs to convince herself that her uncle is in fact the killer. Ironically, the beautiful gift that Charles gave his niece is that same thing that severs the tie between them and eventually causes her to want nothing to do with him anymore. Hitchcock also conveys dualism through his characters. On the other side of the country, Little Charlie lies in her bed in practically the same position as her uncle. Her pose supports the indication that she resembles him tremendously. This idea is reinforced again and again throughout the film through dialogue about Little Charlie’s telepathy and her belief that she and her uncle are like twins. When Uncle Charlie arrives at the Newton home and is standing in front of young Charlie’s photograph, his face is mirrored in the glass, and overlapped with her image. However, even though the characters resemble each other in relatively obvious ways, they do differ significantly. Uncle Charlie is a psychologically damaged and cynical killer while his niece is idealistic and pure. Even as the viewer’s become conscious of the differences between the two Charlie’s, the winds change when Little Charlie is compelled to kill her uncle. It was by her hands that he fell to his death; she is the reason he fell off the train. This plot twist forces the audience to realize that not all heroes are pure white and villains a stark black, but instead accept that there are grays everywhere and things aren’t as clear as they seem. Uncle Charlie himself is an example of dualism within a person. Hitchcock has represented him as a sort of dark angel. He believes that he is avenging the husbands of the greedy women who only care about the physical, material things in life. However, he refuses to see his own moral duplicity. When he is eating his breakfast in bed on the first morning of his stay in the Newton home, the camera shot is meant to make the headboard behind him imply black wings. As he smokes and puffs rings of smoke into the air, the smoke forms rings that rise and then disappear into thin air—his â€Å"halo† is a temporary cover up. As he descends the stairs, the shadows in the window frames form an upside-down cross, and the low-angle shot portray him as a man who has strayed so far from the right path that he has been cast down from heaven by God. Despite this, he is still given a hero’s funeral and as the residents of Santa Rosa mourn the loss of a generous man, Detective Graham tells Charlie that her uncle really was not all bad, but just like the rest of the world, â€Å"[he needed] watching, that’s all†. In the film, Hitchcock motivates the audience to acknowledge the discontinuities between their emotions and their intellect. Viewers subconsciously become anxious while watching the movie because it calls to attention the viewers’ emotional dualism. In Shadow of a Doubt, viewers are able to identify with the charismatic killer, Charles Oakley. Even though they know that what he has done/is doing is wrong, they still have a certain soft spot for him and cannot help but try to hold onto that romanticized vision of him that his niece had before she was exposed to his sinister secret. For example, when Charlie informs her uncle of the fact that she knows his secret, the action is seen from the girl’s point of view when he grips her forearm and his face clouds over with menacing glare. The once-charming uncle suddenly turns mean and Charlie’s vision of him changes from admiration to hatred at the discovery of his guilt and she lets him know. However, for the audience, just the knowledge of Uncle Charlie’s evildoings is not enough to completely tarnish their view of him. The viewer’s emotional response to Charlie is to forgive his actions because he is psychologically damaged, even though their brains are telling them that he deserves to be punished because of his heinous crimes. As film critic Vincent Canby (1980) stated, â€Å"Hitchcock transform[s] things given into things unknown, the commonplace experience into the exotic breakthrough. The world just outside the Hitchcock frame, and sometimes inside it, is dark indeed, and this awareness fuels not despair but an insatiable and amused curiosity about what else can possibly go wrong† (Vincent Canby; nytimes. om). By making the given unknown, Hitchcock invites viewers on a voyage of self-discovery. The movie stirs up aspects of them that they would rather keep buried and consequentially creates a feeling of unease and apprehension among the audience. Although Shadow of a Doubt seems very simple and straightforward on the surface; Hitchcock incites emotional discourse within it. By inc orporating duality into the film, he forces the audience to recognize how humans contradict themselves.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Definition and Examples of Dissoi Logoi in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Dissoi Logoi in Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, dissoi logoi is the concept of opposing arguments, a cornerstone of Sophistic ideology and method. Also known as  antilogike. In ancient Greece, the dissoi logoi were rhetorical exercises intended for imitation by students. In our own time, we see dissoi logoi at work in the courtroom, where litigation is not about truth but rather the preponderance of evidence (James Dale Williams, An Introduction to Classical Rhetoric, 2009). The words dissoi logoi are from the Greek for double arguments.  Dissoi Logoi  is the title of an anonymous  sophistic  treatise thats generally thought to have been written about 400 BC. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: ArgumentationDebateDialecticElenchusMemoryPreparing an Argument: Explore Both Sides of an IssueSocratic DialogueSophism and SophistryStasis Examples and Observations The essential feature [of dissoi logoi], [G.B.] Kerferd writes, was not simply the occurrence of opposing arguments but the fact that both opposing arguments could be expressed by a single speaker, as it were within a single complex argument (The Sophistic Movement [1981], p. 84). Such an argumentative procedure could force any question into an Aporia by pointing out that each side was true within the terms that it had chosen to develop the argument. Both sides depended, ultimately, on language and its imperfect correspondence to the outside world, whatever one might think that world to be. A form of this analytical technique has recently been revived under the name of Deconstruction. Or, the parties could agree to accept one position as superior, even though it manifestly depended on human argument and not Divine Truth. It is from this accommodation to antithetical structure that Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence descends: we arrange social issues into diametrically opposed questions, arran ge a dramatic display of their conflict, and (since the law cannot afford aporia as a conclusion to social disputes) accept the jury-audiences verdict as a defining truth, a precedent for future disputation.(Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd ed. University of California Press, 1991) In essence, dissoi logoi posits that one side (logos) of an argument defines the existence of the other, creating a rhetorical situation in which at least two logoi struggle for dominance. In contrast, Western cultures implicit assumption that argument is about truth or falsity urges one to assume that one side of the argument is true or more accurate and that other accounts are false or less accurate. Quite differently, Sophists acknowledge that one side of the argument might in a particular context represent the stronger logos and others the weaker, but this does not preclude a weaker logos from becoming the stronger in a different or future context. Sophism assumes that the stronger logos, no matter how strong, will never completely overcome competing logoi and earn the title of absolute truth. Ratherand this is the heart of dissoi logoiat least one other perspective is always available to serve as an other to the stronger argument.(Richard D. Johnson-Sheehan, Sophistic Rhetoric. Theorizing Composition: A Critical Sourcebook of Theory And Scholarship in Contemporary Composition Studies, ed. by Mary Lynch Kennedy. Greenwood, 1998) Dissoi LogoiThe Original Treatise Dissoi Logoi (twofold arguments) is the name, taken from its first two words, that has been given to a tract which is attached to the end of the manuscript of Sextus Empiricus. . . . It contains arguments which are capable of bearing opposed meanings, and it has sections dealing with Good and Bad, Decent and Disgraceful, Just and Unjust, True and False, together with a number of untitled sections. It has the look of a students lecture notes, but this appearance may be deceptive. The contents are what we might expect in Protagoras Antilogiai, but it is safer simply to designate them as sophistic.For example, to prove that Decent and Disgraceful are really the same, the following double argument is brought forward: for women to wash themselves in the home is decent, but women washing in the palaestra would be disgraceful [it would be all right for men]. Therefore, the same thing is both disgraceful and decent.(H. D. Rankin, Sophists, Socratics and Cynics. Barnes Noble Books, 1983) Dissoi Logoi  on Memory The greatest and fairest discovery has been found to be memory; it is useful for everything, for wisdom as well as for the conduct of life. This is the first step: if you focus your attention, your mind, making progress by this means, will perceive more. The second step is to practice whatever you hear. If you hear the same things many times and repeat them, what you have learned presents itself to your memory as a connected whole. The third step is: whenever you hear something, connect it with what you know already. For instance, suppose you need to remember the name Chrysippos, you must connect it with chrusos (gold) and hippos (horse).(Dissoi Logoi, trans. by Rosamund Kent Sprague. Mind, April 1968)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

