Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America

Education does not only concern itself with going to school to study, but all the implications it has on an individual, be it positive or negative (Colombo, Lisle 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the American context, students who hail from other backgrounds away from the mainstream American backgrounds must give up their cultural heritage as well as home values in order to go through the American Educational system forcing them to get more exposure to the new cultures as much of their time and effort is geared towards education. After giving up their heritage and values, what do they achieve in the long run; is it worth the sacrifice? Thesis â€Å"Education accelerates culture erosion in mainstream America† Richard Rodriguez in his effort to pass his gospel across examines what education does to an indivi dual, his major point of concern being the alienation and separation from ones culture that is brought about by the American Education System (Rodriguez 205). He portrays education as the major reason for cultural erosion, which is seen through the longer time an individual is held to schooling and therefore opening a way for the same individual to be detached from this or her culture (Rodriguez). By merely leaving for school and exposure to education, Rodriguez comes to see how different his parents were in terms of their speech (Rodriguez 196), to an extent that he felt embarrassed by their pronunciations of words with their rich Spanish accents â€Å"I was not proud of my mother and father (Rodriguez 200)†. I was embarrassed by their lack of education (Rodriguez 200)†. He further goes ahead to point out that through his parents insisting on him to read, it got him detached from his culture and at the end of the day he gets his academic achievements but looses his cul tural touch. He also admits that his separation from his mother was one of the worst experiences that ever occurred to him in the name of schooling but he had no choice so going to school was a must (Rodriguez 199). Michael Moore on the other hand in â€Å"Idiot Nation† focuses on criticizing the intelligence of Americans as well as the general American Education system, his major concern is that the general American system takes in very useless information for example sport facts instead of very important matters (Moores 130). Moore, seeks to pass across the message that â€Å"education system in a way has failed due to lack of financing which has led to deteriorating of the educational system in the United States of America, and that despite the progression of one in acquiring education, the more disappointing the outcome because the prerequisites for the standards of learning are not met, he says that† (Moores 100).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"The halls are packed with burned-out teenagers shuffling from class to class, dazed and confused, wondering what the hell they’re doing there (Moores 99)†. The education system that is propagated in the students discourages individuals to have an identity for they are often confused as being members of the mafia group in addition to an education system that does not provoke students to think beyond recitation of answers of what they are taught rather than understand the content of what they are taught (Moores 145). Creativity and independence of an individual is not an important stand. It also shows the not so focused nature of the students who may be assumed to be in school not because they wish to be there but because they are forced to be there by circumstances. The American Education system is left wanting because it deprives an individual of personal identity as well as indepen dence. It does not at all meet the intended objectives of learning; on the contrary the people who come out of it are half baked. Multicultural compositions like in the American context should take into consideration all the groups that are in concern, that diversity rules above individuality such that the main aim of education is achieved. That cultural myth is the centre stage upon which learning should be built. Those cultural myths that pose a challenge should be dealt with adequately in order for them to be addressed appropriately. Cultural myths should be embodied on the general mainstream education because cultural diversity is put to test here. Of course there are differences as far as people’s opinions and perspectives are concerned in regard to culture and education systems, but where does the buck stop? The complexity in society calls for coexistence and balance among all cultures and education so that no culture is seen to out do the other in the name of education , the end product in education therefore in all partakers of education are called upon to look into the areas that contradict in as far as cultural myths and education are concerned and reconcile them with the mainstream education systems and ideologies. Works Cited Colombo, Gary Lisle, Bonnie. Rereading America.†Introduction: Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths† 8th Ed. New York. John Willy Sons Publishers. 2006. pp. 1 – 6.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moores, Michael. â€Å"Idiot Nation†. Rereading America. Ed. Colombo, Gary Lisle, Bonnie. 8th Ed. New York. John Willy Sons Publishers. 2006. pp. 128 – 145. Rodriguez, Richard. â€Å"Achievement of Desire†. Rereading America. Ed. Colombo, Gary Lisle, Bonnie. New York. John Willy Sons Publishers. 2006. pp. 194 – 206. This essay on Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America was written and submitted by user Colton T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Orientalism and its Effects on Today’s Society essay

Orientalism and its Effects on Today’s Society essay Orientalism and its Effects on Today’s Society essay Orientalism and its Effects on Today’s Society essay  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Orientalism is a unique concept that has been widely discussed in academic literature. Orientalism can be characterized as a positive concept that highlights the role of the Orient in the life of the West (Said 203). Academic specialists involved in the study of the Orient are called Orientalists. Orientalism requires specific knowledge of people, places and civilizations (Said 203). The study of Orientalism provides an opportunity to have a better understanding of the West’s views regarding the Arab and Islamic world. As Orientalists are focused on the study of ancient traditions and customs and artistic representation of the Orient in Western world, this paper will provide much important information on the effects of Orientalism on our society (Diken et al. 26). It is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the meaning of the term â€Å"Orientalism† has b een changed. Today, it is no more a style of thought, but it is a powerful ideology that helps to assess the distinctions between East and West (Diken et al. 26). The study of oriental influences on various aspects of today’s society highlights the significance of religious concepts, namely Asian religious traditions. Thesis statement: The continuing effects that Orientalism has on today’s society include the effects on attitudes, image and knowledge reflected in different social activities, such as art, literature, music, political decisions and gender politics.The major goal of this paper is to discuss orientalism and the continuing effects that it has on today’s society. The study will be narrowed down to one country – the United States. To achieve the established goal, it is necessary to discuss a number of issues, such as the background information about Orientalism, the key definitions of the term, some facts from the history of Orientalism, and Ame rican Orientalism and its effects on American Society.Orientalism: Background Information  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to explore Orientalism and its effects on today’s society, it is necessary to define the meaning of Orientalism and analyze some facts from its long history. Orientalism is represented not only as Western ideology, but also as an academic discipline and as a literary motif. As a result, the concept of Orientalism is associated with prejudices (Kontje 56)Defining OrientalismOrientalism is a controversial concept that can be defined in different ways. First, the term â€Å"orientalism† can be defined as an â€Å"ideology, a set of prejudices that bolster a sense of European superiority over the East and thus implicitly or explicitly legitimate imperialism and colonialism, the exploitation of subjugated people deemed culturally or racially inferior to the dominant culture† (Kontye 56). Second, the term â€Å"orientalismâ₠¬  refers to the discipline, which involves the study of Eastern culture, religions, traditions and languages (Kontye 56). Third, the term â€Å"orientalism† is represented as a theme in literature and art (Kontye 56).Some Facts from the History of Orientalism  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Orientalism was originated as the so-called â€Å"western construction of knowledge about peoples in the Middle East and Asia† that was established in during colonialism (Merryfield Subedi 288).   Today Orientalism continues to influence various aspects of human life. The history of Orientalism is long and colorful. After the discovery of America at the end of the 15-th century, the sea route was opened to India. The development of new economic relations was marked by the development of Orientalism as a philosophical thought.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, in the 19-th century the term â€Å"Orientalism† was effectively used to chara cterize the features of the genre of painting. In fact, this genre was promoted by French and British artists who described the Orient in their art works, including the themes of the Middle Eastern traditions. According to historians, the works of Orientalists embraced oriental expression and inspiration, which were reflected in the cross-cultural influences of artists (Merryfield Subedi 285). The popularity of Indian, Chinese and Japanese traditions was reflected in textiles, ceramics, furniture and unique architecture styles. Although Said managed to reinterpret these influences by developing his radical theory, the representations of the East affected social life of people living in the West (Merryfield Subedi 285).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, the effects of Orientalism had different forms depending on different cultures involved in the Orientalist influences. According to Said, the discourse of Orientalism can be described as â€Å"basically homogene ous† (Burke Prochaska 22). Said claims â€Å"Orientalism is the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient -dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, ruling over it: in short, orientalism as a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient† (Said 3). American Orientalism reflects Said’s claim because it is based on the idea of domination of the West and its influence on the East.The Continuing Effects that Orientalism has on today’s Society  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to researchers, Orientalism was originated in colonial period, but today it â€Å"continues to shape attitudes, images and knowledge† (Merryfield Subedi 288).   A well-known Orientalist Edward W. Said placed emphasis on the use of specific methods of teaching, which could help to â€Å"overcome orientalist thinking through contrapuntal (a te rm from music meaning characterized by counterpoint) literature and histories that create new understandings and knowledge† (Merryfield Subedi 288). As a matter of fact, the themes, which reveal Orientalism and its traditions, are persistent in today’s society. Many researchers are based on the argumentation regarding the differences between the cultural aspects of East and West (Diken Laustsen 26). One of the arguments that provide explanation to the major causes of the continuing effects that Orientalism has on today’s society is that the â€Å"relationship between the West and the Orient is not merely one of a difference between two elements within the same space† (Diken Laustsen 26). The Orient can be explained as a space which does not provide difference between the political and the social. According to researchers, â€Å"the Orient is constituted as a fantasy space that both conditions and escapes the social† (Diken Laustsen 26). In other words, the Orient is associated with human desires because fantasy produces desires.Said criticizes Western Orientalism because it reflects many trends found in Asian works of art created by Indian, Chinese, and Japanese artists and writers (Said 60). In the 20-th century, various Western cultural themes were found in Asian art and culture. Besides, Orientalism shaped cinema, theater, photography and music.The Effects of Orientalism on AttitudesOrientalism has a strong impact on literary genres in western literature. These effects are reflected in attitudes of both the reader and the author. For example, the Arabian Nights helps to explore the significance of complex relationships between men and women. According to Abdulla Al-Dabbagh, â€Å"many studies of the impact of the Arabian Nights on literature, literary criticism and literary thinking have been done†(30). Most of these studies highlight the effects of Orientalism on attitudes of readers.The Effects of Orientalism o n ImagesOrientalism has a strong impact on the images that can be found in art and literature. According to researchers, some aspects of Orientalism as the concept and practice have direct relation to analysis of the images associated with the Orient (Abdulla Al-Dabbagh 30). Many Orientalist images describe the contribution of women to social development. Based on the works of Orientalist artists, such as Henriette Browne and others, and the literary works of many authors, such as Jorge Eliot and others, it is possible to â€Å"challenge masculinist assumptions relating to the stability and homogeneity of the Orientalist gaze† (Lewis 1). It has been found that the images of women were not perceived as the images of men because of the effects of male position of Western dominance. Orientalism helped to highlight racial differences that existed in human society (Rotter 1206). The relationships between men and women were influenced by race and gender positions. Researchers state that â€Å"women’s visual and literary Orientalism† was found in the images produced by writers and artists (Lewis 1). As a matter of fact, women’s involvement in Orientalism contributed to the overall understanding of the effects of Orientalism on the images found on the works of art and literature (Lewis 1).The Effect of Orientalism on KnowledgeThe effect of Orientalism on knowledge is crucial to the understanding of some political and philosophical concepts associated with the Orient. According to Abdel Malek, one of the types of Orientalism can be characterized as â€Å"collaborating with colonial powers† (qtd. in Netton 261). Actually, Abdel Malek gives explanation to the phenomenon created by Orientalism. This phenomenon is based on gathering the proper information regarding different nations that could be dominated by other nations (Netton 261). In other words, Orientalism was found in the structure of Western sciences during the penetration of im perialism into human society (Rotter 1206). Recent studies point out to the fact that Orientalism is in crisis today because of the â€Å"rise of national liberation movements, which brought an end to the age of colonial domination† (Netton 261). As Orientalist views are considered to be the tools of colonialism, the effects of these views on knowledge are enormous.American Orientalism and its effects on American Society  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Nature of American Orientalism  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of Orientalism on American society established foundation for interactions between American people and Asian people. Some researchers state that Orientalism is over, but its effects on society point out to the fact it is far from over. The debate over orientalism continues in the United States, especially after the events of 9/11. According to researchers, â€Å"in many ways it has just begun† (Burke Prochaska 1). In A merican society, Orientalism is represented as an academic discipline, which is based on philosophical views regarding the Asian culture and languages. The practice of Orientalist ideas links culture and power, providing a wide range of examples in American society associated with the philosophical thought of the Middle East (Burke Prochaska 1). According to researchers, â€Å"their special properties miraculously filter out historical context and complexity, the better to spotlight the supposedly essential cultural features of Middle Eastern culture†(Burke Prochaska 1). The concept of Orientalism in American society has been shaped by Said’s paradigms regarding the relationship between the West and the East. In general, the roots of Orientalism in the United States are associated with the attitudes, beliefs and values of the immigrants who came from Europe to North America in the late 16-th century –early 17-th century (Leong 7). Most European immigrants had their individual views about the Eastern philosophy characterizes the Eastern civilization as â€Å"more decadent, exotic, and immoral† (Leong 7). These attitudes, beliefs and values were included in the philosophies of European empires, such as France, Germany and Britain. These nations provided many justifications of the dominant positions in the global context, explaining their dominance by their more civilizing missions. In general, these Orientalist views were developed in the United States, incorporating the concept of Orientalism in different aspects of social life (Leong 7).American Orientalism was built on the philosophical thought of European Orientalism. However, European Orientalism reflected negative attitudes toward the Asian people and the Orient in general. American Orientalism â€Å"took a form specific to and supportive of the United States’ emerging role as a world-wide moral and economic force† (Leong 7). It has been found that Orientalist vi ews were very popular in the United States, reflecting not only cultural perceptions and expressions, but also religious aspects and economic issues (Rotter 1206). The Orientalist views were found in the functioning of missionaries, diplomacy, business organizations, as well as the media (Leong 7). According to researchers, the interests of missionaries, diplomacy, business organizations were marked by the role of the U.S. involvement in different religious and economic issues, while many Asian countries, such as China and Japan, lacked the proper economic and religious development, and required considerable changes through the conversion to Christianity and the growth of Capitalism (Leong 7).Orientalism and its Effects on Today’s Society essay part 2

