Utopia in Candide

Marco Flores 9/24/12 Utopian Lifestyle Throughout much literature such as Candide, by Voltaire, a concept of a Utopia is introduced. In this book, the utopian society was represented by El Dorado. Here, no realistic world ideals were present, as they were completely satisfied with what they had. They did not pray to God for help or even were curious enough to venture off outside the premises of their city. Lack of curiosity, which is completely against the norm of human nature, was what made them believe they have a perfect society.Most of all, in creating a fictional utopian society, Voltaire is satirizing classical European ways of thought, rather referring to them as the dystopia of the world. Utopias are essentially ideal societies that could never be duplicated in the real world of things. It is literally a fictional way of life that could only be strived for and never be reached. In the novel, they stumble upon El Dorado which is shown to be a magical utopian society. All men a re kind and equal to each other and no one seems to want â€Å"more†, which we as Americans have been accustomed to.They are not seeking to improve themselves in society, which is a concept so baffling for us to understand. It is difficult for us to understand because as a society the motto we live by is â€Å"we want more† and that is why we are far and away from a utopian society. We are never satisfied with what we have, while there in El Dorado, they simply are complacent with where they are. Unlike the citizens of El Dorado, that society was not achievable for Candide and Cacambo. Being an outsider, Candide could not simply drop his ideals to follow those of El Dorado, where gold and gems are just pebbles which they walk upon.Unlike the kids of El Dorado, they could not just play with the precious metals as if they had no value. Not only do their citizens undervalue gems which would make them prosperous throughout the world, but they are satisfied and do not worsh ip nor kill those who do not have the same beliefs as them. They don’t ask God of anything because they believe that what they are provided with is what they could and must use. â€Å"We do not pray to him at all, we have nothing to ask of him; he has given us everything we need; we thank him unceasingly,† 47). When Cacambo and Candide reach Eldorado, Candide concludes that this must be utopia, a place where everything â€Å"is for the best. †Ã‚   However, he is yet unhappy because he misses Cunegonde, and Cacambo has a â€Å"restless spirit† and is not satisfied, either. So, they leave because of their personal desires to achieve more wealth and fame back in Europe. The satire that Voltaire provides on the subject of a Utopia is that there is a great problem the world suffers is that the perfect state is unachievable.Although El Dorado provides a home with no worries or difficulties, Candide always wants more. There is no way to please human beings, even when all of your mistakes are undone and all men are equal. The true problem is that troubles still exist and there is no way to achieve complete happiness. Although El Dorado is seen by Candide as a true Utopia, it is rather the garden which itself is the true Utopia. In the end, they are left with the concept of the personal garden as their true paradise.Thus the theme of the novel is that happiness can only be achieved by concentrating on peace and well-being within one's self, rather than seeking adventures, riches, or material goods. It was the Turk at the conclusion of the novel that describes happiness is like a garden, where you must spend time to cultivate it and let it prosper. Candide realizes that you are the one that must create happiness as things don’t just happen for a reason. As the â€Å"worthy old man seems to have created for himself an existence far preferable to that of the six kings† has done. 93). Throughout his life, Candide has struggled with Pangloss’ philosophy of optimism, while he tries to connect what he’s been taught and what he sees before him. Pangloss always taught him to see that things were always for the best and that there is an explanation for everything. This is difficult for Candide, as he does not see how a world full of war, murder, poverty, rape, and starvation could remotely hold the philosophy that â€Å"everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds†.On the other side, is Martin with his pessimistic view on the whole world. He sees everyone and everything in a bad light. It is not until the old man where Candide realizes that the world neither is the best or worst of all possibilities. Candide realizes that one can only be content with those around them if they are striving to achieve happiness within, rather than without. Voltaire explains to us that even when one reaches an ideal society where things cannot get more perfect, one is still not satisfied.Rather th an just satirizing the ideas of utopia, he is criticizing our very own human nature. After all attempts to reach bliss through religion and riches, Canide combines the teachings of his two professors, Pangloss and Martin, to the belief in a simpler life full of inner satisfaction where one spends his time cultivating his own garden. So, instead of being a place where no further improvement is necessary, Voltaire explains that a Utopian Life is rather one where you control the variables and focus on your own happiness rather than other variables.

Pedro Paterno Essay

Pedro Paterno was born in Manila on February 27, 1857. Pedro Paterno was a Filipino statesman as well as a poet and writer. He was the author of Pacto de Biyak-na-Bato (Pact of Biyak-na-Bato), first published in 1910. He studied at Ateneo de Manila and afterwards at the University of Salamanca. He likewise enrolled at the Central University of Madrid where he completed his law degree. Paterno joined the Propaganda Movement. His greatest contribution to the country was his role as a mediator in the peace agreement between the Spaniards and the Filipinos. Read more: How did the constitution guard against tyranny mini q essay Pedro Paterno contributed a lot in Philippine literature too. His writings showed how much he loved his country. He had also given the Filipinos a sense of pride through the honors and achievements he had contributed to our culture and literature. His work El Cristianismo en la Antigua Civilization Tagalog, was one work that achieved so much admiration and recognition. Paterno was one of the representatives in the National Assembly on April 1899. He did not agree in the planned annexation of the Philippines to the United States. He believed that the Filipinos would rather choose to govern their own country than have it ruled by the Americans. Because of his refusal, other Filipinos followed suit. This refusal stirred their emotions to fight against the Americans later on. Paterno died on March 27, 1911 at the age of 53. Early life As the son of Maximo Molo Paterno and Carmen de Vera Ignacio, he belonged to a wealthy family. His first education was under Florentino Flores, and he later enrolled at Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he graduated in 1871. He went to Spain and studied at the University of Salamanca, then transferred to the Central University of Madrid where he took his law doctorate in 1880. Patriot Paterno helped in the negotiations of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 15, 1897 and later wrote a book about it. While in Spain, he joined the Propaganda Movement. He wrote one of the first Filipino novels, entitled Ninay, which was published before Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. He also  wrote Sampaguita y Poesias, a collection of Filipino poems in Spanish that was published in Madrid in 1880. In the 1890s, Paterno became the Prime Minister of the first Philippine Republic, a cabinet member and an assemblyman. During the American invasion of the Philippines, he was one of the Filipinos who favored the coming of the Americans and advocated the incorporation of both countries. Balimbing Reputation The reputation has its origins in Pedro Paterno’s role in the negotiation of the 1897 Pact of Biyak-na-Bato between the Philippine revolutionaries and the Spanish. Paterno agreed to abandon his fellow revolutionaries struggle and collaborate with the colonial administration. Then when the USA in 1898 declared war on Spain, Paterno urged the revolutionaries to defend Spanish rule against the Americans, and he continued to urge resistance to the USA during the Philippine-American war. When captured, he swore allegiance to the USA, and was subsequently appointed President of the Consultative Assembly. He has long been an easy target for nationalist historians. Perhaps because as an author of a considerable number of works of history, historians place him as an ilustrado who compromised with both colonialism and nationalism, with loyalties split between Spain and the Philippines. For historians Paterno’s â€Å"The Pact of Biyak-na-Bato† is a primary source on the top ic, but some historians (particularly Ambeth Ocampo) interpret this supposed historical writing as fiction. Here are some passages that draw the question of whether Paterno’s writings are fact or fiction: â€Å"A lady, a beautiful lass of seventeen years came to me one night panting, trembling, with her long hair spread out on her shoulders down to her back like a dark night. Her sweet lips were rosy and quivering, with her eyes filled with tears and her chest palpitating. I asked her, ‘What do you want?’ And I came to learn that all she wanted was for me to take her along. She told me between sobs and tears that she was very unfortunate, having fallen prey to a revolutionary chief whom she hated. My soul was tearing me to pieces because of this enchanting lady. But what could I do?† Another describes his wife on her deathbed. He wants to be with his wife, but then duty calls and he must forge peace in the Philippines between the revolutionists led by Emilio Aguinaldo and the enemy led by the Spanish governor-general. This is how Paterno resolves this delicate problem: â€Å"I reflected. Finally, I hit the  nail on its head. With money everything could be done. I gave her a respectable sum of money so she could run away. The poor girl made her escape and left nothing but a great longing and a rosary of sampaguita flowers that she gave me in return. I kept it among my unredeemed receipts and old documents which were being eaten by years of disillusion.† Paterno died of cholera at the age of 53. Pedro Paterno’s Proclamation of War June 2, 1899 To the Filipino people: No one is ignorant of the fact that since we took the direction of the Ship of State we have sacrificed ourselves to the services of the government of our republic, offering ourselves as victims for the sake of peace without abandoning the sacred idea of liberty and independence which fires our country; but the North Americans refuse to suspend hostilities, asked for by us so that we may consult the National Assembly, seat of free popular sovereignty. The Commissioners returning from Manila so declare. Since it is their desire, may the responsibility of the war and its consequences fall on the great nation of the United States of America. We have done our duty as patriots and human beings, showing the great powers of the world that the present cabinet has the diplomacy necessary to protect our casue as well as the arms required to defend our rights. The Council of Government, deciding to preserve our republican institutions, national independence, and the presidency of Don Emilio Agu inaldo, in spite of the Americans, who intended to construct upon our ruins the edifice of tyranny, has concluded to continue the war, preserving unhurt in their spirit and letter our constitution and laws, which we have conqured with so much blood and such sacrifices. To war, then, beloved brothers, to war! In order that the people be free it is necessary that they be brave. Rich and poor, learned and ignorant, beloved Filipinos, hasten to unite to save our native land from insult and ignominy, from punishments and scaffollds, from the sad and fatal inheritance of enslaved generations. The God of War, in whom we have put our faith and hoppe, will help us. Confusion, internal and  international dissensions and conflicts, rend the invading army; its volunteers, being aware that we are in the right, fight without enthusiasm and only in compliance with their forced military duty. Within the American nation itself, a great political party asks for the recognition of our rights, and the Divine Providence watches over the justice of our case. Forward, Filipinos, and the sun of vistory will shine upon us. Long live the Filipino sovereign people !! Long live national independence !! Long live the liberating army !! Long live Don Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the Republic !! Pedro Alejandro Paterno (February 27, 1858 – March 11, 1911) was a Filipino politician, as well as a poet and novelist.[1] His intervention on behalf of the Spanish led to the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 14, 1897, an account of which he published in 1910. Among his other works include the first novel written by a native Filipino, Ninay (1885), and the first Filipino collection of poems in Spanish, Sampaguitas y poesà ­as (Jasmines and Poems), published in Madrid in 1880.[2] Biak-na-Bato At the trial of Josà © Rizal in 1896, it was suggested that Paterno, along with Rizal, had incited the Katipunan because they had both written about the ancient Tagalog civilization. As evidence for their complicity, the Spanish prosecution cited Paterno’s earlier work â€Å"Antigua Civilizacià ³n† as promoting ideas which had â€Å"consequences both erroneous and injurious to Spanish sovereignty.† Nobody moved against Paterno, however, because he was close to a significant number of Spanish officials – both military and civilian – who could vouch for him. Thus, Paterno, like many others of the Manila elite, distanced himself from the events of the Katipunan revolution.[1] In 1897 the Philippine revolutionary forces led by Emilio Aguinaldo had been driven out of Cavite and retreated northwards from town to town until they finally settled in Biak-na-Bato, in the town of San Miguel de Mayumo in Bulacan. Here, they established what became known as th e Republic of Biak-na-Bato.[3] In late July, 1897, Paterno voluntarily presented himself to Governor  General Fernando Primo de Rivera, whom he had known while living in Spain, and offered his services as a mediator.[1] Because many highly-placed Spaniards of the time thought Paterno held great sway over the natives, Primo de Rivera accepted Paterno’s offer. He called for a truce, explaining his decision to the Cortes Generales: â€Å"I can take Biak-na-Bato, any military man can take it, but I can not answer that I could crush the rebellion.†[3] Paterno left Manila on August 4, 1897 and found Aguinaldo five days later. This began a three-month-long series of talks which saw Paterno constantly shuffling between Manila, Biyak-na-bato, and some areas in Southern Luzon where a number of revolutionary chiefs held sway. During the negotiations, Paterno’s wife Luisa died on November 27, 1897.[1] In ceremonies on December 14-15 that year, Aguinaldo signed the Pact of Biak-na-bato. He proclaimed the official end of the Philippine revolution on Christmas Day, and on left for Hong Kong via the port of Dagupan on December 27.[3] He returned to Manila on January 11 amidst great celebration, but was spurned by Primo de Rivera and other authorities when he asked to be recompensed by being granted a dukedom, a seat on the Spanish Senate, and payment for his services in Mexican Dollars.[1] The Filipino negotiators for the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Seated from left to right: Paterno and Emilio Aguinaldo with five companions Prime minister He served as prime minister of the first Philippine republic in the middle of 1899, and served as head of the country’s assembly, and the cabinet. American Colonial Period  With the Philippine-American War after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, he was among the most prominent Filipinos who joined the American side and advocated the incorporation of the Philippines into the United States. Death He died of cholera on March 11, 1911. His literary work was not appreciated until several decades after his death. Legacy Pedro Paterno Despite Paterno’s prominence in the many upheavals that defined the birth of the Philippine nation during his lifetime, Paterno’s legacy is largely  infamous among Philippine historians and nationalists. Philippine historian Resil Mojares notes that: History has not been kind to Pedro Paterno. A century ago, he was one of the country’s premier intellectuals, blazing trails in Philippine letters. Today he is ignored in many of the fields in which he once held forth with much eminence, real and imagined. No full length biography or extended review of his corpus of writings has been written, and no one reads him today.[1] Much of this is attributed to Paterno’s penchant for turncoatism, as described by historian Ambeth Ocampo, who sums up his career thus: Remember, Paterno was one of the greatest â€Å"balimbing† [turncoats] in history (perhaps he was the original balimbing in Philippine political history). He was first on the Spanish side, then when the declaration of independence was made in 1898, he wormed his way to power and became president of the Malolos Congress in 1899, then sensing the change in political winds after the establishment of the American colonial government, he became a member of the First Philippine Assembly.[2] Title Ninay Original author Paterno, Pedro Original date of document 1908 Original place of publication Limbagan Nang La Republika Kiotan Bilang 30, 1908. Publisher Limbagan Ng La Republika Kiotan Bilang 30 Place of Publication Limbagan Nang La Republika Kiotan Bilang 30, 1908. Period American Occupation Category Culture Society Language Filipino Textual Physical Form Book Physical description 262p. Ninay is considered the first Philippine and Tagalog novel. Written by Pedro Paterno and published in 1908, it portrayed the richness of the Philippine environment and culture through intertwined narratives and descriptions of the countries sights and rituals. It served to disprove the Spanish assertion that the Philippines did not have a distinct culture. Contents[hide] * 1 Synopsis * 2 External Links * 3 References * 4 Citation| [edit] Synopsis The novel uses the local tradition of pasiyam or nine-day novena as a frame to two narratives of unrequited and ill-fated love. The pasiyam is being held for Ninay. The first narrative is that of Ninay and her lover Carlos Mabagsic who is wrongly accused of leading an insurrection by a Portuguese businessman, Federico Silveyro. Carlos leaves for a colorful journey abroad, but when he comes back, Ninay has entered the convent. He acquires and dies of cholera and soon after, Ninay is struck and killed by the same disease. The second narrative is that of Loleng and Berto. Don Juan Silveyro’s evil schemes prevent the lovers from being together. Loleng dies and Berto turns into an outlaw to take revenge on Don Juan. Berto also unwittingly avenges Ninay and Carlos by ending Federico’s wickedness as well. The novel has ten chapters: an introduction followed by one chapter for every night of the pasiyam.

