Political and Religious Ambitions Dante’s Justification...

In The Inferno, Dante descends through the nine circles of Hell, encountering increasingly serious sins, most of which are crimes. The levels of Hell can be interpreted as a gradation of crimes, with penalties in proportion to their relative gravity of sin. While crimes are transgressions against human law, Dante’s Christian orthodox ambitions translate the treatment of these seemingly earthly crimes as sins, transgressions against divine law. For the purposes of this paper, the two terms can be used interchangeably because Dante’s perception of crimes on Earth is in parallel to the punishment of those crimes as sins in Hell. For Dante, the most punishable sins are those of betrayal. With a lucid examination of Dante’s political†¦show more content†¦The notion that the sinners Virgil and Dante meet are historical figures tempts readers to interpret Dante’s symbolism in a historical sense. Paul G. Chevigny, for example, argues that Dante’s v iew on betrayal originates from his ethical concerns in a â€Å"political milieu† (Chevigny, 790). For Dante, the most severe crime was the most human, the one that most clearly exhibits the misuse of free will: the betrayal of trust. Dante believes that crimes of betrayal were the most serious not only because they required the most deliberate practice of free will, but also because they did the most damage to the ethical net of obligations in society. As previously mentioned, Dante’s political role in Florence established his ideal of a stable society built among the trust of political leaders and their followers. At the same time, however, the religious function of Dante’s poem must not be neglected. In the opening lines of The Inferno, Dante embarks on a journey and finds himself â€Å"in a dark wood, for the straight way was lost† (Inferno, I, 2-3). Dante’s description of the dark wood indicates the lack of God’s light, and thus inform s readers of the life he lived in the condition of sin. These opening lines establish the religious context for the poem, as Dante has deviated from â€Å"the straight way†, the way to God. Furthermore, Lee H. Yearley contributes to this religious perspective by

The Aspen Education Group - 1185 Words

Review of the Literature The Aspen education group in conjunction with The American Academy of Pediatrics, reported that 36.9 percent of 14-year-olds have engaged in sexual intercourse. This equates to more than one out of three teenagers being involved in sexual behavior. It was also reported from this organization that high school youth were reported to have been sexually active at a percentage of 66.4%. This is alarming and reflects the fact that teenagers are sexual active at extremely high rates. The public have been made known to the fact by government sponsored initiatives that sexual activity amongst youth has steadily increased over the past thirty years. Teenagers have an intense interest†¦show more content†¦Being correctly educated comes in the form of proper contraceptive measures such as condom use, birth control, or just abstaining from sex period. An author by the name of Dr. Bogle, wrote a book about the changing culture of teenage hooking up. Hooking up in the 60s used to be define d as making out. â€Å"Hooking Up: Sex, Dating and Relationships on Campus† (N.Y.U. Press, 2008) stated that dating rules between teenagers began to change in the 1960s. After this time what could be seen as a normality with teen dating swiftly and significantly changed. Today, dating and hooking up is totally different from what some parents and grandparents defined as dating and hooking up. The birth rate among teenagers in the United States rose three percent in 2006. This was reported as the first such increase since 1991. Two-thirds of the 65 million people living with incurable diseases are aged between 15 and 24. The most common STD is the Human Papillomavirus, Human Papillomavirus alone leads 90 percent of all cervical cancers (CDC). The vast majority of teenage pregnancies are unplanned and unwanted according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. This is disturbing because we have children being born into homes were the parents are still growing up and there is a lack of job stability, and education. Pregnancy puts teenagers in a likely percentile of not

Supply Chain Management Practice of Ikea †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Supply Chain Management Practice of Ikea. Answer: Overview Of The Case Supply chain management is regarded as the process of managing all interrelated business activities through which flow of goods and services are managed. Further, it is considered as the chain through which products are purchased for production purpose and ultimately it reaches to the target markets who are the ultimate buyers(Waters Rinsler, 2014). For every type of business operating in the market, it is necessary to manage its supply chain in an effective manner so that right kind of good can be offered to the customer as per their expectation. The present report is based on analyzingsupply chain management practice of Ikea where the company has 27 trading offices in 23 countries, 15 customer distribution centers and 33 distribution centers. The Company is headquartered in Netherlands that is indulged into the practice of designing and selling ready to assemble furniture, home accessories and kitchen appliances. The environment where Ikea operates is highly competitive, and its main competitors are online and retail furniture stores(Sandybayev, 2017). The main focus of the organization is on offering the wide range of products that are of high quality. Considering the supply chain practice of Ikea, it undertakes different stages and involves primary, secondary and tertiary sectors that are involved in procurement of raw material, production, distribution, retail sales, etc. Competitive Strategy Of Ikea Considering the supply chain practice of Ikea where operations are carried out with the help of three different stages that involves primary, secondary and tertiary. Through effectivemanagement of supply chain, the key goal of business is to ensure customer satisfaction and providing them remarkable purchase experience. In the stores of Ikea different products are available where they can easily choose the best product that meets with their requirement. The packaging of the product is also done in the different manner that contains instructions and all the necessary information regarding products. Along with this additional facilities are provided to the customers that involve children play area, food court, mini cinema, etc(Jonsson, Rudberg, Holmberg, 2013). This strategy allows the company to influence purchase behavior of its customers. The key competitive strategy undertaken by Ikea is product diversification and cost leadership which has been considered with the help of its supply chain practice. The company strongly focuses on decreasing cost of production with the help of reducing wastage, decreasing operational error, integration of stakeholders, etc. Apart from this product diversification as one of the strategy is also employed where with the help of innovation new furniture items are developed. So, this competitive strategy has allowed the company to deal with the issue of competition prevailing in the market(Stadtler, 2015). Supply chain practice of Ikea starts with sales and demand planning followed by marketing planning and supplier capacity and load planning. All these activities are undertaken with the motive to provide proper convenience to the target market, and it has enhanced the overall performance of Ikea in the market. Key Points Of Ikea Supply Chain Above shown is the supply chain of Ikea that highlights the key activities involving central planning, distribution services, and retail. The suppliers of the company are present in 50 countries, and Ikea has developed the strong relationship with them through trust, transparency and another form of aspects(Sezen, 2008). The key points associated with the supply chain practice of Ikea are as follows: Purchasing and logistics activities are integrated within the business Segregation of the process into primary, secondary and tertiary sectors that is engaged into production, distribution, raw material and retail sales to the end customers. Emphasize on key aspects such as sustainability and quality, affordability, accessibility etc. At the time of dealing with partners main stress is on efficient production and working a lot to reduce logistics cost(Mangan Lalwani, 2016). Raw materials are sourced from the suppliers in the market at lowest price. Suppliers adhere to the IWAY code through which quality standards are met by the company. Adoption of automated system to manage inventory and this leads to efficient utilization of the main resources of the business. Activities that are associated with the order fulfillment process are carried out by Ikea range and supply where main tasks are plan, source, make, deliver, return and enable Ikea relies on e-wheel tool with the motive to evaluate the environmental impact of its products. Around 50% of Ikea 9,500 products are manufactured with the help of wood or wood fibers. This is one of the most effective resource form sustainability point of view(Lockamy III McCormack, 2004) Many designs of the products are developed by the company where the main motive behind the same is to reduce the use of materials. For instance some tables are manufactured with the help of recycled plastic etc. Stores of the company add value to the produced goods and this allows in providing remarkable experience to the customers in every possible manner. So, these are some of the key highlights of the Ikeas supply chain that makes it different from other companies operating in the market. How Company Delivers Value In order to deliver remarkable value to the customers, various strategies have been employed by Ikea. For determining the level of customer satisfaction, various aspects are undertaken by the company such as returned products, number of products and the recommendations received from the customers(Jacobs, Chase, Lummus, 2011). The company delivers value by providing proper assistance to the target market in the form of facilities such as food court, mini area, supervised children play area, etc. This supports in providing the high level of experience to the customers in every possible manner and enhances company performance. Apart from this, packaging of the products is done conveniently through self-assembly flat packs that contain necessary instructions. The main strategies of the company involve cost leadership and product diversification. This is the main reason due to which majority of the customers are highly satisfied with the product range of Ikea and in turn company is able to gain the competitive edge through this(Halldrsson, Kotzab, Skjtt-Larsen, 2009). The actual value is delivered to the target market with the help of high-quality product of different designs that are manufactured with the help of advanced technology. So, these are some of the key methods employed by Ikea in order to deliver value to the target market. Order Processing Strategy Of Ikea The order processing strategy of Ikea takes into consideration various tasks that are carried out by Ikea. The plan is the first stage where Ikea identifies the production requirement as per demand for its products in the market and determining the relevant cost along with the logistics required. Next crucial stage is the source where company orders the raw materials required from different suppliers(Ganesan, George, Jap, Palmatier, Weitz, 2009). Make is the next stage where the resources present are allocated in the production process where manufacturing takes place in line with the quality along with the quantity requirement. Further, deliver is another stage where large numbers of distribution processes are undertaken with the motive to deliver products to the sales outlets, storage units to the end customers(Ayers, 2006). Return is another stage where customers are provided warranty for the products they purchase. In case if any product has any default then it is possible for them to return the goods and through this company provides them appropriate convenience. At last is the enable stage where integration of all the members in the supply chainmanagement process takes place, and it is ensured whether IWAY code is appropriately followed or not(Chopra Meindl, 2007). All the staff members are involved in the innovation process, and this contributes a lot to the success of the enterprise. These are some of the key stages of the ordering process of Ikea through which company is able to deliver appropriate products to the target market and has allowed performing better as compared with other companies operating in the market. Summary Of The Case And Recommendation The entire case has supported in knowing about the supply chain management practices of Ikea that are quite effective. The key stages such as primary, secondary and tertiary are effective through which right kind of product is delivered to the target market. Apart from this, for delivering high value to the target market additional facilities are rendered to the customers such as mini cinema, children play area etc. Further, company welcomes suggestions from its customers that are associated with the product development. Moreover, some effective ways are present through which Ikea can improve its supply chain practice and they are as follows: Ikea supply chain strategy must be more flexible so that it is possible to change its supply chain practices frequently and in lesser period of time. Heavy reliance must be on advanced tools and techniques so that efficient production can be carried out that can save cost and in turn product of unique design can be developed easily which is beneficial for the company and customers also. A Large number of factors are present that influences supply chain strategy of Ikea and it is necessary for the company to ensure well in advance that all the influencing factors are well maintained and satisfied too. References Ayers, J. B. (2006). Handbook of supply chain management. Florida: CRC Press. Chopra, S., Meindl, P. (2007). Supply chain management. Strategy, planning operation. Das summa summarum des management , 265-275. Ganesan, S., George, M., Jap, S., Palmatier, R. W., Weitz, B. (2009). Supply chain management and retailer performance: emerging trends, issues, and implications for research and practice. Journal of Retailing, , 84-94. Halldrsson, ., Kotzab, H., Skjtt-Larsen, T. (2009). Supply chain management on the crossroad to sustainability: a blessing or a curse?. . Logistics Research , 83-94. Jacobs, F. R., Chase, R. B., Lummus, R. R. (2011). Operations and supply chain management . New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Jonsson, P., Rudberg, M., Holmberg, S. (2013). Centralised supply chain planning at IKEA. . Supply Chain Management: An International Journal , 337-350. Lockamy III, A., McCormack, K. (2004). The development of a supply chain management process maturity model using the concepts of business process orientation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, , 272-278. Mangan, J., Lalwani, C. (2016). Global logistics and supply chain management. New jersey: John Wiley Sons. Sandybayev, A. (2017). Strategic Supply Chain Management Implementation: Case Study of IKEA. Noble International Journal of Business and Management Research , 5-9. Sezen, B. (2008). Relative effects of design, integration and information sharing on supply chain performance. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal , 233-240. Stadtler, H. (2015). Supply chain management: An overview. In Supply chain management and advanced planning (pp. 3-28). Berlin: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Waters, D., Rinsler, S. (2014). Global logistics: New directions in supply chain management. London: Kogan Page Publishers.

