Makeup Can Not Cover Everything - 820 Words

Effie Kaldis Ms. De Masi ELA5-07 April 21st 2016 Makeup Cannot Cover Everything Makeup dates back as far as 4000 B.C. when Egyptian women applied it to impress gods. It is the year 2016 and makeup is still being used as a way to impress people. In today’s society, appearance is everything. Four in five women wear makeup however we should change that number to zero in five. Makeup should be abolished due to the fact it contains many chemicals and creates insecurities. Although makeup might enhance your beauty it is not truly you, it is just a cover up. First of all, wearing makeup has a negative effect on your skin. Every type of makeup and every makeup brand are filled with chemicals. For example, lets take mascara. Many females use it on day-to-day bases to elongate their lashes. There are four main toxins found in mascara: parabens, aluminum powder, retinyl acetate and propylene glycol. These chemicals are worse than mercury, which creates a health hazard. It can take a toll on your nervous system, alter your genes, cause skin irritation and even breast tumors. (http://www.medicaldaily.com/4-common-mascara-ingredients-can-harm-your-health-safe-alternative-natural-mascara-253297 ) By covering your face with different beauty products, you are clogging your pores and preventing your skin from breathing. (http://www.youne.com/pros-and-cons-of-wearing-makeup/ )Adolescents use face primer, liquid or powder foundation to cover their acne. Though makeup doesShow MoreRelatedThe History of Makeup Essay1269 Words   |  6 PagesHave you ever thought about who created makeup? Or how it was created? When, where and how? Why was it created? How has it changed over time? Has it affected anyone? Well I’m going to tell you some of it. Make up wasn’t just created by powder or anything small and simple like that, no. Makeup actually has a lot of its own differences. In 180 BCE was when makeup had first had started but it wasn’t commonly used as much as then. People would limit the use of makeup b ecause it was so expensive and hardRead MoreWhat Woman Do for Beauty Essay examples837 Words   |  4 Pages Before makeup, women used strange methods to enhance their natural beauty. They would use burnt matches to darken their eyes, berries to color their lips, and boys’ pee to fade their freckles. That’s not it either, they would ingest ox blood and put leeches on their face because they believed those methods improved their skin by making them paler (Wheatley). In a woman’s lifetime, she spends about $15,000 on makeup. Out of the $15,000 spent on makeup, $3,770 is spent on mascara, $2,750 is spentRead MoreWomen s Influence On Women765 Words   |  4 Pagesattractive. I am from Saudi Arabia. Most of the people in America think that we do not have ads or we do not put makeup under the veil. We actually have ads in popular magazines like Sedaty and Haya. These are magazines for women. For example, Mekeaje ads present all kinds of makeup, including a little box that contains eye shadow, blush, and lipstick. Women carry this kind of makeup in their handbags. The ads there are similar to the one in the U.S. They often show famous actresses or rich womenRead MoreI Am A Girl, The World Of Esthetics Intrigued Me1283 Words   |  6 Pagespeople can manipulate their features and transform them, whether that is hair, skin, nails or cosmetics. As I grew up to began to become more and more attracted to cosmetics. My passion for it did not begin until high school, where I realized my full potential. Throughout my four years of high school I was on the dance team, where our makeup had to look uniform. As a freshman, my 15-year-old friends did not know a thing about makeup and I knew the basics. They would have me do their makeup and wouldRead MoreMakeup Of Makeup Club At School1259 Words   |  6 Pages Makeup Club Makeup has been around for centuries. People would do crazy things just to change their appearance. They would even unknowingly risk their health by using chemicals like lead and mercury (Healthy Beauty). It took years for people to finally become educated about makeup. Today makeup is an art. It’s used in various ways from basic everyday application to extravagant Hollywood makeup. By having Makeup Club at school it could teach members how to properly use makeup. We will also teachRead MoreCoverGirl Lipstick- A Flipstick1157 Words   |  5 Pagesmost women across the globe seek to fulfil everyday of their lives. They exercise, put on their jewellery, pick out their outfit for the day and, most importantly,  apply  their makeup. Putting on makeup does not mean that a woman wants to give up her natural appearance and change into a different person. It means that makeup should be able to enhance their natural beauty at an affordable price. Covergirl has been proving this to its customers. This the main reason of choosing this ad. Target Audience Read MoreDaniela Galvan . Janet Pangilinan. Ap Chemistry. 08 May1120 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause of their jaw dropping makeup skills. They perfect everything they can in the most artistic way. Their colorful eyeshadows can be seen from miles away along with their flawless porcelain skin. Unlike food and medicine herbs, makeup wasn’t created by Mother Nature. Makeup has been around since the 1600’s, each generation improving every cosmetic created. The cosmetic that people get eager to buy? The foundation. Foundation has been known for the way it covers imperfections, provides an evenRead MoreGender Roles : A Social Norm For Women1633 Words   |  7 Pagesthe time I was eight, I wanted to wear makeup before I even hit sixth grade, and I used to cry when my mom told me I had to wear pants to school instead of a dress when it was cold outside. I was your stereotypical feminine female. But as I have grown up, I have begun to realize that many people are n ot like me. I have also begun to realize what many more people expect from me. Wearing makeup has become a social norm for women. Little girls put on costume makeup to play dress up because they see theRead MoreThroughout History We Have Seen The Evolution Of How Women1524 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout history we have seen the evolution of how women are perceived by society. We can easily notice how women are striving towards gender equality and how women are gaining more power and respect in society as a whole. In the summer of 2016, â€Å"Vanity Fair† published a controversial photo of transgender, Caitlyn Jenner, officially premiering her new self to the world. The news that the idolized Bruce Jenner had changed switched genders had been buzzing months prior to this publication. As theRead MoreEssay about Ashford ENG225 Week 2 Assignment 1857 Words   |  4 Pages Elements of Design XXX ENG 225: Introduction to Film Prof. XXX December 23, 2013 Designing a film is something not everyone can do. It takes a lot of patience and attention to detail to ensure the creators of films make the best possible scenes with zero to minimal mistakes. Every scene needs to be spot on with elements such as setting, lighting, costuming, and temporal elements. When watching a movie for the first time, people don’t normally pay much attention

A Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen - 818 Words

Agents of socialization help in dictating what is an acceptable form of gender role. The stage that is already set from birth within a family. Placed in the world then carried on with the world, reinforced by the way that society portrays what is passable, thus maintaining the overall picture that certain roles appear allocated to a certain gender type. As with Nurture – which is the experiences, values, environment in addition to upbringing that defines who we are - along with socialization which is the lifelong process by which through social interaction, we learn our culture, develop our sense of self, then become functioning members of society. The symbolic interactionism in the book A Doll’s House written by Henrik Ibsen looks at the behavior of people along with the effects that affect such behavior, such as the inequalities in marriage. Gender Inequalities – in society, are the different sociological problems encountered by both male along with female. Thi s helps shape then form gender inequalities based upon Gender/Gender identity that can be thought as the social manifestation of sex: it is the personal preference role adopted by someone based on masculine or feminine role. This type of identity, often classified as being a transgender – meaning one who identifies plus simulate both psychological along with emotional with a role opposite to their biological sex. Gender constructed from the social, behavioral patterns of the sexes, is established as GenderShow MoreRelatedHenrik Ibsen s A Doll House1563 Words   |  7 Pages In the play, A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, the title itself symbolizes the dependent and degraded role of the wife within traditional marriages. Ibsen portrayed the generous nature root into women by society, as well as the significant action of this nature, and lastly the need for them to find their own voice in a world ruled by men. Ibsen wrote this play in 1879, this is the era where women were obedient to men, tend the children until their husband came home, and stood by the Cult of DomesticityRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1717 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A Doll, a Partner, and a Change† Social movement of women liberation toward equal rights and independence has been a big subject in human history. It happens not only in Europe but also all over the world. Though making progress, this movement has been advancing slowly and encountered backslashes from time to time. Maybe there is something deeply hidden which the society has not figured out yet, even women themselves. What do women want, freedom or good life? Most of the time, they are notRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1291 Words   |  6 Pages A Doll s House by Henrik Ibsen, is a play that has been written to withstand all time. In this play Ibsen highlights the importance of women’s rights. During the time period of the play these rights were neglected. Ibsen depicts the role of the woman was to stay at home, raise the children and attend to her husband during the 19th century. Nora is the woman in A Doll House who plays is portrayed as a victim. Michael Meyers said of Henrik Ibsen s plays: The common denominator in many of IbsenRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1288 Words   |  6 Pages Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is based in the Victorian society of the 19th century. It assesses the many struggles and hardships that women faced because of marriage â€Å"laws† that were crucial during that time period. The society was male- dominated with no equality. Nora is the protagonist in A Doll’s House and the wife of a man named Torvald. This play is about Nora’s voyage to recognizing her self- determination and independence. She transforms from a traditional, reserved woman to a new, independentRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1298 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"There is beauty in truth, even if it s painful. Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak. But lies only strengthen our defects. They don t teach anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything. Nor do they develop one s character, one s mind, one s heart or one s soul.† (Josà © N. Harris). Nora Helmer’s choice to lie and deceive is inappropriate and wrong for women to do to her husband during this time period; itRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1037 Words   |  5 PagesHenrik Ibsen s A Doll s House is a work of literature genius. This three-act play involves many literary technics that are undermined by the average reader such as the fact that the plot shows the main characters Torvald and his wife Nora live the perfect life. An ironic paradox based around the fact that Nora and Torvald’s relationship is the complete opposite of perfect. Also, bringing upon a conflict as well, appearance versus reality. These little hidden meanings within stories are what areRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s A Doll House Essay1501 Words   |  7 PagesHenrik Ibsen’s play â€Å"A Doll House† was set in the Victorian era, a time where women were highly respected. Women in this time period did not work, they had nannies to take care of their children and maids to take care of their homes. Many women had no real responsibilities, they spent their time having tea parties and socializing with their friends. Henrik Ibsen dared to show the realism of the Victorian era while everyone else would only focus on the romantic aspect. In the play, â€Å"A Doll House†Read MoreA Doll s House : Henrik Ibsen962 Words   |  4 PagesDrama Analysis A Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen) And Trifles (Susan Glaspell) In comparing both dramas, the overwhelming aspect of convergence between both is the open discussion of gender identity. Both dramas make similar points about what it means to be a woman. Modern society in both dramas is constructed with men holding power over women. This is seen in Trifles in how men like George Henderson and Mr. Hale are myopic. The premise of the drama is how women worry over trifles, and the dismissiveRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1421 Words   |  6 PagesIn A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen examines conventional roles of men and women in the nineteenth century. In the play, Nora exemplifies the conventional feminine standard during that period. She seems to be powerless and confines herself through high standard expectations, demonstrating what the role of a women would be as a wife and mother. The protagonist of A Doll’s House is a woman named Nora Helmer. Ibsen shows how Nora’s design of perfect life gradually transforms when her sec ret unravels. InRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen876 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen A Doll’s House takes place in the home of Torvald and Nora Helmer. Through conversation with Nora’s good friend Kristine Linde it is revealed that Mr. Helmer was ill around the same time Nora’s father died. Luckily Nora’s father left her enough money that Torvald and Nora could go on a life saving trip to Italy. But the truth comes out when we find out Nora’s father did not leave her a penny. We find out that Nora got a hold of the money through a loan but she signed