College degree Essay

Like almost everyone already asked this question when they have finished high school. Where will I be in about 10, 20 or even more 40 years? . I do not think anyone would like to be a waiter or taxi driver the rest of life; hence, going to college is a good way to know what you will be. It will help you to develop your abilities, your skills, accomplish your goals. People with a higher education can make a difference in the world. My reason for going to college is because I want a better life for myself and it will open many doors in my future life. I graduated from high school in 2007, when I was 17 years old in Peru. My family always encouraged me to get higher education so I started thinking about what would I want to be? . I went to see many universities around my town in order to get more information about majors. I was confused between Hospitality Management and International Business but I decided to study Hospitality Management. It caught my attention because it deals with tourism and I love traveling. Besides hotels, I can get a job in many other places such restaurants, casinos, resorts and hospitals. I enrolled at San Ignacio de Loyola University because they have the best program in my major. It is  located an hour and a half from my house. When I was studying there, I learned a lot; especially, when I can deal for myself without my mom’s help because she did everything for me when I was at school. In Peru, there are many cases of delinquency and a few times robbers attacked me. The first occasion was a week of starting classes. I could remember that I spent a whole day at the college doing my assignment. It was a lot and I was very tired that day. When I was on my way home and got off the bus, someone stole my handbag. My first reaction was to go running after him because he had all my work with my effort in it, my new purchased  books. That was horrible. The other times, robbers just stole my phone. It was because of these facts that gradually I did not want to go anymore. I was very scared on the streets, looking around; I could not take out my phone from my pockets. Because of that, I decided to leave the university. One the day, I talked with my grandmother who lives in the USA. We were discussing about my life and I told her that I wanted to continue studying, so she asked me to move in with her. It was a very difficult decision for me because I would go to another country, starting a new life away from my  parents and friends, and also I was afraid because I did not speak English fluently. However, I had to think about my future so I decided to move to the USA, but the problem was that my parents disagreed about coming here illegal. I went to the University to see if they have any program to study outside the country. They have it but one of the requirements is to have 60 credits. Unfortunately, I did not have that amount. I checked on internet any other possibilities and I found out about the student visa. I did everything I needed to process the visa, such as translating my documents from high  school, filling some papers, looking for my sponsor, and medical examination. A few days later, I went to the USA embassy with my parents, I was so nervous because my dream of keep studying was depending of their answer. The counselor looked my documents and approved my student visa. I was so happy that day. In the first days of arriving in USA, I enrolled at Union County College. At the beginning, I took ESL classes since level 4th. Now, I am almost done with it. Moreover, I am taking other courses in the fields of hotel management. Therefore, I’m pretty sure that I will graduate in two  more years and get my associate degree in Applied Science Program in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. However, getting a degree in USA and go back to my country will help me to get a more job opportunities since I’m bilingual. According to the article The Benefits of Earning a College Degree states, â€Å"One of the most important and obvious reasons to earn a college degree is to increase your earning potential†. Therefore, a good salary since people that have achieved a college degree are hired in at a higher pay and are considered to be much more employable. For the reason that I want  my own family, I would like to give them a good quality of life, and also provide inspiration to my children. In conclusion, I strongly believe that people should go to college. I feel good going to college because every time I learn something new. I am satisfied with every step I’m taking to get more knowledge and grow as a person. Also, see my parents feel proud of me is priceless. In fact, I recommend going to college is worth and it is not a waste of time because college will give a person the tools to succeed in the field of their choice. By graduating from college, everyone can get a dream job and start to make those dreams come true.

The buyer must give the seller sufficient notice of the vessel name, Essay

The buyer must give the seller sufficient notice of the vessel name, loading point and, where necessary, the selected deliver - Essay Example Both parties privy to the contracts have their rights and responsibilities. The rights of one party are usually the responsibilities of the other, just like in many other contracts. In FOB contracts, the seller fulfills his obligations with regards to delivery once those goods pass the ship’s rails.3 The most common terms of FOB contracts are Incoterms that were generated and published by the International Chamber of Commerce. They are however subject to be affected by the local laws of the countries from where the buyers and seller are transacting from.4 Despite these most of the obligations of the buyers and sellers remain intact. This paper will explore the buyer’s obligations under an FOB contract to nominate the vessel. The Buyer’s Obligations under an FOB Contract Under the FOB contracts, the main obligation of the buyer is to provide the seller with sufficient notice of the vessel name, loading point, and where necessary, the selected delivery time within the agreed period.5 This obligation has of late been reviewed because of changing circumstances as shall be pointed out later in the paper. Apart from this obligation, the buyer has a series of other obligations that are similar to those in other buyer-seller contracts. First, the buyer has the obligation of paying the price for the goods as provided in the contract.6 This does not even have to be stipulated since it is presumed that both parties know their duties. The seller has the duty of providing the goods and receiving the payments while it is the buyer’s duty to receive the goods and make payments for the same. According to Incoterms, the buyer also is under an obligation, at his own risk and expense, to obtain any official authorization, including a license to import, and where necessary, the permission for the goods to transit through other countries.7 This is because it is the duty of the buyer to transport the goods having been loaded to the vessel that was specifi ed and at the specified loading point. The buyer is obligated to contract, at his own expense, for the freight services to be provided if he does not have his own. Just like in any other contract of sale, the buyer is under an obligation to take the delivery of goods usually at the named loading point and vessel at a specific date or period, where applicable. Since the seller’s obligations cease once the goods pass the ship’s rails on the loading point, the buyer is obligated to bear all the risks of loss or damage to the goods. The buyer should also accept and give proof of delivery of the goods as directed in the notice that he furnished the seller with.8 The other obligation is that of inspecting the goods as to whether they are in sellable condition. It is the buyer’s duty to pay for the cost of pre-shipment inspection expenses.9 The exceptions here are when it was otherwise agreed between the two parties or where the authorities of the country of export exp licitly direct the seller to incur the expenses for pre-shipment inspection. Lastly, the buyer is under an obligation to reimburse the seller all the expenses incurred in his bid to render his assistance to the buyer. This obligation is carried out more as an issue of

The shear box test on soil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The shear box test on soil - Essay Example The shear box test has an advantage over test because of the simplicity of equipment used and the ease in setting it up. The Shear test box also tests soil samples under different conditions such as consolidation, drainage, and saturation conditions. Another advantage of the shear box test is that it is easy to visualize what is happening to the soil as the test is being carried out. Various processes using the shear box test determine these properties. In determining the soil, these properties the results of the test are tabulated and graphs are drawn. Interpretation of the graphs is what gives significant meaning to some of the soil properties being studied. Purpose of the test A shear box test is used in geotechnical engineering to test various properties of soil. These soil properties include; friction angle, peak shear strength, soil cohesion, and the residual shear strength of the soil being studied. The key purpose for carrying out the test is to enable geotechnical engineers decide on the consolidated-drained shear strength of a silt to sandy soil. Shear strength is a very important aspect in engineering when determining soil properties. This is because most structures are based on soil’s shearing strength or resistance. Therefore, any time a structure is to be constructed it is important that the soil’s shear resistance be analyzed as the first step to decide on the whether it will be possible to construct. The shear strength of a discontinuity is considered to be of lower strength when compared to blocks with intact material between the discontinuities. These important facts and the results of shear tests enable the engineers to determine important aspects of engineering. These include determining the bearing dimensions for foundations, computing the stability of cuts and slopes, and in finding the amount of pressure that an area of soil exerts on the wall it retains (Price & De Freitas, 2009, p. 361). Brief description of the test set u p The Apparatus â€Å"A definitive test apparatus mainly consists of the following apparatus. Rigid split box that has a top and a bottom these are place inside a shear box carriage, which is box, shaped. The carriage rests on a pair of rollers that are aligned to move along two grooved tracks. The shear apparatus is controlled by a motor, which is also connected in the apparatus† (Huat, et al., 2005, p. 1284). The set up The test is carried out on three or four specimen taken from a comparatively undisturbed soil samples. The set-up of the test experiment follows the following procedures: 1. The first step is to weigh the initial mass of the soil sample 1. Next is to take the shear box’s measurements that are the diameter and height 2. From the measurements calculate what 15 percent of the diameter will be in millimeters 3. Next step involves assembling the shear box and placing it into the shear device. 4. Place a porous stone and a filter paper into the shear box 5. Pour the soil sample, for example sand, inside the shear box and remove the top layer to ensure it is level 6. Put a porous stone on top of the sand then cover it with a filter paper and then place the top plate which usually has a ball 7. After that take away the alignment screws that are in the shear box and using these screws open the gap that is between the two shear box halves to 0.025 inches. After that remove the screws from the gaps 8. Take the weight of the soil again and calculate the total mass of soil used 9. Finish assembling the device and set the three