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Taxation - Essay Example Rights conferred to a partner by a partnership interest are as follows: Basis refers to the asset or liability value based on the rules in accounting and taxation. Partnership comprises of two varieties of basis; outside and inside basis. Inside basis encompasses the tax records computed for each partner in the partnership. It is the sum of initial investment and profits, fewer losses and distributions. The outside basis refers to shares that cost the partner as outlined by the tax rules. It begins with sum of original investments and profits fewer losses and distributions. It depends on the worth of investment in partnership. The inside basis describes the assets in partnership for tax purposes while the outside basis depicts the capital account for taxation in partnership (Glover & Wasserman, 2003) A flow-through entity refers to a business entity, which passes income to the owners or to the investors. Such entities limit taxation by preventing double taxation, with the taxation of owners/ investors. Examples of flow-through entities include limited partnership, limited liability partnership, the S corporations, limited liability companies, income trusts, and general partnerships. Some of the advantages of the flow through entity over the regular corporation is that income, deductions or loses pass on to the shareholders on the pro-Rata basis commensuration with the ownership percentage. It reduces the chances of double taxation (Schlesinger, 2007). The generated income results from the work performed by the owners instead of the property owned by the corporation. On the other hand, regular corporations entail the shareholders risking their investment and the computation of income taxes results based on set procedures and records. The S corporations do not pay the federal income taxes. The losses and income distribute among the stakeholders who report the loss or income to personal income tax returns (Schlesinger, 2007). The common

Book of mark, matthew, luke and john Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book of mark, matthew, luke and john - Essay Example The narrative exposition employed in the gospel of Mark began the tradition of the gospel(Burridge 2005). The Gospel of Matthew writes to a Jewish Christian audience and is predominantly concerned with portraying Jesus as a teacher who is greater than Moses (Brown 1997). The Gospel of Luke attempts to answer the question of whether Christians whose allegiance is the Kingdom of God able to stay loyal to the Roman Empire? The book of John is an exception that views the Messiah as a ‘Stranger from Heaven’ and is often called the spiritual gospel (Burridge 2005). This paper thus intends to explain the different targeted audiences of the four gospels and the messages they proclaim to the readers. The gospel of Mark was written by John Mark who dwelt in Jerusalem as revealed in the book of Acts 12:12(Burridge 2005). It was initially written in a bilingual set up that involved the Greek and the Aramaic languages. The author was influenced to write by the young Christian generation, also known as the Christians of the second generation or the young man(Burridge2005). John Mark wrote this book and addressed it to the Gentiles and the Roman leaders in Rome or probably in Syria or Decapolis. During this time, the Gentiles were young and new to the Christian faith. They knew very little of Christianity and the death of Jesus to save mankind. At the same time, there was an ongoing persecution by the ruling class on Christians and those who proclaimed the message of the Gospel. Many Christians were killed and forced to denounce their loyalty to God. Mark therefore wrote this book to encourage and harden the Christians at that time in their worship and proclaiming of God’s Kingdom(Burridge 2005). In the book, Mark reveals Jesus as a suffering servant of God who is ironically powerful. He reveals to the Romans and the Gentiles that Jesus taught with authority as asserted by the mighty miracles he

