Language, Culture and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language, Culture and Communication - Essay Example In both paintings, light is important in focusing the attention on central and peripheral matter, bringing them to prominence. The subjects are both well-rounded women with dark hair and eyes, and their positions show the artist intended the viewer to focus on them. They both seem to be of similar age and both compositions are triangular. Their eyes are downcast and mouths are slightly pursed, representing different moods. Differences in technique and intent, with light coming from outside the paintings, bring motion to the pictures, creating light and dark. The complementary light and dark colours show the moods. Both wear white and again light and shadow add texture to the clothing. Both seem to be thinking of making a decision, with Gabrielle's being about what jewel to wear, and how she looks in the mirror, while the Brooding Woman has something more serious on her mind. From the way they are both sitting, the feeling comes across that they both trusted the artists who were paint ing them. The contrasts are more in the style of painting than the main subjects. Looking first at the women, their expressions of thoughtfulness create the mood, but the differences lie in the intention of the painter. Gabrielle is comfortable, almost cosy, with a less important decision to bother her, while the Brooding Woman has something heavy on her mind. She is more sad and lost, her shoulders sag, and their position can also be seen on the dog in the background. She is fully clothed, while Gabrielle is happy to be half-undressed. The Brooding Woman seems to be looking into herself for answers and Gabrielle looks outward towards her mirror. Symbolism is another contrast, because the background in Gaugin's picture seems to have something to do with the woman's state of mind, and her dejected body

Peter Skyrznecki Essay Example for Free

Peter Skyrznecki Essay Our idea of belonging is a result of the choices that we make. We feel a sense of acceptance wherever we choose to belong. This is explored in Peter Skrzyneckis poem Feliks Skrzynecki and St Patricks showed the ides of alienation and belonging. They are shown through various techniques such as an allusion, direct speech and many more poetic techniques. Feliks Skrzynecki is a poem that shows a tribute to Peter Skrzyneckis father. Through the use of powerful and vivid imagery, the poet successfully conveys Feliks as a man who is comfortable, content and secure in his own identity. In this poem, concepts of belonging and not belonging occur within place, family, community and culture. The first stanza emphasizes the idea of belonging. Feliks sets standards of his own minds making. He is comfortable in belonging to his own world, his garden, family and cultural heritage. This is further emphasized through the use of the simile loved his garden like an only child which demonstrates the love he possessed for his garden. The garden can also be interpreted as Feliks constructed world: a place he escapes to in order to feel a sense of belonging. The garden is also the reward for his hard work. Skrzynecki’s poem ‘St. Patricks College’ displays how a sense of belonging is influenced by external forces. For someone to belong to something they must make their own decisions in life, understand their surroundings and build relationships with those around them. These qualities are lacked by Skrzynecki in ‘St. Patrick’s College’ which resulted in him not belonging. Skrzynecki was sent to this school because his mother was ‘only wanting, â€Å"what was best†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The direct speech is a cliche as every parent wants what is best for their child. The irony of the situation was that ‘for eight years’ sending Skrzynecki to St. Patrick’s College ‘Wasn’t â€Å"for the best†. He did not understand the ways of the school which led to his lack of belonging. The repetition of the phrase ‘for eight years’ reinforces how long the alienation and detachment lasted for, the feeling of not belonging did not change for eight years. The use of the personal pronoun ‘I’ throughout the poem gives a dreary, detached tone which emphasises his loneliness. No relationships with students, teachers or anyone else at the school were formed over his time there. The time at the school was useless as highlighted by ‘I could say the lord’s prayer in Latin, all in one breath. ’ He claims that as what he received from eight years at the school, a useless skill. Skrzynecki found it so hard to belong to St. Patrick’s College because the decision to go to the school was not his own, he did not understand his surroundings and he did not build any relationships with those around him. In Conclusion the ability to belong can be affected by understanding, choices, culture, relationships and experience. In the poem â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† showed the sense of belonging in the respective place, like his garden. In contrast, the poem â€Å"St Patricks College† showed that Skrzynecki lacked in building any relationship with those around him. Peter Skrzynecki used various to show the alienation and belonging in the poems â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† and St Patricks College†.

Arrogance in Oedipus and Cocteaus Infernal Machine Essay -- compariso

Arrogance in Oedipus and Cocteau's Infernal Machine   Ã‚  Ã‚   The myth of Oedipus dates back centuries. Overtime a myth changes in many ways as each author or orator presents their own version. The main plot usually remains intact, but authors add their own style to the tragic story. In the case of Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Jean Cocteau's Infernal Machine both authors focus on the arrogant nature of Oedipus. Since this quality ultimately has destructive powers, the relationships Oedipus has with other characters demonstrates this arrogance. Although, the two authors portray Oedipus in different ways to emphasize their different themes both use the relationship between Oedipus and Teiresias to demonstrate Oedipus' arrogant nature. In both plays, this arrogance manifests in Oedipus' rejection of the prophet Teiresias. However, the two playwrights differ greatly in the relationship between these two characters. Cocteau's Oedipus immediately disrespects Teiresias' prophecy. This rejection of the prophecy and warnings of Teiresias emphasizes his theme of malevolent gods. Equivalently, in Sophocles' version of the myth, the denial of Teiresias demonstrates the main theme of the destructive nature of arrogance. Instead of the gods holding him back, Oedipus' own pride does not allow him to believe Teiresias. Oedipus believes that he is above everything and everyone. Just as in Cocteau, he even believes that he can defy the gods and disregard fate. In Sophocles version of the myth, the denial of Teiresias does not occur right instantly. At first, Oedipus regards the prophet Teiresias in the proper, respectful manner. Oedipus greets him by exclaiming, "My lord, in you alone we find a champion, in you alone one that can rescu... ...uture. They provide him with numerous hints regarding the impending doom that hangs in the atmosphere. However, Oedipus' arrogance blinds him to the truth of his situation and leads to his ultimate demise. Works Cited and Consulted Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Benardete, Seth. â€Å"Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Cocteau, Jean. (1963). The Infernal Machine in The Infernal Machine and other plays. (A. Bermal, Trans.) New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation. Nagle, Brendan D.   The Ancient World: A Cultural and Social History. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979. Sophocles. (1991). Oedipus the King in Sophocles I. (G. David, Trans.) Chicago:University of Chicago Press.    Arrogance in Oedipus and Cocteau's Infernal Machine Essay -- compariso Arrogance in Oedipus and Cocteau's Infernal Machine   Ã‚  Ã‚   The myth of Oedipus dates back centuries. Overtime a myth changes in many ways as each author or orator presents their own version. The main plot usually remains intact, but authors add their own style to the tragic story. In the case of Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Jean Cocteau's Infernal Machine both authors focus on the arrogant nature of Oedipus. Since this quality ultimately has destructive powers, the relationships Oedipus has with other characters demonstrates this arrogance. Although, the two authors portray Oedipus in different ways to emphasize their different themes both use the relationship between Oedipus and Teiresias to demonstrate Oedipus' arrogant nature. In both plays, this arrogance manifests in Oedipus' rejection of the prophet Teiresias. However, the two playwrights differ greatly in the relationship between these two characters. Cocteau's Oedipus immediately disrespects Teiresias' prophecy. This rejection of the prophecy and warnings of Teiresias emphasizes his theme of malevolent gods. Equivalently, in Sophocles' version of the myth, the denial of Teiresias demonstrates the main theme of the destructive nature of arrogance. Instead of the gods holding him back, Oedipus' own pride does not allow him to believe Teiresias. Oedipus believes that he is above everything and everyone. Just as in Cocteau, he even believes that he can defy the gods and disregard fate. In Sophocles version of the myth, the denial of Teiresias does not occur right instantly. At first, Oedipus regards the prophet Teiresias in the proper, respectful manner. Oedipus greets him by exclaiming, "My lord, in you alone we find a champion, in you alone one that can rescu... ...uture. They provide him with numerous hints regarding the impending doom that hangs in the atmosphere. However, Oedipus' arrogance blinds him to the truth of his situation and leads to his ultimate demise. Works Cited and Consulted Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Benardete, Seth. â€Å"Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Cocteau, Jean. (1963). The Infernal Machine in The Infernal Machine and other plays. (A. Bermal, Trans.) New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation. Nagle, Brendan D.   The Ancient World: A Cultural and Social History. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979. Sophocles. (1991). Oedipus the King in Sophocles I. (G. David, Trans.) Chicago:University of Chicago Press.   

