The Great Gatsby and Bodega Dreams Essay - 623 Words

Theodore Roosevelt claims that â€Å"probably the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm that we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices of envy and hatred enter deep into our own natures.† The former President of the United States emphasizes that greed is an obstacle to the good working of modern societies. The novels, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quià ±onez portray that the greatest harm is made up of vast wealth. In the Great Gatsby, the protagonist, Jay Gatsby has made his wealth and gained his made-up sense of celebrity through bootlegging. In Bodega Dreams, the main character, Willie Bodega also sells illegal drugs. The Great Gatsby and Bodega Dreams are similar because both Gatsby†¦show more content†¦Veras mother did not want him to marry her daughter because she thinks he has no goals or future so Vera found someone else. However, Bodega claims that Vera does not love her husband, saying to Chino, à ¢â‚¬Å"Bcause Vera needs to tell him-he lit a cigarette-that she never loved him† (Quià ±onez 168). In the same way, Gatsby wants Daisy to tell that she never loves her husband, Tom. Even though both Daisy and Vera decide to marry the wealthier one to get a better future, both protagonists still hope to win their love back and believe they never love their husband. Eventually, both protagonists are murdered in cold blood. To illustrate this fact, at the end of Bodega Dreams, most of the characters are killed by someone or disappear. Vera and Edwin Nazario, Bodega’s associate, plan to kill Bodega and Vidal, Vera’s husband. In this case, Nazario has played everyone and poor Bodega gets killed for loving someone and trying to fix up his Latin neighborhood. The reader would notice Bodega’s death from Chino saying, â€Å"I wasnt thinking about anything else but Bodega. Bodega was dead† (Quià ±onez 195). Likewise, Gatsby gets shot by George, the husband of Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle Wilson is Daisy’s husband’s mistress who Daisy ran over by accident. Even though Gatsby takes the blame to protect Daisy, he is finally killed by someone at the end of the story. Accordingly, both Gatsby and Bodega feel a sense of emptiness of life without theirShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby And Bodega Dreams : The Love That Killed Bodega And Gatsby973 Words   |  4 PagesAmend 10/2/2017 ENG 307 Dangerous Dreams Indeed: The Love That Killed Bodega and Gatsby Not all American dreams end tragically, but in some cases it does. This idea could be broken down by the stories of The Great Gatsby and Bodega Dreams. Whether Jay Gatsby tries to reinvent himself or Willie Bodega tries to reinvent Spanish Harlem, The Great Gatsby and Bodega Dreams run parallel towards a common outcome. Bodega and Gatsby s ambition to live their American Dream is thwarted by love, which led themRead MoreErnesto Quinonez s The Conversation Through Storytelling Essay2033 Words   |  9 Pages(Welcome to Puerto Rico 2016) The techniques used by the author in this novel are stoic writing, drama, suspense, inspirational, love story, and fiction. My favorite part of the book exposes two street friends that grew up together with two different dreams. Chino s aspiration was to improve himself while Sapo had no drive or ambition to the possibilities that surrounded him. When thinking of his irrational actions towards the teacher, Mr. Blessington realized that he would not be anything more than

Analysis Of A Time For Choosing By Ronald Reagan - 1327 Words

Ronald Reagan Declaring for President in 1964 Just over two years before Ronald Reagan competed in his first statewide or national office, the former actor gave a speech in support of a doomed presidential candidate, Senator Barry Goldwater. This speech had little effect on 1964 presidential election. However, the â€Å"A Time for Choosing† speech established Ronald Reagan as the future of the conservative movement, and outlined his view of what America should be. â€Å"A Time for Choosing† fastened Reagan’s conservatism in the minds of both Republicans and Americans. This speech propelled Reagan to win the California governor’s race in 1967 and a sweeping victory in the 1980 presidential election. The â€Å"A Time for Choosing† speech declared†¦show more content†¦But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending. For decades we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future for the temporary convenience of the pre sent† (Reagan). The nearly identical economic assertions that Reagan makes in both speeches perfectly demonstrates the correlation between â€Å"A Time for Choosing† and the â€Å"First Inaugural Address† and supports the idea that Regan’s speech in 1964 was basically an explanation of his presidential platform. The president also spent a majority of both speeches talking about his view of government, specifically the relationship between the individual citizen and government and the responsibility of centralized government’s. In his â€Å"First Inaugural Address† President Reagan declared, â€Å"Our Government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed† (Reagan). 17 years prior in â€Å"A Time for Choosing† Ronald Reagan said essentially the same thing, â€Å"And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except that sovereign people is still the newest and most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man† (Reagan). Here, Reagan is affirming and thenShow MoreRelatedPolitical Discourse And Political Politics1359 Words   |  6 Pageswere starting to replace debates over issues as the main political discourse and A Time for Choosing takes full advantage of those sentiments. At the beginning of his speech, Reagan mentions his past as a liberal democrat. According to his own auto-biography, An American Life, Reagan aligned with the left until his relationship with conservative actress, Nancy Davis. During the duration of their relationship, Reagan had abandoned support for the democratic candidates in 1952 and 1956 in favor of theRead MoreIb Hl History Ia1632 Words   |  7 PagesHistory Internal Assessment Was President Ronald Reagan the reason for the Cold War’s conclusion? Word Count: 1,634 Was President Ronald Reagan the reason for the Cold War’s conclusion? A. Plan of Investigation This investigation focuses on the impact that President Ronald Reagan had on ending the Cold War between the United States of America and the Soviet Union during the 1980’s. The use of historian argumentation, primary sources, such as Ronald Reagan’s Address to the Nation on Defense andRead MoreBest Vs. Worst Communicators967 Words   |  4 Pagescome to mind, former United States President Ronald Reagan and the former Chief Executive Officer of British Petroleum (BP) Tony Hayward, respectively. Both of these men exhibited certain attributes that affected the way that audiences received the messages they were attempting to convey. One of the key characteristics of good communication is being knowledgeable on the subject you are speaking about. Most of the great communicators such as Ronald Reagan ensure that they carry out their due diligenceRead MoreRonald Reagan, The Great Communicator Of The United States Of America Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesRonald Wilson Reagan, the great communicator of the United States of America began his legacy of embodying the conservative movement during one of the most famous speeches in American history. Before Ronald Reagan became the fortieth president of the United States, he began his switch from acting and movies to government and politics. Early in Reagan’s career he saw himself as a democrat, with Theodore Roosevelt as his hero. This would change thru his acting and professional career as Ronald ReaganRead MoreCommunication Is A Vital Weapon Of American Politics1757 Words   |  8 Pagessince before the signing of the declaration of independence. With a well w ritten speech, and a practiced delivery, one man can change the views of our entire country. No one has done this more successfully than Ronald Reagan. When Ronald Reagan gave the televised speech A Time for Choosing for the Barry Goldwater Campaign in 1964, he changed the way that American campaign speeches would be given forever. According to critics, his performance is â€Å"the most effective† of its kind, prompting comparisonsRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy2040 Words   |  9 PagesAlmost a year after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; a turning point would come for future President Ronald Reagan. In October 1964, Ronald Reagan gave a moving speech in support of Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. Reagan was a phenomenal speaker and the American people learned this from hearing his speech â€Å"A Time for Choosing.† He knew how to engage the audience and keep them interested in what he was saying. He made them laugh one minute and feel anger in the next. When heRead MoreEssay on An Analysis of â€Å"A Time For Choosing†2096 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿Darian Ms. White English 101.42 2 October 2013 An Analysis of â€Å"A Time For Choosing† Millions of viewers tuned into the National Broadcasting Company television network for a special broadcast on the 27th of October. Viewers were anticipating Ronald Reagan’s â€Å"A Time for Choosing† speech. Reagan was acknowledged for his acting in motion pictures and television episodes since 1937, and was now being seen in an unfamiliar role. Reagan emerged in support of the Republican nominee Barry GoldwaterRead MorePresidential Election Outcomes From American History2856 Words   |  12 Pagesalso vote based on retrospective voting, which is basically voting based on a thorough analysis of a candidate (if it is an incumbent)’s past performance. Such past performance takes into account the economy. According to Time Magazine and History News Network, the economy is essentially the only deciding factor for the outcome of a presidential election. In fact, Robert Brent in Time Magazine states that it is time for media to â€Å"stop pretending as if a candidate’s own rhetorical skill, [unique] personalityRead MoreOn the morning of November 4, 1979, revolutionary Muslim students overtook security at the United3200 Words   |  13 PagesJimmy Carter responded by slapping sanctions on Iran and negotiating for the return of the hostages. At the same time he faced a reelection battle in 1980 that certainly affected his response to the crisis, especially standing next to Ronald Reagan, who favored shows of force to Carter’s preferred diplomacy. The crisis dominated headlines in the media with nightly updates and analysis of the situation in Iran. Famous CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite famously ended every newscast with an update onRead MoreThe Cold War : A New History165 0 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War lasted for forty years, from 1945 to 1985. Few historians took the time to address the events as they unfolded thus leaving most people with little or no explanations of the development of the war. During this fearful period, nine presidents served Americans and each president thought that the war carried a lot of dangers for forty five years. Accordingly, young Americans, Soviets and other citizens of the world require the services of a scholar with extraordinary gifts to provide insight

