Monday, September 30, 2019

Swot Analysis Of A Manager Of A Fast Food Shop

Strengths –Years of experience working, managing and owning a fast food restaurant Good communication skills with customers Friendly attitude with customers and staff Being able to mentor staff as I have years of experience in this fieldWeaknesses –Health problems Fatigue I have to look after my family which includes young children personally sometimes causing me to work lessOpportunities –To franchise and own more fast food shops I’m close to staff which I think my competitors might lackThreats –My staff might not be motivated enough if I work less Less time working means that I will get less customer feedback and less time to communicate with them(B) Skills AuditMy key skills are communicating with customers and satisfying them. I also have leadership skills, which enable me to guide and motivate the staff to perform better and be nicer to customers. Years of experience also help me decide how to deal with different members of staff and how to mot ivate them.There are gaps in my skills such as my stress levels. I get stressed pretty  easily and fatigue catches up too in a few hours of work. I can sometimes tend to be short tempered which might affect my mood at times and cause others to misunderstand me. Also, expressing my emotions correctly can also be seen as a vital gap.(C) Evaluation of my Strengths and Weaknesses –Years of managing and owning a fast food restaurant certainly has its benefits. I know what customers like and what they might not like and the kind of service they like to be provided with. I tend to have good communication skills with both the customers and staff, which tend to be imperative too. Being friendly with the customers encourages them to come to my shop more often. I make sure me and my staff act friendly with them and provide them with the best possible service. I understand how to motivate my staff; each and everyone get motivated in different ways. I use my skills and experience to mot ivate staff and push them to work harder and provide better service. My staff may look up to me as a mentor and respect my years of hard work to be successful in this business.My weaknesses might make me work less. Working less at my shop will cease me from having opportunities to bond with customers and creating a good relationship with them. It will also affect how I would like to personally ensure that the food being served is of the best quality and the service provided is admirable. My low fatigue level might get me tired, inefficient and might cause me to be downcast at times. These might stand as problems and if I cant work more, it’ll be tough for me to expand my business. These weakness in the long run stand in my way to achieve my goals in the future.I would try to quickly try and address these problems so that they don’t affect my goals. I would try to work on my health. I would try and workout in the gym, jog and eat healthy so that my health becomes better over time and fatigue doesn’t come easily. Working out or jogging would also help me reduce my stress levels. This could also somehow make me more stressed out and tired in the short run but hopefully it should eventually make my health better overall in the long run.I could also appoint a dedicated and efficient manager for the time being to play my role in the shop till I recovered and returned to my full ability. Although the manager might not live up to fulfilling my specific tasks and might just be a letdown because I have to pay an extra employee, appointing one would certainly be worth a try for the short run.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Porter’s Five Force Model of Toyota

MIS Porter’s Five Forces Model Of Toyota Porter’s five forces model is a framework for the industry analysis and development of business strategy. Three of Porter’s five forces refers to rivalry from external/outside sources such as micro environment, macro environment and rest are internal threats. It draws ahead Industrial Organization economics to develop five forces that conclude the competitive intensity and consequently attractiveness of a market place or industry. Attractiveness in this framework refers to the generally overall industry profitability. An â€Å"unattractiveness† in industry is one in which the mixture of these five forces proceed to constrain behind overall profitability. An extremely unattractive industry would be one moving toward â€Å"pure competition†, in which existing profits for all companies are moving down to zero. 1. Bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is low. There are various types of suppliers in the vehicles industry, including the cooling system, electrical system, braking system and fuel supply system distributed across the globe. However, most vehicle manufactures own many interchangeable suppliers, and also have the ability to produce the components by their own in the short time. Thus, the suppliers do not own the power to change the price. 2. Bargaining power of buyers The Bargaining power of buyers is high. Today, buyers have a lot of information channel, such as the internet, where can easily find the proper vehicle. And, the preferences of the private consumers are important to the vehicle corporations. If automobile Company increases one type, they can also choose other type or the cheaper one. And the vehicle’s buyers can easily find the substitutes, such as walking, and bus. 3. Threat of new entrants The entrants can not enter to the automotive industry easily, as automobiles are special products that require a large amount of money on the design, electronic functions, and safety issues. And another important issue is the brand loyalty in the car market. Vehicle firms always benefit the brand value, and decrease the consumer sensitivity about the price. For example, General Motors provided $1000 to the Saab owners who planed to buy the 2008 model. 4. Rivalry among competitors The competition in the auto industry is strong. The top eight auto companies have occupy large part of global revenues, and these automobile manufacturers strengthened the globalization and consolidation across the worldwide range. The competition is not only between the corporations, but between the governments. Governments established protection laws to protect the products of each own production. For example, U. S. government increased the additional tariffs on Chinese tires in 2009. And the Toyota vehicles were recalled because the U. S. government investigated into the accelerator pedal problems. 5. Threat of substitutes The threat of the substitutes is high. There are a lot of substitutes in the automobile industry. When the price of the vehicles rises, the substitutes will emerge, there are many types of equipment that can take the place of vehicles, such bus, subway, bicycle and even walking.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Economic Rationale for Toll Roads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The Economic Rationale for Toll Roads - Essay Example It will analyze the benefits and cost that are associated with tolling which is used widely in the world. But first let us take a close look at road transport system in the world n order to understand the rationale behind tolling. Road transport is perhaps the oldest mode of transport in the world. It has a long history that spins many years ago. This was due to various means of transport that could use roads. The earliest means of transport that was used on the road were animals. Donkeys, mules and horses have been recorded as the being the oldest means of transport that were used in the world at the beginning. The civilization that was taking place in Mesopotamia that led to the invention of the wheel revolutionized road transport as other means of transport were invented. Key among these means of transport invented at that time was carriages. At the same time, John Macadam developed what could be termed as the modern form of roads. Though his road did not use bitumen and other material used today, it gave travelers a comfortable ride. This was a big reap forward in the development of road transport. The development of macadam road led to the development of modern load. But perhaps the greatest development in the development of road transport was the invention of car by Daimler and others. ... Roads have facilitated movement of people and goods in all parts of the world. They have helped to link one community with another and one country to another. Movement of people and goods is or crucial importance in the development of our economic systems. Without proper transport mechanism in place, countries would be locked from the others and communities will be isolated. Thought there have been development of other means of transport from like railway and air transport, roads remain a choice of many people and it will taken long before road transport loses its value to the world. But why is road transport preferred by many people There are many reasons why road transport remains a choice for many people. Convenience Road transport is convenient for use. One can drive a personal car or use public transport means at any time one wished. If you compare road transport to others you will find that railway and air transport are always scheduled which means they may create some inconvenience. The convenience in road transport here comes with fastness since one can be able to travel from one place to the other without having to wait for some kind of scheduling to take place. Cheap Road transport is also cheap compared to others. It has been found that the cost of traveling from one state or from one town to the other using road transport is relatively cheap than using railway or air transport. This makes road transport a choice of many people. It will be found out that it is easy to own and maintain a personal car than personal jet or a train. These are just but some of the reasons why road transport remains a choice of many people in the world. But at the same time road transport is faced by many challenges

Friday, September 27, 2019

Nahil computers company internship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Nahil computers company internship - Essay Example Currently, the company focuses on the sale and support of its diverse range of products in the Saudi Arabia kingdom. It has established a network of branches throughout the Saudi Arabia kingdom. An outstanding factor about the Nahil Computer Company is the fact that the company has been a leader in the market indulging in the distribution, reselling, as well as system integration of both computers and other computer related products. The Nahil Computer Company’s focus is to promote customer satisfaction of a remarkably high level. The company ensures the quality of products and service reliability, as well as the establishment of reputable brands. Recently, the company has indulged in downsizing its operations by adjusting its structure. The structural adjustments and the downsizing of the structure have served to propel the company to higher success. When the company started, it had less than ten employees and a single office located in Riyadh. However, the company has exhibited growth over the years and has numerous branches across Saudi Arabia. The company’s vision is to become the most preferred and trusted supplier that provides personalized, modular and turnkey IT solutions. In addition, the company seeks to ensure that it provides the best available services to all the customers (SÃ £vulescu 76). The company’s mission is to ensure that it achieves a 100% customer satisfaction through the launching of high-quality products and providing customers with remarkable support. Therefore, the company has technicians with outstanding skills who ensure that clients make the right decisions and provide them with cost-effective solutions. Since the company focuses on creating a positive customer relationships, it seeks to improve its quality in order to provide customers with their products. One of the outstanding core values of the company is the organization that seeks to ensure that customer choices and opinions have the priority (Mohammed 1). The

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Week 5 DQ 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 5 DQ 2 - Assignment Example Sharing and appreciation of valuable information has now become so easy. Technology that has paved way for the creation of virtual world via consecutive phases of up gradation is now admired as a heavenly blessing for mankind. Talking about workers’ perspectives, gone are the days when people had to bear the stressful 9 to 5 timings of office life (Baack, 2012). They can now peacefully step in the welcoming and opportunity rich environment of the virtual arena. They can now mint money via definite desirable flexibility of working on their own terms. The con of this virtual resource of employment is that the dependability of technology is not much sustained. A breakdown of power supply can result in hefty losses of income and reputation. Multi technical complexities and setbacks can also often arise without expertise to sort them out. Physical absence can also serve as a great hurdle in the employee’s productivity as it provokes more towards miscommunication. However, Te chnology has innumerable advantages. Within an unimaginable time lapse, accurate condensed information across the world can be attained regarding multiple factors, enabling efficient decision-making. The virtual world saves hefty travelling costs and valuable time, therefore providing ornamental profits to any business. Technological advancements such as the internet, teleconferencing and email has impacted the virtual organizations in quite a positive manner and are the main reasons due to which virtual organizations have become so well known (Chmiel,

