Citation Paper Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Citation Paper - Annotated Bibliography Example Author Amy Dean’s journal article ‘Occupy Wall Street: A Protest against a Broken Economic Compact’  (first published in Harvard International Review, 2012) offers insight and rationale behind his great mass movement. The OWS, which started as an innocuous gathering in Zuccotti Park in New York City, rapidly caught the public imagination, as it spread across the country swiftly and effectively. Amy Dean’s article is a valuable source for the research essay, for it deals with the crux of the problem, namely that of the ‘broken economic compact’. She notes how â€Å"the Occupy movement is a protest against a broken economic compact that reaches into the very middle of America and that is resonating in other parts of the world as well†. (Dean 12) Rather than being an arm-chair investigation of the landmark event, the author gives first-hand accounts of the unfolding movement from its epi-centre in New York City. As she observes during the introduction to the article, â€Å"During the early months when Occupy Wall Street maintained tent cities in lower Manhattan and other metropolitan areas around the country, the occupations attracted an array of young counter-culturalists and itinerant radicals. To many people seeing the images of the encampments on the news, it looked like a motley assembly, not something out of the American mainstream.† (Dean 12) As Amy Dean suggests in the article, Occupy Wall Street is a crucial reality check for a nation that is on the brink of economic and social disintegration. The movement showed up a mirror to the nation’s leaders and reminded them of their misplaced priorities and unethical behavior. The OWS movement is the most recent in that noble tradition of civil disobedience and collective public action that the country is so proud of. But Dean warns readers to not get carried away. How history will judge and rate the effectiveness of OWS will depend on how well public grievances are translated into

Where did I go wrong in life My independent life Essay

Where did I go wrong in life My independent life - Essay Example Life was too perfect and boring with no sense of adventure and excitement. Finally, my fervent application to numerous agencies bore fruit and my first joining letter came with an attractive pay cheque, with separate room rent. Informing my parents about my decision to move out to a separate apartment in the proximity of my office, I landed into a studio apartment. The feeling was one of elation and ecstasy, for there won't be anybody to check me litter the house, nor will my pa be here to switch off the music when I listen to it full blast. I can watch my favourite TV show, without having to battle over the remote with my brother. I am finally on my own and nobody can dictate me what to and what not to do. With a feeling of euphoria, I started my independent life, which lacked discipline and a complete chaos prevailed at my apartment. I often reach home late and called friends over, partying away the entire night, and go to work the next day without sleeping a wink.

Why Use Social Media?

Why Use Social Media? There is no longer a question on the power of social media in driving all types of businesses forward. No matter what type of industry you operate in, you will find that there are far too important benefits to be ignored. With the full understanding of the abilities of each social media and complete guidelines on how to best use them to your advantage, it is now up to you on how you can fully maximize its benefits for your business. Today, social media platforms have invaded and taken over public consciousness. It has become a big part of day to day routines and an indispensable communication tool for people to connect and stay in touch. Consumers have used social media presence as one of the integral basis of a companys legitimacy, reliability and viability. Businesses today are judged based on their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles, and consumers expect companies to respond to the concerns and queries they have tweeted within the day or within the hour. Suffice it to say, social media has managed to steal the thunder away from traditional marketing methods. Modern marketing strategies today have a mix of social media tactics as its integral component for reaching business goals. What is Social Media These days, social media is the buzz word in marketing and a global trend that has gotten everyone of every age engrossed in one, two and possibly even several social media sites. Everyone is on it, in one form or another. But what is it exactly? Social Media Explained in Plain English The term social media has been carelessly tossed around and used too often in online marketing. But what is it really about? In essence, social media incorporates the use of online technologies and methods that allow people to share personal opinions, content as well as swap insights and perspectives with the rest of the world. Social media content can take different shapes and forms: Text often used to write or put across personal opinions or posts Images photos are used to display anything of interest Why Use Social Media Social media has paved the way to a more powerful communication channel for companies to publish their marketing messages all without the exorbitant cost. While we all know social networks is generally used by businesses to engage their target market and study consumer preferences and behaviors, the truth is, it has other equally powerful features that you can incorporate into your marketing strategy, with highly rewarding payoff at that. Here are other areas in your business that you can apply social media to drive success: Customer Service -The ability to respond and react quickly is very critical in todays market, especially in influencing and changing perceptions. Even if a concern has not been resolved immediately, customers will feel their issues were acknowledged and given attention in a timely manner. This is yet another effect of the actualization of an account. This is actually what humanizes the social media. It gives reality to the virtual account; relationships can only be established if a workmate accepts a connection from another worker employed by the same company. Real time conversations happen another benefit of the social media that comes in different forms. As more and more companies and brands readily include their product offers in the social media experience, a growing number of consumers have grown increasingly comfortable with the idea of social commerce. When to use Social Media To effectively use social media to your full advantage, it is important to take time and learn how the ecosystem works and the emerging habits of the social consumers. Recruitment and Retention A lot of employees today decide on whether they want to be a part of an organization or not based on information derived from social networks. It can also present a powerful tool in sourcing social channels that exists through professional networks. Recruitment and Retention A lot of employees today decide on whether they want to be a part of an organization or not based on information derived from social networks. It can also present a powerful tool in sourcing social channels that exists through professional networks. Internal Communications and Collaboration Small and large organizations can largely benefit from social media, in terms of file sharing, collaborative editing and knowledge sharing. Who Uses Social Media According to the Social Media Marketing Report for 2010, an estimated 67% of marketers have actively increased and strengthened their social media channels. As more and more companies work on integrating social media into their corporate marketing and communication plans, there is a growing emphasis for creating a winning social media strategy. Without any semblance of a plan or strategy, your presence might as well be nonexistent or muted. Twitter According to Edison Research, 40% of the total time people are on Twitter are spent on learning about certain products and services or reading/getting feedback from what others have to say about them as well as share personal opinions and experiences. Facebook According to ExactTarget, the primary reason why people LIKE a Facebook page is to establish a sales relationship with a specific brand, through the following: to receive promotions and coupons (40%), derive instant updates on upcoming sales (30%), and to show support for certain brands or companies (30%) Growth of Social Media Social media is very complex and a constantly evolving medium. Its no wonder why many businesses struggle to figure it out and keep up. While a number have enjoyed quantifiable success, there are also many who failed, and the rest have still yet to figure out their social media strategy. When to use Facebook Great Exposure. With millions of users, Facebook offers unrivalled potential for exposure. When used strategically and consistently, Facebook can contribute to the significant increase in your companys online presence and visibility. Post comments, provide insights, advice and tips to earn respect and credibility in your network, and ultimately gain leverage. Provide Regular Updates. Facebook offers you a convenient way to update your network on new products, promotions, and general information about your company to stay fresh and relevant in the minds of your market. Enhance Customer Service. Consumers these days prefer real-time response to queries and concerns. The Facebook page for your business offers a convenient and accessible option for your market to reach you. When to use LinkedIn for your Organization Increase visibility. By establishing connections, you also increase your exposure and visibility. Whether you offer a product or service or both, you profile may be made available to people interested to doing business with, forge partnerships or hire services. Improve network. Connect with people from past acquaintances, people from your school, past companies, affiliations, and those who share your passions and interests. Improve Google PageRank. LinkedIn allows its users to publish and make their profile information available for search engines to index. LinkedIn profiles rank high in Google, so its a great and effective way to influence other peoples perception when they search for you. Enhance search engine results. Aside from your personal profile, you can promote your company website and blog to search engines through your LinkedIn account through the pre-selected categories such as My Website and My Company. Scope out the competition, partners and customers. LinkedIn is one perfect way to keep tabs on your competition as well as partners and customers. Highlight recommendations and reviews. LinkedIn is more like a living, breathing resume of professionals that comes complete with recommendation from people you have worked with and worked for in the past. This presents a wonderful opportunity to secure business reviews as well as the specific products and services you offer. When to use Twitter for your Organization Connect with your customers. This is the primary reason why you should make use of twitter for your business. Twitter has become so much a part of everyones daily routine, its the perfect venue to connect, interact, and study your target marker. Branding. In Twitter, you dont have to be in the league of Nike, Dell or Starbucks to brand and generate interest. In fact, it presents the best platform for small businesses and startups to reach their target niche. Customer feedback. If any customer is dissatisfied with a certain product or service, he/she will no doubt tweet about it. In this sense, Twitter is a reliable resource to derive feedbacks and opinions, as well as study consumer behaviors and preferences. Marketing. With its wide reach, you can use Twitter to market products and/or services to a wider market and the best part is, its free. News. Twitter is the best and fastest way to publish latest updates about your company without the need to compose long, elaborate content. Marketing schemes and promotions. If you have existing promos and exclusive deals, let your network know about it. Everyone loves a good deal. In fact, a lot of companies have conducted contests and promos exclusively for their Twitter followers to engage their market. When to use Google + for your Organization Free SEO Boost. Businesses can use search referrals for conversions. Google+ is built to influence search for people who have included a certain business in their Circle. This offers a great opportunity to get free promotion from people who like and use the product to people who share similar interests. Host Hangouts. The powerful chat function presents a great opportunity for businesses in engaging their customers and thought leaders in a more personal way. In addition, companies that operate from multiple locations can conveniently collaborate and share information and files such as spreadsheets and documents. Expand Distribution of Content. Google+ is a great platform to expand the publication of content distribution. It can be a great way tool to hosts contest and giveaways along with other promotions. Connect with Tech-Savvy Audience. People who are in Google+ are the early adopters of new technologies, a criterion which presents an ideal target market for many businesses. Segment Your Audience. One great advantage of Google+ is the option to share content with specific audiences through Circles. This makes it easier for businesses to segment their market and share content to certain followers. Expand Your Network. Be able to gather data and research on relevant contacts like potential clients and influential personalities in the industry. When to use Pinterest for your Organization Pinterest users rely on images to create a connection. The concept is more like a YouTube only that photographs are pinned, repined and utilized to establish a connection. The beauty of Pinterest is that people can get to develop relationships based on captured images rather than common school or location or unique status updates. If an individual pins a picture, which is liked by another, then a connection can easily be established. More than answering the need to be socially relevant, Pinterest is becoming relevant in marketing as well. It is becoming a reliable source for links that can actually create a consumer base for different brands. It offers an attractive front page, engaging enough for an individual to follow links that will actually convert into sales. Any individual who wants to learn about a business, a thing or simply an interest can easily find individual sites that teach, shares and allows one to share it too.

