Essay about Stephen Napier on Stem Cell Research - 920 Words

The dispute which is being analyzed in this paper is one of mass debate today. The argument is on whether or not embryonic stem cells should be used to come up with forms of treatment for degenerative diseases such as: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Diabetes. The author of this paper is Stephen Napier he is in association with the Bioethics center in Philadelphia, PA. The article was published in the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy in 2009. In this article Mr. Napier reviews past arguments on the current debate and provides the reader with his stance against the use of Stem cells as a form of research and furthermore he argues the stance on vulnerability of a fetus and if it has moral values equal to an adult person. In the†¦show more content†¦He then goes onto to say what the protections to the vulnerable could be. In the following section he begins to place his argument into an outline. After laying out his structured argument he takes a broader look at the opposition and what they might say about his view on the subject matter. The critics would say that the human embryo does not count as a human subject or that she does not count as a vulnerable human subject (Napier, 502). After explaining the opposition he then looks at the moral worth of the embryo and gives several situations in which there is possibilities of the embryo having moral values even before birth. He gives an example that an adult is comatose and needs stem cell implants to be able to function again. The adult who needs regenerative therapy and the embryo are in the same position in relation to possessing personhood capacities. Both lack these capacities in morally similar ways. Therefore, if we say the adult has moral status, then so does the embryo (Napier, 505). Another case he illustrates to prove his point is that of women smoking and having miscarriages. Most women when they find out they hav e had a miscarriage mourn the loss of their baby. Most people would say that women should stop smoking if they become pregnant; not doing so is morally irresponsible (Napier, 505). According to Napier, if the women have to stop smoking because it’s immoral then the embryo is a living being.Show MoreRelatedEssay Problems with Embryonic Stem-Cell Research1416 Words   |  6 PagesRecently in the scientific world, the field of embryonic stem cell research has become a popular topic and has been the subject for many heated debates. Experts in the field of stem cell research promise that this will be the future of medicine; that stem cells will be the cure to all the debilitating diseases and afflictions of today, such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancer and nerve damage. The truth about embryonic stem cell research is that it is not as hopeful and as revolutionary asRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |   534 Pagesturnover. Coarse-grained estimates place the costs of turnover at 150 percent of exempt employees’ compensation and at 175 percent for nonexempt employees.50 The determinants of turnover are reasonably well under-stood as there has been a great deal of research on the topic. Accordingly, there are sound practices that employers can follow in order to retain their employees. Organizational Cultures Emphasizing Interpersonal Relationship Values One of the most important determinants of employee retentionRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagescom/support Your WileyPLUS Account Manager Training and implementation support www.wileyplus.com/accountmanager MAKE IT YOURS! Fundamentals of Human Resource Management Tenth Edition David A. DeCenzo Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC Stephen P. Robbins San Diego State University San Diego, CA Tenth Edition Contributor Susan L. Verhulst Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA John Wiley Sons, Inc. Associate Publisher Executive Editor Senior Editoral Assistant Marketing

Environmental Changes to Marketing Mix - 1615 Words

Forces in the marketing environment that lead to changes in the past 5 to 10 years to the company s marketing mix: The different aspects of the marketing mix will be assessed with regards to the forces in the marketing environment for ice-cream and food retailer, the Swenson s Group (the Company) operating in the Thai market. The context in which the changes in marketing mix will be examined will be based on their products, eg: ice-cream and food Ââ€" economic and the services, eg: customer service, retail premises etc. Describe more about the company/product. PROMOTION: The Company s traditional promotion of its products and services was via the usage of media, ie: television and radio, as these were the pre-dominantly†¦show more content†¦Equivalent statistics today shows an increased by 25%. (*Asian Market Research News Ââ€" October 2002). The implications of such increase in the middle class income group means this particular group would be targeted by most business, ie: target marketing. The demand for quality products/services would outweigh price considerations. The Company, capitalizing on the exponential growth in this segment has adopted the following changes to their marketing mix aspect of Price and Products. PRICE: A typical customer in this market segment would demand quality products / services. The Company over the past years have increased the quality of their ice-cream duly enhancing its taste, by the usage of better quality raw materials, eg: milk, flavouring, in their products. Though this would increase their base production cost, profit margins are enhanced by charging customer a premium for making available quality ice-cream. The premium charged would be relative to the cost of dining at fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King etc. What would previously be considered a basic priced item in the market would now be premium priced to provide the perceived value to the targeted market segment. PROCESS/PLACE: A customer who pays a premium to dine at a Swenson s retail outlet would desire a conducive, pleasant yet stylish dining environment. Swenson s have adopted retail outlets which display aShow MoreRelatedMarketing Strategy For The New Marketing Opportunity Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pages3. The final part of the assessment involves determining the final marketing mix in relation to the new marketing opportunity. As part of finalising your marketing mix, answer the following questions: ï‚ §Ã¯â‚¬  What environmental factors could have an impact on the selected marketing mix e.g. economic conditions, the political or legal environment, etc? †¢ Competition: To compete in new market, company has to do marketing mix and determine market strategy for Price, Place, products and promotions. †¢ EconomicalRead MoreDetermining The Final Marketing Mix1299 Words   |  6 Pages3. The final part of the assessment involves determining the final marketing mix in relation to the new marketing opportunity. As part of finalizing your marketing mix, answer the following questions: What environmental factors could have an impact on the selected marketing mix e.g. economic conditions, the political or legal environment, etc? Competition: considering the fact that there are about 4 pubs, and 3 motels in the local area, competition does affect the business on a good levelRead MoreBest Marketing Mix For New Product Or Service Opportunity Essay1134 Words   |  5 Pagesrelation to question 1 and 2, identify and describe the best marketing mix for the new product or service opportunity. Provide your reasons for this choice. Best marketing mix Description Reasons for this choice Product New product line to be included will be the organic and environmental friendly hair dying products This product will have zero negative impact to human health such as asthma or skin allergies or the natural environmental pollutions Price High end product should be charged with theRead MoreMicro and Macro Marketing946 Words   |  4 PagesMICRO AND MACRO MARKETING ENVIRONMENT Introduction Micro marketing Refers to the internal controllable factors or forces which affects the ability of a company to serve its customers. e.g. the organization, the market, the suppliers, market intermediaries and the marketing mix. The micro marketing environment that surrounds organisations can be complex by nature, however the company has an element of control over how it operates within this environment. Macro marketing Refers to the externalRead MoreInformation And Adjust The Marketing Mix1726 Words   |  7 PagesEstablish and adjust the marketing mix Assessment Task 2: Project – Determine the marketing mix The company I would like to talk about is Online Takeaway in major cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Canberra, Hobart, and Adelaide which provides features as order food online, customers just provides postcode on our website. Basically, customers have to choose restaurant and products they preferred online. We will delivered it within 20 minutes after delivered has been confirmed from the restaurantsRead MoreSustainability in Australian Business: Principles and Practice1420 Words   |  6 PagesThe Relevance of Sustainability in Marketing Decision Making Introduction Sustainable marketing calls for socially and environmentally responsible actions that meet the present needs of consumers and businesses while preserving and enhancing the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Kotler amp; Armstrong 2012, p. 582). The aim of sustainable marketing is to satisfy the customer’s the needs and wants while also putting high emphasis on the environment and the social issues and thusRead MoreMarketing Mix : The Marketing Strategy1335 Words   |  6 PagesMarketing Mix is one of the most important concepts for marketing. Marketing mix is also called the 4Ps, which are price, place, product, and promotion. They are the ingredients that combine to capture and promote a brand or product’s unique selling points that differentiate it from its competitors. Neil H. Borden, an advertising professor at Harvard University coined the term marketing mix. The ideas behind Borden’s model were refined over the years until Edmond Jerome McC arthy, a marketing professorRead MoreMarketing Strategy : Ac Restaurant1048 Words   |  5 PagesLO1.1: Marketing: is defined as a ‘business orientation whose target is to satisfy consumers’ needs or wants at standard levels of revenues and costs’ (Loudon et al., 2010, p.2) (Dudovskiy, 2014). Marketing process: comprises of several steps and these steps are analysed below: 1. Analysing marketing opportunities: generally, Afro-Caribbean comes to know about its market opportunities by examining current and future market trends, current resources and capabilities, internal and external environmentRead MoreMarketing Mix, By Neil H. Borden1629 Words   |  7 PagesThe Marketing Mix The marketing mix, also referred to as the four Ps, represents a list of categorized, dynamic parameters of a product that define its value. Marketing decisions are based on these four categories: product, price, place, promotion. The marketing manager controls these four parameters under the constraint of the marketing environment. Managers to maximize the perceived value of the product, which, in turn, elicits a positive response and optimizes or satisfies profit use marketingRead MoreEnvironmental Factors and Marketing1323 Words   |  6 PagesEnvironmental Factors and Marketing Decisions Will a successful marketing plan in one country work in another country? This is unlikely to occur due to many different cultural, political, economic, technological, and competitive environments. Marketing mixes require adjustments to meet local conditions and companies that understand these environmental factors can create advantages when positioning their products or services. Wal-Mart is a global organization and uses market research to understand

