Disabled by Wilfred Owen and Whos for the game by Jessie Pope Essay Example

Disabled by Wilfred Owen and Whos for the game by Jessie Pope Essay The two poems I have chosen are Disabled by Wilfred Owen and Whos for the game by Jessie Pope. Both Poems are set around the war but they show very different perspectives. In Disabled, Owen tells the story of a young man from the Scottish Regiment who was a fellow patient in the hospital Owen was sent to after suffering from shell shock. Owen was very disillusioned with the idea of war and wrote to show people the truth and obliterate the image of war created by propaganda. Pope was a member of the White Feather Brigade, as they were known. Women who felt it was their duty to their country to send their men to war. Any woman who was seen out with a man not in uniform was labelled a traitor; men who did not join up were presented with white feathers as a symbol of their cowardice. Popes work was much a piece of the propaganda Owen was standing up against. She was calling the men of Britain to arms. The first thing to strike the reader would be the difference in mood between the two pieces; Owens work is melancholy the tale of one man contemplating his wasted life. In the second line he talks of his ghastly suit of grey, this could refer to his demob suit or more likely the mood of the subject. Whereas Popes poem is very light almost like a song, the language is simple in order to reach a wider audience. We will write a custom essay sample on Disabled by Wilfred Owen and Whos for the game by Jessie Pope specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Disabled by Wilfred Owen and Whos for the game by Jessie Pope specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Disabled by Wilfred Owen and Whos for the game by Jessie Pope specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The boy in Disabled is looking back at his vanity with regret. He appears to spend his time waiting for each day to end as if he was just waiting to die. He hears children at play they only serve as a reminder of what he has lost; he was little more than a child when he joined the war. As evening draws in he remembers the way the town came to life at night, again this is painful he will never again come to life and dance and be happy. Pope refers to the war as a game and a fight, this could be interpreted as a call to children, which indeed happened, the character in disabled admits that he was underage when he enlisted, no-one seemed to care. They just smiled and wrote his lie. The two poems also refer to sport although in different ways. Pope asks who wants a turn in the show and mentions those who do not join in as being left in the stands possibly the football stands for spectators. In the fourth and sixth stanza Owen refers to his subjects love of football. How he was carried off the field victorious with a wound to the leg. The fact that he was also carried off the battlefield with leg injuries, but this time he lost his limbs suggests that Pope is wrong to belittle war and its horrors war is not a game and it certainly is not childs play. Pope is asking her audience to see the war as glamorous which indeed is what Owens character did he admits to enlisting to impress, he wanted to attract the girls. He was told he would look good in uniform, he speaks of his good looks, of his vanity. At this point he had no fear, he had no cares he was not afraid of anything. He wanted the fame and the glamour that people like Pope were offering. He didnt think about the people he would be fighting against. He had nothing personal against them they were just enemy. Pope uses personification to refer to Britain as a woman. Indeed she is asking the men to join up and protect her as a man should protect his woman. An act of chivalry! Pope is taunting the men, if they do not enlist and fight for their country they are not men, they are cowards. At the end of the poem when she asks if they will stand and bite their thumbs, it may be suggested that she is likening them to babies sucking their thumbs. Pope mentions a crutch as if it may be a souvenir, one could be forgiven for wondering how the boy in disabled might feel hearing this, he has his souvenir of war. A suit without legs which has the sleeves sewn short at the elbow. He threw his limbs and his life away for his country, as did so many others. He did as he was asked what has he got to show for it? Pope uses repetition in the second stanza to emphasise the fact that their country needed help she needed men in the ranks, Pope questions the men and boys repeatedly as if waiting for an answer. Pope mentions the celebrations as the boys are sent off. Owens boy knew all about that but the return was very different. He went away a young boy and returned an old man, he will never be whole, or have his independence. All he will have is a few more years spent in institutions while he waited to die, with women looking at him in pity. He will never have the pleasure of a woman, he will not be the one taking women to his bed, he will be relying on the women to put him to bed. In her work Pope is shouting out to the people to come join in with the fun, she is calling out for patriotism asking the men to lay down their lives for their country and asking the women to send their husbands and sons. She is speaking to them colloquially, using their language and challenging them. The poem is written very simplistically using phrases and terms that attract all, in particular the younger generation. The phrase up to her neck is a slang term, which as well as using personification is a more graphic description than to give exact details of where the war is up to at that moment. It may be suggested that Pope was a very persuasive woman who did a great deal to help the war effort and send men cheerfully to their death, which is possibly why men like Owen felt the need to stand up and have their story heard. Owen does not attempt to spare the feelings of the reader his intention is to shock. He wants the people to know the truth; it may be argued that he felt a responsibility to the youth of his country to let them know what they were in for. War was not all cheering and shouting as Pope suggested. War was horrific, it took lives and the lives that were spared would never be the same again.