Does CSR Work? Essays -- Business Essays

Does CSR Work? Adam Smith founded the modern study of economics on the premise that all businesses are driven by the invisible hand to seek as much profit as possible while society will take care of itself. However, as the public’s opinion of big business has steadily declined in the recent decades, big business has developed a social conscience to improve all aspects of society from worker compensation to protecting the environment to helping the needy. As Stephen Cook indicates in the January 2003 edition of Management Today: â€Å"Everyone cares these days. You can hardly walk through the door of a major company in the western world without tripping over stacks of glossy reports telling you how they care for the environment, their community, their stakeholders.† John G. Ruggie believes that the increase in corporate social responsibility (CSR) stems from three reasons: 1) companies have made themselves targets by doing â€Å"bad† things in the past (Shell in Nigeria; N ike in Indonesia), 2)public perception that the global marketplace is more police-able and international rules and standards are more enforceable, 3) companies large growth as made them the only ones capable of policing themselves in a global capacity. However, two questions arise from this new branch of the corporate hierarchy: 1) does CSR produce results? And 2) does the public care about CSR. Gereffi et al. and John G. Ruggie both indicate that the social pressure has pushed corporations to act: Under increasing pressure from environmental and labor activists, multilateral organizations, and regulatory agencies in their home countries, multinational firms are implementing â€Å"certification† arrangements—codes of conduct, production guidelines, and monit... ...ally responsible, only a minority will punish socially irresponsible companies. Cook indicates similar trends in the UK where only 20% of the people would be prepared to boycott a product on social grounds. Cook, goes on to indicate, however, that the number of people who care is steadily increasing: â€Å"there’s been a 40% surge in UK purchases of ‘fair trade’ products giving a better deal to third world farmers.† As more and more of the world’s population becomes aware of the growing need for corporations to maintain a strong sense of social responsibility, corporations are adopting self-regulatory policies to please the public and enhance their own reputation. All this benefits both the consumers and corporations until a company makes another Enron-like blunder. Then all the good credentials these pacesetting companies have accumulated disappears instantly.

Corus Departments Essay

The marketing department do everything, from putting the brochures together for market research, to understanding precisely what the competitors are doing e. g. understanding how big the demand for steel is, or how big the threat from competitive material. Communication is also extremely important: if the other departments don’t work efficiently, then the marketing department won’t get the right information needed to make formal decisions that would benefit the company. The marketing department constantly needs to be in contact with the other departments, such as; the technical department and production department. They also need to produce a newsletter covering all the departments, which is then sent out to these departments meaning that they are all up to date. Sales The sales department is responsible for obtaining the most common business aim and objective, which is to increase sales levels Finance The finance department is responsible for producing financial information with the use of graphs and tables: as figures are mainly being used this is the easiest way to communicate between departments. By using a graph it is then easier and a lot faster to track the trends throughout the year. The graphs and tables are usually sent by e-mail, to enable other people within the business to print copies when appropriate. The finance department also need to be in contact with the other departments, especially the production, sales and purchasing teams. Communication is vital for the finance department, to enable them to confirm that all the figures they have produced are correct. If the figures they have given coming in and going out of the business are incorrect this could result in the performance of the business, as the decisions being made would be wrong, overall affecting the future of the business. Human Resources Human resources are responsible for employing staff into the business and training them. They also have to make sure their employees get their wages and are responsible for managing and disciplining individuals within the business. When they’re dealing with individuals, trade unions and management they must organise face to face meetings, as this is the most effective way because it allows them to build strong relationships and also allows trust to be developed. They are also put in place to make an open and honest forum which other methods of communication don’t offer e. g. e-mail and telephone. Within the Corus business the HR advisor is responsible employee relations and looking after the logistics team and central functions within the company.

Medtronic External and Internal Analysis Essay

Medtronic Inc. can easily be compared to le Concorde, a turbojet supersonic passenger airliner first flown in 1976. This jet was more than twice as fast as any other airliner ever created, flying at speeds of up to 1,350 mph. The capability to fly at more than twice the speed of a regular airliner equates to twice the flights and premium prices for this astonishing service. The resulting profitability of le Concorde is what puts this machine at the top of its class. In 1957, Medtronic founder Earl Bakken created Medtronic’s Pacemaker, the first wearable device to treat abnormally slow heart rates. The Pacemaker is now the staple product of Medtronic and can be compared to le Concorde for its innovation, efficacy, and profitability. This is just one example of Medtronic’s ability to use its innovation to transform the treatment of chronic disease worldwide. The firm has been a leader in the Medical Device Manufacturing industry for over two decades, developing and manufacturing innovative medical devices to treat more than seven million patients each year. Its products include pacemakers, defibrillators, heart valves, and stents, among others. Medtronic’s drive for excellence is best summed up by its corporate mission, â€Å"To contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life† (Medtronic. com). To achieve its goals and maintain success, Medtronic must constantly monitor and evaluate its external environment and the forces in it that could affect the company. The Medical Device Manufacturing industry is exposed to numerous forces and trends that can generate opportunities for firms to exploit as well as threats for firms to avoid. Of note are the effects of rivalry, buyers, regulation, and globalization trends. The Medical Device Manufacturing industry, as a whole, has grown at an annual rate of 18. 9% since 2005, contributing to a high level of industry attractiveness (ibisworld. com). Medtronic is the clear leader with 17. 2% market share. Its closest rivals, Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical, have market shares of 2. 8% and 4. 8%, respectively (ibisworld. com). Recently, the industry has seen a dramatic increase in consolidation as larger firms have cquired smaller operations in an effort to diversify their portfolios and gain market share. This shrinkage has resulted in greater industry concentration, increasing the rivalry among these key players. Focusing on a more narrow analysis of the Cardiovascular Device segment reveals a similar, more intensified, environment for rivals. Compared to the overall industry, this specific segment has recently witnessed much lower growth rates because the market is saturated with products that have little differentiation and limited innovation possibilities. For this reason, merger & acquisition activity is especially prominent among top firms seeking to create strategic competitiveness. They have identified the threat of rivals and are looking to gain additional resources and capabilities through diversification. The role of buyers is very unique in this industry. While individual patients are the ultimate consumers of medical devices, firms often focus on healthcare providers when selling products. This is because patients in the market have low brand recognition of the devices they use. Instead, they rely on their hospitals and physicians to recommend products for treatment. It is important for manufacturers to understand this distinction since it is these physicians and other providers that have the greatest brand loyalty. That said, individual patients still drive demand for products, and their satisfaction remains the ultimate goal. One key demographic trend of buyers is the aging U. S. population. As life expectancies continue to rise, and the baby boomer generation ages into their late sixties and seventies, this expanding age group will create a great opportunity for medical device manufacturers. For example, elderly patients experience a higher occurrence of health issues compared to the aggregate market, driving demand for medical devices upward. In fact, 40% of all patients diagnosed with heart disease or arthritis are 65 or older (ibisworld. com). The Medical Device Manufacturing industry is also subject to tight regulations, both domestically and internationally. For example, a new device may require a four-year trial before it appears on the market so that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can test its long-term effects. Products in Europe, meanwhile, undergo a different regulatory process; products are often introduced in Europe two to four years before they are available for patients in the U. S. Furthermore, compliance with these regulations requires firms to devote significant additional resources, often detracting from investments such as Research and Development. Along with these initial requirements, devices are constantly monitored for defects, which can result in product recalls that damage brand reputation and hurt profits. Globalization trends will certainly continue to have a strong impact on the industry, creating both opportunities and threats. Research shows that exports account for 21. 6% of industry revenue with an expected 2010 growth rate of 3. 9% (ibisworld. com). By developing these export markets, firms can work to maximize capacity utilization as they expand their distribution channels to reach more customers and generate more revenue. This is especially true of developing economies, in which 80% of chronic-disease-related deaths occur. Large portions of these markets are greatly underserved and demand is not being met. In addition, by diversifying into different geographic markets abroad, firms are able to mitigate the risks associated with being too dependent on the domestic market. The emergence of globalization also introduces several threats that firms must be aware of. For one, the competitive landscape changes as companies establish operations sites in foreign countries. When this happens, the demand in export markets declines since customers can purchase devices locally. Exporting firms must then reevaluate their international strategies and consider establishing similar operations of their own. Another threat globalization brings is that of increased competition. Manufacturers constantly fight to expand their geographic reach and to gain control of underserved markets. Given the effects of strong forces and emerging trends in the Medical Device Manufacturing industry, firms should strive to possess a key group of success factors in order to gain strategic competitiveness. The first factor is employees; they must be highly skilled and knowledgeable since the devices they design and produce are very complex. Second, economies of scale allow firms to improve profitability by reducing variable costs in manufacturing, which, in turn, lowers prices for customers. Third, as previously mentioned, the importance of global positioning cannot be understated. In order to compete in the industry, firms must make a global presence, expanding geographic scope and penetrating underserved markets. Finally, access to the latest innovations is imperative. To acquire new technologies, firms must invest considerable resources into Research and Development. Not only must they develop new technologies, but they must also look for ways to continuously improve existing products through high levels of innovation. This understanding of the industry environment is essential when considering a firm’s internal strategies. At the business-level, Medtronic possesses a number of strengths and competencies that are used to create a competitive advantage and contribute to the overall performance of the company. In particular, its research and development efforts along with its superior human resources drive the firm’s differentiation strategy in the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management (CRDM) unit (see appendix for more strengths). This sector remains the firm’s most profitable product market, accounting for $5. 268 billion of Medtronic’s $15. 817 billion total net sales in 2010 (Medtronic). As a percentage of those sales, Research and Development expenses equated to 9. 23%, a total of $1. 46 billion. Moreover, this expense has seen a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8. % in the last 5 years, indicating Medtronic’s continued confidence in its ability to create value through the investment in research and development. The innovation fostered by research and development in CRDM has allowed Medtronic to create many new products; the complex nature of these products makes them rare and costly to imitate. They often even trump and replace the existing technology in the mar ket, making them highly valuable and unsubstitutable. These key innovations, therefore, give Medtronic a significant competitive advantage in research and development. For example, the CRDM unit recently introduced a new leadless pacemaker. Once implanted into the heart via catheter, the penny-sized device permanently latches into the flesh with tiny claws. Doctors can then wirelessly monitor and control the pacemaker. Medtronic’s demonstration of reduced size and wire elimination will create a new standard for such devices in the industry, making current, bulky pacemakers obsolete, and giving Medtronic a sustainable competitive advantage. Medtronic’s 40,000 employees also play a key role in the success of CRDM and of the company as a whole. They are the source of one of Medtronic’s most valuable intangible assets: knowledge. With a thorough understanding of human physiology and a breadth of technical skills, employees are a driving force behind the company’s groundbreaking innovations. They generate ideas and implement processes that create new or improved products or therapies. These advancements require that employees are well trained and possess a high degree of knowledge about the products or therapies they develop. In addition to the actual production of products, employees extend their knowledge to customers. By educating healthcare providers and users about the devices, employees ensure that patients safely receive the full benefits of Medtronic’s products. One way Medtronic optimizes its human resources is through collaboration blogs and internal grants. The company’s Quest program awards project grants that encourage employees to test their own ideas for product innovation. Nearly 25% of these projects eventually become a product or some part of a therapy. For example, employee Brain Lee had an idea to create an effective diagnostic tool for patients who suffered from unexplained fainting. With funding from the Quest program, Lee modified a pacemaker by adding self-contained electrodes. The device could be implanted just below the skin, recording electrocardiogram (ECG) signals in an endless loop. Much more effective than existing external tools, Lee’s device received additional funding, leading to successful clinical trials, and, eventually, a commercial release. This is just one example of how Medtronic’s strong workforce creates a core competency for the firm, one that is unmatched by its rivals. Furthermore, the innovations developed by employees and through research and development efforts can often be protected with patents, generating competencies that are not only distinctive, but also sustainable. At the corporate level, Medtronic is very well positioned. The firm outperforms its rivals in terms of market share with 17. 2%, compared to Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical, which hold 2. 8% and 4. 8% market share, respectively. Since 2007, Medtronic has experienced an 8. 75% compound annual growth rate. While lower than St. Jude’s growth rate of 12. 3% in the period, it is noticeably higher than that of Boston Scientific’s, 6. 84% (See appendix for further financial comparisons). Medtronic’s corporate-level strategy defines which businesses it will be in as well as how it will integrate those businesses to grow and deliver value to stakeholders. The firm currently operates in seven business units: CRDM, Spinal, CardioVascular, Neuromodulation, Diab etes, Surgical Technologies, and Physio-Control, all of which are largely related. Because of Medtronic’s strong war chest, it has been able to focus its growth strategy around acquisitions. Since 2009, the firm has purchased nine companies, including ATS Medical Inc. and CoreValv Inc. , requiring a significant cash investment. In fact, Medtronic spent $370 million when it bought heart valve maker ATS Medical. The firm’s acquisition strategy specifically targets two types of purchases: those that will add immediate revenue to existing businesses, and those that add to Medtronic’s technology portfolio by providing expertise the company does not have. Of late, the firm has been focusing on the former, targeting smaller companies that lack the resources to complete clinical trials and gain FDA approval. Chad Cornell, vice president of corporate development at Medtronic, notes, â€Å"Size is obviously a factor, but it’s not what we start with. † Instead the question is â€Å"how can we add value? That’s the key lens† (Lee). Medtronic’s international strategy is best characterized as a global strategy whereby it develops devices in the United States to be distributed across country markets. To support this strategy, it uses a worldwide product divisional structure. Medtronic has recently changed its strategy, implementing a Global Realignment Initiative in 2008. The goal of the initiative is to reorganize the firm’s resources to focus on areas that add the most value and have the most attractive growth opportunities. Prior to 2008, the company had segmented its global market into the United States market and international markets. Under this new strategy, Medtronic will focus around developed markets and emerging markets, using its resources and capabilities to effectively meet each segment’s unique needs. Developed markets include regions such as the United States and Europe where trained healthcare professionals are familiar with current devices, and new, innovative products are readily accepted. Medtronic relies on its strong innovation capabilities and Research and Development investments to meet the demands of this segment. For example, patients with pacemakers are often denied potentially life-saving MRI scans due to possible pacing interference. Medtronic used its superior innovation and product knowledge to address the concern, manufacturing the world’s first pacemaker that is compatible and safe to use with MRI systems. Introduced in Europe in 2008, this innovative device provides a much-needed solution to millions of people who will now be able to receive the full benefit of a safe MRI scan. Emerging markets, meanwhile, include regions such as China, Brazil, Africa, and the Middle East, where access to care is often limited, and physicians may be unfamiliar with certain medical devices and hesitant to accept new products. In this segment, Medtronic depends on its employees and its reliable, high-quality products. Using these strengths, it focuses on training and educating healthcare providers so that products and treatment are much more accessible to underserved patients. At present, Medtronic operates in more than 120 countries, with more than 16,000 employees in communities outside the United States (Medtronic. om). These employees provide immense value to the company by using their extensive knowledge and skills to educate and collaborate with physicians around the world. Currently, 41% of total revenues are realized outside of the United. Medtronic plans to continue its geographic diversity strategy, aiming to become a â€Å"truly boundaryless organization† an d maintain its commitment to â€Å"making a sustained, global impact in the fight against chronic disease† (Medtronic). In order to keep its world-class status, Medtronic executes various tactics at each of its organizational levels in order to protect its strategic competitiveness. For example, the company uses a frontal assault on its biggest competitor, Boston Scientific. By using revenues created from CRDM, they have the capability to invest large investments into research and development in ways that Boston Scientific cannot. In doing so, they maintain continuous development and improvement of innovative products. Another tactic that Medtronic uses is the pre-emptive strike, identifying and evaluating a valuable opportunity and seizing it before a rival does so. This increases sales, differentiates Medtronic from competitors such as Boston Scientific, and helps foster innovation. Based on the analysis of Medtronic’s external environment and internal strategies, it is clear that the firm is a leader in the Medical Device Manufacturing Industry. However, there are also some key problems and issues the firm should address. Medtronic has had litigation issues over the past few years with recalls in various different product offerings as well as patent and licensing disputes. As noted on the 2010 annual report their litigation charges amounted to nets of, $374 million in 2010, $714 million in 2009, and $366 million in 2008 (36-37). This has been an industry wide issue as seen by Boston Scientifics 2009 litigations charges amounting to $2. 022 billion, $334 million in 2008 and $365 million in 2007 (Boston Scientific Annual Report pg. 69). With these industry wide litigation issues, the FDA is currently creating new standard procedures for testing products and time required to introduce them into the market, which creates a separate challenge in dealing with the new health care reform. In a recent interview with Brian Johnson from Massdevice. om, the CEO of Medtronic, Bill Hawkins outlines the challenges ahead with the new health care reform. â€Å"The new medical device tax will cost us $150 to $200 million per year when introduced in 2013. In 2010 we spent $1. 5 billion on R&D and this tax will directly affect that budget for us which hurts our innovation, or possibly investments in emerging markets†. Cleary the health care reform will be one of the toughest challenges ahead for Medtronic and the rest of the medical device industry.

