Quantitative Methods Individual work2 wk2 Assignment

Quantitative Methods Individual work2 wk2 - Assignment Example She has beat her opponent with a battling average of 0.03 hits/at-bat My criteria for choosing the best player would be based on the batting average of the player. The right player for the scholarship is the one that has the highest batting average. The best player averagely will be Fran Hayes with a battling average of 5.66 hits/at-bat whereas her opponent Millie Marshall had an average of 5.59 hits/at-bat. This makes the analysis choose on Fran Hayes is the best player. She has the biggest overall hits/at-bat and, therefore, deserves the opportunity. However, a factor that must be incorporated in this analysis is that Millie Marshall did not win, but she records the highest hits/at-bat during her senior years than Fran Hayes. She is victorious because of the total battling average of her junior and senior years. Millie Marshall would have been given the scholarship if it were based on observing the current trend in hits/at-bat. She records the highest battle hits /at –bat and, therefore, the current softball team would rely on her to a great extent. If the analysis were focused on selecting a player based on the battling average of her junior years, then the best player in this context would still be Fran Hayes. This is because she records the highest batting average during her junior years. She has a battling average of 3hits/at-bat compared to her competitor who has 2.66 hits/at-bat. The range at which she beats her competitor is 0.34 which is a slightly significant margin. She was good during her junior years, however currently her competitor only beats her by a very narrow margin of 0.03 which is a slight margin. The selection of Fran Hayes as the suitable candidate for the scholarship is still rational and superb. Fran Hayes had a good start of the game during her junior years. She seemed to have gotten a better foundation and learnt the game much faster than her competitor. This is because her batting average during the junior years was very

Urban Design, Architecture, Art in Rome Essay Example for Free

Urban Design, Architecture, Art in Rome Essay Rome was one of the prominent cities to show a distinct example of urban architecture. As according to Frechtling (2001), urban design had always been attached to the Romanesque tradition wherein the arrangements of their architectural designs usually form single composition (p. 2). The roman architecture had significantly been influenced by the vast traditional constructs of architecture through the Etruscan perspective, and combined with their use of arch, which showed relevance to their Greek adaptation of columns. Added by Crouch (1993), the very process of urbanization in the Roman perspective entailed the arrangements of elements in order to attain maximum beauty and agreeable provisions (p. 10). Romans were the first to consider the utilization of construction techniques in order to further manipulate large interior spaces and monumental architecture. Much of these were evident in their building designs and those established monuments (Buden, 2000 p. 10). One of the historically recognized urban designs of the Roman period was Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio or the Capistoline Hill. The plateau of Piazza del Campidoglio had been the centre of Roman political atmosphere throughout the Middle Ages. The transformation that Michelangelo rendered to the Campidoglio in offering to the Pope Paul III during 1538 has become the prominent highlight of renaissance architecture, more significantly in the rise of urban design application. As supported by Watkin, the design of Michelangelo’s Capitoline Hill had greatly impacted the designs of urban perspective. The most significant characteristic in his Piazza del Campidoglio was the presence of spatial manipulation of voids and masses in his urban design. The concept of architectural design employed by Michelangelo had been the center of commotion with respect to the influence of his piazza design in the aspect of urban art. Furthermore, the features he had utilized in his piece had significantly triggered the argument on the type of design era symbolized by his concept. Within the study, the main scope was to scrutinize and analyze the presence of urban design patterns in the architectural art of Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio. The study centered on the idea of urban designing in architecture in the highlights of historical trends developed from baroque, medieval and contemporary designs. Furthermore, the study developed an argument within the architectural concepts of Michelangelo to further illustrate how it influenced the styles, symbolism and trends of urban designing in architecture. Discussion Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio In the Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo in Rome in the sixteenth century, the grand flight of steps, which leads to the square, is in fact situated on the axis in considerable distance from the steps to the building, and its great width that provides it certain autonomy (Meiss 1990 p. 67). Michelangelo design his piazza in an orderly state with five entrances and three palaces. In the section of Senator’s Palace constructed during the medieval era and located on the east side and Conservator’s Palace on the south side were formed in 80 degree angles, which created a trapezoid-shaped piazza. In addition, this constituted an even more inlaid pavement that highlighted an oval pattern embossed in the middle of the piazza. With this architectural design, critiques (Watkin, 2005; Meiss 1990) had very well linked this idea of Michelangelo in providing a sense of baroque style in his piazza architecture. According to Crouch (1993), the Roman architectural design mainly depended in two primary urban patterns, specifically the regular rigid mostly associated with veteran’s colonies and the towns that developed from them, and the jostle of monumental buildings set close together and at angles to one another without a regular pattern of streets to set them off (p. 10). In addition, the concept of Piazza del Campidoglio comprised the initial ideas of Etienne Duperac, who greatly contributed to the first blueprint of the site. After which, it is Michelangelo who admonished the modification and transformation of these engravings. The architectural design of Michelangelo comprised the square that should be composed of three distinct palaces and a balustrade wherein he would also place five roads or flights of steps that