Timeline of Canadas 1970 October Crisis

Timeline of Canadas 1970 October Crisis In October 1970, two cells of the Front de Libà ©ration du Quà ©bec (FLQ), a revolutionary organization promoting an independent and socialist Quebec, kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross and Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte. Armed forces were sent into Quebec to help the police and the federal government invoked the War Measures Act, temporarily suspending civil liberties. Key Events of the October Crisis of  1970 Here is a timeline of the key events during the October Crisis. October 5, 1970British Trade Commissioner James Cross was kidnapped in Montreal, Quebec. Ransom demands from the Liberation cell of the FLQ included the release of 23 political prisoners, $500,000 in gold, broadcast, and publication of the FLQ Manifesto, and an aircraft to take the kidnappers to Cuba or Algeria. October 6, 1970Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa agreed that decisions on the FLQ demands would be made jointly by the federal government and the Quebec provincial government. The FLQ Manifesto, or excerpts of it, was published by several newspapers. Radio station CKAC received threats that James Cross would be killed if FLQ demands were not met. October 7, 1970Quebec Justice Minister Jerome Choquette said he was available for negotiations. The FLQ Manifesto was read on CKAC radio. October 8, 1970The FLQ Manifesto was read on the CBC French network Radio-Canada. October 10, 1970The Chenier cell of the FLQ kidnapped Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte. October 11, 1970Premier Bourassa received a letter from Pierre Laporte pleading for his life. October 12, 1970The Army was sent in to guard Ottawa. October 15, 1970The Quebec government invited the Army into Quebec to help local police. October 16, 1970Prime Minister Trudeau announced the proclamation of the War Measures Act, emergency legislation dating from World War I. October 17, 1970The body of Pierre Laporte was found in the trunk of a car at the airport in St.-Hubert, Quebec. November 2, 1970The Canadian federal government and the Quebec provincial government together offered a reward of $150,000 for information leading to the arrest of the kidnappers. November 6, 1970Police raided the hideout of the Chenier cell and arrested Bernard Lortie. Other cell members escaped. November 9, 1970The Quebec Justice Minister asked for the Army to stay in Quebec for another 30 days. December 3, 1970James Cross was released after police discovered where he was being held and the FLQ were given assurance of their safe passage to Cuba. Cross had lost weight but said he was not physically mistreated. December 4, 1970Federal Justice Minister John Turner said the exiles to Cuba would be for life. Five FLQ members received passage to Cuba - Jacques Cossette-Trudel, Louise Cossette-Trudel, Jacques Lanctà ´t, Marc Carbonneau and Yves Langlois. They later moved to France. Eventually, all returned to Canada and served short jail terms for kidnapping. December 24, 1970Troops were withdrawn from Quebec. December 28, 1970Paul Rose, Jacques Rose, and Francis Simard, the remaining three members of the Chenier cell, were arrested. With Bernard Lortie, they were charged with kidnapping and murder. Paul Rose and Francis Simard later received life sentences for murder. Bernard Lortie was sentenced to 20 years for kidnapping. Jacques Rose was initially acquitted but later convicted of being an accessory and sentenced to eight years in prison. February 3, 1971A report from Justice Minister John Turner on the use of the War Measures Act said 497 people were arrested. Of these, 435 were released, 62 were charged, 32 without bail. July 1980A sixth person, Nigel Barry Hamer, was charged in the kidnapping of James Cross. He was later convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail.

International Culture and the Impact on Approaches to Managing People Literature review

International Culture and the Impact on Approaches to Managing People - Literature review Example From the data he gathered, he defined five critical dimensions that are important in understanding the cultural setting of a foreign market. Over the years, advances in research have made Hofstede’s cultural framework questionable. This paper will discuss the five dimensions and offer a critique of each dimension. Proponents of Hofstede’s framework have highlighted that it has a measure of relevance. Notably, that Hofstede’s cultural framework presents some appealing characteristics to some researchers. The fact that the cultural framework emerged when minimal data existed concerning the effect of culture to businesses makes Hofstede’s work outstanding. Moreover, during that time, there were minimal scholarly studies and the fact that Hofstede relied on one to develop his cultural framework made his work appealing (Blodgett, Bakir, & Rose 2008, p. 340). Moreover, he carried out several systematic studies with the same purpose of understanding how different societies held different cultural views. Finally, he combined data from all his studies and developed the dimensions of his cultural framework. One of the underlying factors that contribute to questioning of Hofstede’s framework is the definition of culture. Notably, exists is no specific definition of culture that has received acceptance from different scholars. There are numerous definitions of culture and the relevance of any cultural theory depends on the definition of culture used by the scholar. According to Hofstede, culture denotes â€Å"a collective programming evident in the mind† of individuals, belonging to a certain group, and that makes them different from other groups. Therefore, Hofstede developed his cultural framework based on the definition of culture as mental programming comprising of thoughts and feelings that determined how members of a certain group act. The reason why