Marketing Mix Analysis of Valentino Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Mix Analysis of Valentino - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the current condition of the global economy is highly unstable and is being driven by uncertainty. Studies suggest that a large number of firms in every sector are struggling hard for survival and holding market positions. In such a time, it is gathered that demand and interest in luxury products and services among consumers have increased exponentially. The trend is not limited to a particular sector but can be witnessed across various sectors including the fashion industry. Valentino Garavani, also known as Valentino, launched his first product line in 1959 and since then, the company has made relentless efforts to become a prominent name in the fashion industry. Presently, Valentino is considered as one of Italy’s finest exporters of luxury fashion, and it has created an elegant range of fashion wear for various personalities over the past four decades. Besides apparel, the company offerings consist of shoes, bags, and access ories. Valentino opened the first store of the company in 1960 in Paris and introduced the signature ‘Red Valentino’ along with the ‘V’ label. Though the company started in Italy, presently it has stores all over the world. In 2013, the company earned revenue as high as 110 billion Swedish Kroner and its operating margin was around 16%. The assessment suggests that the company is enjoying steady growth even in an uncertain economic condition.

The four people who influenced malcolm x life Research Paper

The four people who influenced malcolm x life - Research Paper Example ?s family background, the biographic report projects about his mother ‘Louise Norton Little’ as a homemaker as well as the mother of eight children. Malcolm’s father, ‘Earl Little’ was a minister and a supporter of Marcus Garvey who during that time was the leader of the Black Nationalist Party (Colorado State University, â€Å"Malcolm X - An Islamic Perspective.†). Adding to these, during the childhood days of Malcolm, his family was often threatened by the ‘Black Legion’ which was a ‘white supremacist organization’ and which even got its hands in the murder of ‘Earl Little’. The entire life of Malcolm took the form of struggle after this incident. These factors highlight the historical background of this ‘African-American Muslim’ minister along with ‘Human Rights Activist’ (The Estate of Malcolm X, â€Å"Biography†). Thesis. The four individuals who had a lasting impact on Malcolm X’s life were ‘his father Earl Little’, ‘his brother Reginald’, ‘Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI) organization’ and ‘his wife Betty Shabazz’. In the life of Malcolm X, the influence of the mentioned four individuals had been profound and compelling to direct him towards attaining greater recognition as a forthright leader of the masses. The first person who can be considered to have influenced Malcolm’s life is his father ‘Earl Little’. Malcolm’s father had been into the political scenario since long and had played a significant role in terms of influencing Malcolm to enter the world of politics after the death of his father and a long phase of struggling childhood. As stated in his biography, ever since the death of his father, all the eight children got split up either with foster parents or ended up in orphanages (The Estate of Malcolm X, â€Å"Biography†). Malcolm during his teenage period got arrested in a case of burglary and was sentenced to suffice 10 years of imprisonment. It was during that time

Cinnamon Chex Retailing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cinnamon Chex Retailing - Research Paper Example Manufactures, warehouses, and transporters maintain a timely delivery of products to their consumers. This paper explore the Cinnamon Chex; a food product popular in United States. It will endeavor to trace the production of Cinnamon Chex, its natural ingredients, and added ingredients. The paper further seeks to discuss supply chain, processing, delivery, and SWOT analysis. Finally, it will give the relevant recommendations about the product to consumers. Cinnamon Chex is a product taken as breakfast by many people. This food appears in a cereal meal that is highly nutritious (Crocker 49).Cinnamon Chex contains plant nutrients, mineral salts, and fiber. It is a whole grain meal. Cinnamon consumers have little information about its natural source. Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of several trees. These trees belong to genus cinnamonium that has a wide range of use in savory and sweet foods (131). The trees grow naturally in South East Asia, such as Bangladesh, and Sumatra. Cinnamo n cultivation takes two years to mature. After full maturity, drying of branches takes place subsequent removal of the rough, wooden outer barks through a scrapping process (58). Drying of Inner barks takes four hours in an ideal dry, warm environment. Use of wet surfaces promotes growth of pests. This form of agriculture is an export oriented. Exportation of cinnamon promotes foreign exchange, which creates trade links amongst nations. Cinnamon is a spice that enhances marketability of the products that utilize it in their preparation (121). To make it appealing to the consumer to buy this product, incorporation of various products is desirable. Some of these products include salted whole almonds, brown sugar, chopped dry apples, and vanilla yogurt-covered raisins. The major nutrients in Cinnamon Chex include proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibers, and mineral salts. To prepare a sixteen -serving Cinnamon Chex, the recipe contains, one cup chopped apple, and two tablespoons ligh t corn syrup. It also has half a cup of vanilla yogurt covered-resins, one table spoon of ground cinnamon, a third cup of packed brown sugar, and five cups of wheat Chex. Margarine is also part of ingredients in a quarter -cup portion (243). Timely manufacturing and delivery of Cinnamon Chex is essential. Manufactures should observe safety issues. All practices involved in the processing must be in accordance with Food and Drug Act. Ignorance to maintain high health standards means endangering lives of consumers. It also risks the Cinnamon Chex sales because of the probability of closure of the manufacturing companies (79). Food and Drug Act has mandate to issue orders for immediate termination of services for the manufacturing company that violates Food and Drug Act. Traceability of Cinnamon Chex is an essential tool in a business venture. This tool ensures proper management of inputs and outputs, which results into major improvements in terms of quality and efficiency. A mechanism such as external auditing and advice on safety plays a big role to stabilize depreciating quality of Cinnamon Chex product. Cinnamon Chex retailers employ a standardized system of traceability. This enables an easy trace back of recent sales through immediate buyers. Traceability helps to restore of company’s reputation. However, it is not always perfect in food. Cinnamon Chex retailers are no exception. SWOT analysis endeavors to evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and

AT&T Control Mechanisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

AT&T Control Mechanisms - Essay Example All customers of AT&T sign an AUP to signify their conformity to the policies outlined by the company. A failure by a customer to adhere to the policies stated in the AUP may result in the termination of their use of AT&T’s services. This control mechanism is effective in controlling the unlawful use of the services offered by AT&T. It is AT&T’s way of policing their ranks. The AUP is necessary to protect both AT&T and its wide customer base. This control mechanism imposed by AT&T is effective in that it functions as a deterrent for internet users who plan to use AT&T’s service in an unlawful and unacceptable manner. Another control mechanism existing in AT&T is their Code of Business Conduct. All employees of AT&T are required to adhere to this Code as it embodies the values espoused by the company. As Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO of AT&T clearly puts it, â€Å"The Code of Business Conduct puts our values into action. It’s more than a set of rule s; it’s the principles we work by and a guide to help us make the right decisions every day† (AT&T Intellectual Property 1). This Code is a control mechanism imposed by AT&T to all its employees to safeguard its reputation of honesty and integrity to its customers. The effectiveness of this mechanism can be measured in the numerous awards and recognitions reaped by AT&T which could be attributed to the outstanding performance of its workforce who are committed to its Code of Conduct. The AT&T Intellectual Property arm is another important control mechanism adopted by AT&T. This division is responsible for protecting AT&T’s portfolio of more than 9,000 patents (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.2). Aside from protecting the company’s portfolio, it is also responsible in managing the licensing and selling of AT&T patents, technology, trademarks and domain names (AT&T Intellectual Property par.3). This control mechanism is imperative in safeguarding AT&Tâ€⠄¢s researches and innovations. Now more than ever, the Intellectual Property is deemed very relevant because of the rapid growth in new technologies. The fourth control mechanism observed at AT&T is the creation in 2009 of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Forum â€Å"to provide a venue to formally integrate, leverage, and grow enterprise-wide initiatives to become best-in-class from a diversity perspective† (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.6). According to AT&T, this forum meets quarterly every year and aims to monitor the development of the diversity strategies within the organization. Hand in hand with this Forum is the establishment of the Business Unit Diversity Council to create an awareness of the diversity and inclusion of the workforce at AT&T. The proof of the effectiveness of these control mechanisms is the recognition given by DiversityInc. to AT&T in 2011 as one of the top 50 companies for diversity (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.1). Furthermore, it has alwa ys been included in DiversityBusiness.com’s America’s Top 50 Corporations for Multicultural Business Opportunities. The four control mechanisms described above all contribute to making AT&T the largest communications holding company in the world by revenue. The AUP and the Intellectual Property arm of AT&T are control mechanisms which are targeted towards the external community which AT&T

Construction Health and Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Construction Health and Safety - Essay Example Otherwise, any designer who may be engaged by a domestic client is obliged to comply with the rules. Construction works refer to construction alteration, upkeep, repair and maintenance, commissioning, renovation, decommissioning, redecoration, fitting-out, demolition or dismantling. It also includes site preparation, exploration and surveys. Failure to comply with the code is treated as evidence of breach of health and safety legislation by a court of law. The regulations cover the responsibilities of clients, the roles of principal contractors and sub-contractors, the roles of designers and planning supervisors (Griffiths and Griffiths, 2011). The CDM regulations help in the improvement of health and safety in construction industries. When these regulations are followed to the letter, a significant improvement is observed. Then, they ensure that the construction involves the right people at the right time. Risk management is done on time to reduce its vulnerability and possibility o f occurrence. The construction team is also able to focus on effective planning and practical management of risks. Every one in the controlling site work is charged with responsibilities of ensuring that work conditions are healthy and safe before work commences. They also ensure that the work to be done will not expose others into risk. The CDM 2007 places all those involved in construction work with legal duties commonly called duty holders. generally, the CDM regulations is aimed at facilitating, and enhancing the overall management and coordination of health, safety and welfare in the entire process of a construction project to reduce the rate of injuries and serious accidents that occur in the construction industry (Kogan Page Ltd, 2012). The Designers Response These are organisations or persons involved in preparing designs which involves drawing, designing detail, preparing specifications, creating bills of quantities, specifying articles and substances, analysing, calculatin g and preparing for the construction work. Designers include architects, structural engineers, building surveyors, mechanical and electronic engineers. The responses on whether the designers’ duties are appropriate, reasonable and proportionate attracted various responses. Recommendations stated that there should be more guidance in the regulations on a risk management hierarchy since they are under considerable economic pressure from clients to reduce the costs. Education was the key to improving designer understanding, especially on risk assessment issues, availability of funds for training on new designer principles in companies struggling to survive (Murdoch and Hughes, 2007). Half of the accidents could be avoided through better understanding of the relationship between design and construction. The duties however need to be more prescriptive to make them easier to follow. There should be also some responsibility on others who impact the design of the works like local pla nning departments and local authorities. Greater clarification is required on the definition of design work. Again, the designers need to start a project work after a coordinator has been appointed (Ramsey, 2007). The Resident Owner or Facilities Manager Response Facilities managers have been the main