Women in College Sports free essay sample

Gender-based inequities in university athletic programs, provisions ineffectiveness of Title IX as legal remedy, economics and social aspects. INTRODUCTION Gender roles in Western societies have been changing rapidly in recent years, with the changes created both by evolutionary changes in society, including economic shifts which have altered the way people work and indeed which people work as more and more women enter the workforce, and by pressure brought to make changes because of the perception that the traditional social structure was inequitable. Gender relations are part of the socialization process, the initiation given the young by society, teaching them certain values and creating in them certain behavior patterns acceptable to their social roles. These roles have been in a state of flux in American society in recent years, and men and women today can be seen as having expanded their roles in society, with women entering formerly male dominions and..

Gangs A Violent Reality Essay Example For Students

Gangs: A Violent Reality Essay Gangs: A Violent RealityGangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in todayscities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being ina gang is both an acceptable and prestigious way to live? The long range answerto these questions can only be speculated upon, but in the short term theanswers are much easier to find. On the surface, gangs are a direct result ofhuman beings personal wants and peer pressure. To determine how to effectivelyend gang violence we must find the way that these morals are given to theindividual Unfortunately, these can only be hypothesized. However, by looking atthe way humans are influenced in society, I believe there is good evidence topoint the blame at several institutions. These include the forces of the media,the government, theater, drugs and our economic system. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teensin gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all soundglamorous. Money is also an crucial factor. A kid (a 6-10 year old, who is notyet a member) is shown that s/he could make $200 to $400 for small part timegang jobs. Although these are important factors they are not strong enough tomake kids do things that are strongly against their morals. One of the ways that kids morals are bent so that gang violence becomesmore acceptable is the influence of television and movies. The average childspends more time at a TV than she/he spends in a classroom. Since nobody cancompletely turn off their minds, kids must be learning something while watchingthe TV. Very few hours of television watched by children are educational, soother ideas are being absorbed during this period of time. Many shows ontelevision today are extremely violent and are often shown this from a gangsperspective. A normal adult can see that this is showing how foully that gangsare living. However, to a child this portrays a violent gang existence asacceptable. The Ends Justifies the Means mentality is also taught throughmany shows where the goody guy captures the bad guy through violence and isthen being commended. A young child sees this a perfectly acceptable because heknows that the bad guy was wrong but has no idea of what acceptableapprehension techniques are . Gore in television also takes a big part in influencing young minds. Children see gory scenes and are fascinated by these things that they have notseen before. Older viewers see gore and are not concerned with the blood butrather with the pain the victim must feel. A younger mind doesnt make thisconnection. Thus a gore fascination is formed, and has been seen in several ofmy peers. Unfortunately kids raised with this sort of television end up growingup with a stronger propensity to becoming a violent gang member or violent-acceptant person. Gangs bring the delinquent norms of society into intimate contact withthe individual.1, (Marshall B Clinard, 1963). So, as you can see if TV leads achild to believe that violence is the norm this will manifest itself in theactions of the child quite, often in a gang situation. This is especially thecase when parents dont spend a lot of time with their kids at the TV explainingwhat is right and what is wrong. Quite often newer books and some types ofmusic will enforce this type of thought and ideas. Once this mentality is installed in youngsters they become increasinglyprone to being easily pushed into a gang situation by any problem at home orelsewhere. For instance, in poor families with many children or upper-middleclass families where parents are always working, the children will often feeldeprived of love. Parents can often feel that putting food on the table isenough love. Children of these families may often go to the gang firstly out ofboredom and to belong somewhere. As time goes on, a form of love or kinshipdevelops between the gang members and the child. It is then that the bondbetween the kid and the gang is completed because the gang has effectively takenthe place of the family. .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 , .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .postImageUrl , .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 , .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:hover , .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:visited , .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:active { border:0!important; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:active , .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3 .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u424a278bf1d43f9960cbd2e853d1b8c3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Child Abuse EssayThe new anti social structure of cities also effects the ease in which aboy/girl can join a gang. The formation of gangs in cities, and most recentlyin suburbs, is facilitated by the same lack of community among parents. Theparents do not know what their children are doing for two reasons: First, muchof the parents lives is outside the local community, while the childrens livesare lived almost totally within it. Second, in a fully developed community, thenetwork of relations gives every parent, in a sense, a community of sentries whocan keep him informed of his childs activities. In modern living-places (cityor suburban), where such a network is attenuate d, he no longer has suchsentries.2, (Merton Nisbet, 1971). In male gangs problems occur as each is the members tries to be the mostmanly. This often leads to all members participating inone-up-manship. Quiteoften this will then lead to each member trying to commit a bigger and moreviolent crime or simply more crimes than the others. With all membersparticipating in this sort of activity it makes for a never ending unorganizedviolence spree (A sort of Clockwork Orange mentality). In gangs with moreintelligent members these feelings end up making each member want to be the starwhen the groups commit a crime. This makes the gang much more organized andimproves the morale of members which in turn makes them more dangerous and veryhard for the police to deal with and catch (There is nothing harder to find anddeal with than organized teens that are dedicated to the group). This sort ofgang is usually common of middle or upper class people although it can happenin gangs in the projects and other low rent districts too. This one-up-manship is often the reason between rival gangs fighting. All gangs feel powerful and they want to be feared. To do this they try toestablish themselves as the only gang in a certain neighborhood. After a fewgang fights hatred forms and gang murders and drive-bys begin to take place. When two gangs are at war it makes life very dangerous for citizens in the area. Less that 40% of drive-bys kill their intended victim yet over 60% do killsomeone. This gang application is one of the many reasons that sexualstereotypes and pressure to conform to the same must be stopped. Lastly one of the great factors in joining a gang is for protection. Although from an objective point of view, we can see joining a gang brings moredanger than it saves you from, this is not always the way it is seen by kids. In slums such as the Bronx or the very worst case, Compton, children will nodoubt be beaten and robbed if they do not join a gang. Of course they canprobably get the same treatment from rivals when in a gang. The gang alsoprovides some money for these children who quite often need to feed theirfamilies. The reason kids think that the gang will keep them safe is frompropaganda from the gangs. Gang members will say that no one will get hurt andmake a public show of revenge if a member is hurt or killed. People in low rent areas are most often being repressed due to povertyand most importantly, race. This often results in an attitude that motivatesthe person to base his/her life on doing what the system that oppresses themdoesnt want. Although this accomplishes little it is a big factor in gangenrollment. So, as you have seen gangs are a product of the environment we havecreated for ourselves. Some of these factors include: oppression, the media,greed, violence and other gangs. There seems to be no way to end the problem ofgangs without totally restructuring the modern economy and value system. Sincethe chance of this happening is minimal, we must learn to cope with gangs andtry to keep their following to a minimum. Unfortunately there is no realorganized force to help fight gangs. Of course the police are supposed to dothis but this situation quite often deals with racial issues also and the policeforces regularly display their increasing inability to deal fairly with theseissues. What we need are more people to form organizations like the GuardianAngels a gang-like group that makes life very tough for street gangs that arebreaking laws. .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee , .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .postImageUrl , .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee , .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:hover , .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:visited , .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:active { border:0!important; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:active , .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4ce3b0fcaf9f62c6b74d670e2f789fee:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ephesians 2 EssayBibliographyMargot Webb, Coping with Street Gangs. Rosen Publishing Group, New York, 1990. William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society. University of Chicago, Chicago,1955. Peter Carroll, South-Central. Hoyte and Williams, L. A., 1987. 1 Marshall B. Clinard, Sociology of Deviant Behavior. University of Wisconsin,Wisconsin, 1963, Page 179. 2 Merton Nisbet, Contempory Social Problems. Harcourt, Brace World, New York,1971, Page 588.