Synthesizing two books regarding business Essay - 1

Synthesizing two books regarding business - Essay Example Managers are directed by professional and technical competence while leaders should be drivers for change and capable of inspiring people to greatness by converting talent to competence. He seeks to answer questions such as; What is the difference between leaders and managers? and What drives great leaders to their success? On the other hand, Sun Tzu’s â€Å"Art of War† explores the subject of war, which is not particularly different from the contemporary business environment. He focuses on the importance of strategy and effective leadership in war and tries to answer questions like; When is it worth going to war or making peace? He proposes that one must understand their enemy and like Buckingham, he talks about leveraging on ones strengths to ensure they get the upper hand. However, his methods tend to be rather Machiavellian, as he advocates deception where necessary if it aids one’s side achieve victory. According to the art of war, a great leader will know his strengths and weakness as well as those of the enemy (Tzu 50). Therefore, he will leverage on his knowledge to both take advantage of the battle and assume control over the environment subsequently securing victory. Admittedly, given that people who lived centuries apart wrote these books, they have little in common in respect to the cultural or even social experience. Nonetheless, from a business perspective, distinct similarities emerge in the underlying themes that both authors express in their works. Both books are focused on achieving victory; while the art of war is a military book it has been used by business students for hundreds of years because of its timeless and effective lessons. It advocates leveraging on ones strengths and the weakness of the enemy, which is essentially the same idea proposed by Buckingham. In Buckingham book, he proposes that great leaders must strive to understand their

Luther Against the Peasants forum 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Luther Against the Peasants forum 11 - Essay Example e peasants turned to violence and instigated the German peasant war that caused massive destruction of property and loss of lives, Luther justifiably became angry and rebuked the peasants the best way he could. He adopted the harsh stance since it was the only way of he could express his feelings about the violence. Additionally, his close relationship with the peasants led the prince to believe that he masterminded the revolution. The harsh stance was therefore a personal way of distancing himself from the revolution. This stance does not change my views of Luther. As explained earlier, my experience of Martin Luther is that he loves peace and diplomacy. Luther often represented the weak in the society. The weak and vulnerable population in a society lacked any military strength with which to engage in revolutions. As such, in case of any armed revolution, his people would always suffer massive losses. As a result, Luther often encouraged peaceful ways of resolving issues. The same was the case with the peasants since he had encouraged them to seek peaceful ways of resolving their concerns. He therefore rebuked the peasants for disobeying his