The Ttc Private, Public, or Private-Public Partnership Free Essays

In July 2012, the TTC was evaluated and given a disappointing grade by TTCriders Group based on its performance at five aspects. These five aspects are about fares, transit expansion, accessibility, service frequency, and environmental impact (â€Å"TTC gets†, 2012). Unlike any other major city in North America, the TTC fares covered 70% of its operating cost, which was the highest fare box ratio within the 11 major North American cities (See Appendix 1). We will write a custom essay sample on The Ttc: Private, Public, or Private-Public Partnership? or any similar topic only for you Order Now After derailed for 16 months, transit expansion plan finally came back on track, still with concerns about certainty of funds. Due to budget constraints, the target timeline of making all new and existing subway accessible has been pushed back several times from 2020 to 2024, then to 2025. The TTC ridership increased by 12. 5% in 2011 while service levels only rose by 8. 4%, resulting in insufficient service to connect our neighborhoods. As for the environmental impact, the TTC collected no data for this purpose (â€Å"The state,† 2012). All these issues are mainly accounted for prolonged budget deficits, which the TTC has been struggling for many years. HISTORY OF THE TTC The Toronto Transportation Committee (TTC) is a public transport service agency established in 1954, the third largest transit system in North America that operates streetcar, transit bus, and rapid transit service (subway and RT) in Toronto. The TTC consists of four repaid transit service lines with 69 stations, 149 bus routes and 11 streetcar lines, making 243 connections among them. In 2011, the ridership went up to 500. 2 million, which exceeded all historical records. The TTC service covers the Greater Toronto Area benefited 4. 5 million people. Particularly, the TTC provides Wheel-Trans service that is responsible for door-door accessible transit service for physically disabled people, 2. 7 million trips made through this service in 2011 (â€Å"2011 TTC,† 2011). Toronto Private Transportation Companies 1849-1921 The Williams Omnibus Bus Line was the first private-owned transportation company in Toronto, which carried passengers in stagecoaches drawn by horses erving a limited area along Young street in 1849. With the population growth, Williams Omni Bus Line was heavily loaded. The city then gave the first transit franchise for a street railway to Alexander Easton’s Toronto Street Railway (TSR) in 1861. After the franchise expired in 1891, the city passed on the right to a new company, the Toronto Railway Company (TRC), under James Ross and William Mackenzie. The TRC made the first electric car ran on August 15, 1892 to meet the fra nchise requirement. The city limits had extended greatly by 1912. The city attempted many times to force TRC enlarge its serve area, and failed. In order to build several routes and better serve the greater area, the city created its own street railway operation, the Toronto Civic Railways (TCR). By 1921 when TRC’s franchise expired, the city created the Toronto Transportation Commission combined with the TCR (Filey, 1996). Toronto Transportation Commission 1921- 1954 Toronto Transportation Commission went through boom times and down times from 1921 to 1954. Streetcars and railways served progressively in the extended Toronto area. There were many remarkable milestones during this period such as: 575 new â€Å"Peter Witt† street cars entered service in 1921; first gasoline-electric hybrid bus entered service in 1926; in 1927, TTC expanded its lines of service with Island ferry, hydro-electric railway, and other intercity bus service; TTC overcome the stock crash in 1929 and made improvements; 745 PPC streetcars, which are also called â€Å"red rocket†, entered service in 1938; The great moment came on Sep. 8, 1949, that the city of Toronto was symbolized with its opening ceremony of â€Å" Canada’s First Subway†; in 1954 Toronto Transportation Commission was renamed as Toronto Transit Committee (â€Å"A cavalcade,† 1954). TORONTO TRANSIT COMMITTEE AND ITS BUDGET ISSUES Financial Situation at Beginning From the early 1950s, Toronto Transit Committee had been operated by the supervision of Metropolitan To ronto, which was under the auspices of Province of Ontario who united Toronto with other 12 suburbs. Since the opening of its first subway in 1954, TTC had planned to expand its subway due to increasing needs of the largely adjacent Metro area. This plan was facing obstacles because of the quadrupled bus service and the pressure from Metro Toronto to set up unprofitable service to the suburbs. The development of the TTC went forward because of the subsidy of Metro Toronto as well as the Province of Ontario, making the entire capital budget came from taxpayers. In the 1970s and the 1980s, the Toronto Transit Commission was seen worldwide as a ‘transportation showcase’. From 1979 until 1990, it won awards after awards for safety and design (â€Å"A BRIEF,† 2012). From 1972, the TTC’s operating profit was greatly affected by the request from the City’s political pressure, which was to eliminate the fare zone system to prevent the suburban paying an additional fare. By the late of 1980s, the subsidies from Metro Toronto and the Province was up to a quarter of the taxpayers’ money, which was 32% of the TTC total revenue, however, the subsidy level within the North American cities was still the lowest (â€Å"A BRIEF,† 2012). Budget Cuts from the Province By the late 1990s, budgets shortage became a major issue for the TTC. Previously the TTC’s subsidies were split in halves provided by the Province and the City. On Feb. 18, 1996, the newly elected government of Mike Harris ended the province subsidy for the TTC. In 1998, provincial government put an end to the federal system of Metro Toronto and let Toronto become a unified City. The result was a significant cutback in transit services. The City of Toronto’s subsidy of the TTC was roughly $150 million, and the TTC had a continental high farebox recovery of 82%. With passengers paying far more for far worse service, the TTC’s ridership had dropped to roughly 360 million (â€Å"A HISTORY,† 2012) (See Appendix 2). From that point on, the TTC has been always struggling among its fare box recovery, city subsidy, and possible subsidy from the province of Ontario. The TTC would sacrifice its frequent service and routes to save its operation cost. The TTC also have many employees working overtime to compromise the labor cost, saying that this way can be more cost efficient than hiring more employees. Nevertheless, the TTC was renowned because of its sunshine list that has more and more employees every year earning more than $100,000 annually. Other Problems Along with struggles for its budget subsidies, the TTC also had been dragged off by other problems such as service cuts, fare hikes, and union strikes. In February 2012, The TTC reduced its frequency service on more than 35 routes in order to meet its targeted operating budget (â€Å"TTC bus,† 2012). In November 2009, the TTC board discussed a fare increases proposal that would generate $62 million (â€Å"TTC fare,† 2009). This fare hike was implemented on January 3, 2010 (Litwinenko, 2009) (See Appendix 3). The bargaining between the TTC and its union had been on and off for decades. In March 2011, at the request of Mayor Rob Ford, the Ontario government agreed to ban transit strikes in Toronto and would pass a bill to set the TTC as an essential service. In a long-run, critics argued that this would cost taxpayers more because TTC contract disputes could cause bigger raise to settle in the arbitration (â€Å"Liberals close,† 2011). OPTIONS FOR THE TTC Given the facts that the TTC consistently facing budget shortage, frequent service reduction and routes cut, and union issues, the discussion of finding solutions for the TTC has been ongoing for a long time. Some people think that privatizing the TTC would make the TTC operating efficiently and profitably in the hands of private company. Others argue that private sector emerging in a public transit could be a better option, giving the reason that private sector infuse profitable drives and boost skills in a public transit system. Many others defend that the TTC should stay public in order to serve better for the public rather than only chasing profit as what happened in private companies. Each of them gives insights of this transportation crisis. Privatizing the TTC The voices of privatizing the TTC is not sound nowadays comparing to 1990s. Corcoran (1990) stated blankly â€Å"mass transit and mass losses go hand in hand†. He doubted the reason of government so heavily involved in public transportation and the seemingly inherent unprofitable operations. Despite the fact that government rejected the proposal by five developers for investment to build the subway extension, a public transit system proved its ability in managing this mass system, which was badly managed, underfinanced, poorly planned, and heavily subsidized. Private-Public Partnership With regards to privatizing the TTC, many people generally meant to privatize parts of the TTC because they still want the TTC remain the function to serve and benefit the public. Which parts should be privatized could be a complex process of evaluation. City councilor Karen Stintz thought â€Å"adding some private-sector appointees could boost skills on the TTC board without reducing its accountability to the public. Private-sector members could contribute project management, financial and customer service skills† (Kalinowski, 2010). Staying Public Staying public remains its power in many people’s thoughts towards the TTC. These people think public transit should benefit the public in its full strength. Serving the TTC riders at its very best could be conflict sometimes with gaining profit through the operation. Knowing and still offering some money-losing services to benefit its needed riders differentiate the public system from the private or so-called private-public partnership system. â€Å"Keep TTC public†, the message was given through a coalition, the public transit alliance with the members from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113, and community activists. They held a $500,000 ad campaign for â€Å"Keep TTC public† to claim that private or private-public partnership can be a disastrous experiment for Torontonians, and the TTC should stay public (Yuen, 2010). The video of â€Å"Keep TTC public† presented compelling reasons against transit privatization, compared with other cities’ transit system that were in either private or private-public partnership. The examples used were London, Melbourne, Auckland, and Vancouver. In 2003, a Private-Public Partnership was introduced in London transit system. This partnership ended in 2009 because the 30 years contacted of ? 7 billion was used up in 7. 5 years, and even overspent more than ? 1 billion. Private companies ran Auckland transport by using the zone system. Due to the tickets difference, riding the similar distance as from Scarborough to Etobicoke would cost $16. 5 in Auckland. When Melbourne government decided to privatize its transit system, its original objective w as to reduce the city’s subsidy and increase the quality of service by using the private company. By 1999 when the privatization became effect, the subsidy to the transit system doubled the previous level when it was in public. Till 2010, comparing between Melbourne and Toronto, the subsidy to Melbourne transit system was 4 times than the subsidy for the TTC, while the ridership of Melbourne transit system was just 1/3 of the TTC. Vancouver Canada line was another example for PPP (Private-Public Partnership) which drown money from the bus fares to subsidize this rapid transit line. This video logically presented the historical cases from different angles to demonstrate the disability of the private system to public transit, giving an inevitable statement that the private company operates for the profit rather than the benefit to the ublic (â€Å"Keep TTC,† 2010). CONCLUSION In December 2011 the 2012 Budget Committee meeting, the TTC presented its less services on many routes because of the subsidy budget cut (Munro, 2011). It is a definite scheme that the TTC will still be facing various problems due to its political context, budget structure, service range, and union issue, simply put as its complex ity. Looking back its history and steps of its developments, the TTC managed to meet the service requirement and survived in public for today’s economy. However, the debate of whichever is the best solution for the TTC will still be ongoing. There is no simple answer for this question, but only hopes that people wish the TTC carry on its responsibility in better serving the people in Toronto. REFERENCES: A brief history of transit in Toronto. (2012). Transit Toronto. Retrieved from: http://transit. toronto. on. ca/spare/0012. shtml A calvalcade of progress. (1954). TTC. ca. Retrieved from: http://www. ttc. ca/About_the_TTC/History/cavalcade_of_progress. jsp A history on fares on the TTC. (2012). Transit Toronto. Retrieved from: http://transit. toronto. on. ca/spare/0021. shtml Corcoran. T, (1990). Privatizing the TTC would relieve strain on subway service. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. yorku. ca/business/docview/385631727/1383962EB1D56AD7336/2? accountid=15182 Filey. M, (1996). The TTC story. Toronto, Ontario: Dundurn Press. Retrieved from: http://www. ttc. ca/About_the_TTC/History/The_first_75_years. jsp Kalinowski. T, (2010). TTC board could could be public, private mix: Non-elected members, bring new skills: Stintz. Toronto Star. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. ibrary. yorku. ca/docview/812554793? accountid=15182 KeepTTCPublicToronto, (2010, September 17). Keep TTC public. Video retrieved from: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=xAmnmehAy3w Liberals close debate on bill declaring TTC essential service. (2011). The Canadian Press. Retrieved from: http://www. cp24. com/liberals-close-debate-on-bill-declaring-ttc-essential-service-1. 614350 Litwinenko. J, (2009). TTC fare hike approved. Blog to. Retrieved from: http://www. blogto. com/city/2009/11/ttc_fare_hike_approved/ TTC bus service cut back. (2012). Toronto Star. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. yorku. ca/business/docview/921300938/138368A888C7C5B89BC/2? accountid=15182 Munro. S, (2011). Can the TTC survive budget 2012?. Torontoist. Retieved from: http://torontoist. com/2011/12/can-the-ttc-survive-budget-2012/ TTC fare hike is unavoidable. (2009). Toronto Start. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. yorku. ca/business/docview/439627577/1383691789B38A6B670/8? accountid=15182 2011 TTC operating Statistics. (2011). TTC. ca. Retrieved from: http://www. TTC. ca TTC gets failing grade from TTCriders group. (2012). City News Toronto. Retrieved from: http://www. citytv. com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/215620–ttc-gets-failing-grade-from-ttcriders-group The state of public transit in Toronto. (TTCriders, 2012). Retrieved from: http://www. ttcriders. ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-State-of-Public-Transit-in-Toronto-July-2012. pdf Yuen. J, (2010). Keep TTC public-coalition. Toronto Sun. Retrieved from: http://www. torontosun. com/news/torontoandgta/2010/09/20/15415186. html APPENDIX 1 REVENUE/COST RATIOS – CANADA TTC Montreal Ottawa Vancouver 70% (2011) 56% (2009) 43% (2009) 48% (2009) REVENUE/COST RATIOS – U. S. TTC? Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles New York Philadelphia Boston Washington 70% 29% 40% 29% 54% 38% 42% 45% (2011) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) Source: City of Toronto Toronto Transit Commission 2011-2020 Capital Plan, http://www. toronto. ca/budget2011/pdf/presentation11_ttc. pdf APPENDIX 2 TORONTO STATISTICS FOR 1921-2004 APPENDIX 3 How to cite The Ttc: Private, Public, or Private-Public Partnership?, Essay examples