3 Types of Redundancy to Avoid

3 Types of Redundancy to Avoid 3 Types of Redundancy to Avoid 3 Types of Redundancy to Avoid By Mark Nichol Redundancy in a sentence is annoying, and it is also a nuisance. Conveying information in more than one way, or by repeating wording, is consciously or subconsciously distracting to the reader and contributes to compositional clutter. Note in the discussions and revisions following each example how the sentence in question can be improved by deleting such infelicities. 1. Like Smith, Jones also owns a family-run business. When an additive word or phrase such as like or â€Å"in addition to† introduces a sentence, using also to bridge the complementary phrases is redundant: â€Å"Like Smith, Jones owns a family-run business.† 2. Many components, such as asset balance, deposit balance, and interest income, etc., should be sensitive to the change in the macroeconomic environment. Use of a phrase like â€Å"such as† or â€Å"for example† (or the corresponding abbreviation e.g.) is redundant to etc. (or â€Å"and so on†): â€Å"Many components, such as asset balance, deposit balance, and interest income, should be sensitive to the change in the macroeconomic environment.† (Or â€Å"Many components- asset balance, deposit balance, and interest income, etc.- should be sensitive to the change in the macroeconomic environment.†) Note, however, that i.e., which means â€Å"that is† (or â€Å"that is† itself), pertains to clarification and not to listing of examples, so it is not redundant to etc. 3. But the policy is not solely about consumers; it is about what the law calls a data subject. A data subject is defined as a living individual to whom personal data relates. Avoid ending one sentence and beginning the subsequent sentence with the same word or phrase, which generally occurs when a word or phrase is introduced and then immediately defined: â€Å"But the policy is not solely about consumers; it is about what the law calls a data subject, which is defined as a living individual to whom personal data relates.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'ts15 Great Word GamesHow to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO

The Fundamental Reality essays

The Fundamental Reality essays "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." Throughout time, man has taken for granted, that his reality and things that have appeared true, are real. At one point man has ventured to challenge those things asking, what is reality? What is real? What is truth or something that is true? We can first try to define reality by the following: Re-al-ity n 1:The quality or fact of being real. We then ask ourselves, what is a fact? Fact n 1: A thing that has actually happened or is really true. Well then what is truth? Truth n 1: An established fact. It appears that we are contradicted with a boundless cycle of definitions, making it difficult to obtain a legitimate definition. Therefore, I will attempt to define the fundamental reality by criticizing some ideologies and supporting others. These ideologies include some of the two most disputed and upheld theories of; Platos theory of perfect forms and Aristotles theory of substance. At the base of the tremendous philosophical contribution that Plato made to Western thought, was his theory about the "Perfect Forms". To Plato's way of thinking, the "reality" that we see directly around us is merely a shadowy reflection of a "higher reality; one found well beyond our day-to- day world. This contrast between earthly reality and ultimate or ideal reality was a very important matter to Plato and to all those who have been influenced by his thought ever since. The world around us that our senses perceive directly is an ever-changing, coming-and-going array of "particular things": The tree in our front yard, our neighbor next door, the cars going by, the beds and chairs in this house, the meal we are just about to sit down to, the yellow-orange sunset this evening, the song that we heard on the radio this morning, etc. Being thus ever-changing or "impermanent, these "particulars" are not truly real. Then what is real he thought? Nothing on earth.   B...

Revealed Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revealed Religion - Essay Example (Gatiss2005) Judaism, Christianity and Islam are examples of revealed religions. Revelation may be direct (insertion of meaning directly into the heart of the prophet), behind a veil (as spoken to Moses), or through an agent — the angel Gabriel. In Christianity, the revelation is direct. â€Å"It is a union between the Soul of man and God to convey the mind of God to man to be revealed in the Holy Bible.† Jesus was born at the height of Roman power, when Augustus Octavian was the emperor. Judea was by then a part of the Roman Empire, which being secular, required that the Emperor be looked on as divine. Judaism is a monotheistic religion, and its followers could not accept this. Apart from this, the Rabbis were divided on the issue of interpretation of the Scripture. Some also predicted the arrival of a messiah. Not much is known of the historical figure, Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are dated around forty years after the death of Christ, and although they emphasize the events leading to Christ’s death, they also talk about the revelations by God to Christ. Christ was against the highly ritualistic practices of Judaism. He was against the accumulation of too much of wealth, stating that this came in the way of a person’s readiness to embrace the after-life. He preached the message of unconditional love — a lofty ideal indeed. After Christ, his apostles sought to spread his word.... Paul, the decline of the Roman Empire, and the abject poverty of many of its subjects was one of the factors that led to the popularity of Christianity. A religion that offered succor (everlasting life) from the daily grind, and did not subscribe to elaborate and costly practices appealed to the common man. In the latter half of the third century, Christians were persecuted, and many martyrs went willingly to their death. In 313 AD King Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which not only stopped the persecution of Christians, but encouraged the consolidation and spread of the religion, and the evolution of a distinct Christian identity. The first Ecumenical (worldwide) Council (called for by Constantine) held in Nicaea in 325 AD laid the basis for a uniform Christian dogma like the virgin birth, resurrection and the concept of the 'Trinity' (a union of the Holy Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in Godhead) By the end of the fourth century, Christianity was established as the most important religion in Rome. The Bishop of Rome gained primacy in the Catholic Church, and Latin, the local language became the language of worship. The Roman legal system also became the basis for Church canon (law). In the western part of the Empire, the Roman Catholic Church established itself, and in the eastern, the Greek Orthodox Church gained strength. By the end of the 6th Century, Christianity had established its elf as a powerful force, under the control of a powerful church. (Fiero) A monastic order evolved in Christianity. The first order was set up in Southern Italy -sometime towards the close of the fifth century - by Benedict of Nursia. The doctrines of simplicity and poverty, celibacy, and the barring of women were established. Women were barred from holding

Hume's critique of the concept of natural rights. How far do you agree Essay

Hume's critique of the concept of natural rights. How far do you agree with this critique - Essay Example However much Hume is critical of Locke's notion of what is natural, there is much incorporated in the view that could essentially be described as Lockean. Finally, this analysis will close with an analysis of literature which is critical of Hume's critique. The question will be asked as to whether or not, Hume is not essentially setting up a straw man as he criticises Locke? Is Hume doing Locke justice will be a question examined in the closing of the analysis? Finally, this analysis will close by arguing that the radical scepticism of knowing, when implied to the self demonstrates to am impossible situation. Where Locke believed that the self was substance with attributes, Hume maintained because of his scepticism that it could not be known at all. That is the logical outcome of his logic, and the closing of this paper will examine why that it is so. Whether it is Hume discussing Locke, or just Locke discussing something like private property one has to understand what Locke argued to be a natural right. Moreover, to understand what Hume understood by natuin more detail, his particular views on private property when he criticized Locke on this and a number of different areas connected to the our relationship to to the external world. One of the interesting aspects of Locke’s view on private property. ... [Locke 21]. As we shall see for Hume, this is point of criticism which is often described in terms of the distinction between what 'ought' to be versus what is? The state of nature is in practise for Locke, unstable in its essence, and this follows from his claim that humans, unless coerced, often infringe on the natural rights of others. [Locke 10] It is soon apparent in the Second Treatise, that in order that humans or a community enjoy their natural rights, and for the sake of creating stability, they must join together and form a ‘social contract’. The function or the purpose of this contract, is to form a civil society in which humans will maintain their natural rights, within a government that has been established to enforce laws for the end of protecting those rights, and in turn, to adjudicate or legislate disputes. This law of nature gives humans their natural rights, and within this, we all have a right to life and a right to some liberty, as long, however as o ur actions do not infringe upon the natural rights of others: â€Å"the state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions† [Locke 9]. Before the creation of civil society, or in the state of nature, ma has a right to amass or acquire private property only in so far he has a use for it. For example, a man has a right to as much food as his family might need, but he has no right to a surplus of food which might perhaps spoil. Thus, the way in which problems are resolved in a community of equals, is that a ruler serves the purpose or the function of providing the

Role of Clothing in Product Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Role of Clothing in Product Branding - Essay Example Marketing communication has been defined as a means utilised by organisations in seeking to inform, and persuade consumers about the presence of their product and brands. Undertaking marketing communication involves identification of effective communication channels, which shall be utilised to facilitate the communication. The communications channels utilised by organisations in delivering marketing communication could either be personal or non-personal. Persona communication involves the utilisation of individuals like the case of direct sales, while non-personal communication is commonly contained in different forms of media utilised in advertisements. The choice of communication channel utilised by organisations is determined by the target market. When communicating to the general public, non-personal communication channels become effective. Upon identification of a target market, personal communication is utilised to make emphasis on the message presented through non-personal com munication.The aspect of marketing communication traditionally consisted of development of printed materials, which formed marketing collateral. This approach to communications marketing has been fundamentally transformed in seeking to capture the attention of the target market. Modern marketing communication, however, seeks to capture the customer through psychological elements, like colour, which create an aspect of appeal among the customers. Marketing communication is effectively utilised in achieving strategic elements like branding.