Pop Music Has It Gone Too Far Essay Example for Free

Pop Music Has It Gone Too Far Essay Has Pop music gone too far some might say yes some might say no but to some extent everyone would agree but how can you judge this by standard of the generation and how the artist changed it as well as how you would think the next generation would react. hen we began the course it started with rock and rollers wearing suits and dancing with a 1-2 step then coming to 2013 which Ithink the second teen idol era such as Justin Bieber or Katy Perry or even worse the Kardashians but even now compare them to the likes of Fabian teen idols of the late 50s-60s who are taking the rolls of Elvis and such should be noted than filming of Elvis from the waist down was prohibited at a time then to half naked women for the sake of getting a gold record and a couple of bucks but then there was jim morrison waving around his penis on stage but it can be said he was under influence of several things. But all in all I Say that yes it has gotten too far . Pop music can be said to be always changing because the change from RB to hip hop did not happen without a huge change like rock and roll and san francisco but when you say something is extreme the next generation will take it as the norm say when 80s rock and roll started making sex related music videos which was considered ridiculous today its everywhere my cousin who was listening to songs like stronger or E. however her mom had no problem . One of the biggest thing I Seen arise is that it injected itself into our culture just like a virus from well dressed clean cut to leather pants and jackets and crazy cuts but it began with the beatles who simply got long hair. Or when KIss stated wearing leather and make up the youth followed proving that it was no longer anti-culture it was culture and changing america for better or worse. Another thing that crossed my mind is that good is bad and bad is good when the rolling stones crossed this path they set a whole world of problems but how far can you go for record sales once it was love, peace and tolerance then it turned to sex drugs and rock and roll while the singers who were in tune were dismissed while screamers were considered the best. But some may not think this is a big deal, it is pop music but I Would think death would change one’s mind. Jimi Hendrix one of the best guitarists died due to â€Å"misadventure† aka he overdosed as well as jim morrison taking their own lives the best of the san francisco style dead, pop music took these â€Å"tortured† souls but it can be said that they had it coming to them how about the fans, ordinary people for example say Altamont Free Concert what could go wrong Free concert with world famous acts what could go wrong. Drugs and alcohol can. The rolling stones here tried to skip the police and decided that they can do whatever they wanted , they were a pop artist group of course, so they decided to hire the hells Angels and with the drugs and fight music a brawl broke out between a fan and to members which ended with the death of Meredith Hunter who was stabbed to death by the security personnel and it was caught on tape. Or when the prince of darkness decided to write a song about suicide (suicide solution) a teenaged John McCollum decided to kill himself . he lyrics went†Where to hide, suicide is the only way out Dont you know what its really about Wine is fine but whiskeys quicker Suicide is slow with liquor Take a bottle, drown your sorrows Then it floods away tomorrows† this song at the least suggests suicide if not promoting it . Being bad may bring in platinum records and #1 hits but when people start dying bad is not good any more it’s bad. Rock and roll was once full of well dressed mannered people the Beatles be a good example and early on their lyrics meant well elvis sang about love and moondogs then Jimi hendrixs start humping his guitar on fire then the who started breaking equipment , The rolling stones started shooting heroin on stage, ozzy osbourne bit the heads off a bat and Jim morrison exposed himself and I doubt all they sung about was love me do and twist and shout the lyrics esuculated from â€Å"in benefit of mr. ite† to Prince saying incest is ok or when twisted sister said to shoot them down with a _______ gun then Venom advising â€Å"Welcome to my sacrifice Plunge the dagger in her breast† then ice-t saying to kill police or when blackie lawless is acting out sex with a saw . The lyrics are what sells albums Eminem and 2pac both are one of the most successful rap artists ever and yet there lyrics call for killing cops homophobia and songs against women. In a song Eminem or marshall mathers once said that there would be the same amounts of drug addicts and murders without me something I Doubt. The more famous the artist the more influence they have charles manson said that the Beatles were prophets . Going back in time there was a time when music was a time where music was an extra part of life which was recreational and now we hang on every last word of our favorite artist say swag which was reintroduced by T.  I jay-y as well as justin bieber and it is still around and dont forget YOLO which was created by drake but it seems though as it is dying out but hats, shirts and bracelets were made and this is where it begins to push the limits when people live their live based upon these word which in a way is no different than Charles Manson. Or when Wiz Khalifa is so open about his weed addiction and so many of my former friends started because of him or even earlier when Dr. dre started and when people take pills because eminem did it or acid because the beatles were cool. hen people say pop music artist does this it becomes a religion like following like how a good christian would follow the teachings of jesus they are following the ideals of pop stars and became the center of everything as John Lennon once said†Were more popular than Jesus now† or when Kendrick Lamar Says†Depending on what you expecting, Im sure its bigger than your religion†After this course I’m wondering where is the responsibility of these Musicians who control the public when are they saying not to listen to them but they want to be heard so if you do go to F.  Y. E and pick up a Marshall mathers lp the responsibility is given to the parents as there is a little text box saying parental advisory for us to have to w orry about those things itself proves that Pop music has gone too far as you wouldnt let your child listen to Eminem or Ozzy And you would not let your parents hear you listening to them I think thats the limit when it starts to on Prentice Hall, 2006.

