Limitations / Problems Of Bcg Essays - Strategic Management

Limitations / Problems Of Bcg Limitations / problems of the BCG Matrix 1. The problems of getting data on the market share and market rate 2. There is no clear definition of what constitutes a market 3. A high market share need not necessarily lead to profitability all the time. 4. The model employs only two dimensions market share and growth rate. This may tempt management to emphasis a particular product or divest prematurely. 5. Low share businesses can be profitable too. 6. It considers the product or SBU only in relation to one competitor: the market leader. It misses small competitors with fast growing market shares. Critiques of BCG Matrix 1. In another word: by definition, only a single company can have a share greater than 1.0 in any given market. Thus, in the BCG matrix, there can be but one cash cow or one star per market. 2. The BCG model implies resource allocation rules regarding cash usage. Assumptions of BCG 1. This matrix assumes that a larger market share in a growth market leads to profitability. An effort to obtain a large market share in a slowly growing market requires too much cash. 2. The higher the growth rate, the easier to gain market share Uses / Application of BCG Matrix 1. If a company is able to use the experience curve to its advantage, it should be able to manufacture and sell new products at a price low enough to get early market share leadership. Once it becomes a star, it is destined to be profitable. 2. BCG model is helpful to management in evaluating the firms current balance among stars, cash cow, problem child and dogs. 3. BCG model is applicable to large companies that seek volume and experience effects. 4. The model is simple and easy to understand. 5. It provides a base for management to decide upon and prepare for contingent future courses of action. BCG as a planning tool 1. The BCG growth share matrix is widely used as a strategic planning tool giving planners a sense of direction. 2. The matrix facilitates the strategic planning process and service as a rich source of ideas about possible strategic options. 3. In multi-product organizations, management can use this matrix as a guide to allocate limited resources. BCG MATRIX 22% 10% market growth rate 0% 10x 1.5x 1x 0.1x Relative market share 1. The BCG matrix is plots the businesss relative competitive position as expressed by the market share and the growth rate of its industry on the vertical axis. The company is represented by as a circle on the matrix. The diameter of the circle represents the size of the business (usually in terms of the sales) in relation to the sizes of other businesses in the portfolio. 2. Market growth rate: represent the annual growth rate of the market in which the business operates. 10% is considered high. 3. Relative market share: refers to the SBUs market share relative to that of its largest competitor in the segment. It serves as a measure of the companys strength in the relevant market segment. 0.1x means that the companys sales volume is 10% of the leaders sales volume. 4. Question marks: - - business that operate in high-growth market but have low relative market shares. Most business start off as question marks. A question markets requires a lot of cash to spend on plant, equipment to keep up with the fast-growing market. 5. Stars: if the question marks are successful, it becomes a star. A star is the market leader in a high growth market. A star does not necessarily produce a positive cash flow for the company. The company must spend substantial funds to keep up the high market growth and fight off competitor attacks. 6. Cash cows: When a markets annual growth rate falls to less than 10 percent, the star becomes a cash cow if it still has the largest relative market share. A cash cow produces a lot of cash for the company. The company does not have to finance capacity expansion because the markets growth rate has slowed down. Because the business is the market leader, it enjoys economies of scale and higher profit margins. Cash cows can be used to support other businesses 7. Dogs: Dogs are businesses that have weak market shares in low growth markets. They typically generate low