should lead to the square. The presence of oval feature in the piazza’s design somehow illustrated the idea of baroque implications, most significantly with the oval-ended pedestal designed by Michelangelo himself. Added by Braunfels and Northcott (1988), the oval in which the statue had been erected was also part of the motive in illustrating the Capitoline Hill. Within the interiors of the Campidoglio, Michelangelo provided an intensively designed double-ramped staircase in front of the remodeled Senator’s Palace. He employed organization in the blueprint of the Capitoline Hill that does not close the aspect of tradition. According to Watkin (2005), Michelangelo very well adapted this from the designs of the facade of a palace under a theatrical design featured in civic ceremony. He also added that the flanking palaces on either side of the piazza had also created an evident impact in urban designing (p. 235). Considering the square character of Michelangelo’s piece, he very well emphasized the coherent spatial allowances and diversion of architecture in this Campidoglio. He incorporated steep topography and irregular shaped site with an intention of creating an illusion of spatial characteristics. Michelangelo altered the distinct features of the facades and alignments of the three surrounding buildings in order to transform the area from a derelict piece of land to an organized elemental fashion. As supported by Trancik (1986), Michelangelo evidently took the advantage of the triangular site in order to further form elliptical paving pattern to establish a stable center of the piazza (p. 65). Originally, the design of the Campidoglio was only two buildings; however, in order to provide more control and distinction in the spatial character of the central piece, Michelangelo had admonished the construction of the third building. In analyzing the placement and order of the building, the two buildings present at the sides of the oval shaped increment were two stories and slightly offset to 80 degrees. On the other hand, the Palazzo del Senatore or the Senate Palace that provided the most essential part in spatial enclosure had constituted three stories. The reconstruction of the Facades of the conservatoria had been reconstructed from 1563 to 1564, while the Senate Palace took from 1598 to 1612. According to Rubenstein (1992), the main characteristic the Piazza was emphasized in the placement of the central, slightly-sunken, and paved star-shape symbol that surrounded the plaza and provided linkage to other surrounding areas (p. 8). This urban design placement had created an oval volume of space that further increased the spatial feature of the trapezoid enclosed by the three surrounding sites. The concept of design utilized by Michelangelo had significantly provided unity and coherence in the overall design.

Strategic Review of LOreal External Environment

Strategic Review of LOreal External Environment This essay firstly introduce LOreal and their main operations in recent years, and then emphasize to analysis their external environment, such as P.E.S.T analysis, five forces analysis, sector level analysis and product life cycles analysis. And in the end analysis the opportunities and threats which the company faces over next 3-5 years 2. Company and Product Overview The LOREAL Group is the worlds largest cosmetics and beauty company and it headquartered in the Paris suburb of Clichy, France. LOREAL has developed activities in the field of cosmetics, concentrating on hair color, skin care, sun protection, make-up, perfumes and hair care. LOREAL is active in the dermatological and pharmaceutical fields. LOREAL is also the top nanotechnology patent-holder in the United States. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%E2%80%99Orealà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° It operates in over 130 countries. It markets 18 brands through two divisions, cosmetics and dermatology. The cosmetics division of LOREAL has four segments: professional products, consumer products, luxury products and active cosmetics. The dermatology segment includes dermatological and pharmaceutical activities of the company. LOREAL got its start in the hair-color business, but the company soon branched out into other cleansing and beauty products. LOREAL now markets over 500 brands and many thousands of individual products in all sectors of the beauty business: hair color, permanents, styling aids, body and skin care, cleansers and fragrances. They are found in all distribution channels, from hair salons and perfumeries to hyper and supermarkets, health/beauty outlets, pharmacies and direct mail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Oreal) 3. External environmental analysis 3.1 P.E.S.T Analysis PEST analysis stands for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. 3.1.1 Political and Legal Forces The political challenge is that LOreal should conform to all the different government leadership styles in various countries it operates within. LOreal faced a decline in the dermatology branch led by its Galderma brand due to new legislations governing drugs (Euromonitor, 2005). The EU law affects LOreal. LOreal is restricted in their use of certain kinds of chemicals, such as Phthalates which is carcinogenic (The Rules Governing Cosmetic Products in the European Union). LOreal is obligated to produce safe products that do not contain any harmful substances. Also, legislation for advertising is also affecting LOreal. LOreal has to follow the rules set by Advertising Standards Authority. For example, advertisements cannot be misleading that over-exaggerating the functions of a product (The Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988). Recent policy developments in the European Union (EU), that is the safety of cosmetics is directed standards. Seventh Amendment cosmetics directive finally approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, It is expected an immediate ban on animal testing products and a total ban on animal testing of cosmetics raw materials, no later than six years to implement the directive. (Anonymous,http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/more_information/download/ecvam2.pdfà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° In addition, It needs an immediate ban on new cosmetics sales (of finished products and raw materials) and the experimental animal alternative methods have been tested in ecvam and accept the existence of the ban on the sale of cosmetics, on human health affected to a certain extent. It is thought that LOreal should fully understand these