Impression Management in Social Media †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Impression Management in Social Media. Answer: Introduction: Yes someone can change his or her identity through performance. Identity performance is our process of expressing ourselves to others through cloths, speech, facial expression and movements (Wittkower, 2014). With the revolution of social media identity performance through impression management has found many other ways (Paliszkiewicz M?dra-sawicka, 2016). Their performance on the social media can create their identity. However there are challenges because through the digital medium the identity that someone is trying to build might get misinterpreted. For example a man through his performance on the digital platform might build up an identity of a woman. In recent times the transformation of Caitlyn Jenner can be good example of how not just gender transformation but also her performance on social media established her identity (Caldwell, 2016). Homophily is humans tendency to associate themselves with the people of similar attitudes, interests, values, personality and background (Cook, 2014). The effect of peers has great influence over the people who belong to modern generation. The people show the signs of mirroring more than ever, where they are mimicking movements, vernacular and behavior of others knowingly or unknowingly. One good instance where homophily can have good impact is quitting smoking. Research has demonstrated that quitting smoking is more effective if that is initiated within a group (Hitchman et al., 2014). If a friend shows strong will to quit smoking that positively impact on the other friends too. On the other hand there are instances where homophily affects people negatively like in health related issues. If ones friend gains weight his perspective towards heavy people is more likely to be changed and gaining weight becomes more socially acceptable for him (Huffingtonpost.com, 2011). Hate speech can be defined as a communication that expresses only hatred towards certain groups or communities and generally intended to provoke violence. Most hate speech is comprised of racial, religious or ethnic commentaries to offend the addressed communities (Waseem Hovy, 2016). Some hate speech aim to threat, insult, terrorize, degrade and attack individuals and therefore it is different from regular speech. If the hate speech is intended to hurt someone it should be punishable by law. On the other hand when freedom of speech is concerned there is a scope of further consideration and discussion (Djuric et al., 2015). The area of offense is quite complicated as certain speech may hurt certain segments of society but it might not actually be hate speech. However every person has a freedom of voice but as hate speech offends or hurts people it must be treated differently. The cultural capital makes use of the non-economic resources in order to enable the social mobility of the people. It includes the knowledge and the skills, which helps in building the best part of the social structure. Social networks are being adhered to by the cultural capital as a base for linking the likeminded people of the organization (Yang, Liu Wei, 2016). The economic capital, on the other hand, depends on the monetary transactions that is undertaken in order to understand the exchange value of the commodities that are being purchased. The social capital makes use of the networks of the relationships among the people thereby helping the society to understand and the effective functioning of the society. The social networks help in the integration of the ideas, which enables the society to function as per the requirements of the inhabitants of the particular society. The functions of the SNS help in undertaking the basics of the networking and thereby help in making the soc iety strong. The inclusion of the cultural and the social capital packed with the economic resources helps in the proper functioning of the society. The Social media networking helps in the making the society strong and educated at the same time. At times, a person suffering from headache might not work out as the consequences that the person might face as a result of a chronic headache is huge, thereby hampering the working schedule and the dependence on the factors of the process. in order to understand the nature of the headache, as to the tenacity of the headache or the timeliness helps in determining the majority of the headache. The headache that is being suffered by the person must be assessed according to the particular time in which it inflicts its blow on the person or the feeble condition the person is subjected to at the time of the headache. Determining the following factors can be helpful in understanding the nature and the necessity of classifying the headache under the chronic or the general backdrop. This year in June, Canada experienced a social media controversy about race discrimination. The controversy started after Annie Villeneuves road show at St. Fete nationale parade in Montreal on 24th June (Montrealgazette.com, 2017). A video posted on Facebook showed that Villeneuves float is being pushed by all people of color and behind the float a group of choir members wearing all white. The video was shared more than 12000 times within a day and received thousands of comments (Ctvnews.ca, 2017).Though the boys who were pushing the float are students of local school and athletic team and belong to diverse ethnic group. Though the organizers apologized but claimed to be an anti racist group and experienced great trouble because of the controversy over social media. Five female celebrities on social media are Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga and Beyonce and five male celebrities on social media are Justin Bieber, Cristiano Ronaldo, Barack Obama, Will Smith and Dwayane Johnson. The selected celebrities are few of the most famous celebrities online so they all have millions have followers on the platform. For the female celebrities it is generally noticed that most comments are from male members and it is also noticeable that female celebrities tend to respond more often than the male celebrities. The female celebrities try to connect with their followers more than the male celebrities. Male celebrities on the other hand react towards politics more than females. I think it is the individual identity performance through managing their impressions. No it is not okay for a single platform to have monopoly. Companies like Facebook or Google control most of the market and acts like new masters of the global economy. Facebook and Google both connect to its users, developers and advertisers. Google rules the search engines and Facebook controls the social media. Though the differences do not matter when monopoly is concerned. The monopoly of such business giants does not allow any competitors so other companies struggle to exist (Baran, Fietkiewicz Stock, 2015). Their dominance is evident if one follows how Facebbok changed the business of WhatsApp and Instagram. Apart from gobbling up smaller organizations the companies possessing monopoly power have other negative impacts as well, like inequality in wages and weakening private investment. The problems faced by the homogenous people in accordance to the other heterogeneous people can be enumerated in the following ways. The basic differentiation is being based on the preference of the people and thereby affects the sociable nature of the homogenous people. In a biased social structure the homogenous people gets a very few advantage of socializing effectively (Phillips, 2014). The society being biased keeps the people away from the social structure. In a society that has already accepted the homogenous nature of the certain people are privileged enough to affirm their preferences and mingle indifferently with the people at large. Human beings are sociable beings, living in the society. The reforms in the society has brought about a change in the probable cases of the homogenous people, but in certain underdeveloped or developing regions, the practices to keep the homogenous people are prevalent. Different kind of network power exists in a network like the Networking power, Network power, Networked power, Network making power and Counter power. Social network is also a structure consists of social actors that can be both individuals and organizations (Westaby, Pfaff Redding, 2014). Networking power can be influenced by certain social influences, for example in Western society the social media is part of daily life more than Asian society. Platforms like Facebook or Google acts as the dominant actors on the digital networking. The network structure provides the various actors with various roles and responsibilities and by applying certain strategies they achieve their desired goals. Social Networking Sites are basically platforms like Facebook or Twitter brings people of similar interests together. The social media helps everyone to gather information about others and according to those they build up relevant relationships. The awareness about the social issues or advancements is shared with others easily through social network. On the other side, the personal information available on Facebook can be used against social relationships (Ellison et al., 2014). However social network can successfully builds social capital through the connection, bonding and relationship it offers. Like on Facebook the relationship generally gets established among people who know each other in real life but on Twitter more number of people gets connected to each other even when they are lacking any existing connections. Reference Baran, K. S., Fietkiewicz, K. J., Stock, W. G. (2015, May). Monopolies on Social Network Services (SNS) Markets and Competition Law. InISI(pp. 424-436). Caldwell, L. N. (2016). Transgender experiences: using the media to highlight the complexities of gender. Cook, D. (2014, July). Identity Multipliers and the Mistaken Twittering of Birds of a Feather. InProceedings of the 13th European Conference on Cyber warefare and Security: ECCWS(p. 42). CTVNews. (2017).Float in Montreal parade sparks allegations of racism. [online] Available at: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/float-in-montreal-parade-sparks-allegations-of-racism-1.3475367 [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017]. Djuric, N., Zhou, J., Morris, R., Grbovic, M., Radosavljevic, V., Bhamidipati, N. (2015, May). Hate speech detection with comment embeddings. InProceedings of the 24th International Conference on World Wide Web(pp. 29-30). ACM. Ellison, N. B., Vitak, J., Gray, R., Lampe, C. (2014). Cultivating social resources on social network sites: Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and their role in social capital processes.Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,19(4), 855-870. Hitchman, S. C., Fong, G. T., Zanna, M. P., Thrasher, J. F., Laux, F. L. (2014). The relation between number of smoking friends, and quit intentions, attempts, and success: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey.Psychology of Addictive Behaviors,28(4), 1144. Hoffman, A. (2011).You Think For Yourself but You Act Like Your Friends (on homophily). [online] HuffPost. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/auren-hoffman/you-think-for-yourself-bu_b_182605.html [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017]. Montreal Gazette. (2017).Fte nationale committee apologizes for unintentionally racist parade float. [online] Available at: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/fete-nationale-committee-apologizes-for-parade-float-race-controversy [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017]. Paliszkiewicz, J., M?dra-sawicka, M. (2016). Impression Management in Social Media: The Example of LinkedIn.Management (18544223),11(3). Phillips, K. W. (2014). How diversity works.Scientific American,311(4), 42-47. Waseem, Z., Hovy, D. (2016, June). Hateful Symbols or Hateful People? Predictive Features for Hate Speech Detection on Twitter. InSRW@ HLT-NAACL(pp. 88-93). Westaby, J. D., Pfaff, D. L., Redding, N. (2014). Psychology and social networks: a dynamic network theory perspective.American Psychologist,69(3), 269. Wittkower, D. E. (2014). Facebook and dramauthentic identity: A post-Goffmanian theory of identity performance on SNS.First Monday,19(4). Yang, S., Liu, Y., Wei, J. (2016). Social capital on mobile SNS addiction: A perspective from online and offline channel integrations.Internet Research,26(4), 982-1000.