Rembrandts La Petite Tombe Essays - Dutch Golden Age Painters

Rembrandt's La Petite Tombe Essays - Dutch Golden Age Painters Rembrandt's La Petite Tombe According to some philosophers La Petite Tombe would most probably be considered a great work of art, this is my opinion too. Rembrandt is one of very few painters known around the world and valued as an addition to human history. Praised by the art world long time ago and until today. It also considers Rembrandts work as great, professional, expressive and impressive. However its greatness can be analyzed and criticized, which I will try to do in this paper. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Riju was born July 15, 1606 in the town of Leiden, Netherlands. One of the seven children he was the only one who received Higher Education, all of his siblings went into trade. Leiden was a University town with favorable education atmosphere. Upon graduating from the Leiden high school where students primarily learned Latin, and true religion (Calvinistic Protestantism) Rembrandt enrolled into a Leiden University, which by 1620s was internationally renowned. Not very eager for education he pretty soon became an apprentice of Jacob Isaacszoon Swandenburgh, and showed promise in painting, so his father found it good to apprentice him and to take him to the renowned painter P. Listman, residing in Amsterdam so that he might advance himself and be better trained and educated. During the seventeens century history painters enjoyed the highest prestige, higher even then portrait painters. Since history painters could give their imagination a certain freedom, depict and arrange their compositions as they please. In comparison portrait painters had little variation to work with to express themselves. This is why Rembrandt wanted to become a history, or religion painter. This era would probably be more favored by Tolstoy then by Plato. Although the paintings still presented the objects close or were identical to what we see in life, the fantasy of the artists began to take over the order of the objects, leaning towards the more historical, religious perspective, something Tolstoy would love. A piece of art from that era by Rembrandt of a religious context is an etching called La Petite Tombe, also known as Christ Preaching. The subject here is a gathering of common people around Jesus Christ, who is preaching the remission of sins, an event that does not occur in the Gospels, but which played an important part in the Mennouite doctrine. (Clark, p. 183) Rembrandt has many religious paintings and etchings in his collection, and in all of them he keeps his style of presentation. A little bit rough, and expressive. His characters on one hand are not explicitly detailed, but on the other all have their own unique points of interest, and expressive quality. If Plato were shown this etching he would probably be satisfied with it, since it meets all his conditions to be defined as good art. He argues that to be considered art at all, a piece of someones work, whether it is a painting, etching, poem etc., has to resemble identically a life that we see, and how we perceive it. The closer the work of art is to reality, the better would he consider it to be. Looking at an etching by Rembrandt we can see a very close similarity to life. People are proportionate, they look what ordinary people should look like, and the place where they are gathered is also a familiar surrounding which would look probably the same if we were to look at it in real life. However if we were to think about the content of the piece, there is a side to it, which draws particular attention. Jesus Christ is present on the etching. In the times of Plato there were no such concepts as Bible or Christianity. Even if we were to explain them to Plato, a person for whom the w hole other concept of religion is a basis for understanding reality, still he would not accept it as a replica of a real life, since for him there is no such god as the one accepted by Christians. The person right in the middle of a picture would be a step away from reality, together with the aura above his head. Therefore for Plato this etching would be a good even a

Forced induction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Forced induction - Research Paper Example It is worth noting that the gas compressors are two in series. The first one feeds into the engine intake thus making it a forced induction, while the second one is the main compression that each engine usually has. The compressor that feeds into the engine intake increases to a large extent the full compression ratio of the whole system (Bell 33). It is also important to note that the engines that have higher compression tend to have the advantage of maximizing the amount of energy that is extracted per fuel unit. It is for this reason that the engine’s thermal efficiency is increased according to the analysis of the vapor power cycle of the second thermodynamics law. While higher compression engines have the advantage of maximizing the useful energy quantity, not all the engines are higher compression (Rathakrishnan 54). This is because for any particular octane, the fuel will detonate prematurely at a higher than expected ratio of compression. Although naturally a high comp ression on aspirated engine can reach the threshold f detonation quite easily, a force induction engine can as well have a relatively higher full compression necessarily without detonation. This can be attributed to the fact after the first compression stage the air charge can be cooled using intercooler. Engineers note that one of the key concerns of in internal combustion is the quantity of nitrogen/oxygen compounds that are produced by the engine. Since it is a primary concern, this quantity is regulated by the government at various inspection stations (Nag 29). Mainly, there are two main types of forced induction compressors: superchargers and turbochargers. Supercharges are all directly powered by engine rotation although they can be found as different and distinct compressors types. It should be noted that superchargers do not have lag time of building pressure since the compressor is proportionally spinning to the speed of the engine