policies, and to avoid a violation of these policies and regulations, strictly control chemical products and related banned substances content 3.1.2 Economic Environment Analysis LOreal should adapt to all the different economic environments and problems in all countries it operates in. For example in 2004, LOreal was affected by the continued weakness of the dollar and other currencies. Economic crisis is a bad news for LOreal, The world GDP is fall sharply from 2007 to 2009, The economic downturn will be a great chanllege for the development of LOreal Although the growth last year is below that in 2008 due to the financial crisis, it is fortunate that it still met the target, said Paolo Gasparrini, president of LOreal China, at the 6th China Young Women in Science Fellowship Award Ceremony sponsored by LOreal in Beijing Tuesday. In the first three quarters of 2009, LOreals total gross sales increased 0.7 percent compared to last year, of which growth in Asia, where the Chinese market is a large contributor, totaled 21.2 percent, he said. (http://msn.huanqiu.com/bizchina/2010-01/700911.html) 3.1.3 Social Environment Analysis The culture of countries in which a business operates can be of particular importance. The culture of a country consists of the values, attitudes and beliefs of its people. (David Campbell, George Stonehouse and Bill Houston: 119). For example, with modern standard of living continues to improve and the level education get higher and higher, the social increasingly recognize the external image, and people are increasingly focusing on the image appearance, the demand of quality and effectiveness of cosmetic and related skin care products become higher and higher. 3.14 Technological Environment Analysis Changes in technology affect the products available to consumers and business, the quality of the products and their functionality. (David Campbell, George Stonehouse and Bill Houston. 124). Todays society is constantly changing, technology updates means that the product updates, cosmetic update speed, short product life cycles, a cosmetics market, we should immediately prepare for the next period. As the technology develops, people can be more channels to purchase products, business and customer contacts more and more ordinary. So technology is the enterprise competitive advantage. Along with the development of science and technologyà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ the latest scientific and technological achievements and advanced technologies rapidly apply in cosmetics industries, particularly biotechnology, nanometer technology, information technology, electronics technology, which provide a lot of opportunities for the development of cosmetics industry. LOreal has strong research and development (RD) capability, According to new technological development, the company registered 529 patents related to cosmetics and dermatology in 2005. (http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) 3.2 Five Forces Analysis According to Porters five forces which determine the nature of competition within an industry. The five forces are: The threat of new entrants to the industry; The threat of substitute products; The power of buyers or customers; The power of suppliers; (to business in the industry) Rivalry among businesses in the industry. Force 1: It is thought that because cosmetic industry needs products quality inspection for safety, and large investments which including technology and a great deal of capital, it is difficult to enter the cosmetic industry. However, at present, there is few entrants can threat LOREAL. Force 2: By reason of many personal cosmetics may contain a series of potentially toxic compounds, including artificial membrane. One research found cosmetics containing some spices and xylene which easily lead to the abortion of pregnant women. Many facial cream are also contain compounds which similar with the role of female hormones. So the threat of substitutes is using pure natural products. Force 3: According to a survey commissioned by New Woman magazine and published in April 2006, the average woman is estimated to spend a staggering  £182,528 on beauty products between the ages of 18 and 80. 5,000 women were questioned, (Anonymous, http://www.keynote.co.uk/kn2k1) eight in ten of whom said they wore make-up every day and almost half of whom admitted that they would not leave the house without it. So the power of buyers is very strong, which is very favorable to LOREAL. Force 4: LOREAL products were sold in many large department stores or supermarkets. The suppliers are all have strong bargaining power. So LOrà ©al should develop a close partnership with suppliers, in order to sell products better. Force 5: The global cosmetics business is intensely competitive, with a few big corporations and a large number of small companies vying for market share. The company competes against global companies such as Avon, Està ©e Lauder, Procter Gamble, Revlon, and a number of smaller companies as well. Of late, those bigger companies sharpened their focus on the market of beauty and personal care products. Increased competition may lead LOrà ©al to price reductions, reduced profit margins and loss of market share. 3.3 Strategic Space/Group Analysis A business can rarely confine its analysis to the level of the industry and markets in which it operates. It must also pay particular attention to its closest competitors who are known as its strategic group. PRICE BRANDING INTENSITY LOW HIGH LOW HIGH Està ©e Lauder Avon Revlon P G LOrà ©al From the strategy groups above, it is obviously that LOrà ©al has a high branding intensity and medium price, therefore compare with other competitor LOrà ©al has competitive advantage. 3.4 Life Cycles Analysis Generally speaking, cosmetic products are in the maturity period of the product life cycle. In this period users tend to saturation and users repeat purchase reliance. In competitive condition competitor fight to maintain market share, but it is difficulty in gaining market share. All competitors emphasis on low cost (efficiency). LOrà ©al should pay attention to the quality of products and improve the packing, in order to keep old customers and attract new customers. 