In the light of this comment, consider the legal and political Essay

In the light of this comment, consider the legal and political relationship between the EU and NATO - Essay Example This may outdate the need for NATO as an alliance, rather a straight-forward agreement between North America and the EU as a whole. Therefore the first section will illustrate and examine the security problems and how they cause problems for the EU to fight organized crime and terrorism, asking whether NATO is outdated. The second section will then deal with how the EU combats terrorism amd organized crime and considers whether it will ever be successful. Finally, this section will consider the problems that terrorism pose to the EU's and whether its relationship with NATO is an integral part to security and intelligence considerations in this area and its importance of success. This joint NATO and EU effort was seen as a highly successful strategy in the fight against the Taliban by the freezing of Afghani bank accounts, also illegal workers have been stopped by the EU Directive governing the ability to work, i.e. the need to show appropriate ID to show entitlement to work within th e EU.2 The EU has seen increased problems with organized crime which comes from the opening of borders and promoting a union of states. This problem has intensified since the enlargement of the EU because a lot of the post-communist nations have had over 10 years to promote organized crime. In addition there is the added problems that the events of September 11th 2001 and have caused in respect to Islamic organized crime groups funding terrorist attacks. Therefore organized crime is no longer a domestic crime problem for the EU in respect to financial and service trafficking but is threatening the military security of the EU and the individual nations within. Therefore it is important that this section dealing with security focuses on the problems of enlargement, especially in respect to the Eastern European ascending nations and Cyprus which may cause instability in respect to Islamic terrorist and organized crime groups. This means that a secured security force and relations with NATO ma y be important in the area of intelligence and terrorist threats.3 Enlargement of the EU: Enlargement of the EU is a mixed blessing, because on one hand it is helping to achieve a status of stability and cohesiveness throughout the region. On the other hand, there are concerns that in making the Union larger will in fact de-stabilize the region making it harder for the EU to ensure security and this increase the difficulties for the EU to fight crime, especially organized crime.4 This is due to prejudice of certain groups which would have free access in the region, one such group are the Roma Gypsy migrants from Slovakia. In the past few months the newspapers have displayed the concerns of the British public and politicians about these migrants when the nation joins the EU. Therefore this introduces the question whether the EU really respects the integrity of cultural difference Other problems include the possible de-stabilizing of the economy by incorporating smaller,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Reaction Paper - Essay Example Children are the party who suffer most when parents go through a divorce and have to share the children much like other assets in a marriage. There seems to be a link between divorce and delinquency and it is easy to connect the two although there may be deeper causes as well. Even in cases where divorce does not break up a family, a married couple can live with children in a hostile environment which continually causes stress to all those living in it. In such situations parents may show less control over their children and even show a lessened interest in their activities. Such situations are reported to lower the self esteem of the children involved and an increase in delinquent behavior. Interestingly enough, and it is possible to this with common experience, children who are treated positively with humor, support, physical and verbal affection react better than children who are treated with negative actions such as hostility, defensiveness, abuse, threats and maltreatment. The link between violence towards children e.g. spankings was seen to be established as further violence acted out by the children on others. It is interesting to note that physical punishment might be used if it is balanced with positive support for the children when they need it. This certainly makes sense because without the positive support and recognition, simple physical punishment for being ‘naughty’ would be nothing more than physical abuse of the child which certainly scars a child and could even prevent future normal functioning as an adult. This also creates a direct link to the level of supervisions that a child has from the parents as well as other concerned parties in the family. In a family where the child receives supervision and help from elders, the child can be assured of having a positive relationship with the parents. Common wisdom often states that working mothers

Monday, November 18, 2019

Why does knowledge of different generic approaches to strategy matter Essay - 1

Why does knowledge of different generic approaches to strategy matter What implications does this have for our understanding of the shrm field - Essay Example e understood the strategic role that the human resources can undertake in equipping firms with competitive advantage and therefore contributing to the improvements in performance. As Lengnick – Hall et al. (2009) indicate, SHRM has been highly emphasized within the context of integrating strategic initiatives on the Human Resources with the strategic posture of firms. This paper focuses on two fundamental constructs; the first one is the establishment of the positive relationship between knowledge of generic strategies and understanding the strategic initiatives and the second one is the link between generic approaches to strategies and SHRM. Conceptualizing and evaluating business and organizational strategies is a common perspective that scholars and practitioners undertake in their attempt to understand the competitive position of the firms as well as the forces that interact in the strategy decision making and formulation (†¦..). Whittington (2001) argues that it is imperative to have certain knowledge on strategies as it enables the better understanding of the strategic choices that organizations often make. O’ Farrell et al. (2006) further claim that knowledge on strategies actually influences organizational performance for three reasons; first, understanding strategies implies understanding of the context in which strategizing can take place, second, understanding strategies suggests that management has a clear view of the different forces that can have an impact on the strategic level of firms and third, understanding strategies increases the capabilities and skills of management towards strategic dec ision making. The Generic approaches to strategy are viewed by Whittington (2001) as four fundamental ‘movements’ which reflect different schools of thought regarding the strategic design, implementation and execution on the part of firms. The author distinguishes the generic approaches to the following perspectives: the classical, the evolutionary,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

