Funding my used book store Essay Example for Free

Subsidizing my trade-in book shop Essay This will be an outlet that bargains in second-hand or trade-in books. Education of a people is the establishment of a country. We wish to empower the way of life of perusing so as to take out absence of education. We have decided to go this course because of reasonableness. The shop’s name â€Å"Daily Books† will undoubtedly be a group puller. The administration will focus on the a great many customers and those abiding window shopping or going for easygoing strolls. Considering the hard monetary occasions we are experiencing as a country, this thought couldn't be more ideal. Idea Funding my trade-in book shop Business Statement SBA advances are accessible and we are going for the lowdoc that tends to needs beneath $150k. This is a piece of the 7(a) advance program. The credits not just accompany low loan costs and least issues yet in addition with business person training. This is an extremely accommodating asset. Since certain banks permit one to get to assets for the business from family members, at that point your proposition is well inside every single legitimate necessity. Serious edge Products and administrations: Ease of getting traditional books and works which may not be accessible from the customary book shops. These should be collectors’ things. Economical: All our books will be path underneath the market costs. Association: The game plan and position of books will make it simple for customers to find what they need and thus spare important time. The lighting will be masterful and proficient. Area: - . The shop’s vital area is a certain victor. The college and schools’ readership will prove to be useful. Advertising: This is perhaps the best quality as my accomplice is profound and wide peruser, also that I am an amazing extrovert and advertiser. We have been mindful so as to recruit submitted staff whose vision is like our own. Market/Industry data While the information search keeps on extending, there is solid rivalry in the skyline. New players are joining the market also new innovation. The legislature is setting up structures that will help in the development. Item/Service Information The essential assistance on offer is the arrangement of an open, one of a kind item, helpful, and a modest assistance office which guarantees simple access to the ardent peruser. The region gathering has been of extraordinary help since we imparted our plan to them. On the dispatch, they have offered the motorcade grounds at no charge by any stretch of the imagination. They will likewise be sending word out to the nearby inhabitants. Objectives and procedures for the time being, we will concentrate on getting individuals to see the master plan. What has from the beginning been thought of a rich man’s leisure activity that claiming a rich home library is their protect will currently be normal spot. Because of our vital area, we are guaranteed of traffic. Our objective at that point, will be to concentrate on those strolling in and around the complex. We expect to serve in any event 50 strolling clients for every day. The tills in the stores around the town will offer markdown vouchers to every one of their clients in the main month subsequent to propelling. The following level and auxiliary objective will involve promoting by utilization of flyers and standards. We will likewise do adjusts in the workplaces. Our advertisers will visit each school in the region and the college also. For these understudies, we plan to offer a limited cost particularly for the course books. We will acquaint participation with every one of our clients with a point of parting with extra endowments and limits. This will see our client base develop from 50 to 100 following a half year of business. In the long haul, we are taking a gander at electronic deals. This will involve a site that will promote just as offer on-line deals. A conveyance van will prove to be useful for those individuals who might be somewhat away. The bookshop ought to have an intelligibility of 500 or more reliable clients following a time of 2 years. As a reinforcement plan for the above system, we will liaise with the neighborhood bookshops just as those in the close by towns. We will present an association program that should see their business take off also. The thought is to realize beneficial interaction and cut out of line rivalry. We intend to have stock arrangements of al different outlets and when clients make enquiries, referential deals will be consistent. We will urge book proprietors to trade or store old books that they do not utilize anymore. This thought will come route in decreasing our capital necessity for re-loading. Recompense according to the bank’s prerequisites, we have arranged a low compensation loan fee. We have a 60 days introductory effortlessness period after which we will be required to pay just 1. 5% PA on a diminishing parity. This game plan will come route in helping us reimburse you inside an agreeable period. It won't stretch the business neither will you be stressed monetarily while it gives you genuine feelings of serenity that your speculation is made sure about. References Advani, A. (2005). SBA advances for your startup. Business visionary. com. Recovered November 18, 2008 http://www. business visionary. com/cash/financing/startupfinancingcolumnistasheeshadvani/article79254. html

Herman Millar Inc. free essay sample

The workplace furniture fabricating industry showcase in the United States is serious since numerous organizations offering comparable items. Organizations contend principally on value, item and administration quality, separation, structure, speed of conveyance and client support. Firms contend inside each market fragment and are forced by developing rivalry from abroad producers especially from China and Vietnam. Six makers Steelcase, Herman Miller, Haworth, HNI, Kimball International and Knoll-represent roughly 60% of the U. S. office furniture showcase. The rest of the market is caught by countless little and exclusive organizations that effectively flexibly the nearby communitys retail request. The huge number of existing organizations certainly molded the scene of the Chinese market rivalry. Furniture fabricating industry fixation has expanded in most recent few years on the grounds that numerous administrators have left business. Following the downturn of US economy, high joblessness rates, have made a seriously serious condition for existing players; confronted with low edges and unpredictable information costs, many failing to meet expectations administrators had to leave the market. We will compose a custom paper test on Herman Millar Inc. or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Be that as it may, as the economy will recoup, interest for new office furniture is relied upon to increment, extending the quantity of organizations over the five years to 2016. Taking everything into account, the power of competition is reasonably high. Albeit current grouping of the business is a low, the pattern of the business is to turn out to be progressively serious in future. This would diminish the potential future benefit of retail establishment industry. Danger of new participants The boundary to passage in this industry are medium and are consistent. In the US office furniture industry, the capital required to enter the business is significantly higher. New administrators entering the business face different difficulties, including existing and entrenched conveyance systems among administrators and providers. To remain cost serious, the new administrators need to set up solid flexibly associations with producers and wholesalers so as to make sure about great quality and low-estimated stock. Since the fixation is required to rise, it puts a roundabout weight on new participants that need to put more in promoting to create brand and market mindfulness. Showcasing and limited time action must surpass that of the current players to fabricate client mindfulness and beat retailer opposition. Moreover, the profitability contrast between the little measured organizations and the huge estimated organizations is exceptionally enormous. The mix of this proof shows that the contestant boundary into the US office furniture industry is generally high. Dealing intensity of Supplier The extreme inside rivalry power for assets among the huge number of makers pushed the bartering intensity of providers to the most critical impact on local furniture industry. This alludes principally to providers of most significant merchandise I. e. crude material and electric force, which are utilized in delegate utilization during furniture produce. Acquisition of crude materials are the biggest cost for the Office Furniture Manufacturing industry, representing around 43. 7% of industry income. This extent is run of the mill for assembling enterprises, since administrators require noteworthy crude materials to deliver last yields. Information materials utilized for office furniture incorporate hardwood, for example, oak, cherry and maple wood; compressed wood and facade; steel; glass; plastic; and paste. During the five years to 2011, the costs of these sources of info have been unstable, making it hard for producers to envision future spending and diminish costs. When all is said in done, rising item costs have adversely influenced the business, expanding buy costs for producers. Bartering intensity of purchasers According to the exploration of IBIS World, retail establishment deals rely vigorously upon the money related soundness of the shopper area, including per capita extra cash. During times of financial downturn and diminishing salary of individuals, customers cut their spending by deferring buys or subbing brands’ items with lower level items. This is intensely affected by the joblessness rate and general financial development. In the times of solid monetary movement people’s discretionary cashflow increment, and the other way around. Danger of substitutes Furniture has been utilized for a large number of years and constructed for the most part of wood. There is little proof demonstrating that wood furniture will be completely supplanted by some other material soon. In the business of furniture make likelihood of substitutes is practically unimaginable. Current worldwide patterns impact increment sought after for furniture, because of ever quicker oldness and shorter furniture lifetime, I. . because of successive changes in plan and production innovation. Conceivable danger of pattern changes exists, I. e. furniture produced using different materials than wood, that is, different metals, plastics and glass. Be that as it may, regardless of the decrease of wood in furniture fabricate in the previous years, wood is required to remain one of the most significant crude materials for furniture make, in vi ew of its favorable circumstances when contrasted and different materials. Question: What are the main impetuses and the key achievement factors in the business? Answer: Having contacts inside key markets: It is best that producers have built up joins with various clients, including wholesalers, temporary workers and retail outlets, instead of having a couple of that represent most of their business. Ensured gracefully of key data sources: Established connections with key providers empower a consistent progression of key information sources and value locks, which may give cost investment funds to mass buys. Adaptable creation forms: Furniture things are regularly uniquely designed. Makers must have the option to modify items to suit singular necessities. Adjusting to changing client inclinations: Goods created ought to reflect current patterns supported by shoppers so as to stay serious. Exceptionally prepared workforce: Staff is required to amass office furniture effectively and give quality workmanship. Question: How have the company’s values molded its procedure and way to deal with technique execution? Give outlines of how these qualities are reflected in organization approaches. Answer: Question: What is Miller’s system? Which of the five conventional serious procedures most firmly fit the serious methodology that Miller is taking? What sort of upper hand is Miller attempting to accomplish? Answer: They center around a development system, through imaginative items and creation forms. Reevaluation and reestablishment. They endure the Great Depression and various downturns, recuperated from the website bust and had the option to keep growing abroad. They adjusted to spare the organization, by presenting new plans. In 1996, Herman Miller started a forceful drive to rethink its activities and built up a productive relationship with the Toyota Supplier Support Center. Remarkable to the workplace furniture industry, the relationship empowered the organization to embrace and actualize world-class, lean assembling forms dependent on the Toyota Production System standards. Through the Herman Miller Production System (HMPS), the organization drastically decreased assembling area and inventories, cut lead times for standard item from about two months Question: What is your general examination of Miller’s money related execution? Answer:

Not Utopia

Not Utopia Minimalism will not solve all our problems. Unfortunately, we often believe that the goal of simple living is to own as few things as possibleâ€"to declutter our homes, organize our lives, and clear our minds. Once we do this, well each find our own private utopia and bask in the glory of our newfound happiness, right? Not exactly. Real life doesnt work this way. Minimalism is not the end game.  Chucking material possessions does not necessarily equate to happiness. You could get rid of all your stuff and still be miserable. Removing the excess will, however, help you discover what does in fact bring you joyâ€"experiences, people, passionsâ€"because its much easier to find the path once the debris is cleared. Simplifying may never usher you to your utopia. Even the simple life has its moments of tedium and drudgery and sadness and pain. But letting go can lead to a better life, one thats worth more than any shiny object. You can start small, but its worth getting started today. Read this essay and 150 others in our new book, Essential. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Class Stratification In Pride And Prejudice - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1010 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/05/31 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Pride and Prejudice Essay Did you like this example? Humanity has been entrenched in multiple centuries of class division and stratification for most of its civilized history. The division of power and privilege is perhaps the defining feature of humanity. No other species has nearly the same level of inequality of the distribution of resources. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Class Stratification In Pride And Prejudice" essay for you Create order Modern social stratification of course has its roots in the days of early feudalism, wherein social classes were defined by birth. Feudalism developed into industrialism/capitalism, and thus the modern conception of the social class was born. With the conception of social classes comes with the various antagonisms between them, i.e. the rich vs the poor, the proletariat vs the bourgeoisie. These antagonisms are the subject of much analysis in both popular culture and the more ivory tower type intellectual circles alike. From all the way up top of the ivory tower comes works like Das Kapital (including all 3 volumes) by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx, who both in detail described the various problems with centralizing the means of production and capital accumulation. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is a popular romance novel titled Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, who focuses on the relationship between 2 people whos financial backgrounds are wildly different. Through Jane Austens excellent use of characterization, the contrasting social platitudes and norms of the various class stratums in 1800s England is revealed in great detail. To begin, the most basic of the differences between social classes is not the beliefs and the convictions held by those within it, but rather the behaviors and the way in which they present themselves to others. In Pride and Prejudice this is detailed excellently in the first few chapters. For example, in chapter four Austen directly characterizes the Bingley family in contrast with the rest of the party. They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of making themselves agreeable when they chose it, but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank, and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others. The Bingley family is shown to be middle class by the parties standards, but because of their inflated spending habits and association with those of higher rank, they deem themselves worthy of acting down upon those who are less fortunate or even as fortunate as themselves. Not only does this detail the livelihood and presentation of those considered high class, which is one of thrift, grandiose presentations of wealth, and patronization, but it also details the desperation of those in lower socioeconomic standings to fraudulently present themselves as being above what they truly are. However, the behaviors and presentations are not the only major differences between the middle and the upper class, even the ways in which the classes think vary greatly. Pride and Prejudice once again outlines this with great detail on page 357, during Darcys speech to Elizabeth. I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased. Darcy outlines the way hes been thinking for almost his entire life. Greed, egocentrism, and alienation are all fundamental parts of the upper class mindset. Even when Darcys most basic principles, that being the ones he was raised on, contradict his actions, he chooses to ignore them, and instead to disregard any semblance of care for others. Its only once he meets Elizabeth, who is a part of the middle class, does he begin to see the error in his ways. Elizabeth teaches him to become self aware, and to care for, or at the very least respect the lives of other people. This mindset isnt exclusive to Darcy either, as many of the other affluent characters demonstrate the same way of thought. In brief, the rich view the world through an entirely different perspective compared to the poor, one of egocentrism, cognitive dissonance, and greed. The differences between the two social standings are exemplified greatly throughout the book. Their is a massive divergence of the behaviors and presentations regarding each of the classs, wherein those of high social standing act according to the doctrine of extravagance, while those who are in a lower social standing often try to imitate such acts of grandiosity. The class differences dont stop at actions, even the way in which the affluent think is distinct in contrast to the rest of humanity. They think only about themselves, and how they are perceived by people of equivalent or higher standing, with blatant disregard to the opinions and well being of those they consider below them. To conclude, the stark contrast of those with rank vs those without is both deep and all encompassing. The presence of class is almost omnipresent in its influence on everyday life.

5 Places to Collect and Preserve Family Stories

Discourse Communities Free Essays

DC Essay, Draft 1 Discourse Communities Essay There is a very large variety of academic discourse communities available at the universities today. Deciding to go to college is deciding to enter an academic discourse community all on its own but deciding to choose a major is entering a more specified discourse community. There are many similarities and differences between every separate community which makes it difficult for some people to choose. We will write a custom essay sample on Discourse Communities or any similar topic only for you Order Now Understanding a community must be done before involving oneself. Comparing and contrasting majors can make it easier for someone to choose which academic discourse community they decide to involve themselves in. Comparing and contrasting majors can be much simpler than it seems. Taking the time to describe a rhetorical purpose, audience, and values can be a good outline for to understand the community. An example of this would be comparing the discourse communities of a nursing major and an education major. According to the Sacramento State Course Catalog, â€Å"Nursing is a caring discipline with a foundation of nursing science guided by the application of moral and ethical principles of care and responsibility† and â€Å"The professional educator brings together subject matter knowledge, appropriate strategies, and interpersonal skills essential to providing successful learning experiences for children. † Preparing to work first-hand with people, possibly even very young children, is the main similarity between the two majors. Although the two prepare to help the community, they plan to help in different ways. The two majors are in a sense the same in their future purpose caring the same values, but different in the actual action it will entail. Both Nursing and Education carry the social value of an equal opportunity. The majors do not discriminate between the sexes or age of a person unlike athletics major possibly would. A woman at a very elderly age most likely wouldn’t be able to run a triathlon and be successful at the same time. Nursing provides health and well-being for the community also providing safety. By treating someone of a contagious and deadly disease a nurse could possibly prevented a whole community from contact of this disease. Education provides common and even uncommon knowledge also building a future for the community. Teaching a young community to read and write makes them literate allowing them to seek high-end careers in the future. Rhetorically, an audience or a nurse could be doctors, parents, or the elderly while the audience of an educator would most likely be parents, their students directly, or the community no longer directly tied to the education environment. A typical purpose a nurse might have would be to provide health and safety to the community in order to keep a community alive. On the other hand a purpose for an educator would be to educate the community of the importance of a health and safety so they are aware of the seriousness of the matter. Personas in both fields would most likely be informative and professional. Comparing and contrasting the similarities between two separate majors can ease the decision of joining a discourse community. Values of the community can be very similar which may be what draws a person to both but the purpose of them can be completely different. Understanding the communities is done by exploring these aspects and applying rhetorical cases to them. Works Cited â€Å"Sacramento State University Catalog† (2012-2014) How to cite Discourse Communities, Essay examples