4. Opportunity and threat analysis over next 3-5 years 4.1 Opportunities It is thought that LOrà ©al faces the following opportunities and threats, these main changes will influence the companys planning over the next 3-5years. First of all, it is thought that the opportunity of LOREAL is aging population. The most developed countries are already highly aging society, aged 60 or older in the proportion of the population is above 15%, and for example the percentage of the US population who are over 55 years is forecast to increase from 20% in 2007 to 33% in 2027. (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) This is likely to increase demand for anti-aging products. LOREAL successfully launched many anti-aging products in 2007, including RevitaLift Double Lifting, Collagen Filler, and Lancomes Renergie Morpholift. As aging baby boomers attempt to preserve their looks through anti-aging products, LOREAL will not be short of opportunities. The second opportunity is proposed acquisition of Body Shop. As the rapidly growing of personal care products market, demand for the products is rising as consumers shift to products which are safer and more eco-friendly. The natural personal care products market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12% a year, to reach an estimated $1 billion in 2010. (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company) The proposed acquisition of the UK-based Body Shop International, a company founded by Anita Roddick that uses primarily organically-derived ingredients, would allow LOREAL to capitalize on the growing demand for natural personal care products. Thirdly, the growth of India and China. LOREAL could offset weak performance in Western Europe by expanding its presence in fast-growing markets such as India and China. The company already has a presence in these two countries, whose economies are forecasted to grow at a high rate in the coming years. In 2007, the companys sales in China grew by 27% while sales in India expanded by 46%. (Anonymous,http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company)Further expansion in China and India may help LOREAL overcome sluggish growth in Western Europe. 4.2 Threats Howeverà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’it is thought that there are three main threats which will influence LOREAL. Firstly, Economic crisis is a bad news for LOreal, The economic downturn will be a great chanllege for the development of LOreal The secondly, the competition is intense in the market. The global cosmetics business is intensely competitive, with a few big corporations and a large number of small companies vying for market share. The company competes against global companies such as Revlon, Estee Lauder and Procter Gamble, (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) in addition to a number of smaller companies. Recently, some big companies have sharpened their focus on beauty and personal care products market, as well as emerging markets. Increased competition could result in price reductions, reduced profit margins and loss of market share. The third one are new regulations. Several consumer protection groups are voicing concerns over the presence of harmful chemical ingredients in cosmetic products. A recent study showed that about one-third of cosmetic products contain known carcinogens. (http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) Due to increasing public pressure, in US the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to impose stringent quality norms on cosmetic products. (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) New regulations may delay the launch of new products and result in higher product development expenditure, not to mention the possible effects of the adverse publicity generated by the new regulations. The last one is counterfeiting. The counterfeiting of popular cosmetic products has increased in recent years. Increasing sales of counterfeit products negatively impact the companys sale. Low quality counterfeits also reduce consumer confidence in the products of a company. More important, the companys key differentiator, exclusivity, is damaged by counterfeiting operations. Widespread counterfeits reduce the exclusiveness of the companys brands. Counterfeit products not only deprive the company of revenues, but also dilute the reputation of the brand. 5. Conclusion According the discuss above, it is conclusion that among LOrà ©als external environment, it is thought that the competition of cosmetic and fragrance market become more and more drastic, especially faced with strong competitors, and it is thought that there are opportunities and threats to LOrà ©al, the company should take advantage of these opportunities and to etain its status as the leader of cosmetic and fragrance industry. Word :1779

The Oppression of Women and The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper e

The Oppression of Women and The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a fictionalized autobiographical account that illustrates the emotional and intellectual deterioration of the female narrator who is also a wife and mother. The woman, who seemingly is suffering from post-partum depression, searches for some sort of peace in her male dominated world. She is given a â€Å"rest cure† from her husband/neurologist doctor that requires strict bed rest and an imposed reprieve form any mental stimulation. As a result of her husband’s controlling edicts, the woman develops an obsessive attachment to the intricate details of the wallpaper on her bedroom wall. The woman’s increasingly intense obsession with the wallpaper ultimately leaves the reader with many questions about nineteenth-century male-female relationships, and perhaps even insanity. Several critics have identified many significant and contrasting themes in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† For example, the contrast of the male-female relationship in the late nineteenth-century, which is an apparent link between the sex roles and seemingly oppressive sexual structures. Another significant theme is the ominous question of what lies behind the meaning of the structure and color of the wallpaper. Does it represent a symbolic realm of imagery, or a linguistic realm focusing on the identity of the spoken and written word? More sympathetic critics like Gilbert and Gubar read â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† simply as a narrative of one woman’s efforts t free herself from the structured psychic, and social atmosphere—indeed, a rigidly constructed atmosphere that was very restrictive for a female of this day and time. They envisioned the wallpaper as being ... ...Conn: Yale University Press, 1979. 89-92. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. From the Heath Anthology of American Literature. ed. Paul Lauter, et al. D.C. Heath and Co. MA. 1994. 800-12. Herndl, Diane. â€Å"The Writing Cure: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anna O. and Hysterical Writing’† NWSA Journal no. 1 1988.   