Proxemics Essays - Nonverbal Communication, Social Psychology

Proxemics Spacial Relations Spacial relations is a complex subject that can be interpreted in many different ways. A clear explanation of spatial relations is easily understood with the study of proxemics. So what is proxemics? Well the term proxemics came from E.T. Hall, a researcher in 1963. Proxemics is the study of the nature, degree, and effect of the spatial separation individuals naturally maintain (as in various social and interpersonal situations) and of how this separation relates to environmental and cultural factors. Proxemics is made up of featured spaces: fixed space, semi-fixed, and informal. Space around a person is set up into zones representing comfort and non-comfort. Fixed spaces are areas that are unmovable such as buildings and offices. Many simple things can change a comfortable zone in a fixed area such as color. The use of color can have a major impact on our comfort level. Restaurants, for example, focus on peoples comfort level with how they paint their buildings. Fast food such as McDonalds or Taco Bell cause people to rush in, eat fast, and leave without a nice place to sit down because of their bright colors. Bright colors are disturbing to the customers and even the workers. Other restaurants such as Ruby Tuesdays and Apple Bees stick with a nice color scheme that is both darker, mellow, and come off as a nice place to enjoy your food. Restaurants like these have a higher employee turnover than fast food in the food service industry. Semi-fixed spaces serves as movable areas such as furniture. Office desks can be organized to a persons comfort zone. Chairs and desks are just physical barriers but can be broken to protect personal space. As you might notice on a TV show or at a job interview, two chairs are usually always on an angle and no more than 1 ? feet from the main desk. This set up helps keep a balance of dominance. A person at a desk compared to a person standing in front of him may feel less dominant and unequal. Other areas of an office, such as lamps and filing cabinet are usually placed in the corners because small areas, like corners, make a person feel enclosed and small. Rearranging of furniture in an area helps keep balance over the persons personal space and semi-fixed spaces. Informal spaces is personal territory, and a big part of proxemics. Personal territory is made up of four categories: public, social, personal, and intimate. All of these spaces range differently in amount of space. For instance public spaces ranges from 12-25 feet. Social space ranges from 4-10 feet. Personal space ranges from 2-4 feet and intimate space ranges out to one foot and is used mostly while touching. Personal space, most commonly used, can vary both culturally and ethnically. In Saudi Arabia, their social space is equal to our intimate space. If we were to back away from a person, we would be known as rude. In the Netherlands, their social space is equal to our personal space. Anglos communicate with each other, usually maintaining a distance of 36 to 48 inches, while Hispanic tend to stand closer to each other at about l 8 inches. Anglos draw away during a conversation because they seem uncomfortable when they are too close to a conversation partner. The most widespread symbol of informal spaces across the world is a hand shake. For example, a handshake in Spain is usually a double grip, but to a German, it would cause confusion. Equally an even more stronger shake by a German would cause a Spaniard to get the idea of being over-friendly. Individuals perceive a distance that they feel is appropriate for different type of messages and personal interaction. A violation of such space can cause serious effects on communication. A result of violation of personal space is social anxiety. Social anxiety is the third largest psychological problem in the United States today. Social anxiety is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with others. Someone with social anxiety, for example, would feel uncomfortable with someone standing to close or thinking everyone is looking at them, and feeling self conscience. A person feeling this way relates back to personal space, and

Pablo Picasso Essays (293 words) - Netscape, AOL, Internet Suites

Pablo Picasso have always had an interest in art but nothing major. All throughout high school and grade school I attended art classes and always seemed to enjoy them more than my peers. It wasn't until I attended this art class that I realized that art is more than just paint and water. It is what ever you make of it. Being that I never painted before that also means that I've never studied any artists either. While completing my art assignments this semester I have also been reading about a certain artist on the side. No one could ever get me to pick up a book before but something in this art experience made me do it on my own. The man that I have been studying is not only intriguing but is beautiful and entertaining in his own ways. Not only is this man a legend but has taught me to look deeper into a work of art because you could find your own meaning of life. This man that I speak of is non other than Pablo Picasso. Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in 1881. His family had lived in Bibliography Bibliography Day, Nancy. Animal Experimentation. New Jersey, 1994. Dolan, F. Edward. Animal Rights. New York, 1986. Farm Sanctuaries. Online. Netscape. Available. Factoryfarming.com September 1999. PETA. Online. Netscape. Available. http:// wwwbullfighting.com September 1999. PETA. Online. Netscape. Available. http:// www.carriagerides.com September 1999. PETA. Online. Netscape. Available. http:// www.circuses.com September 1999. PETA. Online. Netscape. Available. http:// www.greyhounds.com September 1999 PETA. Online. Netscape. Available. http:// www.peta-online.org October 1999. Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary. Online. Netscape. Available. http://www. RobinsFYL.com/petsalive.htm. August 1999. Whiley, Sarah. Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary. Interview. In Person. April 1999. Arts and Painting