British Management Styles

British Management Styles 1. Introduction Some would argue that since industrialization is a rational, orderly process, striving for universal efficiency with standardizing effect, managers would clearly be the same sort of people doing the same kind of things in the same ways. This assumption could be extended to the companies themselves. Manufacturing companies, these generic units of industrialization, would be much the same with regard to their structure and general features wherever they are located. At any rate, this would be true for countries at the same stage of industrial development having the same sort of political system. For example, organisations throughout Western Europe operate in similar contexts and under the same pressures which would lead towards uniformity. The accelerated volume of trade within Europe and increasing collaboration and overlapping ownership between EU organisations would, naturally, lead to the establishment of a common Western European management style. Of course, such a case assuming or alleging that industry, management and companies are everywhere and always the same is not accepted. On the contrary, the assumption that societal culture causes the business climate and approach to management is the prevalent one (Tayeb, 1993). Even the creation of the single common market of EU, requiring common technologies and similar modern distribution and marketing methods from each organisation, does not illustrate any visible cultural assimilation, but rather a cultural synergy1. European managers in general have been reared in societies with long and deep traditions and are too conscious of their past to put aside their diversities for the sake of Europeanisation2. There can be a similar managerialism, which could be called a European managerial culture, but how far this extends; how far managers in Europe do some things the same way is an issue of analytical purposes only. Managing and organizing are not activities isolated from society, carried out by automatons in executive suits according to the universal management principles, in some glassed-in managerial sphere (Hickson, 1993, p.252). Each manager is a person formed by a society, and so the processes of managing and organizing are not separable from societies and their cultures. Hence, the last few years have seen a renewed interest in national differences and a series of comparative studies of the extent of company structure and education systems, as well as the socio-cultural factors which impinge on management style. Nowadays, it is accepted that one can generalize across individual differences in various countries and generate characterizations, either normative or empirical or both, of management styles which particular countries exhibit (Barsoux and Lawrence, 1990). This paper aims to consider the distinctiveness of the British management style on a number of dimensions. The examination of managerial practices in the UK and the relevant issues addressed are based on the interpretation with the case of management application in The Body Shop. The experience of The Body Shop as an international retailer provides us with a fine illustration of both the strengths and weaknesses of the typical British management style. In order to familiarize himself with The Body Shop case, the reader is strongly advised to look over the companys case study written by Gibson-Sweet (1994, in Harris and McDonald), before continuing with the following sections of this paper. 2. UK management Because of the fact that the United Kingdom is a multi-cultural society, identifying the typical characteristics of English managers was never an easy task3. Nevertheless, several studies have been conducted towards that purpose. Hofstede (1984) and Tayeb (1988) for example have attributed to the English a list of distinctive cultural features with direct effect on the way they conduct business. This section discusses some of the most significant features attributed to the English management with references to the case of The Body Shop. Individualism: The origins of individualism, independent thinking and self-confidence in England should be traced long back into history. The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism were, in fact, the major driving forces behind the Industrial Revolution. Britons have a high regard for liberty and independence. Hence, they have cultivated a strong entrepreneurial mentality and flair. This is illustrated in the laissez faire economic context which they established for more than two hundred years, and which opposed government interference and supported unrestricted economic liberty and free competition4. Consequently, the English had traditionally developed considerable competences in dealing with export markets and responding to foreign competitors and to a flood of imports without going bust or requiring immediate trade protection. The surprising successful development and expansion of franchising in England is a clear reflection of this distinctive capacity of the British entrepreneurs. The Body Shop success owes much to this business formula. Managerial consciousness, anti-technical orientation: British managers are proud of being good all-rounders (Barsoux and Lawrence, 1990). They have a generalist outlook which is akin to the belief that management is something separable from the technical aspects of a job. Related to this idea of generalism is the notion of managerial consciousness, as against technical-orientation which is very profound in Germany. No wonder, therefore, why British managers do not tend to be especially technically minded, since such expertise is not deemed to enhance their managerial reputation or performance. Whereas German top executives would describe themselves first and foremost as specialists, British ones see themselves as managers in more generalist terms, and somewhat detached from production. Naturally, German managers are expected to be too narrow, while Britons have a much broader vision. Both Anita and Gordon Roddick had not any particular technical background but proved to be very successful all-round managers. Informality: In terms of personal exchanges, British managers are informal, especially by the standard of France or Germany. This is because British managers are in a certain way humanitarians. The Body Shop exemplifies this as it segments its market by factors such as the customers ideals and values, rather than by using technical standards. British take people as the point of reference, rather than systems objectives. In Britain, there is a conviction that management is based on individuals, not committees, systems or rule books. People are the frame of reference (Barsoux and Lawrence, 1990, p. 119). This in turn has meant that mush is achieved by means of social acceptance. Hence, influencing and conjoining is essentially persuasive5. That is why British managers take pride in showing off their ability to shape, influence and decide in informal ways and are marked by a strong grasp of political manoeuvring and manipulative skills. This attitude partly explains why British managers tend to have a negative view of conflict. Open conflict between managers is very rare as it is seen ungentlemanly rather than a means of correcting deviations, testing ideas and exerting creativity; the way it is viewed in say Germany or America. Coping well with uncertainty and setbacks: Americans and Japanese are famous for the systematic way into which they gather data and carry out market research in an effort to enhance strategic decision-making. This is not the British style at all. Environmental scanning, SWOT analysis and the like are not typical for Britain. This does not imply that strategy or forward planning is rejected, but rather that it is intuitive. Britons would argue that the full range of options, rationally conceived in an explicit and formal corporate planning, are unlikely to be realised in practice. Anita Roddicks decision to not enter Eastern Europe, for example, was mostly based on vague personal judgements and intuition, rather than market research evidences of the regions unprofitable potentials (in fact there are indications for the opposite; Alexander, 1996). In alignment to the above argument, British managers have a high tolerance for ambiguity and cope well with uncertainty and unexpected setbacks. Of course, this brand of intuitive pla nning becomes a powerful competitive advantage in todays turbulent, fast moving business environment where flexibility, initiative-taking and adaptability to change is paramount. But, exactly because the British feel comfortable in situations where not everything is explicit and space is provided for manoeuvring and exercising personal judgement, they tend to undervalue educational credentials. British companies put a stronger emphasis on pragmatism rather than professionalism, while personal qualities and background (a vague leadership quality and motivating ability as opposed to strict functional attributes), appear to receive the most frequent mention, both in relation to top and middle management. Decentralization: Bigness provides vital economies of scale, financial resources and muscle in the market. However, today it is more flexibility and responsiveness that matter for success. The argument of size is no longer all-pervasive6. Moreover, recession in the early 1980s made corporate restructure necessary for survival. British companies responded with leaner and fitter structures as well as a move towards decentralization7. SBUs were the most obvious manifestation of this transition. The application of decentralised management, in contrast to functional management, encourages autonomy and entrepreneurship and helps to motivate people by making them better informed, more responsible and giving them more control. Thus, UK companies witnessed their managers engaging in initiatives and nurtured the managerial talent they needed. Decentralization has been proved especially appropriate in sectors which are subject to rapid technical or market changes, notably services. In retailing, initiative inno vation adaptation are by far more significant factors of success than control and economies of scale, providing, thus, a strong argument in favour of decentralised structures and approaches to management which UK enterprises have mastered exceptionally well over the past two decades. The Body Shop case is a clear reflection of this: its success was built on creative initiatives and innovation, not on its size and say effective financial control. Democratic management style: There is a wide agreement that control in British business organisations is relatively dispersed. In other words, the democratic style, also referred to as participative or semi-constitutional is the prevalent one in British firms. It can be reflected on the fact that subordinates are consulted in decision-making and are given wide opportunities to exercise discretion in their work. Contrary to the autocratic, paternalistic approach that German firms share, top management in UK displays a willingness to delegate to lower management and counts on the subordinates strong sense of responsibility. Even in the case of UKs small, family-run firms (where a paternalistic pattern is supposed to emerge), British managers (and owners in most cases) do not portray a pure autocratic style, but rather a mixture of democratism autocratism, which is referred to as sophisticated paternalism. Thus, UKs family businesses manage to retain a decentralised decision-making approach while upholding their d istinctive social ethos and religious dissent. This is very evident in many UK firms (e.g. Cadbury, Clarks), but most of all in The Body Shop. However, there are many who suggest that Anita and Gordon Roddick should give up insisting on operating the company along what are essentially family-run lines as this seems to be inappropriate and potentially damaging for the companys future prosperity. Conservatism: The English are widely seen to be a nation with a love for the past, traditionalism, conservatism, and a reluctance to change. Anita Roddick refused to change the business practices applied to The Body Shop no matter how the City or the economic recession forced her to do so. Moreover, she seems not to take advantage of the possibilities offered to franchising from the Internet (Wymbs, 2000), mostly because of conservatism than of any other particular reason. The British conservatism partly explains their reluctance on applying modern technology in their businesses. However, due to this stubbornness on using outdated machinery, British firms missed the opportunity to become first movers in many industries and, subsequently, faced formidable catch-up problems. Lack of ambition: Despite the resurgence in their desire to do business during the 1980s, mostly as a result of the Thatcherism (The Economist, 1989), Britons display little love for business. Involvement in entrepreneurial activity for the purpose of making money has never been respectable. This should be traced to the English educational system and its dominant values. Traditionally, arts and classics were given high priority relatively to engineering and technology. In business conditions, the goal has been traditionally satisfactory rather than outstanding performance. Domestic rivalry is viewed as distasteful, vulgar and certainly ungentlemanly. Therefore, UK firms lack the strong profit orientation of the Americans or the market expansionism of the Japanese. Merging rather than competing is a common choice or perceived necessity. In this respect, the franchising system, on which The Body Shop relied much, fits very well the typical anti-rivalry notion found in Britain. Low value placed on education: Compared with their counterparts in other advanced nations, British managers are still under-educated and poorly trained, notwithstanding the recent growth in university and college provision8. In Britain there has been an anti-intellectual tradition which devalues training, particularly of a vocational kind (Barsoux and Lawrence, 1990; Lane, 1989; Keeble, 1992; Gospel, 1992). Porter (1990) comments on the British educational system as lagging behind virtually all the nations he studied! The country traditionally relied on practicing at doing the job to produce its managerial stock. Naturally, business owners provide very limited support to vocational training as they see it as a cost, a waste of their precious capital, rather than an investment with long-term benefits9. Industrial management in Britain did not attract the intellectual elite and had a relatively small intake of university graduates (Fitzgerald, 1993). The relative value placed on finance (a degree in accounting is he ld to be an ideal qualification for a top management post) suggests an emphasis on the short-term at the expense of the long-term, with research being the prime victim. The process of education is of central importance and needs some further elaboration. The continued under-investment in human capital provided little opportunities for the British economy to exploit its pool of gifted labour force and elevate it from the mere status of gifted amateurs (Jones 1997). One reason that explains the under-developed pattern of vocational education in UK lies at the, until very recently, states deliberate low involvement, even denial of responsibility to the issue. Consequently it was left as a matter for employers and unions. But, as explained above, line management was never persuaded of the