Prevention of Nozzle Clogging in Continuous Casting of Steel

Prevention of Nozzle Clogging in Continuous Casting of Steel Prevention Of Nozzle Clogging In The Continuous Casting Of Steel There have been four documented causes for nozzle clogging in continuous casting steels; build up de-oxidations such as Al2O3 (1), solid steel build up, buildup of complex oxides such as spinels, and the buildup of reaction products such as CaS (4). While some causes are more detrimental than others, all are a problem. Different steels will yield a different potential nozzle clogging cause (3), for example, a re-sulfurized free machining steel is going to have much more of an issue with the formation of calcium sulfides than spinels. No matter what cause is all nozzle clogging can be detrimental to a continuous casting process. Looking at Figure 1, it is easy to see how the deposit of clogging material on the side walls of the nozzle can cause irregular flow from the tundish into the mold. Irregular flow through a tundish nozzle enhances the probability of generating a number of quality defects such as re-oxidation of the steel and slag entrapment (4). Nozzle clogging also affects pr oductivity in that less steel is able to be cast because of the blockage in the nozzle. In simple business terms, less steel equals less profit. Another thing to consider is the life of the tundish is often limited to the life of the nozzle due to clogging. If nozzle clogging can be controlled enough to extend the nozzle life even one or two heats longer, that results in substantial process cost savings. The most effective way to prevent, or at least lessen, nozzle clogging in the continuous casting of steels is to modify the inclusions in the steel to a liquid rather than a solid at steel casting temperatures (2). This is typically done by the addition of calcium to the steel at the end of the steel refining process. Looking at Figure 2, a pure Al2O3 inclusions liquidus temperature is considerably higher than that of steel casting temperatures, and that by adding the right amount of calcium to the inclusions in the steel the inclusions liquidus temperature can potentially be lowered to below steel casting temperatures (12CaO.7Al2O3). Calcium is typically added to the melt one of three ways; by CaSi powder, CaSi wire, or calcium injection with argon. CaSi powder has the poorest recovery because calciums vapor temperature is lower than steel making temperatures (5). Therefore by simply throwing calcium powder on top of the melt, the majority of the calcium will vaporize into a gas and leave the system without being absorbed into the steel. Figure 3 shows the vapor temperature for calcium related to depth into the steel melt and we can see that the deeper into the melt the calcium is able to get (i.e. the greater the pressure) the higher the vapor temperature is for calcium (5). This is the basis by which CaSi wire is used. CaSi wire is a steel wire shell packed with calcium as the core. As the wire is injected into the melt the calcium is protected by the steel shell from melting and not exposed to the high melt temperatures until deep enough into the melt to provide enough pressure to avoid the calcium from vapori zing. Calcium injection uses this same principle by sticking a lance into the melt deep enough to avoid vaporization and blows calcium into the melt by the use of inert argon. Its one thing to make inclusions liquid and its a completely different challenge to keep it liquid throughout the entire casting process. This is often the difficult aspect of nozzle clogging prevention given that all of your incluions modification control is performed at the LMF or degasser and not at the caster. One thing many steel producers will try to do is reduce the number of incluions present in the steel during the casting process (2). The easiest thing to do in lowering the number onf inclusions in the steel is to increase ths size of the inlucions. By Stokes law, larger inclusions will have a greater upward velocity out of the steel and into the slag thus not being cast through the nozzle. Another practice steel producers use to reduce inclusionon counts in their steel is to have proper geometry in the tundish as the caster. By adding tundish components such as dams and weirs (shown in Figure 4) inclusion flow can be directed to give optimum exposure to the slag(4). Weirs a used to direct steel flow down where as dams are to direct flow upwards. By having two sets of weir-dam combinations between the ladle shroud and nozzle, the inclusions in the steel are exposed to the tundish slag all while maintaining minimum turbulance (5). Unfortunatily not all inclusions in the steel can be removed and therefore the remaining inclusions must remain liquid through the nozzle to prevent clogging. To achieve this it is curtial that the steel is protected from re-oxidation from atmospheric oxygen (2). To ensure this many tools are used. Starting from the ladle, a ladle shroud is used from the ladle to tundish in order to funnel the liquid steel from the ladle to under the slag layer in the tudish (Figure 4). An impact pad is often used as shown in Figure 4, to reduce the turbulance in the tundish (5). Increased turbulance can disrupt the slag surface in the tundish as expose the liquid steel to the amtosphere causing re-oxidation and possibily slag entrapment. To help prevent steel -slag interaction,baffles are often used (Figure 5) which slows down steel flow but also allows steel to flow through the holes. In order to prevent the steel exposed to the surface from re-oxidizing tundish fluxes are used to act as a protecti nve barrier between the steel and atmopshere as shown in Figure 6 (2). Tundish refactories must also be considered to ensure no or very little reaction occures between the steel and refactory occurs (2). If it were to occur and solid inclusions percipitate in the steel, all the effort put forth into the steel up until the point could be usless. Once the steel is secure in the tundish one more step is required and that is to get the steel through the nozzle and into the mold. Just as in the tundish, re-oxidation of the steel and any negative reaction between the nozzle refractory and steel must be avoided. To ensure this, typically submerged entry nozzles or submerged entry shrouds are used as the nozzle which will provide a barrier between the steel and atmosphere all the way into the mold. Typically made of alumina graphite, the added graphite prevents wetting of the inclusions onto the nozzle walls (4). Argon purging in various parts of the side walls of the nozzle are also often used to separate any would be oxygen from the steel. In conclusion, preventing nozzle clogging is not successfully completed by one simple action but rather many actions working together: inclusion count reduction, inclusion modification by the use of calcium, protecting from re-oxidation of the steel, proper tundish geometry, and proper tundish and nozzle refractories (2). While the concept of making only liquid inclusions appears simple in application, it can be rather difficult to maintain these liquid inclusions throughout the entire casting process. Sources Cited 1. Zhang, Lifeng; Thomas, Brian; Inclusions in Continuous Casting of Steel. Nationals Steelmaking Symposium. Mich, Mexico. November 2003. page 138-183. 2. Alekseenko, A.A. Problems of Nozzle Clogging during Continous casting of an Aluminum-Killed Low-Carbon Low-Silicon Steel. Russian Metallurgy, Vol. 2007. page 634-637. 3. Girase, N.U. Development of indices of quantification of nozzle clogging dujring continuous slab casting. Iron and Steelmaking. Vol. 34; No. 6. 2007. page 506-512. 4. Zhang, Lifeng, Wand, Yufeng, and Zuo, Xianjmun. Flow Transport and Inclusion Motion in Steel Continuous-Casting Mold under Submerged Entry Nozzle Clogging Condition. Metallurgical and Materials Transaction. Vol. 39B. August 2008. page 534-550 5. The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, 11th Edition Casting Volume; AISE Steel Foundation. Pittsburg, PA. Copy Right 2003

Dehumanization in The Women Who Clean Fish Essay -- Women Who Clean Fi

Dehumanization in The Women Who Clean Fish Erica Funkhouser's women who clean fish can hardly be categorized as women at all. Yet they supposedly are all named Rose or Grace forming a vast contradiction in itself. They are introduced as individuals giving the illusion that they are of some importance but very soon they are seen as nothing more than laborers. They become an unidentifiable mass, each as common as the next. However, they do not remain unidentifiable forever and by the end of the poem the women become entirely fishlike. "The Women Who Clean Fish" illustrates this dehumanizing transformation into fish. The names Rose and Grace do not fit into this poem because of the context in which they are used. When the word "rose" is seen or heard it is the illustration of an elegant flower at the end of a long slender stem, adorned with delicate petals that is clearly visible and an instant picture of beauty comes to mind. By definition, grace means "a virtue that comes from God." Immediately an angelic, classy woman by the name of Grace is pict...