The Aeneid poem By Virgil free essay sample

The god Mercury came to visit Aeneas to remind him of his duty, â€Å"If you will not strive for your own honor, think of Ascanius, think of the expectations of your heir (Virgil 982). Torn between the decision to stay and enjoy great riches and power, he pushes onward. He will allow nothing to dissuade him from his fate, neither the suffering of his men, or the love of a woman able to place him in a position of great power. Historically, Carthage went on to become one of the greatest rivals of the Roman Empire. The Roman’s strength and determination brought them along to fight three wars, the Punic wars. In addition to being able to draw on the Italian population for reserves of manpower, they were prepared to lose as many troops, vote as much money, and fight as long as necessary to win†(137), much like Aeneas himself. It is in this way that The Aeneid can be seen as political. We will write a custom essay sample on The Aeneid poem By Virgil or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The beliefs of the Romans had been shaken with the fall of the Republic. The new ruler, Augustus Caesar, had moved in with great promises and a old world view, moving the people back to mos maiorum in hopes that revitalization of morals and ethics would restore the faith in the greatness of Rome. The story of a hero who embodied those morals and values, who upheld the Roman way of life in a gripping and fantastic tale would certainly only be helpful in moving toward that end. When Aeneas is offered great power, prestige, and riches, he turns them down for the love of his country and his people. The Aeneid greatly backs the family of Augustus Caesar whom was coming into power and was in need of great respect and acceptance by the people of Rome. It is said that the poem legitimized the rule of Augustus Caesar with the characters. For example, Aeneas’ son is renamed Lulus and made an ancestor of Julius Caesar, from a prophecy given to him in the underworld. Personally I feel that the poem may be propaganda, however not with the negative connotation. The poem appears to have been written with hopes of instilling a sense of nationalism throughout the people of Rome. The Roman Republic and fallen, and with it the hopes of the Roman citizens had as well. Art can move us to great heights and take us to unbelievable lows. Here we have a hero who experiences the high of love, the loss of life, and a trip through the underworld to boot. To hold ones head up high when faced with unimaginable grief is a feat that many can not bring themselves to bare. Aeneas not only faced that grief, but he trudged on through it. He walked away from the love of Dido, the promise of power and riches, and he did so all for a love of country. Precisely what Augustus Caesar had hoped his people would feel toward Rome as well. Upon his death, Virgil ordered The Aeneid be destroyed, however it clearly was not. Why would it not be? Augustus Caesar ordered it so. The words of this poem were so moving that Augustus’ sister fainted at the mention of her son’s name during the reading of the poem.