Johnson Behavioral System (JBS) Model Essays - Nursing Theory

Johnson Behavioral System (JBS) Model Essays - Nursing Theory Johnson Behavioral System (JBS) Model In this paper, I am going to summarize the Johnson Behavioral System (JBS) Model (Johnson, 1980, 1990), explain the perspectives for nursing practice, and explore its applicability in nursing practice. First, I am going to talk a little about Dorothy E. Johnson the nurse that wrote the Model. Dorothy E. Johnson was born August 21, 1919, in Savannah, Georgia (Lobo, 1995). She received her A.A. from Armstrong Junior College in Savannah, Georgia, in 1938; her B.S.N. from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1942; and her M.P.H. from Harvard University in Boston in 1948 (Conner, Harbour, Magers, and Watt 1994). Johnson was an instructor and an assistant professor in pediatric nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing from 1944 to 1949. From 1949 until her retirement in 1978 and subsequent move to Key Largo, Florida, she was an assistant professor of pediatric nursing, an associate professor of nursing, and a professor of nursing at the University of California in Los Angeles (Conner et. al. 1994). In 1955 and 1956 she was eligible to go on a sabbatical and went to the Christian Medical College School of Nursing in Vellore, South India, were she was interested in starting a baccalaureate program which was received well (Lobo, 1995). Dorothy Johnson has had an influence on nursing through her publications since the 1950s. Throughout her career, Johnson has stressed the importance of research-based knowledge about the effect of nursing care on clients. Johnson was an early proponent of nursing as a science as well as an art. She also believed nursing had a body of knowledge reflecting both the science and the art. From the beginning, Johnson (1959) proposed that the knowledge of the science of nursing necessary for effective nursing care included a synthesis of key concepts drawn from basic and applied sciences. In 1961, Johnson proposed that nursing care facilitated the client's maintenance of a state of equilibrium. Johnson proposed that clients were "stressed" by a stimulus of either an internal or external nature. These stressful stimuli created such disturbances, or "tensions," in the patient that a state of disequilibrium occurred. Johnson identified two areas that nursing care should be based in order to return the client to a state of equilibrium. First, by reducing stressful stimuli, and second, by supporting natural and adaptive processes. Johnson's behavioral system theory springs from Nightingales belief that nursing's goal is to help individuals prevent or recover from disease or injury. The "science and art" of nursing should focus on the patient as an individual and not on the specific disease entity. Johnson used the work of behavioral scientists in psychology, sociology, and ethnology to develop her theory. The model is patterned after a systems model; a system is defined as consisting of interrelated parts functioning together to form a whole (Conner et. al. 1994). Johnson states that a nurses should use the behavioral system as their knowledge base; comparable to the biological system that physicians use as their base of knowledge (Lobo, 1995). Theory The reason Johnson chose the behavioral system model is the idea that "all the patterned, repetitive, purposeful ways of behaving that characterize each person's life make up an organized and integrated whole, or a system" (other). Johnson states that by categorizing behaviors, they can be predicted and ordered. Johnson categorized all human behavior into seven subsystems (SSs): Attachment, Achievement, Aggressive, Dependence, Sexual, Ingestive, and Eliminative. Each subsystem is composed of a set of behavioral responses or tendencies that share a common goal. These responses are developed through experience and learning and are determined by numerous physical, biological, psychological, and social factors. Four assumptions are made about the structure and function of each SS. These four assumptions are the "structural elements" common to each of the seven SSs. The first assumption is "from the form the behavior takes and the consequences it achieves can be inferred what drive has been stimulated or what goal is being sought" (Johnson, 1980). The ultimate goal for each subsystem is expected to be the same for all individuals. The second assumption is that each individual has a "predisposition to act, with reference to the goal, in certain ways rather than in other ways"

Form post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Form post - Essay Example Felix awakens from his naà ¯ve reverie to a complete grasp of his harsh reality. Nandi serves as a metaphor for the painful but necessary process of remembrance (Vimeo 2:43). Butler differentiates gender from sex, which nowadays many do not agree with. Nandi take her position to survey the bloody land after the brutal massacre and destruction. She makes Felix who is a man in a foreign country aware of what is happening in his homeland. She thinks here as a man though a woman. Butler state that individuals build their culture upon people they meet, education and living condition experienced. Nandi works alone in the harsh environment and takes the part of men culturally not to let the memories fade away. On contrary, Staurt describes cultural study as relationship between different culture and politics theoretically. Kentrige studies the South African past political events. He starts from the brutal killings and mass destruction to when there is first election. This displays transformation though the memories were still there for remembrance. Nandi a woman used as the surveyor to help cover all visible evidence of the past, portrays

To what extent is the enterpreneurship activity the domain of small Essay

To what extent is the enterpreneurship activity the domain of small businesses - Essay Example It is in this appetite for spotting the opportunity and taking the risk that makes small businesses more flexible and versatile in nature and thus good enough to make them capable to convert a business idea into the process of business creation thus innovativeness and creativity are two landmarks of the people who run the small businesses. 1 The term small business is very loosely described and discussed. One idea suggests that a small business is any business which is not large and has very small number of employees. Though the requirement for the number of employees may vary from country to country according to the legal framework of that country however the European Union standards suggest that any business with less than 50 employees is categorized as small business. (Wikipedia, 2008). Generally these businesses are privately owned sole proprietorships or partnership firms. The nature of these firms may be limited to an institution which is limited to the management of the owner or partner of the firm and there is no separation of the ownership and the firm thus the entrepreneurs who run the show at the show at these small businesses are at highest risk of personal liability.(Osborn,1951). Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses Previously, it was believed that since entrepreneurship denotes the creation of some contribution that did not previously exist, entrepreneurship therefore was largely equated with the small business, ownership and management. Due to this overleaping of the concepts entrepreneurship is often interlinked with the small businesses. (Carland et al, 1984).In this essay, we will also use the entrepreneurship and small businesses interchangeably. Further, this essay will look into some of the factors which allow the owners of these small businesses to tap the opportunities and convert them into

Subway Smoothie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Subway Smoothie - Essay Example Our company will use four elements of promotional mix, which include advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and public relation. Advertising refers to the presentation of a standard message regarding the strengths, price and availability of goods or services by the marketer in an impersonal way (Weinreich, 2010). In this strategy, our main aim will be building the pull effect since our adverts will deliver a message that will make the product appealing to customers to buy it. Since fast foods have become a major concern, relaying a message on the importance of smoothie foods will pull more customers to buy the foods. We would also rely on sales promotion, which is the short-term use of incentives or other promotional activities that will stimulate the customer to buy our product (Urban, Sultan, & Qualls, 2012). This particular element helps bring short and immediate effect on sale as well as faster stock clearance. The technique will also help in the induction of customers and distribution channels; and will help us win over fast food competitors. As a business, we will apply such sales promotion skills as rebate, discounts, premiums, and usable benefits, e.g. buy two get one free. The general benefit will be attracting people’s attention as well as inducing them since our new product will be available at a lower price. We will also rely on personal selling, which will enable our sales team have face-to-face interactions with the customers. Since it is a face-to-face interaction, our sales team will be able to explain the merits of our products directly, thus increasing the sale of the product. It is also a flexible element, meaning the seller may change the offer according to various situations. It also induces customers to buy given goods in order to satisfy their needs. Public relations is the last element of marketing mix that we will apply, which