A Farewell To Arms Essays (406 words) - Literature, Fiction

A Farewell To Arms Essays (406 words) - Literature, Fiction A Farewell To Arms A Farewell to Arms The book A Farewell to Arms, written by Ernest Hemingway is about the love story of a nurse and a war ridden soldier. The story starts as Frederick Henry is serving in the Italian Army. He meets his future love in the hospital that he gets put in for various reasons. I thought that A Farewell to Arms was a good book because of the symbolism, the plot, and the constant moving of the main character. The symbolism in A Farewell to Arms is very much apparent. To the main character in novels, nights have always been a sign of death, or something negative to happen. Another one of the symbolisms in A Farewell to Arms is when Henry tries to escape from the Italian army by jumping off one of the ships the army was traveling on and running away from the army. This water symbolized new, clean life that he was going to live from now on. At this time, Henry goes off and finds his wife to be. The plot in A Farewell to Arms was always active. They were never staying in one place too long. It had a very good story line, which was a love story that ended up in a tragedy. The main characters wife got pregnant and she was off to have her baby when problems started occurring. They had to have a cesarean, and the baby dies, and when the mother of the child starts to hemorrhage Henry knows that it was over for his wife and he was right. From the beginning of the book untill the end, the action was up. Ever since the front page Henry was traveling around to different towns so it was not boring for the reader. That made it very interesting for the reader because it was always a new town coming up so you were being introduced in the new characters quite often. As the story goes on , the writer is not introducing as many new people, but they are still traveling around quite a bit. I felt that the authors planning of these types of events in this novel was put together very well! Ernest Hemingway is one of the worlds best known classic writers. He uses very strong symbolism that you the reader dont always pick up. I am sure that I missed some of the symbolism that went on in the book. I picked up a few though and they were very interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a love story without a happy ending.

