Media Coursework Of Mice & Men Essay

Of Mice & Men is a very poignant, appealing and insightful novella as well as film. It is a very powerful and emotional piece, which studies the themes of nature, dreams, violence, friendship, suffering, loneliness and more. The author, John Steinbeck, produced this fascinating novella in 1937, yet the film which was produced by Gary Sinise (who played George), was published in 1992. In America, in 1929, The Wall Street Crash occurred which led to The Depression in 1930. Both the novella and film are based around those two events, as John Steinbeck used his experiences from life in California, as background for Of Mice and Men. For example, Of Mice and Men is set in the farmland of the Salinas River, where Mr. Steinbeck himself was born. Using information from not just only my knowledge, I will illustrate the differences between the film and novella of this popular piece. The novel is told from the point of view of a third-person, who can access the point of view of any character as required by the narrative. Chapter one begins by unfolding the setting near Salinas River, the place in which the novella takes place. As a reader, you are introduced to the beautiful atmosphere that is exemplified by the writer. Mr. Steinbeck immediately describes the scenery and the animals in their natural surroundings. He uses illustrious description for the audience to imagine that they are present in this peaceful area. Many literary terms are used within the text such as a 3 part lists: â€Å"molted, white, recumbent limbs..†, poetic imagery: â€Å"golden foothill slopes† and â€Å"the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them† as well as different tones: â€Å"hillside†¦deep and green†, â€Å"twinkling†¦yellow sands†. Steinbeck refers to the colour green as it represents nature, and yellow as it refers to light; this type of text is used to show the readers how idyllic the setting is. Intrigued by how lovely the atmosphere is, readers don’t take notice of the absence of people. As the writer gives us an idea of how the animals express themselves, and how they live in this serene place they call home, we are suddenly introduced to the two main characters of the novel. In beginning his novel with such emphasis on the setting, Steinbeck accomplishes numerous goals. He sets the tone and the atmosphere of the story’s location, introduces his two main characters, uses imagery which has been previously stated, and foreshadows later events in the novel. The attention to his choice of words and repetition are just two examples of how he accomplishes his goals such as: drawing the reader’s attention, intriguing them, wanting them to continue reading. For example, the setting is a few miles south of Soledad, California, near the Salinas River. â€Å"Soledad† is a Spanish word that translates into ‘solitude’ or ‘loneliness’, a reference to one of the novel’s main themes. Steinbeck also shows the relationship between George and Lennie, and the attitude in which they behold, by the use of effective descriptive writing. In terms of the style of narration, third-person omniscient is used to provide us, the readers, with information, including all actions that take place within the novel. By way of contrast, the first shot of the film is very dramatic. It begins with George vividly emerging from a dark spot on the train, due to flashing lights. This is shown from a close-up shot. Not long after, shot two begins with a land appearance. A woman who is unknown to the audience emerges, running and screaming with all her might through a field, as she seems appallingly frightened. This gives the audience a sense of contemplation, questioning the condition of herself, as well as her predicament. At the same time, you start to see both George and Lennie, the two main characters, rapidly running away from a group of men, some on horses’ backs and others on foot having dogs by their side. The camera shot used within those scenes was crosscutting. In this case, it is the edit of two shots combined. The advantage of crosscutting is that the tension within the audience is increased. Viewers would continue to question what’s going on, as they are not aware of subsequent events. Although a close up and crosscutting scene is applied in the beginning, within the film, a consistence of mainly straight-on angle shots is visible. Unlike the novel, the film shows the viewer what things look like from the characters point of view, visually, rather than having to imagine everything. Due to less emphasis on written language, the film eliminates many characteristics of the novel. The continuation of viewers watching the film depends on the visualized picture; the action, the suspense, the music, ect. Throughout the beginning, heart-racing types of melodies begin to play. Percussion and string instruments are heard within the music to give an â€Å"I wonder what’s going to happen now†- effect. The atmosphere becomes tenser as a build up is developed and the music volume rises. The camera gradually zoomed back and forth during the film to focus on the character or background. Although it is merely only the opening of the film, as shown by these two extracts, there could already be a tense atmosphere within the audience’s perspective, as well as their attention span being drawn towards the film in a stronger manner. Evidentially, you can see that both the film and text differ immensely. Personally, I believe the film producer chose to differ the opening of the novella, to attract the audience making them intrigued, wanting to watch the film and wonder what happens next. The display of George being on a train with no meaning to the viewers in his first appearance, or the screaming from the mysterious woman, captivates the audience. In my opinion, the film gives more of an effect to the audience, simply because the novella only creates images in a person’s mind, while the film gives an unsolved, puzzled thought. The movie would attract individuals who like a bit of mystery and suspense, unlike the novella which would draw attention more to the civil, passive type of audience.

Sourcing Scenarios Case Questions

Julien Levesque June 17, 2010 MISM 2301 Sourcing Scenarios Case Questions Case 1: Outsourcing 1. Develop a table that captures the â€Å"pros† and â€Å"cons† of this corporate decision. Pros| Cons|Improved quality * Operational and management activities * Accurate record of transactions| Jeopardy of quality * Poor communication between suppliers * Testability * Qualifications of outsourcing company| Cost effective * Lowers cost service to the business| Quality of service * Stakeholders are affected and there is no single view of quality| Allows them to focus on the core business * Financial services| Image of company * Public opinion regarding outsourcing * Staff turnover| Operational expertise and access to talent * Too difficult or time consuming to develop it in-house| Communication problems with transferred employees * Company knowledge could be jeopardized| Standardizing business processes, IT services, and application services * More access to services because th ey have more resources and time to devote into other aspects of their company| Security, legal, and compliance issues * Fraud * Liability for actions is there but only until employees transfer| 2. List the reasons why Southwest chose outsourcing? Was it the right choice? * Business growth required the need for hardware and software upgrades * This was the RIGHT choice It is important to keep clients happy and be able to satisfy their needs while remaining profitable * IT can enable business processes * This was the RIGHT choice * Easier to analyze transactions * Make more informed decisions when manipulating information * Outsourcing vendor hired many of the IT staff * This was the RIGHT choice * Knowledge of clients and necessary procedures * Hardware and software updates meet client needs * This was the RIGHT choice * There was a fee-based arrangement so they only pay for what they need and use Case 2: Partnering 1. Develop a table that captures the â€Å"pros† and â€Å"c ons† of this corporate decision. Pros| Cons|Better customer service (focusing on their expertise)| Unregulated subsidiaries may have problems incorporating IT if they don’t have their own personnel| Increased efficiency and cost management| Should discuss decision with investors since they are affected| Wide range of technical personnel who are only employed when needed| Protocol for different subsidiaries may conflict with the IT that the partnering company wants to install| Flexibility of personnel| | Can serve different needs of each subsidiary| | 2. List the critical success factors (CSFs) in making this partnership work. * Meetings with the IT personnel and all groups to see if they can develop a plan together * Focused goal * Communication * Flexibility * Commitment to the project—financial and practice Case 3: Unwinding an outsourcing relationship 1. Use a table to list the major risks associated with this in-sourcing solution and how SRS mitigated each ri sks. Major Risks| SRS Mitigation|Data integrity| Converted to run on new software and testing| Controlled environment for data center| Located within building so it is accessible to staff and IT| No thorough understanding or knowledge of hardware and software being ordered| Clause to have vendors explain in detail all of the hardware they would employ and how it would be configured to work with their product offering system| Staff’s adoption and integration of new system| Staff training and testing| 2. List the critical success factors (CSFs) in making this arrangement work. * Understanding of needs and what hardware can be configured to best suit needs * Thorough training for employees so they know how to use hardware * Data integrity and testing * Standardizing system so it is easy to get any additional IT help and to reduce costs

'HOW THE ASSISTANT PRACTITIONER SHOULD ACT TO RESPECT THE PATIENT OR Essay

'HOW THE ASSISTANT PRACTITIONER SHOULD ACT TO RESPECT THE PATIENT OR CLIENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND ALWAYS ACT IN THEIR BEST INTEREST' - Essay Example The assistant practitioner works along with qualified team support that is involved in managing and coordinating activities to carry forward health care. The authority is required to undertake certain physiological measures and observations, and then propose a remedial action accordingly. The assistant practitioner is also required to provide teaching and learning assistance to subordinates. It is also part of the assistant practitioner to undertake clinical review processes as per conditions and requirements. The practitioner under his/her capacity is further urged to assist and support the relevant staff during their development phase. The practitioners are required to abide by the Trust core standards and procedures, the staffs are further responsible for their personal awareness related to clinical and personal development. The practitioners are provided with an option to adopt and apply new technique of practice depending upon the circumstances and relevant practices. The practi tioners are urged to review professional clinical supervision to further enhance and improve their clinical practice. It is the responsibility of the practitioner to promote a healthy lifestyle in an active manner, and contribute towards the service development under limited capacity. The practitioners on the basis of their experience have the authority to participate and involve in the recruitment and retention process of their group. The practitioners are provided with an opportunity to undertake therapeutic activities, and if required should also undertake nursing procedures, after seeking relevance guidance and supervision of the registered professional in the clinical setup. It is mandatory upon the practitioner to guarantee safe and healthy environment to the patients, visitors and staff, the practitioners should be aware about the health and safety policies. The

The changing role of women in Japanese history Research Paper - 1

The changing role of women in Japanese history - Research Paper Example Koyama (pp.56) indicates that the Japanese woman is no longer the pale skinned, quiet and submissive woman. Majority of the women in the Japanese society today lack the nature of being too accommodating and obedient to the impositions on them. Studies indicate that these women are on the verge of making own decisions despite the forces behind their oppositions. In the previous centuries, specifically the Edo period, women were an oppressed lot in relation to the Confucian thoughts. Inheritance of property, land ownership or taking part in politics was forbidden in the Japanese society. Women were not allowed to attend schools for fear of their ability to rule the society. In this society, women were allowed to read books in ‘kana’ so that they would not have a leeway to success. Over the years the women in the Japanese culture were not allowed to take part in the war. However, that role is slowly changing and a number of women have come up to challenge that perception. Among the notable examples include, Nakano Takeko from the Aizu clan of the Japanese. This woman is remembered for her ability to lead the women’s army at a time when women were forbidden to take part in any form of war. The driving force towards Nakano taking part in the war was to instill brevity among women that would assist them in the absence of the males in the society. Nakano set an example to many other women by undergoing training in martial arts and even setting up a training school.

