Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne Rebecca Townsend Hum2235 Dr. Hoover Edison College Fall 2012 Townsend 1 The painting of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne took more than a decade to complete. It was created in the 16th century, in Florence Italy. A young master artist declined the original commission for The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and suggested Leonardo da Vinci. The monks who commissioned the painting, an artifact of Christ’s family tree, gave Leonardo a workroom.The figures in the picture are of Saint Anne representing the grandmother, the Virgin as mother (Mary/Madonna), the Child as Christ, and the lamb as the future sacrifice of Jesus. They are closely intertwined in the painting showing their tight bond in Christian History. Da Vinci could not separate Christianity from his work. Leonardo in his painting as well as in his life seemed to cultivate a sense of mystery (Capra XIX). The monks of the Florentine Santissima Annunziata commissioned Leonardo to pa int The Virgin and Child with St. Anne as an altarpiece for their high altar. In his typical fashion, Leonardo did not complete the work on time.The monks, eager for their altarpiece had to commission another artist to complete the work. The monks approached Filippo Lippi to complete the work Leonardo had started. Filippo Lippi was the artist that painted Madonna and Child with Two Angels in 1465. Lippi was the artist who had initially rejected the commission suggesting the monks give the project to Leonardo. Lippi considered Leonardo to be a superior artist. Lippi agreed to finish the project but died before its completion. After Lippi died, the monks had a young Florence artist named Perugino finally complete the piece.At last, the monks of the Santissima Annuziata in Florence had their painting for their high altar. Some consider the painting to be a treasure of esoteric and occult wonders. Some are fascinated by the sight of St. Anne supporting her heavy daughter on her knee, wi th no visible means of support (Budny36). Townsend 2 It’s hard to find any evidence of Leonardo’s beliefs in his paintings, since there are no written records that have survived if they ever existed. Leonardo believed that a good artist must also be a good scientist in order to best understand and describe nature.The humanistic, naturalistic, and scientific aspects of Leonardo’s life and work are not always clear because he was an original Renaissance man [Leonardo’s art, scientific investigations, technological inventiveness, and humanistic philosophy were all bound] together. During the 16th century he made numerous drawings and sketches with different themes that eventually lead to this famous artifact The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. Various designs still exist of the version painted in 1510. Leonardo could not fuse the two qualities he desired: an abstract formula and the immediacy of life.The final painting now hangs in the Louvre in Paris. The painting is a complex and masterful synthesis of his previous variations (Capra 105). In some research it is stated that this artifact is unfinished, even though he had worked on this painting possibly for eight or nine years (Bramly 321). Leonardo had a habit of never finishing his work. Leonardo had drawn many different cartoons painting and sketches leading up to the final painting of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. One of his cartoon sketches had St. John the Baptist kneeling next to Christ (Capra 105). Leonardo switched St.John to a lamb in the final painting. The lamb (sacrificial animal) represents passion suffering in Christ’s destiny. It is not known why Leonardo replaced St. John, who was Christ’s cousin, with a lamb. He painted the Christ child as being about a year old. It looks as if he is slipping out of his mother’s hands and trying to grab hold of his destiny, the lamb. The lamb, being embraced by Christ has his head bent, while its tail a nd hind legs are clearly indicated to be in a comfortable place (Johannes 86). Townsend 3 Leonardo put his thoughts to paper and painted through, light, shadow, and geometry, using three dimensions.Da Vinci declared, â€Å"There are three kinds of perspective. † The first is concerned with the reason for the diminution of things as they form from the eye. Second contains the way in which colors vary as they form the eye. The third and last declaration of how objects should appear less distinct the more distant they are. Examples, perspective of disappearance (Capra 219). Perspective in painting was his destiny. From the pyramidal construction to the fact that only three feet belonging to the figures are visible, everything in the picture seems to be threefold.In fact in this painting, Leonardo was pursuing a theological meditation on the destiny of Christ, which had begun in his early painting Virgin of the Rocks (Bramly 320). Most research indicates the rocks, mountain strea ms, and escarpments of his childhood made up his private landscape in his paintings (Bramly 86). Leonardo depicts the women as sister like in age even though they are indeed mother and daughter. Saint Anne, the mother of Virgin and Child, sits with her daughter on her lap. The Virgin is half rising from her sitting position and she appears to want to restrain her daughter from separating the Child and lamb (Kemp 273).It is unusual for Mary to be portrayed in her mother’s lap. The painting may have more meaning to it than the Passion of Christ. Saint Anne perhaps represents the Church in this painting. Art critics have admired the unity of the three figures, the freedom of movement, the sweet and melting quality of the faces, and the mountains in the background. The family figures almost blend into each other in their rhythmic balance, with Leonardo’s dreamy mountains, foreshadowing the landscape of the Madonna, in the background (Capra 105). What better way to describe the bond of maternal love uniting three generations?Leonardo had written in a short note in one of his journals, The Virgin and Child Townsend 4 with Saint Anne means â€Å"the glorification of motherhood†. The Virgin and Saint Anne in this masterpiece seem to be about the same age in the painting, with their two bodies merging almost into one. Leonardo gave the child two mothers both graced with the blessed smile of happiness. To the viewer’s eye, the painting may imply to evoke his thoughts on his childhood which the painter wanted our thought as childhood had been divided between his real mother and his stepmother.He may have united them in his mind as he did in his painting, a picture that no one could have painted except of Leonardo De Vinci (Bramly 318). Both women, Saint Anne and the Virgin, have dedicated their lives to God, which had touch Da Vinci. One research source stated that in the painting Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, the Virgin is designed first, as she is in so many of his drawing, and the landscape seems to flow from her. The Painting is designed by Da Vinci in a diagonal, where we formerly saw a pronounced swing down from top right at the crown of the tree, through St .Anne’s left arm and elbow, through the successive arm/knee/arm/knee configuration of the Virgin, down to the placement of St. Anne’s feet on the then more brightly â€Å"spotlighted† left section of the rocky foreground. Against that progression, we saw in the earlier state how Leonardo had orchestrated a countervailing upper left to the bottom right sweep through the principal heads and the arms of the Virgin and the Child, down to the rump and tail of the lamb. This movement was decisively echoed and enforced by the parallel diagonals of the Virgin’s right leg and St.Anne’s left leg (Johannes 3). It is stated that Saint Anne’s left arm was painted the same way in another Leonardo da Vinci painting. Townsend 5 Leo nardo’s composition of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is perhaps the one which, of all his designs, he contemplated the longest and in great depth. Perhaps, he felt attracted by the particular formal and iconographical problems presented by the subject. When we were asked to select an artifact to research and write about, the painting of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne caught my eye.The love and compassion in the women’s eyes and their expressions towards the innocent child reminds me of the love I have for my own children. Although much research has been done to discover why Leonardo painted the picture the way he did, it is still unclear. It is unclear why the women appear to be the same age and why he substituted St. John with the lamb for the final painting. Research is still being done on his journals and notes. Leonardo, who was left handed, wrote all his notes in mirror writing, from right to left (Capra, 27).Perhaps further analysis of his notes and sketches will reveal more insight into the painting of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. [pic] Work Citied Bramly Serge. Leonardo the Artist and the Man. Penguin Group. Great Britain. 1994. Print. Budny Virginia. The Art Buletin. Vol. 65, No. 1 (Mar. , 1983), pp. 34-50. Print. Capra Fritjof. The Science of Leonardo. New York. Anchor. December 2008. Print Johannas Nathan. Miteilungen. 36. Bd. H. ? (1992), pp. 85-102. Article. Kemp Martin. Leonardo on Painting. Yale Nota Bene. Yale University. 2001. Print. Marani Pietro C. Leonardo Da Vinci. Abrams Harry N. New York: 2000. Print.