Sony Corporation Innovation All The Way Business Essay

Sony Corporation Innovation All The Way Business Essay The report is an evaluation of the organization structure implemented by Sir Howard Stringer in October 2005. The transition of Sonys organization structure from Transnational structural to multidivisional structure has been analyzed in detail. Goold and Campbells five tests have been conducted to determine the appropriateness of Sir Howard Stringers structural choice given his desire to make Sony a more innovative and flexible organization. The risks and benefits of the structural choice has also been assessed. The report displays the cultural web of Sony before and after Sir Howards arrival. It was derived that the Reconstruction type of strategic change had been used to bring about the transformation in the organizations culture. Consequently, Sir Howard adopted the Education and Communication and the Collaboration/Participation styles of strategic change implementation. In conclusion, it can be seen that the stock share value has increased during 2005-2007 which means that Howard Stringer was doing a good job at implementing his change. Acknowledgement We thank Heriot-Watt for giving us the opportunity to enhance our learning in Strategic Project Management by means of this group assignment. We would like to give a hearty thanks to our Professors at Heriot Watt, namely Dr. M. A. Salama and Dr. Michael Clarke for their time and guidance for completing this assignment. We would like to thank the university librarian Ramakant for his cooperation in providing us the appropriate books and journals for reference. We would also like to thank our families and friends for their support through out the completion of this assignment. We could not have done this without them. PM Stars Incorporated Introduction As a part of this report let us start by introducing Sony Corporation. SONY Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game consoles, and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony was founded on 7th May 1946. The representative corporate executive officers at Sony as of today as Howard Stringer(Chairman, CEO and President), Ryoji Chubachi (Vice Chairman) and Nobuyuki Oneda (Executive Deputy President and CFO). (Sony Global (2009) has provided the above information). Sony Corporation (commonly referred to as Sony) is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding  ¥ 7.730.0 trillion, or $78.88 billion U.S. (FY2008). Its name is derived from sonus, the Latin word for sound. Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group, which is engaged in business through its five operating segments-electronics, games, entertainment (motion pictures and music), financial services and other. Sonys principal business operations include Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Ericsson, and Sony Financial. As a semiconductor maker, Sony is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders. The companys slogan is make.believe. (Wikipedia (2009) provided information regarding Sony Corporation). Company Strategy Vision (2005): make Sony cool again Vision (2009): make.believe When Howard Stringer joined as the CEO of Sony Global Japan he made new strategies and used those strategies to restructure the organization to be in-line with these strategies. Firstly, he looked at the core competencies of the company and focused mainly on the electronics, games and entertainment sector. He established a growth strategy saying, Our target is for the Sony Group to achieve consolidated sales of over 8 trillion yen and an operating profit margin of 5% (electronics 4%) by the end of fiscal year 2007. NewsBlaze (2005) published the company strategy from the fiscal year 2005 to 2008 as given in Appendix C of this report. The three-year revitalization plan/strategy was as follows (in brief): Restructuring the Electronics Organization Eliminated the corporate silos and bring more focus on competitive growth. Improving Sonys Profit Structure Cost Reductions Sale of Real Estate, Stock and Non-Core Assets Strengthening Sonys Current Electronics Business Focus on areas of the Electronics business by bringing profitability in television by the second half of 2006. Focusing Resources on Growth Strategy Making the HD World and Major Profit Pillar Launching of a range of high-definition products in 2006. Focusing on Intelligent Interoperable Products Developing network-enabled products and applications Strengthening Technology Development Creation of Home and Mobile Platforms Concentrating Investment on Semiconductors and Key Component Devices Next-Generation Display (OLED) Enhancing Software Development Group Convergence Strategy Pursuit of mobile entertainment Establishment of Cell Development Center Group Strategy by Individual Sector focus on: Games Entertainment Motion Pictures Music Mobile Phones Financial Services Network Services, Retail Retail Business Note: Refer to Appendix C for a detailed Company Strategy. Organizational Structure Corporate Structure of Sony Corporation From the analysis on the organizational structure that Howard Stringer was trying to implement in 2005 we can see that it was clearly a multi-divisional structure. This structure has been further worked on since 2005 and there have been slight changes to the same. Multi-Divisional structure (M-form) The multi-divisional structure is also known as the product structure where the divisional structure groups organizational function into a division. Each division works as an independent section within the company and the divisional structure contains all the necessary resources and functions within it. Each Division will have its own sales, engineering and marketing departments. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2009). The organizational structure in 2005 that Howard Stringer was trying to implement is a hybrid structure which is as follows (Please refer to Appendix A for the assignment of each person in the division): Figure 1 Sony Organizational chart (as of Oct 2005) (Source: Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008) Please refer to Appendix B for the new Organization Structure as of 1st July. From the organizational structure above it can be seen that Howard Stringer was attempting to implement the multi-divisional structure. He had assigned Ryoji Chubachi to handle the main Electronics business and Chubachi had implemented the multinational matrix structure. We will not go into details of the matrix structure but will explain it below in brief. In case of the Multinational Structure of the organization we can see that there were a few business units that were put together in order to increase their responsiveness in the market. There were five committees created across all these business units and business groups. This gave a better integration of knowledge, flexibility and the ability to analyze these units across its procurement, technology, product strategy, sales and productive business outcomes. Strategy and Organizational Structure When Howard Stringer took over the Sony Global Corporation in 2005 he gave strategies for each product in the company. The strategies are stated above in the Introduction section of this report. As per the strategies implemented we can see clearly that he had devised different strategies for each core product that Sony was providing and so he also divided the companys organizational structure the same way. Thus, we see that the company is become more flat and each division is reporting to the Headquarters. As in a multidivisional organization such as Sony, the divisions become flexible as in the sense that they are able to merge, add or close divisions. This is apparent in the fact that Sonys Mobile division merged with Ericsson to produce Sony Ericsson range of mobiles. It can also be seen that Sonys Music Entertainment division had a 50-50 joint venture with Bertelsmann Music Group naming Sonys Music division as Sony BMG Music Entertainment and in August 2008 Sony bought Bertelsmanns 50% shares and Sony renamed its Music division as Sony Music Entertainment. Ergo, it is apparent that because of Sonys multidivisional structure each division is able to work as its own company which is flexible enough to have joint-venture projects as in the case of Sony Ericsson and the company is also able to make the decision of buying over another company such as the Bertelsmann Music group. When Howard Stringer took over Sony he also closed down a chain of restaurants and other non-core business companies that Sony owned. With a multidivisional structure in place Sir Howard Stringer was able to control and oversee each division from a distance by monitoring the business performance of each division. If we look at the advantages of a multi-divisional structure we can see that because the structure is divided by product lines it allows each division to grow and specialize on their competences. We can see that each division has actually become its own company like the Sony Electronics Inc., the Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. As we will see in the redundancy test later in this report we can see that each of the companies that are based in each country have their own head offices. This means that there are many parent levels in this organization which means that many of the supporting departments such as HR and IT will be redundant but due to the large organization structure of the company Sony needs these headquarters to be set-up. Although the knowledge sharing and cooperation between the business units become very limited but Howard Stringer has tried overcoming this by placing five strategic committees across the business units which are the product, technology, production, procurement and sales. Thus standardizations and centralization has helped to reduce effort and poor coordination. Also, with Howard traveling around Sonys operations at a rate of 30,000 air miles a month (Nakamoto 2006) is building spirits and reflecting in the eyes of the employees all around Sony. Goold and Campbell Tests We will use the Goold and Campbell last 5 tests to determine the appropriateness of Howard Stringers structural choice given his desire to make Sony cool again (Clayton 2005). The Specialist Cultures Test: The Organization Structure: Specialist Culture test Figure 2 The Specialist Culture test In the Specialist Culture test we placed Sony between Good and Very Good as Sony has an Engineer-driven culture (Edwards, Lowry, Ihlwan, Hall 2005). Sony is an engineering culture (Paczkowski 2008) says Howard Stringer and they really take care of their engineers. Engineers have the freedom to think and come up with new designs. When a certain project was untaken engineers from all the different departments met in one place to finish that task. This shows that there is no organizational contamination of the specialist engineer culture test. The Difficult Links Test The Organization Structure: Difficult Links Test Figure 3 The Difficult Links Test Shared know-how Links Sony holds Knowledge-sharing sessions and several other activities company wide. They host forums to enable interactive discussion about the company news and they engage their employees in company developments and in-the-Know at all times as claimed by them on their website. Sony also provides all documents, policies, lessoned learned and all other types of documents on their intranet sites. Shared Tangible Resources Links Though with a multidivisional organization with so many parent companies the amount of duplication of work increases but after Sir Howard Stringer came into Sony he divided all core businesses by products into separate units that would report to the Corporate office and setup a corporate RD unit to reduce the duplications and also brought in standardized engineered products to help the reduction of cost. Pooled Negotiating Power Links Sonys Mobile division merged with Ericsson to produce Sony Ericsson range of mobiles. Ericsson had the latest mobile technology and Sony had the vast experience in consumer electronics and entertainment like music, pictures and games. Bringing them both together in a 50-50 joint venture gave Sony power in the market. This would help both the companies generate economies of scale. It can also be seen that Sonys Music Entertainment division had a 50-50 joint venture with Bertelsmann Music Group naming Sonys Music division as Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Financial analysts covering the merger anticipated that up to 2,000 jobs would be cut as a result, saving Sony BMG approximately $350 million annually (Wikipedia, 2009) Coordinated Strategies Links After Sir Howard took over he put together the Electronics Unit which consisted of: The Semiconductor Business unit Core component Business Unit BP Business Group Audio Business Group Digital Imaging Business group VAIO Business Group Video Business Group TV Business Group Connect Company He strategically placed all these units and groups together in order to establish Sony as a leading player. They wanted to develop a semiconductor and core components group thus they put these two relevant new business units under the Electronics Unit. With this new engineering structure Sony wanted to increase their internally sourced components, centralize their engineering functions and reduce their cost by consolidating and cutting down their manufacturing sites. Vertical Integration Links By coordinating the flow of its internally sources components and by standardizing designs through out the company Sir Howard has managed to reduce cost and enhance product development. New-Business Creation Links Vertical integration is very obvious in the Sony business as they try to enter the digital world they are buying companies and doing joint ventures to meet the specific needs of their customers and that is to bring the mobile, music, gaming and video entertainment together. Sony is in a good position to do a backward or forward integration in case it decides to do so. The structure is flexible enough to accommodate that. The links are best handled through self-managed networking among units n top management should leave this up to the unit rather than impose to-down coordination process. The Redundant Hierarchy Test: The Organization Structure: The Redundant Hierarchy Test Figure 4 The redundant Hierarchy Test The reason we have placed them between satisfactory and good is because although the company had many parent levels in the organization they were able to reduce the redundancy through standardizing they internal sourced components. Sony also standardized its designs across the different units and in its