Thursday, November 28, 2019

Motif

The changes in the world and society brought the changes in every area of the public’s life and its art, culture, and spiritual life. Thus, today the American poetry develops according to the contemporary tendencies, and a poem’s performance becomes the part of the vivid action basing on a number of controversial aspects discussed in the definite piece of poetry.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Motif-Based Literary Analysis Of â€Å"Check One† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ‘Slam’ as a kind of poetry performance contributes to the realization of the poets’ motifs and intentions in the spoken word and to the satisfaction of the audience’s desire for provocations and controversies. Regie Cabico is a pioneer of the ‘Slam’ movement and one of the most successful its participants whose voice is not only heard by the public but also appreciated. Speakin g about his origin, Cabico states that â€Å"I am the product of Filipino immigrants. I straddled African-American Catholic, Redneck Suburban Middle-class life to develop an ear for English, influenced by Tagalog, Spanish and Musical Theater† (â€Å"Introduction by Regie Cabico†). Although Cabico lives the most part of his life in Washington, D.C., he is a cosmopolite in his political, social, and religious visions because it is rather impossible to define the person in the modern society as belonging to one nation or one race. The problems of the individual’s identity, spiritual development, and religious ideals are the major motifs in Regie Cabico’s â€Å"Check One†. Cabico’s poem can be discussed as his vivid gospel with the help of which he declares his viewpoints on the meaning of the person’s spirituality and identity with presenting his cosmopolitism in all the visions including religious ones. â€Å"I stand proudly before y ou a fierce Filipino who knows how to belt hard-gospel songs played to African drums at Catholic mass† (Cabico 4-6). The poet admits the possibility to combine the culture of African-Americans and traditional Catholics. Regie Cabico’s main question in the poem sounds extremely loudly and attracts the public’s attention to the issue. It is also associated with the hidden question about the religious aspects because the poet accentuates the peculiarities of his multicultural and multireligious upbringing. The possible explanation for the poet’s position can be observed in his words in the introduction to Poetry Quarterly, â€Å"I will never be ‘Filipino’ and I will never be ‘American’. I will only be ‘Filipino-American† (â€Å"Introduction by Regie Cabico†). Cabico expresses the theme of identify by the American Filipino and the theme of racial discrimination. This poem is talking about the Filipino American peop le’s identity in the United States and the racial discrimination that they face.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By writing that â€Å"I could give you an epic about my ways of life or my book and you want me to fill it in ‘one square box’†, Cabico means there is no way that classification of people with different colors produces same results since each possesses unique qualities and unique identities (Cabico 25-26). He even concludes the stanza by saying that â€Å"there is no ‘one kind’ to fill anyone† (Cabico 29). This is because each person is different and possesses unique qualities that are also important and all people of all races are equal. When Cabico says that â€Å"You tell me who I am, what gets me the most money and I’ll sing that song like a one-man caravan†, the person here is lamenting about lackin g of enough money for him to use, and he says that if anyone can tell him what his true identity is and give him enough money to sustain himself, then he would sing him a song like a one-man caravan (Cabico 30-31). The character of the person’s identity very often depends on the definite amounts of money. When the poet says that he has sung â€Å"lullabies from welfare, food-stamps, and nature† he also illustrates how poor his living conditions are (Cabico 33). He blames this on the government who discriminates people based on their race and he says, â€Å"And you want me to sing one song† (Cabico 34). He is bitter about the government who expects them to stay loyal and sing the national anthem despite the fact that they intentionally discriminate against them and can force them to live in poor conditions. In the modern society, the poet’s voice is a loud voice, and Regie Cabico combines the idea of loudness with the motifs of music and his spirituality. Thus, Cabico states that his gospel is â€Å"heavy† and continues, â€Å"My comedy out-loud, laughing about, our shared, / stolen experiences of the South† (Cabico 15-17). The South with its religion and culture, with the phenomenon of the blues in music is close to the poet. â€Å"I have danced jigs with Jim Crow and shuffled my hips to a sonic guitar of Clapton and Hendrix† (Cabico 35-36). Therefore, his world is a complex combination of spiritual visions and music expressions typical for the representatives of the whole mankind, but not a definite nation. The life in modern cities and towns is like a survival in the place full of vultures. Some persons can say that people should pay attention to their identities. It is also significant to focus on their self-awareness, the loudness of their voice, and the loudness of the city sounds. According to Cabico, â€Å"Would it surprise you if I told you my blood was delivered from North off Portuguese vessels who ga ve me spiritual stones and the turn in my eyes – my father’s name when they conquered the Pacific Isles† (Cabico 18-21).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Motif-Based Literary Analysis Of â€Å"Check One† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regie Cabico prefers to identify himself as a cosmopolite with the features of all the nations which blood flows in him because it is almost impossible to understand what culture influenced him more and gave him â€Å"spiritual stones†. Thus, Cabico follows the tendencies of the constantly changing world and avoids determining his identity. It is a kind of the poet’s survival in the world. It is possible to note that Regie Cabico’s relations with Washington, D. C. are also based on the opposition of the necessity to be identified according to certain criteria in order to survive in the city and his personal feeling of the cosmopolita n freedom in the world where the poet’s voice should be heard. The frames of the city can be considered as too narrow for the poet who is inclined to defend his vision. The individuality, and especially a poet, cannot be limited with the frames or norms. That is why Regie Cabico’s last words in the poem â€Å"Check one† emphasize this vision of the poet’s identity, â€Å"I’ll check â€Å"other,† say artist, that’s who I am; a poet, a writer, a lover of man† (Cabico 40-41). Works Cited Cabico, Regie. â€Å"Check One†. Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafà ©. Algartn, Miguel and Holman, Bob. Canada: Fitzhenry Whiteside Lrd, 1994 Poetry Quarterly: Introduction by Regie Cabico. Winter 2008. This essay on Motif-Based Literary Analysis Of â€Å"Check One† was written and submitted by user Carlee Flowers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Groundwater Pollution in Bangladesh Essays