Legal System and the Social Construction of Childhood Free Essays

In 1924 the League of Nations promulgated the first international agreement setting out the principles, which should inform the universal treatment of children. The underlying image of the child contained in the Declaration of Geneva was thoroughly imbued with a modernist concept of childhood. In particular children were seen as incomplete, non-social, weak and dependent. We will write a custom essay sample on Legal System and the Social Construction of Childhood or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Declaration, therefore, placed its emphasis on the duties of adults towards children. The UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), agreed in 1989, took this a stage further by making its provisions legally binding on national governments that ratified it. By 2003 this included all governments of the world except the US. The UNCRC, however, surpasses the modernist notion of children as a cultural other. It raises children’s social participation as a goal alongside protection and provision. Children’s participation has become an international rallying point for child advocacy. It is seen as capable of transcending differences in the social, cultural and economic conditions of children’s lives around the world (Davie, Upton and Varma, 1996; Flekkoy and Kaufman, 1997; Franklin, 1995; Hart, 1992; Lansdown, 1995). From one point of view the UNCRC represents a benign attempt to bring enlightenment and humane standards to all children. It has been used in this way and it is on these grounds that it draws enthusiastic support and even evokes a certain amount of zealotry. It has also been characterized as high in rhetoric but low in intensity. In this sense it is a highly suitable instrument through which declarations of lofty principle can be made but about which little needs to be done in practice. However, it is also the case that the children’s rights lobby is, for good or ill, on the forefront of the global spread of norms about childhood. As Boyden (1997:197) notes, these efforts have their precursors in the ‘civilizing mission’ of colonialism: â€Å"As the twentieth century has progressed, then, highly selective, stereo-typical perceptions of childhood – of the innocent child victim on the one hand and the young deviant on the other – have been exported from the industrial world to the South †¦ It has been the explicit goal of children’s rights specialists to crystallize in international law a universal system of rights for the child based on these norms.† The effects of this, she argues, are not always positive. Rights is a concept which is ultimately tied up with cultural values. Their successful implementation depends upon the existence of a compatible framework of meaning and an infrastructure of social and economic supports. The right to protection, for example, may translate well into practice when agencies, such as the police, are reliable upholders of law. When they are reliably corrupt it can be a recipe for oppression. Furthermore, some aspects of the concept of childhood contained in the UNCRC might also depend for their realization upon a level of economic wealth that many countries do not possess. As we have seen, for some countries international economic policy has led to deepening poverty, ill-health and inequality at the same time that social policy is urging the adoption of the rights of children. Perhaps, though, this is to underestimate the subtle processes that the UNCRC is enmeshed within. The different ways in which it (or part of it, Article 12) can be interpreted illustrate well how cultural globalization creates both diversity and homogeneity. It is, as Lee (1999) has pointed out, a document that has effectivity only because it is ambiguous. It is framed in such a way that its general principles are given a great deal of space for local interpretation. In fact, such was the level of disagreement among those who drafted it that this was the only way to make it acceptable to a wide range of countries with different cultural traditions about childhood. As Lee (2001a: 95-6) comments: â€Å"If the Convention had been intended to clarify children’s position, it would indeed crumple under this burden, but the Convention operates in a rather different way. Having generated childhood ambiguity, it then lays the responsibility for managing that ambiguity on the legislatures and the policy-makers of the states that have ratified it.† The representation of childhood found in the UNCRC has become more complex and ambiguous than the earlier Declaration. The protection and provision articles of the Convention still emphasize children’s need of adult support but, at the same time, especially through Article 12 of the Convention, children are pictured as social actors, not outside but inside society, not passive recipients but active participants. Role of the Legal System in Regulating children However, the contradictory effects of globalization do not all flow in the direction of self-expression and rights. From another point of view the twentieth century has witnessed increased levels of institutional control over children. The introduction of compulsory schooling and children’s formal exclusion from paid work signaled a historical tendency towards children’s increasing compartmentalization in specifically designated, separate settings, supervised by professionals and structured according to age and ability. Nà ¤sman (1994) has called this process the institutionalization of childhood. Throughout the twentieth century schooling has gradually been extended both ‘upwards’ (for example in incremental steps towards an older leaving-age for compulsory schooling) and ‘downwards’ in the growing emphasis on pre-school education and nursery provision (Moss et al., 2000.) Even leisure time is often framed in this way for many children because activities such as sport or music increasingly take place within some kind of institutional setting. It can be seen in the provision of after-school and holiday clubs that organize and regulate children’s activities under an adult gaze, channeling them into forms considered developmentally healthy and productive. Such phenomena have been noted across European societies. German sociologists, for example, have used the terms ‘domestication’ to describe the progressive removal of children from the streets and other public spaces and their relocation in special, protected spaces. They use the term ‘insularization’ to describe the decreased levels of children’s autonomous mobility around cities and the creation of special ‘islands’ of childhood to and from which they are transported (Zeiher, 2001, 2002). Within these institutions, but with significant variations according to national policy, it is possible to discern a struggle to tighten the regulation of children and to shape more firmly the outcomes of their activities. Schooling is a good example of this. In the last decades of the twentieth century the rather instrumental schooling regimes of the ‘Tiger Economies’ of Southeast Asia were held up as the model for producing economic efficiency and were widely influential in changing educational systems in Europe. I have argued elsewhere that this phenomenon represents a refocusing of modernity’s drive to control the future through children (Prout, 2000a). This tightening of control over children derives from a declining faith in other mechanisms of economic control, combined with increasing competitive pressures from the world economy. The intensification of global competition and the intricate networking of national economies erode the state’s capacity to control its own economic activity. In such circumstances, shaping children as the future labor force is seen as an increasingly important option. This, after all, is exactly what supply side economics is about but, as far as children are concerned, it often leads to attempts to regulate and standardize what they learn and how they learn it. References Boyden, J 1997, ‘Childhood and the Policy Makers’, in James, A and Prout, A (eds), Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood: Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood (2nd edn), Falmer Press, London. Davie, R, Upton, G and Varma, V (eds) 1996, The Voice of the Child, Falmer Press, London. Flekkoy, GD and Kaufman, NH 1997, The Participation Rights of the Child: Rights and Responsibilities in Family and Society, Jessica Kingsley, London. Franklin, B 1995, Handbook of Children’s Rights: Comparative Policy and Practice, Routledge, London. Hart, R 1992, Children’s Participation: From Tokenism to Citizenship, Innocenti Essays, Florence. Lansdown, G 1995, Taking Part: Children’s Participation in Decision Making, Institute for Public Policy Research, London. Lee, N 1999, ‘The Challenge of Childhood: The Distribution of Childhood’s Ambiguity in Adult Institutions’, Childhood, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 455-74. Lee, N 2001a, Childhood and Society: Growing Up in an Age of Uncertainty, Open University Press, Buckingham. Moss, P, Dillon, J and Statham, J 2000, ‘The â€Å"Child in Need† and â€Å"The Rich Child†: Discourses, Constructions and Practices’, Critical Social Policy, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 233-54. Nà ¤sman, E 1994, ‘Individualisation and Institutionalisation of Children’, in Qvortrup, J., Bardy, M., Sgritta, G. and Wintersberger, H. (eds), Childhood Matters: Social Theory, Practice and Politics, Avebury, Aldershot. Prout, A 2000a, ‘Control and Self-Realisation in Late Modern Childhoods’, Special Millenium Edition of Children and Society, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 304-15. Zeiher, H 2001, ‘Children’s Islands in Space and Time: The Impact of Spatial Differentiation on Children’s Ways of Shaping Social Life’, in du Bois-Reymond, M., Sunker, H. and Kruger, H.-H. (eds), Childhood in Europe: Approaches – Trends – Findings, Peter Lang, New York. Zeiher, H. (2002) ‘Shaping Daily Life in Urban Environments’, in Christensen, P. and O’Brien, M. (eds), Children in the City: Home, Neighbourhood and Community, London: Falmer Press.          How to cite Legal System and the Social Construction of Childhood, Essay examples

Dream Deffered free essay sample

I think what Langston meant by this is that life may be broken, but you still have to keep on going. If you cant fly, walk, if you cant walk, crawl, but what ever you do keep on going and dont stop. Also it says â€Å"Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go†. This means again dont take advantage of your dreams. The last two lines say â€Å"Life is a barren field frozen with snow†. This means its empty of all life but frozen. The theme of this poem that you should never give up on your goals or dreams in your life. But you must be strong while your living because if not, you will end of suffering. Life is tough but you must keep going. If your dream gets ruined, try to do chase another dream. Dont just give up. Life WILL give you ups and downs but if your strong enough to fight through it, everything will be worth it in the end. We will write a custom essay sample on Dream Deffered or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some people take dreams serious but some dont. Dreams are a real thing that can happen too people and they make their life much better than what most peoples are. Dreams help you through life, no matter what is going on. I think Langston put over 100 meanings in just 8 lines in a tiny poem. The poem is touching and will mean something to someone as soon as they read it. My favorite line or lines is the one where it says â€Å"life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly† because it kind of relates to a human being. Because if youre broken you cant fly. But you can still keep on moving towards what you want in life. Just because something came up and is holding you back from your dream, doesnt mean you cant break free and proceed too that dream. Never stop for what you want in life. Life may be broken, but you shouldnt let that stop you from chasing your dream or accomplishing a goal. Push yourself to be successful at life so you wont have to struggle . Some people wish for things to happen instead of having dreams. With wishing, you wish for something to come true that probably wont. With dreaming and believing, it will come true if you do whatever it takes to make it. Everyone has dreams and goals, some people don t have the strength or really want it to become real. But other people have faith and will stride for that goal or dream to become reality. Also some people let other people change your mind about your goal or dream. But no, you shouldnt! Its your dream or your goal so why let someone else change that? But thats my view on that. I feel like Langston went through hard times, but he didnt give up. Now hes a legend with his poems. A lot of people succeed because they believe they can do whatever they like or want to do. So they go for it and end up reaching that spot they want to be at in life. So just remember to stride for your dreams and never stop till you get to that dream or goal.

