Mercantilism Essay Example

Mercantilism Paper In endeavor to pick up riches and influence, Great Britain began to implement the hypothesis of mercantilism.Their rationale was to build their success utilizing their colonies.They anticipated that the settlements should give them products and to just purchase British merchandise consequently. Because of this endeavor, the states were really the ones who were profiting by mercantilism the most.The settlements profited financially, socially, and politically.Due to the Navigation Laws, the English were limited uniquely to exchange with England, which lead the pioneers to pirating for profits.Americans delighted in the privileges of unadulterated Englishmen.The pilgrims picked up chances to shape self-governments. Because of the Navigation Laws, the English were limited uniquely to exchange with England, which lead the pilgrims to sneaking for profits.Great Britain didn't need the provinces rivaling the English industry.Before the Navigation Laws, the settlements were under healthy dis regard and England didn't know about what the states were doing to win their money.The homesteaders felt that just having the option to exchange with England was holding them back.Many discovered approaches to get around the laws by carrying their fares to outside nations and earned an incredible fortune. So as to control remote markets ocean power was necessary.Britain anticipated that the states should give ships, ships stores, mariners, and exchange to ensure their maritime supremacy.Colonists earned direct advantages from supporting Britains Navy.England followed through on them bounties and cost underpins for their help.American grower additionally benefitted in terms of professional career with England through their restraining infrastructure over the tobacco advertise in Britain. American settlers appreciated the unadulterated rights if Englishmen.England offered solidarity to its strategies and was attempting to help the government assistance of t

Van Doesburg and the International Avante

Van Doesburg and the International Avante Presentation The Tate Exhibit, by amassing universal works and works in numerous media, illustrates, to the less excited, the display designer’s message that the Avante-Garde was an authentic and wide extending development, and one which resounds in its belongings even today. Styles, for example, Neo-Plasticism, are Elementarism are analyzed, yet the most vivid is Dada.Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on Van Doesburg and the International Avante-Garde: Constructing a New World explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dadaism evokes various reactions from various watchers, from the inconsequential, bothering, or incensing, to the significantly freeing, and has done as such since it was propelled on the world. Given its disorderly history, and the proceeding with banter about whether it is truly craftsmanship, its glorification at the Tate is amusing. The Tate show can help exhibit Dada’s sway on today’s structure and our meanings of craftsmanship. A few models from genuine include: the educating of craftsmanship to kids, recolored glass in contemporary sacrosanct spaces, home goods, music instructing and making. An inspecting of the styles the show highlights incorporates De Stijl, Dadaism, Elementarism, and Neo-Plasticism. The global determination of specialists extend from the big deal, for example, Arp and Mondrian, and cloud ones also, with a solid Dutch nearness and financing support. The media showed are wide going, and mirror the goal of the Avant-Garde’s defenders to upset old craftsmanship standards and make workmanship and structure available to the majority. Works are masterminded with the end goal that the orthogonals and diagonals are sited at either end, and specialists, artworks, and orders influenced by the Avante-Garde are in plain view in the middle. Van Doesburg’s drawings of detonated compositional detail are absent from the display. Photographs of the craftsmen advance our comprehension of the human foundation to the workmanship. Product in the stores is all around showed and offers clients an opportunity to wear their scholarly bona fides on their pullover. The Tate has offered a choice of talks and other fora for watcher training. The game plan of the show assists with pointing out that the Avant-Garde was more than masterful grumpiness or mental issue. End: The continuous discussion about whether crafted by the Avante-Garde are truly workmanship isn't using any and all means settled. Be that as it may, the thoughts of the Avante-Garde positively freed the creation of workmanship to our advantage today.Advertising Looking for exposition on engineering? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The plan thoughts we see around us are profoundly influenced by their work. The show uncovers the global extent of the Avante-Garde, and features the associations between the Avante-Garde and what we see around us all the time. Van Doesburg’s inheritance merits recollecting. This Section isn't Part of the Assigned Project coming up next is the rundown of inquiries initially presented by the educator for thought, not a paper. This is set up as an agenda to permit the client to promise themselves that all the inquiries have been tended to, and to encourage correspondence over the language boundary with the client. Since the point is a workmanship show, and optional sources are not comprehensive, a considerable lot of these answers are deductions instead of dependent on direct close to home perception, which would have been the perfect method of reacting to the inquiries Who sorted out the display? Vicente Toldi, Tate Director Who curated it? Gladys Fabre, free caretaker Who supported it? Tate Patrons, Tate International Council, The Van Doesburg Exhibition Supporters Group, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dedalus Foundation, Inc, Mondriaan Foundation, Prince Bernhard C ultural Foundation (Straver Foundation), SNS Reaal Fond Who planned it? Vicente Toldi, apparently, since no other individual is referenced. Who is it target group? Perhaps any individual who might not have pondered the effect of the Avante-Garde, or who isn't an eager workmanship fan is the objective. What are the points of the presentation? In light of the craftsmen and works picked; the point is to show works not regularly observed, to show works by lesser known specialists, and to show a wide scope of media that were influenced by the thoughts of the Avante-Garde. What is its focal contention? You can see proof of how these craftsmen prevailing with regards to upsetting quite a bit of what went before when you check out you at plan, craftsmanship, and workmanship guidance today, and see their impact. What current discussions or topical issues does the display connect with? Is this stuff really ART? What fundamental suspicions are imparted by the selection of shows and type of sho w? The type of show appears to accept for the most part non-impaired watchers expect that individuals strolling on their own two feet and looking with great vision are seeing the works. It additionally expect that the watcher has not seen beforehand ephemera and artworks from a similar period, objects which reflect comparable plan thoughts. Is it effective as far as satisfying the points of the coordinators? It has been very much checked on generally as far as showing why lesser known names in the Avante-Garde ought to be examined and recollected, and archiving the suffering impact of these thoughts. Consider the possibility that anything is avoided from its focal account. Not certain †possibly governmental issues, yet not certain, yet one analyst referenced the nonappearance of certain Van Doesburg structural drawings. How is the display sorted out (by topic, originator, sequentially, other)? Orthogonals are sited toward one side and diagonals at the other, with different mate rials in the middle of that were impacted by the creative discourse going on at that point. How are the ancient rarities contextualized (i.e., through data boards, marks, illustrations, inventory, and so forth.)? Not certain, however there appear to be marks with considerable data. There are talks and talks also, and a workshop for a hand-on venture. Is the structure of the display suitable for its topic? It seems like it, however not certain. Does the Tate show give an instructive encounter, and how can it accomplish this? Talks, talks, hands-on ventures, add to foundation training. Is there a shop explicitly given to stock supporting the show, and what amount of room does it possess corresponding to the displays? Truly, yet not certain how much space is allotted †the intuitive guide didn't appear to determine the shop film. What sorts of items does the shop sell, and how are they promoted? Run of the mill, not appallingly imaginative; things address the issue for things to fl ag the consumer’s scholarly personality, or â€Å"brand†. End of logical notes to client Outline Van Doesburg and the International Avante-Garde: Constructing a New World 1. Presentation: The Tate Exhibit, by gathering universal works and works in numerous media, illustrates, to the less energetic, the display designer’s message that the Avante-Garde was wide going and resonates in its belongings even today. 2. Foundation of Dadaism as a befuddling off-shoot of the Avante-Garde a. The importance of the word b. The response of the contemporary exhibition guests c. How Dada was seen at the time d. Incongruity of a mutinous development being shown in Tate 3. The Tate show can help exhibit Dada’s sway on today’s plan and meaning of craftsmanship: models a. Instructing of workmanship to kids b. Recolored glass c. Home goods d. Music making 4. Examining of styles the show incorporates a. De Stijl b. Dadaism c. Elementarism d. Neo-Plasticism 5. Specialist s incorporated a. Numerous works from seaward b. Solid Dutch portrayal and sponsorship bolster 6. Media incorporated a. Wide scope of aesthetic controls b. Mirror the expectation to make workmanship open even to the persecuted 7. Course of action of works a. Orthogonals and diagonals at either end b. Specialists influenced by these in show in the middle of c. Artworks and controls influenced in plain view in the middle of d. Drawings of detonated compositional detail missing from display e. Photographs advance comprehension of the human foundation to the workmanship Conclusion The continuous discussion about whether crafted by the Avante-Garde are truly craftsmanship isn't using any and all means settled. Be that as it may, the thoughts of the Avante-Garde absolutely freed the creation of workmanship to our advantage today. The plan thoughts we see around us are profoundly influenced by their work. The display uncovers the worldwide extent of the Avante-Garde, and features the assoc iations between the Avante-Garde and what we see around us on an ordinary basis.Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on Van Doesburg and the International Avante-Garde: Constructing a New World explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The present show at the Tate Modern brings a large group of items together from an assortment of specialists, nations, and media, and styles that fall under the general class of the Avante-Garde (Dadaism, Neo-Plasticism, Elementarism, Constructivism, and Art Concret). This noteworthy gathering exhibits the global idea of the Avante-Garde in its season of initiation. The display additionally gives adequate premise to considering (even by the individuals who don't live incredible craftsmanship ) the wide going and dependable effect on the lives of individuals today of the thoughts aging in the main many years of the twentieth century, even the riotous and self-invalidating thoughts of Dadaism. Dada is a word that can be seen in an unexpected way, contingent upon one’s job, and where one is standing. To a glad daddy, it is, he trusts, the principal word spoken by a darling baby. To a present music devotee, it is the name of a band (dada landing page). As called attention to by Tristan Tzara, a writer and writer of the mid 1900’, the wo