Product Life Cycle (PLC): Strength and weakness

Product Life Cycle (PLC): Strength and weakness Introduction: Marketing is a process which is based on communication and whereby individuals obtain what they need through others creating or exchanging products and value with them. For companies to sell their products, marketing is the most important factor to reach out to customers as Kotler Armstrong, (2008) define. This essay presents the product life cycle and focuses on its strength and weakness points. The concept of Product Life Cycle (PLC): Product life cycle (PLC): is an idea from cradle to grave and considered sales record of a product time. PLC has four hypotheses: 1. a limitation life of products, 2. each phase has its own different features such as: methods of sales, 3. profits variation throughout the life cycle, 4. strategic methods used at each stage differ (Bennett, 1995 Thetimes100, 2009). The Stages of PLC: PLC has five stages 1. Development (pre-Launch), 2. Launch (Introduction), 3.Growth, 4.Maturity (Saturation), 5.Decline (Thetimes100, 2009). The development phase: In this stage, a firm has an idea and tries to make improvements to it, which is done by employing the researching skills for that purpose. This usually costs a lot of money in designing, production, advance promotion and if there were no sales, there would be no profit (Mark, 1998). The introduction phase: If the product agreed on, which a firm has decided to launch was its own innovative, unique one, normally, in this case, chances are less that any difficulty get in the way, especially and mainly from competitors. It remains at the beginning of this stage from the 4 Ps mentioned previously: promotion and place. A firm needs to create awareness, encourage sales, advertisement, public relations, and most importantly develop an image (Mark, 1998 Netmba, 2009). The growth phase: When a product achieves success, competitors will have reaction that entering market as quickly as possible. As a result promotional cost would increase in this stage for the sake of persuading consumers that the product of ours is better than other competitors (Mark, 1998 Netmba, 2009). The maturity phase: Competitors are rising sharply in the market and there is no space in for new copartners. Firm at this stage will exert all promotion options to preserve its brand loyalty within its own customers. However, at this stage sales and price begin fall down in the same time there are a large several of versions of product. By using different approaches competitors will detach part of market from the firm (Blythe, 2009). The decline phase: This is the stage leading towards the end. In other words, it is the stage where the death of the product begins to take place. There are a small number of balance sheet promotion sections which could manage it with. As much as the firm can keep its product on the life, it will still be able to earn some money. However, in this stage, varieties of versions are not available and the price might need to be raised (Blythe, 2009). â€Å"In fact, most decision to eliminate products is made on the basis of intuition and judgment rather than any formal analysis† (Blythe, 2009.pp:81-82). Strengths of the PLC. When used alongside analysis of sales figures and forecasts, PLC can be a powerful tool in providing guidance and marketing tactics that are appropriate at a particular stage (suite101, 2009). What are the keys of succeeding? Clearly, to allow a product to succeed and penetrate the market, it has to fulfill the needs of a sizable number of customers. With new products, this usually occurs automatically when the product possesses some new features which cannot be found in other existing products. Improvement in operation and technology is another cause of success (Dibb et al., 2006). Weakness of PLC. Even with using the PLC diagrams, there is no way to predict the length of each phase that the product is going to stagnate at. Furthermore, neither can it be used in forecasting accurately. These are the main failures and weakness points of the PLC model (Know this, 2004 mind tools, 2009). What is the fatal mistake which marketers do? Why do some products fail? The critical major mistake that marketers may neglect is when the product they introduce to the market does not meet the needs of the customer. This occurs for any of the following reasons: 1. the product does not offer value and therefore fails to progress in the marketplace. 2. The branding is ineffective or not well known. 3. Sometimes, the mistakecan be within the design. 4. In some other cases, technical problems appear. Moreover, Distribution and overestimation of the market size problems are considered a huge mistake which marketers can possibly commit (Dibb et al., 2006). What are the internal and external factors have effects on PLC? There are many features which effect PLC and the vital of them Product decisions and Consumer behavior. Product decisions (Internal factor): Product decisions include those intended to have an effect upon the firm primarily, then product, its sales, and, hence, its lifecycle and not related directly to the consumers. This is so clear in the example of Coca-Cola case below. Consumer behaviour (External factor): Decision making process elements are considered many three issues: First: Personal characteristics: personality, lifestyle, motivation, beliefs, attitudes, and perception. Second: Circumstances of the buyer: gender, age, family, life-cycle, income, and education level. Third: Social environment: culture, reference groups, and social class (Hill OSullivan, 1999). These are out-of-control factors that a firm has no hand on. They affect the life cycle of a product and given the name, external factors. In fact, this is not precisely the case. Because this is mainly more related to the customer buying that very product, a fair look at psychology can be devoted here to face any of the problems caused by any of the above factors. If looked more closely at the nature of this situation, one finds that it is concerned with decision-making process area of psychology. As soon as a consumer makes the decision to buy that product, which is what marketers look forward to, the business will begin a nd the product introduced will continue going through the stages to live its cycle. The external factor effect should be clear in the Kelloggs example later (Hill, OSullivan, 1999). Coca-Cola case study In this case study, it will be shown clearly that some of the products dont even reach the growth or the maturity stages but straightforward towards the declining stage. This was when Coca-Cola thought to launch its own bottles of water in 1993. â€Å"Dasani†, was the marketing name of the product. In the UK, what happened was that the factory had contaminated the bottles with what a cancer-causing chemical called â€Å"bromated†. This is different from the chemical substance â€Å"bromide†. The factory was using the tap water which comes normally from the Thames River. Then, this is being purified using the reverse Osmosis method of purification. After, this purified water is added to a batch of â€Å"Calcium Chloride (CaCl2)† and â€Å"bromide†. When Ozone gas is pumped into that batch, the bromide will be oxidized to â€Å"bromated†. This was mainly the reason for Coca-Cola to divest this kind of a product. Apparently, for this reason, the water of Thames River is being monitored to check the existence, or the concentration for that matter, is below the 10 micrograms per litre. This clearly shows how the internal factor effect here led to the end of the product (Dibb et al., 2006). Kelloggs Nutri-Grain Case study: In 1997, Kelloggs has achieved successes for approximately fifty per cent, which was part of the growing a puffed rice of market Perform in short time less than three years. Until 2002, sales continued growing and increasing within new improvements of flavour and ingredient to the original product. Nutri-Grain, as an example, grew gradually to be identified and recognised by the customers themselves. Nutri-Grain has changed customers understanding from missing breakfast to become a health daily snack. All Bran bars and Alpen bars are the main competitors of Nutri-Grain yet the interesting issue about the two is that both are from Kelloggs itself. However, there are others producing similar products to Nutri-Grain which slightly caused cutting of total profits. Each product of Kelloggs itself has a life cycle, some of which spend months within one stage and others, such as: Nutri-Grain spent years in only the growth stage. In the middle of 2004, Kelloggs noticed that Nutri-Grain sales started falling and losing its position. Meanwhile, the rate of market reached 15% of growing. It is obvious that Kelloggs should choose one of two decisions, either to withdraw Nutri-Grain or add some improvements to it to return it back to life (Thetimes100, 2009). Evaluation Simply, an analogy to the PLC is the life of a being. The living being starts developing from the moment it is born. Next step comes the stage of growth when it becomes a youth through towards maturity when it becomes adult. Finally, it dies which is similar to the withdrawal of a product from the market but before that it gets old; its sales show a decline. Having stated that, it shall be clear as to why be it that not all the products come through the lifecycle phases in the same pattern! As figure number 1 shows: The above plot shows the general typical life cycle that virtually every product should go through if no obstacles were on the way but the pattern differs. As expected in the research and development stage, the sales are zero since the product is not introduced to the market yet. Then, once it is introduced, the sales will begin and this is shown on the graph as sudden rise forming a curvature upwards shape. The rise continues until the stage of decline is reached and this is represented as a downward curvature shape indicated that the sales have fallen. In the development stage, small firms and big firms are not equal in terms of the precautions and the initiatives they take and so for the new and old companies. New Companies are more vulnerable to suffer from the consequences that the old ones and the reason for that is that the old have far more experience than the new firms. Big companies have a strong finical base which allows them to fight in the market with no fear. As have been stated above, in the introduction phase section, that the awareness and sales encouragement and more importantly the advertising is done actively at this stage. Doing the same kind of comparison between small and big firms, the latter have a variety of products in its production line which, in turn, adds a huge space for marketing activities such as, making ads about two or more products of their own, in other words, promotional effect dominates more than in the small firms. After passing the first two stages and the product reaches the growth stage safely, competitors reaction did not exist, both of the small and big firms are equal. However, if their reaction was catalyzed and competition was prevalent, they are not similar in the sense that the potential of each differs. As result, the course of action of each will be different and each will reap the harvest of competitors reaction differently, in accordance to their potential. Some products, although reach their decline stage, do not believe in what is called the decline phase and getting old. As a result, they overcome this problem and regain their position and popularity after taking the necessary strategies. This normally occurs when a little innovative tweak, be it a promotion, or an additional feature that is applied to the existing product. To reinforce the point of weakness mentioned earlier about the model that it fails to predict the exact time a product will spend at a certain stage, a set of examples are presented and exposed to evaluation. One of the examples is clothing. Cloths cannot be handled, to some extent, somehow to extend its life cycle as it is down to the fashion of the year. So, normally this kind of product lasts for no longer than a couple of months up to a year. (Know this, 2004) On the contrary, products like cars or bells live longer and can be trusted for at least five years or even more than that. These products life cycle, unlike the cloths, can be extended Products in between are prone to societies. A typical example is mobile phones. In some communities, people consider the mobile phone as fashionable item that is changeable each time a better, newer one is launched to the market. Others are fulfilled with it as being merely a mean of communication and that it is hard to do its job. Internal and external factors are equally as important. It has been seen in the example above how exceeded legal limit of bromate of a bottle of water has led Coca-Colas product towards death directly from the introduction phase; internal phase. Similarly with Nutri-Grain, Realistic snackers interest in healthy food, and it being the only healthy product have forced Kellogs to revitalize Nutri-Grain, external factor. Conclusion: PLC is a brief description or representation of a life cycle of a product in terms of graph. It is one of the powerful analysis tools in business generally and in marketing specifically. PLC mode can imply the possible strategies to be pursued in order to extend the life cycle of the product having known the stage at which the product is at standing. It can be concluded that in order to overcome this external factor, a marketer needs to play with the elements of decision-making process. By the death of the product, a complete description of the whole life of the product will be provided by the PLC model that can be used later on in the research and development stage of a new product. Business Culture Differences: USA and France Business Culture Differences: USA and France Globalisation has prompted many researchers to conduct intercultural studies. This report analyses the case of Southern Candles Tour De France and identifies several cultural differences. The ideas of Halls cultural model and Shannon-Weavers communication process will be presented with cultural issues. INTRODUCTION The purpose of report is to recognise the differences of business culture between U.S. and France and how they influence the cooperation of Southern and Belles companies. This report will be divided into three four dimensions. The first section presents a sequenced identification of cultural issues in the case. Theories of Halls and Shannon-Weaver models will be defined in the second section with clear tables and figure. The third section contains of some viewpoints about how the cultural issues relate to the chose models. Various perspectives of suggestions will be included in the last section. MEETING STRUCTURE Based on the research (1), the French prefer to have a flexible meeting and often change the plan easily, whereas, the Americans prefer to have a formal meeting and often adhere religiously to the plan (2). The conflict of meeting structure can be described as a cultural distinction. Conversely, this conflict can also significantly affect the positive impression of companies. For instance, the Americans may think that the French do not respect the meeting, and the French may think that the Americans are not creative. LUNCH TIME Another cultural issue between U.S. and France can be observed while Durand and his team members spent twenty minutes into meeting but used two hours break time to have a hot lunch. According to the research1, the Americans can just eat a small sandwich as their lunch and turn back to work, but a hot lunch is essential for the French to fulfill their energy. REACTION At the end of meeting, the reactions between Picard and Durand can also be considered as a cultural issue. U.S. people often present their reactions on surface (3); for instance, Picard gave a quick okay sign to his team members after finishing a well-presented meeting but the U.S. okay sign actually means zero or useless in France (4). Contrarily, the French frequently reserve their reaction and then release their decision after a series of discussion3. For example, Mr. Durand had decided not to corporate with Mr. Picard after two weeks consideration. DRESS APPEARANCE In Frenchs culture, formal dress look is very important at all times particularly in the meeting with high management level5. However, Picard made a mistake of this different cultural issue as only he took off the coat during the business meeting after an uncomfortable hot lunch. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION In France, eye contact, handshake, and double kiss are three main skills of non-verbal communication to show their friendly manner (6). In the case, Dubois extended a warm greeting in French to Durand. Nevertheless, the Americans usually avoid physical contact with people and this cultural issue creates an arrogant impression for the French1. WORK AND LIFE SEPARABILITY The problem of work and life separablity can be simply discovered when Picard kept mentioned several times the business meeting earlier in the day, but conversation always drifted back to social amenities. For the view of Durand, he has strong tendency to build lifetime relationship with Picard during the party dinner. However, Picard is accustomed to a short-term business relationship (2). LANGUAGE BARRIER The serious barrier between two central leaders is that they do not have same language to do deeper communication and this problem may have impact on building a trust business relationship. Although Picard has hired Dubois as his representative, the problem of different languages still significantly influences the interaction with Belles. For illustrate, Durand and his team members are repeatedly staring at Dubois because they think that she is the only person to give response so they put more concern on her reaction. LITERATURE REVIEW EDWARD TWICTHELL HALLS CULTURAL MODEL 1981 Hall is an anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher and he developed a cultural model that emphasised the importance of nonverbal signals and modes of awareness over explicit messages7. There are three fundamental dimensions: CONTEXT HIGH CONTEXT AND LOW CONTEXT Hall adds that high context communication or message is one in which most of the information is already in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of message. A low-context communication is just the opposite, that is, the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code7. The following table shows the characteristics of Halls high context culture and low context culture3: HIGH CONTEXT CULTURE LOW CONTEXT CULTURE Much convert and implicit message Much overt and explicit message Reserved actions Reactions on surface Distinct in groups and out groups Flexible in groups and out groups High commitment Low commitment Open and flexible time High organised time TIME -MONOCHRONIC AND POLYCHRONIC Hall explained that monochronic cultures value schedules and can evolve efficient bureaucracies. Polychronic cultures regard events as embedded in more of a simultaneous matrix of occurrences5. The following table gives the characteristics of two different time concepts (2): MONOCHRONIC POLYCHRONIC Do one work at a time Do multiple works at a time Concentrate on job Are highly distractible and subject to interruptions Are committed to the job Are committed to people and human relationships Work is clearly separate from personal time Work is clearly not separate from personal time SPACE (PROXEMICS) INTERPERSONAL DISTANCE Proxemics is the study of the human use of space within the context of culture. People handle space differently the way they do largely determined by the culture in which they are immersed9. Related to the case, only the theory of intimate and social distance will be provided. Intimate distance ranges from body contact to approximately 45 cm. At intimate distance, the presence of the other person is unmistakable (9). Social distance is the casual interaction-distance between acquaintances and strangers and ranges from 120 to 360 cm. Its close phase, 120 to 210 cm, is the characteristic of informal interaction9. The following figure shows that distance of Proxemics concept (10): SHANNON AND WEAVERS COMMUNICATION MODEL 1961 Shannons model of the communication process is a general model of the communication process that could be treated as the common ground of such diverse disciplines as journalism, rhetoric, linguistics, and speech and hearing sciences11. The following figure shows the communication process of Shannon-Weaver model (12): This model consists of 7 elements which are (13): Information source chooses desired message among a set of possible messages which can be mixture of any form of written or spoken, image or sound. Transmitter changes the message into the signal, also known as encoder. Message is the thing which is sent and received and all communication is about. Channel is the path that message passes through from the transmitter to the receiver. Receiver is the reverse transmitter which changes the signal back into the message, also known as decoder. Destination is the target place of the transmitted message. Noise is any unwanted additions to the transmitted signal which cause distortion or error in transmission. CASE ANALYSIS EDWARD TWITCHELL HALLS CULTURAL MODEL LES BELLES CHOSES Meeting Structure In the mind of the French, the meeting structure of U.S. represents low creativity and boring. In the mind of the Americans, Frances meeting structure is not organized and disciplined. Reaction Information is more likely transmitted in indirect way so the reaction is normally reserved. Reaction is normally appeared in a very direct way and also comes up with different signals. Interpersonal Relationship People always have strong boundaries and hard to adapt an outsider as part of their group. People are more flexible to accept outsider or a new culture. POLYCHRONIC MONOCHRONIC Schedule Schedule can be arranged independently if the better achievement can be established. Also, they do not mind to do multiple things simultaneously and always have a great involvement with human relationships since they are more concerned with family and friends. Time is very important as they often complete one project at a time or before the deadlines. Therefore, the Americans may think that time was dispersed with two hours lunch break and the French are not focused on the corporation. Work-life separability The issue of work-life separability also has direct impact on the corporation. Durand tended to create a close relationship with Picard but it was disturbed by irrelevantly conversation. The Americans typically follow the rules, show great respect for private property and less to build long-term relationship. So, Picard kept mentioned the works during personal time is eliminating the potential of cooperation. INTIMATE DISTANCE SOCIAL DISTANCE Interpersonal distance and Non-verbal communication People can accept the intimate distance mean that they often have body involvement with people or strangers. In the case, Durand and Dubois have an extended greeting in French. However, Mr. Picard did not have this action with Durand. People in the category of social distance mean that they have less body involvement with people and always in a common distance to do interaction with strangers. This kind of people usually avoids physical contact with people. Picard who from U.S. is a typical example. SHANNON-WEAVERS COMMUNICATION MODEL Destination Meeting Party dinner Decoder Durand receives the message and decodes the meaning Channel Dubois is the interpreter Encoder Picard sends the message and encodes the meaning Information sources Business proposal Ideas Opinions Noises Error messages, mistakes in translation, Wrong meaning created by interpreter Information source includes business proposal (written message), ideas, and argumentative opinion (spoken message) that were identified during meeting and party dinner. Transmitter is also called as encoder. In the case, Picard is the sender who is encoding the meaning. Message refers to the every information that was sent and received in the communication process. Channel will be the interpreter. For example, Dubois is responsible for translating the meaning for Picard and Durand. Receiver is also known as decoder. In this case, Durand may change the received messages and signals back into his preferred language or meanings. Destination refers to the meeting or the target place to do presentation in the case. Noises may include the error messages and meanings due to Picard and Durand are using different languages. RECOMMENDATIONS MEETING ALERT In France, people will never skip lunch and they are allowed to have lunch at least forty-five minutes at the company cafeteria and ninety minutes at a restaurant 14. Picard should have awareness of the Frenchs office hours and lunch hours and schedule the best time to have meeting. BUSINESS DRESS CODE If dealing with senior management level in France, a formal suit and well business dress code are highly needed15. Social gathering requires tastefully coordinated clothes even the invitation card with states that informal dress15. During the meeting, Picard should sustain his formal dress appearance. CONVERSATION Language barrier between Picard and Durand creates a resistance in their conversation. The best way to remove the barrier is to learn the same language; however, it could not be reached in a short period. There are some tips for Picard to increase the potential of success16: Practice effective communication as much as possible Convey ideas in a positive, clear and convincing manner PROSPEROUS ENTERTAINING Actually, a business meeting is not supposed to be conducted during lunch or dinner. However, sharing a meal is intended to help establish a personal acquaintance17. In France, business lunches are the most common form of entertaining business contacts18. For that reason, Picard can use a business lunch to present his sincerity of cooperation and his respect to the Frenchs culture. PUBLIC BEHAVIOUR In Frenchs culture, some non-verbal communication actions are expected to be performed19. To gain more familiarity with French, Picard should learn some greeting behaviour and avoid some objectionable public behaviors. GIFT-GIVING In France, gifts are expected for social events, especially as thank you after a dinner party20. When Picard was invited to the party dinner after meeting, he should awake that gifts-giving for the host is important to show an honor manner in the Frenchs culture. CONCLUSION After looking the ideas of Hall and Shannon-Weaver, it is easier to understand why problems occur from different cultural backgrounds. These ideas especially help in workplace and international cooperation. The recommendations proposed will provide a guideline on how to cooperate and avoid some unpleasant problems. References 1. http://www.understandfrance.org/France/Intercultural3.html 2. http://hackvan.com/pub/stig/etext/monochronic-vs-polychronic-time.txt 3. http://www.siu.edu/~ekachai/dimensions.html 4. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=France:_Public_Behaviour 5. http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Meals-and-Entertaining-in-France.html 6. http://www.culture-at-work.com/highlow.html 7. Hall, E.T. (1998). Basic concepts of intercultural communication: The Power of Hidden Differences. Maine: Intercultural Press Inc. 8. Hall, E. T. (1983). The dance of life: The other dimension of time. New York: Random House. 9. Hall Edward T.: The hidden dimension, 1966, Doubleday Company, Inc. 10. Tool for Proxemic research: Edward T. Half, A System for the Notation of Proxemic Research, American Anthropologist, Vol. 65, 1963, pp. 1003-1026. 11.http://www.shkaminski.com/Classes/Handouts/Communication%20Models.htm#TheShannonWeaverMathematicalModel1949 12. http://faculty.mdc.edu/jmcnair/Communication%20Theory%20A%20First%20Look.htm 13. http://www.zainbooks.com/books/mass-communication/introduction-to-mass-communication_4_elements-of-communication-and-early-communication-models.html 14. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=France:_Appointment_Alert! 15. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=France:_Business_Dress 16. http://plushtext.com/6-ways-to-communicate-more-effectively-in-the-workplace 17. http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Meals-and-Entertaining-in-France.html 18. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=France:_Prosperous_Entertaining 19. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=France:_Public_Behaviour 20. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=France:_Gift_Giving