Producing a modern version of the play Essay

What difficulties have you experienced in producing a modern version of the play and how have you gone about solving these? A Midsummer Night’s dream looks at many themes and issues surrounding love and magic. The play looks into love, relationships, magic and how men and women treat each other. The play starts off with two minor characters in the play that appear at the beginning and at the end, Duke Theseus of Athens and Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazon’s discussing their forthcoming wedding. This part of the play creates images of weddings and romances. Recurrent images throughout the play appear here the moon, heaven and fate. There is a romantic tone and the language is also romantic as the Duke says ‘she lingers my desires’. The theme is love. Egeus, Hermia’s father enters angry with his daughter, and Lysander whom she is in love with. Egeus tries to threaten Hermia into marrying Demetrius. This is whom Egeus would like his daughter to be with, as he believes Demetrius can do no wrong and would care for Hermia unconditionally. Hermia is then given an ultimatum; she either marries Demetrius or dies. The language is full of hatred and ‘full of vexation come I’. This gives imagery of fantasies. The theme is of stolen love and fantasy. The tone of the actors is harsh and changes toward the end when Egeus says ‘†¦ stubborn harshness. And, my gracious Duke†¦ ‘. Hermia loves Lysander with all her heart. She doesn’t want to marry Demetrius and she certainly does not want to die, so the love-struck couple decide to escape and run away to the woods to be wed. Hermia sticks up for Lysander and says he is a worthy gentleman. The topic is that Hermia would die for Lysander; she doesn’t desire Demetrius. The language is full of anti-Demetrius, and the tone is occupied with sadness. Once again there are recurrent images of the moon, suggesting fate will deal its own hand this occurs when ‘†¦ on Diana’s altar†¦ ‘ is mentioned. Goddess of chasity and moon means this. Just as the two young lovers head towards the wood they meet Helena. Helena is a good friend of Hermia. She loves Demetrius, and is very jealous of Hermia’s beauty, for she is whom Demetrius loves. They tell Helena of their plans to elope. She then tells Demetrius to get on the good side of him (because he loves Hermia). The language in this area of the play is full of jealousy, and has a bitter tone. Hermia greets Helena with ‘God speed, fair Helena! Whither away? ‘ and she replies in a very cold and resentful tone saying ‘Call me fair? †¦ Demetrius loves your fair’. We then meet the actors, also known as the mechanicals that are going to perform an act at Duke Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding. We find out they are not the cleverest of people. One actor who is called Nick Bottom is introduced to us and his occupation is a weaver. We discover he is greedy and wants to take over everyone’s parts in the play. Bottom uses rhyme and rhythm when he speaks reciting poem. A Midsummer Night’s dream is about two worlds, earth and the fairy world. In the fairy world we meet a fairy, servant to Titania and Puck (Robin Goodfellow), Oberon’s lieutenant. We learn of Puck’s mischievous behaviour. The fairy introduces us to Puck with such rhyme and rhythm creating calmness, ironic to Puck’s character. Oberon and Titania are king and queen of the fairy world. Together they are parents to an Indian child servant. However, the two argue about whom the child is to stay with. We gain knowledge of who loves whom in the real world. Titania blames Oberon for the natural disasters in the real world. Titania suggests that the result of the quarrel causes strong gusts of wind, stormy sea, fog, loss of crop, floods, frosts etc. She also says that they have caused ‘murrion’, murrain is a fatal disease in sheep caused by wetness. In today’s society we can relate to this as we have experienced the terrible foot and mouth disease spread around the whole countryside. However, we cannot relate to the natural disasters as a result of quarrelling as these are occurrences which no one human being has force and control over. Due to the argument between the king and the queen of the fairy world Oberon decides to take revenge over Titania. He remembers of a flower, which contains a potion. The potion will make a living being fall in love with the first living thing they see. You can convey the magic of the flower with an anti-drugs to appeal to today’s society. Helena and Demetrius enter the wood. Helena tells Demetrius how she feels, but he doesn’t feel the same way. She is determined to win over his heart, and whatever Demetrius says and does, despite the nature of it, Helena falls more deeply in love with him. Helena keeps on following Demetrius, she throws herself at him at every opportunity she has and she doesn’t like to not see him. Demetrius’ tone of voice is hostile and his language is full of hatred. Images created are of hate. Demetrius says ‘ Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; for I am sick when I do look at thee’. Images of hell are also present. Oberon listens into the conversation between the pair, and he decides to side with Helena. He decides to help Helena out, as he feels she deserves someone to treat her fairly, and someone that will make her very happy. He tells Puck to drop some of the potion from the magical flower into Demetrius’ eyes. Whilst Titania is sleeping Oberon put the magical drops into her eyes. Mean while Lysander and Hermia enter the woods and fall asleep. Puck saw Lysander in the woods, confused, he put the drops into his eyes. Helena then goes deeper into the woods after losing track of Demetrius. She sees Lysander on the floor. He is still and very pale, and Helena thinks he is dead. She begins to shake him and he awakes. Lysander looks into Helena’s eyes and he falls instantly in love with her; he does not love Hermia any more, thanks to the magical flower. Lysander follows Helena leaving Hermia alone; he tries to convince her of his undying love. As Hermia is left alone asleep she has a terrible nightmare. She has a nightmare of a serpent eating her heart. The images create a vision of hell. Hermia wakes to find Lysander is not there, she is scared and very worried. The actors try to find a ‘convenient place’ for their rehearsal. They discover the wood is the perfect position to practice. The actors continuously seek to find fault with the play. They suggest that the killing of Pyramus could not be shown because it would scare the women watching. They also recommended that they could not have the part of a lion roaring as the audience would be afraid. After the trouble getting the play started, they began. Puck enters on scene; he is unseen and unheard. He thinks to himself what do we have here? Puck’s character is portrayed as a mischievous character; this shows when he plants an ass’s head on Bottom’s head. The mechanicals create humour with word play, and also there are many misunderstandings. The actors do not know what impact they are having on the audience, as they are not supposed to be comedic. However they are and don’t know which adds humour to the language and imagery. Bottom is puzzled as the actors surrounding him run away from him calling him names whilst being afraid. This is very ironic. He wonders around singing and whistling to himself. Titania awakes and when she notices Bottom she instantly falls in love with him. She instructs her fairies to tend to his every need. Imagery and themes of slavery are presented here. Puck explains to Oberon about his incident with Bottom and he agrees it was better than he could have devised. The duo watch Hermia and Demetrius in an argumentative conversation. Hermia believes Demetrius has hidden Lysander from her, so he can have her for himself; this is far from the truth. Demetrius tried to justify himself, but Hermia would have none of it. He eventually gave in, lied on the floor and fell asleep. Oberon realises Puck has made a mistake with the magical flower. We are then with Lysander and Helena, and Lysander is still trying to convince Helena of his love for her. Demetrius wakes to find Helena, and once again the magic begins, he loves Helena. Helena thinks the two men are lying to her, trying to mock her. She thinks everyone is in on the supposed plot, including Hermia whom now enters dazed and confused. This suggests the theme and idea of love is confusing.

How To Lose Weight

At its most basic, losing weight is about burning more calories than what you eat. That seems simple enough, but if it were really that simple, none of us would have a weight problem. Too often we take drastic measures to see results, such as diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise us instant success. Maybe you lose weight but what happens when you go off that diet or stop that crazy workout program? You gain it all back and more. The real secret to weight loss is to make small, lasting changes. The key is to forget about instant results and settle in for the long run.According to studies, to lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. That sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn't want to try to burn 3500 calories in one day. However, by taking it step-by-step, you can determine just what you need to do each day to burn or cut out those extra calories. By calculating your basal metabolic rate, you are able to calculate the amount of calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing and digestion. This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day.Also, calculate your activity level. For a week or so, keep an activity journal and use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, and the like throughout the day. Another, easier option is to wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you burn each day. Then, keep track of how many calories you eat. For at least a week, enter and track your calories to write down what you eat and drink each day.Be as accurate as possible, measuring when you need to or looking up nutritional information for restaurants, if you eat out. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you eat each day. Lastly, add it up. Take your basal metabolic rate number and add your activity calories. Then subtract your food calories from that total. If you're eating more than your basal metabolic rate plus your activity calories, you're at risk for gaining weight. When you want to know how to lose weight it comes down to planning.Plan to drink a lot more water, it will make you pee more often but will also clean you out and give you move energy. You also have to get more exercise and by exercise I mean try to get one hour of exercise of any kind in a day. This needs to be exercise that you like and not exercise that just feels like work as that will not be sustainable. As far as eating goes you will need to get back to those core eating habits of eating fruit and vegetables and reducing the amount of heavy carbs like rice and potatoes and make sure to eat often. Eating smaller meals more often will keep that m etabolism up for you.Finally if you want to know the real secret of how to lose pounds you need to worry about why you are trying to lose weight. On those days where it is really tough to diet or exercise or make good decisions then you need to be very clear what the heck this weight loss sacrifice is for. Is it going to make you healthier? Or do you want to fit into smaller clothes? Or is it a goal to prove that you are in control of yourself? All of these reasons and more are important. Write your reasons down and post them up everywhere. Make sure that you never forget the why of how to lose pounds.

Discuss the relevance of anthropological concepts, like 'spheres of Essay

Discuss the relevance of anthropological concepts, like 'spheres of exchange' - Essay Example Lastly, the essay will end with a conclusion, which sums up all the arguments and ideas discussed in the paper. Introduction Spheres of exchange refer to an anthropological concept, which entails the analysis of restrictions in trade and societies that share communal resources. In discussing spheres of exchange, the main focus is on whether principles of the market and economic theories can be considered as true in economies of all societies (Hart & Ortiz 1). This concept is based on the assumption that maximization of profit is what motivates all exchanges. All people have the sole motive to accumulate considerable profits when they engage in exchange. Therefore, the concept seeks to examine the economics behind any form of exchange in the society (Hart & Ortiz 1). Anthropologists examine this concept under economic anthropology. Based on this, the concept seeks to compare and analyze consumption, production, and exchange in societies not based in the west. In studying spheres of ex change, economic anthropologists have had two aims. One of the aims includes establishing economic activities based on the social and cultural context. The second aim entails understanding the rationality behind the systems of exchange, which seem irrational and unconventional (Hart & Ortiz 1). The anthropologists who studied spheres of exchange include Laura and Paul Bohannan; they studied this concept in their field work, in Nigeria. They provided three types of spheres: the subsistence sphere, wealth, and marriageable female relatives. The subsistence sphere consisted of food, such as grains, yams, vegetables, among others. Wealth comprised cattle, slaves, white cloth, and brass rods (Hart & Ortiz 3). Economic anthropologists Karl Polyani, Marcel Mauss, and Karl Marx have had an impact in the explanations of spheres of exchange. Polyani made a significant contribution through his comparison of economic institutions. His ideas outlined in Trade and Market in the Early Empires repr esent his beliefs. He argued that the economy of capitalistic societies is guided by values and not aim for profit (Hart & Ortiz 3). In his works, known as the gift, Mauss examines the exchange of gifts in various societies. He holds that gifts have a reciprocal nature since the receiver has an obligation to pay back what he or she got from the giver. Karl Marx made contributions in the field of anthropology through his dialectics and his arguments of social class. Neoliberal Globalization Neoliberal globalization entails efforts to remove barriers to trade and privatization of services as well as resources. The main objective of neoliberal globalization of the economy is to leave prices at the control of market forces. This tends to benefit a few in the society, while the majority suffers due to increased prices and unfavorable conditions in the market. Neo-liberalism and globalization develops within certain circumstances, which tend to be social and historical. Neo-liberalists ar gue that this concept is a law of nature. Anthropologists take globalization to mean the escalation in flows and improvement, in connections of people, values, goods, ideas, symbols, and knowledge (Hart & Ortiz 1). In anthropology, the term entails descriptions on how the market has prevailed. As a result, the economy became less dependent on political, social, and cultural forces. This has led to profound dominance of the market in