Groundwater Pollution in Bangladesh Essays Groundwater Pollution in Bangladesh Paper Groundwater Pollution in Bangladesh Paper 900 parcels of land each year. Contamination can occur from improper land-disposal techniques. Storage and Handling of Materials and Wastes Groundwater contamination as the result of storage and handling of materials includes leaks from both above-ground and underground storage tanks, as well as unintentional spills or poor housekeeping practices in the handling and transferring of materials on industrial and commercial sites. Aging underground Storage Tanks Possibly as many as 7 million steel tanks are used to store petroleum products, acids, chemicals, industrial solvents and other types of waste underground. The potential of these tanks to leak increases with age. About 20 percent of existing steel tanks are more than 16 years old, and estimates f the total number that presently leak petroleum products range from 25 to 30 percent. Underground storage tanks appear to be a leading source of benzene, toluene and Selene contami nants, all of which are organic compounds in diesel and gasoline fuels. Transporting and Stockpiling Many materials and wastes are transported and then temporarily stored in stockpiles before being used or shipped elsewhere. Precipitation can lea potential contaminants from such stockpile; storage containers can eroded and leak; and accidental spills mean occur as many as 10,000 to 16,000 per year, according to EPA estimates. Mining Practices Mining of coal, uranium and other substances and the related mine spoil can lead to groundwater contamination in several ways: * Shafts and tunnels can intersect aquifers. * Exposing coal to oxygen can form sulfuric acid, which can degrade water * Contaminants from tailings can leach into groundwater. Oil-Well quality. Bribes Since the asses, hundreds of thousands of exploratory and production wells have been drilled for oil and gas in the United States. During production, Oil wells produce bribes that are separated from the oil and stored in surface impoundments. EPA estimates that 1 25, 100 brine-disposal impoundments exist that might affect local groundwater supplies. Agricultural Activities Agriculture is one of the most widespread human activities that affects the quality of groundwater. In 1987, about 330 million acres were used for growing crops in the united States, of which 45 million acres were irrigated. Fertilizers During the 1 9605 and asses, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer use steadily increased to a peak of 23 million tons in 1981. By 1987, however, fertilizer use had declined to 19. Million tons, reflecting the large number of acres withdrawn from production as part of the Conservation Reserve Program and other government programs. If nitrogen supply exceeds nitrogen uptake by crops, excess nitrogen mean be leached to groundwater. In such areas, local nitrate-nitrogen concentrations may exceed the federa l drinking water standard of 10 MGM/L Pesticides Pesticides have been used since the asses to combat a variety of agricultural pests. Between 1 964 and 1 982, the amount of active ingredients applied to croplands increased 1 70 percent. Herbicide usage peaked in 1982, and since then has declined from about 500 million pounds of active ingredients per year to about 430 million pounds in 1987. In addition to crop applications, infiltration of spilled pesticides can cause contamination in locations where pesticides are stored, and where sprayers and other equipment used to apply pesticides are loaded and washed. Pesticides most frequently detected in groundwater are the fumigants ethylene debrief (DB) and 1 disproportional; the insecticides Aldrich, carbons and chlordane; and the herbicides alcohol and trainee. Feedlots Feedlots confine livestock and poultry and create problems of animal-waste disposal. Feedlot wastes often are collected in impoundments from which they might infiltrate to groundwater and raise nitrate concentrations. Runoff room farmyards may also directly enter an aquifer along the outside of a poorly sealed well easing. Irrigation Percolation of irrigation water into soils dissolves soil salts and transports them downward. Photoengravings of applied water from the root zone concentrates salts in the soil and increases the salt load to the groundwater. Checkmating, the practice of mixing and distributing pesticides and fertilizers with irrigation water, may cause contamination if more chemicals are applied than crops can use. It may also cause local contamination if chemicals back- siphon from the holding tank directly into the aquifer through an irrigation ell. Saline Water Intrusion The encroachment of saline water into the freshwater part of an aquifer is an ever-present threat when water supplies are developed from the highly productive coastal plain aquifers of the United States, or from aquifers underlain by saline water in the interior of the country. Local incidents Of saline water intrusion have occurred on all coasts of the United States. How Extensive is Groundwater Contamination Assessment of the extent of groundwater contamination is difficult, due to such factors as limited and inconsistent access to the water (usually pendent on wells and springs); the potential for bias in existing data (if originally collected to explore a particular water quality problem); incomplete information about the well (did the well draw from more than one aquifer? ; and inconsistent methods of sampling and analysis. It is also important to keep in mind that the trend of increasing reports of detections of contaminants in groundwater is largely due to the intensive search for contaminants now under way by many state agencies, as well as continued improvements in the sensitivity of analytical methods used to measure the concentration Of contaminants. The volume Of groundwater within 2500 feet of the surface has been estimated at 100 quadrillion gallons, or about 16 times the volume of the Great Lakes. Of this amount, at least half is too saline from natural causes to use for drinking water, although some of it may be suitable for other uses. The total amount of the remaining groundwater that is contaminated is unknown, although EPA estimates the amount contaminated by point sources to be 2-3 percent. Recent U. S. Geological Sunny studies have made the following assessments: * The United States has large amounts of potable water available for use. Locally, however, high concentrations of a variety of toxic metals, organic chemicals and petroleum products form plumes around such point sources as leaking underground storage tanks, waste disposal sites and chemical or waste handling areas. These types of problems generally occur in urban or industrialized areas, although they are found occasionally in rural areas. Large regions have been identified in which contaminants, derived from Nippon sources and often at minimum detectable levels, are present in many shallow wells throughout a given area. In a small percentage of wells, such contaminants as titrate may exceed drinking water standards or health advisories. Generally, s uch Nippon source contamination is associated with densely populated urban areas, agricultural land uses and concentrations of septic systems. Furthermore, such contamination commonly affects only the shallowest aquifers. * 20 percent of 124,000 wells sampled over the past 25 years contained a maximum nitrate-nitrogen concentration greater than 3 MGM/L, suggesting the effects of human activities. 