Emo Culture Essay

Like the social and fashion trends of eras long gone, emo is not simply about the way you dress – it is a lifestyle. It culminates in your clothing, shoes, hairstyle, attitude and – most importantly – musical selection. This section describes the emo lifestyle and attitudes. People do tend to adopt at least the attitudes of the music they listen to most even if they don’t admit it. This is because a lot of people are not able to separate themselves from the ideas that are expressed. Music is different from other art-forms in that it penetrates the soul in a way something visual cannot. People seem to like to group together for some reason, its in our nature, and â€Å"emo† is just another group or sub-culture. People â€Å"join† it because they might agree with some, most or all of what the group is generally about. Being â€Å"Emo† is just another way that people are trying to express themselves, really the same as other street styles, just with a different soundtrack. In the end, each of the people who have chosen to follow the scene is their own person- they are just part of a scene that is tipped as being defiant and unacceptable- something most young people are drawn to. [To the Top!] What are Emo’s like? Firstly, labeling someone as an emo based on their hair style is a poor way to interpret personal expression, just as calling someone a goth based on their preference for black clothing. Whether or not a person listens to emo music, writes emo poetry, or adopts an alternative lifestyle is a personal decision that does not automatically have anything to do with the colour or cut of their hair. Emo styles are unique, individual looks that say a lot about the persons style, but the emotions behind them may never be understood by anyone else. When referring to a person’s personality and attitude, most definitions of emo include a number of the following terms: sensitive, shy, quiet, sad, introverted, glum, self-pitying, mysterious and angst ridden. Depression and broken-heartedness are sometimes used to describe the emo personality. Emo’s feel society doesn’t accept them, they are outcasts and nobody understands them! This is generalising and it is important to note those into the emo / scene culture can obviously also be the opposite of the personality traits listed above as with anyone. At its core, emo is all about being upfront with your emotions. Hot Topic even issued a patch that read, â€Å"cheer up, emo kid!† These personality traits are often identified by his/her music and fashion (generalising here). For example the emo band Hawthorne Heights contains multiple references to unrequited love, emotional and relationship problems. Many of these traits are present in most teenagers and not just emos! The courting of misery and death is a long-established teenage tradition. When death is a long way off, you can afford to be more morbid about it. In particular, Goths and Emos are a rebellion against sporty, manly cultures. Frailness, which conveys a sense of vulnerability has been associated with the male emo’s in particular, but from what I know this isn’t particularly valid. Finally touching on the term â€Å"scene† that has become popular since the emo subculture kicked off. Scene kids I believe are more about the style and looking like an emo without the personality of it all. In other words, scene kids are the ones that dress emo, but only because it’s a trend or you could say Scene is Emo without the emotion. The term is subject to significant debate like emo though.

