Monday, September 30, 2019

Response to Text Carlitos Way

Response to Text: Carlitos Way The film Carlito’s Way directed by Brian De Palma uses visual and verbal techniques to show the idea of world of crime. The main aspects of world of crime are loyalty, betrayal and can’t escape your past are all shown in the film. Together visual and verbal techniques are used to show the main idea of the film which is world of crime. An important idea in the film Carlito’s Way is the idea of loyalty. Loyalty is shown throughout the film by Carlito to his friends. Carlito played by Al Pacino shows loyalty to his friend Dave played by Sean Penn when he is going on the boat to help get Tony T out of Prison.The verbal technique dialogue is used to show the idea of loyalty. When Carlito is on the boat with Frank Tony T’s son Frank asks Carlito, â€Å"is this guy a friend of yours,† and Carlito replies ,â€Å"Yea, He’s a friend of mine,† this shows that Carlito is loyal to Dave even though they are in a situat ion where Carlito could go back to Prison, or worse he could die. Brian De Palma has used dialogue to show that in the world of crime loyalty is a big idea and when people are loyal to their friends then they will do anything for them even if it is a danger to their life.This show the Audience that Carlito is loyal to Dave for getting him out prison and feels that he owes Dave and he will pay him back in any way. This also shows in the world of crime you must also pay people back when you owe them. I’ve learnt from this that in the World of Crime I should be loyal to my Friends no matter what situation I am in. Another important idea in Carlito’s Way is the idea, can’t escape your past. The idea of can’t escape your past is shown by Carlito when he has just hit Benny Blanco down the stairs and is shown through the visual technique and verbal technique of lighting and voiceover.When Carlito is standing at the top of the stairs about to hit Benny Blanco the lighting on his face is red which shows Carlito’s dark and bloody past, he then hits Benny and there is a voiceover of Carlito saying â€Å"Dumb move, man. Dumb move. But it's like them old reflexes coming' back. † this reinforces the idea of can’t escape your past because that is what Carlito used to do in his past. Brian De Palma uses these to show that when you have got into the World of Crime you can’t escape even when you want to.This shows the Audience that you can’t escape the world of crime even if you want to start fresh as it will always drag you back in. I have learnt from this that you shouldn’t get in to the world of crime in the first place as you will never be able to get out of it once you are in, even if you try to get out. Another important idea in Carlito’s Way is the Idea of betrayal. This idea is the most important as it would be the most common in the world of crime. It doesn’t matter who is going to betr ay you, it could be your best friend or a family member they can still betray you if they think it’s going to benefit them.The idea of betrayal is shown by Pachanga when he betrays Carlito to Benny Blanco and is shown through the verbal feature Dialogue. When Carlito is at the train station and about to board the train Benny Blanco shows up and shoots him, Pachanga then comes and says ,â€Å"Hey no hard feelings Carlito. But I got to think about my future, too. You know, it is that way sometimes, papi. Come on, let's go,† Benny then says, â€Å"No you stay here,† and then kills Pachanga because he is no more use to Benny.Brian De Palma uses this feature to show that in the world of crime Carlito can be betrayed by anybody even one of his closest friends. This also shows that in the World of Crime someone can betray you just because they need to make some money and that it doesn’t matter if you have been friends your whole life. This shows the audience tha t betrayal is very common in the world of crime and can come from anywhere even your closest friends. I have learnt from this that in the world of crime you should trust no one as you don’t know who could betray you.In conclusion the visual and verbal features such as dialogue, lighting and voice over are all used to show the ideas of can’t escape your past, betrayal and loyalty which are all in the World of Crime. All the techniques together can show the viewer the ideas about betrayal and how anyone can betray you in the world of crime, the idea of loyalty and how you should be loyal to your friends in the World of Crime no matter what situation you are in and the idea of you can’t escape your past and when you get into the World of Crime you can’t get out even if you want to.Brian De Palma used these visual and verbal features to show the audience the world of crime and how it affects you in life. I have also learnt from this film that you should be lo yal to your friends but also be wary because betrayal could come from any direction whether it is friend or family and eventually your past can catch up with you.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Environmental Analysis of Dell Organization Essay

Dell’s external environment identifies all the current conditions and forces that affect its strategic options and define its competitive situation. It consists of three main sectors: the Remote Environment, the Industry Environment, and the Operating Environment. All of these environmental sectors affect the firm’s operations both on an international and domestic level. Remote Environment In recent years the computer hardware industry has experienced a slight decrease in profits. Most of this is due to the recent downturn in the economy and a decrease in consumer confidence and spending because of inflation. Many consumers hesitate to upgrade their computers. As a result, Dell must explore new markets and introduce attractive products at a lower-cost to attract its customers. The use of personal computers in international markets is growing rapidly. Dell Computer can take this opportunity as an advantage to provide lower cost computer for consumers. Since Dell has the equipment and capital they can produce higher quantities of workstations or servers at a low operating cost and then sell it a little above cost of goods to China, India, Vietnam and third world countries to increase their global market share. The internet market has been expanding and exploding across the globe. It has varied by market segment and already has been a big hit in the U.S. Dell knows that the way to globalize the company successfully is through e-business. Dell is gearing up in China. The key to its strategy is a locally designed PC called Su Ma (Speedy Horse) which it hopes will draw sales away from the homegrown powerhouse, Legend. Dell has already built a factory in Xiamen, which is on the southeastern coast of China in order to promote its next day delivery to 400 cities which is one of the company trade marks. As a result, Dells China market share has grown from near zero in 1998, to 4.4%. This runs counter to the general wisdom that Chinese consumers must feel and  touch a product before they buy. More business and more production facilities will be opened world wide to adopt the globalization system and the global demand in the next decade. Industry Environment Rivalry is high in the computer industry because there is a lot of competition among a number of market leaders, while there is lack of differentiation and low switching costs for customers. Barriers to entry are also high due to a large part of the market is controlled by the market leaders of the industry, in addition to high start up costs. The bargaining power of suppliers is also high because suppliers are few and there is a heavy reliance on them. The bargaining power of customers is also high because of the availability of many high quality computer companies, all products are perceived as similar and well as the ease of switching. The threat of substitutes is low because they are virtually non-existent. Furthermore, there is a high availability of supplementary products available. Dell Computer Corporation is more successful than its competitors because they have been able to cut out the middleman with its â€Å"Direct Marketing† strategy. Dell entered the computer industry at an opportune time with competitive prices and a production strategy which does not build units until units are ordered, which minimizes inventory and allows customers to customize their units. The direct sales model has helped in cutting down inventory costs and also reduces the lead time in serving customer order. The biggest entry barrier that Dell has to face when expanding into other areas of the technology industry is having customers gain the trust of company over the more popular veteran computer companies. Operating Environment Consumers view Dell as a quality brand at a good price. Some consumers find that Dell’s competitors may be a little more expensive but still offer a quality brand. Dell’s main competitors are IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and  Gateway. Dell’s competitors have all tried to replicate Dell’s direct marketing strategy. However Dell’s competitors were and still are unable to replicate Dell’s direct marketing success. Historically Compaq and IBM sold through resellers and distributors. When IBM and Compaq announced their new initiative to sell directly to their customers, they angered the resellers, who in turn promoted HP products. HP is able to fulfill the needs of customers who want to see and touch the computer before purchasing it, which is not possible in the direct marketing strategy. But HP’s growth is declining with this strategy and they have been unable to lure major accounts. Gateway has been somewhat successful in implementing the direct marketing strategy, but Gateway does not have a strong hold in the lucrative large customer accounts. Dell ranks high with customers because the company offers free technical support if needed. The purchasing process has changed for the consumers with Dell because all the ordering is done online which offers convenience to its customers and minimize inventory. The flow of materials from suppliers into Dell starts by the company putting in orders to factories that are based on two categories; product type and geography. When putting in orders for product type Dell wants to select the right factory that specializes or deals with a certain product. Geographic orders mainly focus on the where the order is coming from to minimize the transportation expense. Dell has superb relationships with their suppliers; they maintain those superb relationships, by ensuring that the suppliers win every time Dell wins. Dell will need to implement several changes in the next couple years to develop its system, improve customer service, reduce cost, and improve supplier control. Dell will lead the technology industry and be a good example to the competitors. More technology of software and hardware will be available in the futurw with less cost. Long Term Objectives Dell’s objective should be continue providing customers the most recent technologies at competitively lower prices, at lower costs and faster than  their competitors. This could be established in the long run as they: 1. Increase global market share by focusing on Asian markets. 2. Increased revenues by penetrating the Chinese market benefiting from low costs. 3. Continue expansion of server and storage products. 4. Continue to maintain the lowest costs in the industry 5. Establish global brand recognition. 6. Increase diversity in portfolio by expanding product offering and investing in a new industry within the technological sector. 7. Manufacture some of its supplies, decreasing reliance on suppliers. 8. Use the Internet to improve the efficiency of Dell’s procurement, manufacturing and distribution process and further expanding an already broad range of value-added services. References: Abraham, H. Getting in touch with Dells culture: You’ve got the soul! in EnterpriseInnovator.com. Retrieved February 17th, 2006, from http://enterpriseinnovator.com/index.php?articleID=3844&ionID=4 Dell. Dell’s Mission Statement. Retrieved on February 17th, 2006, from http://www2.xmrc.com.cn/jobads/dell2/mission.asp Dell, Inc. SWOT Analysis. Dell, Inc. SWOT Analysis, April 2005, p1-10, 10p. Retrieved February 18th,2006 from Ebscohost Database Business Source Premier http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url&db=buh&an=16895029 Lee, L., Burrows, P., and Einhorn, B. (2005) Dell May Have To Reboot In China. Business Week, 00077135, Issue 3958. Database: Academic Search Premier. Tough, M. ( 2006). Creating a Mission and Vision Statement. In the Sideroad. Retrieved February 17th, 2006, from Http://www.sideroad.com/business_communications/mission-and-vision-statement.html