Idioms and Admission Decisions Apples and Oranges COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Idioms and Admission Decisions Apples and Oranges COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The earliest memory I can seem to muster of the idiom, That is like comparing apples to oranges is from high school.   I can not remember if it was my Personal Finance teacher or my Cross Country coach, but it was one of the two (and comparing those two certainly is like comparing apples to oranges).   I remember being stumped by the idiom at first.   I did not understand the context and asked around until some other examples finally brought the point home to me. While Wikipedia delves into the validity of the usefulness of the idiom, to me the admission decision season provides a scenario where the idiom makes perfect sense.   Most applicants apply to several different schools and it is only natural not only to compare the characteristics of those schools, but the admission decisions of those schools. I know discussion about this goes on, quite passionate discussion in fact, because occasionally I will visit discussion boards pertaining to graduate schools and graduate school admission.   I visited a few yesterday and the discussion is quite . . . lively. I do not comment on the boards, the boards are for applicants and students, not administrators.   The discussion on the boards provides a unique perspective on the graduate school admission process for sure especially from the standpoint of an administrator.   I often try to learn from the discussion and comments to develop more clear communication strategies. Getting down to brass tacks, (sorry, guess I am in an idiom mood) what is the point of this entry?   When decisions go out each year applicants will often contact our office to discuss their SIPA admission decision.   Statements and questions like the following are not uncommon this time of year: I dont understand why I was put on the waitlist at SIPA when I was admitted to all of the other schools I applied to. Can you explain why? I received a fellowship offer from another school but not from SIPA.   Why didnt I get SIPA fellowship funding? SIPAs letter said that I should get more experience and apply again at a later time but other schools admitted me?   Why? My decision letter from SIPA said I could benefit from more quantitative preparation but I was admitted to other similar schools.   Why is this the case? My decision letter from SIPA said I could benefit from additional English language study but I was admitted to other U.S. programs.   Why? Why have I heard from other schools but not SIPA? From an administrators point of view statements and questions like these are, well, like comparing apples to oranges. If it were an apples to apples comparison, every single applicant would have had to apply to the same schools, have been read by the exact same committee, and the committees would need to share one big budget.   Obviously this is not what happens. Sure policy schools are similar in many ways.   We have similar core classes, faculty that study, teach, and practice common subjects, and we seek to prepare students for similar careers.   However each school is quite different in many ways when it comes to shaping an incoming class. Each school has its own unique Admissions Committee structure.   Each school has its own unique applicant pool.   Each school has a different fellowship endowment and can choose to use it in different ways.   Each school has different donors who set different criteria for awards.   Each school has its own time lines. I am not going to pretend that by reading this entry all of your questions or concerns about admission decisions may be put at ease, but I hope it does provide insight into the big picture.   Each policy school is different in its own way and will make decisions based on its history, goals, preferences and yes, limitations. Thus, comparing a decision from one school to another is often like comparing apples to oranges.   Okay, now it is time for me to return to burning the candle at both ends . . .