Case Study – Nike: Spreading Out to Stay Together

Case Study: Amazon: Nike: Spreading Out to Stay Together Nike, Inc. is an American  multinational corporation  that is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. The company is headquartered near  Beaverton, Oregon, in the  Portland metropolitan area. It is the world's leading supplier of  athletic shoes  and  apparel  and a major manufacturer of  sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$24. 1  billion in its fiscal year 2012 (ending May 31, 2012). As of 2012, it employed more than 44,000 people worldwide. The brand alone is valued at $10. Billion making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses. Nike and  Precision Castparts  are the only  Fortune 500  companies headquartered in the state of Oregon, according to  The Oregonian. The company was founded on January 25, 1964 as  Blue Ribbon Sports  by  Bill Bowerman  and  Phil Knight,  and offic ially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1978. The company takes its name from  Nike  the Greek goddess of victory. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro,  Nike+,  Air Jordan,  Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including  Cole Haan,  Hurley International,  Umbro  and  Converse.Nike also owned Bauer Hockey (later renamed  Nike Bauer) between 1995 and 2008. In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world, with the highly recognized trademarks of â€Å"Just Do It† and the  Swooshlogo. Discussion Questions: 1. When Nike CEO Phil Knight stepped down and handed his job to Bill Perez, he stayed on as chairman of the board. In what ways could Knight’s continued presence on the board have created an informal structure that prevented Perez from achieving full and complete leaders hip of Nike?Answer: Informal structures are the shadow organization that represents the actual working and communication relationships that may not resemble the formal organizational chart. When knight remained on the board, old communication relationships may have survived his departure from the CEO position, cutting Perez off from valuable information. Knight’s access to the informal communication network may have worked to spread rumors to Knight and back down the communication chain. These rumors may have contained inaccurate information, caused resistance to change and distracted members from their work.This may have reinforced Perez’s position as an outsider. 2. How can Nike utilize both traditional and newer organization structures to support the firm’s heavy strategic commitment to outsourcing? Answer: Network structures use information technology (IT) to link with networks of outside suppliers and service contractors. This outlines Nike’s efforts to outsource many nonexecutive responsibilities to reduce overhead. In addition to outsourcing production, the research and marketing business centers listed in the case could be part of a network structure.Other functions may include design, advertising, licensing, compliance sports and entertainment marketing. 3. Given the problems Nike has had with sweatshop labour being used in some of its foreign contractors, are there subsystems of the firm that need to be run with a mechanistic rather than organic design? Give examples to support your answer. Answers: Mechanistic designs are highly centralized and bureaucratic with an emphasis on command and control. This might suggest that mechanistic designs are appropriate for manufacturing in foreign countries.Organic designs are adaptive, decentralized and tend to respond to change more quickly. This would probably be a good fit for an organization that has far flung operations in different countries with different cultures that try to respond to rapidly changing technology, fashion, customer demands and economic conditions. Nike’s manufacturing subsystem should be run with mechanistic rather than organic so as to protect the image brand and its original designs. The design should be utmost unique and further differentiated, not conforming to culture.Design is could be one competitive advantage so it is important that the manufacturing of the products are conformed to the original ideas of the maker, uninfluenced by any other factors involved in its manufacturing process. Example of this idea is the use of differentiation strategy of companies to gain competitive advantage. 4. Further Research—Gather information on Nike’s recent moves and accomplishments, and those of its rival Adidas. Are both firms following the same strategies and using the same structures to support them? Or, is one doing something quite different from the other?Based on what you learn, what do you predict for the future? Will Nike stay on top, or is Adidas the next industry leader? The advertising strategy differs from company to company. Generally, Nike believes in spending 5-7% of its revenues in advertising and endorsement. Nike has planned to spend $4. 2 Billion until 2014 for endorsements alone. With the huge size of Nike, it is tough for other companies to allocate a big amount for their marketing expenses. Moreover, Nike has always an edge when it comes to advertising and marketing. The table below shows the advertising strategy for the major players in the industry.Company| Strategy| Nike| * Endorsing Athletes * Sponsoring Sports events * City based advertisements * Banners ; Billboards * Themes on bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in world| Adidas, Reebok| * Sponsoring Sports events * Endorsing Athletes * Themes on improving performance of every athlete in the world | Puma| * Mixing influence of sports, lifestyle ; fashion * Puma concept retail stores * Puma fashion shows * New stuff advertising campaigns * Building seasonal momentum during holiday seasons| Other companies| * Minimal or less advertising based on stores|Nike has invested a lot so far in developing a premium brand that implies high quality and care for the customer. Nike has a wide range of products ranging from athletics to life style and also in different price ranges. Therefore, it is always a challenge to fight against brand dilution within Nike. The following gives an idea of the customer’s perception of the brands. Company| Branding message and strategy| Nike| Athletic, Influential, Outgoing, Aggressive, hi tech, futuristic, retro cool American way of living Associated with Athletes at top of their sportTo bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in world| Adidas, Reebok| Clear, orderly, Practical, hi tech, Sophisticated, Sincere Conservative European style To improve performance of every athlete in the world Associated with elite soccer players/teams, NBA stars, Hip hop artists| Puma| Elegant, colorful, fresh, spontaneous, individual, metropolitan, international Mixing influence of sports, lifestyle ; fashion Fashion brand, performance ; casual footwear, fringe, extreme sports| Other companies| Based on their product lines. Generally not a strong brand message|In general, Nike’s shoes are associated to be of high quality and stylish. Reebok’s are comfortable and casual, and the Adidas brand boasts superior performance and is â€Å"perceived as a professional, technically orientated brand with strong European roots. Nike fields some of the best in class technological practices and has a few patents to its credit. Nike emphasizes on these and has developed a lot of new products with use of high technology and sophistication. An example of that is the microprocessor shoe to give great experience and comfort to the customer.However, Adidas is also working on high tech innovations to provide high quality shoes. Lately, Adidas and Nike have been doing entertainment based marketing campaign by forming alliances with technology/entertainment companies. Nike had an alliance with Apple to sell Nike shoes with Apple iPods while Adidas tied up with Microsoft to sell Adidas goods with Microsoft Xbox gaming systems. So far the success of these alliances is yet to be quantified. Nike follows a 100% outsourcing strategy. Most competitors follow the outsourcing strategy.Exceptions to this are New Balance and other smaller players. New Balance claims that 75% of its production is from the US and other small companies produce in the US as well. In general, Nike might still be the industry leader if it compensates its weaknesses in organizational structures with different strategies such as focusing on innovation and development, following differentiation and pricing-based strategies, and investing on sustainability research. References: http://www. nike. com/ph http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nike,_Inc. http://www. scribd . com/doc/91701683/Case-Study