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Marketing Planning (based on Apple Inc.) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Planning (based on Apple Inc.) - Essay Example has been chosen as the organization and the new product is Apple’s I-TV. The report will highlight the proposed feature of the latest product and the entire process to develop and launch it in the market. The report will also highlight the marketing strategy and also the expected returns from the product. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 New Product development Process 5 SWOT 6 Marketing Objectives of the company 7 Segmentation and Targeting 8 Marketing Strategy 9 Implementation & Factors affecting it 12 Budget 13 Marketing Control 13 Ethical Issues of Marketing 14 References 15 Bibliography 17 Self Evaluation 18 Introduction The history of Apple Inc. dates back to the early 1976 when the company was established by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak. The company is presently headquartered at California, USA (Yahoo Finance, n.d.). Apple together with its subsidiaries develops and markets desktop computers, laptops, portable music players, mobile comm unication devices and several other digital gadgets. Devices such as I-pad, I- Phone, Mac OS, I-pod are some of the invigorating products of Apple. The company has a worldwide presence and employs at around 370 exclusive Apple stores. Apart from the hardware section, the company also has a strong presence in the field of software. The software segment includes operating systems such as Mac OS and other utility and productivity applications like Quick time player, I-work and logic studio among others (Apple Store, n.d.). The company mainly distributes its product through whole sellers, retailers and Apple owned exclusive stores. Hewlett Packard, Dell, Google and Research in Motion Limited are the direct competitors of the company (NASDAQ, 2012). However companies such as Lenovo, Compaq, Toshiba and Hitachi are also considered as the circumlocutory competitors of the company. The aim of the report is to develop a new product and successfully launch it in the market with a sound market ing strategy. The product is also supposed to provide high return on investment in its initial stages. Now going by the prevailing situation of Apple, the company is mainly famous for its innovative products. Therefore the product which has been chosen for the course of action is I-TV, an innovative television. I-TV: A brief overview The proposed product I-TV is an extension of Apple’s innovative product range. The product will also mark Apple’s presence in the Television industry and can certainly pose a big challenge for the established players. The projected features of the product of the product are:- 3D display Widescreen Strong Audio and Video output Look of Apple The most important feature and the Unique Selling Proposition of the product is that it will be capable of broadcasting all the digital channels of the world. As a result users can enjoy thousands of channels. New Product development Process Nowadays organizations are faced with increased level of compe tition within the industry (Monczka, 2000, p.1). There are even competitions from the foreign players as well as local players apart from the established domestic players. Hence it becomes necessary for an organization to undertake new product development in order to hold its land in the industry and perform its operations effectively in the market place. The new product development process starts from idea generation and continues till commercialization of the product (Boone & Kurtz, 2011, p.395). The stages are briefly

Friday, September 27, 2019

Draft2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Draft2 - Essay Example The concentration camps in Germany (United States, n.d.) and the status of African Americans in the U.S. from the 17th century up until the American Civil War (History.com, 2009) are two of the most prominent examples of racism. Even if the unfair treatment of African Americans was not as tragic as the injustice afflicted on the Jews, the preference shown over the colored citizens of America was, and curiously still is, a big social issue. Disappointingly, the development of society into a more advanced group of people in terms of thought process and behavior did very little in stopping how some individuals continue to think they are more superior than everyone else. In other words, despite the introduction of technology into society – another feather in the cap for rational man – some form of racism is still observed today, albeit not as destructive or demeaning as in the time of Hitler (United States, n.d.) or the period of slavery in North America (History.com, 2009) . Racism starts when one unit of man sees itself as above the other groups of men. In the beginning, all men can belong to a big organized group. For instance, in the USA there are Asians, Mexicans, African Americans, Americans, etc. living together. As the relevant forms of communication and understanding are observed, the culture specific to this area of the world is continually nurtured. As a result, the whole group is stable, its behaviors and practices organized and firmly established. Therefore, to suppress this culture would be difficult. Independent and strong-willed, Americans have already proven to the world that no other group can dominate or rule over them. (White, D., 2002-11) Within America, however, it is a different story. The history of the United States is proof that suppression of a group can be achieved. When a particular group steps forward and tries to be the dominant unit in a society, it consequently represses another

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Applying Balanced Scorecard Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applying Balanced Scorecard - Assignment Example Businesses were faced by unclear situations of distinguishing an important aspect from what is not. Kaplan and Norton stated that the important aspects of a business should be presented in a balanced way. A balanced scorecard has three basic components that are important. They include strategic management framework, measurement system and communication tools (Blokdijk, 2008). The banking industry, greatly benefits from the balanced scorecard and management system. The BSC system helps managers in the banking sector accomplish the institution’s objectives. The major scorecard perspectives that can be implemented by managers are better-quality customer service and efficiency in the internal business processes (Blokdijk, 2008 p 113). Banks strategies are always based on the customer and therefore with improved customer service, the bank will end up improving on its profits, sales and turnovers. Banking industries are also able to improve by ensuring that they have efficient business processes. Blokdijk (114) states that with efficiency in the internal business processes, a banking industry will be able to retain its customers. With retained customers, the financial returns go up and the thus improvement in the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Tale of Genji by Lady Muraski Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Tale of Genji by Lady Muraski - Essay Example The theme of love based on gender will be examined in this paper. This story revolves around Hikaru Genji, the son of an Emperor. Genji is stripped of his royal stature and force to live like a commoner. So throughout the story Genji has a royal demeanor, but forced to live as common Imperial soldier. Genji is handsome. He also has a very powerful persona. In one passage of the book, Genji sees a naked woman in a window. He enters the bedroom and engages in relations with the woman. The woman did not protest since he had such a powerful presence. Genji comes into contact with many women. Genji professes love for different types of women. From a princess, concubine, and even wife Genji loves them all in their own way. He has been with a princess, attendant, and even some women named captain after their father’s rank. Since there is a multitude of women, only the most important women loved by Genji will be examined here. In this novel, women are seen as possessions or prizes. Even his own daughters or mother must be provided support by a man. Lady Kiritsubo, Genji’s mother, was supported by the Emperor. However since her father was dead, she suffered at the hands of the other concubines. This caused her to die a premature death. Due to the other concubines’ jealousy, Genji was made a commoner through politics. Although Genji does not love Lady Kokiden, his mother’s enemy, she does show how a woman can achieve power through a man’s love. After Genji’s father died, Lady Kokiden’s son achieves power as emperor. Through her son’s love and respect, Lady Kokiden has the power to persuade the emperor. This is one way a woman can come to power. The power of an emperor’s mother was always considered the highest a woman could achieve. Genji does not care if he sleeps with another man’s wife or concubine. One of Genji’s great loves is his own stepmother, Lady Fujisubo. Lady Fujisubo was the previous emperor’s daughter. Thus she

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Discussion Questions - Essay Example If one element would be selected for replacement or upgrade, it would be the software system because this is the system that needs most regular updates. This element should be updated regularly to ensure that all applications are being accessed and to be apprised of the most advanced developments that would facilitate the functioning of the unit. A consistent set of policies and procedures that would ensure the protection of information systems in the workplace should include intensifying authorizations to work areas, including access to information systems, through the use of advanced technological breakthroughs in ID checking, monitoring, and access. As such, these policies and procedures should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changing conditions in the workplace and to incorporate new technologies that intensify needed protection of privacy and confidentiality of personal, professional and organizational information. In one’s organization, as soon as biometric identification services were offered in the market, this was immediately implemented to strictly enforce security measures as part of the policies and procedures. IT managers, just like any other managers in any organization, could possibly fail when the functions and responsibilities expected of the position and role are not carried out, as required. This included being apprised of current and future trends in technology that would potentially impact and influence the operations of the organization. Therefore, managers must be aware of being too complacent with current operations, regardless of how efficient current operations are. To avoid these pitfalls, these managers must exemplify skills of introspection, information-processing, as well as resource generation and allocation skills that focus on being proactive, rather than reactive. When implementing both technical and organizational changes, some variables that need to be considered and incorporated are scanning the environment

Monday, September 23, 2019

Analysis of J.M Barrie's novel Peter Pan Research Paper

Analysis of J.M Barrie's novel Peter Pan - Research Paper Example Peter-Pan to all of us represents a boy who simply refuses to grow-up thereby causing him to face dire consequences. In fact, there is a little â€Å"Peter-Pan â€Å"inside of adults which can easily relate to the challenges faced by the protagonist. It is for this reason that the story itself can be analyzed using a psychological approach in relation with â€Å"Peter Pan Syndrome†. Although this syndrome is not yet recognized as a personality disorder or a psychological problem, a professor of of the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the University of Granada and an expert in emotional disorders- Humbelina Robles Ortega argues that there is a probability that parents who are overprotective of their children can produce this syndrome in their children ( ScienceDaily, 2007). Ortega characterized the disorder by: â€Å" inability of individuals to take on responsibilities, to commit themselves or to keep promises, excessive care about the way they look and personal well-being and their lack of self-confidence, even though they don’t seem to show it and actually come across as exactly the opposite† ( Science Daily, 2007). It can be inferred then from the given symptoms that person who has these characteristics are immature since they haven’t developed the emotional stability to discipline themselves. In view of this, the paper analyzes the elements of the famous fairytale by J.M. Barrie which uses conflicting concepts such as aging and youthfulness, enchantment and reality, as well as the eternal struggle between good and evil to present the theme of immaturity. In the story Peter Pan, Peter is granted eternal youth as he resides in Neverland. He is given this ability by â€Å"forgetting his adventures and what he learns about the real world†. Peter may not be able to age physically while living in Neverland but the time of his existence still lingers on. He still has yet to lose his baby