Breakfast cereal kellogg's as an oligopoly Essay

Breakfast cereal kellogg's as an oligopoly - Essay Example They have a very serious concern about the customer service satisfaction process. It has been seen as a norm for the people at Kellogg’s it comes as second nature to them. Monopolistic competitions are made up of single companies. Currently in case of Kellogg’s there are many local competitors and it is important that the business have their own niches, the competitors are for select group of people and therefore, they have not actually been interfering with each other. The local competitors can not in any way be equivalent to the Kellogg’s brand as they are operating at the international level and have reach in around 180 countries. This gives them a huge profit margin and even leverage in the practices they carry out. They have been marketing themselves as the healthiest way for breakfast and they have around 35 products, these products cater to adults, children, diabetic patients, heart patients, then they have a whole range of breakfast cornflakes for the weight watchers. They have portrayed the product as a weight loss and diet supplementing breakfast options. They have had special focus on nutrients in nearly all their cereals. The fact that they have now been highlighting in all their cereals is the presence of high iron content in them. They have even introduced a women specific and weightwatcher women in the world (DRANOVE, MARCIANO, 2005). Kellogg’s is a house of brands as it has, around 35 successful cereal brands operating under them and that to quite successfully. Their products are being manufactured in 180 countries of the World and they have a total of 18 manufacturing plants. They have spent quite a lot in advertising since they started. It was a product of the creation of possibilities for healthier diet when it had been ordered by the church. The grains that were used were initially very simple ones, but then they were mixed

International Operational And Logistics (REPORT) Assignment

International Operational And Logistics (REPORT) - Assignment Example In Dell, Suppliers are viewed as the integral part of operating business and a key variable for success. The last part of repot analyzes an improvement proposal that could possibly improve the logistics and supply chain of the company thereby enhancing its competitive advantage. The proposal focused on use of information technology in supply chain management of Dell through Oracle 10G and use of e-commerce in its supply chain management. Introduction Dell was incorporated in 1994 by Michael Dell while he was a student at University of Texas, Austin. From its very first initiatives, direct selling model was adopted. In the beginning PC’s were sold over the phone and they were customized according to customers’ specifications. Dell returned to its direct selling model after using the retail channel from 1990 to 1994. In mid 1990’s, the company grew rapidly, thus becoming number one PC seller in the US and number two worldwide in 1999. Dell’s success continue d over the following years, but it was not able to avoid the crisis in PC industry in the new millennium. Dell’s growth rate fell, resulting in the fall of its stock price. However, over the time, Dell managed to remain a highly successful company, and its growth rate continued to outperform the industry as a whole. Dell’s strategic choices and ways of realizing those choices have played an effective role in story Dell’s success. The supply chain management of the company is the key element in its successful business model. The core element of the company’s business model is its direct sales model, referred as ‘direct mode’, with the build to order strategy. Current Operations and Supply Chain Business Model This differentiated model of dell help it creates a niche in the distribution channel and eliminates the entire mid channel members to arrive at cost leadership position in the industry. The basic principle of Resource based view is that the competitive advantage for any particular organization completely depends upon the resources which are available at any company’s disposal. It is a management tool to determine the important resources available for any organization. It is very important for success of the organization that these resources are valuable and are not imitable. The direct sales model refers to the fact that the company does not use any retail channels for selling its products, but sells its products directly to its customers through its corporate website, Dell.com. The above figure shows hot the direct model of Dell was different from the indirect distribution channel of the rest of industry. In its direct sale model, the intermediary steps that add cost and time are eliminated, and the company is directly able to link with its customers. Dell directly sells to all its customers, regardless of a home-PC to world’s largest corporations. The direct relationship with individual customer cre ates a great source of competitive advantage for Dell. This creates a valuable information about the end customers, and thus Dell knows who are the end users of their product, what they have purchased from the company, what are their future preferences, a fact that allows the company to stay closer to their customers by offering add-on products and services. Company distinguishes three customer segments, namely large organizations,