direct link between profitability and competitiveness through training and regarded training schemes as an overhead to be cut when profits were threatened. The deepening recession in the 1980s made emp loyers even les willing to invest on training. Moreover, criticism has been levelled at the wide variety of inappropriate training schemes existing in Britain (Lane, 1989). For example, the apprenticeship system was highly inefficient in terms of responsiveness to changing production conditions and contributed even further to the generation of low-skilled labour. Several quotations (Bierhoff and Prais, 1993; Roffe, 1999; Matlay, 1999) for improving both the quantity and quality of vocational education in UK, arguing for the need of a more systematic and homogenous system have been occasionally proposed but not headed. Short-termism: English managers have a very short-term perspective in business planning relative to their major competitors, especially the Japanese and German. In middle management this can be seen in the flair for improvisation. Higher up in the company it manifests itself in the willingness to cut or defer such thing as advertising or RD expenditure in order to meet year-end budgets without worrying about the long-term repercussions of such a course of action10 (Gordon, 1990; Handy, 1988). In this respect, emphasis on growth (as this is seen in France), market share (as in Japan) and continuous quality improvement (like Germany) is not evident in British enterprises. Anti-industrial orientation: British culture has a large alleged impact on the development of anti-industrial orientation, evident on the low esteem that traditionally a career in British industry carried. Hofstede (1984) provides an element of explanation on the basis that British rank very high in the individualistic and uncertainty avoidance cultural dimension. Therefore, Britons have an inherent inclination on risky and entrepreneurial, rather than manufacturing, capital-based activities. British managers continued to prefer old machinery and production processes exactly because of this personal value system which favoured trading, rather than manufacturing. However, this attitude meant the downfall of the British manufacturing industry and a relative decline in the indigenous economy in a sequential manner (Van Ark, 1990; Dintenfass, 1992) as this can be portrayed by stats such as: GDP growth, national income, volume of trade exports and so on (Davis et al, 1992, Dicken, 1999). The Body Shop, on the other h and, illustrates a very good example of how British firms establish competitive advantages not by using modern, hi-tech machinery, but rather through intuition and originality. The Body Shop managed to promote the green issue in a genuine and passionate way, promoting wider societal issues through sponsorship and captured the imagination of consumers worldwide. The companys advertising expenses were grounded to zero; still its marketing approach was highly successful. The Body Shop case, then, moves us to a consideration that will be further elaborated in the following chapter: that British firms have lost their edge on manufacturing but, in the mean time, enhanced their worldwide competitive position in the service sector and in industries like retailing. In this respect, the British economy has mastered a transition from an industry-oriented one to a services-oriented one. 3. UK management and retailing: an integrated approach Insufficient investments in modern technology, industrial relations problems and low level of skill and motivation in the labour force affected productivity and condemned Britains manufacturing industry. However, when it comes to the service sector, the whole picture is very different. For example, while in heavy manufacturing the German labour productivity is found to be 22% higher than that of British as a result of differences in physical capital and engineer-related human capital (OMahony, 1992), such a difference has not been experienced in less capital-intensive and less engineer-related industries (food, drink tobacco, textiles, chemicals). Britain experienced a rapid growth of the service sector as early as in the 19th century, but was exceptional in the 1980s and 1990s (Godley and Fletcher, 2000). Today British firms outperform most of their counterparts in the service sector. In regards of specific industries, such as retailing and financial services, this is very profound (Millward, 1990). The typical British personal capitalism (Chandler, 1990) concept suits the purposes of such industries where the production process is relatively straightforward, offers few opportunities for economies of scale but many opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives (Jones, 1997). Take as example the creative ideas of Anita Roddick and the originality of her business practices. Without having sufficient funds, she built the companys success only by relying on her wits. More importantly, since The Body Shops competences are not based on technology and machinery utilization but on its founders creativity, intuition and entrepreneurial capacities, the companys business model is very hard to be imitated and the competitive advantages deriving from it are highly sustainable. British firms, especially in 1970s and 1980s pursued successful strategies of product differentiation and product diversification and possessed capabilities in brand management and distribution, which they employed both in extensive exporting activity and through extensive multinational investments (Alexander, 1997). The British competitive performance in the service sector contradicts the image of British enterprise lacking organisational capability in manufacturing industry. Indeed, research by Balasubramanyam (1992) shows that British corporations in retailing appeared to possess competitive strengths in highly developed management skills, in effect, financial management and marketing management, rather than in production management. Jones (1993) adds to the list of Britains core competences the following: incumbency, experience, and powerful intangible assets, most notably reputation for honesty and stability. Jones and Morgan (1994) suggest that such entrepreneurial and trading skills may have been inherited from the family-firm tradition. The culturist hypothesis suggested in previous sections of this paper might explain the outstanding British performance in such kinds of managerial skills. The above clearly suggest that a distinction must be made between the competitiveness of the British firms in manufacturing and in services (Jones, 1994). Throughout the postwar period and into the 1990s the British retailers were the largest sectorial direct investors in the United States, a position maintained by extensive acquisition activity (Lipsey, 1993). This must have involved considerable organisational and management skills, or else it could not have been sustained. Britons possess skills that evolve into strong core competences when it comes to the service sector and particularly the retailing. Hence, generalizations such as those of Porters slide of Britain (1990) and the Chandlerian critiques should consider more thoroughly the British strength in the less capital intensive and technology oriented industries such as: consumer branded goods (including beverages, confectionary products, cosmetics, perfumes, household products and so on), retailing, financial related servic es, auctioneering, entertainment, publishing, leisure products, consultancy, advertising. Britains broad strength in services partly reflects demand conditions. In business services, a combination of skilled human resources and early industrial strength has given British firms a solid position. In retailing, strength in high-end consumer goods (luxury and wealth-related products) was further supported by a sophisticated domestic demand retained, especially around London. Many of the industries in which Britain still has competitive advantage, technological change has not been significant enough to provide worldwide competitors with a lever to supplant British firms on the basis of their technological superiority, especially in the high-end segments that are not price-sensitive and where buyers value traditional methods. Finally, those areas where UK firms have sustained competitive advantage partly owe it to related and supported industries. In consumer goods and services, a vibrant retail sector has created pressures to innovate. This environment has been a fertile one for British firms to develop skills in consumer marketing. The City of London illustrates a classical example of a sector built upon the concept of clustering11. The dynamism of the cluster has attracted firms from all over the world, solidifying Londons position as Europes financial centre. 4. Conclusions Overall, in response to historic, ecologic and evolutionary processes, UK has created a culture and social climate which stand English managers and their companies in good stead in many respects, but handicap them in some others (Schneider and Barsoux, 1997). Their honesty, trust, self-control, and creativity are their major cultural assets, while their individualism, professionalism and reserve give an impersonal and formal air to business dealings. However, in their effort to deal with competitive markets, they are hampered by unhelpful aspects of their culture and their society. These include capital market short-termism, less-than-favourable attitudes to business, traditionalism, reluctance to embrace new technology wholeheartedly, and ill-prepared school leavers and university graduates. Of course, in retailing, as the case of The Body Shop clearly illustrates, UK management style is highly successful, as most of the negative cultural influences do not affect their performance i n the industry, while the positive ones are those that really matter and provide them with a competitive edge. We have looked at the British management style as at a national level, but this is not the only option. Style may also be construed diachronically, as an expression of a society -and a world- in transition. With this in mind, one might ask what the future will bring in British management. The chances must favour a gradual convergence with Western Europe in ways of managing and organizing, if only because so many influences lead that way. But it is likely to be drawing together that will never completely come together. In other words there are likely to be more similarities, but differences will persist. 5. Notes In fact, Hofstede (1993) explicitly argues that culturally, Europe does not exist. In his studies (1984), the EU countries seem to broaden diachronically their already well-established heterogeneity in terms of cultural values. He also comments on a paradox: despite the fact that Europeans are genetically more homogenous relatively to North Americans, culturally they are significantly more heterogeneous. The notion that Europeans are culturally alike, even if they look more or less alike, goes against the initial optimism of the founders of the EU, who believed in cultural convergence through economic activity. It is still in conflict with the assumptions of many national politicians, journalists, members of the public, and particularly, many non-Europeans. Moreover, the traditional conflicting nature of the relationship between the working and the middle class puts in question even the existence of a homogenous English culture. However, similarities between the two classes are far greater than their differences. Also, their exposition to common social institutions and a constant fusion of values and attitudes among them is such that, in the end, their only basic difference lies to their family upbringing (Tayeb, 1993). It would be, therefore, safe to assume that the two classes are sufficiently alike to talk about an English culture. Besides, there is possibly no nation in which total class homogeneity exists, but historically, this fact did not pose serious threats to the emergence of distinctive national cultures. Of course, the contemporary economy can hardly be called a pure version of capitalism since it is characterized by a mixture of freedom and control, and of private and state enterprise. The emphasis on freedom or control shifted from time to time depending on the policies pursued by the government of the day (conservative governments applied no control beyond fiscal policies, while labour governments tended to use direct control mechanisms). The strongest weapon the British employ for their persuasion to be as gentle as possible is, of course, their humor. Their readiness to joke about business matters is very distinctive. Efficiency, productivity and profit are constant targets for wisecracks. Humor is seen as a device for distancing the unpleasant parts of business life and a safety valve for preserving managerial sanity, perhaps a means of coping with defeat. However, as Barsoux and Lawrence (1990) argue, exactly because jokes suspend reality momentarily, British managers are left with the option not to react. The subversive impact of jokes prevents them of being effective as change agents. The theme of Big Business which was dominant in Europe till the early 1980s failed to respond to the changing European environment since then (low labour productivity growth, high unemployment, slow innovation and low profit margins). The transaction cost theory (Hennart, 2000) or internalisation theory (Buckley and Casson, 1978) provides us with a consistent explanation based on the premise that variations in transaction costs alter the optimum size of firms. Hence, falling transaction costs since 1980s forced a fall in the optimum size of firms making the National Champions highly uncompetitive and SMEs (mostly family-businesses) the emerging pattern. According to others (e.g. Lane, 1989; Jones, 1994), the decentralised nature of UK management is mostly a result of the way British firms actually grew, in effect, through mergers and acquisitions rather than organic growth. This pattern created large firms consisted of a number of small firms, which did not undertake a thorough rationalization of production activity. Such a structure necessitated a decentralised mode of decision-making, regardless of what sentiments top management had on this matter. Lane (1989) provides data from the IMS which illustrate that in contrast to Germany and other advanced European economies, British young people have until very recently gone straight into employment after finishing their compulsory secondary schooling without receiving any vocational education at all. Investment in training by industry has been estimated by Porter (1990) at far less than 1% of revenues in Britain, compared to 2% in Germany and 3% in Japan. For comparative purposes, Germany is found to be far more ahead than UK in the rate of enterprises using the technically most advanced processes and machinery, such as CAD, CNC tools and flexible manufacturing systems. The faster adoption of sophisticated technological devices and processes by Germans can explain their superiority over British firms in high-technology products (Lane, 1989). Porter (1998) uses the term cluster to refer to the geographical concentrations of interconnected companies in a particular location. Other terms used in bibliography for the same purpose, more or less, are agglomeration and industrial districts.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Muhammad And The Beginnings Of Islam :: History Historical Islam Islamic muslim