core business which was the Electronics Business they had five committees across each group which were the product, technology, production, procurement and sales. This centralization has helped to reduce effort and poor coordination. Also, with Howard traveling around Sonys operations at a rate of 30,000 air miles a month (Nakamoto 2006) he tends to increase the communication gap between the different groups and companies at Sony. The Accountability Test The Organization Structure: The Accountability Test Figure 5 The Accountability Test The reason we have placed them between good and very good is because in the multidivisional structure the overall structure of the company is flat. Thus, most of the units are directly reporting to the corporate office. This increases the responsibility and accountability of each unit heads. The Flexibility Test The Organization Structure: The Flexibility Test Figure 6 The Flexibility Test The reason we have placed them between good in the case of its flexibility is because Sonys structure after Sir Howard Stringer had made it flexible for the company like the Sony Mobile business unit to merge with Ericsson Sonys Music Entertainment division had a 50-50 joint venture with Bertelsmann Music Group. Sony also sold many of its non-core assets like the restaurant chains etc after its restructuring since it made it easy by moving these non-core business units out of the way to concentrate on the core business. The Risk and Benefits of the Multidivisional Structure As we found out through our analysis that Sony Corporation has a multidivisional structure and Goold and Campbells five tests of good general design principles helps us to see what risks and benefits that Sony Corporation faced when Howard Stringer took over. The Benefits   In Electronics group Sony placed centralized decision-making power over key areas under the Electronics CEO. This change assures coordination and focus across newly defined business groups. Exact horizontal coordination in main areas- product planning, technology, procurement, manufacturing, and sales and marketing-will allow fast and streamlined decision making across product lines. Concentration on particular business area (Games, Entertainment, Electronics, Mobile phones) Flexible (Sony Corporation can focus its resources on different business groups, which depends on market situation, add, close or merge divisions ) Specialization of competence (We can see that each division has actually become its own company like the Sony Electronics Inc., the Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.) Ability to give clear direction and make a working environment that draws out the unique talents of employees and helps them to reach their full potential Encourages general management development Ownership of strategy (As per the strategies implemented we can see clearly that he had devised different strategies for each core product that Sony was providing and so he also divided the companys organizational structure the same way) Investment in core businesses Sony divisions enable to work in tandem for their mutual advantage (to develop new-age products). The Risks Conflicts between divisions Additional cost of the center Difficulty of co-operation between business groups (due to the large organization structure of the company the knowledge sharing and cooperation between the business units become very limited but Howard Stringer has tried overcoming this by placing five strategic committees across the business units) Divisions might grow too large (as we said before each division has actually become its own company like the Sony Electronics Inc. or the Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and there is a risk of them grow too large) Power is centralized As CEO Sir Howard Stringer recalled in a 2005 New Yorker article, the engineers started to suffer from a damaging not invented here syndrome, even as rivals were introducing next-generation products such as the iPod and Xbox. As a result of their belief that outside ideas were not as good as inside ones, they missed opportunities in such areas as MP3 players and flat-screen TVs and developed unwanted products-cameras that werent compatible with the most popular forms of memory, for instance. Looking at the above risks and benefits we can see that though there were a lot of risks in the structure Sir Howard needed to make a decision and he made this decision with the help of allies in the company and he also took help from persons who were made in-charge of changing the IBM structure many years back. They were successful in doing so and since Sir Howard was declared President of Sony Global we can say that he is still in there and is still fighting and restructuring to put Sony back on to globe again. Sony is today coming up with new customer focused products rather than products that are innovative but it is not what the customer wants. The Cultural Web Before Howard Stringer Organizational culture sometimes influences the organizations strategy if taken for granted. Culture has played a role in Sonys current financial difficulties. They had power blocks which hindered the flow of communication and corporation between the management, designers, production and marketing. The Cultural Web, developed by Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes in 1992, provides one such approach for looking at and changing your organizations culture. Using it, you can expose cultural assumptions and practices, and set to work aligning organizational elements with one another, and with your strategy. The Cultural Web identifies six interrelated elements that help to make up what Johnson and Scholes call the paradigm the pattern or model of the work environment. By analyzing the factors in each, you can begin to see the bigger picture of your culture: what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed. The six elements are: Power Structures: Sony had a culture, were long serving executives have very strong influence on the organization. At their annual general meetings all these executives take up the front seats whiles the lower ranks are relegated to the back. Many of the working seniors did not even discuss their share values and did not have the involvement in the business. Control Systems: Sony emphasized on budget plans and emergency fixes as their main control systems. Quality was not really emphasized, they believed in getting the work done with the least amount of cost. Lower level staffs were not awarded for their achievements or bonuses given at the end of the year. All these were aimed at controlling cost. Organizational Structure: They had the functional/Transnational type of organization where the CEO sits at the top and all functional heads report to him. They believe in top management taking all the decisions without the involvement of the junior level engineers. These caused lack of communication and co-operation between the various units and more of delegation to get the problem solved. Stories: Sony had gone through continuous restructuring for the past 9 years to improve their financial positions. Sony was not customer focused. They did not invest in non-core businesses and lacked new-age products even though they had very good and talented engineers. Although Sony believed in harmony of the people and the company but with all this restructuring the morale of the employees was down and this was evident when there was a comment that there is sparkle in the eyes of the employees after Howard Stringer took over. Rituals Routines: As per the Japanese culture of respect Sony had a ritual that it never fired its high rank executives even after retiring. The senior managers were made Advisor (Gunther, 2006) and each of them had their own secretary, a car and driver and they also had the authority to second-question people who were actually working at Sony. At Sony the ritual was that if an engineer came to know about a fault in the product they would let the seniors know they would just fix the problem and just do it. Thus seniors were not involved in the business Symbols: There was a symbol of seniority when the company never really retired its senior managers and also in the fact that during annual meetings the seniors would be given the preferred and best seats in the hall while the others were given uncomfortable seats to symbolize the importance that Sony gave to its senior managers. To create the harmony they want and give employees a range of different health and wellness programs. Some of those (as taken from the Sony Site) are as below: They provided On-site fitness centers On-site flu shots On-site cafeterias Wellness fairs 100% medical and dental plans Health risk assessments Gym discounts Stop Smoking programs Nutrition information Ritual Routines Respect for senior managers Work in Harmony giving employees the best working environment. Seniors never got fired. Engineers got the freedom to do what they wanted to. Engineers did not inform senior managers of faults they just fixed it. Stories Continuous restructuring Morale was down Believed in the harmony of the environment and the peoples freedom of working in that environment Symbols Senior management given big pays No one really gets retired Health related programs and discounts available. Complete Medical covered. The Paradigm Respect for Seniors Emphasis on Harmony through-out the company Health and wellness programs, discounts and medical coverage Engineer-driven Culture New innovative products Power Structure A lot of power was given to seniors in the company who were not involved in the day to day work. Less responsibility on the shoulder of the seniors managers as responsibility was not taken Control Systems Budgets Emergency Fixes Organizational Structures Transnational Branches/devolved Delegative leadership style Engineer-driven culture Figure 7- Cultural Web before Howard Stringer became CEO of Sony Global Sony Corporation mainly focused on giving the best environment to its employees especially its engineers who were the minds behind the innovations. A high level of respect was kept between the senior and junior employees in the company. Various Health and wellness programs and benefits were available for employees. Sony was an engineer-driven culture which put what the engineers thought and innovated before what the customers wanted or what the market demanded. The Cultural Web After Howard Stringer Power Structures: Howard was made the new CEO thus giving power of the company to him. He was able to make changes but very smartly Howard made Chubachi his right hand man since he was aware that he was the first non-Japanese CEO of the company. His power can be seen in the fact that Howard is now President of Sony in 2009. Control Systems: There was a more cost control in the company through reduction of employees in many of the sites. Manufacturing companies were consolidated and shut down in many areas. Rewards and bonuses based on group performance (not seniority) after Howard Stringer had taken over. Organizational Structure: With the structural changes that Howard had made to the company Sony had a flatter structure. Management was made to be more involved in each of the business units of the company. There was more responsibility given to senior and middle management. Stories: As per Chubachi, it was said that since Sir Howard had taken over there was a sparkle in the eyes of the employees. The over all morale of the company was better. After Howard came people were still not sure if they knew where they were leading to but they understood the company strategy which was to make the company cool again. People were more excited. Rituals Routines: After Howard came he dissolved the advisory board that consisted of 45 senior mangers who had a say in the company even after they had retired. Main customer who had used Sony products for a long time where now giving their inputs on the Sony products. Engineers were given more appreciations. Success was being celebrated through Award ceremonies, Christmas parties, training programs and knowledge sharing sessions. Symbols: After Howard came he dissolved the advisory board that consisted of 45 senior managers who had a say in the company even after they had retired. Each of them had a secretary, a car and driver and probably many other benefits. The gap between the senior management and the juniors was being reduced. Ritual Routines Good communications Customer involvement Appreciations Giving praise Celebration of success Stories Reduced Gap between the senior managers and juniors. People were more aware of the company strategy. Symbols Senior management who had retired where not taken care of by the company. Promotions based on group performance The Paradigm Respect for Seniors Emphasis on Harmony through-out the company Health and wellness programs, discounts and medical coverage New innovative products Power Structure Engineers given limited power Management given more responsibility along with current power. Restructuring of power in the company Control Systems Budgets Partnership agreements Financial controls Organizational Structures Multi-divisional Units based on market priority and business needs. democratic leadership style Figure 8- Cultural Web after Howard Stringer became CEO of Sony Global From the above cultural web we can see that Sony did not undergo major paradigm changes but did move from a transnational structure to a multi-divisional (Electronic department was a matrix) structure. Sir Howard Stringers Change Management Change management is also known as Change control. It is usually referred to the process by which the change of a system/process/organization is implemented in a controlled manner. If we look at the above Cultural Webs before and after Sir Howard Stringer took over Sony we can see that in order to bring the changes as per the paradigms shown above he had to adopt a Change Management program. Organizational change management processes include techniques for creating a change management strategy which is getting everybody involved in the change process. Engaging senior managers as change leaders, they become the sponsors of the change program. You also need to build awareness of the need for change (communications) getting everybody to understand why the need for change. Developing skills and knowledge to support the change (education and training), helping employees move through the period of change (coaching by managers and supervisors), and methods to sustain the change (measurement systems, rewards and reinforcement). Howard Stringer had instituted all these processes for his change management, but due to the dominance culture