52-74. Hedges, Elaine R. â€Å"Afterward† to â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Old Westbury, NY. Feminist Press 1973. 12. Jacobus, Mary. â€Å"An Unnecessary Maze of Sign-Reading† Reading Women: Essays in Feminist Criticism. New York: Columbia University Press. 1986. 229-48. Kolodny, Annette. â€Å"A Map for Rereading: or, Gender and the Interpretation of Literary Texts† New Literary History 11,  no. 3 1980. 451-67 Treichler, Paula. â€Å"Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Tulsa studies in Women’s  Literature. 1984. (75). The Oppression of Women and The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper e The Oppression of Women and The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a fictionalized autobiographical account that illustrates the emotional and intellectual deterioration of the female narrator who is also a wife and mother. The woman, who seemingly is suffering from post-partum depression, searches for some sort of peace in her male dominated world. She is given a â€Å"rest cure† from her husband/neurologist doctor that requires strict bed rest and an imposed reprieve form any mental stimulation. As a result of her husband’s controlling edicts, the woman develops an obsessive attachment to the intricate details of the wallpaper on her bedroom wall. The woman’s increasingly intense obsession with the wallpaper ultimately leaves the reader with many questions about nineteenth-century male-female relationships, and perhaps even insanity. Several critics have identified many significant and contrasting themes in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† For example, the contrast of the male-female relationship in the late nineteenth-century, which is an apparent link between the sex roles and seemingly oppressive sexual structures. Another significant theme is the ominous question of what lies behind the meaning of the structure and color of the wallpaper. Does it represent a symbolic realm of imagery, or a linguistic realm focusing on the identity of the spoken and written word? More sympathetic critics like Gilbert and Gubar read â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† simply as a narrative of one woman’s efforts t free herself from the structured psychic, and social atmosphere—indeed, a rigidly constructed atmosphere that was very restrictive for a female of this day and time. They envisioned the wallpaper as being ... ...Conn: Yale University Press, 1979. 89-92. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. From the Heath Anthology of American Literature. ed. Paul Lauter, et al. D.C. Heath and Co. MA. 1994. 800-12. Herndl, Diane. â€Å"The Writing Cure: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anna O. and Hysterical Writing’† NWSA Journal no. 1 1988.   52-74. Hedges, Elaine R. â€Å"Afterward† to â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Old Westbury, NY. Feminist Press 1973. 12. Jacobus, Mary. â€Å"An Unnecessary Maze of Sign-Reading† Reading Women: Essays in Feminist Criticism. New York: Columbia University Press. 1986. 229-48. Kolodny, Annette. â€Å"A Map for Rereading: or, Gender and the Interpretation of Literary Texts† New Literary History 11,  no. 3 1980. 451-67 Treichler, Paula. â€Å"Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Tulsa studies in Women’s  Literature. 1984. (75).

Calpurnia Character Analysis

Calpurnia enters into the story very early on in To Kill a Mockingbird, and is an integral part in the story. She works for the Finch family as their cook and mother figure. We get a very clear picture of Calpurnia in Chapter One. â€Å"She was all angles and bones. † This suggests the maybe she doesn’t have much money to buy food or that she is older. It also shows that she is older because â€Å"She had been with us ever since Jem was born, and I had felt her tyrannical presence for as long as I could remember. She doesn’t take any nonsense from the fact that â€Å"Our battles were epic and one-sided. † That Calpurnia had been with the Finches since Jem’s birth suggests that she is part of the family. Atticus trusts her to take care of the children when he is gone. â€Å"But there came a day when Atticus told us he’d wear us out if we made any noise in the yard and commissioned Calpurnia to serve in his absence if she heard a sound out of us. † He trusts her to discipline the children â€Å"Her hand was as wide as bed slat and twice as hard. When Scout questions Walter’s eating habits at the table in Chapter Three, Calpurnia is the one to discipline her. She says â€Å"‘That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear? ’† Atticus trusts her to take care of the children properly. Calpurnia is like a surrogate mother to the children. For example, when Scout refuses to gargle after chewing the Double-Mint gum, Jem threatens her with â€Å"you don’t ’n’ I’ll tell Calpurnia on you! † As gruff as may come off, she really does love the children. When Scout starts going to school, Calpurnia softens up. ‘â€Å"I missed you today. ’† She sets the boundaries for the children. â€Å"Our summertime boundaries (within calling distance of Calpurnia) were Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose’s house and the Radley place three doors to the south. † Calpurnia really treats the children as if they were her own. Calpurnia is more educated than most African-American people in Maycomb. She taught Scout to write. â€Å"She would set me a writing task by scrawling the alphabet firmly across the top a tablet, then copying out a chapter of Bible beneath. If Scout copied it up to her standards, she was rewarded. That she did this shows she knew more than most black people would know in Maycomb and it is yet another example of her mothering Scout. Calpurnia speaks as well as any other white person in Maycomb, except when she is mad. As shown when she disciplines Scout for the dinner incident with Walter. â€Å"She was furious, and when she was furious Calpurnia’s grammar became erratic. When in tranquility, her grammar was as good as anybody’s in Maycomb. Atticus said Calpurnia had more education than colored folks† Calpurnia tries to show Scout and Jem that there is no difference between white and African-American people. â€Å"For Calpurnia rarely commented on the ways of white people. † Calpurnia speaks like any other person in Maycomb to show the children she is equal to the white people in town. She has manners that are as good as anyone else in town. When Scout questions Walter’s eating habits, Calpurnia shows good manners in telling Scout to allow Walter carry on and be polite.