Muhammad And The Beginnings Of Islam Muhammad, whose full name was Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, was born in Mecca around 570 AD after the death of his father, 'Abd Allah. Muhammad was at first under the care of his paternal grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib. Because the climate of Mecca was considered to be unhealthful, he was given as an infant to a wet nurse from a nomadic tribe and spent some time in the desert. At six, he lost his mother, Aminah of the clan of Zuhra, and at eight his grandfather. Though his grandfather had been head of the prestigious Hashem clan and was prominent in Mecca politics, he was probably not the leading man in Mecca as some sources suggest. Muhammad came under the care of the new head of the clan, his uncle Abu Talib, and is reputed to have accompanied him on trading journeys to Syria. About 595, on such a journey, he was in charge of the merchandise of a rich woman, Khadijah of the clan of Asad, and so impressed her that she offered marriage. She is said to have been about 40, but she bore Muhammad at least two sons, who died young, and four daughters. The best known daughter was Fatimah, the wife of Muhammad's cousin 'Ali who is regarded as Muhammad's divinely ordained successor by the Shi'ah branch of Islam. Until Khadijah's death in 619, Muhammad took no other wife. The marriage was a turning point in Muhammad's life. By Arab custom, minors did not inherit, and therefore Muhammad had no share in the property of his father or grandfather. However, by his marriage he obtained sufficient capital to engage in mercantile activity on a scale commensurate with his abilities. Muhammad appears to have been of a reflective turn of mind and is said to have adopted the habit of occasionally spending nights in a hill cave near Mecca. The poverty and misfortunes of his early life doubtless made him aware of tensions in Meccan society. Mecca, inhabited by the tribe of Quraysh to which the Hashim clan belonged, was a mercantile center formed around a sanctuary, the Ka’bah, which assured the safety of those who came to trade at the fairs. In the later 6th century there was extensive trade by camel caravan between the Yemen and the Mediterranean region (Gaza and Damascus), bringing goods from India and Ethiopia to the Mediterranean. The great merchants of Mecca had obtained monopoly control of this trade. Mecca was thus prosperous, but most of the wealth was in a few hands.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Nestle – Report