Jew, Christian, Muslim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jew, Christian, Muslim - Essay Example The scriptures believed to be sacred have people in them whom adherents of these religions can relate to. In fact, the three can also be called Abrahamic religions because they center the origin of their faith in Abraham, a man believed to be holy and who made a covenant with God to follow Him. The story of Abraham is common among the three religions. Christianity somewhat evolved from Judaism, with Jesus being seen as the Son of God, and not coming with a new scripture but with deeds to be emulated. Works of early Christians are recorded in Acts of Apostles, a book found in the New Testament of the Christian scriptures, even though Christianity is highly based on deeds rather than words. In terms of traditions, Christian traditions can be traced to Judaism. The only difference comes in with and after the life of Jesus. Jews and Islam mostly have law codes that are strictly followed. They both have dietary restrictions, especially when eating meat. Some animals are considered unholy to consume. They also believe in living in bands or communities. Muslims invoke their God almost every time while Jews never mention His name. Education among the Muslims is mainly considered a thing for the males. The girls hardly go beyond primary school. Boys, on the other hand, go to Madras classes to improve their understanding of the scripture they memorized in primary school. All religions believe in charity for individual spiritual growth and benefit and also in purity before prayer. Jews wash their hands while Muslims smear water over parts of their bodies before engaging in prayer. In Islam, the mingling of the sexes is considered as something that threatens the social order and is extremely restricted, with strict regulations whenever it occurs. Some of these regulations include dressing, especially for the women. They must not show their faces,

Hr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hr - Essay Example Instead, individuals from minority groups are given chances within organization as provided for by law. Such individuals could be qualified for the jobs or not. The main challenge that is going to arise is the ability of the persons to deliver in the positions assigned competently. Issues that might arise is the employee job satisfaction, and quality of job delivered. Secondly, minority groups within organizations could find it difficult to adapt to the prevailing conditions. The main point of challenge is usually the communication aspect within such organizations. The management of the organization might prefer to use a method if communication that is only understood by the majority within the organization. The issue in this case is a breakdown in the passing of instruction. The result is that the quality of work delivered by persons from the minority will be low or compromised. Cultural adaptation within the organization could also affect the employee of minority origin in a negative way. This is due to stigmatization of employees whose recruitment has been done through affirmative action (Spielberger, 2004). In conclusion, affirmative action comes with both advantages and disadvantages to the various stakeholder in an organization. Careful planning and policy evaluation should be well done before instituting affirmative action in recruitment of

The Ethics of Surveillance Cameras Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Ethics of Surveillance Cameras - Essay Example From when you walk out of your house, in most cities, you are being watched (Parenti, 2003). This is because the cameras are now installed in major city streets, gas stations, retail shops and transport systems such as trains. The use of surveillance cameras doubled in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. These prompted frantic efforts, to curb terrorism, a major threat to security in this century. We are seeking to look at the ethics of surveillance cameras. Historically, the idea of watching the public by a select few, especially those who control us politically and economically can be traced to the Panoptical (Foucault, 1977). This was a kind of prison design, built in such a way that a single guard could watch the prisoners in a single gaze. This is a big way induces prisoners in a state of conscious and permanent knowledge that they are being watched. Foucault saw surveillance as productive machinery of continuous mind control, which is somehow what current surveillance cameras represent. Therefore, what we seek to argue here is that we need new ethics in the surveillance camera industry, because of the reasons below. This is because surveillance when done correctly and for the right reasons and people, then we can surrender apart of our civil liberty to privacy, for the sake of public security. Closed -circuit televisions when placed in public areas, give people a sense of security, reduce crime by up to five percent. Up to ninety percent of respondents saw no problem in having such surveillance in public areas. Surveillance done in the above manner, by the correct agencies, can be said to be ethical and legal. On the other hand, we can seek to look at the ethics of surveillance cameras, by looking at who does it and for what they will be  used to do, therefore the ethics of surveillance cameras. Ethics is defined by the BBC online, as a system of moral principles. This is what is good for the individual and society, therefore is responsible for holding the society together.  

Community Oriented and Problem Oriented Policing Term Paper

Community Oriented and Problem Oriented Policing - Term Paper Example The police department must relate well with the community in order for COP to work. COP involves a firm commitment to necessities and values of the citizen input (1). Problem Oriented Policing (POP) is a policing approach where discrete police business pieces are subjected to microscopic examination hoping that what has been freshly learnt concerning each problem will result in the discovery of more effective strategies for dealing with them. POP values new responses, which are naturally preventive, that are independent of the criminal justice system. It also values the engagement of other public agencies, the private sector and community when their engagement has significant potentials of reducing the problem. Its commitment is related to the implementation of new strategies, full evaluation of its effectiveness, and then reporting the results to other police agencies, in a way that is beneficial to them. As well as help in building of a knowledge body that further supports police p rofessionalization (2). COP has three key components: community partnership, organizational transformation and problem solving. Comparisons between Community Policing and Problem Oriented Policies Historically, COP and POP were considered to be similar. In as much as they overlap in practice and philosophy, they also differ in the way they are performed in problem solving. First, the primary emphasis of community oriented policing is community engagement in the process of policing while in POP, solving problems within the police mandate. Community and police always collaborate in COP, while in POP collaboration is determined based on the prevailing situation; problem by problem. In problem analysis, POP gives first priority to thorough analysis which is only encouraged which is less significant to community collaboration in COP. Enforcement of criminal law is also preferred in POP, while COP prefers responses that collaborate with the community. However, unlike my supervisor, I beli eve that the role of police and community organization and mobilization is only advocated when the problem being addressed is warranted in POP while COP strongly emphasizes the police role. Adoption of the Community Oriented Policing In the late 1960s, there was increased tension between police and communities, especially the communities that were minority. Studies were conducted to determine the problem and it was found that a large number of minority African Americans negatively perceived the police. 3 say that the Michigan movement of 1960 wanted the relationship between police and people much closer. Louis Radelet brought a closer attention to COP so as to solve the problem (4). In 1996, he founded the National Institute on Police and Community Relations, where leaders discussed common problems between themselves. Increasing crime rate and ineffective conventional police methods also triggered the adoption of COP (5). Concerns about riots, racial conflicts, demonstration of civi l rights and political protests confronted the police (5). There was need to research on how such problems could be peacefully solved. There was also increased fear that overwhelmed the public, making them avoid shopping centers, parks, neighborhoods, and public transport (3). According to the research findings and recommendations, it was found that such problems cou

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 7

Strategic management - Essay Example This essay analyzes that both power and political skills are necessary for conducting corporate functions in a benefit reaping way. While power provides for the energy that can help in strategic management, political skills act as the mandatory components that help the management of the organization to implement the strategic management initiatives in the practical scenarios of the organization. However, both power and corporate politics should be employed in a controlled and monitored manner so that the negative effects of these factors like biased behaviors, exploitations and high levels of autonomous and dictating behaviors can be avoided. Organizational change can be stated as an alteration in an organizational environment, technology, human capital, and culture. This form of change is essential for the organization in order to stay competitive in the marketplace. Organizational change can be regarded as a constant force, a threat or opportunity, and reality. Change cannot take p lace on its own but it requires the support of a change agent. Change agent undertakes overall responsibility for change or is the one to structure change initiative. This change agent is also held responsible for efficiently managing organizational change. There are various dimensions of strategic change and leadership plays a significant role in the change process. Change is an aspect which cannot be ignored in organizational or social context. There are different factors causing strategic change.

