Evaluation of a Playoff System for Bowl Games Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bowl games are designed as the culminating event between colleges that topped in their division during the regular college football season. Begun in 1902, the first bowl game between Michigan and Stanford was concocted to arouse interest in the Tournament of the Roses and to generate greater tourist interest and, subsequently, more income. With Stanford’s defeat, the tournament was put on hold and was resumed in 1916, but it was not until 1923 that its was held at the newly-built stadium called the Rose Bowl, thus the contest was called the Rose Bowl game. Subsequent bowl games organized took the â€Å"Bowl† moniker as a testament to the success of the Rose Bowl games. (â€Å"College bowl games†) Source:BSC Conference at Wikipedia from   http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/BCS_Map.PNG There are many bowl games formed since then. Some are one-shot deals, others considered â€Å"toilet† bowls, denoting less than successful plays by participating colleges, notably the 1983 bout between Michigan and Michigan State and the 1987 match-up between Kansas and Kansas State. (â€Å"Bowl game†) Currently there are four major bowl games that host the Bowl Championship Series in turns: the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California; the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida; the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans; and the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona. The games are normally played from mid-December until mid January.   These are the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowls, while 27 other bowl games are considered non-BCS bowls. (â€Å"Bowl game†; Bowl Championship Series)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper will evaluate the possible application of the play-off system on college bowl games and the impact on non-BSC bowl games. NFL Playoffs system for Bowl Games   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The National Football League (NFL) play-off is the elimination round of currently the 6 top teams from the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. Each conference produce four division champions seeded 1 to 4, and two wildcard qualifiers, seeded 5 and 6. The teams play within their divisions to determine the Division Playoff winners who will then compete against their opposite number in the Super Bowl. (NFL Playoffs)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The BCS was formalized in 1998 when it replaced the Bowl Alliance as the ultimate face-off in the bowl games. Two teams are selected from the top teams from the NCAA Division I-A bowl game conferences, which are the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference, Big East Conference, Big Ten Conference, Pacific Ten Conference and the Southeastern Conference. Colleges which are not part of these conferences and independent schools are not barred from the selection process but the chances of being selected for the coveted two slots were small because of the system of ranking employed in bowl games for the National Championship game. (â€Å"BCS conference†)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an ongoing debate regarding the system of ranking in bowl games, which will eventually determine which two teams will play in the National Championship game. There are claims that the system, based on coach polls, computer-constructed polls, strength of schedule (win/loss ratio) and losses, was not equitable, too complicated, and produced ambiguous results. Polling produced issues of bias in ranking towards bowls associated with BCS conferences, leaving non-BCS conferences out of the running. Moreover, it is asserted that the absence of a playoff discriminates against teams that have lower ranking even though actual games win/loss ratio for the season should have guaranteed at least a fighting chance to compete in the National Championship. (Bowl Championship Series) Compared to the head-to-head match-up that prevails in the NFL playoffs, it would seem logical to go down the path of the tried and tested. Winners of the NFL playoffs are undisputed with no messy rankings to confuse the issue of which team was the best. However, one can argue that the motivations behind the NFL and bowl games are completely different. Bowl games are college football games, providing training for athletes after the football season that otherwise would not happen. This is the reason why many coaches encourage them. Bowl games are considered more as a source of entertainment for football fans post season in hopefully congenial surroundings. (Nelson)   Of course, the organizers were impelled by more pecuniary motives.    Currently, the major bowl game conferences generate more than US$100 million a year in sponsorship and media cdontracts, even more if the proposed new system, where a fifth bowl will be included, is implemented. (â€Å"Six conferences retain automatic bids†) However, for many colleges, especially non-BCS ones, the main purpose of the games remains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The playoff system works for the NFL, but for bowl games it would alter the whole complexion of the sport. Because of the way the rankings are determined, each of the games in the regular college football season assumes equal importance. The win/loss ratio will not guarantee top place because the system of averaging, the polls and losses can bring the ranking down even with just one botched game. A playoff system would discourage teams from playing all out in all the games because the chances of a top contending team being pulled down by one game is not going to happen.   Ã‚   Moreover, a playoff system would encourage college teams to reserve their best plays and strategies for the all important match-up at the end of the season.   (Willson)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There have been some suggestions for the improvement of the bowl game ranking system by its combination with some characteristics of the playoff. Giles asserts that the BCS system is useful in determining the top college teams during the regular season; it is only when it comes to the top two teams that they run into issues. With this in mind, it is suggested that at the end of the season, the top 8 teams would selected based on existing BCS eligibility requirements for the National Championship game. Automatic berths based on conference would be eliminated, giving a fair chance for all colleges to compete. It would discard the one-team-per-conference rule but retain the hosting of the event among the Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls. Elimination rounds among the 8 teams will eventually lead to semi-finals that would determine which two teams will go on to the National Championships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It sounds reasonable but it might just exacerbate the situation because it presumes that the ranking system in the bowl games is reliable, which, as stated earlier, it is not. This is the whole point of the controversies surrounding the bowl games. Using the present ranking system will most probably result in the same BCS and traditional teams being chosen as the eight teams contending for the playoffs, so the inequity will still exist. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would seem that implementing an NFL play-off system in bowl games would result in an unwelcome shift in the general motivation behind the game.   It also appears it would not greatly improve the chances of non-BSC bowl games in being represented in the BSC and the National Championship in its current state. For the 27 non-BSC and independent bowl games that continue to play, the rationale behind bowl games does not require affirmation from the BSC. Bowl games are essentially a chance for college students to enjoy the chance to see competing colleges compete against each other after the end of the season. It provides relief from academic pursuits inspires student loyalty towards the learning institution and provides additional public exposure for aspiring athletes. Coaches encourage it as a means for additional training for the next season and communities benefit from it by encouraging tourists. Bowl games will continue to be enjoyed, with varying degrees of financial success, by those who count: the players, their fans, the community and the colleges Works cited â€Å"Bowl game.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Jan 2007, 04:06 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 21 Jan 2007 . â€Å"NFL playoffs.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 17 Jan 2007, 23:51 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 21 Jan 2007 . Nelson, Loren. â€Å"Are college football bowl games meaningless?† NCTimes.com. 16 December 2006. 23 January 2007 Alder, James. â€Å"BCS vs. Playoff System.† About.com. 2007. 24 January 2007 Giles, Alex. â€Å"The proposed marriage of the BCS and a playoff format.† About.com. 19 November 2002. 23 January 2007 Willson, Charlie. â€Å"Playoffs vs. Bowl Games: College Season Too Good to Change.† MindSpring. 2007. 24 January 2007 â€Å"College bowl games.† Hickoksports.com. 26 November 2006. 24 January 2007 â€Å"Six conferences retain automatic bids.† Associated Press. 1 March 2004. 23 January 2007 â€Å"Bowl Championship Series.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Jan 2007, 23:00 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Jan 2007 . â€Å"BCS conference.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 9 Jan 2007, 16:41 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Jan 2007 .   