6 percent of the samples exceeded the federal drinking water standard for nitrate-nitrogen of 10 MGM/L. Although 44 state summaries in the U. S. Geological Surreys 1 986 National Water Summary on groundwater quality mention detection of pesticides in groundwater, data are insufficient to draw conclusions about the extent of contamination. The state summaries do, however, express widespread concern that the frequency of detections and the concentrations of pesticides will increase over time. The U. S. EPA has compiled reports on the occurrence of 46 pesticides in groundwater. In 26 states, o ne or more pesticides have been tweeted in groundwater that mean be attributed to normal agricultural use. The most commonly detected pesticides are trainee and Aldrich. EPA currently is conducting its National Pesticide Survey to provide a nationwide estimate of the occurrence of pesticides in drinking water wells. The survey includes the collection of water samples from a statistically representative sample of community water system wells (600) and private wells (750). Interim results show that 6 of 180 community well samples collected thus far and 9 of 115 private well samples had detectable pesticide residues. Of the 15 wells that had detectable levels of pesticides,3 had concentrations that exceeded lifetime health advisory levels established by EPA. Of 295 wells ample thus far, samples from 8 wells had nitrate-nitrogen concentrations that exceeded the 10 MGM/L drinking water standard. All 8 samples were from private wells. Statistically reliable estimates of the percentage of wells contaminated will be available when the survey results are released in late 1990. Summary: How Contaminated is Groundwater? Although little systematic information exists on the extent and severity of groundwater contamination, available evidence suggests that * The shallowest aquifers generally are at greatest risk of contamination, especially those where the overlying unsaturated zone is thin and permeable. Contamination of shallow aquifers by nitrates and synthetic organic chemicals is widespread in many areas; * Shallow groundwater contamination can be related to land use. * As yet, deeper as fifers, which commonly are used for public drinking water supplies, are relatively free from contamination. Additional reports of groundwater contamination may be expected in the coming years, as federal, state and local agencies expand their groundwater quality monitoring programs using sophisticated analytical methods that can measure very small concentrations of contaminants. Groundwater moves very slowly, and it may be years after remedial actions re taken before improvements in water quality are obsessed. For this reason, the enhancement of the quality of the nation s groundwater requires a long- term commitment. More definitive assessments of groundwater quality will have to await the expansion of data-collection programs, the use of standard sampling and analytical procedures, research on the health risks associated with long-term exposure to very small concentrations of contaminants, and improvements in the computer models used to predict contaminant behavior.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Starwood Media Centre Dissertation

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Starwood Media Centre (SMC). Hospitality Research Project - Dissertation Example Methodology 11 Research design 11 Methods 12 Primary data 13 Secondary data 13 Sample 14 8. Results 15 TEKGROUP Online Newsroom Survey Report 15 ACCENTURE NEWSROOM 17 Functionality 18 Ease of Use 18 User Engagement 18 Design 18 STARBUCKS NEWSROOM 19 Functionality 19 Ease of Use 19 User Engagement 19 Design 19 VOLKSWAGEN CANADA MEDIA ROOM 20 Functionality 20 Ease of Use 20 User Engagement 20 Design 20 9. Discussion 21 Links 22 Interactive Platform 22 Compact Outlook and Use of Small Fonts 23 10. Recommendations & Limitations 24 Website Functionality 24 Website Design 24 Website Content 25 QR Codes 25 Sign Up Function 25 Verification Process 26 11. Conclusion 26 12. Bibliography 28 APPENDIX 30 Appendix I – Conceptual Model 30 Appendix II – Interview 30 Executive Summary The world as we know it is never static, it changes with every passing second. This is solely because of the fast nature in which information moves across different interfaces. This is made possible primar ily because of the internet, providing within itself an opportunity to its users to access and distribute information at the click of a button. The world dwells and thrives on news and information, forming their ideas based on what they read and hear. This is why the website set up by the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. always needs to adequately represent the current state of affairs, noting to build the company’s image to the rest of the world. That is its primary purpose, acting like an online public relations forum, tasked with engaging the general public on different levels, all with a view to ensuring that the hotel chain maintains its stellar status while at the same time conducting its business at a maximum level of operations. This paper has sought to analyze the...This paper has sought to analyze the efficiency and expediency with which SMC has been set up and is being run as the premier website for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.The world as we kn ow it is never static, it changes with every passing second.This is solely because of the fast nature in which information moves across different interfaces. This is made possible primarily because of the internet, providing within itself an opportunity to its users to access and distribute information at the click of a button.The world dwells and thrives on news and information, forming their ideas based on what they read and hear. This is why the website set up by the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. always needs to adequately represent the current state of affairs, noting to build the company’s image to the rest of the world. That is its primary purpose, acting like an online public relations forum, tasked with engaging the general public on different levels, all with a view to ensuring that the hotel chain maintains its stellar status while at the same time conducting its business at a maximum level of operations.This paper has sought to analyze the efficiency and expediency with which SMC has been set up and is being run as the premier website for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. The ability of the website to represent the interests of the chain of hotels and resorts has been questioned with a view to determining whether the website fully performs its function as a one-stop destination for any user who intends to gather information on the hotel franchise.