An assessment of the first section of the 1992 film Essay

English Media Coursework: An assessment of the first section of the 1992 film â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, including some comparisons with part one of John Steinbeck’s novel In section one of the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ written by John Steinbeck, begins with a description of the pool and its surroundings in order to familiarize us with the setting, using poetic imagery to describe the â€Å"golden foothill slopes† of the Salinas river valley and the pool on the bank of which â€Å"the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them†. Some rabbits sit in the sand. â€Å"There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores† leading to the sandy rivers edge. The description conveys an idyllic peace to the scene which is disturbed as the novels two main characters emerge from the woods. The rabbits scurry into the scrubs and a heron flies from the pool before George and Lennie enter the clearing. George and Lennie are described as physical opposites, George being â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features† while Lennie is described as a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily† but despite the difference in physical appearance John Steinbeck stresses the similarities of dress â€Å"Both were dressed in denim. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls†, this suggests that Lennie maybe trying to copy George as he looks up to him and wants to be like him, as also imitates George actions at the river bank. In the following pages George and Lennie’s conversation and behaviour helps the reader learn that the two are migrant ranch workers, on their way to one job to another. They are going to work on a ranch in Soledad and George makes it clear he is to do all the talking when they arrive; George angrily discovers that Lennie has been concealing a dead mouse (â€Å"I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along†) This informs the reader that Lennie likes to pet soft things, which is to be carefully noted in light of future (and past) events, George has beans for dinner and when Lennie childishly sates he likes ketchup with his beans, George gets angry and muses on the life he could live if he wasn’t with Lennie: â€Å"I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shovin’ all over the country all the time†¦ You do bad things and I got to get you out†. Through George’s anger we learn about one of the â€Å"bad things† which occurred at their last job, in Weed, when Lennie wanted to pet the girls dress because it was pretty and held on when she tried to jerk away. The two had to flee the town in the night as the town people were looking for them, Lennie responds to George’s anger with self-pity and uses a guilt trip, sorrowfully saying that if George doesn’t want him around, he could go off and live in the hills by himself. This softens George into saying that he wants Lennie to stay, so we know these threats are not serious and that George does genuinely like Lennie as a friend. Lennie urges George to tell â€Å"about the rabbits†, this is when we are first introduced to the dream that George and Lennie share, that they will get their own piece of land and the money and means by which to live off of it. George describes how he and Lennie are different from other ranchers who drift from town to town, who â€Å"don’t belong no place†. Lennie and George are different according to George, because they have future and each other. One day they will have enough money and â€Å"live off the fatta the land†. This shows the reader that George needs Lennie as a Friend so not to be lonely â€Å"I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you† this shows the loyalty and friendship which exists between George and Lennie, and the dream of a better life. All though George does become angry with Lennie resulting in some tension during this section of the novel, the atmosphere at the end is very peaceful and pleasant leavening the reader to feel positive and happy; this is the same in both the film and the novel. The 1992 film version â€Å"Of Mice and Men† opens with white on black credits which are simple and stand out clearly. Gradually sound effects of a wagon/train are added and lighting effects are faded in slowly to show the inside of an old fashioned goods wagon. There is also background music which is very atmospheric, building tension. This is followed by a slow fade and a close up shot of a man’s face, which we later come to realize is George, played by Gary Sinise who is also the director. George pensively, sadly sits alone in a railway car, the shadows of the car’s slats partially covering his face. At the end of the film the same shot is repeated, therefore the audience realise the film is in fact a flash back from George’s memory, The gentle and eerie background music and use of dark, gloomy colours convey a sense of mystery adding interest which makes the audience want to watch on to see what’s going to happen; they also illustrate a mood of sadness along with the miserable expression stressed in the close up shot of Gary Sinises face. At the start of the narrative in the film, the camera jumps to a sequence of a woman in a vivid red dress, running though fields apparently in desperate escape of some undefined terror, She runs towards the camera, As she gets closer to the camera the audience can picks out details in which give clues about the woman such as the tear in her dress and her panicky face which is stressed in a close up shot but the mystery is continued when she runs past the camera and out of the audiences sight. The sound effects of the woman’s gasped breath are very frantic, adding drama and tension to grab the audience’s intention and the red of her dress stands out clearly in contrast to the green fields. The director immediately makes the camera jump to a sequence showing two men, being chased by a group of men on horses armed with rifles and led by hunting dogs. The camera follows this chase, panning along to show the men running though long grass. The camera angle then changes to show the chase from the point of view of the men who are being chased, showing the dogs and men running towards the camera which makes the audience feel as if they are being chased and allowing them to see things from the men’s point of view. Water from the horses splashes on the camera, showing the audience how close they are, adding tension and making the audience feel more involved, helping them to feel how the men are feeling by showing things from the men’s point of view. The two men jump into an irrigation ditch. The man from the start of the film jumps in first, front view and then the other man jumps in after but from a side view. The camera is used as one of the men’s view, to the audience; it helps them to feel how the men are feeling. It creates confusion because at first the audience may not know whose view it is and what they are looking at, since the men are in hiding and the viewer can see the weeds overhanging in front of them; this also creates suspense as the audience can see the two men’s point of view of the situation. The opening film sequence has a very dramatic and tense start in order to grab the audience’s intention, making them want to watch on. In comparison to the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† which is very different as it opens with a peaceful, happy and serene scene, making the reader build up hope and creating a joyful atmosphere. The camera jumps from the irrigation ditch to the two men (George and Lennie) hitching a freight train at night in order to escape. Another jump follows to a studio location of a 1930’s Californian town (Salinas); this scene is added to show the audience the time in which the film is set in and giving them an idea of George and Lennies surrounds and their way of life. While they are in the town Lennie asks George were they are going George said â€Å"were going to a ranch to work† this dialog has been added to inform the audience of were they are going and of there current situation. George and Lennie take a bus to the ranch but they are dropped off in the countryside a few miles from the ranch. The serene and tranquil scene was probably set on location. The dialog they use is almost the same as the book, the camera pans along while they walk and talk setting them both in frame emphasizing that they have a close relationship. As the bus goes by George and Lennie, George realises that they have been dropped off in the wrong place and yells out â€Å"son of a bitch† to the bus driver, Lennie copies George and also yells â€Å"son of a bitch† this is improvisation as it is not in the book, it has been added to show how Lennie copies George and what he does suggesting that he looks up to him and wants to be like him, showing the audience a bit about his character. Lennie’s (played by John Malkovitch )voice is very child like, portraying Lennie like a child trapped in a mans body, which makes sense but at times also seem over the top as in the book I felt that Lennie was just very simple minded, but in the film Lennie seems to be seriously retarded. While George and Lennie are sitting by the pool Lennie decides to drink from the pool then spit the water out of his mouth in a child like fashion, again this is improvisation to show how child like Lennie is, George reacts to this by laughing at him showing he is used to Lennie and his childish behaviour almost to like how a parent would laugh at a child. The camera uses close up shots of Lennie’s face in order to emphases his odd facial expressions and medium close-ups to show George and Lennie’s body language especially Lennie who tends to use various funny hand jesters in order to help express himself which he cant do very well. During George and Lennie’s argument about ketchup the camera is shot in separate frames to show they are now separate, because they are angry. The camera also uses medium close ups of George and Lennie while George is kneeling and Lennie is standing up to show how much bigger Lennie is compared to George and their differences in physical appearance, it also shows that Lennie could be seen as a treat to George. The camera tilts up when showing Lennie to make him seem taller and he probably has used padding in his clothes to make him appear bigger, while when the camera is on George it tends to tilt down to make him appear smaller. During the argument George doesn’t mention the girl in the red dress which he does in the novel, he just said â€Å"you do bad things†, he doesn’t mention it because he doesn’t need to explain this to the audience as the girl in the film as this has already been shown at the start unlike the novel. The argument shows the audience that George and Lennie do fall out sometimes. When the augment is over Lennie uses a guilt trip on George, the guilt is empathised in close up of George’s face. The camera jumps to George and Lennie sitting by a camp fire, this is the last sequence of this section of the film. It is set outside in the dark but the lighting effects make it light enough to see what’s happening, the light from the fire reflects on there faces in order to emphasis them there are many off screen natural sound effects such as cricket noises and other types of bugs and birds. Lennie asks George to tell him about the dream and as George begins to tell the dream background music gradually comes in which is very soft and genital to create an dream like atmosphere. The camera puts both George and Lennie in the frame while telling the dream maybe to show that they both share this dream and to show the friendship between them. When George stops telling the dream he saids â€Å"oh the hell with it† at this point the background music suddenly stops showing that they have come out of the dream and are now back to reality. At the end they are both in frame, lying by the camp fire, the atmosphere is quite and peaceful with the natural sound effects of bugs est. off screen in the background leaving the audiences feeling happy and positive. Overall, I thought the first section of the â€Å"Of Mice and Men† film was good and very well done by Gary Sinise. In the movie you can actually see and hear things that you probably would not catch on to in the book. For example there are the facial expressions of George and Lennie. The music soundtrack to the film â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is very well composed; I especially liked how the music is classical, which is very appealing to all age groups and genders. The music was important as it set the mood for the scene the audience was seeing. The landscaping and camera work was also very good. The setting of the pool was just as it was described in the book. Also, the clothing worn by Lennie and George fitted the time frame allowing the audience to feel that they are back in that time period by watching, and also showed that they were not well off. In many ways the first section of the film is similar to the novel such as the dialog they use is almost identical to the novel and the appearance of the characters in the film are almost exactly like how they are described in the novel, Lennie is very big and bulky, while George is small with a tanned face. The director changed the order of the story at the beginning by starting with the girl in the red dress, this was probably changed in order to grab the audience intension at the beginning of the film so then they would want to watch on to see what’s happening. Right from the start of the movie you can see that Lennie has a mental illness, and George is taking care of him like a father the same as it is with the novel. Also, you can tell that George gets impatient with Lennie numerous times and that he gets frustrated very easily. I thought the role of George was played very well by Gary Sinise who seems to bring out the role of George perfectly as he coveys Georges caring side as well. As for Lennie this role is probably more of a challenge as he is difficult to convey without sounding cartoonish, John Malkovich didn’t work wonders for the role as he used such a silly voice, though if he had used a normal way of speaking the audience would probably find it difficult to see him as mentally handy capped.