Sunday, September 22, 2019

It is up to you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

It is up to you - Essay Example Cultural relativism is defined as a principle by which an individual’s beliefs and activities are only subject to judgment based on that particular individual’s culture. In fact, it holds the view that no culture is superior to any other culture with respect to morality standards, politics, law and any other considerable aspects unique to individual cultures. Cultural relativism and moral relativism share a lot of similarities and it is widely believed that after World War II, following the popularization of the principle of cultural relativism, the term â€Å"cultural relativism† was commonly mistakenly used to mean â€Å"moral relativism†. Moral relativism undermines the rule of law. The formation of laws is based on a fixed standard stand on a moral issue that has to be adhered to; otherwise one may have to face consequences. Moral relativism on the hand is based on the belief of non-existence of absolute morals. Rights and wrongs are purely dependent on a person’s preferences and opinions on the matter. Take for example rape, a person accused of rape might claim innocence and absolve from any wrongdoing on the basis of moral relativism. The rapist might argue that rape is right within his personal beliefs and culture. However brutal this sounds, a moral relativist finds it logical. Rape in this case cannot be seen as wrong, and probably the strongest opinion that can be made out of it is â€Å"I don’t like it.† This contradiction of the law may result in a chaotic situation where everyone does anything anywhere and at any time as long it suits their preferences (Shumacher). Christians and other religions alike believe that there exists a supreme being who is the standard authority for morals by which they abide by. Rights and wrongs are, therefore, based on God’s moral law. For moral relativists, God is nonexistent. Their disregard of a

Saturday, September 21, 2019

English Literacy Essay Example for Free

English Literacy Essay The class I will be taking for my three lessons contains 25 grade 9 students. Of these students there is 15 girls and 10 boys. 12 of these students are currently working at the average literacy level for grade 9 students. There are 8 students working at an above average level, and 5 students at a below average level. Of these 5 students, 2 boys have behavioural issues, and struggle to stay attentive for long periods. Twice a week there is a Teacher’s Aid available to work with small groups for up to 2 hours. This 2 hour period is often used to help break up lessons for the 2 boys with behavioural problems, or occasionally separate them if the need arises. Throughout these literacy lessons the Teacher’s Aid will be available to help the 5 students who are currently below average literacy levels, as well as prompt deeper discussion around the chosen text, with other students in the class. The chosen text for this literacy unit is the song ‘Imagine’, originally written and performed by John Lennon. Over a period of 3 lessons this text will be explored and examined through the three receptive modes of listening, reading and viewing. The text ‘Imagine’ provides a range of relevant literacy demands for grade 9 students. It is an excellent example of literature that is well structured by an author, for a specific purpose and effect. As stated by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2011), â€Å"By the end of year nine students analyse the ways that text structures can be manipulated for effect†. Some of the literacy demands that can be explored by students in this text include language for interaction, text structure, expressing and developing ideas. These opportunities are provided by the written content and theme of John Lennon’s song. He uses certain devices, such as metaphor and sentence structure, to suggest the world could be a better place without religion, ownership, war and possibly cultural differences. By analysing the written text, students will have the opportunity to analyse and reflect on how the author has put these messages across. It is also a goal for year 9 students to be able to discuss the content and appeal of an author’s literary style (ACARA, 2011). Other literacy demands that are prominent for this text are examining and responding to literature, as well as interacting with others. Lines in the text, such as â€Å"No people below us, above us only sky†, offers students the opportunity to evaluate and discuss their own ideas on the meaning, and intent of the author. Some students may find the comprehension of these tasks easier than others. This can be due to some students having less prior knowledge in specific areas, and therefore may be working at a lower level of literacy (Emmitt, Komesaroff Pollock, 2006). In this case I as a teacher, as well as the Teacher’s Aid, will be there to support and facilitate learning. Visual and auditory features of this text are also significant to the literacy content. The film clip for the song contains Mr Lennon playing a piano and singing in a large empty house, with a woman sitting with him. This provides students with an opportunity to analyse the message of the video clip by itself, and in relation to the written lyrics. The ability for students to make connections between the lyrics and clip will be encouraged. Contradictions, such as John playing a beautiful piano inside of a mansion whilst singing about no possessions, will also be looked for in students understanding of the text. The melody of the song is uplifting and enjoyable, and provides another aspect of literacy that students can identify with the authors use of text to cause effect. With the aim of providing an effective literacy environment, as well as rich opportunities for literacy to take place, a variety of learning practicing will be implemented. This text allows learning practices such as discussion, group work and presentation. It will be important for me as a teacher to use differentiation whilst providing questions for students, to evoke interest and learning . As suggested by Camborne’s 7 conditions of learning, engagement in crucial in producing an optimal learning environment. Open class discussions involving all students can be used to generate this engagement as well as immerse students into the text (Campbell Green, 2006). Group work will provide another environment where certain students may be more comfortable participating and allow diversity in all student’s learning. The variation provided by the text allows the use of video clips and audio tapes as a form of diversity, which is important in stimulating and motivating students (Campbell Green, 2006). Another key to maintaining motivation in students is encouragement and feedback. This is an important practice throughout any unit and links to Camborne’s learning condition of response. This condition advises feedback from not only teachers but also peers, in both formal and informal settings. It is important that feedback is offered in a constructive and in a positive environment (Westwood, 1999). The strategy I will implement throughout my three lessons with be based around a combination of verbal and written tasks. This will provide students with numerous opportunities to discuss and engage with the text. It will also allow me as a teacher to guide students towards specific learning outcomes related to my context of health. Using the selected strategy, students will be guided towards ‘exploring and reflecting on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters from texts’. This is drawn from the grade 9 literacy strand within ACARA 2011. This learning outcome strongly relates to health and wellbeing in society, and provides students with the opportunity to discuss their own thoughts and feelings on such topics. As the lessons progress students will be able to analyse the world, and human health related issues of the text. The selected strategy will permit activities such as linking the general theme of the song to other famous text. The uplifting message of the text ‘Imagine’ suggests that if people work together, the world can become a better place. Other texts such as ‘I have a dream’ by Martin Luther King Junior, have strong links to this message and can be used to strengthen students understanding of the chosen learning outcome. Demonstrating how to make links between different texts by me as the teacher will be important in providing students the opportunity to observe learning occurring (Wing Jan, 2009). Another important aspect of my lessons will be making sure I cater for all students when setting tasks. Support from the Teacher’s Aid, and myself, as well as a variation in difficulty levels required in tasks, will help students achieve the chosen learning outcome. When teaching literacy to grade 9 students in this context it will be important to structure lessons and strategies used to guide students in a clear and precise manner*. I have found Camborne’s 7 conditions of learning an effective theory to use when planning for the literacy demands of a text, as well as literacy practices to be implemented into the classroom. It is also important to use scaffolding through a unit of work, especially when the intended learning outcome is at a level students have not previously achieved (Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl Holliday, 2006). Bloom’s Taxonomy is a good example of how to scaffold correctly and create rich learning opportunities. Bloom’s Taxonomy also links to Camborne’s conditions. The condition of ‘Use’ for example, where students use their knowledge through their everyday lives, links with the later stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Scaffolding should be guided by the strategies chosen by the teacher to engage students in each lesson of the unit (Campbell Green, 2006).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Analysing Public Art and Geography