Free Essays - The Grace of God :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Grace of God The Revolution Has Begun - Stop giving your authority to Christ & the Void & the Imagination- you are it, now, the God...you are needed - stop hiding yr. Light in a bushel. - Allen Ginsberg to Neal Cassady My mother was Catholic, and although she raised us as Episcopalians, I always felt that she wanted to go back to her baptismal religion. There was always a loyalty in her to her heritage. I sensed this as she explained to me her belief that everyone is born with a purpose. You need to seek out your destiny, she said. I do not agree with my mother. Destiny unfolds as you live your life. Your purpose is to follow what you care about, and in turn, what you care about will make progress. True love entails the same thought. There is no "the one" for each of us. We begin to know someone and that develops into love, and that person becomes "the one" because there is no one else who could ever be what he or she has become to you. Nothing is preset, but rather, unravels. In that sense, you create your own life, your own fate, your own God. And if you create it, you are it. Everything in your life comes from within you, even your religion. That is the only hole proof comfort to the frailties I mentioned before. Believe it if you wish. I do. Sometimes. I used to stare at my ceiling in the dead of the night and trace the edge where the walls meet with my eyes, my only fear, that the line might blur, or worse, become too sharp. What do I think of in the dead of the night? I think of God. Because darkness is upon me and I have no other protection from the horrors that lurk in my mind. I have no other protection from the edge of my walls, the extremities of my reality, becoming blade-like sharp.

Music Baritone Sax

The History of the baritone saxophone was very interesting to research giving that I have played this beautiful instrument for 4 years. Finding a little more about the history of this beautiful instrument was a very interesting time. The baritone saxophone features a low pitch. It is a single reed instrument that is made from brass and has a tapered conical bore. Despite the baritone's low pitch, its music is written in treble clef instead of bass clef. In modern music, the baritone saxophone is usually the largest sax featured in contemporary ensembles alongside its more common cousins, the alto and the tenor saxophone.The saxophone was invented in 1841 by Belgian manufacturer and instrument maker Adolphe Sax. His intent was to create a new instrument that would fill the gap between the loud woodwinds and the brass instruments. In 1844, Sax introduced his saxophone to the public during the Paris Industrial Exhibition. In February of that year, Berlioz conducted a concert that perfor med his choral work, â€Å"Chant Sacre,† which featured segments that included the new saxophone. Near the end of 1844, the saxophone enjoyed a successful orchestra debut in Georges Kastner's opera â€Å"Last King of Juda† at the Paris Conservatory.Adolphe Sax obtained his original patents in 1846 for the baritone variation of the saxophone along with thirteen of its cousins, including the tenor, bass, alto, contrabass and sopranino saxophones. The following year, the first saxophone school was opened at the Gymnase Musical, a military band school. Ten years later, Adolphe Sax wanted to share his love and knowledge of music, so he took on a professorship at the Paris Conservatory. â€Å"Also, in 1866, Sax's patents expired, leaving the way open for the Millereau Co. o obtain patents for their own variation of the saxophone that featured a forked F sharp key†. In 1881, Adolphe Sax extended his patent for the baritone sax and other variations, and made changes to the design of the instruments. In response to its growing popularity, Gus Buesher was the first person in the United States to build a saxophone in 1885. Over the next few years, the baritone and other variations underwent more design changes, â€Å"such as the addition of the right hand C trill key and the invention of the single octave key†.Adolphe Sax died in 1894, but his legacy lived on when his son, Adolphe Edouard, continued his life's work. During the 1900s, the baritone saxophone enjoyed increasing popularity, and was incorporated into Jazz bands and other musical formats. It was also used in classical compositions, but rarely for orchestral music. Notable orchestral exceptions include Richard Strauss's â€Å"Symphonia Domestica† of 1903 and Charles Ives's â€Å"Symphony no. 4,† composed from 1910 through 1916. Famous musicians who played the baritone sax include Harry Carney, Pepper Adams, Valentin Alvarez, Bruce Kapler, Lou Marini and LeRoi Moore. â⠂¬  In conclusion the Baritone Sax is a beautiful instrument that should be appreciated. Giving such a beautiful tone. By far the baritone sax is my favourite saxophone giving it shape, color, quality of tone and pitch, and allowing a player to have the control to play with dynamics. I hope you have learned alittle more about my instrument thank you.

Walmart essayEssay Writing Service

Walmart essayEssay Writing Service Walmart essay Walmart essayBased on the cases described above, how would you describe the managerial philosophy of Walmart? What principles are involved? What are the over- riding aims, values, and goals of Walmart?Walmart’s managerial philosophy is profit-oriented that means that the company puts its marketing interests prior to ethical norms and standards. The company uses utilitarian principles to reach its over-riding aims, values and goals, which lead the company toward taking the competitive advantage in the marketing using any means to reach the target end.How would you decide, in any of the cases mentioned above, whether or not Walmart had been acting in a socially responsible way? What considerations would help you to decide?The company would refuse from bribery in Mexico, if it acted in a socially responsible way. This is the only possible way because bribery violates basic social and ethical norms and misbalances the performance of the company and its social responsibility. The c ompany cannot bribe, with the one hand and provide social support with another.Does it matter to you, as a potential customer or a potential employee, whether Walmart has acted unethically? Why or why not?It does matter a lot whether Walmart acts ethically or not because the neglect of basic ethical norms is the ultimate manifestation of disrespect to a potential customer or employee. I would not buy from or work at the company that violates ethical norms.For a corporation as complex as Walmart, with some activities that can be described as unethical and some as ethical, is it ever possible to make a blanket ethical judgment about its operations?It is possible to make a blanket ethical judgment about Walmart’s operations because the company should have corporate ethical norms and standards determining the conduct of its managers and employees worldwide.How might Walmart executives defend their actions after they learned of the bribery in Mexico? Would your judgment change if bribery was a common business practice in Mexico?Walmart executives justified cases of bribery by the high level of corruption in Mexico. However, even if bribery was a common business practice in Mexico, such practices are unacceptable for the company conducting socially responsible policies.Walmart’s wages are above the legally required minimum wage, and health benefits are not legally mandated. Are there reasons for a business to take actions that are not required by law but that might reduce profits?Such actions are acceptable as long as they are within the framework of the social responsibility of the company and stand for interests of employees and local community members.Does Walmart have any responsibilities to its suppliers other than those specified in their contracts?Formally, Walmart have responsibilities determined by contracts but also the company should be able to respect ethical norms and standards.

