Value Judgment and Consumerism: Evaluating American Consumer Culture

This article contends that American buyer culture is to a great extent driven by the financial, social and mental scene of utilization which obscures the differentiation among necessities and needs of American shoppers. Estimations of merchandise and items are in this manner decided based on how they fulfill individual needs rather than the inherent estimation of the items or administrations. In any case, while this is the situation, American purchasers have gotten all the more requesting and specific with items and services.The incongruity shows that Americans are driven by a consumerist culture; utilization and worth judgment are made dependent on the individual and stylish estimation of items yet rivalry is making buyers progressively proficient in picking their items. American Culture of Consumption in American culture has been viewed as a way of life and a lifestyle the defense of which is fuelled by an item culture that exudes from the plenitude underway and from a sociological perspective, an approach to recognize and make securities with one another (Friedman, 2).Consequently, it isn't just the monetary and sociological worth that decides how Americans esteems products and ventures to an enormous degree, the mental effect of utilization especially the passionate satisfaction which has been praised and incorporated in mainstream society drives the estimation of merchandise and enterprises paying little mind to their actual importance to the American consumer.Significantly, American buyer culture lays on the rule that individuals work since they need to have the material things that they think they need-things that their group of friends has or even individuals in broad communications. To a huge degree, American purchaser culture is fuelled by huge organizations which look to make industrialism of each American a pattern as opposed to a quest for better worth. Essentially, this rushes the capacity of American customers to adhere to a meaningful boundary b etween what is required and what is needed subsequently, making mixed up valuation of items and services.First, industrialism in American culture is generally determined by broad communications which to a great extent directs the estimation of items and administrations. Consumers’ faith in the estimation of an item is a build that is driven by organizations trying to achieve gainfulness with the guide of broad communications, organizations benefit from esteem creation customers are made to need an item and are made to require them in any case in the event that they truly need the item or administration (Plaster and Alderman, 2).The control of organizations on the view of the shoppers on the estimation of the item and administrations thus modifies the mental and social acknowledgment of an item the more well known an item is, the higher the worth it has as per the general public. Accordingly, mainstream society turns out to be in excess of an individual build yet rather, it tu rns into a social develop to which valuation of items and administrations are produced in the media and devoured by the American open. For example, the I-unit by Apple is presently considered by any American youth to be a necessity.This isn't the situation for nations in Africa and to a few nations in Asia. In any case, because of the huge impact of broad communications, claiming an I-case is presently considered as a need as opposed to being an extravagant item. This is on the grounds that American mainstream society has acknowledged and grasped the pattern along these lines, advancing into the way of life of the individuals. Basically, the estimation of an I-case or an item so far as that is concerned gets unmistakable. This is whether or not it is expected to survive.Second, failure of American purchasers to esteem items dependent on its natural benefits radiates from the realist fuelled society. Basically, American shopper culture rose up out of the relationship of realism with that of the family, sexuality and the individual-real factors that have given the pith of presence and so as to be members inside the American culture (Agnew, 4). The relationship of economic wellbeing and significance has been identified with industrialism the more one expends, the higher the social standing one attains.Thus, the conviction of shoppers that getting or purchasing the most costly brands would improve their social standing is again fuelled by the business condition and broad communications. Because of cultural weight which can emerge out of the family and one’s group of friends, American buyers become defenseless to the making of requirements and all the while, ignoring their own observation or valuation of an item. For example, while standard society esteems moderate items, the need to get the most recent models and the best brands drives rivalry to make brand names that goes before their reputation.This is the motivation behind why surplus merchandise are cop ious and 12 PM deals are visit. The voracious drive to get the new items that neighbors or family members have additionally obscured the exact valuation on the genuine estimation of the item. Be that as it may, while standard American customers ignores the inherent estimation of the item they are buying, another gathering of American buyers have risen lately the individuals who have been pushing moral and practical consumption.Valuing an item or administration as per Cohen, Comroy and Hoffner (67) requires the thought of moral utilization when causing normal buys so as to diminish the abuse of the earth and the regular assets just as the unpredictable utilization of modest works to deliver moderate and quality products. This surge of consumers’ advocates for the cautiousness and strengthening of the American open in picking the items or administrations those are essential and major to survival.While this still can't seem to get a lot of help in the general public, this develo pment is bit by bit taking ground. At long last, with the approach of web and innovative insurgencies, industrialism in American culture is additionally increased. The simpler access to items and merchandise as a rule, without taking a gander at the items further reduces the capacity of purchasers to make an exact valuation of the items. End Essentially, American culture esteems industrialism and realism and all the while, the differentiation between customer needs and buyer needs have become indistinct.To an impressive degree, the powerlessness to recognize the two has impelled the failure of most buyers to esteem items and administrations. Along these lines, while there are fragments of the general public that has restricted this kind of buyer culture, the dominating and standard American culture keeps on devouring and spend on items that they may know close to nothing or nothing about. Works Cited Cohen, Maurie, Comrov, Aaron and Hoffner, Brian. â€Å"The new governmental issues of utilization: Promoting maintainability in the American marketplace.† Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. 1, 1(2005): 58-76. Mortar, Gary and Alderman, Jerry. â€Å"Customer esteem creation: A stage for beneficial development. † Charter Consulting. 1 (2006): 1-7. Friedman, Monroe. â€Å"The customer culture research scene. † The Journal of American Culture. 30, 1(2007): 1-5. Agnew, J. C. ‘‘The Consuming Vision of Henry James. ’’ The Culture of Consumption. Eds. R. W. Fox and T. J. J. Lears. New York: antheon, 1983.

Godzilla Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Godzilla - Essay Example Its mark weapon is its nuclear breath that regurgitates a surge of radioactive shoot from his jaws whose shading looks like the shade of his dorsal blades. Godzilla can likewise transmit short-extend beat nuclear vitality from his body called the beat. The first Godzilla likewise has attractive capacity, which it utilizes against its metallic foes. Notwithstanding nuclear based forces, the first Godzilla is insusceptible to injury and can recuperate itself quick. Its skin is impenetrable to any military munititions stockpile weaponry making the beast for all intents and purposes indestructible or invulnerable. It is likewise land and/or water capable which can go to the profound of the seas just as meander the grounds to unleash devastation. Obviously, some portion of the tale of the film is the manner by which to wreck Godzilla. Godzilla’s powerlessness, in any case, is difficult to affirm and the source of its supposed shortcomings are not altogether clarified in its prior m ovies. There were cases where Godzilla showed shortcoming against high voltage of power yet in a similar vein, it likewise very unexpected that the beast is fortified when struck by a lightning. Conversely, Godzilla indicated that it freezes in chilling conditions yet it can just suspend the development of the beast. In one early film The Return of Godzilla, the beast demonstrated defenselessness to cadmium yet insufficient to murder the beast. In some previous renditions of Godzilla, for example, â€Å"Godzilla versus Space Godzilla, the chiefs clue that Godzilla has a defenseless spot under his armpit, that makes him vulnerable to assault. The illustration is that it is like a â€Å"Achilles Heel. This notwithstanding, didn't advance past this indication since it was not approved in the film that Godzilla kicked the bucket by a strike under its armpit. The new film has not demonstrated if Godzilla has another shortcoming or helplessness. Rather, news had it that there will be th ree beasts in the film and one of them is Godzilla. The new film of Godzilla will have multiple times the degree of trouble to kill on the grounds that there are currently three beasts. Not surprisingly, the beasts will unleash destruction in urban areas and assaulting the legislature with every one of its combat hardware. The first film additionally utilized live models that deliberate 50 to 100 meters. As of late, there is affirmed updates on another portion of Godzilla. The principal creation shot will be on March of 2013 and the film will be appeared on May 16, 2014. The film isn't yet appear yet there are now records of what new Godzilla will be. As indicated by the makers and makers of the new Godzilla, a fan will make the picture of Godzilla. Its unique maker Toho Co., Ltd. won't likewise produce it, rather by Legendary Pictures (Picard a). The new form will be in 3D contrasted with the two dimensional version of the first film. The first Godzilla utilized live models and the new Godzilla will rather utilize CGI (Computer Generated Image) to render the physical nearness the beast and its belongings. The setting will be in Vancouver, Canada and not in Tokyo like the first Godzilla rendition (Picard b). Furthermore, the new author of the film is Frank Darabont who can tidy up the first content composed by Max Borenstein. As to throwing, there is word that in Godzilla 2014 will cast Bryan Cranston (Argo, Total Recall, Get a Job) and