Best Buy Case Analysis

Case Analysis Current Situation â€Å"Our formula is simple: we’re a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers—and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles. Thanks for stopping. † Richard Schulze started Best Buy and grew it to a million dollar company within four years. The future CEO of Best Buy learned that diversification in the stores’ offerings and serving various target segments led to increased market share.After going public in 1985, Best Buy changed from commissioned and specialized customer assistants to a non-exempt, hourly paid sale associates to ensure that customers’ needs are the employees’ top priority. In 1999, Best Buy successfully launched its online store. Through acquisitions of Napster, electronic sellers, and home appliances suppliers, Best Buy was able to grow and gain the resources necessary for its international expansion. By using backwards vertical integration, Best Buy was a ble to broaden their scope and have bigger economies of scale, achieving savings that were passed along to our customers.Related diversification has also allowed Best Buy to maintain revenues, even through the recent economic recession. Best Buy’s primary industries are Radio, Television, and Other Electronics Stores (NAICS 443112), Electrical and Electronic Appliance, Television, and Radio Set Merchant Wholesalers (NAICS 423620), Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers (NAICS 423430) and Household Appliance Stores (NAICS 443111). Price per share as of February 19, 2013 is $17. 33.In September 2011, Best Buy was named to the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability index for corporate citizenship and philanthropy, social reporting, stakeholder engagement and operational eco-efficiency. Currently, Best Buy’s greatest struggle is facing new industry competitors. The company is losing market share to online retailers, such as Amazon, and to its p rimary suppliers, including Apple, HP, and Dell. Best Buy’s suppliers have taken an approach to reduce the intermediaries between company and its customers, strategies that have left Best Buy out of the loop.In order to stay ahead of competitors (in terms of market share and sales) Best Buy has implemented a permanent price matching policy that was launched during the 2012 holiday season. This tactical move will help Best Buy retain its existing market share, but maintaining costs low enough to support this pricing strategy might be difficult for the showroom giant. In regards to diversification, Best Buy has enlarged its scope from home and car stereos, to nearly all electronic appliances and to multimedia offerings such as DVD’s, CD’s, videogames, etc.Best Buy has also continued customer relationship managements by implementing after-purchase support and diversifying its offerings by acquiring Geek Squad, Best Buy’s task force that provides technical su pport and installation of various software programs for recently purchased electronics. General Environmental Analysis The general environmental analysis emphasizes the trends that occur in the technology, demographics, economics, political/legal, sociocultural, physical and global segments of the environment.The goal of this analysis is to help find which of these segments will have the most impact on Best Buy over the next few years. Based on research and data we believe the segments that will be the most relevant to Best Buy are the demographic, technology, sociocultural, and global segments. Demographically, the United States population is getting larger, older, and more ethnically diverse. There are approximately 315,398,676 people in the United States, making it the third largest country in the world. The United States has grown by 103% since 1950 and is estimated to have a population around 440 million by 2050.An influencing factor in the population increase is that Americans are living longer. Due to advances in healthcare, people are living and contributing to society longer. Baby boomers, the biggest segment the U. S. population, are now becoming senior citizens and have caused the 65+ population age to shift from 8. 1% in the 1950 to over 12. 4% today. The United States continues to move up the list as one of the most racially and ethnically diverse countries in the world. The prevailing trend is the significant increase in the Hispanic population, stronger in the next few years.This growth is caused by immigration; more Hispanics are coming to the United States seeking refuge, jobs, or a better life for their family. As the population continues to change, Best Buy must find ways to cater to all generations, and avoid dependency on demographics and traditional marketing. They must target specific market segments and foresee the needs and wants of different generations through relevant and integrated marketing promotions. Specific targeting of custom ers will help Best Buy retain customers and create company loyalty. Technology is another segment that will have a major impact on Best Buy in the near future.Predictive analysis, social media, and multichannel retailing are trends that are most important in Best Buy’s general environment. Knowing your customers is a critical part to any industry, and predictive analysis is becoming one of the best ways to accomplish that objective. By correctly using technology to control the high volume and availability of data, companies can understand customers’ wants. A core competency of both Amazon and Netflix predictive analysis; based on previous purchases or views Amazon and Netflix can recommend items that the customers may be interested in, and the customer can give feedback about those recommendations.Predictive analysis is becoming more prevalent online, and to stay competitive, pure brick-and-mortar companies must follow suit. Best Buy uses predictive analysis through re ward programs and by analyzing consumer purchases. The company then sends coupons or information about promotions that may meet a customer’s profile. A simple example could be a person buys a DVD player and predictive analysis could be used to send that customer offer or promotions on DVD’s. Social media continues to be a growing trend in today’s business. Customers are now turning to social media to get information about companies and their products.According to research 70% of consumer use social media to hear about other consumers experiences, 65% use it to find information on brands, products, and services, 50% share concerns, 53% compliment brands, and 47% share money incentives. A person’s influence in social media circles can determine the extent of the benefit or harm to a company’s reputation; this is especially true with celebrities and athletes with millions of followers. Best Buy can take advantage of these statistics to improve their s trategic competitiveness by targeting champions to test new products and promotions and diffuse the findings through social media.The company can also use social media to show customers that they voicing their concerns matters, and solving customers’ problems, which would lead to an increase in customer retention and brand loyalty. Multichannel retailing is also becoming one the more relevant trends in the general environment. Consumers today have more options of purchasing points than ever before. With the latest technology, consumers can order a shirt using their cell phone, computer, tablet, or the retail store. This trend mixes with sociocultural trends and offers consumers convenience and a better shopping experience.This is relevant to Best Buy because it allows more ways to reach customers. Best Buy can send information to customers’ mobile devices and take advantage of impulse buyers by offering a venue for them to buy directly, without having to go to store. O verall, Best buy has made efforts to improve a customer’s experience through a variety of tactical decisions. Trends in the sociocultural segment are another area that will have an impact on Best Buy through its general environment. One of the biggest trends in this segment is convenience.Location/ access, variety/availability, speed of service, price, and environment are all big factors when it comes to convenience and play a big part in consumer beliefs about the benefits of shopping at a specific store. Best Buy does its best to make stores convenient with a variety of displays, Geek Squad on hand, and a friendly environment. Best Buy has increased convenience by offering products online for customers who prefer to stay out of the brick-and-mortar store. Best Buy focuses on these efforts by offering free shipping and by developing the Best Buy Marketplace, which will increase the variety and brands accessible to consumers.Another change in the attitude of consumers is the trend of aspirationalism. People today have a heightened sense of aspiration and have many goals they hope to accomplish. As a result consumers expect companies to meet all of their expectations as fast as possible. This need is fulfilled by speedy service and Best Buy’s in-store Geek Squad is capable of meeting goals quickly and efficiently. To keep up with expectations and competition, Best Buy must provide the latest technology and equipment to customer whenever they need it.Global trends that are sweeping the market are expansion into international areas and environmentally friendly (or â€Å"green†) initiatives. Many companies are looking to expand to overseas markets due to the potential growth in markets such as China, and India. In fact, according to Forbes. com, China is forecasted to have 10 to 16% share of world GDP growth from 2007 to 2014. Best Buy has made a strategic decision to invest in China with their growth initiative, where they hope to open approx imately 50 stores and implement Best Buy Mobile store-within-a-store concept in 2013.Environmentally friendly or â€Å"green† initiatives are an important trend to consumers and companies. Consumers are now more aware of their carbon footprints and against companies who fail to be eco-friendly. One thing that retailers like Best Buy are doing to be eco-friendly is reducing the size of packaging. Recyclable paper is now one of the main packaging ingredients for retailers like Best Buy. This is important because it will improve the company’s reputation and keep them in a positive light with consumers. Industry AnalysisBest Buy is in the retailing Radio, Television, Consumer Electronics, and Music Stores industry (443112), which sell household appliances, home entertainment devices and electronic products. In this industry, these retailers typically sell new products from manufacturers and wholesalers and often offer repair services for their products. Best Buy their serv ices are their Geek Squad division. Over the last five years, the industry revenue has dropped an average rate of 5. 0% annually ending in 2012 at $72. 2b. This decrease is also expected to continue to decline another 2. 8% (this year? ).But in the years leading up to 2017 the forecasts state that with the continuingly recovering economy revenue for this industry will also slowly crawl up at an average of 1. 3% each year. In the Radio, Television, Consumer Electronics, and Music Stores industry, the threat of new entrants is low due to the fact that there are many barriers to entry. The biggest barrier is the large amount of competitors in this industry and similar industries. The leading competitors are online retailers like Amazon, discount stores like Wal-Mart, appliance retailers like Lowes. With Best Buy holding 49. % of the market share and RadioShack holding 4. 8% it’s hard for new entrants to play with organizations that have established brand recognition and the vari ety of products that these retailers have. Another barrier to entry is that it requires a lot of startup capital to purchase all of the merchandise that is needed to compete with Best Buy. The threat of substitute products is low because Best Buy has close relationships with manufacturers and wholesalers of many prominent brands that will usually keep Best Buy ahead of the game by receiving the newest products from the hottest brands.There is also not many substitute products that are available that the consumer would be interested in purchasing. The ability the consumer has to go anywhere from online, to discount stores, to other electronic retailers makes the bargaining power of the buyer to be extremely high. Customers are now able to find the best products at the best prices online or are able to do price matching Bargaining power of suppliers is extremely high because Best Buy buys most of its merchandise from Sony, Samsung and LG, etc. This gives these organizations the upper hand and the ability to determine the price at which to sell its products to Best Buy.Best Buy essentially is forced to pay any amount that these large organizations think is appropriate based on the demand of the products at any given time. The competition among retailers in the consumer electronic industry is high with Wal-Mart being the frontrunner in the competition. Wal-Mart’s price matching strategy has led consumers to purchase electronics at Wal-Mart for lower prices. The mere size of stores like Wal-Mart and Costco has made competition fierce for Best Buy because it is nearly impossible for them to keep up the quantity of goods that are available at the super size discount stores.Amazon is another extraordinary threat to Best Buy, as well as to the industry as a whole, because Amazon enables the consumer to view a larger range of products online at time that is convenient for them. Home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot have also drawn many customers to th em with their elite selection of household appliances like dishwashers, stoves, and refrigerators. Internal analysis Best Buy’s internal environment has certain qualities that have affected its primary goal of making a profit.Best Buy’s top management recently changed after its CEO Brian Dunn resigned in April 2012 after it was revealed that he had had an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. This was only a little over three short years after he came to the position in June 2009. Hubert Joly, a French businessman, took over the position of CEO on August 17, 2012. Richard Schulze, who created Best Buy and sat as chairman of the board of directors, also resigned in June 2012, and Hatim A. Tyabji was his replacement. Hubert Joly, as the new CEO, had many problems to solve when he came to the position.The stock prices were down 50% at the time. Best Buy’s financial struggles are reflected in the income statement from the 3rd quarter of 2012, which is t he most recent financial information available. In this quarter, Best Buy had a net loss of $13 million, showing a significant decrease from the 3rd quarter of 2011, in which there was a $173 million net income. Top management attributes this sharp decline in income to a lower gross profit rate, higher sales, general, and administrative expenses, and lower revenues. The 3rd quarter of 2012 showed revenues in the United States of $7. million, down 4. 