Conceptualizing a Business Essay

When establishing a successful business, no matter how big or small, one monitors progress, assesses results, and develops new programs. One must determine what they want the company to be, produce, and accomplish. Several things have to be determined for the purpose of the business or organization. For example creating a vision, mission. and values statement allows the organization and its customers to identify what the company believes in, what they want to do, and where their long term goal is. Another important component of a successful business is a strong strategic plan. One company that can benefit by re-defining their vision, mission, and values statement is TOMS Shoes Inc. New customers can be gained by analyzing areas where TOMS can improve their business strategy and re-define the companies direction. TOMS Shoes Inc. is a private for profit company that was created in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. During one of his travels he came by a village in Argentina where several children that had no shoes. His desire to help these children impelled him to create TOMS’., a company that would sell shoes in order to give shoes to the children in need. After realizing the impact of matching purchases with donations TOMS launched an eyewear line that would help give sight to a person in need with every pair sold. TOMS gives in over 60 countries and has given 10 million pairs of shoes to children in need. TOMS is now giving different types of shoes based on the terrain and climate where the children in need live. TOMS has also created local jobs in third world countries by producing shoes in the countries it gives in. Since 2011 TOMS purchases has restored the sight of 150,000 people in need. Since TOMS was established it has created an awareness for global issues of poverty. However, TOMS has also been criticized for not having the most efficient way to have economic development. Also, that TOMS aid model is not enough and creates other economic issues in the companies they give to. After extensive  criticism TOMS determined that they wanted to increase economic development in the countries they give to by producing the shoes in those countries. In addition to the gift of shoes and sight TOMS has added the gift of water, for every bag of coffee sold they will provide clean water to those in need. Even though TOMS has taken some steps to improve the organizations strategy, there are additional steps they can take to improve the company’s impact. In order to improve TOMS vision, mission, and value statement it is important to understand what these statements mean, their significance, and how they will benefit. The purpose of a vision statement is to provide a clear picture of where the organization would like to be in the future and what they want their long term accomplishments to be. The mission statement describes what the purpose of the organization is and is focused on the present. Values statement identifies the organizations guiding principles and core beliefs. The values statements also assists in guiding the organizations employees to implement strategies to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. Researching through TOMS website it is difficult to identify the companies mission, vision, and values. However, after extensive searching one can determine that the vision statement for TOMS Shoes Inc. is â€Å"to be a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need.† The mission statement is â€Å"One for One†. Although the values are not clearly stated one can assume by the company’s overview that they believe in giving back, responsibility, and environmental responsibility. Redefining some of TOMS practices can increase the impact the company already has created. First step is to create a vision, mission, and values statement that are parallel to what the company stands for. TOMS product is to produce comfortable footwear that attracts customers to give to those in need by purchasing their shoes. The new mission statement is â€Å"to create sustainable giving; with every product we sell we will give back, one for one. We strive to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve people’s lives through business.† TOMS redefined vision is â€Å"to be a leader in corporate citizenship and sustainable development, to create social impact by influencing others to give back by showing them the value of  giving and that giving is fun.† TOMS stated values will be: responsibility, transparency, honesty, independence, generosity, and growth. TOMS will also include customer feedback in the company’s growth and giving strategies. Currently TOMS has attracted customers that like to be involved in giving to those in need and also like comfortable shoes. The strategy of involving customers to give has made TOMS successful. In 2006 when TOMS first started there was no other company that followed the one for one model and the media promoted the giving model and gave TOMS free marketing. This is what gave TOMS a competitive advantage and made TOMS a successful company. Since then, TOMS has been criticized for not responding to customers complaints through TOMS social media outlets. If TOMS wants to stay involved with their social media success they should also respond to customers’ needs and complaints. In doing so TOMS will show that they are willing to take the time to listen to their customers and show that TOMS values them. With the redefined vision, mission, and value statements TOMS has a clearer definition of what they do and why they do it. This allows for customers to better identify with the company and to promote their success. References: ASQ. (2014). Vision, Mission, Values Statements. Retrieved from http://asq.org/service/body-of-knowledge/tools-vision-mission-values Toms CEO Blake Mycoskie Offers Surprising Answer To His Critics. (2013, November). Huffington Post, (), . Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/toms-ceo-critics_n_4274637.html TOMS Shoes Inc.. (2006-2014). One for One. Retrieved from http://www.toms.com/gift-of-water

Corporations practicing stakeholders management will be more sustainable