Seventeen and Maybelline

Talisha Jackson Professor Benjamin Foster Writing 121 10/29/2012 Seventeen and Maybelline Seventeen is a cheap, popular magazine whose pages are full of various fashion or cosmetic tips, articles, and advertisements. Seventeen also focuses on the unknown details of popular stars, movies, celebrities and television shows. Maybelline Cosmetics is a well-known, expensive brand of makeup which is owned by L’Oreal. I will be analyzing both the Seventeen magazine and a Maybelline advertisement, to decide if the particular ad could be placed in the magazine.On the cover of the 2012 August edition of Seventeen is the Filipino actress Shay Mitchell. She is shown smiling while leaning against a white wall her arms are firmly crossed in front of her, showing off her blue bracelets and ring. Her brown hair is being blown back by an unknown force, revealing her blue and purple earrings which match her bracelets, purple lopsided shirt and purple flower patterned denim jeans. Right next to S hay in bold teal letters is the television series she’s in â€Å"Pretty Little Liars†, and under that in smaller plain text, is â€Å"Spoiler Alert! The wild plot twist she didn’t even see coming. Shay’s head is slightly covering the magazine’s title â€Å"Seventeen†, and surrounding her are the main topics of this edition. Such as: â€Å"Redo-Your-Room—For Free†, â€Å"Back-To-School Preview†, â€Å"805 Fashion & Beauty Ideas†, â€Å"Free nail polish†, â€Å"Best Jeans for your Body & Budget†, and â€Å"The Guy’s Secret Thoughts (what he’s not telling you)†. They’ve also posted the URL for their website in small orange print at the bottom right corner. August is the month where most students in high school or college are getting ready for going back to school, or are already back in school.Three of the main articles in this edition are about cheap ways to redo your entir e appearance. The ‘Back to School Preview’ article is full of pictures of women who are promoting make-up or hair products, and telling the readers ways to achieve these unique styles and what to buy. Such as the Hot Chocolate style â€Å"Upgrade your everyday earth tones with rich chocolaty color on eyes and lips. You get an A+ when the finish is matte. † The article tells the reader to buy MAC Pro Longwear ($20) and NARS Pure Matte Lipstick ($25) n order to achieve this look. Judging by the time this edition came out, some of the main topics, and the fact that this section of the article tells the reader that she’ll get â€Å"An A+ when the finish is matte† is safe to say that this magazine targets women in high school through college who want to get the best deals on clothing/cosmetic products and are interested in changing their look. Unlike most magazines, Seventeen does not have a table of contents. It does, however, number its pages which tot als up to 175 pages.Within these pages are advertisements for cosmetic products such as Covergirl, Maybelline, Pantene, and NYC. Covergirl dominants these with 5 full page ads, two of which are located in the first couple pages of the magazine. Pantene and Maybelline aren’t too far behind with 2 full page ads each, and NYC is in last place with 1 full page ad. The first thing you see when you open the magazine is the CoverGirl ad for their ‘Clean’ brand of cosmetics. This ad features Taylor Swift, whose skin looks gray and contrasts with her bright blue eyes and salmon colored pink lips.In quotations under Taylor is â€Å"why do I love clean? Because it’s sensitive to my skin† and under that a small description of the product. The other cosmetic ads are similar only promoting other products like eye shadow, mascara, primer, nail polish, etc. The cosmetic advertisements within the magazine itself reveal that the readers are interested in make-up, but only products which enhance their features and hide their blemishes’. Seventeen attempts to incorporate all different kinds of young women into their magazine.In the first 51 pages alone they have 49 models who are a minority, and 58 who are Caucasian. These models claim almost equal time as both the main model in the advertisement and as the supporting models. This edition of Seventeen doesn’t include one article or advertisement promoting weight loss or any form of dieting. Instead they have a small article written by an editor who promises that the Seventeen magazine will â€Å"not edit a model’s face or body†, â€Å"always features models who are real and healthy looking†, and to† celebrate all different types of bodies and people†.Although skinny models dominant the magazine itself, models of all different shapes and sizes have their place somewhere in its pages. Seventeen includes everyone in its pages, and caters to any type of young women who is into fashion. The women are not the only thing that ranges. Being a cheap magazine, Seventeen’s advertisements promote not only expensive brands such as Express and American Eagle but cheaper brands such as Target and Jcpenny.One of their main articles is about shopping for jeans on a budget, which delivers the readers some options for picking out jeans to match their funds. This ‘article’ is seven pages long, shows seven different brands of jeans and how much they cost. In the Aeropostale ad they show three women running arm and arm. The first female on the left of the ad is wearing floral jeans, the girl in the middle is wearing acid green skinny jeans and the last girl is wearing coral colored skinny jeans.All of those jeans cost around $25, while the adjacent ad’s jeans average around $55. Throughout the magazine, Seventeen has also added in several coupons, like buying a pair of Aeropostale jeans for $20, and another one for 20% off your entire purchase at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They’ve also placed a coupon for free mini nail polish, and tips on how to redecorate their room for free. These show that the readers of the magazine include people from all different income levels and don’t cater to one particular income level.Advertisement is a multi-billion dollar industry which is always looking for new ways to sell the consumers a product they usually don’t need. It plays with the consumer’s wants, needs, fantasies, and insecurities to market their item, while promising that it’ll be faster, better, and more efficient than the rest. When pertaining women fashion, dieting and cosmetic products dominant much of the advertising world. The advertisements promise that if the readers wear this particular item, or use these products they’ll be attractive. The Maybelline New York advertisements’ are no different.This particular ad for Maybelline presents their new lineup o f anti-aging products, named â€Å"Instant Age Rewind†. The advertisement plays with the whole minimal effect by not including a model, not having a background and not adding any words other than the ones on the make-ups’ packaging. This in terms draws the reader’s eyes to only their products, and allows the reader to come up with their own descriptions. They probably went this way since their original â€Å"Age Rewind† advertisement was banned in the UK, for their model looking perfect through the use of Photoshop.On every bottle or tube of the five â€Å"Age Rewind† products, clearly displaces the words â€Å"Instant† and the word â€Å"New†. The word Instant promises that the effect will happen instantaneously. That as soon as the customer puts the product on their face, they’ll instantly look younger. The word new either means that this is an entirely new product, or a slight modification of a previous product. Other than à ¢â‚¬Å"New†, there is no other weasel word, which means that the product promises to instantly make the customer appear younger, and not â€Å"Virtually instant†.Both of these words will help market their product by promising the readers a brand new product which will instantly make them look younger. In the ad the five â€Å"Age Rewind† products are lined up left to right, starting with the â€Å"Finishing Powder†, then the â€Å"Skin Transforming Primer†, â€Å"The Eraser†, â€Å"Radiant Firming Makeup†, and ending with the â€Å"Conceal†. Just by reading the names of the products, you already have a slight perception of what the product is suppose to do. The â€Å"Skin Transforming Primer† is supposed to hide every blemish, wrinkle, and age spot while making the customer look younger. The Eraser† is supposed to ‘erase’ all of the blemishes hopefully permanently, and the â€Å"Radiant Firming Makeupâ €  is supposed to firm the consumers face while giving it a radiant glow. Whether these products do this or not, the titles themselves is enough to sell to people who want to look younger. All of these products are either packaged in glass or plastic, with a burgundy colored plastic lid, top, or cover. The burgundy color helps attract the attention of possible customers, while standing out from the rest of the cosmetic products, which are normally red, yellow, or purple.Burgundy is a more mature color than most of the other color choices, which will help in attracting the older generation of women. Maybelline’s â€Å"Instant Age Rewind† products are aimed at the older generation of women who want to reverse time and look younger. The Anti-aging products are aimed at women in their late 30s and beyond. The ad will not fit in with the Seventeen magazine, which is aimed at women in their late teens to early twenties. Seventeen’s readers are more worried about hi ding pimples rather than turning back the wrinkles they don’t have. Therefore this will not be a product they’re interested in.

Simple Harmonic Motion Lab Report Essays

Simple Harmonic Motion Lab Report Essays Simple Harmonic Motion Lab Report Paper Simple Harmonic Motion Lab Report Paper Essay Topic: Simple Motion Lab Report Introduction Simple harmonic motion is the motion of a mass on a spring when it is subject to the linear elastic restoring force given by Hookers Law. In this lab, we will observe simple harmonic motion by studying masses on springs. In the first part of this lab, you will determine the period, T, of the spring by observing one sliding mass that is attached to two springs with the spring constant k, and attached to a hanging mass by a string and a pulley. The next part, you will determine the period, T, of oscillation caused by two springs attached to either side of a sliding ass. By knowing the velocity in the second part, you can find kinetic energy and potential energy of the oscillating mass. Also, you must find the uncertainty in the period, kinetic energy, and potential energy. Procedure In this experiment, you will determine the experimental and theoretical period of a spring, the kinetic energy and potential energy by measuring the spring constant and velocity of a spring. In this first part of this lab, you will have a sliding mass on a frictionless air track attached to two springs on one side, and attached to a hanging mass by a string and pulley on the other. First you must calculate the mass of the sliding mass and the equilibrium displacement of the spring. The rest of the first part requires you to add 20 grams to the hanging mass and then measuring how far the sliding mass has moved for the equilibrium position. That number will be your delta x. Do that method five times and then solve for the spring constant through the formula: (Delta m) g = k (Delta x). The values of k that you solve for will be plugged into the formula: T = 2 (pi) (radical m/k). The period that you solved for will be your theoretical period. In part two of this lab, you will attach a spring on either side of a sliding mass on a frictionless air track and have a photo gate measure the period as the mass oscillates. Repeat that procedure for three more times and at each trial, add 20 more grams to the mass. The period that you get is your experimental period. The next step is to record the velocity of the oscillating mass to solve for the kinetic energy and potential energy. After finding the theoretical and experimental periods, you must make a graph comparing the two with error bars on the theoretical period. To find the uncertainty in the theoretical period, use the formula: Conclusion Through experiment, we have been able to calculate a value for two different kinds of periods of an oscillating mass, the kinetic energy, and the potential energy. A photo gate, which is connected to a frictionless air track that supports the sliding mass, records the period and velocity of the oscillating mass.