Jet Copies Narrative Essay Example

Jet Copies Narrative Essay Example Jet Copies Narrative Essay Jet Copies Narrative Essay Essay Topic: Narrative The JET Copies assignment is similar to the Bigelow Manufacturing Company machine breakdown example in the textbook. Hence the example was used as a guide. Days to Repair Simulation Process In simulating the number of days to repair, first a table was created based on the information given in the Repair time and Probability information table as found in the case. The created table was defined as â€Å"Lookup† in the array information for VLookup function in Microsoft Excel. Next, based on the probability information provided, a Cumulative Probability column was generated by adding the probability numbers given (each with the number above it) and distributing the probability to the number of possible repair days from 1-4. For example, a . 20 probability corresponds to 2 repair days. Next, simulating the repair times, random numbers were generated in Microsoft Excel, with the VLookup function referencing the â€Å"Lookup† table; and based on the range of the random number generated returns the associated number of repair day(s). Interval Between Successive Breakdowns Simulation Process According to the continuous distribution information provided, interval between successive breakdowns is 0-6 weeks. Based on the Bigelow Manufacturing example, the formula for continuous probability function for the time between breakdowns is f(x) =x/18, 0 x 6 weeks. To simulate the interval successive breakdowns, random numbers were generated and the result multiplied by 6 and Square root. This gives the number of weeks between machine breakdowns. Cumulative Time was also generated adding the result of the generated square root and stopping just a bit above 52 weeks for the one year simulation requirement. Lost Revenue Simulation Process An actual loss number was not provided according to the case. It only gave a range from 2000-8000 copies that they expect to sell per day at 10 cents each. It also indicates using a uniform probability in the same range. Based on this, a random number was generated between 2000 and 8000. Next the random number was multiplied by number of days to repair and . 10(cost of each copy). The adding up the total gives the total loss that could be expected in a year. Putting it Together The first step is working on the breakdown interval. This means generating the random numbers for the simulation with the Cumulative Time needed to run the simulation, in this case 1 year. Next step is adding the Repair Time assumption and simulating by generating the random numbers for this portion. The next process is generating the range numbers for calculating the loss revenue for the days the copier is down. Additionally, the number of repair times is multiplied by the cost of a copy and by the random number generated. This is done for each week until it is just about 52 weeks. Answer to the Case Study The Total Revenue that would be lost according to the simulation is $14,235. 20. JET Copies should purchase a backup copier since the simulated total lost revenue exceeds their threshold of $12,000. However, because this simulation was only conducted for a year, simulation for multiple years should be conducted and an average of these results examined as was the in the Bigelow Manufacturing example to accommodate for variations. Another option to explore is for JET Copies to obtain historical from other companies that have used the same copier outside of the University.

Capital punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Capital punishment - Essay Example Those opposed to capital punishment do not believe that the government should be vested with the power to put any of its citizens to death. Opponents also maintain that the practice is racially biased, overtly costly and does not achieve the intended outcome. Historically speaking, the rational for punishing criminals has been to avenge the crime, to protect society by imprisoning the criminal, to deter that person and other potential offenders from the commission of crimes and to obtain reparations from the offender. Throughout the history of civilization, this rational has not changed substantially. The four fundamental reasons society punishes can be classified into two areas. One is to obtain desired consequences which includes protecting society, seeking compensation and deterrence. The other, retribution, or vengeance, involves punishment for a wrong perpetrated on society (Wolfgang, 1998). Those that subscribe to retribution as justification for the death penalty often invoke the Bible’s reference to ‘an eye for an eye.’ Aggression must be met with aggressive punishment (Olen & Barry, 1996: 268). â€Å"This use of punishment is society’s way of striking back at one who has disturbed the emotional and et hical senses of a people† (Lunden, 1967: 232). Interestingly, those that use the quote from the Old Testament to justify the use of the death penalty as moral either overlooked or ignored the passage in the New Testament where Jesus rebuffs this statement explicitly then reminds his followers to instead to ‘turn the other cheek.’ However, the ‘eye for an eye’ justification is still used by many today. Those that hold this view are certainly correct when they say that the death penalty insures that the criminal will not commit another crime against society. In addition to a vengeful act, the death penalty is the ultimate preventative measure (Olen &

Operations Decision Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operations Decision - Research Paper Example The managers need to develop the skills of handling all the operational problems that arise during the course of decision making. It is important that all the environmental factors are taken into account so that the managers have all the information about the internal and external factors important for the organization’s improved performance and make effective decisions with utmost ease. In order to achieve the maximum level of operational efficiency, the managers need to make sure that they allocate the resources appropriately and utilize them in the best possible manner; the decision for resource allocation is very crucial and it is important that all the factors are properly taken into account. In case of small companies, the environment tends to be less competitive and the decisions can be made on the basis of intuition that require minimum quantitative analysis; while, in the case of large organizations that are operating in a huge market, the managers need to use both qu alitative and quantitative methods so that economical decisions are taken (Matasniemi, 2008). ... y in the case is the Operational Research method as it is the most scientific method of identifying the problems that arise in the management of operations of the business that comprise of employees, machines, material, resources along with macro environment factors such as government, defense, business and industry (Banarjee, 2012). Inline Skating Industry The company â€Å"Skating International† has its own market and currently, there are few competitors that are making foils and sails that are used by few skaters. The brand name is â€Å"Achievers† and it will be the only brand that will provide superb quality skating shoes at reasonable prices. The main aim of the company is to provide the customers with skating accessories that will help them in fulfilling their desire of having exceptional sensation towards enjoying skating. Research has shown that the companies that are manufacturing these accessories don’t use the sails that must be designed for skating; in fact, the sails are suitable for skateboards and windsurfing. Although there are many manufacturers of skates but still there is no single company that is manufacturing the skates’ accessories. The products that are being offered by the company will be Skate Sails, Blade Boots and Skate Aid. All of these products will be made from superb quality raw materials so that they are durable and the customers get their value for money. Competitor Analysis In order to survive in the dynamic environment in which changes are taking place at an accelerating rate, it is important that the companies do their environmental analysis on an ongoing basis. The skate sales have increased drastically in the last couple of years and the distribution within and outside the country has doubled as well. Although Skating

Just to answer the questions from the book Essay

Just to answer the questions from the book - Essay Example 2. The book is about Emma Bovary, as the title suggests, but it starts before she enters the scene and ends long after she is dead. Flaubert is interested in the whole social context of that time and he has a mission to explain how bad some of the middle class attitudes of many characters actually are. He wanted to show Emma’s effect on her surroundings as well as what goes on in her own mind, and so he continued to show how Charles and Berthe coped (or more accurately failed to cope) with the terrible legacy that she left behind. Emma is selfish but Flaubert shows us at the end of the book that she is not the only important person in the world. The story goes on without her, and her death has brought nothing good. 3. The pharmacist Homais is not a sympathetic character. He is a busybody who is always looking for his own advantage. Flaubert shows him being rewarded for these unattractive features and this is his way of saying that the values in French society at the time favour this unattractive kind of person. He is not that different from Emma in some ways, but he is rewarded while she is frustrated. Perhaps Flaubert also wants to show how sexist French society

Manila Metropolitan Theater Essay Example for Free

Manila Metropolitan Theater Essay â€Å"Something that possesses true beauty such as The Met will never lose its allure and splendor regardless of age and time.† Anyone who passes by Lawton, Manila in one way or another may have seen the Manila Metropolitan Theater, The Met, or the â€Å"great dame† of theaters as others would call it. It is a structure still noticeable for its grandeur and opulence despite being built in the year 1931. On March 3, 2013, we made our way to Padre Burgos Avenue, Manila, to witness the true magnificence of The Met. The aged Art Deco style building that was designed by Filipino Arch. Juan Arellano came into view and noticeable right away were its pinkish faded walls adorned with cloud engravings, spires, and bronze sculptured deities by the Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo. Capiz and colorful tiles in an ethnic Malayan design are used for lights. And at the center of it entrance sits the stained glass made by Kraut Art Glass, a German company. Inside the lobby, noticeable are the woodcarvings of mangoes, bamboos, bananas and native plants on the walls and ceiling. By the staircase are sculptures of Malakas Maganda and the paintings of Fernando Amorsolo. The proscenium arch is seen by the theater stage in perfect view of the 1670 seats. But what could be the most impressive part is the Grand Ballroom—a striking room that has regal chandeliers, parquet wood flooring and a balcony leading to an open area. Our visit made us realize that during its celebrated days, The Met is home to theatrical performances, operas, musicals and zarzuelas but today, sadly it is left dusty, abandoned with falling debris, rooms filled with flood water or having dilapidated floors, cobwebs and litter. But despite this, its magnificence craves to be revived. It is a treasure waiting to relive its glory and be a testament to the true beauty of Manila.