Impact of Dividend Policy on Share Price Research Paper

Impact of Dividend Policy on Share Price - Research Paper Example To understand the overall idea about the dividend policy, it is essential to categorize the policy. There are mainly two types of a dividend policy that is being followed by the corporate sector i.e. residual and managed. The residual dividend policy distributes cash among the shareholders. It is left after the business firm spends desirable amount for the purpose of investment, according to the NPV. The risk related to this dividend policy is very high due to highly variable in nature or it may be zero. On the other side, the managed dividend policy is mainly stressed to increase the return of the shareholders. The managers of the business firm who believe that dividend policy has a strong impact on the share price of firms. It generally uses this mechanism of dividend policy. The primary objective of this optimal dividend policy is to enhance the stock price trend of the business firm that results in maximization of shareholders’ wealth. Nowadays, the business firm relates the dividend policy with the product life cycle (PLC). For an example, a firm with large cash flow, high growth rate and lower trends in project appraisal tries to pay more dividends to the shareholder, as the earnings of the firm are comparatively high. The firms with high growth rate follow different interesting patterns in order to change the pattern of such decisions and enhance the complexity (Lease, 56). If the earnings of business firms are increased, then the dividend should increase too. On the other side, the dividend cut denotes the decreasing trend of earnings.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business Law - Assignment Example In order to protect one’s self from the risk of increased personal liability outside the realms of the business, it is important to avoid situations that lead to the piercing of the corporate veil. These situations are broadly, three in number. First, piercing of the corporate veil is attributed to the establishment of a compliant corporation that fulfills the statutory schemes like social security and compensation for the unemployed. Secondly, fraudulent behavior like having a third party enter a contact believing that the corporate debt is in fact personal liability forces the courts to impose liability on the shareholders to legitimize the action. Lastly, inequitable power and asset transfer at the time of bankruptcy or financial distress to support opportunism also encourages the legal system to disregard the corporate nature of the firm to include personal liability (Macey and Mitts). It is imperative to comply by the legal system if the country of operations whether the business ownership is LLP or LLC. Limited liability partnership is the safest form of partnership that restricts the personal liability of the shareholders to a great extent. The board of directors of every firm is entrusted by the shareholders to work in the best interests of the company. As the property of the corporation is an asset whose sale or exchange can greatly alter a business’s operations and profitability, it is imperative that the board of directors mutually agree on the feasibility of the action before entering any contract (Kansasstatutes.lesterama.org). As in the case if Grocery Corp. even if the president was fulfilling his fiduciary duties to act in the best interest of the business, she overlooked the important procedure of gaining the consent of the complete board before entering a contract for a major sale of the corporation’s assets. Section 3a (11) of the securities act, also known as the intrastate offering exemption allows

Monday, September 23, 2019

Public Law exam question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public Law exam question - Essay Example Its is been examined and argued that existing constitution of UK is loose assemblage of defining conventions and institutions and concluded that it lacks the checks and balances needed to make it a democratic system of governance. By contrast, in the Westminster tradition, which originated in England, the uncodified constitution contains written sources but also unwritten constitutional conventions, precedents, royal prerogatives and custom collectively constituted the British constitutional law. In the days of the British Empire the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council acted as the constitutional court for many of the British colonies such as Canada and Australia, which had federal constitutions. I completely agree with the author that Conversely, the British constitution is, in practice, becoming more written and more legally codified, mainly because of the growing quantity and impact of EU laws and regulations, which take legal precedence over all other sources of the constitution; and also because of the large number of constitutional reforms introduced by statute since 1997 - such as devolution, reform of the Lords and the Human Rights Act. This trend will continue. Again, in practice rather than theory, the British constitution is gradually becoming more rigi... itten and more legally codified, mainly because of the growing quantity and impact of EU laws and regulations, which take legal precedence over all other sources of the constitution; and also because of the large number of constitutional reforms introduced by statute since 1997 - such as devolution, reform of the Lords and the Human Rights Act. This trend will continue. Again, in practice rather than theory, the British constitution is gradually becoming more rigid as the principle becomes increasingly accepted and expected that referenda should be held on issues of major constitutional change such as electoral reform, devolution and joining the euro. Although such referenda in the UK are invariably merely 'advisory' to maintain the semblance of parliamentary sovereignty, no government could, in reality, ignore a referendum result. Instead it can, of course, choose not to hold a referendum, as Labour has done since 1997 on the question of electoral reform for Westminster (despite a manifesto promise to the contrary). The piecemeal introduction of reforms since 1997 has brought a bigger change in the mindset of the people but there is still a lot of work to be done to formally have the codified constitution in place. Charter's document calls for a written constitution, one that would put the institutions of governance into a coherent framework. And this is what the people want. State of the Nation polls has consistently revealed over more than a decade that the overwhelming majority of people in Britain want a codified constitution. It is time to help bring this about. The unitary nature of the UK is also already challenged, however, by the supranational power of the EU over Parliament; and it is likely to come under more challenge from below as the Scottish, Welsh

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Summarize the teaching and work on application from the Bible, book 1 Research Paper

Summarize the teaching and work on application from the Bible, book 1 Timothy (only chapter 1) - Research Paper Example At issue are the men who are straying from the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. Paul’s treatment of doctrinal issues related to the law are more fully expounded in Romans and Galatians (and assuming he is the author, the book of Hebrews), but he uses a short discussion of the Law as a springboard to shift the discussion to its proper place, salvation by faith. â€Å"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.† (1 Tim 1:15-16) In other words, if Paul can find salvation in Christ, he who persecuted and killed believers, anyone can. Starting in verse 4, Paul explains the goal of pastoral care: â€Å"†¦furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Examine the way Mildred Essay Example for Free