Identify both a federal and state (any state) legislative action that Essay

Identify both a federal and state (any state) legislative action that was created in response to the problems of domestic abuse - Essay Example Under the VAWA, all Federal domestic violence crimes are considered to be felonies and as such punishable with imprisonment based on the injury caused. Violation of the Gun Control Act also includes - possessing a firearm and/or ammunition after conviction of a qualifying misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(9) The punishment meted out for this crime is a prison term which ranges from 5years to life imprisonment depending on the extent of injury caused by the defendant. The legislative process includes lodging a complaint, followed by an enquiry and investigation. The court of law summons the respective parties and after thoroughly examining the details of the case, passes its judgment. The judgment also includes the prison term and fines if any to be fulfilled by the abusive party. The Federal law also lends protection and support to the victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence has a bad effect on society and so the Federal Government has taken ste ps to curb and prevent it by funding nation-wide programs related to integration and migration. References Action Plan of the Federal Government www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/responses/GERMANYweb Federal domestic Violence Laws www.justice.gov/usao/gan/documents/federallaws

Pros and Cons of the current Alcon IT management system Essay

Pros and Cons of the current Alcon IT management system - Essay Example Another major disadvantage of the management at Alcon is the autonomous operation of each of the business groups in the execution of their activities. They have adopted a culture of independent operation for each of the group and minimum cooperation among the groups. This leads to the independent execution of tasks from each group. Cooperation among different business groups in any organization helps in providing support and improves work handling. The position of Corporate Director of IT plays a vital role in the management hierarchy of the organization (Stair & Reynolds). Its long vacancy has affected the operation of the other groups below it in the hierarchy because they were operating without corporate governance. This put the organization at such a disadvantage that they had to create a new position to help with the situation. The decentralization of the management process can also play as a strength for the organization. This is in the sense that, with their own management of operations some groups will execute their operation better that others, hence singling out the poor performing branches. This can serve as a wakeup call for the improvement of the poor performing branches. The decentralization of operations also improves accountability in the dispensation and use of funds. With every branch allocated its own budget, accountability for the use of these funds in achieved more comprehensively The Alcan management also outsourced a lot of the work. This made then unaware of some of the workings and utilization of resources. The new enterprise architecture management system The vice president of Corporate Information Technology, Robert Ouellette had a vision of how he wanted to run the management at Alcan. After being brought on board, he performed an analysis and decided to come up with a new way of operation. His main target was to achieve cohesion and cooperation among the business groups. This was to be achieved at different levels. The new system, a lthough with advantages, did not come without a few setbacks. The main advantage of his system was development of better working relations among the departments. This helped improve work execution, although as a disadvantage, the lesser performing groups could easily go unnoticed, because their work seems complete. To tackle this, he made it a requirement, that in every team, the head of department and their officers were to report on the progress on their activities to higher management. This immensely improves accountability. The other major problem was the definition of roles in the management hierarchy. Due to unclear definition of roles, some activities were not properly executed. The advantage of Robert’s system is that, it clearly defines the roles of each position. Robert looked to reorganize the operations of the major braches in the organization. This was to be achieved by the implementation of the enterprise architecture. The architecture ideally centralizes operat ions and integrates the business activities of the organization with the IT infrastructure (Anderson). This greatly improves coordination among all the functions. This will lead to the creation of a centrally shared business center for the Information Systems within the organization. The disadvantage of this change is that implementation is mostly achieved at the management level; hence, the human resource at the

Analysis and evidence-based findings on the Alex Color Studio Essay

Analysis and evidence-based findings on the Alex Color Studio employee's motivation - Essay Example Moderately motivated employees will just satisfy the client but will not leave a remarkable mark which will trigger the client to spread the good reputation of the salon. However, demotivated employees never inspire any clients to come back for their services. For these reasons, Jackie Williams and Alex Williams recognize the need to motivate their employees and through interviews by Shannon and Janelle, we discover various ways about how they motivate their employees and this analysis presents the details. Setting and monitoring goals; according to Alex and Jackie employees are largely motivated by setting goals through holding frequent staff meetings. In these meetings, they evaluate the performance of the employees and their achievements against the set goals. During review meetings, they discuss the challenges they are facing and consequently deliberate on ways of improving their performance. This motivates employees because they are able to share their progress and receive positive reinforce. At the same time, the employees who are having trouble are motivated by an assurance that they are capable of improving. Alex and Jackie hold that during the meetings, employees are given feedback. Positive feedback motivates the employees by instilling in them a sense of accomplishment. On the other hand, positive criticism is also effective in motivating employees to achieve their set objectives by assuring them that there is room for their improvements. Setting performance standards associated with career path and pay rise; Alex and Jackie indicated that the performance standards of the stylists are based on four indicators; client count, pre-booking rate, retail sales, and average ticket price. The indicators are used to set individualized goals for the stylists to mark their progress and identify areas of progress. Setting performance standards gives the stylists

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 2 - Essay Example VAP has a mortality rate ranging between 0 and 50%, indicating that medical researchers need to dedicate more research input to the development and identification of strategies which healthcare personnel can use to prevent, detect, and manage ventilator-associated pneumonia. Researchers have conducted quite a significant number of studies regarding this medical issue, but the results have not been readily available to numerous nurses due to the lack of strategic resources for accessing research findings. As a result, Health for All, an American NGO that advocates for universal healthcare, contacted my research institution with a proposal to conduct a study about the ways of detecting, preventing, and managing (VAT). Researchers bear the ethical obligation of ensuring that their research findings are accessible to all relevant stakeholders, including research participants. In order to devise effective dissemination strategies, the research team first of all developed a dissemination p lan. The team made the dissemination plan in the first stages of the research study. In designing the dissemination plan, the research team considered four crucial factors. These include the goals of the dissemination effort, the key stakeholders and the target audience, the medium through which to reach the target audience, and the execution process of the dissemination plan. ... The findings will be presented to the financiers in the form of a report. This report will detail the objectives of the study, the research techniques, the findings, and then evaluate the results against the objectives of the study to make it easy for the financier to determine whether the findings meet the research objectives. Following the conclusion of this initial goal, the research team will provide department heads at the research institution with information concerning the research. In this process, the research team will first of all send memos and circulars to all the concerned department heads informing them about the successful conclusion of the research, its purpose, and its importance. The team will then send hardcopies and softcopies of all the research material to all the heads, containing information about the rationale behind the research, the methods used to gather data, the research participants, the limitations, the results, and the meeting of all relevant researc h ethics policies. The primary target audience of this research is primary care nurses. They bear the greatest need of accessing the research findings so that they may apply it to evidence-based practice and, consequently, improve patient outcomes of ICU patients suffering from ventilator-associated pneumonia. The best possible method of disseminating the research findings is to use media that allow extensive simplification of information, so as to attract the interest of primary care nurses. The research team will achieve this aim by using flyers, brochures, newsletters and research briefs. The researcher will distribute the fliers and brochures to hospitals throughout the district, and the hospital authorities will then distribute them to the primary

Impacts of Globalization on Indigenous Cultures Essay

Impacts of Globalization on Indigenous Cultures - Essay Example Due to globalization however,, this group of people also experience an enhanced ability to communicate globally and adjust their voice after many years of disenfranchisement (Cesarotti (.n.d) p. 3). Globalization, has been defined in many different ways. In its simplest term, globalization is the process of integration among different nations across the globe. The integration in this case takes the form of multinational corporations expanding their influence, trade agreements, communication, and internet, movement of individuals cross borders and the increasing power of multilateral organizations such as International Monetary Fund (IMF). These social, economic and political changes have been brought about by technological advancement, promotion of the neoliberal and the unexploited potential for corporations in foreign markets (Edelman and Haugerud 2005 p.16-22). These forces have had a lot of impacts on the indigenous cultures across the world. The objective of this paper is to exp lore the impacts that globalization has had on the indigenous cultures across the globe. Globalization has presented itself in different ways, affecting almost everyone on the planet. Its impacts on indigenous cultures more than often are viewed both positively and negatively. This is because growth of globalization has introduced new opportunities to people across the globe while at the same time impeding the indigenous people’s ability to retain their knowledge and cultural practices (Collier and Collier 2005 p.450-460). Globalization has indeed had far reaching effects on the world since it has made the world smaller both virtually and in reality. This has happened as a result of the several developments happening across the globe, especially with the introduction of computers and the internet. Physically, globalization has made traveling easier since it has brought with it modern means of transport and communication including cars, ships and the airplanes. This has helped bring indigenous people into closer contact with other people and parts of the world. Worth noting is that the contacts brought about by globalization have not just been for the benefit of the indigenous people around the world. Instead, indigenous cultures, more than often, have been replaced by superior western views of what the world is all about through increasing access to various modes of communication, such as, the Internet, digital media, television and satellite communication system and increased contact with individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds through trade and tourism. The impacts of exploitation of different parts of the globe not initially touched by the global forces and western cultures have indeed resulted in the exploitation of the indigenous people mainly for the benefit of the world entities (Collier and Collier 2005 p.450-460). The International Forum on Globalization (2006) notes that indigenous people are on the verge of crisis with regard to sustainab le development. It goes ahead to state that these communities are good examples of sustainable societies, which evolved in diverse ecosystem according to history. Currently the indigenous cultures are facing the challenge of survival, extinction and renewal due to the effects of globalization according to the International Forum on Globalization (2006). Globalization is seen to have impacted negatively on the indigenous cu

