Comparison of Urban Sociological Theories Essay

Comparison of Urban Sociological Theories In order for an urban sociologist to discover â€Å"How urban societies work,† theories of â€Å"urban ecology† or â€Å"political economy† are used as a guide in their research. Urban ecology refers to the importance of social structure and social organization as shaping social life in the city. Urban ecologist concerns for social order, social cohesion, community ties and social differentiation offer key insight to how societies work (Kleniewski, 2001). Alternatively political economy stresses the use of power, domination and resources in the shaping of cities (Kleniewski, 2001). Urban sociologists’ theoretical approach to research questions is based on fundamental assumptions that they find most useful for understanding the operation of the social world. Therefore researchers using these different theories will ask different questions, examine different data and interpret their findings in different ways (Kleniewski, 2001). In the early years of 1910-1920, a time of social change and urban growth, urban sociologists in the United States, the Chicago School, were directly confronted by the diversity, liveliness and apparent fragmentation of urban life. The urban sociologists of the Chicago School drew a concern for order, cohesion and social relationships (Kleniewski, 2001). The founder of the Chicago School of urban sociology was Robert E. Park. He believed that cities are like living organisms, composed of interconnected parts and that each part relates to the structure of the city as a whole and to the other parts (Kleniewski, 2001). Park called his approach to urban life â€Å"human ecology,† a term used interchangeably with â€Å"urban ecology. Human ecology studies the â€Å"social norms† which are rooted in the relationship between human populations and the environment or territories they inhabit, stressing the orderly interaction of interdependent parts of social life in urban areas (Kleniewski, 2001). Human ecologist, Louis Wirth shared with the theoretical antecedents of urban ecology, Tonnies, Durkheim and Simmel, the notion that social interactions in cities were different from social interactions in rura l areas or small communities. He believed that social interactions in modern industrial cities were impersonal and fragmented. He believed that factors such as size, density, and heterogeneity were responsible for social relations found in cities (Kleniewski, 2001). This theory of human ecology was used to study human behavior such as, lives of gang members, homeless people and immigrants and to study changing land uses over time in order to show how the different populations of the city adapt to and compete for territories (Kleniewski, 2001. In comparison to urban ecology, political economy is concerned with how urban societies work. Although, political economist developed different understandings and interpretations of how urban societies actually work. In the 1970’s the city had many social problems which included welfare, unemployment and tax inflations. Theorist of political economy, Marx, Engels and Weber viewed the city as a site of struggle due to unequal distribution of resources (Kleniewski, 2001). Therefore in contrast to the urban ecology theory of humans being immediately dependent on their environment, the theory of political economy stresses that the city relies not only on its environment but its social arrangement, economic and political functions. Also in contrast to urban ecology, residential patterns are not only influenced by humans just adapting to their natural environment but by economic inequalities. This leads to competition. In contrast to urban ecology, competition not just among groups for space but among groups for control of economic resources. Political economists theorize that â€Å"social norms,† in contrast to urban ecology are not only influenced by size and density of the population but also influenced by the values of dominant groups (Kleniewski, 2001). These struggles or social forces help shape urban patterns and urban social life. Therefore, class, social status, political power, racial and ethnic conflicts also play a major role in shaping the city (Kleniewski, 2001). The Political Economy Perspective

Native Americans in the United States and Pocahontas Incident John

AMERICAN LITERATURE I Instructor: Dr. Le Thi Thanh Troy University – STU Campus The Pocahontas Incident John Smith Group members: Ho Truong Phuong Thao TranThi Hong Nhung Nguyen Van Huy Objectives: Understanding author's biography and his work Understanding Pocahontas's biography Answer three impotant questions about his work A. John Smith's biography John Smith (1580 – 1638) had have a heroic life since he was not only a English soldier but also became explorer and author.He contributed a part of his life to be the Captain of the first ship which made a landfall at Massachuselts in 1602 to explore New England. He was also memorized for the founder by setting up the English settement at James Town, Virginia. John Smith's life experienced many adventures when he was an adolescent in Europe. His life time had been through many coups such as fighting with the Turk, becoming a slave which was sold to Asia Minor, killing his captors†¦ At twenty-seven years old, hesailed to New Wold and explored the Chesapeake Bay, the shores of New England.He also got a friendly relationship with Native Americans. Moreover, he also was a famous writer and made some well-known books included A True Relation (1608), A Map of Virginia with a Description of the Country (1612), The General History of Virginia, New-England. The Pocahontas story appeared in the Summer Isles (1624). John Smith had been probably offer an important role to the first colonial writing in America. B. About the work: This work described the episode that John Smith had been saved by the princess Pocahontas since he was captured and in the hands of Indians.This account was narrated by â€Å"him† – the third person to told the audiences how the story happened. There were some detaited we should pay attention to this work: Who were the characters? John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas How many other Indian people were at the judiscation? more than two hundreds Where did the judiscation hap pen? Meronocomoco, Virginia How did it happen? Firstly, John Smith was brought to meet Powhatan and his courtiers. When he was prepared to be killed, Pocahontas had saved him by getting â€Å"his head in her arms† and laying â€Å"her own upon his† (p. 3). Two days after, John Smith was led to a great house and was going to be fired, Powhatan absolve him from death and â€Å"esteem him as his son†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ called â€Å"Nantaquoud† (p. 43) Why was he alive? Thanks to the Pocahontas's altruistic, he had been rescued. New words: bravery (n) s? l? ng l? y, s? an m? c sang tr? ng robe (n) ao choang train (n) doan tuy tung bedeck (v) trang hoang, trang di? m, trang tri babarous (a) da man, man r? contented (a) b? ng long disguised (a) tra hinh, c? i trang mat (n) t? m th? m, rem esteem (v) quy m? nC. Pocahontas's Biography: 1. What is the major in Pocahontas’s life? Matoaka was the beautiful and lively daughter of Powhatan, ruler of the land that the Engl ish named Virginia. â€Å"Pocahontas† was her childhood nickname, translated as â€Å"little wanton,† meaning she was playful and hard to control. When she was born, Powhatan sent her mother home to her own village, to raise Pocahontas. That was his custom. When she was about school age, Pocahontas left her mother to live in her father's capital, with her older brothers and sisters.As they grew up, Powhatan appointed some as chiefs of his other tribes. Pocahontas became her father's favorite, â€Å"the apple of his eye†. In this new account, his capture included the threat of his own death: â€Å"†¦ at the minute of my execution,† he wrote, â€Å"she [Pocahontas] hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to Jamestown. â€Å"[Eight years later, in his Generall Historie, Smith expanded upon the story.Writing about himself in the third person, he explained that after he was captured and taken to the paramount chief, â€Å"two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could laid hands on him [Smith], dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beat out his brains, Pocahontas the Kings dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevailed, got his head in her arms, and laid her own upon his to save him from death .. When Smith returned, there were only 38 colonists left (out of 104).Pocahontas kept the colonists from starving to death that first winter, by visiting regularly with plenty of food. Pocahontas paid regular visits to her friend Captain John Smith, but in October 1609, she was told that Smith was dead. She stopped visiting after that. The following winter was known as the Starving Time. Actually, Smith wasn't dead; his leg was badly burned in a gunpowder explosion, and he had returned to England for medical treatment. The colonists thought the death story would work bett er with the Indians. Several years passed, with no sign of Pocahontas.Ralph Hamor heard that she had married one of Powhatan's chiefs, named Kocoum. Captain Argyle discovered that Pocahontas was staying with the Patowamekes, and captured her on June 4, 1613, intending to trade her for concessions from Powhatan. Powhatan only met enough of the demands to keep negotiations open. During her captivity, leading colonists worked to convert her to Christianity. One of those colonists, John Rolfe, fell in love with her, and she’s with him. Pocahontas was baptized as a Christian, and married John Rolfe in 1614. Her new name was Lady Rebecca Rolfe. She gave birth to a son, Thomas Rolfe.This marriage created the â€Å"Peace of Pocahontas†, six years of peace between the Jamestown colonists and Powhatan's tribes. Pocahontas' life ended on a high note, with a triumphal tour of England (arriving June 3, 1616) as a visiting princess. She visited many important people, including King James and Queen Anne. Sho also met John Smith and this caused a big shock for her as she thought he was dead. In England, her portrait was made and published. As she started home, smallpox – English disease took her life. She was buried in the church at Gravesend, England (Mar. 21, 1617) age 21 or so. (Her exact birth date is uncertain: roughly 1595. The meaning of Pocahontas’s life is that Pocahontas played a significant role in American history. As a compassionate little girl she saw to it that the colonists received food from the Indians, so that Jamestown would not suffer the fate of the â€Å"Lost Colony† on Roanoke Island. She is said to have intervened to save the lives of individual colonists. In 1616 John Smith wrote that Pocahontas was â€Å"the instrument to pursue these colonies from death, famine, and utter confusion. † And Pocahontas not only served as a representative of the Virginia Indians, but also as a vital link between the Native Amer icans and the Englishmen.Whatever her contributions, the romantic aspects of her life will stand out in Virginia history forever. Historic portrait of the real Pocahontas in London, age 21, dressed as the Christian lady she had become. Whatever her contributions, the romantic aspects of her life will no doubt stand out in Virginia history forever She died within months. This portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian, in Washington, D. C. This painting is a later copy of an engraving made during her London visit of 1616. It flatters and Europeanizes her more than does the original engraving, which failed to capture her celebrated allure. pic][pic] 2. Why did Pocahontas die? And what is her death's significances? According to Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition; Pocahontas was killed by smallpox – an White people's disease in a ship which returned from England to her homeland.. She died on March 21,1617 and was burried at Gravesend. Her death was one of the case which represent for the cultural chiasma between Native American and White people. The death of Pocahontas and the subsequent death of her father led the relationship between the colonists and the natives become worse. D. Understanding John Smith's work: . What specific details of Indian life and Indian nature does the account reveal? Indian life which was decribed by John Smith was familiar with current audiences since they could easily find out many similar characteristics which concerned to Native American on television program, newspapers or history researches. The first thing we could conclude about the Red people was they lived a simple life which closely to the nature as they used almost things made from the environment such as using feathers â€Å"instead of a towel† to dry hand, wearing skinned robe with â€Å"all the tails hanging by† (p. 3). â€Å"Their head and shoulders painted red† and used â€Å"white down of birds† to h elp them more beautiful (p. 43). They seemed not have any idea about tresury metals like gold, diamond which White people were looking for. They only focused on their simple, traditional comunity by using primitive and ancient tools such as â€Å"robes, shoes, bows, arrows†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Moreover, Indian society was different from ours in some specific ways. Equality and justice was emphasized and took stock in each citizen no matter who they were, what their social status was.For example, in John Smith's work, although Powhatan was the chief King of Red people, he still made â€Å"his own robes, shoes, bows, arrows, pots; lant, hunt, or do any thing so well as the rest† (p. 43). In addition, democracy was the thing which could be revealed and complimented as well. For instance, when John Smith was captured, â€Å"a long consultation was held† between the King, courtiers and other people to make the final decision. Finally, their culture was special and colorful as the y often â€Å"disguised† and â€Å"bedecked† themselves with tail, â€Å"white down of bird† (p. 43)†¦Followed the account, the Indian nature was absolutely rich, wealthy and bounteous. It was also described through the Native people's appearence with red color on their head, â€Å"great chain of white beads about their neck†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (p. 43) How much confidence do you have in the truth of these details as related by Captain Smith? In our group's work, since we considered that John Smith's account was veracious and had many similarities to the reality not only in Indian culture which we easily found in television, newspapers, films but also in the detail that Pocahontas had saved his life.There were many researched told this story and proved that Pocahontas used to rescue him such as Pocahontas and Her World (1969) by G. S. Woodward or Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010). Thus, we concluded that there was about 90 percentage of John Sm ith's work is true and the rest part might be hyperbolized by his imagine and mannerism. 2. How do you account for the popularity of this story in American legend? The story of Pocahontas is very popular. Almost people in America and also around the world know this.So it really becomes the big inspiration for many people to institute their creation. For example: The very famous picture â€Å"The Baptism of Pocahontas† painted by John Gadsby Chapman in 1840. This explained the characters in the painting, and praised the Jamestown settlers for introducing Christianity to the â€Å"heathen savages. â€Å"[pic] In the 19th century, John Brougham produced a burlesque, Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage. It debuted in 1855 and became an instant hit. Po-ca-hon-tas remained a staple of theatre troupes and blackface minstrel companies for the next 30 years, typically as an afterpiece .Several films about Pocahontas have been made and two of the most famous film are Pocahontas (1995 ), It was produced by  Walt Disney Feature Animation [pic] The New World  (2005)  written and directed by  Terrence Malick [pic] The song â€Å"color of wind† is also mention about Pacahontas. Performed by Vanessa Lynn Williams who is the very famous singer and had won the miss American contest in 1984. [pic] 3. What typical American traits do you find in Captain John Smith? John Smith was an adventurer, discoverer, writer, and the best founding father of America.Captain John Smith risked his life, his reputation and property to establish a colony in America. He contributed a great deal to the creation and survival of the English Colony in America which is the birthplace of the United States. John Smith was a self-made man. He left his English homeland to seek a life of adventure with honor. His leadership quality during crisic was another American trait, optimistic and tolerance. Captain Smith did not have attention to revenge for his partners who was killed by Nativ e Americans. That means he got generosity in his heart. Moreover, he got along with Indian well.And he was also steptical when he was captured by Narive Americans. So John Smith’s characteristics look like the American people now. They are clever, self-made, friendly and especially they always like to find out a new change for their life Work Cited Hadas, Pamela White. â€Å"POCAHONTAS FROM HER NEW WORLD. † Kenyon Review 5. 2 (1983): 24-34. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. P. L. Barbour, Pocahontas and Her World (1969); G. S. Woodward, Pocahontas (1969). PhD. Le, Thanh Thi, ed. â€Å"Pocahontas Incident. † American Literature. Ho Chi Minh: Education, 2007. 42-44. Print. â€Å"Pocahontas. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010): 1. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. Silver, Marc. â€Å"Pocahontas, for real. † U. S. News & World Report 118. 24 (1995): 61. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. TRAT NER, MICHAEL. â€Å"TRANSLATING VALUES: MERCANTILISM AND THE MANY â€Å"BIOGRAPHIES† OF POCAHONTAS. † Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 32. 1 (2009): 128-136. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. http://pocahontas. morenus. org/poca_pic. html http://www. preservationvirginia. org/rediscovery/page. php? page_id=26 http://pocahontas. morenus. org/index. html