Examine the way Mildred Essay He pointed in their direction with everybodys eyes following his finger. Taylor wants everything to become very sultry through this quote, Through the settling dusk three figures ambled with assurance across the wide lawn. R. W. and Melvin on either side of T. J. As they came closer Cassie could see that his clothes were different, they werent tatty like they were at the start of the book. Thanks to theft the clothes he wore were wealthier. T. J foolishly brags about the clothes that the brothers have bought him, Look see what they give me. Proudly he tugged at his suit coat. R. W. and Melvin are secretly mocking him, Melvin nodded, a condescending smirk on his face which was lost on T. J. Cassie can see that the brothers are mocking him but T. J. can not, stupidity is blinding him. He is very gullible. T. J. continued to boast about how he was R. W. and Melvins best friend, and they would get him anything he wanted. Anything including a pearl handled pistol. T. J. had wanted this for ages, he had shown it to Stacey and Cassie in the Barnetts Mercantile, the day they went up to Strawberry. On that day he had told Stacey and Cassie that he would, sell his life for that gun. He claimed that it would offer protection. Eventually his attraction to guns led to his undoing. R. W. demanded T. J. then to hurry up and enter the pickup truck so they could head down to Strawberry to retrieve his gun. Yet he didnt turn and leave immediately he stood on his own undecided for while. Cassie watched him, she felt sorry for him standing there looking, desolately alone. But in the end he turned his back on them and went with the two white brothers. This action is very final. Mildred Taylor now compels me to feel sorry for T. J. like Cassie did. I am made to think, how sad that he made the wrong decision. How sad that he didnt stay where he belonged. Later that night it became hot and all the Logans were at home asleep. Apart from Cassie who couldnt get to sleep, she was able to hear the distant thunder. As she was just about to drop off, she heard light tapping coming from outside and decided to creep out of bed to see what it was. She discovered that it was T. J. knocking on the boys bedroom door calling, Hey, Stacey, come on wake up will ya? Stacey opened door and both T.J. and Cassie slipped in. When T. J. speaks there is a lot of repetition and pausing used which creates much sadness. Help me Stacey. Help me get home I cant make it by myself. R. W. and Melvin had beaten up T. J. and as a result his stomach was becoming a deep blue-black. Stacey refused to take T. J. anywhere until he had told him why the brothers had done this to him. T. J had no choice but to tell Stacey and Cassie his story of the event. After he had left them at church himself, R. W. and Melvin had gone straight to Strawberry to retrieve the gun from the mercantile store but it was closed. This was when we learn about R. W and Melvins true motives for befriended T. J. They persuaded the young boy to squeeze through the window to let them in. With the window being so small in size only a small skinny boy like T. J. could have been able to fit through. To stop anyone from being able to identify the two brothers they cleverly covered their faces with dark stockings and their hands with gloves. So if someone were to see them they would have immediately assume that they were black. When the three boys were all inside the shop R. W. broke the glass which the gun was encased with an axe and handed it to T.J. R. W. and Melvin then went towards the wall cabinet where Mr. Barnett kept the money. R. W. had to hit the lock on that protected the cabinet a few times before it broke. Then right when Melvin had the metal tin filled with money in his hands Mr. Barnett and his wife appeared from upstairs with a flashlight. Mr. Barnett shone the flashlight at all three boys, he recognised T. J. but not his two black accomplishes. Once Mr. Barnett noticed that the cabinet had been broken into he entered into a rage and went for Melvin. They both struggled to obtain the metal box until R. W. hit Mr. Barnett over the head with the axe. Mrs. Barnett attempting to protect her husband flew at R. W. but didnt get far. He slapped her right across the face this made her stumble and hit her head. All three boys ran outside T. J. was so frightened foolishly that he threatened to tell everybody at home what happened. This is when R. W. and Melvin had beaten T. J. Fortunately T. J. managed to find someone who was filling to give him a lift back to the Logans. Cassie suspiciously questioned T. J. if he was telling the truth. T. J. was in such a desperate situation that he admitted to everything. I admit I lied bout tellin on your mamma, but I aint lyin now. We feel sympathy for T. J. he is seriously injured, his face his pale, his eyes glazed and coughs up blood. Hurt T. J. begs Stacey not to inform his Grandmother about it, for his family will only be dragged into the predicament. Stacey please! You my only friend aint never really had no true friend but you Look at how late it is before T. J. can see the truth. In the end Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John and Little Man walked T. J. back home. Straight after T. J. had arrived home, the white men including R. W.and Melvin parked outside the Avery household. As soon as the white men had found out about the incident in Strawberry with Mr. Barnett they were ready to cause havoc. They started to pound the Averys door with their rifles screaming abuse, We want that thieving, murdering nigger of yalls. When they saw that nobody was leaving the house R. W. broke a window at the side of the house so that several other men could enter. A few seconds later the front door was flung open as Mr. and Mrs. Avery were dragged out by their feet, the small girls thrown out of the window and the older girls spat upon. Then finally T. J was dragged out of the house on his knees, his face smeared with blood. Here Taylor forces us to picture the horror of the situation, mans inhumanity to man. Soon after this, headlights of two cars appeared one of vehicles stopped at Harlan Grangers home and the other at the Averys. Mr. Jamison a white lawyer jumped out of the car aiming to save the situation. He remained calm and told the men to hand T. J. over to him and the sheriff so they can take care of it. But the men refused to listen to reason and Mr. Jamison was warned off and accused of being a nigger lover. We must admire Mr. Jamison for having the courage to stand up to all those angry and violent men for what he believes is right. The sheriff is the introduced into the scene with a message from Harlan Granger. The sheriff quotes, He say yall touch one hair on that boys head while he on this land, hes gonna hold every man here responsible. The white men did not take the news well until Mr. Kaleb had the idea to take the boy somewhere else and hang him. He also refers to Mr. Morrison as, that big black giant of a nigger so that they can hang him also. Someone then refers to Mr. Logan as, the boy he working for thinking that the white men might as well hang him too. By speaking of Mr. Logan in such a tone that he calls him boy displays total lack of respect. The Wallaces clearly think that they are above the law that they believe they can go against the sheriffs word. Also because of the incident with T. J. the Wallaces now had the opportunity to gain revenge on the Logans. The Logans stood didnt approve of how the Wallaces treated the black people. Therefore stood up for what they believed in and took trade away from the Wallace store and shopped in Vicksburg, with the support of Mr. Jamison. All the while Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John and Little Man had never left the scene they sat quietly behind a bush and watched. But when they heard Mr. Morrison and their fathers name mentioned Stacey sent his three younger three siblings along home to warn his parents. Cassie protested against Staceys request she was worried that her older brother would do something stupid in a desperate attempt to save T. J. She made him promise that he wouldnt do anything drastic before she eventually left him alone to inform her father of what was happening. T. J. does not deserve it but Stacey has a protective nature of man. It just demonstrates what type of man Stacey really is. On Cassies way back home with the boys Taylor describes the weather. Thunder crashed against the corners of the world and lightening split the sky. Again we are made to observe the parallel between the storm in nature and the storm between the black and white people. Most importantly we are made to notice that there is mention of thunder and lightening but none of rain. When the three children arrive home their parents are furious with worry and are about to whip the children for having the cheek just for leaving the house. However their intentions soon change after Cassie informs them of what is happening back at the Avery home. Mr. Logans first reaction to the news is to go down to the Avery home and do whatever he can to protect T. J. even if it resulted in him being hung himself. He trots straight to their bedroom to fetch his gun. The wisdom of Mrs. Logan tells her husband, Get Harlan Granger to stop it. She knows that all to do is persuade Harlan Granger to say the word and all of the men would stop. T. Js predicament brought out the best in the Logan family. Their need to protect one another, their need to show love and care for one another. Before Mr. Logan leaves to go and save T. J. there is more proof that the storm is ominous. A bolt of lightening splintering the night into a dazzling brilliance. As the bible says, Men love the darkness, so their evil can be committed. This is because night is a time of darkness, which symbolises evil. Light and brilliance symbolises good. A while after Mr. Morrison and Mr. Logan had left the two women and children were all sitting in the main room. When Mrs. Logan smelt smoke she rushed outside to find that the cotton fields were on fire. The Logans land and Grangers land was right next to each other so if there was fire on one patch it was most likely to spread to the other. So back the Avery home Mr. Jamison had jumped in his car and blocked off the road so that none of the men could get passed with T. J. When suddenly Mr. Granger came flying out of his house yelling, Theres smoke coming from my forest yonder! Give that boy to Wade like he wants and get on up there! Like Mrs. Logan had predicted all that was needed to save T. Js life was to have Mr. Granger say the word. That night both blacks and whites worked together side by side to save the land. Following the fire Mr. Jamison visited the Logan house to see Mr. Logan and warned him that he should keep out of the T. J. situation otherwise people will think he should lose more than a quarter of his land. Or somebody might just get to wondering about that fire. Here we are made to assume that it was Mr. Logan that set his own land on fire, in a sacrificial attempt to save T. J. Mr. Jamison. Also came with some bad news Mr. Barnett had died that morning this would mean that because T. J. was the only person identified, he would get accused of murder. If found guilty he would serve a death sentence. Stacey and Cassie were both devastated when their father told them this information. Stacey was extremely hurt by the news that he ran off into the woods. He knew that their wasnt any evidence at all to find T. J. innocent and he would ultimately die. The problem with T. J was he never thought before he acted, which had some serious consequences. Also he didnt have any common sense to see what was really going on around him, he became blind to the obvious. Finally I think T. J. was overall an attention seeker thats the reason why he done the things he did. He wasnt obtaining enough attention at home so he looked for it somewhere else. But unfortunately he looked in the wrong places and it ended him into to trouble, which ultimately ended him. N:\MyDocuments\RollofThunderHearmyCry. doc Ebonni Chabala 10R Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Psychoanalytic Theory And Reading Of Cultural Products Film Studies Essay