7% from the prior year period. Best Buy’s fixed expenses are significantly higher than its competitors because of the costs of maintaining large superstores. These brick and mortar locations are one of Best Buy’s most expensive resources, and the costs associated with them have become one of Best Buy’s greatest weaknesses. With high costs, Best Buy has struggled to compete with its competitors’ prices, causing a decrease in revenue as well. Best Buy announced in 2012 that it planned to close 50 superstores and lay off hundreds of employees.Best Buy’s products include gadgets, movies, music, computers, mobile phones, and appliances. In order to create value that its competitors cannot easily provide, Best Buy also offers services that include installation, maintenance, technical support, and subscriptions for mobile phone and internet services. In 2002, Best Buy acquired Geek Squad, a well-known computer repair service. Now, when customers buy a computer from Best Buy, they have the option to also purchase coverage from Geek Squad at a relatively low price. Best Buy’s customer service is continually improving as it is investing more in employee training and compensation.The sales associates ask customers a series of questions to get to know their unique needs and are therefore able to find the product that best suits them. This superior customer service and technical support is a core competency of Best Buy because it provides extra value for the customer, it is rare that a company can provide the variety of products Best Buy offers as well as expertise to handle issues with all of them, it is very difficult to imitate because of the high costs associated with training and compensation, and the experience of providing customer service face to face is not easily substituted.Many people expected Best Buy to see the same fate as its previous competitor, Circuit City, who had closed all of its stores in January 2009 after declaring bankruptcy. Joly, however, has made efforts to turn around the strategy of Best Buy by lowering costs, improving customer service, and decreasing store sizes in order to help Best Buy remain competitive in its industry. Identification of external opportunities and threats Best Buy has many opportunities that must be recognized before their window of opportunity expires. Proper external analyses are essential in running, and maintaining a sustainable business.There are four key components to external analyses. These include scann ing, monitoring, forecasting, and assessing. When a company like Best Buy participates in scanning they are attempting to anticipate changes in the general environment and recognize changes that are already occurring. They then monitor those changes to see if relevant trends can be identified. Forecasting will be a challenge to Best Buy because of rapid changes in technology. It is nearly impossible to predict what will happen in the future because Best Buy is unaware of the type of resources they will have at their disposal.Once Best Buy has taken the first three steps it is important that they assess the information, so that they can interpret the data and use it in a competitive manner. After Best Buy does an in depth external analyses they will realize their opportunities include growing the services offered to customers, expanding its mobile services, and growing internationally. If Best Buy grows its services offered to customers it could potentially create value through incre asing in store traffic and online purchasing. Expanding mobile services is a highly attractive opportunity for Best Buy.Although Best Buy has seen a decrease in sales in many of its stores, Best Buy Mobile has proven to be quite successful in the current market. Best Buy has seen a 5% loss in comparable stores, which would have been a 15% loss if the sales of Best Buy Mobile did not make up the damage. Acknowledging Best Buy as a global brand could have a significant impact, and presents an intriguing opportunity to Best Buy. Global innovation, consumer electronics, and the use of technology have never been more important in an international market than they are today.Best Buy has experienced success and failure in the international market. They have had success in Canada and Mexico, and have been unsuccessful in Europe and China. Best Buy needs to figure out how to adapt to foreign markets where they have been unsuccessful. If Best Buy can adapt to foreign markets more effectively than competitors it could create a competitive advantage. The way to successfully analyze an industry like the one Best Buy is in is through the Porter’s Five Forces Model. This will indicate whether or not the opportunities the industry presents are attractive enough to outweigh the threats.The first aspect of Porter’s Five Forces is the threat of new entrants. In an industry like Best Buy’s the threat of new entrants is not very high. Best Buy has already driven multiple competitors out of business. There are high barriers to entry, and Best Buy would not hesitate to retaliate if any new entrances transpired. The second aspect of the Porter’s Five Forces Model is the threat of substitute products. This is a concern for Best Buy because many of its competitors are selling similar products online.The products they sell are not highly differentiated amongst competitors, and many consumers feel their competitors provide a more convenient option. Best Buy th en must analyze the bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers in the industry. Best Buy serves as a middle man, so they do not have much power. This means that the bargaining power of suppliers is high. There are 20 suppliers that Best Buy uses for 65 percent of their products. Five of those 20 suppliers can account for 40 percent of their products.The bargaining power of the buyer is incredibly high in this industry because consumers have several different options, and different ways to purchase the products they want. Consumers can even browse products at a local Best Buy location, search for it online to see if their competitors offer a similar product at a lower price, and purchase the product somewhere else while they are in the store. The final aspect of the Porter’s Five Forces Model is to analyze the rivalry among competing firms. Best Buy’s industry provides a vast amount of rivalry among existing competitors.Purchasing consumer electronics online has beco me a common trend amongst consumers in recent years. Online retailers can maintain low costs because they don’t have the costs associated with brick and mortar locations. This allows companies like Amazon. com to steal market share from Best Buy. Other successful companies that are competitive in the industry are Wal-Mart, Costco, and Radio Shack. Based on the Porter’s Five Forces Model our analysis of the industry that Best Buy is in does not look too attractive. We would conclude that we should avoid this industry, and pursue a different direction.Strategy Development Best Buy’s big box retail stores currently follow a focused cost leadership strategy. Best Buy is best known for its big-box retail stores that offer a narrow scope of products that mainly consists of electronics. Best Buy generally advertises low prices, low price guarantees, and they offer price matching at many locations. Best Buy wants their consumers to perceive them as low cost so it can be inferred that they follow a cost leadership strategy, and since they only operate within the electronics market then that makes it a focused cost leadership strategy.The Best Buy Corporation follows a related diversification strategy. Other than the large retail locations, Best Buy currently owns Geek Squad, Best Buy Mobile, The Carphone Warehouse, and Five Stare Appliances. All of these stores have related resources, products and services. The Best Corporation tends to stick with electronics retail stores and related services. For example, Best Buy stores sell computers while Geek Squad repairs and services computers. One business serves and supports the other.Best Buy has a good corporate strategy where they only buy and operate business that sell consumer electronics or support/service consumer electronics, but best must address issues with their business level strategies. The bulk of Best Buy and its other companies business is electronics retail from brick and mortar locations where Best Buy acts as a middle man between electronics consumers and electronics manufactures, but because of internet retailers there is increasingly little need for brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy.Current trends show that more and more people are buying online because it is generally cheaper since people can buy direct from manufactures. If this trend continues, Best Buy’s big box retail stores will become obsolete and start to lose money. Best Buy has an online retail service but the brick and mortar locations still make up the majority of Best Buy’s sales. The first recommendation is that Best Buy should shift the retail part of their businesses to being more online, while keeping the non-retail services like Geek Squad.The next recommendation is that Best Buy should grow more internationally, specifically Europe. Best Buy has a strong presence in North America, but has a lot of room to grow in Europe. In Europe Best Buy mostly exists as The Carphone War ehouse, which is similar to the American Best Buy stores but the majority of The Carphone Warehouse revenue comes from selling electronics insurance and electronics repair. Best Buys could expand more into the European electronics retail market both in-store and online.Strategy Selection We believe that the better of the two strategies is to move the retail parts of Best Buy’s business to being more online. They shouldn’t move it completely online, but Best Buy should try and sell more online to try and compete with the online retailers. Best Buy has had problems with people coming into stores, looking for items, and then going home and buying them online from places like Amazon. If the customers are buying online then Best Buy should be more competitive online.The brick and mortar stores could be more like show rooms that advertise products for the online store. If Best Buy takes this route, they should then make their online prices more competitive and be sure to adv ertise those lower online prices in the stores. Implementation In the next 3 to 6 months, Best Buy can implement its strategy of increasing profit by cutting low performing stores, increasing advertising, and increasing employee training. On the tactical level, Best Buy should cut the stores performing in the bottom 2%, which would be about 28 stores.This will lower the high fixed costs associated with maintaining large brick and mortar locations. Best Buy should then move the inventory from these locations to warehouses used for online purchases and buy more warehouses if necessary. Best Buy should also increase advertising for its new price matching policy in order to gain back some of the market it lost to competitors like Amazon. On the operational level, Best Buy should increase its training to employees so that sales associates gain valuable customer relationship management skills that provide value to customers.These tactical and operational moves will cause challenges that B est Buy must address. First, a large number of layoffs can reflect badly on Best Buy, possibly causing its stock prices to be lower. Best Buy could combat this by launching a â€Å"goodwill campaign,† expressing the savings that will be passed on to its customers. Secondly, increasing warehouse capacity could lead to high costs for Best Buy. The company should combat this by controlling its inventory holding costs and ensuring that online sales match its inventory.Finally, the cost of training employees will be a challenge to meet. Best Buy must make this training worth the expense by ensuring that the quality of customer service will result in revenues high enough to cover the costs. Customer surveys would be a good quality control for the sales staff. Customers should be given the option to answer questions about their Best Buy experience via text messages, calls, or email, and sales associates should be given rewards points for good reviews.