Studying Management Information System Of Starbucks Information Technology Essay

Studying Management Information System Of Starbucks Information Technology Essay In this thrilling subject, i would be focusing on the Management Information System of Starbucks. It is no doubt that this firm in question, is one popular and well patronised firm amongst many. That being said, i would be doing justice to the very background of this organization in question and i would elucidate in tangible details their IT systems, schemes and practices and lastly, i would be recommending what i see fit to suite the organisation even in this era of technology. But before i proceed, i would like to briefly define MIS(Management Information System) MIS (Management Information System) This may be defined as a general word for computer systems in an enterprise or organisation which provides information or details on firms business operations. Its also refers to the people who manage and maintain these systems. Furthermore, in a large corporation, MIS or the MIS department refers to a central or centrally-coordinated system of pc expertise and management, and entire network of computer resources in a business organization (firm). Starbucks was first introduced in Seattles Pike Place Market in 1971. Back then, the company was called Starbucks Coffee, Tea ans Spices before change into what we have known today, Starbucks Coffee Company. Today, there are approximately 16, 706 Starbucks stores in 50 countries. The first ever Srabucks store in Malaysia opened on December 1998, located at KL Plaza, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Later, there are more than 115 Starbacks stores in Malaysia.Basically, their buyers will travel to Africa, Asia and Latin America to choose only the best quality of arabica beans. These high quality beans will be sent for roasting and production. Starbucks experts then only combine the roasted beans with Italian style expresso beverages to produce different type of cold and hot coffee beverages. The famous products introduced by Starbucks company and mainly can be found in all of its stores include more than 30 blends single-origin premier arabica coffees. As for their own signature of handcrafted beverages such as hot and iced expresso beverage, coffee and non-coffee blended beverages Vivanno smoothies, Frappuccino bottled coffee or blended and premium ice creams with the and brewed coffee and also tea product,Tazo Tea. Merchandises are also offered by Starbucks are coffee mugs and accessories. Customers not only can enjoy sipping their high quality coffee beverage but also indulging on baked pastries, sandwiches and cakes. The company focuses in providing a relax, comfortable atmosphere with modern fittings. It is an ideal place for hanging out with friends and families, with entertainment magazines to read. Most of the Starbucks company offer free wi-fi for their customers, so it is a great advantage to business people discussing on their work or students doing some research for assignments/ projects. POS P.O.S which stands for Point of Sale is a front-of-the-house system use by Starbucks company. Only employees with given authorization can access to this system such as Assistant Manager, Shift Supervisor, and Store Manager. Types of transactions can be made by the manager include paid in, paid out in the cases of emergencies or using the cash to buy supplies needed by the store. Other than that, making amendments for transaction mistakes in a form of refund. Important for inventory control as well. List of all food and beverages and merchandise sold are recorded in the P.O.S system. Wastage cost might as well be stored. All these vital information of dailys operation are transferred to a Management Work Station system to be analysed and evaluated. The information will be transform into a measurable data for decision making purposes. Manager Work Station (MWS) Manager Work station is the back of house computer system which prepares and sends all store information to adequately manage all parts of the store business. It brings access to real-time system wide reporting at store level. It shows all the various functions provided on the Intelligent Restaurant Information System (IRIS), of which some are only usable by partners with the accurate security. It helps the store manager to manage the store and also help the franchisees manage their entire market chain. It can be used in the office where there is a pc connected to an intranet of which is a private link channel for staffs to use the organization network that resembles the internet. It is required to log on with a passkey and ID to use the system. The system detects security level and allows using the method assigned to the security level. The staff can only use the time button option, which is a method that saves staff clock in and out for lunch and shifts. A begining of day and end of day is also saved into the very system on a daily bases. Shift managers can use cash control methods that are used to count cashboxes, change or fix transactions and to make ready everyday bank deposit. A menu of available reports is provided on a report menu. The Store manager can use these reports to follow sales, check customer transactions within various hours range, to view sale by product category, to save wastage, to carry finance audit. All these informations are relevant to Store Managers for them to pin out business requirements and customer needs, to check peak time in the store, to maximize or change product ordering, to manage wastage and monitor stock and choose whether it is necessary to reduce labour. Managers can use staff information and personal records in the work station, they can place new partners, cut off partners, manage employee records, watch employees training and process payroll. The payroll process carries over details to the support centre in order to pay partners. Store Manager and the shift supervisors can use the IRIS System to process electronic ordering for food, stationery, packaging. Hardware Example of hardware used for the computer system in Starbucks company include ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) modem and speed touch cable modem. These two are connect the Starbucks computer system to its retail network system. Wireless internet connection by T-mobile allows consumers to have the access of the available wireless network. Cisco Wireless and Cisco Routers are the type of equipment used as well. Other hardware output devices used include printers to process receipts. For security purposes, chips and pins for the payment made by credit card or debit card. A confidential security number (Pin number ) is required when making payment by either of these two cards. No signing is required. Further more, the Starbucks firm, uses Intel based