Airlines Strategy Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 6008 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/09/16 Category Analytics Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? A CASE STUDY OF DELTA AIRLINES Creative Media Services Research Team: Todd Beals, Matt Tucker, Mary Vick 12/02/03 Mission – to be an air carrier with superior customer service that provides air transportation for passengers and cargo, utilizing low-cost carriers and regional jets throughout the United States and around the world. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: 1. 3rd largest mega carrier; established name; excellent reputation; worldwide brand recognition. Delta has been among the DOT’s top three in on-time, baggage handling, and customer satisfaction for the past three years. Delta’s new CEO, Grinstein, has an excellent reputation of resolving labor disputes. 2. Delta has continued to use innovative strategic business moves: a. Recently announced a new low-fare subsidiary airline servicing the East coast called Song, which has met its’ goal to push unit costs below 8 cents per seatmile, a standard industry measure. b. Joining with other major airline s in the industry to form a global alliance called, SkyTeam. The SkyTeam alliance results in cost savings by sharing cargo and passenger terminal facilities, integrating frequent-flyer programs, consolidating sales, maintenance and administrative operation, combining information technologies, and engaging in joint procurement where feasible (Corridore, 2003, p. 7). c. In early 2000, Delta acquired Comair, whose entire fleet consists of regional jets, and Atlantic southeast Airlines (ASA). The additional use of regional jets helps move Delta’s average aircraft capacity downward to better match demand. . Deltas industry-leading airport model includes a combination of airport lobby re-design, increased self-service technology and new airport customer service roles for employees that will help deliver speedy, convenient, helpful, friendly service to Delta customers. Delta fosters customer loyalty through quality trained employees, short waiting times, quality in-flight food se rvice and good on-time performance. Weaknesses: 1. Labor is the industry’s largest cost item accounting for about 36% to 40% of total perating expense (Corridore, p. 21). Delta has been forced to layoff 18% of its’ workforce, or 16,000 employees, with more to follow (https://news. bbc. co. uk). Delta’s pilots are the highest-paid among the major US carriers but it has been unable to persuade the pilots to agree to concessions that would lower labor expenses. (In addition, an unexpected jump in pilot retirements will cost Delta Air Lines an additional $140 million this quarter, forcing the carrier to widen its anticipated loss for the fourth quarter. ) a. Poor Morale: The companys relationship with employees has been strained because of massive layoffs, bankruptcy-proof pension trusts and executive bonuses which were not tied to performance. 2. From 1993-2003, Delta’s market share has gone from 17. 4% to 15. 1%. Delta’s yield has decreased 13% co mpared to 2000 and 5% compared to 2001. RPM’s for the US industry as a whole declined 2. 6% in 2002. According to the U. S. Department of Transportation, Delta ranked 5th out of the 10 major U. S. Airlines in passenger load factor. 3. Recent Trend of Being Unprofitable: Stock price decreased 66 % from $38. 0 on September 1st, 2001 to $13. 02 on November 1st, 2003 (see appendix A). The company has been unable to make a profit for the last 2 years and is headed for its third straight loss this year Opportunities: 1. Today’s market is in high demand for affordable new regional jets, which offer low costs and high flexibility in route planning. According to CNN, there will be a 50 % growth in air traffic within the next 10 years. In addition, the U. S. GDP recently grew at an 8. 2 Percent Pace in the 3rd Quarter of 2003, signaling a strengthening of business and consumer activity. Under its’ current pilot labor contract, Delta can operate as many regional jets as it likes, provided none has more than 70 seats. Delta can now compete with companies like Southwest, Jet Blue, and Air Tran in response to changing industry conditions. 2. Delta partially owns two separate online reservation services. Delta owns 40% of WORLDSPAN, L. P. , a limited partnership that operates and markets a computer reservation system (CRS) and related systems for the travel industry. CRS services are used primarily by travel agents to book airline, hotel, car rental and other travel reservations and issue airline tickets. Delta also owns approximately 18% of Orbitz, LLC, a limited liability company that operates an online travel agency that offers travel services to consumers and business customers via the Internet. 3. Delta has the opportunity to invest in technology to improve efficiencies by installing self-service kiosk in airports. With fees of approximately $25 for each paper ticket this would reduce costs as well improve the speed of air travel. Threats: 1. Due to the effects of 9/11, Delta and the industry as a whole face increased costs of aviation security and excessive taxation of air travel. Some of these costs include, but aren’t limited to: reinforcement of cockpit doors, various new equipment and training, additional security checks for employees and suppliers, and high premiums for war and terrorism risk insurance. 2. Global airline industry losses totaled $13 billion in 2002 and $18 billion in 2001, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Due to this, two major airlines, United and US Airways, have been forced into bankruptcy over the last two years. Economists are predicting that the industry will not fully recover until the 2005 year from the effects of 09/11, but this is obviously still uncertain. . Delta confronts a variety of competitors in an extremely time-sensitive industry and it also has been severely undercut by discount carriers, which have better routes, more modern aircraft and more flight frequencies. Delta also faces competition from other major, national and regional airlines and competes with other transportation modes, such as automobiles, railroads, and buses. Because the economic slowdown that began in 2001 led to significant cuts in corporate travel budgets and the leisure traveler is highly price sensitive, these other modes of transportation may be more attractive to the consumer. . There has been a general service degradation in the entire airline industry and as a result it has been doing an inadequate job of delivering quality customer service. Long-term Sustainable Competitive Advantage: According to John Kay, â€Å"Competitive advantage is based not on doing what others already do well, but on doing what others cannot do as well. † Although its’ revenues have recently shrunk with the decline in overall air travel, Delta is creating a sustainable competitive advantage through its’ frequency of flights, improved customer loyalty program, and through its vast network reach (www. eracast. com). The following items illustrate what Delta is currently doing to earn and sustain a return that outperforms its’ direct competitors. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Largely non-union workforce that allows unique flexibility (i. e. part-time employees) Airline industry-leading airport model Transports more passengers worldwide than any other airline, through a vast worldwide route system Innovation: Delta has developed the worlds most sophisticated single-aisle in-flight entertainment system. Propitious Niche (PN): Delta does not currently have a PN. Achilles’ Heel (AH): Delta does not currently have an Achilles Heel. Evaluation of Mission: The current mission is consistent with the company’s stated goals and objectives. However, Delta needs to implement new strategies to adapt to the changing industry, thereby achieving its’ mission. The current forces Delta is facing are illustrat ed in Porter’s model (see appendix B). MAIN ISSUES PROBLEMS Rising Operational Costs: Fixed costs throughout the industry have increased in the last 2 years since 09/11. Increased security for both the employees and suppliers as well as inflated terrorist-risk insurance premiums drives this fixed cost increase. Labor expense through salary and wages are the largest operating expenses at approximately 40% of total operating expenses. â€Å"Standard Poor’s estimates that labor costs absorbed 43. 9% of total industry revenues in 2002, up from 40. 6% in 2001 and sharply higher than the 34. 9% of 2000. † As a result of this increase in labor cost, Delta has been forced to layoff 18% of its’ workforce, or 16,000 employees, with more to follow. Unfortunately for Delta though, there is a lag time between employee layoffs and the actual realization of these cost saving maneuvers. Considering other major airlines have been successful at these salary and wag e reductions, Delta is failing to match its’ competitor’s lower labor cost structure and will have to cut costs elsewhere to successfully compete. Delta also has the highest-paid pilots among the US carriers and has been ineffective at convincing them to take a decrease in salary for the short-term in order to help defend the longterm stability of the company. Adding to this exorbitant overhead cost, twice the usual number of pilots retired this year putting pressure on the pension fund since pilots take a portion of their benefits as a lump sum (Banstetterm, Nov. 3). Delta is not planning any wage cuts for employees of its’ new airline, Song, which puts it at a disadvantage to its’ competitors, since they will be operating at 10-30% lower cost structures. â€Å"Delta’s senior 757 pilots earn an estimated $245 per hour versus $149 at Southwest, $118 at AirTran, and $100 at JetBlue† (Banstetterm, Nov. 21, p. 2) (see Appendix C). Fuel costs re main high due to the continuing problems in the Middle East. By December 2002, fuel expenses were 35% higher than the prior year and predicted to increase. This increases the importance of newer fleets that can fly more efficiently achieving better fuel mileage than the older model aircraft. Another added expense in wake of September 11th is a government-imposed fee per passenger for security. According to Delta’s 2002 annual report, there was also a decline in â€Å"traffic due to the real and perceived ‘hassle factor’ resulting from increased airport security measures†. Unfortunately, the new security measures have made flying less convenient for travelers with increased baggage checking and longer wait times at airports. In addition, tax rates and fees have doubled in the past 10 years and most consumers are unwilling to absorb the increased cost. Delta’s cargo business was also negatively affected by the new FAA security measures. In the p ast, 50% of Delta’s mail business involved transporting mail weighing more than 16 ounces. But now, passenger airlines have been prohibited from transporting these heavier mail items. Delta’s cargo revenues have declined 7% as a result. Labor-Management Mistrust Delta was once known for treating its’ leaders and employees the same. Executives have given themselves huge awards while insisting on job and wage cuts from the workers. This compromises their ability to effectively lead, because these bonuses were triggered more by cash flow and less by profits and operational measures. Delta also created individual trusts for 33 executives to isolate their enhanced pension benefits from creditors if Delta filed for bankruptcy, adding to the mistrust. Declining Profits Market share: Airport capacity, route structures, weather, technology, and, most significantly, rising fuel and labor costs have significantly cut into airline profits. The airline industry finds itself on a bumpy course as the entire landscape changed primarily resulting from 9/11, the war in IRAQ and SARS. Most US carriers still anticipate heavy losses for the near future. A major challenge will be to find new ways of attracting more premium passengers since they provide the most profit per ticket. The industry as a whole has seen a 5. 2% decrease in ASM’s in 2001. Even though the airlines are decreasing their ASM’s, decreased passenger demand is leading to low load factors of 70. 4% versus 72. 4% in 2000. Most airlines have had to resort to discount fares in order to simulate demand due to excess capacity across the industry. Delta is losing market share to other low-cost carriers that fly a single type of airplane, (which gives the additional savings of only having to maintain one type of parts inventory), offer few frills, and avoid the expensive hub-and-spoke networks of airports that require complex calculations to connect passengers and bags with fli ghts. (A major hub-andspoke airline such as Delta has costs that can be 150% higher than those of a carrier that only flies from one city to the next. (www. baselinemag. com) Because the airline industry is such a network business, each carrier can potentially face a wide range of different competitors, depending on which city market one chooses to analyze. Poor Customer Service Too many passengers reach their destination late, too much baggage is lost, recovery from problems is insufficient, and technology is not as customer friendly as it should be. Moreover, the airlines in general present the public with huge opportunities to distrust them. All of this is occurring as the relentless march of ever-higher customer demand continues. Customer service breakdowns resulting from organizational challenges inflict serious reputational damage on the entire industry and send the public the message that airlines simply don’t care and that they are â€Å"out for themselves†. In an attempt to gain an operational advantage over its competitors, Delta has taken a decidedly different approach and has gone to its employees and demanded a premium service at a discount price. Delta employees have been asked to do more with a higher degree of quality and with fewer employees than any other airline employee group in the industry. SOLUTIONS Superior financial performance for Delta will come from choosing and sticking consistently with one of a relatively small range of ‘generic’ competitive strategies. Sticking consistently with a particular strategy means that every activity in Delta’s value chain should be coherently orchestrated around the logic underlying the chosen strategy. Delta’s new vision needs to identify a market opportunity and how in general terms it is to be exploited. It also needs to identify the needs and expectations of key stakeholders – employees, customers, and investors. (Holloway 2002). Delta needs a â€Å"balanced perspective† that pays attention to both competitors and customers. The main goals should be the successful negotiation of a new pilot contract, operational cost-cutting, increasing market share, rebuilding customer service and improving employee morale. Delta should also shift to a more organic organizational structure to achieve this (see appendix D). Its’ managers need to try and channel the ambient level of motivation of the entire workforce. Rather than try and raise their overall motivation, management needs to try and corral and re-focus that energy that naturally exists. Operational Cost Saving Strategies: To reduce costs, Delta needs to make operational improvements such as more effective flight scheduling, maximizing crew resources, improving maintenance processes, and reducing aircraft turn-around times. It should also further pursue outsourcing as a method of reducing operational cost, but not always taking the lowest bid. Many of the ef ficiencies of the no frills, low cost carriers come from their ability to outsource contracts and to thereby consistently obtain the best services at the best prices. Delta also needs to focus on opportunities that can be successfully exploited with existing resources, rather than acquiring new ones. Delta must adapt to the rapidly changing airline industry landscape by â€Å"Fitting† itself to prevailing contingencies, having taken into account its own strengths and weaknesses. Although Delta currently ranks third in market share, its cost structure puts it at a disadvantage to competing airlines. Both JetBlue and Southwest are positioned in the low-fare arena with American and United both located in the Power Alley (see Appendix E). One of Delta’s most obvious strategic objectives should be to reduce costs while creating new prospects for revenue. Delta should pursue a growth strategy that focuses on growth through intensive market penetration and forward integ ration. Delta’s current fuel hedging program has been successful and should continue to be fully funded in an effort to continue to cut Delta’s fuel expense. Delta has deferred the purchase of 8 Boeing 737’s in 2005. This means that Delta will try to maximize the utility of its’ current fleet. This is a cost-cutting maneuver in almost every area except in relation to fuel cost. The newer the fleet the better fuel mileage; thus, the older fleet will no doubt increase the fuel cost over levels that would have been reached had these future capital expenditures not been deferred. By December 2002, fuel costs were 35% higher than the prior year and those costs are projected to continue increasing through the 2003 fiscal year. Since the conflicts in the Middle East continue to go unresolved, there is no guarantee of when these rising costs will decline. However, using the new fuel hedging program Delta has managed to reduce fuel cost by 26 million pretax dol lars n the September 2003 quarter alone. The average price of jet fuel for Delta for September 2003 was $0. 79 per gallon, excluding fuel tax. Since this fuel hedging program is a relatively new initiative by Delta, only 53% of its’ fuel requirements were hedged in the 3rd quarter of 2003. Delta is forecasting that approximately 47% of the jet fuel requirements for the 4th quarter of 2003 will be hedged. Instead, Delta should increase jet fuel hedging to 75% of the requirements for the 4th quarter. Every effort should be made by Delta to continue this program, if not increase concentration on such efforts. (www. elta. com) Forward Integration: Investing in technology to reduce cost and improve efficiency can be achieved by investing in distribution channels. Delta should seek to reduce ticket prices through installing more selfservicing kiosks in airports and offering more perks to customers for using internet check-in options, such as a 2% discount. Delta is installing over 400 additional self-service kiosks in airports in 2003 and needs to continue installing these kiosks until all major airports are fully equipped. Delta can also reduce costs by encouraging customers to use booking services such as Orbitz. Delta can seek to remove the fees charged by travel agents by offering part or the entire discount to the end user. Delta can in effect forwardly integrate its’ business by eliminating, where possible, the middle-man or travel agent. Delta could offer the consumer even more discounted fares (i. e. 3%) if booked by the on-line services in which Delta has a vested interest. Delta should also add a temporary double-miles promotion that will offer flyers double the SkyMiles for choosing to obtain their tickets via Orbitz. This double-miles promotion should not last longer than six months to a year. Not only will this strategy reduce commissions paid to travel agents, but the cost of issuing paper tickets is $25 per ticket and this will be eliminated through the e-ticket purchases. By introducing e-ticketing, promoting online bookings, and improving jointly owned internet travel ports, Delta is moving towards forward integration by acquiring control over its’ distribution channels. Improve Labor-Management Relations Delta needs to continue efforts focused at lowering capital expenditures and cost-cutting methods while at the same time increasing employee confidence in the long-term health of the company. Delta should implement a ‘no furlough policy’ similar to Southwest, which has never permanently laid off an employee. The new CEO Grinstein needs to connect and establish good relationships with the people in the organization that is key. He needs to isolate how the company can improve itself significantly and then communicate that clearly to the entire company. He should also rescind the 33 pension trusts previously established under Mullin’s leadership. In addition, the labor force nee ds to become more educated about the economics of the industry so they more fully understand why certain initiatives are being implemented. Delta needs to send all of its’ employees to quality control training seminars per department semiannually. In addition, 40 hours per year of specific on-the-job training beyond the normal federal mandates needs to be implemented immediately. Also, management should agree to a cap on total executive pay and pension caps for unearned years to makeup for Mullin’s blunder last year. Bonuses should be based solely on performance. Values and beliefs in the workplace like pride, loyalty and ‘a sense of belonging’ also need to be re-emphasized to boost morale. Labor Concessions Delta needs to come to an agreement soon with its’ 8,500 pilots on a tentative pay cut. Delta’s pilots are averaging $245 an hour, which by far leads the industry with the lowest pilot wages being $100 an hour for pilots of JetBlue (see Appendix C). Since economic times are rough and demand seems to be increasing at a slow rate, Delta can not maintain its ‘leader status’ in the industry without these cuts. Delta should propose a cut of 20% across the board for all pilots effective immediately, rather than the previous 26. 