Shopaholism

Summery of Literature 1: This paper was starting with the shopping experience of Marie LaTortue who is shopaholics. She shops crazyly. However, the author did not be scared and wrote that† Marie scares me a little. Not because what she's saying sounds alien to me, but because I can see a bit of myself in her. † Moreover, the author was introduced shopaholism as a â€Å"sickness†, as she wrote Marie told her that. Then, she thinks that compulsive shopping is a disorder of classic american. Psychologist Emil Kraepelin is the first one to define excessive shopping as an illness, which is oniomania.Sociologist Ronald Faber also thinks that shopaholism is much like alcoholism. The same as Chicago psychoanalyst Robert Galatzer-Levy metioned compulsice shopping is a case of the ordinary pleasures. Nevertheless, University of Cincinnati psychiatry professor Susan McElroy, implys shopaholism as â€Å"irresistible, intrusive and/or senseless. † With the saying of Laur en Land, â€Å"There's no feeling that compares with the feeling I get when I hand over my credit card,†, The author mentioned the credit cards as one of the crimes led people to be shopaholics.In the part called â€Å" plastic fantastic†, it was talking about how do credit cards cost trobles and how much does it tend to make us spend more. The power is called â€Å"unreality principle†, and it â€Å" ‘decouple' the pain of paying for things from the pleasure of buying them†. People feel free when buy things. Later, the author told us that promise is a medicine, the â€Å"antidepressant Celexa† may help shoppers. Getting away of crdit cards and checkbook is a way of quit shopping.The last part â€Å" under mouse arrest† was talking about the online shopping, even if we do not go to shops on the streets, but still we could not stop shopping online. This paper is the one that introduced me what is shopaholism. reference of literature 2 P andey, K. K. & Pandey, M. & Kerwar, M. & Khare, A. & Singh, D. (2011). Is shopping addiction or overspending a real addiction? People’s Journal of Management, 71. Summery of Literature 2: In the paper, the author discussed about whether shopping is addiction?He regards shopping addiction as â€Å"Impulse Control Disorder†. For specifically, overspending is excessive, impulsive behaviors. Moreover,in his opinion, spending a lot of time or money on shopping is not shopping addiction. Later, he discussed the therapy of shopping addiction, such as doing therapy individually, cognitive-behavioral therapy as a group, counseling with your lovers, your husband or wife , counseling about your personal credit and management of your debt.Medication is also a way to help when someone behaves as disorder bipolarity, self- depression, which happens for half of the addicts. As an example, he talked about retail therapy. It is an elementary intention of improve shoppers' emotion. Addi tionally, even if shopaholics have not been defined as disorder patients, but still it may exist as mental patients. The difference between compulsive shopping and impulsive shopping is why they shop a lot. When shopaholics shop, they often shop unexpectedly, they feel anxious from the inside.In author's discussion, he thinks compulsive could also suffer more than impulsive shoppers from some bad results like monetary problems, disagreement of families, and hysterical astonishment. As a result, the author finds out that all addictions are used to get away from the problems the shoppers come across now. However, it is a way of getting more serial of problems. The reason why people become shopaholics is they did not get enough attention from their parents during the childhood , they did not feel confident, so they use shopping as emotional defend.In conclusion, he believes shopping addiction of overspending is an addiction, because the symptoms and the motivations of those shoppers us ually act as addictions. Summary of literature 3: In this paper, the author talks about how different shopaholics get away from crazy shopping. The person, Keisha is a worker at a mall, she goes to stores everyday during the lunchtime. She thinks simply that she is single with no kid, so she could afford herself to buy anything she wants. For the shopaholics like her always shop a lot and suffer a lot, then finally realize the problem and want to get away from shopping.

20th Century Modern Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

20th Century Modern Art - Essay Example Kandinsky was an artist whose concepts played a crucial role in developing Abstract Expressionism. The Surrealist idea of the unconscious and Freudian imagery gained popularity among the artists simultaneously, and Abstract Expressionists, especially Jackson Pollock developed the desire to express the unconscious. He was brought up in Arizona and then in Chico, California. During the 1950s, Abstract Expressionism reached its peak. Employing the Automatism technique (from Surrealism, where the artist was to paint without fully controlling his body, thus unlocking the unconscious) which led to his â€Å"drip paintings† later known as â€Å"action painting†, Using household paints instead of artist’s paints, and sticks and other tools as paint applicators, with his canvases laid on the floor, Pollock brought a revolution to this art form. He allowed people to come and watch him while he created masterpieces: moving around the canvas, dripping paint at different angl es; he seemed engaged in a dance. In 1938, he underwent a psychiatric treatment for his alcoholism and worked with two Jungian analysts. After this extremely influential experience, he began exploring his own unconscious symbolism, the result of which is visible in his work Male and Female which shows freely poured pigment for the first time. The brilliance in the poured paintings that he began from 1947 was that he chose numbers for their titles, widening the viewers’ scope by giving them freedom of interpretation, which he thought was limited otherwise. At the age of 44, Pollock passed away in a car accident; he was driving under the influence of alcohol. Pollock’s One (Number 31) is one of his abstract works that he painted using the ‘drip technique’. The canvas is covered with long patchy, free flowing irregular lines; the color scheme is very subtle, consisting of only black, blue, grey, brown and white on an off white background; the beauty of Abstra ct Expressionism is that it does not make a statement of it own, rather it invokes the observer’s subconscious, allowing them to interpret it the way they see it and how it makes them feel (Lanchner & Pollock, 32). However, keeping in mind the post world war era it was created in, one can imagine the chaos and pandemonium of that time and relate to it; it makes one wonder what it must have been like to live amidst all the destruction and bloodshed. On a closer look, one might feel like the black strokes represent moving, perhaps dancing or falling(after being shot, maybe?) stick men like figures; or figures who are trying to run away from the brown, blue, white and grey(the war, maybe, trying to save themselves?). Also, each color might have a meaning of its own: for instance, the brown(earth or ground), the white(people’s tears), the black(arms and ammunition). It is a good thing it does not have a decipherable image(s) with definite meaning. It is a thought provocati ve piece of art, and it leaves one with no doubt as to why the art critic, Clement Greenberg wrote, â€Å"and I knew Jackson was the greatest painter this country had producedâ€Å" about Pollock,who played a great role in expressing the then deplorable social and political conditions of America, and diverting people’s attention from them, hence providing an escape from reality. Abstract Expressionism had become so influential by the second world war that the amateur artists imitated the style as it was, thus lacking originality and innovation, deterring the general public from connecting with it. In the 1950s, a bunch of approaching artists, began defying the norm, using imagery relatable by the general public. That is when advertising started making consumer items like Coca-Cola into household names in America. the American culture was heavily

English - Global environment issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English - Global environment issue - Essay Example Environment is a global concern globally because every individual contributes to the climatic changes in one way or the other. Even if, countries have been disagreeing over unequal distribution of natural resources, they are misusing the little that they have to the expense of the entire planet. The climatic changes are enormous; the planet is warming up, and there is an overpowering scientific harmony that is occurring and human-induced. With global warming on the rise and animals and their habitants on the decline, chances for ecology to adapt innately are diminishing. Many experts have agreed that climatic change might be one of the biggest dangers facing the earth. Individuals play a role in the global climate change. This is because they make wrong choices concerning what energy to use. For instance, they choose fuels, which emit poisonous gases. They also use cooking gases, which have elements harmful to the environment. Therefore, the first thing individuals ought to undertake is to evaluate their own devotion to sustainability. This involves trying to understand; what the effects of resource usage are, how ecosystems operate, and the knock-on impacts of activities in their daily lives like water, work, vehicle use, and entertainment activities. Devotion to sustainability involves sharing of common vision and goals for enhanced quality of life, instead of selfishness where people try to exploit recourses before other people can, until resources are consumed entirely, everybody suffers. Furthermore, corporations should be responsible for global environmental issues. Companies especially those in the production sectors emit gases which affect the environment. They are the main cause of the ever-changing climate and, therefore, they should take responsibility of preventing the environment from further damage. Corporate responsibility supports a vision of business responsibility to different stakeholders. The main areas are the welfare

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Global Warming - Essay Example It was referred to carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, exhilarant gas, freon gas, etc. During the intergovernmental conference in Madrid in 1995 UN proclaimed global warming to be a scientific fact. Nevertheless, nowadays there is a big number of respectable scientists denying the threat of global warming and proving such a large-scale problem to be just a great mystification, or at least an exaggeration. The theory of global warming comes down to the opinion that the increase of concentration of carbon dioxide in the air would necessarily cause the atmospheric temperature rise, earth surface and water warming. The defenders of this theory consider anthropogenic factor to be its main peculiarity. A huge amount of factories, plants, automobiles inject carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which causes a number of cataclysms around the whole world. Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, tornados, and many other natural disasters may be considered as a consequence of global warming. The theory of global warming gained its worldwide notoriety on account of former vice president of the US Albert Gore. After the defeat at election in 2000, he directed his efforts to public activity connected with the investigations of global warming. In 2007 he was awarded with two Oscars for his film An Inconvenient Truth, illustrating previously unknown facts about global warming. This film turned to have a huge impact on the attitude towards this problem. Gore received a Nobel Prize for environmental protection and the research of climate change issue. His name turned to be a synonym of the protection of nature and global warming control. One more thing he managed to receive was the positive public image. Nevertheless, the theory of global warming has faced a lot of criticism. A great number of scientists deny the influence of CO2 on temperature. A famous American climatologist