Othello Essays (606 words) - Othello, English-language Films

Othello Othello is a Moorish nobleman and soldier of fortune, inclined into the vale of years. Now in the service of the Venetian State as a general against the Turks. Othello is said to be " great of heart," "honorable and valiant," "of a free open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so," and " thus easy victim to the "green eyed monster"...JEALOUSY." At the beginning of the play, Othello appears as a noble, generous, composed man. He is also glamorously happy, both as a general and as a husband to Desdemona. But as we follow the play along we see there is a crack in his personality. Albert Gerard puts it, "[Othello] is the happiness of a spoilt child, not of a mature mind; it is the brittle wholeness of innocence; it is pre-conscious, pre-rational, pre-moral." In this quote Albert Gerard tries to get across that Othello has not had any major obstacles to overcome in his lifetime." Although he was in the army of the Venetian State Othello was still misled by many. One mentioned in the play was Iago, the man whose wife was the mistress of Othello's wife, the fair Desdemona. The real question I think in the play is why Othello would trust Iago over Desdemona? Some critics say it because Iago is a man and back when this play take place it is likely that a man would trust a man before he would trust a woman. But others say it is because Iago just kept nagging at Othello about the matter and he had never cared for a woman so much as he cared for her, and that's what drove Othello over the deep end. What if Iago had mentioned only once that Desdemona had cheated, do you think that Othello might have went and asked his wife or do you think that he would have done the same thing? That's a hard question to anwser because Othello had never had any obstacles like I mentioned before, until know. This obstacle faced by Othello took him by surprise and he didn't have any clue what to do. So as many people would do in a crisis like that, he asked a friend. The friend just happened to be the man that told him, "honest" Iago. Iago, the psychopath that he is, hints to him that he should kill his wife, which is the wrong thing to do, of course. Othello seeking advice takes Iago. By this time Othello has had a lot of time to contemplate and he kills her. The he kills himself and tries to kill Iago, but fails. Are there similar traits between Othello and Iago? Sure there are. Some of which are they both like to be in constant conflict and the are both noble men in the royal court. The two of them had many different traits as well. For one Othello was and honest and caring man. But Iago on the other had been a lying and deceitful man, who only wanted what was best for himself and no one else. By the end of the play Othello had become the complete opposite that he was at the beginning of the play. He was just like Iago. He had murdered his wife and killed himself. Othello as a whole is a well rounded person but as you talk to him and get him riled up you realize that he was many different sides to his personality. The one seen most in this play was his anger/jealousy attitude. This was brought out by Iago, his "friend." Evern though he was so may sides Othello is still a naturally kind person therefore he was brought up by good parents and family. So in conclusion Othello should have just asked Desdemona and all would have ended good.

Medieval Knight essays

Medieval Knight essays New born boys of knights ate their first meals from the tip of their fathers sword in hope that the boy would grow up to be a brave knight because of him eating food slain by his fathers own sword. Being a page had a very tedious part to it. They were used as errand boys, but the boys had to learn to serve if he was to ever become a good knight (Headon 38). Pages were blessed and given a sword and baldric by a priest at the age of fourteen when the page was promoted to a squire. The squires parents were present at a ceremony for their son in which they carried lighted tapers. A squire rode along his master, the knight, into war but by strict rule was not allowed to fight. However, the squire was urged to aid his knight in the heat of battle if he felt his knight was in mortal danger. A Squires whole life was to serve his knight. Squires who wanted to become knights had to stay in shape, so they trained constantly and hard every day to improve their muscle strength and skill with wea pons (Headon 41). Squires who had mastered all the skills were knighted at the age of 21 (Gravett 10). Tournament fields were up to 300 by 100 yards. Tournaments were often between 2 villages were a team of knights from each village charged at the apposing team of knights with lances. When a lance of 1 knight had broke it was a rule that all knights had to dismount from their horses and continue the battle on foot with swords and shields (Gravett). A Popular form of combat during the tournaments was the joust. Some were called Jousts of War as the knights used sharpened lances just as they did on the battlefield. The plane idea was to knock the other person off his horse, but not trying to kill him (Gravett). ...

Public Policy in the American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Policy in the American Government - Essay Example From this study it is clear that after consideration of the various policy solutions, the federal government makes the decision on the best possible policy and may pass a law for the adoption of this new policy. A policy may be adopted following an executive order or after an important ruling by the Supreme Court. The next stage is the implementation process that is determined by the federal administrative agencies tasked with this process. An implementation may also involve punishment for failing to adhere to the set policy. The last stage in policy formulation is the evaluation stage where different agencies involved in policy making determine whether implementation has been successfully carried out. This stage may also involve much debate on whether the implementation has been successful or not and it may form the basis of another policy formulation.This discussion declares that  a particular interest group that will later on lobby the government to address the problem through p olicy formation may identify a problem. Once the problem is brought into the political domain, it becomes a political issue.  During the definition of a problem, conflict arises as different groups define the problem in ways that the policy is likely to suit their interests. Also, identification of the problem will be in such a way that the particular interest group will have control over the decision makers in agenda setting.  

Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Architecture - Essay Example The Tama Art University Library was designed by Toyo Ito. According to Bognar (1985), Ito deals with forms which are pure and abstract. He strives to make building unique by playing with their surfaces, which, in his mind, according to Bognar (1985), â€Å"carry the meaning and the quality of space† (p. 323). The Glasgow School of Art Library was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who, having designed around the turn of the 20th Century, was considered one of the pioneers of modernism (Nuttgens, 1988). Each of these buildings have distinctive features, themes and ways of playing with light, and, in the case of Arets, sound. Each of these buildings resemble one another in critical ways, yet are different as well. This paper will explain the three buildings, their unifying principles and the way that they differ. University Library in Utrecht The qualities embraced by Arets are on display with the University Library in Utrecht. From the outside, at a glance, it appears to be box-like and black, and looks to have a strong aesthetic. The building is made almost entirely of glass, so it reflects the light and the environment. The facade, according to Beek (2005), consists of alternating opaque and transparent panels, glass and concrete. On the glass is printed jungle trees, while the jungle trees are etched, in relief, on the concrete portions of the facade. However, although the building is dark, it plays with light in different ways. McCarter (2012) explains that the building plays with light by alternating the panels of concrete and glass, and some of the glass panels are double paned and slightly off-kilter. This gives the building a three-dimensional effect, and also allows the sunlight to be filtered through and regulated. Between the panels shifting, the alternation between the concrete and the glass, and jungle patterns on the glass and concrete, the building plays with light in a way that is dynamic. Once inside, Beek (2005) describes the interio r as a contrast, as the floor is reflecting and white, and this contrasts with the dark concrete panels. Once the individual comes in through the main entrance, McCarter (2012), states that there is a gallery there, and this leads to a large staircase. The main idea is that the white reflecting floor, and the contrasting dark concrete, is repeated throughout the interior. When one reaches the first level, there is an atrium that is at full height. On the inside, one understands that there are spatial volumes which correspond with the solid outside walls. Meanwhile, the glass panels vertically close the facade line. Beek (2005) states that the interior of the library consists of lecture rooms, bookshelves and archives, all on different levels, and that each of the different levels have a different style. Some of the levels feature open terraces. Some feature rooms which are enclosed with balconies. One meeting room is cantilevered, and facing the atrium completely. There is some colo r inside, notably red, which is the color of some of the fixed furnitures. The textures and relief on the outside glass and concrete turn out to be functional, with regards to the acoustics and the light inside the building, according to Beek (2005). This is because the relief texture on the concrete absorbs the outside sounds. The glass imprintations regulates the sunlight. Therefore, the inside building is silent and open, because of this light and sound regulation. Therefore,

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) marketing of prescription drugs Essay

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) marketing of prescription drugs - Essay Example The Food and Drug Administration is the organization in charge of regulating the DTC marketing. These advertisements are placed through the television, print media, radio and other mass and social media. Regulatory and ethical concerns regarding these advertisements, mostly with concerns on the degree to which these advertisements may excessively influence the prescriptions based on the consumer demands, when in some case, they may not be obligatory has become a contentious issue. My major intend of writing this article is to talk about the significance the DTC marketing among consumers and physicians. Presently, it is only the United States and New Zealand in the whole world that consent to DTC marketing. Print advertisements were only meant for over the counter medications during the 18th century. These adverts led to people believing in the fact that those products could cure alcohol related diseases, obesity and dyspepsia. In the 19th century, there was little oversight on the efficiency and safety of these drugs by the government. By the time, the 20th century was being ushered in, a lot of new products flooded the American pharmaceutical market, while most of them one could doubt their effectiveness. This led to passing of a Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act in 1938 by the congress that ensured safety of the drugs on the market. Later in 1962, the FDA was granted an additional responsibility of regulating advertising of prescription drugs. Growing concerns about these advertisements led to introduction of S. 1082, the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act so as to requ ire a mandatory moratorium on advertising new prescription drugs, a pre-clearance of the DTC advertisements. It also required that certain language be included in these advertisements. These restrictions were removed from the bill due to pressure from the American Advertising Federation (AAF). The AAF contends that these moratoriums would violate the first amendment protection