10 Skills Youll Need in the Job Market of Tomorrow

10 Skills Youll Need in the Job Market of Tomorrow 10 Skills Youll Need in the Job Market of Tomorrow 10 Skills Youll Need in the Job Market of TomorrowThe skills that make you a great employee today might be obsolete before you know it. Here are ten skills to help keep you employable well into the future!300 years ago, blacksmiths were pretty much set. No matter where you moved, there were always going to be horses that needed shoeing, pitchforks that needed mending, etc. Cut to today, and it’s pretty safe to say that blacksmithing is most charitably described as a “super-duper-niche” line of work.As the world changes and technology advances, the nature of work changes with it. The skills that people need to fill roles today could be completely different than the skills they’ll need for the jobs of tomorrow. With that in mind, we reached out to a wide array of experts to see what kind of skills today’s workers should be developing to thrive in tomorrow’s workplaces.Here’s what they had to say …1. Writing“Sure,” you’re thinking. “The people who write blogs all day just so happen to think that writing is an important skill!” And it’s true, we do think that! But it isn’t just because writing things is our job. Being able to explain things clearly and concisely on the page (or, more likely, on the screen) is already important. And it’s going to grow more important in the future.“Based on my experience, writing is becoming more and more of a valuable skill for almost every industry, said Clair Belmonte (@clairbelmonte), founder and CMO of Belmonte Marketing  , adding that it “astounds her how many people lack writing skills.“While communication may be seen as a soft skill,” she continued, “writing ability is becoming increasingly marketable as college students forgo a liberal arts education for more specialized degree programs. However, writing skills remain necessary in the workplace for effective project management, communications, and sales strategy.“As even more of our communication goes digital, it’s imperative tha t everyone on a teamâ€" from developers to designers to analysts and beyondâ€"have the necessary writing skills to communicate ideas effectively and sell the benefits of a product or project.”2. HealthcareTechnology has revolutionized healthcare in many of the same ways that it’s revolutionized, well, everything else. People are living longer than ever and previously untreatable diseases are becoming quite treatable, indeed.Still, there are many aspects of healthcare that require a human touch. And as a large portion of the U.S. population enters their golden years, healthcare-related skills are going to be in high demand.Timothy G. Wiedman, a retired professor of Management and Human Resources at Doane University (@DoaneUniversity) laid out the kinds of occupational areas in healthcare that will see strong future demand, ensuring a “lifetime” of employment opportunities:“Healthcare support occupations (including home health aides and Certified Nursing Assistants working i n institutional settings).  Given an aging U.S. population coupled with regular advances in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, increased life expectancy will require an increasing supply of healthcare workers.”“Healthcare practitioners and related technical occupations (including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical therapist assistants,  and imaging technicians). The same reasoning applies to these occupations as well.”3. Construction and maintenanceWiedman also named tradesman-type positions in the building and maintenance fields as ones that held promising futures and required specialized skills. He cited occupations including construction managers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists,  and masons.A growing population needs additional housing, so demand in the building trades will growâ€"especially as more and more baby-boomers retire from those jobs,” said Wiedman.“While robots continue to take over jobs in other types of production, they havent made a dent in on-site construction workâ€"and probably wont for a very long time!4. Creativity and creative technologyZach Weiner, CEO of Emerging Insider Communications (@emerginginsider), offered his thoughts on the importance of gaining expertise with creative technology, especially within the marketing field:“As nearly all major advertising and marketing platforms are becoming exceptionally robust and democratized to allow participants to target audiences with ease,” he said, “the next line of marketers will be living in a world where creative has once again become king and the core way for brands to differentiate their value.“This will mean a marketing workforce that understands how to use tomorrows technical tools to create, measure, analyze and integrate exceptional creative formats that can cut through the clutter.”Meanwhile, Creative Innovation Group  (@createforcash) CEO Julie Austin spoke to the prominent role  that creativity, in general, would play in future job markets dominated by technology.“I dont mean in the traditional sense of painting and screenplays,” she said, “Although these jobs should be secure for a long time. What Im referring to is bringing creativity to any position, in any industry.“If you can solve problems with ingenuity, or make things more beautiful, then these skills will always be valued. Creativity is going to play a bigger role in the future of job skills as we transition into the AI revolution.“According to the World Economic Forums Future of Jobs Report, creativity and problem solving are listed in the top three skills that employees will need by 2020,” she continued. “Critical problem solving is one of the most important attributes that employers look for in a new hire because no organization is without problems, and every industry will eventually be disrupted.”“Be prepared to be able to think on your feet and ace the problem-solving tests your new employer will throw at you. Employers will be looking for employees who have the curiosity to seek out new opportunities and new markets.”5. CommunicationJason Patel is a former career ambassador at George Washington University and the founder of  Transizion (@transizion_), a college and career prep company. He shared how important clear communication skills are as a job skillâ€"both now and in the future.“Now that teams and companies are working at lighting fast paces, you need to sharpen your communication skills,” he said. “This means providing feedback to coworkers, managers, and customers quickly and efficiently.”“Being able to move from product development to touchpoint and vice versa is the foundation of successfully addressing customer problems. Be quick, concise, and honest.”6. “Soft’ skillsCommunication is often considered a “soft” skill, which is to say it’s a skill thats less grounded in specific technical expertise. Instead, it’s about how we interact with other people, which is much h ard to quantify.But as technology takes over the quantifiable aspects of many jobs, those softs skills are going to become even more important.“With the rise of AI in the workplace, I feel that soft skills are an employee’s differentiating factor, said Career Management Specialist Sara Curto (@jobcoachsara). Drawing from both her own experience and from the Future of Jobs Report, she identified five different soft skills that are most important to master across the board in all roles:“Complex Problem Solving: Increased need for individuals who can look at problems from many different angles to assess solutions and their impacts.“Critical Thought: Individuals who can see the big picture and make intelligent decisions and more efficient processes.“Creativity: Pushing boundaries of how organizations are structured, processes are created and how we read and analyze data.“Leadership: Leaders that inspire and empower their teams to greatness, especially those that recognize an d hire top talent to build high performing teams.“Emotional Intelligence: This is key, our ability to read other people, to understand how our roles and decisions have an impact on others and how that all ties together things that robots just cant do!”“20-40 years from now, most tasks that can be automated will be automated by intelligent automation or artificial intelligence or whatever else you want to call it,” observed best-selling author and co-host of the Practically Passionate Podcast (@PracPassion), Alex R. Strathdee.“If youre not good at creating those automation tools (even though those jobs are now even getting automated themselves), you must excel at the ability to communicate with people.“It seems like an easy thing to master, he added, “but its really not.”In addition to communication, the soft skills that Strathdee cited as most important included Time Management, Social Selling, Conflict Resolution, and Inclusiveness. He went onto highlight just how important these skills will be by lamenting the ways in which they were already on the decline:“Not only will these skills become the only ones worth measuring, but theyre also currently in rapid decline amongst the Millennial/Gen Z generations.  This is due to the onslaught of virtual experience whether it be social platforms, gaming, and what will be the next technological revolution: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.“The increase in intelligent automation, married with a decrease in social skills of the most recent generation has left this set of skills, the most important as we move through the next few decades.7. Tech skills like IT, web development, and codingThe flipside of more technology meaning a greater emphasis on soft skills is that more technology also means a greater emphasis on … being able to build and maintain said technology. So while you work on your communication skills, you might also want to pick up some Information Technology (IT) or web developme nt skills as well.“The IT industry is one that is constantly evolving and growing,” said Gillware Data Recovery  (@gwdatarecovery) CEO Brian Gill. “If you have a passion for learning about new technology and figuring out the newest ways to innovate and adapt, then IT is definitely for you.”He offered that the ideal candidate for an IT role as someone who mixed soft skills with hard technical expertise:“The ability to think strategically is critical in this landscape, as new opportunities are always arising and trends are rapidly changing. A great IT candidate is extremely versatile and is able to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty while making a positive impact on their organization.”According to Jason Patel, a working knowledge of web development would also be an in-demand, valuable skill to obtain.“In order to best understand the needs and pain points of your company, you need to know how its digital storefront works,” he said. “After all, thats wher e customers find you. This means knowing Python and Java, and the differences between a static and dynamic website. It also means having some familiarity with SEO.”“Skills that are becoming essential and will only become more important in the coming decades are almost all technical,” said Rafi Zikavashvili, the CEO and Co-founder of Pramp (@prampco), a mock interview platform for software engineers, developers, product managers, and data scientists.“Programming, coding, machine learning, and data analysis skills demands are on the rise. It won’t be enough to have a working knowledge of how to use JavaScript or to program with Python or an understanding of SQL, however. Higher-level knowledge and demonstrating you’ve kept current with programming updates, learned multiple languages, and are always looking to build on your skills.”“Companies are looking to hire competitive candidates, not comfortable industry veterans who learned their craft once and never built on it in their spare time,” said Zikavashvili. “This will apply to so many positions in the future and help workers to stand out when applying for jobs, not necessarily just in tech but other sectors like finance or product management, where having these cross-departmental technical skills will make a worker a huge asset to a team.”8. Familiarity with industry-specific softwarePatel also pointed out that many industries have software programs that are specific to their needs. Becoming proficient with this software ahead of time could not only give you a leg-up on other job candidates.“Things are becoming automated faster than ever before, which means companies are looking to hire professionals who have a short learning curve, he said. Learning a software can be intensive and slow, so job applicants who know how to use relevant software and platforms have an edge in hiring and succeeding in the workplace.“If a team within a company is running at full speed with automated systems, itll need new candidates to hop on board and contribute right away.”And if you think that your particular industry is safe from this trend, Patel warned against it.“Now, you might be thinking that your industry or position is safe from automation because its service- or people-based. Think again,” he said. “Learning these types of software and platforms can take a long time, but if you already know how to leverage them, you have something new to bring to the team.”9. LeadershipThis goes back to the soft skills we mentioned earlier. Leadership isn’t so much a skill by itself as it is a combination of many different soft skills.“The job skills of tomorrow are leadership skills,” said Deborah Sweeney (@deborahsweeney), CEO of  MyCorporation.com (@mycorporation). “Excellent leadership skills can help get those on your team to feel inspired to follow and give back.”“Although this can be exhausting, its excellent leadership. Not everyone on your team will have the m otivation and drive that you do (or that you are looking for) but continue to be the inspiration. Set the bar high by giving it your all and you will find that others will meet you there.”On a more basic level, you would do well to develop your skills as a project manager.“Project management skills are desirable in any field,” said, Deanna Parkton, Director of Experiential Learning in the Center for Student Professional Development at  Delaware Valley University (@DelVal).“Employers seek individuals who can lead and implement projects, taking into consideration the risks, challenges and benefits. If you can develop strong people skills, project management skills, and problem-solving skills those will continue to serve you as times change.”Parkton also highlighted the importance of developing your ability to understand and work with people with diverse viewpoints and cultures. “As technology brings people together and populations change, listening and understanding divers e viewpoints will be essential for success in any career,” she said.10. ResilienceIf you aspire to rise in your career, then we advise you to listen to this great advice from Ed Batchelor (@batcheloredward), Managing Partner for executive search firm Hardman Batchelor International. According to him, the best job skill that you can master is … resilience.“In our line of work I am often impressed how some of the C-level executives we meet are able to overcome enormous adversity that others have found debilitating,” he said. They seem to come back stronger than ever, absorbing life’s “body blows”, rising above them and finding a way to change course and move on to bigger and better things.”“The last several years, especially through the global financial crisis, have highlighted these traits and a particular type of individualâ€"they are the ones who have been focusing on what has gone wrong, and have persistently driven themselves and their employers forward to succe ed through their positive outlook, optimism and focus on long-term goals rather than these shortâ€"term setbacks.“So how do they do it? One theory is that they seemly look at failure differently,” he said. “These theories reinforce the notion that these setbacks, humiliations or disappointing outcomes are not only overcome but are in fact a catalyst for their future success. They often patiently reflect on what has occurred, quickly adapting to what they learn and taking the necessary steps to overcome what often others see as an insurmountable mountain to climb.”“This post-traumatic growth, as it is sometimes called, is often used as an opportunity to make a course correction and come back stronger and better prepared with complete optimism about their future, rather than letting the strong emotions and fears engulf them.”“Finally,” he added, They retain their belief that they are in control of their own destiny A study at the University of Michigan confirmed this n otion, finding that one of the most dependable predictors of positive thinking is an individual’s sense of being in control of one’s own life. They accept the realization that they may never fully understand what occurred, but this does not mean that their future is out of their control.“They quickly compartmentalize the components, identifying what is open to change, and move past those items that are outside of their control. This confidence in their own abilities and trusting that they control the path forward is clearly pivotal to achieving these attitudinal turnarounds and starting on a realistic plan to achieve positive outcomes.”The future of many industries is very murky. Jobs that seem secure right now could end up totally obsolete in a decade. At the very least, resilience will help you get through the change from one career field to another. Goodbye, blacksmithing; hello IT manager!If you enjoyed this article, check out these relates posts and articles from OppLoa ns:If You Work One of These 5 Jobs, the Robots Are Coming for You12 Careers With Great Entry-Level PositionsThe Pros and Cons (and Scams) of Trade School6 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid!Have a job or work-related question?  Let us know! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.ContributorsJulie  Austin  is an award-winning author, inventor, futurist, innovation speaker, and member of the World Future Society. She’s an internationally known thought leader on the topic of innovation and CEO of the consulting firm  Creative Innovation Group  (@createforcash).  She’s been an innovation keynote  speaker for corporations such as Procter Gamble, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Northrop Grumman, and Cognizant Technology Solutions. She’s also been featured in the books “Patently Female” and “Girls Think of Everything”. Julies  patented product, swiggies, wrist water bottles, have been a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are currently sold in 24 countries; Her new book “The Money Garden: How to Plant the Seeds for a Lifetime of Income” is currently available on Amazon.Ed Batchelor (@batcheloredward) is the Managing Partner for  Hardman Batchelor International. He has more than 25 years s of experience living and working in the U.S., Australia, Venezuela, India, China,  and the UK. Ed recruits CEOs, board members, senior executives and digital leaders for a range of technology and consumer companies.   Prior to HBI, Edward worked  as a leader  in Egon Zehnders Technology Practice and later with Russell Reynolds Associates as a Managing Director and Partner.Clair Belmonte (@clairbelmonte) is an NYC-based search marketer and content strategist. She helps business owners tap into their intuition and combine their natural insight with time-tested marketing strategies to craft a content marketing foundation that withstands time, trends, and Google’s algorithm changes. You can find her at www.ClairBelmonte.com.Sara Curto (@jobcoachsara) is a Caree r Management Specialist who helps people find their dream careers and gives them the tools and strategies to make those dreams a reality. She spent 15 years recruiting top talent and uses that experience to let individuals in on the behind the scenes secrets of what it takes to actually get hired.   You can find her at  www.SaraCurto.ca.Deanna Parkton is the director of experiential learning at  Delaware Valley University (@DelVal). As a member of the staff in the University’s Center for Student Professional Development, she helps students navigate the process of gaining real-world experience  before  graduation. Through DelVal’s Experience360 Program, 100 percent of DelVal’s undergraduates gain relevant, real-world experience that prepares them for success as young professionals. She is a career counselor, experiential learning educator, and workplace happiness researcher.Brian Gill co-founded  Gillware Data Recovery  (@gwdatarecovery) and  Gillware Digital Forensics (@gwfore nsics),  one of the worlds most successful data recovery companies and digital forensics labs.Jason Patel is the founder of  Transizion (@transizion_), a college counseling and career services company that donates a portion of profits to organizations that serve veteran and underserved youth. Transizion has been cited for its work and expertise in the Washington Post, Opp Loans, BBC, NBC News, Forbes, Fast Company, Fox News, and a host of other great outlets. The company features a 100% satisfaction rate and guides students and adults through college admissions, internship searches, and job hunts.Alex Strathdee and Rishav Khanal  came to the U.S. from different countries at a young age excited for what  America  had in store for them.   After both graduated from Virginia Tech, they landed jobs usually impossible to get with GPA’s like theirs and were constantly asked by peers how they did it. That led them to start their popular  Practically Passionate Podcast (@PracPassion) which has thousands of downloads.   They also recently published their Amazon Bestseller, Experience Over Degrees.Deborah Sweeney (@deborahsweeney) is the CEO of MyCorporation.com (@mycorporation). MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best.After 13 years as a successful operations manager working at two different ‘Fortune 1000’ companies, Dr. Timothy G. Wiedman spent the next 28 years in academia teaching college courses in business, management, human resources, and retirement planning.  Dr. Wiedman recently took an early retirement from  Doane University (@DoaneUniversity), is a member of the Human Resources Group of West Michigan and continues to do an nual volunteer work for the SHRM Foundation. He holds two graduate degrees in business and has completed multiple professional certifications.Zachary Weiner is the current CEO of  Emerging Insider Communications (@emerginginsider), a boutique technology communications agency. He has acted as founder, incubator,  and adviser to a range of technology startups and consultancies. He is a frequent lecturer and writer for publications including Entrepreneur, AdWeek, The Guardian and INC discussing marketing, business development,  and venture capital.Rafi Zikavashvili  CEO and Co-founder of  Pramp (@prampco). Previously, he was the Head of Product @WebEx and @Uncommon. He Holds an MBA from Harvard business school and majored in Computer Science at the Hebrew University.