Communication Skills Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication Skills - Article Example The tone of the teachers displays concern for the students and their futures. The teachers have made a clear attempt to try and find out solutions, tactics, and techniques to help the students develop better manners and display courtesy. There is a clear tone of personal interest in the work they do and an urge to learn newer techniques. The teachers display how well they lead by example and how their style of talking and teaching can affect the learning process of the children as well. There is a clear sense of responsibility, and active listening among all the members in the video. The body language and the non – verbal communication displayed shows a genuine interest in the discussions and is portrayed by taking notes of essential parts of the discussion. All the participants have been very alert throughout the discussion and have displayed all the basic skills of active listening. The teachers also display understanding and empathy with the fellow teachers and acknowledge the issues that they go through each day at work. This has been done in very simple actions like nodding their heads and taking notes of essential elements of the conversation and allowing the other to finish their statements rather than cutting the co – teachers off between sentences. Active listening allows a person to listen intently to what is being said, either in groups or even one on one. A person who actively listens should be able to restate in their own words, what the speaker has spoken. This displays understanding of the topic of discussion. The major skills that are involved in effective active listening include (StudyGS, 2009): a) To be ‘other – directed’: It is essential for a listener to focus on what the speaker is communicating and to follow and understand the speaker’s point of view (StudyGS, 2009). It is essential to not only listen to what is being said but to also study body language and other senses to recognise the

Essay model answers Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Model answers - Essay Example Pershing Square accounts 18% of J.C. Penney while Vornado 9.9%. J.C.Penney anticipate that if Pershing Square Capital’s Bill Ackman and its ally Vornado will make a position for a bid to take-over the company, J.C. Penney will swallow a â€Å"poison pill† to avert the siege. The plan will be activated the moment an investor will buy at least 10% of the company shares in addition to the shares that they already have. The poison pill is an age old strategy against hostile take-overs to dilute the holdings of an investor whose stake exceeds that threshold (Egain 2013). In the case o f J.C. Penney, if anyone builds a stake in the company in a move for a takeover, J.C. Penney will â€Å"issue a dividend of one right for each outstanding common share not owned by the raider. The right will have an exercise price of $55, and it’ll allow investors to, say, buy $110 worth of J.C. Penney shares for only $55 (Brown 2013). In effect, J.C. Penney board can buy back its stocks at a fraction of a penny if a hostile takeover is launched. The strategy was effective because J.C. Penney was able to avert the stand-off and potential takeover of Pershing Square Capital’s Bill Ackman. It also discouraged any potential hostile takeover from other companies and/or individuals. The poison pill was effective that the potential raider Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital mulled an exit from holding any shares of J.C. The poison pill may have been an effective strategy to avert any potential takeover. It was able to guard against the standoff from Pershing Square Capital but its shares fell 1.43% which is $13.14 the day after it announced the use of poison pill â€Å"leaving them off 33% on the year and 45% over the past 12 months† (Egan 2013). This was indeed a poison pill to swallow to avoid hostile takeover because the strategy compound the loss of J.C. Penney by the deterioration of its shares in the stock market. But as J.C. Penney’s CEO

Principles of Human Resource Management Assignment

Principles of Human Resource Management - Assignment Example It is very difficult to prove this as the courts have made it clear that it does not encompass issues such as avoiding an inconvenience, annoyance or expense to the employer (Dessler 25-49). These practices are cover-ups for discrimination and should not be used as defenses in a court of law. They are all forms of discrimination but employers hide in them so as to continue their discriminatory practices. Therefore they should be abolished. My take would be that only religion should be used as a discriminatory factor as some jobs do require people of a certain religion which might be very difficult for someone professing a different religion. The HR scorecard is both a measurement and an evaluation system for redefining the role of HR as a strategic partner. The scorecard is an important tool because it reinforces the difference between HR do-able and the deliverables, it enables cost control and value creation, it measures leading indicators and the lagging ones to enable improvement, it measures HR contribution to strategy implementation, it provides a chance for professionals to effectively manage their strategic responsibilities and final it is a tool that encourages flexibility and change in the organization (Haridas). The current trends in jobs are the internet jobs or work at home jobs. The reason for a move towards online jobs is first due to increased connectivity as many people can access the internet. The second reason is that most people prefer flexible schedules where they can work without the influence of the boss around them. They also can organize tasks so that it fits into their schedule so that they can work stress-free. This trend is common with the young generation employees who are techno-savvy and want peace of mind away from the boring office environment (Haridas).

Talking Back Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Talking Back - Essay Example She describes how she was brought up in the Southern, which was dominated by male dominance. In her own words, Hooks narrates that she grew up in a father-dominated household. In addition, she attended a segregated high school. Nevertheless, she struggles to find herself. She narrates of her experiences while striding in California and Wisconsin in predominately-white universities. Whale there, she had to contend with a series of racism and sexism incidences. She however learnt to deal with such ordeals. The racism and sexism that characterized her schooling did not deter her from attaining her dream. She grew up to become a prominent writer. Deep in the book, Hooks dedicates some of the essay towards the general discussion of the plight of women in the United States, particularly black women. She narrates how the women’s movement and its role in the society. Hooks also talks about white supremacy and its impact on feminism. In addition, she narrates how black homophobia had dominated the United States and how it perpetrated racism. She also mentions number of racist feminists. Other general topics explored in the book include the politics at Yale as well as the significance of teaching women’s literature in schools. She also describes a series of intimate violence. The book is more of an autograph. She provides a detailed description of some of the experiences she went through in her own life. Hooks manages to blend her own personal experiences with the occurrences in the society at the time. Through this book, she focuses on the interconnectivity that exists with race, class and gender and their ability to enhance and perpetrate oppression and domination. Hooks provides a comprehensive definition and description of oppression and domination. She also suggests ways through which we can end or avert these vices. One quote that caught my attention is that in which Hooks states that â€Å"It is necessary for us to remember that as we

Radio Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Radio Advertising - Essay Example Modern mass media industry offers a great range of both local and national radio stations broadcasting music of different genres aimed at different ages, backgrounds and tastes. To add more, the majority of radio stations have duplications of their broadcasts on the Internet, so everyone can access the broadcasts regardless of geographical location. The range of the radio stations found for this essay is rather heterogeneous in genre. The Whale 99.1 FM is the radio station focusing on classic rock, as it is stated on the website and clearly understood from the repertoire. WBGO 88.3 FM, the Ney York radio station stating its format as Jazz offers a variety of jazz compositions and related programs. 1033 The EDGE Rock Radio focuses – obviously – on rock format including both old and new songs. Country 106.5 WYRK Radio has mainly country format; 95.5 PLJ New York radio station offers a mixture of genres and musicians in its broadcasts; Pulse 87 NY located at 96.7 FM describes itself as a dance radio station and broadcasts a wide range of pop and dance music including numerous remixes. WQHT Hot 97 radio station features mainly hip-hop and R’n’B compositions. WLTW 106.7 Lite FM and the majority of stations found on the Internet tend to state their format as mix or dance, which means that they feature a diverse variety of pop and dance mainstream songs without focusing on a single genre. Moreover, some of the mixed-format radio stations offer a description such as Top 40 radio stations, which, of course, means that the broadcasts consist of the songs holding leading positions in the charts at the current moment. Narrowing our advertising-related target group to college student, we will inevitable come to a conclusion that mix, pop and dance radio stations are the most efficient means for reaching college students. Such radio stations are usually top, as they don’t offer some peculiar music, instead broadcasting mainstream compositions, which are, first