MONOPOLY AND ALLEGATIONS OF MICROSOFTS MONOPOLY IN THE SOTTWARE INDUSTRY

MONOPOLY AND ALLEGATIONS OF MICROSOFTS MONOPOLY IN THE SOTTWARE INDUSTRY Introduction Economics is defined as the study of the mechanism of people’s decisions on how to utilize their scarce resources (Baumol Blinder, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Monopoly and Allegations of Microsofts Monopoly in the Sottware Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Economics assumes rational behavior in people, thus, expecting them to maximize profits, and at the same time minimize the utility of scarce resources available to them. Monopoly is defined as the power possessed by an enterprise whereby it is the only manufacturer of a good or service. Understanding why the Microsoft Company has been labeled as well a trustworthy one, as well as analyzing the factors which have led to the above-mentioned conclusion will help to understand the positive and the negative aspects of monopoly and to evaluate Microsoft strategy. As for the reasons which led to the decline of Microsoft rep utation, it was alleged that Microsoft illegally monopolized operating systems (OS) market as pertains to personal computers (PCs). The given fact can be proven if taking into consideration the information offered in the Act 2, Sherman Antitrust Act. It was also alleged that Microsoft had signed anti-competitive contractual agreements with other sellers of related commodities (Rubini, 2010), e.g. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), and at the same time had taken measures to maintain and enhance its monopoly (Rubini, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another allegation made against Microsoft was that the company illegally tried to monopolize the internet browsers market, but failed. In accordance to Sherman Antitrust Act, Cap 2, the given attempt is considered illegal (Rubini, 2010). In addition, Microsoft Co. went even further, bundling its intern et explorer IE with the Windows Operating Systems, which is considered illegal under Sherman antitrust Act cap 1. Opinion as regards allegations against Microsoft Therefore, it is obvious that Microsoft used monopoly. The above-mentioned conclusion can be made if taking into account that Microsoft owned over 70000 applications on Windows, whereas other companies, such as Macintosh, possessed fewer. (Rubini, 2010) However, it must be born in mind that a monopoly has the power of price control. With this in mind, the Microsoft Co. can be hardly regarded as a monopolist, since Microsoft’s price of operating systems was quite low as compared to what a monopoly would set, namely, around $1800. Yet Microsoft priced the commodity at $40-60 (Rubini, 2010), which was considerably lower than a monopolist company would. As for the accusations of monopoly concerning the market browser, it was investigated and found out that Netscape had the initial monopoly in the existing browser market and that Microsoft changed the situation, turning the Netscape monopoly into the duopoly of the two companies (Rubini, 2010). However, the case of the internet explorer with Windows should be considered as well, for the given instance can also be viewed as monopolizing the market.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Monopoly and Allegations of Microsofts Monopoly in the Sottware Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Rubini (2010), both services belonged to different markets, which was supported by the judge’s decision that Microsoft tried to marginalize Netscape’s market share by tying Windows and internet explorer together. Incorporating the above-mentioned findings, one must admit that claiming that Microsoft was guilty as charged would be appropriate. Since the market wasnt monopolized since Netscape, Microsoft obviously tried to gain majority of the market share. Despite the ace that a monopoly can bring considerable profit to the organization which rules the market, it is worth mentioning that a monopoly can also serve as the stumbling block of the market development and the state economic progress. Nevertheless, it must be also kept in mind that, eliminating a monopoly presupposes having various producers of a commodity all charging high prices as compared to a monopoly charging a reasonable price. (Baumol Binder, 2007) Characteristics of a monopoly Entry barriers A monopolistic market is developed only when no other firms enter the market. If any new firms enter the market there will be no monopoly as completion will appear. Lack of close substitutes Monopoly presupposes that the market lacks a similar company providing a similar product, hence the company’s ability to maintain is monopoly status stems.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A monopoly earns profits in a long term as there is no competition whatsoever to minimize the monopolist’s profit earning capacity. Therefore, the monopoly controls the entire market share being the only producer of the commodity (Baumol Binder, 2007). Price discrimination Price discrimination is enjoyed by the monopoly as no one can dictate what prices are to be set and for what products. Only the monopoly determines what prices it will set and what the reasons for the prices are (Hirschey, 2008). The monopoly is also a price maker since it determines what amount of money customers will pay for a certain commodity, thereby being the ultimate decision maker concerning the commodity price (Hirschey, 2008). Barriers to entry a monopoly are designed to block any other entrants to the monopoly. The methods used include the use of patents, limiting pricing, heavy spending on research and development (Hirschey, 2008). Natural monopolies are the monopolies that evolve as a result o f high costs of business start-up, whereas government monopoly is a phenomenon that exists as a result of the government’s decision to be the only producer of a particular commodity (Hirschey, 2008). Dead weight loss is the result of the inefficiency which, in its turn, stems from the monopolist operating in the market. The demand curve is a curve indicating the slope of the demand depending on the price. A downward sloping demand curve indicates that more goods tend to be purchased at lower prices. Marginal revenue is said to the additional profit made by making one extra unit of production (Baumol Blinder, 2007). Conclusion Microsoft Co. enjoys the majority of the market share in the software market, yet it is not a monopoly in the market since it faces completion from other producers such as Linux. References Baumol, J. W. Blinder, A. S. (2007). Microeconomics: Principles and policy. Kendallville, IN: Courier Kendallville, Inc. Hirschey, M. (2008). Managerial Economics ( 12th ed.). Stamford, CN: Cengage Learning. Rubini, L. (2010). Microsoft on trial: Legal and economic analysis of a Transatlantic  Antitrust case. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Is Liberal Democracy the Only Viable Form of Democracy Essay

Is Liberal Democracy the Only Viable Form of Democracy - Essay Example In the present world governed under the liberal democracy, the constitution protects the rights of minorities and individuals, as well as prohibiting the majority will by eliminating the practice of majority rule (O’Donnell, 2009). However, it has been argued that liberal democracy is not the only democratic way of ruling. Some people have said that liberal democracy is not liberal or democratic. Power appropriation can not guarantee the survival of society and the polity future. Evidence has been provided to support that liberal democracy is not the only viable form of democracy, as it has sometimes been compatible with inequality in resource allocation, anti-democratic rule, systematic corruption, and physical operation (Glenn, 2004). There are alternative forms of democracy that ensure that the vote of individuals is compatible with the fate of people. The quality and nature of rule and governance comprise a significant factor for survival, development, and stability of society (Glenn, 2004). Power appropriation by governing or ruling by force or election has no assurance for good governance, or development. For the past many years, there have been several systems of governance which have disappeared as they have failed to offer a promising future of troubled societies. Liberal democracy for this case has gained momentum in many societies as a result of capitalism, in which it is claimed to be the only feasible way of governance. As the other systems of governance are almost getting forgotten, liberal democracy has become a common worldwide system of governance, rule and power legalization, endorsed by the citizens’ votes (Hylton, 2003).

Inclusion and the Inclusive Learning Environment Essay - 2

Inclusion and the Inclusive Learning Environment - Essay Example also requires that the teacher involves recognizes that all learners are different in their own ways and therefore, what may look helpful and good for the attainment of goals for one learner may not necessarily be good for another learner. In seeking to understand the inclusive environment, it is also crucial to consider that each learner has something unique to add to the learning environment that can be of help to other learners. Students come from different background with varying upbringing. It is therefore crucial that a teacher is able to harmonize them to get them to live in peace and unity (Willis, 2009). An inclusive environment is also characterized by flexible approaches to the learning process (Willis, 2009). The world of education is very dynamic as it evolves each decade with new needs arising every time. It is therefore of great need it is reassessed each time and the necessary changes made. The changes can be attributed to the increasing educational opportunities across the globe. Consequently, it is of essential need, those teachers to be able to nurture the full potential of each student. By teachers being in a position to model inclusive learning attitudes in their students, they are able to learn and apply the strategies as they acknowledge their differences and have profound respect for diversity. Examples of strategies used in the inclusive environment are that regarding how teachers nod learners interact and relate to one another (Willis, 2009). This involves use of the respectful vocabularies and terminologies towards one another. Good communication strategies ensure that comments and views are not mistaken to be discriminatory. In addition to this, the body language should also be appropriate and decent at all times. Another strategy is that which involves, the kind of teaching resources the teacher employs (Willis, 2009). The resources ought to be suitable and compatible with all the learners’ needs. Let no learn feel sidelined or

3 Iron korean movie summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3 Iron korean movie summary - Essay Example One day, Tae-suk sneaked into a house which had numerous photos of a beautiful model, adorning its walls. In the house he eats, then washes up and does some repairs. During this process Tae-Suk realizes that, he is being watched by the owner of the house who is a woman. The woman is Sun-hwa (Lee Seung-yeaon), and Tae-suk quickly recognizes that she is the model appearing in the photos adorning the walls of the house. With a closer look, Tae-suk realizes that Sun-hwa is badly bruised and suspects that it is all as a result of domestic violence. Tae-suk’s suspicions are confirmed when he returns home later that evening and finds Sun-hwa being slapped around by her husband Min-Kyo (GweonHyeok-ho). This makes Tae-suk angry as he impulsively bursts into the house and grabs a golf-club, and then uses it to beat up Min-kyo. Moments later Tae-suk elopes with Sun-hwa as they ride on his scooter. Sun-hwa silently joins in him in his existence as squatter which eventually blossoms into a love