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Advertising - Essay Example However, choosing will depend on how appealing the song is to the public. At Blaze media, we have the task to help the band. We are going to run a test on the best songs before deciding on the one A medium used in advertising depends with the target group. Since the Pawnshop’s target is for people between ages of 18 to 40 years, it is very effective to used internet as a medium to market the music. Most youths spend most of their free time on the internet and majorly (Arens et al, 13) social sites. This will work very effectively because the message about the band will circulate among the internet users. Without disputing the possibility of having people above forty years who may have an interest in the band’s music, it will be very effective if we choose stage performances in clubs and hotels. This is another great medium. It brings the real band close to the fans who may feel so attached to it. Most expectedly, if the shows are very lively, a good number of the fans will love to buy a copy of the music album and may extend a helping hand to enable the group to expand. Since a good percentage of the advertisement is through social media and other related internet platforms, it is very important to make use of Ads so that interested parties and fans can follow the links to get to the home page for further details. Among the most important requirements is the use of catchy headlines. Though there are so many ways of making headlines and Ad links colorful, it must as well show some professionalism. Making a headline of the advert flashy will at times attract customers but may end up annoying most of them because of the excess application of technological effects. Therefore, it has to be simple, attractive and in a color that majority of the internet users are comfortable with. Creating a band in town app on social media like Face book makes it easy for the band to communicate with the fans who love using social sites. The app updates fans on when the band

Monday, November 18, 2019

Implementation of Magnet Environment in RMH Essay

Implementation of Magnet Environment in RMH - Essay Example There have been frequent changes in management due to poor working conditions and a high turnover of nurses. This has led to discontinuities in the style of management which changes as often as the managers do. Each new manager comes with a new style to which the supporting personnel have to adjust. This has impacted negatively on staff morale and has resulted in a high attrition rate. The result is a high patient to nurse ratio and therefore increased responsibilities for nurses. This has affected the quality of care given to patients and has led to high rates of mortality. Keenan and Kennedy (2003) indicate that the health outcome is much better when the patient to nurse ratio is low. This finding supports studies done by others including Aiken et al (2002) which indicates that patient outcomes are linked to nurse patient ratio and the number of registered nurses. The chain of command represents the structure of the organization. The lines of authority and responsibility are determ ined by the chain of command. It also determines the flow of communication and therefore the flow of information throughout the organization. A clear chain of command is important for efficient and effective management of any operation and the same applies to the operations of RMH hospital. The appropriate channels for vertical communication in RMH are affected and so problems and complaints are not dealt with because the nurses do not know who to report to. It therefore means that patients are not dealt with in the appropriate manner and so the problems keep piling up with no resolution in sight. There is no organized method of communication at RMH and so policies and directives cannot be enforced because there is no one to perform that role. Decisions are being made by persons who do not have direct contact with patients and therefore do not know what the real problems are. There is no proper supervision because there is not enough staff to go around in order for the job of patien t care to run smoothly. This has helped to increase the stress levels of nurses who have to deal with problems by themselves. There is inadequate information flow at RMH because of problems relating to the chain of command. Management is continually changing and new management normally takes some time to learn about the organization. It therefore means that problems cannot be dealt with as they should because the nurses on the ground have more than they can handle. Political/Economic Elements The role of nurse administration is fundamental to the operations of RMH. All departments depend on administrative and other support functions to provide records, supplies and carry out regular housekeeping services. Even though the nurses role appears to be and is really very critical the support and cooperation of the other departments is fundamental. The absence of interdisciplinary relationships in RMH is the root cause of some of the problems that currently exist. Critical care procedures are difficult to carry out because of this problem. This has affected both the structure and expertise of RMH ICU. This problem is coupled with the fact that RMH is the largest tertiary care military hospital in Saudi Arabia and is therefore always under pressure to admit patients who are critically ill. However, patients who are

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Bmw As A Manufacturing Company Marketing Essay