Tea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tea - Essay Example Tea is a popular beverage manufactured from the leaves of a plant known in Latin as Camellia sinesis. As the old folks in the tea industry used to call it, some still refer to it by its now outmoded name â€Å"Thea sinensis†. The now popular name for tea, â€Å"Chai†, originated from Persian â€Å"chay† and spread to other parts of the world. Well, take little focus on that tongue irritating phrase and focus on the pot’s content, delicious! Tea is a mild stimulant. Its stimulating effect is associated with caffeine as one of its main components. It caffeine content is lower than that of coffee but exceeds that in cocoa. It also contains small amounts of tannic compounds referred to as polyphenols. It is these tannin compounds that tea its flavor, which makes it one of the most cherished beverages in the world. Talking of tannic, the mind will often focus on leather, a good but blind wild guess. Tannic compounds in tea refer to elements such as vitamin A, B2, C, D, K and P and numerous minerals together with scented oils. The tannic compounds also give the beverage its color and dryness. Tea plant is believed to have originated from East and South Asia. Despite numerous tales on the initial use of tea as a beverage, not a single person is absolutely sure of the claims. Many people believe that China is the first country where tea was initially taken as a beverage before spreading to other nations. Classification of tea is based on their mode of processing. Some popular categories of tea include white, green, oolong and black tea among others. After picking tea leaves, they are dried and fermented, a process that leads to darkening of the leaves. For black tea, the fermented leaves are heated at a suitable temperature. In most occasions, the processed tea is blended to obtain better flavor and quality to fetch higher prices in the market. Blending conceals varieties with low taste and hooks the consumer to the brands. Catherine, Charles II’s wife

How change in oil prices affect the stock market of GCC prices Assignment

How change in oil prices affect the stock market of GCC prices - Assignment Example The abrupt fall in oil prices has a varied effect on the world economies. Most of the oil producers will face economic recessions, and the value of their currencies will depreciate, owing the reduction in the purchasing power. Major oil producers will lose their funds, owing to the abrupt decrease in value of oil. However, the US and other oil consumers have no major worries, and the drop in the prices of oil proves to be a positive movement for betterment of the economy (Mirhaydari, 2014). The history of oil prices encompasses varied changes though this may appear as the major decrease in the 21st century. Before the industrialization and increased dependence on oil, prices were low. However, the increased demand for oil resulted in an increasing value of the crude oil. It has remained this way for a long time until now. Much of the world still depends on oil, though major economies, such as China, USA, and Europe as a continent, have minimized their consumption, narrowing the market (Stefanova, 2014). The price fall may be attributed to this demand change. The stock markets of GCC will be adversely affected by the decrease in the oil prices worldwide. The reduction in the GDP of these nations will amount to decreased spending, and thus there will be a reduction in the demand for shares and stocks, minimizing the trade occurrence. A stock market crash may be possible since there will be significant effects on the countries’ economies. The prices of stocks will fall, because of the prevalent low oil prices. Oil is the largest export in these countries, and thus a reduction in the money in circulation, which limits consumer spending, resulting to poor performing stock markets (Morris, 2015). Oil prices are at their lowest state in the 21st century, resulting in varied effects on the economies of different countries. The US, Europe, and China are some of the

Business Model of Amazon Essay Example for Free

Business Model of Amazon Essay Amazon.com is the pioneering bookstore on the Internet that first opened in July 1995 by Jeff Bezos. The firm offers online shopping services and partnership opportunities such as online search for books, music and video items. The products that they sell include an array of audio, video and book titles. Amazon has one of the widest selections and employs international shipping to virtually every corner of the globe in just a few days. Amazon’s focus is having the biggest selection of free-electronic greeting cards, online auction and millions of books, CDs, videos, DVDs, toys and electronics. They have expanded to different areas of the world, such as Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de, to service consumers outside of the United States. They aim to be a Cost leader in which their firm has lower costs than the competitors. They have employed different Amazon branches in different parts of the world to lower costs. This allows Amazon to ship their products at a lower price from each point of shipment to the consumer. In recent years, Amazon.com has expanded from being just an online bookstore to an all around online shopping experience. They have coined the tag line Earth’s biggest selection. Amazon has diversified into different websites. These are the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), LiveBid.com, amazon.livebid.com, drugstore.com (an online retail and information about health and wellness), gear.com (online sporting goods company), homegrocer.com (online grocery shopping and delivery), pets.com (largest pet supply online shopping site), ashford.com (online luxury and premium shopping) and eZiba.com (online retailer of handcrafted products). Five Forces Model for Industry Analysis New Entrants The online bookstore industry that Amazon.com has pioneered in was, at first, very hard to penetrate. There were different barriers such as distributing capabilities and the variety of the selection offered that are supposed to be hurdled. Amazon successfully solved the tricky parameters as being the first one to get into the whole idea of online retail. With being the first, they had the luxury to set what were the norms for the industry. Factors that may lower these barrier tactics would be a wider selection and the  ability to go to an actual bookstore to exchange or return books or other products. This network of actual retail spaces makes it easier for the consumer to return or exchange the products they were not satisfied with. These handicaps of Amazon were the basis for the emergence of book retail giants Barnes and Noble and Borders in the online shopping industry. Industry Competitors The major competitors of Amazon are Barnes and Noble and Borders. Barnes and Noble is a retail giant offering books and CDs both in their outlets all over the country. It opened their online industry in 1997 and has become the fourth largest e-commerce sites today. Focused largely on the sale of books, music, software, magazines, prints, posters, and related products, the company has capitalized on the recognized brand value of the Barnes Noble name to become the second largest, and one of the fastest growing, online distributors of books. Their advantage to Amazon is the brand name and the availability of actual retail outlets in which consumers could go in to exchange or return products easily. They also have an established book selection based in their retail operations. Borders is another multi-media retail store found in major cities around the country. Started out as a small bookshop in the college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, it has since expanded into one of the finest bookstores. In 1992, Borders was bought by the Kmart group which further flourished the company into a Multi Media Giant with a wide selection of Audio, Video and Books found throughout the United States. The Online Bookstore industry have become a fierce business which involves discounts, varied selections and fast delivery in which all three companies are challenging each other. Buyers The consumers of this industry can be found in every corner of the population. These are mostly people who have had some form of higher education and have access to the Internet and computers. The segment of online shoppers has increased dramatically in recent years due to the convenience of shopping in the comforts of the home and the accessibility of the Internet. These developments have made it easier for consumers to log on and buy on the Internet. Consumers also tend to compare prices among the retail leaders such that buyers are able to buy products with very big  discounts compared to ones bought in actual retail outlets. The bargaining power of the consumer is based on the competitive strategies of each active firm in the industry. Thus, consumers can challenge one firm for charging more than the other one such that the firm will beat the price of the competing firm. Suppliers Amazon’s suppliers range from the publishing and media houses to electronics’ manufacturers. Amazon buys all their books, videos and audio CDs from the multi media houses and publishing giants such as Time Warner, Doubleday etc. Amazon also has alliances with other bookstores to cover orders that they cannot serve. Substitutes The substitutes for Amazon and other online bookstores are the actual book retailers and music stores such as Barnes and Nobles, Virgin Megastore, Tower Records, Sam Goody and other small mom-and-pop outlets. With the rise of online retail, there will be little impact from these substitutes. One impact would be some consumers who would like to hold or listen to their purchases prior to buying and those who are into the whole shopping experience. Barnes and Nobles have jumped into online retail and have succeeded into diversifying into the new e-commerce industry. Industrial Organization Model Degree of Competition Due to the shift of focus for Amazon, it has become the Earth’s biggest anything store. Its competitors have expanded from just online book retailers Barnes and Nobles and Borders to top audio retailers CDNOW.com and online auction house EBAY.com. Amazon has an overall lead of 40% market share against the other online retail firms. Their international business has more than doubled over the past 2 years and this growth increased Amazon’s share in the online business market. Life Cycle Amazon, in it’s first years, had negative income but the rise of e-commerce sites and being the pioneer made the succeeding years led to boom time for them. Their growth period was during 1994 to 1995 when they were the first of its kind in the world. They incurred very high costs in terms of  distributions to customers. Still with a negative income, Amazon went public in 1997 and had one of the biggest IPOs of the time. With investors banking on future positive cash flow for this company, Amazon’s market value soared. Many people caught on with the idea of online shopping, thus, Amazon’s success. Amazon’s success as an online retailer prompted bricks-and-mortar rivals Barnes and Noble and Borders to join in. Competition decreased Amazon’s profitability so in the past couple of years, Amazon has expanded to more than books, audio and video to electronics and other retail concepts. Social Relevance Amazon’s products are marketed for every consumer possible. Books, audio, video and electronics are appreciated by majority of the population especially those who have access to the Internet. Amazon is active in pursuing literacy programs for young children by collaborating with the makers of the Dr. Seuss books. They have actively participated in the Dr. Seuss shops, story telling sessions and Dr. Seuss days. Degree of Globalization Amazon’s strength internationally lies within its networks in major ports and cities around the Globe. Amazon first started out in Seattle but as soon as they have established a niche market, they have opened shop all over the nation and in cities such as London, Berlin, The Hague, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore and many more. These branches overseas improves their delivery service to a wide consumer base. Extent of Government Control There has not been many government regulations regarding online retailing. A group of CEOs whose firms that are engaged in such practices have formed an organization called Global Business Dialogue. This GBD group supports the development of a seamless global system that delivers the broadest array of goods and services to the largest number of consumers at the most competitive prices. This work effort will: offer recommendations to the WTO, including making the moratorium on online tariffs permanent; and collaborate with governments to target and eliminate discriminations against, or other non-tariff barriers to global trade in, electronic commerce. This working group will also provide an avenue for the GBDs to consider and promote the  growth of the electronic marketplace in an environment unencumbered by detrimental taxation. Degree of Vertical Integration Amazon’s primary value chain includes purchasing/sourcing, marketing, distribution and after-sales services, which includes returns and exchanges from unsatisfied customers. Their main focus is in the purchasing/sourcing and in the distribution of the products to the consumers. Their investments are therefore, geared towards warehouses in key points of high consumer demand areas and an efficient delivery and distributing system to service all its consumers. Thus, Amazon controls most of its distributing system that spans across borders. Inter Organization of Network Economics Amazon in its efforts to sustain its market leadership in the online retailing industry has tied up with various online organizations. Netscape Navigator and Amazon will offer members of Netscape Netcenter a co-branded storefront where Earths Biggest Bookstore will be easily accessed through Netscape Netcenter (home.netscape.com). In addition, Amazon.com has multi-year exclusive and premier bookseller relationships with 5 of the top 6 sites on the World Wide Web: AOL.com, Yahoo!, Netscape, GeoCities, and Excite. These partnerships widen Amazon’s presence in the World Wide Web. Sensitivity to Business Cycles The Online retailing business has a very quick cyclical growth. Amazon being one of the firsts to venture in this type of commerce are all ready in what seems to be in their decline stage where market share is declining. Therefore, Amazon is expanding to different industries within online retailing. Amazon and other online retailing firms are very sensitive to business cycles due to the speed of technology involved in the services they offer. Dynamics of New Knowledge Generation Online retailing relies on the work of an excellent distribution system. Amazon has invested their money into expanding their network of distribution centers around the globe. They also have investments in creating better technology for tracking orders and giving efficient delivery systems for their customers. Amazon.com has remained on top of the online retailing  business despite the entrance of giants such as Barnes and Nobles and Borders. Their success is attributed to two factors; timing and continuing to invest heavily into the inventory and distribution systems. Amazon, by being the first of its kind, has a big lead over the nearest competitors due to their experience and its reputation as the first movers. Their thrust remains on improving efficient delivery systems across borders and to build name recognition as the number one retailing firm in the Internet. They have also ventured into different retail options to keep that lead. Marketing, Innovative inventory and distribution systems, and name recall have helped Amazon build a sustainable competitive advantage. In order for any online retail company to remain prosperous and income generating, they must invest a lot of time and money into research and development of more efficient operations and distributions systems. This proved to be key for the Market Leader in online retailing, Amazon.Com. Mary Grace Velasco,College of Business Administration,Senior, Fordham University,Fall 2000