Marketing Analysis of Apple Inc The WritePass Journal

Marketing Analysis of Apple Inc Introduction Marketing Analysis of Apple Inc IntroductionMarket EnvironmentMarketing Approach of AppleDiscussionConclusionRecommendationsREFERENCESRelated Introduction 523 Apple Inc. is known for its innovative ability to gain competitive advantage since 3rd Jan 1977. It was called Apple Computers Inc. and as they have started their penetration in the consumer electronics, they have removed Computers from their name. With a workforce of 46600 FT employees and 2800 temp staff all over the world and the made the sales of $65 billion in 2010. (Annual Reports, 2010) The famous brands offered by the company to the world have been Mac computers, iPod, iPad, and now the hot selling iPhone. Apart from hardware, the company has been very successful in software with the introduction of Mac OS X operating system, and other media software’s like iTunes, iLife and now iWork along with iOS (operating system for mobile phones). (Apple Annual reports, 2010) This report will cover their most talked about brand called iPhone, which has been termed as Jesus Phone, Work like magic or your life in your pocket The hype on the internet has made this product a technological savior and the company is still adding innovative features not to mention the technical issues and challenges, which come with every product in the market. (Campbell LaPastina, 2010) Market Environment There is expectation that iPhone users will be 100 million by 2013 and as in the fig the number is going to be around 450 million in 2013. (Churchill, 2009) The company is facing huge competition from Microsoft and Google from software point of view and from LG, Samsung, Sony , Blackberry are already challenging with their innovative brands. Appendix B helps to understand the market forces as well. The company has gained by the first mover advantage and their 317 stores with more than 10,000 partner stores are supporting the sales of the product. The company is highly dependent on Cingular for their success in USA but the company has made strategic partners all around the world to grow like T-Mobile, China Unicom etc. The company is targeting non corporates unlike competitors, although the company has leverage of Apple’s brand image. The company is able to secure first position in the consumer satisfaction survey done by J.D. Power and associates. (Refer Appendix C) (Tews, 200 9) Figure 1 Smartphone sales (Churchill, 2009) The company is targeting professionals, students between the age of 18 and 35 basically. The company is conscious of its brand and so focusing on fulfilling the corporate social responsibilities as in Fig 2. (Apple Annual Reports, 2010) The company has trained nearly 133k workers on human rights and responsibility of the managers. The company also paid $ 2.2 M in recruitment fee overcharges. (Apple Annual reports, 2010) i) Conducting cross industry focus groups for suppliers. ii) They have launched SEED program to teach english and other professional courses for the workers. By 2009, nearly 14800 workers joined this program, with the help of 500 iMac PCs. iii) The company has made strict principles regarding Human Rights (no discrimination, proper age, holiday, respect); Health and Safety of the staff (Ergonomics, cleanliness, emergency evacuation, injury prevention), Environment Safety (Air and water waste management, waste mgt), Ethics (non disclosure agreement) Management commitment to train the staff, workers feedback. (Apple Annual Reports, 2010) Marketing Approach of Apple McCarthy has presented the marketing mix (4Ps) model to help the managers device a good marketing strategy where the benefits can be exchanged between the pillars of marketing, this was later modified by Booms and Bitner in 1982 (he added 3more Ps )   to cater the requirements of the service industry. (Brassington Pettitt, 2007; Kotler, et al, 2005) The next section will discuss 7p’s of Apple as in figure 3. Figure 3. 7P’s of iPhone (Adapted by researcher) 1. Product: The product would be found in more in 60million pages on internet, with the broadest screen display in all the mobile phones so there is touchscreen keypad as opposed to dialoging keypad in just 2 months after launch. The company decided to use OS X operating system with the same usage as of iPod or Mac although with lot of shortcomings like no expandable memory or replaceable battery or difficult to disable users. (OGrady, 2007) The initial version was not with 3G network support and was later integrated. SWOT analysis of iPhone (figure 4) helps to know the strengths opportunities of the product. The company should develop core competencies on the basis of its strength and should focus on the opportunities which might arise in due time, which the analysis of threats help to safe guard the product development and develop contingency plans. Gradual innovative methods can be adopted by the firm to convert the weakness into strength apart from best use of financial resources. (Brassing ton Pettitt, 2007) The locked iPhone with one network Cingular in US and by other network in Europe is not appreciated by the consumers. Also the cost of unlocked iPhone is quite high in compared to US market, which might have caused reduced sale. The users cant install their software’s which is another software leverage strategy of Apple, so they have to use only Apple software’s (iTunes, Mobile Me) or QuickTime players. The company is utilizing the iPod ecosystem to leverage the iPhone thereby supporting its online music revenue system. The display of PC based websites with same display made this product different from others. (O’grady, 2007) Fig. 4 iPhone SWOT Analysis Use of FaceTime with 2 cameras is a new innovative idea like in 3G phones, Retina display, but the new iOS is slow than expected by the compass and GPS is helpful when lost. Uses of App Store help the users to get application on their phone and Apple takes 30% of that revenue. (Marshal, 2010) 2. Price: Apple in this case adopted the â€Å"best fit segment† pricing strategy (skimming), where the early adopters were targeted who are less price sensitive and want to receive the benefits of new technology. It allows more cash flow for the company and also conveys benefit perception to other target segments. The company started off with selling the product at $599 (8GB) and $499 (4GB) and later reduced the price of 8GB to $399 and discontinued 4GB model significantly. The company wants to target the mainstream users and cant reply on early adopters (young techno savvy, professionals) for future growth. They tried skimming and versioning strategy. (Apple Annual Reports, 2010) 1. Skimming: This is high pricing strategy but can attract risk of low sales and piracy (Kotler et al, 2005) but Apple has safeguarded itself by marketing before it actually emerged in market by enhancing its brand value under top 20. (Sliwinska et al, 2008) 2. Versioning: This strategy involves charging different prices for same products from different target segments. So the company implemented temporal price discrimination where it charged the prices depending on the desire of the customers to pay for the iPhone. Probably due to good profit on each unit from willing customers and they want to gain high volume sale from the larger customer base they had developed. They have structured this in different countries and adding more features. As they reduced the prices by $200 in just 60 days, after consumer complaints, they issued some $100 store credit to early buyers. (Sliwinska et al, 2008) With the market domination of Symbian phones to 35 Million in H2 2007 and success of N95 and E series boosted the sales by $172 Million against Apple products. Microsoft, RIM has a strong hold in the N.American market, while Nokia is having a larger share in EU. The company started charging $72 to $130  Ã‚   for 18-24 months contract in Britain and Germany; in addition they have to pay  £269 for iPhone in Britain. So the customers had paid $566 compared to $399 in USA. In France, the company tied up with Orange and charged $590 for 8GB along with a monthly package of â‚ ¬50 to â‚ ¬120 or they can buy iPhone over $900. (Sliwinska, 2008) Figure5. Price Comparison (20072010) (www.apple.com, 2010) But the company should understand that European market has 60% of pay-as-you-go customer that is why the company failed to meet their target of 10 Million units but sold nearly 400,000. The company has already launched iPhone3G ($99 for 8GB in USA  £419 in UK) and iPhone4 ($199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB in US  £499 for 16GB,  £599 for 32GB) as shown in figure 5. The company is still adopting the vertical building strategy, as in iPods which is related to iTunes and help the company to control the digital music and video market. Total 73.73 Million units were sold and only 1.3 million were the original iPhones, it has been a huge success but not as anticipated. They are expecting 82 Million units by 2012 as in figure 6. (Oliver, 2009) Figure 6 Predicted Sales (Oliver, 2009) 3. Promotion: Apple has been most aggressive in terms of promotion as seen in figure 7, some examples are: Fig 7. Strategy of promotions (Kiprin, 2009; Apple Annual Reports, 2010)) 1. The company started with 4 TV commercials during the launch to flaunt the innovative gadget (original iPhone) which can fulfill all needs of entertainment and information sharing device. The company is focusing now to advertise their Face Time feature and recently launched 4 more TV ads. in July 2010. (Chris, 2010) 2. The press releases and blogs were posted and iPhone was in 60 million web pages across web. The news created rumors and the Advertising Ages Marketer award winner (2003) company was again ready to offer new generation product after iPod. The company made successful relations with media firms and Steve (CEO) shares new ideas with public during occasions as suggested in fig 7. (Williams, Mullin., 2008) 3. With the support of 317 stores across the world (233 in USA, 84 outside USA) which contributed around 17% of profits. The company has done strategic partnership with Starbucks to offer free iTunes Wi-Fi music at 600 locations, which can later be downloaded from computers. Even the new iPhones 5 reveal the easiness to find people around the city, location of friends and other features which reflect the social integration aspect of the device. (Apple Annual Reports, 2010) Fig 8. Apple Online marketing (Kiprin, 2009; Apple Annual Reports, 2010) The company is already spent $5.5 billion (increase of 33% compared to 2009) due to expansion in the retail segment. (Apple Annual Report, 2010) 1. The company uses all forms of advertising to gain attention, they appear on a regular basis on newspapers, TV, billboards etc. Like Macworld Expo (conventions to launch products), coverage of major channels like Fox, MTV and Rolling Stones, Maxim etc. In-store promotion and awareness helps in personal selling where the users can touch and test. The company site is quite impressive with promotion codes issues to consumers from time to time. 2. Cross Promotions: the channel partners like Sprint, Orange, Vodaphone etc. promote iPhone packages on their websites and from printed booklets. 3. Search Engine promotions; the company spend money on Adwords (Google marketing), Pay Per Click campaigns. The company purchases the keywords like iPhones, mp3phones etc. Banners and promotions on other sites is a regular from Apple. (Sliwinska et al, 2008) 4. The company sends email to iPod users, carrier consumers, and uses RSS feed of their promotions and events and blogs are done regularly. (Williams and Mullins, 2008) 4. Place: The company is using the locations as shown in fig 9 for selling the product. Fig 9.   Distribution locations ((Kiprin, 2009; Apple Annual Reports, 2010) The company followed the hybrid distribution strategy and engaged the telecommunication service provider’s stores along with their online and own stores. So the customers are forced to enter into a contract for 18-24 months. The company is using two level channel for distribution of their product. (Jobber Fahy, 2009) The company has done tie-ups with Cingular as they have a customer base of 58Million and out of which around18million are already with iPod. So its good strategy to benefit both companies of exclusivity in USA. Although AT T never wanted to spend much money on advertising but they end up spending $18 billion in 2009. As seen in the figure 10, the products are assembled in China (due to cheap labor) and then supplied to warehouses and regional stores. The company is clever to use the use the touch points of established networks (Vodaphone, O2, Orange, T-Mobile etc.) (Jobber Fahy, 2009) 5. People: The company wants to be in direct touch with the consumers and when they feel it, they will buy it strategy. With only $99, 1hour/week for 1yr help the users to meet the experts at Genius bars for technical support and information, conducting over 50000 sessions / week. The sales assistant is available on appointments to find the right product for right needs at the new gather place. This helps the company generate word of mouth marketing and product awareness and brand building. The sales team is trained to give awareness, rather than giving a sales pitch. Also the CEO has impressive presence in front of media to market the brand. (Ireland et al, 2009) 6. Process: Alain (2008) has given some insight about the process of Apple. He says CEO, Steve Jobs is working closely with the design and development team during the whole development process.   The meeting of board management is done every month, where the marketing proposal and other problems are discussed. 10-3-1: The designers follow the pixel perfect approach where there are no fillers and 3 designs are selected out of 10 and perfected until they arrive at 1 out of total 10. The company conducts different type of meetings: 1. Paired design: this is done 2 times a week to discuss the features and technical specs of the product. 2. Brainstorming: This involves discussion on any and every idea that comes in your mind and put in the table for discussion. There are no rules to free thinking. (Alain, 2008) 3. Production: This involves giving a proper structure to the innovative ideas and arranging deadlines for the same.   (Alain, 2008) The CEO doesn’t frown to discard a product at the last minute. and there are Pony Meetings every 2 weeks, where the client discuss the requirements with designers, so they can work according to the needs of the consumers. The sales are handled in stores (Apple and partners) by the professional team and training sessions also help with sales promotion activities. (Alain, 2008) 7. Physical Evidence: The Company has a good packaging strategy which makes the product look attractive and stylish on the shelf. The company has Apple Care service to resolve the problems and services offered by the company, geniuses’ bars to meet the direct customers and teaching them to make better users. (William, Mullin, 2008) Discussion Cladbun (2007) has pointed out the application development by 3rd party is not allowed is a drawback. But the company has been successful in allowing the third party developers to develop innovative software’s like making the iPhone work as a remote and the car can be fully operated by sitting outside the car and similar applications help the company to share profits from other developers and are unique business model implementers. This is also adopted by Amazon recently. (Marshal, 2010)     The utopian vision to create the convergence device from Apple is under serious controversy, even though they have filed 200 patents but LG claimed that they copied their design Apple Inc. lost claim for IPHONE trademark against Infogear. The company has reduced their marketing expenses by using the retailer outlets all around the world and invested that money to open their own 317 stores all around the world, this has helped the company to get the sales revenue similar to   the mat urity stage of the product life cycle even though the product is at the introduction phase. The company might be planning to have more strategic partnerships as they have done for iPods with Nike, Volkswagen etc. where the iPods was given free with each unit purchased. (Williams and Mullin, 2008) The company with China Unicom is doing excellent with 100,000 sales in first 3 days and 200,000 pre orders for iPhone 4 as compared to 5000 order for original iPhone, even there is a restriction of wi-fi feature due to government rules. The company is giving iPhone for free with the $43, 2 months contract, which they haven’t done before (Ong, 2010); this shows that the management is conscious of the social and economic factors of the target market. They have to do similar during their launch or other high populated countries. The process used by the firm is towards perfection which should be implemented by every firm to gain competitive advantage. (Gosnay Richardson, 2008) Conclusion It has been observed that the company has maintained strong sales and developing new markets and also adding the value of the brand with more features and third party software’s available for the users. Although with lot of technical limitations the company has experienced good sales with the help of strategic partners and intensive advertising. The company is spending lot of money on all the channels of promotional mix, however the company should give more emphasis on website advertising to reduce the costs. The company is well known for innovative ideas and thereby inspiring others to develop innovative ideas along with their service to the society by following CSR approaches. The last section of the report present the recommendations which can be utilized by the managers for effective marketing of iPhone. Recommendations This strategy must have lost early adopters and loyal customers and reducing the price by 66% in 1yr is not good way to treat customers and forcing them to sign contract with AT T, O2, Vodaphone or T-Mobile, which resulted in slowing down of sales and even though 3.3 million iPhones were sold in 8months but only 2million contracts were signed with ATT. (Adapted by researcher) Another mistake is the launch of iPhone after 7 months in UK, Germany and France; almost after 1yr in other Western Europe like Sweden, Austria even in Canada, Brazil etc. So a good product has adopted a bad strategy. They could have delayed the product launch or decreased the prices only after 1yr or should have started with $399 only.   (Vertygoteam, 2010) The company should find ways to differentiate the product in China but as cheap players and mobile phones even pirated iPhone is available so its difficult to maintain the brand image. Also Wi-Fi is disabled due to government restrictions but the Chinese love colors so the back side of the iPhone should be available in trendy colors. There is enough scope for people in China with 470 Million users. (Research and Markets, 2010) India is also a good market with population reaching 1.3Billion, and company can earn if they sell at similar price offerings due to economy of scale. But they are offering at $800, which is expensive even for Americans. The company has to be find ways to challenge dual and triple sim phones available in India and cost around $100. Even on $50 phone from Nokia, the company is investing heavily on marketing but iPhone wants to establish with poor marketing requires careful planning. (Rhiain, 2010) The company is offering unlimited bank width to the subscribers which will overload the network, so company should also invest in expanding the bandwidth along with aggressive marketing investment, especially in growing markets with poor infrastructure like India as 44% of revenue comes from non-US market. (Annual Reports, 2010) Olive (2009) views that company will sustain the market forces with the help of media integration, games and sophisticated software. However, company could include Mobile commerce, user generated print media production and 3D games to attract more customers. The company should understand the social forces and use it to target the customers. Rising prices, decrease income, world financial crisis affect the buyer’s purchasing power. Old age customers are free and can be the target market, so they can be connected with their grandchildren. The company can create advertisements devoted to elders in this case. Another target market can be singles who can utilize their free time for entertainment purposes when they feel lonely, as they dont have family obligations and enough financials. With the increasing migration of citizens from one country to other, even American and Britishers are moving   to developing countries due to lost cost living. So this can be another target market for Apple, where they are away from their country but feel connected with the product from their country. (Gosnay Richardson, 2008) The users cant forward any contact or use blue-tooth with other phones, ringtones needs to be purchased and difficult to use the speakerphone in cars. (Squarejp, 2010) The company should find ways to rectify it to make it more suitable for customers. REFERENCES Alain, 2008, You can’t Innovate like Apple [Available at] pragmaticmarketing.com/publications/magazine/6/4/you_cant_innovate_like_apple [Accessed on 24 Nov 2010] Apple Annual Reports, 2010, Annual Report [Available at] http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Njc1MzN8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=t=1 [Accessed on 24 Nov 2010] Brassington Pettitt (2007) ‘Essentials of Marketing, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall Campbell,H.A. LaPastina,A.C., 2010,How the iPhone became divine [Available at] www.agendainc.com/media/ipho0710.pdf [Accessed on 25 Nov 2010] Churchill,S., 2009, 100M by 2013[Available at] dailywireless.org/2009/03/24/smartphone-users-100m-by-2013/[Accessed on 20 Nov 2010] CSR Report, 2010,   Supplier Responsibility [Available at] http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/SR_2010_Progress_Report.pdf [Accessed on 20 Nov 2010] Gosnay Richardson (2008) ‘Develop your Marketing Skills,’ KP Jobber Fahy (2009) ‘Foundations of Marketing, McGraw Hill Kiprin, B., 2009, Apple iPhone Strategy [Available at] slideshare.net/bkiprin/apples-iphone-launch-marketing-strategy-analysis-2858373 [Accessed on 28 Nov 2010] Kotler, Wong, Saunders Armstrong, (2005) ‘Principles of Marketing’, Prentice Hall Marshal,K., 2010, As Apple tablet looms, Amazon Kindle adopts App Store revenue split [Available at]appleinsider.com/articles/10/01/20/as_apple_tablet_looms_amazon_kindle_adopts_app_store_revenue_split.html [Accessed on 24 Nov 2010] Oliver,S., 2009,   iPhone sales predicted to top 80 million by 2012 [Available at] appleinsider.com/articles/09/08/19/iphone_sales_predicted_to_top_80_million_by_2012.html [Accessed on 23 Nov 2010] O’grady,J.D., 2007, Appropriability, Proximity, Routines, [Availanle at http://www2.druid.dk/conferences/viewpaper.php?id=1675cf=9%20{^ [Accessed on 20 Nov 2010] Ong,J., 2010, China Unicom iPHone4 sales hit 100k [Available at] appleinsider.com/articles/10/09/30/china_unicom_iphone_4_sales_hit_100k_in_first_four_days.html [Accessed on 25 Nov 2010] Research and Markets, 2010, Chinese Mobile Market [Available at] researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=542976 [Accessed on 20 Nov 2010] Rhiain, 2010, Nokia C2 unleashed with Doubnle Sim [Available at] http://conversations.nokia.com/2010/06/03/nokia-c1-unleashed-with-double-sim-functionality-photo-gallery/ [Accessed on 29 Nov 2010] Sliwinska,D., anasinghe,J., Kardava,I., 2008, Apple Pricing Strategy [Available at] http://christophe.benavent.free.fr/IMG/pdf/AINI_2008_Apple_s_Pricing_Strategy.pdf [Accessed on 20 Nov, 2010] Squarejp, 2010,iPhone problems http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2489656 [Accessed on 29 Nov 2010] Tews,J., 2009, Smartphone Customer Satisfaction survey [Available at] http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2009224 [Accessed on 26 Nov 2010] Vertygoteam, 2010, iPHone Strategy Mistakes, vertygoteam.com/iphone_marketing_strategy.php [Accessed on 2 Dec 2010] Williams,A., Mullin,R., 2008, The handbook of field marketing, Kogan Page Publishers Appendix A. Marketing Mix Appendix B Porter 5 Forces 5 Forces Model (Adapted from Kotler et al, 2005 Apple Annual Reports, 2010) Porter 5 forces model helps to understand the marketing forces which affect any company brand. According to the above model: i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Supplier power is quite strong as it has support of big companies like AT T, Orange, Vodaphone which are helping in the sales and also using their touch points to give products to the customers. They have enough financial capability to support the company. The low cost assembly unit in China is also helping to keeps the cost low. (Williams and Mullins, 2008) ii)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Entrants: The threat is quite high due to other big brands competing at the hardware, design and software level. Google and Microsoft want to capture the mobile software market. (Twes, 2009) iii)  Ã‚     Substitutes: Everyday there are more products coming in the market from communication medium like SKYPE, VOIP etc and smartphones, PDA and Chinese mobile are common everywhere, unless the company is innovative, they can’t stand in the market. (Kiprin, 2009) iv)  Ã‚   Rivalry: it is quite intense as all the mobile phones have dominance in their region and it will be difficult for iPhone to take over the market. All big brands like Sony, Nokia, LG etc. have enough funds to fight for the target market. (Williams and Mullins, 2008) v)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Buyers position is little week as the smartphones are made by manufacturers and the consumers have choices but there is no good replacement for iPhone which comes with its unique features. (O’grady, 2007) Appendix C.   Consumer Satisfaction survey (Tews, 2009)