Analysis Of Environmental Conditions Marketing Essay

Analysis Of Environmental Conditions Marketing Essay Analysis of environmental conditions is based on the framework put forward by Lynch (2009) that assesses the general degree of turbulence in the environment. This can be done by using the two measures of Changeability and predictability (Lynch, 2009, p80), which can be subdivided into complexity and novelty (changeability), and rate of change and visibility (predictability). Establishing a level of turbulence in the environment allows us to know with how much confidence we can predict the future (Lynch, 2009). In the fourth quarter of 2009 the UK GDP rose by 0.1% (www.statistics.gov.uk, 2010) which means Britain is officially out of recession. While this means recovery is under way, many analysts remain sceptical of the extent of recovery. Andrew Sentance of the Monetary Policy Committee has claimed that pace of recovery would remain uncertain (Sentence in the Telegraph Newspaper, 2010). So, as far as predictability and visibility go, it appears very difficult to predict with confidence the extent to which the UK economy will recover in 2010, with many anticipating a slow process because the economy remains weighed down by a still fragile banking sector and high consumer and government debt levels (Seager, 2010). With regards to Changeability and complexity, there is a general election expected in May this year and there is a strong possibility of a change of Government (www.yougov.co.uk, www.ipsos-mori.com, 2010), which will bring about a change in Government policy towards businesses, for example, the Conservative Party are pledging a cut in corporation tax. (www.conservatives.com, 2010). Adding to the complexity is the recent return to a 17.5% VAT rate that adds more financial pressure to consumers in an already struggling market. The recession may have ended but analysts are not expecting too much change in spending as economic downturn is squeezing spending power and that pressure will continue into 2010 (Mintel, Oct 2009). Given the reasonably turbulent conditions, organisations must change its strategies, and possibly its beliefs if it is to maintain its ability to handle changes in the environment (Thompson, 2005). So strategy cannot be made for years into the future because of the uncertain nature of the environment. Strategy should focus on the upcoming year until the turbulence reduces. 4.2 PEST Analysis PEST Analysis is a focus on the macro environment and which factors will change the external environment in the years to come. Johnson et al (p.54) states The environment is what gives organisations their means of survival. However the environment is also a source of threats. The macro environment is the highest-level layer. This consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on almost all organisations. Therefore a good analysis of the macro environment is critical to success but should also be as general and non-specific as possible, this leads to one of the down falls of PEST that it can be a very useful tool when analysing the macro environment but also its general nature can be its downfall if it becomes little more than a huge list of factors in a shopping list fashion. We have chosen to use a simple PEST analysis but to add Legal to Political and Environmental to Socio-Cultural to make sure we consider all issues of the external environment. Another criticism of PEST is that it is only as good as the group or person conducting it, a criticism that can apply to any model. However when used appropriately this model can give a good indication of the factors that will affect the external environment in the years to come. Its ability to briefly analyse and present the factors that could prove important can be highly significant. The PEST Analysis can be seen in Appendix 1 and summary in Appendix 2 4.3 Porters 5 Forces Analysis of the industry analysis is based on Porters 5 forces model as referenced by many authors. The five elements that can have an impact upon MS are The bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of Buyers Threat of potential new entrants Threat of Substitutes Extent of Competitive Rivalry (Lynch, p97, 2009) More detailed information on Porters 5 Forces can be found in Appendix 3 4.4 Strategic Group Analysis Below is the strategic group analysis for Marks and Spencer, detailed information on SGA and how the table was created can be seen in Appendix 4 (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2008:76))SGA1.jpg Strategic Group Analysis for Marks and Spencer plc Scope of Activities (Extent of Product Diversity) Resource Commitment (Advertising Effort) Marks and Spencer Next John Lewis (Waitrose) Arcadia Group British Home Stores Tesco Marks and Spencer Tesco Next John Lewis (Waitrose) ASDA Debenhams 4.5 Market Segmentation Market segmentation differs from SGA in the way that is looks to customers as its focus rather than sector competitors. Lynch (2006, p105) states Market segmentation is fundamental to the development of corporate strategy. Careful analysis of segments and their characteristics is therefore important. For example some segments may have more profit potential, have less competition then others and some may be growing faster. Taking the age demographic for example the 18-30 age group is declining, whereas the 31-60 age group is growing rapidly. (ONS.gov.uk) Marks and Spencer have a great deal of competitors when it comes to market segmentation mainly due to the fact that Marks and Spencer covers so many segments, children through to adults, males and females, for example. The only segment Marks and Spencer does not appear cater for is the low income segment as its pricing policy is slightly more than mid range offered by the competitors such as Tesco in food and Next in clothing and home ware. Market segmentation of course has its advantages as it will help you to understand more competitors but importantly like the SGA will also show strategic opportunities or gaps in the market that after careful consideration could be moved into. Unfortunately, again, it is difficult to place a company easily within a segment and as before will only be based on one persons views and therefore cannot be ideal. 5.0 Internal Analysis 5.1 Resource Audit Johnson et al. state that although many companies in the same sector compete in the same environment, one may be a superior performer. It is not their environment that distinguishes between them but their internal strategic capabilities. (Please refer to Appendix 5 for definitions) We know that Marks and Spencer has the strategic capability to perform at the level required to survive and has the threshold resources needed to carry this out as well as the necessary threshold competences to underpin this, companies that were founded in 1880s would not still be in business today without these in place. More interesting are the unique resources and core competencies specific to Marks and Spencer that help them gain and maintain competitive advantage. We know that MS has a wide range of shops and retail units the length of the country but this is not a unique resource as Tesco has more units and more retail space, however unique to MS its presence on the high street in the volume it appears, with food and clothing, more supermarkets are situated on retail parks and out of town, even when they appear in town they are small and do not carry the same stock levels. MS also have 295 stores in 41 different countries. Logistically MS must have excellent systems in place to allow all these stores to be stocked. MSs biggest unique resource perhaps is the brand. When you say Marks and Spencer to people they almost always think of quality. Marks Spencer have been around for over 125 years and no company can survive this long without delivering good quality own branded products that have stood the test of time. 5.2 Value Chain Analysis The value chain describes the categories of activities within and around an organisation, which together create a product or service (Johnson, 2008, p110). The primary activities for Marks and Spencer concern its inbound logistics, operations outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service. MS places great emphasis on the quality of its products, which they believe justify higher prices. The marketing strategy emphasises this with, for example, the your MS (see case study) attempting to give back to the customer and emphasising the quality of the products. They have also begun to promote a price comparison with Waitrose (Thomas, 2009) while keeping an emphasis on quality, with the strap line Price checked against Waitrose Essentials. Quality checked by MS (Thomas, 2009). This method of emphasising quality has given MS its reputation, but it is important to live for the standards it sets itself. MS also adds value through its customer service, with a Mintel report revealing it has the highest customer service rating of any retailer amongst consumers and is continuing to invest in raising service standards (Mintel, 2007). They have also trained some staff to become healthy eating experts (Mintel, 2007) in a bid to improve customer service. It is this