The Leadership Of Paul. Megan Wygocki. Chst 4312 †N1.

The Leadership of Paul Megan Wygocki CHST 4312 – N1 29 Mar 2017 Worldly speaking multiple terms used to describe leaders do not always paint a beautiful picture. In every aspect of our modern culture, we have people that lead in a variety of roles, however without the fortitude that we see in those of biblical leaders. With words such as tyrant, overbearing, unfair to soft spoke, push over, or domineering leaders have rarely been praised instead the topic of gossip and news publications. In addition, countless times leaders are misunderstood, and at times lacking the skills needed to lead well. However, this is not the case when we begin to turn to the leaders of the Bible. Within the word, we meet people that lead with†¦show more content†¦Before leaving on his mission, he went to the high priest and asked for â€Å"their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.† Even in his early years, Paul followed the rules and w e see this characteristic in him as a leader later in life. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, the light of Jesus transforms Paul’s life. From that moment forward, we see Paul begin to study the word, live with the rabbis, and partner with people that were spreading the gospel. Throughout Paul’s missionary journeys, we see the impact that this time of his life had on his work and relationships with other people. Overall, Paul’s years serving in the Roman Empire opened his eyes to the plight of the Christian people and softened him for the work the Lord had called him to do. Throughout the Pauline letters, we see the effectiveness of Paul’s leadership skills. Within the letters, he wrote and those others wrote about him, we see a leader that is encouraging and motivating. Praising the Lord through the good seasons and the bad, Paul shares the value he held for family and unity to

Eating Disorders and Image Essay - 1769 Words

Eating Disorders and Image As humans on this planet we often think about what others think about our appearance. We often, in this society, look at a person through their characteristics such as: looks, height, clarity of skin, and by how fat or thin one appears to be. In the article, The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place, by Natascha Pocek, she states the fact that, in this society, we put a lot of emphasis on diets and appearing thin. From when we are children we tend to change our views according to the ways of man, and find ways to stay fit or to lose weight. With this constant loss of weight we tend to get into a hole of wanting to be thinner, and in my opinion that want leads to the attempts of so many girls developing some†¦show more content†¦Also, when a product says diet on it many people think it means that they can eat more, so then they do not lose any weight. There are thousands of people who feel they are fat. They believe they have to lose an abundance of weight in order to be apprec iated by others. These people go on crash diets and may even end up starving themselves or making themselves throw up. The people that make themselves throw up do so because they feel that when they eat, if the food stays inside their body, they will become fat, so they throw up what they eat or a majority of their intake. Eating disorders and dieting happen due to the image that people feel they have to fulfill. Ideas of dieting are received through what some see on television, and also by the people they see getting along with well with others. This goes according to what Pocek states, in paragraph 7, about the products that we see in a supermarket that have diet written all over them in nearly every isle. She is saying that these products advertise good results when in reality they are an extremely unhealthy way for people to lose weight. The struggle comes from within, telling the person that they are not good enough and that they have to try harder if they want people t o like them in the way that they want to be liked. We, as people living in the United States, become very self-conscious and people pleasers.Show MoreRelatedBody Image And Eating Disorders1375 Words   |  6 PagesBody Image and Eating Disorders Females and males are both under pressure to conform to societies idea of beauty. Women feel pressure to be thin, big chested, while men feel the urge to be lean and muscular. Society portrays these images of thinness and muscularity through media, magazines, and even toys. These images can have an impact on peoples body images, which can lead to eating disorders such as Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa. 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Eating disorders are not just about food.The eating disorders containRead MoreEating Disorders, Body Image Gender Essay1721 Words   |  7 PagesRIGHTS (HE6) ASSIGNMENT EATING DISORDERS, BODY IMAGE GENDER Submitted to: Dr. Sivakami Muthusamy Centre for Health and Social Sciences School of Health Systems Studies, TISS, Mumbai. Submitted by: Pallavi Muraleedharan Enrollment Number: M2015HE018 Master of Health Administration (2015-17) Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai Date: 16/08/2016 INTRODUCTION Eating disorders, body image and gender remain as a very complex interlinked web. Eating disorders affect people from all demographicsRead MoreEating Disorders And Body Image Issues1655 Words   |  7 PagesEating disorders: noun. A group of psychological ailments characterized by intense fear of becoming obese, distorted body image, and prolonged food refusal (anorexia nervosa) and/or binge eating followed by purging through induced vomiting, heavy exercise, or use of laxatives (bulimia nervosa).These ailments are not pretty. In this society, where only the fit and thin bodies are accepted and appreciated, eating disorders are more common than they should be. Children, starting at a young age, seeRead MoreEating Disorders and Negative Body Images662 Words   |  3 Pagesfaced with eating disorders and negative body images everywhere they go. Celebrities promote unrealistic standards and display what the â€Å"acceptable† body is. Because of our stick thin role models we hav e in the media today much of our society holds their own body image to the unobtainable standards of celebrities. People are bombarded with images of what’s â€Å"sexy† instead of what’s healthy (Helmich). In a world based around celebrities and media, shouldn’t they be promoting a healthy body image insteadRead MoreEating Disorders And Body Image Issues2801 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction Eating disorders (ED) and body image issues are increasingly becoming more and more common among women in Western societies (Stice, 2002). Over the past couple years the prevalence of bulimia nervosa (BN) and has steadily increased, 3 out of 100 women that are now diagnosed with the disorder (Botta, 1999; Hesse-Biber et. al, 2006). This brings into question wether it is in fact BN that is increasing, our awareness or the rising numbers of other comorbid disorders in Western societiesRead MoreBody Image, Eating Disorders and Advertising3063 Words   |  13 PagesBody Image, Eating Disorders and Advertising Body Image, Eating Disorders and Advertising We have all heard, â€Å"you are what you eat†; however, and maybe more importantly, you want to be what you watch or read. 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Business Strategy Evaluation free essay sample