The Bmw As A Manufacturing Company Marketing Essay The main headquarters of the BMW group is based in Munich, Germany. It produces premium-class cars in eights of manufacturing plants globally. A successful strategy to target huge market provide huge amount of income for the company.BMW dealerships send trade-ins to wholesale auctions and made all their money from car sale, parts and service. The supply and distribution of finished cars to the global markets provide income to the company. The company determines the investments needed in production departments by using the self-financing strategy, and obtaining operating investments mainly from cash flow. Therefore, its yearly cash flow determines its yearly investment budget, which is the upper limit for investment expenditures. Investments budgets are reduced accordingly in order to replace equipments. Financial services segment focuses on leasing automobiles and financing credit for customers and dealers. BMW Manufacturing opened an onsite pharmacy for its associates.The on-site pharmacy will allow BMW to continue to offer competitive pharmacy benefits for associates and help curtail rising drug prescription costs, stated Bunny Richardson, a spokeswoman for BMW. Costs: The BMW as a manufacturing company made costs when upgrading its plants and other facilities globally. The BMW experience high running costs in keeping with the quality of the craftsmanship of the products, as they have a good reputation known for their better value.Free maintenance costs provided to customers which normally covers everything except tires so as to keep its reputation with regard to cost of ownership.there is high costs in allocating a new product to a certain plant, for buildings, and for expanding equipment that the new product shares with existing products, hence, high levels of automation are not profitable in countries with low labor costs.raw material costs: Natural fiber display excellent mechanical properties are light in weight and nevertheless stable and they reduce the burden on the environment but they are very expensive. What measures of performance are applicable to the industry? Reliability of Delivery: The BMW group introduced an online ordering system in 1998 which gives dealers the option of showing customers their desired car on the screen and confirming the delivery date on the spot. It takes only less than three months to build a car according to user specification including delivery. Delivery leads time: In 2000 BMW strengthens its position as the market leader in the premium segment of automobiles. By 2002, BMW stood second in the premium segment automobile market, next to Lexus. Quality and reliability of product: BMW is USING new ways to give their product a more unique identity and provide to clients products that gives them satisfaction.BMW makes sure that qualified personnel are available in a foreign countries and the positive effect on its image of production in Germany (made in Germany). Capacity to produce required volumes: BMW adopted a product offensive strategy TO flood the automobile market with a new product every three months and use d edicated assembly lines for mass production. Product flexibility: Allocating several products to one plant makes it easier to balance its utilization, and producing large-volume gives the firm the flexibility to cope with varying demand. Price: to achieve good financial status BMW offers prices that are unique from the price offering the competitors offer. Cars are priced very differently in the various national markets. The customers that are in the target group are happy to pay a premium price for what they perceive as a premium product (Thompson, (1996). Value chain for the industry(BMW) Value system for BMW Environmental factors that may influence the industry Political: Politics can have an influence on companies in an industry (Cheverton 2004). One example is the German value added tax increase from 16 to 19.BMW company makes sure they are aware of the political situation of the country so as to get good reputation, and trust .Economic In Germany, challenges such as currency fluctuations, above-average raw material prices AND the increased petrol prices lead to a reduced car demand (Bernhardt and Kinnear 2006, BMW Group 2006). However, The Company can be said to be economically stable for the past years, thats why they try to improve their products to give the best to their clients. Socio-Cultural: on average older population in European countries forces car manufacturers to develop new strategies in relation to their target groups (Cheverton 2004, FTD online 2006b). A generally lower average income may lead to lower demand for cars, especially in the luxury segment Technological: The Company offered new innovations in the technological sector and introduced new concepts with regards to the car engine industry. The company makes sure that the products they have are updated with regards to technology and if new technologies emerge they can compete with these products. Activity 2: Establishing Company Direction (10 marks) How would you describe the Ethos and Aims? The aims of BMW are to sell and make money and be ahead of the competition.BMW company aims to make driving a pleasure. The driver must always be in the loop, thats central to the BMW ethos, people buy an m5 because its fun to drive and those impulses wont change. Our cars must also be safe, stylish and reliable. says Freymann. The marketing plan for the entire company aims to outline and analyses opportunities for the company to be recognized as the automobile market leader globally so as a way of strengthening its competitive position. Based on this, recommendations for the future direction and implementation of the marketing-mix will be given. BMW group aims to support products through financial products and services offered to consumers throughout centers globally. In addition, customer relationship is enhanced by offering comprehensive banking and insurance services tailored for the prospective customers. The aims are very important to BMW because they shape the personality of the organization. They affect the way the company work, provide services and products, and support to the people. There is a clear aim for the BMW organization in providing quality long lasting customer service. Employees and customer are regarded as the first priority in order to continue successful growth and reputation of the company. How would you describe the Strategic Vision? The vision statement of BMW read as follows uniqueness through diversity, leadership, taking risk, courteous. The statement clearly implies that the company has a great commitment by providing professional management by carrying out and aiming to support complicated industrial production systems. The company encourages employees to work professionally and always aiming for the success of the company. The vision clearly shows that employs are trained in a very successful and highly innovative place to maximize the strong relationship to employee and customer satisfaction. What can you deduce from their Mission Statement about what they are seeking to achieve? The mission statement of BMW read as follows to become most successful premium manufacturer in the car industry. This clearly shows that the company has been for many years continued to keep its own reputation as a leader in production of premium cars with high quality. The purpose, mission and future success of the company focuses on the provision of high customer service satisfaction. Employees are very committed and