An Analysis of Macy’s

An Analysis of Macys R.H. Macy such as tea bags, the Idaho baked potato, and colored bath towels that would get the attention of people forever. Macy’s also was the first retailer that would be the first to hold a New York City liquor license which would eventually increase their sales. By 1902 the store had become so large it relocated to Herald Square with over a million square feet, becoming the largest store in the world. On December 19, 1994, Federated Department Stores Inc. (now known as Macy’s Inc.) acquired R.H. Macy & Co., creating the world’s largest premier department store company (Macy’s Inc.). Before renaming as Macy’s Inc., Federated Department Stores had 400 stores and over 157 specialty stores throughout 37 states. Macy’s is known for their Thanksgiving Day Parade that began back in 1924 as the Christmas Parade. Celebrating its 75th birthday in 2001, the tradition has long lived for 84 years and has millions of viewers. R.H. Macy and Co., took out newspaper ads that would promise â€Å"a surprise New York will never forget† and to this day the parade is a piece of America (New York City Vacations). Macy’s is now currently known worldwide as one of the largest retailers selling men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, accessories, shoes, and beauty. It also operates www.macy.com, an online website you can also purchase merchandise from. The company operates over 800 department stores and furniture stores across 45 states including the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s (Macy’s Inc.). Its corporate offices are located in Cincinnati and New York. The red star that’s with the company name was adopted as Mr. Hussey’s representing a symbol of success. Macy’s Shares are traded under the symbol â€Å"M† on the New York Stock Exchange. According to Wikinvest, the stock price as of March 23, 2010 was 21.83 a share. Macy’s corporate vision reflects the â€Å"Spirit of America† in a sense that the past aspects that made our nation the way it is today are the same aspects that has shaped Macy’s in becoming such a valued industry. A belief in the promise of the future with the energy and determination to get us there. A belief that our heritage mirrors the optimism, inclusion and integrity that provide for both stability and growth. A belief that taking advantage of the right opportunities will continue to lead us to success in all that we do.