Importance of VRIO Analysis Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Importance of VRIO Analysis. Answer: Introduction A business practice that has been developed and formulated for providing guidance to the corporate dealings and trade and is executed beyond the boundaries of nations, In this trade the two parties involved are two entities that too of different regions (Armelini Villanueva, 2011). And, these agreements and plans are hence developed and are termed as global business strategies. On the basis of the research executed it has been analyzed that generally these strategies are majorly adopted by the private firms more as compared to that of the government governed entities. Moreover, in simpler terms, the global business strategy can be defined as the business strategies indulged by the business corporations and firms operating the in an international business environment and offering the services to the consumers all over the globe. These business strategies are found closely associated with the business development strategies that are adopted by the business firm for fulfilling the shor t and long-term organizational objectives. Multinational, global and international strategies are the terms that are majorly included in the concept of global strategy (Economywatch 2010). The basic motive of developing and designing these strategies is to accomplish and attain the pre-determined organizational objectives and that too on international grounds. It has been recommended for a business entity to develop a clear difference between the three aspects of global expansion (Armstrong et al., 2015). The three prime elements of international business expansion the available resources, capability and a current position of the Business Corporation and adoption of these components will be proven beneficial for the organization. The below-demonstrated report has been executed on the global strategies of Puma and the prime objective of the report is to analyze the resources and capabilities of the firm for strategic leveraging and thus attaining a competitive advantage. VRIO analysis On the basis of the research, it has been concluded that the term VRIO analysis has been considered as an analytical technique or mechanism that is the best platform for evaluating the resources and capabilities and thus leading the business firm to attain competitive advantage. VRIO analysis is the acronym of the evaluation dimensions of Value, Rareness, Imitability, and Organization (Baker, 2014). This mechanism has been developed by Jay B Barney as a medium for evaluating the resources from the microenvironment of the business firm. The below mentioned are the main resources which are evaluated under this approach: Financial resources Human resources Material resources Non-material resources (Data and information) Importance of VRIO analysis VRIO analysis has been considered as one of the contemporary means that can be used by any of the business entity for analyzing the resources and capabilities and can also manipulate them for attaining competitive advantage (Baker, 2014). One of the biggest advantages of this approach that it releases the real value of the available resources and capabilities of the firm and through which the business entity will be able in developing further strategies and plans. For instance, huge diversity has been observed in the workforce of Puma and that can be considered a strength of the firm. After analyzing the real value of the human resource the entity can plan training and development sessions for the employees. This will enable the business entity in bringing hike and advancement in the efficiency and that will lead to higher productivity. Another biggest advantage of this approach is that the business entity will be getting aware of the available resources and capabilities of the firm and that will aid them in developing future plans accordingly. And through this, the business organization will be able to allocate the resources that are in surplus in other directions and manage the deficit. And this will allow Puma in managing a smooth and flawless set of business practices and operations. Due to which the business firm will experience an increase in the effectiveness of the delivery of services and through which they will have a pool of satisfied customers. That will ensure a high goodwill and widening of market share. Moreover, the available resources and capabilities that are in surplus can be utilized appropriately for aiding the workforce and their wellbeing (Baum, Frese Baron, 2014). Through this step, the employees will feel valued and motivated and an enhancement in their productivity and efficiency will be observed. Apart from this, one of the biggest advantages of adopting this approach is that it enables the business firm in attaining a sustainable po sition of competitive advantage. The business corporation can make use of resources and capabilities in the process of development of strategies and plans for tackling with the competitors. Building a distinct image in the market is also possible if the business entity is appropriately making use of the mentioned mechanism. Increase in the customer base, brand loyalty and enhanced market share are the common benefits that will be attained by the adoption of the VRIO analysis (Thebusinesszoom 2015). Apart from the number of advantages, there are some disadvantages of this approach such as if the business entity is failing in managing and maintaining the resources and capabilities in an appropriate manner then the entity will be exposed to fierce competition (Bhachu, 2017). The report has been made focused on the VRIO analysis of Puma so as to analyze and evaluate the resources and capabilities of the business entity. The report further contains a comparison between Puma and Adidas that is one of the biggest rivals of the business firms. The report has been segmented into various divisions and from which the first part comprised of the VRIO framework of Puma. VRIO framework A framework is an empirical approach for analyzing the internal environment of a business corporation. This approach evaluates various characters such as Valuable, Rare, Inimitable and Organization of the resources and capabilities of the business firm. The below presented is the framework of Puma: Human Resources Valuable Rare Inimitable Organization Competitive Advantage Professionals and experts. Technical and managerial staff) Yes Yes Yes Yes Sustainable advantage Marketing and Advertising experts Yes No Yes Yes Temporary Diversity and huge pool of skilled labor Yes Yes Yes Yes Consistency Non-material Resources Valuable Rare Inimitable Organization Competitive advantage Operations and procedures Patents and copyrights Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Temporary Sustainable Personal Capital Valuable Rare Inimitable Organization Competitive advantage International Occurrence Strong Industrial presence Brand equity Huge pool of Customers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Temporary Temporary Sustainable Sustainable Capabilities Valuable Rare Inimitable Organization Competitive Advantage Economic capabilities Research and development and training centers Capability of adopting new projects Global expansion model Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Sustainable advantage Uniformity Temporary Temporary The below is the description of the VRIO framework for Puma: Valuable: On the basis of the above-demonstrated table it has been analyzed the resources and capabilities of the business corporation are said to be valuable if they are aiding and assisting the business enterprise in earning value and attaining competitive advantage. In the present scenario, Puma is having a pool of valuable resources and capabilities that are aiding the business corporation in accomplishing a secured and sustainable position in the market and a competitive advantage in the concerned sector. Rare: This factor determines that how rare and limited the resources and capabilities of a business firm are. After analyzing the resources and capabilities of Puma it has been evaluated that almost all the available resources with the business firm are rare and limited and that is aiding the business entity in sustaining competitive advantage (Bruni, Gherardi Poggio, 2014). The diversified range of products with specialized features has been considered as one of the biggest factors that the entity is having over its competitors. Imitability: On the basis of the above-presented framework it has been analyzed that the resources and capabilities of the business firm are having some distinct features and also the business entity have patents and copyrights over the resources and capabilities (Deakins Freel, 2009). This prevents the competing brands in imitating the products and services of Puma. The competing brands have to hire the required resources and capabilities from the firm. All this make the business firm to attain a sustainable position and competitive advantage in the market. Organization: This component describes whether the corporation and its resources are organized and maintained in an effective manner (Dorn Suessmair, 2017). After analyzing the above-demonstrated framework it has been clearly observed that the resources and capabilities of the business enterprise are well-organized and that is aiding the firm in enjoying a large market share and a competitive advantage over its competing brands. VRIO analysis of Puma and Nike Resources and capabilities have been considered as one of the biggest factors that aids and assists the business entity in performing and executing the varied range of operations and functionalities. Moreover, the business corporation should utilize various mechanisms for stimulating the resources and capabilities of the enterprise (Hail, Leuz Wysocki, 2010). VRIO analysis is the recommended approach that can be adopted by Puma for the process of manipulation. This approach will be proven very much beneficial for the business entity while analyzing the internal sources and capabilities of the enterprise. According to the conducted research, it has been noted down that Jay B Barney introduced the framework of VRIO in 1991 (free-management-ebooks 2018). This tool was introduced in his work Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. The following are some of the resources and capabilities that can be analyzed and evaluated by Puma such as financial, human, material and non-mat erial resources by making use of VRIO analysis. The below presented is the comparison of the resources and capabilities of Puma and Nike: Valuable: Resources and capabilities minimize the impacts of threats and moreover, the stakeholders determine whether or not the resources are beneficial to the company or not. The resources are proven very much beneficial for the business in various areas, internally and externally and thus will assist in the firms development process (Lam Harker, 2015). According to the present scenario, Puma has a huge pool of valuable resources such as diversity in the workforce and wide range of products. These are considered as the most valuable resources of the entity. Nike is one of the top competing brands of Puma and is having a financial stability and growth. And hence it has been observed that the resources and capabilities of the business firm are aiding the business fir in attaining competitive advantage. Rare: The business resources and capabilities possessed by the business firm are required to be rare and limited (Lee, Barker Mouasher, 2013). This is also considered as one of an empirical factor for gaining a position of competitive advantage in the market. On the basis of the executed research, it has been analyzed that Puma has wide range of resources and capabilities that are rare in the market. For instance, the entity can capture multiple scenarios specified in UML into a single performance model and also can deal with multiple workloads. This one of the rare capabilities of the business firm, that is aiding in attaining competitive advantage. Whereas, in case of Nike approximately 100% of its production is outsourced to Asia and due to which the entity is enjoying a strong competitive advantage (sites.google 2018). Imitability: According to this factor the business entity is required to have resources and capabilities that are hard to imitate or developing alternatives for them will be tough (Nunan Di Domenico, 2013). For instance, Puma is having resources through which the entity is able to develop and design eco-friendly products. The capability of developing these products is difficult to imitate and many problems are faced by the competing brands. Whereas, Nike is supporting the wide variety of sports and number of charity events such as Live strong a foundation that is financially supported by the business corporation for Curing Cancer. This marketing strategy of the business corporation is unique and is un-imitable (Scarborough, 2015). This capability of the enterprise has also been considered as one of the core competency of the firm that aids in enjoying the competitive advantage. Organization: On the basis of the research it has been inferred that the organization and the available resources and capabilities are required to maintain effectively and equally so as to attain desired outcomes such as competitive advantage. If the business corporation is capable of managing the available resources and capabilities then it leads the firm to enjoy the number of benefits on different grounds (Pardalos and Tsitsiringos, 2013). According to the research, it has been concluded that Puma is a multinational corporation and is very much capable of managing the resources and capabilities in a well-organized manner. And this is one of the biggest reason due to which the business firm is enjoying a competitive advantage in the markets all over the globe. And after analyzing all the resources and capabilities of Nike it has been concluded that the business entity has passed in managing the organization and available resources and capabilities with the enterprise. And due to wh ich the organization is experiencing a safe and sustained position and competitive advantage in the market (Renton et al., 2015). Conclusion After summing up the above-presented report it has been analyzed that attainment of competitive advantage and a sustainable position in the market region is one of biggest essentials for any of the business organization in the path of success and growth. VRIO analysis is one of the approaches that can be adopted by the business corporation for analyzing and evaluating the resources and capabilities and thus can earn the competitive advantage over the rival brands. In the present scenario, Puma is the business firm for which this analysis has been presented in various segments. The report comprises of the various aspects of VRIO analysis such as the significance of the approach, a framework has been demonstrated that is describing the approach in a tabular format. The report further comprises of the comparison of the resources and capabilities of Puma and Nike. Nike is one of the biggest competing brands of Puma and the above report consists of a clear comparison of VRIO analysis for both the business entities. References Armelini, G. Villanueva, J., (2011). Adding social media to the marketing mix,IESE insight,vol. 9, pp.29-36. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., (2015).Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Baker, M.J., (2014).Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Baum, J.R., Frese, M. and Baron, R.A. eds., (2014). The psychology of entrepreneurship. Psychology Press. Bhachu, P. ed., (2017). Immigration and entrepreneurship: culture, capital, and ethnic networks. Routledge. Bruni, A., Gherardi, S. Poggio, B., (2014). Gender and entrepreneurship: An ethnographic approach. Routledge. Deakins, D. Freel, M.S., (2009).Entrepreneurship and small firms. McGraw-Hill College Dorn, T. Suessmair, A., (2017). Determinants in Pay-What-You-Want Pricing DecisionsA Cross-Country Study.American Journal of Industrial and Business Management,Vol. 7, pp.115. Economywatch, (2010). Global business strategy, Assessed on 18th February 2018, https://www.economywatch.com/business/global-business-strategy.html. free-management-ebooks, (2018). Competitive advantage, Assessed on 18th February 2018, https://www.free-management-ebooks.com/news/vrio-analysis. Hail, L., Leuz, C. Wysocki, P., (2010), Global accounting convergence and the potential adoption of IFRS by the US (Part II): Political factors and future scenarios for US accounting standards,Accounting Horizons,vol. 24, pp.567-588. Lam, W. Harker, M.J., (2015). Marketing and entrepreneurship: An integrated view from the entrepreneurs perspective.International Small Business Journal,Vol. 33, pp.321-348. Lee, K.H., Barker, M. Mouasher, A., (2013). Is it even espoused? An exploratory study of commitment to sustainability as evidenced in vision, mission, and graduate attribute statements in Australian universities.Journal of Cleaner Production,Vol. 48, pp.20-28. Nunan, D. Di Domenico, M., (2013), Market research the ethics of big data,International Journal of Market Research,vol. 55, pp.505-520. Pardalos, P.M. Tsitsiringos, V. eds., (2013).Financial engineering, E-commerce and supply chain. Springer Science Business Media. Renton, M., Daellenbach, U., Davenport, S. Richard, J., (2015). Small but sophisticated: entrepreneurial marketing and SME approaches to brand management.Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship,Vol. 17, pp.149-164. Scarborough, N.M., (2015).Entrepreneurship and effective small business management. Pearson Higher Ed. sites.google, (2018). Resources and capabilities, Assessed on 18th February 2018, / https://sites.google.com/site/nikeandunderarmour/about-us. Thebusinesszoom, (2015). Resource based view (RBV VRIO model Jay Barney), Assessed on 18th February 2018, https://www.thebusinesszoom.com/resource-based-view-rbvvrio-model.html.