Ikea History and Swot Essay

History Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s founder, has a very intriguing and impressive life story. Kamprad was a very intelligent young Swedish boy who quickly turned into the 5th wealthiest man in the world. His net worth is now $4.2 billion. At a very early age Kamprad started his selling knowledge. When he was just 5 years old he would buy matches in bulk at a cheap store in Stockholm and re-sell them around his neighborhood at low prices, but enough to make a hefty profit. Kamprad’s selling continued and expanded from flowers to greeting cards to pencils and pens throughout the 1920’s. As Kamprads business skills increased he began studying the retail prices of different items in Sweden. He recognized that furniture prices had increase by 41% in 1935 and realized how profitable this area of retailing could be. In 1943, at age 17 Kamprad received money from his father for his successful studies and used the money to create a business. IKEA was then formed, standing for Ingvar Kamprads initials (I.K.) and the first letter of the farm he lived on, Elmtaryd (E) and the first letter of the village he lived in, Agunnard (A.) Kamprad created his furniture line in 1948 aiming for furniture that would be affordably priced. He began only selling his furniture through magazine advertisements. In 1953 the first showroom opened in Almhult Sweden. This was the first time consumers could physically see and feel the IKEA furniture before ordering them. 3 years later the need for flat packs and self-assembly furniture gave rise; one of IKEA’s co-workers had to remove the legs of a table to fit into their car without damaging the surroundings. (â€Å"IKEA Official Page†) In 1958 the first IKEA store was opened in Almhult Sweden. It was the largest furniture store in Scandinavia at the time with 6,700 square meters. Two years after the opening the store Kamprad introduced the first IKEA restaurant which was located inside the furniture store building. Kamprad expanded his store outside of Sweden in 1963 by opening an IKEA store in Norway. Within ten years IKEA stores were being opened outside of Scandinavian countries and expanding into 3 more continents (â€Å"IKEA Official Webpage†.) One of the most recent expansions was into the Dominican Republic in 2010. IKEA is in the process of opening new stores and developing the most innovative furniture products of today. Store Locations After IKEA opened in Sweden in 1958, it quickly moved into other Scandinavian countries opening stores in Norway in 1963 and in Denmark in 1969. Throughout the 1970’s IKEA rapidly spread through Europe. The first store outside of Scandinavia opened in Switzerland and quickly after IKEA made its presence in Germany. In 1975 IKEA arrived in Australia and opened its first store in Sydney. Throughout the 1970’s IKEA also opened stores in Japan, Hong Kong, The Netherlands and Singapore. Germany has IKEA’s biggest market with 46 stores in the country. Following Germany is the United States with 38 stores across the country. As of right now, IKEA has not appeared in developing countries, but is still planning for more global expansion (Countries.) IKEA group has continued growing every year and is now a large retail experience with over 123,000 co-workers. IKEA’s employees help generate annual sales of more than 21.5 billion dollars. The stores locations are placed strategically. The location is near major roads, freeways and public transportation. Although the stores are not normally placed in densely populated areas, IKEA is still successful and reaps high traffic due to the Huff Gravity model. Since IKEA stores are so large and carry a wide range of products, people are willing to travel a further distance to their stores. The largest IKEA store is in Stockholm, Sweden with a size of 55,200 square meters and following behind it is the Shanghai, China store with a size of 49,400 square meters (â€Å"IKEA†) In 2011 IKEA announced a plan to build a wind farm in Sweden to help IKEA achieve its ecological goal of running on 100 percent renewable energy. The next year IKEA made another announcement about the company creating a chain of 100 economy hotels in Europe. However, these IKEA hotels will not follow the same IKEA brand name and will not be furnished with IKEA’s furniture. The list below contains the country and number of IKEA stores present in the country, ranked in order of their opening dates: Sweden (17), Norway (6), Denmark (5), Switzerland (7), Germany (46), Japan (5), Australia (7), Canada (12), Hong Kong (3), Austria (6), Singapore (2), The Netherlands (12), Spain (15), Iceland (1), France (28), Saudi Arabia (3), Belgium (6), Kuwait (1), United States (38), United Kingdom (18), Italy (20), Hungary (2), Poland (8), Czech Republic (5), United Arab Emirates (2), Slovakia (1), Taiwan (4), Finland (4), Malaysia (1), Russia (14), Israel (2), Greece (4), Portugal (3), Greece (5), Portugal (3), Brazil (3), Turkey (5), Romania (1), Cyprus (1), Ireland (1), Dominican Republic (1), Brazil (1), Bulgaria (1) and Thailand (1) . Target Market IKEA strives to have a wide target market, wanting people around the world of all different demographics and psychographics to purchase IKEA products. IKEA defines its global target market as â€Å"young people of all ages† including individuals, families, design exteriors, and hospitality businesses like hotels. IKEAs target audience includes but is not limited to age groups of 18 to 34 and 35 to 49 years old. IKEA focuses on college and post graduate aged individuals. IKEA’s target market contains both sexes. IKEA’s target market typically lives in urban college and metropolitan areas. The salaries of the target market can range from $15,000 to $50,000 and are usually spending their money on technology products (such as iPhones and iPads.). IKEAs target audience engages in a quick paced lifestyle that may include travelling and moving often, for example moving from apartment to apartment or to an upgraded home. Due to this â€Å"mover† lifestyle they are normally looking for a cheap, easy to build product that can be packed tightly. Because of their median income, the consumer is not very status conscientious and is not searching for expensive designer furniture. The shoppers’ personalities are relaxed and/or creative and artistic. They are considerably fashionable and search for trends, but love to get deals simultaneously. They want to do things themselves (which follows closely with IKEA’s do it yourself product attitude) and care about the environment (Rowe.) IKEA also focuses on budget conscious families. This target market is beginning to start a more domestic lifestyle. The families usually have young children. To satisfy this target market most IKEA stores include a daycare or child-watch section for the children inside the stores. Although this target audience is in a different stage in their life, they still hold similar habits and lifestyle as the previously described target audience (Rowe.) Product Assortment IKEA is a retailer of home furnishings. You can find anything you need for every room in your house at IKEA. From the IKEA official website, their departments include: Bathroom| Living room| Bedroom| Office furniture| Cooking| Outdoor| Decoration| Secondary storage| Dining| Small storage| Eating| Textiles & rugs| Hallway| Youth room| Kitchen| Children’s IKEA| Laundry| IKEA FAMILY products| Lighting| | (â€Å"IKEA Official Webpage†) IKEA sells items ranging in these categories and they even provide customers with the service to help them create their own kitchen, closets and office with IKEA products. Their kitchen services include Total Project Management, Delivery, Installation and more. Their individual kitchen planning start at $199 and their measuring service start at $49. In IKEA retail locations, they also have IKEA Food. They have a restaurant where they sell their own assortment of Swedish food, located inside the IKEA retail store. Customers can sit down in a cafeteria style dining and enjoy IKEA’s famous Swedish meatballs and Lingonberry drink at amazingly low prices. In IKEA, there is also a Bistro/Exit Cafà © right at the checkout where they sell typical American food, ranging from 75 cents to $4, such as hot dogs, chips, soda, frozen yogurt and more. IKEA also has their own â€Å"grocery† section where they sell Swedish food. The IKEA official website states that the IKEA Swedish Food is â€Å"based on Swedish recipes and traditions, the wide choice of food and drink runs from frozen meatballs to sweets and coffee. You’ll save time and money whether you’re making a meal for your whole family or putting together the menu for a party† (IKEA). Their food categories include: Beverages, Easy to prepare, Meat, fish & seafood, Pastries, desserts & cookies, Sweets, chocolates & snacks and Swedish celebrations. The last category has food items such as Swedish Christmas drink, cheese pie, Rhubarb crumble tart, and frozen Saffron rolls. SWOT Analysis Strengths * Low prices: IKEA has a strong concept based on offering a wide range of well, designed, functional products at low prices. They have created a design that is a balance between