Suffering of Woman Protagonist in Male Hegemony Society Within The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Example for Free

Suffering of Woman Protagonist in Male Hegemony Society Within The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Women role in a society has always been changing since prehistoric times so it could not be difined accuratly. However there always has been a stereotype male figure in the society which nearly has not altered since the very first. Besides the women role also differed between religions and civilisations. For instance in early Native American Tribes women were something deified , this however shifted and women no longer thought to be superior , and quite opposite they were considered to be inferior. By 19 century with the influence of the Civil War and all of the social protests demand to improve the woman rights caused many women to question the inferior role patriarchal society cast for them. Due to the fact that north won the war and so slavery was prohibited lead the women to claim their own rights in United States. During the end of 19 century many woman writers wrote various things to show their gender’s suffering living in a male dominant society. In l890 Florence Fenwick Miller , midwife turned journalist describes woman’s position succinctly. Under exclusively man-made laws women have been reduced to the most abject conditions at legal slavery in which it is possible for human beings to be held , under the arbitrary domination of another’s will and dependent for decent treatment exclusively on the goodness of heart of the individual master. ( from a speech to the National Liberal Club) â€Å" The Yellow Wallpaper† was also written during late 19 centuries by Charlotte Perkins Gilman to indicate the female suffrage under male hegemony America. The writer demostrates a common female figure who is remaining passive in all the decisions she should take for her own however instead her husband John decides for everything she should do even in her every day schedule, as the female protagonist states â€Å"I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day ; he takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungreatful not to value it more. † The narrator also stereotypes all o the male characters she addresses during the short story. She emphasises that they are all the same or worse than each other in treating women. She informs the reader that her husband who is a physician does not believe that she is sick instead he assures friends and relatives that she has nothing except temporary nervous depression. The narrator compares her husband’s opinion about her with her brother’s â€Å"my brother is also a physician, and also of high standing , and he says the same thing. † (13). Another male figure she compare with her husband is Weir Mitchell who is a physician too â€Å"I had a friend who was in his hands once, and she says he is just like John and my brother, only more so! (85). Due to all paralleling she made about opposite gender within the â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† we comprehend that the writer is feeling under oppression. Moreover the narrator writes on her secret dairy since she was prohibited to write or read anything. Actually the writer was prohibited to perform everything other than essential needs of human being. It was banned for her to write ,to imagine and to work but she does not share with them the same opinion she states â€Å"personally I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change would do me good. (13). She is unhappy with all the rights they insist her to do however she is sure that these things are not curing her. There are also repetition of some questions â€Å"but what is one to do? † (15), â€Å"and what s one to do? † (9), â€Å"what is one to do? † (10) which indicates that even though the writer does not agree with them in numerous points, she is not able to change neither her marriage nor her life since she knows that women are valued as long as they are supportive to their male companions. Another point is that John belittles and ridicules her fears , opinions and believes. Because when she told her opinion about the yellow wallpaper in which is in their room she says â€Å"he laughs at me so about this wallpaper! † (50). The writer thinks that the yellow wallpaper’s colour is â€Å"repellent† and â€Å"revolting†. Moreover we witness that the woman has worse ideas about this wallpaper â€Å" there are things in the wallpaper that nobody knows but me, or ever will. Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day. It is always the same shape, only very numerous. And like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern. I do not like it a bit. I wonder – I begin to think –I wish John would take me away from here! † (122). We comprehend that John did not care about her feeling concerning the wallpaper in their room therefore that caused her to sight nonfactual things and believe them the most strange fact is that John’s attitude towards her forced her not to tell all what she believes and thinks â€Å"I had no intension of telling him it was because of the wallpaper – he would make fun of me† (169). Besides we understand that John thinks she is still small because he calls her â€Å"little girl† perhaps that is the reason why he wants to control her and give all the decisions about her. Also it could be the reason why she does not tell him about her secret thoughts because he would think that she needs to be controlled. The short story has fascinatingly dramatic end which effects its reader and demonstrates that the writer wants to be freed from this male hegemony oppressing her in her every action . The narrator which was annoyed of the wallpaper in her room and believed that women were trapped beneath the wallpaper got slowly got insane due to that idea and peeled off all the paper intending to free the trapped women. She ends the story by these words â€Å" I have got out at last , in spite of you and Jane . And have pulled off most of the paper, so you can not put me back. † (265). We derive that the women she speaks about is her and all the women trapped in a male dominant society. So she belives she can free them from this pressure by peeling the wallpaper. Probably she sights the wallpaper as the society and her husband. Moreover we observe that she s tired of the role she was given by the society and wants to get rid of it. We witness a similar ending when we read Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse , we face a perfect example for the gender roles : Mrs Ramsay. Mrs Ramsay is a wonderful actor in novel ,playing her role of â€Å"angel in the home† with a laudable diligence. â€Å"†¦.. she had the whole of the other sex under her protection; for reasons she could not explain, for their chivalry and valour, for the fact that they negotiated treaties ,ruled India, controlled finance. (11). Such a view is what we have seen in our houses since our childhood and what is going on in other houses. Being an angelic mother and wife who stays at home and does what her husband says is the only thing that is expected from the female figure nothing more than that is awaited. To get rid of it in order to get base in life as neither being supportive nor supported as needs a sharp cut from the past description of what and who is woman. So that is what Virginia Woolf does by killing Ramsay through the end of the novel. This example shows that many woman writers touched on the same matter in their writings In the given situation in â€Å" The Yellow Wallpaper† we have woman figure whom oppresses her feelings ,imaginations and thoughts because she knows that is the only way she can be accepted by her husband and the society she dwells in. However this female protagonist struggles to gain a base instead submitting society rules and the dominance of masculine hegemony. And finally when she thinks she got free from the place they trapped her , we witness that she got mad. So we can observe the sufferings of the writer due to the man hegemony she is oppressed.

UC Students Essay Example for Free

UC Students Essay In this challenging era of competitiveness, survival and management of human beings has become a very difficult job to accomplish. The situation gets even worse when the individuals residing in any country does not have proper education and skills to keep them moving in the rough and resistive environment of competition and inflation. Therefore, in order to accentuate that management (Hancock Tyler, 2009) can be applied any situation we see that good and high quality education serves as the savior for the human beings around the world. No one can deny to the economic, social, moral and personal benefits quality education brings to human life as the fruits it bears are so unavoidable and obvious (McMahon, 2009). However, with every ray of light there comes its shadow as well and same is the case for good quality education. Though it renders unimaginable benefits and positive results towards students all over the world but on the other hand, like every good thing in this world it has a price that not many students across the globe can afford. This is the reason that most of the students that avail higher education at universities around the world works real hard in order to make both their hands meet and bear their personal as well as educational expenses. MANAGEMENT FUNCTION TO BE APPLIED The four basic functions of management are to plan, organize, direct and control (Nelson Economy, 2010). These functions fit well into the situation discussed in this essay. PROBLEM BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT Most of the universities around the world offer the flexible semester and convenient term system in order to allow the students to make the most of their time with greater feasibility coming from the perspective of course and curriculum. Usually the universities or higher educational institutes follow the practice of having or offering the biannual system or the two-semester system for one academic year to its national and international students. The first semester starts with the academic year and usually ends before the summer whereas the second semester starts after summer and ends in the month of November or more precisely in the mid of November (Colleges, 2009). These summer and winter breaks plays a very important role in helping the campus students in carrying on their studies as the students perform part time jobs and services in order to make money for paying the price of the quality education they are getting. The paper deals with the common problem on which the concept of management can be applied effectively (Rudra, 2009). This practice is true for the students of University of Canberra as well. However, a recent happening has given much rise to panic and anguish against the administration of Canberra University. This recent development accredited for creating uneasiness among the students of university is due to the fact that the university administration and the management board has decided to follow the practice of having three terms or semesters in one academic year instead of having twice an academic year.The university spokesperson says that these settings would be applied to all the national and international students studying in all departments of the university. RESPONSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT In response to this important and critical development, two contrary and opposing viewpoints have appeared. First viewpoint is that of the universities authorities, board of management and pupil in favor of this development. They belong to the school of thought that this development is in favor of students when viewed from their studies point of view, aspect of the quality of education they avail and their development of their skills and talents. The reason behind this statement is the fact that due to the three terms per academic year the students would be having ample time to continue their research work without any difficulty. According to this school of thought, the students have suffered a lot in terms of their research work as they could not manage to do research work up to the standards as recommended by research institutions. Therefore, practicing the three term practice per academic year is favorable and beneficial for the students and it is in best interest of their future (University of Western Australia, 2010). This reflects the concern of university management in the best interest of students. However, the other consideration in this matter is that of students who do different jobs in summer vacations as to carry on their studies and bear the educational expenses of the students. Though this is very alarming situation for many of the university students but in order to raise the standards of the research work carried out by university, it is important to implement this new development. CONCLUSION The essay concludes with the fact that the concepts of management can be applied anywhere in the world (Caproni, 2004), it can refer to any situation and can deal with the worst situation in a very logical and effective manner. Therefore, it is used not only in context of business but is also applied to the everyday life. Bibliography Caproni, P. J. (2004). Management Skills for Every Day Life: the practical coach. Pearsen Prentice Hall. Colleges, I. D. (2009). Australian Universities.Pennsylvania State University. Hancock, P. , Tyler, M. (2009). The Management of Every Day Life. Palgrave Macmillan. McMahon, W. W. (2009). Higher Learning, Greater Good: The Benefits of Higher Education. JHU Press. Nelson, B. , Economy, P. (2010). Managing for Dummies. Wiley-IEEE. Rudra, N. (2009, August 22). The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia. University of Western Australia, D. o. (2010). Education Research and Perspectives. Department of Education, University of Western Australia.