Wild Style Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wild Style - Assignment Example t in the film depicts how the development of modern culture struggled during their birth and corruption of such at that age would mean no culture today. There is more than just music to be learned from the film of Wild Style that is highly attractive even today. Many more people can learn from the characters that were used, their behavior and so forth. This after all is the purpose of creating films, to educate people about a certain subject that is familiar to the eye but understood differently by the minds. Culture is a fashioned way of doing things that define a certain group of people. In this case, the culture is Hip hop that can be described as having minor subcultures that define it in the entity; Graffiti, Djing, Break dancing and MCing (Gale). In the film, Lee Quinones acting as the character of Zoro is a graffiti artist whose neighborhood, the Bronx, is the source of hip hop culture. In fact, Hip hop was confined to the generation region, that is, the Bronx (Staff). The Dixie Club was featured in the (Wellman) film and was where the performers would showcase their talents or show (Rosen). This is the same way that people come to form a community, and the result is the birth of a culture. In the film, the culture was already there, it was only developing with the exchange of ideas. The streets of the Bronx are can-sprayed all over by unknown graffiti artists who take to the walls and windows for their exhibition. The environment created by the neighborhood creates a harboring pl ace for such talents as was realized in the case of Zoro. Indeed, the culture of Hip Hop has come a long way from back then where it was in a small region. Now this culture has grown into an international style that has been transformed through factors of time and different environment. Music is more than just a mere hobby for passing time or appeasing the mind; it is a way of expression and a tool of communication (music 1). Rap scenes at the Dixie Club by various talents

The Cola Wars Essay Example for Free

The Cola Wars Essay There are two well known beverage companies, Coco-Cola and Pepsi. They have competed considerably and distributed the beverage market profit for several decades. In the open market, it is difficult to exactly tell which one is the winner within the perfect competition, since both companies use different style of promotion and product to expend their markets. The competitive environment of the carbonated soft drinks started about three decades ago. In the beginning of 1960 Coco Cola was dominating the market but this dominance was significantly challenged by Pepsi- Cola. This challenge by Pepsi was declared as Cola Wars. During this competitive war a variety of products were introduced from both sides. Lot of $ amount was spent on celebrity advertising and even coke changed its formula. The strategic changes occur due to Pepsis challenge to the dominance of Coca Cola. In spite of the fact that Pepsi Cola attacked on the dominance of Coca Cola in bottled soft drink, both Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola have benefited from this battle due to stimulated continuous growth of the industry. During this Cola war both the companies faced lot of problems which we shall discuss in the light of the case study on Cola wars. Brief History of Coca-Cola John Pemberton invented the original formula of Coca-Cola way back in 1885. By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola were introduced. Candler incorporated the Coca-Cola and started its marketing. Coke achieved the status of national drink in USA. Coca cola bottles sale started in 1984 and in 1955 sale of cans was started. Chattanooga became the first site for Coca-Cola bottling company in 1899. In 1985 Coca-Cola attempted to introduce new formula. Most of the consumers liked the taste but so many ceased the purchasing because of certain reasons , therefore company switched back the new product and gave it the name of Classic Cola. In the 21st century coca cola history achieved another milestone and introduced Diet coke in 2005 and latter introduced Coca-Cola Zero. During this the company faced may ups and downs in the international market, particularly faced tough competition given by PepsiCo and the competition of both companies was give the name of Cola wars . Brief History of Pepsi-Co la Like Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola also started in the late 1800. In 1883 Caleb Bradham a pharmacist invented Brads Drink which was latter known as Pepsi-Cola. In 1904 the availability of Pepsi was in the six ounce bottles. The initial growth was not significant compared to Coke. In 1950 when Pepsi was near to bankruptcy, Alfred joined as CEO and a real challenge to coke started, Alfred made the goal to beat Coke. In 1963 the company introduced 16 ounce Cola. Pepsi-Cola competed, Coca-Cola through (sirpepsi.com) increased franchise bottling network after 1932 and expended its products range. Pepsi makes an advertising history when it introduced first advertising jingle broadcasted nationwide. The jingle Nickel, Nickel became a hit and was translated in 55 languages. In 1964 Pepsi Diet was introduced. Pepsi has increased its product range over the years and the range includes Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Aquafina and Starbucks etc. Pepsi has also taken over Gatorade from Quaker Oats in 2000, which is its part of diversification of business.(ezinearticles.com) Pepsi has competed Coke in many countries and gave Coke a tough time to retain its market share. Now Pepsi Cola stands No.2 in the soft drink market after Coca-Cola and in some of the countries it stands No.1. The Coca-Cola Companys Resources and Capabilities Coca-Colas differentiation and competitive advantage are mainly due to its numerous valuable resources and capabilities. Intangible Resources Coca-Colas greatest strengths reside in its intangible resources. It is mainly thanks to its reputation and brand equity, that it can differentiate itself from its competitors. In fact, in 2006, Coca-Cola was the worlds most valuable brand, worth $67.5 billion, according to research by Interbrand (Grant,2008, p. 134). Its name and products are well known and appreciated in nearly every single country in the world and its availability enables Coca-Cola to nearly always be at ones reach if desired or needed, just as it promises to do in its mission. It relies heavily on product innovation, marketing and developed distribution systems in its differentiation strategy. This has enabled it to be the market leader since many decades and to maintain this position, even catching PepsiCo up in the race for the 2nd most sold soft drink (Alani, 2011). It has gained great loyalty over the years, of consumers who would not drink anything else but Coca-Cola products. In fact, s ome have become so loyal that when Coca-Cola introduced New Coke with a new recipe, it was a tremendous failure, underlining that authenticity is more important to consumers (Greenwald, 2005). Human Capital The Coca-Cola Company has about 139,600 employees globally, working and living in over 100 different countries. As attracting and retaining talent all over the world is one of Coca-Colas most important goal, the company takes pride in its leadership and innovation programs, empowering its employees and wanting to create an inspirational workplace. Creativity and passion are some of the core values that are shared across the company worldwide. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2012). Tangible Assets The Coca-Cola Company can count on sound, substantial tangible assets that have even been growing in the past few years. Some figures include the firms cash level: $12.803 billion in 2011 (increased from $8.517 billion in 2010), total current assets: $25.497 billion in 2011 ($21.579 billion in 2010) and plant and equipment: $14.939 billion in 2011 (compared to $14.727 billion in 2010 and $9.561 billion in 2009). (Yahoo! Finance, 2012). All these figures show that Coca-Cola can count on vast tangible resources to finance its operations, acquisitions and other activities such as marketing and corporate social sustainability. Coca-Colas Capabilities Coca-Cola has great tangible and intangible resources. Its products, factories, bottling partners and financials are resources that enable Coca-Cola to ensure quality, flexibility and responsiveness. One can count on the firms consistency and worldwide presence and continuous supply. Also, the companys human capital and brand equity are other resources that create long-term value, loyalty and performance. These are really the firms core assets, on which it has built its sustainable competitive advantage. All these assets enable Coca-Cola to outperform its competitors consistently by being globally available, coherent, and innovative. Future Considerations The companys history, brand equity, people and partners are assets that are difficult to imitate while being extremely valuable. Also, Coca-Colas most traditional itself is not replicable, as its recipe has always been kept a secret and it has been able to appropriate its resources (through secrecy, increasing bargaining power and embeddedness). Its strategy and competitive advantage have been so sustainable mainly thanks to these resources and the durability of its product. Coca-Cola is constantly working on maintaining these advantages in order to remain the market leader. Its acquisitions (both up and downstream the value chain and horizontally, of diversified products) and its persistent marketing efforts prove the firm’s intention to remain on top of the industry and tackle all challenges early and innovatively. It takes many of the opportunities it sees, including entering the healthier products market (100 of the latest 800 products it introduced w ere low calorie or low sugar) and increasing its sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts (consuming water in a more sustainable manner, helping causes all around the world, etc). The Coca-Cola Companys strategy and competitive advantage are extremely sustainable, although some threats do lie ahead. Increasing competition and lack of resources (or government regulations on these resources) are main issues that the firm will face. Competition from cheaper brands, from more local products, or from healthier, niche brands is really increasing and could decrease Coca-Cola’s market share considerably in the future. They will need to differentiate themselves even more and focus on their core competencies and assets, which are the most sustainable. The company’s new emphasis on environmental and social measures is a great start to increasing the preservation of the planets limited natural resources and increasing its brand equity and awareness. PepsiCos Resources and Capabilities Intangible Resources Similar to The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCos strategy is mainly based on establishing a differentiation advantage. Its strong intangible resources enable it to be a strong competitor. In fact, its brand equity and other intangibles such as its reputation, strategic relationships with suppliers, bottling partners and distribution centers result in customer loyalty. The performance- and family-oriented culture (especially visible amongst executives is another asset that leads to firms long-term success, as developed by Morris (2008). The overall awareness and availability of Pepsi products increase the value of this brand equity. Human Capital PepsiCo is a massive company in terms of its sheer size alone, with a workforce of nearly 300,000 employees. Performance is strongly rewarded and employees enjoy generous benefits. Communication and collaboration between teams and divisions are facilitated through general openness and support for the upper management and executives. Its workforce is well trained and selected for its motivation and skills. (PepsiCo, Values and Philosophy, 2012) In the light of its executives recent decision to reformulate Pepsis strategy and restructure the firm accordingly, the CEO announced in February 2012 that 8,700 employees would be laid off, spanning over a range of thirty countries, representing about three percent of its current workforce (Huffington Post, 2012). This should lead to reduced costs, increased efficiencies and larger investments in marketing and research and development. Tangible Resources One of the main differences between Pepsi and Coca-Cola is that PepsiCo is diversified and has a strong global presence in the convenience food industry too. This enables PepsiCo to have even larger global sales and outreach, with more economic stability and mitigation of risks as a result of all its product diversification. Even when carbonated soft drink sales started to drop a couple of years ago, PepsiCo still had strong revenues and performance in other sectors, such as its Frito-Lay snacks. PepsiCos tangible resources can be summarized with some figures. Its cash levels were $4.067 billion in 2011 ($3.943 billion in 2009), its total current assets were $72.882 billion in 2011 and $12.571 billion in 2009) and its plant and equipment amounted to $19.698 billion in 2011 (compared to $19.058 billion and $12.671 billion in 2010 and 2009 respectively). These are lower than Coca-Colas and PepsiCo assets were overall better in 2010 than in 2009 and 2011, maybe due to recent strong investments in Pepsi NEXT and other global acquisitions. (Morningstar, 2011). PepsiCos Capabilities Overall, PepsiCos diversified tangible resources, skilled and intensively trained workforce and strong brand equity lead to its financial control capability and exemplary strategic management of multiple businesses. These enable PepsiCo to successfully manage its large portfolio and stronger diversification which in turn leads to larger sales and revenue, but also economies of scale and synergies mainly in its research and development, distribution and marketing functions (Grant, 2008). Also, its culture and structure lead to responsiveness and innovation. PepsiCo is capable of ensuring the quality and constant availability of its products in thousands of locations across the world. Moreover, the fact that PepsiCo is involved in different businesses has also enabled it to build on its healthy new image in many areas which creates even more coherence and credibility, as it can combine owning more nutritious and healthy drinks now with the production and sales of low calorie and low fat snacks or meals. Future Considerations PepsiCo has been growing and innovating successfully for decades, despite the recent slower growth challenges it has faced. PepsiCos extremely large and diversified portfolio, sales in over 200 countries and its long-term efforts for employee empowerment and satisfaction and strategic relationships with partners are some of the main reasons why PepsiCos competitive advantage is sustainable. Its brand names and global presence are so significant that it would be tough to lose its advantage to competitors, new entrants or substitutes, especially as it is still extremely innovative and investing a lot in its future growth plans with its strong RD, new healthy products following or leading global trends and emphasis on doing good to the planet and its inhabitants and to its all its stakeholders as a whole (PepsiCo, 10-K Report, 2011). PepsiCos performance and future could be rather optimistic. PepsiCo is successfully taking advantage of its opportunities (sustainability and healthy product diversification) while responding to its threats (ensuring the sustainability of natural resources such as water and potato fields) through several of its new programs and adaptation to global consumers tastes and needs with innovation and speed-to-market (PepsiCo, Purpose, 2012). All these should be positive signs for the future, although not everything is as simple given PepsiCos recent challenges exhibited in its financial performance and shareholders dissatisfaction. Also, nothing guarantees that investments and innovation will pay off, with the launch of Pepsi NEXT that could be yet another failure in the industry. PepsiCo will have to prolong its efforts in its corporate social responsibility measures, in ensuring quality franchises (with its bottling partners mainly) and in developing and marketing successful new products, starting with Pepsi NEXT. It is thus refocusing its resources and capabilities on these new opportunities that Coca-Cola is also exploiting fully.