How to Get a Law Education Online for Cheap

How to Get a Law Education Online for Cheap Would you like to earn an online law degree from the comfort of your own home? It’s not easy, but it is possible. Earning an online law degree poses several unique challenges. No online law school is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and  49 states require that law school graduates earn a degree accredited by the ABA in order to take the bar exam needed to practice law. California is the one state that allows graduates from distance learning law schools to sit for the  bar exam, though the examinees must meet certain requirements. If you live in California, or if you’re willing to relocate, you may be able to become a practicing lawyer with an online law degree. Once youve worked as a lawyer for a few years, you may even be able to practice law in other states. Earning an Online Law Degree and Practicing Law in California In order to take the California Bar Exam, students must meet certain requirements set by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. There are seven steps to becoming an accredited lawyer. Complete your pre-legal education. Most law students have already completed a bachelor’s degree. California’s minimum requirement is that students complete at least two years of college-level work (60 semester credits) with a GPA equal to or above that required for graduation. Students can also demonstrate that they have the intellectual ability of a second-year college student by passing certain examinations accepted by the Committee.Complete your legal education. Online law students may sit for the California Bar Exam  once they have completed 864 hours of study for each year through a correspondence program that is registered with the Committee.  The Committee does not accredit online law schools; instead, it allows distance learning schools to register with the Committee if the schools meet certain requirements. Because the Committee won’t vouch for the quality of these programs, it is essential to thoroughly investigate any online law school before enrol ling. The State Bar of California provides a list of the schools currently registered with the Committee. Register as a law student. Before taking any examinations, online law students must register with the State Bar of California. This may be done online through the  Office of Admissions.Pass the First-Year Law Student’s Examination. Students must pass a four-hour test covering basic contracts, criminal law, and torts (concepts that are taught during a law student’s first year of study). The exam is administered in June and October of each year.Receive a positive moral character determination. All California lawyers must first prove that they have â€Å"good moral character† by undergoing an evaluation by  the Committee. You will be asked to provide information, fingerprints, and references. The Committee will talk to your former employers, your online law school, and will check for driving and criminal records. The entire process can take four to six months, so get an early start.Pass the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination. This two-hour-and-f ive-minute exam will test your understanding of appropriate lawyer conduct. You will answer sixty multiple-choice questions regarding representation, privilege, contempt, and related issues. The exam is offered three times a year. Pass the Bar Exam. Finally, after completing your online law degree and fulfilling the other requirements, you may take the California Bar Exam. The bar exam is offered in February and July of each year and includes three days of essay questions, multi-state components, and practical exercises. Once you pass the bar, you are eligible to practice law in California. Practicing Law in Other States Once you’ve used your online law degree to practice law in California for a few years, you may be able to work as a lawyer in other states. Many states will permit California lawyers to take their state bar exams after five to seven years of practicing law. Another option is to enroll in a Master of Law program accredited by the American Bar Association. Such programs take only one or two years to complete and will allow you to qualify to take the bar exam in other states. The Drawbacks of Earning an Online Law Degree Earning an online law degree can be an appealing option for professionals with existing work and family responsibilities. However, there are several drawbacks to studying law online. If you plan to practice law, you will probably be limited to working in California for several years. Additionally, law firms will know that your online law degree is not accredited by the American Bar Association. You should not expect to be a contender for the most prestigious, highest-paying jobs. If you choose to pursue an online law degree, do so with realistic expectations. Studying law online is not for everyone, but for the right person, it can be a worthwhile experience.