Psychoanalytic Theory And Reading Of Cultural Products Film Studies Essay The main concept of this essay is to point out how psychoanalytic theory could be used as a method of understanding and analyzing cultural products. The most valid approach for this is to observe how the cinema integrates psychoanalytical theories into specific film concepts. For this reason a Hitchcock film is used as an example, for it a common fact that there are many Freudian aspects in his movies. Specifically, Psycho is regarded by many film theorists and historians as the first psychoanalytic thriller (Kaganski as cited in Boulton, 2010). As implied by the title of the film, it is a movie whose plot is based on the Freudian Oedipus complex theory. First of all, it is noteworthy how the cinema developed a strong connection to psychoanalytic theories over the years. What is also interesting is the way in which a movie could be interpreted as a desire or a dreaming process. Moreover, in the second part of the essay, the correlation which Psycho has with psychoanalytical procedure is explored, in an effort to discover its kind and if it is actually the first psychoanalytic movie. Following a short presentation of the main plot, it is necessary to examine the nature of the Oedipus complex and how it is applied to the movie. Despite the fact that it remains the central psychoanalytic idea in the film, is not the only Freudian reference; the movie could also be interpreted through ego, superego and id psychoanalytic aspect. Finally, it is imperative to dissect the two protagonist characters and the famous murder scenes under the psychoanalytic perspective. CINEMA AND PSYCHOANALYSIS Cinema is considered to be among the most important institutions of the post modern society, one which serves numerous sociological purposes, through the use of art. The sociological perspective of cinema is but one side of the coin; the other side represents a more personal, more intimate psychoanalytical procedure. It is true that Freudian psychoanalysis is not a process concerned only with psychological models and consciousness. In modern society, psychoanalysis also constitutes a means of understanding works of great artistic and cultural values, such as cinematic films (Mertz, 1976). A movie could be experienced through the psychoanalytical lens in variety of diverse ways, such as the Freudian dream interpretation or as an object of our fantasy-desire (Lacan) or even as our identification through voyeurism (ibid). Freud characterizes the dream as the expression of a wish fulfilled; a movie could, conceivably, be seen as a dream, because on the screen we witness some of our desires being visualized. Spellbound and Marnie are two of Hitchcocks films that could be approached through the method of dream interpretation (Sandis, 2009). The history of the relation between psychoanalysis and cinema is divided into three periods. During the 30s, psychoanalysis became a familiar point of interest for the movie industry, although it was still somewhat superficial and had little to do with actual human behavior. After the Second World War, the references to psychoanalysis became even more apparent, because of the appearance of psychological problems. The Wars cinematic demonstration followed this optimistic evolution (Gale Dictionary of Psychoanalysis). Hitchcocks movies had a great impact in this certain period, mainly due to their deep connection with psychoanalytic concepts. Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959) or The birds (1963) are cultural works with oedipal themes in them. More recently psychoanalysis has been integrated in certain cinematic aspects as an objective cognitive method or even ridiculed method (for example in Woody Allens movie characters) (Gale Dictionary of Psychoanalysis). PSYCHO AND PSYCHOANALYSIS The movie is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and scripted by Joseph Stefano, who adapted the screenplay from the homonymous novel written by Robert Bloch. Blochs 1959 novel was based on the true story of a notorious psychotic serial killer, named Edward Gein. His murderous character has inspired many other serial killers such as Jame Gumb (Buffalo Bill) in the Silence of the Lambs (1991) (Dirks). The movie had a great impact in the 60s and since then Hitchcock is considered as the original creator of suspense. Psycho is so multilayered and complex a movie, that it reveals more and more of its essence with each viewing. This explains why there is such a controversy about what genre of movie it is. The main theme is mystery and Hitchcock promotes it with his unique direction technique. When the film was aired in theaters, he insisted that no one would have a seat after the film had started. Thus, the audiences speculated that something terrible was happening in the first few minutes (Dirks). Psycho is considered a film noir because it shares some common characteristics with those films but, at the same time, remains very peculiar. Through the perspective that a film noir conjures a universe where human desire fails to be fulfilled, Psycho could be regarded as one of those films (Palmer, 1986). Lacans object petite a theory is referred to an unattainable desire, such as Normans desire for Marion (Laplanche, Pontalis, 1986). There is also another theory which makes Psycho the first psychoanalytical movie (Kaganski as cited in Boulton). Specifically, it starts as a whodunit, then it is transformed into a horror film and then into a suspense film with elements of very dark, black comedy. However, if one digs deeper, it inevitably becomes apparent that the film is undoubtedly psychological with specific Freudian interpretations. Francois Truffaut has said: If Psycho had been intended as a serious picture, it would have been shown as a clinical case with no mystery or suspense. The material would have been used as a documentation of a case history (Truffaut as cited in Sandis, 2009:69). In addition to this aspect, Hitchcock has mentioned Probably the real Psycho story wouldnt have been emotional at all; it wouldve been terribly clinical (Hitchcock as cited in Sandis, 2009:70). He was referring to the real incident of mother obsessed Ed Gein, who used to dress up like his dead mother and had murdered about a dozen women (Sandis, 2009). The psychoanalytical view of the movie is illustrated as a parallel between Lila Cranes exploration of the gothic mothers house and the exploration of Bates divided mind. The Freudian element, which explains the construction of Normans personality, defines the concept of the story. First of all, there is a traumatic incident (matricide) causing a transfer of guilt (translated on this occasion into the Oedipus complex). This, in turn, causes a partial loss of the self and a deep identification with the victim (ibid). The story unfolds from this Freudian perspective. Thus, it is evident that Psycho is structured according to the psychoanalytic procedure. THE STORY Marion Crane is a Phoenix office worker, whose life falls short of her expectations. She cant get married with her boyfriend, Sam because he has to provide most of his money in alimony. One Friday her employer confided to her to deposit $40,000. Thinking that this is a good opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town, headed towards Sams store in California. A heavy rainstorm forces her to spend the night at Bates motel. The motel is managed by Norman Bates, a young man who has a very domineering mother. During the night Marion decides to return the money the next morning. Unfortunately, while she is taking a shower, an anonymous figure enters and stabs her to death. After extensive research, it is revealed that Norman has kept his mother to life through his split personality. Dominated by his mothers personality, Norman kills anyone he feels attracted to. In the final scene, we find Norman in prison, haunted by his mothers persona, thinking of how to prove her/his innocence. OEDIPUS COMPLEX Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta, who was exiled from his homeland by his father because of a prophecy. The prophecy foretold that Oedipus would murder his own father. After many years Oedipus decided to discover his origins and returned to Thebes, where he met his father and, unwittingly fulfilling the prophecy, killed him. Then he was made king of the Thebans and was rewarded with the hand of Jocasta, who was his mother. When Oedipus realized that he had fulfilled the prophecy by killing his own father and having children with his mother, he blinded himself (Willner, 1982). Oedipus Rex is a famous Sophocles ancient Greek tragedy, which has been interpreted by Freud as nothing more or less than a wish fulfillment- the fulfillment of the wish of our childhood (Freud as cited in Willner, 1982). Specifically, Freud believes that boys are all destined to direct their first sexual impulse toward their mothers and their violent impulses toward their father. Under the, so called, positive form the complex is appeared as Oedipus story: death wish for the opponent who is the person of the same sex, the father and sexual desire for the person of the opposite sex, the mother. The Oedipus complex is experienced from 3 to 5 years old and is revived during the adolescent period. The liberation from this complex has to do with the healthy structuring of the personality (Laplanche, Pontalis, 1986). If the boy does not repress his sexual desire toward the Mother and does not identify himself with the Father, he cannot develop a normal personality. It is considered that the Oedipus complex is the main psychoanalytic idea of the movie and Norman Bates is its modern atypical version (Boulton, 2010). According to the films ending psychiatric speech: Now he was already dangerously disturbed, had been ever since his father died. His mother was a clinging, demanding woman, and for years the two of them lived as if there was no one else in the world. Then she met a manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and it seemed to Norman that she threw him over. Now that pushed him over the line and he killed them both (Boulton, 2010). Norman Bates did not manage to overcome his unconscious sexual desire toward his mother and acted out his also unconscious drive of killing the Father. That explains why the mother half of Normans mind has won (Boulton, 2010: 2). Psychiatrist Dr. Richmond illustrates that Norman has sexual desires for an attractive woman as normal men have, but his split personality does not allow him to develop a normal sexual intercourse. He explains to Lila (Marions sister) that When he (Norman) met your sister, he was touched by herà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦aroused by her. He wanted her. That set off the jealous mother and mother killed the girl! Now after the murder, Norman returned as if from a deep sleep. And like a dutiful son, covered up all traces of the crime he was convinced his mother had committed! (ibid: 2) Norman, driven by envy, killed his mother and her lover. In other words, he committed the crime of matricide, which is considered the most heinous and unpardonable crime and is especially unbearable for the son who commits it (Dirks). Trying to erase the crime in his own mind, he developed a split personality. As a result, he created an illusion that his mother was still alive. To make this illusion a physical reality, he stole her dead body and preserved it, using his taxidermist skills. In his delusional mind he played-acted and imagined that he was his mother and that she was as pathologically jealous of him as he was of her (ibid). In this way, he was acting as his mother and committed murders due to her jealousy. It is evident that he chose this horrific way to redeem himself from the matricide. EGO, SUPEREGO, ID Freud divided the human mind into three conflicting parts: the ego, the superego and the id. The ego rests between the id and the superego and provides us with a sense of self. It has to build a balanced relationship of dependency between the demands of the id and the imperatives of the superego (Laplanche, Pontalis, 1986). The id is comprised of innate biological drives, emotional impulses, instincts and dispositions. On the contrary, the ego is made up of those mental phenomena related to whatever environmental considerations constrain the id (Freud calls these the reality principle). For example, the basic id drive is hunger and it is constrained by ego beliefs about what food is available where (Sandis, 2009). Finally, the superego plays a role similar to that of a judge. Freud considers the moral consciousness, self-observation and the development of moral values and ideals as expressions of the superego. The superego is defined as the heir of the Oedipus complex in terms of par ental demands and prohibitions (Laplanche, Pontalis, 1986). Observing Norman Bates character through this theory, it is evident that he does not develop a strong enough ego in order to keep under control the powerful urges of both the id and the superego. Subsequently, the id and the superego manifest themselves as completely different personalities (Boulton, 2010). His sexual desire for Marion represents his id and her murder (murder of the sexual desire for Marion) represents an extreme expression of his superego. Norman Bates never detached himself from his mother and identified himself with the Father. Therefore he did not assimilate into what Lacan terms the symbolic order, the interconnected system of signs that every society constructs meaning and order around (Zizek as cited in Boulton 2010:2). Normans symbolic level is psychotic, so the superego acts in different ways. As Zizek (cited in Boulton, 2010:2) emphasized, it is the maternal superego that acts and dominates his mind. At times he can become both personalities. But most of the times the mother half put his mind under control. Freud compared the human mind to an iceberg. The tiny part of the iceberg, which appears above the water surface possibly, represents human perception. Below the surface lies a much darker, larger part of the iceberg representing the unconscious. There is no evidence if Hitchcock has ever come across the iceberg metaphor but he would have found it inspiring. Like Freud Hitchcock present us a certain familiar and ordinary picture that we are prepared to see (like the pick of the iceberg- conscious) but whose precise shape is always novel (the other part of the iceberg-unconscious). He also chose for his movies, ladies that appear cold as ice in order to reveal their oppressed thoughts and desires (Sandis, 2009). It is charming in terms of cinema suspense, for secret or repressed thoughts to rise to the surface. (Sandis, 2009) Furthermore, Slavoj Zizek (2005) compares the old, gothic house to the segmented personality of Norman Bates. The ground floor represents the ego and there he behaves as a normal son. The first flour represents the superego, where Norman is governed by the moral constrains of his mother. Finally the basement represents the id, the reservoir of the illicit drives of the psyche thats why his mothers skeleton is transferred there. The transfer of his mothers dead body from the first flour to the basement illustrates the deep connection of the id and the superego in Normans split personality. The exploration of the house is like a psychoanalytic process. Lila entered Normans bedroom and observed his personal items, which were a combination of childrens (boys and girls items) and adults things (signifying his disturbed personality) (Dirks). CHARACTERS Marion symbolizes the repressed woman of the modern America of the 60s, who tries to be emancipated. Judging from her sexual intercourses with her lover during lunch times in secret hotel rooms, one could say that she appears as an independent woman. On the other hand, she gets the money and leaves town, which means that she wants a different life, maybe more conventional, having a successful marriage. Normans character is the mirror-negative of Marion. She operates in the Name of the Father; Norman on the other hand, has not submitted to this paternal law and is entrapped in the desire of the mother' (Zizek as cited in Boulton, 2010). This theory is supported in terms of direction. As they stand together on the porch, the camera photographs the scene as if they were the two sides of the same coin, but Norman is also reflected in the glass window behind him (symbolizes his split personality) (Dirks). Norman Bates could be considered as a good looking, boyishly version of Sam (Marions boyfriend). As their encounter develops, however, this possibility is eradicated because it becomes obvious that he is not capable of adult sexuality, being held in sexual bondage with his mother (Palmer, 1986). As he mentions: -Norman: Do you know what I think? I think that were all in our private traps. Clamped in them. And none of us can ever get out. We scratch and claw, but only at the air, only at each other. And for all of it we never budge an inch. -Marion: Sometimes we deliberately step into those traps. (Psycho, 1960) Each of them gives different meaning to the word trap. Trap for Marion is the theft of the money or maybe her relationship with Sam. For a moment Norman seems that he speaks frankly, being conscious of his fragmented psyche. Unfortunately, after the discourse only Marion is capable of being subject to moral self-examination, deciding to return the money next morning. MURDER SCENES The shower murder scene is among the most famous in the history of cinema. The major film star-Marion- is stabbed to death after the first 47 minutes of the movies start. Even if someone has not seen the movie, he has undoubtedly seen this specific scene. It took a fully week to complete, using 70 cameras, fast cut editing of 78 film pieces and a naked stand in model (Marli Renfo) (Dirks). Despite the fact that it is one of the most jargonistic and violent scenes there is only implied violence because at no time does the knife penetrate into her body. In only instant one the knife touches her belly (ibid). However, it is the scene that made females, including Janet Leigh (Marion) not being able to take a shower for a very long time (Sullivan, 2006). Murdering Marion while she was taking a shower with a knife is not a coincidental choice. On the contrary it has a deeper meaning in terms of direction and psychoanalysis. Until that moment, Marion was the main protagonist of the film and the epicenter of the plot was her feeling guilty for thieving the money. Taking a shower, the water washes away her guilt and rejuvenates her (Dirks). There is an irony here, at the moment she was relieved someone entered and took her life violently. Moreover, the knife in Freudian terms is a phallic symbol. In this weird and abnormal way, Norman satisfied both his desires: the jealousy of his mother and his own desire, penetrating into the female body, using his knife. Marions dead body is standing on the cold floor, mixed with ejaculatory spurts of blood dripping down her legs from various gashes, which symbolizes a violent and deadly rape (ibid). Zizek with his documentary The Perverts Guide to Cinema (2005) underlines that after Marions murder the spectator identifies with Norman Bates persona. Suddenly the spectator is anxious of cleaning up Marions blood from the bathroom and of getting rid of her car in the swamp, relating to our satisfaction with a job well done. Suspense is generated when, whilst Norman Bates is disposing of Marions car (containing her body) in a nearby swamp, the car momentarily stops sinking, an anxiety arises in the viewer (Zizek as cited in Boulton, 2010). The suspense here deals with the spectators unconscious identification with Bates. This identification has to do with Hitchcocks use of gaze, the Hippolytuss gaze. This gaze is not a seen gaze, but a gaze visualized by the Self in the field of the Others idiosyncrasy. Everything is not observed just through the others eyes but through the others personal feelings. The gaze is not the Others glance as such, but the way this glance concerns me, the way the subject sees him/herself affected by it as to his/her desire (Zizek,1992:214). The second murder scene, the murder of detective Arbogast is more predictable. The fascination of the first murder diverts our attention from the second murder. Everything that happens before the murder act seems to announce it. When Arbogast enters the mothers house and stands at the staircase, the audience immediately feel that something terrible is going to happen. However, the suspense here has to do again with this weird immoral identification of the audience with Norman. The spectator desires Arbogast to be killed (Zizek as cited in Boulton, 2010). There is a noticeable aesthetic differentiation between the two murders, which is related to the symbolic split of the movies narrative (ibid). Marions murder still being in the Name-of-the father symbolic realm, it takes place in a motel room, which highlights the aesthetic of an anonymous modern America. On the other hand, Arbogasts death takes place in mothers house which represents American tradition, in the desire of the mother symbolic space (ibid). CONCLUSIONS It is evident that psychoanalytic theory is strongly related to the cinema. Specifically, in Hitchcocks films the Freudian theoretical models are considered as a main pattern of his movies structure. Hitchcock himself has admitted when he was interviewed by Francois Truffaut: -F.T.: I saw Spellbound again recently and I must admit that I didnt care very much for the scenario. -A.H.: Well, its just another manhunt story wrapped up in pseudo-psychoanalysisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Sandis, 2009:65) He might not have taken the subconscious too seriously and in his personal life he avoided doctors of the mind, as he had admitted, however, it is known that the famous director was not unfamiliar with psychoanalytic Freudian theories (Sandis, 2009). Nowadays the use of psychoanalytic theoretical models in cinema is the norm. It is not just a specialized knowledge that concerns a particular audience anymore; it is also used as a method of creating artistic, cultural products. On the other hand, not only cinema uses psychoanalytical procedure as a tool of creativity, but also cinema could be used through psychoanalytical process as a method of manipulation and control (Tania, 1968). There is a strong interaction between cinema and psychoanalysis. Members of the Frankfurt School believe that cinema is used through psychoanalysis in order to create various forms of easy, false pleasure as a way to keep the audience unaware of the real major social existing problems (ibid). This argument has some truth to a limited extent but there are also many examples which underline that cinema, using the psychoanalytical process, emphasizes serious sociological problems. However, whatever the purpose of using the psychoanalysis, the point is tha t psychoanalytical theories have a strong connection with the creation of literary or cinematic products.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Drinking Alcohol Essay example -- Papers