Its fight to survive in the early 1990s saw the airline restyle itself to become Europe’s first low fares, no frills carrier†¦The new formula effected a turnaround in the fortunes of the company, and by 1997, the company was floated in an IPO on the Dublin Stock Exchange and on Nasdaq†¦In 2002, the company was admitted to the Nasdaq-100† (Johnson et al. , 2005, p. 834). 1. 0 Introduction When you hear the name Ryan Air two things come to mind: the no-frills airline and its flamboyant CEO, Michael O’Leary. The story of rise and glory of Ryan Air is also the story of rise and glory of its CEO. How did Michael O’Leary transform Ryan Air, a loss-making airline to a profitable and Europe’s largest low fare airline? This report will try to answer this question. More importantly it will also analyse in detail what strategy Michael O’Leary applied to achieve this great feat. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Strategy Evaluation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Critical evaluation of the strategy Ryan Air applied will highlight the strategy paradigm it followed based on the strategic models of Porter’s five forces. It also aims to investigate the internal environment (strengths and weaknesses) and external environment (opportunities and threats) of Ryanair in the 21st century. This report will also take us through the challenges aviation as a whole faces in the 21st century and Ryan Air in particular as it learns from the challenges it faced and success it had through it’s competitive advantages. This report concludes with some observations on strategies Ryan Air developed and applied, and the future course of action it will probably follow to maintain its winning ways. Ryan Air will hereafter be referred to in one word ‘Ryanair’ as it is the more common usage in the public domain. 1. 1 Airline Industry: Two Major Trends A ‘full-service’ airline like British Airways (BA) or Aer Lingus is designed to serve passengers from almost any place, that is, point A to any destination, that is, point B. They employ a ‘hub-and-spoke’ system centred on major strategically positioned airports and/or countries to reach many as well as distant destinations and serve passengers with connecting flights. They attract passengers who desire more comfort by serving them with first-class or business-class service. They treat such passengers with a wide variety of facilities at air-ports and on onboard to ensure their comfort and interests. At air-ports they accommodate them in luxury lounges and onboard they treat them with in-flight entertainments. They also assist their passengers with flight connections and baggage transfer facilities. Full-service airlines serve in-flight meals to their passengers as most of these flights involve long distance travel covering many hours. Passengers who travel in First-class and Business-class pay high amount for their tickets in comparison to those travelling in other classes. These passengers are often called as Economy-class passengers. They, however, get services mentioned above but of a lesser degree/choice and comfort. Full-service airlines have routes and destinations that are long as well as short and sometimes with multiple points in a single journey known as stop-over. British Airways, for example may fly to Beijing with a stop-over in Mumbai or Hong Kong. No-frills airlines, in contrast, tailor all its activities to deliver low-cost, convenient service on its particular type of route. Their fast turnarounds enable them to keep aircrafts flying for longer hours than full-service airlines and enhance frequent departure plans with fewer aircrafts. They do not offer meals, assigned seats, interline baggage checking, or premium classes of service. They more often than not engage in e-ticketing which helps them bypass travel agents and hence save commissions to them and other administrative costs of staff and documenting, etc. No-frills airlines purchase fleets of aircrafts that are standard size and custom made for their short-haul journeys with little extras other than the basics required for safety and security enabling them to benefit a huge cut in price unit of aircraft procured. No-frills airlines’ strategy is to attract customers/passengers by providing them alternative travel facilities to what is provided by full-service airlines at a low cost and make profit for them by removing carefully extra expenses and by maximum use of aircrafts and services at their disposal. Ryanair is a no-frills low fare airline in its most accomplished form. 2. 0 Ryanair-The â€Å"Southwest† of European Airlines 2. 1 History Ryanair was founded in 1985(www. ryanair. com) as an alternative to the existing carrier Aer Lingus especially to serve Irish migrants who are in the British Isles. It was launched as a full-service conventional airline (Johnson et al. , 2005, p. 834). When it struggled to make profit transformation and new strategic approach became a necessity to survive. Change and new strategic positioning were introduced. It followed the example of the Southwest airline of Texas, USA. â€Å"Southwest Airlines Company, for example, offers short-haul, low-cost, point-to-point service between midsize cities and secondary airports in large cities. Southwest avoids large airports and does not fly great distances. Its customers include business travellers, families and students. . Southwest’s frequent departures and low fares attract price-sensitive customers who otherwise would travel by bus or car, and convenience-oriented travellers who would choose a full-service airline on other routes† (Susan 2002, p. 77). 3. 1 Strategic Positioning Strategy, according to Chandler is (Chandler, 1962 cited in Segal-Horn Susan 2002, p. 11) 2the determination of the basic long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for those goals. Ryanair, in the face of failure, took a new course of action. It survived and grew in its sector in spite of problems. 3. 2 Ryanair’s Objective Ryanair’s objective is to firmly establish itself as Europe’s leading Low-fares scheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expanded offerings of its low-fares service. Ryanair aims to offer low fares that generate increased passenger traffic while maintaining a continuous focus on cost-containment and operating efficiencies in order to make profit, for true strategy â€Å"is the direction and scope of an rganization over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations† (Johnson et al. , 2005, p. 9). Ryanair, with its new beginning in the 1990s as Europe’s first low fare airline initiated a multidimensional marketing strategy to face off stiff competition it had from other airlines. In 1997, Ryanair gained competitive position in the airline market as it overtook Aer Lingus as the number one carrier on flights between the Republic of Ireland and the UK (Johnson et al. , 2005, p. 35). Time factor was used as a strategy as it maintained its position as the most punctual airline between Dublin and London. Because of innovations and new strategies Ryanair, (according to www. ryanair. com) has become the third largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers and by 2005 it had 600 scheduled short-haul flights per day serving 107 locations throughout Europe, including 24 in the U. K. served by a fleet of 90 aircrafts most of them Boeing 737-200 and 800 (http://sec. edgar-online. com-Ryanair) Ryanair Passenger Growth in Millions (www. ryanair. com) 3. 3 Critical Success Factors In order to position itself in the market and continue to grow Ryanair drew up a passenger charter in 2003(Johnson et al. , 2005, pp. 838-839) among the key factors highlighted lowest fare was a priority. Michael O’Leary took it up as a challenge. At the same time they concentrated on making profits. They aimed at having point-to-point short-haul flights (The goal of Ryan air is to meet the needs of travelling at the lowest price. The Critical success factors (CSF) Ryanair followed are: the lowest prices, reliability, comfort and service, and frequency. 4. 0 Porter’s Principles and Ryanair 4. Cost Reduction Strategy Ryanair’s low fares are designed to stimulate demand. Like all low-fare airlines Ryanair kept its price low targeting fare-conscious leisure and business travellers who might otherwise have used alternative forms of transportation or would not have travelled at all. According to Michael O’Leary (Johnson et al. , 2005, pp. 843) â€Å"Any fool c an sell low airfares and lose money. The difficult bit is to sell the lowest airfares and make profits†. To achieve its goal of having competitive positioning the airline market, Ryanair uses a cost reduction strategy. Cost reduction strategy relies on five main aspects like fleet commonality, contracting out services, airport charges and route policies (judiciously chose secondary regional airports, made special deals), managed staff costs and productivity (modest salary but performance related pay structure/incentives) and managed marketing costs (Johnson et al. , 2005). Ryanair used its website to its fullness for advertisement, even the aircrafts it flew were used for promotional purposes. Television, print media are some other mediums used for promoting Ryanair. 4. 2. Five different generic Strategies (Porter Five Forces) Ryanair practised the generic competitive strategies proposed by Porter (1980). The best applied among them are cost leadership and differentiation. â€Å"The three generic strategies differ in dimensions other than the functional differences†¦. also imply differing organizational arrangements, control procedures, and inventive systems†¦. , sustained commitment to one of the strategies as the primary target is usually necessary to achieve success† (Porter, 1980, p. 40). Ryanair applied Porter’s Generic Strategy to position itself in the market place. According to Porters, a company positions itself by leveraging its strengths. Organization use generic strategies to competitively and effectively adapt to the situation in the marketplace to enhance their competitiveness. Cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, integrated cost leadership/differentiation help the company to establish and obtain competitive advantage within a particular competitive scope. By applying these strategies three generic strategies resulted: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus (Johnson et al, 2008). The strategies used by the company include cost leadership, differentiation strategy and focused differentiation 4. 2. i Cost leadership According to Porter (1980, pp. 35-36), â€Å"Having a low cost position yields the firm above-average returns in its industry despite the presence of strong competitive forces. Its cost position gives the firm a defence against rivalry from competitors†¦A low cost position defends the firm against powerful buyers because buyers can exert power only to drive down prices to the level of the next most efficient competitor†. Ryanair always targeted to apply the lowest fare and even match competitor’s special offers (Johnson et al. , 2008, p. 839). This low price strategy kept its main rivals like easyJet at arms length. 4. 2. ii Differentiation Differentiation is based upon persuading customers that a product is superior to that offered by competitors. Differentiation guards against other competitors because of brand loyalty (Porter, 1980). Most of the low-fare airlines take great initiative to pay attention to the price factor and forget the other two. Ryanair showed their differentiation by equally emphasizing all three elements. Ryanair eliminated extras such as in-flight meals, advanced seat assignment, free drinks and other services. It still prioritises features which remain important to its target market such features include frequent departures, advance reservations, baggage handling and on-time services. 4. 2. iii Focus-differentiation Through focus-differentiation strategy Ryanair aimed at a segment of the market and targeted it with consistency. Again the risk included is imitation by competitors and changes in the target segments, i. e. area or people in the case of Ryanair. Ryanair utilized all three generic strategies. First they offered the lowest fare than their competitors; it also became focused by targeting a narrow segment which included Irish and UK business people or travellers who could not afford to fly major airlines frequently. The main goal was to stimulate demand by offering no-frills service with low fare. As passenger got attracted it took big market share and became leader by offering lowest fare in the market. This strategy was more prominent when Ryanair expanded to Continental Europe. Low fare and no-frills strategy helped it survive in the industry and repositioned itself as a low cost airline. Ryanair did not, as per Porter’s definitions, define its strategies distinctively in the first place. That was because it was the only player in the market. But when the niche market got saturated and competitors invaded the market it fought hard clearly establishing its strategic position by identifying itself. Initially it was trying to mix both focus and cost but soon it was forced to concentrate on one generic strategy as Porter himself recommends, â€Å"The three generic strategies differ in dimensions other than the functional differences†¦. lso imply differing organizational arrangements, control procedures, and inventive systems†¦. , sustained commitment to one of the strategies as the primary target is usually necessary to achieve success† (Porter, 1980, p. 40). Ryanair finally concentrated ruthlessly on cost leadership. This was a success and by 1997, Ryanair was floated on the Dublin Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ (Johnson et al. , 2008, p. 834). 4. 3 Expansion Strategy: Another factor that was paid attention was expansion of its routes to position itself in the market place. Under this strategy it acquired Buzz in February 26, 2003. Took advantage of its 11 routes and service of pilots, and made it the largest airline based in Stansted airport. In 2003 alone it opened up 73 new routes and carried over 2 million passengers in one month (July) a record at that time. The company’s website enabled it to position itself in the global market. 5. Strategic Options Strategic Positions 5. 1 Strategic Options-TQM The case study on Ryanair (Johnson et al. , 2008, pp. 832-852) highlights problems and issues faced by the airline despite strategies. One of the problems was handling customers, that is, target market. Another problem was assuring quality services. To solve this company had to adopt Total quality management (TQM). Competition in aviation industry is challenging and brisk and companies seek for strategic options that can be used to satisfy internal and external customers. TQM through its extensive strategic management procedures would keep them in the competitive business world. Customers will be satisfied and the company will maintain and expand its market share. The Total Quality Management system is customer-oriented. Hence the airline operations must be developed in order to steadily deal with the improvement of their operation through the ongoing participation of all employees in problem solving across the functional and hierarchical boundaries. To apply TQM in its fullness and bring out the desired result Ryan air management of the airline must fully accept the whole concept of the improvement, which means that all the people of the airline company must agree that there is a need for a total transformation especially for the quality of operations and services that are offered. Customer satisfaction should be the driving force and criteria for TQM and Managers who apply it. 5. 2 Strategic Positions Most of the time there is misleading perceptions regarding Strategic positions (Susan, 2002). The root of the problem emanates from the failure to distinguish between Operational Effectiveness and Strategy. According to Porter (Susan, 2002, p. 74) â€Å"Operational effectiveness(OE) means performing similar activities better than rivals perform them†¦strategic positioning means performing different activities from rivals’ or performing similar activities in different ways†. Operational effectiveness, and therefore, customer satisfaction can be achieved by programmes such as TQM. Ryanair had operational effectiveness in fine tuning their performances in many ways including TQM. However these measures alone would not bring superiority over competitors. The most common reason is imitation by competitors. â€Å"Competitors can quickly imitate management techniques, new technologies, input improvements, and superior ways of meeting customers’ needs. The most generic solutions- those that can be used in multiple settings- diffuse the fastest† (Susan, 2002, p. 6). Moreover, operational effectiveness if done without due diligence can make rivals look alike. â€Å"The more benchmarking companies do, the more they look alike. The more that rivals outsource activities to efficient third parties (often the same ones), the more generic those activities become. As rivals imitate one another’s improvements in quality, cycle times, or supplier par tnerships, strategies converge and competition becomes a series of races down identical paths that no one can win† (Susan, 2002, p. 7). Ryanair positioned itself differently from other airlines by being no-frill and low-fare airline and it strategically positioned itself from other no-frills airlines by its unique ways of operating. Lowest price, than anybody else than what others could pay, for example was one of such activity. 5. 3 Competitive Strategy â€Å"Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value†, says Porter (Susan, 2002, p. 77). Ryanair, for example, offers short-haul, point-to-point service, from secondary and regional airports connecting second class cities, which helps it reduce operational costs and save time as these airports are less congested, turnaround becomes quick and it enhances higher rates of on-time departures (Johnson et al. , 2005, p. 844). One interesting aspect of business models is how difficult it is for others to imitate them. Many airlines have tried to emulate Ryanairs low cost approach. Most of their attempts have not fared well. Copying the Ryanair model apparently creates too many conflicts with the airlines established business model. Cost leadership and Cost differentiation gave Ryanair very high advantage over others. Being the leader in the market also kept them always ahead of others. 5. 4 Competitive Advantage One of the major investment costs for airlines is aircraft procurement and their maintenance. Ryanair effectively managed it by restricting itself to one main make of aircraft, Boeing and model 737-200 and 737-800, two variants of it. Their resources were used in a focused way as they could save expenses by reducing the number of engineers and other skilled workers, including pilots. By contracting out services of aircrafts to third parties they concentrated on their main service area: serving passengers. At the same time they retained quality of services and maintenance of aircrafts by keeping trained engineers at sensitive stages of this process. Ryanair was the first European low-fare airline. Being first in had the advantage of leading the way and opportunity to be first in all strategies that go with it. According to Jay Barney (De Wit and Meyer, 2004, p. 286), â€Å"A firm is said to have competitive advantage when it is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors†. Being the oldest low-cost carrier in Europe, Ryanair had some advantages over its competitors. For one thing, it had the advantage of experience, and secondly, its brand enjoyed good recognition. However, after the deregulation of air travel in Europe in the late 1990s, a number of start-up airlines came up in the low-cost market. Notable among the competitors was easyJet, the discount airline set up in 1995 by Greek shipping magnate, Stelios Haji-Iaonnou. easyJet was based in Londons Luton airport and competed on some of the same routes as Ryanair (Gerry Johnson et al. , 2005, pp. 849). In 2002, with the takeover of Go, easyJet beat Ryanair to the top position as the biggest low-cost airline in Europe. OLeary declared that Ryanair would soon bounce back to reclaim its number one position. Although Ryanair and easyJet both operated in the low-cost segment and had similar operational models, there were some inherent differences between the two airlines. Besides, Ryanair made a major portion of its profits by flying to secondary airports which were a long distance away from the main cities while easyJets operated from major cities and prime airports which made operational costs very high for them. 5. 5 Strategic Capability In order to increase its market share and profit Ryan air in 2003 acquired Buzz, the loss-making subsidiary of KLM. The acquisition helped in many ways; increased its service routes, it got a high volume of passengers, more significantly Ryanair had more pilots as a result of this acquisition. It took away a potential competitor from the market enabling it to consolidate more in its service and make more profit. At the time of the purchase deal Buzz was going through a rough patch in its operations and as a result Ryanair got it almost for nothing (Johnson et al. , 2005, pp. 840). Ryanair had a robust aircraft procurement policy. First of all it had taken the bold decision to stick to one type of aircraft, Boeing 737. As Ryanair ordered high volume of aircrafts it was in an advantageous position to bargain with manufacturers and bring down the cost per unit of aircraft. It bought most of its planes in the years that followed the 9/11 disaster when airline industry was in total decline and manufacturers were struggling to sell planes. Ryanair took full advantage of the windfall. As a result of this massive acquisition Ryanair was left with a large fleet of modern and new aircrafts. Most of them were always operationally ready. Maintenance cost was at its minimum and it will continue to be like that for many more years. Operational cost per passenger came down dramatically enabling it to make huge profits. Other competitors who on the other hand had a fleet of mixed aircrafts had lot of costs. EasyJet, for example, had to spend a lot more to train its pilots for its aircrafts various types and making. Ryanair controlled its promotional and advertising costs to very minimum. It used its website, newspapers and televisions for advertising. Even the externals of aircrafts were used for advertising purposes. In January 2000, Ryanair launched its www. ryanair. com website. Money which was spent on office staff and agents’ commission were saved. Ryanair did 95 percent of its bookings through its website saving millions of pounds for the company (Johnson et al. 2005, pp. 845). 6. 0 Conclusion Ryanair has made a big turnaround after its re-launch as no-frills airline. Since then it has made profit upon profit and gave good customer service to passengers. (www. ryaniair. com) It is known for its on-time departure records as well as maximum use of flying hours per aircraft. All these factors brought in good dividend to the company and its stakeholders. In spite of all these, Ryanair had faced challenges in the last ten years. Especially in 2004 it had lost it stock market value (Johnson et al. , 2005, pp. 832-834). It lost too many court cases and a huge amount was paid as fine and compensation after losing court battles and paying up grieving customers. Ryanair came often into conflict with European Union (Johnson et al 2005, pp. 834). Its efforts to buy archrival Aer Lingus was rebuked; Ryanair’s most successful and high profile CEO, who is praised in most quarters of airline industry for his extraordinary achievement, is the talking point in the corridors of power for not so praiseworthy reasons. He is made a public debate, becoming at the same â€Å"arrogant pig† and â€Å"messiah† (Johnson et al. 2005, pp. 852). A commendable job done is marred by the way The CEO comes across in the public. Observations Ryanair is strategically positioned to continue to grow and make profits. However, macroenvirornmental situations may slow down this upward growth. Strategies which will bring in more synergies such as reducing number of flights from locations where seat filling is less by better coordination and consolidation of external and extra activities will help in this sluggish time. An important concern for the whole airline industry at the moment is the rising price of fuel. A price hike which does not show any end in sight has been set off by issues that are beyond the sphere of the industry. Ryanair has to become more customer friendly and environmentally responsible airline. It needs to draw up yet another strategic plan for the future where sustainable management and sustainable strategy can be put into operation. Ryanair needs a â€Å"sustainable strategic management (SSM)†¦strategic management process that are economically competitive, socially responsible, and in balance with the cycles of nature† (Stead and Stead, 2006, p. 36). Given the complexity of today’s business environment, it is imperative for strategic managers to develop environmental scanning cultures within their organizations. Determining environmental opportunities and threats should result from the collective wisdom of the firm’s stakeholders. Successful sustainable strategic management requires that opportunities and threats be identified, and it requires that they be analyzed in terms of the underlying assumptions on which they are based†.