5 % (www. airportnet. org). Though the pilots’ nion may still be hesitant to accept these reductions, Delta could offset these reductions by offering a 3% annual increase above the industry’s standard rate for fiscal years 2008 through 2013. Since many of Delta’s pilots choose to take a portion of their retirement benefits as a lump sum, Delta should offer a delayed-retirement bonus of $1,000 for any pilot who chooses to delay these lump sum payments until after 2008. This 2008 end date should provide Delta the flexibility to recover from its’ current unprofitable trend, even in the event that the forecasts are wrong and the industry’s recovery is not fully realized by 2005. By maintaining positive cash flows, lowering current labor expenses with a new pilot contract, and reducing retirement payouts, Delta can re-establish itself as the industry leader, while at the same time positioning itself for the promised wage and retirement increases in the future. To help induce the pilots to agree to the new contract, Delta should also offer its’ pilots a 3% increase in profit-sharing packages, a signing bonus of 100 shares of additional company stock issued to each pilot and two seats on the board of directors (currently there are 10 seats) in exchange for the 20 % pay cuts. The pay cut provision will include no wage increases for the next 5 years in exchange for an increased proportional allocation of future stock options, which would be separate stock option plans from what the other employees receive. Market Penetration: Since airline seats are perishable inventory, it is essential that Delta achieve the highest l oad factors possible on every flight. Delta had average load factors of 72. 4% for 2002. It needs to increase these load factors above the break-even level for every market or abandon that market. Delta should be able to better penetrate markets with the use of its’ regional airlines. Comair, Song, and ASA should be used to provide off-peak service when demand is insufficient to warrant a standard 100-plus seat aircraft. Normally the break-even point is approximately a 50% load factor for regional jets, versus about 63% for large jets. Delta should better evaluate regional demand and match service to further penetrate its current market and achieve more profitable load factors. Since proper aircraft selection and selecting the right fleet is a source of competitive advantage for the low cost carriers, Delta should analyze the importance of fleet commonality, high utilization and high reliability. Improve and Rebuild Customer Service Delta needs to implement new initiati ves focusing on improving customer service by adding extra value because airline allegiance is slowly disappearing as a result of internet sales and since most consumers have become so price sensitive. It can accomplish this through enhanced airport self service automation and an enhanced onboard experience. For example, Delta has installed selfservice kiosks in many terminals to allow customers to get boarding passes without having to stand in line at a counter. For people who miss a connecting flight or are subject to a cancellation, new devices should be installed in every gate area, allowing customers to get a printout of a new boarding pass on the next available flight, on which the airline automatically rebooks the passenger. Improved electronic gate displays should also be installed at every terminal, and Delta should continue working with the Transportation Security Administration to speed the flow of passengers through the terminal by 15%. It’s also very import ant to have crews that are flexible and friendly and go out of their way to serve the passengers. In addition, the following 3 points are crucial to adding value back to the Delta experience: †¢ Increased Comfort: Over the course of 3 years, all future planes should have more leg and elbow room for all passengers, not just 1st class. Also, a modification will be made to the existing fleet to accommodate severely overweight people, since 1 out of every 3 people are obese (NPR radio). Special seats will be made available on all future flights for people weighing over 300 pounds to avoid infringing on the ‘personal space’ of regular passengers. These special seat upgrades will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis and determined at the time the ticket is purchased. †¢ More Kid-Friendly: Effective immediately, Delta will provide free headphones, in-flight children’s movies, children’s music station, playing cards, wings from the pilot, an d a coloring game booklet with crayons. A la Carte Food: Currently, there is a unique opportunity for Delta to put a new food product in front of business and leisure travelers for its’ longer distance domestic flights via collaboration with theme-restaurant giants such as Hard Rock to sell in-flight entrees and offer rotating in-flight menus, rather than offering free meals. It does lower costs, but the switch to food sales is also expected to satisfy customers demands for better-tasting meals. This unique and innovative initiative could become a significant and distinctive factor when passengers book their next flight. In the near future, all Delta passengers will have the ability to order from a menu when booking flights online. Better quality and variety of food can then be available for those that want it leading to increased revenues. Increase Customer Loyalty: Offering slightly roomier seating (using jets without first-class sections but with seats sporting about 5 extra inches of legroom) and free chocolates and 1 free cocktail during evening flights could be the key to boosting Delta’s customer loyalty. Deltas goal should be to set itself apart with small but important extra amenities. For example, Songs new colorful seats, along with other flourishes like flight attendant uniforms designed by Kate Spade and the martinis sold onboard, are intended to evoke the glamour of commercial aviations past. In addition, Delta should reduce penalties and fees charged to its’ customers for flight changes and heavy bags. Most new strategies that are implemented break ‘new ground’, which often require structural adjustments. By slightly changing a structural dimension of the organization such as ‘specialization’, perhaps Delta can introduce a new type of customer service that will lead to a better overall travel experience as perceived by the customer. For example, by hiring and placing at least 1 attendant at all Delta gates pre and post flight that are incredibly friendly, cheerful, courteous and helpful, it may be able to achieve a slight advantage in the eyes of many disgruntled travelers. Bringing more front line employees out more frequently to mingle with the crowd will allow flyers to get through the lines quicker. Perhaps Delta should also try to become more organic in the sense of focusing on being more of a ‘service provider’ rather than a provider of physical seats or tickets (products). It could mix-n-match its’ basic mechanistic structure with some organic elements to get the best that both have to offer like Southwest did with their relaxed corporate atmosphere. Since the airline industry is currently operating in such high uncertainty and is unpredictable, it is arguable that Delta should be pursuing more organic concepts that will allow it to adapt quicker to the unstable environment and allow more flexibility for future strategic choices. Emplo yee Ownership Culture When Delta starts to perform better, employees should be generously rewarded through a profit sharing program (without asking for wage concessions) and a broad-based stock option plan which will allows employees to participate in the financial benefits of an ownership culture, with all employees receiving an additional 5% stock discount, enabling many employees to realize big gains. This supports the common belief that ‘people take better care of things they own’, and that this special care is ultimately passed on to the customer. Ownership extends beyond just the financial benefits of profit sharing and stock option plans and is manifested in the priority they place on employee initiative and responsibility. † Delta should make its’ new profit sharing plan the heart of its’ benefits program. All employees will be rewarded in the future with 2% of the companys profits divided up and allocated by relative salary. Copy Successf ul Competitor’s Strategies: Communication is vitally important to the future success of the company. According to last week’s Orlando Business Journal, â€Å"US Airways formed a consumer advisory board committee made up of a broad cross-section of customers to supplement and enhance its’ daily, weekly, and monthly reviews. This board meets several times a year and provides senior executives with open and honest criticism, feedback and compliments. † Delta should form a similar board to assist in its’ efforts to deliver superior customer service. Delta also needs to make its’ ticket pricing easy to understand and competitive. Pronged Hybrid Strategy: Consistently Technologically Innovative Customer-Centric Delta intends to be the first carrier to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on passenger luggage, which allow for non-contact reading and are effective in environments where bar code labels could not survive. This will let t he airline track bags more precisely than it can with existing bar-code systems (www. computerworld. com). By using RFID, Delta can further improve its’ baggage handling, provide real-time baggage updates, and provide better, faster and friendlier service. Song is also using computer simulations to devise a zone system to speed up the boarding process. Rather than boarding back rows first, passengers sitting in window seats board first, followed by the middle seats, then aisle seats. (www. ajc. com) Enrich the Travel Experience via multimedia Offering in-flight entertainment on all of its’ fleet should be one of its’ central strategies for attracting passengers. This will give all travelers a more satisfying in-flight entertainment experience. Delta should also add increased capabilities from each seat such as email, the ability to watch pay-per-view movies, ability to play interactive video games, ability to create customized MP3 play lists and the abilit y to read about current connecting gate information. In addition, power outlets should be built in to all future arm rests for MP3 players and laptops. This new type of â€Å"in-seat technology† could become a key feature that could make Delta more competitive with its low-cost rivals. Fliers dont have to miss their favorite shows when they travel now, said Mark Jackson, senior vice president, EchoStar. Song passengers will now be able to watch the same shows from ESPN, CNN, Discovery or Animal Planet in the air that they watch at home, making their travel more enjoyable. † Delta should also add server and satellite technology to all of its’ aircraft, by the end of 2004, providing high-speed internet access and wireless access for laptops. FALLOUT Hopefully, Delta’s new leader/CEO Gerald Grinstein, can challenge the process and publicly model what he expects Delta’s workforce to be doing now and in the future. If he doesn’t ‘encourag e the hearts of the workers’ by making an emotional connection with them, it will be difficult to motivate them to act accordingly. Delta’s new champion needs to effectively inspire a shared vision of â€Å"what we’re all doing here and clearly define and express what the vision and values of the company are about† or the company will continue on as business as usual. If new rules aren’t established and put into place that will guide specific and desired behavior, nothing major will change. It’s possible that the new chairman of the board John Jack Smith Jr. , and Delta’s new CEO Gerald Grinstein, 71, were selected merely as interim leaders while the board seeks other candidates. This would be detrimental if the public perceived them as temporary leaders. The loss of internet access or the clogging of Delta’s own intranet could be a major problem if terrorists were to somehow bring it down. With the increased reliance for on -line reservations as the main form of booking flights, the results of computer problems (i. e. worms and viruses) could be devastating. If the Delta’s rising stars and cash cow fail to remain profitable then its upcoming ventures will not have the financial means to succeed (see appendix F). If nothing improves, Delta might have to file for bankruptcy protection. Although many of these proposed strategies may be costly upfront, they will ensure a lower cost structure in the future. In fact, several of the cost-cutting strategies will have an immediate effect. The fuel hedging program has manufactured $26 million in fuel cost savings while only being utilized with approximately half of Delta’s fuel requirements. The addition of 400 self-servicing kiosks will be a high upfront expense. However, it should cut into the customer service representatives needed as well as reduce check-in times. Discounts and double SkyMiles offered on flights through Orbitz and Worldsp an may lower profits initially. However, if future internet sales can be solicited and e-tickets issued, the cost savings for Delta would be approximately $25 dollars per ticket. Paper tickets are more expensive for Delta to produce. Assisting to fund these high upfront strategies is the labor concessions proposed to the pilots union. The 20% upfront pay cut will assist with these other strategies while the future savings and increased future demand can help to fund the future wage increases and the incentives promised to the pilots. However, pilot negotiations between the two sides could also stalemate. It’s highly probable that Delta will experience increased demand as a result of implementing these new strategies, which could lead to more congestion at airport-security checkpoints, since there are fewer federal screeners to keep things moving. In March of 2003, the Transportation Security Administration had 55,600 airport security screeners. By October, cost cutting had reduced that work force to 48,279 (www. nytimes. com) Appendix A: Deltas Most Recent Market Prices and Dividends (www. delta. com) Year 2002 Quarter Ending: March 31 June 30 September 30 December 31 Year 2001 Quarter Ending: March 31 June 30 September 30 December 31 Closing Price High $38. 69 $32. 65 $20. 12 $14. 09 Low $28. 52 $18. 30 $8. 30 $6. 10 Cash Dividends $0. 025 $0. 025 $0. 025 $0. 025 Cash Dividends Closing Price High $52. 94 $48. 05 $46. 56 $31. 15 Low $37. 51 $37. 80 $20. 00 $22. 20 $0. 025 $0. 025 $0. 025 $0. 025 Appendix B: Buyer’s Bargaining Power Ability to secure discount fares by advance purchases and deeply discounted fares available through the internet Current Competitors American, United, Northwest, Continental, Southwest, USAir, America West, Alaska, ATA, JetBlue, AirTran, Spirit, Frontier, Others Supplier’s Bargaining Power Labor Union negotiating power, fuel contracts, travel agent commission rate structure, meal service Delta Airlines Potential Entrants Substitute Products Automobiles, railroads, and buses TED, Pinnacle Airlines Appendix C: Airline Pilot Wage Comparison $300 Hourly Wage $250 $200 $150 $100 $50 $0 Delta Southwest AirTran JetBlue Airline Series1 Appendix D: Gap Analysis Organic Formalization Specialization Standardization Centralization Span of Control Professionalism Communication type Mechanistic Delta, although large in size, is providing consumers with transportation service in an unpredictable market/environment. New booking and interline services are making airline technology unpredictable in the future. With the changing environment of the airline industry Delta needs a dynamic model to help move from an mechanistic organizational structure to a more organic structure. Appendix E: Halls Competitiveness Model 20 American 18 16 United Delta US Airways Northwest Delta Market Share 14 12 Northwest 10 Continental 8 Southwest US Airways Alaska Continental United American Southwest Frontier 6 Jet Blue America West 4 America West 2 Jet Blue ATA Frontier 0 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Operating Expenses per Available Seat-Mile (Relative Cost) Alaska ATA Appendix F: BCG Matrix Comair, ASA, SkyTeam Song, Orbitz, and WorldSpan $$$$$$ Delta Delta Express References: Banstetter, T. (2003, Nov. 13). Spike in Delta Airlines Pilot Retirements Will Widen FourthQuarter Loss. Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News. Banstetter, T. (2003, Nov. 21). Delta to Launch Its Own Discount Airline. Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News. Corridore, Jim. (2003, Sept. 25). Standard Poor’s Industry Surveys Airlines. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Ehrhardt, Michael and Brigham, Eugene. A Focused Approach: Corporate Finance (pg. 173) Holloway, Stephen: Airlines- Managing to Make Money. Mullin, Leo. (2003, March 12). Delta Airlines 2002 Annual Report. Will, George F. : The Turbulence in the Business Rattles Airlines and Unions https://www. sunspot. net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op. witcover2 1sep21,0,155526. column? coll=baloped-headlines https://www. baselinemag. com/article2/0,3959,1013642,00. asp https://businessmajors. about. com/gi/dynamic/offsite. htm? site=https://biz. yahoo. com/p/d/dal. html https://www. marketwatch. com/tools/quotes/detail. asp? view=detailsymb=DALsiteid=yhoodi st=yhoostoryquote https://www. nytimes. com/2003/11/17/national/17ECON. tml? ex=1155445200en=e110f030f870 3c37ei=5035partner=MARKETWATCH https://www. newstream. com/us/story_pub. shtml? story_id=11366user_ip=66. 21. 238. 200 https://www. delta. com/inside/investors/forward_info/index. jsp https://www. veracast. com/ssb/2003/transportation/87202119. cfm https://shopping. capelinks. com/mall/stores/delta-airlines. shtml https://www. computerworld. com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,82389,00. html https://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/2957013. stm https://www. airportnet. org/depts/federal/press/articles/1014wsj. htm Don’t waste time! 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Marketing Myopia - 785 Words