E Commerce On Marketing Strategy Of Hotel Industry Marketing Essay

E Commerce On Marketing Strategy Of Hotel Industry Marketing Essay E-commerce is defined as the complete set of process that supports business activities in 1970s and 1980s; this would also have involved information analysis. The growth and acceptance of credit cards, automated teller machine (ATM) and telephone banking in 1980s were also forms of e commerce. The web first become well known among general public in 1994 and it took four years for security protocols (like HTTPS) to become sufficient developed and widely deployed. E commerce starts its relations with hotel in twenty first century, which was very different and complex than before. This way of business attract the hotel also for upgrading their business and here the marketing strategies of hotel industry become changed. Direct link with the customers through e commerce gave ideas to the hotel industry to change the customers expectations like when, how they want their needs and what is the budget of the customers for their product (rooms). The usual expectation of the hotels is that e co mmerce promotes friction-free-capitalism (CF. [Gates 1995]), with distribution cost reduced. It is easy to see that how this can happen, as the older communication system such as the post office, telegraph, telephone and the fax have all served but the cheapest, easiest, and time reduction way for the hotel revenue is e commerce. Many hotels have registration and payment done online. By the e commerce a customer can select the hotel, days and type of rooms from those automatically listed as available. Also hotels can order their supplies from companies that have e commerce services available. It also help the customers to choose their needs without thinking of time duration weather it is day or night at anytime. (www.school-for-champions.com) Although we all would likely agree that a balanced distribution strategy, which leverages both direct and indirect channels, including third-party sites and the GDS, is the best solution to optimize hotel revenue, if we will focus on the advantages of direct distribution. Specifically, we will look at how direct distribution is empowering hotels like never before to drive demand, generate profitable business, and maximize ROI for owners, regardless of the affiliation they may choose. Here is just one example of the power of the Internet to level the playing field across hotels of all types. What do the Royal Crown, Sofitel Brussels, Hotel Amigo and Hotel Metro pole have in common? They are luxury properties. They are located here in Brussels. They have different brand promises to their guests. They include an independent, a branded property, and representation company hotel. What they all have in common is that each of these hotels is placed on page 1 of Googles search results when s earching for Brussels luxury hotel. They are on the first page of a popular European OTA, Lastminute.com. And they are listed as a preferred placement on the GDS. (www.hospitalitynet.org) So, the Internet is an equalizer. Hotels can compete at previously unattainable levels. Now, no matter what the distribution strategy or marketing affiliation, hotels can compete effectively across all distribution channels. What this new playing field has done is give control for all channels of distribution back to hotels. In the excitement over the Internet as a new distribution tool, hotels unintentionally relinquished too much control of their bookings to third parties. With direct distribution, hotels can take back control of their pricing, their brand identity, their promise to guests, and their relationship with the customer. Most importantly, direct distribution allows hotels to take back control of profitability. To understand where the marketing strategy is leading in hotel industry by e commerce there is an example. In yesterdays model, hotels entrusted others to do their bookings. In Europes fragmented hotel industry there is not any coordinated effort for its distribution. Here, the mostly independent and small hotels are less than 30 percent represented in the Global Distribution Systems. The travel agents and tour operators were the lifeline to most hotels. In this model, the consumer had to use the travel agent and tour operators access to hotel information to make informed decisions, as there was little information available directly to the consumers. For those that did decide to expand their reach through electronic distribution systems, the Global Distribution Systems were the only alternative. In this model, the Brands provided the much-needed visibility. It gave hotels an identity, a way to be recognized. For the consumer, the Brand delivered a level of comfort. It was a pledge to the customer to deliver THE SAME as they traveled to unfamiliar territory. There were no travel- blogs or other review sites. In yesterdays model, the stars system was THE hotel review system that proved the level of Quality. Some hotels did see the Web as an opportunity to present their selves online, displaying information pages about their hotel, more like an online brochure than an e-commerce site. This while some Travel agents did embrace e-commerce and ingeniously moved their models online with dramatically increased inventories, promising mass volume, but at the cost of profitability for hotels. (www.hospitalityebusiness.com) Things are changing as it is mentioned before and it is crucial for hotels to stay abreast of the market. If they dont, their long-term success might be jeopardized by increasing and intensified competition. Hotels who do not diversify by leveraging the multiple channels can find themselves in situations that parallel the 70s in Spain, where tour operators dictated the room rates. The Center for Regional and Tourism Research reported that in Europe online hotel room sales increased by as much as 34 percent from 2004 to 2005 and reached over 25 billion in Europe in 2005. A further increase of about 25 percent during 2006 is expected. 120 million consumers are online across Germany, the UK, Italy, France, and Spain, according to Forrester Research. Broadband has become widely available, and prices have dropped dramatically. Phocus Wright statistics released last days predict that almost 40% of hotel booking in Europe will be booked online by 2008. Forrester, also points out that TWO of the TOP THREE most popular online activities for all users are travel related-researching hotel for holiday destinations and preparing booking online. (www.hospitalitynet.org) These changes cannot be ignored. Consumer behavior is changing and hotels need to adapt their relationships to reflect these changes, or be left behind. If we will focus we can say the e-commerce does appear to be leveling the playing field, and its transparency seems to be dictating the need for new distribution models. Now Why would a hotel encourage its customers to buy via the intermediary for less when it means even less yield for them? The Intercontinental Hotel Group, who was among the first to implement Best Rate Guarantees, even went so far as to implement a code of conduct and certification program for partner intermediaries. The hotel group eventually withdrew its inventory from Expedia and Hotels.com. Not surprisingly, then, we see why many hotels are moving to a consistent online pricing policy a nd have made their own web site top priority. In 2005, European direct travel suppliers booked almost TWICE as much business as the intermediaries with 66% of travel sales. (www.hospitalitynet.org) The Internets capabilities have matured to the point that it really is changing the way they do business. And so a new direct distribution model has emerged. This change in the online marketplace is not only changing how consumers shop, it is influencing what they shop for. Lets see what this means to competition for a couple sample markets. In London, where all parties are growing, independent hotels have had a growth of 21.3 percent, leading to revenue growth of 19.2 percent-well above the market average. Independents have been able to increase their ADR by 2 percent year-over-year, which has allowed them to see increases in revenue of nearly 20 percent. Reservations also grew for this segment, illustrating that independents can command the high price for the business. Independent hotels are also making gains in Paris. Independents saw an increase in bookings of 12.7 percent, leading to revenue growth of almost 10 percent. They are also seeing some other interesting trends in the Paris market. Independent hotels are commanding a $100 premium on their ADR as compared to the branded hotels in this market. While independents have taken small increases year-over-year to maintain this high ADR, branded hotels maintained their year-over-year ADR and experienced a loss in bookings and revenue. This data, from Travel CLICKs pr oprietary database, shows that independents can in fact compete with the brands today. (www.hospitalityebusiness.com) Indeed hotels have many choices. The choice of direct or indirect distribution is often related to brand affiliation and many times they go hand in hand. It is a business decision whether to go independent or fly a brand flag a decision that includes distribution capability, marketing, management expertise, and more that all together translate into a ROI. Recently, The Righa Royale, The Greenbrier, Grand American, and Grand Bohemian Hotel are just a few of the hotels that have left brand affiliations to go solo. Now the de-branding phenomenon is making its way to Europe. For example, here in Brussels, the Royal Crown Hotel recently de-branded. A brand is the product of experiences and is much more than a name or a logo. A brand is a pledge to consumers to deliver consistency in an effort to meet expectations. (www.hospitalityebusiness.com) Franchise/management company fees do, however, represent one of the largest operating expenses for branded hotels. When we look at the average GDS fees, we come to a sample reservation cost of $25; the average OTA reservation cost is $33. And a direct booking through Web site will cost only $7.50 in this scenario. These high fees can be over 10% of room revenue, which is as significant as having a  ¼ share partner! (www.hospitalitynet.org) Again, we come to the same conclusion. With a level playing field, direct distribution will yield hotels higher profits than third-party bookings. In the new model, every customer counts. It should be no surprise that positive consumer reviews have helped increases sales on Amazon.com and eBay for years and now are doing the same for Travel city, Expedia, and Sheraton. Today there are Central Reservation Systems and enhanced web booking engines that help hotels merchandise and differentiate their properties. New content management solutions help manage and distribute rich digital content including photos, video, room plans, and other brand-defining elements that need consistency across all channels. Today channel management solutions can quickly and easily manage the ever-increasing number of channels including GDS and OTA Web sites through a single user interface. All this, together with real time market based Competitive Intelligence, makes hoteliers informed and in charge of their distribution. In fact, those who have taken control of their destiny are being rewarded with higher revenues. Now that everything is so connected there is consistent 2-way communication. A wealth of market intelligence enables hoteliers to make even more informed decisions on their distribution and marketing strategies. And CRM-like applications keep hotels in touch wi th their most important assets their customers. Another way of e-commerce is Search engine marketing, which is an essential component of the hotel direct online distribution strategy. Almost 85 percent of Internet users rely on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN to locate relevant information on the Web. Marketing is an extremely dynamic field. Search algorithms change, new search techniques and formats are introduced, new search services are launched, and new challenges emerge daily those keep search marketers busy. The result of web traffic affects a lot on those hotels, which are on the first page. Approximately 50 percent of people on the first page went to the second page and so on. Which affects the hotel and its marketing strategy off course. So the conclusion drawn from above is that competing on the search engines by appearing as early and as often as possible is of increasing importance. How a Web site achieves top position is not simply an adjustment of the Web page, but a concerted effort that requires time, expertise, and resources in Web site optimization and search marketing. Now another mode of attraction for the customers are how the web page of the hotel is made up have like how attractive is it and how much is it easier for a customer to search any information related to their need? If we will see in past there is an example, which can make it easier to understand. In a highly competitive northern California market, a boutique hotel needed to outsmart its competition and boost ADRs, revenues and occupancy rates. Internet distribution and marketing strategy developed from scratch. Actions: HeBS launched an aggressive Direct Online Distribution and Marketing Strategy for the hotel, including an award winning des igned Web site, email marketing, search marketing and link popularity strategies. Results: Within 12 months the hotel opt-in e-mail list grew from practically zero to more than 10,000 recipients. The website ranks in top positions on all major search engines for most popular keyword terms. The hotel website, supported by powerful email, search marketing, link creation and online sponsorship campaigns has indeed become the first point of contact with customers and over 50% of hotel bookings come via the hotel website.( www.hospitalityimpact.com) Many hotel sites are performing poorly as far as online distribution and search engine strategy are concerned. Why? Many hotel sites have been developed by Web designers who know nothing about the hospitality industry, based on input and concepts by hoteliers who are not experts on Internet strategy, online distribution, and E-Marketing. And many of them were designed as online brochures without taking into account principles in fundamental search engine marketing and online distribution. Such hotel sites inevitably produce poor results and few bookings. Strong search engine rankings require systematic, ongoing Web site optimization. Only a fully optimized site developed according to the best practices in online distribution and marketing can produce robust revenues, top search engine rankings, and position your hotel company ahead of the competition. Website optimization takes a comprehensive look at the Web site and prepares it for its best performance maximum user experience, book ability and conversion rates and yes, the search engines.