systems and fast Computers. In terms of functionality, the Starbucks firm is bent on getting hardwares(PC) that have great and outstanding specifications to avoid slow down on business. A sample spec would be: A PC with 512 Memory or 1GB. And A flat screen monitor and processor speed of 2.40GHZ and a HDD of 150GB to 200GB. The company has a nac for greater heights that why its no surprise that Starbucks is doing greatly well in terms of their ability to maintain their standards. Software OS (Operating System): As we all know, the I.T age is springing forth with lots of softwares and technology all with the focus of improving the lives of humans in all ramification of life. Having said that, the Starbucks company makes use of Windows based softwares for their computers which is categorized in the hardware section. They run applications that aid their business. Example POS, Excel and others. Excel is often used for their spreadsheet needs. When it comes to system software for driving their hardwares, they run windows XP or 7. Current themes and practices This Starbucks new idea of POS was introduced earlier this year and only available in all 6,800 Starbucks stores in the United States. This process only applicable to consumers with Blackberry or iPhone. The first steps will require consumers to download the Starbucks Card Mobile Application to their phones. Once he / she enters their registered Starbucks gift cards number into their phone and when they obtained the application, the card number is automatically saved. Consumer upon arriving at Starbucks counter can just inform the employee to make payments for their order via mobile phone. He / she then opens up the Starbucks Card Mobile Applications, choose the payment screen in the application where the 2D bar code appear showing the consumers Starbucks card. When this process is completed, Starbucks employee will key in payments made by mobile phone in the P.O.S system and asked the consumer to place their phones under the customer facing imager for scanning. The 2D bar-code is de tected and treated the transactions in the likes of a giftcard, based on the normal payment verification procedures. Consumer can just enjoy their coffee once the transaction is done. However, there are some setbacks of this new P.O.S strategy implemented by Starbucks. First, not all retailers practice the use of stored value card or known as giftcard. Secondly, Starbucks focuses on potential users with key smart phones, such as iPhone and Blackberry. It only covers the consumer demographic of savvy consumers at the U.S where most the people are iPhones and Blackberry users compared to consumers in Malaysia. Not all Starbuckss mobile payments scheme is negative since this methods of payment can actually help Starbucks to cover up the cost of operational system, able to record loyalty data of consumers and balance of cash as well. Since payments are charged on the consumers giftcard, means that the 2D bar-code payment system is actually connected to the card. Besides, payment made th is way is different compared to the legislation for payment made by credit card or debit card . Evaluation: 4).Starbucks also runs a high scale of management in handling their I.T related issues. They are I.T aware such that, they have good network services. An example would be, Starbucks offers free WIFI Zone. An attraction for a customer on the move. The firm has VOIP services for communication with other chains around the globe. As we live in a net centric age, Starbucks has made it a perfect fit, to incorporate most I.T business related schemes into their business. A good analyses on this company, would however show us that Starbucks uses the I.T based things to build their customer range. It is however no secret that most competitors have based their examples on companies in the likes of Starbucks. Some practices in Starbucks, include some discount sales issued by the management. A customer however sees this as a grand opportunity to have a 50%(Percent) discount on whatever he buys and also enjoys free internet. This indeed is a wise practice. The ManagementInformation system has in many ways, made things easy for staffs. Most messages to staffs are communicated via the network. As fore mentioned, Starbucks uses intranets and internet(Voip). This helps in forwarding swift messages to workers in the company. In addition to the newest development of MIS, payments made via mobile phones currently introduced in the Unites States is also one of the best P.O.S strategies to reduce the cost of operation. This company also makes judicious use of their MIS by running web based adverts and all. The firm keeps its customers continuously aware of products and new recipes that might be tried in a given time. Thus, their market base increases undoubtedly. Marketing Analysis: Retails: Recommendation: In my opinion having patronised Starbucks from time to time, i would suggest the following: Starbucks should try in purchasing a reasonably fast internet with low traffic. They should try to maintain their hardwares and try upgrades from time to time, to avoid being left out in the dark age of slow computing. They should employ staffs that are more I.T learned to avoid difficulty in system operations. They should embrace more of touch screen services. And what i mean is, buying gadgets(hardwares) that provide self service for each customer. The MIS should continually see to it that customers are intrigued by the brilliant I.T based services that Starbucks provide thus leaving the customers spell bound to return and purchase more items . They could also provide on screen advertisements for new generation hardwares this in itself, could be an avenue for Starbucks to get paid for advertising for I.T firms in the cities and wherever . They could also make a web based system, that would enable customers to order online to ease driving out of the office at lunch. Conclusion: At this juncture, it is important that i reiterate that it is of immense importance that the MIS in Starbucks embraces more heightened technology hardwares to ease the work load and the number of staffs. We all in the world are aware of the generation of computers. This promises to be huge and phenomenal turn in every industry especially industries like Starbucks. As we see Managements improve their information systems, it would be an important part for Starbucks to play in their MIS. With an improved and well balanced MIS, Starbucks has what it takes to battle up for the future even competitors. Time is of the essence for firms like Starbucks this is because each day slips away and more upgrades are made to databases. To this end, i would beseech Starbucks, to keep up the very good work and embrace a new era of improved management systems. Thus increasing their profit base and client base.