Chicano Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chicano Study - Essay Example occurs after the Falklands war had ended in favour of the British and the military, dictatorial regime in Argentina had been replaced by a so-called civilian Government, but the political background of this films is also one of oppression. Using women as protagonists, both film portray political events as witnessed through the eyes of a relative outsider, to heighten the impact of the political background on individuals and the power those events had to disrupt and change the life of those individuals. Argentina’s dictatorial regime is portrayed through a woman’s perspective, to gradually reveal the oppression of the regime, as the protagonists move from ignorance to full blown awareness of the horrors lying below the surface. The perspective used by both filmmakers to present the repressive political background of both films is that of individual women who are relatively innocent; they are not directly involved in any of the atrocities taking place by the Government, yet each one becomes the victim/target of the Government’s policies. Since Argentina is largely a state where feminism has not taken such a strong hold as the Western countries, men are the prime movers and shakers of political events and women are restricted and confined to certain occupations and are thus relatively immature and unaware in a political sense. From this perspective, they may actually represent the average ordinary citizen who is relatively ignorant in terms of political acumen and is a victim of political events rather than being one of the perpetrators. Political events form the backdrop rather than the major theme of both the films; but by using these innocent female protagonists, both film makers are able to introduce these events to the audiences as if viewed through the eyes of those protagonists – a gradual dawning of knowledge about the events which are transpiring in the background and the gathering horror as they become involved in the fallout of these

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Gun Control - Research Paper Example te this realization, the liberals have continued to push for the gun control as it increases the voter’s dependency on the government to offer them protection. The political effect has impacted the gun control in that it has shifted the voters leftward leaving the main supporters of the gun control to be the leftists politicians and liberal media (Kleinig & Lafolletee, 17). The Gun control is now believed to be a limitation or a denial by the government through the congress of the right of the citizens to armed self defense as stated by the Second Amendment of the United States of America Constitution (Kleinig & Lafolletee, 18). The congress have come out strongly using the discredited yet superficially appealing that the less the lawful-owned guns in the hands of the citizens, the fewer the crime cases even though guns have been considered as the main weapons of defense in America. The justification of their argument is that gun control laws result in enormous hardships. A good example is that of May 2012 when a gun control law led to an African American woman to be sentenced to prison for 20 years for just firing warning shots to her husband (Kleinig 280). This case resulted to an outburst of outrage around Florida as most people were against this sentence terming it as being unconscionable. The state has considered coming up with laws that ensure li ability in gun manufacturing and cover issues on shooting sports and personal protection. The laws also ensured that the licensed guns remained within the boundaries of the state exempt from the regulations of the federal that include licensing, background checks and registration. Most of the congresses believe that the gun control has potentially resulted to an increase in crime cases related to the use of guns through restricting its primary deterrent which is self defense. Statistics have it that law-abiding citizens in United States who use their guns outnumber the criminals who use guns and the ratio has

Holy Byzantine Women Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Holy Byzantine Women - Term Paper Example While we do have well documented accounts of powerful empresses, it is often more beneficial to understand the plight of the average Byzantine woman to truly understand the inner-workings of this particular civilization. Many women during this time period were quite religious and became the saints of their particular generation. Thankfully we do have some wonderful and cherished memories of their lives that will prove most helpful in this endeavor. It is important to see, through the perspective of history, the important role that women played in many different aspects of Byzantine society. This will allow us to envision that life, without Byzantine women, would have been difficult at best. Through a careful examination of four different holy Byzantine holy women, we will establish that the economic, social, and religious contributions of the common Byzantine woman enabled the continued existence of this society for centuries.  Biographical Analysis Saint Theodora of Arta is the fi rst holy woman we will discuss. As is typical of Byzantine women, we do not know exactly when she was born, but it must have been somewhere between 1224 and 1230. She was from Servia and her father was John Pertraliphas. He was quite famous in his own right, being the governor of Thessaly and Macedonia. She became married to the ruler of Epirus and Thessaly, apparently when she was still a child. This happened shortly after the husband’s accession to the throne in 1231. She became saintly due to her circumstances. Her husband preferred his mistress, which meant that Theodora was not allowed in the house or on the grounds, forcing her into a life of poverty on the streets. From written accounts, she suffered through these various hardships without complaining, even while she was pregnant, eventually gaining the attention of a village priest. The priest gave her shelter for nearly five years until Theodora’s husband saw the error of his ways and invited his wife back to live with him. From this account, we envision that Theodora’s mind and heart was pure. She did not choose the life she was given, yet she remained of positive attitude and worked hard to do right by her child and her God. Over the course of her life, she founded the convent of St. George, which was in Arta, and actually lived there after her husband died. To this day, her tomb is a pilgrimage site and many have ascribed miracles to it. Another saintly woman that we have a written account of is Saint Thomais of Lesbos. Thomais was in Lesbos, but spent much of her life in Constantinople. Subsequently, much of what we know about her is confined to that region. The parents of Thomais were named Michael and Kale. From all accounts, they were quite a pious and god-fearing couple. In addition, they were happy as a couple, so we are left to assume that Thomais was raised in a solid and pleasant environment and, while they did not have much, she received love and compassion at home. S adly, her particular marriage was not so happy. She married Stephen and we read that their marriage was a disaster. Thomais was perfectly content staying at home with her parents, and did so until the age of 24, perhaps foreshadowing her own fear of marriage. She did not have children of her own. During her adult life, she was in the habit of walking the streets of Constantinople and was

Predictive factors of complications following elective endovascular Essay

Predictive factors of complications following elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) - Essay Example The aorta is the primary vessel carrying fresh blood to vital organs and any functional or structural defect can lead to a high risk situation. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is a serious disorder which results in the permanent dilatation of the terminal portion of the abdominal aorta which is prone to rupture and a major cause of death in the developed countries encountered in recent years (Vorp, 2006). Aneurysm develops due to the degeneration of the aortic wall which results in the increased pressure of blood on the vessel wall and can result in its mechanical disruption and internal haemorrhage. Mostly such aneurysms are encountered in aging males but incidences in females have also occurred. The usual symptoms are abdominal and back pain as well as tenderness on palpation (Davis & Taylor, 2007). In case of rupture, the prognosis is usually grave with little chances of recovery after open surgery, as usually at such advanced ages comorbidities are the complicating factors. Regul ar monitoring and scanning in persons predisposed to such a condition is therefore absolutely essential and a surgical intervention can be undertaken before the rupture actually occurs. The usual approach employed for a long time was open surgery, but a new technique of endoluminal repair developed by Volodos and Parodi in 1991 subsequently named as endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) revolutionized the treatment as a more successful and less invasive procedure (Davis & Taylor, 2007). The technique has received encouraging response from surgeons in different locations and is steadily being refined by making it less invasive through the use of newer innovations of technology as well as trying for a percutaneous access to the aorta. Elective surgery is indicated based on the prediction of an impending rupture when risk parameters such as the size and growth rate of the aneurysm are evaluated. When the aortic diameter increases to an extent > 5.5 cm in males or the

Renaissance architecture, sculpture, & painting Essay

Renaissance architecture, sculpture, & painting - Essay Example The essay "Renaissance architecture, sculpture, & painting" explores architecture, sculpture, & painting of Renaissance. The Renaissance artists depicted the world in its natural situation in their art forms. They had the sense of space and perspective that medieval artists lacked. Their representation of the natural world is most evident in the paintings of the time. Landscapes became the â€Å"earthly settings† of the paintings. For instance, consider Andrea Mantegna’s Arrival of Cardinal Francesco Gonzaga. This fresco, completed in 1474, features a landscape as the setting, depicting the trees, hills, and the surroundings in their natural look. Pietro Bruegel, the Elder, in his The Peasant Dance (1568), painted his subjects over a natural setting of a village. It is not only in the settings of the Renaissance art forms that the beauty of the natural world was portrayed; it was depicted as well in the human figures as subjects. As paintings of the time became less of religious forms, they came to portray subjects realistically. Apart from the representation of the natural world in the paintings, the liveliness of the human form became evident in the artworks. Da Vinci’s ever-famous Mona Lisa was such a humanistic portrayal. The smile on that womanly face had caught the attention ever since. In sculpture, Michelangelo’s Moses is a good example. He was dedicated to portraying lifelike human details that he even pared muscles and veins. The humanistic approach to paintings was also implied.

Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Essay Example for Free

Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Essay Being gay or lesbian has several implications notable of which are the manifestations of discrimination. Such effect is aggravated by a condition wherein the homosexuals are part of a diversified culture. This paper aims to make a presentation on â€Å"Cultural Competence with Gays and Lesbians† as discussed in the textbook written by Doman Lum. In doing so, it is the ultimate objective of this paper to make the public realize the important functions of social work professionals particularly their cultural capabilities in handling issues such as discrimination concerning homosexuals. Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Introduction There is a joke about four people who are about to be fired because their company is facing profit loss. The manager failed to fire the initial three employees composed of black man, Mexican and woman. This is because the three threaten to sue the company for discriminating people based from their race, ethnic or culture and gender. The manager then was bent in firing the fourth employee noting there will be no problem at all because he is a male white American. Hence, to avoid dismissal, the fourth employee simply says â€Å"Well, I guess I could be gay† (â€Å"Gay joke – positive discrimination,† 2007). The said joke and its implication manifest that the concept of homosexuality has long been of undeniable significance to humans’ existence and the reality of being in different cultures where they belong. Hence, it is of equal relevance that being homosexual and the idea of cultural competence with gay and lesbian are effectively presented. This is because of the notable relationship which exists between homosexuality and racial or cultural color. Most importantly, it is also empirical to talk about that being gays and lesbians in a diversified culture results into the very damaging practice of discrimination. It is, therefore, of ultimate concern and objective that the value of having understandable presentation about being homosexual in varied culture is realized. This is possibly achieved if people with expertise will discuss the subject matter. This is due to the need for clear presentation of all the details which paves the way for being culturally capable with homosexual persons and eventually resolving the issue of discrimination. Of Gays and Lesbians In today’s modern society, the commonality of being and lesbian has sets ground. In fact, social recognition and work practice have advanced due to the fact that significant number of gays and lesbians from various cultures already came forward. Gone are the days that homosexuality is perceived as a social ill which requires change. Thus, concerned field professionals realize nowadays the existing personal and cultural identities of homosexuals by exerting earnest efforts at upholding their distinct nature of being gays and lesbians. This condition was what Walters, Longres, Han and Icard (2006) stated when they discussed the concept of â€Å"cultural competence with gay and lesbian persons of color† (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). In presenting further the issue, Walters and company explained that while homosexuality is now openly talked about, it is significantly worthy to consider and focus on the conditions affecting gays and lesbians of color or what they called GALOCs. This is because through a clear and mind-opening discussion about the negative or harmful situations that homosexuals of diversified cultures are experiencing, the society is aimed at realizing the important contributions and roles of social work professionals. In doing so, addressing, if not resolving concerns and the various forms of discrimination against GALOCs are easily achieved (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Cultural Competence with Gays and Lesbians It is necessary for social workers or professionals to exemplify cultural competence in dealing with homosexuals of various ethnic roots. This is in order to identify the nature and eventually come up with possible solutions to the experiences of discrimination against gays and lesbians. Prejudice due to being homosexual is itself not in accordance with human nature thus aggravating the situation by subjecting gays and lesbians to unfairness due to their respective or varying cultures causes more alarm (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Walters and company emphasized the principle of cultural ability and proficiency of social workers or professionals in handling issues concerning gays and lesbians. They stated that the effective development of a well and cultural characteristics among GALOCs calls for the social professionals’ competence to talk and resolve issues such as discrimination against gays and lesbians of different race. This is where the clear link between racial personality and sexual distinctiveness of gays and lesbians definitely matters. This is because once recognized, social professionals are able to respond and resolve the condition of bias inflicted among homosexuals of various colors (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). This is particularly realized based from the manifestations of discrimination made to several homosexuals from racial groups composed of â€Å"First Nations Peoples, African Americans, Asian Americans and Latino/s Americans† (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). In doing so, Walters and company learned that there is indeed a need for cultural competence among social professionals in order to underline the harmful effects of social injustices which the gays and lesbians inevitably suffer (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Supporting the above-mentioned principles, it can be said that cultural capability, particularly as regard the social professionals’ service and practice towards GALOCs, requires the critical assessment of numerous social and private characteristics. It also needs the recognition of inconsistent duties as well as several factors that relate with discrimination of gays and lesbians coming from different cultures. Social fairness orientation, as far as social work service and practice towards homosexuals is concern, makes us wary that oppression and discrimination should cease to exist. If it is otherwise tolerated to happen in the areas of culture and gender or sexual preference, then nobody, not even the gays and lesbians are really free (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Conclusion Cultural competence with gays and lesbians is attributed to the abilities of social professionals. This means that culturally-capable social work service and its professionals need liberating pedagogy which respects the value of the fight for cultural and gender impartiality for homosexuals. And this ultimately includes the fight against discrimination. References In my mind’s eye. (2007, December 19). Gay joke – positive discrimination. Message posted to http://pure-eyecontact. blogspot. com/2007/12/gay-joke-positive-discrimination. html Walters, K. L. , Longres, J. F. , Han, C. Icard, L. D. (2006). Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Persons of Color. In Doman Lum (Ed. ), Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework for Understanding Diverse Groups and Justice Issues (389-423). Kentucky: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Accounting Standards Accounting Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Accounting Standards Accounting Essay Introduction: In accounting, for every basis, identification and measurement of the elements of financial statement and the impact of the circumstances and financial status and work results should be defined in a form of standards. These standards are like the rules for accounting in any country. That is why they denote what should be mentioned in any companys accounts. Moreover, they guarantee that certain cases, approaches and requirements are taken into account normally. In addition, they help people who are interested in investment to make decisions by ensuring that they get appropriate information needed. This is the idea behind accounting standards. When we talk about accounting standards, the main thing that comes under them is the accounting report. According to the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), accounting reports are documents filled out by brokers that give details and facts about a new clients financial circumstances and investment objectives. The report may be updated if there are material changes in a client financial position. Based on the report, a client may or may not be deemed eligible for certain types of risky investments such as commodity trading or highly leveraged limited partnership deals. The second main thing is the framework. According to the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the US, the conceptual framework is the system of fundamentals and objectives that make consistent standards by knowing that the accounting report does not mean the rules but the guidelines. Actually, rules are set in the accounting standards which we can formulate from the framework. But when we face an interpretation conflict, it takes some requirements over the framework. International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), http://www.iasb.org Accounting Standards, Advantages and Disadvantages: Having said that accounting standards are the provider of the rules, conditions and consistency, they may hold some pros and cons while they are being implemented and taken in any company. Efficiency and effectiveness can be gotten through consistency if different organizations apply them than other organizations in their financial transactions. If we ask ourselves about the main reason behind bookkeeping practices, the answer would be that companies with different forms and a wide range of data to be maintained are better than those that have the same data categorized less in the same shape and will face a very big problem in trying to do business together. Hence, the justice and court have standard operations and businesses in fact, should denote all of its operations and transactions. According to Elliot (2009) companies should organize their operations with standard clients, competitors, customers, and suppliers. If we want to issue clear standards of financial accounting, we hav e to take into account the direction of the economy to establish joint stock companies with large capital. Its necessary to expand the vision of accounting standards according to communication and delivery of accounting information to lead to the need for that information to let them assess the performance of businesses to make good decisions with regards to their investment. Accounting standards are a very significant practice as it leads to effective corporate governance programs. They also provide a useful mechanism to rebuild the corporate values. Schipper, K. (2003). Principles-Based Accounting Standards. Accounting Horizons, 17(1), 61-72 The Need for Accounting Standards: The need for accounting standards has been a very important aspect to ensure that comparability, accuracy and transparency are needed for the integration of European financial markets, which is according to the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). We need accounting standards to develop the measures of performance in any form of life, whether it is in financial reporting, returns and funds, or even playing a game. Actually, high quality financial reporting is connected with efficient capital markets so as to lead for investment to be well done. If we want the economy to function efficiently, we should have accounting standards because they help us reach our destiny. With accounting standards and good financial reporting, customers can get a clear image about business activities and financial conditions. To make it very clear, I will just mention a small example created by me that will really denote and clarify the real need for accounting standards in any business ent erprise. With known and organized accounting standards, when the amount of the net income of Fathiya Company and Abeer Company is 2 million Omani Rials, we are sure that we can make a meaningful comparison. According to Schipper (2003) says that without standards, we cannot get the core aspect of assurance, for instance, whether Fathiya Company is considering the orders of the future as current sales or releasing a big amount of its expenses. Financial Accounting Standards Board, http://www.fasb.org Business without Accounting Standards: It was clear that accounting standards are very important to any business. Businesses can do whatever they want to reach certain goals without the need for accounting standards, but not as well as businesses that take accounting standards into account. Without accounting standards, businesses cannot guarantee that they will consider their future list of objectives or will leave some expenses. Furthermore, businesses cannot organize operations with their customers, suppliers and even competitors without applying at least some accounting standards. Moreover, if businesses do not apply accounting standards, they definitely will not be able to structure their business well and will lead to the corporate values to be missed. Elliot, B. and Elliot, E. Financial Accounting and Reporting 13th edition, 2009 Chapters 5 and7 Accounting Standards in Oman and abroad: Oman has prepared the financial statements in accordance with International Accounting standards (IAS), the interpretations which are prepared by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further a good economy. Accounting standards in Oman may be somehow related to the accounting standards outside Oman, because, in some extent, they all come under the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), http://www.iasb.org Recommendations and Conclusion: As an accounting student, I recommend all companies in Oman to have a set of accounting standards and reports in order to build a reliable business that can rank them in the top of the list of good companies. To conclude, we should think of accounting standards as the key of success for different business enterprises. In addition, if companies apply accounting standards well, other companies will look up to them to do business strategies as well as they do.