Bourdieus Theory of Capital, Habitus and Field

Bourdieus Theory of Capital, Habitus and Field How Useful are Bourdieu’s Concept of Field, Habitus, and Capital for Understanding Contemporary Social Theory? Introduction Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his theory of cultural capital, with Jean-Claude Passeron, as part of an attempt to explain differences in educational achievement according to social origin (Robbins, 2005: 22-24): to show ‘that social exclusion is a continuous process’ (Ibid. p 23). In his theory, the cultural and social forms of capital are based on, without being determined by, the amount of economic capital possessed and thus hide or mask the way in which social hierarchies are reproduced. The three forms of capital combine, and are embodied, to produce an individuals habitus, or set of predispositions, whilst the field refers to the arena in which a specific habitus is realised or deployed. For Bourdieu, then, the concepts of capital, field and habitus were ultimately embedded in relations of power (Burkett, 2004: 236) and were part of a complex theory that sought to explain the way that social inequality is reproduced. Many have debated the usefulness of Bourd ieu’s theory to contemporary research (see, for example, Fine in Burkett, 2004; Tooley and Darby in Nash, 1999), while others have debated the degree to which he drew on the founding fathers of sociology, with some concluding that his theory of practice is ‘strongly Weberian’ (Keyes, 2002: 233), or that his concepts draw on the work of Durkheim (Camic, 2000). Here I attempt to asses the degree to which he drew on Marx, Weber and Durkheim when constructing the key concepts of capital, field and habitus, and the usefulness or otherwise of them to contemporary research. In the first section, I outline Bourdieu’s concept of Capital, demonstrating its role within his overall theory before showing the key ways in which his usage differs from that of Marx. Next I examine the debate surrounding the use of the concept within contemporary political science, notably in the work of Robert Putnam (1995). In the second section, I examine Bourdieu’s concept of Habitus, demonstrating its role within his overall theory of cultural capital, before showing the key ways in which his usage differs from that of Durkheim and Weber. Next, I examine the usefulness of the term by examining the debate surrounding its use in educational research in the work of Diane Reay (1995). In the final section, I outline Bourdieu’s concept of the field, discussing its role within his overall theory before finally examining its usefulness to those undertaking feminist examinations of the way that power is experienced as differentiated, especially within the reprodu ction of patriarchy (McNay, 1999). In the conclusion, I attempt to assess the overall usefulness of Bourdieu’s key concepts to the social sciences, arguing that he raided the concepts of the founding father but without having any ideological commitment to them; that his usage reflected his focus on them as tools of practical research. That, however, it is this practical focus that may have contributed to the difficulty experienced by those who now seek clarification as to their meaning. The Forms of Capital In this section I outline Bourdieu’s concept of Capital, demonstrating its role within his overall theory before showing the key ways in which his usage differs from that of Marx. Finally, I examine the debate surrounding contemporary use of the concept within political science, notably in the work of Robert Putnam (1995). For Bourdieu capital can be divided into different forms: social capital, cultural capital and economic capital. By social capital he refers to the network of ‘useful relationships that can secure material or symbolic profits’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 249): the amount of social capital that an individual can draw upon is thus the sum of the number of people in their network and the amount of capital so possessed. Bourdieu further divides cultural capital into three forms: ‘embodied’, ‘objectified’ and ‘institutionalised’: embodied capital is imbued during socialisation, and is ultimately tied to the social location of the individual (Nash, 1999: 185). Embodied capital represents ‘external wealth converted into an integral part of the person’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 244-5). Objectified capital refers to goods or artefacts – including paintings and sculptures which ‘are defined only in the relationship with cultural capital in its embodied form’ (Bourdieu, 1986:246): in other words, the goods themselves and the ability to consume them. Institutionalised capital refers to those academic qualifications which enable an individual to directly convert between cultural and economic capital: ‘a certificate of cultural competence which confers on its holder a conventional, constant, legally guaranteed value with respect to culture’ (Bourdieu, 1986:248). Thus, the different forms of capital are based upon, but not determined by, economic capital. We can see that Bourdieu’s use of ‘capital’ is very different from that employed by Marx. Whereas K arl Marx (1818-1883) had paid little attention to the cultural sphere, believing it to be little more than ‘false consciousness’, Bourdieu sought to use the language of Marx and economic theory (Robbins, 2005: 20) to develop a ‘marxisant’ (Moi, 2000: 322) theory of culture. Like Marx, for Bourdieu capital has the capacity to reproduce ‘in identical or expanded form’ (Bourdieu, 1986:241), becoming part of the structure of society that enables and constrains individual’s lives (Bourdieu, 1986: 242). However, Bourdieu’s use of the term may therefore be viewed as being closer to power (Bourdieu, 1986: 243) than as it was used by Marx. In Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000)[1] Robert Putnam utilised the concept of social capital, transferring it from sociology into the realm of political science. Putnam argued that increasing individualism had led to the decline of community ties, political participation and therefore ‘good governance’ (Russell, 2005: 557). Putnam defined social capital as ‘features of social organisation such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit (Putnam, 1995: 67). However, Putnams’ definition is very different from Bourdieu’s; whereas for Bourdieu social capital was held by the individual (Walters, 2002: 387), for Putnam it is a collective capacity (Ibid. p. 379). Further, within Bourdieu’s conception it would be difficult to see how there could be a reduction in social capital. William Walters (2002) argues that Putnam’s use of the concept differs from Bourdieu’s in that whereas Bourdieu argued that social capital is transferable with economic capital but not reducible to it (Bourdieu, 1986: 243) Putnam’s use is more liberal; he assumes ‘a self-maximising individual for whom associative activity can, under certain circumstances, be an investment’ (Walters, 2002: 379). Ben Fine argues, convincingly, that academia has been gripped by a ‘social capital fetish’ (in Burkett, 2004: 234): that the concept has been so stretched as to render it meaningless (Burkett, 2004: 238). However, the weakening of Bourdieu’s concept of capital has occurred since his death, and so reflects on contemporary theorists and not on the usefulness or otherwise of the concept itself. Habit: Habitus The forms of capital as outlined above combine to produce a persons habitus, or set of predispositions: in this section I first provide a brief summary of the use of habit/ habitus in sociological thought, before next outlining Bourdieu’s use of the term. I examine the concepts role within his schema and demonstrate how his conception draws, but differs from, the work of Durkheim and Weber. Finally, I examine the debate surrounding the use of the concept in educational research, notably by Diane Reay (1995, in Nash, 1999). Charles Camic (200) describes how the term habit was extensively used by the Ancient Greeks, and medieval scholars and theologians. During the 18th century it continued to be used by Enlightenment thinkers as diverse as Helvà ©tius, Acquinus, Rousseau and Kant (Camic, 2000: 329; Nash, 1999: 180-182) to describe a range of behaviour from those ‘virtually automatic’ actions to ‘more involved patterns of conduct’ (Camic, 2000: 327). W ithin the work of Durkheim the term assumed a central importance, concerned as he was with the development of the collective conscience, or secular moral code (Camic, 2000: 334). For Durkheim human action could be divided into two poles, with ‘reflection on the one side, and that of habit on the other side, with the latter pole being the stronger’ (Durkheim in Camic, 2000: 333). For Durkheim primary education was therefore benign, for here the child can be imbued with ‘the habitual basis of social morality’ (Camic, 2000: 33). Yet despite this assertion of the central role of habit in the social world, Durkheim assigned the study of it to psychology, and not sociology (Camic, 2000: 337). However, for Bourdieu social inequality, or differential access to the forms of capital, becomes part of the very bodies and predispositions of the individual via the habitus (McNay, 1999: 99). Marx argued that ‘men make their own history, but [†¦] they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given, and transmitted from the past’ (Marx, 1852, quoted in Coates, 1990: 265): for Bourdieu, the individual is constrained by the amount and quality of cultural, economic and social capital that they possess: it is ‘discrimination embodied as dispositions’ (Nash, 1999: 177), it is thus a sociological concern. Further, whereas Durkheim’s conscience collective sought to explain the way in which meaning is given to emotional experiences (Shilling, 1997: 204) and so focuses on the collective, for Bourdieu the habitus is a possession of the individual (Nash, 1999: 182). For Weber, ‘custom’ designated that range of behaviour that is the ‘unreflective, set disposition to engage in actions that have been long practiced’ (Camic, 2000: 337): being both conformity with and the generator of social norms (Camic, 2000: 338). This is similar to Bourdieu’s ‘sociology of practice’: following Weber, Bourdieu believes that the purpose of the social sciences is to explain action, yet where Weber was more interested in the ‘larger social and cultural conditions under which general societal patterns of habitual action wax and wane’ (Camic, 2000: 341), Bourdieu remains tied to the individual, actual, practical affects of power and history (Bourdieu in Nash, 1999: 179). For Weber, habit falls at the border of meaningful action, and therefore outside of sociology (Camic, 2000: 345), for Bourdieu it is precisely the doxic nature of habit that renders it socially important. Diane Reay (1995) used habitus as a method when conducting fieldwork in the classroom (in Nash, 1999). For Weber, an ideal type is ‘a construct developed to make sense out of a chaos of facts’ (Keyes, 2002: 240). Likewise, for Bourdieu habitus helps us to make sense of ‘that part of practices which remains obscure in the eyes of their own producers’ (Bourdieu in Keyes, 2002: 240): it is a conceptual tool, something to ‘think with’ (Nash, 1999: 185). Roy Nash (1999) charts the difficulties that arise, when such a conceptual tool is utilised in practical research, but concludes that it is ‘worthwhile, just because to do so forces one to think’ (Nash, 1999: 185): the habitus ‘offers explanations’ (Nash, 1999: 185), by examining whether the habitus can explain social differences in education we have gained a deeper understanding of these inequalities. The concept of habit had previously been a ‘staple’ of weste rn social thought, from medieval times to the thought of Weber and Durkheim, but fell outside of sociology and into psychology due to the scramble to assert disciplinary boundaries (Camic, 2000: 355); Bourdieu sought to revive the concept as part of his search for concepts which would aid our understanding of the limits to individual action: it is ‘a conceptual tool for comprehending that the capacity to project forwards which people really posses is understandable as a function of their prior social condition rather than in terms of abstract mathematical models’ (Robbins, 2005: 26). In other words, habitus allows Bourdieu to mediate between agency and structure without relying on the atomised, rational individual of liberalism, instead situating the actor within extant power relations. The Field In the final section I outline Bourdieu’s concept of the field, discussing its role within his overall theory before finally examining its usefulness to those undertaking feminist examinations of the reproduction of patriarchy (McNay, 1999). The ‘field’ refers to the arena, or social context, in which a specific habitus may be realised; knowledge regarding the use of particular machinery may be of little use in the world of show jumping, but of uppermost importance to those involved in car manufacture. Likewise, maintaining a network of engineers would be of little use to those outside this specific field: society in total constitutes a field, and is ‘structured according to relations of domination’ (Peillon, 1998: 215), but also society is comprised by a range of distinct fields: Fields will vary according to how much autonomy they acquire from the entirety of the social field. An autonomous field is characterised by a high level of specificity: it possesses its own history; a particular configuration of agents operate within it and struggle for a distinctive stake; it induces its own habitus and upholds a distinctive set of beliefs. Such an autonomous field is highly differentiated and marked by sharp boundaries, beyond which the field ceases to have any impact on practice (Peillon, 1998: 215). Bourdieu recognised that academia is such a field and therefore is embedded in and reflects social relations. For Bourdieu, then, the field refers to the different arenas or social spaces in which capital is deployed or the habitus acts: ‘the embodied potentialities of the habitus are only ever realized in the context of a specific field’ (McNay, 1999: 109), further, each field is distinct and therefore operates according to its own logic (McNay, 1999: 114): knowledge of sociological theory would be of little use to our aforementioned show jumper. As it is deployed, therefore, habitus is both determined and generative as it is able to constitute the field from which it emerges (McNay, 1999:100); it is the ‘feel for the game’ that also reproduces the game (Bourdieu, 1990: 52) as each individual is positioned within the field by their possession of specific types of capital and their strategies so contribute to its reproduction. When comparing Bourdieu’s conceptualisation of the field with that of Foucault’s work on the body, Lois McNay (1999) finds that Bourdieu’s is the more developed as he is better able to theorize the differentiated nature of the constraints which act to limit the individuals ability to create their own identity (McNay, 1999: 95). For McNay, Bourdieu’s concept of the field is useful within feminist theory when considering the differences within women’s experiences of gender, as well as those differences between men and women (McNay, 1999: 114): ‘as a relational concept the field yields an understanding of society as a differentiated and open structure and provides a framework in which to conceptualise the uneven and non-systematic ways in which subordination and autonomy are realized’ (McNay, 1999: 115, my emphasis). For example, in relation to the production of knowledge this might explain the early marginalization of much feminist resear ch and the way it was the thought of a particular group of women – white, heterosexual, middle class women – that came to dominate second wave feminism, as opposed to the feminisms of other groups: in short, Bourdieu’s concept of the field enables us to consider the way that power is not a monolithic concept but is experienced differentially. Conclusion In conclusion, when assessing the overall usefulness of Bourdieu’s key concepts to contemporary research and theory it is important not to forget the intention of Bourdieu himself: Bourdieu intended capital, habitus and the field to be tools used to aid such empirical research (Peillon, 1998: 241) and not as constituent parts of a ‘grand theory’: he had no interest in ‘speculative philosophy’ (Robbins, 2005: 15). Bourdieus’ theory has been criticized as being essentialist and deterministic, however others have embraced its potential to explain the way in which such social inequality is reproduced (such as Reay, 1995 in Nash, 1999). Derek Robbins argues that Bourdieu had ‘no sympathy for the mystery of Durkheim’s conscience collective’ but was enough a product of the ‘Durkheimian legacy’ to wish to encourage a future society based on the positive unity of equality (Robbins, 2005: 19). For Robbins then, Bourdieu: regarded the discourses of the sciences as contrived language games which are alienated from natural culture. This did not cause him to be reductive or sceptical but it did cause him to deploy these discourses, varying them imaginatively, so as to isolate essences which are contingently changeable socially, geographically and historically (Robbins, 2005: 20). In other words, the language of the sciences were the tools that Bourdieu used in his practical attempt to construct a fairer world. However, it is this practical focus of his concepts that may have contributed to the difficulty experienced by those who now seek clarification as to their meaning, as he had varied their meaning to aid understanding of the particular instance under scrutiny. Having drawn on the work of the founding fathers of sociology – Marx, Durkheim, Weber – he felt no ideological commitment to these concepts, but instead felt free to move between discourses to better understand (Robbins, 2005: 20). Thus the concept of habit and/ or habitus that had been a ‘staple’ concept in western social thought, (Camic, 2000: 355) which Bourdieu sought to revive as part of his search for concepts which would aid our understanding of the limits to individual action. Keyes argues that Bourdieu’s use of habitus is as a Weberian ‘ideal typeâ⠂¬â„¢ (2002: 239), I argue that his use of capital and the field are as similar ‘ideal types’. His concept of capital may have been weakened, as Ben Fine argues, by academia’s subsequent stretching (Burkett, 2004: 238), however this weakening occurred after his death, and so should not reflect negatively on the usefulness of the concept. Indeed, it is this flexibility that renders it an appropriate tool. Finally, his notion of the field is useful when considering the differentiated affects of power: Bourdieu remains good to ‘think with’ (Nash, 1999: 185). Bibliography Bourdieu, Pierre (1990) The Logic of Practice, Cambridge: Polity Press. Bourdieu, Pierre (1986) ‘The forms of Capital’, Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, Richardson, J (Ed.), London: Greenwood Press, pp241-258. Burkett, Paul (2001) ‘Book Review: Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium’ by Ben Fine, London: Routledge, Historical Materialism, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 233-246. Camic, Charles (2000) ‘The Matter of Habit’, Pierre Bourdieu: Volume One, Robbins, Derek (Ed.), London: Sage, pp. 323-366. Coates, D (1990) ‘Traditions of Social Thought’, Social and Cultural Forms of Modernity, Anderson, J Ricci, M (Eds.), Milton Keynes: Open University Press. Keyes, Charles F. (2002) ‘Weber and Anthropology’, Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 31, pp. 233-255. McNay, Lois (1999) ‘Gender, Habitus and the Field: Pierre Bourdieu and the Limits of Reflexivity’, Theory, Culture and Society, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 95-117. Moi, Toril (2000[1991]) ‘Appropriating Bourdieu: Feminist Theory and Pierre Bourdieu’s Sociology of Culture’, Pierre Bourdieu: Volume IV, Robbins, Derek (Ed.), London: Sage, pp. 314-341. Nash, Roy (1999) ‘Bourdieu, Habitus, and Educational Research: Is it all Worth the Candle?’, British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 175-187. Peillon, Michel (1998) ‘Bourdieu’s Field and the Sociology of Welfare’, Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 213-229. Putnam, Robert (1995) ‘Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital, An Interview with Robert Putnam’ in Journal of Democracy, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 65-78. Robbins, Derek (2005) ‘The Origins, Early Development and Status of Bourdieus Concept of ‘Cultural Capital’’, The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 13-30. Russell, Andrew (2005) ‘Political Parties as Vehicles of Political Engagement’, Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 555-569. Shilling, Chris (1997) ‘Emotions, Embodiment and the Sensation of Society’, The Sociological Review, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 195-219. Walters, William (2002) ‘Social Capital and Political Sociology: Re-imagining Politics?’ Sociology, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 377-397. Footnotes [1] New York, N.Y.: Simon Schuster.