function, quality, design and price which appeals to customers in tough financial times. Their pricing strategy appeals to consumers both with limited financial resources and those with higher budgets searching for trendy, modern furniture. Due to Porter’s generic strategies, IKEA follows an integrated cost leadership and differentiation strategy. * Product’s ease of assembly: IKEA products come with clear instructions making it easy for anyone to assemble the product without the help of a professional. * Location and design of store (the IKEA store experience): IKEA locations are successful because of the Huff Gravity Model – due to the large size of IKEA, people are willing to go the distant locations where IKEAs are located. IKEA’s store design is very unique. The layout is designed in such a way that makes customers go through the entire store to get to their final purchase. A lot of customers go to IKEA for its unusual experience. * Global positioning: IKEA is available throughout the world and they cater their products to each country they go into. For example, they redesign the size of the beds for the different countries. American consumers need larger sized bedding differentiating from the European consumers who had smaller, longer beds. * Reputation for products and company: IKEA customers enjoy the modern look of IKEA products because the target market consists of creative individuals searching for trendy products. IKEA’s brand is ranked globally at number 28 and ranked number 1 for sustainable image by Ranking the Brands Overview (Brand Ranking.) * Large catalogue reach: IKEA’s yearly catalogue reaches several countries and easily advertises IKEA products to those customers. Their catalogue is distributed in 36 countries, in 27 languages and in 52 different versions. Weaknesses * Product quality: IKEA has been known for having poor quality products. But the need for low cost products means there has to be a compromise between quality and price. * Poor customer service: Because of IKEA’s do it yourself model and very straight forward instructions eliminates the need for a help desk and intensive customer service. Customer service is important to ensure complete shopping experience and ensure repeat business. * Massive store growth- IKEA is experiencing problems in a couple of their home markets. One example is the UK is expanding the number of IKEA store locations but the number of shoppers is not increasing. This means that there is a constant number of visitors divided by a larger number of retail outlets producing fewer shoppers per store. In the past consumers would travel large distances to visit stores and each store a had a large number of visitors, now the amount of consumers purchasing IKEA products has not increased in numbers but they are able to visit a more local store. These new store locations reduce the footfall per store and sales density (SWOT Analysis IKEA.) Opportunities * Financial condition: Because of the current financial condition, consumers are trading down from expensive stores to the low priced products offered at IKEA. * IKEA website: IKEA has an opportunity to grow through expanding their online shopping. IKEA website only has a few items you can purchase and IKEA will ship it to your house or you can pick it up at an IKEA location near you. IKEA could expand their online product offerings and services to increase product sales. * Smaller stores: IKEA store locations are distant and large and they can take advantage of opening smaller stores in more dense locations where people can buy small home products or buy their Swedish food. IKEA must only open these new store locations in places where the number of customers is increasing, to avoid a reduction in footfall per store like the UK market. * More stores in the U.S.: IKEA currently has only 38 stores across the country and they could possibly expand this market due to the high percentage of sales the United States gives IKEA. * Capitalize their Green efforts: IKEA can capitalize on their GREEN efforts. Customers’ desire to have less of an impact on the environment and due to the increased demand for cheaper and greener products, IKEA can take advantage of this and develop these products that the market wants. * Bonus/rewards services: IKEA can add bonus/rewards services to increase customer satisfaction as well as increase customer loyalty. Threats * Product quality: IKEA products are poorly made and people are willing to spend the extra buck to buy a product of better quality that will last for years. * Competitors: More competitors are entering the low price household and furnishing markets increasing the competition IKEA will have to face. * When the economy strengthens- The recession slows down consumer spending and disposable income reduces. However when the economy strengthens, consumers will be willing to purchase furniture products at a higher price in order to get better quality. IKEA needs to find a way to stay profitable when the economy takes this turn. Promotion Strategy IKEA promotes their retail through traditional advertising such as TV commercials, a yearly print catalogue as well as utilizing new ways of advertising such as social media and guerrilla marketing. In the past IKEA’s television commercials were characterized as funny and crazy often stating the slogan â€Å"they are crazy these Swedes†. This statement referred to the â€Å"crazy† low prices IKEA products were offered for. They would also often have a Swedish guy driving a yellow buggy loaded with IKEA boxes. Presently, IKEA commercials are more simple and modern. The new commercials focus on families in a household setting using IKEA products. These commercials continue with the humorous appeal, but only focus on a few IKEA items, to ensure the customers are more focused on the substance of the commercial. IKEA utilizes social media by holding contests on websites such as Facebook. When they were opening their new IKEA Malmo store in 2009, they created a Facebook campaign where a showroom picture was uploaded to their Facebook profile and the first people to tag an item won that item (How To? From IKEA). Through the speed of social media, IKEA was able to get their customers to personally promote IKEA. IKEA also has held several contests throughout the years. They have contests such as â€Å"What’s your story?†, â€Å"The Life Improvement Project†, â€Å"Dream Kitchen Giveaway† and several more. They really enjoy promoting their products by getting their customers involved. IKEA uses customer interaction in many of their promotion strategies. IKEA also has a yearly catalogue that can be sent to your homes or picked up at a local IKEA location. IKEA’s yearly catalogue takes up a large part of their marketing budget because the catalogue is used as a main channel for communication around the world. IKEA’s catalogue is distributed in 36 countries, in 27 languages and in 52 different versions. The catalogues distributed in different countries have the same Scandinavian names but differ in their product offerings which are highlighted on separate pages (Gustafson). IKEA caters to the different countries where they distribute their catalogues by trying to incorporate the different cultures into their catalogue. On top of sending paper catalogues around town, IKEA likes to go out of their way to show IKEA products in their normal settings but in extraordinary locations utilizing the concept of â€Å"guerrilla marketing†. This usually occurs when IKEA is opening new stores. Examples of IKEA’s guerilla marketing include redecorating bus stations with IKEA furniture, redoing a subway bus with IKEA furniture and mounting IKEA furniture off the side of buildings. They make it as extreme as possible because they want to draw in people’s attention and make them stop and have a look. To promote their store in Tampa, IKEA produced their take on a ‘message in a bottle’ by placing an IKEA playroom inside a giant plastic bottle. In Japan, IKEA transformed a gingko tree-lined boulevard in Tokyo’s shopping district of Aoyama into an open-air museum. They had fifteen box-like structures the size of typical Japanese rooms which were fitted out IKEA furnishings (Capell). IKEA alters their advertising to the match the different cultures and environment for each country, but continues to enforce their unusual extreme promotions to reach a large amount of people and hold their attention. . Works Cited Capell, Kerry. â€Å"Ikea’s New Plan for Japan.† BusinessWeek. N.p., 25 Apr. 2006. Web. . â€Å"Facts & Figures.† IKEA. N.p.. Web. 21 Feb 2013. . Gustafson, Martin, and Eric Jonsson. â€Å"Influence of Culture and National Image on Marketing: A Study of IKEA’s Promotion in Sweden and France.† (2008): n. pag. Web. . â€Å"History .† IKEA offical webpage. N.p.. Web. 21 Feb 2013. . â€Å"How To? From IKEA.† IGK Marketing RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. . IKEA. Advertisement. IKEA. N.p., n.d. Web. . â€Å"IKEA.† Countries with IKEA Stores. N.p.. Web. 21 Feb 2013. . â€Å"Marketing Teacher.† SWOT Analysis IKEA . Marketing Teacher Ltd 2000. Web. 25 Feb 2013. . Rowe, C.. â€Å"Scribd.† IKEA Marketing Plan. N.p.. Web. 21 Feb 2013. . ADD BRAND RANKING WORKS CITED