Rdbms Oodbms Ordbms And Xml Information Technology Essay

Rdbms Oodbms Ordbms And Xml Information Technology Essay Data modeling refers to the process where data is structured and organized. It is a key component in the field of computer science. Once data is structured, it is usually then implemented into what is called a database management system (DBMS). The main idea behind these systems to manage vast amounts of both structured and unstructured data. Unstructured data include documents, word processing, e-mail messages, pictures, and digital video and audio files. Structured data, what is needed to make a data model (via a data model theory), is found in management systems like relational databases. A data model theory is the formal description of a data model. In the development of software, the projects may focus on the design of a conceptual data model, or a logical data model. They represent two ways of describing data models. The logical description focuses on the basic features of the model, outside of any particular implementation. The physical description, on the other hand, focuses on the implementation of the particular database hosting the models features. 1.2 Data Models We can define the Data Model as a collection of concepts that can be used to describe the structure of a database, provides the necessary means to achieve this abstraction. Notice that we mean by structure of a database the data types, relationships, and constraints that should hold on the data. Most data models also include a set of basic operations for specifying retrievals and updates on the database. In addition to the basic operations provided by the data model, it is becoming more common to include concepts in the data model to specify the dynamic aspect or behavior of a database application. This allows the database designer to specify a set of valid user-defined operations that are allowed on the database objects. Database Model can be categorized according to the data structures and operators they present to the user. (1) E-R Model (2) Hierarchical Data Model (3) Network Data Model (4) Semi Structured Data Model (5) Relational Data Model (RDBMS) (6) Object Oriented Data Model (OODBMS) (7) Object Relational Data Model (ORDBMS) Among all data models mentioned below, relational model followed by object oriented and object relational models enjoyed most popularity, we are going to compare them and then we try to find out what is the relationship between XML and these relational data models. COMPARISON RDBMS, OODBMS, ORDBMS  and XML 2.1 Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) The relational model is based on the structure of a database. A database is simply a collection of one or more relations or tables with columns and rows. The use of set theory allows for data to be structured in a series of tables that has both columns and rows. Each column corresponds to an attribute of that relation, while each row corresponds to a record that contains data values for an entity. The main elements of RDBMS are based on Ted Codds 13 rules for a  relational system, the concept of relational integrity, and normalization. The three fundamentals of a relational database are that all information must be held in the form of a table, where all data are described using data values. The second fundamental is that each value found in the table columns does not repeat. The final fundamental is the use of Standard Query Language (SQL). Benefits of RDBMS are that the system is simple, flexible, and productive. Because  the tables are simple, data is easier to understand and communicate with others. RDBMS are flexible because users do not have to use predefined keys to input information. Also,  RDBMS are more productive because SQL is easier to learn. This allows users to spend more time  inputting instead of learning. More importantly, RDBMSs biggest  advantage is the simplicity with which users can  create and access data and extend it if needed. After the original database is created, new data categories can be added without the existing application being changed. There are limitations to the relational database management system. First, relational databases do not have enough storage area to handle data such as images, digital and audio/video. The system was originally created to handle the integration of media, traditional fielded data, and templates. Another limitation of the relational database is its inadequacy to operate with languages outside of SQL. After its original development, languages such as C++ and JavaScript were formed. However, relational databases do not work efficiently with these languages. A third limitation is the requirement that information must be in tables where relationships between entities are defined by values. Today, the relational model is the dominant data model as well as the foundation for the leading DBMS products, which include IBMs DB2 family, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Microsofts Access and SQLServer. 2.3 Object Oriented Database Management (OODBMS) The main objective of Object-Oriented  Database Management Systems, commonly known as OODBMS, is to provide consistent, data independent, secure, controlled and extensible data management services to support the object-oriented model. They were created to  handle big and complex data that relational databases could not. There are important characteristics involved with object-oriented databases. The most important characteristic is the joining of object-oriented programming with database technology, which provides an integrated application development system. Object-oriented programming results in 4 main characteristics:  inheritances, data encapsulation, object identity, and polymorphism. Inheritance allows one to develop solutions to complex problems incrementally by defining new objects in terms of previously defined objects. Data encapsulation or simply encapsulation allows the hiding of the internal state of the objects. Encapsulated objects are those objects that can only be assessed by their methods instead of their internal states. There are three types of encapsulated objects users and developers should recognize. The first is full encapsulation, in which all the operations on objects are done through message sending and method execution. The second is write encapsulation, which is where the internal state of the object is visible only for reading operations. The third is partial encapsulation, which involves allowing direct access for reading and writing for only a part of the internal state. Object identity allows objects of the database to be independent of each other. Polymorphism and dynamic binding allow one to define operations for one object and then to share the specification of the operation with other objects. This allows users and/or programmers to compose objects to provide solutions without having to write code that is specific to each object. The language important to OODBMS is data definition and manipulation language (DDML). The use of this language allows persistent data to be created, updated, deleted, or retrieved. An OODBMS needs a computational versus a relational language because it can be used to avoid impedance mismatch. DDML allows users to define a database, including creating, altering, and dropping tables and establishing constraints. DDMLs are used to maintain and query a database, including updating, inserting, modifying, and querying data. The OODBMS has many advantages and benefits. First, object-oriented is a more natural way of thinking. Second, the defined operations of these types of systems are not dependent on the particular database application running at a given moment. Third, the data types of object-oriented databases can be extended to support complex data such as images, digital and audio/video, along with other multi-media operations. Different benefits of OODBMS are its reusability, stability, and  reliability. Another benefit of OODBMS is that relationships are represented explicitly, often supporting both navigational and associative access to information. This translates to improvement in data access performance versus the relational model. Another important benefit is that users are allowed to define their own methods of access to data and how it will be represented or manipulated. The most significant benefit of the OODBMS is that these databases have extended into areas not known by the RDBMS. Medicine, multimedia, and high-energy physics are just a few of the new industries relying on object-oriented databases. As with the relational database method, object-oriented databases also has disadvantages or limitations. One disadvantage of OODBMS is that it lacks a common data model. There is also no current standard, since it is still considered to be in the development stages. A significant difference between object-oriented databases and relational databases is that object-oriented databases represent relationships explicitly, supporting both navigational and associative access to information. As the complexity of interrelationships between information within the database increases, so do the  advantages of representing relationships explicitly. Another benefit of using explicit relationships is the improvement in data access performance over relational value-based relationships. 2.4 Object Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS)   Object Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS) is an extended development of existing relational database system. To overcome the certain limitations and to increase the performance level, and to achieve the benefits of relational model and object model, ORDBMS technology evolved by combining the relational databases and object oriented concepts. We can incorporate our custom data types, functions, operators and methods with the database and we can store images, geographical information and multimedia objects such as audio and video in ORDBMS. And it allows us to raise the level of abstraction at which we want to view the problem domain. In RDBMS, it is difficult to map the objects to the database whereas in OODBMS object oriented features are supported extensively. However, in ORDBMS limited support of object oriented features, mostly to new data types. Moreover, it supports abstract data types (ADTs) and complex relationships. ORDBMSs have the same query centric approach to data management as we have in RDBMS. Through declarative SQL statements, we can handle the data access and there is no procedural or object-at-a-time, navigational interface. ORDBMS allows us to continue using our existing systems, without having to make major changes. Another advantage is that it allows users and programmers to start using object-oriented systems in parallel. In ORDBMS technology the concept of extensibility is a principal innovation. ORDBMSs have an extended functionality of DBMS and information system which can be deployed over different machines as it has a central server program whereas OODBMS has a typical distributed data architecture. This is the difference in architectures of ORDBMS and OODBMS. Another difference between ORDBMS and OODBMS is, an object-oriented databases design is based solely on Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) principles whereas ORDBMS is an extended development of traditional relational database with object oriented concepts structures such as abstract data type, nested tables, and varying arrays. In simple words, we can say that ORDBMSs synthesize the features of RDBMSs with the best ideas of OODBMSs.   Where Does Xml Fit? DBMS have advanced into the Internet and Web Age.  Stored data is widely being accessed through a Web browser. Today, queries are being generated through Web-accessible forms and answers are being formatted using a mark-up language such as HTML or XML. In addition, many vendors and distributors are adding features to their DBMS aimed at making it better equipped for Internet usage If your application requires moving data between enterprises, XML is a good solution. XML lets you send data across the Internet and through firewalls by using the standard HTTP protocol. XML is also a good choice if your application needs to move data between hardware or software platforms (OSs).  XML is not machine- or OS-specific. Finally, XML is a  good choice if you simply want to ensure that your application or data source is robust even if the data schema changes.  XML enables your application to be extensible  because you access the XML-formatted data by using element and attribute names instead of offsets, which structured programming languages use. If you have one or more of these application requirements, then XML is a good solution. 3.1 Data storage using XML XML Databases offer the same functionality of Object Databases, data is structured in a hierarchical manner and they store XML documents instead of theoretical Objects. We could even say that the XML database model is just a comeback of the hierarchical model because in principle this is the same concept of data storage, indexation and querying. XML databases have the added benefit of being able exchange the data in its native format, which is perfect for todays web requirements. 3.2 Data exchange using XML   XML  messages exchanged are by nature hierarchical and deeply tree structured, sometimes the data is even unpredictable and sometimes the structure is prone to change at any time, developers trying to map this data to a relational structure may find their lives becoming more and more difficult. XML Databases can accept structured as well as unstructured data. XML documents do not have to conform to any set Schema so a developer can fire anything they wish at the database, no need to modify tables and columns. XML Schema allows one to define an XML document in both its node structure (e.g. elements and attributes) as well as the data types contained within these nodes. It allows one to define these data types in very explicit detail. This usage has a lot of advantages, at least for front-end applications: It saves a lot of memory by removing application-specific classes and replacing it with a small set of classes, the DOM. This means that a single application server can handle a lot more of different data types. This is important to us as we designed our presentation layer for Application Service Provider (ASP) usage. The ASP context means that to keep costs as low as possible, you run many different applications in the same application server. If each application had its own set of application-specific classes to model data, the application server would be crowded with classes. It saves a lot of time and energy by the sheer flexibility of XML. If your data and application code are written in XML, adding or removing data to the presentation layer is a way much easier than if data was modelled in application-specific classes. You dont have to modify the application-specific classes, recompile the whole application and redeploy. There are of course some disadvantages, but I think its just a matter of work and time before they can be fixed: -If you dont seem to have a requirement to move data between enterprises, across the Internet, or through firewalls.  So, unless youre trying to make your applications more extensible, XML isnt a good choice for your scenario -Using XML as your database will work fine as long as your datasets stay relatively small. Meaning, it can all fit in memory and stay there comfortably. Once your data grows to the point where it will not all fit in memory, you will probably start seeing serious performance degradation -The problem for many XML aspirations is that the core of an RDBMS are its  relations. In particular, the set of constraints that exist between tables, and that are enforced by the RDBMS are what make RDBMSs so useful and powerful. XML has no inherent mechanism for enforcing constraints. -If you have a heavy investment in an Object-Relational DBMS (Oracle, MS, IBM) and have learned to live with them changing the data model in such systems from relational to anything else would entail a huge amount of work and risk. Conclusions Relational databases have a strong-hold on the current database market due to their maturity, reliability, the majority of existing applications using the relational model. As object-oriented programming languages continue emerging as the favored or dominate programming language for building new applications, probably OODMBS will surpass the RDBMS as the most popular and dominate database management systems in the business market. Something similar is happening to the object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) which the main objective is to merge the benefits of both the relational and object-oriented model. Many RDBMS products on the market today are releasing first generation ORDBMS products. If these products are able to fulfill the main objective of ORDBMS as well as enable companies to convert existing relational models to partial or full object-oriented models, the end of relational databases could be eminent. The growth in popularity of XML has been almost as dramat ic as that of OO. As a consequence, new standards for data objects and new development products based on XML keep emerging. In my opinion the main reason why RDBMS Data Model dominates the market right now is because RDBMS design has evolved to disallow users from asking questions that the database isnt good at answering. The fact that we ship databases that only permit things that we know how to answer efficiently does NOT imply that we will never be able to answer other questions more efficiently. It is quite easy to see a trend in the industry that shows consistent continual progress at solving hard query problems. Of course some problems will always be hard (distributed cost-based query optimization is one), but I would point out that research on RDBMS optimizations has tapered off quite a bit and we have seen major increases in research geared towards semi-structured data. So we are simply easing off on some of the traditional RDBMS constraints and beginning to allow things like recursive self-joins, ragged hierarchies, etc. and we are optimizing these things. I mean, we already solved the RDBMs opti mization challenge and now it is time to move to the next thing. XML seems like a very appropriate evolutionary step.