Corporations practicing stakeholders management will be more sustainable Introduction The following is an argumentative essay on stakeholders’ management and whether the corporations that practice stakeholders’ management are more sustainable compared to the organisations that do not practice this type of management.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Corporations practicing stakeholders’ management will be more sustainable specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The discussion is about the theoretical perspectives underlying stakeholders’ management in the corporation. It also looks into how an organisation balances the stakeholders’ interest with the shareholders’ interests, as they are two different entities with conflicting interests. It examines the role of stakeholders’ management. In addition, it looks into the existing literature studies on management to prove that the stakeholders’ management leads to sustainability of the co rporation. Stakeholders’ management It is imperative to determine who is a stakeholder in an organisation. A stakeholder is any individual with interest in a particular organisation. A stakeholder is an entity whose contribution to the organisation is influential such that the organisation cannot survive without it (Clarkson 1995). The stakeholders can therefore be the owners, the government, the trade unions, the political groupings, customers, suppliers, the communities as well as the public. This is because they play an important role in the survival of the organisation. The stakeholders’ theoretical perspectives show that the organisation is like an organism, which has different body parts and cannot function fully without one of its organ. The stakeholders are similar to the organs in an organisation and are crucial to the sustainability of the organisation (Clarkson 1995). Stakeholders influence on corporation’s sustainability To determine the extent of in fluence that a particular stakeholder has, there is a criterion that is used that involves the following aspects. The first aspect is on how the stakeholder influences the financial performance of the organisation.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, the customers and suppliers are key stakeholders of a corporation as they directly influence the profit that the organisation will make. The second aspect is the stakeholders’ influence on the productivity and operations such as the employees who have direct influence on the productivity of the organisation (Evans Freeman 1988). Other stakeholders who are in the external environment involve the competitors, the government, and the public whose perception on the organisation can affect it positively or negatively. These stakeholders have influence on the corporation’s sustainability for a number of reasons (Morgan 2004). The first reason is that the stakeholders determine whether the organisation will achieve its strategic objectives or not. For instance, an organisation may have a strategy to expand its operations outside the country. This may require additional funds from the stakeholders especially the shareholders. The firm must also look for ways of increasing the number of customers in order to have more sales, hence increased revenues to expand to other countries. If the shareholders do not contribute to such an endeavour, it would be very hard for the organisation to achieve its strategic objectives (Morgan 2004). Other than achieving the strategic objectives, the stakeholders are imperative for the sustainability of the organisation. In instances where one of the stakeholders has been negligent, it has led to the collapse of the organisation. An example is the case of Enron one the major companies that collapsed due to fraud and earnings’ managemen t. It was because shareholders were negligent thereby failing to scrutinise carefully the organisation’s actual financial accounts and performance. The government as a stakeholder was also negligent in auditing the company’s books of accounts. This led to collapse of the company leading to losses worth billions of dollars for the organisation (Freeman 1984).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Corporations practicing stakeholders’ management will be more sustainable specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The stakeholders are also important in the sustainability of the corporation due to their ability to influence the internal environment positively or negatively. The employees for instance are significant for the sustainability of the corporation. Any company cannot ignore its employees if it has to grow. This is because the employees determine the productivity of the organisation. When they are highly motivated the company experiences low rates of absenteeism and employee turnover, which leads increased productivity and huge profits. The motivated employees are productive and stay in the organisation in the long term. They are therefore imperative to the future sustainability of the organisation (Evans 1994). The other important stakeholders who contribute to the sustainability of the organisation are the suppliers as they determine the profit margin of the company. They also determine whether the company will have an edge over the competitors or not. The relationship between the suppliers and the organisation is imperative because when it is sustainable the suppliers can supply goods on credit so that payment can be made at a specified future date. While receiving goods on credit the organisation channels the money to expansion programs or product development, which gives the organisation an edge over the competitors (Morgan, 2004). Sustainability is also determined by ho w well the organisation relates with the customers. A good relationship with the clients determines the sustainability of the organisation. Providing sustainable services is imperative to the development of the organisation as it creates loyalty (Han 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of such organisations that has capitalised on customer service and experience is Tesco retail stores in the UK. These retail chain stores have benefited from good customer service as well as through the customer loyalty programs, which reward loyal customers with additional benefits. This makes the stores to be the most profitable retail stores in the United Kingdom and Europe. Apart from the customers, the other stakeholders who contribute to the sustainability of the organisation are the public. The perception, which the public has towards an organisation, is a key determinant to its sustainability. In the 1980’s Pepsi had to close its operations in the United States of America after there were reports that some of their soft drinks