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents - Assignment Example ood the concept properly and are able to convert decimals into percent equivaslent and pecent equivalent to decimals, he will assign more 10 questions for indidual practice. The teacher will end the lesson by saying, â€Å"Today we learnt about conversion of decimals into percent equivalents and percent to decimals†. Then he wil ask the students to explain the process to him. As the students are doing the 10 questions, the teacher will move around the class evaluating each student’s understanding of the concept. He will review the concept with students who have not understood properly and arrange for further coaching. Out of the 20 students in the class, 17 students met the lesson objective i.e. they were able to solve 8 out of 10 questions correctly. However, 3 students performed below expectation with two scoring 7/10 and the third one scoring 6/10. Use of more interactive website such as http://www.aaamath.com would help the 3 student understand the concept properly. Extra coaching time should be allocated to ensure the 3 students properly understand the concept. Hard outs and charts were very useful tools for teaching decimals and percentages. After introducing the topic, the students had some difficulties compreheading how to convert decimals into percentage and vice versa. By just using numbers and doing some examples on the chalk board, some students could not clearly comprehend the concept. The hard out came in hardy as it explained concept in word while the chart gave examples that were also explained in words. The chart explained simple problems first then progressed to complex ones thereby enhancing the flow of the lesson. In addition to just having problem written in numbers, the chart explained the numbers in words which made it easier for students to understand. To make the concept well understood, I showed the student a complete fraction circle. Then I devided the circle into two halves. Since the students had a clear understanding of

Choose an environmental problem that the world is facing and prepare a Essay - 1

Choose an environmental problem that the world is facing and prepare a REPORT - Essay Example In the year 1931 as many as 22 nations signed the Geneva Convention to bring Whaling under control but this has not been done even to date. This treaty was modified with new protocols in the year 1938 and 1945 and the same served as a platform for International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling signed in the US in the year 1946. An International Whaling commission was established in order to safeguard the Whales. The dwindling of Whales could not have been solved with a better way than establishing a separate entity to safeguard the population of Whales. This Whaling commission took many steps to safeguard the population of Whales, they forbid the illegal capture of Whales, set a particular no and size for the Whales that could be taken and did many other things to ensure that the population of Whales does not dwindle. The IWC conducts annual meetings to reflect upon the progress and any country can become a member of the IWC provided it adheres to the rules of IWC. This committee has been very successful in safeguarding the Whales, significant changes have been noticed since this committee has been established. The members of this committee work really hard to ensure that the population of Whales remains stable. Wales are the primary symbols of Marine life but off late the strength of the Wales have constantly dwindled because of the poachers and this has drawn intense criticism from all across the globe. One of the biggest concerns that have affected the marine life and the Wales primarily is the use of Sonar by the US navy and the US is in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. The US navy uses sonar to protect its vessels and to detect enemy submarines. The sonar used is affecting the marine life and especially the Whales. The US has invested a lot of money in developing their sonar operation because they face a constant threat from countries like Iran and North Korea. This is the only reason why the US has increased the use of sonar

Dance, production, performance, choreography (OCD as the central Essay

Dance, production, performance, choreography (OCD as the central theme) - Essay Example That is dance as an influential impulse and as a skillfully choreographed ability practiced mostly by professionals. The link between these ideas will be stronger in producing a dance for a live community audience. Producing and making a dance for a live community performance is one of the most challenging tasks and it requires joint efforts. Several people will need to be engaged in coordinating all elements that are essential for production. Some of the fundamental aims of creating this dance would include expressing and communicating our feelings. We will open the dance with a voice over counting 1,2,3,4, it will be counting four times in totoal and will speed up as it goes along. This will be used to introduce the ocd. We will be in the audience or one of the chairs getting up on stage sequence (nat workshop)-introduces our characters. This will slowly show the affect our ocd/ movement has on us and on each other. Showing the connections between us as we travel about our everyday life. Trio - waking up in everyday life, showing our relationships between each other, showing our interaction e.g racing forward (competing against each other). further developing our characters and the relationships between them. ... It also shows Niamh and Nats relationship (nat not wanting to talk/slightly controlling niamh. These relationships are all a counter reaction of our feelings towards ocd.  Niamh and nats duet: showing niamhs battle to be open about it and nats battle to keep it hidden. symbolises the struggles behind ocd that doesn’t always appear on the surface Possible working with other people - representation of more character relationships that occur from ocd Niamh, Cecilia and Nat sinister trio - heavily focused on characterisation. showing the reactions of others to ocd e.g niamh is open about it and nat and cecilia are intrueged and checking if she still does it in weird situations. their ocd is still showing through but they are trying to hide it.   The community dance will aim at educating people on the importance of insurance as well as entertaining them. Moreover, the community dance will often entail a unique attempt of stylization, for instance the dance movements will be arr anged into a rhythmic or spatial pattern, tracing circles or lines on the ground, tracking a definite order of steps, or complying with a pattern of usual stresses or accents. All these features will produce a unique condition of mind and body that will provide the audience with a different knowledge. We would like the audience to be drawn into the patterns and rhythms generated by the movements of dancers so that they may share the feelings being expressed. The choreographic process Choreography refers to the art of creating dances, the assembly and arrangement of movement into a pattern and order. Latest Western dances have been produced by particular choreographers, who have been considered as the owners and authors of their works in an approach comparable to composers,

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Philosophy - Assignment Example This argument is structured around an analogy. Identify what is being compared in this analogy and explain why Cleanthes believes he is justified in this comparison (Hint: Support Cleanthes position by pointing to some relevantly similar characteristics between the two analogues). Philo offers a rebuttal to Cleanthes argument that is based on the analogical structure of Cleanthes’ argument. What is this rebuttal (Note: You need not recreate Philo’s entire argument; a description of how to evaluate an analogical argument and the problem Philo sees with Cleanthes’ argument will suffice)? Finally, I built upon Philo’s rebuttal to Cleanthes using the theory of evolution. Why does evolution present a problem for the â€Å"Argument from Design†? An Empiricist philosopher David Hume in his â€Å"Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion† justifies the presence of God via rational truths like death, birth, illness, healing mechanism and spiritual being o f living beings. He firmly believes that humans accept the rationality of an idea/theory only when they experience it. Hence, the belief mechanism is always supported by realism. Hume gathers enough evidence for his readers to identify the presence of God via his attributes in the universal facts. ... Simultaneously, the intellectual capacity (divine intellect) of the developer God cannot be measured, as he has endowed humans with limited intellect, who can comprehend their beliefs on the bases of their experiences. Moreover, he also differentiates between impression and ideas which develop the theory of belief. However, several phenomena like life after death are a belief which requires experience and in such a scenario humans can only rely on provided notions of different religions. Hence, one accepts orthodox notion of life after death according to his understanding or acceptance of such facts according to his invisible faith. Humans cannot evaluate, debate or weigh religious notions on the bases of their intellectual comprehension as God has provided humans with limited intellect (an attribute God encircles himself) through which they can only understand fewer signs of his being. Yet, this is the attribute (intellect) which is similar to him that brings humans to a level highe r than the other living beings he developed. The skeptic Jewish philosopher Philo Judaeus, denies the design/ machine analogy Cleanthes presents. He bases his argument against it and on the fact that universe or any entity on it does not depict the true nature of God (Hume & Stanley, 5). They are his creations/ innovations, but his attributes cannot be assumed through them. They are mere signs of his presence, his attribute like infinity, immensity, eternality, astuteness and aptness are few qualities which are only his. Therefore, Philo argues that to assume God’s nature from his creations is an unrealistic idea. Moreover, he argues that if universe is a

Nanotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nanotechnology - Essay Example Synthesis techniques used for the production of carbon nanotubes have also been taken into consideration, which include arc discharge, laser ablation, electrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, ball milling, diffusion flame synthesis, polymer heat treatment, and low-temperature solid pyrolysis (Cheap Tubes Inc.). Techniques for the purification of these tubes, like oxidation, acid treatment, centrifugal concentration, annealing, sonication to break down carbon nanotubes, filtering and functionalization techniques, have also been discussed. The types of energy storage for which carbon nanotubes are used, their modeling aspects and storage features, have been taken into account. These types mainly include electrochemical hydrogen storage, electrochemical lithium storage, gas-phase intercalation, and charge storage in supercapacitors (Loyseau 530). Carbon nanotubes’ exclusive characteristics and matchless nanostructure makes them fundamental components of forthcoming energy storage devices (Luniya). Hence, special focus has been put on the use of carbon nanotubes in energy device industry to discover the limitations and opportunities that exist in this field. The report is accompanied by an extensive literature review to support the significance of the topic. Luniya, Robin. Technology Insight Report: Carbon Nanotubes in Energy Storage Devices. Andrà ¡s Paszternà ¡k, 04 Aug 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010.