japanese history essays

japanese history essays What essential roles did the ubasoku play in the assimilation of the Buddhist religion into the folk culture? Of the most influential people in early Buddhism the ubasoku were the main driving forces in the integration of rural Japan. These traditional shamanistic, Buddhists had come over from China and Korea. In their own country states they had supported the wrong group of politicians or they were just run out of their homelands for other various reasons. They had brought over the ways of Buddhism and superiour technology to help the native Japanese. The ubasoku were exiles, but with their superior technology they had no problem gaining acceptance in the upper class of Japanese society. The ubasoku had many unusual magical powers that intrigued both the upper and rural classes. Many of the ubasoku dwelled in the mountains and relied on the mountins to provide them with shelter and hard to come by land. On occasion a powerful member of the upper class would come to need the services of a shaman, and make the journey out to the mountains. The powerful person and their entourage would usually draw the attention of the rural people. This would provide the obasoku with sort of a commercial endorsement. This was probably one of the reasons that the peasants first elected to make the difficult journey into the mountains to observe the powers of the ubasoku. The peasants may have also needed guides on their pilgrimages to pray in the mountains. The style of ubasoku that they would encounter in the mountains would have been the yama-bushi, or holy men who sleep in the mountains. The only way that these men would have been discovered or sought out would have been with the reputation that the their cousins the junrei, known as pilgrims who traveled the country side with the intention of helping remove evil sprits or just helping people on their way to nirvana. Most of the ubasoku had strange mystical powers. Ma ...

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Analysis of miami's real estate market Research Paper

Analysis of miami's real estate market - Research Paper Example The price per square foot has also increased for example in 2013 the price stood at $180 but this has increased with 13.9% in 2014. The table below indicates the average process for houses in the last 5 years. During the month of May 2014, the median prices indicated an increment both for condominiums as well as single family homes. According to MIAMI Association of REALTORS, in 2013 the median sale price for single family homes was standing at 225,000. As more local people increased their demand for comfortable and quality houses, the sellers raised the prices in order to maximize their profits at the expense of the buyers. The prices for similar single family homes in 2014 increased by 8% getting to the level of 243,000 (Jonathan and Miller 16). Another notable change in the market can be indicated by the upward adjustment in sale prices in the months of April 2014 and May 2014. For instance, during the month of April 2014, the average price for single family homes was 421,207. Based on an increase in demand during the month of May 2014, the average price increased by 11.3% to reach 469,088. Currently, Miami real estate continues to experience a fast rate of selling while at the same ti me indicating asking prices. This is an indication that the real estate are being at an appropriate methods. On their part, the buyers have embarked on remaining competitive in the current market situation. When analyzed at the national and state levels, the same trends in the local Miami real estate market are noted. According to MIAMI Association of REALTORS, the sales for condominiums, single family homes, co-ops and town homes depicted an increment of 1.3% by comparing the months of May 2014 and March 2014. Similarly, the REALTORS data indicates that as the result of high demand nationally for all houses types, the existing home prices for all types was estimated to be 201,700 in the month of April 2014

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Psycological Contract Essay Example for Free

Psycological Contract Essay The psychological contract is a little difficult to define because as George (2009, pg3) states it ‘is implicit in that it is unspoken, unwritten and often only becomes apparent when it is breached, causing feelings of violation’ none the less it is extremely important part of the business and can be what ‘binds the employee and the employer together’ (Robinson and Rousseau, citied in George 2009 pg4) ‘through the mutual expectations of input and outcome’ outlined by Businessballs (2010) CIPD (2004, p5) outlines some of the things that people look for in a psychological contract: Employee attitude surveys undertaken by the CIPD since 1996 have been analysed by David Guest, Kings College London, and Neil Conway, Birkbeck College. The surveys have consistently focused on a number of key issues, including: satisfaction, motivation, fairness, trust, job security, loyalty, work–life balance, commitment. Downsizing is the process of removing layers from the company, sometimes known as retrenchment, involving potential redundancies, wage cuts and other general cut backs (Rollinson p41). In this text I will be looking at the effects downsizing can have on the psychological contract whether it can reduce the likelihood of a violation, with particular interest in what makes this ‘contract’ so important, what both the employer and employee are looking for within it and how other factors such as age and social media can have an impact. Businessballs(2010)back up the fact that ‘the psychological contract refers to the relationship between an employer and its employees’ and, in employment terms, it is about finding the balance between how the employee is treated by its employer, and what the employee puts into the job. CIPD (2004) surveys show that ‘90% of HR managers think the psychological contract is a useful concept for helping to manage the employment rel ationship’ this is brought by the, increasing, realisation that employee motivation, satisfaction and commitment can be very influential in the overall business performance, and if an employer can establish and maintain a positive psychological contract with its employee a sustainable business value is more likely to be met (CIPD 2004). So essentially it is a form of guarantee where ‘if each does his or her part, the relationship will be mutually beneficial’ (Robinson and Rousseau, citied in George 2009 pg4). This brings me to my first reason supporting the fact that Downsizing could reduce the likelihood of a psychological contract violation. In a recent survey it showed that staff given an adequate voice are more likely to be engaged and satisfied (CIPD 2009, p2). With downsizing likely to result in the removal of layers of supervision and middle management, the employee voice is more likely to be expressed as those remaining are likely to have more responsibilities and a say in day to day decisions through the process of empowerment (Rollinson 2008, p522) all things likely to strengthen the psychological contract, as if the employee is working harder the employer will be pleased and the employee will enjoy having more of a say and new responsibilities. In addition to this (CIPD 2009 p7) survey showed that ‘Direct’ channels of voice between employees and line managers/senior leaders are both more common and seen as more important than ‘indirect’ or ‘representative’ channels’ their surveys also showed one to one meetings with line managers to be ‘the most important facilitator of voice’ so again this is likely to be made easier through the process of downsizing as they will have the time to deal with less people and with the hierarchy likely to be ‘flatter†¦ and lateral rather than vertical communication is much more common.’ (Rollinson 2008, p522). However there is a lot of evidence to suggest downsizing is likely to have a negative effect on the psychological contract represented by ‘a number of rigorous empirical studies has shown that many empowerment initiatives fail to deliver their expected advantages and that employees can end up less committed than before’ (Rollinson 2008, p 522) as well as ‘a leading British survey has noted, taken overall, the combined effects of work reorganisation and downsizing have led to an extraordinary intensification of work pressure’ (Thompson and Mchugh 2002, p189). This is due to the additional work load and burden left for the employees that remain at the business and often just using a more flattering term such as empowerment will not have the desired effect (ibid.) as well as the apprehension caused by initiatives like downsizing which inevitably leads to the reduction of commitment and loyalty (Savery et al. 1998, citied in Rollinson 2008, p42). With 3 key aspe cts to the psychological contract, mentioned at the start (motivation, loyalty and commitment), likely to be lacking after downsizing the business performance could potentially take more damage ‘because headcount reductions tend to occur across the board†¦ quite frequently, the very people who will be needed to ensure future organisational success disappear as well’ (Rollinson 2008, p50) with performance slacking the employer won’t be satisfied and if the important employees leave then clearly they are not satisfied with the way things are being run and therefore there must have been some break down in the psychological contract. Downsizing can bring other negative aspects to your business in the form of ‘politicking’ which happens in all business to a certain degree, through the form of complaints, adherence to rules etc. but is more likely to happen when resources are reclining or changes are taking place (Robbins et al. 2010, p380/382). With the aim of politicking often being to ‘block or inhibit another group (or individual) from achieving goals’ (Rollinson 2008, p414). Political behaviour is more likely to happen when there is a lack of trust within the organisation (Robbins et al. 2008) and therefore is another suggestion that the psychological contract has been breached, due to downsizing. This argument if backed up in (ibid.) which states ‘there is very strong evidence that perceptions of organisational politics are negatively related to job satisfaction. The perception of politics also tends to increase job anxiety and stress’. Although this shows strong evidence that downsizing could lead to violations in the psychological contract it is not guaranteed, as business balls stress, the outcome of change relies strongly on how it is sold to whoever is concerned (2010) by sold they are referring to how well ‘the use of persuasion, influence or incentive, in causing someone or a group to do something they would probably not otherwise do’ If done properly it is likely the psychological contract will be strengthened as ideally you will meet some sort of compromise and both parties will be happy as ‘persuasion can produce mutually positive outcomes in some situations’ (ibid.). However if a lot of persuasion is involved when trying to implement change on someone it is usually because they are unlikely to accept the situation otherewise, and if pushed too hard it is possible to put off those being persuaded and is unlikely to produce a good outcome for the persuader either (business balls 2010). This is extremely relevant to the psychological contract because it involves a lot of trusted. The transition is always likely to go more smoothly, and the psychological contract can remain strong if the leader is open with his employees giving them all the information and an honest explanation ‘People need to know what lies ahead, and to be consulted and supported in dealing with it.’ (ibid.) There are many things that can affect the psychological contract at an organisation, but it is not the same for everyone. Generation diversity has a huge impact on modern business with organisations having to counter for the different age groups who are unlikely to have the same needs and expectations, for example ‘older, mid- and late career employees were more likely to believe that their psychological contracts are unreplicable’ (Ng Feldman 2008, citied in George 2009 p125) potentially making them a safer option to employ as they will have less concerns when their contract is breached. The importance in taking all the different generations into account is outlined in a recent study (CIPD 2008): The speed of communications, the pace of change to meet mass markets, economic migration and more rigorous Public sector accountability, make this a unique time in the workplace. These have all placed greater emphasis than ever before on the need for organisations to be agile and harness different capabilities. Skills in digital technology, information management and entrepreneurialism are mixed with longstanding wisdom, change management and customer service ethos. The four generations in the workplace are bringing divergent skills, learning styles and expectations around reward. These four generations consist of the veterans, baby boomers, generation x and generation z, as well as the start of generation Z which consist of 16 year olds and younger soon to be a part of modern day business. They develop their different approaches to business through social trends, education, and technology (CIPD 2008). When looking at the psychological contract it is going to be more positive if there is a common goal (George 2008, p4) and therefore it is important to look at what each generation can offer you. Studies in the United States found that ‘(65+) are hardworking, conservative and conforming†¦ mid-40 to mid-60†¦ achievement, ambition and dislike of authority. Late-20s to early 40’s value work/life balance, relationship, dislike of rules†¦ under 30s value financial success, confidence and loyalty to self and relationships’.(Robbins et al. 2008, -95) ‘By understanding what motivates its employees, an organisation can develop a compelling value proposition to engage and reward them.’ (CIPD 2008, p10). Not only does it point out the differences between the generations but it can also help employers recognise ‘generic values’ (Ibid.) with only 4% of people feeling that a competitive deal and job security was not important when being offered a job, all with the exception of a few veterans looked for personal development as well as there being a significant demand for people management skills, technology development leadership training and knowledge about their organisation. (CIPD 2008, p11) Essentially it is finding the right mix to suit each individual that makes up the psychological contract, ‘Proactively managing the organisation’s employer brand and reflecting generational differences in job design, will be fundamental drivers of attraction and engagement’ (CIPD 2008 p35) Google are an example of an organisation who have got this balance right and have been rewarded with the reputation of number 1 place for graduates to work. This is due to the combination of internal rewards, a consistent recruitment process, a variety of social and professional interest groups, a consistency globally in terms of technology and a personal recruitment process and other benefits which keep the employee happy which makes them want to keep the employer happy and thus an extremely positive psychological contract is built (CIPD 2008) In addition to keeping up with the modern generations it is also important for companies to show an interest in modern technology. However the introduction of social media sights have shown a recent concern amongst employers as CIPD 2009 survey suggest ‘most either forbade (21.1%) or discouraged it (45.5%)’ this is due to the things people might say about their company with (Robbins et al. 2010) recording that ’39 per cent of individual bloggers say they have posted comments that could be construed as harmful to their company’s reputation’ realistically this is a breach in the psychological contract and the reason employers are reluctant for their employees to use them. On balance it is clear that the psychological contract can play a key role in the success of the business and any violations to it can be extremely costly. However with reference to the question it is hard to say whether or not downsizing reduces the chances of the contract being violated, because although if managed carefully people could feel the benefits through empowerment and if the employer is fair and open with the employee it could help build a stronger relationship (business balls 2010), I feel the evidence to suggest your staff are likely to feel increased stress and pressure from the work load and as shown in (CIPD 2004, p17) list of top fifteen ways to develop a good psychological contract number one is ‘Avoid redundancies whenever possible: redundancies lower morale’ which suggests you are starting on the back foot by downsizing. Anon. (2010) The psychological contract [online][viewed 10/12/2012] http://www.businessballs.com/psychological-contracts-theory.htm#external-relative-factors CIPD. (2009) Learning and development. Annual survey report. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. CIPD (2008) Gen Up how the four generations work. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD (2004). Practical Tools from CIPD research. London: chartered Institute of Personnel and Development George C. (2009). The Psychological Contract. Maidenhead: Open University Press Robbins S.P, T.A Judge, T.T Campbell. 2010. Organizational Behaviour. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall Rollinson D. (2008). Organisational behaviour and analysis, an integrated approach. 4th ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall Thompson P, Mchugh D. (2002) Work Organisation. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave

Social Issues In South Africa Management Essay

Social Issues In South Africa Management Essay In society, the population of the world is affected by social economic issues. This research analysis will focus mainly on South Africa, showing a list of the different issues found in South Africa, as well as listing the ways in which they affect the country in both the business and environmental sectors. The different types of social issues found in South Africa are listed below: Poverty- is an economical condition in which people do not have sufficient income to obtain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing and education. These minimal levels are generally recognized as being necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. The Causes of poverty are: Individuals who find it difficult to earn an income. Members of large families, where the breadwinner of the family is either unemployed or works for low wages. Lack of educational opportunity and an education of a poor quality. A high level of unemployment. Unemployment- population and employment play a big factor as part of the social economic issues. As technology increases, more technical knowledge and experience is needed in South Africas industries, even in farming, mining, manufacturing and service industries. Unemployment affects businesses by causing poverty. HIV/AIDS-the constant spread of this disease throughout the country plays a contributing factor to the social economic factors in South Africa. HIV/AIDS decreases the life expectancy of the population and effects businesses negatively because if one of their staff members has passed away from this disease, they must spend money on finding, and training new staff, which can be time consuming and decrease the work ethic within the business. Increase of population- the greater the population, the greater the demand is for resources and raw materials. Uncontrolled settlement development can also result in problems of pollution, health hazards, and inadequate housing and service provision, contributing to informal sector activities and crime.(4) Natural resources in areas surrounding settlements are generally under greater pressures than those in areas of less dense human habitation.(1) Water supply- with the increasing population, the use of water is starting to become limited. Scientists are already looking for alternatives to supplying water, such as the desalination of sea water, which is so far an expensive exercise. The issue of poverty relating to South Africa Summed up all together, most of the issues mentioned above relate back to poverty. Poverty leads to people who are not able to afford an education, or can only afford a poor quality education. The lack of education causes unemployment, and unemployment leads to crime. Besides that the uneducated populations are prone to make uneducated decisions relating to starting a family when you are not in the position to afford children, and this leads to unsafe sex, which causes the spread of HIV/AIDS. The impacts of poverty on the environment include deforestation from excessive collection of wood for fuel, soil degradation through cultivation of unsuitable soils, and exploitation of rare and endangered species to supplement incomes. An inability to adequately provide for the basic needs of the population will lead to collapse of the natural ecosystem services and deterioration in the quality of life. (2) Poverty also has a large impact on businesses. As a result of low or no education, lack of training and working skills, inability to access various services, poor people dont contribute much to their local community and can retard or hamper economic growth in the area. Poverty means that potential business markets are reduced and can therefore decrease the businesses ability to make profit. It may be wise for businesses to team up with government to alleviate poverty and to uplift the poor in their business environments as this will help broaden the consumer base for itself and all other businesses and benefit them in the long term. Woolworths limited What is corporate social responsibility? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been defined by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development as the continuing commitment by companies to behave ethically and to contribute to economic development, while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families, as well as the local community and society at large.(5) Woolworths is one of the leading food retailers in South Africa, as one of the largest public companies they are aware of the social, environmental and economical impact they have on the communities in which they operate. As a result of this, Woolworths is big into corporate social responsibilities. They design and implement certain strategies to enable their company to run better, as well as benefit the environment around them. Woolworths is a company with a good ethics and morals base system, where their employees must obey the values of the company. Below is a diagram drawn up by Woolworths to show the distribution of their corporate social responsibility model. (7) Figure 3.1: Corporate social responsibility model of Woolworths. Woolworths has a responsibility for, and is committed to, the implementation of effective and efficient long term management strategies which address issues arising from the companys impact on the environment in which it operates. Woolworths is aware of the impact their company has on the environment and it is important for them to have certain strategies in place to solve the problem. An example of Woolworths contributing to the environment is by implementing the green bag which is not as harsh on the environment as the traditional plastic bag. Woolworths is also associated with the community and have a lot of fund raisers where 100% of funds go to providing food for the poor or it is donated to certain hospitals. Woolworths also participates in the efforts to tackle problem drinking. They have voluntarily introduced a range of measures (above the license requirements) to assist local communities to better manage alcohol related issues. (7) The one issue which Woolworths concentrates the most on is the impact that they have on the environment. Woolworths has realized that their company has effected the environment in 4 ways: Electricity consumption and associated green house gas emissions. Store waste going into landfills and recycling. Packaging used in their operations and by their consumers. Fuel consumption and associated green house gases in their vehicle fleet. Electricity consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions Woolworths looked at the following aspects in order to reduce their electricity consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Refrigeration Woolworths three major refrigeration service providers were asked to undertake a program to cost-effectively improve system energy efficiency while maintaining product temperature and system up-time. By identifying high output sites and those that could be tuned remotely, substantial improvement was noted in the performance efficiency of many supermarket refrigeration systems. Lighting Woolworths spent their efforts on replacing their original light bulbs in their stores with energy efficient light bulbs, and by putting special lighting systems in place to reduce the amount of energy used. Below is a breakdown of the savings delivered in a sample of their supermarkets once controlled lighting had been introduced. Table 4.1: Table showing the amount of energy used in stores before and after the new lighting systems were installed.(7) Temperature control most of the Woolworths stores have implemented a change in their temperature control. Instead of having a heavy on energy air-conditioner, they have installed an extremely efficient 6-tiecase fan which in the long run will benefit the business positively. Store waste going into landfills and recycling Key to this program is for Woolworths to implement various recycling programs within the stores to minimize the amount of general waste produced. Woolworths is involved in recycling most of their waste such as: Cardboard Green waste (recycled to fertilizer) Chicken oil Packaging used in their operations and by their customers Woolworths has managed to transform their packaging to environmentally friendly. They have trained their staff in efficiently packing purchases so that not as many bags are used. They have also implemented a green bag which is heavy duty, can be reused and is healthy for the environment. Fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gases in their vehicle transport fleet Woolworths has put a lot of insight to this issue and has come up with certain ideas to help alleviate the problem. They have discovered that by planning their trips they can be more efficient by making many stops at once and not going back and fourth the whole time. They have also invested in fully efficient cars which save on their fuel prices and the amount of green house gasses they emit. Woolworths is also investing money into a program for developing other forms of fuel that they might be able to use in the future. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. Below is a SWOT analysis table that Woolworths designed to plan and evaluate their project. Table 8.1: SWOT analysis Strengths Open door policy to the press CERES guidance and co-ordination active CSR Selective supply chain strategy careful food safety standards reasonably priced and high quality products Nutritional information available on packaging Decentralised yet connected system Innovative excellence program Promoting ethical conduct Profitable Weaknesses Inflexible to changes in market trends Difficult to find and retain employees Drive for achieving shareholder value may counter CSR Promoted CSR meat imports in error Opportunities Attractive flexible employment Positive environmental commitments Higher standards demanded from suppliers Corporate Responsibility Committee Honest and real brand image Threats Fabricated stories about the quality of their food Health concerns surrounding Beef, Poultry Fish Possible Labour exploitation CSR at the risk of profit loss Contributor to global warming (3) Sustainability Ecology is a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in the very long term. (6) The most important way in which Woolworths project is sustainable is in the fact that it is saving the environment and thus helping the world last longer and slowing global warming. Their whole project is sustainable as they are planning for the future and helping their business to be continuous. It is sustainable in the fact that the business will save money in the long term, and contribute to the end of global warming.