What Is the Origin of the Aurora Borealis Name

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, takes its name from two classical deities, even though it was neither an ancient Greek nor Roman who gave us that name. Galileos Classical Notion In 1619, the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei coined the term â€Å"Aurora Borealis† for an astronomical phenomenon observed mostly at very high latitudes: shimmering bands of color arcing across the night sky. Aurora was the name for the goddess of the dawn according to the Romans (known as Eos and usually described as rosy-fingered by the Greeks), while Boreas was the god of the north wind. Although the name reflects Galileo’s Italian worldview, the lights are part of the oral history of most of the cultures in the latitudes in which the Northern Lights are seen. The indigenous peoples of America and Canada have traditions related to the auroras. According to regional mythology, in Scandinavia, the Norse god of winter Ullr was said to have produced the Aurora Borealis to illuminate the longest nights of the year. One myth among the caribou hunter Dene people is that reindeer originated in the Aurora Borealis. Early Astronomical Reports A Late Babylonian cuneiform tablet dated to the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II (ruled 605-562 BCE) is the earliest known reference to the Northern Lights. The tablet contains a report from a royal astronomer of an unusual red glow in the sky at night, on a Babylonian date corresponding to the March 12/13 567 BCE. Early Chinese reports include several, the earliest dated to 567 CE and 1137 CE. Five examples of multiple simultaneous auroral observations from East Asia (Korea, Japan, China) have been identified in the last 2,000 years, occurring on the nights of January 31, 1101; October 6, 1138; July 30, 1363; March 8, 1582; and March 2, 1653. An important classical Roman report comes from Pliny the Elder, who wrote of the aurora in 77 CE, calling the lights a chasma and describing it as a yawning of the night sky, accompanied by something that looked like blood and fire falling to earth. Southern European records of the Northern Lights begin as early as the 5th century BCE. The earliest recorded possible viewing of the Northern Lights may be impressionistic† cave drawings which could depict auroras flaming in the night sky. Scientific Explanation These poetic descriptions of the phenomenon belie the astrophysical origin of the aurora borealis (and its southern twin, the aurora australis. They are the closest and most dramatic example of space phenomena.  Particles from the sun, which may emerge in a steady stream called the solar wind or in giant eruptions known as coronal mass ejections, interact with magnetic fields in the upper atmosphere of Earth. These interactions cause oxygen and nitrogen molecules to release photons of light.

xcdfgr Essay - 3311 Words

Assignment 332 Explore Technological Developments within the hair, beauty and associated areas. Task 1- research and produce a report Micro-pigmentation from 1980 including eyebrows, eyes, lips and beauty spots Permanent makeup is a cosmeticï ¾ § technique which employs tattoosï ¾ § (permanent pigmentation of the dermis) as a means of producing designs that resemble makeupï ¾ §, such as eyelining and other permanent enhancing colors to the skinï ¾ § of the faceï ¾ §, lipsï ¾ §, and eyelidsï ¾ §. It is also used to produce artificial eyebrowsï ¾ §, particularly in people who have lost them as a consequence of old age, disease, such as alopecia totalisï ¾ §, chemotherapyï ¾ §, or a geneticï ¾ § disturbance, and to disguise scarsï ¾ § and white spots in the skin such as in vitiligoï ¾ §.†¦show more content†¦Left: a few images relating to the hair transplant treatment. It is most common in the male sector rather than women due to baldness hair loss receding hair line, although women do also have it. Hair Extentions Artificial hair integrations, more commonly known as hair extensions (rarely referred to as a hair hat), add length to human hairï ¾ §. Hair extensions are methods of lengthening ones hair by incorporating artificial hair or natural hair collected from other individuals. These hair techniques are advanced and are used to change the hair drastically without looking unrealistic. Clip-in or Clip On Hair Extensions This technique is the least permanent and can be very effective without the disadvantages such as traction alopeciaï ¾ § associated with glue extensions. The hair weft has small toupee clips sewn onto them. Usually a set of clip-in extensions averages eight strips of human hair in varying widths from two inches to eight inches. Starting at the nape of the neck, the hair is sectioned neatly, then the weft is placed onto this section with the clips open and facing the scalp. Each clip is snapped into place. It can be helpful to lightly backcomb each section for a more secure grip. This is repeated until each clip-in weft is in place. Clip-ins can be worn all day and all night; however, they must be removed before sleeping. Some people wear clip-ins just for night life, while others wear