qualities were compromised because they had needles inside. The information created negative publicity for the company and its sales decreased to the extent that the company had to close its operations in the United States. Managing the medi a and the publicity activities that intend to brand the company in positive light is important to the sustainability of the organisation (Freeman 1984). The stakeholders are also important to the sustainability of the organisation as some of them contribute to the formulation of policies and regulations that may affect the organisation positively or negatively. Such stakeholders who have influence on the organisation are usually pressure groups and political groupings, which have influence in the formulation of policies on a particular issue (Jensen 1976). For instance, tobacco industries must contend with pressure groups that influence the government to implement policies that are against smoking in particular places. Such pressure groups may even advocate for the tobacco banning. The cigarette manufacturing industries must therefore win the political groupings that support the cigarette industry in order for those organisations to be sustainable (Morgan 2004). However, without the political support and goodwill the activities of the industry may not be sustainable. The environmental pressure groups may block the establishment or construction of a building or business that they feel its activities would not be in the best interest of the environment. The political stakeholders can also influence other aspects such as licensing and taxation. In many instances, corporations lobby political and pressure groups to advocate for reduction of taxes or subsidisation of a particular commodity (Evans 1994). Stakeholders’ management contributes to the sustainability of the organisation in that it provides crucial information to the management on how to act on a particular issue. It acts as a mechanism of corporation’s information intelligence. It involves having the concerns of each stakeholder and a mechanism on how to respond to their concerns. For instance, the employees may be concerned with the salary increment. However, if the organisation is not sen sitive or does not have stakeholders’ management mechanism, it may lack information on what the stakeholders want. The management may be dealing with unrests, low employee morale and high employee turnover (Puffery 1981). However, with appropriate stakeholders’ management mechanism it is possible to prevent losses that may emanate from industrial action. Information is vital to the development of relationship with the various stakeholders. It means that the organisation’s leadership will have information on what to do pertaining to each situation. Organisations that pay attention to stakeholders’ management are likely to experience high levels of sustainability compared to organisation that do not have a good relational approach to other stakeholders (Donaldson Preston 1995). Although stakeholders’ management is imperative in the sustainability of the organisation, there are stakeholders’ conflicts that may be detrimental to the organisatio n. For instance, in an organisation the shareholders may demand high return on their investments. This may make the management to increase the profit margins by increasing the prices of the products and services. This may be detrimental to the sustainability of the organisation as the customers may react negatively by boycotting the products or using competitor’s products resulting into reduced profits and minimising the future sustainability of the corporation (Ford 1980). Therefore, stakeholders’ management may not always lead to the sustainability of the organisation. Its aim should be to realise the concerns and interests of the stakeholders and balance them (Dwyer 2007). Developing stakeholders’ relationships is not always easy and may involve development of communication mechanisms that will incorporate all the stakeholders. It is also important to inform the stakeholders on what is happening in the organisation as this creates sense of ownership among the stakeholders and makes them to act in the best interest of the company. Establishing departments in an organisation to deal with issues of stakeholders is also imperative in establishing a good rapport. The stakeholders’ management is key and imperative in the development of the company’s long-term sustainability (Porter 1980). Conclusion The aim of stakeholders’ management is to create cohesion among different stakeholders who play important role in the sustainability of the organisation. This is critical to the development of organisational objectives. It enables the corporation to balance different concerns and interest, which if ignored could affect the company negatively. Therefore, it is justifiable to conclude that stakeholders’ management is important to the sustainability of corporations. References Clarkson, M 1995, ‘A stakeholder framework for analyzing and evaluating corporate social performance’, Academy of Management Review, vo l. 2, pp.65-91. Donaldson, T Preston, L 1995, ‘The stakeholder theory of the modern corporation: concepts, evidence and implications’, Academy of Management Review, vol.2, pp.5-10. Dwyer, R 2007, ‘Developing buyer-seller relationships’, Journal of Marketing, vol. 5, p.11-27. Evans, J 1994, ‘The relationship marketing process: a conceptualization and application’, Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 3, pp.438-452. Evans, W Freeman, R 1988, A stakeholder theory of the modern corporation: Kantian capitalism, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Ford, D 1980, ‘The development of buyer-seller relationships in industrial markets’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 4, pp.339-353. Freeman, R 1984, Strategic management: a stakeholder approach, Basic Books, New York. Han, S 2004, ‘Buyer-supplier relationships today’, Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 2, pp.331-338. Jensen, M 1976, ‘Theory of the firm: managerial behaviour, agency costs, and ownership structure’, Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 3, pp.305-360. Morgan, R 2004, ‘The commitment trust theory of relationship marketing’, Journal of Marketing, vol. 8, pp.20-38. Porter, M 1980, Competitive strategy, Free Press, New York. Puffery, J 1981, Power in organizations, Pitman Publishing, Massachusetts. Appendix Stakeholder’s relationship chart