Analysing Public Art and Geography How can public art challenge the gendered nature of space? The world is getting more and more visual, and increasingly meanings are communicated through visuals (Rose, 2001). It is the aim of this research proposal to outline the final year project that is going to focus on interdisciplinary themes of space, art and gender. It will demonstrate how human geography engages with visual art, and how the research linking the two has expanded over the past few decades. It will show the issues that one may be presented with when researching art. An explanation will be given of how gender and body are viewed in geography. Geography and visual art Geography is recognised as a very visual discipline (Driver, 2003; Tolia-Kelly, 2012), that extensively engages with our vision (Roberts, 2012), and geographers have long been using various types of visual imagery and objects in their work (Garrett, 2011; Rose, 2003). Over the past decades, namely since the cultural turn, there has been greater interest in potential links between visual arts and geography (Rose, 2001). During this time the field of research has expanded from looking at landscape paintings from earlier centuries, to analysing broader spectrum of artistic mediums, both digital and analogue (Hawkins, 2012). It is understood that everyday images and objects that we see are not meaningless and static things, but are imbued with meanings that affect our behaviour and interaction with the world (Hall, 1997). Art in public space The term ‘art’ itself is an extremely broad concept, and there are many sub-disciplines in art that can be used to narrow down the research. This particular research is going to be focused on art in urban space. Nowadays many urban spaces are rich with artworks which are done in various mediums, and by utilising various methods. Arguably the traditional form of art in public space is public art. Public art commonly is defined as â€Å"either permanent or temporary artworks, including social and contextual art practices which are commissioned for openly accessible locations, that is, outside conventional settings such as museums and galleries (Zebracki, 2013:303).† An artwork may have an intended meaning, a set of ideas or ideals that its author wants the world to receive, and a meaning that is created by the audience upon its consumption (Baldwin et al., 1999). What makes it hard to predict how public art will be consumed, are the diverse publics or audiences that encounter it. A piece of art may be aimed at general public, but when different social groups read it , the diversity of meanings that it actually produces have to be taken into account. Therefore, in this sense the study of public art becomes a study of â€Å"the reception of art by [its] publics (Miles, 1997:85).† Geography, body and gender Geographers see body as a space. Many quote Rich when he talks about the body as â€Å"the geography closest in (1986:212).† It is the border between the inner world and the outer world. It is a space that is sexed and gendered, where sex is a biological product and gender a social one (Valentine, 2001). However, more recent academic work blurs the lines between the two, arguing that there is evidence of cases where bodies do not abide by the traditional views of sex and gender (Cream, 1995), and that both should be considered as social (Valentine, 2001). In social research gender is understood as â€Å"social, psychological or cultural differences between men and women (Knox and Pinch, 2010:235).† Historically geographers have viewed differences in gender roles as socially constructed (Castree et al., 2013). Therefore, characteristics that constitute what it means to be masculine or feminine are subject to change in space, place and time. More recently academics such as Judith Butler (1990) have challenged this view, and suggest that gender is a performance, rather than what one is. She argues that gender is performed through ritualistic repetition. From this viewpoint, which some call as post‑structuralist (Jagger, 2008), gender is â€Å"sustained through acts, gestures, mannerisms, fashion, and lifestyle (Castree et al., 2013:172).† Identities, roles and spatial relations between males and females in geography have often been analysed utilising feminist viewpoint. Predominant argument of feminist philosophy is that women in many areas of life are still unfairly treated as being in a subordinate position to men, and that the Western society remains largely patriarchal (Knox and Pinch, 2010). New Genre Public Art, Body and Gender Massey (1994) describes how large public spaces are reserved for males, and how often artworks depicting bodies of women are produced by men contributing to the male gaze, which extends outside the walls of galleries and museums (Miles, 1997). This prevalent masculine worldview is challenged by activism that is empowered by forms of new genre public art (Lacy, 1995). If we are to consider the relationship between public art and gender, the historical divorce that has existed between body and city, where most public artworks are found, should be kept in mind. Undesirable body processes are expelled from the city, and the civilised body is expected to contain them (Miles, 1997). This idea comes from the Cartesian view that body should be subject to mind (Longhurst, 1997). In Western culture body has become associated with negative traits, emotions and femininity, and mind with rationality, knowledge and masculinity (Valentine, 2001). Furthermore, it is somehow seen that men transcend the body, for whom it is merely a container of their mind, and that women are more affected by their â€Å"fleshy† (Longhurst, 1997:491) instincts and therefore their bodies. Moreover, this view has had an influence on social sciences. Rose (1993) argues that white males tend to other difference, and that this has shaped how geography has been studied over the years. It was only in the latter part of the 20th century that academics started to critically look at how mind has been given privilege over the body in geography (Longhurst, 1997), and it was recognised that in fact everyone is affected by their embodiment (Rose, 1997). Body is the tool through which masculinity or femininity is acted out (Puwar, 2004). As performativity suggests, these materialise through the act of doing. It is therefore the aim of this research to analyse how public art captures these performances, and how it communicates and constructs gender in the eyes of its publics. Case study Butler’s work is often linked with gender and performativity, but it is rarely used when public art is studied. This research will try to expand the body of work on new genre public art considering gender politics. It will take into the account the latest research on gender and performativity, and will analyse how perceived gender roles are read through performances and acts that are captured in public artworks. Greater Manchester has been chosen as the site for the research, with public artworks that range from sculptures depicting historic figures from Britain’s imperial past, such as, Queen Victoria, to contemporary street art that seeks to challenge the status quo, such as found in Northern Quarter. Conclusion This research proposal outlined the final year project that will analyse public art and gender by looking at performances that are captured in artworks. It demonstrated how body and gender are understood in geography. It showed how body is an agent through which gender is acted out, and how body as an artistic subject captures these performances. Art has been an important part of geographical work and research in the past, and as the visual imagery and objects become more important in the modern society, more and more meanings are conveyed through visuals. This research will explore what meanings public art conveys about gender roles, and how these meanings are read by artworks’ publics. The main aim of this research is: to analyse the way public art can challenge the gendered nature of space. The objectives to achieve this are: to explore the way that Tankpetrol aims to disrupt traditional genderings of public space; to analyse the meanings encoded in the artwork of Tankpetrol; to analyse the consumption of Tankpetrol’s artwork and how it impacts on people’s ideas of gendering public space. References Baldwin, E., Longhurst, B., McCracken, S., Ogborn, M. and Smith, G. (1999) Introducing Cultural Studies. Athens: University of Georgia Press. Butler, J. (1990) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. London: Routledge. Castree, N., Kitchin, R. and Rogers, A. (Eds.). (2013). A Dictionary of Human Geography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cream, J. (1995) ‘Re-solving riddles: the sexed body.’ In Bell, D. and Valentine, G. (eds.) Mapping Desire: Geographies of Sexualities. London: Routledge, Driver, F. (2003) ‘On Geography as a Visual Discipline.’ Antipode, 35(2) pp. 227–231. Garrett, B. L. (2011) ‘Videographic geographies: Using digital video for geographic research.’ Progress in Human Geography, 35(4) pp. 521–541. Hall, S. (1997) ‘Introduction.’ In Hall, S. (ed.) Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: SAGE, pp. 1–12. Hawkins, H. (2012) ‘Geography and art. An expanding field: Site, the body and practice.’ Progress in Human Geography, 37(1) pp. 52–71. Jagger, G. (2008) Judith Butler: Sexual Politics, Social Change and the Power of the Performative. London: Routledge. Knox, P. and Pinch, S. (2010) Urban Social Geography: An Introduction. 6th ed., London: Pearson. Longhurst, R. (1997) ‘(Dis)embodied geographies.’ Progress in Human Geography, 21(4) pp. 486–501. Miles, M. (1997) Art, Space and the City: Public Art and Urban Futures. London: Routledge. Puwar, N. (2004) Space Invaders: Race, Gender and Bodies Out of Place. Oxford: Berg. Rich, A. (1986) The Politics of Location, in Blood, Bread and Poetry: Selected Prose 1979–1985. London: Norton Co. Roberts, E. (2012) ‘Geography and the visual image: A hauntological approach.’ Progress in Human Geography, 37(3) pp. 386–402. Rose, G. (1993) Feminism and Geography: The Limits of Geographical Knowledge. Cambridge: Polity Press. Rose, G. (1997) ‘Situating Knowledges: positionality, reflexivities and other tactics.’ Progress in Human Geography, 21(3) pp. 305–320. Rose, G. (2001) Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching With Visual Materials. London: SAGE. Rose, G. (2003) ‘On the Need to Ask How, Exactly, Is Geography â€Å"Visual†?’ Antipode, 35(2) pp. 212–221. Tolia-Kelly, D. P. (2012) ‘The Geographies of Cultural Geography II: Visual Culture.’ Progress in Human Geography, 36(1) pp. 135–142. Valentine, G. (2001) Social Geographies: Space and Society. London: Pearson. Zebracki, M. (2013) ‘Beyond public artopia: public art as perceived by its publics.’ GeoJournal, 78(2) pp. 303–317. LINARDS DAVIDANS

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Employees Motivation Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Employees Motivation A business seeks profit by provided customers with goods and services (Schoell, et al 15). There are various types of businesses that differ according to their ownership. The three basic forms of private ownership businesses are the sole proprietorship (i.e. sole trader), partnership, and corporation (Schoell, et al 132). The type of ownership that a business organization would apply is dependent on the owner's financial status and objectives. Apart from the different types of ownerships, there are various styles of management and leadership. The organization's management and leadership style has a great effect on the working environment and the employees' motivation. The development of an optimal leadership style and managerial skills that is the most appropriate to an organization is crucial, having a major effect on its life span. The working environment affects the employees' motivation, which in turn influences the overall progress and well being of the organization. A ccording to a management consultant, called Peter Economy, "It all comes down to keeping employees enthusiastic and energized," which is accomplished by developing a leadership style that would endorse the ideal environment in the business firm (Buchanan 1). A Manager's leadership style contributes directly to the subordinates' motivation and work satisfaction, and the work progress in the organization. There are two types of leadership styles, one that is task-oriented and the other that is employee-oriented. A manager with a task-oriented style will have work results as his biggest concerns; and therefore, he will develop rigid regulations that would lead the subordinates into working their tasks, exactly as he taught them, to reach his desired results. On the other hand, the manager with an employee-oriented manner will be concerned with the employees' condition. This manager's objective is to boost the employees' self-esteem and persuade them on working together to help him in decision-making and on ways to solve problems. However, not all leaders develop a style that is an absolute task-oriented or employee-oriented, their style is consisted of different characteristics from each styles. Hence a manager would be referred to as a more task-oriented or a more employee-oriented, rather than solely describing him as either one (Schoell, et al... ...level needs. As these needs are satisfied, one pursues the safety needs. The safety needs are the needs for security, the protection from deprivation and from danger. The social needs come after the fist two needs have been met. They are the needs for affection, friendship and companionship. Once these levels of needs are satisfied, one seeks for recognition so as to satisfy his ego needs. Self-actualization needs are at the highest level of the hierarchy, the hardest to reach, and never completely achieved (Schoell, et al 293-4). Herzberg's two-factor theory is a further step of Maslow's theory. Fredrick Herzberg, who is also a psychologist, divided Maslow's hierarchy of needs into two sets of needs, a higher-level set of needs and a lower-level set of needs. He named the hygienes to be the incentive factors that would satisfy the lower set of needs (Schoell, et al 294). They are factors in the working environment itself, such as the working conditions, regulations, interpersonal relations, pay, and supervision. For example, (Bovee, et al 443). However, the incentives that would fulfill the higher-level of needs are called the motivators (Schoell, et al 294).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Bullying and School Violence Essay -- School Violence essays research

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article title states exactly what the article talks about, the many different cases of bullying and violence in schools. The title tells you exactly what to expect from the abstract but does not give away any information on what it includes. The author did a good job deciding on the title because although it is simple, it grabs your attention, it certainly did mine. Bullying is a very common happening among young children so the title having the word bully in it, draws your attention. It could have been a little more creative but I do like the title and feel that it is both effective and appropriate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of the study is evident and can clearly and easily be derived from the title of the article. The author, Dawn Pennington, uses a plethora of resources to conduct her research and makes very good use of the research of other specialists.The abstract is very informative, interesting and gives people who don’t know too much about the topic some credible knowledge to go with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I appreciated the way that Pennington began the abstract. She used a well known tragedy in the shootings at Columbine to grab readers’ attention. I would say that she accomplished her mission in that aspect. However, that incident is actually a severe case of what she is writing about. This is what happens when bullying goes to far and the victims can no longer take it. Columbine being that it was such a large scale retaliation placed a stamp on this country’s history. Pennington...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Philips Versus Matsushita: the Competitive Battle Continues Essay