Beauty Is Skin Deep Free Essays

string(114) " done a drama topics on this, the words beauty is only skin deep, it implies that beauty cannot be on the inside\." Beauty is Skin Deep Abstract Beauty is skin deep; refers to the outward beauty of a person. We know and realize that a person can be beautiful on the inside. A person with a beautiful mind, we can say him/her as a nice person. We will write a custom essay sample on Beauty Is Skin Deep or any similar topic only for you Order Now But when we listen something beautiful we generally indicate that something outward appearance. So beauty is skin deep; this statement tries to highlight that person’s outward appearance counts for nothing but it is what lies beneath the skin, the real person himself or herself is what actually matters. And I believe the underlying message of this saying is true. In my research I tried to justify this statement by applying different theories and real life examples. I tried to see what people think about the definition, dimension and criteria of beauty and also tried to know how they perceive it in their lives. After doing research I have confirmed that this statement is justified ethically because most people had gone with my opinion. Table of contents ItemsPage no. Introduction background 4-7 Methodology8 Data analysis presentation8-10 Different theories11 Real life examples11 conclusion12 Appendices13-14 Reference list15 Introduction background Beauty means a person whose physical appearance would be appealing to a majority of people. Many people think that a person is only beautiful by their outside appearance such as weight, height, hair length, or face complexion. They do not pay attention to the important characteristics that make and mode a person. They feel that beauty is based on appearance alone. But on the other hand think differently. But some people think beauty is all about what is on a person’s inside. Inside beauty consists of the person’s love for themselves, their love for others, and lastly their personality. All these things create a beautiful person. In short beauty is- 1. A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight. 2. A combination of qualities that pleases the intellect or moral sense. Quotes about beauty- Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all. Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. (John Keats) Beauty is but a flower Which wrinkles will devour. (Thomas Nashe) There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness. Marguerite Gardiner) All the beauty of the world, ’tis but skin deep. ( Ralph Venning) From a study we found that †¢Seventy seven percent strongly agree that beauty can be achieved through attitude and other attributes that have nothing to do with physical appearance. †¢Eighty-nine percent strongly agree that women can be beautiful at any age. †¢Eighty-five perce nt state that every woman has something about her that is beauty. This study shows that two thirds of women strongly agree that physical attractiveness is about how one looks, whereas beauty includes much more of who a person is. Women rate happiness, confidence, dignity, and humor as powerful components of beauty, along with the more tradition attributes of physical appearance, body weight and shape, sense of style etc. Researchers have found that good looking students get higher grades from their teachers than students with an ordinary appearance. 1. Begley, S. (2009). â€Å" The link between beauty and grades† Newsweek. 2. Courtney, V. (2008) â€Å"Focus on the family†. â€Å"What is Beauty? † B Publishing Group. Furthermore, attractive patients receive more personalized care from their doctor. Studies have even shown that handsome criminals receive lighter sentences than less attractive convicts. Studies among teens and young adults, such as those of psychiatrist and self-help author show that skin conditions have a profound effect on social behavior and opportunity. How much money a person earns may also be influenced by physical beauty. One study found that people low in physical attractiveness earn 5 to 10 percent less than ordinary looking people, who in turn earn 3 to 8 percent less than those who are considered good looking. Discrimination against others based on their appearance is known as lookism. The topic is too some extent controversial. Because some people say yes beauty is only skin deep nothing much more. On the hand, some say that although beauty is skin deep but it has much more significance in our lives. Their opinion is beautiful people are always treated beautifully. So they become compassionate individuals who treated others well. Some people give their opinion neutrally. There are some opinions of people based on some secondary sources. Agreeing to the statement some said if someone looks beautiful on the outside that does not mean they will also beautiful inside also, they might be so despicable in the inside, or if someone is very ugly, may be nice in the inside. It is like the saying: Don’t judge a book by its cover, instead, don’t judge a person by its cover. Some people directly and clearly said that the only thing should matter about a person is their personality. Personality is the main factor which makes a person beautifully. 3. Lorenz, K. (2005). â€Å"Do pretty people earn more? † CNN News, Time Warner. 4. Coast, P. (2009). Image Survey Reveals: Perception is reality when it comes to teenagers. PRNewswire. On the contrary to the statement Social psychology disagrees. It says that beautiful people actually are friendlier and nice. It is known that we subconsciously consign positive features such as friendliness and intelligence to beautiful people. Generally people treat these people nicer than treat others. So the result of having been beautiful and therefore nicely treated children they develop a positive self-image and they become mature, thoughtful, compassionate individuals who can easily treat others well as they have learned others treat them. In this way this beautiful people become friendlier and nicer than less beautiful people. Some people disagree with the above thinking. They think that people who experience little difficulty he/she can often become incredibly uncharitable, self-centered individuals. Some people gave their opinion in the light of their experience. They said if someone look factually, it can be noticed that at school when there is done a drama topics on this, the words beauty is only skin deep, it implies that beauty cannot be on the inside. You read "Beauty Is Skin Deep" in category "Essay examples" So if someone has beauty, it will only be on the inside. But if someone is not beautiful on the outside, then he/she can’t be beautiful on the inside either as well. Methodology For my research purpose, I have divided the data collection procedure into two parts. I have used primary data to get the real picture of peoples mind. I have also used secondary data to collect various types of information about my topic. Primary data I did a survey on some 20 people where there were men and women of different ages, income and different educational background. For doing this I designed a questionnaire with different types of question which eventually helped me to answer of my research questions. Secondary data For my secondary research, I used web blogs, online articles, and online magazines, different theories, abstract of research findings etc. Data presentation and analysis according to my research In my research I have tried to define beauty, its elements or characteristics and try to find out how different types of people perceive beauty. To the end I had been addressing the following research questions according to the Bangladeshi people. What is beauty? Majority agreed with the 2nd question’s statement. They said that someone is really good looking but total jerk and a person with ugly looking but super nice, and then they would choose the ugly person who had a great personality. According to them the criteria to judge one’s beauty should be his/her personality. Their logic was beauty is something which goes over time but one’s inner beauty is something which does not go over time. They think that beauty is something which includes happiness, confidence, dignity and humor. Few people went with the option c. According to them physical appearance is the first thing to see than the other options can be realized slowly over time. So they choose physical appearance as beauty. Beauty can gain genetically or not. Some people agreed with this statement and some did not. Some said that as beauty is the mixture of personality, humor, behavior, proper education and lastly the physical appearance so most of these cannot gain by genetically. People have to achieve those. On the hand some people said it can be gained genetically like height, complexion etc. How can anyone value the beauty or determination of the value of beauty? There are some interesting opinions which I have got. According to some people’s opinion especially male’s to marry or to make a relationship they first see at the physical appearance of women. Few people said that physically beautiful persons are self-worth; they think they are prince or princess and deserve to be universally treated better than anyone else. Sometimes they believe they have the right to treat others like dirt. So according to them most physically beautiful persons are bad in relationship. Some people said that most beautiful people are good in their relationship as they are treated well by others in their lives so they also learn to treat others properly. Some people of my survey responded neutrally as they choose may be! According to some people they want to marry someone who has all the criteria in the person. Some people said personality is very important as a good personality holding person can be understanding, friendly, compromising which is very important to stay together. They believe that outward beauty might be disturbing when he/she cannot do compromise or not be understanding. Among twenty peoples, four peoples said that they got preference sometimes like they easily got attention in class from the opposite sex. Seven peoples said that they never got this type of preference. Nine peoples said that they are not sure about this matter. Eight peoples said that they got refused by others but they are not sure for which reasons. Four peoples said that they refused others for this reasons. And the rest of the people said no, they did not refuse other’s proposal or did not get refused by other for this reason. Beauty is skin deep- agree or disagree. Majority agreed with this statement. Their logic was beauty is something which comes first in front of someone. So for sometimes it carries some significance but ultimate beauty is the inner thing which never goes with time. They said outward beauty is superficial thing. But some people choose the third option. They said that beauty is something that depends in the eye of the beholder. Different theories Beauty is skin deep- this phrase can also be justified by some ethical theories. Ethical theories are the rules and principles that determine right and wrong for any given situation. And the normative ethical theory is something which proposes to prescribe the morally correct way of acting. Here, Beauty refers the inner beautifulness of a person which refers to the behavior, dignity, proper education, confidence, humor, inner happiness, faith etc. Good behavior, self-confidence, good sense of humor, respect to others, truthfulness, faith, good education makes a person beautiful and this beauty comes through the way of morality. If there were no ethical and moral issues in our lives, then what is right and what is wrong we could not understand and could not identify who is good and who is bad. Ethical theories have given that guideline which differentiates between right and wrong. A person has morality and ethics cannot do whatever he wants, he maintains all his relationships properly, his ethics always obstacle him to do wrong things. In thus way a person with ethics become a beautiful person. Real life examples From my experience I can say that beauty is only skin deep. My mother is not a beautiful woman but my father loves her a lot and they lead their life happily together. I think and can realize that it’s not the beauty rather than simplicity, understanding, sacrificing, and intelligence are most important issues which make them happy in their married life. I can recall some of my relatives who divorced. My maternal cousin, married his girlfriend who was very beautiful lady, but they divorced after highly three months of their married life. I surprised how they took the decision, how they lose their love to each other†¦ Now I am going to tell one of my friends name Siddiquea who is black and fat also. But she is the nicest person I have ever seen. She is polite, intelligent, reliable, friendly, truthful person. Every person of her known likes her a lot. She is the most respectful person to them. Whenever i see her, I see a smiley face and I surprise how she could hold it all the times. And I can say that beauty is only skin deep Lastly I can strongly say beauty is skin deep when I turn into my personal life and see my beloved person who always gives me this realization. Conclusion In the conclusion, if we think for a while about the beauty and hear from someone that you are beautiful then we must fall in confusion that is he/she indicates it as inner beauty or outward appearance. Mass media and modern culture have snatched the authentic and proper definition of beauty. Beauty is defined by God and God alone. He sets the standard for beauty and gives us clues throughout Scripture as to what defines a beautiful woman. But unfortunately many people cannot get the key component which is faith. It determines a person’s happiness, confidence, humor and dignity. It is just as the Proverbs 31 passage concludes, â€Å"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a women who fears the Lord is to be praised† (prov. 31:30). Through the research it is found that people believe in one’s inner beauty and it is the main quality of someone. But they also mentioned that outward looking or physical appearance is getting first priority in all the sectors in our lives as outward beauty comes first in front of people first and then his/her inner qualities. Finally they also said that an ugly people can become a nice and beautiful person to others when he/she has good qualities because those good qualities make him/her extraordinary and respectful person to others. Appendices 1) Beauty is only physical appearance- a) Agree b) disagree 2) Beauty should be inner beauty of mind not physical appearance. a) Agree b) disagree 3) What should be the criteria of judging beauty? a) Physical appearance b) personality c) both 4) According to you which option/options will fall in the features of beauty? a) Happiness confidence b) dignity humor. c) Physical appearance d) a and b both 5) Beauty can gain only genetically. a) Agree b) disagree 6) Do you think physical appearance is very important issue to marry or to make a love relationshi p? )Yes b) no 7 )Do you think beautiful (physical appearance) persons are always good in relationship? a)Yes, always b) no, not at all c) yes to some extent d) may be, may be not 8) Do you think beautiful (physical appearance) persons are always bad in relationship? A) Yes, always B) no, not at all C) yes to some extent D) may be, may be not 9) Do you have any experience which helps to realize you that beauty (physical appearance) is more important? ) Yes b) no 10) Do you have any experience which helps to realize you that inner beauty of mind is more important than outward’s? a) Yes b) no 11) Suppose you want to marry someone then what issues you will give more preference? A)Physical appearance b) family background c) personality d) all 12) Did you get any personal preference in any place like university, office, hospital because you are a beautiful lady or a handsome guy? ) Yes, always b) yes, sometimes c) no, never d) may be, not sure 13) Did you ever refuse someoneâ€⠄¢s proposal of love only because he/she was not beautiful like short in height, complexion etc.? a) Yes b) no 14) Did you ever get refused by someone because you are not beautiful physically? a)Yes b) no 15) Beauty is skin deep. A) Agree B) disagree C) other opinion Reference 1. Begley, S. (2009). The link between beauty and grades† Newsweek. 2. Courtney, V. (2008) â€Å"Focus on the family†. â€Å"What is Beauty? † B Publishing Group. 3. Lorenz, K. (2005). â€Å"Do pretty people earn more? † CNN News, Time Warner. 4. Coast, P. (2009). Image Survey Reveals: Perception is reality when it comes to teenagers. PRNewswire. 5. John Keats, Poems (1820), â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, last lines. 6. Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington, Desultory Thoughts and Reflections (1839), p. 90. 7. Ralph Venning, Orthodoxe Paradoxes (Third Edition, 1650), The Triumph of Assurance, p. 41. How to cite Beauty Is Skin Deep, Essay examples