The Elusive Form: The Use Of Female Characters In naked Nude :: essays research papers

The Elusive Form: The Use of Female Characters in "Naked Nude" Thesis and Outline: Thesis: In his picturesque short story, "The Naked Nude", Bernard Malamud uses the female characters to develop, enact, and resolve Fidelman's epiphany and to bring about the protagonist's final, artistic self-understanding. I. Introductory paragraph--statement of thesis. II. The prostitutes A. in contrast to Fidelman's initial idea of the artistic nude B. "maybe too many naked women around made it impossible to draw a nude"--establish basis of conflict within Fidelman III. Teresa A. flat, static character--functions totally as a touchstone for Fidelman B. provides Fidelman's first turn towards artistic epiphany IV. Bessie, his sister A. childhood memory brings about full epiphany V. Venus of Urbino A. aesthetic constant--she, as a painting, remains static B. Fidelman's method of viewing her evolves, providing his epiphany VI. Relationship of female characters VII. Conclusion and restatement of thesis. Bernard Malamud, a leading contemporary Jewish author, skirts between fantasy and reality in his almost allegorical short fiction, teaching the reader a lesson through coinciding elements of beauty and comedy. Venturing away from his usual, inner-city Jewish element, Malamud tackles new challenges of subject and setting in his novelistic collection of short stories, Pictures of Fidelman . Malamud develops his protagonist through a series of six, interrelated short works, each of which may function entirely independent from the others. In "The Naked Nude," for instance, Fidelman comes to a new, artistic maturity through his attempt to copy the famous painting "Venus of Urbino" by Titian Tiziano. Malamud's recurring theme of self-knowledge through suffering permeates this short work. Scarpio and Angelo, as primary antagonists, provide the bulk of this suffering for Fidelman. It is his own mental captivity concerning the female nude, however, that gives cause for Fidelman's eventual epiphany asan artist and as an individual. His relationship to the women in the work shapes his ability to capture the form of the "Venus" and to come to grips with his own self-worth. In "The Naked Nude," Bernard Malamud uses the female characters to develop, enact, and resolve Fidelman's epiphany and to bring about the protagonist's final, artistic self understanding. At the story's outset, Fidelman is forced to act as janitor and manservant to a group of ill mannered prostitutes under the employment of the padrone, Angelo. These offensive characters establish the first of a series of mental obstacles in the imprisoned protagonist's attempt to copy Titian's nude. They torment Fidelman with cynical laughter and exploit his demeaning position. His sexual insecurity is established at the beginning of the story when he ponders his violent guillotine sketch, asking "A man's head or his sex?...either case a terrible wound" (Malamud 318).