Can Men and Women Be Friends?

Can Men and Women Be Friends? In the society that we know today, just the same as in the society that was known 100 years ago, the idea that men and women can just be friends has been discussed. Discussed during common conversation, explored in books, poetry, movies, and any other genre of communication that can be thought of. There is a host of ideas, definitions, opinions and facts that must be considered to answer this question. There are many challenges as to why men and women can be friends and just as many as to why they cannot be just friends. My own life experiences have made me genuinely interested in this very question. Can I be just a friend to a woman and likewise, can a woman just be a friend to me? There have been many times in my life when a current relationship has depended on this question; a future relationship has depended on this question, and a past relationship that has depended on this question. There is a possibility that men and women can be friends. Certain words and ideas must be define d, circumstances must be addressed as to why friendships can work between opposite sexes, and those friendships that do not work, must be dissected to propose why it did not work. Answering this question and the ongoing research that is being done is vital to every generation. An honest answer could prohibit hurt or provide a new pool of friends that could be made, provide a different structure of friendship and number of other things. It will be beneficial to both sexes. Friendship is defined as one attached to another by respect or affection (Websters Dictionary, 1994). With this simple definition, there should be no reason at all that men and women cannot be friends. As long as you respect the man or woman and feel affection for them, that should be the end of the story. Then why does it not always work out? Could it possibly be that men and women view the term friend differently? Do they have different reasons for friendship? Research suggests that friends must enjoy each others company, they must be useful to one another, and they must share a common commitment to the good (Bell, 1991). Women typically describe their friendship in terms of closeness and emotional attachment. The characteristics the relationships between women is the willingness to share their feelings, thoughts, feelings and support. Mens relationships tend to focus around certain activities and are more segmented (Bell, 1991). It is a relationship between men that serve as a buf fer to stress and reduce depression (Bell, 1991). It is more difficult to find a true friend that encompasses character traits that prove beneficial to both parties intents and purposes. Studies do suggest the friendships between men and women versus same sex friendships are much less common (Newton, 2008). These same studies also indicate that this is because issues of possessiveness and jealousy come into play just as they would in a relationship that is sexual in nature (Newton, 2008). According to Dr. Jane Greer, often, when men and women are friends, theyve already had a relationship and diffuse the sexual energy they used to generate it (2009). There are certain circumstances that would allow for men and women to just be friends. The main issue as to why being friends just does not work is the topic of sexual tension. In the movie When Harry Met Sally, Harry informs Sally during their first meeting that it is a fact the men and women cannot be friends. This is because one will always want to sleep with the other. There is simply no way of getting around that. Perhaps a man or woman is friends with someone of the opposite sex but it could be that one of them is keeping the option open for a sexual connection. Perhaps not right now, but maybe in the future (Greer, 2009). The only answer seems to be to diffuse whatever sexual tension exists. The circumstances of the friendship between a man and woman has a lot to do with the success of a platonic relationship. Those friendships that succeed can because the people involved are in different stages of their lives, proximity to each other or they may be married. These are practicalities that may make having a romantic involvement impossible (Greer, 2009). There of course are cases of friends who have different sexual orientations and therefore the main problem of having sexual tension, simply does not exist. Because all friendships are built upon a mutual attraction and on compatibility, the potential for romance between a man and a woman being friends is definitely present. In order to diffuse that issue, it must be addressed in order for some sort of resolution to take place and from there, move on (Greer, 2009). According to Michael Ferrel, there are four key obstacles to the success of male-female friendships. The inability to define the relationship (Ferrell,). Men and women have to be honest about the relationship, whatever the reason. There must be honesty as to what the attraction is whether it was sexual, having common interests, etc. A fear of confronting feelings of sexual attraction (Farrell 1) is another obstacle that is stated. Whether or not the feeling are there, which there usually is, being able to talk to your friend about them is vital to the success of the friendship. A third obstacle is the inability of both partners to see each other as equals and the fourth is societys response to a non-romantic relationship (Farrell, 2008). These are serious impediments for a cross-gender friendship to work but not so serious that it is impossible. When Harry Met Sally (1989) is a classic movie that explores the four key obstacles to the success of a cross-gender relationship. Harry and Sally were both very honest throughout their friendship and that is the only reason why such a relationship could work. It was definitely not love at first sight. It was a friendship of support through the entire story. According to research, men and women in platonic friendships enjoy many benefits from their relationships. Men seem to get more out of the cross-sex friendship. In a study by a psychologist in New York State, men rated cross-sex friendships higher in overall quality than their same-sex friendships (Farrell, 2008). This can be for reasons of perhaps being able to more easily express their feelings and get a female perspective on things. The old adage that men are from Mars and women are from Venus eludes to how very different our two sexes are. Why not find out what the other team is thinking? These friendships can provide support , love and an opportunity to understand life through someone elses eyes. In watching When Harry Met Sally (1989), it is evident that are many different types of friendships at play through the entire movie. Although Harry and Sally did end up being romantically involved, that is not to say that that is how it had to happen. If Harry could not have married Sally or been romantically involved with her, he would take her as a friend and vice-a-versa. Each had their own friends that were of the same gender but as Harry said, there are things that I can talk to her about that I cant talk to you about, when speaking with his male friend. There are benefits as well as costs to every relationship but they discovered a true friendship that ended with them falling in love and being married. Perhaps if more people in our society focused on friendship, there would be more success in the married lives of people today. Men and women can most certainly be just friends. There will be obstacles but through honesty, those obstacles can be overcome. I have a very good friend that happens to be the opposite sex. I have known her for over ten years and friendship is as far as it has ever gone. She offers support, enjoys activities that I do, compliments my personality, but I view her as a type of family member with no real sexual attraction. An obstacle that was addressed by Harry was that if you do get involved with someone romantically, they may have a problem with that person. Whats missing from our relationship (When Harry Met Sally, 1989)? That has been issue but only because to find a platonic relationship between a man and woman is so rare to find in a pure form. I would rather keep my friend than to be with someone who does not understand a real friendship. Through me saying that, that shows that a true friendship can exist without false pretenses. There have also been times when I thought I was f riends with a person only to soon realize that that is not what is really going to happen. Either I become attracted to her or she becomes attracted to me. In order to stay friends with that person, the sexual tension has been addressed and either we can remain friends or not. But that is not to say that it is impossible. When Harry Met Sally (1989) sends the message that two people can be just friends. Research has more often than not indicated that it is possible for these mixed-gender friendships to work. I was surprised to learn that this fact is supported. It is in every movie, television show and real life experiences that men and women cannot be friends, and yet, we now find out that they can. This research was purely based from research that was conducted in the United States. It would be incredibly interesting to have a cross-cultural perspective on this topic as relationships between men and women differ across our world. In no way should men not be friends with women or women not be friends with men simply because they do not think that it could be done or they are asking for something more than just the friendship. We can see through this research that while there are times that these friendships lead to more, those that succeed can find a true friend and have a lasting friendship that will provide other elements that they may not be able to receive from a same-sex friendship.