Rebuttal Essay Example

Rebuttal Essay I understand that people are entitled their opinions and beliefs. Megan Patella made the choice of aborting her pregnancy after she and her husband was told that their son would have severer medical issues. I have four children, ranging from twenty-two to nine. My nine year-old is autistic and needs constant attention. I cannot and begin to understand why one would want to kill a life for any reason. Megan and her husband, according to the article were trying to conceive a child late in adulthood. Not until they got the result from the genetics doctor that their son would have a chromosomal disorder and would present a series of major physical and emotional challenges and possible surgeries down the road (Patella, 2103). I highlighted possible because even right here there was that uncertainty of the test result. Megan stated that her and her husband felt that they were dealt a bum hand with this conception. No one dealt them anything they were trying to conceive a hill. We will write a custom essay sample on Rebuttal specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rebuttal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rebuttal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Life in itself is a miracle, which according to Florida vital statistic there were 237,166 births in 2006. Then to get the readers to be passionate about her cause she states the doctor put her and her husband out into the parking lot thro. She leads the reader to believe that this was there only exit because they ask about aborting there son. Not only did Megan go through with the abortion she did so in an unlawful manner. Florida law prohibits that termination off pregnancy in the second or third trimester without the consult of a second physician (INSTITUTE, 2013). Megan stated in her article that Florida law prohibits abortion after 24 weeks. According to Stomacher Institute, State of Later Abortions the state of Georgia has some relax laws when it comes to abortions. This is why Megan and her husband drove to another city possible out of state to Georgia. Laws were not meant to be broken. This was a true homicide, killing an unborn child in the manner in which they did should be outlawed. Then there was the complication that resulted in hospitalizing. To me this is Just karma; they terminated something that was given o them by God. Megan stated that she did a lot of research to find a doctor that would perform abortion surfing the internet. Megan references the Stomacher Institute, which is a web site that is put into place to enhance public awareness on sexual and reproduction health worldwide. Stomacher Institute is a non-based university that has received many prestigious awards. Megan used a valid source to gain here information in her article. In the State of Later Abortion article on the Stomacher website it identifies by state what laws prevail over abortions? Megan is heeds a different light on the subject. With her Journalism skills, Megan strategically placed small innuendos throughout her article to gain compassion from the readers. First Megan stated the doctor lead her to a door that opened in a parking lot. Without knowing the building I am sure that was the same door she came into. Second Megan stated that the doctor was not cordial when he entered the room, and how the procedure room looked. This statement could be true however it once again allows the reader to feel sorry for situation. Thirdly, Megan painted a grim picture of he entire process from start to finish.

Achebe vs. Conrad essays

Achebe vs. Conrad essays In a critical essay of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, Chinua Achebe accuses Conrad of being a terrible racist, and points out places in the novel where Conrad is very biased and prejudiced. Based on Achebes points, and my reading of the book, I have to agree with him. Heart of Darkness is about Marlow, and his journey up the Congo river, to meet a famed man named Kurtz. Marlow receives a job as a boat captain with a Belgian company which specialises in trade in Africa. After arriving at the Central Station in Africa, he finds that his ship has been sunk, and waits several months for the parts needed to fix it. During this time his interest in Kurtz grows, and as he is rumoured to be ill, the delays in fixing the ship are made even more costly. Eventually Marlow does get the parts needed to repair the boat, and he and a crew of Pilgrims and Cannibals set out on the long and laborious journey up the Congo. During their journey, Marlows ship is attacked by a tribe of natives, but only one person is killed. They finally arrive to Kurtzs camp expecting to find him dead, but instead they are greeted by a crazy Russian trader, who assures them that everything is great and that Kurtz is fine. He claims that Kurtz has made him smarter, and that he can not be judged the same way a regular person would be. He sais that Kurtz has made himself a god to the natives, and has gone on murderous raids in search of Ivory. The large number of severed heads around Kurtzs cabin prove to Marlow of Kurtzs methods. Then a bunch of natives carry Kurtz out of his cabin on a stretcher, and a group of natives surround the camp. Kurtz speaks to them and they leave. Kurtz is carried on to the ship because of his illness. The Russian tells Marlow after swearing him to secrecy that Kurtz is planning an attack on the ship so as to convince the Company that he is dead. The Russian then flees in a canoe, fearing Kur...