Impact of Globalisation on Nokia Company Essay Example

Impact of Globalisation on Nokia Company Essay Example Impact of Globalisation on Nokia Company Paper Impact of Globalisation on Nokia Company Paper International Business Question 1. Using one specific company, with which you are familiar, examine the actual and potential impacts of globalisation on that company. Explain the reasoning behind the points you make. Evaluate possible strategies going forward which the company might use to respond to the impacts of globalisation you have identified. Table of Contents 1. Background 1. 1 What is Globalization? 1. 2 The Importance of Globalization regarding a business 1. 3 Nokia a brief introduction 2. Characteristics and issues influencing Globalisation 3. How globalisation impacts the company 3. Product 3 . 2 Logistics 3. 3 Acquisitions 4. Evaluation and recommendations 4. 1 Rugman and Collinsons integration-responsiveness framework 4. 2 PEST analysis 4. 3 SWOT analysis 4. 4 Conclusion 5. Bibliography Part 1 – Background 1. 1 What is Globalization? â€Å"Globalization the growing integration of economies and societies around the world â€Å" The World Bank Globalization is a very wide concept involving such diverse areas as global and domestic economies, politics, sociology and international relations. Because of this there is no general consensus regarding the definition of this phenomena. There also isn’t a clear agreement between when globalization began. Some say that it actually began when Christopher Columbus discovered America in the late 15th century and brought back such goods as tobacco, various spices and some others. While others say it’s a relatively new and began in the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution. However people tend to agree that it’s never had such wide impact as in the last 20 years due to the introduction of the internet, mobile phones, decreased costs of transportation and manufacture of various goods. It’s agreed by most people that at least the following three elements are commonly involved in globalization: Shrinking Space. The lives of people are becoming more and more interconnected; not just domestically, but also globally. With increasing popularity of the social networking services such as facebook, twitter and skype it’s becoming easier to interact with people on the other side of the globe. Due to easier communication between human beings, people people in some cultures are becoming more aware of global norms. Youth in Japan for example are refusing to work long hours although this was common in the past and still is amongst the older generation. Shrinking Time. Due to the various communication and information technologies and the pace of their development, events occurring in one place have close to instantaneous impacts in other places. Catastrophic events like attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center during September 9/11 were reported globally in a matter of seconds and also had global effects on the prices of various stocks and currencies. Disappearing Borders. Borders of Countries around the world are becoming significant only on maps, as regional trade blocks (e. g. EU, NAFTA) and supranational bodies (e. g. IMF, WTO) increasingly override national policy making in economic and business issues as well as law enforcement and human rights. 1. 2 The Importance of Globalization regarding a business. Globalization should be important to every company because it’s near ly impossible to succeed for a large business in current economic conditions without carefully analysing every single angle of it. Companies worldwide are outsourcing the production of some and in some cases even all of their goods to other countries due to cheaper labour costs and cheaper raw materials. The transportation is becoming cheaper and cheaper due to improving technology, hence it is often more profitable produce the goods elsewhere and transport them directly to the consumer. Companies are also exporting certain branches of their company to other countries (e. g. utsourcing customer service calls to operators in India) Because of these decisions companies are saving vast amounts of money, hence they are able to decrease the prices of their goods and compete very aggressively with other companies. Due to the fierce competition many businesses are forced to also use the benefits of globalisation to their own advantage. In order to survive the harsh reality of competition businesses need to constantly be aware of changing conditions regarding the quality, efficiency and cost of production and various ot her important, but constantly fluctuating factors. . 3 Nokia a brief introduction Nokia is a leading manufacturer of mobile devices, with a market share of 30% of all mobile devices globally. Interestingly the company was founded in 1865 and started its operations by manufacturing paper. The company later added electricity generation to its business activities. In the beginning of the 20th century the company started making rubber shoes along with other rubber products. Shortly Nokia expanded to cable and electronics business. By the late 1960’s the company was responsible for many different industries, hence producing many completely different products. During the 1990s the company focused solely on the fastest growing segments in telecommunications and divested itself of all of its non-telecommunications businesses. While Nokia remains the global leader of mobile devices, the market share is falling slightly. Same time last year the company had 34% global market share, 4% more than currently. Worryingly the profit fell by a staggering 40% in the second quarter of 2010, compared with the previous year. The company faces strong competition in the Smartphone segment, as Apple and Google recently entered the Smartphone sector with the iPhone and Google android phones accordingly. Part 2 – Characteristics and issues influencing Globalisation In the past the world economy was dominated by 2 (bi-polar) main areas – North America and Europe, however the world moved on to a tri-polar model where 3 regions dominate the entire world. These regions are North America, the European Union and South-East Asia and they account for roughly 80% of the total value of world exports and 84% of world manufacturing value added. There has been growth in international trade and capital flows for exports and foreign direct investment respectively. During the period between the 1980 to 2007 world exports of goods and services more than doubled, reaching over 17,000 billion USD in 2007 and accounting for over 31% of world GDP. There has been significant growth in the world cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions. Most activity regarding Mergers and Acquisitions is concentrated in the telecommunications and the media, financial services, insurance sectors. The global value of Mergers and Acquisitions rose from 200 billion USD in 1990 to 1600 billion USD in 2007. Over the past years there has been a rapid growth in regional trading agreements. To name a few – European Union, North American Free Trade Area, European Free Trade Association. Members of these regional trading arrangements have preferential treatment to trade in goods and services between members of these blocs. Multinational Enterprises began locating production facilities inside these RTAs to avoid protective and discriminatory barriers. Changing international labour costs are particularly important in the globalization movement as both wage and non-wage costs (like social security, taxes, etc. ) are one of the most important factors when a business, has to decide in which country to locate the production plants and export other areas of the company. However labour costs alone are a poor indicator, that’s why relative unit labour costs are often used instead , as the RULC takes into account not only the labour costs, but also the productivity of the workforce and the exchange rate. Another important factor influencing globalization is the increasing international communication. Over the 20 years from the 1990 to 2010 the international telephone calls have risen from 33 billion minutes to over 130 minutes. Worldwide Internet users have increased tremendously from 1990 to 2006. From 1. 7 users to 136 per 1000 people. Telephone lines increased six times in developing countries. In 1990 only 21 people had telephone line per 1000, while currently this number is a whopping 132 per 1000 people. Another important factor in many countries is growth in ageing populations. Although the median age of world’s population rose only from 23. 6 years to 26. 6 years from 1950s to 2008, it’s predicted that the median age over the coming 40 years will rise to 37 years by 2050. This will definitely affect the labor supply in some countries as well as the changing consumer tastes. Producers of goods and providers of various services will have to focus on the older generation. Part 3 How globalisation impacts the company 3. 1 Product Nokia operates a total of 15 manufacturing facilities located in Finland, Brazil, China, England, Hungary, India, Mexico, Romania and South Korea. The company produces standardised products worldwide due to the enormous benefits of the economies of scale. Nokia’s products are produced in exactly the same way in every country, the only difference being that company focuses on promoting different models in different countries in various continents. Naturally as disposable income in African countries is much lower than in other parts of the world the company focuses on selling cheaper, more economical budget phones, which appeal to the majority of locals. One of such examples of phones is the Nokia 1100. This simplistic device is the world’s best selling handset with the sales of 250 million since the launch in 2003. In addition to being the best selling mobile phone it’s also the best selling consumer electronics device in the world. Despite being released in 2003 when the phones already had colour screens and cameras this phone outsold all others just because the correct marketing approach by Nokia – selling to the developing countries. This phone is capable of lasting for up to 400 hours and also has a built in flashlight which are essential functions in the parts of the world where electricity is scarce. Interestingly Nokias one billionth phone sold was a Nokia 1100 purchased in Nigeria. In Europe and North America on the other hand the company focuses on each country individually as personal income fluctuates highly depending on the region; however as over all the consumers in these areas are more technologically conscious and have higher incomes Nokia naturally sells more mid to higher end phones. Nokia’s most expensive mass produced phone was the Nokia 8800 Gold Edition which cost a whopping ? 1459. This demonstrates company’s diversity, with the ability to find a niche in the mobile phone market both ways – for the lower and higher end devices. Recently however due to the effects of the global economical recession the company introduced a new line of budget phones, hence indicating the flexibility and adaptability of the company. 3 . 2 Logistics Nokia manufactures mobile devices and related Internet and communications industries, with over 123,000 employees in 120 countries, sales in more than 150 countries and global annual revenue of EUR 41 billion and operating profit of â‚ ¬1. billion as of 2009. As of December 2009, Nokia had R presence in 16 countries and employed 37,020 people in research and development, representing approximately 30% of the groups total workforce. The Nokia Research Center, founded in 1986, is Nokias industrial research unit consisting of about 500 researchers, engineers and scientists. It has sites in seven countries: Finland, China, India, Kenya, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Besides its research centers, in 2001 Nokia founded (and owns) INdT – Nokia Institute of Technology, a R institute located in Brazil. Nokias industrial design department is headquartered in Soho in London, England with significant satellite offices in Helsinki, Finland and Calabasas, California in the USA. Recently the company signed a memorandum with Cluj County Council, Romania to open a new plant near the city in Jucu commune. Moving the production from the Bochum, Germany factory to a low wage country created major dissatisfaction in Germany. The politicians in Germany even boycotted the company by trading their mobile phones to other brands. The German officials even threatened Nokia by demanding 60 million Euros which the company received in subsidies, however one of Nokia’s Chairmen replied â€Å"Unfortunately, the costs of labour, including non-wage labour costs, in Germany are not competitive enough for the mass-production of Nokia products†. This just shows how the differences and changes in the RULC in combination with various taxes on imports/exports including other important factors can steer a company like Nokia away from one country to another. . 3 Acquisitions Acquisitions are a big part of any large corporation these days and they are very important in many fundamental ways including strategically, economically and time management wise. In present times every second counts as information travels virtually instantly from one end of the globe to the other, hence a company may save valuable time and resources by acquiring another firm, which will most likely be established in the market and only s ome reorganisation may be needed. During the past few years Nokia has been actively acquiring companies with new technologies and competencies, including also investments in minority positions. Since December 1997, Nokia has acquired 41 companies or businesses. To name a few more notable acquisitions: In 2003 Nokia acquired Sega. com, a branch of Sega which became the major basis to develop the Nokia N-Gage device. This was a very notably strategic and innovative move, because the company later launched the first gaming/mobile device on such mass market. Although the device sold over 3 million units it was still considered a failure, yet it still was a very innovative move from Nokia. On June 19, 2006, Nokia and Siemens AG announced the companies would merge their mobile and fixed-line phone network equipment businesses to create one of the world’s largest network firms, Nokia Siemens Networks. Each company has a 50% stake in the infrastructure company, and it is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. The companies predicted annual sales of â‚ ¬16 billion and cost savings of â‚ ¬1. 5 billion a year by 2010. About 20,000 Nokia employees were transferred to this new company. In October 2007 Nokia bought Navteq, a U. S. -based supplier of digital mapping data, for a price of $8. 1 billion. Nokia Ovi Maps use Navteq’s maps in Smartphone’s. Ovi Maps provides offline maps, eliminating the need for a constant internet data feed. On April 10, 2010, Nokia announced its acquisition of MetaCarta, whose technology was planned to be used in the area of local search, particularly involving location and other services. Part 4 – Evaluation and recommendations . 1 Rugman and Collinsons integration-responsiveness framework Nokia is in the transnational strategy (T) quadrant as it faces high local responsiveness and high global integration. The company operates in a market with strong international cost and price competitiveness pressures but it must meet such challenges while paying due regard to the high political sensitivities of host governments (like in the case mentioned previ ously when Germany didn’t agree to the relocation of one of the production plants) and agencies. . 2 PEST analysis |Political |Changes in the future taxation policies are a possible issue as there still are countries which struggle to | | |regain economic muscle after the recession, hence it’s very likely to see some changes in weaker economy | | |countries. | |Changes in subsidies or financial funding, especially in developing economies can lead to increased costs in | | |the company | | |Changes in trade bodies is an ongoing issue, as globalization is advancing the pace in the changes between | | various trading parties are very likely to influence import/export costs along with other unforeseeable | | |impacts. | | |Political instability in countries such as North Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq can lead to global political | | |insecurities, hence unpredictably effecting business behaviour worldwide. |Economical |Overall economic situation, especially future economic f luctuations | | |Changes in consumer spending can influence the demand greatly | | |Changes in government spending | | |Exchange rates can increase/decrease import/export costs | |Social |Ageing populations such as China along with many other European countries can influence the design of future | | |mobile phones | | |Social networking sites such as Facebook and twitter are changing the accessibility to the consumers | | |Lifestyle patterns and changes | | |Media views and perceptions | | |Ethnic and religious differences | |Technological |Current and future technological innovations | | |The level of research funding | | |Changes in means of consumer purchase | | |Intellectual property rights and copyright infringements | | |Global communication technological advances | | |Digitalization of things like books | 4. 3 SWOT analysis Strengths |Leading mobile phone company by market share | | |Sales in more than 150 countries | | |Innovative company | | |20 year experience in mobile phones | | |Global brand awareness | | |Widespread Location | | |Offers products in various price ranges | | |Corporately responsible company | | |Environmentally conscious | |Weaknesses |Slow and outdated Operating System (symbian) of mobile devices | | |Poor customer service | | |Slow comeback to competition (During the beginning of the iPhone era) | |Opportunities |New and innovative future products | | |MeeGo – new OS for netbooks | | |New approach towards developing companies | | |Partnerships with other organisations | | |Symbian^3 – a reboot of the old symbian operating system for mobile phones | |Threats |Political instability | | |Economical instability | | |Incredible sales of Apple iPhone and Google Android mobile phones | | |Market share loss to competitors | 4. 4 Conclusion Nokia is one of the leading global brands, however recently companies like Google and Apple started posing extremely dangerous threats with introduction of new products and services. These companies are taking over Nokia’s market share at extremely fast pace, especially in the smart phone sector. Other communication companies like Samsung, Sony Ericson and Motorola are also introducing innovative technologies and products. Nokia needs to quickly develop new mobile phones, especially with touch screen displays and also improve the hardware performance of its devices. Although investments are being made towards new operating system development for mobile phones the company need a completely different approach, as the early beta demonstrations are not looking up to par when compared to its competitors. Nokia also need to focus on the changing economical conditions in countries like China where the standard of living is changing drastically, hence more and more people are becoming possible future customers. The company should also take in to account the changing demographic situation worldwide, where most currently dominant economies are ageing; therefore it should prepare to shift its target clientele base from young adults towards older customers. The firm should also continue manufacturing simplistic devices as there are still plenty of possible customers with little technologic knowledge. 5. Bibliography Websites: Wikipedia. 2010. Nokia. [online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nokia [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Wikipedia. 2010. List of acquisitions by Nokia. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Wikipedia. 2010. Globalization. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Nokia. 2010. The story of Nokia. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 November 2010]. Newlaunches. 2007. Nokias phone history timeline. [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 November 2010]. Articlesbase. 2007. Nokia the History. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 December 2010]. Dw-World. 2008. German Politicians Return Cell Phones Amid Nokia Boycott Calls. [online] Available at: [Accessed 12 December 2010]. Spiegel Online International. 2008. German State Demands â‚ ¬60 Million from Nokia. online] Available at: [Accessed 12 December 2010]. Books: Wall, S. Minocha, S. and Rees. B. , 2010. International Business. 3rd ed. Pearson Education Limited. Griffiths, A. and Wall, S. 2008. Economics for business and management. 2nd ed. Pearson Education Limited. Brooks, I. Weatherston, J. and Wilkinson, G. 2010. The internationa l business environment. :challenges and changes. 2nd Ed. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall Dicken, P. 2007. Global shift :mapping the changing contours of the world economy. 6th ed. Sage Publications Ltd. Cullen, B. J, and Parboteeah P. K. 2009. International business :strategy and the multinational company. 1st ed. T F Books US