work together as an integrated organization to represent a community that will be able to represent a BMW automobile company with pride and always ahead of the game. Describe the apparent Corporate Strategy for the implementation of that Mission and Vision. In the competitive compact where there is very high customer demands and hope from automobile manufacturers, the BMW proved to customer that it is a premium manufacturer by launching new products such as sports car. The corporate strategy is good but some implementations need to be included such considering adjustments for the marketing needs. The products possess a very good specification but the potential problem can be caused by the prices of the products in relation to what the competitors offer. The mission shows that serious suggestions can be included to increase the sustainability of the company as the premium manufacturer in this highly competitive sector. Hence increasing the long term customer relationship, good opportunities for technical development by the support of research and development measures, an strengthening the development of new distribution and dealership channels Can you identify any Strategic Inflection Points that have affected the sector? As the bigger contributor to the manufacturing sector in German the company achieved its success and trust from a long time but this long tradition was not easy. Dating back to around 1945 the company was doing well in manufacturing and production of aero engines but in later years the market for engines was not good and promising as the company experienced some financial problems. While German recovery form economic recession through the 1950s, the company was not able to be productive as it faced financial problems and it depended on Mercedes Benz company financial recourses in order to keep its sustainably position in the manufacturing sector. The BMW was later helped by Herbert Quant as a strong partner and this finally enabled the company to find a highly productive market such as saloon cars. The saloon cars market almost strengthens the position of BMW as we see, today, the BMW business is structured to maximize its retail margins. Designers continue to use the materials and technologies to improve performance and ensure safe passage BMW is an example of a survivor who stood the test of time and developed from a failing company to one of the most successful firm. Activity 3: Industry and competitive analysis (15 marks) Carry out a competitive analysis of your industry sector from the perspective of your chosen company or organisation: What are the dominant economic factors for the sector? Market size: nowadays, the current car manufacturing sector is so big and there are different main automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Audi, Acura, Mercedes Benz, and Lexus. Other competitors include Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, and Honda. There was economic recession prior to the world war caused small automobile companies such as Toyota, Honda, Ford to come together and share the market in automobile manufacturing. After the period of war there was a rapid automobile growth as the new infrastructures were being set up such as roads and countries continued to become more developed. Scope of competitive rivalry: in the nineties automobile manufacturing sector increase tremendously to be more globalised because there was new openings of international plants and extensive strong link between big automobile manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes Benz. It is an industry that encompasses the entire globe, as well as the areas of production and distribution, aftermarket. Rivals and their relative size of rivals: BMWs main competitors are Audi, Acura, Mercedes Benz, and Lexus. BMW has successfully set the benchmark for prestige motoring since the 1980s, creating a standard now fiercely contested by other manufacturers such as Mercedes, Lexus and Audi. Standardised products: all the products produced by BMW, are of the same high standard throughout the world, the opening of international plants provided a good service and support the production of quality automotives similar to those offered by the parent branch in Germany. The company makes sure that it set the standard to all its associated new and existing companies in regard to the manufacturing of car engines.Rapid technological change, technology in the automobile sector is very high so it is the responsibility of manufacturers to keep pace with technical aspects of manufacturing so that their products can be in demand to compete even when new technologies emerge. The automobile manufacturers must adapt the new technologies that are environmentally friendly and does not put society health at risk. Assess the competitive position of the company by reviewing the strength of each of the five competitive forces. Porters five forces Potential entrants: BMW company uses a strategy to respond quickly and flexible to provide customer satisfaction, thus, reducing the influence of potential competitors. The company provide new innovative techniques to serve the clients so that the company can provide a unique product as compared to other competitors, THUS, PREVENTING THEIR INFLUENCE. Competitive rivalry: the competitive rivalry highly influences the company.. The company offer goo d customer relation services, hence, gaining good advantage over rivals. Provision of quality prices prevent client away from competition. The other way to attract customers is to provide promotional services so that customers get a well informed decision about BMW Company. Substitutes: BMW Company proves to clients that they offer quality products and service that is far much better than substitutes so as to prevent substitutes to cause much competition. The company also tries to offer products and services superior than substitutes so that they can attract more clients by offering superior products. Bargaining power of buyers: the company has good customer satisfaction , it keeps customers relationship strong by introducing some new benefits to buyers such seasonal free maintenance where the customer will be assigned with a special employee who will deal together up until the time where the customer is satisfied. the bargaining power of BMW company is very high as it is trusted and tremendously popular among the targeted customers worldwide. Bargaining power of sellers: BMW demonstrate the value of their suppliers so that it can attract other companies to purchase the suppliers products thus their bargaining power increase. This is shown by BMW Company having dealerships, who sell the company cars in wholesales. What is causing the competitive structure and business environment in the sector to change? Technological change: the company offers new technological innovations by introducing new concepts with regards to the car engine industry. It also set the standards for car engine manufacturing so