Abstract This report had the purpose of obtain the most accurate marketing strategy for the case study of Nestle In 2008 to compete and growth In the market place. The analysis of this work showed different frameworks that helped to understand clearly the market context for this company. In the first place, the PEST analysis showed how the external factors affect the food and beverage Industry. At the same time, to identify the main environmental issues that this industry has been facing was used SOOT analysis. Additionally, the Porter Five Forces were used to comprehend the impetigo's intensity and the global industry profitability.Afterwards, the model of Value Chain Analysis gave to this study the important facts to conclude the strategy options for this case, understanding deeply the different values of the organization that Nestle has as a company. At the end, the Annoys Matrix opened a door to formulate the best strategy option proposed for this firm. This report conclude that a realist renovation of their line products and new strategic acquisitions on a new industry should be the best way for Nestle to growth In the market and at the same mime malignant Its position as the largest food and beverage company In the world.Appendix 21 14. 1. Introduction Nowadays It Is not essay for companies to malignant a high position In market shares. When it comes to companies with many years of experience and high yields in the the same time, there are many external factors that influence in customers behaviors and needs. However, companies do not have power to change those external problems but they can change themselves. It is important that companies see what happened in the past to predict the future; the history of any corporation is needed to survive in this competitor world.This report will analyses and evaluate the case of Nestle in 2008, giving the definitions of marketing strategies applied to this company which are the base of success in any corporation. Mo reover, this work will be define the industries and markets in which Nestle compete, the structure and dynamic of these markets, the critical success factors of competing in this field, how Nestle differentiate itself from other competitors, resources, competences and capabilities. Another important point that will be mentioned is the major macro and micro environmental strategic marketing issues that Nestle faced in terms of opportunities or threats.Additionally, it will be evaluated the most appropriate way for Nestle to compete in its market place, taking into account the strategies that they already have implemented. To summarize, this report will be recommend the most accurate strategy for Nestle to continue growing in a long term period, as it has done so far. It will be given different alternatives to reach all the expectations of customers and maintain potential innovation spirit in this competitive and globalizes world. Definitions of strategyIn the field of Marketing Strat egy the concept of the term strategy vary depending on different points of view and it has been changing over the time. There are many ways to define this word which help marketers to understand this useful but abstract concept. The definition of â€Å"strategy' started from military to business languages. Bellow will be a summary of the key concepts of strategy known until now: BE Lidded Hart concept (1954) This concept is based in military terms after the World War II.The definition cited by Lidded is, â€Å"Strategy is the art of distributing and plying military means to fulfill the ends of policy' (Nichols, 2006). George Steiner concept (1980) This professor of management said that the term strategy comes from the acts that companies do to confront any ability of competitors in the way. According to Nichols (2006), Steiner also proposes some points to define strategy in terms of business: * Strategy is that which top management does that is of great importance to the organizat ion. * Strategy refers to basic directional decisions, that is, to purposes and missions. Strategy consists of the important actions necessary to realize these directions. Strategy answers the question: What should the organization be doing? * Strategy answers the question: What are the ends we seek and how should we achieve them? Henry Integers concept (1994) The concept given for Integers is based in the different ways of companies use this definition. Strategy appears in the process period and then is determinate the plan definition of strategy are: * Strategy is a plan, a â€Å"how,† a means of getting from here to there. Strategy is a pattern in actions over time; for example, a company that regularly markets very expensive products is using a â€Å"high end† strategy. Strategy is position; that is, it reflects decisions to offer particular products or services in particular markets. * Strategy is perspective, that is, vision and direction. According to Integers, Ashtrays and Lempel (2005) strategy as a plan is a ploy as well. That quote completes the 5 As for strategy definition.Kenneth Andrews concept (1971) â€Å"Corporate strategy is the pattern [italics added] of decisions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes, or goals, produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue, the kind of economic and human organization it is or intends to be, and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities. (up. 18-19). † (Nichols, 2006).