Dance, production, performance, choreography (OCD as the central Essay

Dance, production, performance, choreography (OCD as the central theme) - Essay Example That is dance as an influential impulse and as a skillfully choreographed ability practiced mostly by professionals. The link between these ideas will be stronger in producing a dance for a live community audience. Producing and making a dance for a live community performance is one of the most challenging tasks and it requires joint efforts. Several people will need to be engaged in coordinating all elements that are essential for production. Some of the fundamental aims of creating this dance would include expressing and communicating our feelings. We will open the dance with a voice over counting 1,2,3,4, it will be counting four times in totoal and will speed up as it goes along. This will be used to introduce the ocd. We will be in the audience or one of the chairs getting up on stage sequence (nat workshop)-introduces our characters. This will slowly show the affect our ocd/ movement has on us and on each other. Showing the connections between us as we travel about our everyday life. Trio - waking up in everyday life, showing our relationships between each other, showing our interaction e.g racing forward (competing against each other). further developing our characters and the relationships between them. ... It also shows Niamh and Nats relationship (nat not wanting to talk/slightly controlling niamh. These relationships are all a counter reaction of our feelings towards ocd.  Niamh and nats duet: showing niamhs battle to be open about it and nats battle to keep it hidden. symbolises the struggles behind ocd that doesn’t always appear on the surface Possible working with other people - representation of more character relationships that occur from ocd Niamh, Cecilia and Nat sinister trio - heavily focused on characterisation. showing the reactions of others to ocd e.g niamh is open about it and nat and cecilia are intrueged and checking if she still does it in weird situations. their ocd is still showing through but they are trying to hide it.   The community dance will aim at educating people on the importance of insurance as well as entertaining them. Moreover, the community dance will often entail a unique attempt of stylization, for instance the dance movements will be arr anged into a rhythmic or spatial pattern, tracing circles or lines on the ground, tracking a definite order of steps, or complying with a pattern of usual stresses or accents. All these features will produce a unique condition of mind and body that will provide the audience with a different knowledge. We would like the audience to be drawn into the patterns and rhythms generated by the movements of dancers so that they may share the feelings being expressed. The choreographic process Choreography refers to the art of creating dances, the assembly and arrangement of movement into a pattern and order. Latest Western dances have been produced by particular choreographers, who have been considered as the owners and authors of their works in an approach comparable to composers,

Nanotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nanotechnology - Essay Example Synthesis techniques used for the production of carbon nanotubes have also been taken into consideration, which include arc discharge, laser ablation, electrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, ball milling, diffusion flame synthesis, polymer heat treatment, and low-temperature solid pyrolysis (Cheap Tubes Inc.). Techniques for the purification of these tubes, like oxidation, acid treatment, centrifugal concentration, annealing, sonication to break down carbon nanotubes, filtering and functionalization techniques, have also been discussed. The types of energy storage for which carbon nanotubes are used, their modeling aspects and storage features, have been taken into account. These types mainly include electrochemical hydrogen storage, electrochemical lithium storage, gas-phase intercalation, and charge storage in supercapacitors (Loyseau 530). Carbon nanotubes’ exclusive characteristics and matchless nanostructure makes them fundamental components of forthcoming energy storage devices (Luniya). Hence, special focus has been put on the use of carbon nanotubes in energy device industry to discover the limitations and opportunities that exist in this field. The report is accompanied by an extensive literature review to support the significance of the topic. Luniya, Robin. Technology Insight Report: Carbon Nanotubes in Energy Storage Devices. Andrà ¡s Paszternà ¡k, 04 Aug 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010.

What success has liberalism sought to emancipate individuals Essay Example for Free

What success has liberalism sought to emancipate individuals Essay Liberalism has always fought for the rights of the individual as it was one of the founding principles of the liberal ideology according to John Locke in the 17th century. As well as the rights of the individual, John Locke also saw freedom and toleration as two other key components of liberalism. This question demands, however, an examination of the success of liberal policies towards the emancipation of the individual. During the course of this essay one will examine how liberalism has freed the individual during the 19th Century under Gladstone and during the liberal reforms of 1906-1912. Finally one will conclude that in concordance with R. Rurup that, Liberalism is regarded as the truest protagonist of emancipation. Reforms enacted by liberal governments, often did provide huge improvements in both living standards and education however, they did not always fully emancipate the individual.[1: R. Rurup, Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook, (1975) 20 (1): p. 59] First and foremost, one must look at the great liberal reforms of the 19th Century, enacted during both the first and second ministry of William Gladstone. Vincent, claims that, such reforms that, Maximised individuality, were, genuinely liberal. The first reform that most clearly emancipates the individual during Gladstones premiership was the Elementary Education Act of 1870. This as Heywood argues was seen as a way out in the 19th Century form the, Spread of slums, poverty, ignorance and disease. The act established the English elementary schooling system, as children up to the age of 12 were made to attend primary school. It created a codified curriculum with six standards or ages 5-12. Strict punishments were laid upon parents who refused to send their children to school. Whilst, this bill created the provision of elementary education in the United Kingdom, it also led to many problems as the new compulsory schools were not free. A means tested scheme applied to the poorest who could not afford to send their children to school, but for many it put them in a very difficult financial position. Vincent, therefore, criticises the Elementary Education Act by deeming it, Gladstones empirical socialism. The act, however, was a success as by 1880 4000 school were taken over by school boards and nearly  2.3 million children were enrolled in compulsory education up to the age of 12. One can say therefore, despite the criticisms by Vincent, that the Elementary Education Act did successfully emancipate the individual as it lead to higher overall wages as workers were more skilled, for example they could read and take measurements, and it successfully started the primary schooling system in the United Kingdom. [2: Vincent A, A Modern Political Ideologies, (Blackwell) 1992 pg. 34][3: Vincent A, Political Ideologies, 1992 pg. 34][4: Heywood A, Political Ideologies an Introduction, (Palgrave Macmillan) 2007 pg. 56 ][5: Vin cent A, Political Ideologies, 1992 pg. 35] Secondly, Gladstones ministry continued to emancipate the individual by expanding the franchise in the United Kingdom. This bill was the third reform act in the 19th Century and continued to increase the franchise by allowing anyone who had to pay rent of 10 pounds and above to vote as well as anyone who owned land with the value of 10 pounds and above. This is equivalent to  £7,300 in 2013 using the retail pricing index. This was a huge leap forward as Goodwin describes the bill as, Progress to a better society, The bill nearly doubled the franchise in England from 2,300,000 in 1880 voters to 4,100,000 voters in 1885 and did double the franchise in the whole country from 3,000,000 voters in 1880 to 6,160,000 voters in 1892. Male suffrage varied throughout the kingdom, however, in England and Wales, 2 in 3 adult males had the vote; in Scotland, 3 in 5 did; and in Ireland, the figure was only 1 in 2. Whilst the bill was a long way off from universal suffrage and did not apply to women at all, the bill did seek to emancipate those land-owners and those who rented who were not franchised in previous voting reform legislation. Therefore, whilst this piece of legislation did not meet the liberal ideals of equality according to John Locke and John Stuart Mill, due to its exclusion of women, it did enfranchise and emancipate a large proportion of the male population from prejudice in the voting system of the United Kingdom.[6: Goodwin B, Using Political Ideas, (John Wiley Sons) 2007 pg.53][7: British Electoral Facts 1832-1987, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig ] Thirdly, one will look at the liberal reforms of the early twentieth century. The liberal reforms are the best example of the split in liberal  thinking from classical liberalism to modern liberalism. They, shifted their outlook from a _laissez-faire_ system to a more collectivist approach, Modern Liberalism was started in the early twentieth century by leaders such as Campbell-Bannerman and Asquith. Heywood claims that inception of the reforms was spawned from the belief that, the state should help people help themselves. One will first look at how the liberal reforms emancipated the workers of the early 20th Century. The Labour Exchanges Act of 1909, created state run labour exchanges with the specific role of placing people in work who were affected by the seasonal demand of shipping and other seasonally affected trade, especially in winter. Whilst, opposed by labour unions as they feared that the labour exchanges would reduce the effectiveness of collective bargaining for fair wages, the labour exchanges by 1913 were putting 3,000 people a day into work. Whilst successful in emancipating some workers from the threat of seasonal unemployment the labour exchanges did have a small impact as only 25% of the working population in the United Kingdom found employment though them. [8: Vincent Emy, H Liberals, radicals, and social politics, 1892-1914 p. 14][9: Heywood A, Political Ideologies, 2007 pg. 60][10: Watts, D Whigs, Radicals, and Liberals, 1815-1914, p.89][11: Watts, D Whigs, Radicals, and Liberals, 1815-1914, p.89] Lastly, within the liberal reforms one must look at the National Health Insurance Act of 1911, which truly emancipated members of the working class, as they would have a safety net if they fell ill. Although, Goodwin views this reform as an, interference with individual freedom, but does argue that Hobhouse, having reiterated some of T. H. Greens views, claims that this extension of public control is justified on, Humane grounds. Goodwin does also explain that any, loss of independence, should be counted against the, benefits offered by the welfare measure. The National Insurance Act of 1911, offered many benefits and emancipated every worker in the United Kingdom who earned less that  £160 a year. The scheme created a compulsory government-run insurance plan against unemployment through illness. This emancipated workers from the fear of becoming destitute though illness. All workers paid four pence a week to the scheme, the employer paid three pence and the government paid two pen ce. Whilst there was criticism of  the act, especially from the conservative part, as they argued that it was not the governments duty to be involved in such a scheme, the bill was passed and helped millions of workers. This can be seen as the most influential bill that any liberal government has passed during the liberal reforms between 1906 and 1912 as it both laid the foundations for the Welfare State but it also emancipated millions of workers from poverty as envisaged in _Life and Labour of the People_ by Rowntree and Booth, two influential liberal reformers. In conclusion, moreover, both the Labour Exchanges Act of 1909 and the National Insurance Act of 1911 were ultimately justified as they were seen to be based on, humane grounds, and they were hugely successful at emancipating the working classes of the United Kingdom from, what Heywood describes as the, Spread of slums, poverty, ignorance and disease which was driving factor for all of the liberal reforms in the 46 year period between 1870 and 1918.[12: Goodwin B, Using Political Ideas,2007 pg.54][13: Goodwin B, Using Political Ideas,2007 pg.49][14: Goodwin B, Using Political Ideas,2007 pg.50][15: Goodwin B, Using Political Ideas,2007 pg.50][16: Goodwin B, Using Political Ideas,2007 pg.49 ][17: Heywood A, Political Ideologies, 2007 pg. 56] Therefore, to conclude, during the half century of liberal governments, one did see a huge improvement of both living standards and education as well as the partial emancipation of the individual. During Gladstones first and second ministry, one saw the electorate nearly doubled, leading to huge emancipation of those who, never before could vote. Gladstones government also made education mandatory for those under the age of 10, therefore emancipating children from what Heywood calls, slums, poverty, ignorance and disease. Whereas, during the liberal government, headed by Herbert Asquith, between 1906 and 1918, the liberal government had discernibly more success in emancipating the individual as it provided both the Labour Exchanges in 1909 as well as National Insurance for those who were too sick to work. Whilst these successes in emancipating the individual were important, they were also marred by the fact that none of these reforms provided universal suffrage, a key principle of emancipation. Therefore, whilst the liberals were for the most part successful in emancipating the individual in the years between 1870 and 1918, their achievements were  hampered by the fact that they failed to provide universal suffrage and consequently, one can conclude that the liberals emancipated the individual with partial success during their period of governance. [18: Heywood A, Political Ideologies, 2007 pg. 56] Bibliography: R. Rurup, _Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook_, (1975) 20 (1) Vincent A, A _Modern Political Ideologies,_ (Blackwell) 1992 Heywood A, _Political Ideologies an Introduction,_ (Palgrave Macmillan) 2007 Goodwin B, _Using Political Ideas,_ (John Wiley Sons) 2007 Craig F.W.S, _British Electoral Facts 1832-1987_, (Politicos Publishing) 1989 Vincent-Emy, H _Liberals, radicals, and social politics, 1892-1914_ (Cambridge University Press) 2008 Watts, D _Whigs, Radicals, and Liberals, 1815-1914_ (Hodder Education) 2002