The Relationship Between Robinson Crusoe and Friday (Review) Essay Example

The Relationship Between Robinson Crusoe and Friday (Review) Essay Name: David Wang Student No: 0919112022 Class : B Date : Oct 28th,2011 Submitted to: Miss Li Lin The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday has been examined eagerly yet diversely by a number of critics, especially in recent times. Some say their relationship certainly seems to be like brothers, who go through thick and thin together; Some other comment that Crusoe and Friday have a similar relationship to that of a father and son. Despite of all that’s been mentioned above, I have been given, as many others have been given, the impression that Crusoe is the Master and that Friday is merely the servant who is to serve his Master for as long as he lives. This mater-servant perspective of relationship is stated over and over in the novel, for example, I [Crusoe] made him know his Name should be Friday †¦ I likewise taught him to say Master, and then let him know, that was to be my Name Friday, who is merely a servant, is never told about Crusoe’s real name, which manifests a certain hierarchy system, i. e. Crusoe is the master and relatively he is â€Å"higher† than Friday, who willingly serves Crusoe. During that era, slaves were named by their colonial masters and this picture is painted out well in the novel when Crusoe names Friday â€Å"Friday†, without considering what his actual name might be. We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship Between Robinson Crusoe and Friday (Review) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship Between Robinson Crusoe and Friday (Review) specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship Between Robinson Crusoe and Friday (Review) specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Friday, regardless to this, takes this relationship well, though it’s just, ironically, a master-servant one and he actually welcomes and embraces it in a heavenly thankful manner and displays this affection to the relationship so well that Crusoe takes it as a submission to servitude as it is narrated â€Å" he knelt down again, kissed the Ground, and laid his Head upon the Ground, and taking me by the Foot, set my Foot upon his Head; this it seems was in token of swearing to be my Slave forever; this half of the sentence brings forth a strong manifestation of Friday yielding to â€Å"eternal slavery†, but the â€Å"external loyalty† to Friday himself and Crusoe, for the sake of being rescued by his forever master, Crusoe. When Friday’s evident submission is displayed, the first few thoughts that come to Crusoe’s mind, as Crusoe’s first reaction, were not negative: I took him up, and made much of him, and encouragd him all I could †¦ h e spoke some Words to me, and though I could not understand them, yet I thought they were pleasant to hear However, how Crusoe reacted may be due to his merely wanting to have another human companion with him and to relieve him of the many years in solitude: for they were the first sound of a Mans Voice, that I had heard, my own excepted, for above Twenty Five Years. After Crusoe makes sure that all the other savages are dead, takes Friday under his wing: I carried him not to my Castle, but quite away to my Cave, on the farther Part of the Island He feared drastically of being attacked during the night he was sleeping quarters away from Friday: I made a little Tent for him in the vacant Place between my two Fortifications †¦ I barred it up in the Night, taking in my Ladders too, so that Friday could no way come at me in the inside of my innermost Wall, without making so much Noise in getting over, that it must needs waken me It is extremely easily noticeable that Crusoe does no t fully trust Friday, having a similarity to the situation with the applying of a gun. At first, Cursoe prevail on Friday to believe that the gun is â€Å"some wonderful Fund of Death and Destruction†; this brings Friday acting very cautiously around the gun: As for the Gun itself, he would not so much as touch it for several Days after; but would speak to it, and talk to it, †¦ which, as I afterwards learnt of him, was to desire it not to kill him. This shows how â€Å"fully† (slightly) the master trusts his loyal servant, which often results in any master-servant relationship. But, still, there is a difference in this relationship where Cruse often gives positive comments about Friday while the reverse is everywhere: a comely handsome Fellow, perfectly well made; with straight strong Limbs †¦ tall and well-shaped †¦ He had a very good Countenance, not a fierce and surly Aspect; but seemed to have something very manly in his Face. To its readers’ surprise, Crusoe keeps on talking about Friday, but in a way that attempts to convince the reader that Friday is not what he is thought of, not a typical black person at the time. A majority of the black population is owned permanently and treated adversely by their European masters. South African then were regarded as if they were dirt or a species lower than animals. Cursoe tries to bring people to believe that Friday is not from that black population and is therefore trying to give a lift to Friday’s level in the hierarchy of people. he had all the Sweetness and Softness of an European à ¢â‚¬ ¦ His Hair was long and black, not curld like Wool †¦ The Colour of his Skin was not quite black, but very tawny; and yet not of an ugly yellow nauseous tawny, as the Brazilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are; but of a bright kind of a dun olive Colour †¦ his Nose small, not flat like the Negroes †¦ Teeth well set, and white as Ivory. All the evidences that have been gone through above are what I have picked from pages 203 to 213; through all these pages, Crusoe and Friday build their relationship with each other, supporting my view that Crusoe and Friday have a relationship where the master concerns about the only servant he has while slightly dominating the servant at the same time.