The Differences Between Communism and Socialism

The Differences Between Communism and Socialism The difference between communism and socialism is not conveniently clear-cut. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but these economic and political theories are not the same. Both communism and socialism arose from protests against the exploitation of the working class during the Industrial Revolution. While applications of their economic and social policies vary, several modern countries- all ideologically opposed to capitalism- are perceived as either communist or socialist. In order to understand contemporary political debates, its important to know the similarities and the differences between communism and socialism. Communism vs. Socialism In both communism and socialism, the people own the factors of economic production. The main difference is that under communism, most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state (rather than individual citizens); by contrast, under socialism, all citizens share equally in all economic resources as allocated by a democratically-elected government. This difference and others are outlined in the table below. Communism vs. Socialism Attribute Communism Socialism Basic Philosophy From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution. Economy Planned By Central government Central government Ownership of Economic Resources All economic resources are publicly owned and controlled by the government. Individuals hold no personal property or assets. Individuals own personal property but all industrial and production capacity is communally owned and managed by a democratically elected government. Distribution of Economic Production Production is intended to meet all basic human needs and is distributed to the people at no charge. Production is intended to meet individual and societal needs and distributed according to individual ability and contribution. Class Distinction Class is abolished. The ability to earn more than other workers is almost nonexistent. Classes exist but differences are diminished. It is possible for some people to earn more than others. Religion Religion is effectively abolished. Freedom of religion is allowed. Key Similarities Communism and socialism both grew out of grass-roots opposition to the exploitation of workers by wealthy businesses during the Industrial Revolution. Both assume that all goods and services will be produced by government-controlled institutions or collective organizations rather than by privately-owned businesses. In addition, the central government is mainly responsible for all aspects of economic planning, including matters of supply and demand. Key Differences Under communism, the people are compensated or provided for based on their needs. In a pure communist society, the government provides most or all food, clothing, housing and other necessities based on what it considers the needs of the people. Socialism is based on the premise the people will be compensated based on the level of their individual contribution to the economy. Effort and innovation are thus rewarded under socialism. Pure Communism Definition Pure communism is an economic, political, and social system in which most or all property and resources are collectively owned by a class-free society rather than by individual citizens. According to the theory developed by German philosopher, economist, and political theorist Karl Marx in his classic 1848 book, â€Å"The Communist Manifesto,† pure communism results in a society in which all people are equal and there is no need for money or the accumulation of individual wealth. There is no private ownership of economic resources, with a central government controlling all facets of production. Economic output is distributed according to the needs of the people. Social friction between white and blue collar workers and between rural and urban cultures will be eliminated, freeing each person to achieve his or her highest human potential. Under pure communism, the central government provides the people with all basic necessitates, such as food, housing, education, and medical care, thus allowing the people to share equally from the benefits of collective labor. Free access to these necessities depends on constant advances in technology contributing to ever-greater production. In 1875, Marx coined the phrase used to summarize communism, â€Å"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.† Pure Socialism Definition Pure socialism is an economic system under which each individual- through a democratically elected government- is given an equal share of the four factors or economic production: labor, entrepreneurship, capital goods, and natural resources. In essence, socialism is based on the assumption that all people naturally want to cooperate, but are restrained from doing so by the competitive nature of capitalism. Socialism is an economic system where everyone in society equally owns the factors of production. The ownership is acquired through a democratically elected government. It could also be a cooperative or public corporation in which everyone owns shares. Again, the four factors of production under socialism are labor, entrepreneurship, capital goods, and natural resources. As in a command economy, the socialist government employs centralize planning to allocate resources based on both the needs of individuals and society as a whole. Economic output is distributed according to each individual’s ability and level of contribution. In 1980, American author and sociologist Gregory Paul paid homage to Marx in coining the phrase commonly used to describe socialism, â€Å"From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution.†Ã‚   What Is a Socialist Democracy? Democratic socialism is an economic, social, and political ideology holding that while both the society and economy should be run democratically, they should be dedicated to meeting the needs of the people as a whole, rather than encouraging individual prosperity as in capitalism. Democratic socialists advocate the transition of society from capitalism to socialism through existing participatory democratic processes, rather than revolution as characterized by orthodox Marxism. Universally-used services, such as housing, utilities, mass transit, and health care are distributed by the government, while consumer goods are distributed by a capitalistic free market.   The latter half of the 20th century saw the emergence of a more moderate version of socialist democracy advocating a mixture of socialist and capitalist control of all means of economic production supplemented by extensive social welfare programs to help provide the basic needs of the people. What is Green Socialism   As a recent outgrowth of the environmental movement and the climate change debate, green socialism or â€Å"eco-socialism† places its economic emphasis on the maintenance and utilization of natural resources. This is achieved largely through government ownership of the largest, most resource consumptive corporations. The use of â€Å"green† resources, such as renewable energy, public transit, and locally sourced food is emphasized or mandated. Economic production focuses on meeting the basic needs of the people, rather than a wasteful excess of unneeded consumer goods. Green socialism often offers a guaranteed minimum livable income to all citizens regardless of their employment status. Communist Countries It is difficult to classify countries as being either communist or socialist. Several countries, while ruled by the Communist Party, declare themselves to be socialist states and employ many aspects of socialist economic and social policy. Three countries typically considered communist states- mainly due to their political structure- are Cuba, China, and North Korea. China The Communist Party of China owns and strictly controls all industry, which operates solely to generate profits for the government through its successful and growing export of consumer goods. Health care and primary through higher education are run by the government and provided free of charge to the people. However, housing and property development operate under a highly competitive capitalist system. Cuba   The Communist Party of Cuba owns and operates most industries, and most of the people work for the state. Government-controlled health care and primary through higher education are provided free. Housing is either free or heavily subsidized by the government. North Korea Ruled by the Communist Party until 1946, North Korea now operates under a â€Å"Socialist Constitution of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.† However, the government owns and control of all farmland, workers, and food distribution channels. Today, the government provides universal health and education for all citizens. Private ownership of property is forbidden. Instead, the government grants people the right to government-owned and assigned homes. Socialist Countries Once again, most modern countries that identify themselves to be socialist may not strictly follow the economic or social systems associated with pure socialism. Instead, most countries generally considered socialist actually employ the policies of democratic socialism. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark all employ similar predominantly socialist systems. The democratically chosen governments of all three countries provide free health care, education, and lifetime retirement income. As a result, however, their citizens pay some of the world’s highest taxes. All three countries also have highly successful capitalist sectors. With most of their needs provided by their governments, the people see little need to accumulate wealth. As a result, about 10% of the people hold more than 65 percent of each nation’s wealth. Sources and Further Reference Engels, Frederick (1847). â€Å"Principles of Communism.†Bukharin, Nikoli. (1920). â€Å"The ABCs of Communism.†Lenin, Vladimir (1917). â€Å"The State and Revolution Chapter 5, Section 3.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Difference Between Communism and Socialism.† Investopedia (2018).Marx, Karl (1875). â€Å".†The Critique of the Gotha Programme (From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs)Paul, Gregory and Stuart, Robert C. â€Å".†Comparing Economic Systems in the Twenty-First Century Cengage Learning (1980). ISBN: 9780618261819. (From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution.)Heilbroner, Robert. â€Å"Socialism.† Library of Economics and Liberty Kallie Szczepanski  contributed to this article.

Macro3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro3 - Essay Example The consumption of education is an example of a consumption of a good that provides a social benefit that exceeds the private benefit that the student receives. Society benefits from having a skilled labour force which lowers unemployment rates and increases domestic productivity. This benefit exceeds the private benefit a single individual receives from consuming education. As such, those that choose to not consume education may decide not to do so because they will enjoy the benefits of a skilled labour force. Government expenditures on goods and services are primarily done because the market system would not efficiently allocate resources to produce these goods or services. This could be because consumption of the good or service provides considerable social benefit which the market cannot quantify, or the good or service is non-excludible, meaning that once provided, no one can be excluded from consuming it. Thus inorder to assure optimum provision and consumption of the good, government would The corporation is treated as a separate entity for tax and legal purposes. As such there a number of benefits associated with incorporating a business. In Limited Liability companies, owners of the corporation are not liable for the corporation’s debts. In most countries, tax rates facing corporations are lower than those facing private individuals and there and corporations are able to qualify for more tax deductions than private individuals. A corporation can continue to exist beyond its current owners. However, forming a corporation is not a costless task and involves a number of legal requirements. In addition, most countries regulate corporations, forcing them to comply with a number of behavioural practices meant to protect employees, shareholders and consumers. Conforming to regulation is also

Understanding Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Understanding Organisations - Essay Example Understanding Organisations The firm was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and since then it has manufactured a large number of commercial cars. Ford also manufactures luxury cars but they are marketed under the brand Lincoln. The chief executive of the company has taken measures since 2008 to simplify the fleet of all Ford cars across the world (Vlasic, 2008). The company has also shaped several automotive components. Ford Australia is an Australian subsidiary company of the original corporation. This subsidiary was founded in Geelong, Victoria in the early 1925. In May 2013 Ford president Bob Graziano has announced to cease the manufacturing process of the company in Geelong (Reuters, 2013). The industry for automobiles is highly competitive in nature in the current economic era. The establish firm of Ford has undergone certain losses since the last six years. The president claimed that the company’s manufacturing cost in Australia is extremely high when compared to that of Asia and Europe (News Geelong, 2 013). Thus, in order to reduce its costs and losses the company has decided to cease its operating plants in Geelong by 2016, as its fabrication in Geelong is not economically viable in the long run (Lambreth, 2007). The decision of Ford to cease its manufacturing unit in Geelong Australia may be actually beneficial to the economy of the country according to modernistic view (Goodwin and Wright, 2007). It is believed by many economists that the domestic economy of Australia would evolve as a result of the decision taken by Ford. Newscastle was another city that experienced a similar situation in 1999, when the city lost the BHP Steelworks. After BHP steel ceased its business in Newscastle, the city shifted its competences towards medical research, education and innovation. Thus the decision of BHP Steelworks was a blessing for Newscastle in 1999. It is thus felt that the people for Geelong should be optimistic regarding their future despite of experiencing a closure of Fords manufacturing and loss of employment opportunities. It is believed by the modernistic thinkers that this incident would help Geelong to carve new ways for improvements of in segments of the economy like academics and medical research. Though it is true that the loss of Ford business would render many individuals jobless but still according to the modern optimistic view the growth of other industries would surely generate more employment opportunities in Australia (Raschella, 2013). Environmental Impact The decision of Ford to cease its manufacturing division in Geelong would surely create a stressful atmosphere in its working environment. The closure of the factory was reported to cease 510 job losses in Fords Geelong engine plant (News Geelong, 2013). The president of the Australian branch of the company along with its CEO Bob Graziano stated that it was necessary to end the production unit of the company in Australia because the company faced a loss of almost $141 million in the recent financial years. Such situation would surely create an uncanny environment in the existing workplaces of the company. The existing workers would fear to lose their jobs in this crisis, when the company is facing severe financial instability. The employees would surely resist to the decision of manufacturing cease, as they would not want their jobs to be lost. Internal