The Motivation Of The Journey Themes

The Motivation Of The Journey Themes In literature the theme of a journey is a common one but the motivation for the journey changes considerably. The goal of each journey was directly influenced by the values of the specific time period and location in which the pieces were written. These pieces include The Odyssey by Homer, The Inferno by Dante, Candide by Voltaire, and A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. Each of these works of literature have their own concept of a journey but are similar in that they all share a driving force to complete their own specific quests. In The Odyssey by Homer we see two journeys. The main journey is Odysseuss journey home, back to his civilization. We also see Telemachus journey to find his fathers whereabouts. In Odysseuss journey we see many obstacles that get in his way including gods which was a big part of Greek culture. Greek gods are considered to be human-like because of their inability to be perfect and because of this the gods are not always well respected by the humans. One of the gods who tried to prevent him from completing his journey was Poseidon. Poseidon sought revenge on Odysseus because Odysseus had blinded the Cyclopes which were one of Poseidons sons. In return Poseidon shipwrecks Odysseus and he ends up on Phaeacia. Odysseus will do what is necessary to get back to his polis. The ultimate goal for a Greek is to achieve fame and glory through his polis. I would have had my rites and the Achaians given me glory. Now it is by a dismal death that I must be taken (Homer, 306-312). If this fame and glory is not achieved they believed that life was a waste. The city in which he ruled was called Ithaca. The polis in which he ruled in Ithaca believed that Odysseus was dead because he had not returned home in such a long time. The only true believers were his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Telemachus saw that the suitors were disloyal to his father Odysseus by eating all his food and trying to take his mother as a wife and because of this he went on his own journey to find someone who had visual evidence of his death. On this journey he found no such evidence of death but he was starting to lose hope of his fathers return. We see that both Odysseus and Telemachus believe that civilization is the motiva ting force for their journeys. In Telemachus case, he wants to bring back the truth to his polis about Odysseus. In Odysseus case, he wants to return to his polis for fame and glory which is the greatest achievement possible. In The Inferno by Dante we see a completely different journey. Instead of a journey for fame and glory through your polis we see a journey through hell to prove there is one God. Dante was born in Florence, Italy in 1265 in the Medieval era where Christianity was the dominate religion in that location at the time. In Christianity there is the idea of heaven and hell. In Christianity when you die you are judged based on your life by God and you are either sent to heaven where the good people go or hell where the bad people go. In this book Dante is allowed by God to enter hell alive to write about what he sees and who he meets. During this journey he is accompanied by Virgil who is his guide through hell because hell is where he resides. His journey is also stopped by obstacles, but since it was willed by God to make this journey no obstacle could stop him for long. Once the people in hell knew they were protected by God they would tell Dante anything he wanted to know. When Dante journey lead him to the wall of the city of Dis; he was stopped by demons that would not let him pass. The abyss of the rest of hell was behind this gate and he needed to get passed. An angel from heaven was sent to open the gate for Dante and Virgil. The demons could not reject anything from heaven because they feared heaven. Through me the way into the suffering city, through me the way to the eternal pain, through me the way that runs among the lost. Justice urged on my high artificer; my maker was divine authority, the highest wisdom, and the primal love. Before me nothing but eternal things abandon every hope, who enter hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Dante, 1-11). This journey was meant to show that there is one God that is very powerful even am ongst the most evil and even Satan himself. Dante on his journey saw symbolic retribution which is when the punishment fits the crime and this was used to show that the sins committed on earth is the same sin you will commit in hell for all eternity. Hell is separated into 9 different circles with 1 being the best circle and 9 being the worst circle in terms of the punishment. Depending on the sin the person committed; they would be sent to that corresponding circle. For example, if you are a priest and you commit a sin such as you trade the grace and favor of the church for money you would be sent to the 3rd bolge in the 8th circle and you would be known a simonist. Their punishment is a reverse baptism where they are hung upside down in holes and are baptized in fire not in water. This is also an example of symbolic retribution. In Dantes journey we see a difference in motivation between the Odysseys journeys in that, a strive for fame and glory is not seen and polis is not even mentioned. His journey was used to communicate a fear for one God and also show the consequences of the wrong doings on earth. According to Dante, the worst sins you commit on earth you will pay for in hell. In the next piece of literature, Candide by Voltaire, we follow the main character Candide on a long journey for the girl that he loves Cunà ©gonde. He is banished from his home for kissing Cunà ©gonde who is of a higher social ranking then himself. Because of his banishment he embarks on a long journey of hardship. He remembers Dr. Pangloss teachings as a kid a uses his philosophy throughout his journey. Dr. Pangloss always would tell him that they live in the best world and everything in this world is for the best. After a couple of years with the army he escapes to Lisbon because he was ill-treated. In Lisbon he finds his lost love Cunà ©gonde with two men who want her. Candide kills the two men and he now escapes on a journey with Cunà ©gonde. But this journey with Cunà ©gonde did not last long because he was wanted for the killings of the two men. Candide had to flee and he told Cunà ©gonde to stay in Buenos Aires until his return. Candide and his servant Cacambo come across the lost city of gold known as El Dorado. Here they find kids playing with an abundance of gold as if gold was meaningless to them. In El Dorado there was so much gold that they played with it instead of cherishing it. El Dorado represents the conclusion of a perfect journey but for Candide this wasnt the case. This was not perfect because Cunà ©gonde was not with him and he never forgot about his promise that he would come back for her. So he took a large quantity of gold and went back to look for her. Since Candide cannot return because he is wanted; he instructs his servant Cacambo to go get Cunà ©gonde and bring her to Venice Italy where they could reunite. Candide arrives to Venice late and he has to search for Cacambo who was nowhere to be found. Eventually he finds Cacambo and again they embark on another journey to Turkey because that is supposedly where Cunà ©gonde now stays. Sure enough there long journey comes to an end when they meet in Turkey. Candide lost his love for Cunà ©gonde because she became ugly and fat but he still married her because of her social status. They end up buying a small farm that they must tend to regularly. Candide journey was all for nothing. In his journey he had the opportunity to stay in the perfect world of El Dorado where there was plenty of food an riches but instead he decided to pursue Cunà ©gonde. Cunà ©gonde was once the perfection in his life but by the end she became imperfect. His journey has put him through many obstacles but in the end he was happy with the farm although he must work for food and his wife is not what he wanted. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for if you had not been kicked out of a magnificent castle for love of Miss Cunà ©gonde: if you had not been put into the Inquisition: if you had not walked over America: if you had not stabbà ©d the Baron: if you had not lost all your sheep from the fine country of El Dorado: you would not be here eating preserved citrons and pistachio-nuts. All that is very well, answered Candide, but let us cultivate our garden. (Voltaire, 30.29-31). In the end, his journey was to find the perfect place where Candide was satisfied with his life and he eventually did this at the end of his long journey for Cunà ©gonde. In the last piece of literature, A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, two journeys also take place; the journey of why the crime was committed and the journey to find the criminal. One of the main characters is Sherlock Holmes who is a private detective not affiliated with the authorities helps people find the truth about a particular situation that is considered unsolvable. Sherlock Holmes uses the reality of the situation as well as common sense to solve the issues he is presented with. The first journey of why the crime was committed starts off when John Ferrier and young Lucy are rescued by Brigham Young and the Mormons. The Mormons agreed to take them if they converted to the Mormon religion which meant they had to follow the Mormons rules. John Ferrier and young Lucy had to agree to this or they would die in the desert. As time went on they settled with the Mormons and followed their traditions of their religion but they were still Christian at heart. According to Mormon law young Lucy who is John Ferriers adopted daughter must marry a Mormon boy but Lucy loved another boy named Jefferson Hope who is a hunter but is not Mormon. John Ferrier was forced to make a choice or flee away from the Mormon settlement. With the help of Lucys love Jefferson Hope they try to run away from the Mormons. They eventually get caught and John Ferrier gets murdered, Lucy gets seized, and Jefferson Hope was not there to witness this so he gets spared. Therefore, Jefferson Hope, seeking revenge, finds out the names and whereabouts of the Mormons who killed John and Lucy. He finds out that Drebber and Stangerson are the ones responsible for this so he goes on a journey hunting for them. Jefferson Hope eventually finds both of them and kills them. Jefferson Hope killed Drebber by poison and Stangerson by stabbing him to death. It became a coincidence that Sherlock Holmes was put on this case to find the killer. Eventually with the cunningness of Sherlock Holmes, Jefferson Hope gets caught for his wrong doings and he confesses everything and why he killed them. These journeys of killing for revenge and finding the killer worked hand in hand perfectly because both show a journey of truth. Ive done my work now, and I dont care how soon I go, but I should like to leave some account of the business behind me. I dont want to be remembered as a common cut-throat. (Doyle, 77). We first begin with Sherlock Holmes doing his usual investigation and we as the reader wants the killer to be caught. After we see the killers journey unfold, we feel sympathetic towards the killer because we know what he has been through. After we see his journey we are lead back to the capturing of the killer and the reader is left to wonder if killing was the correct route to take. To conclude, the motivation for journeys between these four pieces of literature change throughout the time periods. In The Odyssey by Homer the motivation for the journey during Greek times was to achieve fame and glory through their polis. This is proven by Odysseus overcoming obstacles throughout the epic. In The Inferno by Dante the motivation for his journey during the Medieval period was to show that there is one God that is very powerful and God should be feared because of symbolic retribution as well as loved because he makes the ultimate decision after death. In Candide by Voltaire the motivation of the journey in the Era of Enlightenment was to find the perfect place where you could be satisfied with life even if hard work and a long journey are involved. Lastly, in A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle the motivation of the journey for the Age of Empiricism is to find your own truth but there are always consequences in truth.