Kate in all my sons Essay

?How does Miller use representations of speech and other dramatic techniques to present the character of Kate in this extract and in one other extract in the play? Section from the start of act 3 to the stage direction – â€Å"Jim exits to driveway† To beginact 3, Arthur Miller uses dramatic stage directions to set the scene. These stage directions present the character of Kate in a deranged way. It says that she is rocking â€Å"ceaselessly† in a chair. The use of the adverb â€Å"ceaselessly† suggests that her temperament is somewhat unstable. Following these stage directions, Miller begins the dialogue of the extract with an interrogative utterance from Jim – â€Å"any news? †, it is interesting that Jim comes straight in with a question and doesn’t form a phatic utterance to begin conversation with Kate. It makes the atmosphere feel more formal and dull. Kate’s response is extremely short which means she isn’t open to any other sort of conversation with Jim â€Å"no news†. This adjacency pair makes it clear that kate is not one for phatic conversation, this is known by Jim who doesn’t attempt any ‘chit chat’ with her. when Jim says –â€Å" you cant sit up all night, dear, why don’t you go back to bed? †, in brackets, it says that he speaks gently. This has the connotation that Kate is fragile and requires to be spoken to in a gentler manner. The character of Kate is displayed at depressed. Miller does this by the short and limited replies she gives Jim. An example to show this is when Jim says – â€Å"don’t be afraid, Kate, I know, I’ve always known† and all she says back is â€Å"how? †. This one – worded interrogative utterance tells us that she is disinterested in what Jim has to say and also that she has other burning issues on her mind. Also when Jim explains and describes to Kate in detail how chris is going to come back and he makes an effort to convince her and put her mind at ease. Regardless of his effort, kate still replies coldly with a short â€Å"just as long as he comes back†. It is almost as if she doesn’t recognise that Chris is trying to be kind to her. this shows the character of kate in a unfriendly light. the second extract is in act one when kate gives a speech which explains the dream she had about Larry.

The Bembo Typeface

The design of typefaces has undergone various changes through out the history of the printed text and has metamorphosed itself from the design requirements of primitive printing press to modern day digital needs. Typography aims to provide a text that is readable and coherent at the same time ensuring the typeface preserves an aesthetic appeal to the readers. The clarity of the text also needs to be taken into consideration when analyzing the typeface.When understood in an historical perspective the typefaces which were popular in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries were largely Roman and lacked the presence of italicized letters. The lack of italics often hampered the readability of the text. In the Renaissance Italy, Venice emerged as center that catered to the typographical needs of the scholarly society. With the widespread use of printing press and the subsequent proliferation of printed materials, the time was ripe for the redesigning of existing typefaces.Aldus Ma nutius was an accomplished printer in Venice known for printing scholarly articles. The typefaces that were used by him were created by Francesco Griffo. Francesco Griffo was a goldsmith turned typeface cutter who worked on the design of the important typefaces used by Aldus Manutius. The calligraphic characteristics like slants and curves influenced Griffo to a large extent and these influences were assimilated into the typefaces he developed. As a result he created the first italic typeface that incorporated an element of elegance.This typeface when used for printing not only had an aesthetic appeal but also lent itself to a greater clarity of reading, which set it apart from earlier Roman typefaces. Manutius used this new typeface for printing a small piece of work commissioned by Pietro Bembo. The unique characteristics of this typeface made it widely popular and came to be known as the Aldine roman typeface. The Aldine roman typeface is now known as the Bembo typeface. Bembo ty peface emerged as the most modern one developed in the century. Initially Bembo typeface consisted of lower case characters only and upper case characters were borrowed from other typefaces.On gaining widespread popularity, italicized upper case characters in keeping with the characteristics of Bembo were added to the typeface. The design of Bembo typeface is rendered unique due to the following characteristics. The creator of Bembo has ensured minimal variation in the weights between thin and thick strokes. This lends evenness to the text. The oblique stress emphasized in the typeface lends it a classical elegance, while the angled serifs enhance the aesthetics. Stanley Morrison of Monotype corporation launched a program to rediscover the historical typefaces to use it in modern day printing.The Bembo typeface was revived in the 1920s by the Monotype corporation, which made use of the original books and specimen material as a foundation using the original typeface by Francesco Grif fo as a reference. Morrison based the revival largely on the text Hypnerotomachia Poliphili by Francesco Colonna, which was typeset by Griffo. Initially the revived typeface was called â€Å"Poliphilus† but the name Bembo gained more acceptance. Keeping with their tradition of preserving classical typefaces, Monotype introduced a digitalized version of Bembo typeface in the 1980s by leveraging its original metal revival of the 1920s.To cater to the demands of modern digital printing needs, semi bold and extra bold weights were incorporated into Bembo. The distinguishing characteristics of the Bembo typeface lend a consistency to the text irrespective of the color and texture used for printing. The legibility and classical look of this typeface makes it highly suitable for books. Bembo has maintained its appeal through the generation as compared to other historical typefaces such as Gutenberg typeface, which are no longer in use. It has also heavily influenced Garamond family of typefaces, which are now known as ‘Old Style’.To summarize the classical typeface has undergone 500 years of change and constantly adapted itself to the changing dynamics in the printing industry without losing its inherent design characteristics. References Christensen, Thomas. (n. d. ) The typehead chronicles. Retrieved March 11, 2009 from http://www. rightreading. com/typehead/bembo. htm Meggs, Philip B. , & Carter, Rob. (1993). Typographic Specimens. USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Bembo Typeface [Online Image]. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 11, 2009 from http://www. rightreading. com/typehead/bembo. htm.