PESTEL and SWOT analysis of Honda Motor Co ltd

PESTEL and SWOT analysis of Honda Motor Co ltd Honda Motor Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and distribution of motorcycles, automobiles, and power products primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its motorcycle line consists of business and commuter models, as well as sports models, including trial and moto-cross racing; all-terrain vehicles; personal watercrafts; and multi utility vehicles. The company also produces various automobile products, including passenger cars, minivans, multi-wagons, sport utility vehicles, and mini cars; and power products comprising tillers, portable generators, general-purpose engines, grass cutters, outboard marine engines, water pumps, snow throwers, power carriers, power sprayers, lawn mowers and lawn tractors, home-use cogeneration units, thin film solar cells home use, and public and industrial uses. In addition, it sells spare parts and provides after sales services are through retail dealers, as well as involves in retail lending, leas ing to customers, and other financial services, such as wholesale financing to dealers. The company was founded in 1946 and is based in Tokyo, Japan. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=HMC FINANCIAL STATEMENT http://world.honda.com/investors/annualreport/2009/pdf/honda09ar-all-e.pdf There is another table for financial statement is more details at the bellowing: Note: The consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended March 31, 2009, have been translated into U.S. dollars at the rate of  ¥98.23=U.S.$1, the approximate exchange rate prevailing on the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2009. Those U.S. dollar amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements and related notes are included solely for the reader. This translation should not be construed as a representation that all the amounts shown could be converted into U.S. dollars. http://world.honda.com/investors/annualreport/2009/pdf/honda09ar-all-e.pdf The chart at the above are shows that net sales from year 2005 onward to 2008 is keep on rising but 2009 have depreciated. The sales have declines in North America, Japan and certain other markets. The main reason to make 2009 depreciated is because of North America have all-new competitors had a positive effect, but, as a result of the deterioration in the real economy triggered by the financial crisis, total unit sales declined. Management overview Honda has been minimize environmental impact in their products of engine plant which is waste management, noise management and supplier management. Honda UK management are encouraged all the departments to follow the waste hierarchy with all waste stream due to wasted materials can be their burden in their company profits end of the years. The hierarchy is to minimize, re-use, recycle, incinerate and finally controlled disposal. Noise is generated by Honda UK management from a number of processes, eg, the steel pressing, air conditioning systems and contractor operations. Internal noise is controlled through safety legislation to ensure the protection of our associates. External noise modelling is carried out across the site to confirm the noise levels at the boundary are in compliance with planning consents. Honda is reliant on the support of suppliers. Therefore, Honda want to get more support from UK to assists their product to sell out more. Honda current situation has more than 200 parts and materials suppliers based both in the UK and all over the world. All are required to achieve certification to a recognized that standard the registration. MISSION STATEMENT Honda maintaining a global viewpoint, we are dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality, yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer satisfaction. Other than that, Honda have say that dreams inspire us to create innovative products that enhance mobility and benefit society. To meet the particular needs of customers in different regions around the world, we base our sales networks, research and development centers and manufacturing facilities in each region. Furthermore, as a socially responsible corporate citizen, we strive to address important environmental and safety issues. MARKET VALUES Honda had offer car insurance in UK which is Honda GAP insurance to increase their market value. Usually, people from UK buy car insurance are not able to claim all the payment to cover their original car cost. For examples, people bought normal insurance for the car around 14 thousand pounds plus 1 year warranty plus claim, so when they wanted to claim insurance for their car is only 10 thousand can be claimed. Opposite, Honda Gap insurance are offers customers to claim all the car cost. There are some pictures at the bellowing to show that how much Honda Gap insurance can be claim. http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/finance/personalfinance/gapinsurance/ MARKET SHARE Reader Request: December 2009 Market Share As you can see Honda market share in 2009 is 10.4% and the sales are 107,143 compare to last year is increase 0.8%. GM is one of the leading cars company in UK. GM are produced Opel/ Vauxhall brands. The second in the ranking board is Toyota/Lexus. The third is Ford. Honda is on the fourth in the ranking board. As you can see the volume change % of Honda has increase 24.46%. SECTOR TRENDS Due to global economic crisis, some company in UK wanted to reduce employee in their company for cut down their budget because of employee wages are too high and waste management in their company. Too many expenses to be their burden to take care. Therefore, they decided to cut down employee. Due to most of the people are jobless in UK. It will affect that consumer could not apply loan with bank, many of the service industry business are affected by this economic crisis. Besides that, Honda sales automatically will be affected as well. PESTLE POLITICAL FACTORS Due to UK government had proposal that limit number of cars being sold in the country. Honda sales would affect by this issue and couldnt manufacture more number of cars compare to previously. UK consumers pay higher pre-tax prices for cars than anyone else in the Europe. UK government was keen to attract foreign firms to invest in UK. Honda investing in UK as initial stake in rover. ECONOMIC FACTORS Exchange rate from  £ to Yen. Due to UK and Japan exchange rate are not stable always and it would affect Hondas cars price not stable. Income rising means that consumer income rising and their purchasing power have increase. Honda has kept up with this by introducing new models of car to go on sale this year. Due to global cost of petrol keep on rising to make consumers to struggling in their economic problem. Therefore, Honda introducing more economical cars and eco-friendly technology cars such as 1.4 Honda Jazz and Honda Civic Hybrid. SOCIAL FACTORS Social factors include the demographic and cultural aspects of the external macroenvironment. These factors affect customer needs and the size of potential markets. Some social factors include: In UK, consumers have a strong beliefs in their local brand instead of other country brand such as Japanese brand Honda, Toyota and etc. Therefore, Honda wanted to change their beliefs in introducing ego-friendly cars which is Honda Civic Hybrid. Language barriers Honda is moving to worldwide business so they deal in the English language easy for customer to understand. In UK, cars product are not too expensive as in other high tax country. Therefore, consumers rather to purchase high quality automobiles from western country such as BMW, BENZ, BENTLY and etc. Technological factors Technological factors show how the trend helps the business Nowadays, people too rely on GPS( Global Positioning System) to search a location they want to go due to GPS had developed by new technology. Therefore, Honda cars have had to include Satelite Navigation System in their newer models. Environmentally friendly cars Honda developed i-vtec, which is a follow on from their infamous vtec engines. The vi-tec engine provides fuel economy, ample torque and clean emissions. According to (Honda website) Honda has always been passionate in innovating technology and challenging boundaries of mobility advancements. It is our continuous commitment in providing joy of mobility for communities all over the world with our innovations in safety, environment and advanced mobility. As you can see at economic factors at above, which is cost of petrol price keep on rising in Malaysia. Therefore, Honda has been engaged in eco-friendly technology for a better, more sustainable future. The result of the Civic Hybrid is combining fuel efficiency and eco-friendly technology with fun diving. LEGAL FACTORS Due to employment laws in UK, employee working hours and the wages. Working hours in UK standard are 8 hours per day and minimum wages are  £5.93 per hours. Due to this situation, company could be affected because of high wages in a company. UK government has proposed all the company workplace must be as safe as is reasonably practical. They cover issues such as training, reporting accidents and the appropriate of safety equipment to make sure employee are in safety situation. ENVIRONMENT FACTORS Due to global warming of less petroleum to be found in country of produce petroleum, petrol price are keep on rising. Therefore, Honda introducing ego-friendly technology cars such as Honda Hybrid to protect global warming. UK have different weather and climate in a years. Change in temperature can impact on cars engine difficult to start when weather is cold and engine easy to overheat when weather is hot. Therefore, Honda had developed different engine in different country due to weather and climate problem. COMPETITORS SITUATION In UK cars brand have a lot competitors. But I am taking Ford to compare with Honda. In the situation of Ford Company, Ford is leading in the UK of cars sales. Ford Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford is a multinational company as well. They have a strength in western company due to Ford is produced by US and western consumers have a strong beliefs in this company because of the car price are affordable compare to other western country brand of cars. SWOT ANALYSIS OF COMPETITOR Ford Company STRENGTH -online marketing capability, Ford is providing consumers to select their car through the website and allow to customize the interior, exterior and engine color and etc. -Ford have more consumer choice which is commercial vehicle and variety of cars for consumer. WEAKNESSES -company cut down employee to run down their costs. -low productivity due to management missing focus on some line performance because of Ford had expended their business into different area. OPPORTUNITIES -consumers have a strong beliefs toward Ford in western country -hybrid vehicles Ford Motor Company had expected by year 2010 half of the cars switch to hybrid cars to protect the global warming of petroleum. THREATS -high level of competitors in UK such as Honda, Toyota and etc. -low capital spending due to economic crisis, Ford had cut down employee to run down their costs and lower their cost in RD department. Therefore, Ford have threaten in this issues. Honda Company STRENGTH -Honda introducing new models which is eco-friendly technology cars. For examples, Honda Hyrid. -Honda introducing more save fuel car to change consumers beliefs. WEAKNESSES -Honda has Recalls number of cars for the brake problem to affect their reputation. -Honda sales declined due to economic crisis from year 2008 to 2009. OPPORTUNITIES -Honda business is attack into western country such as UK, US and etc. -Honda had developed an Asimo in their RD department due to technology advance in Japan. THREATS -consumers hardly to change their beliefs from their western country brand swtich to japanese brand. -competitors are investing to Hybrid cars. OBJECTIVES- SMART OBJECTIVES FOR BRANDING AND PROMOTIONAL Specific Create more advertisement to increase brand awareness of Honda Civic Hybrid To give out free gifts when consumers come to test drive To organize road show event to increase brand awareness Measurable To increase quality service of Honda To target 1000 consumers to fill up surveys after test drive to understand consumers needs and wants. Achievable It is possible to achieve if the gifts to exchange the result of consumers to know what is the quality of the cars. Realistic Honda has 4200 employee and enough capital to handle it. Time by end of 2010, Honda Civic Hybrid recognized by consumers and increase brand image. OBJECTIVES FOR GROWTH Specific Increase the service centre in UK Increase service level toward customers Measurable To enhance service level to customers compare to previous years To increase brand attribute to consumers toward Honda compare to previous years. Achievable More service centre convenience customers to go for service their car. High quality service can give confident of the brand to consumers to purchase it. To give out training for employees in service area. Realistic Consumers in UK have strong purchasing power, Honda is worth to invest in expanding the service centre for their future profits. Time By 2013 years, Honda can increase the ranking board in UK. Consumers in UK change their belief toward Honda brand due to high quality service. OBJECTIVES FOR FINANCIAL Specific Increase sales in UK Aim to increase the ranking in UK. Measurable To increase 5% sales compare to previous years To increase net income Achievable To give out more advertisement and based on high quality service level to influence consumers belief toward Honda in UK to purchase Honda. Realistic More service centre and employees has go through service training can increase confident of the consumers toward the Honda. Time By 2010, Honda sales increase 5% until the service centre expanded in UK. After service centre expanded in UK, sales increase 10% onwards. http://world.honda.com/news/1998/c980611.html MARKET STRATEGIES 4P MIX STRATEGIES http://www.learnmarketing.net/marketingmix.htm Product Honda Civic Hybrid is a best green car in UK and using innovative design. It can target customers needs and wants based on the innovative design of the car. This car can known as petrol-electric car. The features of the Civic Hybrid are increased style and improved driving such as mirror integrated indicators, body coloured side protectors, 15 alloys and etc. other than that, youll find high quality fabric as standard and heated front seats with lumbar support and full leather interior. Honda Civic Hybrid is using continuously variable transmission (CVT), it can reduce noise and jerkiness and also helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Besides that, Honda had provide after-sales service in London Honda which is no-charge shuttles service to and from your home and highest quality technical staff to ensure your Honda is repaired right the first time and customers can always booking with the service schedule with Honda website. Price Honda in UK is using skimming pricing strategies. Honda is using skimming pricing on their product of Honda Civic Hybrid because of the highest technology eco-friendly technology are advanced and after it launched in the world, competitors could follow it. Therefore, Honda set the highest price on the car and after few years competitors have follow the trend then Honda reduce a price to afford consumers. Honda Civic Hybrid have 3 spec which is ES, ES Leather, and EX. The ES price is  £18,975, ES leather are in  £19,875 and EX are  £21,510. . Promotion Promotion can be increase brand awareness and sales. The perceptions of cars to consumers are always high-involvement product. Therefore, consumers need to consider as good as possible to purchase it. So, marketers should using pushing promotional strategy to attract consumers which is using advertisement in commercial not in a short term, at least long term advertisement keep on repeat on the commercial to attract consumers attention. Other than that, marketer can use sales force to increase sales which is organize an road show event in public to show the sample of car and put some sales agent to pull consumers. Not only have that, consumer able to booking a test driven in a period via online through Honda website in UK. Place Place is important for consumers because of how the product getting to the consumers. There are few methods to getting consumers to come over the product. There are 234 Honda dealers in UK and 2 headquarter which is Langley, and Berkshire. 2 of these headquarter are responsible to driving up the sales and brand awareness throughout UK. Therefore, consumers are convenience to go for it without worries about no dealers. Other than dealer, consumers can purchase it when Honda is lauching an road show event in any shopping mall. Forecast and Implication 3-year forecast and budgets 2009 2010 2011 2012 Profit 137,005 143,855.25 151,048.01 158,600.41 Cost 7,419,582.00 7,790,561.1 8,180,089.1 8,589,093.5 Sales 10,011,241.00 10,511,803.00 11,037,393.00 11,589,262.00 3 Year Forecast and Budget