1. How did Philips become the leading consumer electronics company in the world in the post-war era? What distinctive competence did they build? What distinctive incompetencies? Philips became the leading consumer electronics in the world in the post-war period by a strong investment in research and development of their independent national organizations, and good communication between the organizations. Philips has continued this tradition with fourteen divisions of product development, production and distribution in the world, which is another factor n the success of Philips, national organizations. Distinctive competence Philips They had built national organizations that recognize a great advantage of the situation and respond to differences in local countries had, and finally product development was based on local market conditions. They also had to transfer their assets abroad in trusts in the United Kingdom and the United States and they moved most of its research staff in England, and senior executives in the United States. There were distinctive in that Philips skills are no longer able to make decisions ad one company’s technology is o put new products on the market, but each had The national organization tried to take care of their own problems and but they have lost the ability to manage the company as a whole administration. They tried to establish areas of products, but they also failed. 2. How did Matsushita succeed in displacing Philips as No. 1? What were its distinctive competencies and incompetencies? Matsushita was able to move Philips as Number 1 in consumer electronics with a unified global strategy, allowing increasing volumes Matsushita to lower the cost of pushing the lowest price, and hey have finally surpassed the strength Philips its related manufacturing. Matsushita basic skills were they. Control of the company’s subsidiaries and a single global strategy, they were allowed to reduce their production and enhance the coastline there were distinctive skills that they do not develop the innovation and they were not able to develop innovative foreign companies. 3. What recommendations would you make to Gerald Kleisterle? To Eumio Ohtsubo? Both Philips and Matsushita changed its business some things better and some things for the worse.  Philips has its international corporate culture, but it seems that Philips is finally turning around again and again in his fundamental beliefs in research and manufacturing. It will be difficult, but with all the cost savings they had to do while trying to get there, and they need to have confidence in it. They used to make their production continues to improve in the development of research, but they need to promote innovation, to develop the company where he was. Matsushita will never recover it vocation is terrible and they were slow to respond to the recession in Japan. They lost their advantage in the manufacture of other low-cost competitors and they do not recover this advantage, because many companies have lost faith in Matsushita and how they do business. We think Philips and Matsushita are the same things need to improve their business. Both companies to consolidate their production by improving innovation, outsourcing products in low-wage countries, back with a strong research and development, and improve communication within the organization. If they do, there should be an increase in revenue over time. You lose money in advance, but it will be worth it in the end.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Jupiter, Creon and Oedipus: The Idea of Fatherhood in the Context of Patriarchy Essay

Introduction   Probing into Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles and Metamorphoses by Ovid, this paper will discuss the role of the father, their similarities, and how fatherhood affects the actions of a character. Suffice it to say that an inquiry into the fathers’ role in the texts necessitates an understanding of the context within which the stories were produced. In this way, we are given an ample framework to understand the roots that influenced such characterizations. Written around the period Christ was believed to have been born, Oedipus the King and Metamorphoses have at its immediate context of production the era of male rule: in Greece, we have the polis or city-states and in Italy, we have the Roman Empire. Hence, the socio-political climate at the time Sophocles and Ovid wrote their oeuvres is no doubt male dominated.   However, it cannot be denied that the beauty of their works rests on the fact that they have managed to go against the dominant attitude of their time. Also, through their very portrayal of patriarchy the texts are able to foreground its instances. In this sense, the affirmation of the father’s role in the stories reinstate the image of patriarchy yet at the same time, this can also be read as an opening to critique it. The mention of patriarchy thus enables a reading that is critical against and cognizant of patriarchy’s operations. Law of the father In Book I of Metamorphoses, one may clearly see how the dominant role of the father operates through the actions of Jupiter, who is able to pursue any woman he wants by virtue of his position as a god. As a father and king of heaven, Jupiter’s role was portrayed by Ovid not in a manner that fits into the current view of what a good god and father should be. Contrary to present day constructions of an immaculate God and responsible father, Jupiter is lustful, impetuous, violent and a womanizer. Among his actions, which are mostly disastrous, what immediately strike us as violent is Jupiter’s sexual relationship with the women he desires – Io, Callisto, Europa and Semele to name but a few.   In Book I, Jupiter rapes Io which causes the later to bear a son, Epaphus. Interesting in this scene is Jupiter’s concern about Juno’s possible discovery of this rape. In a way, Jupiter’s concern signifies his ‘fear’ of his wife. Yet, this fear is not enough to keep him from lusting for other women. By turning Io into a bull, Jupiter articulates the male perspective towards woman that has been attacked by feminists especially during the advent of the 1960’s. Clearly, Jupiter treats women as commodities that he can dispose after he has done pleasuring himself with them. For Jupiter, it is immaterial whether he sires a child or not with different woman. Jupiter’s idea of fatherhood depends not on the idea of having a family and nurturing a child but on his desire to sleep with any woman he wants. Jupiter’s idea of fatherhood depends on his sexual escapades that must remain unknown to his wife Juno. Recall that after raping Io, Jupiter turns her into a bull so as to hide her true identity from Juno. However, when things did not go as planned, Jupiter was more than willing to go an extra mile, that is, he can even kill so as to contain the threat of revelation. And so he commanded Mercury to kill Argos so as to keep Juno from finding out about Io. Also recall that after raping Callisto, a follower of Diana, Jupiter transforms her into a bear and then into a constellation. In the process of this transformation, Callisto was not given agency to decide for herself. The case of Callisto and Io, among others, testifies to the manner by which Jupiter treats women. In Jupiter’s   relationship with women, we clearly see the workings of patriarchy, a system that depends on the whim of the all-powerful god Jupiter. His actions as god are equated with the Law itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This immunity to punishment informs his actions to the female characters whom he could rape and impregnate as he pleases. His role as a father does not rest then on his desire to have children per se. The numerous children Jupiter has are in fact consequences of his primary desire to sleep with different woman. The Blinded Father and the Tyrant In Oedipus the King, the role of Oedipus as a father and king has a certain similarity with that of Jupiter yet in the final analysis, the two are completely different. As king of Thebes, Oedipus enjoys a relatively opportune position just like Jupiter. However, the striking difference between them is the fact that Oedipus is a mortal while Jupiter is god. Unlike Jupiter, Oedipus does not have the luxury to do whatever he pleases since he is bound by his ominous fate. While Jupiter has the power to decide for himself, Oedipus on the other hand can only limit his choices within the fate endowed to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus’s role as father to Ismene and Antigone differs in great degrees from Jupiter’s role as father. We see Oedipus’ love for his children in different cases in both Oedipus the king and Oedipus at Colonus . At the end of Oedipus the king, Oedipus asks his brother Creon to take care of his two daughters, and this exemplifies his concern for them. Blinded and destroyed, Creon still thought of the welfare of his two daughters. In Oedipus at Colonus on the other hand, we see how Oedipus refuses to side with any of his sons who have become greedy for power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Among the characters in the Theban plays of Sophocles, we can say that the father figure who has greater similarity with Jupiter is Creon. Like Jupiter, Creon cares greatly for his own self. This, as we know, has been the cause of his downfall. After Oedipus’ exile, Creon rules Thebes in a totalitarian manner: no citizen or even family-member could oppose any of his rules. Due to this, not only did Creon alienate the citizens but also his own family. Although Jupiter and Creon are similar in the sense that both rule based on their own whims, they differ in that Jupiter did not have to suffer any consequences for his actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Creon is a tragic persona in ancient Greek drama who suffers grave repercussions for his hubris or excessive degree of pride. Hubris harbors the illusion that one’s actions could not entail a disastrous consequence or nemesis. In the case of Creon, the nemesis of his actions is the death of his own son and wife. Creon had been more concerned about his role as a ruler than a father. This makes his son’s death a very painful experience since it also entails the shattering of Creon’s illusion as an omnipotent being. As a father, he loved his son tremendously. Yet it was too late when he realized that his idea of fatherhood has all along been distorted. The price he had to pay for being more passionately attached to his position as king is the death of the two persons who were more valuable than his crown. Conclusion The ideas of fatherhood in Metamorphosis and the Theban plays of Sophocles are constructed within the context of patriarchy. This makes the idea of fatherhood strongly related to the power of men. In the case of Creon and Jupiter, the idea of fatherhood is cast a different light since the two characters are more concerned with their role as rulers than as fathers to their own children. Oedipus, in opposition to Creon and Jupiter, is the one who was able to provide an idea of fatherhood that entails a concern for his children. Although Oedipus, Creon and Jupiter share as common ground their powerful position within a patriarchal society, their ideas of fatherhood have different characteristics and tendencies.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Frankenstein and Female Monster. Victor