Kafka and his Portrayal of Characters Essay -- essays research papers

Kafka’s Portrayal of Characters Franz Kafka, born on July 3, 1883 in Bohemia, in the city of Prague, has been recognized as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Virtually unknown during his lifetime, the works of Kafka have since been recognized as symbolizing modern man's distress and distorted alienation in an unintelligible, hostile, or indifferent world. None of Kafka’s novels were printed during his lifetime, and it was only with reluctance that he published a fraction of his shorter fiction. Kafka went even as far as to request that his unprinted manuscripts be destroyed after his death. His friend, Max Brod went against his wishes and published his works, although many were unfinished (Sokel 35). Kafka came from a middle-class Jewish family and grew up in the shadow of his domineering shopkeeper father, who impressed Kafka the ultimate father figure. The feeling of impotence, even in his rebellion, was a syndrome that became a pervasive theme in his fiction. Kafka did well in the prestigious German high school in Prague and went on to receive a law degree in 1906. He soon found a job at the Assicurizioni Generali Insurance Company in 1907 but soon left, due to the lengthy hours and intolerable conditions. Later in 1908, he began working at the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute, where he would work most of the rest of his life. He regarded this job as the essence—both blessing and curse—of his life (Gray 78). He would work most of the rest of his life, although only sporadically after 1917, and in June 1922 he was put on â€Å"temporary retirement† with a pension (Gray 81-84). This job, although not great had short hours, and so allowed him time to think and write. In 1911, he was asked by his father to take charge of his brother-in-law Karl Hermann’s asbestos factory, which took up a lot of his time until 1917 and literally almost drove him to suicide (83). Kafka spent half his life after 1917 in sanatoriums and health resorts; his tuberculosis of the lungs finally spreading to the larynx. Throughout his life, Kafka wrote during times he felt frustrated, either by a love, his family, or his sickness (Sokel 133). Kafka’s method of relief from these frustrations was through his writing (133).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kafka’s coarse relationship with his father dominates his thoughts in life and his works. In the two works, â€Å"The Me... ... his own life, his own views, his own perspectives. He deliberately removes the line between truth and fiction. Tongue in cheek, Kafka used his life as blueprints for his works. In doing so, he has played â€Å"one of the strangest and most daring games a writer ever had played†(Pascal 137). By telling of his life as a fable and commenting about his own style, he raised himself to the level of literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography: Brod, Max, Franz Kafka, 2d ed. (1960); Citati, Pietro, Kafka (1990); Flores, Angel, ed., The Kafka Debate (1977); Glatzer, N. N., The Loves of Franz Kafka (1985); Gray, Ronald, ed., Kafka: A Collection of Critical Essays (1962); Hayman, Ronald, Kafka (1982); Heller, Erich, Franz Kafka (1975); Karl, Frederick R., Franz Kafka: Representative Man (1992); Lawson, R. H., Franz Kafka (1987); Pawel, E., The Nightmare of Reason: A Life of Franz Kafka (1984); Politzer, Heiny, Franz Kafka: Parable and Paradox (1962); Sokel, Walter H., Franz Kafka (1966); Udoff, Alan, ed., Kafka and the Contemporary Critical Performance (1987   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

High School vs. University Essay

Every September, high school graduates must prepare for the drastic transformation from high school to university. High school is a teaching environment which a student acquires facts and skills. University is a learning environment in which a student must take responsibility for thinking and applying what you have learned. This step in life students will either adjust to or struggle with. High school students are told university life is exciting, unpredictable, and entertaining. Also, students are informed university life is costly, demanding, and stressful. In order to adapt to the transition, students must understand and recognize the different teaching styles, testing, and grading. Teaching styles change as class sizes vary. Teachers in High school cover course material in depth and over a long period of time. Professors cover textbook material quickly. High school teachers check homework, remind students of incomplete work, and approach students if assistance is needed. Professors do not check completed homework and will assume students can complete the same tasks on tests. It is left up to the student to communicate with their professors in order to receive extensions ensuring the student will not be penalized. Professors do not approach students or notice students who are struggling. Therefore, students may approach professor in given office hours for one-on-one help. Finally, in university due to large class sizes and minimal lecture time keeping up with assignments and readings is critical. Cramming the night before a test and receiving a good grade is more likely to occur in high school, where testing in subjects is very frequent. Preparation for testing becomes more crucial in university because tests are infrequent, covering large amounts of material. Also, students in high school may be awarded a make up test normally without an explanation. Whereas in university, in order to receive a make up test a reasonable explanation must be given. Review classes are given in high school to help prepare students and give them a clear idea of the material that will be tested. Rarely, are review sessions provided for university students, if they are, professors expect participation from students who attend. Success on tests can be mastered by applying acquired knowledge to new situations or to solve new problems. The grading system becomes very important as students enter university. High school students are used to courses that are usually structured to a â€Å"good-faith effort†. In high school grades are given for most assignments. Students are also given grades for consistently good homework, which may help boost marks when test grades are low. Students who may not have a good overall mark occasionally have the opportunity to complete extra credit projects. Comparing this to university grades on tests and major papers usually provide most of the course grade. Extra credit projects are not normally allowed to raise a grade in a university course. Therefore, the â€Å"good-faith effort† is important in regard to the professor’s willingness to help students achieve good results; it will not substitute for results in the grading process. Adjustment is required for a high school graduate to be successful in university. Before entering university, high school students must be aware of these differences. Therefore, they must know how to adapt to new teaching styles, to successfully prepare themselves for testing, and the changes in grading systems. Recognizing these differences before entering a university can help prepare students for greater success.