Business Environment Analysis of British Airways Essay - 1

Business Environment Analysis of British Airways - Essay Example The assessment of the external environment is conducted in reference to its impact on British Airways. For the purpose, the range of strategic management tools has been employed. British Airways (BA) is a private limited company is renowned airline that has recently celebrated 90 years of existence in the year 2009. It is one the leading premium airlines of the world and the largest airline of UK and covers around 400 destinations across the world (British Airways, 2013). The business model of BA is based on the revenue generation from the passenger as well as cargo delivery services. With the long rich history and experience, BA has become one of the leading airlines that have extensive scheduled flights and network of airline. Additionally, it is a comprehensive list of joint agreements, franchise partners and other defined codes that enables it to service wide network of stations (airports). Importantly, in the year 2010, BA merged into Iberia which is the largest airline of Spain (British Airways, n.d.). British Airways generate its revenue from the two basic sources including passenger revenue and the cargo revenue. For the year 2013, BA generated revenue of around  £ 10,129 million from the passenger revenue with the growth of 6.6% while the cargo revenue declined by 6.5% and generated  £ 689 million in 2013 as compared to 2012. The year 2013 was driven by considerable investment in the airline with constant focus on expanding customer base along with the cost reduction measure at effect (British Airways, 2013). This section of the report will produce the information related to the British Airways. The information will be specific to the business direction and future vision of the business along with impact of the external environment on BA and its response. The mission of British Airways, as reported in the marketing in magazine, is â€Å"to serve† (Eleftheriou-Smith, 2011).

Globalization and Local cultures Essay Example for Free

Globalization and Local cultures Essay The present scenario represents a highly dynamic environment, where transnational advertising, globalization and local culture are found to be closely linked with each other. This essay discusses and critically evaluates some of the major issues that are involved in the relationship between transnational advertising, globalization and local culture. Issues Some of the significant issues that are linked with transnational advertising, globalization and local cultures are as follow: ? Communication: As a result of globalization, the need for transnational advertising in an effective manner has increased. Globalization has led to the proliferation of huge number of products and it is through advertising only that the consumer can be made aware of the uniqueness present in the product. Transnational advertising requires creativity along with the quality of being magnificent depending on the firm. Critical evaluation: The critical evaluation of the issue of communication depicts that advertising should be based on the proper research and well planned groundwork. Advertising should communicate a specific message to target audience in a persuasive and believable manner and also it should not hamper the cultural values of targeted audience and others (Fowles 1996). Globalization has prompted the evolution of advertising agencies, which conduct market research for the clients. Market research deals with the commercial adaptation of standard social science methods in a qualitative and quantitative manner, which should be interpreted in a realistic form. Production of advertisement should not be restricted to just as a business relation between the agency and client; rather its content and practices must be subjected to some self regulatory codes. For instance, cigarette advertising on TV and radio, magazines and newspaper is banned due to federal acts. On the other hand, lack of representation of people in the advertising of cigarette is the result of self- regulatory code (Sinclair 1991). ? Creating consumer: Advertisers usually focus on some repetitive themes such as contentment, youth, achievement, status, lavishness, fashion and attractiveness. As a result of this, Social Opposition and differences among the class get concealed and workplace conflicts are not revealed. Global campaigns propose that remedies for the human problems can be found in the individual consumption, which depicts a perfect channel for mass energies. Critical evaluation: Critical evaluation of the above paragraph states that Consumer democracy serves as a substitute for establishing political democracy. The transformation in the U. S. Pepsi ad campaign, for use in Brazil, which was ‘Join the Pepsi Revolution’ describes that numerous people are left with no other alternative for expressing their requirement for social modification. The only viable option includes changing the brands and enhancing their consumption. Globalization has caused an increase in the transnational advertising and it is one of significant reasons for the enlargement of transnational culture and collapse of traditional cultures. In French or English, the foreign lifestyles of a blond jetsetter are related with the Western products and resemble a sign of modernity. Not only this, they also believe that the elements, which are modern, are superior. On the other hand, traditional elements are absolutely unpleasant. Thus, it will not be wrong to say that transnational advertising and globalization strive towards the removal of local cultural variations. The strategy of global marketing is highly effective as it rarely requires conscious subversion. The message, which states that ‘we will sell you a culture’, has greatly accounted in the global advertising campaign that acts as a particular advertising message utilized in all the countries. The reason behind an increase in preference of worldwide advertising is that it is extremely economical and more effective despite of the fact that it may wildly clash with the local environment (Stravens 1996). Virtue of respect: This is another major issue which represents relationship between transnational advertising, globalization and local cultures. The process of globalization involves principles and motivation of people. Therefore, it is necessary to make modifications in the global strategy and specific marketing concepts must be directed towards the identified groups. Critical evaluation: Critical evaluation of the above stated paragraph reveals that the virtue of respect can be protected from the infusion of foreign culture, if the government takes effective measures to make this fact clear that although they might have an global outlook, yet traditional values will also be given due consideration. The government of Singapore has done it effectively. Here, government formulated a list depicting good and bad aspects of the Asian and western values. This list assisted in the adoption of good systems from both the Asian and western values. In Singapore, it is very essential to understand the family for understanding the consumer behavior. This is so because family has a huge influence on making the decision related to the product’s purchasing and consumption (Stravens 1996). Economic management: In order to maintain a smooth relation between transnational advertising, globalization and local cultures, it is necessary to focus on the aspect of economic management. Values can play both the positive and negative role depending on the developmental stage of a country and extent of preference given to the Asian values. Not only this, international context is also very important. Critical evaluation: From the above paragraph, it is clear that in a world where goods and services move freely across the national boundaries, Asian values can become a part of liability if they do not understand the significance of transparency and accountability. For instance, Singapore is among the developing country that maintain a right blend between the Asian and western values. On the other hand, in South Korea, grouping of traditional and military cultures has led towards extreme dependence on enterprise system. As a result to this, issues like lack of transparency and failure in rationalizing the business structure have aroused (Sung-Joo 1999). Increase in the Decision makers: Globalization and transnational advertisement has brought about a revolution in the decision making capability. Not only this, it has also increased the number of decision makers in a family (Restall 1997). Critical evaluation: Globalization has led to formulation of developed means of technologies for advertising in an effective manner. In a survey, it was found that children in Australia have greater access over the television and computer. This reflects that marketers should give due response to the kids as they also play a significant role in decision making, especially in toys, games, fruit drinks and home PCs (Winton 1998). Not only this, globalization has reappeared as a rational projection of the digitalized revolution. Globalist theories are promoting the idea that people across the world can share widespread common culture (Watson 1997). The only aspect which an advisor should keep in mind that it should not hamper the local culture and must depict any vulgarity and sex. Dignity should be maintained while portraying a male or female in an advertisement. For instance, lee jeans (1987) depict two males and one female draped across bicycle. It is necessary to justify the extent of openness in such advertisements (Wernick 1994). Conclusion From the above detailed discussion, I would conclude with the note that a close relationship exists between the transnational advertising, globalization and local cultures. In order to make the process of globalization successful, it is necessary for the leaders of the globalization to practice the virtues of esteem for religious and cultural values and also surrender their economic self-centeredness for the betterment of the people enduring poverty. This serves as a challenge in front of the world leaders to pay attention to the dimensions linked with the religious and cultural aspects. Globalization portrays a culture of global mass, which is influenced by the contemporary means of cultural production such as Internet, movies, TV, advertising etc. Developing countries are required to understand the significance of globalization. A right blending of Asian and western values is required to gain the benefit of globalization. On the other hand, globalization and transnational advertising should not hamper the local culture, which can be done by effective formulation of rules and regulations by the government. References A. Wernick â€Å"(Re-) Imaging Gender: The Case of Men†, from Promotuional Culture. London: Sage, 1994, pp. 48-66. ISBN 0803983913 B. Restall, â€Å"ABreakthrough in the study of women†, from Production of Culture/ Culture of Production, (ed) P. Du Gay, London: Sage, 1997, pp. 225-232. ISBN 0761954368 Felix Stravens, â€Å"Advertising in Singapore†, in Advertising in Asia, (ed) K. Frith, Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1996, pp. 273-291. ISBN Hang Sung-Joo, â€Å" Asian Values: An Asset or a Liability? †, in Changing Values in Asia, (ed) Han Sung-Joo, Singapore:Institute of Southeast Asia Studies, 1999, pp. 3-9. ISBN 9812300635 John Sinclair, â€Å"Advertising† in the media in Australia, 2nd edition, (ed) S. Cunningham and G. Turner. St Leonards. NSW: Allen and Unwin, 1991, pp. 267-276 ISBN 1863733434 Jib Fowles, â€Å"Deciphering Adverstisements†, from Advertising and PopularCulture, London: Sage, 1996, pp. 167-183. ISBN 0803954824 J. Watson, â€Å"Transnationalism. Localization, and Fast Foods in East Asia†, fromGolden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia, (ed) J. Watson, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1997, pp. 1-38. ISBN 0804732078 K. Winton, â€Å"Pizza and tech talk but hold the veggies†, Communications update, No. 147, September 1998, pp. 10-11. Noreene Janus 2007, â€Å"Cloning the Consumer Culture†, viewed 30 April