Foreign Trade Zones Essay -- Foreign Trading Essays

Foreign Trade Zones Source: http://ia.ita.doc.gov/ftzpage/tic.html In reading and going over chapter 17, I learned a lot but what most interesting is that the field that I work in which is a Logistic Company and we export and import shipments all day long. We do lots from holding goods and receiving and shipping out goods to the Georgia Port Authority and we do custom paperwork. So this was very enlightening to me and there was lots of information on the internet. I choose this article because of the homework assignment that was given to us and I think that it was great information to anyone learning about FTZs. Foreign trade zones (FTZs) are designated sites where special customs procedures apply. Foreign trade zones in the United States are comparable to so-called free trade zones in many countries, though procedures vary widely from country to country. FTZs allow domestic activity involving foreign items to take place as if it were outside the customs territory of the United States for duty payment purposes, thus offsetting customs advantages available to overseas producers who export in competition with products made in the United States. WHAT IS AN FTZ? A foreign trade zone is a restricted access site authorized by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board, which consists of the treasury and commerce secretaries (the secretary of commerce chairs the board). FTZs, upon activation under regulations of the U.S. Customs Service, are secure areas under U.S. Customs supervision. These zones are at or near U.S. Customs ports of entry. Formal customs entry procedures don?ft apply in these zones, although FTZs are within the territory and jurisdiction of the United States. WHY WERE SUCH ZONES ESTABLISHED? Congress established the Foreign-Trade Zones Board in 1934 to license and regulates FTZs in the United States. FTZs were established for a number of reasons, the primary being to encourage and expedite U.S. participation in international trade. Foreign goods may be admitted to an FTZ without being subject to customs duties and certain excise taxes. FTZs allow deferred payment of duties until goods are entered into the commerce of the United States. Under zone procedures, the usual customs entry procedures and payment of duties are not required on foreign merchandise until it actually enters customs territory for domestic consumption. Foreign mercha... ...ms clearance. FTZs also assist state and local officials to develop their economies by attracting foreign commerce. And by helping U.S. companies improve their international competitiveness, FTZs can help retain local business and encourage the development of additional jobs. FTZs also facilitate international trade, as noted in the advantages above. DO OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE FTZs? Many other countries operate special customs areas, such as free trade zones (also referred to as FTZs) and export processing zones. U.S. exporters and other interested parties should contact the embassy or customs officials of individual countries for specific procedures, requirements, and arrangements. Although there may be several similarities, it should not be assumed that a free trade zone overseas operates under the same principles as a foreign trade zone in the United States. Contact information for foreign embassies is available by calling the Trade Information Center at 800- USA-TRADE, or by visiting www.export.gov/tic. Many U.S.freight forwarders also have working relationships with trade zones overseas and can provide information on the documentation required to ship goods through them.

Essay --

Introduction An anonymous narrator request the narrator of this poem to write of a lover that he had in the past to remember her youth and how he loved here. In the poem â€Å"When You Are Old† by William Butler Yeats, the author reveals that the central idea is the love for a woman a man had but the woman never loved him back. The author expresses the theme of this poem through tone, diction and poetic devices. The tone helps the reader understand the poem’s theme and emotions. He helps communicate the tone of the poem through his choice of words. In the first stanza, the tone seems to be calm and cozy because when the author quotes; â€Å"And nodding by the fire, take down this book†. Following, the second stanza states a more romantic tone. The author is trying to say that he out of all of the men loved her truly for how she was. He expresses this by the use of words. Finally, the third stanza communicates a more sad tone. The author is trying to express how â€Å"love fled† and how he is at his last moments and because she didn’t love him back in his youth she will feel remorse. The au... Essay -- Introduction An anonymous narrator request the narrator of this poem to write of a lover that he had in the past to remember her youth and how he loved here. In the poem â€Å"When You Are Old† by William Butler Yeats, the author reveals that the central idea is the love for a woman a man had but the woman never loved him back. The author expresses the theme of this poem through tone, diction and poetic devices. The tone helps the reader understand the poem’s theme and emotions. He helps communicate the tone of the poem through his choice of words. In the first stanza, the tone seems to be calm and cozy because when the author quotes; â€Å"And nodding by the fire, take down this book†. Following, the second stanza states a more romantic tone. The author is trying to say that he out of all of the men loved her truly for how she was. He expresses this by the use of words. Finally, the third stanza communicates a more sad tone. The author is trying to express how â€Å"love fled† and how he is at his last moments and because she didn’t love him back in his youth she will feel remorse. The au...

The Beauty Industry in China :: essays research papers

Within 21 years, from 1983 to 2004, the sales volume of China's beauty businesses has increased 260 times, according to the country's first annual report on the beauty sector, recently released by Chinese economists. While the traditional beauty sector in China refers mainly to such services as hairdressing, massage and face-lifts by medical means, the modern beauty sector expands to cover the areas of beauty-related education and marketing, the production and research of cosmetics and related instruments, and even includes ornaments, packaging materials as well personal image consultation. With a 15 per cent annual growth, the beauty sector is turning into another huge money-maker after the boom in the real estate, auto, electronics and tourism sectors. Moreover, the revenue of the sector is expected to reach 176.2 billion yuan (US$21.3 billion) this year and double in the next five years. From the perspective of cosmetics, a similar track is visible: The annual average spending of Chinese on cosmetics, in the early 1980s, was about one yuan (12 US cents), the figure rose to five yuan (60 US cents) in the early 1990s, and 25 yuan (US$3) at the end of 2000. In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the annual average spending on cosmetics has reached 80-100 yuan (US$9.6-12), although still much lower than the figures for many developed countries, roughly US$35-70. China is currently home to 1.54 million beauty parlors and nearly 3,800 cosmetic companies, and almost 8 million people are actually working in beauty-related businesses, plus another 4 million whose jobs are connected to the sector. A survey of five major cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Wuhan, shows that the most popular beauty items include SPAs, stone massages, Yoga, foot massages and nail treatments. Despite the huge advances witnessed over the past two decades, "huge gaps still exist between China's beauty sector and its counterparts in developed countries," said the vice-president of the Beauty and Cosmetics Association of Central China's Henan Province. "Compared with overseas beauty and cosmetics rivals, the domestic companies lack competitive advantages and are markedly overshadowed in such aspects as management, talent and brands," he said. Statistics from the annual report show only 11.72 per cent of the practitioners have a two-year college or higher educational background, while the practitioners who have a junior middle-school or an even lower education, and those who have a senior middle-school or secondary technical school education account for 38 per cent and 50.

Kafka’s Metamorphosis: Vision of the Body

Through the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa, Kafka not only traces modern man’s sense of alienation from his body, but also anticipates Postmodernist visions on identity—the way that identity relates to the body, and the social constructs of marginality and normality, that infallibly reminds us the works of Michel Foucault, who examined the disciplining and medicalization of body as a form of social control. Gregor Samsa’s sudden discovery of his transformed body is another form of the horrible confusion that Samuel Beckett later explores in his plays. There are no such pretty, healthy bodies in Beckett.His characters are infirm, decrepit figures that are, as Beckett described them, â€Å"falling to bits†. Some theorists of the Body trace the emphasis on ‘normal’ body to industrial capitalism, which required a standardized body for factory work and labeled the ‘different’ body as ‘abnormal’. This social conditioning can also be associated with the recent dreads like anorexia and bulimia in especially teenage girls, who in the desire to wear ‘size zero’ dress, that is extremely popular in America and to look ‘wonderfully thin’ endanger their lives with starvation.This is an example of how the market forces of capitalistic power play manipulate the concept of identity by constructing a ‘norm’ of the body. In spite of the traces of the modernist horror of fragmented identity, there is also an element of Postmodernist fantastic in Kafka’s tale; where the transformation of the body is more marvelous than terrible. The 2001 film Amelie had a protagonist who literally melts when her love interest leaves the restaurant in which she works without asking her for a date—unmistakably reminding the viewer Kafka’s vision of the Body as marvelous.