Good Corporate Governance System Free-Samples Myassignmenthelp

Question: Indicate three Positive or Negative Signals from the Companys good and Bad Corporate Governance observed in the Companys annual report. Answer: Introduction IAG (Insurance Australia Group) is seemed to be committed to attaining the highest level of the corporate governance for the purpose of ensuring the stability for the future sustainability of the organization and also the creation of the long-term values for the shareholders are depicted. For the purpose of achieving the long-term aspects, the IAG is aspired by showing its spirit to be closer to all the interactions made with the customers, clients, partners and the shareholders in an active way (Haney, Mazzola and Schroeder, 2005). For the enhancement of the influence, the focus is being made by the company for showing the creation of the appropriate regulatory environment that will enhance the growth of the study and also the stability, and the sustainability is being determined by showing the appropriate structure of the work. The construction process is being determined by showing the appropriate structure of the corporate governance and also the enhancement of the work can be sh own by depicting the proper construction of the work (IAG, 2016). Therefore the sound regulatory regimes are created for assisting the stability, and the sustainability in the environment of the company is being shown. The active participation is being included in the form of showing the communication of the systems and the democratic movement is being focused by showing the enhancement of the work. No direct donations are provided to the political parties by the company and also are depicted to be involved in the democratic processes. The identification of the three positive signals that are depicted to be good corporate governance system as applied by the company IAG (Insurance Australia Group) are as follows:- The commitment made by the IAG (Insurance Australia Group) towards the remuneration framework is being illustrated to be attracting, retaining and motivating the high-quality consecutive that enables the company in achieving the superior and the sustainable performance. Therefore the growth of the company can be depicted to be creating a positive impact on the stakeholders are provided by showing the form of the returns on the longer period (Kim, Nofsinger and Mohr, 2010). The remuneration structure created by showing the appropriate structure of the work is showing the division of the framework which is needed to be developed in the form of the three common forms which are the fixed remunerations, short term remunerations, and the long term remunerations. The decision made on the part of the measurement during the difficult conditions are showing the appropriate environment for the development of the children, and also the construction of the business can be made by showing the appropriate framework of the work. The deficit level is being measured by showing the appropriate rewarding structure that enabled the organization to have an appropriate benefit by considering the Corporation Acts (Krivogorsky, 2012). The positive reward can also depict in the form of both the strategic and the financial goals which are easily achieved by showing the measurement of the goals. It also enables the company to establish an appropriate enhancement of the business. The integration of the strategic goals enables the company to construct an appropriate progress of the work which can be easily constructed by showing the enhancement of the long-term incentive plan. The construction of the goal is being made showing the returns made on the part of the shareholder's return and also the cash on return on equity is being made. This ensures the future security by using these plans for the betterment of the future and also the measurements can be easily achieved by showing the enhancement in the measurements undertaken by the company (Mallin, 2016). The identification of the three positive signals that are depicted to be good corporate governance system as applied by the company IAG (Insurance Australia Group) are as follows:- The repetition of the process included in this case enables the appropriate establishment of the work which is being used for showing the enhancement in work and also t shows the degradation of the growth while keeping mind about the appropriate opportunities that are established by the company. The inappropriate securities will enable in showing the appropriate formation of the work which will help in showing the enhancement of the process and also the establishment of the work can be made by showing the ultimate end of the goals (Martin, 2006). The negative impact can also be created by disobeying the policies which are essential for the establishment of the work for the purpose of showing the enhancement in the study. It also enables the establishment of the work which will show the deformation of the structure as achieved by the company for securing the future perspectives (Mitchell, 2009). The sudden choice for closing down the market will show the inappropriate process that is used for showing the impact on the company. Therefore the following of the disciplines are a part necessary for the establishment of the commercial insurance business and also it shows the appropriate exhibition of the processes that are essential for the development of the organization. The establishment of the negative factors will also show the path for the improvement of the business and also can be able to exhibit the necessary information for the purpose of structuring the business. Therefore the successful commercial insurance plan must be created that will attract the clients and the customers for running the business on the right track (Monks and Minow, 2010). Therefore the negative and the positive signals are depicted to be good corporate governance system as applied by the company IAG (Insurance Australia Group) which shows the appropriate explanation of the research. References Haney, V., Mazzola, L. and Schroeder, B. (2005).Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. IAG (2016).CORPORATE GOVERNANCE. [online] www.iag.com.au. Available at: https://www.iag.com.au/sites/default/files/Documents/Results%20%26%20reports/IAG_2016_Corporate-Governance-statement.pdf [Accessed 6 May 2017]. Kim, K., Nofsinger, J. and Mohr, D. (2010).Corporate governance. Boston [Mass.]: Pearson. Krivogorsky, V. (n.d.).Law, corporate governance, and accounting. Mallin, C. (2016).Corporate governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Martin, D. (2006).Corporate governance. London: Thorogood. Mitchell, L. (2009).Corporate governance. Farnham: Ashgate. Monks, R. and Minow, N. (2010).Corporate governance. Chichester: Wiley.

Young Muslims in Britain today have many problems in following their religion Essay Example

Young Muslims in Britain today have many problems in following their religion Essay Young Muslims in Britain today have many problems in following their religion. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view.I think that young Muslims in Britain today experience many problems following their religion. The main reason for these difficulties is education. Education is important to every teenager and so it is to Muslims, especially Islamic education. There are about 2 million Muslims living in Britain and around half a million of them are children of compulsory school age ( 5-16 ) attending county schools. Most of the Muslim children here are born in this country. Their parents are very concerned about the difficulties in their children following their religion as they dont want them to lose their faith and the cultural of Islam to be lost because Islamic education is not included in the national curriculum in Britain.They want them to learn about their own religion because Islam is their life so they w ould want their children to have an Islamic education as well as a British one. Muslims would not be able to learn things about their own religion in British state schools e.g. the Quran, Arabic and their own culture. This would be a part of their education if they went to a special Islamic school. But in Britain, Muslims are still struggling to get publicly funded Islamic schools. Opponents to these schools say that girls particularly would be disadvantaged in an Islamic system. Nevertheless there are 43 Muslim private secondary schools and one or two look like getting voluntary-aided status. Feversham college, an all girl Muslim secondary school in Bradford is hoping to move into a former Catholic school. The headmistress, whos a Muslim, was educated at a Catholic school, We are educating the children to take their place in society. They are part of their community first, but also part of a wider community. First of all, we need to make them aware of what makes the foundation of t heir identity Islam. As Muslim women they need to understand their relationship with their creator and then with their fellow human beings, whether they go on to higher education, get married or whatever.Many Muslim parents think that schools in Britain are not strict enough; there are more rules, rules that are probably relevant to the Islamic regulations and obligations in Islamic schools. Not only do Muslims parents find it difficult to accept some parts of the state school curriculum in Britain but they are also dissatisfied by the methodology of teaching.In 1984, there were several hundred Muslim girls under 16 who were not attending school. Some of them were certainly being kept at home illegally. People within the Islamic community said Your schools are not good enough, your discipline ethos and non-Islamic values are not acceptable. Unless you do something about this, well not send your daughters to school.Lets consider some of the problems Muslim teenagers might face in sc hools :School MealsIn Islam, Muslims are only allowed to have halal meat all vegetables an any animal which has been killed according to Islamic regulation with the Bismillah blessing said over it but they are not allowed to eat any products coming from a pig. If the animal is not slaughtered in the Islamic way, then its harem ( forbidden ) this is the meat itself and all its derivatives lard, animal fats, gelatine etc. This could be a problem for teenagers in state schools in Britain because the school canteen probably dont provide the halal meat that Muslims are allowed to eat.To deal with this problem, some Local Education Authorities ( LEAs ) have already made the move of providing halal food in some school canteens. The LEAs say that schools with Muslim children who cannot provide halal food in the canteen should make sure that Muslim children get a choice of vegetarian food and that all ingredients should be clearly displayed.School UniformAs mentioned in R2, Muslims have t o follow the Islamic dress code and so does the Muslim teenagers. This could be a problem for Muslim teenagers as most state schools in Britain require wearing a school uniform. Islam requires boys and girls to conform at all times to the dress regulations. Modesty is the main consideration. After puberty, girls dress should be loose fitting which covers most of their body. Some will want to wear a headscarf with the full traditional dress which covers the whole of the body except for the face and the hands. Some less strict Muslims will just wear a headscarf. This has caused some conflicts between the parents and the schools as some girls have been banned from wearing the headscarf. Schools should be more understanding towards the Muslim teenagers in school. They should recognise the fact that they need to fulfil their Islamic obligations.Some schools have become less strict on this matter. Some let Muslim girls in school to wear loose fitting trousers under their skirts.The Islami c obligations on dress code also means that it will be hard for Muslims to have P.E lessons or swimming lessons. Maybe schools should allow Muslim children to wear sportswear compatible with the Islamic dress code.The following extract is taken from a problems page in a Islamic teenage magazine in Britain :PrayingPraying is a big part of a Muslims life. It is a fard as salat is the second pillar of Islam. From the age of ten, every Muslim must pray five times a day at fixed times. This could be very inconvenient for Muslims in British state schools as the prayer times will fall within the school day, usually during the lunch and afternoon breaks. Some schools have been requested to provide facilities like a prayer room and a wash area to perform wudu. This could be very difficult for schools to do.RamadanWhen Muslims children fast, it can be very hard for them, especially if they are in a state school in Britain where the majority of the pupils are non-Muslims. A particular TV serie s on Channel 4 near the beginning of 2000 featured a Muslim boy who goes to a state school in Britain, trying to keep his fast during Ramadan. He had to force himself not to be tempted to break his fast during lunchtime as all his English friends are having lunch. He even tried to ignore the smell of food coming from the canteen!Mix SchoolsIn Islam, it is taught that boys and girls should not mingle; it is done mostly to protect the girls especially. This would also mean that it is inconvenient for both sexes to have P.E lessons or swimming lessons together.British boys and girls would get into relationships in their teenage years, and they most certainly have friends of the opposite sex. So it is difficult for Muslims when they see people of their own age having boyfriends / girlfriends, since free mingling between the sexes is not approved in Islam.The following extract, taken from an Islamic teenage magazine called Reflect shows just some of the problems that Muslims face :R.E le ssons and other subjectsIn state schools in Britain, there is usually a multi-cultural education, learning about many other religions such as Judaism, Christianity etc. Muslims might be offended by this.Science subjects taught in school can conflict with Islam too e.g. in Biology, people learn about evolution. Muslims might have a different view of this subject.Sex EducationSex education taught in school could be a problem since some Muslims are not prepared to talk or listen openly about it.In 1999, there has been a huge conflict between the Muslims and schools as the government might scrape Section 28. Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act bans local authorities from promoting homosexuality and says schools may not teach homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. Muslims may send their children to private schools or purely Islamic schools or they may teach the children at home. Muslims are taking this issue very seriously because they dont want their children exposed to homosexual propaganda. It has to be noted that other non-Muslim parents are also concerned about section 28 being repealed.See page for the newspaper cutting on it.I think this just shows one of the many difficulties that Muslim children and their parents face.Not only in education and schools are Muslim teenagers affected, they also experience problems when it comes to their social life. Many British teenagers drink alcohol and smoke, this is prohibited in Islam. Many British teenagers also have boyfriends and girlfriends. The following quote is taken from Kaman who was interviewed in the Daily Mail, 1989 which clearly states how Muslims teenagers feel : They always want you to go to the pub or the nightclub, or they are going out with their girlfriends. Theyll invite you with them, but that only makes you feel a bit low because you know you cant mix with that , since you dont have a girlfriend yourself. So I always make some excuse or other.As said in the article, this particul ar boy was ashamed to admit that he had kissed a girl before!! Many might find it very hard to resist pre-marital sex as some of their British friends might have sexual relationships with their girlfriends / boyfriends. Of course, some are very strong in their belief : Youve got to take sex more seriously than that. In our religion, your virginity should stay until youre married. Sex is for babies, isnt it?Islam states that one should marry; many of the marriages are arranged. Muslims in Britain might resent the idea of an arranged marriage because they see their British friends going out, and dating people of the opposite sex and so feel that they should have the freedom to go out and choose for themselves who they want to marry. One point is emphasised, and that is they are not forced into the marriage. If they do not like the partner in which their parents have chosen for them, they do not have to go through with the marriage. But the match their parents find for them are usually very good as they would do it on a broad basis considering family background, education, ambitions, likes and dislikes.Theres one very important issue that Muslims living in Britain feel : and that is a sense of belonging. They dont know whether they belong to Britain or their ethnic background e.g. Bangladesh. The newspaper cutting on page also gives a personal insight into why Muslims in Britain feel the way they do. I think that one of the quote taken from the article best describes their situation :Were being torn apartMany Muslims teenagers feel that their parents want them to be like their parents. But this is practically impossible :They just dont understand what were going through. They want us to become clones of them and we cant, because weve not been brought up in the same environment.Of course not everybody thinks this way. Some thinks that Muslim teenagers living in Britain do not have many problems in following them religion. They believe that all the problems can be solved. School canteens can provide halal meat, there can be separate lessons for boys and girls so that they dont mix freely. In issues concerning, they believe that the Muslims, if they missed a prayer because they are in school, can make up for it in the next prayer time. Some also believe that Muslims shouldnt have the special right to have their own schools. They believe that by doing this, the Muslim society in Britain and the British community would only segregate even more.Concerning marriage, many thinks that some of the children are forced into the marriage. This does happen in extreme cases as the article from The Times in March 2000 describes on page .The article describes how some children are forced into arranged marriages and it warns teachers to go to the police if they suspect that any of their pupils are forced into marriages by their parents.According to Muslim law, A Muslim man can have up to four wives. There is a test case in Britain where a Muslim man wants to have his three wives recognised as being legally married to him. ( The newspaper article is on page ) This is polygamy which is illegal in Britain. He has taken the case to the European Court of Human Rights but I think that the issue is much broad than just about marriage. It is whether minorities have the right to follow their own customs or should they conform to establish British tradition. This issue, about marriage, is important to other ethnic and religious communities. Children of such unions can find themselves deprived of inheritance or other legal rights.I did a questionnaire on Muslims and non Muslims in Britain to try and find out what kind of problems Muslims might face when living here.Here is a pie chart showing the religion in which my interviewees belong to :Basically 50% of my interviewees are Muslims, and 50% of them are non-Muslims.I did my questionnaire on about 20 non Muslims and 20 Muslims, hoping to compare their view. Out of the 40 people, 22 were male and 18 were female. Here is a pie chart showing the age of the interviewees.I mainly concentrated on people age 15-20 because I feel that those are the people who go to secondary school and face most of the problems Ive mentioned so far in R3.None of the non Muslims I interviewed agreed with arranged marriage whereas the majority of the Muslims agreed with it! This shows thatIn conclusion, I think that Muslim teenagers do face many problems and difficulties. These problems can be solved, but this would take some time. The Government and people in Britain should recognise the problems they are facing and try to be more understanding towards them.