sort of commitment that enables MS to be regarded as a high quality retailer. They would be unable to charge higher prices if customer service was poor. For its outbound logistics MS have launched new ways of packaging. Under a program known as plan A in cooperation with Oxfam they plan to become carbon neutral by 2012. This is being done by promising not to send any packaging to landfill and putting labels on packaging so that consumers know how to recycle their goods. (Mintel, 2010). While many retailers have launched ethical policies with regards to packaging MS appear to have gone further than others with its promise to become carbon neutral. This policy is backed up through one of its support activities, technology development, where they sought to introduce new recyclable content into its packaging. Value has also been created through a commitment to sustainable fishing (The Guardian, 2010) making it the first food retailer to make such a commitment. This shows an ethical standpoint on its inbound logistics and procurement policies. Such policies have helped create value within the brand, giving consumers the image that while they may pay a bit more for their products, they will receive high quality, ethically produced goods, which it is hope will bring customers back. 5.3 Key Stakeholders We will now look at key stakeholders using Mendelows Matrix (Ref: majyds.wordpress.com//power-of-stakeholders/) Mendelows power/ interest matrix High Customers Employees Shareholders Power Low Bank Creditors Low High Level of Interest NB: More detailed analysis on how this conclusions were drawn can be found in Appendix 6 6.0 SWOT Analysis of External and Internal Analysis After analysing the internal and external environments we can generate a series of strategic alternatives or choices of strategies to follow in the future. To do this, we must look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The purpose of this is to build on the strengths of the company, eliminate weaknesses, develop opportunities and counter threats. The SWOT and the reasons why we have chosen the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that we have can be seen in Appendix 7 and 8 7.0 Strategic Options for Marks and Spencer 7.1 Option One After producing the swot analysis and identifying the areas that need attention and further progression, we need to implement some strategic options using the key elements of the organisations purpose. When looking at the SWOT analysis we can see that amongst MSs strengths, they have the biggest market share in clothing and produce quality products. They also have weaknesses of reliance on their own brand and they are in a weak cash position. These lead us to consider MSs environment based options, in particularly, their market options. Ansoff Matrix Diagram(Mindtools.com) Looking at Ansoffs Matrix (above), one of the strategic options we have chosen to implement is that of Product Development. We believe that although MS currently have the biggest market share in clothing, this needs to be protected and pushed forward. Especially as there is such fierce competition in this sector. With the fact that MS already sell clothing, they will not require new competencies to execute this plan. Fashion retailers like Next, MS and Topshop have been through a long period when they have been able to rely solely on declining prices to drive sales upwards. However, with the falling pound and rising overseas sourcing costs, competing on price is going to become increasingly difficult for them. Customers who still have money to spend are going to be ever more demanding. Retailers will have to identify the needs of their core customer even more closely and make sure that they are met. Improving staff training, motivation and product knowledge, as well as recruitment and retention will be crucial in doing so. (Mintel 02/09) As the statement above says, retailers need to identify the needs of their customers more closely. MSs clothing is well know as a mature fashion range, though recently George Davis, the man behind George at Asda is about to launch a new spring collection with a brand new label. This clothing range is called give and is aimed at aged 30+ women. The entrepreneur is bankrolling give, which targets well-off women with fashion pieces that can be customised to fit perfectly. (The Guardian, 02/10) This is product development in itself as they are bringing in new products to existing markets, but we would suggest that they focus on making the new label one that will attract the younger customer at an affordable price. We would also suggest that they use a well know female celebrity to endorse the new clothing range. Neil Mason, a senior retail analyst at Mintel, believes that introducing a limited collection, like Kate Mosss at Topshop, adds to the appeal. The celebritys status in itself is enough to make these lines work, but theres no doubt that when a retailer limits the supply it generates more interest, a real kudos for the people who manage to get their hands on a coveted item. (independent.co.uk:2007) Younger females look up to and want to be like young, successful female celebrities and are very fashion conscious. MS currently have Twiggy as the face of a brand of clothing, but this would not appeal to the younger audience. This strategy should be implemented as soon as possible to coincide with MSs seasonal clothing ranges. 7.2 Option Two Using Ansoffs matrix, it has also been decided to use market penetration as an option, specifically with regards to food sales. As was found in the SWOT analysis food sales remain comparatively low and with its main competitor (Waitrose) having overtaken MS food in terms of market share, (Finch, The Guardian, 2009). As of July 2009 Waitrose had a share of 4.2% to MS 3.7% (Creevy, 2009). Having identified food sales as a weakness (despite slight growth in the last quarter of 2009 (Mintel, Nov 2009)) it is necessary to formulate a strategic plan to improve this situation. Given the immense competition, struggling UK economy, consumers down trading and the price wars between competitors there are major hurdles to cross to penetrate the market further. However, using the strength of the brand and the added value MS has over other food retailers a plan can be developed. While MS will never compete with the likes of ALDI and LIDL on price it can look at overtaking Waitrose. Mintel suggests Waitrose have leapfrogged Marks Spencer in food sales, helped by its Essential value range (Mintel, 23-07-2009) and as consumers are moving to cheaper supermarkets it is suggested that MS launch a lower cost range to compete with Waitrose. By attracting customers with lower cost alternatives it can use its high level of customer satisfaction to try and keep them. It will be important to also keep an emphasis on quality. The advert referenced in the value chain analysis reflects this, but the campaign needs to be bigger to make all consumers aware of it. There is a perception that MS is much higher priced than its competitors (Finch, 2009), that Sir Stuart Rose has acknowledged so it needs to wow customers with good deals. Also, it could be said that MS has an over reliance on its own brand and shoppers cannot get their favourite brands in MS so have to go to another shop to get them. This possibly results in a loss of custom. If MS can roll out popular household favourites, such as Kelloggs, Heinz etc as well as keeping an extensive range of their own products an increase in food sales and market share should happen. 7.3 Option Three Looking at the further options raised by Ansoff, another strategic option for Marks and Spencers to investigate is that of Diversification. Looking at the SWOT we can see that diversification and acquisitions are both on the SWOT as is a strong brand name, this led us to thinking what could MS do? There are two types of diversification one is related, where new products and markets are developed but within current capabilities and constraints or unrelated where it is beyond the current capabilities. We are going to look at adding new luxury products to new markets concerning both vertical and backward integration. This could be through integration or merger/acquisition of say a car manufacturer or a luxury holiday supplier. The supplier getting to use the Marks and Spencer brand name associated with quality and then MS marketing the products and getting a percentage of the profits made on sales. MS already supply travel money so why not holidays as well. Many companies have to adapt to survive, MS are not different in this respect, companies need to look to increase revenue where they can and this is one way it can be achieved. Business synergy is important and this can be one way to achieve, create new and maintain it. 8.0 Evaluation of Strategic Options Strategic Option Suitability Acceptability Feasibility Total 1 8 5 9 22 2 7 6 7 20 3 7 4 4 15 Detailed Analysis of how this was reached can be found in Appendix 9 8.1 Conclusion Overall, we would therefore recommend option one for implementation. 9.0 Evaluation of Models Some analysis is contained within the text and appendix but any additional analysis is detailed in Appendix 10