Legalization of prostitution essays

Legalization of prostitution essays Prostitution consumes thousands of girls and women each year. It also reaps enormous profits for organized crime in post-communist countries. Each year over a hundred thousand women and children are trafficked from eastern European countries. Sex trade is just another form of slavery and many people predict that in the future it is only going to rise whether it is legalized or not.. Three-fourths of all the women that are trafficked and recruited are completely unaware that they will most likely end up at strip clubs, brothels or even on the streets to be sold to male buyers. Most of the women are only seeking to improve their lives of poverty unknowing that once they find their pimps or traffickers that they will most likely never get out because of the physical and sexual abuse and economic coercion. Most of the women just give up and hope that they can one day save up enough money to buy their way out of debt bondage or find a way to escape. The acts of unwanted sex these women do leads to physical and emotional breakdown. Survivors of prostitution often report that each act of prostitution felt like a rape. To endure the seemingly endless acts to their bodies they use drugs and alcohol to numb the pain eventually destroying themselves in the process. State bodies and non-governmental organizations need to realize that prostitution is made by men that want to buy and sell sexual pleasure and that if it is legalized steps must be taken to make sure these people are prosecuted and taken off the streets or legalizing it would only make things worse. Existing laws concerning prostitution were made on the assumption that prostitution is an immoral activity, with women being the most immoral participants. Therefore, laws that ban prostitution usually criminalize the women. By listening to women's experiences of prostitution and moving beyond moralistic analyses, women's rights groups have defined prostitution to be sexual ...

McDonalds Growth on the European Market Case Study

McDonalds Growth on the European Market - Case Study Example In order for Macdonald to compete in the European market, it should focus on the quality of the products. With the increasing awareness on the risks associated with obesity, customers are avoiding fatty foods. Therefore, the company should ensure that its products meet the required standards and are healthy. On the other hand, in order to retain the customers, the firm need to shift its focus towards customer relationship management. Currently, there are many competitors in the market. As a result, customers easily be swayed away from the products. As a result, it is significant for the company to work towards satisfying the tastes and preferences of the target market (Prasad, 2010). This will be significant in increasing its market share and improving its competitive advantage. In order for the company to address the growth issues, it needs to conduct an intensive market research. This is to identify factors that have made the customers to change their consumption behavior and what changes are necessary to reposition the company in the market. In addition, the research should also identify the effective advertising channel and the best advertising message to use in order to attract the customers towards its products. This is to ensure that the adverts are compatible with the local

Slavery and Human Trafficking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Slavery and Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example Basically, individuals are trafficked between countries or within borders of a state and in most cases, those trafficked are subjected to sexual or labor exploitation. Human trafficking is one of the most common problems affecting counties and families on every continent. Mostly, human trafficking is associated with sexual exploitation but about a third of all trafficked individuals are exclusively subjected to labor exploitation such as domestic work, packing and processing, and agricultural work among others.   Normally, the victims of human trafficking are illegally relocated to another country where they are forced into slavery conditions so to enable the traffickers can benefit financially (Healey 1). Human trafficking is a form of slavery in the modern society and it is considered a form of slavery because it involves transporting individuals to another country against their will to benefit others. Human trafficking is a global problem and it does not only occur in poor areas but also in developed places. Human trafficking is mainly for sexual abuse, elimination of organs, forced labor, or forced marriage among others. It is a crime against an individual since it violates the victim’s rights of movement via coercion and so it is strongly condemned as a violation of human rights by international conventions. The most people trafficked are migrant workers who in most cases seek to escape from poverty and improve their lives and also be able to support their families. They are dece ived that they will get well-paying jobs abroad but when they rich there, the promised job does not exist and as a result, they are forced to work in worse conditions or they find a job that they do not agree with.