Songs of the 50s Essay Example for Free

Songs of the 50s Essay Songs of the 1950s Songs of the 50s In this paper I will research and identify 5 songs of the 1950s and what the songs reflect about the culture, mood, and values of the 1950s and the ethnic groups the artists came from. I will also discuss how accurately the songs reflect the mood, value, and perceptions of the 1950s as discussed in our readings, Nation of Nations. â€Å"All I Have To Do Is Dream† The first song I would like to address would be: â€Å"All I Have To Do Is Dream,† by the Everly Brothers. This song reiterates the basic ideology of the 1950s associated with â€Å"the good life. The song offers a neat synopsis of the mood, values, and perceptions of this era, for example, the song states â€Å"only trouble is, gee whiz, I’m dreamin’ my life away†¦. † This quote shows the leisure time available to Americans, it also reflects the time of hope during this era. The song also reflects a strong sense of optimism, confidence, and overall comfort afforded by this era. This song also seems to echo the general sentiments of the time in terms of the open attitudes toward sex with some of the romantic lyrics. Since the baby boom initiated during this era the lyrics to the mood and values are represented in the lyrics above. Since America emerged from World War II, in this era this song reinforces the American Dream. The song gives the mood and perception of happiness at having a secure job, owning a house, etc†¦ â€Å"A Lot of Livin’ To Do† â€Å"A Lot of Livin’ To Do† by Sammy Davis Jr. , Mr. Davis represents both the African American and Hispanic races and this song’s lyrics also embody the era because of the references to the â€Å"good life† with â€Å"And there’s wine, already for tasting. And there’s Cadillac’s, all shiny and new. Gotta move, cause time is wasting. There’s such a lot of livin’ to do. † These lyrics indicate the era because it was called â€Å"the culture of consumption. † The Americans experienced a large scale of spending during this time period. The song’s reference to fancy cars shows that consumer’s values definitely dominated the American economy and culture during the 1950’s. A Combination of Lyrics Through my research for this assignment I found several songs that reflected the moods of this era that did not relate to the â€Å"good life† that I would like to touch base on. My Captain† by Muddy Waters clearly reflects on the issues of the difficult working conditions for an African-American man in a big city. Their lyrics reveal racial undertones as well as the tensions and divisions within America at the time. Two other lyrics that I felt were important regarding this e ra was â€Å"Korean War Blues† and â€Å"Eisenhower Blues† by J. B. Lenoir. These songs reflect the political strive associated with containing communism during this era and the political paranoia underlying the times. The connection to the mood, perceptions, values, and politics are found in the words from the song â€Å"Korean War Blues,† â€Å"Lord I got my questionnaire, Uncle Sam’s gonna send me away from here; Lord I got my questionnaire, Uncle Sam’s gonna send me away from here; He said J. B. you know that I need you, Lord I need you in South Korea. † These lines reinforce the fear and the paranoia associated with the Red Scare and containment. Yakety-Yak The final song on my list is â€Å"Yakety-Yak† by The Coasters, this song again reflects on the era’s carefree attitude and the triumphant mood of democracy in a light way. It was also a time for teenage rebellion due to the introduction of rock-n-roll. Many adults, parents, and teachers opposed rock and roll as an emerging genre and form of social protest. The lyrics of this song exemplify the generation gap and strain as the kids were fighting for freedom from the adults, â€Å"Don’t you give me no dirty looks, your father’s hip, he knows what cooks, just tell you hoodlum friends outside, you ain’t got time to take a ride, Yakety yak, don’t talk back. † Conclusion Through the course of research for this paper I learned a great deal about the moods, values, perceptions, and politics that were expressed through songs. Even though some of the songs reflected a casual happy life style there were also the songs that reflected the imperfections of the era. This was a difficult time due to the war ending, desegregation was taking place, and it was also the time of the baby boomers. Through the songs of the 1950’s I discovered that many artists were able to vocalize their own point f view on the events of the era. References: Resource Readings: Davidson et al. : Nation of Nations, Third Concise Edition, Volume II  © The McGraw? Hill Companies, 2002 Lyrics Depot:  © 2008 LyricsDepot. com. All Rights Reserved. Retrieved February 10, 2008. http://www.lyricsdepot.com/the-everly-brothers/all-i-have-to-do-is-dream.html http://custom-essay-cheap.com/songs-of-the-50s/ http://www.biography.com/people/muddy-waters-9525002 http://timshorrock.blogspot.com/2005/01/down-in-mississippi.html http://www.metrolyrics.com/yakety-yak-lyrics-the-coasters.html

Babbit Essay -- Essays Papers

Babbit The depressing tragedy known as Babbitt, by Lewis Sinclair, accurately portrays the convention of life in the 1920’s. Sinclair precisely evokes the conformity and orthodox life styles that shaped a growing culture. Man, in the 1920’s, is caught in a lifestyle where he is continually fed on what to think. Lewis cunningly explains the constraints of convention that plagued George Babbitt, and mocks society as a whole for its lack of liberal views. Babbitt throughout the novel seems to be trapped in a maze, and is told by â€Å"the machine† when to turn. Only when Babbitt revolts against conservative America does his life change, but the question is was it for the better? The economy is booming with success, and your wealth portrays ones position in society. George Babbitt is infatuated with having the latest â€Å"gadgets† and technology in his home, as is the rest of Middle-class America. Lewis portrays society as a group of self-centered people who must have the best of everything (sounds similar to our world today). Middle-class America is disturbingly the same to the last detail in the 1920’s. Life begins for Babbitt waking up to an unappreciative family, and a typical fake show of affection from his wife. Babbitt realizes his life is dull and mundane. Even the kiss from his wife is typical. Babbitt, like most men in the 1920’s, finds his home not as a haven but as a depressing reality of what his life has really become. Babbitt recognizes he is disgusted with his life, and that he doesn’t even love his wife. Only when Babbitt escapes his home does he find satisfaction. Babbitt is found in his community as a role mode l of every businessmen, even the mechanic at the gas station commends him for organization. Babbitt temporarily feels relief when freedom encompasses his life, but later in the novel Babbitt illustrates that even â€Å"business† is shaped by society. Just as business is shaped in Zenith, so are the women who live there. Women in the novel are accurately portrayed as they were in the 1920’s. Lewis presents two different scenarios in the novel, but both of these cases can follow the same mannerisms. First, Lewis depicts the loving housewife. Myra, Babbitt’s wife, continually comforts Babbitt throughout the whole novel. Myra even accepts the blame when Babbitt decides to cheat on her. Women are depicted throughout the novel as inferior when... ...e hand of social order is telling them this is â€Å"ok.† That is why liberal views in Zenith are so quickly extinguished. The superior class wants people to think that there always must be a lower class because that is the way God has planned it, which in retrospect sustains their rank as the higher class forever. It’s ironic that this idea is still relevant today. In conclusion, Babbitt’s revolt toward society had actually changed nothing. He went back to not loving his wife and continuing his job as a realtor. His popularity recovers from his era of revolt. Babbitt regains his place in the world by allowing society to influence his life. He stops fighting and this is the simple reason why his life is a tragedy. How does Babbitt analyze the successfulness of his life? He never took complete control and experienced freedom in any of his actions. He only valued the acceptance of others, rather than what was true to his heart. Babbitt life had no meaning, since he constantly let the constraints of society shape it. One must wonder if society in the 1920’s could have changed by reading this novel. This is not probable, considering that society is the same today as it was 80 years ago.