Drinking Alcohol Alcohol can and does kill millions of people. It can effect your brain and make you shake, lose all your senses, and kill off your brain cells. It also can cause your liver to deteriorate and not function properly. Liver transplants are hard to come by and do not happen often, if your liver goes out you do not have many chances of living much longer. You could also choke on your puke and die. Drinking too much alcohol can kill you, but millions of people consume mass amounts daily. College students drink and party a great amount. The average student drinks at least three nights a week and that is the weekend. Most sororities and fraternities encourage drinking. The fraternities make their pledges drink and the kids love it. It makes them loosen up and have a good time meeting new people. Drinking is also a good way for students who do not know anybody to meet new people and feel more comfortable when they go into an unfamiliar place with a lot of strangers around. When someone is drunk they feel more comfortable and able to talk to random people they do not know and have a good time. Once someone becomes familiar with certain people or just being drunk around strangers, it becomes a habit and that is when school work starts to not be important anymore. Students who drink start to stop attending classes because they are hung-over, tired because they did not go to bed, or just do not feel like going because they would like to start drinking again. The! re are those who can drink every night of the week and still go to class, do their homework, and keep their grades up. Those who can do that are very rare and end up eventually stop being able to do it anymore and fail out of school. It is not very hard for... ...time where there was a lot going on and had many opportunities to drink. I am going to settle down for a while and become a book worm. I have on midterm this week on two next tuesday so it is time to focus on my work. Alcohol is something that many people consume. Some can handle it, and others do not know how to control it and it controls them. I know that I drink, but I know that it will not become a habit and I have it under control. I feel bad for people who are alcoholics and can not control their drinking. The worst is an alcoholic who does not think they have a problem. I just wish those who did drink could sit down have a couple and be happy. A lot of people get drunk and violent. I have friends who have broken many things and hurt a lot of people just because they were drunk and everyone let it go because of it. Alcohol can be fun when it is used wisely.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Throughout The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, the themes of greed and prejudice are greatly expressed, from the beginning with the unjust doctor to the suspenseful end of the supposed ‘Pearl of the World.’ It is amazing, that even in a timeless story as this one, these harsh realities still haunt their world. It could take place yesterday, today, or tomorrow, but the point is that one cannot revert the world to one way of thinking, that is why greed and prejudice still exist. One can try as hard as they want but there are going to be those who are stubborn, of hard will, and those who believe their thoughts are right. I want to show that these themes go far beyond this parable and apply to the world we live in. Those who are prejudice exist around the world; there are those whom think higher of themselves, those whom think lower of others. It could be a small subconscious thought incriminating another peer at school of being a nerd because they are studious or carry other traits one would associate with this word; this, something as small as this, is prejudice. There are those who walk ...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Mechanical Engineering :: essays research papers

: Mechanical Engineering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The day to day duties of a mechanical engineer are at first repetitive, but over time and with advancement work varies. The average mechanical engineer works anywhere from thirty-five to fifty hours a week. If the engineer is ahead of schedule the hours may be less. Depending on which type of engineer you want be, you will either wear a uniform or semiformal clothing. Usually mechanical engineers work in an office or at a desk, their clothes are semiformal. Mechanical engineers are mainly designing equipment, so the outside work is minimal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The outlook for a mechanical engineer is good. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics of the Federal Government reports that the size of mechanical engineers is about 230,725. That number is expected to increase about 19 percent by the year 2005. Because things are constantly being designed and manufactured there will always be a need for mechanical engineers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The average salary for a bachelor’s degree without experience is $37,900, for a master’s without experience is $45,800, and for the doctoral without experience is $56,700. A professor of mechanical engineering at a university is $20,000 to $40,000. The head of a mechanical engineering department of a university makes upwards of $50,000. After many years of different types of engineering one may become independent and reach earnings of $50,000 to $200,000. Presidents and vice presidents may make $100,000 to $200,000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mechanical engineers must be licensed of they are to do anything that affects peoples’ lives, property, or the environment. A bachelor’s degree is minimal for most companies. A master’s degree assures a better starting salary and opportunities for advancement. High school credits should have good grades in: math, physics, chemistry, biology, drafting, computer and mechanical courses. To become a mechanical engineer you should start at a high school level when you notice curiosity of how, any why things work.