A Visual Approach to Programming :: Essays Papers

A Visual Approach to Programming In 1984, researchers at Hiroshima University started developing the layout for what would be called visual programming languages. Currently, many programmers use textual languages, which make the user produce text (one-dimensional) which is translated into one long stream of information. The goal for visual languages was to "...bridge the chasm between high level programming and the human level" (Levialdi). The researchers wanted to create languages that could display data and programs two dimensionally and have the graphical interface look much like what would soon be a web page (McIntyre). These languages are designed to be simpler while being able to construct more complicated programs than its predecessors. Some critics of visual languages state that so far no visual languages have been standardized or utilized to serve more general purposes. Some programmers believe "...most visual languages that have been used outside the research community have been targeted to very specific domains" (Citrin, para.1). Most visual languages are in fact used for specific purposes in the development industry. As compared to spoken or written languages, visual computer languages are extremely new. Spoken languages have been around for thousands of years, while visual computer languages are not even twenty years old. However, there are some upcoming conferences being devoted to developing standards for the next generation of visual computing environments. Even though these computer languages are relatively new, companies still decide to utilize them. IBM created a visual language called OpenDX, which is "...designed to allow users to visualize both observed and simulated data...and developers to quick ly create programs along with interactive controls" (Thompson). Although this software is not meant for a wide audience, the visual programming community is already making usable visual languages and just needs time to grow and progress to further the reach of the language. The other major criticism of using visual languages was from the advanced programmers. Many said that it would be difficult to relearn different programming strategies two-dimensionally. While learning most programming techniques require hard work, using two-dimensional programs can work a lot better for the company or group of programmers as a whole. For many companies, the motto "time is money" is very accurate. Development time for programs is usually slim. An objective of visual programming environments is to help companies conserve money by cutting production time.