Article: Levitt, T. (1960) â€Å"Marketing Myopia†, Harvard Business Review, July-August, 1960 Marketing myopia is a term coined by Theodore Levitt. The fundamental concept to take from marketing myopia is that a business will survive and perform better if it focuses on satisfying customer needs rather than selling specific products. Rather than defining the company and its products to respond to the customers’ needs and wants, this is a short-sighted, inward, myopic marketing approach focusing on the company’s needs. The failure to see and adjust to the rapid market changes is typically the unfortunate results. The core principle of marketing such as marketing concept, marketing or customer orientation and satisfying customers †¦show more content†¦But human tend to be overconfident most of the time, this is how they put themselves in danger. People once thought Kerosene light was irreplaceable but ended up it has been replaced by incandescent lamp. We believe that innovation most often occurs when a competitor correctly Page 1 anticipates the customer’s next need, often from outside the industry.In additional, failure of the business delivered by the perception on the self-deceiving cycle in the market by the management, in another words to be succeed in business, they have to be open minded and receive feedback from consumers and industries. Population mythis where organization believes in expanding in population will generate more profit due to consumers are multiplying andbuying moreproducts or services. It may true in some industries but not all and it can create negative feedback such as no competitive substitute and creativity or imaginations of the products. Levitt gives examples, in such as industry petroleum, automobiles and electronics tied too closely their current success, too slow to emerge from selfcongratulation. Marketing myopia occurs when business leaders assume an audience for their products will forever grow, that competitors will forever fail. In high demand of consumer and industry it’s contribute to mass production. Thephenomenon causes the industry to produce at a maximum capacity.Show MoreRelatedMarketing Myopia1487 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract The article, â€Å"Marketing Myopia† written by Theodore Levitt, illustrates how businesses interact in their particular industry’s life cycles of growth, maturity and decline. One of the primary focal points of the article is that businesses must know their industry in regards to satisfying their specific customer’s needs. Identifying customer needs and meeting them, allows for continued growth of the company and industry. Recognizing the necessity to satisfy customer’s needs rather thanRead MoreMarketing Myopia955 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Selling and marketing are antithetical rather than synonymous or even complementary. There will always be, one can assume, a need for some selling. But the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself.† (Drucker 1973, pp.64-65) In the early years of the ‘70s era, Drucker was one of the first educators and authors who identify marketing as a way to understand customers’Read MoreMarketing Myopia1265 Words   |  6 PagesMarketing Myopia What is Marketing Myopia? Marketing Myopia is the short-sighted approach of management of focusing on a particular product and not identifying the correct industry the organization is in. (Levitt, 1975) In essence it implies that organizations should not define their business based on their products and should attempt to identify the business based on customer centric evidence. Organizations need to focus on customer wants and use customer centric evidence forming strategicRead MoreMarketing Myopia Of Noki Marketing929 Words   |  4 PagesMarketing Myopia of NOKIA Contents Introduction 3 Back ground of Nokia 3 Marketing Myopia 3 New Marketing Myopia 4 Bibliography 5 Introduction Nokia was the most famous mobile phone manufacture around the world. Its slogan technology connecting people has been rooted in consumers mind deeply. However Nokia had faced a huge market lost once the smart phone published. The report is about the marketing myopia analyse of Nokia. Back ground of Nokia Nokia CorporationRead MoreThe New Marketing Myopia7296 Words   |  30 PagesSocial Innovation Centre The New Marketing Myopia _______________ N. Craig SMITH Minette E. DRUMWRIGHT Mary C. GENTILE 2009/08/ISIC Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1336886 The New Marketing Myopia by N. Craig Smith* Minette E. Drumwright ** and Mary C. Gentile *** forthcoming in the Journal of Public Policy Marketing This paper can be downloaded without charge from the Social Science Research Network electronic library at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1336886 Read MoreEssay about Marketing Myopia779 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Marketing Myopia:   Marketing Myopia suggests that businesses will do better in the end if they concentrate on meeting customers’ needs rather than on selling products. The mistake of paying more attention to products a company offers than to the benefits and experiences produced by these products. The term marketing myopia was first expressed in a famous article of the same name written by  Theodore Levitt  for the  Harvard Business Review  in 1960. In Marketing Myopia, Levitt argued that manyRead MoreLiterature Review on Marketing Myopia2738 Words   |  11 PagesArticle 1: Marketing Myopia 3 Article 2: An Integrated View of Marketing Myopia 4 Article 3: Beyond Marketing Myopia: The Service of Small Railroads 5 Article 4: Futuristics: Reducing Marketing Myopia 6 Article 5: Reconsidering the Classics: Reader Response to Marketing Myopia 7 Article 6: Global Marketing Myopia 8 Article 7: Editorial: Marketing Myopia 9 Article 8: Extending the marketing myopia concept to promote strategic agility 10 Article 9: The New Marketing Myopia 11 Article 10:Read MoreMarketing Myopia, By Theodore Levitt1348 Words   |  6 PagesMarketing Myopia Analysis â€Å"Marketing Myopia†, by Theodore Levitt is one of Harvard Business Review’s most profound articles ever published, having won the McKinsey Award in 1960. The title of the article hints what it suggests, a short-sighted approach to marketing. Levitt, whom has witnessed the rise of three industries: petroleum, automobiles and electronics, analyzes and comments on businesses’ failures, partly due to a misguided focus. Business, in essence is to establish an entity in which profitRead MoreAnalysis Of Theodore Levitts Marketing Myopia 1341 Words   |  6 PagesIn Theodore Levitt’s article â€Å"Marketing Myopia†, he defines that marketing should focus on customer oriented instead of product oriented. He had introduced a famous question, â€Å"What business are you really in?† Many times, people misidentify the industry they are in. For example, Levitt uses the examples of railroad business, Hollywood, oil company, and many other examples to teach us that oriented management can keep a growth industry growing. Although â€Å"product orientation is unquestioned† for manyRead MoreAnalysis Of Theodore Levitt s Marketing Myopia744 Words   |  3 PagesTheodore Levitt s original 1960 Harvard Business Review in 1960 Marketing Myopia addressed shortsighted in management, industry is a customer satisfying business and not a goods producing business (Levitte, 1960). The core meaning behind Levitt s Marketing Myopia is Levitt (2008), Every major industry was once a growth industry. But some that are now riding a wave of growth enthusiasm are very much in the shadow of decline. Others that are thought of as seasoned growth industries have