Animals For Testing And Research Studies

Animals For Testing And Research Studies This report is based on the Literature Review about ethical dilemma that arises over the controversy of using Animals for Testing and Research Studies. We have tried to explain in brief about Animal Testing and discussed broadly with the Ethical Theories that support and argue about the Use of Animals. We have also tried to relate all the ethical dilemma with respect to PG, who over the past decade has been constantly facing the allegations over the use of Animal Testing to ensure that their consumers get Safe Products. We have tried to come to a conclusion on how Animal Testing can be reduced, if not completely eradicated. At the same time we have voiced our opinions on the use of various alternatives to Animal Testing. Overview of Animal Testing The Use of Animals for test observations and Experimentations for the greater understanding of reactions from a particular substance or raw material that goes into some goods or medicines that we consumers consume can be termed as Animal Testing. Or you can say the use of non-human animals experimentations to prevent pain and sufferings to human beings A number of companies that produced goods for personal and hygiene care have emerged from the mid to late nineteenth century and this resulted in the number of animal tests and experiments to grow exponentially. The main reasons for those tests were medical research, to cure illness and test chemical compounds used to develop new products. Those tests were conducted in medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, and even farms. The vast amounts of animals that are being tested on are mice, monkeys, cats, dogs and guinea pigs. However, certain types of animals are used for different types of research for instance mice for cancer research, dogs for transplant surgery and cats for psychological experiments. Moreover, most of those animals that are being tested on are purposely-bred and supplied by the specialists companies, others usually come from the pound or are just caught in the wild. Over 100 million animals in North America alone will be killed in animal tests this year. Animal testing has been going on for years, a lot of companies test their products on animals, some of these tests consist of restraining animals and dropping chemicals into their eyes, the scientists also forcefully pump the chemicals into the animals stomach though a tube to see how it reacts to the chemical. These experiments are sometimes carried without anesthesia which makes it extremely painful for the animal. After observing the reactions for a number of days the animal is either destroyed or re-used in other experiments, most experiments consist of burning, stabbing and drugging animals. The thing is that animals react to drugs differently than we do so the results cant accurately be applied to humans so why do scientists do it? Since we cannot legally conduct tests on ourselves as humans, we look at the creatures that are right below us, animals. However, some of us dont seem to notice animals have feelings and can experience pain just as we would. As Jeremy Bentham would ask, The question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? But can they suffer? Testing Animal Testing and Ethical Dilemma Introduction The rise in the consumer dominance has led the organizations to adopt the use of various artificially derived chemicals for use in production of Personal and Hygiene Goods. At the same time, medical advances and pharmaceutical companies acknowledge the use of animals for research studies and experimentation. This has raised various doubts about our ethics. Testing on Animals for chemical substance reactions to ensure consumer safety and drive innovative techniques is believed to be inhumane by some, while others agree that Animal Testing saves LIFE. This research paper evaluates the ethical dilemma borne by us. Animal Testing Define The obvious questions that are raised here are about the whole concept of Animal Testing and why is it necessary? Most of us are made to believe that Animal Testing is simply the torture of animals, striping them of their rights and cruel treatment of animals. This Definition of Animal Testing might have derived from various organizations that do not support the idea of Animal Research Studies as a whole and demand ethical treatment of animals through unjust terrifying acts of demonstrations and protests. These are the organizations who believe Animals have RIGHTS. It was argued upon by Robert Goldberg (1990) at the Washington conference of Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal with top dignitaries of the Humane Society about the issue of euthanizing millions of stray animals in public interest, and why the ruckus of using the same animals for the use in lab-testing. It was also argued upon at the conference over how activists have been indulged in terrorist like activities, as demonstrated by various raids at numerous labs conducting experiments on animals. The irony is, we as humans, will never be willing to come up and accept the fact that if we dont test the substances on Us, Animals are the next best alternatives to ensure Safety. There has always been an argument that animal testing results are inaccurate and also it is expensive to perform tests, secondly, animal testing is inhumane, and thirdly, there are alternatives to animal testing. According to former scientific executive of Huntingdon Life Sciences, animal tests and human results agree only 5%-25% of the time. Then looking at Tony Pages Vivisection Unveiled it states that less than 2% of human illnesses (1.16%) are ever seen in animals. In the tests of LD/50 short for Lethal Dose 50 per cent, a test wherein the animals receive a continuous dose of a dangerous chemical until half of them die , the Humane Society of the United States states that LD/50 tests do not yield enough data on the following: the poisonous doses of a chemical or substance, the prediction of poisoning signs and symptoms, the prevention or correction of over doses, and the specific cause of death in laboratory animals. Finally, looking at PETAs fact sheets, they argue that In many cases, animal studies do not just hurt animals and waste money; they harm and kill people, too. The drugs thalidomide, Zomax and DES were all tested on animals and judged safe but had devastating consequences fo r the humans who used them. The cost of animal testing is about $136 billion each year. Ethical Dilemma : Corporate Assessment PG Despite the fact that reliable modern humane tests are available in these days, Procter and Gamble insist on testing on animals claiming that this is the last resort that makes sure of their products safety. Whether it is ethical or unethical for Procter and Gamble to test on helpless animals is the question raised in this ethical dilemma. The case is analyzed and ethically evaluated based on: Deontological Theories Teleological Theories Casuist Theory All of these ethical theories aim at a common set of goals which are the ethical principles and that includes Beneficence, Least Harm, Respect for autonomy, and Justice. Deontological Theories: Deontological theories focus mainly on duties, obligations and rights. One of the most common deontological theories is the Kantianism which is known of its two formulations the Categorical Imperative I and the Categorical Imperative II. PRO ANIMAL TESTING: A scientist at Procter and Gamble would raise the question: is it right for humans to test on animals to save human lives? The proposed rule would be that humans can and have the right to test on animals in order to save human lives. So if we universalize the rule: it is accepted for humans to test and experiments with animals in order to save human lives. Furthermore, According to Immanuel Kant- the German philosopher- the only thing with any basic value is a good will. Since animals have no wills at all, they cannot have good will; they therefore do not have any basic value. Hence, it is ethical to test on animals because it saves humans lives. Procter and Gambles scientist would argue that moral rights and principles of justice apply only to human beings. Morality is a creation of social processes in which animals do not participate. Moral rights and moral principles apply only to those who are part of the moral community created by these social processes. Since animals are not part of this moral community, we have no obligations toward them. But we do have moral obligations to our fellow human beings, which include the duty to reduce and prevent needless human suffering and untimely deaths, which, in turn, may require the painful experimentation on animals. CON ANIMAL TESTING: A scientist working at Body Shop raise the question: Can Procter and Gamble mistreat and torture an animal claiming that this is the only way to make sure of their products safety? The proposed rule would be that organizations and companies can torture animals and demonstrate hideous experiments on them just because they believe that human beings are superiors to animals by being rational and intelligent. So if we universalize the rule, then a person can apply scientific experiments on any irrational unintelligent creature. Hence, that would include babies and people with mental difficulties and this would definitely be considered immoral and unethical on so many levels. That leads to the fact that although animals are irrational creatures, they feel the pain and the torture exercised on them. Thus, Procter and Gambles testing on animals can be termed unethical. Categorical Imperative II implies that individuals should act in a way that leads to a mutual benefit, treating both parties as ends in themselves. According to the case, animals are being misused in a way that is only considered beneficial for the human kind by Procter and Gamble. In other words, animals are being used as means to an end. Therefore, Procter and Gambles actions towards animals are unethical. Other deontological theories focus on the rights rather than duties and obligations. This leads to the controversial question: Do animals have rights? Even though there is no law that clearly states that animal rights are equal to human rights, animal rights campaigners have stated that animals have the right to live free from human exploitation, whether in the name of science or sport, exhibition or service, food or fashion. Animals have the right to live in harmony with their nature rather than according to human desires. Injecting chemical substances into a rabbits eye for seven days to produce a Head and Shoulders shampoo deprive him from any of these rights. Applying cancer and toxicity tests on rats and mice of optical brighteners and other laundry detergent ingredients leave them with no rights as well. These are just examples of the various experiments applied on animals in Procter and Gambles laboratories. Thus, testing on animals is unethical. Teleological Theories: Teleological theories focus on the consequences and the results of an action. Both of the Utilitarianism theories are perfect examples of such theories. An Act Utilitarians main objective is to take the action or the decision that would maximize the benefits for most people regardless of constraints such as law. On the other hand, a Rule Utilitarian takes into consideration justice and fairness as well as beneficence for most people. PRO ANIMAL TESTNG: Those who argue for the continuation of painful experimentation on animals state that society has an obligation to act in ways that will minimize harm and maximize benefits. Halting or curtailing painful experimentation on animals would have harmful consequences to society. Indeed, pain is an evil to be minimized, and scientists at Procter and Gamble do work to minimize pain when possible. Contrary to sensationalistic reports of animal rights activists, Procter and Gambles scientists are not a society of crazed, cruel, curiosity seekers. But there are instances when the use of alternatives, such as painkillers, would interfere with research that promises to vastly improve the quality and duration of human lives. Animal research has been the basis for new vaccines, new cancer therapies, artificial limbs and organs, new surgical techniques, and the development of hundreds of useful products and materials. These benefits to humans far outweigh the costs in suffering that relatively few animals have had to endure. Society has an obligation to maximize the opportunities to produce such beneficial consequences, even at the cost of inflicting some pain on animals. CON ANIMAL TESTING: From an Act Utilitarian point of view, Procter and Gambles animal testing does not only harm the whole animal kingdom; it is harming the human race and the environment as well. Animal testing is one of the main reasons of having various animals such as chimpanzees, macaques and white rhinos under threat, the threat of extinction. And as clarified earlier, animal testing is not the adequate way to save human lives. On the contrary, it is putting their lives in danger as well. A Rule Utilitarian who takes into account fairness and justice would add to the previous points that there is neither justice nor fairness applied when human beings use animals as disposable machines claiming that this is the only way to save as much human lives as possible (which is of course not true). Thus, According to the Act and Rule Utilitarianism theories animal testing held by Procter and Gamble is unethical. Casuist Theory: The casuist theory compares a current ethical dilemma with examples of similar ethical and their outcomes. PRO ANIMAL TESTING: Comparing our current ethical dilemma of Animal Testing and contrast the same with use of Canines as human companions, or use of animals for human safety would raise more doubts about our sincerity and perseverance to the issues raised in our society. Do we fail to conceptualize the degree of our social environment that would create a clear ethical ground that justifies why we do what we do. Although most of the training is under acceptable standards, some safety patrol dogs need rigorous training which can be brutal and inhumane. CON ANIMAL TESTING: Looking at the issue from a casuistic point of view, a perfect similar ethical dilemma would be of human slavery. Caucasians used to believe that they are superior to others and therefore used to slave Africans and treat them in a very inhuman way claiming that by doing so they are maximizing the benefits for the whole world. This was considered one of the norms back in those dark times. Nowadays it is considered immoral, unethical and completely unacceptable in every nation and society to treat another human being in an inferior way. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states now that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Peoples awareness for human rights has been increasing throughout the years and this was the reason behind this Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, scientists at Procter and Gamble are still unaware of the fact that animals are entitled to have their own rights. They are oblivious to the fact that we as human beings have no right to mistreat animals. They have no right as human beings to capture them, torture them and kill them with no mercy under the veil of saving human lives. On the contrary, animals should have the right to live peacefully with their nature and we as the rational creatures on this earth are obligated to defend the helpless kingdom and protect them from any harm. Thus, animal testing at Procter and Gambles laboratories can be simply ceased by declaring it unethical. Consumers First Looking at the whole idea from PGs point of view. According to PGs Human Safety Brochure and Sustainability (2009) overview, we have to first realize the fact that on an average about 4 billion people in the world use PG products every single day. This makes it their utmost priority that they reduce the risk of any type to the end-user. It has been for this very fact, that PG has been indulged in Animal Testing. The underlying factor here is that, we, as Humans, would be biased over the fact that if a particular product is tested on animals, and is guaranteed not to harm us or our children, we instantly change our opinion about the use of Animal Testing. According to Davis and Donald, we cannot have the ultimate assurance of the safety in the products we buy and use independent of animal testing. They specifically quote with present day technology, if the cost of achieving such assurance mandates the sacrifice of an occasional hairless mouse or rabbit or laboratory rat, then it is a price that we are prepared to pay. It is a delusion and a sham at this point to say we can achieve one without the other. Although the Ban on animal testing in various countries have given rise to various companies that are not indulged in Animal Testing, the Body Shop was one company that started off even before the ban with one view in mind Cruelty Free products. Many Researchers and Authors like Goldemberg and Robert (1992), believe that although a companys final product may not be tested on animals, but there is always a chance that down the line, some of the ingredients used were tested on animals by its suppliers or somebody else in the industry. Conclusion Medical Advances such as various vaccines, Insulin, treatment for kidney through dialysis, etc. Has been possible as a result of animal testing. At the same the use of various personal care products such has shampoos and cosmetics have been certified safe for human consumption as a result of constant development through Animal testing and research. During this journey, we have failed on many occasions to successfully justify animal testing when researches have gone wrong and caused harm and in certain cases death to Humans. Although we understand that Animal Testing has resulted in numerous data and statistics that would help generate computer simulation models and prove as a bench mark for further research, we can never stop Animal Testing as whole as it is fueled by our hunger for innovation. There is always room for efficiency and least harm. This can be achieved by the 3Rs theory developed by British zoologists William Russel and Rex Burch in 1959. The theory focuses on Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of animal testing and experimentations.