Detrimental Factors Involved In Beauty Pageants English Language Essay

Detrimental Factors Involved In Beauty Pageants English Language Essay Beautiful girls with gorgeous gowns and perfect smiles are the first things that come to mind when thinking about beauty pageants. While all the glam and sparkling crowns may seem quite appealing at first glance, the dangerous reality of pageants creates a flaw in the once perfect image. By taking a closer look, one can find sexual predators watching young girls parade across the stage, or the pressure to be perfect by a childs own parents. Beauty pageants are not what they used to be. When asked about beauty pageants, older generations think of natural beauty and a just for fun atmosphere. Now, beauty pageants have been taken to the next level, called Glitz beauty pageants, creating a bad image for beauty pageants and what they represent. Children are increasingly becoming involved in this world of hair extensions, fake teeth, and spray on tans, while their parents sit back and watch an average childhood of games and toys go down the drain. The murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey, a pageant girl with everything going for her, unveiled a horrifying truth of pageants and the children who take part in them. While some believe pageants cannot possibly result in murder, they are wrong. When parents put their children up on stage with an immense amount of makeup and revealing costumes, they are setting them up for sexual predation. The exploitation of children in beauty pageants should be brought to attention by parents before another child like Jon-Benet Ramsey loses her life. Pageants are obviously not what they used to be. The 1950s pageants that the generations before us participated in concentrated on natural beauty, unlike pageants now. While natural beauty was healthy and helpful to the self-esteem, artificial beauty, the main factor in pageants today, is not healthy and is detrimental to the self-esteem of participants. Child beauty pageants are sending out the wrong message, with the exploitation of children, negative effects on the self-esteem, and outrageous expenses in order to participate. Parents believe pageants are a smart way to gain scholarships and other money prizes for their children. For example, the Universal Royalty pageant, one of the largest beauty pageants in the business, provides a one thousand dollar scholarship to the winner (Nussbaum, 2000). While this may seem like a great prize to win, parents do not take in to consideration the fees required to be successful in this beauty pageant. The registration fee for the Universal Royalty pageant is five hundred and forty-five dollars, with formal gowns costing up to twelve thousand dollars and other fees required to be successful in the pageant (Nussbaum, 2000). Though the prize is one thousand dollars, necessities for the pageant add up to much more than the cash money prize. Most pageants provide a five hundred dollar scholarship to the winner, but costs for the pageant add up to much more than the cash money prize as well (Dittrich, 2001). Nevertheless, parents are still proud of the multiple tiaras and crowns their child has won throughout her years of pageant experience. Figure 1, shown below, is an example of a showcase of tiaras. Figure1: Showcase of Tiaras: Note: Emily Crown Hall of Fame. Photograph. Florida. TVGasm. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. . Without knowing everything involved in the preparation of a beauty pageant, an onlooker would be shocked. To be successful in a professional Glitz beauty pageant, the money is a necessity. The registration fee for a pageant starts at $85 (Dittrich, 2001). With the entry to the pageant comes a glamour shot of the contestant. This usually runs about $700 for a single roll of film (Dittrich, 2001). Trainers cost $40 dollars an hour, and a Glitz dress is usually $1,000 and up (Dittrich, 2001). A flipper, or a device used for replacing missing teeth, cost about $500, and are used constantly in beauty pageants at the professional level (Dental, 1999). Overall, a family spends $30,000 to $40,000 a year to supply their child with the necessary accessories to win a Glitz professional pageant. While money seems to be a dominating issue in beauty pageants, this is not the only negative aspect of being involved in the pageant world. The artificial beauty push seems to be a well-discussed controversy involved in the beauty pageant world today because a child cant possibly be successful in a professional Glitz beauty pageant without the right training and knowledge. Winners of professional beauty pageants have the correct amount of makeup, a pageant coach, a designer dress, fake teeth, commonly known as a flipper, spray on tans, and the right hair pieces to create a fuller look. A newcomer into this kind of pageant would be overwhelmed at how much effort has to be put into one beauty pageant. Nicki Burton, a well-known pageant coach says, You cant be normal and win beauty pageants (Dittrich, 2001). Since so much emphasis is placed on the artificial appearance of a child, natural beauty doesnt seem as important. Many people think beauty pageants are healthy for a childs self image. However, the belief that appearance defines the value of a person is so destructive that many organizations concerned with finding heal thier ways of raising girls have developed criteria to give girls a sounder basis for measuring their worth than pasted-on prettiness (Mann, 1997). Studies show that 77% of girls view themselves as ugly, because of media portraying the perfect girl as skinny and beautiful (Offbeat, 2007). Since beauty pageants have winners only with the perfect image, beauty pageants are contributing to the percentage of girls who do not have a good self-image of themselves. Artificial beauty is not healthy, which creates a negative side of beauty pageants that many do not realize. Some parents believe that beauty pageants have a positive effect on children. This is not uncommon, which is why so many children are entered into beauty pageants on a daily basis. Whether these parents arent informed of the harmful effects of beauty pageants, or if parents choose to ignore these harmful effects, beauty pageants are still unsafe. Many parents say that pageants are a fun way for children to compete with other children their age, and have the potential to help pay for a college education with scholarships offered to the winner (Catwalk, 1997). But experts highly disagree. Though parents may think pageants create a healthy competitive side of a child and increase their social interactions with other contestants, pageants actually hinder the growth of social qualities in contestants (Eder, 1997). Children dont socialize with other contestants in pageants, due to the intense competition involved in beauty pageants. Marie Sprague, a former model and modeling instructor, be lieves that pageants develop poise, personality, and confidence (Harris, 1997). But what Sprague and many other people fail to consider is how all of these qualities are developed. Developing a personality from pageants may not be the healthiest way for children to grow, according to some psychologists. Psychologists do not like the idea of children focusing on their outer beauty so much (Catwalk, 1997). This creates an unhealthy environment for children to be around, therefore making beauty pageants unsafe for beauty pageant contestants. Experts seem to agree, including Dr. Miles Frank. In an interview with Dr. Miles Frank on January 26, 2010, a licensed physician for children, the negative aspects of pageants were highlighted. Dr. Frank believes that names such has Little Miss Perfect have a negative impact on children participating in these sort of pageants. He believes that If too much emphasis is placed on winning the pageant, the outcome will have more effect. And since most girls who are in pageants will lose, I think you are more likely to set your child up to have a poor self image (Dr. Miles Frank, personal communication). This makes sense. While many parents believe pageants are a good stepping-stone to a better self-esteem, they are wrong. If ten girls participated in a particular beauty pageant, one out of the ten girls may gain a positive self-esteem. What happens to the rest of the nine contestants? They are left to obsess over why they did not win the pageant, causing a poor self-image (Dr. Miles Frank, personal communication). In an interview with Stephanie Throckmorton, the negative effects of beauty pageants nearly doubled the positive effects of beauty pageants. After involving her daughter in a few local beauty pageants, she decided to try a Glitz pageant for fun. She refuses to be involved with professional pageants now, due to the dominance of artificial beauty and unrealistic fees. Stephanie said, going to a beauty pageant at that level made me feel uncomfortable, and forced me to realize my daughter could not compete with these girls at the level of income we are at (Stephanie Throckmorton, personal communication). This is seen not only in professional beauty pageants, but also at the local level. Going to any beauty pageant for entertainment purposes gives the individual the opportunity to see the negative effects beauty pageants have on their young contestants. After observing a local pageant, young contestants who did not win were seen telling their parents they werent good enough, or not pretty anymore (Beauty contestants, personal communication). The parents who believe beauty pageants build self-esteem in a positive way are the parents of the winner in the pageant, not the contestants who didnt receive recognition of their performance on stage. Girls are constantly being put down mentally by being involved in pageants. After talking to the girls who did not place, it was clear that they did not have fun with the pageant (Beauty contestants, personal communication). They wanted to know why they werent the winner. Telling a child they didnt win because someone was better than them is the message beauty pageants send to people without knowing it, causing the drastic shift f rom a positive self-image to a negative self-image in many young girls lives. Pageant girls are beautiful, plain and simple. But what goes on behind the stage to transform these girls into perfection? Children in beauty pageants literally turn into someone they normally arent, coming across as fake. According to Judy Mann, a writer for the Washington Post, children are constantly being pushed to perfection with unrealistic looks women could actually attain (Mann, 1997). Pageant children are always trying to reach a goal that is impossible to achieve. The idea of perfection eats away at a childs mind, causing them to do anything to reach this impractical goal. This explains why so many pageant girls are unnaturally thin and have a face painted with too much makeup. Over seven million women have suffered from an eating disorder (Eating Disorder, 2006). The projection of the perfect body image from beauty pageants is not helping this number go down. Nicki Burton, a well-known pageant coach for all ages, thinks a pageant girl has to look a certain way, act a certa in way, and eat a certain way (Dittrich, 2001). Usually, a pageant girl is not the person she appears to be. When she is on stage, she pretends to be someone she isnt, merely to impress a line of judges. Though it may seem like the child is the one striving so hard to be perfect, this is not the case. Parents push their children to the limit, and at any costs. Reporters for the St. Louis Post Dispatch say, parents who let their child compete in beauty pageants may be so focused on their own needs that they fail to see the negative effectsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ on their child (Eder, 1997). Because parents cannot be satisfied with children who are not perfect, parents are making the pageant world have a harmful effect on the children who participate. The combination of parents, and the desire to be perfect all have a lot to contribute to the detrimental aspects of pageantry. Some parents put their children in beauty pageants because they want to promote their child in a positive way. Contestants like to participate in pageants to showcase their talents, such as singing, dancing, or their wow-wear portion of the competition (Trujillo, 2007). Parents like to see their children on stage, no matter what they are doing, because they think pageants are fun for the child (Dittrich, 2001). By promoting their child in beauty pageants, parents arent realizing that they are exploiting their child on stage. The exploitation of children happens all the time in beauty pageants. Children are being exposed in a sexual manner, causing sexual predators to notice. Many seem to notice that when a child takes her top layer off, exposing a smaller outfit underneath, she receives a louder applause (Dittrich, 2001). Not only is the child sexually exposed, but she is also trained to take her clothes off to win. Pageant coaches train their pageant girls to project sexuality, because that is what wins (Eder, 1997). Parents constantly overlook the dangers of tiny outfits and a face covered in makeup when trying to win at any costs. Jon-Benet Ramsey was found in the basement of her parents house, strangled and sexually assaulted. She was an active participant in professional beauty pageants, with a bright future ahead of her. Her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, supplied her with all the necessities to win a pageant, including the makeup, spray on tan, hair extensions, and other items. Many wonder what this has to do with her murder. If she had not participated in pageants, and experienced the exploitation caused by her parents, many seem to think this murder would have never taken place, and Jon-Benet Ramsey would have lived a normal life (Reed, 2010). At first glance, Jon-Benet Ramsey looks as if shes twenty years old, shown below in Figure 2. Figure2: Glamour Shot of Jon-Benet Ramsey Note: Jonbenet1. 2009. Photograph. Brandy Lewis Forensics. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. . However, she was only six when she was choked to death (Verrengia, 1997). While the death of an innocent child is a tragedy, it should have been expected, due to the exploitation of Jon-Benet in the beauty pageant world. Many believe that parents push their children to participate in beauty pageants because it was something the parents, particularly the mother, have been interested in. Patsy Ramsey, Jon-Benet Ramseys mother, was a former beauty queen, and it is said that she put Jon-Benet in beauty pageants in order to relive her unfulfilled fantasies through her daughter (Reed, 2010). This explains why Patsy Ramsey has so often been accused of exploiting her child in the pageant world and eventually causing the death of her daughter. The smell of hairspray, the glitter of white smiles, and the desire to win fill the atmosphere of a regular pageant. But what people dont realize is that the feeling of defeat, the crushing of a childs self confidence, and the unbearable urge to be flawless also exist at a pageant. While a child prances across the stage with her white smile and sparkly gown, she is susceptible to sexual assault, hindered social interactions, and a belief that what she has to offer not relating to beauty means nothing. The death of Jon-Benet Ramsey was a tragedy. Jon-Benet was a girl just like every other pageant girl. But who knew her interest in beauty pageants would eventually lead to her death? Parents need to realize the dangers of beauty pageants, and what could happen to their precious child if being beautiful suddenly crosses the line.