Informative Speech Essay

Attention Getter: Mothers day is coming up, and there is a few options for you to use as gifts. 1. You can spend fifty dollar on flowers just to watch them die in a week. 2. You can buy her chocolates even though most of us are constantly trying to cut back. 4. You can do nothing and look like a jerk. 5. Or can simply spend a dollar at a thrift store, and create a desk ornament using only an old book. Topic Sentence: Recently I’ve made a few of these and have gotten a really great response from family and friends. I suppose I’d call it book-origami, but I’m not sure if there’s a proper title for this sort of thing. My purpose tonight is to teach you how to make one of these. Credibility / goodwill: After I made my first book, I got several compliments on it. Afterward, I came to the conclusion it might make a great mantelpiece, or even a desk ornament. Itsinthestars.com/us shows a survey taken in 2012 that states â€Å"The average person ends up purchasing 16 gifts or more a year.† Gift buying can add up quickly so I have found that it is nice to have a backup plan in case you’re broke at the time. Surely some of us in this very room have come to this dilemma so I am hoping to provide an idea for such an occasion. Thesis: Tonight I will teach you how to make one of these decorations by first teaching you what type of books are best to use, secondly I will tell you how to prepare the process of getting started, and lastly I will be teaching you a few of the folding techniques. Body: (Chronological = steps in a process) I. The First step in making one of these book decorations is to find the right kind of book to work with A. Through trial and error, I have found that it is best to use a hardcover book. 1. The way I have been making these has been without the use of any glues or starches, and the hardcover frame seems to help the book hold its shape naturally. B. When choosing your book you will also need to consider the number of pages that it has. 2. This was actually my first book, and it has about two hundred fifty pages in it. My second book actually has over 550 pages in it. The choice you make depends on your taste, but personally I think the thicker book has a much fuller and professional look. C. You should also consider the size of the cover of your book. 1. I believe that a someone smaller book makes for the best decoration because it doesn’t take up much room. Transition: Now that you have chosen a book to work with, you are ready to divide your book in sections. A. In my first book I didn’t take a whole lot of time, and just approximately divided the book into 3 sections. 1. You might not be able to tell at first glance but one side actually has around 15 pages more using the first folding style. B. If you want to go for a truly symmetrical look, I would suggest counting out each page individually. It will take more time this way, but you will probably be happier with the end result. 1. After you have decided how much you want in each section, I would recommend marking each sections beginning and end with a bookmark. Transition : Now that you have sectioned off your book, you’re ready to start folding. (please excuse my lack of technical terms, but this is really just something I’ve been experimenting with and was not actually taught anything about origami. A. I like to start off each book with several simple corner folds. 1. After each page, you should alternate between folding the top corner down, and folding the bottom corner down. 2. The reason I start the book this way because it is a really easy technique, and it also seems to help the book expand quite a bit. B. Another fold I use quite a bit I would call an airplane fold. I call it this because it is how I remember starting off paper airplanes, again this isn’t a technical lesson. 1. This technique is done simple by folding the top and bottom edges into the middle of the page. 2. I tend to use this technique for the middle section because again, it is very easy to do, and it helps the book to stand up. C. What I have used for the outer-middle section here is actually just a variation of the airplane fold. 1. After folding both edges in, you then take the middle point of the page and fold it to either the upper or lower portion, again alternating with each following page t o get this accordion look. Conclusion: Thesis: Tonight I have taught you how to make one of these decorations by first teaching you what type of books are best to use, secondly telling you how to prepare the process of getting started, and lastly I taught you a few of the folding techniques. Closure: Now you’re ready to make one of these for yourself. I’ve only been doing this for a few months, and I have found that most of the fun comes from trying new techniques. I’ve only shared with you a couple of the techniques that I’ve used. I would highly encourage you to try some of your own ideas, get creative . You could try ripping or cutting the edges of certain pages to give them a rough look, or you could add paperclips to portions of the book to give it a specific hold. Maya Angelou once said in the book Conversations with Maya Angelou printed in 1989 â€Å"You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have† I’ve always agreed with that. I have found this to be a fun, creative and cheap idea for a gift. Mothers day is Sunday the 12th of May this year, so you should get started.

Turkish Government Memorandum Regarding

TO: Osman Gunes, Deputy Minister of the Interior, Government of Turkey FROM: Tolgahan P? narsayha, Political Advisor to the Government of Turkey DATE: 10/3/2012 SUBJECT: Addressing the Syrian Refugee Crisis Summary The Turkish Government has spent over $300 million providing for refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria [1]. As a neighboring country with important links to Syria through culture and religion alongside being a democratic country that recognizes international laws regarding refugees, Turkey has an obligation to continue to admit civilians from Syria into its southern provinces.By analyzing Turkey’s political ideals, its adherence to international laws and its ties to Syria and the Islamic world, I emphasize the Government’s duty towards addressing the refugee crisis above any other related issue (as will be further discussed) in this report. Problems associated with the Government’s Allocation of Resources Important issues that may have a bearing on Tu rkey’s provision of adequate resources to refugees include: its support for the Syrian rebels; lack of international action in Syria; and lack of international assistance to Turkey in providing aid and accommodation to refugees [1].These issues may need to be addressed before the Government can completely fulfill its duty towards the safeguarding of innocent civilians. Turkey’s Responsibility as a Regional Power The border between Turkey and Syria stretches 877 km, and is for both countries the longest land border they share with a neighbor [2]. This is significant as the Turkish Government can expect to take in comparatively larger numbers of refugees with relation to Syria’s other border states. In the past Our â€Å"responsibility† to accept refugees at arises from the fact that both Turkey and Syria share extensive historical, cultural and religious ties.Both are members of the OIC and are Muslim countries, and in the eyes of the Islamic world, Turkey has an automatic duty to house fellow Muslims fleeing from the violence. This responsibility is more important for Turkey because it has interests in maintaining strong relations with the predominantly Muslim â€Å"Arab world†; by accepting refugees it is also portraying an image of solidarity with the Syrian people, and this would help strengthen ties with the Arab world which, in light of recent protests for freedom and democracy which have been collectively termed as the â€Å"Arab Spring†, is largely in support of Syrian opposition forces.International Obligations towards the Protection of Victims of Prosecution Turkey is a member of the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), three international agencies that determine the laws and relations that Turkish Government is bound by while it addresses the ongoing refugee crisis in the country’s southern provinces.In adherence with i nternational law and as an upholder of Turkey’s democratic and liberal ideals, the Turkish Government has a basic duty to protect and provide refuge to Syrian refugees fleeing from persecution, as stated in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Options – Re-allocating resources or calling for international assistance From the outset of the war the Turkish Government has undoubtedly been in support of the rebel cause. The Government must seriously consider the impact this may be having on its allocation of resources to accepting and accommodating refugees.As previously mentioned, international laws dictate that civilians fleeing persecution have a right to seek refuge in a foreign country. Therefore the Government’s main priority as a foreign state should be to funnel resources into building adequate facilities for civilians. In direct relation to this, Turkey should also consider how its participation in the Syrian conflict will benefit the Syrian people and at the same time how it will benefit the economy and security of Turkey. Public support for Turkey’s foreign policy towards Syria is low and the public view of the Government’s handling of the conflict is largely negative.While the Government stands for the â€Å"freedom† of Syrian people it needs to seriously re-evaluate its position; it is a neighbor country and therefore has no duty to react to the internal political situation in Syria until an international consensus can be reached. Until that point it should focus on strengthening the Turkish border, screening incoming refugees and providing facilities for them. Recommendations The refugee crisis is just one form of the greater humanitarian catastrophe that has resulted from the Syrian uprising.Although Turkey’s interests and obligations lie in protecting persecuted civilians, it must also consider wider issues regarding the conflict, including the impact of its support for Syrian opposition for ces, as well as more pertinent humanitarian issues like the displacement of Syrians within Syria itself. The Government should therefore continue to lobby the international community to take action in Syria; more than this, it should seek assistance from international governments in building refugee camps and providing aid to civilians, in order to supplement dwindling resources.

7 Bad Habits You Need to Get Rid of in 2017

7 Bad Habits You Need to Get Rid of in 2017 Often, New Year’s resolutions are about what you’re going to do. I will go to the gym. I will get my house organized. But just as important are the resolutions where you decide to stop doing something. It’s a way to edit your life. Here are seven strategies for turning 2017 into a year of â€Å"no.† (But in a positive way!)1. Say no to jealousy.Comparing yourself to others is a fast track to frustration. Sure, you may not have what others have or be as talented in some areas. And you know what? You might never be, and that’s A-OK. Find the skills and aspects of yourself that are unique- or at the very least, ones that work for you. Focus on building those up so that you shine in your best areas. Forget everyone else†¦ they’re probably just trying to keep up with others as well, and who has time for that kind of endless loop?2. Say no to self-doubt.If you find yourself holding back from speaking up in a meeting because you’re worri ed about how it will be received or what  others will think of you, push past it and speak up. Your perspective is valid. And your ideas could lead to greater things for you or your company. Self-doubt keeps progress from happening.3. Say no to being a lone wolf.If we didn’t need others to be successful, every company would be one person big. You’re part of a team because all of the members’ roles and skills complement each other on the way to getting things done. Ask for help when you need it, and make an effort to bond with your colleagues.4. Say no to inertia.â€Å"Later, I’ll do it later.† â€Å"The time isn’t right.† â€Å"There’s too much going on.† Do any of those sound familiar? The timing will likely never be perfect to start that project or implement your idea. So stop waiting around, and take steps to get started. Even if they’re tiny ones, the first steps can be the hardest- so once you’ve got ten those out of the way, it’ll be that much easier to keep moving.5. Say no to oversharing.Do you post everything you eat on Instagram? Let the world know the status of your date while you’re still on it? Social media creates an environment that encourages us to share our minutiae with the world, but should we? This year, make an effort to hold some things back, and start being more choosy about what you put out there. A little mystery never hurt, right? If your coworker really needs to know what you binged on Netflix last weekend, she can ask.6. Just say no.If you find yourself saying yes to everything because you feel obligated, it’s time to take a choosier approach. Your cousin’s friend’s roommate will be able to find someone else to help him move. Your colleague shouldn’t be depending on you to cover for her every day while she sneaks out for a smoothie. It’s okay to be selective about what you agree to do. Having the power to sa y no empowers you to set and keep your own priorities, instead of letting everyone else set them for you.And finally†¦7. Say no to standing in your own way.It’s easy to confuse fear and hesitance with instincts. When you feel yourself resisting something in your head, ask why. If you can’t come up with a valid reason why you’re avoiding it or otherwise not moving forward, then say no to that little voice and move forward. You are your own resistance, and you are the only one who can get around that.Try the Year of No, and see what happens. This is not an excuse to say no to everything (you’re gonna have to suck it up and do some things you don’t want to do; sorry and welcome to life!), but rather to say no to the things holding you back. You might be amazed at how many yeses you start to get once you start saying no more often!