8th of march Essay Example for Free

8th of march Essay Happy womens day! International Womens Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by womens groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. This day women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day. 8th March is celebrated as International Womens Day, worldwide. The day is observed to bring a ocial revolution aiming at gender equality. In fact, in some countries like China, Nepal, Vietnam, Russia, its an official holiday! Here are some fun-facts about Womens Day and areas where women excel, which is sure to make every woman proud of herself! 1. The first Womens Day was observed on 19th March 1911. More than 1 million women and men attended rallies to support womens right to work, vote, hold public office and to end gender discrimination. Over the years, 8th March as fixed as International Womens Day. 2. Research suggests that women possess much stronger verbal skills, compared to men. Women are naturally more articulate. 3. Yellow mimosa is the symbol of Womens Day in Italy, Russia and Albania. In Italy, men give flowers to women. Chocolates and yellow mimosa tops as gifts in Russia and Alba 4. Women have better empathy and can interpret emotions better. Women are also faster to identify something visually different than usual. According to scientists, women have a stronger immune system and female hormone oestrogen gives women this edge! 6. Women, if they receive proper medical care during her birth and pregnancy, have a longer life expectancy than men. 7. Women and caring go hand in hand. This may be the reason why many patients prefer female doctors. Several studies indicate that female doctors are more encouraging, reassuring and spend up to 10% more time with patients.

Significance of Product Life Cycle

Significance of Product Life Cycle The concept of product life-cycle highlights that sooner or later all products die and that if management wishes to sustain its revenues, it must replace the declining products with the new ones. The product life-cycle concept indicates as to what can be expected in the market for a new product at various stages. i.e., introduction, growth, maturity and decline. Thus, the concept of product life-cycle can be used as a forecasting tool. It can alert management that its product will inevitably face saturation and decline, and the host of problems these stages pose. The product life-cycle is also a useful framework for describing the typical evolution of marketing strategy over the stages of product life-cycle. This will help in taking sound marketing decisions at different stages of the product life-cycle. After a product has been developed, it is launched in the market with the help of various promotional devices such as advertising, sales promotion, publicity and paresonal selling. In other words, product development must be followed by the successful introduction of the product in the market. For this, planning for introduction of the product starts during the process of product development itself. Every firm makes sale projections during introduction, growth and maturity stage of the product life-cycle. To acheive the projected sales target, it formulates promotional, pricing and distribution policies. Thus, the concept of product life-cycle facilitates integrated marketing policies relating to product, price, place and promotion/distribution. The advantages of PLC to a firm are as follows: When the product life-cycle is predictable, the management must be cautious in taking advance steps before the decline stage, by adopting product modification, pricing strategies, style, quality, change, etc. The firm can prepare an effective product plan by knowing the product life-cycle of a product. The management can find new uses of the product for the expansion of market during growth stage and for extending the maturity stage. The management can adopt latest technological changes to improve the product quality, features and design. STAGES IN PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE Product life cycle comprises four stages: Introduction stage Growth stage Maturity stage Decline stage product-life-cycle-stages-plc Fig 1: product life-cycle Product Life Cycle (PLC) Introduction stage EXAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS http://www.ithappensinindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/BPL-Television.jpg BPL TELEVISIONS Many products generally have a characteristic known as perishable distinctiveness.ÂÂ   This means that a product which is distinct when new degenerates over the years into a common commodity.ÂÂ   The process by which the distinctiveness gradually disappears as the product merges with other competitive products, has been rightly termed by Joel Dean as the cycle of competitive degeneration.ÂÂ   The cycle begins with the invention of a new product and is often followed by patent protection, and further development to make it saleable.ÂÂ   This is usually followed by a rapid expansion in its sales as the product gains market acceptance.ÂÂ   Then competitors enter the field with imitation and rival products and the distinctiveness of the new product starts diminishing.ÂÂ   The speed of degeneration differs from product to product.ÂÂ   While some products fail immediately on birth or a little later, others may live long enough.ÂÂ   BPLs picture in pi cture TV was eliminated at the introduction stage itself.ÂÂ   The innovation of a new product and its degeneration into a common product is termed as the life cycle of a product. There are five distinct stages in the life cycle of a product as shown below : Introduction. Research or engineering skill leads to product development.ÂÂ   The product is put on the market; awareness and acceptance are minimal.ÂÂ   There are high promotional costs.ÂÂ   Sometimes a product may generate a new demand, for example, Maggi.ÂÂ   Volume of sales is low and there may be heavy losses. Growth. The product begins to make rapid sales gains because of the cumulative effects of introductory promotion, distribution, and word-of-mouth influence.ÂÂ   High and sharply rising profits may be witnessed.ÂÂ   But to sustain growth, consumer satisfaction must be ensured at this stage. Maturity. Sales growth continues, but at a diminishing rate, because of the declining number of potential customers who remain unaware of the product or who have taken no action.ÂÂ   Also, the last of the unsuccessful competing brands will probably withdraw from the market.ÂÂ   For this reason, sales are likely to continue to rise while the customers for the withdrawn brands are mopped up by the survivors.ÂÂ   There is no improvement in the product but changes in selling effort are common.ÂÂ   Profit margins slip despite rising sales. Saturation. Sales reach and remain on a plateau marked by the level of replacement demand.ÂÂ   There is little additional demand to be stimulated. Decline.ÂÂ  Sales begin to diminish absolutely as the customers begin to tire of the product and the product is gradually edged out by better products or substitutes, for example, dial telephones and petrol jeeps. http://www.mbaknol.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/product-life-cycle.jpg Time Fig 2: product life-cycle of BPL TVs There are several reasons why the life-cycle of a product tends to be short :ÂÂ   (a) continuous research for product development, (b) simultaneous attempts by several companies in the same direction, and (c) tendency of a new idea to attract competitors.ÂÂ   Improvements offered by one company are likely to be met and, if possible, exceeded by competitors in a relatively short period.ÂÂ   If a competitor hits upon a real improvement (perhaps based on an entirely new technology) and he markets it well, both sales and profits of the original technology) and he markets it well, both sales and profits of the original product innovator may decline drastically. It may be noted that products may begin a new cycle or revert to an early stage as a result of (a) the discovery of new uses, (b) the appearance of new users, and (c) introduction of new features. As the distinctiveness of the products fade, the pricing discretion enjoyed by their producers gradually declines.ÂÂ   This is what happened in the case of many products like ball-point pens, transistors, radios, etc.ÂÂ   Throughout the cycle, changes take place in price and promotional elasticity of demand as also in the production and distribution costs of the product.ÂÂ   Pricing policy, therefore, must be adjusted over the various phases of the cycle. Product life-cycle concentrates only the life-cycle of a product beginning with its introduction into the market to the post-marketing phase.ÂÂ   However, a series of processes are to be undertaken by the management even prior to the introduction of a product in the market.ÂÂ   These processes include exploration, screening, analysis, development, testing, etc.ÂÂ   The concept of product life-cycle may be used as a managerial tool. Marketing strategies, however, have to be changed with changes in the phase of the life-cycle of a product.ÂÂ   An understanding of the cycle is helpful to the managers for a rational understanding of the future sales activities as also planning of marketing strategies.ÂÂ   Hence, PLC is synonymous with the pattern of demand for a product over time. The length of time that a product spends at anyone stage varies from product to product.ÂÂ   A product might not pass through every stage in the cycle.ÂÂ   Some products, for instance, might not get past the introductory stage, while others might not get past the growth or even the maturity stage.ÂÂ   There might be still other products that might pass through the introduction to maturity stages but might take a longer period to reach the saturation stage and hence might take a longer period to reach the decline stage.ÂÂ   Some products, for instance, might not get past the maturity stage.ÂÂ   There might be still other products that might pass through the introduction to maturity stages but might take a longer period to reach the saturation stage and hence might take a longer period to reach the decline stage.ÂÂ   Some products might even hustle through the entire cycle in an amazingly short period.ÂÂ   In certain cases, there might even be a repos itioning of a product, which might trigger off a new growth cycle.ÂÂ   http://www.dineshbakshi.com/phocadownload/product-life-cycle.jpg ÂÂ  Fig 3: product life-cycle of Facebook

The Womens Room Experience Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

I slid down off of my barstool and picked my way across the room. Luckily, the women’s restroom wasn’t too far because it was a crowded night at the bar. I opened the large wooden door and was surprised to see that even though there appeared to be another girl waiting, one of the two stalls empty. Before I even had a chance to let my eyes adjust to the lighting change, the other girl said, in that just-a-little-too-loud drunken voice, â€Å"There’s no toilet paper in that one!† I hadn’t yet made any attempt to enter the stall and she was making sure I didn’t. She then took it upon her self to make sure that we acquired some of the precious paper as soon as humanly possible. She did this by leaning in towards the door of the other stall (which was occupied) and demanding, in the same slightly-too-loud voice, â€Å"Help us out and give us some toilet paper, will ya?† There was no answer from the other side of the stall door so she continued to make her demands. The girl on the outside of the stall gave more warnings to others that stumbled into this semi-chaotic restroom. Still no response from inside the stall. I was half tempted to launch into the Seinfeld â€Å"Spare a Square† tirade (in which Elaine gets into a fight with a woman in a neighboring stall who refuses to pass her some toilet paper), since it seemed fitting in such a situation. But I held off, doubting that either girl would understand the joke. Fortunately, I didn’t have to ponder what to do for too much longer because, just then, the door to the occupied stall swung open and a strikingly tall, slim girl stepped out, still zipping her pants. â€Å"There, have as much as you like!† she said, as a form of greeting, in the same intoxicated voice. She was... ...ng co-eds in the bathrooms of fraternity houses (technically not â€Å"ladies rooms,† they are usually populated with a female majority during large parties) and discussed everything from hairstyles to events on the nightly news with women while waiting in line use a bar bathroom. One would think that somewhere where such a â€Å"private† act takes place would not be considered so freeing. However, Good Housekeeping was right on the mark in its comment on the importance of the ladies room. The ladies room is a place where traditional social norms loose their importance and, as strange as it may seem, new honesty emerges. Now, I don’t have first hand knowledge of the typical men’s room experience, but I have been told it is far from similar to its female counterpart. It’s too bad really, imagine what sort of peace agreements could be made if they were held in the loo.