Matthew Arnolds Dover Beach Essay -- Matthew Arnold Dover Beach Essay

Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' employs the sounds of language in three ways, through onomatopoeia to aurally represent the actions occurring on the beach, a varying meter which mirrors the varying heights of the waves on the beach, and a rhyme scheme which searches for its identity. In each stanza of the poem when the sounds of language are chaotic, the visual descriptions in the poem are tranquil, but when the visual descriptions are chaotic, the sounds of language become tranquil. This never resolved struggle represents the struggle the speaker finds himself in, which is about looking for something in his world which sounds and looks agreeable with his beliefs. The first stanza of the poem visually describes a tranquil ordinary beach scene, but through the sounds of language the reader learns the speaker sees the beach in more chaos than the visuals suggest. Passive verbs that dominate the first five lines of the poem such as ?is? (line 1) and ?lies? (line 2), as well as describing the sea as ?calm? (line 1) and the moon as ?fair? (line 2) contribute to the tranquil visual image of the beach. However, onomatopoeia, rhythm and rhyme do not agree with the tranquil beach scene. For example, onomatopoeia serves to aurally represent the violent action of the waves on the pebbles. The pebbles are already in a chaotic state with their ?grating roar? (line 9). Then the waves come and, ?draw back, and fling? (line 10) the pebbles to create more chaos. ?Fling? ends the line on a chaotic note. This process is aurally represented by, ?begin, and cease, and then again begin? (line 12). The line presents the reader with a beat that further emphasi zes the chaotic pattern of the waves and pebbles. T... ... until the darkness leaves and light can enter. The poem ends with the speaker finding what he wants to hear to put him at peace, silence. His loved one has listen to him throughout the poem and has not once spoken. The speaker wants someone he can talk to that will listen to him during the faith crisis. There may be more than a crisis of faith in the speaker?s life, but faith is the most important problem he wants fixed, since the entire third stanza is devoted to ?The Sea of Faith? (line 21) However, the speaker still sees the world as a chaotic lie, which over shadows seeing his loved one with him listening to him. Aural peace has been achieved while visual peace has not. Works Cited: Arnold, Matthew. Dover Beach. Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. ARP. 7th ed. Forth Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. 715-716.

Cox Enterprises Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Cox Enterprises Media Corporations in the Global Marketplace Cox Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is an Atlanta-based media conglomerate that has ties into nearly all media forms today. Since the founding of Cox Enterprises by James M. Cox in 1898, CEI has been established as a media staple through newspapers, radio, television, cable, telephone, and Internet communications . As of 2000, Cox Enterprises was ranked seventh in AdAge’s â€Å"100 Leading Media Companies† . Cox Enterprises is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is currently being led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James C. Kennedy, the grandson of James M. Cox. Cox Enterprises ,Inc. is the parent company for Cox Communications, Inc., Cox Interactive Media, Inc., Cox Newspapers, Inc., Cox Radio, Inc., Cox Television, and Manheim Auctions, Inc . Since James Kennedy became the CEO for Cox Enterprises in 1988, revenues have increased from $1.8 billion to more than $7.8 billion in 2000 . The public trading of both Cox Communications and Cox Radio since the company takeover by Kennedy has resulted in a respectable market capitalization of $27 billion and $2.4 billion. The establishment of Cox Enterprises began in 1898 when James M. Cox purchased the Dayton Evening News in Ohio . Prior to the success of Cox’s media career, he ran and lost against Warren G. Harding in the 1920 Presidential election. Upon losing the election, Cox decided to return to Ohio and focus on his media business. In 1934, he...

Irish Studies in the Informatics Age :: Irish Culture European Research

Irish Studies in the Informatics Age [†¦] and Gutenmorg with his cromagnom charter, tintingfast and great primer must once for omniboss step rubrickredd out of the wordpress else is there no virtue more in alcohoran. For that (the rapt one warns) is what papyr is meed of, made of, hides and hints and misses in prints. Till ye finally (though not yet endlike) meet with the acquaintance of Mister Typus, Mistress Tope and all the little typtopies. Fillstup. Finnegans Wake (London: Faber & Faber 1939), p.20. Television kills telephony in brothers' brawl. Ibid., p.52. This essay aims to trace the history and development of the electronic book in Ireland with some consideration of wider cultural issues involved in the very notion of digitising literature for the computer-based reader. In regard to digitising, the Irish book is subject to precisely the same conditions as any other literary product, so considered; that is to say, the processes applied by computers are precisely the same, be the books Irish or otherwise. In consequence the subject of this essay properly concerns textual archives and collections rather than discrete texts, whether held on national servers or linked together in cyberspace in such a way as to constitute a definite cultural topography for the internet user. The electronic Irish book is, then, less the name for a new way of producing literature than a new medium for the 'Irish anthology'—that is, a library of digital texts, however extensive, which has been created to represent (in sample or totality) the Irish lite rary tradition. In prevailing cultural conditions, each item in such a library is likely to be a digital copy of a formerly printed work of the kind in question rather than a new cultural entity generated ab initio within a new cultural medium. As to whether we call our subject the 'electronic Irish book' or the 'Irish electronic book', the difference is roughly analogous to that between 'smoked Irish salmon' and 'Irish smoked salmon'—a significant consideration for shoppers since the former implies a greater authenticity of actual contents than the latter, though not necessarily a superior dining experience. For practical purposes, it is Irish texts that concern us here, whether digitised in Ireland or elsewhere. Texts of other national provenance, whether in English or in another language, are the equivalent to 'Irish smoked salmon' in the foregoing culinary comparison; these may well abound to the degree of greatly outnumbering the others (as they do in any sizeable bookshop), but they are not the subject of this essay.