that all products will keep pace with technology and be able to compete with new emerging technologies offered by other competitors in the automotive industry. Changes in societal concerns, attitudes and lifestyles: The Company makes sure that the product they create will emit low emission that can reduce pollution. BMW emphasizes safety among the production of their goods. They make sure that the proper safety standards are followed and there are no hazardous chemicals in the production. Increasing globalization of industry: BMW produce products to meet the global market as it have partner associates and dealerships in all major continents. Regulatory influences and governmental policy changes: BMW makes sure they comply with what the law states in the country; they make sure that they comply with the regulated standards of the country. The company makes sure they are aware of legal needs of the country so as to keep its current reputation to success in the competitive world. Which companies are in the strongest and weakest positions? Companies in the strongest positions: main competitors are BMW, Audi, Acura, Mercedes Benz, and Lexus. Weakest positions: include the like of Toyota, Honda, and Ford. What are the key factors for competitive success in the sector? The automotive industry needs an efficient dealer organization and tight control of manufacturing costs all these are important success factors, using success factors as a filter; the management can then identify the information that is most important to make critical enterprise decisions. Accordingly the decisions made in this manner should be more effective because they are based on data that is specifically linked to the organization linked to the organizations success factors. Activity 4: Evaluating Company Resources (15 marks) Carry out an analysis of the resources and competitive capabilities from the perspective of your chosen company or organisation: How well is the present strategy working? Porters Generic Strategies: The cost leadership strategy of BMW is focused on making sure that the company earns more and spends less. The cost leadership strategy of the company takes a look at how expenses can be minimized without sacrificing the production of the companys product and the quality of product sold to clients. The differentiation strategy of BMW is focused on making sure that the company produces products that are unique. It makes sure that the logo of the company is not only the one that makes products of the company different. It makes sure that the internal and external characteristics of the product make it unique. The segmentation strategy of the company makes sure that it has a selected market that can provide huge amounts of income for the company. What are their resource strengths and weaknesses? Weakness BMWs heavy cost German base might affect the profitability of the company in the long run as more and more competitors shift product development activities to lower cost countries. BMW might be forced to negotiate a way to maintain cost competitiveness and its reputation for German engineering excellence. The planning procedure required a great deal of effort, limiting the comparison of different strategies and the performance of sensitivity analyses with varying data. Planners needed to consider separately capacity for assembling bodies, which is dedicated to single products, and capacity for the paint shop and final assembly line, which all products share. In allocating products to the global production sites, planners did not consider the effects on the global supply chain, in particular the flow of materials from the suppliers to the plant and the flow of finished cars to the markets. BMW realised the deficiencies of its planning process and research employees worked on the proje ct. In first phase, PETER HENRICH (2002) developed a mixed-integer programming model. In a second phase, Sonja Ferber (2005) extended the model to include investment decisions. Strengths: the BMW Group is one of the most successful multi-brand premium cars manufacturers in the automobile industry. The Rolls-Royce phantom holds the number one position in the super-luxury car segment. Moreover, BMW is the only automobile manufacturer possessing three non-overlapping premium car brands in its portfolio. The BMW group on an average spends part of its revenues on research and development, which is one of the highest in the industry. The keen focus on research and development is evidenced by the number of new models the company has released over the past few years. BMW has also developed an innovative array of engines. A companys strengths is its ability to create unique products and to providing high-level customer service. What are the external opportunities and threats facing them? Opportunities: The expansion of the European Union to foreign countries, has converted the European Union into the worlds biggest trading block with a combined population. This offers ample opportunities for BMW to leverage its strong European position in the premium car segment to garner more market share across new and expanding markets. BMWs concerted forays into the Chinese luxury car market portends to an increase in the earnings of the company over the coming years. China already ranks as the third largest market for BMWs 7 Series luxury limousines. BMW predicts that robust growth will place China among the companys seven largest markets in a few more years. This is a significant improvement over the 12th position held by the Chinese market for BMW in 2002. Threats: The continuing decline of the dollar against the euro threatens to undercut BMWs top line thereby tempering its profitability. The rising price of raw materials such as steel threatens to offset the companys earnings. BMWs Used Cars Help to Sell New Cars. In the meantime, dealer margins on new-car sales are thinner than they used to be because of tougher competition and better-informed customers. Therefore, used cars have become a more  important profit center for luxury-car dealers. From your assessment of the resources and competitive capabilities assess the strength of their competitive position Worldwide, the BMW Group is one of the most successful multi-brand premium car manufacturers in the automobile industry. The Rolls-Royce phantom holds the number one position in the super-luxury car segment. Moreover, BMW is the only automobile manufacturer possessing three non-overlapping premium car brands in its portfolio. The company produce a mass production of quality cars within few consecutive years by coming up with creative innovations to satisfy the customer needs and keeping the pace with technology development. What is your assessment of the culture within the company? Will it be supportive to change or not? Miles and Snow published an early article on the cultural classification of organisations in 1978. They classified companies as either defenders or prospectors: therefore, the