The 2nd Amendment Free Essays

Most people would link violence and crime problems with gun control in America. The debate that Americans face today is the freedom the Second Amendment gives citizens and whether or not the country should repeal it. While some people feel that repealing it should solve the problem, others believe that it is one of the most important basic freedoms we have as Americans. We will write a custom essay sample on The 2nd Amendment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Federal gun control laws are unconstitutional, and I believe the Second Amendment is both an individual and state right.The second amendment states: â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed† (The United States Constitution). Most gun control supporters will claim that this was written during a time when militias were needed during the war with the British and that we now have the U. S. Military to protect us. These people who fight against the Second Amendment do not understand that we will always have enemies.When a citizen is attacked or robbed, the first reaction is to call the police. Why, because police officers have guns! According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, there are only 1. 8 full time police officers to protect 25,000 to 49,000 citizens (â€Å"Police Officers to Population Ration†2010). It seems almost impossible for one or two police officers to protect that many citizens, and I personally would rather use my right to protect myself until a police officer arrives. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that â€Å"John Locke (b. 632, d. 1704) was a British philosopher†, he was very successful in government and much of our country was built around his ideas. He believed that a free person should be allowed to protect himself and his property. If the Second Amendment is repealed then this would take away our basic human rights that our country was founded upon. I believe most people that support gun control do not understand why we need to protect ourselves, law enforcement officials are only able to react if they witness a crime or a citizen informs them of a crime being committed.The National Rifle Association is an interest group that supports our right to bear arms. They have been around for over a century and continue to lobby in Congress to help protect our Second Amendment. They currently have 4. 3 million members that support the Second Amendment and other groups that educate citizens on gun safety. This group has made a tremendous difference on how our government and society views gun control and is probably the biggest reason we still have our right to bear arms. (www. nraila. org) The majority of gun crimes are committed with handguns and assault riffles. Assault riffles should be banned from retail all together, and there should be a more detailed process when purchasing handguns. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires purchasers to complete a background check and a five day waiting period before they are allowed to purchase a gun. This seems to help so that we aren’t putting guns into criminal’s hands straight from the store, but it is not an overall solution. (www. nraila. org) The supporters of gun control want our government to eliminate the sales of guns to the public. This will make a tremendous difference as far as gun crimes are concerned. Kids and teenagers would no longer be exposed to guns inside the households and this will prevent these kids and teens from making bad uneducated decisions. As long as the Second Amendment is still in effect, there are other things I believe that gun control groups could place more focus on to help teens in an effort to stop gun violence. I grew up in a family of hunters, I began shooting hunting rifles at age seven, and I have never committed any sort of crime. I was educated at a very young age on how to handle a gun and the dangers that could come from it.Most kids today were not raised like I was and this where parents and mentors can make a difference. More steps should be taken to educate kids at an early age before they are influenced by things such as television, movies, and the inappropriate music. (www. med. umich. edu) Today’s popular culture is one of the reasons we have seen violence rates rise. Parents and guardians have come to rely on television and video games to entertain there children. They are unaware of the types of games kids play, and the types of people there kids are hanging out with.When my dad was a kid in the 1950s, he said that disputes between kids were handled by fighting, and that guns and other means of violence were considered unfair and unmanly. What happened to these times? Crimes and robberies will continue to happen even if we eliminate our right to bear arms. The black market will always be around and criminals will stop at nothing to get what they want. I believe that we can prevent much of this by creating more community watch groups, understanding and educating our communities on the effects of violence, and enforcing stricter laws for purchasing and carrying handguns.As humans we need to protect ourselves, and many of us still rely on hunting rifles to feed our families. If you take that away, then we are defenseless and can no longer consider this a free country to live in. In today’s scary world, criminals go to extreme measures to hurt others, these people will find new ways if we took guns from there hands. I feel like I would not be able to protect my wife and two year old daughter if someone approached me with a gun, this is something that every man should be able to do.I know if my right to bear arms was taken from me, it would hard for me to give up my guns that I use for hunting and protection. It is easy to look at the bad things that can come from owning a gun instead of the good things. People today get so one track minded and do not understand that there is history, sportsmanship, beauty, and pride in owning a gun. Let’s put focus as individuals and groups towards fighting crime instead of fighting guns and I believe that our country will then see a difference. Remember, it’s not the gun that kills people, it is the person who pulls the trigger. How to cite The 2nd Amendment, Papers

Types of Employees-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss the Pros and Cons of Increasing Casual and Contract Employees versus Permanent Employees. Answer: Introduction: This assessment is based on the employment process. This includes certain terms like casual employees, contract employees and permanent employees. There has been a discussion upon the advantages and disadvantages of these terms. Casual employee: Casual employees are those kinds of workers that are irregular in nature (Correa?Velez, Barnett and Gifford 2015). There are some disadvantages that a casual employee has to face in the working sector. They are as follows: The casual workers do not get any benefit regarding holiday pay or sick pay. There is no guarantee regarding the job terms of the casual employees. On the other hand they got certain benefits, like they are entitled to get 25% extra loading benefit. They are eligible to get workers compensation. They are protected by anti-discrimination laws. Sometimes, the casual employees are also get service if they are constant during working hours. Contract employee: These employees are appointed for some particular task and the task is based on some contracts. There are two types of contract employees- independent contractor and sub-contractor. The advantages are that the contractors are apply their own method in working place. They can have the option to delegate their power to others with a view to achieve their tasks. Permanent employee: The permanent employees are those who enjoy their post on permanent basis. The payment of the permanent employees is regulated by the provision of Fair Work Act, 2009 (Aitken 2014). Advantages of permanent employees are they are enjoying the ordinary working hours that are based on the National Employment Standards. They are entitled to get leaves like annual leave, personal leave, and parental leave along with other benefits. References: Aitken, P., 2014. Equal Remuneration Under the Fair Work Act 2009. Correa?Velez, I., Barnett, A.G. and Gifford, S., 2015. Working for a better life: Longitudinal evidence on the predictors of employment among recently arrived refugee migrant men living in Australia. International Migration, 53(2), pp.321-337

Oxygen Essays - Chemical Elements, Industrial Gases,

Oxygen Oxygen is one of the 92 known elements. An element is a substance that cannot be decomposed into a simpler substance by any simple means. Each of the 92 naturally occurring elements are therefore one of the fundamental materials from which everything in the Universe is made. The History of Oxygen On August 1,1774, Joseph Priestley examined the effect of intense heat on mercuric oxide. He noted that an air or gas was readily expelled from the specimen. To his surprise a candle burned in this with a remarkably vigorous flame. He called this new substance dephlogisticated air, in terms of the current chemical theory of combustion. On a visit to Paris in 1775 he related his discovery directly to Antoine Lavoisier. Immediately Lavoisier checked the results by accurate experiments and found that Priestley's dephlogisticated air actually combined with metals and other substances. Since some of the compounds he formed produced acids he regarded the dephlogisticated air as a acidifying principle and called it oxygen, derived from the Greek words for ?sour? and ?I Produce?. From his experiments Lavoisier recognized that air was composed of two main constituents: vital air or oxygen and azote (Greek for lifeless-now called nitrogen) which would not support life or combustion. From these facts Lavoisier developed the modern theory of combustion, and thus laid the foundation of modern chemistry. Forms of Oxygen Oxygen comes in a variety of forms. One of the more deadly forms of Oxygen is Ozone, O3. Ozone (O3), named for the Greek word for smell, is a poisonous, colorless and tasteless gas with a distinctive strong smell. Molecules of ozone are probably the source of the smell that can be detected close to working electrical equipment such as motors and TVs. If a vehicle with a catalytic converter is started cold, ozone can be detected in the exhaust fumes. Most ozone is found high in the atmosphere in a region of the stratosphere called the ozone layer. Here ozone performs a vital life-protecting role, absorbing the ultraviolet rays of the sun that would be harmful to both plant and animal life. Ozone is usually prepared by passing a silent electric discharge through oxygen. Because of its powerful oxidizing properties ozone is widely used for sterilizing water and for air purification. It also is applied in organic chemistry in ozonolysis, which is the reaction of ozone with unsaturated compounds such as the hydrocarbon ethylene. Oxides are a large and important class of chemical compounds in which oxygen is combined with another element. Nearly all the elements form oxides, which vary in properties according to their composition. Metal oxides are crystalline solids that contain a metal cation and the oxide anion, O-2. They typically react with water to form bases or with acids to form salts. Calcium oxide (CaO), for example, reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH2)], a strong base, and with hydrochloric acid to form calcium carbonate (CaCl2), a salt. Nonmetals oxides are volatile compounds in which the oxygen atoms are linked covalently to the nonmetal atom. They react with water to form acids or with bases to form salts. Thus, sulfur trioxide (SO3) reacts with water to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4), a strong acid, and with sodium hydroxide to form sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), a salt. Amphoteric oxides contain oxygen along with cations such as aluminum, tin, or zinc; they may combine with either acids or bases to form salts. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3), for example, reacts with hydrochloric acid to form aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and with sodium hydroxide to form Sodium Aluminate (NaAlO2). Certain organic compounds react with oxygen or other oxidizing agents to produce substances called oxides. Thus, amines, phosphines, and sulfides form amine oxides, phosphine oxides, and sulfoxides, respectively, in which the oxygen atom is covalently bonded to the nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur atom. The so-called olefin oxides are cyclic ethers. Another place where oxygen is found is the atmosphere. The Atmosphere surrounding the earth is a mechanical mixture of gases. The most important of these gases are oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. The relative proportions of these gases in the atmosphere are found to be remarkably constant. Oxygen is essential to life. It is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and slightly heavier than air. The

Free Essays on Iphigenia

Iphigenia was the eldest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. When in Aulis, Agememnon killed a stag in a grove sacred to Artemis. Angered, Artemis stopped the winds so that the Greek fleet could not sail to Troy. The only way the Greek fleet would sail was if Iphigenia was sacrificed. Agamemnon at first adamantly refused, but, under pressure, Agamemnon slowly gave in and he agreed to the sacrifice. Agamemnon told Clytemnestra and Iphigenia that the great Achilles wished to marry Iphigenia. Upon hearing this news, Clytemnestra immediately brought Iphigenia to Aulis where she was to be wed. Little did they know, Agamemnon was lying to them about the wedding and the true reason he brought her to Aulis was to sacrifice her for what he had done. Soon after her death, the Greeks set of to Troy to fight the Trojans. She was the first person to have her life flipped upside down because of the Trojan War and it was her death which allowed the Greek fleet to set sail for Troy. When Agamemn on returned from the war, Clytemnestra killed him for lying and tricking her and Iphigenia.... Free Essays on Iphigenia Free Essays on Iphigenia Iphigenia was the eldest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. When in Aulis, Agememnon killed a stag in a grove sacred to Artemis. Angered, Artemis stopped the winds so that the Greek fleet could not sail to Troy. The only way the Greek fleet would sail was if Iphigenia was sacrificed. Agamemnon at first adamantly refused, but, under pressure, Agamemnon slowly gave in and he agreed to the sacrifice. Agamemnon told Clytemnestra and Iphigenia that the great Achilles wished to marry Iphigenia. Upon hearing this news, Clytemnestra immediately brought Iphigenia to Aulis where she was to be wed. Little did they know, Agamemnon was lying to them about the wedding and the true reason he brought her to Aulis was to sacrifice her for what he had done. Soon after her death, the Greeks set of to Troy to fight the Trojans. She was the first person to have her life flipped upside down because of the Trojan War and it was her death which allowed the Greek fleet to set sail for Troy. When Agamemn on returned from the war, Clytemnestra killed him for lying and tricking her and Iphigenia....