Attack on World Trade Center :: history

Attack on World Trade Center Terrorism is the bug of 21 century. Throughout history it has appeared in many various ways: hijacked planes, ships, trains. But never was terrorism committed in such a terrible way as on Tuesday, September 11 in New York City. This tragedy affected us all. It was nice Tuesday morning. Everybody were rushing to their jobs in the most beautiful and remarkable city of the world. Planes in the sky were usual routine of this city at this time. Manhattan was ready to welcome millions of its residents and tourist. Everybody were going about their businesses. There was illusion that nothing can disturb this normal existence. Rapidly, two passenger planes, like envoys of terror, crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center. Pieces of debris came down with a terrifying thunder. Screams of terror could be heard through hearts of thousands people from all over the world. Ten minutes later, people all over the world with shocking fear could observe how two highest buildings of the world were collapsing carrying away thousands of innocent lives. People stood staring in awe at the empty space, which once was the Tenth Wonder of the World. Now, this is just a cloud of dust. Many firefighters and police officers rushed into the burning buildings to save innocent lives. At this time they weren’t thinking about their own lives. I woke up about 9 o'clock. As usual I turned on the TV. I saw a terrible image of one tower and a lot of smoke was coming out of it. Still not realizing what was happening, I went to another room to pack my stuff in order to go to college. At this time I was thinking that it was just a regular fire and nothing serious. When I got on the bus I saw unusual commotion among people. I could feel panic and fear among people. I wanted to use my cell phone to call my friend to find out if he’s ok, but it did not work. Everybody were talking about the attacks of terrorists, but I never thought that World Trade Center could collapse, just disappear. I heard that Twin Towers collapsed when I was in my music class. I still could not realize what was happening in NY. I got out from Brooklyn College and I went to Flatbush Avenue. There I saw skies full of black smoke.

Karl Marx :: Essays Papers

Karl Marx Are you a communist? No, a citizen of the United States of America can’t be a communist. But Karl Marx was a communist, or at least he founded some of the main principles of communism, and Karl Marx firmly believed in some of the things that make this country what it is, like equality. But, Karl Marx was still a great political philosopher of his time, and a humanitarian. To really understand the principles of Marx’s teachings one would have to study him, or at least read an essay that describes Marx’s life. There are three key elements to understanding Marx they are his childhood and education, the people that had the greatest influence on him, and his writings. At 2:00 A.M. of May 5, 1818, the life of the greatest political philosopher began. He was born in the Rhine province of Prussia, and was born to Henriette and Hirschel Marx (Payne 17). Hirschel Marx was a rich lawyer, and he was also a Jew (World Book Encyclopedia 236M). On August 26, 1824 Karl and his whole family were baptized, so his family turned away from its traditional Jewish teachings to Protestant Christianity (Payne 21). At the age of twelve Karl entered the Friedrich Wilhiem Gymnasium. He stayed there for five years excelling in foreign languages, but not really caring about mathematics and history (Payne 23). Karl’s father decided that Karl would attend the University of Bonn to study law (World Book Encyclopedia 236M). Karl became an active member of â€Å"poetry clubs,† while studying at the University. The poetry clubs of Marx’s time was more of a revolutionary club than anything. The club members would sit around and practice the art of revolution (Payne 43). Marx only stayed at the University of Bonn for two semesters. Karl then went on to attend the University of Berlin where he grew more distant from his father (Payne 52). Marx’s father died on May 10, 1838 at the age of fifty-six. Marx didn’t attend his father’s funeral, because the trip was too far, and he was to busy (Payne 55). Marx spent a total of five years at the University of Berlin. People can be the greatest influence on a person’s life. One of the greatest influence on a person is the spouse.

An Explication of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Essay

An Explication of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night In this poem Thomas makes a very personal appeal to his father as the latter approaches death. He pleads with him not just to surrender to death but to fight death as long as possible. His plea also becomes universal as Thomas addresses also all other people approaching death, not to accept death as inevitable, but rather to fight against dying. Whether men have been strong or weak throughout their lives, they should still make a stand at the end. Different men approach death in different ways, but no matter what their approach, they should fight against loss itself. Stanza analysis Stanza 1 Line 1 is a repetition of the title of the poem - a line which is repeated four times in the poem. The repetition is functional as it emphasises the theme of the poem: not to accept death without fighting it as long as possible. In stanza 1 three different phrases are used to denote the idea of death namely good night; close of day and dying of light. The poet is very defiant: he emphasises the fact that man must fight. In this stanza the emphasis is on elderly people, " Old age" (line 2). Even elderly people, his father in particular, must not just accept the coming of death gently, but they should still fight it. Also note the contrast between "night" and "light", the rhyme words in stanza 1. Man is entering the night and leaving the light. Stanza 2 In this stanza the emphasis is on " wise men" (line4). Wise people as they approach death, they realise death is something that cannot be avoided: "know dark is right" (line 4).They regret death because they feel their words have not been good enough to light up the lives of others; their opportunity to m... ...ven a hint of what might have been. This is no more than a fleeting glimpse, just as a meteor that shines for a moment and then is gone." Blinding sight" is an example of oxymoron which is a combination of contradictory words placed side by side but which intensifies rather than detracts from the point to be made. Also note the contradiction in the simile " Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay". Stanza 6 In this stanza the emphasis is on the poet's father. It is important to him that his own father resists death with all the strength available to him. "sad height" refers to his old age. His father is asked to shed " fierce tears" in order to give himself a chance of a few more days/ months/ years of life. The theme of the poem lies in the final two lines: " Do not go gentle into that good night Rage, rage against the dying of light."