Tesco Nature Scope And Purpose Of Strategic Management

Tesco Nature Scope And Purpose Of Strategic Management INTRODUCTION Tesco started as a one-man business in Londons East End. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen, son of a Polish Jewish tailor. He sold groceries in the markets of the East End from 1919. The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name derived after Jack Cohen bought a large shipment of tea from T.E. Stockwell (formerly Messrs Torring and Stockwell of Mincing Lane), he made new labels by using the first three letters of the suppliers name and the first two letters of his surname forming the word TESCO. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, and London. The firm was floated on the London Stock Exchange on 23 December 1947. The first Tesco self-service store opened in 1948 in St Albans and is still trading in 2006 as a Tesco Metro store.The first Tesco supermarket was opened in 1956 in a converted cinema in Maldon, Essex. Tescos first superstore was opened in 1968 in Crawley, West Sussex. The group began selling petrol in 1974 and its annual turnover reached one billion pounds in 1979. Also In 1975 Tesco opened one of its first Hypermarkets in Irlam. The first Hypermarket under the Extra name opened in 1997. EXPANSION: In 1994, the company took over the Scottish supermarket chain William Low. Tesco successfully fought off Sainsburys for control of the Dundee-based firm, which operated 57 stores north of the border, paving the way for Tesco to expand its weak presence in Scotland. To the present day, Tesco has based its Scottish headquarters at the former Wm. Low offices in Dundee. From small beginnings in Scotland Inverness was recently branded as Tescotown, since an estimated 50p in every  £1 spent on food is believed to be spent in the three Tesco stores within the city. (Nationally, it is estimated that 1 in every  £8 is the proportion spent) It introduced a loyalty card branded Clubcard in 1995 and later an Internet shopping service. During the 1990s it expanded into Central Europe, Ireland and East Asia. In July 2001 it became involved in internet grocery retailing in the USA when it obtained a 35% stake in GroceryWorks. In October 2003 it launched a UK telecoms division, comprising of mobile and home phone services, to complement its existing internet service provider business. In August 2004, it also launched a broadband service. NATURE, SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT NATURE: Tesco opened its first store in Edgware, North London in 1929.It is founded by John Cohen and T. E. Stockwell. Tesco mainly used strategies to build customer loyalty. It reached the  £billion pound turnover in 1979.It became the first UK business to reach  £2 billion pound and became the largest retailer in UK. STRATEGY: According to Johnson and Scholes strategy is defined as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term; which achieves advantage for the organisation through it configuration of resources within a changing enviroment,to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. Tescos growth over the last two or three decades has involved a transformation of its strategy and image. Its initial success was based on the Pile it high, sell it cheap approach of the founder Jack Cohen. The disadvantage of this was that the stores had a poor image with middle-class customers. In the late 1970s Tescos brand image was so negative that consultants advised the company to change the name of its stores. It did not accept this advice, yet by early 2005 it was the largest retailer in the United Kingdom, with a 29.0% share of the grocery market according to retail analysts TNS Super Panel, compared to the 16.8% share of ASDA and 15.6% share of third-placed Sainsburys, which had been the market leader until it was overtaken by Tesco in 1995. Key to success: Focus on customers. Focus heavily on value for money. Finest and low price. Core UK business. Non-food business. Retailing services. International Expansion. SCOPE According to Mintzberg and Quinn there are five definitions if strategy Strategy as a plan Strategy as a pattern Strategy as a position Strategy as a perspective Strategy as a ploy Tescos growth over the last two or three decades has involved a transformation of its strategy and image. Its initial success was based on the Pile it high, sell it cheap approach of the founder Jack Cohen. Levels of planning Planning of strategy in any organisation is categorised into three levels: Top level planning: this is done by the top management and is termed as strategic planning. It is a long range planning and is linked to long range goals. Second level planning: This is carried out by senior executives and is termed as tactical planning. The plans are devised to achieve the organisations main objectives. The long-range plans of the organisation are segmented and are oriented to functions and departments. Third level planning: This is the concern of the departmental managers and supervisors and is called activity planning or operational planning. It is confined to short term activities and also individual assignments and establishes performance of the organisation. Corporate strategy: It is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stake holder expectations. It is often expressed as mission statement of the organisation. The companys mission statement reads, Our core purpose is, To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. We deliver this through our values, No-one tries harder for customers, and Treat people how we like to be treated'. The underlying aim is of course to make higher profits, but there is a clear focus on customer service at the top level of the company. Business strategy: It is concerned with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. Tescos business strategy is to Expand overseas Maintain a strong uk business Expand into non-food merchandise Operational strategy: It is concerned with the operations to deliver the corporate and business strategy of the organisation. Tesco has its every little helps strategy to make both its employees and customers happy while achieving the organisational goals. PURPOSE Tesco adopts its strategy with a core purpose to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. This is expressed as two key values. No one tries harder for customers Treat people as we like to be treated. Tesco positions all its resources with a purpose to satisfy this strategy while achieving its organisational goals. PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT While the corporate strategy of an organisation sets the objectives for different businesses; business strategy deals with individual sections of the overall business and the operational strategy directs and determines each function of the organisation. The process of business strategy of Tesco can be outlined as: Stating and understanding The Companys vision. Stating and understanding The Companys mission. Analysing the business environment. Crafting and evaluation of strategy. Implementation, monitoring and control. VISION Tescos vision can be clearly understood in the statement of its CEO Terry Leahy we have got only 5% of the non-food market in Britain, we have got only 6% of the convenience market and we have got only 2-3% of the banking market In all these examples we could be much bigger. This statement clearly presents the idea where Tesco wants to be in the future. MISSION A mission statement spells out the central purpose and shared values of a business organisation. Mission of Tesco is To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty which is delivered through two key values no one tries harder for customers and treat people how they like to be treated. ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT For the formulation of strategy, it is necessary to analyse the organisational environment. These would include political, economic, social and technological factors. According to Johnson and Scholes: Managers face difficulties in trying to understand the environment. First, the environment encapsulates many different influences; the difficulty is making sense of this diversity in a way which can contribute to strategic decision making. A simple analysis of the business environment so Tesco involves three aspects: Analysing Internal capabilities and resources(core competencies) Analysing external environment by PEST Analysis Analysing the competitive environment by Porters five forces Core Competencies Core competences relate to those resources and capabilities if the firm which enable to Attain a competitive edge in the market According to Johnson and Scholes core competencies create and sustain the ability to meet the critical success factors of particular customer groups better than other providers in ways that are difficult to imitate. Tesco identifies core competencies by three factors: Creation of new products and services which provides potential access to a wide variety of markets. Skill which makes a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product. competitive unique skills which are difficult for competitors to imitate PEST ANALYSIS The external environment of an organisation is analysed by PEST analysis. It helps to identify the key changes that are taking place around the organisation and which influence it in the future. A PEST Analysis looks at Political Factors Economic factors Social factors Technological factors The following is the PEST Analysis for Tesco Political Factors Risks of potential competition commission enquiry GM- Food EU competition Law Economic Factors Intensive price competition between the large supermarkets Cost of products keep falling because of strengthening buying power Socio cultural factors Organic foods and drink Customer concerns about GM food, allergies and additives Animal welfare policies Environmental policies and practices Technological Factors Radio Frequency identity technology in operation of its supply chain Radio barcode technology for tagging cases. Self service check-out system. PORTERS FIVE FORCES Porters five forces are used to analyse the external environment of an organisation and to determine the attractiveness of the market. The five forces are: The bargaining power of customers The bargaining power of suppliers The threat of new entrants The threat of substitute products The intensity of competitive rivalry Bargaining power of customers The buying power of customers may influence Tesco to force prices down. This may lead to competition where the other rivals may also bring down the prices. Tesco should maintain the customer loyalty to stop them from drifting to others. Bargaining power of suppliers Demand of suppliers to pay high prices for their goods. Recently, the agitation by the dairy farmers to get high price for milk is an example. But market giants like Tesco has an overwhelming advantage over their suppliers where they dictate the price they pay their suppliers. Threat of new entrants Supermarket chains like Tesco manage the threat of new entrants by imposing barriers to entry. This is achieved by paying high price to suppliers and buying large volumes of goods. This makes Tesco to supply goods at cheaper prices to its customers where it corners the new entrants. Tesco also has the advantage of economies of scale. Threat of substitute products Tesco faces the threat of cutting down the prices of groceries and goods by other giants like Asda and Sainsbury. This may lead to lowering of prices where the buyer gets an advantage. Intensity of competitive rivalry Retail industry is the one where the profit margins are low and the competition is high. According to classical economics, rivalry between companies should drive profits to zero. All the above mentioned factors impact the intensity of competition for Tesco. Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons and others with their expansion plans and strategies are making the competition tough. Their disciplined approach towards prices setting is preventing the destruction in profit war. Environmental evaluation of Tesco The environmental audit is reliant on the monitoring activity undertaken by the organisation. It includes Market intelligence Largest supermarket chain with a market capitalisation of  £26.037bn New strategies for mergers and expansion plans to US Effective and low prices Continuous monitoring and direct information on the sales figures in stores Efficient maintenance of customer loyalty. Technical intelligence RFID technology for supply chain management EPOs and Bar-coding technology Extension of RFID technology for tagging the cases through out the supply chain by 2007. Effective implementation of one in front policy at the tills to satisfy the customers. Acquisition intelligence Decision of receding from the bid to takeover Safeway. Expansion plans for US Other issues Convenience stores according to the needs of the people Decisions regarding the environmental issues Crafting a strategy By considering the above factors Tesco clearly crafted a strategy that keeps it in the leading position in all the aspects: The selected strategy of Tesco is To provide all the customers with excellent value and choice in UK business which is its biggest market and where Tesco enjoys top slot. Having a six element approach to be an international retailer while focusing on satisfaction of needs of the different local customers. KEY FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGY The key factors for an organisation are those which exist within an environment and may generate a need for change. These are triggers for change in the organisation. The following is a brief description of the key factors which may lead to strategic change in Tesco. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Macro environmental analysis increases awareness of the relevant environmental changes at managerial level. This enhances strategic planning. Macro environmental analysis further focuses attention on the primary influences of strategic change and provides anticipation to opportunities and carefully develops responses to change. The following are the external environmental factors which pose challenges to Tesco High energy costs High recovery costs Improving position of competitors Risks of the potential competition commission enquiry Growing cautiousness among consumers STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders can be defined as As those individual actors and parties, organisations and professions and institutions that have a bearing on the behaviour of the organisation as revealed in its policies and actions on the environment. Stakeholders can be divided into two categories; Those view the organisation externally Those have an internal interest External stakeholders for Tesco are competitiors, customers, suppliers, shareholders government departments etc.They judge the efficiency and try to influence its activities. So Tesco always determines the outputs required by the stakeholders. Internal stakeholders for Tesco are the owners, managers and employees. In large companies like Tesco there are thousands of shareholders who have a vested interest in the success of the business. MEDIA Media plays a very important role in an organisations strategy. It works in two ways; Interest in the success of the organisation and its subsequent positive feedback Interest in the proposed developments Tesco notifies well that the influence of effective public relations on the opinions of a wide range of groups will enhance the likelihood of success for its strategy. So it always maintains good relations with the media. Tescos media centre contain the latest news releases, images and briefing notes. Their latest TV ad campaign can also be viewed from their video library. The media people can also access to their media centre for easy access to the latest developments. LEGAL Organisations need to anticipate and prepare themselves for changes in legal procedures. The potential competition commission enquiry and other regulations are important legal factors which can influence retail sector now.Tesco has all the legal resources which enables it to respond to such changes well in advance and as a part of its developing strategy. ETHICAL These are the moral principles that should govern human relations and conduct. These are very important considerations in formulating strategy which involve subjective personal feelings about human behaviour. Tesco identifies as one of the key factors in its strategy and accepts this with enthusiasm and commitment. EDUCATIONAL In the present business scenario, the capacity to transmit knowledge through devices as the internet has become formidable. The most important and interesting aspect of the improvement in education and subsequent growth of knowledge has been the increasing professionalism of workforces in an organisation. Tesco understand this well and implements it in the improvement of skills of its human resources. It conducts training programmes a least two times a year. POLITICAL Political factors generally effect the organisation in two ways. One driven by the government pr by the multinational political initiatives and another concerned with the political shifts within the particular business environment. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS The following are the factors that are instrumental to the internal environment of Tesco. Organisational policy The mission statement of an organisation sets out the purpose of a business The mission statement of an organisation is refined over the time to reflect the developed or enhanced capabilities of the business .The following are the purpose statements for Tesco which gives a clear picture of its policy Scope of an organisations activities is a fundamental element of strategy. Tescos scope relates to the extent of the market into which it sells its products and services. It is already the largest retailer in UK and is planning to expand to US .It has already wide markets in Europe and Asia. A key consideration for a firm is to identify what areas of activity to pursue in its markets. Tesco targets customers of all ages with its products and services ranging from food, household products and retail to insurance and personal finance. An important aspect of strategy is for a company to identify the positions held by their products and services in the market place. Tesco has already built a very strong businesses over the time with very strong market positions. Each and every one of them has huge potential for further growth. Human resources Tesco is the largest private sector employer in UK. Tesco is the largest private sector employer in UK. It employs 250,000 staff alone in the UK and 367,000 staff worldwide. It has 2365 stores all over the world. Tesco employs about 11,000 employees every year. It recruits about 80 to 150 graduates each year to two training schemes one store and one office based. It recruits by in-store advertising, events in local areas. and recommendations From existing employees through an employee referral scheme. These employees are the need for effective communication in the field of management. Financial resources As per the statistics of 2006 Tesco is the fourth largest retailer in the world. Its market capitalisation was  £26.035 billion which was the largest of any retailer based outside the united states. Tesco also has got tremendous property portfolio. It does its own development and owns about 85 of all its assets around the world. And always Tesco invests a lot in its property. According to company authorities over the next five years its property value will be  £5 billion and still be a predominantly freehold property company. All these factors are described as the key factors for Tesco DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS Strategy whether developed for a whole organisation or for an operating department or a team follows the same building process .Its central concern is to create a long-term vision of where we want to be or what we would like to become .Strategy that an organisation adopts should be feasible and practicable. Its pulling power is extremely important to survive in the tough competitive environment where an organisation operates .The art of strategic development involves a set of sophisticated tools to facilitate the process. The following is a brief context of different strategic options for TESCO and their evaluation. PEST ANALYSIS To develop a strategy for an organisation to assure its long-term effectiveness it should carry an analysis about its future. For this PEST Analysis is the best tool. It carries analysis of four or six major factors which can effect the organisation in future .TESCO which is the largest player in retail sector carries PEST Analysis to analyse the external factors which may affect in the future .The following is the PEST Analysis for TESCO: Political and legal considerations Risks of potential commission enquiry TESCO may face the risk of the potential commission enquiry in future which aims to curb the unhealthy competition in the retail sector. GM-Food With increasing awareness in the consumers all over the world TESCO may face the risk with Green peace workers regarding the labelling of genetically modified foods. . EU Competition Law EU Competition Law constituted to regulate monopoly power may impact TESCO and its expansion in the European Union in the near future. Economic considerations Intensive price competition between the large supermarkets Cost of products keep falling because of strengthening buying power Social Factors Organic foods and drink Consumers growing concerns about the organic food and drinks may influence in near future Customer concerns about GM food, allergies and additives With growing cautiousness and discontent about the GM food and use of allergic causing agents and additives in the manufacture of food may show impact Animal welfare policies Animal welfare policies which oppose the testing of the products on animals Environmental policies and practices Green peace workers and changing concerns about environmental issues. Technological Factors Radio Frequency identity technology in operation of its supply chain Use of RFID technology in its supply chain helps TESCO to efficiently carry its operations and maintain its position. Radio barcode Technology for tagging cases. Use of Radio barcode Technology to tag the cases and extending this technique to the entire chain by the end of 2007 will show an impact on operations in TESCO. Self-service checkout system SWOT Analysis IT is a commonly used tool .Its main purpose is to locate the organisation in its operating environment and try to assess its internal and external capabilities and vulnerabilities. SWOT stand for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths are internal and opportunities are environmental. Similarly weaknesses are internal and threats are environmental. The following is the SWOT analysis for TESCO Strengths These are the strengths of TESCO TESCO s Brand name Loyal customers Largest player in the retail sector Well established supply chain Excellent ware housing capability Largest online grocer Great store locations Skilled work force Club card scheme for enhancing customer loyalty. Weaknesses These are the weaknesses of TESCO Vast usage of fossil fuel in transport chain and super market heating systems Lack of integration between departments at certain times Opportunities These are the opportunities where TESCO can explore in future Improving customer relationships Real growth opportunity for grocery retailing in the newly enlarged European Union. Increasing sales through better integration of high street and internet resources Threats These are the threats that might affect TESCO in the future. High energy costs Increasing taxes on retail items Expansion of low cost supermarkets like LIDL. Recovering competitions like Sainsburys and Morrisons. A weakening economy An increase in unemployment PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGIES After establishing the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and analysing the competitive environment, we have to establish the generic strategy of the organisation. No set of the strategic tools will be complete without a look at Michael porters generic strategies. Porter advocates, Gaining and maintaining competitive advantage The three generic strategies of Porter are Differentiation This is a strategy where the organisation offers a product or service which is unique compared with those of its competitors .This differentiation must be known to at least a segment of the market. Cost Leadership This is a strategy where the organisation enables itself to provide the products or services at a cost less than any other competitive organisation. It is the ability the organisation has to price below competitors if and when it needs so. Focus This is a strategy where the organisation targets its products or services at a given sector of the market with great accuracy and with a depth of capability and knowledge to support its position in the sector. In the retail sector with a very low profit margin the environment is hypercompetitive .TESCO being the largest player adopts the Cost Leadership strategy to challenge its competitors. TESCO has all the capabilities to adapt to this strategy. It develops its internal resources and its core competencies to support this strategy. In addition to these a number of generic strategies have emerged to define the modern organisation .The following is a list of the strategies. Reducing cost base Improving quality Getting closer to the customer Shorter cycle times Strategic partnerships Ability to change fast Of the above mentioned generic strategies, TESCO adopts the following: Reducing cost base To cut down the expenses and to increase productivity and efficiency, TESCO adopts this strategy to face the challenges of price war with its competitors, high property costs a and to provide value based products to the customers. Improving quality TESCO always concentrates on improving quality to rule the existing markets. It adopts new techniques and softwares both in the logistics and in-store operations to consistently serve the customers. Getting closer to the customer Customers are whimsical, customers are fickle, customers are not loyal. The ability to anticipate this fickleness is a strategic strength.TESCO understands this well and introduced club card schemes which helps TESCO to have millions of loyal customers. THE ANSOFF MATRIX This is a classic model in strategy building .Its main purpose is to analyse the organisations approaches to its products and to its market to ensure that an appropriate marketing strategy is being pursued .The following is the An off matrix for TESCO Current products New products Current markets Market penetration Improving services Improving quality Product development Expand own brands like The Finest and TESCO Value. Expansion into non-food sector Adding new products to the existing product line New markets Market development International expansion and globalisation Home shopping Developing small express stores Diversification New services Using the Ansoff matrix in conjunction with the BCG matrix, TESCO conducts a useful review of its strategy to achieve its vision. EVALUATION The BCG matrix The Boston Consulting Group matrix is a valuable tool .Its purpose is to analyse the organisations product portfolio. The definitions used in the BCG matrix are very precisely expressed in terms of the generation and use of cash. This makes this matrix a sharp-edged tool. the following are the definitions used in BCG matrix Stars These are the products that are performing well .They are generating positive cash and they usually require continuous update to maintain their market share. Problems These are the products which are not performing and not generating sufficient cash to maintain them in their markets. Cash cows These are the products which are performing well in markets which are growing slowly or are static. They are probably generating more money that can be profitably invested in them. Dogs They have low market share in markets which are growing slowly or are static. They may be consuming more resources to maintain their availability. They need quick decisions. The following is the BCG matrix for Tesco Market share High low Star On-line shopping Organic foods Loyalty cards Non-grocery items New services Problems On-line shopping with demographic analysis Home delivery of products Cash cows Cash cows Branded produ