Imagine: John Lennon Essay

Considered by many as one of the greatest songs of all time, â€Å"Imagine† was performed by John Lennon in his 1971 album Imagine. It was thought that the lyrics of the song reflected solely Lennon’s hopes for a utopian world. However, the song’s refrain can be found in several of Yoko Onno’s poems written in the early1960s, before she met Lennon, and in her 1965 book Grapefruit. It was coined by Yoko Ono, in reaction to her childhood in Japan during World War II. (â€Å"Imagine: John Lennon†, 2006) The song contains a strong political message that is sugarcoated in a beautiful melody. In the book Lennon in America, written by Geoffrey Giuliano, Lennon commented the song was â€Å"an anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song, but because it’s sugar-coated, it’s accepted. † (â€Å"Imagine: John Lennon†, 2006) Lennon realized that the softer approach would bring the song to a wider audience, who hopefully would listen to his message. Lennon therefore used soft melody and easy lyrics in order to convey a much deeper meaning to more people. Lennon used empathy in his words, in his call to the people to â€Å"imagine. † He knows a world without â€Å"countries† or â€Å"religions† does not exist, but Lennon is asking the listener to take a moment and imagine what it would be like if the words in the song would ever come true, to imagine living in a utopian world and experience the peace that everyone has been longing for. Also, the lyrics imply that Lennon recognizes the suffering of other people less privileged than he is, so he empathizes with these people and â€Å"imagines† being the same as them, being in a â€Å"brotherhood of man. † And through the song, he is also asking the listener to see and feel the things that he sees and feels, and to want a better world like he does, to end all suffering and division between peoples. Such call to â€Å"imagine† also involves the sympathetic identification with the singer and the collective â€Å"us† who Lennon refers to when he sings, â€Å"You may say I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one, I hope someday you’ll join us. † He recognizes that he is not the only dreamer, that he is not the only one dreaming of a perfect place. But he also wants the listener to â€Å"join† him and the other dreamers, and be part of the collective â€Å"us† and imagine. Lennon knows that people long for peace, but these hopes for a better and ideal future have been long abandoned by many people whose lives have been tainted with negativity. But he calls out to these people and asks them to â€Å"imagine† and remember what it is like to hope again, no matter how impossible it is for the world to live as one. In identifying with Lennon and the other dreamers, their dreams become the listener’s own. That a listener realizes that their dreams are also his own, implies the existence of a social order the evils of which, if removed, would make the dream of everyone a reality. The feeling of being a part of the dream and making that dream come true reaffirms the sense of shared responsibility and the recognition that such misery in the world ought not to be. The message of the song is pure and simple, but the ideas it imparts are radical in more ways than one. It implies that religion has been nothing but destructive to human societies. It divides people into groups, feeds them with supernatural explanations and otherworldly notions of the world, gives them something to believe in and something which they fear, in order to control them and pit them against other people of another â€Å"religion†, all in the name of God. It also recognizes how countries have been divided and that many have died because of wars waged for these countries. The song also implies that want and need for the accumulation of material possessions is a cause of suffering in the world. It causes greed and hunger, a complete imbalance between those who have and those who do not. Lennon is imagining a world where people are sharing and living together, no man better then the other, a total state of equality. It is only when all people are equal, no rich or poor, where people will realize that there is no cause for division among them. When all is united, a perfect place becomes possible because one acts not for one’s own good but for the good of everybody. Many people criticize the song as a naive dream of a man far removed from reality. â€Å"But the reason critics dislike ‘Imagine’ also happens to be exactly why the song, and all such art, is necessary. It envisions, and in doing so creates, a world that we can’t in real life. † (â€Å"John Lennon and Neil Young†, n. d. ) Such grand statements of longing for world peace seems almost hypocritical to other people. But Lennon himself once said, â€Å"We are willing to become the world’s clowns if it helps spread the word for peace. † (â€Å"John Lennon and Neil Young†, n. d. ) Truly, this song is admirable simply for its capability to influence its listeners enough to pause and think about an ideal world†¦ to imagine, even for a second. WOKS CITED: â€Å"Imagine: John Lennon. † (2006, October 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 31, 2006, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Imagine:_John_Lennon â€Å"John Lennon and Neil Young. † n. d. Retrieved October 31, 2006, http://www. thrasherswheat. org/jammin/lennon. htm.

Chapters 4-6 of The Great Gatsby

Chapters 4-6 of The Great Gatsby revealed a lot about Jay Gatsby to the readers. The first thing to jump out at me was that Jay Gatsby’s real name is actually James Gatz. Also, Gatsby revealed that his parents were originally from the mid-western city of San Francisco. It became clear that Gatsby was living a life of uncertainty and that he was a mystery who chased wealth and greatness. The relationship between Gatsby and Nick changed a lot over these chapters. It is apparent that Nick lost some respect for Gatsby, once he began finding out some key details about his life and where he actually came from. When attending college, Gatsby dropped out after two weeks because he couldn’t handle the hard-working career as a janitor to support himself and make it through college. When Gatsby asks Nick to go to Coney Island, Nick declines his offer. Immediately after, Nick is asked by Gatsby to go swimming, he says that he just needs to go to bed. Now that Nick is finding out about Jay, he doesn’t really want all that much to do with him. Another developing relationship is the one between Gatsby and Daisy, who previously had a thing for each other. Despite being married, Daisy falls in love with Gatsby after Nick sets up for them to see each other in secrecy, without Tom finding out. Gatsby tells Daisy about how he always dreamt about having her love, and being together. Unfortunately for Gatsby, who wants Daisy to leave Tom, Daisy doesn’t have a good time at his next party. Tom, who doesn’t like or trust Gatsby, joined Daisy for the next party to keep an eye out. Obviously, Daisy and Gatsby were unable to connect in the way that they wanted to, and things became awkward and bad. As each chapter unfolds, we are learning more and more about Jay Gatsby, or James Gatz, and who he really is.