Family and Consumer Behavior Essay

Therefore, not only do we have to study and do research about individual consumers but we also have to consider groups of people such as families and the influence of their members on others within the group. â€Å"Today in the United States, 68 percent of the 111. million household are families. According to many sources, the family remains the central or dominant institution in providing for the welfare of its members and is the major household consumer and consuming unit† (Schiffman and Kanuk 2007, 347). This means the family is a notable consuming unit if not the most important one. â€Å"Although families sometimes are referred to as households, not all households are families. For example, a household might include individuals who are not related by blood, marriage, or adoption, such as unmarried couples, family friends, roommates or boarders. However, within the context of consumer behavior households and families usually are treated as synonymous, and we will continue this convention† (Schiffman and Kanuk 2007, 347). Consequently, groups of people who interact to accomplish either individual or mutual goals may be considered as a unique consuming unit even if they are not related by blood, marriage or adoption. Thus, The research process would be the same. Families can be divided in three main types: the married couples, the nuclear family and the extended family.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Identify Four Possible Consequences Essay

1. Identify four possible consequences of inadequate training or training that does not meet an organisation’s needs or requirements. Answers might include but are not limited to: Leads to people feeling ill-equipped to do their jobs, leading to stress Reduced productivity Decreased flexibility/ adaptability to workplace demands Failure to enhance people’s skills Can lead to a failure to meet statutory requirements relating to providing a safe and healthy working environment Reduced motivation Reduced satisfaction Failure to offer career development Increased employee turnover 2. Carry out your own TNA identifying the learning and development needs you could use to be able to do your current job more successfully. If you are not currently employed, carry out a TNA that relates to the skills and knowledge you will need in a job that you hope to secure in the future. There is no definitive response to this activity; however, participants should demonstrate an understanding that a TNA is used to clearly identify the requirements of a job, the current capabilities of participants and whether there are any gaps between the two. 3. Training needs should be considered at five levels. State what these levels are and give an example for each. Identifying learning needs must be done at five levels: 1. Compliance and statutory-all employees must adhere to national privacy principles, therefore they need to be trained on what these principles are what they mean for the business. 2. Business strategies and goals-the vision of the organisation is to become the largest provider of personalised stationery, therefore training might be needed in sales and marketing. 3. Departmental and team-the accounts team might need training on a new finance IT package in order to efficiently handle the higher volume of invoices. 4.  Job roles-the specific learning needs of each job or group of jobs. All the employees responsible for creating new stationery designs are likely to need training on the market segments that are being actively targeted by the sales team. 5. Individual-the competencies that each person must hold in order to perform their job effectively. The person responsible for maintaining the organisation’s website might require training on the new look of the website propose d by the marketing team. Activity 2 1. Why is employee consultation a necessary process when determining learning needs and addressing change? Consultation enables you to: Identify employee needs and expectations Identify real skills gaps Gather a range of ideas and suggestions regarding training If employees are consulted they are more likely to be motivated and commit to training. 2. What are the likely repercussions if employees are not consulted and involved in the design, development and targeting of training or learning opportunities? Employees who are not consulted will possibly resist training-not be happy about involvement. So they might not attend, or might sabotage the training. The training will not necessarily be correctly targeted. Activity 3 1. Evaluating competencies and continually improving one’s skills is the responsibility of everyone in an organisation. Comment on this statement. If organisations are to be learning organisations they need everybody to take a proactive stance in learning, growing and improving. 2. What advantages are there when an individual self-evaluates their competence and identifies what is needed to learn, grow and improve knowledge and skills? When an individual is involved in the process of examining their current performance against set standards they are becoming actively involved and are therefore taking ownership for continual improvement. When a person is actively engaged in identifying the issues they are more likely to positively embrace  solutions to improve the performance. 3. Technical skills can be taught, but attitude implies habits and habits are hard to change. What do you think this means? When we start work, or learn new tasks we find it easier to learn new competencies. We do not have to unlearn anything in order to develop the new skills. However, if we have been doing a task a certain way for a period of time, our method of approaching the tasks becomes habitual. Thus, if we need to make changes we actually have to unlearn the current habits and develop new ones. We all know that habitual behaviours are difficult to change (think, for instance, about how hard it is for people to give up smoking.) Habitual behaviours are those behaviours with which we are comfortable. We do not want to move out of our comfort zones to change our habits. Some people, however, demonstrate the attitude that they are happy to make changes or improvements as needed. They will take advantage of opportunities to improve, because they realise that it is important to do so. It is much harder to teach someone to develop this kind of attitude than tit is to teach someone, for instance, how to operate a machine. 4. How do you think attitude assessment does or should impact on an organisation’s performance evaluations, its recruitment and selection processes and on any training programs that might be implemented? High-performing organisations focus heavily, in their recruitment and selection procedures, on attitude assessment. Attitude is the component of employee behaviour that indicates motivation-support for organisational goals, potential for active involvement I improvement processes, and cooperation when required, Employees who: Do not want to learn Whose attitude is that they are simply there to earn a wage Who are afraid and resistant to change Or who simply do not care Can have destructive effects on the organisation-it’s culture and it’s productivity. They can affect the motivation and input of other employees. Thus employee attitude-willingness to participate, to be involved and to  self-monitor and self-manage should comprise integral parts of all evaluations-for recruitment, performance evaluation and as regards selection for training opportunities. Training truly will be wasted if employees who do not wish to learn, are not interested or for whatever reason do not want to be there, are coerced into attending training. Training will only be effective if the people who participate in it want to learn and to develop new skills and can see a purpose for learning-ie they have the right attitude. Activity 4 1. Comment on this statement: Effective managers do not wait for a defined time to gather feedback on their team members’ performance; they do it continually using formal and informal methods and relevant sources to build-up a complete picture of competence of the team as a whole and for each member of that team. Generally, this statement is true. Feedback that is gathered continuously provides a more complete picture of competence than feedback gathered in snapshots, as it provides a holistic picture encompassing differing situations and contingencies. A good manager is able to combine formal feedback mechanisms, such as production results together with informal methods such as comments made by team members. 2. You are the senior coach of the Windemere Wombats A Grade basketball team. You have been concerned lately that the team, although still winning matches, are not performing as well as they could be. You feel that they have the capability to win convincingly, but instead some players are making silly mistakes that are costing the team important points. You are unsure what is causing the performance issue and decide to pay closer attention in order to get to the bottom of it. What feedback processes could you use to uncover the problem? The coach could use feedback techniques such as: Examine play statistics Video the games and play them back to analyse them Have a team discussion where everybody is encouraged to provide feedback Hold one-on-one meetings with each player, assistant coaches and other administration employees Activity 5 1 Standards are set by industries, organisations and accrediting bodies. 2 Having clearly defined standards enables organisations and trainees to understand what is required and to structure training programs to ensure that workers gain the required competencies. 3. There are no definitive responses for this activity; howerver, participants should demonstrate an undersanding that: A goal is the expression of what is to be achieved as aresult of completing learning and development activities associated with the skill. Goals help specify the detail of what is to be achieved. Examples include: – provide better feedback to my employees – effectively chair monthly committee meetings – format complex reports better Each skill can have one or more learning objectives. Objectives contain a hight level of detail and shouuld be specific, measurable, and attainable. Examples include : – Provide better feedback to my employees: – provide feedback within 24 hours – provide feedback that results in improved employee performance – Effectively chair monthly committee meeting: – keep meetings to allocated timeframe – prevent domination of discussion by one or two people – Format complex reports: – use tables with 100% accuracy – use columns with 100% accuracy – use numbering with 100% accuracy 4. Competency list should be a comprehensive list of the steps required and the level to which they must be performed. For example, place one level scoop of washing powder into the middle compartment of the washing machine dispenser. Activities selected for inclusion in the learning plan should reflect the prior knowledge of the learner, the nature of the task and the most appropriate method. For examle, doing the laundry could be taught  through demonstration and verbal instruction. 5. Consultation with the employees and conducting training needs assessments. 6 Formal training can include : external courses, internal workshops, e-learning programs. Informal training can include reading, mentoring, coaching. Activity 7 1 Coaching is usually more task specific than mentoring. Coaches focus on helping and guiding development in a particular competency or area of growth. They are usually chosen for their technical expertise. Mentors, on the other hand, play a guiding or advisory role that is often less defined by competency boundaries. Mentoring often encompasses changes in thinking, attitudinal shifts and behavioural changes. 2 Learning opportunities can include, but are not limited to : – team building actibities – counselling of the players with the tension between them – strategy meeting to explain why working the ball in closer is desirable followed by a practice session to reinforce the theory – drill training on bounce passes 3 a. Is a critical response. b. Offers a positibe method of improving. Therefore b is the most helpful form of feedback. 4 There are no definitive responses for this activity; howerver, participants should demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the feedback hamburger. The feedback should start with something positive (howerver minor) and end with something positive/ constructive; acknowledging the things the learner has done correctly. Corrections that need to be made should be sandwiched in the middle. Activity 9 1 There is no definitive response for this activity; however, participants should demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the learning material. Activity10 2 There is no definitive answer for this activity; however, the participant’s response will need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the learning material. Answers will be specific to the participant. Activity 11 1 The example will be specific to the participant but must retain the integrity of the model. 2 The example will be specific to the participant but must retain the integrity of the model. 3 Additional support could include but is not limited to: – senior executives in head office: – poster reinforcing the customer centric culture in board room – customer centric statistics linked to business profitability placed on board meeting as a standard agenda – store management: – reinforcement training sessions at monthly staff meetings – additional training in the importance of role modelling – frontline sales staff: – reminder cards with phrases to use pinned up near the tills – poster reinforcing the customer centric culture in the stock room – role modelling by store and head office management