Are you a made man? In Mary Shelley’s (1797-1851) Frankenstein; Or the Modern Prometheus (1818), Victor Frankenstein creates a fiend out the dead body parts. Frankenstein, as a product of the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution, is obsessed with advancing the cause of science, and in becoming famous and respected. â€Å"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption †(Shelley 48). This modern day Prometheus, succeeds in doing what no man has done before, create life. The man he creates is contrary to what Victor envisioned. â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Gre at God!His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips†(Shelley 51). After his creation comes to life, he refuses to accept his (parental) obligation; he does not care for the fiend, he does not provide it with shelter nor with food or love. He fails to teach and to instruct dismissing a relationship with his creature.Instead, in disgust of what he has done, Victor abandons â€Å"the fiend. † The fiend attempts to live a normal life; however, being abandon leaves the monster confused, afraid, left to his own devices, and angry. â€Å"‘I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me;’’ (Shelley 129) Victor abandon and left t he monster as a fatherless child like his mother did when she died â€Å".. She whom we saw every day and whose very existence appeared a part of our own can have departed forever† (Shelley 38-39) All of the thing that he loved about his mother had been taken away and he was left as a motherless child.The story of Frankenstein and his creation is ultimately a story of abandonment. Abandonment (and neglect), Shelley suggests, is detrimental to growth and maturity; abandonment might result in the dehumanization of both the creator (parent) and his creation (child). Shelley’s novel is an exploration of where abandonment might lead. [NOT SURE WHERE YOU ARE GOING WITH THIS. KEEP IT FOR NOW, IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU NEED MORE OF A HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK] Ultimately, Frankenstein refuses to accept the responsibility of providing a source of companionship for the creation since he does not allow for any connection between himself and the monster.Victor basically flees, hoping to f orget what he has created. He attempts to live a normal life however his abandonment leaves the monster confused, angry, and afraid. Frankenstein is an Enlightenment scientist, who crosses the boundaries of science and feels the need to discover the secrets of life. The Enlightenment Period was a cultural movement of intellectuals beginning in the late 17th and 18th century Europe emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition. [START HERE] Victor Frankenstein has always been fascinated by nature and always wanted to conquer the unknown[PLACE AND ANALYZE THE QUOTE HERE – WHERE HIS FASCINATION BEGINS – â€Å"When we visited it the next morning, we found the tree shattered in a singular manner. It was not splintered by the shock, but entirely reduced to thin ribbons of wood. I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed. Before this I was not unacquainted with the more obvious laws of electricity† (Shelley 36). After being introduced to science Victor b ecame fascinated with it. In retaliation to his fascination, Victor betrays nature by creating the Monster. Victor frankenstein felt the need to challenge nature with him imagination and creating his own being.The Romantic believed there was good in all things, and the darkness could not be ignored. Many expressed their beliefs in through dark romantic writing and art work using the ideas of nature, emotion, individualism, and creativity and passion was a reaction against the rules and conventions of society. To all romanctic writers believed nature is devined there for violating nature is a violation of there god and themselves. Victor’s fascination led him to successful create a creature and Privately abandon his own needs, hidden away in his apartment where no one can see him work, he decides to begin the construction of the creature.Abortion and devoting himself to this labor, he neglects everything else family, friends, studies, and social life. This lead victor to grow increasingly pale, lonely, and obsessed. â€Å"My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement. Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realise. One secret which I alone possessed was the hope to which I had dedicated myself; and the moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding-places.† (shelley 48)Victor creates the Monster to replace the lonely feeling he had after his mothers death. In creating the monster, one might say, that Victor is reconciling his own sense of abandonment. In other words, he creates a creature to validate him (often what our parents do) and to reconcile his feelings of maternal abandonment. Ironically, he in turn abandons the creature that he builds. Frankenstein feels abandoned by his mother and the Monster feels abandoned by Frankenstein. After creating the M onster, Victor takes takes one look at the monster and immediately abandons him, â€Å"But I escaped and rushed downstairs.I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited; where I remained during the rest of the night†¦ † (Shelley 59). When he returns to his chamber, the monster is gone and Victor feels relieved from his creator. Two years go by before Victor and his eight feet tall creation, face each other again. Victor is headed home after receiving his fathers letter informing him that his little brother William had been murdered. Victor is soon aware that the fiend is responsible for the murder of his brother.His adopted sister Justine is framed by the fiend. She is found guilty and is soon executed. Although Victor feels sadness, anger, frustration and guilt, especially about Justine’s death, he feels that he cannot confide his suspicion that his creation is responsible. Who would believe him? Victor begins his traveling toward Geneva with thought of the Monster. During his traveling he sees his creature , while coming face to face with his creating he insisted on the creature diapering and having the slightest contact with him.On one hand the creator had different feelings he almost seemed excited about seeing his creator and wanted to share all the thing he had learned with him even while victor continued to abandon him. â€Å"Be calm! I entreat you to hear me, before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head. Have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery? Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it. Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height is superior to thine; my joints more supple.But I will not be tempted to set myself in opposition to thee. I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king, if thou wilt also perform thy part, the which thou owest me. Oh, Frankenstein, be not e quitable to every other, and trample upon me alone, to whom thy justice, and even thy clemency and affection, is most due. Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good — misery made me a fiend.Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous. † â€Å"Begone! I will not hear you. There can be no community between you and me; we are enemies. Begone, or let us try our strength in a fight, in which one must fall. â€Å"(shelley 89) though the monster had been abandoned several times by his creator he tried every chance he got [THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SCENE AND MOUNTAIN, SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO IT JUSTICE. AND REMEMBER THE MONSTER NOTIFIES VICTOR TO EXACTLY WHERE HE WILL MEET HIM, BECAUSE HE WANTS THIS AUDIENCE WITH HIS CREATOR]. {YOU DON’T HAVE TO BRACKET THIS, BUT YOU SHOULD TRANSITION INTO THIS.IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE MONSTER IS ABANDONED MANY TIMES†¦ VICTOR, WHO LOST HIS MOTHER SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE MONSTER LOST HIS FATHER – VICTOR – YET HE FAILS TO EMPATHIZE WITH HIS CREATION] He told Victor about how he grew to love the DeLacey Family and learned to see what it meant to love another. Studying the family led to the monster feeling abandoned because he couldn’t connect with them. â€Å"I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers — their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions: but how was I terrified when I viewed myself in a transparent pool!At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification. Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity†. (Shelley ____ ) Before the c ottage family met the creature he had already opened his heart to them wishing for adoption. When the monster finally felt he had completely prepared himself to meet his teachers he was rejected and again abandoned.This abandonment was held a great deal of the creatures hate for mankind. He then told Victor that he had met a little boy on his way back to find Victor, his creator. He tells that he thought he could make the little boy except him, because of the little boy's youth mind. The Monster then learned that the boy was a brother to Victor, who had abandoned him first. (talk about how he tried to grow comfort with the boy but was abandon) He got very angry at the thought of being friends with the brother of the man who caused the Monster such great pain.The Monster then killed the little boy and had taken the locket and put it into the pocket of a lady. Justin was soon executed for the murder of the little boy (William). â€Å"I determined to seek that justice which I vainly a ttempted to gain from any other being that wore the human form. † (Pg. 136) Victor then told the Monster to leave and never come back or he would kill him. The Monster then realizes that the blame is on him, himself and he decides to kill himself. â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? † (Pg. 132) Once again this left me wondering if the Monster killed himself, would that leave another void in Victor's life?Victor had already lost so many loved ones that were so close to him. Did he have feelings for the Monster? Not feelings of love, because all that he had done; but some type, any type of feelings since he after all created the Monster. At the end of the book the Monster finally talks Frankenstein into creating a female for him. The Monster wanted another like him so he could feel normal and not feel the abandonment for the rest of his life. Victor begins making another replica of the Monster, but then abandon the thought in the middle of his work.Victor then r ealized what could happen if he finished the female Monster. victor realized that if he finished the female Monster that it too could turn against human kind, and also go on a killing spree. Victor then destroyed his half way complete work. This angered the Monster and he then swore to make Victor the most miserable person in the world. The Monster did this by going on another killing spree of people that were close to Victor. He killed Victor's best friend Henry Clerval and Victor was almost executed for the murder. In the mean time Victor had met a lady called Elizabeth, whom he planned to marry.So the Monster waited for the night after Victor and Elizabeth's wedding and then murdered Elizabeth. Victor's father had also grown very depressed from all the void's in his own life and too soon died after hearing the news Elizabeth's death. Victor then was very ragged and obsessed to get a bitter revenge on the bitter Monster. Victor chased the Monster up into the North. He nearly kille d himself when he was chasing the Monster on dog sleds and broke through the ice and fell into the water. Victor was saved by a passing ship. He recovered enough to tell his long, remorseful story to Robert Walton.Victor then got very sick and soon died. Thus, leaving a void in Walton's life. That same night the Monster came to see Victor in his death-bed. The monster met Walton while doing this and told him of all of the rage he felt toward Victor. Walton did not like the Monster at all. The Monster told Walton that he would kill himself now that Victor had died. He told Walton he would do this by going where nobody could see him, in the North, and set fire to himself. In conclusion, I feel the theme of the book is abandonment. I think this because every event that happens is the result to some sort of abandonment.Victor Frankenstein felt abandoned and had a void because his mother died. As a result to that feeling, he betrayed nature and created the Monster. He abandoned the Monst er, leaving a void in the Monster's life. The abandonment from Victor made the Monster angry, wanting to make Victor's life miserable. The Monster then began to kill people who were close to Victor, making Victor have even more abandonment in his life. Finally, Victor died from being sick and the Monster killed himself. All of the events in this book support that the theme of the book is abandonment.

Operation Zapata

Operation Zapata, or invasion in the Bay of Pigs, was developed by the CIA as a way to replace Castro' s regime by non-communist government friendly to the USA. The initial plan of the operation was revised greatly: â€Å"Kennedy thought the plan exposed the role of the United States too openly† (Sierra, J. A. , 2008). Revised operation had little chances to succeed (Sierra, J. A. , 2008), and several major failures occurred during performance of the invasion (The Bay of Pigs, n. d. ), resulting in failed operation and imprisonment of almost all CIA-trained invading troops.Initial plan was well thought out and had much more chances to succeed, but interference from the new President and his advisors made this impossible to perform and underlined dependence of intelligence agency, its activities and plans from external decisions. Cuban missile crisis was a logical consequence of failed operation Zapata. Castro feared of military interventions from the USA and decided to agree f or placement of Soviet intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Cuba (An Overview of the Crisis, n. d. ) in exchange for training and funding of Cuban army. This activity soon was discovered by CIA (Simkin J., n. d. ). Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba and demanded USSR to remove all missile bases and their content (Goldman, J. , 1997), and the crisis was launched. Due to efficient performance of intelligence agency critical information about potential enemy activity was obtained beforehand and actions that ensured national security were taken in time. If operation Zapata would be successful, Cuba would have been ruled by the non-antagonist government and USSR would have received no possibilities for the placement of nuclear missiles so close to the US territory.If intelligence had failed to discover Soviet activity on the Cuba, national security would have been endangered greatly because of Soviet nuclear missiles placed so close to the national borders. Both of these examples show how crucial is effective and unhindered performance of intelligence divisions to the national interests, for intelligence proved critical role in both of accidents mentioned. 1. An Overview of the Crisis. (n. d. ). In ThinkQuest Library. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://library. thinkquest. org/11046/days/index. html 2. Goldman, J. (1997). The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 18-29, 1962.Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. hpol. org/jfk/cuban/ 3. Sierra, J. A. (2008). Invasion at Bay of Pigs. – The Plan. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. historyofcuba. com/history/baypigs/pigs3. htm 4. Simkin, J. (n. d. ). Cuban Missile Crisis. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/COLDcubanmissile. htm 5. The Bay of Pigs. (n. d. ). In John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: Historical Resources. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. jfklibrary. org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/JFK+and+the+Bay+o