Colonization In America :: US History Colony American

Before Europeans had ever set foot on North America the continent was a vast land made up of various Native American nations that had their own distinct cultures, history and social hierarchies. The Natives here possessed all of the aspects that human beings all over the world incorporated into their societies. They had social structures, trade routes and relationships between various Native groups and were by no means a cluster of heathens waiting to be discovered by white Europeans who would come to claim the land they have lived on for thousands of years. Upon their arrival on the continent that was often tagged as The New World the three prevalent European countries that established colonies in North America England, France and Spain each took fundamentally different approaches to establishing their colonies and forming relationships with the native inhabitants. There were many various reasons for why each European country chose to participate in the colonization and their affair s with Indians in the ways they had. The country itself and the goals it had set for establishing settlements in the New World along with the location of the settlement and the Indians that they would be confronting as a result of their settlement are all interesting aspects that play vital roles in why each colonial society differed from one another in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Spanish in the New World landed their ships and set up Catholic monasteries in Florida as well as the area now known as New Mexico. The Spanish who have had a long history of coexisting in Spain with the Mores brought some of their conventional diplomacy with them when they attempted to establish permanent settlements in the New World. Although a large portion of Spain's reasoning behind occupying land in the New World was the conversion of Native Americans as well as gaining gold, wealth and power just like the Conquistadors had done in the past from conquering the Aztecs. Spain brought a sort of diplomacy with them when they tried to coexist their culture and peoples with that of the native inhabitants of Florida. This approach was probably just as much done out of necessity than modern European kindness, because the Spanish settlers who founded the string of settlement towns in Florida were vastly outnumbered by their Indian counterparts.