Internet and Information Essay

Having quick access to information can make life quite easy! I say this, because not all information you find on digital media sources can be trusted. The one way you can assess the value of the information is to perform research on the information offered or cross-reference the information you find. Since anyone can post anything on the Internet, it is best to identify the author and research the author’s credentials. This week I was researching information on the Internet about the digital divide. The search pulled up more than 50 pages of web links multiplied by 13 web links per page. Most of the populated information, was outdated, not that out dated information is not useful; however, I was able to find 10 web links that were dated recently enough for me to use. Over the years, I have become more literate regarding digital media and been able to distinguish the difference between blog, chat room, substantive and opinionated sites. Understanding how to identify bias statements and identify the facts as it relates, is one way to look at the information provided with a critical eye. Some websites the author, tries to influence their readers by taking a bias approach to persuade the reader’s thoughts on a particular subject, in these instances you are not receiving a balanced viewpoint, however; this is not always bad, especially when it comes to researching on personal viewpoints. Understanding the reliability and credibility of information might be as simple as knowing the domain. Domains can clue you in on the type of information and where the information originated. For instance, if I am looking for information on taxes, I would find correct answers on IRS. gov instead of IRS. com. It is safe to assume that IRS. gov is a reliable website as the government is the creator, on the other hand, IRS. com shows me similar information, however, it contains advertisements and a direct link to the IRS official’s website. Although both websites look familiar and offer alike information I find it better to get the answers straight from the horse’s mouth. To find and tilize the information, I need to use a critical eye and cross-reference the information found. Another instance is watching the different news stations on TV and understanding the affiliation they may have with other TV stations. For example, I may be watching a national news program MSNBC stock’s banner, which mentions how Comcast’s stocks are on the rise; this might be to persuade viewers to invest in their stock; however, I am also aware that Comcast recently purchased NBC and its affiliated stations. Now that I understand the possible bias approach, I am more inclined to research the fact prior to purchase their stock. The next time you walk into your local food store, view the magazines and newspapers. You should already be aware of the tabloids that give a reader inaccurate information and normally lack the author’s bio or credentials. The Internet can be like a magazine stand! Because of net neutrality, the lack of restrictions enables anyone to upload any kind of information, whether is true or false. We find ourselves arguing the two extremes! On one hand if a private enterprise wants to control the Internet, we would find that information would be shared for a price which limits free speech, however, if we allow the government to control what is shared on the Internet we may be left with what the government finds deem able. Both extremes limit our freedom when it comes to the Internet! As to your last question concerning the digital divide; it means the gap between those who have access to this media and those who do not. This divide affects many Americans whom either have no access to digital and media social websites or chooses not to have any involvement with it. They lack the basic understanding of digital media, and/or how to utilize the information. To bridge the gap, we have already started by providing free Internet access in our schools and libraries. This would allow for people with limited resources to become media literate. I believe that this free service can help bridge the gap to help the illiterate understand the differences between facts vs. propaganda. Because of the misuse on the Internet and the increased marketing from companies, I would find these classes useful for those with limited understanding of the Internet.