Dreams in the Great Gatsby

The Broken American Dream of the 1920s An accurate name for the 1920s is the roaring twenties. This was a decade full of social transformation and industrialization. Through this shift, a degradation in social moral occurred. A victim of this shift is the character J. Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is â€Å"corrupted by values and attitudes that he holds in common with a society that destroys him†(44). Through this mutual and obscured social moral, Gatsby seems to obtain a destructive view of his â€Å"American Dream†. Where the American Dream once â€Å"consisted of the belief that people of talent in this land of opportunity and plenty could reasonably aspire to material success if they adhered to a well-defined set of behaviors†(Trask). These behaviors were actions such as working hard, staying honest, and better educating ones self; much like the list that Gatsby made as a young boy. But with the boom of industrialization, came a trend of bootlegging and get rich quick schemes and unfortunately Gatsby became a victim of the era. As a matter of fact, Gatsby is not the only one who has suffered from this time of moral deterioration. Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby’s object of obsession, also is a victim of a society that allows her to not take responsibility for her actions. Daisy hides behind her public facade and her innocent carefree charm. Her husband Tom Buchanan has also manipulated the greedy, selfish social society that exists on East egg. Tom has no dreams or aspirations and â€Å"seeks excitement first in sport, then in infidelity, seeking identity in a book of racist political philosophy†(Wershoven). In a time of moral peril, each character is corrupted by a societal idea that taints their grasp of the â€Å"American Dream†. During Gatsby’s adolescent years, he has a clear and healthy mindset about what he wanted to accomplish in his life. Gatsby was self-motivated to make something of his life. But once he meets Daisy, Daisy becomes the embodiment of his dreams and the object of his obsession. As a young boy, growing up in North Dakota, Gatsby was motivated to be successful. Gatsby’s father said â€Å" Jimmy was bound to get ahead†. Even as a young adult, Gatsby refused to think of himself as an average person. Gatsby’s parents were â€Å"shiftless and unsuccessful† and Gatsby never â€Å" really accepted them as his parents at all. Instead Gatsby had a schedule of each day that would help him to attain his wealth. As Trask says, â€Å" He early decided that he could contemplate future glory. † Early on Gatsby embodies the ideals of society before the 1920s; he is determined and eager to work hard to independently reach success. This is until he meets Daisy, th e idea of Daisy is what sways Gatsby’s dreams off the right path. Gatsby met Daisy as a young man and hopelessly fell in love with her. However in the end, Daisy broke it off with Gatsby since he was not financially suitable for maintaining her lifestyle. It seems as though Gatsby never recovered from getting his heart broken by Daisy. As Nick says, â€Å" [Gatsby] had a extraordinary gift of hope- a romantic readiness such I have never found in any other person and which is not likely I shall find ever again†(2). Nick also says â€Å"Gatsby turned out alright at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-wind elations of men†(2). Indeed, it was the idea of winning Daisy’s love that drove Gatsby to his success. It corrupted his earlier ideas of working hard and saving his money; now he had to make money fast and resorted to bootlegging. Gatsby becomes frantic at the idea of coming wealthy and instead of slowly climbing up the success latter, he desperately and quickly makes money in any way he can so he can win Daisy back as quickly as possible. Gatsby became consumed with the idea of winning Daisy’s affection and rekindling their past romance. This is apparent when Gatsby describes their first kiss; â€Å"His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions of her perishable breathe, his mind would never romp again like the mind of god. So he waited†¦Then he kissed her†¦and the incarnation was complete†(112). Gatsby is brought down by Daisy and the â€Å"refusal to see the nature of his own dreams†(Wershoven). Nick sums up Gatsby’s debacle perfectly when he says that perhaps Gatsby’s â€Å"dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in the vast obscurity. What nick says is true, Gatsby was so blinded by love that he could not see Daisy’s flaws and Gatsby ended up paying the ultimate price . As Trask says, Daisy could never become a â€Å"legitimate actualization of Gatsby’s illegitimate dream†(Trask). Among those who have distorted dreams, Daisy Buchanan might perhaps be the worst. Daisy is a selfish, rich girl w ho has never â€Å"been held responsible for her actions, for she embodies the pure freedom of endless choice without consequences†(Wershoven). Daisy has never had to concern herself with worrying about money or materialistic things. Daisy has always gotten things handed to her and would not want it any other way. Daisy takes advantage of the fact that she lives in a society that has put her on a pedistal, and allows her to â€Å"smash† up things without any consquences. Her attractive nature and charm has helped her support this type of lifestyle. Daisy cannot even fathom the idea of having to work for something and therefore she has a sense of entitlement to everything that is given to her. At first Daisy seems harmless and bored as she mindlessly wonders out loud what she will do with the rest of her days. But as the novel goes on, it becomes quite clear that Daisy is not what she seems. Daisy has become a master of manipulation in order to maintain her lavish lifestyle. She knows exactly how to agree with what society expects of her and knows how to dress and maintain her appearance. But despite her warm and inviting appearance, Daisy is quite cold and superficial. Daisy’s ideals of wealth and money lead her to live a superficial and meaningless life that wreaks havoc in the lives of the other characters. It is this love of money that led here to marry her husband Tom Buchanan. Instead of waiting for Gatsby to return to the war, Daisy just decides to marry Tom because of his wealth and promise of a lavish life. Tom even gives her a three-hundred thousand-dollar pearl necklace. Even this amount of money is not enough to ensure Daisy’s fidelity. As soon as Gatsby comes back into town, she begins to have an affair. Even after years of leading Gatsby on, she still breaks his heart when she says that she â€Å"loves them both. † This is when it comes apparent that Daisy will never leave Tom. For Daisy, even true love is not enough to make her change her lifestyle. Her love of money has made her cold and reckless when it comes to love. Another example of Daisy’s reckless nature is when Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson, is killed. Daisy is perfectly content with letting Gatsby take the fall. Not one time does she even contemplate the idea of coming forward to take responsibility. Instead she hides behind her wealth and her appearance. As Wershoven puts it, â€Å"society helps to cover up the deed. † Daisy is an insatiable girl that has no need for validation by others. Daisy wants things and people but, â€Å"there is no space inside her that can be filled, no unfinished part of her can be completed by another†(Wershoven). Therefore, Daisy views people as at her disposal. This is ultimately the attitude that is responsible for Gatsby’s death. Daisy is so caught up in the materialistic needs of that time that she cannot value anything e else. She views everything she has as an accessory; even her own daughter. Were as most parents feel defined by their children’s lives, the reader almost forgets that Daisy even has a daughter at all. She only interacts with her child when it is convenient for her; and when it looks good in front of company. Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan is an ex- football star from the same college that Nick attended. Nick describes Tom as â€Å"one of those men that reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savors anti-climax†(10). Tom falls victim to greed and cannot satisfy his need for more. As Wereshoven says: â€Å"Daisy and Tom are always looking for something, something new and better, for they are bored with the things they already bought. Daisy wonders what they’ll do each day, and the next day, identifying the dilemma of people who can have whatever they want, as soon as they want it† (Wershoven). Tom is in a perpetuating cycle of greed in which he still cannot find satisfaction. He seeks thrills through sports, literature and even infidelity and all fall short of the glory he had back in college. He shares the same kind of entitlement and ignorance as Daisy. Toms idea of good literature are books like the â€Å"The Rise of the Colored Empire† and even expresses to Nick his distress over the submersion of the white race. But even Tom’s attempts at sounding intelligent fall short and he ends up sounding ignorant and pretentious. Another telling thing about Tom is the way he treats the women in his life. While he appears to be happily married to Daisy, he still is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson. For months, Tom brings Myrtle to his apartment in New York and for months, Tom knowingly leads her on. Tom showers her with gifts and even buys her a dog and an expensive leash. However, Tom has no intention of ever leaving Daisy for Myrtle; someone of lower social status than him. But yet Myrtle is under the delusional impression that Tom will leave his wife for her; and she will at last be part of the social network she dreams of. Myrtle is so in love with this idea that in turn, she despises the life that she lives without Tom; including her husband, George Wilson. Tom is also the ultimate hypocrite. While he the first one to criticize Daisy and Gatsby’s affair, he himself is having an affair. When Tom finds out about Daisy’s affair, he confronts Gatsby and says I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that's the idea then you can count me out† (137). He even claims that their affair is a â€Å"step toward inter-racial marriage. † Tom condemns his wife for her infidelity but describes his own as once in a while â€Å"going on a spree making a fool out of [himself], but [he] has always come back, and in [his] heart [he] loves her all the time†. Not only is Tom cheating with George Wilson’s wife, but he also acts as a bully toward George. George Wilson is an honest, good-hearted man and Tom just toys with him. Tom promises George that he will sell his car to him but he really never has any intention of doing so. George Wilson is depending on that money so he can start a new life out west and all Tom is doing is giving him empty promises. When George tries to bring up the subject to Tom, Tom gets offended and says â€Å"† Very well then, I won't sell you the car at all†¦ I'm under no obligations to you at all†¦ And as for your bothering me about it at lunch time I won't stand for that at all! † (122). Tom tries to find satisfaction by making George look like a fool and is amused by how easily he is able to do so. Just like Daisy, Tom has no remorse for the pain he inflicts in others. Overall the characters in The Great Gatsby, all embodied ideals that were emphasized in that time. Women were viewed as accessories and not yet contributing members of society. Women were still in charge of maintaining the home, especially in wealthy households, and concerned themselves with the small things. Daisy takes full advantage of this attitude and successfully gets away with murder. It is Daisy who corrupts J. Gatsby’s ideal of his American dream and instead of working hard, and â€Å"pulling himself up y his own bootstraps†, he resorts to crime in order to become rich quickly so that he can win Daisy back. Instead of working hard for his own self-success, he chases this idea of Daisy. And finally Tom, was a victim of his own insatiable appetite that he could not fulfill. In every aspect of his life, Tom wanted more. Tom held an ideal that was very common throughout the 1920s; that his money and high social class would be able to buy him anything in life. The idea of the American dream is wanting more for ones own life and becoming successful by hard honest work. All these characters shared the same sense of wanting more. But the had immoral ways of fulfilling their needs. Gatsby resorts to criminal activity in order to become wealthy. And Tom and Daisy resort to affairs in trying to satisfy their need for love. Unfortunately Gatsby is the one that pays the price in the end. Work Cited Trask, David F. â€Å"A Note on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. † University Review. 3. 3 (Mar. 1967): 197-202. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 197-202. Literature Resource Center. Gale. 12 Oct. 2009 http://go. galegroup. com/ps/start. do? p=LitRC=a04fu Wershoven, Carol. â€Å"Insatiable Girls. † Child Brides and Intruders. Bowling Green: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1993. 92-99. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Linda Pavlovski. Vol. 157. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 92-9 9. Literature Resource Center. Gale. 12 Oct. 2009 .