Boundaryless organization

Jack Welch of General Electric (GE) coined the phrase â€Å"The Boundaryless Organization†. He believed and has been proven correct, that GE would be much more effective if the cultural, geographical and organizational barriers that separated the employees become more permeable. He put emphasis on the boundaries’ ability to enable business, rather than get in its way. In the next era of the information age, we will expect to have information from multiple parts of the enterprise at our fingertips, all integrated to suit our specific needs, instantly available, across geographies, time zones and organizational structures.In order to achieve that and to enable the information age to realize its full potential, we need to allow â€Å"Boundaryless Information Flow† – a continuous secure stream of information seamlessly flowing within and among enterprises, across permeable boundaries. To achieve Boundrayless Information Flow, a top manager in an organization n eeds to put in place infrastructure services that bring data sources together and provide that information to those users and applications that need it. Creating the environment for integrated information has been a challenge.What more once regarded as necessary boundaries between the different stages in operational processes designed to achieve the benefits of specialization, now represent silos delivering outmoded solutions, which do not allow for the sharing of information. Barriers at the business and technical level must be broken down. If we take the case and strategic history of JetBlue and put it in the concept of Jack Welch, in my opinion the easiest boundary to remove was the â€Å"cultural boundry† in the whole organization that diverted their direction from bottom to top.For e. g. , simply by implementing the snacks serving instead of food in the flight have ease the passengers of every region, since food is always region specific but snacks are commonly taken in every part of the world. Further this step removed trolley movement within the flight i. e. also a strong step towards passenger comfort. Secondly, the most difficult boundary to remove for JetBlue would be the geographical boundaries.Since, assessing in the synopsis the overall performance of JetBlue, it witnesses their success because of their operation in specific region. However, in my opinion it would be real difficult to further enhance their operations in other regions since the attitude and working environment JetBlue have developed, cannot be managed in every part of the world. (for more details, see the www. opengroup. org/downloads official site)

Customer Service Legislation Essays

Customer Service Legislation Essays Customer Service Legislation Essay Customer Service Legislation Essay The goods supplied to customers and the customer service provided is influenced by certain factors in UK. The way that the products are sold: Effects on customer service of regulating the nature and standards of products: * Sale of Goods Act, 1979 the product must be sold according to the description and satisfactory quality also fit for purpose. For example at Thorpe Park they cannot advertise the tickets for a certain price and sell it at different price at the gates. * Supply of Goods and Services Act, 1982 services must be at merchantable value and at practical rates. For example if customers book for two tickets and they only have 1 ticket given. * Food Safety Act, 1990 the food must be quality and up to standards. For example at Thorpe park restaurants they cannot sell food which is decayed or has passed its sell by date. Not all of these are linked with Thorpe Park but the Food Safety Act is an important because there are restaurants in the park which supply food to customers at Thorpe Park. Price The price displays are also very important and there is a law for this too. The Prices act 1974 and 1975 is controlling the price displays. They require prices to be indicated on goods or services offered by businesses. It is illegal for Thorpe Park to mislead the customers by displaying wrong pries for entering the park and using the rides. Age restrictions Varies legislations restricts sales on products to children. These products are such as tobacco, alcohol and lottery tickets. This also does not apply to Thorpe Park. The ways that the products are advertised and promoted are also a part of legislation. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is an authority which controls advertising in UK. Advertisements must be legal, decent, honest and truthful, prepared with responsibility of customers and society and in the line with fair competition. The ASA has the power to force a business to remove their advertisement. Thorpe Park must comply with this advertising and promotion law. They need to be honest about their park and rides to show that they care for their customers and they are reliable. There are many laws which control what information a business should provide for their customers on their products. Thorpe Park must comply with these laws. They must provide information about their rides for their customers. For example they must make sure that height restrictions are clearly written where customers can see. Not complying with legislation and implications If a business does not comply with legislation they may need to face some negative effects. The criminal law There is some legislation which is covered by criminal law and if the business breaks the laws they will be a criminal offence and the business is then forced to be: * Prosecuted * Fined * People responsible may be imprisoned Some of the main criminal laws in UK are: * Trade Descriptions Act 1968 an Act of which prevents manufacturers, retailers or service industry providers from misleading consumers as to what they are spending their money on. * Consumer Protection Act 1987 this act affect the producer of the product not the supplier and it allows the person injured to contact authorities about the damage that has been made to them. * Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 under this act the customers are expected to be entoleted to the goods which should be satisfactory quality, fit for any particular purpose made known to the seller; and the good is as it was described. These acts also affect Thorpe Park. For example the trade descripcitions act prevents Thorpe Park to promote the attraction by misleading customers by saying that there are rides which cannot be found at the Park. The Consumer Protection Act also affects Thorpe Park because if a customer is injured on rides they have the right to complain about this. The Sale and Supply of Goods Act affects the Park by making sure that they check all rides everyday so they are sure that it does work properly and it is also a health and safety procedure also to make sure they work as a part of the quality and they will have to make sure the rides are as they have been described to the customers. Other negative effects it may have on business are that the products may be seized at the court, the business activity may be restricted, and the image of the business may be damaged. Thorpe Park must comply with legislation because it is a very big business and very popular in UK. They need to make sure that their image is not affected by anything. They need to make sure that their business is running smoothly without any implications. Safe Working Businesses have to operate in a safe environment; they must have policies to ensure the safety and security aspects. For Thorpe Park safety at work is a big issue. The business is responsible for safety of customers, visitors, personnel and security procedures. Safety of Customers Businesses must make sure that their customers are safe and secure. A business must be sure that the products they sell are safe and legislation is there to prevent businesses selling harmful products. Business which provides harmful products may pay fines or other penalties. Machinery is particularly important for safety purposes. The business must be definite that the machinery is fitted and operates and there are no electrical faults. Thorpe Park has various rides and they are responsible for safety of customers by making sure that the rides are functioning properly. They do this by testing the rides on daily basis. Thorpe Park is also responsible of making sure that the staffs are trained so in an emergency they are there to provide help and make sure the customers are secured when on the rides. Safety of Customers and Visitors A business is liable for safety of its customers and visitors. If there is a visitor at the premises they need to be sure that the visitor is safe. Staff also needs to be trained for emergency purposes. Thorpe Park is liable to make sure that their staff is trained. They train their staff for facts such as first aid, evacuation procedures, using the rides and other safety points. Safety of Personnel It is imperative that the staff at a business is safe. If a staff is injured at work they have the right to: * Take time off * Covered by other workers during their absence * Become less motivated * Return and become less productive * Lave altogether * Sue the business and claim compensation The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the legislation which protects the employees. For a business like Thorpe Park they have a major liability for the safety of their personnel. They must make sure that the working environment is safe and employees are not injured.

René Descartes Proofs of Gods Existence

Renà © Descartes Proofs of Gods Existence Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) Proofs of Gods Existence is a series of arguments that he posits in his 1641 treatise (formal philosophical observation) Meditations on First Philosophy, first appearing in Meditation III. of God: that He exists. and discussed in more depth in Meditation V: Of the essence of material things, and, again, of God, that He exists. Descartes  is known for these original arguments that hope to prove Gods existence, but later philosophers have often critiqued his proofs as being too narrow and relying on a very suspect premise (Hobbes) that an image of God exists within mankind. In any case, understanding them is essential to understanding Descartes later work Principles of Philosophy (1644) and his Theory of Ideas. The structure of Meditations on First Philosophy - whos translated subtitle reads in which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated - is fairly straightforward. It begins with a letter of dedication to The Sacred Faculty of Theology in Paris, where he submitted it originally in 1641, a preface to the reader, and finally a synopsis of the six meditations that would follow. The rest of the treatise is meant to be read as if each Meditation takes place a day after the one prior. Dedication and Preface In the dedication, Descartes  implores the University of Paris (Sacred Faculty of Theology) to protect and keep his treatise and posit the method he hopes to ascribe to assert the claim of Gods existence philosophically rather than theologically. In order to do this, Descartes  posits he must make an argument that avoids critics accusations that the proof relies on circular reasoning. In proving the existence of God from a philosophical level, he would be able to appeal to non-believers as well. The other half of the method relies on his ability to demonstrate that man is sufficient to discover God on his own, which is indicated in the Bible and other such religious scriptures as well. Fundaments of the Argument In preparation of the main claim, Descartes discerns thoughts could be divided into three kinds of operations of thought: will, passions and judgment. The first two cannot be said to be true or false, as they do not pretend to represent the way things are. Only among judgments, then, can we find those sorts of thoughts representing something as existing outside of us. Descartes examines his thoughts again to discover which are components of judgment, narrowing his ideas into three types: innate, adventitious (coming from the outside) and fictional (produced internally). Now, adventitious ideas could have been created by Descartes himself. Although they do not depend on his will, he might have a faculty producing them, like the faculty that produces dreams. That is, of those ideas that are adventitious, it might be that we produce them even if we do not do so willingly, as it happens when we are dreaming. Fictional ideas, too, could have clearly been created by Descartes himself. For Descartes, all ideas had a formal and objective reality and consisted of three  metaphysical principles. The first, nothing comes  from nothing, holds that in order for something to exist, something else must have created it. The second holds very much the same concept around formal versus objective reality, stating that more cannot come from less. However, the third principle states that more objective reality cannot come from less formal reality, limiting the objectivity of the self  from affecting the formal reality of others Finally, he posits that there is a hierarchy of beings that can be divided into four categories: material bodies, humans, angels, and God. The only perfect being, in this hierarchy, is God with angels being of pure spirit yet imperfect, humans being a mix of material bodies and spirit, which are imperfect, and material bodies, which are simply called imperfect. Proof of Gods Existence With those preliminary theses at hand, Descartes dives into examining the philosophical possibility of Gods existence in his Third Meditation. He breaks this evidence down into two umbrella categories, called proofs, whose logic is relatively easy to follow. In the first proof, Descartes argues that, by evidence,  he is an imperfect being who has an objective reality including the notion that perfection exists and therefore has a distinct idea of a perfect being (God, for example). Further, Descartes realizes that he is less formally real than the objective reality of perfection and therefore there has to be a perfect being existing formally from whom his innate idea of a perfect being derives wherein he could have created the ideas of all substances, but not the one of God. The second proof then goes on to question who it is then that keeps him - having an idea of a perfect being - in existence, eliminating the possibility that he himself would be able to do. He proves this by saying that he would owe it to himself, if he were his own existence maker, to have given himself all sorts of perfections. The very fact that he is not perfect means he would not bear his own existence. Similarly, his parents, who are also imperfect beings, could not be the cause of his existence since they could not have created the idea of perfection within him. That leaves only a perfect being, God, that would have had to exist to create and be constantly recreating him.   Essentially, Descartes proofs  rely on the belief that by existing, and being born an imperfect being (but with a soul or spirit), one must, therefore, accept that something of more formal reality than ourselves must have created us. Basically, because we exist and are able to think ideas, something must have created us.