Turgor Pressure and the Important Tree Cell

Turgor Pressure and the Important Tree Cell Turgor pressure, also called turgidity when occurring in trees and most plants are the pressure of cell contents exerted against the plant cell wall including tree leaf and stem cells. A turgid plant cell contains more water and minerals in solution than flaccid (deflated) plant cells and exerts a greater osmotic pressure on its cell membrane and walls. So, turgor is a force exerted outward on a plant cell by the water contained within the sturdy cell wall. Water and its solutions fill up tree cells up to its optimum expansion capability determined by the cell wall. This force consequently gives a succulent plant rigidity and helps non-woody plants to keep erect. Woody-stemmed plants have extra structural support in the form of wood cells and bark. When you actually see a mature woody-stemmed plant like a trees leaf wilt due to low turgor pressure, major damage may have been done and tree health compromised. Extreme turgidity can result in the bursting of a cell but is rare in nature. The tree cell wall is designed to handle pressures beyond the cell membrane. Turgor and Osmosis in Trees Turgor pressure is not the mechanism that rises solutions from roots to leaves. Trying to describe this simply, the process of osmosis creates tree and plant turgidity by the osmotic propensity of moving a heavy water volume of weak solution from the roots toward a low water volume of high solution in the leaves and branches. A solution, in this case, is simply a water mixture of solutes in the leaves being concentrated and high and the water-holding solutes entering the root being diluted and low. In this particular botanical example, water is the solvent with a mixture of dissolved concentrations of various nutritive substances called the solute.   As the trees liquid reaches a static or equal solution mixture from root to crown, turgor pressure becomes optimal and pressure increase stops. The Important Tree Cell Wall and Membrane A trees cell wall is a tough, flexible wicker basket that is rigid but flexible and has the ability to stretch and expand as the cell membrane inside expands. It surrounds the delicate cell membrane and provides these cells with structural support and protection. The cell wall will also act as a filter but the major function of the cell wall is to act as pressure support for the cell and its contents. The trees cellular membrane is a protective and functional cell layer that separates tree cell contents from the outside environment but is permeable to the organic molecules and minerals necessary to support tree life. Osmosis through the cell membrane controls the movement of substances in and out of tree cells. The basic function of the cell membrane is devoted to the protection of the cell contents from outside invasions of foreign materials.

Islam vs Christiainity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islam vs Christiainity - Essay Example John the Baptist was beheaded by local authorities causing many of his followers to look to Jesus for leadership. Initially, Jesus’ message was fundamentalist Judaism. He promoted basic ethics such as loving one’s neighbor and returning hatred with kindness. He had an apparent ability to heal the sick. Many of Jesus’ followers believed that he was a messiah, sent by their God, to drive out the Romans and establish a new Jewish state. At some point, Jesus too believed he was the messiah. The authorities, concerned with his popularity, had him arrested, condemned to death and crucified. After Jesus’ death, the less messianic, more religious aspects of his teachings were emphasized, primarily through the gospels of four of his disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The disciple Paul was responsible for separating Christianity from its Jewish roots. He introduced the idea that Jesus was the son of God and that faith in God was the only way to be saved from sin. The early Christians were split into two hostile groups for nearly a century. One group followed Peter and the other group followed Paul. Peter’s followers were predominantly Jewish, following many Jewish traditions, as Jesus had done. Paul’s followers were more accepting of non-Jewish converts and waived Jewish law for those not born into the religion. Both Peter and Paul were executed in Rome in approximately 64 AD. Christianity had certain strengths and strong psychological, as opposed to philosophical, messages of protection hope and forgiveness. Christianity’s greatest strength was its egalitarianism – it was first and foremost a religion of the poor. By the third century the Roman Empire was being attacked from every direction. In 395 it officially split into two halves, the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. In 410 the Visigoths destroyed Rome and the Western Roman Empire. In the late 600’s Arabs conquered Egypt and Syria which were

The Medias Influence on Today's Woman Term Paper

The Medias Influence on Today's Woman - Term Paper Example This is the reason why most women contend that they either lose or gain weight to fit into the figures or the images they see in the media. Women believe that being underweight and skinny is beautiful and sexually appealing that directly translates to success. This explains the skinnier standard as a body image that women try to attain in their course of daily lives. There is a close relation between what women see in the television media and how they correlate with the eating disorders in young adult women. Wang (204) says that media is the key cause of eating disorders experienced in young women. This is lent credence by other studies on integrative model for change in behavior that provide that the media can influence the behavior of any person through the airing or publishing of what type of lifestyles and personalities are destined for rewards and successes. This is because when a person gets to believe that his actions will satisfy others, he gets to act in that prescribed mann er. This is the easiest way to confirm that a person will likely be influenced by what he sees or reads in the media, the media plays this role by influencing traits and norms of the women. One area in which the media has had a direct impact on women is diet and unhealthy trends in dieting. This is especially through the television programs and magazines that will make the woman try to emulate the images that are presented as presentable and desirable. For example, most magazines would put on the covers of the particular magazine, pictures of skinny and emancipated women who are seen by the women fraternity as sexy with desirable body figures.... This paper approves that there is need to challenge the images portrayed by the media and challenge and reconsider demands that are unrealistic. This will enable the woman to develop self-esteems and develop oneself independent of media influences. Media messages should be identified and challenged in preventive programs that include that discouraging the notion that beauty is a woman’s main aim in achieving success and happiness and that a woman should be ashamed of her body size. I would, therefore, put positive redefinition of the image of woman as composed of many factors including self-acceptance that will help the woman resist attempts for thinness or being skinny. Some questions are provided to be considered by an individual including women when evaluating media messages, one question is whether real women look like the models in the specific adverts portrayed in the media and whether buying the product being advertised will make the woman look like the model. It is also important to ask yourself whether the model looks like the picture portrayed because of the product. This essay makes a conclusion that It is quite clear that the print media and television has the effect of determining how women portray themselves in terms of body image. Creating too much attention to magazines and television programs or movies lead to body image dissatisfaction, which often lead the woman to eating disorders. As a conclusion, the media has a serious impact on the image of women in terms of the body, which is likely to affect their mental and physical health in a negative manner.

Their eyes were watching God has been called an awakening Essay

Their eyes were watching God has been called an awakening novel.Discuss the meaning of this term and relate it to janie - Essay Example Janie returns her hometown draggled and tired out. Everyone is astonished to see her in this condition. She becomes the subject of criticism for porch sitters who gossip outside her friend Pheoby and her husband Sam Watson’s home. However, Pheoby defends her and tries to comfort her by asking her what has happened during the last few months. She takes Janie to her house and offers her food and comfort and empathically listens to her story. A theme of judgment thus develops in the story. Porch sitters judged Janie in a wrong way by using harsh words and criticizing her past actions and current looks, whereas Pheoby, being a nice human and a good friend, chose to comfort her. Obviously Pheoby’s choice and actions were a lot better than those of the porch sitters. Janie begins telling her story from her early childhood when she used to live with her grandmother Nanny. One day she was in the backyard of her home when a boy named Johnny Taylor meets her and kisses her. After watching this grandma decides that Janie should get married to a capable man who can look after her and protect her. So she decides to marry her to Logan Killicks who is a much older man and can offer Janie protection and a potato farm. The author Hurston compares Janie’s life with a tree stating, "Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done, and undone." (Chapter 2, Paragraph 1, Page 8) thus emphasizing the fact that Janie experienced sexual awakening in her grandma’s backyard as she is amazed at the blooming pear tree. Hurston uses metaphors for Janie to express her beauty by stating, "She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her." (Chapter 2, Paragraph 15, Page 11). In The Awakening, Edna is already married but she falls in love with another man, Robert. â€Å"There was Robert’s reproach making itself felt by a quicker, fiercer, more overpowerin g love, which had awakened within her toward him† (Chopin, 1899, pg219). After her marriage with Logan, Janie didn’t find the true love she was looking for. She visits her home seeking grandma’s advice saying, "Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think" (Chapter 3, Paragraph 26, Page 23). But grandma just gives her a wait-and-see advice. This first marriage has only brought unhappiness and loneliness for Janie. At this point her dream of love and felicity dies and she begins to understand that "marriage did not make love." (Chapter 3, Paragraph 31, Page 25) Logan disregarded all of Janie’s feelings and desire for love and wanted her just to work on his farm like his first wife. Their relationship soon starts to get worse. Janie once told Logan, "If you can stand not to chop wood and tote wood Ah reckon you can stand not to git no dinner." (Page 45). Janie then meets Joe, a stylish and sophisticated man. After havin g been talking for many days they finally decide to run away and get married to each other. They arrive in town and get married. Soon Joe is elected as the mayor of the town and he gets himself busy in building and developing his new town, paying little or no attention to his wife’