Saturday, September 14, 2019

MTV: Building Brand Resonance Essay

1 – What is the MTV brand image? How valuable are the MTV brand associations? What should its core values be? The MTV brand started out with a focus on the music where it helped to launch the visual impact of bands through music videos. MTV is a youth oriented brand, that started as a purely music video station, and has now involved into a pop-culture station with a mix of long-form programming, and videos. They created stars and termed new expressions like VJs and quickly differentiated their product from the competition. As a result of having a first-mover advantage they were the TV channel to go to in order to endorse your music. They managed to build up their brand and be a key channel for promotion where artists where demanding to have their own videos played on MTV. MTV remains a strong brand within the youth segment but needs to constantly evolve in order to maintain their position with new trends and changes emerging. The brand associations are strong since they are attached to a certain target-group (youths) that is very desirable to reach for many advertisers. The adolescence and early adulthood that MTV reaches are important for establishing enduring preferences for a specific type of brand that might follow a person throughout his life. Viewed as very â€Å"hip and now† many teens look to the channel to see what is popular and what the up and coming trends of today are. MTV has very strong brand attributes, with its viewers and even with people that do not view the channel as one they would frequently watch, therefore giving the brand strong brand associations. MTV has core values of staying on top of music and cultural trends, as a result ensuring their continued growth of their audience; MTV needs to stay relevant to stay on top. 2 – Describe the current sources of MTV’s brand equity. How have they changed over time? MTV creates its brand equity through high level of awareness and brand associations it’s made with its targeted viewers. MTV did this by using VJ’s or video jockeys to bring the viewers â€Å"along for the ride†. VJ’s made it’s a much more personal experience as if they were friends with the audience. The use of long-form programming has helped keep viewers interested in the channel by keeping relevant in its programming, by moving away from its roots as a music only channel and giving viewers what they were interested at any point in time. There are multiple genres and cultures represented on MTV and the channel high ratings among its key teen demographic, especially females. The evolution of the channel has kept the brand equity. In 2010 the MTV logo changed and no longer contained the tag-line â€Å"Music Television† to further emphasize their shift away from the pure music. By focusing more on programs that were â€Å"culture† shows and not only music they have managed to maintain a strong brand. Throughout their changes of focus MTV has managed to keep its core values intact. They are a channel for the younger generation that constantly provokes and stays on the edge of new concepts. By having a brand aimed at pop culture they constantly have to re-invent themselves to stay current. One of the biggest challenges for MTV is managing growth because usually when things become too popular it is no longer considered to be cool. 3 – What is the role of music within MTV? Do they need to put the â€Å"M† back in MTV? Music still plays a major part in MTV’s image and brand associations. Music and pop culture have always been interconnected, as many view the music that they listen to be how they express who they are as an individual. By having the same segments of people liking the same types of music, you can see the cliques within these segments, and usually these are how social trends begin. Although on a television station, music does not have the power to captivate viewers for prolonged periods of time; MTV found that long-form programming kept viewers tuned in on a regular basis, whereas music created grazing behaviors. Additionally, the channel viewers have changed therefore changing back to an all music channel I do not think would benefit the channel; viewers need to stay tuned in order for MTV to remain profitable and they are doing a good job of keeping their brand equity and associations. 4 – Discuss the role the Internet in programming. How should MTV best integrate the Internet into the brand? How might technology impact MTV’s future? MTV’s websites serve as an added channel to keep viewers engaged beyond just watching the channel they can now watch TV episodes and have wallpapers etc. However, the internet could pose the problem as sites like YouTube, World Star Hip Hop, and a collection of others give viewers access to video on demand, (what they want to see and when they want to see it), as opposed to watching a channel and waiting to hopefully see a song or wait for a program to air. MTV should continue to use the Internet to its advantage by offering exclusive online clips, interviews, and MTV personalized gear. They should continue to create apps and use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to connect to viewers. The MTV website already offers a variety of experiences to visitors and its greatest pull is that the brand owns the market as the resource for popular music. Drawing on that, and positioning the interactive aspect as a true storehouse for information is the most complementary stance MTVi (the interactive division of MTV) can take. With trendiness at its core, MTV will thrive as technology continues to change. 5 – How have MTV’s sister networks affected the parent channel’s brand equity? What changes, if any, would you make in positioning of the sister networks in order to create the optimal brand portfolio? MTV has effectively used its sister networks and parent channels to boost brand equity. By playing more music clips and videos on the MTV2 and VH1 channels, it spreads the core values of the brand. MTV started and made its name by showing music videos, so having its sister channels show more videos it extends the brand image and values. MTV is a global brand and therefore reaches many different people from all around the world. This means that they have an extensive range of viewers that are from different places, cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, etc. MTV’s global channels offer country specific programming to appeal to the many different countries and cultural tastes. MTV is doing a good job of positioning itself and its sister channels for continued success in boosting brand equity.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Assignment about Servicing the Sale and Building the Partnership - 1

About Servicing the Sale and Building the Partnership - Assignment Example d be traced to a belief in significant brand management, investment in a first class customer service center, and innovations in marketing and sales strategies that enhance sales and distribution. In addition, the philosophy of the company remains mapped on a belief that quality could never be sacrificed. The company officers have made a decision to develop partnerships with a group of distributors who would employ salespeople to call on retailers trading in Body Glove products. In order to ensure that retail customers and retailers receive excellent service, the company would undertake some steps to achieve this objective. The company officers would select on distributors whose strategies would have an immediate effect on all elements of the marketing mix. Thus, steps to be considered would involve an analysis of the products, environment, customers, competitors, company, salespersons, and the desired level by the target market characteristics. In so doing, the company would evaluate alternatives for both distributors and salespersons against adaptive, control and economic factors (Vashisht 184-189). Body Glove salespersons may add value to the company through either full line or cross selling. First, salespersons could add value through an established better partnership between the company and the distributors in a full line selling. In addition, salespersons attain more knowledgeable and aggressive selling because of exclusive distribution grants from the company. Moreover, through exclusive distribution strategies or dealership, salespersons could add value to the company wetsuits product line. On the other hand, salespersons may add value to the company by establishing a better working relationship with the distributors that would give rise to adequate market coverage with less cost but more control. These would consequently add value to the company overall sales margin, and over its competitors (Vashisht 187). Moreover, conducting after sales service to

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Culture Analysis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture Analysis paper - Essay Example Moreover, Bollywood has been considered audience-oriented, though they have more emphasis on generating wealth. Bollywood is a term that is also applied in description of a physical location with certain characteristics, which are common among the other films produced in the same region Ganti (2). In this case, these characteristics comprises of song and dance, melodrama, emphasising on stars and spectacle, values of lavish production (Ginta, 3). Moreover, there are other theatrical variables integrated in the filmmaking such as sublimating and romanticism. Bollywood differs from Nollywood, which is a term derived from Hollywood, and it is a generic name for the firm industry in Nigeria. One of the similarities between these generic is that their name were derived from the term Hollywood. However, these industries have different global attention, which differs in terms of the effort made to create their distinct film tradition. For instance, Bollywood has achieved a more prolific and legendary attention from different parts of the world compared to Nollywood. On the other hand, Nollywood experiences government intervention through contribution to provide a favourable environment for film making industry. However, Bollywood is run by private sector through their efforts to fund and offer dominant producers and marketers. Nevertheless, Nigerian film industry has been perceived as a cultural product by other nations, though unlike Bollywood they experience indifferences of the government towards their industry. For instance, Nollywood fac es problems of being denied a status of foreign exchange cultural currency that can enhance their industry. Indian cinema has a long and wealthy history, some of which is common to Western audiences (Ginta, 2004). Similarly, American moviegoers are increasing but still have inadequate exposure to different forms of Indian films. Asian films hinters developmental

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Discuss Augustines understanding of the relation between human loves Essay