Research in motion, strategic analysis

RIM Ltd. Is now in a dilemma of how to attract customers and recapture the market share to be the best one in the cell phone industry. The purpose of this report is to offer RIM Ltd. With the directions that it requires to achieve its business culture of â€Å"meeting the need of people who want simplicity, easing of use and speed, without having to think twice about it†. (Research In Motion Ltd, 2012) This report will make a comprehensive analysis of the current competitive situation of RIM Ltd. And the factors that affect its development.Then the business level strategies and corporate level strategies will be given so as the RIM Ltd. Can improve and maintain Its sustainable competitive advantages, becoming more competitive when compared to Its competitors. This report Includes specific Information regarding RIM Ltd. ‘s history, Its current competitive situation analysis, forward 5 year business environment and proposed strategic adaptation. The business and corporate level strategies will help RIM Ltd. Obtain its company goals and get a better development in the future. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Company History and DescriptionCurrent Competitive Situation Analysis 3 Industry Analysis Competitor Analysis Business Level Strategy research in moot Executive Salivary According to their website, RIM) is a Canadian wireless headquartered In Ontario. Can famous as the production of TTT Motion Ltd. 20 2) With the industry and the development corporations enter into the Mac how to attract customers and r cell phone Industry, The PU directions that it requires to AC people who want simplicity, EAI about It†. (Research In Motion analysis to the current compete development, Then the business he given so as the RIM Ltd. AR advantages, becoming more c port includes specific_ Inform competitive Situation analysis, strategic adaptation, The busily obtain its company goals and 1 Company History and Descried Current Competitive Situation Cost Leadersh ip Differentiation Corporate Level Strategy 8 Five Year Projection of Business Environment 11 Market Analysis Market Competitive Analysis Market Needs Strategy and Approach to the Market strategic Model – SOOT References 19 Appendices Appendix A – Group Contract Appendix B – Reflexive Assessment of Group Process Appendix C – Tables and Figures The purpose of this report is to objectively analyze listed Canadian Corporation. Research In Motion Ltd. Strategies are analyzed. Then the purpose is to usage corporate level strategy for Research In Motion Ltd. O its existent dilemma and keep its industry-leading POS History And Description Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (TTS: RIM, NASDAQ wireless and telecommunication equipment company. Canada and employs more than 17,000 people. It is FAA tablet and BlackBerry smartened. (Research In Motion products and services include the following: applicant communication devices, convergent devices phones, s BlackBerry wir eless platform. (RIM Company, Products, in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Mike Lazars Company, 2012) and served as its co-CEO along with J then the new CEO is Thornton Hein. (Research In Moot company changed its focus from working with pagers communication.In 1997, RIM was listed on the Toronto $150 million in a public offering, (Research In Motion, releasing of the BlackBerry, a wireless handheld com line display and allowed two-way paging and basic me nominated as one of â€Å"Canada's Top 100 Employers† b company was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the USA in 1992, raising $250 million at the same time. In the same year, the company launched its iconic reduce—the BlackBerry 850 Wireless Handheld, which integrated wireless data networks, email, and a traditional QWERTY keyboard in a hand-held device. The BlackBerry caused an enormous sensation. The marketing demands extremely excel its supplies. As the introduction of the 850, RIM became the world's fastest growing company, at least according to Fortune. (A History of RIM†¦ , 2007) With the upgrading of voice and data transmission of the Blackberry, the smartened began the revolution.The company laid off about 10 percent of its workforce because of massive operation losses. After the massive loss in fiscal 2003, RIM start to return to reparability by 2004 (March 1 , 2003 to February 28, 2002) because of continuing strong sales. Afterwards, BlackBerry surpassed one million subscribers all over the world. By 2010, RIM still controlled 10. 4 percent of the smart phone operating system market. (Research In Motion. Ltd, 2011) However, the good situation of RIM was not lasted too long. With the Apple and other product entering into the market, RIM is facing massive challenges. The top three competitors of RIM are Apple, Samsung and Google according to the statistics in Appendix C. Appendix C, Figure l) The company's uncial conditions experienced great challenge in 2011. RIM miss ed its earnings forecasts and delayed its product launches, which led to the share price plummeting. (Research In Motion, 2012) Owing to the declined performance in summer 2011, many employees left the corporation. The company eventually had to cut 2,000 positions for the voluntary exodus in the mid-year. (Marrow, l, 2011, P. 81) To change the dilemma of RIM, the CEO Thornton Hein announced a new SO, BIO, which he felt would â€Å"reverse RIM' s fortunes. â€Å"(RL Ltd, 2012) The new mobile phone with B 10 will be release in the beginning of 2013. We hope that Blackberry 10 could bring opportunity to RIM.With the business culture of â€Å"meeting the need of people who want simplicity, easing of use and speed, without having to think twice about it†, we look forward to seeing the BlackBerry 10 could enhance the sales of RIM and let RIM go up to the first-position in the telecommunication industry. Current competitive Situation Analysis â€Å"Economics define an industry as a group of firms that supplies a market. (Grant, 2010). † Since the prevail and convenience of borderless communication, many districts and countries without cell service in the last years are now provided with electrification because of the large efforts of big corporations, such as Samsung, Monika, LET, Motorola, TCL, LAG, Apple, RIM, Compel, Aroma, Sony, Hawaii, etc. As the progress of the mobile phone, the standard is also improving. With the need for smartness continually increasing, the need for data retaining across networks.New technologies are emerging to meet the need such as 36 on AT&T and ISO operating system was explored by Apple Cord. To be used in Apple's products such as phone. Over the past few years, the mobile phone industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. As the rapid development of economy in developed Mounties, more and more people could afford to buy cell phones. Undoubtedly, mobile phones have become one of the major parts of our everyday life. We use mobile phones to do their project and make video-conference and voice-conference. The arising of new technologies and the increasing demand make the mobile phone market worldwide.Worldwide smartened markets will continue to achieve enormous growth as facilities access the Internet, achieve almost universal penetration, and support machine to machine (M to M) communications. According to Susan Suites, lead author of the study, â€Å"Over one-half of all smartness in the global racket are made by Apple and Samsung. † (Wintergreen, 2012, P 1 . ) Competitor Analysis Research In Motion acts as a leader in the global telecommunication industry. Its main competitors are Apple, Google and Samsung. Other competitors include Monika and ETC. Apple is one of RIM's major competitors and also a industry-leader considering the manufacturing of cell phones, MPH players, computers and tablet PC.Apple offers a portfolio of products including Macintosh (Mac) computing sys tems, pods line of portable digital music and video players, phone handsets and pad portable multimedia and computing devices. Apple also sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Apple sells its products worldwide through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. The company offers the products across five operating segments: Japan, Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and retail. â€Å"The company recorded revenues of $108,249 million in the fiscal year ending September 2011, an increase of 66. % compared to fiscal 2010. Its net income was $25,922 million in fiscal 2011, compared to a net income of $14,013 million in the preceding year. † (Mobile Phones In Canada, 2012, PEP) Samsung, another competitor of RIM. Samsung Electronics main transactions are the manufacture and distribution of consumer electronics, home appliances, semiconductor products, and communication products. Samsung has a number of subsidiaries and operates respectively. The company operates by three business parts: device solutions, digital media, telecommunications and others. The device solutions part is made up of semiconductor and liquid-crystal splay (LCD) reporting parts.The digital media business part manufactures a number of products including audio-visual devices, digital TV's, printers and monitors. It also offers digital home appliances like washers, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, ovens, refrigerators, and other appliances. The telecommunications part provides a wide range of related mobile products and solutions. (Mobile Phones In Canada, 2012, PEP) Samsung is now possessing the largest market share in the phone market and compared to RIM, it is around six times more. (Appendix C) Google is also a major competitor of RIM. Google Inc. Started as an online search firm, but it now provides more than 50 Internet products and services, from e-mail and online document creation to software for mobile phones and tablet computers.Additionally, with the acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012, Google is now enlarging its transaction to sell hardware such as mobile phones. Google's broad product portfolio and size make it become one of the top four influential companies in the high-tech marketplace, along with Apple, IBM and Microsoft. Despite this myriad of products, its original search tool remains the core of its success. In 2011 requests. (Google Inc. , 2012) However, with Google's powerful strength and branding, no one can overlook its influence in the future smartened market. Business Level Strategy Research in Motion has strong beliefs and values that creates a strong and inspiring foundation of the company.According to their website, â€Å"RIM seeks to make a positive impact in our communities, engaging the talents and resources of our people and partners to harness he power of technology. RIM strongly believes in the important of education and works to inspire the next generation of minds†¦. † Research in Motion, Ltd. ) RIM supports all their employees through a program called Protrude where they give back the company through fundraising and volunteering. According to Appendix D, the employees contributed approximately $201 ,OHO to 182 organizations, they have supported 22 food banks globally, donated 2,458 toys for children at Christmas and many other voluntary and deeds that demonstrates the company's values.RIM is also a proud partner of Free the Children charity where they strive to educate the awareness and education of children in order to shape our future leaders. Cost Leadership Research in Motion has been well known for its market of Blackberry smartness and has been offered in many different phone companies. However, the low cost differentiation causes the company to have a competitive advantage. According to Ap pendix C, the comparison of the phone and BlackBerry clearly shows that with the purchase of a BlackBerry, a substantial amount of money will be saved. In results with the cost advantage, the RIM is able to attract more customers and sell their products at a lower price.In addition to Appendix E, the table states that there are retain sections where even with the BlackBerry plan having a lower cost, the offers are still the same such as 1 50 daytime minutes, pm start time for unlimited evening calls, 2500 SMS, caller ID, who called, SAFE and 911 fees. Differentiation RIM believes that there are certain characteristics that gives itself a competitive advantage against its competitors that includes: BlackBerry Cloud – RIM has used its advanced technology to have this wireless solution where the device is in constant connection with the network. One of its main establishments for BlackBerry marathoner is IBM and how it has become a leading mobile instant messaging app. Other fea tures includes over-the-air distribution of applications, over-the-air calendar synchronization, over-the-air folder management, etc.BlackBerry Messenger – one of the biggest distinguisher about BlackBerry smartness is of its innovative and fast instant messenger program made specifically for BlackBerry users to communicate with each other known BlackBerry Messenger (IBM). Each device contains their own specific pin in order for it to communicate with others. These messages will be sent through the BlackBerry servers which is the reason for TTS faster service when receiving and sending messages. Return of Investment – ROI provides customers with the fastest payback when purchasing a BlackBerry. The network efficiency causes the users of BlackBerry devices to gain lower data roaming chargers and lower cost of buying. RIM continues to enhance their workflow, personal productivity and managing the BlackBerry Cloud in order for BlackBerry users to improve with their device .Addition of new products and devices – RIM introduced the enhance its multitasking abilities. This tablet enables its users to obtain full touch screen experience while rapid responses. Soon after that, RIM released BlackBerry Playbook SO which is a free software to help benefit and improve the system within applications and content services. Corporate Level Strategy Income Statement sales$1 Return on Equity/a Cash Flow cash cash$l Current Ratify. 