Ethical and Social Obligations

Ethical and Social Obligations Abstract Ethical integrity means possessing principled character like empathy, honesty and loyalty. Each person possesses ethical character that he or she exudes on a regular basis. They can be personal ethics, work based ethics or familial ethics. Ethical integrity is when people implement these ethics and stick by them regardless of the consequences. Individuals with apt ethical integrity will always stick with their preferred choice of action consequently taking responsibility for such actions.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Ethical and Social Obligations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethical integrity is a vital quality that individuals should possess. Ethics is also called moral philosophy as it describes what is morally apt or inapt. Whether an individual considers him righteous or not does not pass. This is so because, at any particular time, everyone must think in ethical ways. We all think about what is good or bad, what being fair means and justice accorded to everyone. Practicing ethical integrity Ethical integrity is an essential quality in everyone’s life. Thus, it must be practiced in everything we do. Ethical integrity is practiced at every aspect of life. This includes at home, at work and in personal life. Work based ethics Ethical integrity is important at work as it results in many actions that enable an individual to perform, and relate well with their colleagues and clients. Ethical integrity is not about what we tell others or what we want to do. It is what we do, or the actions we perform. The best way to show integrity at the work place is to be consistent in ethical principles and practice. Some scholars refer to ethical integrity as a measure of character. In any organization, there must be a set of ethical values that the employees understand and adhere to, in accordance to their responsibility, in that organization. Ethical integrity at work mainl y refers to the loyalty and commitment of employees and clients. In my view for employees and clients, to be completely loyal and committed they must be contented that their organization has ethical practices. The employers have the responsibility of presenting employees and clients with labor practices, policies, fairness, integrity and values. They also have to ensure that all employees are contented with the presented moral practices, and follow up their implementation. The organizations should always put the client interest at heart. For instance, James Burke who is the previous CEO of Johnson and Johnson displayed his moral integrity when he addressed consumers’ interest before the company’s objective. He recalled all Tylenol, which was manufactured by the company.Advertising Looking for research paper on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The initiation charge of these drugs was $ 100 million , but to James Burke the consumers’ health was paramount (Guy, 1990). Currently Johnson and Johnson has benefited from an apt reputation arising from application of ethical integrity thus, earning public trust. It is not forgotten that in any business organization, nothing is preferred more than an apt reputation. The long-term trust between the organization and clients is vital to profitable business in the future (Guy, 1990). Personal ethics Personal ethics refer to how an individual wants to live his life thus; it constitutes self regarding and other regarding ethical practices. Self regarding includes immorality and grounds of survival, self concern and rational anticipation. Other regarding includes mainly interpersonal-moral relations. Some scholars refer to personal relations as morality. They argue that it represents the expectation of an individual in a society. The main concern, in personal ethics, is the way an individual conducts his life. Those ethical integrity values that an individual possesses constitute the personal ethics. Personal ethics are the moral commitment to do the correct thing, and it might include financial, emotional and social cost. It is noteworthy that ethical principals be used as the foundations in decision making. There are various principles of personal ethics which an individual must posses. One principle is an individual’s interest in the well being of others. One must make decisions in life while considering the well being of others. Another principle is the respect for others freedom. An individual must revere the independence of others by not interfering or obstructing. One must also be honest and trustworthy. An individual must always say the truth; furthermore, it is vital to comply with the law and be fair in his judgment. One must refuse to take unfair advantage over others. Personal ethics also constitutes the ability of an individual to prevent harm. Individuals, who never want to accept a loss, mu st engage in strategies that foster success (Schminke, 1998). Familial ethics Family affairs are recorded as ethically momentous. This ethical character spawns familial compulsion. In view of the fact that, the family is considered a social unit that involves a passionate, long-term, supportive, cooperative and protective relationship among its members. We usually think of family affairs as necessarily including some basic mutual sharing, company, aid and care. This scenery of family affairs obliges one to make suitable retort to family members interests, problems or needs. Familial integrity involves the developing of family traditions that are translated to the other family members. Familial ethics majorly involves the relationship within a family. It highlights how the family members relate with one another. A family with good familial ethics encourages well and better living conditions. In such a family, there is always tranquility and affluence.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Ethical and Social Obligations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a family, ethical decision making always take the center stage for the development of a good family relationship. The conduct, especially that of the head of the family serves as a model to the family. Decisions must be made by the implementation of ethical integrity (Schminke, 1998). For example, the sex scandals about Tiger woods that were recently in the media were against familial ethics. However, he applied ethical integrity when he apologized to his family and fans and accepted his mistakes. The implementation of familial values is the most outstanding way to nature ethical integrity within the family. The ethical principles in a family will help nature the family off springs in to responsible adults. The family is the bed rock for the foundation of all the other forms of ethics. The way one relates to the family will affect that perso n’s relation at work and any other place (Schminke, 1998). Ethical and social obligations There is the need for ethical and social obligations in the society which result in good moral and interpersonal relationship. It has been evident that it is always difficult for an organization to put in place ethical standards and then comply with them. Whether the ethical principles of an organization are set or not, employees should stand by their personal ethics. This helps in bringing about unity and understanding in the organization. It requires consciousness and audacity to take action in that instant thus clasping out for a preference. This is in configuration with the affirmed ethics of the organization and the integrity of those involved.   Ethical Integrity provides the motivation to translate awareness into action. There is fundamental fulfillment in accessing courage at times when ethical integrity is tested (Wolfe, 1989). Ethical and social obligations examine the need f or appropriate action. There are various factors that bring about the need for appropriate action. The chief motive is to bring about steadiness within a society. There are various ways that result in the satisfaction of ethical and social obligation. When one is, open to feed back, he will interact well with the society as he will provide opportunities for others to comment on his deeds thus accepting criticism. This will bring out the need for appropriate action. In order to examine, the need for appropriate action an individual should accept personal responsibility. This helps in the establishment of fine interpersonal relations. Essence of appropriate action is also portrayed when one balances his needs with the needs of others. Here, the individual considers others in his actions. This brings understanding and apt relations. Need for appropriate action comes out when one practices understanding and compassion. When one posses this ethical integrity trait he avoids conflict with colleagues who have divergent views as evident at work or home. This brings unity among individuals working together or living together as a family thus, the need for appropriate action. Seeking advice from others enhances the need for appropriate action (Wolfe, 1989).Advertising Looking for research paper on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since, consultation strengthens relations as people are free with one another. This portrays the need for appropriate action as it results in better understanding and communication. Being respectful of views that are different is a clear indication of the need for appropriate action. It streamlines the relationship among individuals and encourages prosperity especially at work and at school. This shows that appropriate action brings prosperity at the different levels of life (Wolfe, 1989). So as, to reflect the need for appropriate action an individual must act with integrity even when it is inconvenient. This shows the care one has for his colleagues or family. This builds strong familial units or an excellent reciprocated relationship at work. The need for appropriate action is portrayed when an individual keeps agreements he has made with other people. This establishes trust between individuals in an organization or at home. Establishment of trust amongst individuals reflects the importance of appropriate actions. The essence of appropriate action comes out when one knows the difference between humor and hostility. This enables and individual avoid offensive statements and actions that may necessitate appropriate action. Optimal ethical Decision making processes There are three main ethical decision making processes. These include dictatorship, democracy and consensus decision making. In dictatorship, only one individual is involved in decision making as no one’s view is considered. In most occasions, those individuals are normally the head of such organizations or departments. This ethical decision making process has merits and demerits that come with its implementation. One major merit is that the decisions are made quickly and in time. A major demerit is that a wrong decision may be unnoticed which hurts the organization or family in days to come (Brown, 2005). The other decision-making process is democracy. In a democracy, the stakeholder’ s views are considered before a decision is made. This involves a wide range of consultation that comes with the decision made. Everyone is given the chance to air their views before the people present (cannon, 2003). It suits a situation where many people are involved. Its merit is that a consultative and appropriate decision is made about an issue. Its demerit is that it takes a long time to arrive at a decision that suits the entire stakeholder. It is one of the processes preferred by many individuals and organizations. The last decision making process entails consensus. This is a process that involves few people. Here, the individuals indulge in a round –table-discussions (cannon, 2003). Each presents his decisions and discussion begins thus assessing the tabled ideas. A decision is reached when all the ideas are merged to form one decision that suits all the parties involved. The demerit of this process is that it takes time before a pronouncement is reached. It has a me rit which is, it results in a consultative-effective and appropriate decision (cannon, 2003). These decision-making processes have to be improved so as to suit every one involved. My first suggestion is the abolishment of the dictatorship process. This is so because it mostly results in wrong decisions, as they only suit the decision maker. This decision-making process also brings conflict whenever a wrong decision is made. My other suggestion is the improvement of the consensus process since the parties involved should strictly constitute of experts and not people interested in the decision. This will enable the process to take a shorter period, and the decision will be comprehensive. Decision-making and deeds among the customer and the professional are altered by the influence of the organization. Each organization has a diverse way of managing the decision-making process; furthermore, organizations decide the way it will work with reference to the ethical behavior. An individualà ¢â‚¬â„¢s principles and morals are dissimilar to others thus the way they interpret social regulations or expectations is different. Professional restrictions and behavior plays a major role during decision making. These factors might influence someone to act dissimilar to others if put in the same situation. In actuality, all of these factors and others not stated are factors that affect daily professional work. The present economic and political situation contributes to the complexity of this concept. It is hard to make excellent decisions without being questioned as a result of ethical positions or suitability (cannon, 2003).   Professionals at work must do their best in making apt decisions. If an individual encounters ethical dilemmas, decision-making steps are used i.e. concerns explanation, principles acknowledgment, addressing opposition, issue resolution, stakeholder investigation and decision accomplishment. Many ethical decision making methods exist; most of the methods constitute comparable steps in unraveling ethical dilemmas (cannon, 2003). Conclusion Ethical integrity is essential in one’s life. It constitutes how one conducts himself and makes a decision. Work based ethics are the ethical behaviors at the work place thus bring efficiency and productivity at the work place. Familial ethics are ethical integrity principles in the family; they mainly enhance unity and understanding. Personal ethics pertain to the manner in which an individual wants to live his life. It constitutes self regarding and other regarding processes. Ethical and social obligation helps realize the need for appropriate action by viewing the results of an individual’s positive, ethical integrity behavior. There are three main ethical decision making processes thus totalitarianism, democracy and consensus decision making. References Cannon, B. (2003). One Sigma Decision in a Six Sigma World. The Cannon Advantage. Web. Brown, M. (2005). Corporate integrity: re thinking organizational ethics, and leadership. New York. Cambridge University Press. Dorrien, G. (2008). Social ethics in the making: interpreting an American tradition. Oxford. Wiley-Blackwell. Guy, M. (1990). Ethical decision making in everyday work situations. New York. Greenwood Publishing Group. Schminke, M. (1998). Managerial ethics: moral management of people and processes. New Jersey. Lawrence Erlbaum associates Inc. Wolfe, A. (1989). Whose keeper? Social science and moral obligation. California. University of California Press Wesley Cragg. (2005). Ethics codes, corporations, and the challenge of globalization. Massachusetts. Edward Elgar Publishing

The Georgian Bay Disappearing Act essays

The Georgian Bay Disappearing Act essays The Upper Great Lakes region is a vast, vital, complicated and intimately interconnected socio-ecological system. Over the course of the last thirteen years, this system has experienced dramatic fluctuations from its normal rhythmic pattern. Specifically, it has experienced a significant decline in water levels. Scientists have been using the traditional 30-year climate average to predict and manage the ecosystem for over a century now, and they no longer believe this model is relevant. (Circle of Blue) In light of recent stray from this pattern, the debate among stakeholders on how to deal with recent changes has caused great uproar within the region. A large majority seeks methods to restore water levels to their natural range, while others propose limiting human intervention. In this report we will focus on the specific region of Georgian Bay, due to the fact that this area plays a particularly vital role in the system, and because of the extremity of water lows in that region. Th e Upper Great Lakes region as a whole will also be addressed, in part due to a lack of certain specific information for Georgian Bay individually, and because of the extreme interconnectedness of the two. Georgian Bay is vast body of freshwater located in the southern region of Ontario. It is situated within the five Great Lakes of Canada which include; Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. More accurately it lies east of Lake Huron. It is often referred to as the sixth Great Lake due to its ability to produce its own weather, waves and currents. The diagram below represents Georgian Bay in relation to the Great Lakes as being highlighted in blue: (New World Encyclopedia) Georgian Bay measures approximately 120 miles long, by 50 miles wide, and ranges in depth generally between 100-300 feet. The point of maximum depth is 540 feet deep, occurring in the main channel. The main channel is the strait be...