Grapes Of Wrath - Stereotyping :: essays research papers

Stereotyping and Its Effects Stereotyping, brought on by the existence of a class system, has many positive effects in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. This class system, made up of migrants and affluent people, is present due to the fact that many of the affluent people stereotype the migrants as poor, uneducated, and easily agitated human beings. Thus, this sets a boundary between the educated individuals and migrants. At first, most migrants ignore the effects stereotyping has on them. But towards the end of their journeys to California, the migrants’ rage that had been gradually building up inside lets out and the migrants take action. The effects are more positive as the migrants strive for an education, receive sympathy, and calmly deal with conflicts. Farm owners, successful businessmen, and generally all inhabitants of the Mid-West have a sense that all migrants are dumb, uneducated people in 1939. They lower wages for fruit-picking at farms which were the only jobs offered to the migrants because of their proposed lack of intelligence. But migrants do not necessarily choose not to educate themselves. Ma Joad announces to her family that she will send her two youngest children to school once they are settled. Connie, Rose of Sharon’s husband, also plans out his goals with Rose of Sharon saying, â€Å"An’ he’s [Connie] gonna study at home, maybe radio, so he can git to be an expert . . . † The migrants have their mind already set on education and chose not to be ignorant all of their lives. Often in Grapes of Wrath, the affluent people stereotype the migrants as poor and penniless. As the Joads pull into the gas station, the attendant immediately asks, â€Å"Got any money?† He views the Joads as one of many poor, migrant families arriving to beg for some gas. But not all people who view migrants as poverty-stricken, hungry people see them in such a way. Mae, a waitress at one of the restaurants pities a family asking for bread and shows her compassion by letting the children have candy for much less than its worth. Instead of the anticipated let-down, the migrants receive pity from those with compassion and sympathy. Not only do affluent individuals see the migrants as uneducated and penniless, but also as easily agitated human beings. Because farm workers are afraid that these migrants may someday take over their farms, they try to make the migrants’ stay more unwelcoming.

An Organic Dissection of a Tutoring Session :: Personal Narrative Writing

An Organic Dissection of a Tutoring Session When Delvin (that's what I will call him) walked into the Writing Resource Center I was a little worried because I knew him from another class and a few social events, besides talking with him on occasion around the campus. I had had a bad experience earlier in the year when tutoring a friend of mine who'd asked me to help him with punctuation. I ended up just giving him a punctuation sheet and tried to work on some deeper level problems with word choices and development. He didn't see the problems or seem to want help in those areas, so he was offended at my attitude towards the content of his paper. (He thought that it was a near final draft except for a little editing.) Right away, though, Delvin said that his paper was in an early draft stage and he need some help "making it clear" because he was dealing with a difficult topic for Philosophy 205, Aesthetics. Now, Aesthetics is a complex topic dealing with ideas, objects, feelings, and theories as to what is beautiful and what is ugly. And Philosophy has a mode of thinking that is complex. At the time of my session with Delvin I didn't make the connection between the two, but prior writing to this paper the magnets reached their poles: the connection between philosophical thinking and writing development and also their ability, when done properly, to deal with complex issues. The main connection between the two is their ability to start with a topic and break it down into simple ideas and then reconstruct it into a theory or paper that displays, argues, questions, or proves the topic to a reader or listener. The philosophers main mode of dissecting a topic is by questioning every factor that is relevant (and even some that are irrelevant.) This is basically the same thing a writer should do when he or she begins to organize his or her paper. They need to find out, "who did what, when, where, and why?" Many writers and philosophers can organize these questions and answers in their head so that it makes sense to them, but the problem lies when they have to communicate multitudes of simple ideas to someone other than themselves. The overall idea won't make much sense to a reader if the writer spits it out like a madman babbling about the apocalypse.