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Management Plan For Skellig Michael Tourism Essay Essay Example

A Management Plan For Skellig Michael Tourism Essay Essay Example A Management Plan For Skellig Michael Tourism Essay Essay A Management Plan For Skellig Michael Tourism Essay Essay . This is the chief aim of the Skellig Michael direction program. The program besides includes preservation, which is a cardinal facet, presentation, visitant direction, statute law, and development consideration. These are all necessary to the saving of the site for future coevalss ; the program is all based on the foundation of long-run vision for the site. The stray location of Skellig Michael has preserved it from devastation for many 100s of old ages. Skellig Michael is an highly powerful beginning of our individuality and it is described as a and an. It is one of the two World Heritage Sites that the democracy of Ireland has to its name and with this UNESCO enforces many regulations that are in topographic point to protect the cosmopolitan value of the site. Outstanding Universal value applies to the sites Its unity is paramount to its maintaining of this position. Skellig Michael falls under the classs of ( three ) and ( IV ) for universe heritage position. These are as follow s: Yet, nevertheless much Skellig Michael invokes a sense of admiration and awe its universe heritage position may come under menace due to the safety on site. . However, due to the steep landscape on which Skellig Michael is placed this is non possible. The direction program deals with the issue of safety for tourers sing the site. Due to two tourers being fatally injured whilst sing the site big leagues concerns have been raised about incidents of this nature go oning once more in the hereafter. There are six 100 stairss on the island to acquire up to the cloistered colony, all are uneven, slippy and each more danger so the following. Stability is a major issue yet the recommendation of building a bannister could impact the genuineness of the site and force UNESCO to retreat the sites World heritage position. This would intend at a National degree we would be down to merely one heritage site and this would be really detrimental to Skellig Michael itself. However, there are different attacks to this issue, such as foregrounding the safety in the mission statement, because at this minute in clip it seems to be a secondary idea on the docket. Looking at the stereotype of tourer sing the site and reding them decently of the hazard involved in it. The booklets provided by the site practicians are mediocre in the information that they provide on reding people of the menace of hurt. Many do non halt at the interpretative Centre in Port McGee and this is where the safety messages are given. It should be made compulsory for the tourers to see and have this information. A manner of enforcing this would be for the boats to sell their tickets to acquire to the island at the Centre. Another country of concern is the gap of entree to the south extremum. The topography here is highly unsafe even for experient climbers but the direction program outlines this concern and has put a rigorous monitoring government in topographic point to forestall any a ccidents from happening, whilst still protecting the natural wildlife on this portion of the island. The transporting capacity of the site is limited besides in Numberss. In the period between 1978 and 1994 visitant Numberss increased and with this so did the harm to the memorial. OPW were so forced to do an understanding with the boats work forces to restrict their carrying capacity to a upper limit of 180 tourers, this reduces harm and accordingly conserved the site at a higher criterion. each boat is given a license yearly saying the day of the months in which they can run trips to and from Skellig Michael and any visits made outside of the period is non permitted by OPW. This is bend is another safety safeguard taken on by the direction program so that no harm can be done to the memorial and besides that lives are nt put on the line due to the deficiency of ushers present on the island outside of gap day of the months and times. The entree to the site is merely by boat, this hinders the tourers as the conditions, and sea conditions are highly unpredictable during the season. The direction program has besides limited the Numberss of boats that it gives a license to cresting it at 15 upper limit. They have besides two sail ships that can run during the season, but there Numberss are capped at a hundred and they can merely see between six a.m. and eleven a.m. They have besides capped the transporting capacity lower to take in to account an private boat that is to see the memorial, even though this is non officially permitted. As we can see, the direction program has dealt with the issue of the transporting capacity of the memorial successfully and has liaison with several local organisations that would be closely linked to the site. Unlike many other memorials such as Stonehenge that has a immense carrying capacity, Skellig Michael is a vulnerable and delicate piece of our heritage which, if it was to transport more than 180 at a clip it would be destructive to its unity. Spare town walls are another built-in piece of Irish history yet they are endangered by the fact that they have a life modern town interacting around them. Problems such as graffito and even remotion of rocks can ensue in the loss of our walled heritage. For about three hundred old ages, the walls were forgotten approximately and abandoned amongst the abysm of nature. The town grew and so did the land degree destructing grounds of the wall. The From aerial shootings you can see the country where the wall existed and enclosed the town ; The direction program is created to, once more, protect to the site so that All the mission statements of Irish sites are really generic and include all the same ideals of preservation, publicity and sustainability for the hereafter. The direction program was good thought out with many meetings between the stakeholders and the populace, it include all sides of the spectrum. This helps to transfuse a sense of ownership into the locals and in bend may take to them holding a personal nexus to the site, which could reason in them protecting the memorial. The direction programs outlined many cardinal aims for which they realised that to be successful pro-active monitoring is necessary. A properly operation direction group needs to implicate the defined recommendations in the program ; this is the key to successful direction for any site. As we can see from Skellig, that the above statement is true. The ground that Trim has disintegrated to its present province is due to the fact that no enforcements where present earlier and unlike Skellig Michael it did non hold the luxury of World Heritage Status to protect or continue it, nor do any of the other heritage sites around Ireland. This is why it is so of import that we look at our landscape critically and measure what heritage we keep . With this regular monitoring Trim town walls could be successfully conserved and insurance could be made for their presence for the hereafter. The direction program will be tied into several other types of statute law to make with the town and council s o that every twenty-four hours things like the edifice of houses or substructure such as roads will non interfere with the site. The tourer facet besides came into the program, as there are no interpretative panels around the memorial. These are indispensable to the visitant experience and how the tourer will interact with the site because at present they come off with no instruction of the value of the importance that the walls have in our history. The program clearly states how this could be done successfully and what stuffs that should be used in the building of these panels. They besides suggest that an educational DVD should be shown at the interpretative Centre at the palace. Lough Gur, in County Limerick is another heritage site that is highly of import to our society and to future coevalss. Recommended for World Heritage Status due to it being a microcosm of history, it is a classical site that combines both natural and civilization in entirety. However, no reference is given to what standards Lough Gur falls under for World Heritage Status. In 2009, many professionals undertook a direction survey, yet this was its ruin as it is entirely based on recommendations with no interaction with local organisations, therefore trusting no public sentiment to the aims. Lough Gur is in private run by Shannon Development and with this, a figure of jobs have arisen. Shannon Development is more into charming and enigma for net income addition compared OPW s mission statement of protect and preserve . Shannon Development like any concern has long term aims to acquire the most out of its sites, such as Bunratty Castle. The direction program outlines Shannon Development for the hereafter of Lough Gur However, no reference is given to the fact Lough Gur it did non convey in adequate money so the interpretative Centre is being closed down. The lone recommendation that they do do is that Bouchiers Castle to be viewed in the visible radiation of a future heritage Centre. Yet would this non destruct the unity of the memorial? Another issue that needs to be addressed is the degree of reading, or the deficiency of it, available on site. No circuit ushers are provided, the interpretative panels are overgrown and upwind worn, andthe proviso of cusps is limited and most are merely in English or Irish. The site has many different memorials such as grange rock circle, Bouchiers Castle and Carraig Aille to call but a few. These are spread widely across the landscape and some are naked to the human oculus. These are all restrictions to the visitant s interaction with the site and their sense of apprehension. Access to the some of the sites is virtually impossible, as they are located on steep topography. Some kind of information should be given about the sites that some people may non be able to see, due to physical parturiencies. The program for Lough Gur is truly merely an enlightening survey about the site and its cultural importance yet many spreads are left to be filled. Without the nexus between top down gov ernmental administrations and the local people of the country the program will neer be implemented successfully. Internationally, heritage sites have more issues associated with them. For illustration, Henderson island, one of the Pitcairn Island in the cardinal South Pacific. Known for being an