The importance of tourism in Paris Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The importance of tourism in Paris - Assignment Example In the report, the researcher has discussed about the tourism, one the fastest growing activities in the world. There are over the 950 tourists travelled around the world in last year. For this report, the researcher has selected Paris form one of traditional tourist places in the world. In recent modern environment, the world is moving towards fifth generation. The trend of tourism is increasing with the speed of bullet. People want to visit new places to feel the maximum pleasure of their journeys. Tourism is one the fastest growing activities around the world. This activity is playing an important role in the economies of the countries. Tourism is also referred as a major contributor of recent developments in many countries. According to Edgell, tourism acts as a stimulator in the development of infrastructure and attracts the foreign investment in efficient manner. Paris is one of the most famous traditional tourist destinations in Europe. Paris is situated on a river side in nor thern France. It is also one of the metropolitan cities in the world. According to some recent estimates Paris is one of the world’s leading cultural center and contributed in almost all the areas such as education, entertainment and art. According to Courtney Traub, Paris is also considered a world’s most romantic city in the entire world. Paris is popular due to its stunning places like Eiffel Tower, Louvre pyramid, Disney land and other parks and gardens. Significance of Tourism to Paris Tourism acts as a major contributor in the development of Paris. There are some factors that show the significance of tourism to Paris has been mentioned below separately. Economic Growth: Tourism is one of those factors that have made many positive influences in economies of the countries. The report of world travel and tourism council state that tourism has affected the economies of many countries in last decade. The economic factor is also one of those factors which influence the tourism activities in Paris in efficient manner during last few decades. According to the Mak (2004), economy of any destination plays an important role in the decision of potential tourists. For example, tourists are interested to know that what the benefits of visiting any specific destination are. In addition, the cost of goods, availability of resources in any place may convince the tourist to visit any destination. According to some recent survey

Holistic Conception of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Holistic Conception of Marketing - Essay Example Ulrich and Ellison (1999. pp656) emphasized that holistic customer requirements can impact even the fundamentals of a firm - the organizational architectures and product architectures. They argued that more holistic requirements from customers will require more integrated product development organizations with some heavyweight project managers that have the capability to translate "hard to articulate" customer requirements into technical specifications of the components of products. In the modern era of stringent global competitiveness, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has taken prominent space in the global context as it has evolved as proven tool for customer retention and customer share development. As argued by Verhoef (2003. pp35), achieving positive customer relationship perceptions through satisfaction, payment equity and affective commitment are the primary objectives of customer relationship management. However, Garcia-Murillo and Annabi (2002. pp876-879) argued that a very crucial system called "Customer Knowledge Management (CKM)" is largely ignored in the modern marketing world which is critical to achieve holistic customer information to achieve the global competitiveness. They presented a framework in which customer knowledge needs to be a part of integrated firm knowledge system comprising of knowledge of suppliers, products, industry, employees, operations and competitors. This system can ensure a much bigger picture of customer needs and to the level & effectiveness the organization can fulfil them by collaborating information from various knowledge bases - plants & machineries capacities & capabilities, people competencies, production flows, quality controls & assurance, legal issues, uniqueness aspects such that competitors cannot copy them so easily, etc. The authors emphasized that customer knowledge management is important to arrive at better & timely design of new products & services that can be accepted by the customers, generate e arly warnings about reducing competencies of the company, improve competitive intelligence, achieve synergy within the organization towards meeting customer needs and demonstrate commitment to customer. They established differences between CRM and CKM whereby CKM is presented as two way system that can capture customer's ideas, concepts, experiences and improvement areas. It justifies the role of holistic customer information capturing as discussed by Svensson (2001. pp95-101) and is very much applicable in the modern world of global marketing opportunities. Conclusion: In this short essay, the author presented that Customer Knowledge Management is the modern system that can ensure capturing of holistic view of customer information for firms to develop customer oriented products and market them even at global scales. Reference List: Garcia-Murillo, M and

Teaching of Maths in Primary Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teaching of Maths in Primary Schools - Essay Example Mike Askew et al in their study on effectiveness in the teaching of numeracy isolated three belief systems that were characteristic of the approaches teachers took in teaching numeracy. They were the connectionist, transmission and discovery models. An in-depth look at their respective characteristics, relative merits and overall efficacy is given below. The Connectionist Model: In the words of Askew et al (1997, p.341) it includes "beliefs based around both valuing pupils' methods and teaching effective strategies with an emphasis on establishing connections within mathematics." The stress here is on efficiency as well as effectiveness. The keyword is "connection" as connectionist oriented teachers seek to teach students to establish links between the numbers, methods and concepts in mathematics in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject. Students are expected to be aware of the available methods and to demonstrate skill in selecting the appropriate method. "The connectionist orientation places a strong emphasis on developing reasoning, justification and, eventually, proof within the teaching of number."(Askew et al, 1997, p.343) These teachers believe that students come equipped with mental strategies and it is possible for anyone to achieve proficiency in mathematics with the help of effective teaching. Misunder standings are seen as a way to clarify matters and enhance understanding. An important tool for the connectionist oriented teacher is the use of dialogue as the basis of imparting knowledge. The Transmission Model: According to Askew et al (1997, p.341) it is the "beliefs based around the primacy of teaching and a view of mathematics as a collection of separate routines and procedures." Teachers of this orientation set much store by routine and paper and pencil methods. They teach mathematical concepts in isolation. A student's prior knowledge of the subject is largely seen as irrelevant. The emphasis here is on teaching rather than on learning. If the student fails to learn despite a clear verbal explanation, it is seen as a result of the child's inability to learn. The teacher uses the question and answer format to discern students' progress. The Discovery Model: Askew et al (1997, p.341 state that it includes "beliefs based around the primacy of learning and a view of mathematics as being discovered by pupils." Here the stress is on the process of discovery as the student explores and understands the world of mathematics. The method used is considered irrelevant, provided the correct answer is arrived at. It aims to focus on and improve practical skills. As per this orientation learning is of importance and students are encouraged to learn at their pace and use the strategies they see as appropriate. Numeracy is seen as a natural process and it cannot be hastened. Having noted the salient features of these belief systems, it must be remembered that they are 'ideal types' and it is unlikely that any teacher will be a purist with regard to these orientations. With regard to efficiency in teaching mathematics there is little room for doubt. Askew et al (1997, p.345) have concluded from their studies "that those teachers with a strong