Use of Technology and Social Media in Preaching Assignment

Use of Technology and Social Media in Preaching - Assignment Example Use of Technology and Social Media in Preaching Preachers and listeners hold and express doctrines of the Spirit with huge disparities. However, the absence of the power of God reduces the delivery of the sermon to a sad repeat. Preaching is also description and address. In a properly understood narration, the story of Jesus must carry and express word of address to listeners. Preaching is done intentionally to he listeners and as such the indicative mood carries the importance in its bosom. Likewise, speaking that takes to the hearers but does not possess content of faith is not preaching. Finally preaching is both private and public. It is private in the sense that the process of preparation creates a strong sense of ownership to the preacher (Johnston 2011, 108). In his book, Giving Blood, The Art and Craft of Interactive Preaching, Leonard Sweet’s fundamental questions addresses the kind of communication style best reverberates in a social and technological world. This social world is depicted by platforms of Twitter, G oogle, ipads/phones and Facebook best abbreviated as TGiF. Sweet takes a thorough analysis and tries to find out whether this communication mode is deductive, inductive, and abductive or is just something else. For instance, Twitter handle offers an avenue for better discipleship and offers a platform for ministry. Important to note about twitter is the categorical principle of followership because it fundamentally involves who you are following and who your followers are. This social platform is a constant reminder that every happening does not entirely depend on leadership but rather on followership. Followership involves two orientations namely: who am I following and who is following me. Just like apostle Paul said, â€Å"Follow me as I follow Christ†, twitter provides an avenue where one constantly reframes himself. This reframing is especially geared towards conforming to acts performed by Jesus including being gracious, forgiving, loving and acting as a discipler who h elps his flock (Sweet 2008, 157). Social platforms offer great quotes that have an impact on a multitude of crowds. An analogy is depicted that if one is unable to say a statement in everyday’s words, then probably he or she does not comprehend it. As such, the platforms provide unique channels where one is able to eloquently state the message that reaches out. The gospel is expressed with immediacy and terseness on a number of teachings that Christ advocated or. Social network sites basically involve the simple stuff every common human being is able to connect with even at personal levels. Social media offers a common ground for global undertakings throughout the world and even in churches and parishes across the world. Through the social media, questions on whether the listeners or partakers of the message connect with the global community are addressed. Additionally, under common global concern, the listeners of the messages are encouraged to act as mirrors to others and l ead by example. It is also through the social sites that a preacher may find social solitude. By this a preacher is shut off his undertakings while simultaneously giving back to the society without hiding. Therefore, Sweet advocates for the use of social media in preaching and this is in tandem with the above mentioned reasons (Sweet 2008, 136). Another great piece of work by Leonard Sweet is the book Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival by Leonard Sweet. This book equally plays a fundamental role in addressing the role

The ground truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The ground truth - Essay Example military and what they experience when posted in Iraq. Most of their concentration is about their experiences beforehand, during the time they were there, and what they had to deal with afterwards. These regular men as well as women go through vigorous and intense training to ensure that they are fit for the battle ahead. Some ideas such as desensitization and depersonalization come up during their interviews that were part of the training. Their experience in Iraq opened them up to a whole new world as they struggled to stay alive, keep trust between each other, guard themselves against enemies in an alien land and at the back of their heads, maintain the idea that they have their families back at home waiting for their return. The dreadful war in Iraq, portrayed with brutal honesty in the movie, is a run-up for the yet more thought-provoking battles that soldiers go through after they return from their missions. As these skirmishes developed, every soldier turned out to be a special type of protagonist and hero in his or her own way, witnessing the bloody massacres of the war, covering for each other and backing the other veterans. This gave them courage and the opportunity to not only fight with the gun, but also practicing to bravely apply the most dominant weapon in all battles, the truth. In the movie, the adversities of battle, the reality that life is short and can be ended within a nick of time. The return to their motherland is the most crucial part of the movie because the soldiers develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as they experience both emotional and psychological torture that they have to grapple with to return to their normal lives. Most soldiers come back home with physical injuries, mainly from bullet wounds and explosions but they feel that the battle is not over for them as their lives have taken a twisted turn in the name of being patriotic. Just one vital factor could

Investigation of Water Scarcity in Singapore

Investigation of Water Scarcity in Singapore Wong Shuang Qi (Kiki) This study is going to take a close look at the current situation of the fresh water scarcity in Singapore and the governments enforcement on the potential solutions, like desalination or NEwater. The best option to the chronic water issue for increasing or decreasing the water demand and supply would be discussed in this topic and a proposed solution that suggested for the water problem in Singapore is a new technology called NEwater would be mentioned in conclusion. The hypothesis of the entire report is doing the decline of water demand and the climb of water supply at the same time. 1.0 Introduction This scientific research is on the purpose of giving suggestion and solutions on the fresh water scarcity in Singapore. Apparently Singapore is lack of fresh water for the 4 million populations in total, since this country is a small island without any river, there are 14 artificial reservoirs, though.(Christine Lee, Sim Hwee Huang and Chang Chew Hung, 2003) In recent years, Singapore always devotes themselves to improve the technique of NE water, which is a strategy for manufacturing new water. Dragonfly lake is existed for the government official vision of city in the garden. This Gardens lake system is important for integrating ecological processes and function as a living system and capturing the water runoff within the gardens. (Aeration Industries International, 2015) Therefore, both increasing the water supply and decreasing the demand of fresh water is supposed to be the best option of solution to this problem. 2.0 Methodology Choosing the particular country as a respondent for this research is the first step to do. The country with water scarcity problems is the reason of Singapore is chosen. Research on the Singapores fresh water issues and understanding the current situation would be the initial mission that has to complete. After dealing with deciding the best solution, the other information such as where Singapore get their water supply, how they take action to decrease the demand of fresh water and what the governments enforcements are. Majorities of my research were done on the Internet and websites that are selected for this scientific research would more likely to be those with .gov or .edu, which represent academic websites with high reputations. Investigating the different solutions in the same number of websites and from different experts was considered to make sure the fairness of this topic. 3.0 Findings The key fresh water issues in Singapore are known as limited areas for water storage and long-term security of water. Currently, Singapore is concentrated on finding approaches for water supply. Malaysia is the biggest supplier of water supply for 40% to Singapore. (UKessays, 2015)Desalination is an important and potential strategy to expand the availability of water sources, which used to dissolve the salinity of the sea water in order to drink, and it can help to solve the problem because Singapore is a country surrounded by sea. However there are still many factors and effects should be considered seriously such as the first desalination plant was instituted at the cost of S$200 million in 1995, which is really a huge amount of money. NEwater is a three-stage process that built for producing better quality of water from wastewater in order to increase water supply controlled by an organization called Public Utilities Board (PUB). Singapore government also encourages private enterp rises to save water and establish more water-saved plants by factories to deal with the security of water.(Cercilia Tortajada, 2007) There are two figures under that include the statistic which fluctuates after the tariffs of water become more expensive.    Table1, Average Monthly Consumption and Bill of All Taxes       Reference: https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/Ethos/Issue%202%20Apr%202007/Pages/Water-Management-in-Singapore.aspx It is a table which shows the average monthly consumption of household and it has slightly decreased from 1995 to 2004. The monthly bill of all taxes is dropped a bit as well. Figure 1, Domestic Water Consumption Reference: https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/Ethos/Issue%202%20Apr%202007/Pages/Water-Management-in-Singapore.aspx The figure above shows the statistic of water consumption from 1995 to 2005 in Singapore. Obviously, the numbers have a stable decline as the price of water has increased, which means the enforcement of water recycle is successfully worked because people dont want to or cannot afford the expensive tariffs of water. 4.0 Discussion According to the findings, Singapore has put their efforts on both increasing the water supply and decreasing the demand of fresh water. If only spend time on one side, it will probably fluctuate the entire economy of the country. In addition, water problem is a chronic existence that occurred from the past to the future. Water supply and demand decreased will definitely be considered as the direction of solution consequently. The whole country all worries about the long-term protection of water. Therefore, they excessively focus on increase water availability, enhance water quality management, and lower the production and management price. Water supply from Malaysia is good but actually it is unreliable and not suitable to be a long-term plan if Malaysia doesnt have sufficient water to use one day. Even though both of NEwater and desalination are based on complex technology and cost much money, NEwater has the advantage of constant existence and improving the quality of water by rem oving the bacteria undoubtedly and desalination has several external factors that may influence its quality and safety. Moreover, if the government keeps making the tariff higher, it will definitely lose many of the consumers and affect the economy badly. As a result, NEwater will be supposed to be the proposed solution to the water scarcity problem.(Cercilia Tortajada, 2007) 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations The NEwater is successfully worked for improving the quality of drinking water since 2000, and the expert panel also tested its safety in 2002. It can be easily found in the statistic of the treated wastewater amount from 2002 to 2004, which rose up from 1.315 to 1.369 million cubic meters per day.(Cercilia Tortajada, 2007) For the further study on this proposed solution, some other data such as how long the NEwater takes to make 1- cubic- meter water, where the wastewater is from, whether the water will generate some health problems and whether this process will create pollution to the environment can be suggested to support the feasibility of this solution. A limitation that occurred during the research is one of the articles was actually submitted by a student instead of a professional expert. Overall, the future plan of water management in the next couple years in Singapore is a suggested point that used for the further research to understand this topic clearly. References Cecilia Tortajada (2007), Water Management in Singapore, Civil Service College [online]. Available from: https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/Ethos/Issue%202%20Apr%202007/Pages/Water-Management-in-Singapore.aspx [Accessed 13th September 2016] Dealing with Water Scarcity in Singapore: Institutions, Strategies, and Enforcement (2006), Site Resources [online]. Available from: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEAPREGTOPENVIRONMENT/Resources/WRM_Singapore_experience_EN.pdf [Accessed 13th September 2016] https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-sciences/the-issues-of-fresh-water-in-singapore-environmental-sciences-essay.php [Accessed 13th September 2016] Christine Lee, Sim Hwee Huang Chang Chew Hung (2003), Water In Singapore, HSSE [online]. Available from: http://www.hsse.nie.edu.sg/webquest/SSCC/water/water%20index.htm Singapore Gardens an Environmental Sustainability Showcase (2016), Aeration Industries International [online]. Available from:   http://www.aireo2.com/case-studies/singapore-gardens-an-environmental-sustainability-showcase/ Reference from: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEAPREGTOPENVIRONMENT/Resources/WRM_Singapore_experience_EN.pdf