Verb Tenses in English - ESL Overview

Verb Tenses in English - ESL Overview In English grammar, verb tenses or forms indicate the moment when something happens, such as the past, present, or future. These three primary forms can be subdivided further to add detail and specificity, such as whether the action is ongoing or to describe the order in which events occurred. For example, the present simple verb tense concerns actions that happen every day, while the past simple verb tense refers to something that happens in the past. In all, there are 13 tenses. Verb Tense Chart Here are simple explanations of the tenses in English that give the most common use of each tense in English. There are a number of exceptions to the rules, other uses for certain tenses in English and so on. Each tense has examples, a link to a page that goes into detail for each tense in English, as well as a visual tense chart and a quiz to check your understanding. Simple present: things that happen every day. He usually goes for a walk every afternoon. Petra doesnt work in the city. Where do you live? Simple past:  something that happened at some time in the past. Jeff bought a new car last week. Peter didnt go to the meeting yesterday. When did you leave for work? Simple future: paired with will  to express a future act. She will come to the meeting tomorrow. They wont help you. Will you come to the party? Simple future: paired with going to to indicate future plans. Im going to visit my parents in Chicago next week. Alice isnt going to attend the conference. When are you going to leave? Present perfect: something that began in the past and continues into the present. Tim has lived in that house for 10  years. She hasnt played golf for long. How long have you been married? Past perfect: what happened before something else in the past. Jack had already eaten when he arrived. I hadnt finished the report when my boss asked for it. Had you spent all your money? Future perfect: what will have happened up to a point in the future. Brian will have finished the report by five oclock. Susan wont have driven far by the end of the evening. How many years will you have studied by the time you get your degree? Present continuous:  what is happening at the moment. Im working at the computer at the moment. He isnt sleeping now. Are you working? Past continuous: what was happening at a specific moment in the past. I was playing tennis at 7 p.m. She wasnt watching TV when he called. What were you doing at that time? Future continuous: what will be happening at a specific moment in the future. I will be lying on the beach this time next week. She wont be having any fun this time tomorrow. Will you be working this time tomorrow? Present perfect continuous: what has been happening up to the present moment in time. Ive been working for three hours. She hasnt been working in the garden for long. How long have you been cooking? Past perfect continuous: what had been happening up to a specific moment in the past. They had been working for three hours by the time he arrived. We hadnt been playing golf for long. Had you been working hard when he asked for it? Future perfect continuous: what will be happening up to a specific moment in the future. They will have been working for eight hours by the end of the day. She wont have been studying for very long when she takes the test. How long will you have been playing that game by the time you finish? More Resources If you want to continue your studies, this  tense table  will help you learn more about verb tenses. Educators can find activities and lesson plans in this guide to teaching tenses.

Understanding Learning through Behaviorism Essay

Understanding Learning through Behaviorism - Essay Example Watson and Thorndike. The last section focuses on the process of how an individual learns a new behavior while following the guidelines of behaviorism. The invention of behavioral psychology or behaviorism came into existence with the experiment conducted by Pavlov on his dog and in this experiment was regarded as classical conditioning. The title of the founding father of behaviorism can easily be awarded to John B. Watson who first came up with the concept of psychological behaviorism. Watson first described the term in an article that was published during the period of 1913 (Smith, 1986, p.61). He stated that those psychologists were not comfortable with the methods of introspection as well as analogy because both these methods were highly biased. He believed that the belief that an individual’s actions are a result of his/her unconscious mind is a superstitious way of studying behavior. After Watson, B.F. Skinner was one of those well-known behaviorists who further explored the field and distributed different ways of studying behaviorism into methodological and radical behaviorism. There are three essential components of behaviorism and these components should exist in order to help individuals and animals learn new behavior. These components include the stimulus (Ogden, 2011). The term stimulus refers to any external object or element in an environment which can cause an individual to act in a certain manner. The second component is the response which basically the actions that humans or animals carry out as a result of being in contact with a particular stimulus. The third components is reinforcement which is the consequence that an individual may experience and this consequence is provided by the reinforce to help strengthen a behavior. One of the most renowned experiments that were conducted in the field of behaviorism based learning was conducted by Ivan Pavlov and his experiment is well recognized as

Organizations and Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizations and Management - Case Study Example Some employees avoid interacting with members of other cultures/ethnicities and/or view them as "undesirable" staff. This case vividly portrays that interpersonal communication employed by the CEO is ineffective and inefficient caused by different values and traditions of people, and poor interaction between all employees. For instance, the CEO and Western employees have different perception and understanding of the "family" concept of organizational culture but the CEO is unable to recognize these difficulties and problems experienced by the subordinates. The "western" are perceived as impolite and disruptive because of different communication n corms and traditions which have not been communicated and explained to Westerns people by the CEO (Wood, 2003). 2. The case study vividly portrays the important role of CEO and his vision in organizational culture. Communication should be seen as a process by which knowledge that resides in one or more people comes to be represented in one or more others. Certainly the transfer of knowledge is not the only thing that happens in communication, and for certain purposes it may not be the most useful way of thinking about the process. Below we refer briefly to some other dimensions of communication that may be important for cooperative work. Underlying the knowledge transfer view of communication is the assumption that any communicative act rests on a base of mutual knowledge (West and Turner 2006). The example of Mainland Enterprises reveals a set of mechanisms derives from the fact that individuals can often be assigned to social categories, and such category membership often predicts individual knowledge. Of course, category membership is not a perfect predictor of knowledge. Conversation (and similar interactive forms) permits communicators to formulate messages that are tightly linked to the immediate knowledge and perspectives of the individual participants, because it affords the participants moment-to-moment information on each others' understanding. Such information permits the formulation of messages that are extremely efficient because they are based on a reasonably precise assessment of the hearer's current knowledge and understanding. The distinction between self and other is rather a rudimentary one, but it can be shown that the Western employees differentiate between message recipients (Knapp and Vangelisti 2004). The problem of misperception and misunderstanding is caused by patriarchal and autocratic management style of the CEO. he does not permit freedom of choice trying to control decision-making and problem-solving within the company. These causes provide stronger support for the common ground hypothesis than the relatively narrow margin of difference between the friend and stranger conditions would lead one to conclude, because the experimental situation was one that would minimize the likelihood of finding such differences. This situation proves that in communicating with "friends" and "family", employees are likely to have direct and detailed knowledge of the information