Security Management Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Security Management Plan - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss security management plan that Quick Response Security will adopt in its effort to provide adequate security to its clients. Being the owner of Quick Response Security (QRS), my objective is to have a positive relationship with our customers as well as initiating conductive working environment with my employees. I highly value my employees for without creating a positive relationships with my workers, the company will not achieve its goals (Sullivan & Steven, 2003). This is depicted on the recruitments and training strategies that are focused on improving the performance of new and existing workers. Appropriate matrix for hiring trained personnel The most vital element in the security provision fraternity is the work force that basically entails the human resource. Qualified and trained personnel are major consideration in setting up the work force in the firm. Quick Response Security undergoes quite a comprehensive recruitment drive in order to ensure that right personnel are hired to undertake the laid down duties. Customer satisfaction is one of the key goals of Quick Response Security. ... Experience Education background Honesty and Trustworthiness Psychological qualifications Observance in terms of one’s behavior Physical, mental qualifications Background investigations These guidelines will assist in selecting the best employees in the company. Various departments have been created in order to ensure that each employee undertakes his/her assignment properly. The table below indicates various positions and their qualifications. Department Qualifications Operations Manager A degree in information technology or any field related to security systems 5 years of relevant working experience in a security firm Information security specialist 1. A degree in information technology 3 years experience in a busy security firm Ability to work with minimal supervision Human resource personnel A degree in human resource management At least 4 years of work experience Knowledge in the management of security firms personnel Security guards A diploma in management 3 years working experience in a security firm Ability to work with minimal supervision. These criteria will ensure that the right people are taken for the job. After the recruitment, the employees will be taken through some training sessions to familiarize themselves with the operations at Quick Response Security. Policies laid down to address issues and concern of privacy in intelligence gathering and surveillance. Intelligence gathering and surveillance control systems are vital for the success of any security firm. In order for us to be a step ahead from our competitors in the security provision industry, we have invested a lot in security technology. High-tech surveillance devices have been put in place in order to enhance our services. Some of the devices include: closed-circuit television (CCTV),

Case Study on McDonalds Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On McDonalds - Case Study Example The business model implemented has enabled the firm to consistently offer restaurant experiences that are relevant to the local customers and become part of the local communities. A swot analysis of McDonald’s is as below. McDonald has developed a very strong global grand and is highly ranked by Fortune Magazine in its category. It has also successfully portrayed itself as community oriented and socially responsible company that caters for the different cultures it serves. Strong global market presence is another key strength that is barked with the franchise business model that has made it easy to expand and manage the vast locations without much ease. The company’s location strategy also works for its business i.e. most stores are excellently located in parks, airports and Wal-Mart stores as well as other prime places. Its adherence to guidelines on safety of food and provision of nutritional information to its customers also helps in growing customer intimacy. A major weakness of McDonald’s has to do costs of doing business; it has to expend lots of money on training as a result of high staff turnover. It has also concentrated a lot on the fast foods such as burgers instead of the more healthier and organic food types. Its franchise model of operation also faces concerns to with quality as the different franchise owners may not offer the same level of quality. A concern to investors arises from the large variations in the company’s profits while its limited variation of seasonal foods impacts on customer confidence. McDonald’s therefore needs to address these weak points in order to maintain its brand recognition. Due its global position and the franchise business model the company has unique opportunity to further expand to every part of the globe. It can also grow its image by responding fast social changes and customer demands in terms of health. Its Wifi service

A Low Cost CSR Campaign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Low Cost CSR Campaign - Assignment Example Since Washington, D.C. is one of the well-developed cities of the world, residents usually encounter the mice problem along with the damage caused due to inhabitation of mice within the house. The Mus musculus or the house mouse is considered to be one of the most difficult and costly rodents within the United States especially Washington D.C. House mice flourish under diverse conditions such as in and around commercial structures and homes and commercial structures as well as on agricultural land and in open fields. House mice deplete and contaminate food intended for pets, humans, livestock, or other animals. Moreover, they cause substantial damage to property and structures, and they can convey microorganisms that induce diseases like salmonellosis, a kind of food poisoning. The house mouse is one of the most victorious rodents in accommodating to live with humans. It is detected almost anyplace humans are, feeding upon human food, taking refuge in human structures, and procreating at a noteworthy rate. It can be regarded as the most difficult and economically significant vertebrate pest, polluting food value in millions of dollars, detrimental possessions, and getting electrical fires with its ceaseless gnawing. House mice are a frequent problem in all types of businesses and in homes. Approximately every resident of this large metropolitan can remember times when he/ she were annoyed by mice. They are inflictions to both poor and rich alike. The persistent drain imposed by house mice on stored fiber and food and the impairment they induce to personal belongings are the most severe economic threats. Thus it can be said that the problem is so huge that providing a solution will help the residents of Washington D.C. and it will be a sigh of relief.  

Uncle Vanya Essay Example for Free

Uncle Vanya Essay In Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov each character involved in the making of this play is not satisfied or content with life. They feel their life is a waste and they are still wasting them. Uncle Vanya, the character base of this play envies his brother in law, the professor because he is able to attract the ladies in spite of having no penny in his pocket. Astrov, the doctor, is discontent because all his life he has worked hard without any rest and he has nothing to boast about with him today. He has grown old, he has nothing to give him company but his vodka. Sonya, daughter of the professor, is in love with the doctor and is unsure of his love. She is unhappy because deep down she knows he is not in love with her but she is a more practical soul then the others. Sonya is not exactly content but she has her way of solving problems in her life as well as others lives. Yelena, the professor’s second wife, though attracted to the professor initially was never in love with him. She stays in the marriage more due to her conscience then for love. She has affectionate feelings for Astrov who reciprocates them but there is no future for that. Maria Vasilevna Voinitskaya, uncle vanya’s mother, is frustrated and unhappy waiting for the long journey towards end of life. Reading some pamphlets and writing is the only way she keeps herself occupied. Professor Alexander Vladimirovich Serebryakov, is a man who has no penny with him and is forced to stay in the estate of his first wife. He is not happy doing that and wishes to sell of the estate to buy a villa which creates a havoc. Telegin’s wife left him for someone else because of his looks and now he has to take care of his wife and her family. Marina, the old nurse, though irritated with the changed schedule, is a pleasant change from the frustrated atmosphere. From all this we know that none of the characters are content or satisfied.