Fairies: Beauty or Contentment? :: English Literature

Fairies: Beauty or Contentment? Fairies- like witches- were widely accepted as real in the Elizabethan era. The witches in Macbeth still stir debate over whether they initiated Macbeth’s crimes or simply anticipated then. What role do you think the fairies have in A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Are they simply a theatrical device to create wonder and beauty on stage or do the fairies have a greater significance? How does Shakespeare use them? In correlation to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the role of the witches produces a direct connotation with the role of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The philosophical perception of fate is carried throughout both the dramas, enacting to drive the plot forward. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses the fairies to depict a magical setting, symbolizing beauty, love and contentment. These symbols form the basis of the play in context to the plot for the reason that these symbols drive the plot to come full circle by the 5th Act. However, the magical setting portrays Shakespeare’s intent of having the interaction between the two worlds; hence the combination is what formulates the plots complications whilst further proving the drama to be a romantic comedy. In addition, A Midsummer Night’s Dream revolves around the themes of love and marriage; thus the implication of fairies adds to the emotions of content through possessing a magical and joyous touch. Lastly, in contrast to the witches in Macbeth, the fairies don’t seem to possess an evil side, hence signifying the love and romance that surrounds the play. On this basis, Shakespeare uses the fairies to create an ambiance of affection; as their wits disregard the play to be more comedic than tragic. Nonetheless, Shakespeare connects the fairies to comedy within the play for the fact that the characters are in a dream world which frustrated lovers find happiness against all odds through the juice of a tree and further lovers suicides can be laughed at because they are part of badly told tale. In context to the play, the fairies significance is somewhat vital for the reason that their actions and decisions determine the course of the play. Furthermore, the opening scene is somewhat significant for the reason that it tells the reader the play is a fairy story, thus the role of the fairies is then imperative to some extent. â€Å"And then the moon, like to a silver bow new bent in heaven, shall behold the night† implies the notion of a ‘once upon a time story’, hence being a magical tale. Secondly, in correlation to the notion of fate that persists within the real world is determined through the magical droplets of the fairies, hence causing complications and the structure