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Manchester United Essay

We aim to increase our revenue and profitability by expanding our high growth businesses that leverage our global community and marketing infrastructure. The key elements of our strategy are: Expand our portfolio of global and regional sponsors: We are well positioned to continue to secure sponsorships with leading brands. Over the last few years, we have implemented a proactive approach to identifying, securing and supporting sponsors. In addition, we are focused on expanding a regional sponsorship model, segmenting new opportunities by product category and territory. As part of this strategy, we have opened an office in Asia and are in the process of opening an office in North America. These are in addition to our London and Manchester offices. Further develop our retail, merchandising, apparel & product licensing business: We will focus on growing this business on a global basis by increasing our product range and improving distribution through further development of our wholesale , retail and e-commerce channels. Manchester United branded retail locations have opened in Singapore, Macau, India and Thailand, and we plan to expand our global retail footprint over the next several years. In addition, we will also invest to expand our portfolio of product licensees to enhance the range of product offerings available to our followers. Exploit new media & mobile opportunities: The rapid shift of media consumption towards internet, mobile and social media platforms presents us with multiple growth opportunities and new revenue streams. Our digital media platforms, such as mobile sites, applications and social media, are expected to become one of the primary methods by which we engage and transact with our followers around the world. In addition to developing our own digital properties, we intend to leverage third party media platforms and other social media as a means of further engaging with our followers and creating a source of traffic for our digital media assets. Our new media & mobile offering s are in the early stages of development and present opportunities for future growth. Enhance the reach and distribution of our broadcasting rights: The value of live sports programming has grown dramatically in recent years due to changes in how television content is distributed and consumed. Specifically, television consumption has become more fragmented and audiences for traditional scheduled television programming have declined as consumer choice increased  with the emergence of multi-channel television, the development of technologies such as the digital video recorder and the emergence of digital viewing on the internet and mobile devices. The unpredictable outcomes of live sports ensures that individuals consume sports programming in real time and in full, resulting in higher audiences and increased interest from television broadcasters and advertisers. We are well positioned to benefit from the increased value and the growth in distribution associated with the Premier League, the Champions League and other competitions. Furthermore, MUTV, our global broadcasting platform, delivers Manchester United programming to 54 countries around the world. We plan to expand the distribution of MUTV by improving the quality of its content and its production capabilities. Diversify revenue and improve margins: We aim to increase the revenue and operating margins of our business as we further expand into our high growth commercial businesses, including sponsorship, retail, merchandising, licensing and new media & mobile. By increasing the emphasis on our commercial businesses, we will further diversify our revenue, enabling us to generate improved profitability. The five forces model of Michael Porter looks like the following if applied to Mu Ltd.: SUPPLIER POWER High diversity of suppliers Volume is important to supplier MU differentiates of inputs Inputs have a high impact on costs and differentiation Switching costs of firms in the industry are low There is a low Presence of substitute inputs BARRIERS TO ENTRY There is quite an easy access to inputs The is a government policy promoting quite free entry in case certain registration type of requirements are fulfilled There is economies of scale High capital requirements There are strong brand identity in the succer sector of the sports industry Switching costs are high Easy access to distribution Low expected retaliation THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES Low switching costs Buyers are not highly inclined to substitute Price-performance, to a certain level, has no influence on the preffered team Trade-off of substitutes DEGREE OF RIVALRY High exit barriers Low industry concentration High fixed costs/High value added Low industry growth Low product differences Low switching costs High brand identity High diversity of rivals BUYER POWER Bargaining leverage is neither high, neither low Buyer volume upon successful times are high Buyer information can be considered high Brand identity is strong Price sensitivity is not extremely high Product differentiation is very high Buyer concentration vs. industry is low Many substitutes are available Source: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtml Key Performance Indicators (KPI) The other, as mentioned before, is the KPI, or key performance indicators. As the Affiliated League Club lists, the KPI of a sports klubs must be the following( p.3,http://nemjfa.homestead.com/BUSINESSPLAN.pdf ): Sound business plan Stable administration, close communication between all levels of Club Management High quality coaches at both senior and underage levels High profile and acceptance within the community Strong Club presence in schools, both primary and secondary Sound oval management, high standard of club facilities Sound financial management, expenses kept in line with income base Development of Juniors, particularly local based players Manchester United Ltd. is a very professional company, and is in possession of these characteristics. It actually needs so, if it wants to achieve its declared goal, „to be the most successful teem in football† (http://ir.manutd.com/manutd/about/bustrat/). As to the last part of the question, identifying internal and external factors, please refer back to the Porter’s Five Forces Model above Major cost categories of the company, the drivers behind these costs, and the internal and external factors that influence costs the most There are three major cost categories, those related to the operation and development of the corporate Manchester United, the costs related to the operation and development of the sporting club, and other, related costs. The corporate costs include such costs as dept and maintance costs, and costs related to the commercial activities of the company. Examples of club related cost include the compensation of the players and staff, and purchase of new players and stuff. The other costs include, for instance infrastructural costs, such as the maintance and development cost of the stadium of MU, the „Old Trafford†. The drivers of the costs of Manchester United, and the internal and external factors that influence the cost structure and levels of these cost in all the three major categories can be observed in the second part of question 1, in the Porter’s Five Forces Model. What companies are comparable companies Other English football club corporations like Chelsea and Arsenal of London, Everton, and Liverpool. Companies operating football clubs are very dinstinct from companies of other industries, and the larger football clubs are probably very similar to each other in how they conduct their business, all having some income sources, tickets, clothing, that are the same. Method most appropriate to assess the value of the company, advantages and disadvantages of the relative and the DCF methods. If we are looking at the performance of the company, probably the profitability is the measure that should be used, because it measures the efficientcy of the financial performance of the company. DCF Method: Advantages: As DCF analysis is based on the assumptions of the CAPM, it is an analytically correct valuation method. In contrast to the Comparable Companies analysis, volatile market conditions do not have an impact on the results. DCF therefore is often used as an additional point of reference. Since the discount rate is usually derived from the WACC, the DCF takes account of the relative riskiness of the projected cash flow. Accounting rules do not influence this approach, as valuation is based on projected cash flow. growth period period of stable growth. Multiples appropriate for the comparison of the company with other comparative companies, what financial and non-financial measures should be a basis of compari Probably the best multiple to measure the success of a club is the games won to the sum of tied and lost games. This is important, because the more games a club can win, the more the corporate club can achieve in its merchadising, and the more sponsors it will be able to attract. This multiple would be considered to be a non-funancial measure. A financial measure applicable to football corporations would be profitability if the company, as it, though with limmitations, measures how efficiently the club is operating. Another financial measure would be the revenues per players in a complete season. Shortcomings: Since the terminal value often represents more than 50% of the entire DCF value it is therefore highly sensitive to the underlying assumptions, especially regarding the growth component in the terminal value and the discount rate. Using historical stock returns when estimating the beta depends heavily on the choice of the index. For volatile companies the beta is very high, resulting in a relatively high discount rate and a low net present value of cash flows. Estimating a â€Å"correct† value by applying the DCF approach therefore depends to a large extend on the expertise and industry knowledge of the person doing the valuation. Moreover, the DCF approach neither considers different management options nor future investment opportunities. It only works if cash flows are subject to little uncertainty and the company is managed by a static management team. It does not capture the â€Å"true† value if there are large initial losses, highly  volatile earnings or immense initial growth rates.† (WEITZEL, GELLINGS, BEIMBORN and KÃâ€"NIG, 2003, IS Valuation Methods- Insights from Capital Markets Theory and Practice –, p.5-6.) Relative method: Advantages: As the comparable companies method is based on public information, market moods and perceptions are reflected, since it measures the relative and not the intrinsic value. Relative valuation is based upon fewer assumptions and can be conducted faster than DCF valuation. Shortcomings: The simplicity of valuation by multiples is its deficiency [Benninga/Sarig 1997, 305]. Since no value determinants are analyzed, it is important to carefully select comparable firms. Also, outside variables like mergers and acquisitions in the respective sector can influence stock prices. Figures often fail to capture intangible assets, like quality of management. Hence, CC based valuation should provide a valuable â€Å"sanity check† to assure the validity of a DCF analysis, but it should not be the only valuation method used [Benninga/Sarig 1997, 305].† (WEITZEL, GELLINGS, BEIMBORN and KÃâ€"NIG, 2003, IS Valuation Methods- Insights from Capital Markets Theory and Practice –, p.7-8.) Limitations of applying the relative and the DCF methods to the evaluation of the company, what can be done to overcome this problem There are a number of limitations of applying the relative and the DCF methods to the evaluation of the company. For instance, purchasing new players and coaches cost a lot of money; it is not rare that that amount of money reaches one million euros. As it was seen in the above summary of the disadvantages of the DCF method. A possible solution to this problem, though not very humane, the cost of these players and coaches could be depreciated over the time frame of the contract involved, just as it is done in the case of new infrastructural expenditures. In the case of the Relative method, the problem is that the progression of the team in the national, that is in the Premier League, and in the international cups and championships, were much different both in the near past and will probably be in the future also. This increases the risk of the cyclicality of the business. This cyclicality can be much different in the case of the different corporate clubs, which makes the incomes and thus other results of the companies very difficult to  compare. Links for more information Porter five forces analysis – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Porter’s five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It draws upon Industrial Organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determi Performance indicator – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A performance indicator or key performance indicator (KPI) is a measure of performance. Such measures are commonly used to help an organization define and evaluate how successful it is, typically in terms of making progress towards its long-term Manchester United Official Web Site The official site with news, transfer rumours, online ticket sales, live match commentary, video highlights, player profiles, mobile content, wallpapers and more. Manchester united  Manchester United (ManU) is one of the leading football clubs in the world. ManU has won many titles in the football competition making the club to be the most successful football club in the world. The success of this club is contributed by the good management of Sir Alex Ferguson who has been the manager since 1986 when Ron Atkinson left (Official website, ManU). Introduction The football industry in UK has become popular because of the first successes in the industry, an attribute that made it a viable business. The main aim of this report is to analyze the SWOT and PEST analysis of Manchester United. From this analysis, it will be possible to identify both the internal and external strengths of the company. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis can be used to know the success factors of ManU as well as to identify the strategies to be overcome the club’s weaknesses. Moreover, SWOT analyses will enable the company to identify the opportunities to improve performance. SWOT analysis of Manchester United is presented below: Strengths The key strength of Manchester United is its well recognized brand all over  the world. ManU has achieved such good brand name by heavy advertisement through the internet, TV and magazines (Andrews, 2004). This massive advertisement has made the club to get various sponsors. This means that whenever the company raises any merchandise in the market, indicating their name and symbol, it will be identified by its funs all over the world. Strength of the club is the presence of a big fan base which has improved the financial stability of the club. This big fan base has made a very high purchase figure whenever the tickets are being sold. Furthermore, Manchester United has various distribution channels which enable it to deliver new products introduced into the market. Furthermore, these channels can be used by the Manchester United to obtained feedback from the market concerning their products and performances. Weaknesses From the website of the company, it shows that the major weakness is the products and product variety. It is evident that the company has been introducing many diverse products at different occasions. All these diverse products have been introduced from the jersey to credit cards indicating that the company has exploited the available sources of income within the company. This action needs to be researched as soon as possible so as to help the company to situate and analyze it products, adopt the use of effective instruments such as the Boston Matrix which will help the company to identify that the products are doing well in the market. Lastly, the club has been so affluent, and it is still operating on such a high level, there is a worrying within the management of the company that it will loose its origin, which has a diverse concentration of the club from football to the proceeds. Such moves might have a great effect to its fans because the fans come from all over the world. Oppor tunities Penetration of the Manchester United to the American market has been one of the major opportunities to the company. The company will in future structure its club by entering into coalition with the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees is one of the well-off teams in the world. This will assist the company by ensuring that exclusive distribution channels are established in the United States of America. Through this the company will be in a position to enter and present their products in a new market. Furthermore, the  Manchester United will be in a position to lead all the football clubs in the America, though there will be superior height of risks concerned. The managers believe that by entering a coalition with the Yankees, this threat will be reduced (CNN, 2010). Threats Manchester United operates under a great threat in this field because other big teams like Manchester City and Arsenal which are currently improving in their performances. These and other teams have become very big competitors to the club. Furthermore, the Manchester United FC has been facing internal threats to the team. There is a frequent change of leadership in the company making the club to be disunited. Nonetheless, this will affect the sale of merchandise. Lastly, the club is lacking enough finances for financing academies and junior football, so that they can train the best footballers to ensure smooth succession in the future. PEST Analysis of the Manchester United The club’s decision has been affected by macro-environmental factors such as the changes in taxes, new laws, demographic changes and the changes in government policy. The managers of Manchester United can classify these as the political, economical, social and technological factors. Political factors This comprises of the laws which govern the issues affecting the activities of the club. Currently the team is undergoing a problem of paying out its debts which amount to $1.5 billion, a figure which was misappropriated by the greedy owners. The fans of Manchester United from England are preparing to join their efforts to force legislators to consider pro-football legislation in parliament which will aim at fighting the total arrears which has not being paid because of corrupt owners who misuse the funds of the club. Such an action has exploited the loyalties of fans of Manchester United. Economical factors The club has boosted the economy through employment opportunities which have been created to the players and the officials. The positive effect of Manchester United FC is felt globally because they employ the best players globally. Secondly, this soccer club has been a catalyst in the regional development because of the positive financial flows which are generated by the supporters of the team across the world. Lastly, the club has a positive influence on the economy because its officials are thrown from all over the world. These officials spend an average of 15on basic needs such as food, drinks etc. in a single match. If the supporters are from foreign countries they bring in foreign currencies which will eventually boosts the Balance of Payments in the country Technology Technology has contributed positively to the foot ball games since the players are capable of playing at night due to the availability of electricity. Furthermore, technology has facilitated various people from different parts of the world to watch football irregardless of there locations. Technology has facilitated fans of the club to obtain information from the internet concerning the performances of the company. This has benefited those Manchester United fans to get updates incase they had missed to watch the game. Social Manchester United just like any other football team has united many people especially the funs of football. People have interacted all over the world because of football. People from different age groups normally watch football because it is either their favorite game or because they want to watch just for leisure. Football has become part of the society in the current world, everybody in the world talks of football, either English Premier League or the world cup championships. This is very important since it has affected the society in a positive way i.e. it can create employment in the region. For example, the world cup will be in South Africa this year. The South African government will collect a lot of revue in terms of taxation, sales of tickets and any other taxable stuff. This will have close relationship with the social cultural factors though indirectly (Masterman, 2009). Manchester United has contributed a lot in the context of the social cultural factors as it employs play ers from different parts of the world. They normal select stars from different leagues and employ them. From a research done by Masterman, Manchester is the leading club in the payment package they offer to its employees. Business strategy The team has carried research concerning their product development in the market. This is very important as it will help the team to improve their performance in their product in the present market before strategizing on how to enter the new market. Conclusion Manchester United is the leading team in the football industry and to maintain this position, they have to focus on the market and the needs of its clients and followers. The company has further improved on their product through carrying research; these improvements have brought success in the club and improve the support of the team. The board of directors has also done their best by employing the best players to represent the club. This will make the team to perform well in the field whenever they have a game. Furthermore, these directors ensure that the discipline is well maintained in the company because the fans and its competitors are closely watching what is going on in the company. Bibliography Andrews, D. L. (2004) Manchester United: a thematic study. Routledge: UK. Barthold, D. 2009. The Business of European Football. GRIN Verlag, (3). Pp 36-38 Masterman, G. 2009. Strategic Sports Event Management: Olympic Edition Hospitality, Leisureand Tourism Series. Butterworth-Heinemann, (2). Pp 65-67 Manchester United. 2008. The Official Manchester United Annual 2009 Official Manchester The Manchester United Football Club is one of the most popular football clubs in the world. This English football club has its base at Old Trafford Stadium, which is located in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Manchester United is the founder member of 1992 Premier League. Being the second most successful team in the entire history of English football, Manchester United Football Club has over 330 million fans globally. The club has been participating in the top division English football since 1938. The Manchester United Football Club is also popular by its nickname, â€Å"The Red Devils†. In November 1986 when Alex Ferguson became the manager of the Club, Manchester United reached to the peak of success and won 20 major titles. The Manchester United Football Club has won the Premier League and First Division 17 times and is trailing behind Liverpool by just one title. Manchester United became the first English Football Club to win the European Cup in 1968. The Club has the record of winning maximum number of FA Cup titles. From late 90’s until date, Manchester United remains one of the richest football clubs with a total value of  £897 million. In 1998-99, Manchester United became the first ever and the only club to win the Treble. In the year 2000, the club became a founding member for the G-14 group. This is a group of the Big European football clubs. In the year 2005, American businessperson Malcolm Glazer took a controlling interest in Manchester United. With the Red Football Ltd as the investment vehicle, Malcolm took 75% control of the club and the club was de-listed from the Stock Exchange. Initially the jersey of Manchester United was yellow and green in color but in 1902, the club changed it to red jerseys with white shorts and black socks. Manchester United has sponsorship deals with various companies. AIG, Nike, Audi, Budweiser, Betfred, Xfm Manchester are some of the sponsors for the club. The Manchester United football club has its own football ground at Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The stadium opened on 19 February 1910 and the total capacity of the stadium is 76,212. It is a difficult job to determine the greatest rival of Manchester United Football Club. According to some people, Liverpool is the biggest rival of Manchester. Leeds, Manchester City and Arsenal are also the other known rivals of the Club. So far, the Club has bagged 3 European Cup/ UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup and 1 European Super Cup. Manchester United Football Club has also won 1 Intercontinental Cup/ World Cup Championship. Facts:  · 5% of the world population is the supporters of Manchester United Football Club.  · The Club has won 10 Premier leagues, 7 First division leagues and 2 Second division leagues.  · Manchester United won 11 FA Cups, 2 League cups and 16 FA Charity/Community Shield. In the next few articles, let us understand about the sports team’s brand-building strategies. The most common strategy followed by most of the teams is: Sponsorship with other global brands  Being associated with other international brand names lends global presence to brands as they go worldwide. If we talk about the most richest soccer club, Manchester United, they have 44 official sponsors associated with the club. One of the biggest tie up then in the year 2002 was Manchester United’s tie up with Nike. Both Manchester United and Nike gained in global stature after the announcement of their global tie-in 2002. Now such is the case that Nike has to discuss a  £303 million kit supply deal with Manchester United and they might well have to anyhow shell out this huge sum of cash if they want to maintain their association with Manchester United. One month from now, this strategically important meeting will be talking place and the American sport wear company will have to come up with an enormous sum to satisfy the club’s owners. The ‘Swoosh’ logo has adorned some of the greatest teams and players in the history of the game, including Manchester United legends Eric Cantona, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo. Of the current squad, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, the Da Silva twins, Chris Smalling, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand all wear Nike boots along with the standard kits. In recent years, Manchester United has formed commercial alliances with a number of global players in other industries: Vodafone, Pepsi, DHL and Aon were all added to the clubâ₠¬â„¢s sponsorship list. Under these arrangements, the club gains from sponsors’ international reputations and sponsors gain from their association with a such big sports brand. And Manchester United is talking full advantage of this to reach out to new segment of soccer fans and in turn helping in strengthening its brand equity. In July, United announced a staggering  £357 million deal with General Motors for the Chevrolet logo to be worn on their shirts for seven seasons from 2014. Chevrolet’s eight-year partnership with Manchester United kicked off this summer with a series of friendly matches, bringing the world’s favourite football team to their fans in South Africa, Europe and China. The support for, and commitment to Manchester United and its passionate fans worldwide will go far beyond the pre-season games as General Motors look to join the fans in celebrating all that is beautiful about the game. One of the biggest logistics company which is present in 220 countries and territ ories worldwide has tied up United in 2011. DHL were made responsible to undertake a range of logistics services on behalf of Manchester United for three years. Just like DHL, Manchester United stands  for passion, teamwork and can-do spirit. And it’s those same characteristics that have enabled both DHL and Manchester United to remain at the top of their game and thus join together and build its brand. The last two deals done recently by Manchester United were with the two sponsors from China (Wahaha, a soft drinks manufacturer and China Construction Bank (CCB). Both have tied up for a three year deal. CCB will hold the exclusive rights to produce the official Manchester United branded credit card in Mainland China. Wahaha has been the largest beverage producer in China for the past 11 years and will be the club’s first official soft drinks partner in the country. This is just one of the many strategic decision taken by this 135-year-old soccer club from Britain. In the coming article, I would write about Manc hester United’s Asian Strategy, mainly highlighting its entry into the Indian market.