College Admissions Essay: I Will be the Wind :: College Admissions Essays

I will be the wind    I am a piece of paper. In the beginning I was blank. I could have been anything. A paper airplane, treating my life as a quick high, then being left on the ground, forgotten, had I wasted my childhood on drugs; a story, had I chosen to take my time and develop into a dynamic creature; a crumpled up ball, thrown away seconds later, had I not been loved; I could have been a college essay, had I been created only to be given to someone else. I am a story. As I grew up, I chose which kind I should be. I could have been one written by a child, should I be simple enough; a novel, should I live my life for fun, and die treating life as a game; a complex piece of art, with thoughts that run deep and insightful as the darkest red; I could have been a song, at first catchy and wonderful, soon forgotten by the world. I am a painting. As I continue to grow, I color and change myself. I could be dark greens and purples, should I choose my mood to depress slightly; yellow-orange in some corny sort of false happiness; deformed like a Picasso, beautiful, but almost too complex to enjoy; I could be three-dimensional, rounded, patternless, deep. I am three-dimensional. I am unable to be contained on the paper I was created as. My ink, my paint, my complexity must evolve. I could soon become a tree, to grow, to lend myself to children to play in; an ocean, vast as all eternity, powerful enough to destroy cities at any moment; the air, changing directions at every moment, unpredictable in behavior, but carrying the essence of life; I could soon become a rock, a solid, unchanging, powerfully dense object. Will I be the air? Obstacles in my way, I will move around. Other obstacles I will overcome, and I will take them with me in my whirlwind; they will become a part of my strength. Should I come to a tree, I shall not only uproot it, but I will take it with me, the tree will become a part of me, and I shall be stronger. I will be unpredictable and may change my direction at any moment;

George Orwells 1984 and Today Essay -- Television 1984 Freedom Essays

George Orwell's 1984 and Today TV rots the senses in the head! It kills the imagination dead! It clogs and clutters up the mind! It makes a child so dull and blind. He can no longer understand a fantasy, A fairyland! His brain becomes as soft as cheese! His powers of thinking rust and freeze! An excerpt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, By Roald Dahl, 1964 When George Orwell’s epic novel 1984 was published in 1949 it opened the public’s imagination to a future world where privacy and freedom had no meaning. The year 1984 has come and gone and we generally believe ourselves to still live in â€Å"The Land of the Free;† however, as we now move into the 21st Century changes brought about by recent advances in technology have changed the way we live forever. Although these new developments have seamed to make everyday life more enjoyable, we must be cautious of the dangers that lie behind them for it is very possible that we are in fact living in a world more similar to that of 1984 than we would like to imagine. In 1949 when Orwell’s novel was published, television was a relatively new invention. Fewer than 10% of the United States households had a television set in them and at this time programming was limited to mainly news-oriented shows. Many people believed that television would never surpass radio as the chief means of mass communication; they could not have been more incorrect. Presently 98% of the households in the United States have one or more televisions in them. What once was regarded as a luxury item has become a staple appliance of the American household. Gone are the days of the three channel black and white programming of the early years; that has been replaced by digital flat screen televisions connected to satellite programming capable of receiving thousands of channels from around the world. Although televisions and television programming today differ from those of the telescreens in Orwell’s 1984, we are beginning to realize that the effects of television viewing may be the same as those of the telescreens. The telescreens in 1984 served two purposes, surveillance and mind control. Unlike the televisions of our present day, the telescreens in 1984 also served as a device constantly monitoring the citizen’s actions by means of an integrated camera and microphone in addition to broadcasting continuous p... ...her say to us â€Å"No, I’m sorry I can’t do that right now, I’m watching my show.† Americans have ceased to live their own lives and have practically become slaves to their televisions and the corporations that stand behind them. Unlike the citizens of Oceania, we are able to make our own decisions. We can turn off our televisions; we can live our own lives and make our own experiences. We can learn about and do practically anything we want. Most of us do not take advantage of this freedom. In fifty years when my generation has become grandparents, what stories will we have to tell our grandkids? Will they really want to hear about that episode of Friends that we loved so much? Will we really have any knowledge or experiences worthwhile to tell them? Perhaps it won’t even matter. Perhaps our grandkids will be too interested in what they are watching on television to even want to listen to us. Yes we live in the â€Å"Land of the Free,† but until we really start taking advantage our freedom to the fullest and pull ourselves away from the television we are no better off than the citizens of Oceania and the telescreens that surround them as they toil on in their non-eventful lives.