Play It as It Lays

The Victim And The Oppressors Play it as it lays, a novel written by Joan Didion is a great example of how life can overwhelm someone’s emotions. It is a story about an amateur actress whose life has had emotional changing experiences since she was young. Play it as it lays takes us on a journey with this young woman and her incapacitated life. The main character, Maria, finds herself aimlessly engaging in activities reluctantly due to the lack of control she has over her life. Maria’s family is one aspect of life she is detached from. Maria is separated from her husband Carter Lang. Together; they have one child named Kate. The fact that Maria and Carter are separated seems to evoke feelings of helplessness for Maria. She is left alone and resorts to memories for comfort. Feelings of vulnerability and constraint seem to be a reoccurring theme in her life. Maria has no control over Kate. Due to medical conditions from birth, Kate must be under constant medical supervision. Living under medical supervision is what is normal for Kate. As a result, Maria is left feeling dismal because there is nothing she can physically do to help her daughter. Maria has a sense of being in control when she drives the freeways. Maria drives the freeways everyday in the summer, with no intention of arriving anywhere. She can speed up or slow down as she likes and travel any direction she wants. Unless she is driving on the freeway by ten, Maria’s rhythm of the day will be thrown off. One day when she drives past her usual turning point, Maria drives too far and she is thrown of her normal schedule. On the way back from her drive, Maria encounters darkness and traffic. This is uncomfortable for Maria because she cannot drive as she wants and in turn loses her freedom. After that day she stops driving the freeway unless she needs it to get somewhere. The people involved in Maria’s social life control and deceit her. Maria is easily coerced in to situations. A major example is when a producer named BZ tells Maria he will take her to a party. Although Maria shows signs of hesitance, BZ uses ridicule to make her feel uncomfortable and reply with only, â€Å"I’ll see you at seven-thirty. † (Didion 16) In this situation, Maria is mocked directly and she does nothing to defend herself. Another leading example of oppression is when Carter tells Maria to get an abortion if she wants to keep Kate. Maria subjects her body to dangerous surgery performed by someone she does not know personally because of an ultimatum with Carter. Throughout this whole process Maria is the least in control of her own body. After being insulted, traumatized, and kept distant from her daughter we find Maria is the victim of oppressors in her life. Do you believe she is responsible for what happens to her? Maria’s passive attitude about life effectively leaves her not living energized. So she idly moves though tasks and commands from her family and friends. Work Cited Didion, Joan. Play It As It Lays. New York: Farrar, Staus, Giroux, 2005. Print

Ethical Theories in Business Environment

The Energy Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing to the community. Our organization is made of 400,000 members as I am a part of the board of directors. One of the directors has asked to address himself as a director of the Energy Corporation to personal potential clients. I have been asked to review this matter. Before giving the rest of the board a review I shall look into the perspectives of philosopher's theories on ethics.The first philosopher I will bring up is Emmanuel Kant. Kant was one of the most influential philosophers of western philosophy. In Cant's perspective, the sole feature that gives an action moral value is not the outcome that is attained by the act, but the cause that is behind the action. So in this case if the director is trying to make himself seem important or his actions benefit him more then the company then Kant wouldn't agree with this decision. His actions should be pure and for the best interest of everyone.When thinking abou t this situation we can discuss Practical Imperative. â€Å"Act to treat humanity, whether yourself or another, as an end-in-itself and never as a means. (Kant). Individuals or groups of people are not to be used unjustifiably in demand to acquire your goals or pursue an edge or unfair benefits. People have rights that shouldn't be violated. In other words Kant would ask, â€Å"Do my actions respect the goals of human beings rather than Just using them for my own purposes? † If not then it's not prohibited. Simply that using others for ones benefit is wrong.If the action is what is seems to be, then Kant would identify it as Hypothetical Imperative. The goal is not based on pure reason but based on desire. For example if someone wants to confident in a class hen they have to study hard. If this director wants to address himself as a director he has to earn that privilege. I believe that Kant would approve this action only if the action was not for the director's benefit in a ny way which seems difficult. A person with a different view will give his perspective on the situation and his view on ethics, this man is John Stuart Mill.John Stuart Mill was the most well-known and influential British moral philosopher of the nineteenth century. Mill concentrates on consequences of actions and not on rights or ethical opinions. Mill is known for his ethical theory of Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is explained by examining the outcomes of actions and comparing those decisions with what would have occurred if some other action had been performed. Mill believes that the measures of an action can evaluate agents not the act that is committed. Mill focuses on the Principle of Utility.Principle of Utility is defined as an action that can be allowable if and only if the consequences of that act are at least as moral as those of any other action existing to that agent. So relating this to the situation the director hasn't done any wrong because he may have the same goa ls as us. According to Mill if no other actions or decisions can be made then there is nothing wrong with the director's request. Mill states that everyone's happiness is taken into account, and given equal weight (SIS). Mill's theory describes that happiness is to be spread amongst many people.It seems that Mill is describing that when someone is making a decision that the decision should bring happiness and if it does then it is right. He believes there is no limitation on consequences. All of the happiness and unhappiness must be taken account in an action no matter how timely it can be. After listening and eating about Mill I believe that he would let the director have his way. For that reason I believe he wouldn't mind because he would think that his decision wouldn't cause unhappiness to others. After all, the director is helping the organization in the long run.We all have the same goals and are trying to achieve the same things. Thought we can't predict the consequences of e verything this seems to have minor unhappiness. A decision in this situation needs some moral reasoning. The perfect person for that is Lawrence Goldberg. Lawrence Goldberg born in the state of New York was known for his contribution to the stages of moral reasoning. The stages of moral reasoning consist of 3 levels which are Pre-conventional, Conventional, and Post-conventional. His studies suggest that overtime everyone progresses with their moral reasoning.Though people cannot Jump stages overtime they make their way to the later stages. So according to the studies from Goldberg adults should have a better grasp on moral reasoning. The theories show that adults have gone though some stages and should be able to make better decisions. The level Goldberg believes that society is in is second conventional stages. The first level is an attitude seeking to be approved by others. The second stage is one focused on abiding by the law and responding to the obligations of duty. So thinkin g about all of this in the current situation makes us think critically.If according to Goldberg we abide to our duties then requesting permission address oneself as the director of the organization is connecting to the duties. Goldberg would use his moral reasoning to understand the perspective of everything and find the good in the situation at hand. â€Å"At this level, the individual perceives the maintenance of the expectations of his family, group, or nation as valuable in its own right, regardless of immediate and obvious consequences† (Goldberg). Goldberg would believe that the decisions of each individual member of the board are for the best interest of the organization.Goldberg would allow the director to continue with his request because if the director is in a part of the chart of moral reasoning then his actions must be in the best interests of others. â€Å"Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual rights and standards that have been critic ally examined and agreed upon by the whole society' (Goldberg). When we make decisions we want to make sure there is a Justice behind them. Maybe applying the Justice theory can help understand the situation. John Rails theory of Justice revolves around two fundamental principles.The first principle promises the right of each person to have the most general basic right agreed with the liberty of others. The second principle states that social and economic positions are to be to everyone's advantage and open to all. The Justice Theory focuses on what it sounds which is not to treat others unfair, the individual rights of others come before cooperate needs. Rails would say that we are in the Original Position. In this Original Position we are self-interested cantonal people that are motivated to select in a knowledgeable and progressive way for whatever seems beneficial for ourselves.Leading to the Difference Principle which is described as â€Å"Social and economic inequalities shou ld be arranged so that they are both, to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged persons, and attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of equality of opportunity'(Rails). The Difference Principle means that society may start projects that require giving curtain people more power. Though this can only happen if two conditions are met. The first Ewing that the project has to improve the lives for the people who are now worst off.For example raising the standards to live so the less advantaged are better off. Second, access to the advantaged positions is not blocked by discrimination according to immaterial standards. So after discussing the Justice Theory it seems that in certain situations giving power to others is appropriate. In doing this everyone else's rights are not being taken away. In the long run the decision to let the director to continue with his request will indeed benefit the organization in the end. It is in this certain situation that all of the conditions are met. Justice is happiness according to virtue† (Rails).Justice will bring happiness to others and everyone around it. As human beings we all have rights. Rights to life, a right to choose, a right to vote, to work, to be free. Rights are entitlements in which we can perform certain actions. Talking about this is all leading to the Rights Theory. We are all people and we have rights. If others affect our rights then things are unethical and can be illegal. â€Å"Rights structure the form of governments, the content of laws, and the shape of morality as it is currently perceived† (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2014).In accepting our rights we accept our freedoms. Having a right is the ability to determine what others may and or may not do and to exercise authority over certain aspects of situations. The use of authority can be exercised as long as no rights are being violated. Maybe the director is using his authority in his request in speaking with the personal potential client? The director has a right to make his request from his position. No one can take away that right from him. If his request does impact the rights of another person then the request is not allowed and is unethical.Everyone has rights and so does the organization. A person who says to another ‘l have a right to do it' is not saying that it is not wrong to do it. He is claiming that the other has a duty not to interfere† (Razz, 1994). I feel this quote can open doors to the situation. It says that you may have the right to do something which is k but can confuse if the act is wrongful to others. The director does have a right to say he is a director of the organization because he is a human being and its part of his natural rights as a person of the company. Yes it is his right but is it ethically right?It only takes one person to make something ethically or morally wrong. If none of the other directors in the organization have a problem wi th the situation then it can be considered ethically acceptable. All of these theories have a lot of ideas and beliefs. I believe after reading about all of the theories about ethics and moral reasoning it gives insight and enlightenment on many situations in the business community. It is easy to make a quick decision and settle with it. As fast as the decision may be it could be making a mistake even faster. All of these theories force different perspectives.Kant would approve this action only if the action was not for the director's benefit in any ay which could seem difficult. It's one thing if it was a regular business but the fact that the organization is non-profit changes things. It changes people's perspective about the business. Non-profit does what's best for the community. I believe Kant would approve of the request. I believe Mill wouldn't mind this request because he would think that his decision wouldn't cause unhappiness to others. If it did cause any it isn't enough to outweigh the good from it. The directors' request will help the organization in the long run.Goldberg would believe in moral reasoning to guide the road of directors to make the right decisions for the organization. The Justice Theory would allow the request because sometimes it allows an individual power for the greater good. Finally though the Rights Theory everything would be allowed as long as no rights are violated. So after all of the theories I hope that all of you can follow my ideas. I find that the request is for the best of the organization. Ethically the cause behind the request outweighs the bad. We are a non-profit organization and we are made of many people and that is hard to miss.We all have the same goals and ideas or bettering the community. This response describes to everyone why the request should be allowed.