20 12 months ended Seep 01, 2012. Trailing 12 month results shown above. All data is in U. S. Dollars. According to Appendix F, within the income statement it shows that earnings are in the negative, resulting in a loss.With this extreme loss of money being evident, Research in Motion needs to come up with a different direction in which the company should innovate and branch into a different direction, using what they know in different industries to gain a competitive advantage newcomers may not have because currently they are losi ng money, with their objective being to maximize profits. The new accompanied strategy that RIM should follow should be along the lines of innovating their phone designs, tablets, as well as operating software for both of their products. â€Å"Microsoft Corp†¦ Kicked off the Electronic Entertainment Expo on Monday by unveiling new software called Oxbow Smartness that will allow Oxbow 360 users to stream and share content across smartness, tablets and TV's. It also announced that it was bringing its Internet Explorer browser to the console this fall. Internet Explorer coupled with the power of Oxbow will, for the first time, deliver a fast, fluid, intuitive Web experience in the living room,† said Oxbow Live corporate vice president Marc Weatherboarding's was demonstrated in several ways, turning a smartened into a remote control used to surf the Web on a TV and utilizing a tablet as a way to display information about games, TV shows and movies that were simultaneously be ing played on a TV† . Marc Whiten, 2011). Due to the fact that the Oxbow 360, owned by Microsoft, will be coming out with this new technology based on tablets and smartness, RIM should get in on the action and gain a competitive advantage by designing a product that is cheap, durable, and specifically designed for this new era of gaming, as well as other essential tablet software, APS, etc..This is because when looking for a tablet to buy, consumers will look for a tablet that satisfies all their needs, and if they own an Oxbow, their wants for a tablet, being one that will give them their best gaming experience as possible. They could also go to Sony, with the technological information they will gain from the Oxbow experiment, and strike a deal with Sony to become one of the only tablet providers, other than Sony, that will incorporate the tablet gaming technology. Sony may get in on this due to the fact that Nintendo already has the WI U Gamed. â€Å"WI games, players and t he TV by creating a second window into the video game world. It also offers a new way for viewers to engage with their favorite entertainment. The Gamed incorporates a 6. -inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen, as well as rotational button controls and two analog sticks. Inputs include a *Control Pad, LIAR sticks, LIAR stick buttons, A/BIGLY buttons, LIAR buttons, CRUZ buttons, Power button, HOME button, -SELECT button, +/START button, and TV CONTROL button. The Gamed also includes motion control (powered by an accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor), a front-facing camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, rumble features, a sensor bar, an included stylus and support for Near Field Communication (MFC) functionality. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and weighs approximately 1. 1 pounds (500 g). WI U Technical Specs, 2012).This is similar to the Oxbow Smartness project, and since the Sony ASS does not have anything similar to these two, they will fall behi nd due to the competitive advantage the other two leaders in the gaming industry have. This is why Sony may hop on board with RIM, where the latter company receives a competitive advantage being one of the only ones on the ASS as well as being a competitor on the Oxbow 360. They will then be competing in the gaming industry, the tablet industry, and the smartened industry, three separate business industries, two being former industries but with more innovative ideas, and one industry that is totally new to them and the world, meaning they have an equal shot like everyone else on the Oxbow market, and a better shot on the ASS market. Reliance on strategic alliances and relationships with third-party network infrastructure developers, software platform vendors and service platform vendors, including RIM's ability to promote and advance the development of an ecosystem of applications and services for the BlackBerry 10 smartness and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablets;† (Research in M otion, 2012). This states that they are leaning on innovating the software technology for both smartened and tablet platforms, as well as forming alliances with other companies. Therefore the firm should try and sneak into the gaming/tablet gaming industry, using the strategies noted previously, to gain any sort of profit due to the fact that they have lost so much that in order to gain the money lost they need to start taking risks or else they run the chance of losing their company.With this decision to go into this industry, they have a chance at becoming one of the leaders in the tablet and smartened industry, u to the competitive advantage Research in Motion has over other providers with newer, more innovative, software that incorporates everything that a smartened and tablet has today, as well as gaming specialization that other tablets and phones will not have. Five Year Projection Plan Research in motion is motivated as an organization in the development, sale, service and m aintenance of software and mobile solutions for both the short and long-term care market. Let is a company that provides world class service and always puts the needs of our consumers first. Len addition to this, it is a company that is river by ideas. We believe that innovation and collaboration will foster sustainable growth for our business†( Research in Motion, 2012). Such professional growth, would be attainable with the continued effort to excel in a competitive environment, providing World Class service at a sensible cost for consumers. The strategic adapt to an ever changing technological environment. Providing quality products and services; Research In Motion (RIM) is the company behind the innovative and award- winning BlackBerry product line. In order for Research in Motion to be successful in he future, it is this type of quality and competitive edge that will lead the company down the pathway of continued growth and success.Market Analysis In this market analysis, we must take into consideration the company today, its competitors, consumers and any future business ventures. The market today is a direct foreshadow for the technological footprint that companies such as RIM will leave for tomorrow. As such, Research in Motion must account the many variable factors that may arise as well in the next five years. The current trends of the mobile and handheld software network are as follows; consumers' have the require taste for lit-use high functioning mobile devices such as smart phones with high processing operating systems. The days have passed where any product was made to last a lifetime.It is a world of if it's broken don't fix it; in the sense that, you are able to replace your once top of the line device with a newer model with more applications and a faster processor in only a few months' time. This new trend is seen in many forms of production, and is now widely accepted by the consumer market. It is the idea that today's population want s newer, faster and bigger in the sense of capabilities. Market Competitive Analysis One of the key components of determining your own success is based on how you compare to competitors in your specific market. In a recent poll † Score data, 32. 8% of Canadians own a smart phone. However, narrowing down to mobile operating systems, the data reveals that the top smart phone platform for March 2011 is BlackBerry with 42% of smart phone subscribers. Second up, following RIM, is Apple with 31%.The remaining of the statistics are made up from Goggles Android with 12. 2%, Ionians Simian with 6. 4% and Microsoft with 5. 1%. † (phone in Canada 2011) This leads to inclination that RIM stock is on the rise. However, this is not the case. It is important to recognize that both Apple (phone) and Google (Android) are currently growing in the Mobile device sector. Respectively, both the increase in software capabilities as well as faster processors and greater network connection is th e ever- growing trend in hand-held devices. An analysis of both Google Android and Apple phone appear to be designed for demographics from all walks of life.The Apple phone allows for people to talk across provinces using the application termed, â€Å"face time†. The idea that a mobile device that is able to fit in the palm of your hand can innocent people thousands of miles away gives the consumer extra leverage to lean towards the competitors product. The mobile device network is one that must appeal to several demographics and adhere to the wants and needs of its consumer. In the future, it is likely that the direction of the industry will produced by the these top three competitors. In order to be successful Research in Motion must target all the market segments with initial focus on research and development of current product.Such product diversity, as well as an increase significant ease of use of products will attract new customers . Converting numerous customers from competitive products to Blackberry, through a positive customer experience will allow for a continual growth over the long term. Time is a critical commodity in the long-term, success of a attractive to long-term consumers who are paying several hundred dollars per device. This segment of Research in motion of product quality will be far more user friendly than those products currently on the market. Market Needs The cellular market requires a highly functional product that is cost effective and easy to use.Research in motion in order to counter-act the competitors in their racetrack; must provide more product services, easy accessible product assistance, and continuous growth in there software, research and development sector to stay atop the main producers of the mobile networking world. In addition to this, the active cellular marketplace in order to be sustainable in the long run must account for the aging population. Clearly, the proportion of older citizens is growing and will continue to do so with the aging of the baby boomers. Following the trend in the mobile usage sector. It is evident that people from all ages are currently using smart phone devices. Applications that appeal to both young and old must be readily available in order to maximize sales.If the trends within the marketplace remain constant, that it appears that children will soon be talking across play grounds with high-tech mobile devices. Lastly, the needs of such a diverse marketplace may only be met by those that are willing to change, resistance to change could be detrimental to the long-term success of any company within the market. Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result† RIM has for the most part attempted to appeal to the business class of the market. Creating advertising the blackberry smart phone as the best option for Coo's of large companies'; to small business owners on the go. This has been the sta ple of their commitment to their customers and has been for several years.However it is imperative that with any strategy there is also current modifications made in order to adhere to the constantly changing environment. It is important to view everyone in mobile network of business as potential customers. A new strategic approach, of more touch-screen, higher processing software, user- friendly applications, for all gees and demographics must be adopted in order to compete with companies such as apple. More cost effective ways of producing these products will save money for both the company and its consumers. An approach through the market by internet, direct email advertising, advertising on such sites as Face book, and high-processing video websites such as Youth as well as traditionally advertising will also help boost sales.One of the key ingredients to success is to improve the customer service of existing customers to insure technological approach must be taken to appeal to the future demographics n their consumer base. If Research in Motion does not produce higher quality products to compete with the likes of the Apple I-phone than the future of the Company looks dim, and the stock of RIM and value of the company will only diminish at a steady rate. Strategic Model Among many strategic models to run a successful business like that of RIM (Research in Motion) in the present competitive business environment. SOOT model with its strength, weakness, opportunities and threat. In order to better evaluate RIM as a whole it is essential that we use such techniques to establish the productivity ND potential flaws in the current structure of the organization.In the following model, it will reveal the potential the company is capable of however, due to certain weaknesses and threats it has given them a disadvantage in the market. Strengths RIM has a variety of strength's beginning with its manufacturing of high technology products. Among these strengths, are tho se of the research and development sector. The main focus of the organization is their mobile device, the BlackBerry. An area which prides itself on being top of the line and the best option for any person in the world of business. Products are exclusive, unique and have very good quality in which existing and new customers are attracted. An important strength is that the RIM organization is very organized and competent within the management revolving around talent.Corporation is very strong and is very advancing with technological products in order to improve the quality. RIM has a very successful established reputation globally thus causing RIM to be a trusted brand and company. RIM provides a extensive customer care capabilities which helps the them gain the trust of their customers. Their incentive of balancing IT and consumer emends has led RIM a market leading role in the market. Weaknesses The competitors of RIM can cause a great affect on its ability to satisfy consumer need s because its competitors is capable of achieving it before the BlackBerry devices can. Apple and Android smartness are two companies coming out with newer, more innovative technology. Lacquerer may struggle to keep up due to the fact that these companies' phones focus largely on touch screen technology, while the blackberry only has 2 phones that use the touch screen form of technology. As well as the fact that the service blackberry provides has been subject to outages, arrive losses globally, and the fact that Android and Apple cannot experience a global outage, makes it that much more threatened by competitor innovation. Opportunities With the ever growing IT management team, they are all striving to improve and enhance its technologies through new products and devices. BlackBerry 10 is a new platform that all BlackBerry products will run on will be the new blackberry 10 software.This is opportunistic because it provides customers with a new look on the BlackBerry products as we ll as 2 new phones that will accompany the new platform as well as run off of the system. This also creates hype around the release of the software and phones bringing the blackberry community together and creating excitement for loyal consumers. â€Å"We look forward to getting BlackBerry 10 in the hands of our customers around the world. † (Thornton Hein, 2012). Moreover, with the experience of making mistakes in the past, , it creates opportunity to learn from their mistakes, and capitalize on that knowledge to execute objectives at the right times to achieve their goals. â€Å"RIM delayed the roll-out of the BlackBerry 10 phones to the first quarter of 2013 so as not to repeat the errors that surrounded the PlayBook