Northeast Utilities Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Northeast Utilities - Research Paper Example The company that is the subject of this research is Northeast Utilities Industries. This company was formed in 1966 following the successful business merger that occurred between Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P), the Hartford Electric Light Company, and the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO). This merger made the companies come under one management qualifying to be the largest multi-state holding following the Public Utility Holding Act of 1935. Other companies later joined the merger in the subsequent years and in this case, Holyoke Water Power Company (HWP) joined in 1967 and finally, in 1992, Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) signed a deal to merge with the company. This informs that five companies that were once independent constitute the Utility. In 2010, Northeast Utility further eluded their intention to the merger with NSTAR but maintaining the title as Northeast Utility and this is still a subject of approval. It is worth noting that the co mpany is listed in the Fortune 500 with the headquarters at Berlin, Connecticut. The company also runs several subsidiaries in the business of retailing electricity and natural gas. The company’s customer base in New England is about 2.1 million and this qualifies it to be one of the largest public utilities in New England. In this regard, the company has electric transmission lines covering 3,140 miles with about 32, 802 distribution pole miles. Their natural gas distribution also covers an area of about 5,000 km2.... In any business, it is very important to understand these forces so that one can identify the source of business strength and weaknesses so that the necessary adjustments can follow. In this case, this industry faces fierce competition from other companies providing similar products-competitive rivalry. This includes other companies like, First Energy, UIL Holdings, UNITIL, NSTAR, and EnerNOC (Murray, 2012). The existence of these companies in the provision of the same product has elicited severe competition in the provision of the same service-energy. There is different customer’s loyalty experienced in the market and other factors like switching cost that make the competition based on the existence similar products industries to be fierce. In the industry, there is need to achieve change in different categories; to achieve change in the efficiency of the energy production and distribution, this is aimed at reducing the cost of energy to the final consumers. When the cost of production is reduced, there is possibility of reducing the cost of the final product that goes to the consumers and thus a company is able to cut themselves a niche in the market. In this sense, the factor that is driving change in the company is the need to provide the consumers with products at moderated prizes to acquire a larger share in the market place. The reliability and safety of the product is also a concern of the company, the company dealing in the provision of the utilities tend to have the sense of reliability to the customers so that they do not lose market on that grounds. Competitors in the Industry Like any other business, the provision of the energy in which Northeast Utility is involved is experiencing the same competition from other service providers.