chief joseph :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Howard ran the Nez Perece into the ground, finally up in Montana. Joseph surrendered his band at a place called Bear Paw Mountain some 40 miles from the Canadian Border, in October,1877.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph fame did him little good. Although he had surrendered with the understanding that he would be allowed to return home, Joseph and his people were instead taken first to eastern Kansas and then to a reservation in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) where many of them died of epidemic diseases. Although he allowed to visit Washington, D.C., in 1879 to plead his case to U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes, it was not until 1885 that Joseph and the other refugees were returned to the Pacific Northwest. Even then, half, including Joseph, were taken to a non-Nez Perce’ reservation in northern Washington, separates from the rest of their people in Idaho and their homeland in the Wallowa Valley.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capuchin monk, who played a decisive role as the â€Å"eminence rise† (gray eminence), Richelieu’s confidant and envoy in the cardinal’s efforts to increase royal power in France and aboard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Paris on Nov. 4,1577, Francois Leclerc du Tremblay was the son of a royal judge. After brief military career, he underwent a religious conversation and joined the Capuchin order, taking the name Father Joseph. His missionary zeal , political astuteness, and tireless activity enable him to rise rapidly within the Capuchin order, and Father Joseph directed its energies to converting infidels aboard and the Protestant Huguenots in France.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He began his career as Richelieu’s closest friend, adviser, and negotiator in 1612. Although he aided Richelieu in domestic affairs including military action against rebellious Huguenots Father Joseph’s signal achievement was the successful implementation of Richelieu’s anti-Habsburg foreign policy. During the Thirty Years’ War, Father Joseph promoted Richelieu’s strategy of keeping the Protestant king of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus, in the field against the Catholic Habsburgs. But for the Father Joseph the most compelling project was a pan-European crusade against the Turks.

The Lottery Essay -- essays research papers

When you hear the word lottery, you probably think of winning a large sum of money before being stoned to death. " The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson brings this horrible idea to life. While the overall mood of the story depicts a typical day in a small rural town, through great use of imagery and irony, one is set up for an unusual ending. Shirley Jackson uses the element of surprise. The way of the story ends is unlike anyone could predict. The main object of The Lottery is the action of the lottery itself and perhaps the slips of paper. The actions that make the story are all connected to the preparation for, drawing of, and consequences of the lottery. Mr. Summers treats the lottery with cold precision as if this duty was as normal as all the other duties he performs for the town. The Townspeople respect the lottery and actually appear to fear it ever so slightly. Mrs. Hutchinson when faced with the possibility of winning the drawing panics and tries everything she can think of to decrease her chance of winning or avoiding it altogether. Mrs. Hutchinson is the main female character of the story and is probably the strongest example of a weak, powerless, scared woman in all the stories we reviewed. She is the last to show for the drawing, she disputes the results of both drawings once completed, and she makes every attempt to lower her chance of winning by drawing her married daughters into her families drawing. Mrs. Hutchinson sho...

Guillermo Furniture Store

Guillermo Furniture Store For many years, Guillermo Navallez has owned and operated a small and profitable wood furniture making company in beautiful Sonora, Mexico. He has enjoyed an abundance of raw materials, low labor costs, and limited competition. This has recently changed due to a few significant events (1) new competitors from overseas, using high-tech automation manufacturing processes, resulting in exact furniture specifications at rock bottom prices and (2) Sonora, Mexico labor cost have dramatically increased due to emerging new industries and companies. Guillermo Furniture has been forced to reconsider his current business model and implement a change in strategy to remain in business and competitive (ACC561, Guillermo, 2009). Guillermo Furniture SWOT Analysis Prior to addressing the outlined questions we must understand Guillermo Furniture Store’s current; Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Managers use accounting information for many different types of decisions. Information uncovered in accounting provides; scorekeeping, attention directing and/or problem solving, but we first need to understand our current environment (Horngren, 2008). The first course of action for Guillermo Furniture is to have an objective SWOT analysis performed in order to have a clear picture of the company’s current position in the market and among the competition. Of course, a more detailed SWOT analysis would be needed for a more specific focus and direction. Strengths: Strengths identified during the SWOT analysis is an abundant supply of raw materials, inexpensive labor, and a market that allowed a price premium for quality. Weaknesses: The Guillermo Furniture Company was shown to be weak in manufacturing process and technology when a larger competitor started operations in direct competition. This made the company’s market position uncompetitive due to lack of manufacturing automation and labor costs. Guillermo also would like to remain independent, thus he would not benefit from the strengths of merging or having his small company acquired to facilitate growth. Opportunities: Guillermo has multiple opportunities to improve his company’s future. First, the company could expand the selection of furniture produced through new manufacturing processes. Second, the patented furniture coating product, could easily become the driving force behind Guillermo growth and competitive advantage. And finally, Guillermo could develop a new business unit division, and combine it with an investment in technology for the coating manufacturing to further improve his unique selling proposition. Threats: The Guillermo Furniture Company faces a myriad of threats. A new and large competitor that uses advanced technology and automation. Rising labor costs, declining sales due to competition, eroding margins, and declining revenues with sales losses. The current climate of mergers and acquisitions in the furniture industry is producing stronger competition with more economies of scale and leveraging of power in the marketplace. Budgets and Performance Reports The basic purpose of accounting information is to help make strategic decisions. Regardless of who is making the decisions, understanding accounting information allows for a more informed, and better decision (Horngren, 2008). Accounting reports are classified into two types; Accounting and Financial reports. Budgets and performance reports are vital information for a company that is looking to survive, compete and expand in their marketplace. Guillermo would benefit immensely by using these reports to see data trends in different business segments. For example, a performance report showing real versus budgeted sales would identify the most viable and profitable business segments in both short and long-term. Guillermo could then use these data trends to build a 5-10 year forecast for individual business segment manufacturing viability. Guillermo must evaluate each business unit taking into account fixed and variable costs associated with the fixed assets required for operation. Once this evaluation is completed, business models for revenue, costs, profit margin, and resource investment could be compared for each of the proposed business units. †¢ Manufacturing as currently in place †¢ Manufacturing with investment in new technology †¢ Broker Business Segment Product Coatings Business Segment Lastly, Guillermo could use performance reports to identify growth segments for immediate and future resource investment. He could identify declining segments and begin to diversify or limit future investment in these segments. For example, demand for moderate furniture is growing while the demand for high-end furniture is on the decline. While limiting further investments in declining segments, use them as sources of income for the higher profit margins they do produce. The proceeds from this could be re-invested in the growing market segments. Ethics and Accounting Decisions Regulation of accounting systems seeks to ensure the reliability of the information that accounts provide. â€Å"However, no regulation can be as effective in ensuring liability as holding accountants to high ethical standards† (Horngren, 2008). Organizational and individual ethics influence critical decision-making processes, with potentially negative results affecting the bottom line. Ethics are based in part on core values imparted on individuals throughout a lifetime. Each person perceives right and wrong based upon ethics and consequently his or her actions will follow these parameters. Technology also promotes organizational ethics; however, ethical and moral conflicts will increase work-related stress amongst employees. This behavior negatively influences organizational behavior. Guillermo must decide whether to transition from manufacturing to distribution, and if he does remain in manufacturing, are there potential ethical violations if he continues to broker as well. This author believes Guillermo would have the personal ethical dilemma of continuing to employ human labor from his city, or transition to a more automated production thus saving him money from his bottom line, and making the company more efficient and effective. The current economy has been shaped with bad ethical decisions in accounting practices. One only needs to look as far as Tyco, Enron and WorldCom to understand how pressure to perform and expand can corrupt a company. The bottom line for Guillermo Furniture Company will be how Guillermo responds to the competition and how his desire to remain ndependent affects his decision making process. Relevant Accounting Information and Decision Making The most relevant accounting information for Guillermo to consider would be the following examples. †¢ Short and Long-Term Demand Forecasts, Revenue Generation, Pricing, Cost, and Profit Margin for each Business Segment. †¢ ROI in months / break even when determining the ROI on New Technology Investment †¢ Compare Expected Revenue, Margins and Net Income from all three business opportunities. Forecasting demand for each segment, pricing and production costs for each opportunity †¢ Assets Management†¦. Develop a plan to support assets that are profitable, and a plan to divest the underperforming. Conclusion The Guillermo Furniture Company has enjoyed years of profitability without constructing a business dynamic plan. With the larger direct competition moving in, this has shown the weaknesses in the Guillermo Furniture Company. Guillermo must immediately change the course of direction in order to remain solvent in the current marketplace. The statistics available through accounting practices will give him the necessary tools to make both short and long-term decisions to remain a viable company in today’s global economy. References ACC 561 Course handout: Scenario: The Guillermo Furniture Store. Retrieved July 19, 2009 from the material section of the course description page. Brealey, R. ., Myers, S. . & Marcus, A. J. (2007). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (5th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Horngren; Sundem; Stratton. (2008). Introduction to Management Accounting (14th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Prentice Hall.