Marketing Case Study Levi

Marketing Case Study Levi Levi Strauss Company is one of the worlds leading brand-name apparel marketers with sales across the world. There is no other company with a equivalent worldwide presence in the jeans and casual pants market. Their market-leading apparel merchandise are sold under the Levis, Dockers, and Levis Strauss Signature brands. Today, the Levis trademark is one of the most globally recognized, and is registered in almost over 160 countries. Now, more than ever, constant and meaningful innovation is vital to their commercial success. The global business environment is intensely competitive. Worldwide trade, instantaneous communications and the effortlessness of market entry are among the forces putting greater pressure on merchandise and brand differentiation. To be successful, it is imperative that Levi Strauss continuously change, competing in new and different ways that are relevant to the changing times. What position in the market does Levi occupy (using the strategy clock to characterise its position) A strategy clock is based upon the work of Cliff Bowman. It is another suitable way to examine a companys competitive position by comparing the offerings of competitors The strategy clock allows one to consider competitive advantage in relation to cost advantage or differentiation advantage. (C. Bowman and D. Faulkner Competitive and Corporate Strategy Irwin 1996).There a six core strategic options, one of them are where Levi is positioned and this will be shown below. According to Bowmans Strategy Clock Levis displays Differentiation with price premium. This means that the company has value to its product and the customers to justify high costs. Differentiation is about charging a premium price that more than covers the additional production costs, and about giving customers clear reasons to prefer the product over other, less differentiated products. (Johnson, G Scholes, K 1997) The first indication of Levi been this position is that Levis states that they wanted to avoid price-based competition due to their history of brand recognition and brand loyalty to their customers. Therefore Levi created value to the customers by providing them with customised jeans and accustomed the price according to the Levis brand which carries enough clout to justify a reasonable price premium. Over the years though it seemed that the brand name lost some importance and it was critical for Levi to create valued features to the customers in order to differentiate them from their competitors. The cost structure showed that Levi sold their products through wholesale channels which were then distributed by the retailers. Levi also maintained a chain of Original Levi Stores. These two choices allowed Levis to be closer to the customers and help them satisfy their needs in the search for the perfect fitted jean. The next factor that indicates the position is that Levi emerged with mass production with the use of emerging communication and computer technologies. The concept allowed Levi to find a niche market and help them create a competitive advantage over the competitors by providing customized made jeans. Previously it was thought that highly-customized products were expensive to produce, however with information technology Levi was able to meet the customer needs for flexibility and it created a chance for Levi in becoming more economical. Levi found a way to make a mass production and have services delivered due to the technology. Levi was facing a lot of competitors that provided the low-cost and high volume producers, therefore they had an advantage over the company. The Personal Pair Proposal project allowed a discovery of a niche market and this allowed Levi to create differentiation from its competitors and by adding price premium. Levi wanted to avoid competing against the low-cost volume producers therefore Levi did market research and revealed that only a quarter of women were truly happy with how their jeans fitted them. This project was a jean customisation program that made it possible to approach the customers with having lower distribution costs and unsold inventory. The mass customised program allowed the costs to be lower as well as provide the differentiation advantage due to the reengineering process of new technologies. Therefore the position of differentiation is providing customers with value, medium prices and high perceived value is created for Levi jeans. The fact that there is value added with the service. The proposal of a $15 premium and with focused groups suggested that women would consider the price fair due to them finding a superior fit, which competitors have not done yet. Suggestions have been made that a realistically price would be between $5 and $10. The fact that there is a brand name involved it would not be considered for the premium to be $15 as customers know the quality of the jean that they will be receiving and the knowledge that the jeans are hand sewn. Manufacturing and raw materials will not be affected with the proposal both therefore eliminating unnecessary costs and allowing prices to be reasonable for the customers, which creates more value for differentiation. How confident are you that the Personal Pair project will change the differentiation and low cost trade-off? Levis has a legacy of being very durable and high quality jeans that last at a low cost. Levi is very high quality with a low cost but they somehow are losing favour with their customers. To compete in the always changing market Levis might have to enter into a new market which would be high quality with a high price. Therefore with evidence below I am confident to say that the Personal Pair will change the Low cost trade off. It is almost a must that Levi must change the differentiation and low cost trade-off. This would change Levis motto of high quality for a reasonable price, unless they start a new line to compete in the new market. Levi will move to incorporate a focus differentiation strategy where focus is on the higher end of the jeans market, yielding stronger profit margins due to price premium. The fact that customers expect prices to be higher due to quality the company cannot just reduce the prices even though with mass customisation will be cheaper. The idea of the perceive price has been set in the customers minds and therefore they are willing to pay a higher price for perceived added value to a particular segment, justify a price premium. Therefore it is vital the company prices the jeans correctly because the particulare market segments is not necessarily price sensitive and is willing to pay a higher amount for a jean that they know is going to fit them perfectly and is made of good quality fabrics. The personal pair proposal approach helps the customers who find a array of choices in the market place overwhelming, and to narrow down their specific needs. The Personal Pair Project adds extra value and therefore customers perceive the premium price to be high. These customers are approached and are helped to understand what their needs are, and with the offerings of a customized fitting jean it allowed customers to know that Levi is catering for their need which creates customer loyalty and a strong brand name. The actual manufacture products in a just-in-time fashion respond to specific customer request. What are Levis unique resources and core competence? Resource is any physical or virtual entity of limited availability that needs to be consumed to obtain a benefit from it. (Alexander Osterwalder, 2004) In most cases, commercial or even ethic factors require resource allocation through resource management. (Alexander Osterwalder, 2004) Unique resources are resources that are not easy to copy, incomparable to competitors and create value for the company. A core competency is a specific factor that a business sees as being central to the way it, or its employees, works. (Prahalad, C.K. and Hamel, G. (1990). It provides consumer benefits, it is not easy for competitors to imitate and it can be leveraged widely too many products and markets. (Prahald, C.K. et al (1990). Core competencies are particulare strengths relative to other organizations in the industry which provide the fundamental basis for the provision of added value. Core competencies are the collective learning in organizations, and involve how to coordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of technologies. (Prahalad, C.K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The core competence of the corporation, Harvard Business Review (v.68, no.3) pp. 79-91). Levis core competencies were found in manufacturing, merchandising and marketing. With regards to manufacturing, Levi has decided to do mass customization for the customers. The mass customization results in them satisfying a number of customers needs and savings cost at the same time by producing in bulk. From a strategic point, the concept is based on finding a niche market. Mass customization uses emerging communication and computer technologies to bypass the limitations of traditional mass production methods. Therefore Levi had a core competency in meeting the customers needs by been more flexible and has greater choice in the market place with the help of manufacturing with the use of technology. In addition, a mass customisation model lowers the costs as well as it provides the differentiation advantage over the competitors, since the re-engineering process is often more efficient once the new technology is applied. Therefore Levi will have this competency of customers loyalty and brand recognition due to their needs been satisfied. The next core competency is merchandising, Merchandising is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity. (Kunz, Grace (2005). In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. Levi is doing this by offering the customers a chance to find the perfect fitting jean. Levi operation equips the store with networked PCs and personal pair kiosks. Customers will be measured and with this technology operation and practice it results in one of 4ÂÂ  224 possible size combinations. The computer generates a code for the number of correspondents. This practice gives Levi a competitive advantage as they would be the first company to offer these unique resources to the customers. Lastly you can see the core competency of Levi in their marketing. Levi is such a well known brand, and is given terms such as authentic, genuine and original. This indicates that they are widely known and considers having customer recognition. Therefore Levi is able to market to their customers that are willing to pay for the quality products. The marketing strategy allowed differentiation to be possible and to offer the customers a new product development of a perfect fitted jean. Levis aspects of the VRIO framework: Valuable: Has a history of Brand Loyalty and Recognition and remains number one internationally in its markets. Rare: Has a strong branding image. Levis is marketed as authentic and genuine and enjoys customer support. Inimitable: Jeans are US made unlike competitors. Levis provides generous packages to employees retention of HR. Organised: Manufacturing is key core competency and is managed to have maximum value for resources (J.F Smith, 06/22/2009). Should Levi go ahead with the joint venture? What would you recommend and why? Yes, Levis should go ahead with the joint venture with Custom Clothing Technology Corporation (CCTC). Levi stands to lose this opportunity to competitors if it decides to not move forward. Market research has shown that more than ÂÂ ¾ of women are not fully satisfied with fit of their jean, this is almost guaranteeing a market segment that will be willing to buy the perfect fit. Low-cost and high value competition makes it necessary to create value features that would differentiate it in the eyes of the consumer. Therefore by joining CCTC, Levi will be able to get the technology expertise on how to create and capture different possible size jeans for different shaped people. Offering this to the customers will allow them to feel that they are been catered for and therefore willing to pay the price in order to feel good. This creates customer loyalty at the end of the day due to customer intimacy, Levi should ensure that the intimacy is marketed and to show the benefits. Levi should at first enter into the proposal cautiously by choosing to enter a test phase before proceeding in joining the full scale project. The result of doing this will ensure that Levi will be making a good decision and know more about what they are getting involved with. Levi will benefit this joint venture in many ways. Firstly with mass customisation and offering the customers a perfect fit can result in Levi to better adapt to the individual needs and wishes. This means that it will result in the customers to less likely switch brands. Levi should also consider the fact that by going into a joint Venture with CCTC and offering mass customisation it will help Levi learn directly from the customers and it will help them identify the new trends and the taste that improves the New Product Development. This is because Levi will be dealing with a variety of customers of different shapes and sizes and needs to understand that they require and look for different styles. Therefore Levi will get a hand full of people to represent the possible sizes and this creates the customer value. This venture can allow more customers needs responded to and therefore by allowing the customers to participate in the New Product Development allows the product to be accepted by the market much faster. Levi will be catering for them and they will respond due to Levi identifying that there is a need for a perfectly fitted jean. Levi must understand that by doing this venture they are responding to the individual needs of the customers. The response of one person will lead to them telling their friends, the word of mouth is a very powerful and very cheap form of communication. Levis Strauss can only benefit from joining the CCTCs approach. At the end of the day it will add value to Levis value chain due to them catering for their customers needs and wants. The fundamental idea in this approach is to gain customers satisfaction and if Levi does not take this opportunity another company will. Creating this system which is driven by the customers demands and specific to the exact needs of their customers CCTC can help Levi ultimately make their business be more aware and learn more about their customers and how to fully achieve customer satisfaction. Without a joint venture with CCTC and outside value chain analysis, Levi might not be able to grasp the actual scope of the opportunities that they were missing out on. This joint venture will help the company adapt to the fast growing industry and competition, it can also help the company differentiation. Due to the fact that the competition is offering lower prices it is vital that Levi offers something unique to the customers. Levi wants to avoid price based competition because they had a history of brand recognition and brand loyalty. Therefore it would be wiser to join this venture with CCTC and create customer value and customer satisfaction. Personal pair was a jeans customisation program which will make the joint venture with Custom Clothing Technology Corporation. Together these companies can enter the mass customisation with the help of technology. CONCLUSION: A valuable lesson that can be taken from this case is how necessary it is to keep up with your brand image and customer loyalty. Being content with one niche in a market such as clothing is never acceptable and is therefore necessary that Levi makes the joint venture successful. Styles, times, and preferences are changing so rapidly, that a clothing line must be able to meet the needs and wants of their customers. While Levis still had a market in the older generations, they were missing out on a huge market that likes to shop and that are looking for the perfectly fitted jean no matter what their size was. The second implication that can be applied to other companies would be their option for strategic alliance. Levis really needs some help in the area of brand image and by collaborating with Customer Clothing Technology Corporation, they will have a whole new consumer market. Levis has learned that they cannot be comfortable in one market for too long because that alienates another market such as the younger generations. Collaborating with CCTC, the company can obtain certain advantages that can only help Levi with the competitive environment. Therefore Levi can improve its customer value chain and achieve maximum customers satisfaction with mass customization. Harvard References: Alexander Osterwalder, 2004 Barney, J.B. and Hesterly, W.S. (2008). Strategic management and Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases. 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall C. Bowman and D. Faulkner Competitive and Corporate Strategy Irwin 1996). Dr Brian Squire, Supply Chain Management Research Group, Manchester Business School, Executive Briefing 2006-04 J.F Smith, 06/22/2009 Johnson, G., Scholes, K, 1997). Phil Dourado, Bart de Boever, Dirk De Vos the annual, organised by ICBI and held in Paris. Prahalad, C.K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The core competence of the corporation, Harvard Business Review (v. 68, no. 3) pp. 79-91. )