Heroism Redifined: Lord of the Rings

Heroism redefined Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, offers the reader a truly compelling picture of the world of Middle-earth. The author, in great detail, depicts a complex reality which abounds in a whole variety of creatures, cultures, languages and histories. If we take a closer look on Tolkien’s masterpiece we will easily notice a complexity of themes, motifs, symbols which add to the semantic richness of the text. It is necessary to mention that Tolkien was considerably influenced by the literary tradition.Fascinated by literary genres such as a heroic epic, a chivalric romance or a fairy tale Tolkien skillfully weaved many characteristic conventions of these genres in Lord of the Rings. Among many other features drawn from the literary tradition the theme of heroism occupies a prominent position in Tolkien’s trilogy. On the one hand Tolkien follows a well known model of a courageous epic hero, but on the other hand he operates with the theme in an innovative way.Apart from a careful depiction of a well known image of noble heroism typical of great figures of historical significance such as Aragorn, the novel surprisingly offers a completely new image of heroism which is represented by small hobbits. Providing at the same time two parallel faces of the concept, Tolkien significantly changes and challenges the traditional meaning of heroism and, as a consequence, significantly enriches the literary tradition. A significant part of the trilogy is devoted to the deeds of great Men such as Aragorn.Drawing extensively on the tradition of heroic epic and chivalric romance Tolkien presents a powerful image of a knightly hero full of noble virtues. Aragorn is a â€Å"born hero† – a true heir to the throne of Gondor, â€Å"born to achieve great deeds in his time† (Zimmer Bradley 83). He is a courageous man of action, endowed with physical strength, who combats evil, brings order and re stores peace. Respected and admired by other characters, Aragorn is a hero of indomitable spirit who never commits mistakes and always serves as an epitome of bravery and virtue.Although Aragorn is one of the most prominent characters in the trilogy, the most important mission, to destroy the malevolent Ring, falls upon a completely different figure. The future of the whole Middle-earth does not depend on noble Elves or brave Men or even strong Dwarves but lies in the hands of the seemingly weak and insignificant hobbits (Gulisano 131). Tolkien’s surprising choice falls upon small and rather funny creatures which, in fact, do not really have any particular achievements. Though small and weak, it is Frodo and his faithful servant Sam who are burdened with an extremely difficult task.Contrary to all expectations Frodo is chosen to carry the ring: â€Å"You may be nobody in particular in yourself, yet for some inexplicable reasons, through no choice of your own, the Ring has co me into your keeping, so that it is on you and not on Gandalf or Aragorn that the task falls of destroying it† (LotR, I, 284) At first the small hobbit is full of doubts. He is neither a great wizard like Gandalf to plan the strategy of war against Sauron, nor Aragorn, an outstanding warrior who is destined to be the leader of the army of Gondor. Yet, the Ring has clearly chosen the hobbit.Unlike other significant figures of the trilogy Frodo has â€Å"heroism thrust upon him† (Zimmer Bradley 84). In contrast with Aragorn, Frodo is not born to gain glory, yet through experience and ability to endure hardships he finally rises to heroism. Though hesitantly, Frodo humbly accepts the task: â€Å"’I will take the Ring,’ he said, ‘though I do not know the way. †(LotR, I, 284) Even though Frodo would rather â€Å"stay at home than risk my life on the very slight chance of winning glory† (LotR, I, 284) eventually he resigns from his own comfor t and safety and full of hope takes up a dangerous journey to save the world of Middle-earth.During the journey he often trembles, regrets his lot and wonders why he was burdened with such an enormous load, still he manages to remain faithful to the mission till the very end. Deciding to carry the Ring Frodo starts to follow a path full of sacrifices and pain. As the Ring bearer he is forced to put up a constant resistance to his own ambitions and desire for power (Bramlett 70). Frodo undeniably becomes a hero of the story. Though he actually fails at the very last moment of his mission – he yields to the temptation and wants to posses the Ring for his own- the quest is still completed and Frodo returns covered in glory.However, as Frodo rather reluctantly accepts the heavy burden of the unusual quest there is another character who follows the same path on his own free will and without complain. Sam, Frodo’s devoted servant, becomes an unrecognized hero of the story, w ho bravely accompanies and supports Frodo till the very last stage of their journey. He is the one who cares even less for glory and heroic deeds. His only wish is to protect his master and follow Frodo even if it means death. (Zimmer Bradley 84) Throughout the story Sam undergoes perhaps the most significant development.He starts out as a minor character. Even Sam describes himself as a â€Å"luggage in a boat†. He is a rather comic and childish character hardly adequate for such a grand enterprise (Purtill 89). Although at first he displays a sort of a limited perception, which is not unusual for a hobbit – he can be very practical at times – â€Å"his mind was slow but shrewd† (LotR, II, 625). In the course of the novel Sam gradually takes more and more responsibility and acquires such importance that without him the quest would be unfulfilled.Sam seems to be a typical hobbit servant, yet Tolkien endows him with certain features which differentiate him from the traditional literary servants. This peculiar hobbit is endowed with a sort of curiosity which is quite unique for a hobbit. He is fascinated with Elves and dreams about an opportunity to meet them one day. He is much more open to the new ideas and experiences than a typical hobbit (Purtill 90-91). What is more, Sam is also aware of his own limitations. He usually depends on the opinion of others, as he is not able to decide on grand matters: â€Å" I hope that the master will think it out carefully.He’s as wise as any, but he’s soft-hearted, that’s what he is. It’s beyond any Gamgee to guess what he’ll do next† (LotR, II, 625). Moreover, Sam is also endowed with a significantly greater independence than a typical servant (Purtill 90-91). When Frodo decides to abandon Shire alone, without any support of his friends, Sam reveals Frodo’s plan to Pippin and Merry in order to protect his master. On another occasion he disobeys Ar agorn and secretly follows Frodo on the further journey without informing the rest of the fellowship. When his master comes at stakeSam is able to do absolutely anything. Above all else, Sam characterizes an enormous devotion, selflessness and love for Frodo. His care for his master is truly incomparable: â€Å"It is hardly possible to separate you form him [Frodo], even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not† (LotR, I, 284). Throughout the story signs of Sam’s love for Frodo can be frequently encountered: â€Å"Sam came in. He ran to Frodo and took his left hand, awkwardly and shyly. He stroked it gently and then he blushed and turned hastily away. † (LotR, I, 237) His love for Frodo is immense.He is totally selfless and ready for sacrifices for his master. His devotion is best portrayed in the last stage of the quest, when the fellowship is broken and the two hobbits continue their dark journey to Mordor all by themselves. As Frodo, due to the malevolent power of the Ring, gradually becomes both physically and mentally weaker, Sam becomes an actual guide and protector. He deals with the practical aspects of the journey and combats various obstacles throughout the way. Gradually Sam becomes less comic and much more doughty.Along with their approaching the gates of Mordor Sam is significantly gaining importance and becoming a truly mature character. When the two hobbits are just one step form completing their mission of destroying the Ring everything is almost ruined due to Gollum’s betrayal. Sam and Frodo are attacked by a giant spider Shelob. Frodo is wounded in the combat and Sam is convinced that his beloved master is dead. Though terrified and totally miserable he does not turn back. He feels an obligation to continue the quest. As soon as he realizes that his master is still alive he rushes to rescue Frodo.As for the time being he carries the Ring, and just like Frodo and others he is subject to the great temp tation. On this stage of the journey ominous power of the Ring is the most dangerous and the temptation is respectively stronger. The Ring plants in Sam visions of himself as a great warrior: Samwise the Strong. Hero of the Age, striding with flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to overthrow of Barad-dur. And then all the clouds rolled away and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of tress and brought forth fruit.He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own and all this could be. In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own lands to use, not the lands of others to command. And anyway, all those notions are only a trick,† he said to himself. (LotR, III, 880-881) Sam is saved by his great love for his master and his extraordinary common sense combined with modesty and humility. Deep down he realizes that the vision of himself as a great warrior is ridiculous. The illusion, in fact, does not even constitute a dream that he aspires to. Sam is aware that he is not meant to be a grand hero. He knows perfectly well that his true vocation is to be a humble servant and this is exactly what makes him happy.The great trial Sam is subject to requires from the little hobbit a great deal of common wisdom and strength. Sam who at first seems to be a rather weak and at times an irritating character demonstrates strength which can be compared to the one of Galadriel or Gandalf. He is not only able to resist the temptation, but also to return the Ring to Frodo without hesitation. Sam displays enormous grandeur. At this poi nt he presents more heroism than for instance one of Tolkien’s classic heroes Bromir for whom temptation turned out too great to resist.As one of the critics rightly suggests: â€Å"He [Sam] exhibits concrete wisdom rather than abstract reasoning, finds relationship more important than objects, is supportive, nurturing, and self-sacrificing. † (Purtill 95) Tolkien seems to suggest that these are the features that account for true heroism. Thanks to Sam the quest can be completed. He supports Frodo emotionally till the very end and even literally carries him to the Mount Doom when the latter is physically unable to reach the destination.At the last stage of their journey Frodo is so debilitated by the power of the Ring that he is practically unable to think clearly. All his powers are focused on resisting the temptation of putting the Ring on the finger. Form now on the success of the mission depends on Sam. At this point, the development of Sam is clearly visible. He r ealizes that the mission has to be completed, that they must do everything in their power to end the task. He knows that they have reached a point from which there is no return.Though, he is convinced that there is no hope for them and they are doomed to death, he still manages to follow once entrusted mission. Sam becomes an undeniable hero of the story. Though he does not acquire a sort of glory that Pippin and Merry achieve on a battlefield, still he does acquire the necessary virtue and wisdom to eventually become the leader and the ruler of the hobbits – the Mayor of the Shire. Lord of the Rings, among many other beautiful and complex images, provides one of the most extraordinary and memorable depictions of heroism.Greatly influenced by the literary tradition, Tolkien both follows and modifies the concept of heroism and consequently provides the reader with two faces of this traditional notion. Tolkien emphasizes a number of features characteristic for a heroic epic and a chivalric romance. Features such as courage, fortitude, nobleness and honour can be found in several prominent figures in the novel. One of the most distinct examples, personifying all these virtues, is to be found in Aragorn. He is a classic hero, descendant of the line of kings, great warrior, the one who restores peace and brings back justice.Aragorn is the rightful heir to the throne who bravely struggles with the forces of evil and at the end triumphantly comes back to his kingdom and marries Arwena – Elf princess. Aragorn embodies all features typical of a truly heroic character in the traditional sense of the concept. However, the author does not only provide the reader with a well known model of heroism based on strength and courage. The novel presents a new surprising aspect of this concept and at the same time establishes a modern, innovative definition of the notion.In the course of the novel the reader is exposed to a very peculiar juxtaposition of characters. Next to such heroic figures as Aragorn Tolkien places queer, little, funny hobbits. It is Frodo and his devoted servant Sam who become true heroes of the story. If it had not been for their simplicity, ordinariness, lack of violence and ability to self-sacrifice the whole Middle-earth would be seized by the forces of evil. Frodo and Sam represent ordinary, insignificant figures who through their selflessness, loyalty and love for friends are brought to the heroic glory.Realization of their own limitations, common sense and modesty prevents them form mistakes that other characters are prone to commit. Hobbits represent the kind of courage exhibited by an ordinary person, who rises to heroism in the face of challenge (Purtill 77). Their courage is moral as well as physical. On their quest they have to face both mental torments, such as resisting the power of the ring and fear of enemies, and physical hardships, like lack of food and water, exhaustion due to the strenuous journey and w ounds they receive during combats.Tolkien presents the reader a new definition of heroism which is based on love and humility and can be achieved not exclusively by the chosen, great figures but by everybody. Heroism that Tolkien offers in Lord of the Rings is within everybody’s reach, no matter how small and weak and ordinary they would be (Gulisano 132). Juxtaposing the two kinds of heroism Tolkien stresses the fact that both can harmoniously coexist and are complementary: â€Å"without the high and noble the simple and vulgar is utterly mean; and without the simple and ordinary the noble and heroic is meaningless† (Tolkien in: Purtill 60).