“Penelope” by Dorothy Parker Essay

After embarking on the literary journey that is â€Å"The Odyssey†, I decided to tackle this poem by Dorothy Parker. Although short in length, the poem was deceptively challenging due to the unraveling of symbolism within the words. Embedded within the short sentences were insightful references to seemingly ordinary objects, such as the sea, the sun, and even the breeze. These descriptions also added to the simple beauty of the poem. I also had a chance to see from Penelope’s point of view and what she thought about Odysseus and his travels, something that does not commonly occur in â€Å"The Odyssey†. The poem was filled with references to a journey even from the first few lines. There were many words that immediately made me think about a voyage one may take. For example, â€Å"pathway of the sun† (line 1) and â€Å"footsteps of the breeze† (line 2) made me think as though the sun and breeze were guides for an adventure, leading the way and showing where to go. Odysseus traveled â€Å"where the world and sky [were] one† (line 3). This shows unity between the Greek gods in the heavens and the god of water, Poseidon. The seas were also shown as â€Å"glittering† (line 5) and â€Å"silver† (line 4) displaying the beauty of the sea. I liked how Parker connected the Earth’s natural beauty to the treacherous yet exciting journey taken by Odysseus. It added another level to his trek that related him to the world he was exploring. The next section showed Penelope’s ability to wait patiently for her true love – her husband Odysseus. Penelope is portrayed as a calm yet cunning woman within a few lines. She waits â€Å"at home, and [rocks]† (line 6) in her rocking chair, thus showing her patience. However, Penelope is also very wily as she uses her loom trick to deceive the suitors with an ambition of taking her hand in marriage. She says she will â€Å"snip [her] thread† (line 8), connecting to the loom trick. She is also shown as being more independent as she plans to â€Å"bleach the linen for [her] bed† (line 9), a chore usually done by maids. The last line ends the poem very strongly. Penelope sounds a bit jealous as she states, â€Å"They will call him brave†Ã‚  (line 10). Is she jealous that she has had to do a lot of hard work while he has been gone, yet she receives no praise for it? I believe Parker put this in to show how Penelope just wants to be noticed and applauded for her handiwork. These actions shown by Penelope were extremely detailed and I loved being able to read the poem and visualize every part in my head.

Christine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan: c. 1365-c. 1430 1. Christine’s life shows a glimpse into the changing worldview in numerous ways. For one, she became educated as a child and continued her education throughout her life, she also was able to support her family as a single mother on her own by working independently, and he writings were symbolically revolved around women in such a way that they rebuked the negative teachings by most scholars. 2.As a girl, Christine had an unusual life because her father, who was the Astrologer for Charles V, ensured that she would receive the best education possible. Later when she became older and was married, her husband also encouraged her to continue her studies. Unlike most women during the middle Ages, she was able to receive an education, as well as the support to do so. After the death of her husband she had to support her family on her own, she did so by writing short stories and poems, which people paid for. She was able to get herself out of debt this way. . Basically Christine is saying, that’s she never doubted God and his perfection, creation of all things good, wisdom. But what she doesn’t understand is how it is that women have been so heavily scrutinized and labeled with flaws if people of the faith truly believe that God created all things good. This is why she’s so angry and frustrated, she then goes on to say why wasn’t she made a man, since men are all said to be so perfect. She apologizes &and asks forgiveness for her negligence of his service, due to the fact that she is not a man. . Christine says it is not about gender, that does not make one lower than the other. It lies within that individual’s conduct and virtue. 5. She says that not all men’s opinions are based on reason, it can’t be assumed that becoming educating and learning the natural sciences can be bad for mores. Men also don’t like it when women know more than they do. 6. They say that educatin g women has become beneficial and still is beneficial, being taught a good doctrine can in no way have a negative effect on anything.It is simply irrational. 7. Christine’s mother wanted her to do girly things, things that women should do such as spinning and weaving. On the other hand, her father wanted her to be educated and watch her learn and grow to become an intelligent young woman. This illustrates the clash between the Medieval and Renaissance worldviews because her mother wanted her to do things women â€Å"should† do and her father wanted her to do the opposite, by gaining an education. 8. The auses of misogyny are from men who are ignorant, these men blame women because they either hate women because they are simply far more intelligent than they are and naturally good hearted, others who hate women are crippled and the only way for them to impose their misery on others is by blaming women who make others happy, and finally men who have spent much of their y oung years sleeping around can’t anymore and they like to sabotage women’s lives by disgusting others because they can’t enjoy sexual pleasures.I do think that all of these still exist in our society, as well as in others. For example, I had a discrepancy with a guy friend of mine, who is a boxer like I am and he had the idea that he could beat me; his reasoning for it was solely because I was a girl. He did not have any other valid reason as to why he could beat me, he didn’t bring in my statistics either, which made even more pathetic that he would think such a thing. Another example in our society is of a young man who was in college that contracted aids.This man went around the entire college campus sleeping with other women so that they would also have the disease without telling them prior to their relations. He was miserable, so he wanted to make other women feel his pain. I think these attitudes are rooted deep in our society and I’m not su re that they will ever go away. 9. They contribute much of civilizations advancements to Minerva, Isis, and Ceres. Isis was an Egyptian goddess, who has been mostly named as the goddess of rebirth. She was known for spending time amongst her people and taming men.She also taught women how to weave, grind corn, spin flax, and make bread. Minerva was a Roman goddess, who was associated with poetry, medicine, wisdom, weaving, crafts, war, artillery, and trading. It is said she developed numbers and musical instruments. Ceres was a Roman goddess also, she was known for being the goddess of agriculture and fertility of the land. 10. No I think Christine suggests that it shouldn’t be excluded from men. She implies in the first paragraph that if men read the truth they’d shut up, hold their tongues, and lower their heads in shame for such stupid ignorance.

Experience of the readers Essay

I have always looked up to my father’s good qualities and he was able to guide me in developing my interest in Economics. I have discovered that Economics have a wide range of topics and one of them would be dealing with people through Social Science. The scope it covers would range from analysis of figures to human relations and interaction. In order to fully understand this topic, skills and critical thinking should be integrated with important knowledge and logic. I view Economics in a fascinating way since I look at problems as challenges that are both innovative and worthwhile as I device solutions through the scientific method. I find joy in dealing with complicated problems since the task of using the mind as a tool is a very good way to express my interests. I believe that no matter how hard a problem is, there is a solution that can be formulated in order to compensate for insufficiencies. Though economics is a complicated field composed of many factors and variables, I view it as one would see through a kaleidoscopic where in the images viewed are beautiful pictures that exhibit complication yet there are qualities of beauty and art. Economics is an art in itself where in it works to ease the burden of the population through proper allocation of resources and other means. I believe in the role of the economist and intend be a part of the central economy as a person dealing with problems and formulating solutions. Answer (2) The author that I enjoy the most and see as the most significant is Mark Twain. His literary work is a great tool to identify the deterrents of society through satirical social commentary as a criticism on the hypocrisy highlighting the negative quality of characters being subjected. He used his works as a way to express his grievances which makes him a tool for change for the betterment of society. The novel which served a great role during his time is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It has showed the true colors of society that few dared to expose. His significant effort on this issue paved the way to the formulation of a new outlook in life. The art of the literary work of Mark Twain also shows good quality in the style and presentation which greatly enhances the experience of the readers. The style is smooth and precise in which the ideas are very accurate and depicts the real life condition of that time. The plot unfolds in a way that story is presented in a fascinating way that gives meaning and continuity with the story. It incites deep thinking that will help the readers identify the necessary reformation needed at that time. The pictures illustrated in the novel are a timeless one since new ideas can be gained every time a person repeatedly reads it. He depicts society as something in need of reformation and renewal together with the social trend that shows racial discrimination and oppression.

Female Victims of Miscarriage of Justices Dissertation

Female Victims of Miscarriage of Justices - Dissertation Example A mere fraction of such cases are eventually classified as instances of miscarriage of justice. Such is the incompetency of the criminal justice system.2 A miscarriage of justice has been defined as result in a judicial proceeding that is totally inequitable. For instance, the conviction of a defendant despite the absence of adequate evidence. The concentration of the above definition is chiefly restricted to the area of wrongful convictions, which are just one of the numerous types of miscarriage of justice. Some of the other varieties of miscarriage of justice are wrongful arrests, charges or indictments, and sentences. 3 In addition, this term also includes harassment by a law enforcement officer, the failure of a lawyer to file an appeal within the stipulated time, and the failure of correctional officials to immediately release a prisoner whose sentence has ended. It is a sad commentary of our justice system that correctional officials, defence attorneys, judges, jurors, prosecu tors and the police frequently engage in acts that constitute a miscarriage of justice. ... These consist of errors of impunity and errors of due process. The errors of due process are characterised by unwarranted harassment, detention or conviction, or the excessive sanctioning of individuals suspected of having committed a crime. On the other hand, errors of impunity take place, whenever there is a lapse of justice, which enables a culpable offender to go scot free, or evade justice. 6 Errors of impunity can result from errors of due process. For instance, if individuals are arrested, convicted and imprisoned for crimes that they had not committed, then the true offenders in these crimes is at liberty to indulge in further criminal activities. At the same time, it is possible for a real offender to be arrested, convicted and incarcerated for some other crime. Due process errors have been subjected to a greater amount of scholarship in comparison to the errors of impunity.7 Miscarriages of justice have the capacity to bring system failure to the fore, in a manner that is n ot only open but also vivid. These are difficult to ignore, regardless of whether these are based on failures to respond adequately to victimisation or on wrongful convictions. All the same, the realisation of such potential transpires only in a few cases.8 As a consequence, the presumption arises that in the majority of the instances, miscarriage of justice is not disclosed. It can also be assumed that a large number of cases, wherein miscarriage of justice transpires, are commonplace in the lower courts. Moreover, even in cases involving serious crime, such miscarriage of justice takes place and the convicted undergo their sentencing without any public awareness regarding the injustice that has transpired.9 This undesirable