Essay on CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGY AND CONTACT PLAN FOR ORANGE part 2

Essay on CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGY AND CONTACT PLAN FOR ORANGE part 2 Essay on CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGY AND CONTACT PLAN FOR ORANGE part 2 Essay on CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGY AND CONTACT PLAN FOR ORANGE part 2Essay on CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGY AND CONTACT PLAN   FOR ORANGE part  1Question 2. Explain how to develop a customer contact plan in order to avoid losing customers considering the different market conditions in European markets.Orange is a large telecommunications provider offering internet services, fixed and mobile telephony and IPTV. The company’s customer base is very diverse, as Orange operates in 30 countries and has more than 230 million customers (Baines Fill 2014). The company is headquartered in Paris, France but its services are offered at the international level. Major regions of operation are Europe and Africa (Baines Fill 2014). Strategic objectives of Orange are to strengthen its core network offer and to add innovative services to achieve growth in order to expand the company’s market share.It is currently important for Orange to increase customer retention. Currently the c ompany’s approach to managing customer lifecycle includes three stages – welcome, grow and keep (Baines Fill 2014). Yet the impact of financial crisis in European countries led to the increase of involuntary churn for customers who are unable to pay their bills. In this context, it is difficult to simply â€Å"keep† a customer because customers experience financial hardships (Baines Fill 2014). The lack of a consistent customer contact strategy in Orange leads to the outflow of customers to other competitors and increases customer churn. Therefore, Orange should develop a consistent contact plan for its customers aimed at increasing customer retention.In terms of developing a customer contact plan, Orange should first of all determine its approach to marketing its services at international level. There are four key approaches to international market development – ethnocentric approach, polycentric, regional and geocentric approach (Payne Frow 2013). Et hnocentric approach focuses on the national market, polycentric approach views every market as a separate environment, regional approach is based on grouping countries into specific groups and targeting the regions, while geocentric approach views all target markets as a unified global market (Payne Frow 2013).Currently Orange has elements of ethnocentric approach (some key assumptions such as customer service use patterns are taken from national experience) combined with polycentric approach (customer retention strategy is standardized across Europe). It is recommended for Orange to switch to regional approach and to group European countries according to their financial health, borrowing culture and to the degree of reaction to financial crisis. For example, one group of countries might include stable and healthy economies which did not suffer significantly from financial crisis (e.g. France or Germany) and another group might include countries in which the purchasing ability of c ustomers was notably affected by the financial crisis, e.g. Spain and Romania.Research pertaining to customer retention in telecommunications shows that companies are switching from customer acquisition to customer retention due to competition and market saturation. Furthermore, according to Baines and Fill (2014), it is essential for telecommunications companies to focus on customer value and customer preferences. Kestnbaum, Kestnbaum Ames (1998) identified the following motivators of customer retention in telecommunications: customer service quality, phone/internet service quality and phone/internet plan quality. More recent findings also indicate that it is essential to optimize customer plans. Wong (2010) found that telecommunications customers often have difficulties predicting their usage needs and requirements, and tend to choose plans that are not optimal for them. Furthermore, Wong (2010) found that helping customers optimize their plans notably decreases churn rate and im proves customer retention.Therefore, to build a successful customer contact plan, Orange should analyze the needs of its customers as well as customer contact preferences, and to help customers optimize their plans according to their needs and financial position. The first step in creating such contact plan will be collecting customer information and dividing customers into categories using typical customer profiles (Pourasghar 2009). Key customer profiles might be: brand advocates (trusted customers actively supporting the brand), loyal customers (those who purchase regularly but do not take active part in brand promotion), average customers (make purchases from time to time), switchers (non-loyal customers who prefer discounted purchases), difficult customers (customers who have low satisfaction and have a lot of complaints), adversaries (those who are dissatisfied and spread negative information about the brand) and new customers (Kumar Reinartz 2012). Customer profiles should b e matched against country groups with different financial position. The combinations of customer and country profiles should be used for identifying the steps for customer contact plan.For each of the above-mentioned categories, it is necessary to develop a specific communication strategy to increase customer retention. For brand advocates, it is recommended to offer loyalty bonuses, access to new technologies and offers for free, advanced plans, etc. For loyal customers, such contacts as service news, account upgrade options and account optimization services can be offered. For â€Å"average† customers it is best to contact them with new offers, bundles, announces of new technologies and to provide them with exceptional customer support ready to explain and compare existing offers.For switchers, it might be efficient to suggest loyalty bonuses and to focus their attention on economic offers and bundles. Family options and group purchase options might also increase retention for such customers. Providing discounts for reviewing the company’s products and services might also encourage these customers to establish a better relationship with the company. For difficult customers, it is recommended to assign personal customer support workers who would help them and resolve their issues. Similar approach might be used for adversaries; furthermore, it might be beneficial to offer them a discount or free service for switching from competitors (assuming that the negative issues they disliked could be eliminated). For new customers, it would be best to offer a short survey of their preferences and interests, and then to suggest personalized services and plans according to survey results.Furthermore, it is essential to optimize the ways of contacting customers (Gillgan Wilson 2012). There are customers who prefer being contacted by email and those who prefer calling (Wong 2010). Additional methods of contacting customers are text messages, regular mail, me ssages in social networks, etc. (Gillgan Wilson 2012). For each customer, it is necessary to keep the preferred contact channels in customer profile and to use these channels. For the group of countries which were more significantly affected by financial crisis, more economic offers, discounted offers and options for paying by installments should be offered. For Orange, it might also be efficient to analyze the patterns of service use for all customers, to identify customers with low plan use rates and to suggest optimized plans to such customers. Using these recommendations, Orange would be able to create an efficient customer contact plan and increase customer retention.