Staples: PESTEL Analysis and Five Forces Model

Staples: PESTEL Analysis and Five Forces Model Staples Inc., a US based office products company, has been chosen for this report which carries out an analysis of the company and its subordinate offering a range of office supplies, business machines, technology products, office furniture, and business services with about 91,000 employees. Founded by Tom Stemberg, Staples opened the worlds first office supply superstore in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston in 1986. In 1989, Staples made an initial public offering (IPO) of $36 million and launched its catalog delivery service, Staples Direct. In three years time, Staples went for diversifying its portfolio and acquired 42% ownership in Business Depot, a Canadian company, in 1993 and the next year the company took over Business Depot with 100% stake. Later, Staples purchased its European partner Kingfisher and Maxi-Papier in 1996. In the same year, the company became a Fortune 500 company (Datamonitor, 2010). The strong growth in revenue is attributed to the attachment of Corporate Express, whose revenues are included in the companys Financial Year. On its successful venture, Staples signed a marketing agreement with Yahoo! and became an office supply merchant on Yahoo! small business portal in 2000. In the consecutive year, the company entered into an agreement with an online legal resource for consumers and small businesses, MyCounsel.com, and with ePolicy.com Insurance Services. Staples has been very successful in expanding its worldwide operations even in the Asian markets. In this continuation, the company entered the $10 billion office products market in India through a joint venture with Pantaloon Retail in 2007, and its new office products business unit, Future Office. The very next year, Staples opened its Copy Print Shop, a new store format in New York City, designed to meet customers copy and print needs. During the same year, the company opened its first store in Houston, Texas. Very recently, Staples Advantage launched the Staples Technology Solutions in February 2010 which offers business customers from small and medium-sized businesses to Fortune 1000 corporations, access to a full range of offerings from data center solutions and printer fleet management services to network services and everyday desktop technology products (Datamonitor, 2010). Task 1: Review and determine the organizational strategic aims and objectives 1.1 strategic aims and objectives The strategic aim of a company is a broad statement of the strategic outcomes which it plans to achieve. At times the strategic aim of a company is also called company goals. The strategic aim is what the organization wants to accomplish (Chartered Management Institute, 2009). Accordingly, the aim of Staples is to be an employer and neighbor of choice, to differentiate its brand, to grow profitably and responsibly, carry out its business activities ethically, work in a sustainable manner, give job skills and education opportunities to its employees, leverage diversity, create sustainable change in its local communities. The aim of Staples is be a committed company that shows its obligation to the environment, practices diversity and be an ethical company. It wants to be a global in its operations and grow financially. It wants to be a great employer, corporate citizen and neighbor (Staples, 2007). According to Chartered Management Institute (2009), the strategic objectives of a company are the specific outcomes and are most often quantified. Objectives are the aims of the company which are broken down and are more concrete. Particularly, the strategic objectives of Staples are (a) to make it easy for customers to recycle eWaste, (b) to build greener buildings, (c) to donate $15 million to community related projects, (d) to deepen commitment to environmentally responsible products, (e) to Qualify 500 U.S. retail stores to the ENERGY STARÂÂ ® standard for retail store standard for energy efficient performance by the end of 2011, (f) to save $10 million in costs through energy conservation programs in the U.S. by the end of 2011 (Staples, 2007). Staples objectives follow the SMART criteria as they are clearly written. They are measurable as the Compensation Committee assesses the extent to which Staples achieves these objectives. They are achievable as Staples analyses the resources it has before setting them. They are realistic as the company has analyzed the skills it posses before setting them. Staples has also aligned these objectives with its long-term vision. Staples objectives are time-bound as the company sets the timescales by which it has to achieve these objectives (Staples, 2007). 1.2 Components of strategic plan The components of the strategic plan include a companys mission, vision, values, its objectives, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), its action planning, implementation process and how it measures and evaluates the achievement of its objectives (Friel, 2009). Mission statement: The mission statement of Staples is very clear and states their motive in following few lines: Staples Soul reflects commitment to corporate responsibility what moves us to embrace diversity, sustain the environment, give back to our communities, and practice sound ethics. Linking these values with our global business strategy and operations contributes to our financial success and helps us become a great employer, corporate citizen, and neighbor (Staples, 2007). Vision statement: Staples vision statement elaborates responsible aspects of company in this way: Staples corporate soul is centered on a rock solid belief in social responsibility and the desire to make a positive impact on our associates, customers, and the world. We act responsibly and with integrity, conducting our global business as a great employer, corporate citizen and neighbor. Staples soul thrives in the fair treatment of our diverse and talented associates, in our environmental conscience, in giving back to our communities and in our sound business ethics(Staples, 2010). Value Statement: Staples aims at greater value to its customers therefore its productivity, revenues are as high as customer satisfaction and goodwill. Staples gets higher quality consumer data from its electronic procurement system, lower costs due to lower maintenance/customer service/and ordering costs, ability to lock in customers through dependency on their ordering system (switching costs), larger product offering of 80k items, and differentiation of services from its competitors. (Staples 2010a). Considering New York, Staples is celebrating its 20th anniversary with $16 billion in revenue, 11 percent compounded growth and 1,780 stores in 21 countries. According to the CEO of Staples, consumer electronics is a big part of our business and has been one of the most rapidly growing categories, therefore main forces lies upon these goods. (Staples, 2010). Staples is taking growth in its business and maintains its position in the market. In particular, office supplies and ink cartridges, signify 40 percent of the retail mix, along with notebook computers leading the sector in enhanced growth rate. Miles recognize that better attachment selling of more profitable products like cables and ink is much better corporate strategy rather then selling individual items. Complete Care Plans, Attachments which include variety of discounts according to nature of product is major present strategy of Staples to maximize profits, on other hand the corporate looks forward to target maximum markets along with wide range of brands and generating staples compatible versions of these brands (Staples, 2010). Finally, Staples measures and evaluates the achievement of its aims and objectives through the Compensation Committee. Some 90 days after the beginning of the fiscal year, the Compensation Committee establishes goals and objectives for that fiscal year. The responsibility for the achievement of these goals and objectives rests with the Compensation Committee (Staples, 2009). 1.3 Factors affecting the strategic plan The strategy of Staples is affected by the external environment. Staples external environment includes political, economic, social and technological factors that can impacts on its strategy. Staples strategic plan is affected by its internal environment. Staples internal environment includes its competitors, customers, suppliers, its Board of Directors (BoD), its corporate culture and its employees. Staples capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats also affect its strategic plan. Staples strategic plan is affected by the nature and kind of products and service it provides to its customers, its target customers, the market it serves, the degree of innovation it practices and how it faces the challenges that affect its operations (Bracken, 2006). The factors highlighted in the SWOT analysis affect Staples strategic plan. Staples Inc SWOT (S)trengths Staples Inc is a office product company which operates in three segments: delivery, retail and international segment. While the operations of delivery and retail segments are concentrated in the US and Canada, the international segment has its operations worldwide covering 23 other countries. The company has its strength in its international segment, which contributes to almost 22% of the companys revenue. Staples recorded higher comparable store sales growth (comp growth), for more than a year, than its close competitors as Office Depot and OfficeMax. Operating margin, which represents income as a percentage of sales, of Staples has witnessed an increase for the first time in Q1 of 2010 since Q3 of 2007. The acquisition of Corporate Express enhanced Stapless position in several fronts. The addition of Corporate Express expanded the companys offerings into new areas and enhanced the offerings in existing areas (Datamonitor, 2010). (W)eaknesses The capital structure of Staples consists of debt which has increased by close to 27% in FY2010 compared to FY2009. The company has long-term debt and debt service requirements with $500 million 7.75% notes due in April 2011, $325 million 7.375% notes due in October 2012 and $1.5 billion 9.75% notes due in January 2014 (Datamonitor, 2010). (O)pportunities Staples is successfully getting the average order size up in the Corporate Express delivery business, despite the economic backdrop and it is now around $180, up from $160 at the time of the acquisition. In addition to direct selling and retail stores, Staples generates revenues through the internet on its web portal. The performance of Staples Business Delivery and North American Retail stores is dependent on the performance of the small business segment in the US (Datamonitor, 2010). (T)hreats Strong relationship exists between macro trends and office sales. Office product companies are late cycle plays. For most corporations, office products fall under General Administration expenses. Other than small and large businesses, Staples also serves white-collar workers. The level of employment among white-collar workers, the end-users for Staples, has an impact on the demand for office products. The economic situation in China and Europe continue to be a cause of concern as it would have direct impact on the profitability of Staples.The unemployment rate in China has been on a sequential rise. From, 4% in Q32008, the unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in Q22009 and continued at that level till January 2010 (Datamonitor, 2010). In addition to SWOT analysis, the factors highlighted in the PESTEL and Porters Five Forces model are used as analytical tools to achieve a more complete understanding of the strategic aims and objectives. PESTEL Analysis for Staples Inc Political Factors: Considering the political aspect of Staples Inc, the most prominent areas are stated below. As Staples manufactures goods in china, the rising fuel costs due to political factors effects supply chain of Staples forcing to increase its product prices and therefore, effecting customers and profitability. However, on the other side, the ongoing practice of price fixing amongst the big four retailers within the UK can have some negative impact to the industry in general and Staples in particular. Staples monopolistic nature in office supplies has created deep concerns among its customers. Staples is the most popular among the students who buy laptops, printers and other student accessories, but due to political influence and cutting down student inflow in England, staples is expected to see decrease in profits. Beside that, in the UK, the Government is to decrease the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which will save big companies like Staples significant sums o f money (Staples, 2011). Economic Factors: Considering the economic factors of the staples, the following areas are identified. Recession lead higher numbers of unemployment.ÂÂ   As one of the largest and fastest growing retailers, Staples can provide more jobs therefore helping to reduce the levels of unemployment. Recession may also effect the profit margins of the company, as it decrease the purchasing power of consumers and though they will still buy the essentials they may be more cautious. They might avoid buying the luxury items, something that has a greater profit margin for Staples. Online buying competition within every segment of the retail sector has lead to retailers giving a lot of incentives to the consumers. Which ultimately affects Staples profit levels as the prices have to be brought down to meet competition. Increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 17.5% has created negative impact on profits as Staples was unable to increase prices to cover the profits (Staples, 2007). Social Factors: Staples appears to be committed to environmental factors as the below mentioned lines states positive about the company behavior. Environmental stewardship and maintainable business practices continue to be important aspect at Staples. The company is offering products and services to help customers preserve natural resources and reduce their environmental footprint. The major commitment to the environment is in the purchase and promotion of products having post-consumer recycled materials; recycling initiatives; energy conservation and renewable power procurement; and environmental education initiatives for customers and associates. Staples Inc has implemented a variety of programs to make it easy for customers to recycle. The recycling facilities by Staples regarding ink and toner cartridges in the US, UK and Canada, helps to benefit the local schools through Staples Recycle for Education, a program that donates $1 to public education charities and schools for every eligible used cartridge that is recycled at more than 1,200 Staples stores. The company is considering the new ways to recycle the products to utilize the minimum energy and maximize the safety of environment, which helps to preserve the economys need of power generating resources. Staples keeping in consideration Humanity, Donated huge sum of money to Haiti victims in collaboration of Red cress society and any one who desires to donate can easily donate in any Staples store (Staples, 2011). Technological Factors: For the convenience of consumer, Staples also introduces the self checkout machines, employed by Staples in USA, which can help solve queue up problem. Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology is used in Staples which significantly benefits to the supply chain of Staples. This technology leads more efficient inventory handling. Staples uses advance machines to manufacture its brands and compatible ones which assure quality satisfaction (Staples, 2011). Environmental Factors: A lot of emphasis of Staples has been on the role of reducing carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency. Staples are a multicultural organization where proper career planning of all associates is carried out without any racism or cultural issues. Staples Foundation for Learning sponsored a grant in 2004 to Earth Force, an organization which provides teachers an innovative multi-disciplinary curriculum focused on environmental education for middle school students (Staples, 2011). Legal Factors: Staples strictly follow all environmental regulations and promotes environmental education. Staples strictly follows police regulations regarding selling of knives, scissors, glues which must not be sold to children under 21 years of age (Staples, 2011). Porters Five Forces Analysis Porters (1985) Five Force Analysis deals with factors outside an industry that influence the nature of competition within it, the forces that influence the way in which firms compete, therefore industrys possible profitability is conducted in Porters Five Forces model. Every business must understand the activities of its industries and markets in order to compete effectively in the marketplace. (peerpapers.com) Staples Inc Five Forces Analysis The business of Staples Inc can be suited into the Five Forces analysis as follows: Competitive Rivalry Office-max, Office-Depot, Currys, are major Competitors in market. Online buying facility and online stores. Small shops in Universities. Switching Cost for Staples is very high. Staples manufactures and sells variety of office accessories, which many rivals dont. Threat of New Entry Small shops are opening in universities Staples manufactures and sell its own brands, with minimum cost. Staples Recycles material in its manufacturing premises with less cost. Threat of Substitution Staples Specializes in unique and multiple brands with wide range of products. Staples manufacture many compatibles of brands such as Epson, Lexmark and cannon Cartages. Brand loyalty of customers due to low price Buyer Power Staples Manufactures its own products at cheap rates. Facilities such as in-store NUS discount and special offers Less Switching power to buyer Customer Doesnt know production cost of products. Products are of strategic importance to customers Supplier Power Staples Manufactures and supplies to its stores on its own. Less supplier power available in hands of supplier. Switching cost from one to another supplier is low Source: Staples (2011, 2007, 2010) Task 2: Identify and analyze progress towards organizational strategic aims and objectives 2.1 Application of strategic analysis tools Staples can monitor progress towards achievement of its strategic aims and objectives by using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach. BSC was first proposed by Norton and Kaplan (1996) who claim that it helps the company translate its strategy into measurable actions. Therefore, McCarthy and Chapman (2009) describe BSC as a strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the vision statement of an organization. It can measure a teams performance on four perspectives such as financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business process perspective and learning and growth perspective. 2.2 Review and assess the expectations of all stakeholders and their influence upon the organizational strategy Stakeholder analysis is used to review and assess the expectations of all stakeholders and their influence on organizational strategy. Stakeholder analysis is a methodology used to facilitate policy and reform processes by keeping in consideration the needs of those who have a stake or an interest in the reforms. With information on Stakeholders, their interests, and their capacity to oppose reform, reform advocates can choose how to best adjust them, thus making sure that policies adopted are politically realistic and sustainable (Johnson et al, 2008). Stakeholder Impact Analysis for Staples Inc Staples stakeholders are its shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, investors and the government. Each Stake holder show sincere relationship with staples. This is further elaborated as follows: Shareholders: There sincere relationship even during recession kept the company standing while many other superstores couldnt bear it. Employees: All company employees are dedicated to there work and it is due to there friendly environment which keeps them motivated to generate profits for company rather then making unions and creating problems. Customer: Customers are dedicated to staples brand due to cheep product and reliability, therefore company generates huge revenues each year. Investors: All brands rely upon staples. From Technology to office supplies variety of brands can be seen. All investors trust upon staples policies and future growth. Environmentalist: Staples promotes environmental consciousness among people, therefore it is never objected by environmentalists. Government: Staples generates huge revenue therefore provides huge tax amounts, which gives government shelter to Staples. 2.3 Analyze, interpret and produce a structured evaluation of the organizational strategic position Strategic capability analysis is used to analyze, interpret and produce a structured evaluation of Staples strategic position. Staples Resource and Competence Analysis It is the analysis of competencies, knowledge, and skills that Staples Inc can apply to achieve success in a competitive environment. This concept is derived from the core competencies approach to corporate strategy. This will encompass the need to adjust and change in order to fit the changing environment and the need to stretch to exploit organizational resources in ways that are innovative, or that other organizations will find it hard to compete. Strategic Capability Ways to Build on the Competency/Resource Competences Core Competencies Manufacturing capability. Branding and Expansion. World wide Stores and access. Transforming its Supply Chain. Cheap production Threshold Competencies Customer satisfaction and value Customer service, online and offline. Resources Unique Resources Cheep production I.T. use for inventory management. Research and development. Wide range of brands. Threshold Resources IT outsourcing Production in china at low cost Staples Inc recognizes that it has to find new ways to drive sustainable growth and profitability. The area of major attention is that Staples has been improving its supply chain management activities. Staples goal was to widen its lead over competitors in all key industry areas, by improving supply chain execution, and thereby decreasing costs while increasing productivity and reliability and ensuring that customers could always find products they wanted on store shelves. Manufacturing products and differentiated product are the key core competencies of Staples. Task 3: Determination and Evaluate of Strategic Options 3.1 Identification and development of strategic options Internal Environmental Analysis Based on the internal environmental analysis (SWOT analysis) of Staples, it appears that the company has unique competencies in office supplies business. Staples manufacturing competency, multiple retail channels and strong distribution network target different customer segments efficiently. Whereas threat of new entrants in shape of small stores at key areas and online buying trend from cheep online stores are major threat to staples. External Environmental Analysis Furthermore the external environmental analysis (PESTEL analysis) for Staples shows that increase in VAT, reducing inflow of international students and credit crunch; and Porter`s Five Force analysis showing increasing threat of new entrants in shape of small shops in universities and local areas and increase in online buying trend with cheaper price; along with stakeholder`s analysis reflecting total dependence upon employees and customers are weak aspects of Staples. Suggested Corporate Strategy for Staples Beside that the above analyses, since Staples produces goods at competitively low-cost and has operations worldwide, propose that Staples should adopt Cost Leadership strategy of Porter`s Generic Strategies. Rationalization of Cost-Leadership as the Corporate Strategy: Cost-leadership strategy emphasizes efficiency which is based on avoiding unnecessary or non-value adding activities that consume organizational resources but cannot add any value for which customers are willing to pay. Along with this philosophy, economies of scale is the guiding policy for implementing cost-leadership strategy as it requires the company to produce items at the lowest possible cost among all competitors of the similar products. By producing high volumes of standardized products, the firm will take advantage of economies of scale and experience learning curve effects. Since products are produced at a relatively low cost and made available to a very large customer base, along with access to raw materials, components, labor, and other important inputs, cost leadership approach is most suitable for Staples. Successful implementation of this approach is expected because of Staples following capabilities: Good process engineering skill system of Staples. Office Supplies products designed for ease of manufacture Sustained access to cost-effective capital Good and close supervision of labor Staples tight cost control Incentives based on quantitative targets Always ensuring that the costs are kept at the minimum possible level. 3.2 Determine and justify the strategic option The above new corporate strategy for Staples can be implemented by carrying out the functional strategies discussed below. Functional Strategy: Since there are other rivals in the market, however, their concentration is focused upon food, clothes, and other products rather then office supplies, therefore Staples has acquired major position in market. Consequently, the corporate strategy of cost- leadership must be remained focused and maintained. Staples should adopt following functional strategies for its relevant departments in order to implement this corporate strategy of cost leadership: Research and Development for minimizing costs. (RD Department) Online Selling, Marketing, maintaining goodwill and customer service (Marketing Department). Branding and expansion (Purchase Department) Functional Strategy: Research and Development for minimizing costs Staples manufactures in China where cost of production isrelatively low due to availability of cheaper raw materials and labor, while on the other hand, Staples needs to concentrate on research and development facility to minimize cost at such a level where rivalry influence can be easily coped, if required. Action Plans Performance Indicators 1) Exploring more countries for much cheaper production. (During one year period) Number of countries found, comparing production costs with current product costs. 2) Opening production facility to produce raw material for finished goods. (During Two Year Period) Number of Factories established. Functional Strategy:Online Selling, Mraketing, maintaining goodwill and customer service. Staples should advertiseits online buying facility to students and offices. In addition, maintaining good customer service is essential to keep Staples goodwill intact and even stronger. This will eliminate rivalry influence and help maintain cost leadership and monopolistic influence. Action Plans Performance Indicators 1) Awareness Campaigns in universities, offices and exhibitions that Staples provide cheep and quality products. (During 6month period) Number of Campaigns launched, customer feed back and sales figures. 2) Participation in Community and social projects. (During Two Year Period). Number of Projects undertaken. Functional Strategy:Branding and expansion Staples must open stores all over the world to maintain its influence, adding more brands will satisfy customers as they can find everything under one roof. This will ultimately make Staples a popular brand and its cost leadership influence will be enhanced. Action Plans Performance Indicators 1) Expanding brands and producing its compatible ones. (During 6month period) Numbers of brands added in Staples and its compatibles. 2) Opening Stores in major parts of world. (During 2 years Period) Number of Stores opened worldwide. 3) Opening Small shops and stores in universities and offices will remove small rivals from market. (During 1 year Period) Number of small shops and stores opened in these places. Staples Inc, for its manufacturing capability and unique products, can easily integrate in various cities of the world. With expansion and branding it can obtain huge amount of market share thus eliminating rivalry influence. With its skilled RD Department, Staples can manufacture compatible goods for various brands at cheap rates. They have got a great management team with motivated team work and great leadership style. This differentiates Staples as a unique store which not only provides eco-friendly products but possess a good reputation among its customers. It must focus upon its vision, mission and values in order to maintain such reputation. Conclusion The strategic analysis of Staples Inc., reveals that it has been enjoying a very well is a well established company which is known for providing quality products to its customers. By careful consideration of its external and internal environment and keeping in mind the interests of its stakeholders, it has been able to establish itself as a leader in the office supplies business. Staples is competent in carrying out its business activities. It is recommended that it applies the new corporate strategy highlighted in this report to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace for a long sustainable period.