Social Classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Classes - Essay Example For example great sociologist Dennis Wrong determines class in two ways - realist and nominalist. The realist definition relies on clear class boundaries to which people adhere in order to create social groupings. They identify themselves with a particular class and interact mainly with people in this class. The nominalist definition of class focuses on the characteristics that people share in a given class - education, occupation, etc. Class is therefore determined not by the group in which you place yourself or the people you interact with, but rather by these common characteristics (Kerbo, 1996, p. 56). The most important class distinction between the two groups is power. The powerful attempt to cement their own positions in society and maintain their ranking above the powerless. In societies where classes exist, one's class is defined largely by occupation, education and qualifications, income, wealth, including the ownership of land, property, means of production, et cetera; family background and aspirations. Such fluid notion as race can have widely varying degrees of influence on class standing. Having characteristics of a particular ethnic group may improve one's class status in many societies. However, what is considered "racially superior" in one society can often be exactly the opposite in another. In situations where such factors are an issue, a minority ethnicity has often been hidden, or discreetly ignored if the person in question has otherwise attained the requirements to be of a higher class. Ethnicity is still often the single most overarching issue of class status in some societies. Also we should make a distinction between causation and correlation when it comes to race and class. Many societies have a high correlation between particular classes and race, but this is not necessarily an indication that race is a factor in the determination of class. So the term race can be refered to the concept of dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of c haracteristics. Such visible traits as skin color, cranial or facial features and hair texture are the basis for the most widely used human racial categories (Kerbo, 1996, p. 69). Conceptions of race, as well as specific ways of grouping races, vary by culture and over time, and are often controversial for scientific as well as social and political reasons. Some scientists argue that although "race" is a valid taxonomic concept in other species, it cannot be applied to humans. Many scientists have argued that race definitions are imprecise, arbitrary, derived from custom, have many exceptions, have many gradations, and that the numbers of races delineated vary according to the culture making the racial distinctions; thus they reject the notion that any definition of race pertaining to humans can have taxonomic rigour and validity. Today most scientists study human genotypic and phenotypic variation using concepts such as "population" and "clinal gradation". Many contend that while racial categorizations may be marked by phenotypic or genotypic traits, the idea of race itself, and actual divisions of persons into races, are social constructs. Speaking about the social structure of the United States we can take as an example the model of contemporary American society: Upper class: Those with great influence, wealth and prestige. This class makes up about 1% of the population and owns about a third of private wealth. Upper middle class: The

Formal report writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Formal report writing - Essay Example within the firm to identify the core activities which are to be carried out by the senior staff, while the secondary functions are assigned another organization that may provide such functions to the company at affordable. Interstate, Inc is a New York based company, which specializes in providing domestic insurance for private individuals and corporations. It is considering moving all or part of its 150 person call centre to an oversee location in order to reduce its operating cost. The call centre currently handles calls of operating agents and enquiries from members of the public from USA. Management groups are researching about different countries in order to evaluate their potential to host a pilot project which should be operational within six months. If successful the centre will take over the full accountability for all call centre operations within 12 months. The management team will be meeting later to present their recommendations. Outsourcing is a management practice of taking a function of an organization to be managed by another organization on behalf of the company. InterState Inc, may hand over the secondary functions that can be handled by other specialized organizations on its behalf so that the core staff of InterState may concentrate on the most important functions (Lacity & Joseph, 12). The outsourced services are offered within the country or state and employees of the company whose services are outsourced performs the function and are paid for the services rendered. Through outsourcing InterState might be able to avoid many costs like payment of retirement benefits to employees, payments to employees who are on leave, or when the employees are less productive. Outsourcing has therefore become cheaper in the end because the company avoids certain costs (Haugen, Susan & Kacy, 24). Off shoring on the other hand is a business management practice in which a company like InterState may take moves its activities to another location in another

Pros and cons of outsourcing IT security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pros and cons of outsourcing IT security - Essay Example In this paper IT related outsourcing shall be dealt with in relation to various pros and cons that it has on a big company. Proponents of this mode of operations have put forth quite a number of the advantages that befall a major company. They have argued that for contemporary management the question should not be on whether to outsource or not but how much to outsource as IT related functions are many and some may pose huge challenge or more security risk than others. The following are some of the major advantages that a major company will face: A large company’s IT department is usually huge and having many projects to run. At times these departments are regarded as contributing to the organisation less than they consume. Huge IT departments are cumbersome to operate and outsourcing will ensure that the company is able to operate in a better way than before as argued by Frank (2009). Outsourcing firms also offer consultancy on how to best handle internal controls and in this case in relation to IT related operations thereby in the end ensuring that the company is in a better position to control its IT functions. Outsourcing in many cases acts as a cost cutting measure and with the current trend for many large companies to go the downsizing way, it has become a popular avenue. Outsourcing leads to a company needing less staff, less space and time says Tho (2005). This in totality brings efficiency in the general operations of the company. A large firm will most likely refer its IT functions to a highly competent vendor thereby ensuring high quality IT services. This high quality is coupled with lower costs as bulk contracts attract better contractual deals. The IT sector is one that is quite volatile and as time passes new technologies emerge. These advancements at times can be quite rapid that the company may not be in a position to adopt it as fast. This may be related to financial constrains or

Evaluating Cost Variances Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evaluating Cost Variances - Essay Example an ideal plan difference for incomes will be examined to figure out if it was the aftereffect of higher than arranged offering costs, more noteworthy amounts, or an excellent blend of things sold. In addition, a good plan fluctuation for costs will be dissected to distinguish the reason for the lower costs. An unfavorable fluctuation is experienced when an association is contrasting its genuine results with a financial plan or standard. The difference can apply to either incomes or costs, and is characterized as adverse income fluctuation. At the point when the measure of actual income is short of what the standard or planned sum. In this manner, genuine incomes of $400,000 versus a funding of $450,000 equivalents an unfavorable income change of $50,000. Unfavorable cost fluctuation. At the point when the measure of genuine cost is more prominent than the standard or planned sum. In this manner, actual costs of $250,000 versus a funding of $200,000 equivalents an unfavorable cost change of $50,000. Overall, the plan of an unfavorable difference is to highlight a potential problem, which is then remedied. Honestly, the idea does not work that well. The issue is that there is just an adverse fluctuation in connection to a standard or planned amount and that benchmark sum may be unthinkable or in any event exceptionally hard to achieve. On the off chance that an unfavorable difference surpasses the base, then it is accounted for to supervisors, who then make a move to rectify whatever the underlying issue may be. At the point when the real cost is brought about is more than the standard expense, there is fluctuation is known adverse or antagonistic change. Unfavorable fluctuation alludes to deviation to the loss of

Amazon.com Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amazon.com - Essay Example Amazon advertises extensively on the internet to help raise awareness of their brand. Also, Amazon maintains high-speed growth introducing new products and services available online. Innovations and adaptation policies help to appeal to a particular target audience in diverse markets. The main weakness of Amazon is a negative image of online banking and financial transaction. Many customers do not buy products online afraid of fraudulent actions of companies. Undeveloped banking sector in less developed countries prevent the company from rapid international growth. The opportunities included: high potential to growth based on the technological change and increasing number of internet users. The choice of communications mix should be the most cost-effective solution for achieving the organization's communication objectives. Call centers and the Internet give online booksellers great opportunities to promote its services. Competition and possible legal changes is the major threat forAm azon (Amazon Home Page 2009). In his book "Competitive Advantage" Porter identifies five forces that drive competition within an industry (Johnson and Scholes 54). The threat of entry by new competitors is possible but they will create a real threat for Amazon. The intensity of rivalry among existing competitors has a great impact on Amazon facing with strong competition (Barnes & Noble and other small online companies). Thus, Amazon has positioned itself as a superstore. Pressure from substitute products will not have a great impact on Amazon's activity. Today, Amazon proposes a wide range of e-texts and CD-ROMs which can be regarded as substitute products. The bargaining power of buyers is crucial for Amazon. The aim of customers is to pay the lowest possible price to obtain books or other products that they require. The advantage of Amazon is that it purchase in such large quantities that its suppliers are dependent on the customers' business. The bargaining power of suppliers does not have a great impact on Amazon because most firms are highly differentiated and need an effective distribution channels for their products (Amazon Home Page 2009). For Amazon, the most successful of four growth stages was the Growth stage. This success can explained by a strong web culture and environment created by its team. In order to be effective Amazon is responsive to external environmental influences. Amazon operates within a dynamic environment and it requires a structure and culture that are sensitive and readily adaptable to change (Johnson and Scholes 55). Amazon's organizational climate influences the level of morale and attitudes which members of the organization bring to bear on their work performance and personal relationships. Also, strong web culture attracts millions of buyers to this store. Web culture is based on non-price competition and strong brand image (Amazon Home Page 2009). Amazon.com is a leading internet-based company operating on a global scale. Amazon.com becomes the first mover in the e-retailing market proposing a wide product range to diverse customer targets. E-business allows the company to connect customer service and good levels, increases customer satisfaction and decreases retention artistries. The main strategy is a virtual bookshop which helps the company to promote and sell its products to customers. Similar to traditional marketing, a virtual bookshop