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

Preparing yourself for a job interview can be stressful for some people, but now that you have an interview it is time for you to overcome your fear barriers and prepare yourself before the interview. The first impression is always the best impression so you want to dazzle the employer by walking in shoulders high, well dressed and groomed, nice smile, firm handshake, eye to eye contact, and sit when asked by the employer. Before you get to that point of walking in that employer’s room it is always important to do some homework first. Research about the company before the interview because it shows commitment and that is a quality that employers look for when hiring. You want to get to know all about the company and their mission study that and also more insight on the job for which you are applying for. Make sure their qualification matches your skills and abilities and be enthusiastic when speaking. Study your resume it is good to memorize what is on your resume so when the employer asks you a question about what is on your resume, you will know it and you should be not fumbling back and forth between words. Study you weakness and strengths as you compare your skills with the employer’s qualifications use the skill that you are qualified for as your strength. Your weakness is the qualifications that your employer is looking for that are not listed in your job description, study them and turn that it into a strength to show the employer that you may not have experience in that area , but know a lot about the subject and eager to learn more from working in their establishment. It is also important to produce a portfolio of yourself to show employers and they seeks for candidates who are well organized, prepared, knows the inn’s and out’s of the company and willing to go the extra mile to get the job done efficiently. Your job portfolio should include: †¢Resume †¢Master Application †¢Reference Page †¢Cover Letter †¢Thank You Letter †¢Certifications†¦ Perfect attendance, employee of the month, outstanding performance, participation awards †¢Letters of Recommendation†¦ from your former employer, past teachers, someone work with you on volunteer project †¢High School / G. E. D Certificate †¢Police Clearance †¢Valid Picture I. D †¢Social Security Card Indicates what credentials are need for the interview to prepare yourself for the questions the employer my through at you and remember never leave home without you portfolio! Through research, practicing, taking deep breaths inhale exh ale and visualizing how the interview will go can help you overcome nerviness and prepare you to stay calm. Staying mentally prepared will keep you advanced in an interview. That apply to your weakness as well write them down and go over them many times as that will help you nail the interview. This will help you gain confidence and stay in control of the interview but it is important to remember that the employer is in the driver seat, never try to take the lead. Prepare yourself for the end of the interview write down ten questions to ask the employer never ask about salary until the second interview and only after the employer mentions it first. This is what I would prepare and study to ask the employer: †¢When hiring what do you look for in an employee? †¢What type of skills do you look for when hiring? †¢When viewing a resume what shows the most interest? What type educational background do you look for? †¢What skills do I need to work on to get promoted in the company? †¢Does it take a long time for promotions? †¢If I want to go back to school to advance in the company does the company pay for school/training? †¢How many years have you been with the company? †¢How did you get the position that you are in? †¢What is your edu cational background? These are some good question to ask the employer to gain some more insight about the company and the interviewer, it shows interest and that you are open to learn. Also it helps you to identify if all what the employer’s answers are compares to your job description that you are a possible candidate for the position. Now that you have mentally prepared yourself for the interview, it is now the nigh before the interview what should you do? First you should get your wardrobe together find something suitable for the interview, wear darker colors not to loud, you don’t want to distract the employer with bright colors. Iron your cloths, bath or shower and do all you’re grooming the night before Get a goodnights rest by getting at least eight hours worth of sleep. Waking up early, having a well-balance breakfast, more grooming, it is best not to wear perfume/cologne the employer my be allergic to it, get ready early, visualize, review and practices for interview. Study your list that you made of your weakness and strengths and practice how you will articulate them, and arrive at the interview at lease fifteen minutes early.

Oligopoly (Economics) Essay

1) Oligopoly is when a particular market is controlled by a small group of firms. For example supermarkets, there are three (there usually exist three companies) companies which dominate the market, Wong and Metro, Santa Isabel and Plaza Vea, and Tottus. The main assumptions that economists make when talking about a situation of Oligopoly are various; three or four large companies dominate the industry, but small companies do exist (smaller companies in the recent example would be for example â€Å"Arakaki†, a sole trader company); firms are interdependent, al will watch what the competitors do and act accordingly (when Wong created the â€Å"Bonus† card, it did not even passed a week when Santa Isabel created the â€Å"Mà ¡s Mà ¡s† card); the existence of the kinked demand curve (which we will see what it is on question b); there are barriers to entry, this means it is difficult for other firms to enter the industry; non price competition, as companies cannot compete by prices, therefore they have to compete with the service they offer (for example the â€Å"Bonus† and the â€Å"Mà ¡s Mà ¡s† cards); the oligopoly must be collusive (collusion), this means when the companies, which dominate, work together to maintain very high prices at the expense of the consumer (for example Umbro and Adidas, sell football shirts at very high prices, as a Manchester United shirt costs approximately $50), companies which work together to maintain high prices should be fined, as it is illegal. Advertising is also essential to maintain a high profit and market share, and also something very important, which is to develop brand loyalty (for example, once I began to buy â€Å"Sony† electro domestics, I begin to have a brand loyalty, as I never had a single problem with them). 2) The causes of price stability (when prices are stable, without any change) existing in a situation of Oligopoly are two. The first reason is due to the shapes of the Demand curve (AR). Putting an example of gasoline stations, if there are three companies in this market (Shell, Texaco and Mobil), and if one company, for example shell, decides to increase its prices, no other company will follow, and its sales will decrease by a lot (there will be no incentive for companies to increase prices as consumers have other companies to buy gasoline from, therefore it is elastic as there has been a small change in price but a big change in demand). A company will also not lower its prices because all other companies in the industry will do the same (as people will go to where prices are lower), and there will be very few benefits, also profits will decrease, as sales increase by only a small amount (there has been a big change in price but a small change in demand, therefore inelastic). Firms will leave the price unchanged, and the firms will have to use other objects to compete with each other, this includes product differentiation through advertising and innovation. The price elasticity of demand looks at the responsiveness of QD to a change in price. It is better for companies to therefore use the same price and find other ways of increasing their sales, for example to use non price competition in order to increase sales. â€Å"The solution concludes that there is a determinant and stable price-quantity equilibrium that varies according to the number of sellers. In effect each firm makes assumptions about its rival’s output. Adjustment or reaction follows reaction until each firm successfully guesses the correct output of its rivals†. The second reason of price stability in Oligopoly is, if a company maximises its profits where MC=MR, therefore the point where this two curves cross will give us the price and the quantity the company should provide. The marginal revenue curve is not continuous, as it has a very big gap in it, this is called the â€Å"Region of Indeterminacy†, and the MC curve can pass through any part of this region, this gap in the MR curve, allows MC to vary without affecting either final price or quantity. For prices to change, costs would need to rise above MC†.

Porters 5 Generic Strategies Essay

One of the greatest tools of use for a firm is being aware of it’s position within an industry. When a company is knowledgeable of where it stands, it can more accurately assess its strengths and weaknesses and what is, or has the potential to be, it’s competitive advantage. Michael Porter, believed that the basis for this advantage falls under 3 base strategies of Cost leadership, Differentiation and Focus. With the use of his generic strategy model, a firm, understanding where its competitive advantage lies, can then formulate and implement an effective business strategy geared towards the sustainability of this advantage. The 3 bases, formed 5 generic strategies : Cost Leadership, strongly speaks towards the production of a lower price product. It appeals to consumers because of low cost. Type 1 strategy is Cost Leadership : low cost, that offers the product at the lowest price available on the market. Type 2 is best value, that offers the lowest price for value available on the market. A firm seeking to become a cost leader then, is attempting to gain a competitive advantage by producing at the lowest cost. For example, the automobile sector, in formulating a strategy must attempt to cut costs at every step of their value chain, whether it is using word of mouth over advertisements or engaging in vertical integration strategies in an attempt to control costs. They must improve the efficiencies of their processes and because of its low cost nature, be prepared to be highly leveraged, if necessary, to maintain its position. Malaysia’s car makers Perodua and Proton are examples of cost leaders, but also of how this position is used to formulate strategy. The rival low cost maker, Perodua, entered the market and lowered prices further in retaliation and assumed market control, but then because of limitation of supplies and new government regulation Proton once more overtook Perodua. Thus the cost leader must constantly stay aware of the 5 forces, and it environment of business in order to maintain its competitive advantage. Differentiation, Porter’s Type 3, calls for a product that possesses certain attributes that the customer perceives as both valuable and better than competitors. This position allows firms more leniency with regards to price as the focus is more heavily on value. This strategy will not only aid but  guide a firm’s management activities as they incur greater costs which should be offset by sales revenue. This should allow the firm, in carrying out its strategic activities to realise the importance of brand loyalty, cost associated with aggressive sales and marketing tactics to establish that perceived value to consumers and the significance on the value chain of research and development. General Motors, at a time when Ford dominated the market, offered new features at premium prices to a higher class of public. The mission, a car for every purse and purpose, was exceeded as they became the leading company. New entrants were discouraged, buyers had low bargaining power due to the lack of alternatives, supplier increases could be passed on through sales price and substitutes and rivals were deterred because of the loyalty consumers had to GM’s exciting features. A great example of how Porter’s strategy guided their activities and secured their competitive advantage. Type 4, low cost focus and Type 5, best value focus, offers products and services to a niche group at the lowest price available on the market and the lowest price for value available on the market, respectively. Type 4, for example the used car dealership, offers bargain hunters low cost vehicles for a few inconveniences such as their own maintenance. Type 5, for example Corvette, offer a higher price to niche group and maintain loyalty by offering an experience unlike any other. For this reason, Type 5 is sometimes referred to as focused differentiation. For types 4 and 5, strategic management must focus on the development of core competencies and use it as a potential barrier to entry and base for minimizing threats of substitutes, extensive analysis of the 5 forces, value chain and financial capabilities as targeting a niche group may be costly for a Type 5 strategy or may not produce enough revenue for the focused cost leader (Type 4). Porter’s strategies, coined generic, because they are exactly that, have no particular application process but rather the firm using these strategies must develop the best way to sustain their competitive advantage. The firm must define its position and analyze its industry, after a strategy is selected, the firm must develop a plan to implement it then continuously monitor the market signals in order to keep up with the ever changing environment of business. Strategic management’s activities then will take  into account the external environment, the organisation’s capabilities and select and develop strategies always bearing in mind the organisation’s purpose and direction. These strategies, closely paired with the 5 forces, focus on continuous improvement for an organisation to meet the challenges of global change, exactly what strategic management is centered on, the formulation, implementation and evaluation of plans to achieve organisational success .