Ford vs. Gm

FORD MOTOR COMPANY . VS. GENERAL MOTORS Ford Automotive Company Background The Ford Automotive Company began as a vision of its founder Henry Ford. Henry Ford was born in 1863 on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan. In 1890 Ford’s hobby in the engineering field became a career as he began his employment at Detroit Edison Company. In 1892, Ford built his first gasoline buggy in which he sold in 1896 to help fund the construction of a new automobile. Three years later in 1899, Ford was forced to quit despite his promotion to chief engineer because of his hobby outside of work.The loss of his career at Detroit Edison Company did not slow Ford down. Soon after that he started Detroit Automobile Company with the help of some private investors. Shortly after, he withdrew from that business association because of accounting and prices of the cars produced by the company. On June 16, 1903 Henry Ford opened a converted wagon factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit which became known as the Ford M otor Company. After the company was formed it went through ups and down like any other company.The Ford Motor Company fought with the Licensed Association of Automobile Manufacturers over rights for a patent held on road locomotives with internal combustion engines when the company began. The Model T was the beginning mark of Ford’s success being one of its most popular cars in 1908. Ford was also involved in the war effort in World War I. The Ford Motor Company placed its resource at the disposal of the government providing large quantities of automobiles, trucks, ambulances, Liberty airplane motors, Whippet tanks, and Eagle submarine chasers.The Ford Company later expanded into other countries such as England, German, and Russia. The Ford Motor Company has been through many changes in time that include two World Wars, the Great Depression and more. General Motors Automotive Company Background William C. Durant, founder of General Motors Company was born in Boston, Massachus etts on December 8, 1861. Durant was also the grandson of Michigan Governor Henry H. Crapo. Durant dropped out of high school to work in his grandfather’s lumberyard. He went from the lumberyard to selling carriages. In 1886, Durant founded the Flint Road Cart Company which transformed from $2,000 start-up capital into a $2 million business that made sales around the world. Durant teamed up with Josiah Dort to create the Durant-Dort Carriage Company based in Flint, Michigan in 1890. Their company became the number one leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world. After Durant produced the modern system of automobile dealer franchises, he was offered a general manager position of Buick in 1904. Shortly after obtaining this position and being successful in it, Durant became president of the company taking it in a different direction.Durant arranged the incorporation by proxies of General Motors and quickly after sold stock and with the proceeds acquired Oldsmobile in 1908. After that acquisition, Durant acquired Oakland, Cadillac. In 1911, Durant went into a partnership with Louis Chevrolet, starting the Chevrolet Company. In 1916, GM was incorporated as General Motors Corporation. GM went on to expand by purchasing McLaughlin Motor Car Company in Ontario, Vauxhall Motors of England, and 80% share in German automobile manufacturer Adam Opel AG. Under the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan, GM had successfully exceeded the sales of Ford Motor Company.GM also became versatile by purchasing Fokker Aircraft Corp of America and Berliner-Joyce Aircraft in which later merged into General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation. GM manufactured vehicles and aircrafts for both Allied and Axis customers during WWII. GM continued expanding and came out with more brands the almost any other automobile company in the world. Ford Motor Company Profile Ford Motor Company is a public company that is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Ford is a worldwide company lo cated in Dearborn, Michigan which is also part of the S & P 500.The key people involved in the success of this great company include William C. Ford, Jr. (Executive Chairman) and Alan R. Mulally (President & CEO). Ford’s production consists of automobiles and automotive parts. Ford produces amazing vehicles such as the Mustang, F-150, Fusion, Taurus, Focus, etc. Ford also has subsidiaries such as Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo. Ford has its own luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. The line of services that ford provides involves automotive finance, vehicle leasing, and vehicle service.Ford Motor Company has had an exceptional year with revenue up $136. 26 billion, operating income up $8. 681 billion, net income up $20. 21 billion, total assets up $178. 35 billion, and total equity up $15. 07 billion. General Motors Company Profile General Motors Company is labeled as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. The headquarters of GM is located in Detroit, Michiga n in the Renaissance Center. GM has 156 facilities on six different continents and serves the public worldwide. One the key people in the current success of GM is Daniel Ackerson (Chairman and CEO).Their products include automobiles and automotive parts and also financial services. GM has a many subsidiaries that consist of CAMI, Adam Opel AG, Holden Ltd, Vauxhall, and more. GM’s divisions include Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. The 202,000 employees have helped to produce revenue adding up to $150. 28 billion in 2011. To add to GM’s great year, the operating income is up $9. 287 billion, net income is up $7. 585 billion total assets are up $144. 60 billion, and the total equity is up 38. 9 billion. Employee Benefits Ford provides a great benefits package.There employee package includes: * Medical * Dental * Vision * Paid Vacation * Paid Company Holidays * Ford Flexible Work Program * Savings & Stock Investment Plan (401K) * Ford Retirement Plan * Vehicle Purchase Plan * Community Service Program * Ford Employee Recreation Program (FERA) General Motors also provides an excellent benefits package. GM employees’ benefits package includes: * Medical * Dental * Vision * Savings-Stock Purchase Program 401(k) * Personal retirement income plan * Financial planning * Life insurance * Disability benefits * 17 Paid holidays 2 Week vacation with 1-3 years of service * 5 Week vacation for longer service employees * 5 additional paid days off Employees and immediate family members purchase vehicles at a significant discount The Customer is Always Right Our principal purpose in presenting you with this information is to help you with your decision in choosing a company to work for as a communications consultant. Through our research we have found a considerable amount of data that should not only help you decide which company you will be choosing, but clarify which company would be the best choice.In presenting information there are several challen ges in deciding which categories would peak your interest in a company. While there are vast amounts of information at your fingertips we have reviewed personal accounts of employee satisfaction experiences as well as customer satisfaction surveys, challenges that each competitor faces both near and far, and the tough decisions that Ford and GMC have had to make during the times of financial crisis. It is our belief that employee satisfaction is a key to a successful business and so do most major businesses, including Ford and General Motors.Employed persons spend the majority of their time at work, and that makes it obvious that employee satisfaction should be the one of the most important categories researched. To determine if not only the company fits you, but to see if the â€Å"YOU† fit the company. Since 2009, the year of GMC filing bankruptcy, 29,000 or more salaried employees are operating under a new policy that concentrates efforts towards placing the customerâ€⠄¢s needs first, and receiving a bonus when customer retention goals are met. These efforts are to improve customer relationships with the GM products and services. Here are some comments from glassdoor. om about General motors recent customer experiences, â€Å"GM is the place to go† says a former project manager in Chicago, Illinois. A former engineer in Detroit, MI on a recent visit to a GMC dealer said â€Å"management is working hard to improve the culture which has been slow and cumbersome. † GMC since their recent financial crisis has placed a concentrated effort on employee and customer satisfaction, and it has proven to be a key to their revival. Their initiative is to increase its customer retention from 52 percent to 58 percent, if the employees reach the company’s retention goal it will add $4. billion in annual revenue. â€Å"Mark Reuss, General Motor’s North America President stated it’s the first time in his 26-year career that the automaker will reward employees based around how well they retain their customers. † General Motors is definitely creating a change in policies and procedures and only employee effort and good managing decisions will decide the future success of the company. Ford on the other hand stood strong through the financial crisis of the latter part of the 2000’s, declining acceptance of the Tarp money offered by the Government, and choosing not to declare bankruptcy.Ford’s success is due mainly to the Ford family giving up the reigns and allowing an outsider executive control over the company, and other employees making good decisions, and allowing the company to rely on employees and great customer satisfaction to keep the ball rolling. William â€Å"Bill† Clay Ford, Executive Chairman of the Board for Ford Motor Corporation, and former CEO, acknowledged that there may have been some gain from taking TARP money, but nothing is forever, and people have short memor ies. So it is really up to Ford everyday to earn our respect. GM is a great competitor, and we know that.I like where we are positioned and I like that we have positioned ourselves to earn that respect† he was quoted in an article â€Å"How Ford did it† on Cnn. com. Ford’s Pulse Survey Ford motor company has gone through great lengths to improve their company not only as an automotive manufacturer but in terms of employee satisfaction. In 2009, 80 percent of Ford’s salaried employees participated in their annual Pulse survey. The Pulse survey gives Ford an insight into employee’s actual satisfaction with the company, their job, diversity, and other aspects of the workplace.The Pulse survey includes several categories one being an (ESI)- Employee Satisfaction Index, in which 68 percent gave a good rating which was a two percent increase from the previous year and a third year with improvement to the company’s scores. The area of greatest impro vement was the employee overall satisfaction and information received from upper level management. Other areas that have improved over the years are supervision and diversity. Ford has placed a highly concentrated effort into improving communications internally to build trust and increase transparency amongst employees.Diversity in the Workplace Since 1903 Ford has been known as a leader in the automotive industry and a leader in diverse practices in the workplace. Ford is still committed to hiring a highly skilled workplace that reflects many different aspects of our country including culture, ethnicity, race, age, perspective, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation. In 1913 Ford offered five dollars a day to factory workers to attract the African American and immigrant citizens in the community helping create the black middle class.By 1916 Ford was proud to have employed with them, men and women from 62 different nationalities, and 900 disabled employees. In the year 19 19 Ford is responsible for leading to the first mosque in the United States. By 1920 Ford had more African American employees than any other automotive company in the world. That year they also employed their first Asian-Indian employee whom later established the Ford of India. In 1941 Ford negotiates its first collective bargaining agreement which was groundbreaking, mostly because it explicitly prohibited discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or creed. 944 is when Rose Will Monroe, a rivet gun operator, was chosen to appear in a commercial for the Ford Motor Company showing determined women factory workers and personifying the Ford image of diversity for all in the workplace. In 1970 several women join the company as salaried employees. They quickly moved up the executive ranks becoming the first women to enter Ford’s Marketing and Sales Management Program. Today, Ford’s efforts continue in hiring female employees in the executive, management, and eng ineering divisions. Barb J.Samardzich, Vice President of Powertrain Engineering has said that today 18% of Ford employees are women, which is 5% higher than it was when she graduated from college. In 2003, the company included an expanded definition of diversity to include not only race, ethnicity, age and gender but also many things are unique to employees unique such as backgrounds, opinions, experiences, perspectives and life situations. â€Å"It also put an emphasis on fostering an inclusive culture that is free of barriers, and in which all employees are included, respected and appreciated†, says Ford executives. At GM, we view diversity as a critical business imperative that in the long-term will benefit each of us, and all of us. We drive diversity throughout our organization by focusing on five areas: Customers, Communities, Dealers, and Suppliers† says GM executive. GMC hasn’t always made the best decisions as a company, but one of the keys to their succ ess is creating a strongly diverse workforce. On March 14 GMC hosted a luncheon celebrating their 50th anniversary of Inforum a professional organization focused on creating strategic connections and accelerating careers for women throughout Michigan.This year GMC showed a bit of Latin flair when they allowed designer Johanna Medina, designer of GMC’s Acadia to be the keynote speaker. She spoke to students of Bronx high school of visual arts about her path to working as a designer for GMC and how much she enjoys the diversity of their workforce. The General Motors African Ancestry Affinity Network (GMAAN) held its 6th Annual Black History Month Celebration on February 24, 2012 at the Grand Ballroom inside the Greektown Hotel in Detroit, MI. This year’s theme was â€Å"Influencing a New Generation† and GM’s own Mr.Ed Welburn, Vice President of Global Design, was the Keynote Speaker. Ed spoke about his love and passion for designing vehicles and how it was influenced by GM at a very early age and he was absolutely determined to work for the company that inspired him. He manages 11 Global design studios in eight countries and over 1,800 creative people that continue to design the best award-winning vehicles around the world. Ed is the 6th person to lead GM Design in the company’s 100 year history and the first to lead a united GM Global Design organization.GM also supports diversity by recognizing women of color in the workplace. In 2011, Chevrolet was the sponsor for BET’s first annual award show for women of color, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! â„ ¢ & Soul Tour. GMC has constantly showed their efforts to encourage diversity in the workplace from Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. to being one of the Gold sponsors of the Special Olympics of Michigan which were held on Macomb Community College Campus in Warren, MI. First Lt. Travis Manion was moved by the members of FDNY Rescue Company One, one of the first fire companies to respo nd to the World Trade Center on Sept. 1, after spending a day with them before his last tour of Iraq in 2006. Their hard work and sacrifice only reinforced Travis’ belief in serving his country. While Travis was killed by enemy fire in Fallujah later that year, his spirit lives on thanks to the Travis Manion Foundation. In July 2011, the GM Foundation and Chevrolet donated $250,000 to the Travis Manion Foundation to help take its 9/11 Heroes Run fundraiser nationwide. Ford and GMC are two very great companies that show much promise for the future. They have increased size, profitability, technology, but most importantly employee and customer relations.Ford was built on tradition and has set several market trends in which most automotive companies have followed including GMC. General Motors has also made a name for itself in the automotive industry becoming a known producer of quality cars and other automotive parts. They have partnered with several diverse groups to spread an image of how much they care about keeping culture, diversity, and employees ‘ rights and freedoms amongst the highest priorities. These are only a few aspects that define both of these companies without diving into financial statements and stock prices.The more important points we hope to reach in coming to a conclusion on the decision for you is what the companies plan to do with their futures. What challenges does each of these competitors face? What difficult decisions have each had to make for each of them to still be thriving as much as they are today? Looking Ahead The most important part of planning your future career with a company is to research what decisions they are making currently about guiding their future. The automotive industry faces several challenges in today’s struggling economy while trying to make those choices.Globalization, Demographics, General Motors is currently going through a complete renovation with their new business model in place, comb ining automotive aspects with new digital technology, and competing with new entrants into the industry that now have a competitive advantage with smaller more economical alternative vehicles. In today’s U. S. automotive market there are companies such as Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Fiat, and more who have become heavyweight competitors in the national and international industry.Detroit was for years the epicenter of the American automotive industry; it was not until recently when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allowed foreign companies to open factories in the South-Eastern areas of the country. This move actually gave foreign companies a great perception in the public’s eyes because it created thousands of employment opportunities for locals and those who lived in northern states who were struggling to find jobs. The Southern Auto Corridor† which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Ca rolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia serves as the production center of foreign automotive companies and provides the biggest competitor for auto makers such as Ford and General Motors. They not only have to compete with the public’s opinions of the companies providing better jobs, but also the foreign companies cornering the fuel efficiency market. Ford, since it was established has been an innovator in the automotive industry, from the T-model to the Ford F-150.Ford has set the standard with being the first to release new technology and set trends in the highly competitive industry. In the 1960’s it was the Mustang and today it’s vehicles such as the Fusion, and Focus with incredibly economical technology setting the car’s estimated fuel economy over 40 miles per gallon. General Motors has also been one of the industries top competitors and most creative innovators. In the 1960’s when Ford released the Mustang, setting an industry stand ard for American vehicles, General Motors released the Camaro and Firebird which became the Mustang’s number one competitor.Today they are at the top of the American automotive industry, releasing the Chevy Volt a hybrid vehicle that offers consumers enough fuel efficiency to make a trip to the gas station only once a month with regular charging. The competition continues between these two mega competitors in the research and development of hybrid vehicles, Sports Utility Vehicles that can hold large families and achieve the same fuel economy as the smaller hybrid vehicles.In today’s economy efficient personal finance has become the key to our success, and as a smart business model Ford and General Motors has realized that creating smarter, more economical vehicles is the best way to increase consumer perception and retention. With gas prices fluctuating daily, hybrid and alternative vehicles have become the future of the automotive industry. They have become the futur e not only because of consumer’s personal finances, but because of global warming. The environmental affects of motor vehicles is threatening the way of life as we know it.Global Warming is a rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and is affected heavily first by the ocean, but secondly by large factories and vehicles such as cars and trucks giving off large amounts of CO2. As time goes on the Earth will be plagued with horrible climates and scarce resources, that’s why the automotive industry and the people of the world are strongly pursuing alternative vehicle options to save the environment. The environment changes as well as the societal views and opinions. Cars that were once considered popular are no longer the talk of the town.The age group that vehicles are sold to is often identified by the amount of digital technology it has or the sport styled body kits. Demographic and Consumer behavior have always been a challenge for the automoti ve industry. It is why they change models yearly in efforts to incorporate new and improved functions. Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are America’s legendary competitors in the automotive industry. There is not a person in the United States that does not know at least one or two vehicle models of either company.Who Has the Advantage? Ford Motor Company and General Motors have both competitive advantages over each other and over other automobile companies. Both companies make all types of automobiles, from cars to SUV’s, which gives them an advantage of offering all types of automobiles. â€Å"Ford Motors adopted the strategy that allowed it low production cost by cutting all the excessive cost involved in its operations. †(Ford Case Study) This strategy gave Ford a big cost advantage over other competitors in terms of lower cost.By cutting the costs on materials and production supplies that were not being used effectively, Ford increased their profits and could increase their market share. Ford increased its market position in the automobile industry by increasing consumer trust by fighting against bankruptcy. A competitive advantage that both companies have in the industry is the cost of their products. Both companies provide affordable vehicles that consumers are looking to buy during these hard economic times.Although the automobile industry has taken a huge hit in recent years due to the recession, they are still fighting hard to produce new and eco-friendly vehicles for consumers. General Motors has a competitive advantage in the selection of vehicles they offer to the public. Since General Motors is made up of four widely known automobile companies (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC), they have a wider target market and are therefore able to appeal to more consumers. Both Ford and GM offer great service. This gives them a competitive advantage over other automobile companies that lack in service and part availability.Compani es such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi, which are built in foreign countries, sometimes take a little longer to get parts and that could make some consumers shy away from them. Our conclusion is that Ford Motor Company’s ability to cut cost while still making a quality product gives them the advantage over General Motors. The Great Automobile Recession Both Ford Motor Company and General Motors have faced challenges in the past that were hard for them to overcome. We can start to look as recent as the last ten years to see challenges that had to be overcome.Ford and General Motors were both near bankruptcy due to the most recent depression. â€Å"In 2006, Ford posted its biggest operating loss to date: $12. 6 billion. This coincided with continued deterioration in market share, with the majority of these losses being captured by Toyota and General Motors. From 1997 to 2007, Ford’s United States market share plummeted from 25% to 15%. †(Oasis Consulting) Ford is makin g moves to try to get the company back on its feet and moving in the right direction. One thing that Ford did to get through these rough economic times was to sell Jaguar and Land Rover.They are also in the process of trying to sell Volvo, which could be very economically productive for them. The Ford Motor Company is trying to get rid of all their other companies to cut costs and help overcome the enormous debt owed by the company. General Motors went through the same economic challenges as Ford, except their situation was a little worse. As General Motors got right to the threshold of bankruptcy, they were bailed out by the U. S. Treasury in an effort to keep the United States automobile companies afloat. â€Å"GM, critically short of operating cash, received a bridge loan from the U. S.Treasury, under the conditions that the company further accelerates a tough restructuring of its U. S. operations that had been underway for several years. †(General Motors web site) These e conomic hardships pushed both of these companies to the limit, but they were both able to overcome these challenges and become stronger because of it. Due to the extreme consequences General Motors had to face during the recession, we believe that Ford Motor Company is in better shape as an overall company. General Motors had to be â€Å"bailed out† by the government, which means that they were going bankrupt before being given money by the government.Company Success Both companies have had plenty success in their histories. One of Ford Motor Company’s biggest successes is the creation of the Mustang in the 1960’s. â€Å"The sharp, four-seat 1965 Mustang became the â€Å"darling† of America. The â€Å"love affair† brought about the sale of 100,000 Mustangs in the first 100 days. Total sales for the year reached 418,812, far exceeding the 100,000 projected by market research. † The Mustang has been one of the most popular cars in the automobi le industry. For forty years, Ford has made a huge profit from the selling of the Mustang.Another success story was the creation of the Thunderbird. This car came out before the Mustang, and was equally as popular. â€Å"The 1955 Thunderbird made its first public appearance in dealer showrooms on Oct. 22, 1954 with a selling price of $2,695, although delivery prices ranged from $3,000 to $4,000. The public went for the Thunderbird in a big way, placing more than 3,500 orders in the first 10-day selling period. † This shows just how popular this Ford model was in its time. Two thousand dollars was a lot during that time period, and to sell that many means major profit for Ford Motor Company.General Motors also has their share of success stories. â€Å"To be the best, General Motors must continually meet and exceed customer expectations. To be flexible and successful across our organizations – Vehicle Manufacturing (Assembly, Powertrain and Stamping), Manufacturing Engi neering, and Service Parts Operations – we use a single common manufacturing system to ensure high quality and reliability. † This shows that General Motors takes great pride in making sure that each vehicle is created to the best of their ability. For most of the twentieth century, General Motors was biggest company in the automobile industry.We have given several reasons why we have chosen Ford Motor Company as the company you would prefer to work for. Ford Motor Company is in better financial shape, has remained a leader in employees overall Quality of Life, and has made smart, progressive, and innovative decisions concerning the future of their company as a leader in the automotive industry. General Motors, who had been bailed out by the government is making a turn around since the crisis, but the company is still searching for an identity as a brand, and has a lot of work to do in directing their company.There are several challenges for both companies and with comp etition comes job opportunities. As a communication consultant for Ford or GMC would be a great career, but our consulting group is sure that we have displayed to you that Ford is the company for you. Works Cited A&E Television Networks, LLC. â€Å"William Durant creates General Motors†. http://www. history. com/this-day-in-history/william-durant-creates-general-motors (2011). Dornbach-Bender, Rhett, Bill Slade & Joe Thorpe. â€Å"Strategic Report for Ford Motor Company. † Oasis Consulting. 20 April 2009. Web. 11 April 2012. http://economics-files. pomona. du/jlikens/SeniorSeminars/oasis/reports/F. pdf Ford Motor Company. â€Å"An American Legend. † Web. 13 April 2012. http://media. ford. com/article_display. cfm? article_id=81 Glassdoor. â€Å"Ford Motor Reviews†. http://www. glassdoor. com/Reviews/Ford-Motor-Reviews-E263. htm (2012). GM Historical Pamphlets. General Motors. http://www. gmheritagecenter. com/gm-heritage-archive/historical-brochures. html (2012). Sabatini, Jeff. â€Å"GM now tying all employee bonuses customer Loyalty†. Automotive News. http://www. autoblog. com/2012/06/05/gm-now-tying-all-employee-bonuses-to-customer-loyalty/. (2012). Sustainablity Report: â€Å"Employee Satisfaction†.