Save students money Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Save students money - Assignment Example The author believes that such a change, if brought about would be potentially disastrous as it would lead to printed textbooks becoming obsolete. In my opinion, such a change is unfavorable for students as using e-books would be inconvenient for them and for some, would be more expensive then purchasing textbooks. The proponents of introduction of e-books as required reading in colleges and universities include the college officials and some important textbook companies such as McGraw Hill and John Wiley and sons, amongst others, as Jeffrey Young points out in this article. These parties propose including a fixed mandatory fee per course in the tuition fee for providing the e-books to the students. Some of the colleges such the Daytona State College have already adopted this change while others like Indiana University are still in the experimental phase. The college officials believe that e-books would be cheaper for the students, if they are purchased in bulk by the college and prov ided to the students at a subsidized rate. Moreover, the publishing industry believes that such a change would help in reducing the rates of digital piracy. Thus, such a collaboration is thought to benefit all parties, viz. the students, the colleges and the publishing companies.

Business and cultural differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business and cultural differences - Essay Example But this expansion also needs to recognize the culture of the people. The way the people dress, different ways for analyzing problems and how they interact are very important to understand in order to find the communication gap between the nations. Without proper communication several problems may arise due to difference in the cultural practices. In this study we will find the differences between the cultural backgrounds of UK and that of the acquisition company at China. Several issues which could arise within the organization due to cross cultural activities have been discussed in this study in order to successfully deal with any potential issues (Burton, 2009, p.8). 2 Cultural differences between United Kingdom and China The culture of the nation is often defined from the collective programming of the different minded people. The cultural differences are basically formed from four dimensions of the culture of a nation. These are basically power distance, individualism, masculinit y and uncertainty avoidance. Based on these factors the culture of the nation varies to a great extent from country to country. 2.1 Power Distance Index The power distance index is the indicative of the distance between the top management and the subordinates. In high power distance culture they have inequality of power and wealth in the society. This is not forced on the population but comes from the cultural heritage of the country. China has a highly power distance culture which is ranked 80 compared to the world average of 55, while in UK it’s around 30. Therefore in China the people maintain a great distance in different levels of the organization which sometimes leads to an unfriendly workspace with professional relation being the priority in business. Every employee is not free to express their feelings and they are not allowed to take any business decision. The top management are only responsible to take critical decisions in the business. In UK business strategy, the supervisors are well mixed with the subordinates thus creating a very friendly and healthy workspace since the power is well distributed and dew to very small distance between the levels everyone is invited to share their own thoughts on the business plans. The business plans are taken after discussion with all the levels of the organization. Every individual are encouraged to share their ideas and before taking final decision by top management the suggestions from subordinates are kept in mind. 2.2 Individualism Individualism is working with single responsibility and without interacting with peers in the organization. On the other hand collectivism is working in groups and taking decision collectively without questioning loyalty. Individualist business organisation has very little ties between individual employees. Due to the ancient cultural heritage of China the family or relation are between peoples in the society are very strong and the people are very loyal towards each other . Collectivism is the practice in China society who have a close and committed members in the group be it a family or a business. Everyone takes