culture in BMW Company is described as prospectors because the headquarters is located in Germany with many openings around the world, the managers in Germany are always ready to use ideas suggested by their partners in other foreign companies for the development and future successful profits. The automobile market is characterized high sales and profit potential (Muztagh, 2004. Hence the organization is innovative, values risk in order to succeed. So this shows that the culture and spirit of BMW must be kept to continue in order fully compete in the automotive manufacturing sector. Activity 5: Strategy and Competitive Advantage (10 marks a maximum of 2-3 pages per activity) Review the options facing your chosen company in creating a strategy for the future. Review the generic strategies available to your company. Which would be suitable? Porters Generic Strategies: The cost leadership strategy of BMW is focused on making sure that the company earns more and spends less. The cost leadership strategy of the company takes a look at how expenses can be minimized without sacrificing the production of the companys product and the quality of product sold to clients. The differentiation strategy of BMW is focused on making sure that the company produces products that are unique. It makes sure that the logo of the company is not only the one that makes products of the company different. It makes sure that the internal and external characteristics of the product make it unique. The segmentation strategy of the company makes sure that it has a selected market that can provide huge amounts of income for the company. Looking into the future, how may the company seek to achieve cost competitiveness? On the production front, BMW is all set to vamp up its manufacturing capabilities to aid production of new models over the coming years. Overall, the company is set to invest over million pounds in production facilities in Oxford, UK. Further, the company has decided to invest million Euros in its Steyr engine facility over the coming years .Through the introduction of new models, the Group has gained access to new customer groups. Despite challenging economic conditions, the company is the most successful in its history due to record sales volume and earnings. With respect to the auto industry, while some growth is expected in the traditional markets of Europe and Japan, growth is expected to be flat in the largest luxury car market of USA. However, the major emerging markets of Asia and Latin America are expected to witness a robust growth in terms of total number of vehicles sold. The company predicts that the premium car segment will experience stronger growth than the volume segment over the coming years. In this backdrop, BMW is looking to further expand its presence in both traditional and new markets. The high number of models set to be launched during the years is expected to boost the companys top line. Analyses the current core competencies of the company. Skills in manufacturing a high quality product: One of core competencies is the development of combustion engines. During recent years the company has significantly reduced both fuel consumption and emissions in its engines, while simultaneously increasing performance and torque. The latest milestones from these efforts are the first-ever variable- twin-turbocharger diesel power unit in a road vehicle. After-sale service capability: trained team of after-sales consultants and technicians make up the companys best equipped and most experienced service centre. Our Seasonal Inspection Program With BMWs Value Service Packages pricing program, only original BMW warranted parts are utilized, and all packages include a one-year unlimited mileage warranty on parts and labor. Expertise in gasoline engine technology and small engine design; BMW hydrogen technology has already come a long way. Now, together with politicians and the energy industry, the company turned its vision of sustained mobility into reality. BMWs hydrogen engine for its premium saloon is built for dual mode operation. The company provides superb marketing-distribution skills and Research and Development capabilities. Using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats identified in Activity 4, develop a SWOT matrix to determine a set of strategic options for the company.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Hamlet and King Lear - Edgar and Lear :: comparison compare contrast essays

Hamlet and King Lear:   Madness  - Ophelia in Hamlet and Edgar in King Lear  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In both Hamlet and King Lear, Shakespeare incorporates a theme of madness with two characters: one truly mad, and one only acting mad to serve a motive. The madness of Hamlet is frequently disputed. This paper argues that the contrapuntal character in each play, namely Ophelia in Hamlet and Edgar in King Lear, acts as a balancing argument to the other character's madness or sanity. King Lear's more decisive distinction between Lear's frailty of mind and Edgar's contrived madness works to better define the relationship between Ophelia's breakdown and Hamlet's "north-north-west" brand of insanity. Both plays offer a character on each side of sanity, but in Hamlet the distinction is not as clear as it is in King Lear. Using the more explicit relationship in King Lear, one finds a better understanding of the relationship in Hamlet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While Shakespeare does not directly pit Ophelia's insanity (or breakdown) against Hamlet's madness, there is instead a clear definitiveness in Ophelia's condition and a clear uncertainty in Hamlet's madness.   Obviously, Hamlet's character offers more evidence, while Ophelia's breakdown is quick, but more conclusive in its precision. Shakespeare offers clear evidence pointing to Hamlet's sanity beginning with the first scene of the play. Hamlet begins with guards whose main importance in the play is to give credibility to the ghost. If Hamlet were to see his father's ghost in private, the argument for his madness would greatly improve. Yet, not one, but three men together witness the ghost before even thinking to notify Hamlet. As Horatio says, being the only of the guards to play a significant role in the rest of the play, "Before my God, I might not this believe / Without the sensible and true avouch / Of mine own eyes. (I.i.56-8)" Horatio, who appears frequently throughout the play, acts as an unquestionably sane alibi to Hamlet again when framing the King with his reaction to the play.   That Hamlet speaks to the ghost alone detracts somewhat from its credibility, but all the men are witness to the ghost demanding they speak alone. Horatio offers an insightful warning: What if it tempts you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea, And there assume some other horrible form Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason, And draw you into madness?