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Cover Letter 2012 example Essays - Customer Experience Management

Cover Letter 2012 example Essays - Customer Experience Management 18 February 2012 Reginald Farnham ABC Sales 85 Tuesday Road Papakura AUCKLAND Dear Reginald Re: Sales Assistant Vacancy (vacancy number 40568) I am writing to apply for the position of sales assistant at your company, which was advertised in the Daily Post on 14 February 2012. For the past two years I have worked as a sales assistant at a busy shoe store, where I have developed my customer service skills. Although I have greatly enjoyed this role, I am looking for a new challenge that will provide me with the opportunity to further develop my retail sales career. I have enclosed my CV to support my application. It shows that I will bring important skills to the position, including: time management and strong organisational skills high-level customer service cash-handling and sales ability motivation and dedication. I have been a customer of ABC Sales for a number of years and have always been impressed by the quality of service I have received. I am enthusiastic and professional, and I believe I would fit well into the companys team culture and contribute to the ongoing success of the sales department. I would very much enjoy having the opportunity to talk with you further to discuss the requirements and expectations of the position, and how I could use my skills to benefit ABC. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Lizzie Long

Monday, November 4, 2019

Chapter 24 Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 24 Summary - Essay Example s of scale which discourage other competitors from accessing or thriving in the market are hard to come by but are however in place by some specific companies and producers in the world. Focusing on the conditions of market that a monopolist faces that influence the level of demand and marginal conditions in this particular market is the point of concern. The closest contrasting market that can be used to gauge the level of marginal revenue of the monopolistic market is the perfect competition market structure. In the perfect competition market, there exists a huge supply of both customers and suppliers in that; the demand and supply is equal and none of the factors influencing supplies overshadows the other. Due to this balance in terms of demand and supply, a single vendor of the particular goods or services cannot dictate at which prices his/her commodities will sell for. The forces of the market are the ones that dictate the price in the market. The monopoly market however has control over the prices of his/her goods and services. This however is put under the check and balances that influence demand and supply which is not the case in the perfect competition ma rket. For the monopolist to achieve a hike in prices while maintaining the levels of units sold, he/she has to tone down on the price per unit. The difference between the initial revenue and the revenue to be realized after reducing the cost of the final unit batch is what is referred to as the marginal revenue. Due to the downward sloping curve in demand that is experienced by the monopolist, the prevalence of special conditions to fix the deficit in profit accumulations is made by the monopolist. The monopoly thereby has to consider the difference that is created in profits one he considers the marginal revenue approach of raising the number of units sold so as to increase the level of profits. He therefore has to measure the point at which the total revenues and the total costs tally so as to

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The necessary analysis to decide whether to invest in Target Case Study

The necessary analysis to decide whether to invest in Target - Case Study Example Target Plc is not a new name in the retail, food and ingredients industry and is considered analogous to quality and premium branding. The company is a diversified conglomerate having five major strategic segments which are sugar, agriculture, retail, grocery and ingredients. As per the latest financial statements of the company for the annual year 2012, the company is operating in almost all of the major cities of the United States. The vision and mission statement of the company is to achieve strong leadership in the course of business which is sustainable and long lasting. The company always strives to provide quality products to the individuals and other consumers and to become a necessary brand in the people’s day to day active life. Financial Highlight [Annual report Target, 2012 , Pg2] As apparent form the above financial highlight, the company presents a strong financial outlook and appears to be a lucrative company for the investors to invest in. The company has vario us revenue centers through which the company generates most of its revenues. During the financial year 2012, the highest earning revenue center for the company was heath, beauty and households which constituted about 25% of the total revenue of the company. Evaluation of American Retail Market The growth in the American retail market for the financial year 2012 saw an escalation as compared to the previous financial years. During every quarter of the financial year, the retail industry in USA experienced a growth of 1%. The analysts are of the view that this particular growth in the industry is a definite positive sign if it is compared to the last two financial years. The retailing conditions in the past two years remained quite adverse for the companies but now the situation appears fruitful and lucrative for the companies. A Comparison of financial year 2012 with the financial year of 2011 presents that fact that the volume of sales in the retail industry in USA increased by 2.7 percent. Changes in reported retail sales between August 2011 and August 2012 standard reporting periods (by size of business)       Pre-dominantly food Non-specialized pre-dominantly non-food Textile, clothing and footwear House-hold goods Other non-food Non-store retailing Pre-dominantly automotive fuel Total All Retailing including automotive fuel                               increase 107 32 138 72 375 64 23 811 All decrease 97 33 104 77 306 46 50 713    Total 204 65 242 149 681 110 73 1524                               Large increase 66 32 110 42 158 30 n.a. 438 decrease 56 33 73 47 107 19 n.a. 335    Total 122 65 183 89 265 49 n.a. 773 Small increase 41 n.a. 28 30 217 34 23 373 and decrease 41 n.a. 31 30 199 27 50 378 medium Total 82 n.a. 59 60 416 61 73 751 [Ons.gov (1999) Retail Sales: August, 2012] With respect to the sports merchandise business, there were certain hardships that were faced by the retailer. During the year 201 2, costs of both cotton and fuel increased, particularly of fuel which resulted in an escalation in the manufacturing cost of the merchandise. Target has in place an import team which constantly monitors the fluctuation in prices of cotton. For the purpose of reducing the cost of fuel, the retailers are now acquiring the help from the