The importance of Spanish essays

The importance of Spanish essays What is the most important priority for students today? Many of them believe that sports and other clubs come before their academics. Sports and clubs are both equally important but a students main priority should be academics at all times. Academics are the most important thing in every persons life. How good or bad you do in school follows you for your entire life. If it wasnt so important, it wouldnt be mandatory for everyone to go. Academics are enforced first in every students life. In order to get into a good college, you have to do well on your ACT or SAT. In order to do well on these tests, you must pay attention in high school and get good grades. How well you do these four years in high school is also something that colleges use to determine if you will be accepted into their school. What college a student goes to will sometimes determine what job they will get later in life. All in all, academics are what will make or break a persons life. A person without schooling will go nowhere in life. A person who believes that academics are their main concern has the opportunity to be whatever they want later in life. Sports are an extremely important thing for students to be involved in at school. Sports not only help students keep in shape, but also help them learn life-long lessons and make school more fun. In sports you learn social skills, something that every person need in life. Athletes have to learn to be leaders, but also know how to play as a team. Teamwork is one major benefit received from being on a sport. Being able to cooperate with others is mandatory in almost any job. Responsibility can also be taught through sports. Most team members in school are looked at as role models by their peers. They must always be making responsible decisions and do well in all classes. This is where most athletes get confused with their priorities. They have t ...

Crisis Communication in oil & gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Crisis Communication in oil & gas - Essay Example 3.The main focus of the company at this stage needs to be to incorporate a crisis communication department into their system. The Director General will head the department. It will include a Manager of communication, with supporting junior staff. There will be a spokesperson, who will directly report to the Director General but will work in collaboration with Manager of communication. The other directorates will access the communication department through the Manager. 20 Crises are inevitable realities in business organisations for which the organisation management must learn to prepare. This research paper discusses the role of public relations units, with a specific focus on the oil and gas industry which plays a crucial role in the economic development of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Traditionally, most organisations use public relations at the forefront to control, manage and minimise the damage of crises to their business operations. Previous crises such as the BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill in 2010 and the Exxon oil spill of 1989 have demonstrated that Oil and Gas companies are not always transparent and they often experience great communication difficulties when crises occur. This study examines the significance of public relations activities in crisis management in the Oil & Gas industry in general and in the UAE in particular. It reviews four major Oil & Gas operators in the UAE that have faced crises recently. Those companies engage over 3000 employees, excluding contractors, and operate in more than 20 fields across the country. Using structured interviews and data analysis this study research discusses their crisis management philosophy, their systems and procedures, and how these are communicated and makes recommendations for improvements. According to the Webster New Collegiate Dictionary, a crisis is defined as ‘an unstable or crucial state or state of affairs whose outcome will make a decisive

4 Blog posts for my business website. It's related to wedding industry Essay

4 Blog posts for my business website. It's related to wedding industry - Essay Example Customs dictate that they send out written announcements telling people about your engagement. These days they can make your announcements personally by making phone calls and sending emails. There is of course a much more convenient way to go about things. Sending out formal engagement announcement cards is a practical option which in cases of a long engagement should only be sent out to the people you want to invite to the wedding. Ordinarily the parents of the bride send out the announcement cards though couples have been known to send out their own cards as well. The writing on the cards is straightforward, never revealing where or when the wedding is going to be. Even if some brides see the tradition of newspaper announcements for their engagement or their wedding as a relic of the past. The difference between the two announcements is that engagement announcements quite a while before the wedding while the wedding announcement is printed a little afterwards. There is no denying that such announcements can have great sentimental value, especially for parents and grandparents who love the idea. Even if you’re not really interested in getting both your names printed in the paper, it’s better to just make them happy and save your energy for the battles ahead. If you really are not into getting it done just send your parents who want it published a picture and let them do the hard work for you. The best part is that you can choose any paper that works for you. You can either get the announcement published in the paper in your local hometown even if you haven’t been there in a while or you can even get it printed in the local paper which delivers right to your door. Of course it’s best to check each the requirements of each paper on their website. They can detail your names and occupations as well as the same for your parents. There is also a photograph in