Resource Based And Market Based View Of Strategy

Resource Based And Market Based View Of Strategy Resource based view (RBV) of strategy concentrates in recognising and utilising the organizations resources. It is an important, essential and an inside out management concept that is useful in developing a successful strategy. The company evaluates the environment on the basis of available resources at its expense. Market based view (MBV) of strategy designs the company policies and strategy based on the trends and the nature of the industrys environment. It helps in selecting the market combination for the product, in which the company utilises its strategy. The strategy helps in designing the structure and strategy of the company based on the market analysis of the industry. Dells Strategy Dell had moved on from its prior resource based view of strategy to market based view of strategy, due to the hurdles faced after recession and from its market competitors like HP. Dell started outsourcing for its product manufacturing like Taiwans Foxconn Group and sales to stores like PC World, Wal-Mart and many more. The company started to restructure its strategy just as it lost the position as the worldwide market share leader in computer industry to HP. According to research firm IDC, HP had a worldwide PC market share of 19.3% for the quarter ending June 30 compared to Dells 16.1%. In 2005, Dell dominated the playing field with 18.2% market share compared to HPs 15.7%. (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Dells success had been its customer approach, You tell us what you want and we will build it for you. That approach has worked well with corporate [information technology] people and professional users. But that is a cut-throat market since these people have a good knowledge of prices. Dell always had a hard time with the non-expert buyers. (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Dell started to refashion the companys strategy to largely compete with its rival HP. With the change in the companys strategy challenges were faced, with its two pillars of business model supply chain efficiency and built to order product sales to its customer (Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay, 2007). Strategic Options Product Development Pursue Mid-Range Server Growth By 2001, Dell was the market leader in entry level servers, but had no presence in the mid-range server market. Pursuing this growth option could result in increased market share and higher profits due to the higher selling prices and markups of these units, but could be risky if technology suddenly changes. Increased post sale costs are also a concern, as server sales dont just stop upon delivery; they require continued service regarding reliability, serviceability, availability, and manageability. Pursue Associated Services Growth within the US, 2000 service revenues accounted for over 37% of $2 billion in total revenues. This business unit was becoming an increasingly important part of Dells portfolio with longevity, able to stand the test of time and market uncertainty, no matter what turn technology took. Market Stagnation While the market is recovering from recession, Dell should focus on its current market share. Once, the market is up and moving, Dell can start employing its strategies for achieving traction. Though, this option could prove risky and increase the gap between its competitors in the process. RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Since, the market growth has stopped significantly compared to late 20th and early 21st century. The only improvements are required in the form of limited PC software/hardware upgrades until the state of the economy is revived. Thus, Dell needs to start investing in other areas like mass storage, servers and services in new markets. Dells ability to offer its products at minimal rates, would allow it to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals. Also, the customer service provided by Dell would aid the company in keeping hold of its customers. An expansion of the services group should also be pursued based on customer needs, which will vary around the globe. While, Dell continued to partner with third-party services firms, it should also bulk up on its own services capabilities so it can provide customers with more competitive broad services offerings. Dell needs to realize that it would have to expand its services capability significantly in order to be taken seriously in the industry (Breen, Bill, 2004, living in Dell Time. Fast Company). Dell should also consider its entry in new markets with its current products which have been left untapped such as Chin in Asia, Brazil and Argentina in South America. Being the first to enter these markets would allow dell mark it dominance. The company should study the trends and nature of the new markets in minute detail to gain complete advantage and increase its market share segment around the globe. Hence, Dell should need to consider a wide range of options, including the ones mentioned above and, plan and design its strategy in accordance to its resources. References: Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, 2007, Can Dells Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay viewed 10th April 2011 Breen, Bill, (2004), Living in Dell Time, media release, November 2004, Fast Company, viewed 12th April 2011, Bibliography Nanette Byrnes and Peter Burrows, Where Dell Went Wrong, Business Week, February 19, 2007, pp. 62-63 Stefan Stern, Dells Chief Kevin Rollins-My Part in His Downfall, Financial Times, Febru ­ary 6, 2007, p. 10. Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search of Excellence: Lessons from Americas Best-Run Companies (New York, NY: Warner Books, 1982). About Dell Ventures. 2004. Dell Computer Corporation. 30 Apr 2004. http://www.dell.com. Hill, Charles W. L., and Jones, Gareth R. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. USA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Pearson Publication, Exploring Corporate Strategy by Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington Answer 4) Dell is the worlds leading computer systems company. They design, build and customize products and services to satisfy a wide range of customer requirements. From the server, storage and Premier Services needs of the largest global corporations, to those of consumers at home. They do business directly with customers, one at a time, and believe. They do it better than anyone on the planet. We attribute Dells success within the computer industry to its unique, low-cost business model, direct sales approach and collaborative research and development. By focusing on leveraging its core competency in supply-chain management and low-cost manufacturing within mature technology segments, such as PCs, Dell has a proven strategy to disrupt traditional technology business models that rely on proprietary technology or multistage sales and distribution. A key part of Dells success stems from leveraging widely available industry technology within a low-cost manufacturing framework as a way of displacing the competition. All this was made possible because of the Vision of one man, Michael Dell. Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965) is an American business magnate and the founder and chief executive officer of Dell Inc. He is one of the richest people in the world, ranked 44 with a net worth of US$14.6 billion in 2011. Michael Dell is considered a very accessible CEO and a role model for young executives because he had done what many of them were trying to do. He delegated authority to subordinates, believeing that the results came from tuning loose talented people who can be relied upon to do what they are supposed to do. He was a visionary leader!! Visionary leadership goes beyond charisma. Visionary leadership is the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive vision of the future for an organization or organizational unit that grows out of and improves upon the present. This vision is so energizing that it in effect jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents, and resources to make it happen. A vision differs from other forms of direction setting in several ways: A vision has clear and compelling imagery that offers an innovative way to improve Vision taps peoples emotions and energy ( Leadership Team Management) Michael Dell had them both. The key properties of a vision seem to be inspirational possibilities that are value-centered, realizable, with superior imagery and articulation. A vision is likely to fail if it doesnt offer a view of the future that is clearly and demonstrably better for the organization and its members (Inspirational Approaches to Leadership, 2008). Desirable visions fit the times and circumstances and reflect the uniqueness of the organization. People in the organization must also believe that the vision is attainable. Michael Dell has created a vision of a business that allows Dell Computer to sell and deliver a finished PC directly to a customer in fewer than eight days. The uniqueness of Michael Dells management style lies in its combination of reaching for the heights of perfection while burrowing down into every last data point. No rival has been able to imitate it. He believes that the status quo is never good enough and that once a problem is discovered, it must be dealt with quickly. He refuses to dwell on success, and instead focuses upon how improvements can be made. Excuses are not accepted. Being a hero at Dell means saving money and every employee is expected to focus on cost control. Michael Dell appears to embrace the following Fayol principles: Authority and Responsibility: Michael Dell exhibited his right to give orders and his power to exhort subordinates for obedience when he fired his top European managers because they didnt cut costs deeply enough. Unity of Direction: There is a singleness of purpose (continuous improvement and cost control) that makes possible a single plan of action to guide managers and workers in their use of organizational resources. Initiative: Initiative is required by employees, who are expected to identify ways to continuously improve upon the companys past accomplishments. Discipline: only highly disciplines employees are capable of overcoming the temptation to make excuses and consistently strive towards the achievement of corporate goals. Dell announced an aggressive global target of $62B in revenue by 2006, which meant the firm would need to make talent acquisition and development a global priority. At the same time, Dell wanted to continue to focus on cost effectiveness and operational efficiency. The companys cornerstone values and philosophy are expressed as five elements, which together comprise The Soul of Dell: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Dell Team à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Direct Relationships à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Citizenship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Winning The company was at a point where it was asking its managers and leaders to lead differently than they ever have before. While reaching the aggressive numbers was essential, it was not enough. Instead, leaders were being called on to get to the numbers while engaging their people by offering inspiration and extraordinary leadership, integrating the Soul of Dell into their leadership styles (Kathleen Woodhouse, Michael Reidy; 2004). Below is the diagrammatic view of strategic decision making and leadership skill development at Dell. Image courtesy of : http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Dellcase.pdf Outcomes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prepared for greater leadership roles à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanded support network à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Greater insight into self and others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Development Plan For any organization to be successful, leadership and management style should get altered with the life cycle of the organization. The style should match the organizations phase. Figure below shows different leadership and delegation of authority styles with organizations life cycle. Image courtesy of : http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Dellcase.pdf Dells strategies were also very well matched with organizations internal and external environments. Five Forces Analysis The framework formed using Michael Porters Five Forces model helps the managers to analyse the competitive forces within an industry, which assists in identifying threats and opportunities to an organization within the industry to which it belongs. Rivalry among the established firms, substitute products, potential competitors, bargaining power of buyers and, bargaining power of suppliers are the Michael Porters Five Forces. Another force, which is referred very rarely, called the complementors. Following three of the five forces, which primarily affect the personal computer industry and Dell in particular, are discussed, proving the personal computer industrys unfavourable features. The Rivalry among established firms is the most dominant forces within the personal computer industry. Based on Dells Strategic group, the industry can be studied as a consolidated industry sector, due to the industrys nature of limited competition established by the leaders like Dell, Hewlett Packard and Gateway. As a reason of oligopoly nature of the industry, the stakes for rivalry are high, as a result of a particular companys actions or moves directly aimed at affecting its competitors. A primary example can be made of HPs action selling home computers for $500, as a result of which other manufactures like Dell were forced to offer similar low-end systems. This affected the profit of rival manufactures, as the customers started flocking to get their hands on the new low-end systems, rather than the mid-range computers priced at $1000 which were sold prior to that time. Additionally, the demand has been declining, as the customers were satisfied or the real urge to upgrade their computers. As a result of which, the intensity of rivals rose, compelling the manufactures to combat to maintain their share of the market and customers. Due to these factors and high exit barriers for large manufacturers the rivalry between the established organizations within the personal computer industry is very high. The second force is the bargaining power of the buyers, which is also high in this industry. The common masses may not have the ability to bargain at large with the computer manufactures. However, large buyers like corporations and, educational institutions have significant power, due to the simple reason of buying products in massive quantities, enabling them to influence the price of the products set by the manufacturers. Whether large or individual customers the cost for switching from one manufacturer to another are minimal. Since most of the systems are based upon Wintel standard design specifications. Lastly, the ease of configuring a system yourself by purchasing the necessary components directly from the hardware suppliers or from retail outlets allow the customers to back away from the manufacturers, threatening the industry as a whole. The last force is the power of the suppliers of the industry, that is the industry providing the computer components, is also high. The primary reason to account for this force to exist is, because of the limited substitutes to majority of the components, like microprocessors and operating systems. Moreover, the costs for switching between the suppliers are significant. It would also cause problems due to hardware and software incompatibilities. For instance, was a company to move from Intel to AMD processors, they would have to go to another supplier for their motherboards, which could ultimately cause other incompatibilities, forcing them to find yet other suppliers for other components. Another example is if a company decided to move from Windows to a variant of Linux. While the operating system itself is less expensive, it is much more difficult to find applications for Linux, there are many hardware components which do not have the drivers necessary to run upon Linux, and the le arning curve is quite steep for customers, which would force a manufacturer to invest in a larger customer support staff. This analysis provided a great deal of insightful and intriguing information into Dells success, both within the personal computer industry, as well as their other ventures into the consumer electronics and computer peripheral industries. Although extremely successful in its own right, this analysis proves that without their competition, Dell would most likely not have been so successful. Much of their success came from the fact that their rivals, namely HP/Compaq and Gateway pushed Dell to improve their customer service to differentiate themselves from the competition. Furthermore, due to significant price wars within the industry, Dell had to improve their manufacturing process, quickly adopting a just-in-type system, in order to keep their manufacturing costs low, allowing them to pursue a low-cost leadership strategy alongside their differentiation strategy. References:- Kathleen Woodhouse, Michael Reidy, Accelerating the Development of High Potentials: Strategic Leadership @Dell, 2004, viewed on 8th April 2011, Inspirational Approaches to Leadership, April 2008, viewed on 8th April 2011, Leadership and Team Management, Transactional, Charismatic and Transformational Leadership, viewed on 6th April 2011,