Asignment Performance Management Essay

Weiss and Hartle (1997) â€Å"A process for establishing a shared understanding about what is to be achieved and how it is to be achieved, and an approach to managing people that increases the probability of achieving success† * In my experience performance management means different things the different people. In the company I currently work for performance management is thought of in the negative as being a process by which managers are able to take employees to task over bad performance and ultimately get rid of them. This may seem archaic and it is the most negative example I have come across in my work life so far, however, even in more forward thinking companies’ employees are often skeptical and suspicious of the performance management process. Conversely I have been fortunate to see performance management at its best. For me performance management is all about taking the core goals of the organisation and ensuring that departmental, team and individuals tasks and behaviors link to and support these goals. In this way employees understand what is expected of them, why the work is important and how it links into the overall performance of the organisation. They are engaged and feel confident in their work knowing that they are contributing to the success of the company. Performance management assists oganisations in motivating and empowering their employees by setting clear goals and rewarding them not only for what they achieve but also the way in which they achieve. In doing this organisations can focus on what is really important to the success of the business. They can recruit and retain the best employees, and motivate and develop by training and challenging the workforce. Performance management allows succession planning so that job roles can be filled with skilled, motivated, experienced employees. Components of Performance Management Performance management is a cyclical process involving a number different components. Goal setting is a key component of the Performance Management process. The organisation’s overall goals should start the chain and depending of the size and structure of the organization these goals. The process should start with the organisational goals which are designed to ensure the performance of the organisation leads to successful business. These goals cascade down to business areas, departments, teams and individuals. For individual employees their job description and the team’s  goals will form the basis of their individual goals. It is important that they understand how their own goals link into those of the organisation, why the work they are doing is important and how it contributes to the overall success of the organisation. There must be agreement on individual goals if they are to be embraced by the individual and they must be SMART if they are to be effective. Specific Measureable Achievable Results Orientated (Relevant) Time bound It is important that individuals are clear on what is expected of them, that they feel the goals can be achieved and that they that they are challenging and interesting. Key to the achievement of goals is regular communication. Communication may be formal or informal but can include updates from the individuals, feedback from colleagues, managers and clients, one to ones or team meetings. This communication is invaluable in employees on track to achieving their goals and making changes when necessary. Performance appraisals are another important component of performance management. These events are often undertaken annually and provide a formal appraisal of the individual’s competence in their role. Individuals and their managers have the opportunity to discuss, provide feedback and evidence of the individual’s achievements (against goals) and, in some organisations, the way in which those achievements were met (behaviours). Some companies also undertake half yearly reviews or appraisals with the view to making sure that that performance stays on track between annual appraisals. This is also an opportunity to review existing goals and set new ones. Performance improvement or development planning is another part of performance management. Areas for improvement or development may be identified at any time during the performance management process but typically come out of appraisal discussions. As with goals it is important that there is agreement on development plans and that activities to develop individuals are varied and effective. If employees are going to achieve their goals and develop their skills, knowledge and delivery within their role they must have access to the appropriate training and coaching. Whether employees require  development because they do not meet their current performance requirements or in order to progress to the next level, training and coaching are also key elements within a comprehensive performance management process. Motivation and performance Management This relationship between motivation and performance management can be complex and individual to each employee. There are numerous motivational theories all of which have elements of authenticity to them. I have looked at two motivational theories, McGregor and Vroom. Douglas McGregor’s theory ‘details two contrasting models of workforce motivation’ ** Theory X suggests that the average person is basically lazy and don’t like work. They prefer to be told what to do and don’t want responsibility. As such there needs to be tight control of the individual and threats of loss or punishment are the best ways to motivate them. Theory Y is the opposite, assuming that most people enjoy work, that they are happy to take responsibility under the right circumstances and that they can be self-motivated to do a good job. This motivation can be enhanced when managers are able to appreciate the employee and develop their trust. Victor Harold Vroom’s theory, to me, has links to the ‘Y Theory’, the theory suggests that factors such as personality, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities drive an individual’s performance. It proposes that employees are motivated by what they expect to receive in return for their effort and what that expected reward means to the employee. This is referred to as ‘Expectancy theory’ and links together in the following way: Expectancy: Does the individual feel the effort they put in will lead to high performance. What is their levels of confidence in what they are capable of doing? Do they have the appropriate resources, knowledge and training to carry out their role? Instrumentality: If the individual achieves a high level of performance is there reward for their efforts and can they be sure they will receive it. Employees must be able to trust that they will. Valence: Is the reward offered/expected one that the individual values. For the reward to motivate it must have importance for the individual, be it financial, recognition, promotion and so on. For me the key to Vroom’s theory and its success in motivating employees is that every individual is different, each has their own needs, wants, expectations and values based on the individuals frame of reference. Management must know and respect the individual and what they want. Reward within Performance management: I have already discussed reward in relation to motivation and how the reward on offer may need to bespoke to the individual in order to be effective. There is, however, a far wider aspect to reward with a performance management process. Reward to attract and to motivate Pay is usually the first thought when talking about reward in employment. It is important that a realistic but attractive salary is offered initially when recruiting new employees. Pay continues to be important for most individuals throughout their employment, however it is not the only way in way employees can be rewarded. Within my current organization pay is only increased annually, across the board, which has little to do with performance except for acknowledging that employees are rewarded for working for the company in line with cost of living rises. Currently there is no performance management process within my organization other than dealing with poor performance in a ‘theory X’ style, employees are serviced with a notice of improvement linked to termination of their contact. Outside of the annual pay increase financial reward is only given if a good employee threatens to leave. Practice is known to all employees via the grapevine and acts to demotivates those who don’t wish to take this approach. I have, however, worked within another organization where annual increases were calculated on performance throughout the year based on a truly robust appraisal system. Engaged and motivated employees were encouraged to collect factual evidence of their achievements and to present and rate this evidence at their appraisal. Ratings were discussed and agreed and then, then to ensure fairness, underwent cross calibration at departmental level. Employees felt they were treated fairly and rewarded not just for their efforts over the year but for their ownership of managing their own performance. Another type of reward for performance, which is being rolled out currently by my employer, is to provide opportunity for high performing  individuals to their knowledge of the business through a shadowing scheme. This has raised employee’s morale as they feel they will be able to perform more effectively and this could, in turn, lead to better opportunities and perhaps promotion. It has also encouraged other individuals to improve their performance in order to be able participate in the scheme. As I have discussed an employee’ perception of the value of reward will vary from one to another. values The need to provide a variety of rewards in line with employee’s expectations and personal preference is supported in the concept of Total Reward schemes. These scheme look at all the rewards and benefits that are or could be provided to employees recognition work/life balance company culture employee development environment, including job design and the physical workspace. *Management and Motivation, Vroom, V.H., Deci, E.L., Penguin 1983 (first published 1970) ** Wikipedia 3 x components of total reward system 1 of which should b non financial Weiss and Hartle (1997)

Mistakes and Misquotes on Memorials and Statues

Designing a building or memorial is hard enough. What happens when the work also includes words? Suddenly the focus shifts from visual to verbal as the artist and architect agonize over typography—making language visible. Words, quotations, and lists of names and dates must convey information and, ideally, flow seamlessly with the design. Hopefully the words will also be historically accurate. How do architects grapple with the challenge? Do the words to be inscribed influence the overall design? Or, do the demands of the design alter the text? Here are some examples of this design challenge. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial: The 1997 memorial dedicated to the life, times, and words of Americas 32nd president incorporates over 20 quotes into its design. From March 15, 1941, inscribed in stone behind a seated FDR and his dog, Fala, are these words: They (who) seek to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers...call this a new order. It is not new and it is not order. The inscription is accurate, although an English teacher may frown on using all capital letters and using parentheses when square brackets are more appropriate. Accurate inscriptions, however, did not save the FDR Memorial from sins of omission. Most noticeable, Roosevelts disability from polio was initially disguised until a wheelchair was eventually added. Less noticeable, however, was the omission of one of FDRs most famous lines: Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date that will live in infamy.... is a line not found within the 7.5 acre park in Washington, DC. Inscriptions at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial: According to some critics, architect Dr. Ed Jackson, Jr. ran afoul of the truth when he helped design the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC. The 2011 Memorial included words from Dr. Kings 1968 sermon known as The Drum Major Instinct. Toward the end of that rousing sermon, King said: Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Amen!). However these were not the words engraved on one side of Dr. Kings statue. The architect had agreed to shorten the quote so it would fit in the space that the sculptor had allotted. Dr. Kings words became: I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness. Poet Maya Angelou, who was a member of the Council of Historians for the Memorial, expressed outrage. She asked why the words of the slain civil rights leader had been paraphrased. Other critics joined her in saying that the the shortened quote alters its meaning and makes Martin Luther King appear arrogant. Dr. Jackson argued that designing a beautiful monument required abbreviating some of Kings words. For him, aesthetics trumped authenticity. After some resistance, officials eventually decided to remove the historical inaccuracies from the Memorial. The National Park Service had sculptor Lei Yixin fix the disputed quote. Inscriptions at the Jefferson Memorial: Architects John Russell Pope, Daniel P. Higgins, and Otto R. Eggers faced a design challenge similar to the MLK Memorial. For the 1940s-era Jefferson Memorial, how could the prolific writings of Thomas Jefferson be fairly represented under one dome? Like the architects of other memorials, they opted to edit famous quotes from Jefferson. Panel 3 of the Jefferson Memorial reads: Commerce between master and slave is despotism. But, according to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.org, Jefferson originally wrote: The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Indeed, some of the inscriptions carved in stone at the Jefferson Memorial are composites created by patching different documents together. Inscriptions at the Lincoln Memorial: When architect Henry Bacon designed the 1922 Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, he combined a mammoth 19-foot statue by Chester French with historically accurate inscriptions of speeches written by Lincoln. Imagine, however, if Bacon had taken short cuts. What if Lincolns famous words With malice toward none, with charity for all became, With malice...for all? Would the shortened version change our perception of Abraham Lincoln? The opposite wall of the Memorial contains the entire, unedited text of Lincolns Gettysburg Address. If the architect had desired to save wall space, he might have shortened the speech to: that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not. What story would the revised quote tell about the great leader? Inscriptions at the US Supreme Court Building: Supposing that architect Cass Gilbert had been cramped for space when he designed the 1935 U.S. Supreme Court building. Imagine if he wanted to avoid the wordy balance and scale metaphors. Couldn’t he simply remove the word Equal from Equal Justice Under Law? Does the meaning change by simply saying Justice Under Law? Inscriptions at the 9/11 National Memorial: The 2011 National 9/11 Memorial in New York City took nearly a decade to construct. The project might have been completed more quickly if the architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker hadnt spent so long on the arrangement of nearly 3,000 names around the fountain parapet. Could they have left out a few? Would editorializing change the memorials meaning and impact? Inscriptions at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, felt that politics had eclipsed the veterans, their service, and their lives. She kept the memorial design elegantly simple so that attention could focus on the names of the men and women who died. Over fifty-eight thousand names are arranged in the chronological order of their deaths or MIA status from the Vietnam conflict. The height of the stone slowly rises and falls, as does any story of conflict. At first, few die. Then escalation. Then withdrawal. The story of the Vietnam conflict is gracefully and visually told in stone with room enough for each citizen soldier. Questions For Designers: Was poet Maya Angelo correct to condemn architect Ed Jackson, Jr.? Or, do architects and artists have the right to change the wording in historical documents? How important are written words in the language of architecture? Some would argue that architects who are inarticulate with words also might be inarticulate with design.