THE USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN EDUCATION

As you may or may non cognize, an Information System is a aggregation of hardware, package, informations, people, and processs that work together to bring forth quality information and instruction is the procedure of geting cognition. How do people get this cognition you may be believing? Well, they learn from other people such as pedagogues, employers and workers. There are many signifiers of stuffs that are used in instruction. The traditional stuffs would be the text books and manuals used for acquisition tools, but in todays times it ‘s a different narrative. Educators are now turning to computing machines to help them with larning. This new manner of acquisition is going highly popular and is realy distributing fast. Not merely can you utilize information systems inside the schoolroom to attach to face to confront larning but it can besides be used for distance acquisition. Learning has no boundries when it comes to IS. The Internet allows pupil to hold to entree to an eternal sum of information for research intents.Students of all ages can utilize on-line activities that relate to their capable affair and keyboarding accomplishments are being developed at really early ages. In order to succed and derive more cognition about our information-rich society, pupils must be able to utilize this engineering efficaciously, both in an educational scene and beyond. The instructors of today are confronting many challenges and alterations, it is going an progressively more hard occupation because of the immense sums of outlooks. By utilizing engineering in learning it can really assist with many outlooks faced by the pedagogues of today. IS alterations from twelvemonth to twelvemonth therefore it is of import for a instructor to take portion in professional development in engineering. Professional development ensures that engineering is used eficiently and efficaciously in order to make new chances for larning and to advance pupil accomplishment. In a manner, Information Systems have become the anchor of modern instruction. It allows schools to hive away valuable pupil information and assists the disposal section with the direction of the full school. When an IS tool is good to larning, it benefits learning. If an IS tool is good to learning, it in bend benefits disposal and the learning pupils and so on. It is a collaborative attempt which affects all facets of instruction. Teachers can show many IS tools to pupils in order to assistance in the acquisition procedure. Examples of these acquisition tools would be E-learning, Web TC, online categories, construct maps and distance acquisition are all classified as signifiers of instructional engineering. Distance acquisition has many benefits, these include leting pupils to go to categories when the state of affairs does non allow them to go to the on-campus talk, it gives the pupils flexibleness to work on assignments when their agenda permits them to and in bend this releases a pupil from go toing a category where a set twenty-four hours and clip is scheduled. Students besides have the priviledge to make synergistic teamwork between groups every bit good as have the chance to cormmunicate with people from different backgrounds, civilizations from all around the universe. Having IS capablenesss in the schoolroom allows pupils to hold mention stuffs at their fingertips. The web is non merely a beginning for communicating but can besides supply mention for an tremendous figure of subjects. Today ‘s web non merely consists of Web sites where information on assorted subjects can be found but it contains pictures where the ocular scholar can analyze subjects in a manner that they process information. This resource provides pedagogues with prosecuting digital resources to be more effectual in the schoolroom and in bend addition pupil involvement by linking the schoolroom to an abundant sum of information from around the universe. When utilizing such resources, the instructor is now a facilitator in larning the capable stuff and non person who is talking the stuffs like in the yesteryear. The bulk of the determinations made within educational establishments are made from analysing informations this information is collected by the usage of IS engineering. Examples of IS engineering would be an on-line trials ( such as Exam View or Quiz Star ) where pupils take trials online and recieve their consequences about immediatly. This on-line tool so shops the trial and the memo to the trial, but will besides hive away the pupils replies. A study can be instantly generated after the trial has been completed. The information from the studies will instantly be available for instructors so they can be shown where the pupils are fighting. A common illustration of the usage of this engineering in the schoolroom are pupils utilizing computing machines for research undertakings, computing machine package and presentations. Assorted applications are taught to pupils on a day-to-day footing. Due to the fact that today ‘s pupils learn in many different ways, instructors need to calculate out variou effectual methods for them to acquire that information. The regulations of the past bash non use to the pupils of today. Alternatively of the pupils necessitating to accommodate to suit the cast of what the instructor expects, the instructor needs to accommodate the manner they deliver that information to the pupils. IS helps better instruction in the schoolroom due to the fact that it gives the instructor the chance to educate the pupils many different ways. It requires pupils to believe outside the box and acquire a better apprehension of the information that is being presented to them. Students besides have a opportunity to research thoughts on manus and do their acquisition more meaningful and relevant. In the yesteryear, instruction was one dimensional. However, due to engineering altering the ambiance in the schoolroom, instruction is now teacher directed, but pupils can go farther engaged with helping the instructors lesson with the provided engineering at a chink of a button. Teachers besides have to set up a ground for utilizing IS in the schoolroom and have to do the instruction successful for their pupils. In order for learning to be effectual instructors need to let flexibleness in the lessons prepared on a day-to-day footing. In the society of today, information systems are altering quickly twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours. There are many different manners of engineering that can be use to hike acquisition for pupils. These manners of engineering can run from Power Point presentations to mobile laptops with Internet entree for each pupil. With engineering like this in the schoolroom the pupils get a much better quality of larning. Nowdays information systems are going easier and easier to utilize and this makes it more convenient for pupils who wants to make research and happen solutions to there jobs. Students gain cognition through computing machines where engineering is used basically as a coach and serves to increase the pupils basic accomplishments and cognition and where engineering is used as a tool that can be applied to a assortment of ends in the acquisition procedure which can function as a resource to assist develop higher order thought, creativeness and research accomplishments. Communication is highly of import if you want the right message to be delivered. There are many different ways to pass on. Using the right method for its bringing is merely every bit of import. In the past instructors and pupils would do presentations in category and would utilize flip-charts, overhead projectors, or blackboards as their primary medium. Now, we have electronic whiteboards that record what the instructor writes, so pupils can entree the animated or narrated information on a computing machine for alteration after the presentation. Power Point presentations can besides be used, in which we can incorporate text, picture, sound, artworks, links to other paperss, or links to the Internet. This widespread application allows both pupils and instructors to pass on in a truly multimedia format. Social networking sites, electronic mail ( e-mail ) , and web logs ( web logs ) are three more agencies of easing communicating among pupils. Collaboration is now simpler than of all time due to the usage of online tools and package that allows pupils and pedagogues to work together on undertakings. Wikis, web seminars, and video conference calls are a few ways that pupils and instructors can come together and portion information with other pupils and co-workers. Communication can besides be done via the Web. Students can link to the cyberspace by utilizing either Dial-up entree, radio webs, DSL ( Digital Subscriber Line ) , satellite modems or overseas telegram modems. Many schools of today have Web sites that connect users to school calendars, upcoming featuring events, contact information for the school and pedagogues, library resources and a batch more. If IS did non be this would wholly be impossible to make. This method of communicating allows schools relay information to parents and pupils in a timely mode. Lots of schools have incorporated a type of IS that allows parents and defenders to hold entree to their kid ‘s consequences and attending record. In a nut shell parents sign up for their ain user name and watchword and so they have sole entree to this type of information. Via this IS tool, schools can hold 24/7 communicating with parents to inform them of their kid ‘s advancement in each category. When pupils graduate and enter into the on the job universe, they must be equipped with the necessary accomplishments to vie in an international market. An illustration of a accomplishment would being able to video conference which removes the boundaries of a traditional schoolroom. The pupils are able to derive valuable cognition that is outside of the text edition by speaking to pupils in that state. From the pedagogues ‘ point of view, computing machine applications allow for them to take a traditional schoolroom and turn it into a practical schoolroom. In the schoolroom, the assorted types of engineering deliver different signifiers of content and serve many different intents. Examples of this would be word processing and e-mailing which promote communicating accomplishments, database and spreadsheet plans which promote organisational accomplishments, every bit good as patterning package which encourages the apprehension of mathematic every bit good as scientific constructs. Educators and pupils likewise are both looking for better ways to present and larn information. Most educational plans use a computer-based preparation attack. Schools are rapidly accommodating to thse preparation plans and it in bend aids pupils in larning. The benefits that information systems give to the educational procedure are endless.