Discuss Augustines understanding of the relation between human loves and the love of God, with particular focus on his experience of the death of his friend (described in Book IV of the Confessions) - Essay Example He emphasized loving the earthling and the immortal was same. God resided in the very heart of humans which stirred love. â€Å"Self love and love of others coincide with love of God when inserted into the ordered hierarchy of loves† (Cavadini and Fitzgerald, 29) Augustine opposed self love and termed it as evil, which misguides humans taking them in the opposite direction of the eternal power. For him human existence was a struggle where one copes with sin and salvation. The triumph over salvation could be achieved only through divine grace. For Augustine the concept of proper love was always directed to God as he believed that the very thought of love was incited by God himself. â€Å"All we can do is to love God, who is love, for God’s sake.†(Boeve, Schrijvers, Stoker and Vroom, 279) Loving fellow human beings in the right spirit was equal to loving God with full dedication of soul, heart and mind. Augustine implied the desire to find one’s inner self was synonym to the desire of attaining proximity with the Almighty. Yearning to love one’s fellow being was equal to the desire to love God. Augustine’s theory of love was inspired by Neo-Platonist tradition which encouraged the thought that love was a creation of God in which human participation was very essential for the welfare of humanity. God was the ultimate finishing point and love provided the path to reach that goal. â€Å"The ultimate vocation of the Christian then is grow in his or her relationship to God. The self must learn how to abandon itself for the sake of participating more and more in God’s love.† (Boeve, Schrijvers, Stoker and Vroom, 279) This understanding of love is called kenotic view. Augustine perceived love as the rescue boat which transports the fallen human beings to God’s grace. The underline of this thought was the relation shared between a human and God was a central relation,

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Town Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Town - Essay Example But, life has a lot to offer him for this deal. Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall have given outstanding performances with strong grip on dialogue delivery and with the perfect British-Irish accents. However, the film is categorized under the crime drama but Affleck has tried to put extra efforts to make this movie out of the crime culture (Roger Ebert). This is another directorial attempt by Ben Affleck after his movie, Gone Baby Gone. The movie is inspired by another crime novel. The main theme of the movie revolves around the story of a young criminal guy who is so willing to change the entire scenario of his life but after the one last attempt of his job. Affleck has used the traditional Irish American touch to add the reality into a real Boston life. The movie is based on the novel by Chuck Hogan known as Prince of Thieves. The main theme of the movie moves around the neighborhood of Charlestown. The title of the movies explains a lot about the robbery being the ultimate fabric of the society there. The main character Doug MacRay which is played by Ben Affleck himself is a person who is involved in various criminal activities. James Coughlin is his partner in crime; who is smart enough to use his childhood friend Doug MacRay as a tool to achieve his meandrous goals. In the first scene of this thriller action-packed crime drama, Jem is shown beating a bank’s employee in a robbery attempt. During this robbery attempt, Jem takes a hostage; the branch manager named Claire whom he releases soon. However, realizing the fact that Claire won’t open her mouth in front of any FBI special Agent; Jem wants to make sure that she would keep her mouth close as long as Doug promises that he would take care of her. The scene lacks the basic approach to enhance the real thrill and action in the movie. The movie is derailed from the action thriller drama to somewhat romance-action drama that highlights the

Monday, September 9, 2019

Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Analysis - Assignment Example x) ≠¥ 0 over an interval a≠¤ x ≠¤b, we examine the area of this region that is said to be included in the graph of f(x) and over the interval [a, b] found on the x-axis. The area found under the region marked x = 0 and x = 1 is called the â€Å"area found under a curve†. This is an aspect that makes it related to an integral. An integral refers to associated notion of the ant derivative, a function X whose derivative is x, which is the given function. The use of integrals is a vital part in calculus and was well explained that integral includes rectangles having infinite sums and with infinitesimal width. Riemann stated that this integral basis itself on limiting procedures that appropriates a curvilinear region by approximating its area as it breaks them to thin vertical blocks (Rana, 2002). As explained by the Riemann integration, it is evident that x is a set bound by finite points sets. According to the Riemann integration theorem, the function h is defined as the indicator functions, which are equal to the figures that are on the opposite sides. This integration explains that you can use continuous functions to find and substitute the figures inside. The characteristics function definition has a formula, which gives us the opportunity to compute the value of h if we realize the distribution function Z (Taylor, 2006). Exercise 4.13 you have studied over the last few years how calculus is made rigorous with definitions (of continuity, derivative, integral, convergence, etc) and theorems. Is this necessary and/or important? Why, or why not? The use of differentiation is an aspect that is fundamental in calculus. This is based on the functions used as they are continuous. These formulas help in the derivation of the rules of Leibniz integral. The use of functions, numbers, limits, and integration is a vital aspect also in the calculations of calculus (Pfeffer, 2001). KURTZ, D. S., & SWARTZ, C. (2004). Theories of integration the integrals of Riemann,

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Does the possession of nuclear weapons have a positive or negative Essay

Does the possession of nuclear weapons have a positive or negative effect on a state security - Essay Example The effects of the nuclear weapons are negative to not only the states having them but to the rest of the world as well. The effects of possesion of nuclear weapons on the state security are negative because they cause massive mass desctruction, they increase disaster risks in case of accidents, they create fear than security to the people as well as increase poor relationship and diplomacy with the other nations especially the rival countries. The security of the state is even worse with the presence of a nuclear weapons at arms length because they can use them anytime to fight their enermies as they are already at their disposal similar with the way they fight using bombs and missiles as they have them at their disposal. With the war on terrorism increasing not only in these super power nations mentioned above but in their affiliate nations that support them such as in parts of Africa, the disamarment argeement made by these nations is bound to be ineffective. According to the resoulution made by majority of these nations starting with US and Russia, they will only refrain using the nuclear weapons if their territories or the territories of their allies are not invaded or attacked by a nuclear or a non-nuclear nation. In this case therefore, since their allies are being attacked, there is risk of them using their weapons to fight the enermies. The nuclear attack effcts are very much known to the world simply beucase of the negative effects they had in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 which lasted years after the bomb was thrown by the US. The radiation effects killed over 200,000 people in both cities with many others suffering ling term health problems. The problems include cancers, mutations in the DNA, 46% of the population suffered Leukemia majority of them being children. Almost seven decades later, the gene mutation led to children being born having deformities such as smaller head size, mental disability

Compare two texts listed below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare two texts listed below - Essay Example However, there are important differences. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus and Jocasta's marriage is one that is marked by more than immoderate affection. There appears to be love in it. For Capellanus, this breaks the rules of courtly love. The medieval Capellanus's rules regarding marriage are more formal than those belonging to the ancient Greeks. Life in the olden times was much more difficult than it is today. Relationships were not convenient and they were rarely the type of relationships that people wanted to be a part of because of desire. In fact, marriage was often performed between two people of differing tribes with the aim of bringing these people together. Tribes were united through marriage. Similarly, marriage was used for political purposes. Marrying into a family might give an individual more power. As Capellanus wrote in his book, Marriage should not be a deterrent to love. If love was what you were after, then you should find it outside of a marriage as it was not the purpose of marriage in the first place. Real love is not public and marriage is a public institution. Everywhere in a court one might expect, according to Capellanus, to find examples of hidden love. This was his contribution to mens' idea of married love. He believed there was little love in real marriage, but a lot outside of it. Sophocles' play tells a different story.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Pizza - Marketing Essay Example for Free

Pizza Marketing Essay 2. Summary: a. Overall Score i. With this Competitive Profile Matrix, a couple of conclusions can be made. Firstly, when comparing Pizza Hut to its competitors, it can be seen that Pizza Hut had a higher score than Papa John’s but scored lower than Dominos. This shows that overall Pizza Hut is doing better than Papa John’s in terms of identifying strengths and working with weaknesses. When looking at Dominos, however, it shows that Dominos is a lot better at turning these success factors into strengths rather than weaknesses. b. Weights ii. When focusing on weights alone, however, some other conclusions can be drawn and also differ in outcomes when looking at the overall score. The most important things we identified in the pizza industry are product quality, price competitiveness, and advertising. As a group we weighted product quality and price equally with advertising being the second most important thing. For comparison, it can be seen that Domino’s takes the cake when dealing with product quality, price competitiveness, and advertising especially in the recent years as they have re-launched and revamped their entire recipe and product quality, advertising, marketing, and offering great pricing that are mostly the best deals around. They have owned up to the past disappointments and issues and have completely redone itself entirely for the consumers. By using quality ingredients and constructing their marketing to where the consumers drive their commercials and advertising they have definitely surpassed the other surviving pizza chains. Pizza Hut and Papa John’s comes in a close second to product quality as they are fresh and quality products. Pizza Hut ranks higher than Papa John’s for price competitiveness because as a group we see more Dominos and Pizza Hut deals versus seeing any type of Papa John’s coupons. Also, Papa John’s is priced fairly higher than either Pizza Hut or Dominos. Advertising, however, proves a minor weakness for Pizza Hut as very rarely do you see Pizza Hut commercials in comparison to Dominos and Pap Johns. c. Strengths iii. Pizza Hut is the leader in global expansion and correctly identifies its target market. The company will want to keep this apart of their strengths to keep up and always be a step ahead in these aspects. This will then ensure accessibility which is an important factor for generating revenues and thus creating a loyal customer base. d. Concerns iv. Some areas that Pizza Hut was rated lower than the other two competitors besides the ones addressed above is the organic foods factor. Many people want organic pizzas and the only chain coming close is Papa John’s which uses quality ingredients, some of which either local or organic. Although it does not seem like a huge deal in the present, eventually more and more consumers will be looking for this and have nowhere to turn but the company who falls close to the mark.