Business Model of Nike Essay Example for Free

Business Model of Nike Essay Introduction Nike Inc. was founded in 1962 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight as a partnership under the name, Blue Ribbon Sports. Nike’s main products are sports shoes, sportswear, sports goods. In this paper, we will talk about ‘The Challenge of Entrepreneurship’ ‘Competitive Business Model’ ‘Solid Strategic Plan’ ‘Feasibility Analysis’ and ‘Business Plan’. All of these topics are very important when we study the ‘EOE and SBM’, and in each topic have more than one point. We got ‘The Benefits of Entrepreneurship’ ‘Competition’ of ‘The Challenge of Entrepreneurship ’; ‘Core Competencies’ ‘Innovations’ ‘Sustainable Competitive Advantage’ ‘Key Success Factor’ of ‘CBM’; ‘Vision and Mission’ ‘Objectives and Goals’ ‘SWOT’ ‘Competitor’ ‘Business strategy’ of ‘Solid Strategic Plan’; ‘Industry and Market Feasibility’ ‘Product or Service Feasibility’ ‘Financial Feasibility’ and ‘5Forces Model’ of ‘Feasibility Analysis’. Now, we are going to show you the detail. The Challenge of Entrepreneurship The Benefits of Entrepreneurship Surveys show that owners of small businesses believe they work harder, earn more money, and are more satisfied than if they worked for someone else. (Via Dr. Josà © A. Torres Essentials of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Powerpoint) Opportunity to Create Your Own Destiny. Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964. The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger(now ASICS), making most sales at track meets out of Knights automobile. According to Otis Davis, a student athlete whom Bower man coached at the University of Oregon, who later went on to win two gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Bower man made the first pair of Nike shoes for him, contradicting a claim that they were made for Phil Knight. Says Davis, I told Tom Brokaw that I was the first. I dont care what all the billionaires say. Bill Bower man ma de the first pair of shoes for me. People dont believe me. In fact, I didnt like the way they felt on my feet. There was no support and they were too tight. But I saw Bower man make  them from the waffle iron, and they were mine. (Via HTTP://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc.) Opportunity to Make a Difference. In 1979, Nike Air cushion technology Air, by the inventor of the m. Frank Rudy patented, first applied on the Tailwind running shoes, the gas film in running shoes soles for the protection of the cushion. And Nike has created many print and television advertisements with Wieden+ Kennedy, Wieden+ Kennedy remains Nikes primary ad agency. It was agency co-founder Dan Wieden who coined the now-famous slogan Just Do It for a 1988 Nike ad campaign, which was chosen by Advertising Age as one of the top five ad slogans of the 20th century and enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution. Walt Stack was featured in Nikes first Just Do It advertisement, which debuted on July 1, 1988. Wieden credits the inspiration for the slogan to Lets do it, the last words spoken by Gary Gilmore before he was executed. Throughout the 1980s, Nike expanded its product line to encompass many sports and regions throughout the world.[16] In 1990, Nike moved into its eight-building Wo rld Headquarters campus in Beaverton, Oregon. (Via HTTP://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc.) Opportunity to Real Improve profits. In 2005, Nike Air Jordan 20 generations. Nike Free series, also in protecting the foot, like barefoot training is provided for the wearer. Nike as of May 31, total annual profits had 13.7 billion dollars, a 12% growth in the past fiscal year. On December 19, 2013, Nike Incs quarterly profit rose as a result of global orders for merchandise for delivery by April increased 13 percent. Future orders of shoes or clothes for delivery between December and April, rose to $10.4 billion. Nike shares (NKE) rose 0.6 percent to $78.75 in extended trading. (Via HTTP://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc.) Opportunity to Contribute to Society and Be Recognized for Your Efforts. NIKE Charity Organization, is a Non-Governmental Organization Headquartered in PORT HARCOURT RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA. It is autonomous and submissive to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They are determined to achieve our dreams and purpose of giving hope to the less privilege and to discharge our duties as members of non-profit organization in accordance to our core  values at National, State and Local Government levels. We are prepared to harness, strengthen and efficiently direct our efforts as much as we are out to join hands with other organizations, and individuals in the fight against the Girl Child Abuse. (Via HTTP://saccharinity.com/about_us.php) Competition NIKE is a consumer products company and the relative popularity of various sports and fitness activities and changing design trends affect the demand for our products. The athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment industry is highly competitive in the United States and on a worldwide basis. We compete internationally with a significant number of athletic and leisure footwear companies, athletic and leisure apparel companies, sports equipment companies, and large companies having diversified lines of athletic and leisure footwear, apparel, and equipment. We also compete with other companies for the production capacity of independent manufacturers that produce our products and for import quota capacity. Our competitors’ product offerings, technologies, marketing expenditures (including expenditures for advertising and endorsements), pricing, costs of production, and customer service are areas of intense competition. This, in addition to rapid changes in technology and consumer preferences in the markets for athletic and leisure footwear and apparel, and athletic equipment, constitute significant risk factors in our operations. If we do not adequately and timely anticipate and respond to our competitors, our costs may increase or the consumer demand for our products may decline significantly. (Via Nike-2013-form-10K) Designing a Competitive Business Model Core Competencies Nike’s quality , technology and brand is famous . Nike’s Air cushion technology is almost using in every basketball shoes ,it’s good for athlete’s foot . the Nike having its own core competence due to organizations own skills and core competence it has taken a competitive advantage and now is taking a large market share. The core competence of Nike is to specialize in athletes foot wear and other sports items. As we know every organization has its R D department .The R D department of Nike is playing a vital role because of its innovations in foot wear how the  consumers can feel comfort by wearing their shoes and the quality thats the most important factor to be given in shoes and they have different categories of shoes which is running shoes nick shocks, Jordan, and other types that is targeting different type of consumers having different perceptions. But most important thing of Nike is they dont make shoes they design and then give their design to the production companies in Korea and china or Vietnam. Due to which they are more specialized in their innovation and in this way they have made their core competence in making innovative design of athlete shoes. Innovations Nike believe his research and development efforts are a key factor in nis success .NIKE strives to produce products that help to reduce injury , enhance athletic performance and maximize comfort success . (Via Nike 2013 Annual Report) Nike also find many expert in chemistry, exercise physiology, engineering, industrial design, sustainability and related fields ask they advices to fixed Nike’s shoes and clothing . Nike’s air cushion shock absorption technology is famous in the basketball shoes area .Nike’s Brand shoes like LBJ , Kobe and KD has many color and types . Sustainable Competitive Advantage External Analysis : Nike’s brand awareness is famous all over the world ,everyone buying shoes first chose is Nike . Nike sponsored the top athletes and gained valuable coverage. , like Jordan , LeBron James , .From the Nike’s 2013 annual report will find that Nike growing up every years . Nike has many competitors , like Adidas , Puma , Reebok and so on , but Nike’s market share is more than any other . Internal Analysis :As we know ,Nike’s product is quality , Nike’s has own RD center to creative new technology ,like air cushion shock absorber technology ,environmental technology and so on .It’s basic technology to Nike’s product .Nike always find many creative thing to put in Nike’s product ,like knitting technology in his shoes .That’s awesome . Nike has employed creative marketing and advertisement platforms in building brand awareness and equity of its diversified products. For instance, the company uses Tiger Woods a skilled golfer to build its line of golf products. It further employs professionals in various departments that include distribution, marketing, finance,  product management, research and design, information technology, and product development so as to sensitize the market of its diversified products Nike also operates an internship program every summer lasting for three months giving students an insight on the diverse brands. Other avenues Nike accomplishes diversification strategy is through mergers, joint ventures, takeovers, and acquisitions. The company also has an RD unit called the innovation kitchen located in the main parent company in Oregon, to enable it to continue producing unique products such as the cushioning system in shoes. Key Success Factor Jordan Brand : Jordan brand is a big part of the Nike. Jordan’s shoes is popular in all over the world .Jordan shoes occupy the USA 10.8% market share in 2009 .Jordan shoes sales almost two times of Adidas . (Via :http://sports.sina.com.cn/k/2009-09-12/16084584096.shtml)So Jordan brand is a key success factors of Nike .) Jordan brand is popular in young people , every young people want a Jordan’s shoes it’s beautiful and comfortable .Especially Jordan’s air cushion technology , using in every basketball shoes . Technology :In addition to Nike’s own staff of specialists in the areas of biomechanics ,chemistry , exercise physiology, engineering , industrial design, sustainability ,and related fields , we also utilize research committees and advisory boards made up of athletes , coaches, trainers , equipment managers , orthopedists , Podiatrists , and other experts who consult with us and review designs , Materials , concepts for product and manufactur ing process improvements and compliance with product safety regulations around the world . (Nike Annual Report ) Advertisement : Advertisements play a significant role in the athletic apparel industry, as consumers rely on catalogues and online advertisements . Nike has many endorsers ,like Jordan ,James ,Durant and so on. These guys bring many customers .Nike has online store ,you can buy many things in this store ,before new product star sales ,you’ll get an e-mail about this product .Nike’s advertisement not only online but also in everywhere .It’s very amazing! Adidas :Adidas is a very famous company ,it’s very popular in world too .But in these years, Adidas’s market in decrease very fast .Because Adidas’s endorsers did not famous than Nike’s endorses .Adidas’s endorses including Yao Ming ,A.I ,D.Rose and so on .But they hurt or retied .Adidas’s  quality and technology is also well known .But Adidas lost because the endorses . New Balance :New Balance (I will call New Balance as NB for short ) is known as a most comfortable shoes .They has many new technology ,such as BIOSHIELD ,ABZORB EX ,REVAX ,ENCAP ,and so on .And NB is popular in young people ,you will find many youn g people wear NB in the street .IT’s a huge market to NB. Building a Solid Strategic Plan It’s a significant part of a successful business. It keeps the company to where they oriented, to meet their mission, goals and objectives, and lead it on the right way. A Strategy plan is to build a competitive advantage. It involved Vision and Mission Statement, also Objectives and Goals, SWOT Analysis, Competition Analysis and Formulate Strategies. We are going to find out what does Nike different from others, why it is unique, and what it has that others don’t. I am about to use Five Forces Model to analyze the competitive advantages for Nike. Vision, Mission, Goal and Objective Nike’s vision is â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† The legendary University of Oregon track and field coach, and Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman said, â€Å"If you have a body, you are an athlete.†. It’s their mission. (Via http://help-en-us.nike.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/113/p/3897) Their goal is to become and keep the number one sportswear brand all over the world. Their objective is keep down the manufacturing cost and keep their price down then they can occupied the market in some less developed countries who can become the economically dependent in the industry. (Via http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_objectives_of_Nike_company) SWOT Analysis. Strengths As one of the ‘Fortune 500’ company, Nike has numerous strengths. It is positioned at being the number one sportswear brand globally, it Offers their products worldwide, it has a very strong marketing campaign that increases brand familiarity, and it has no factories, it uses OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to get the work done. It has contracts with above 700 shops globally in about 45 different countries. it also has offices in these different countries. It has chains of retail stores like  Niketown so that it can sell there. Its famous Swoosh is instantly recognizable, and Phil Knight even has it tattooed on his ankle. Weaknesses The organization does have a diversified range of sports products. However, the income of the business is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes. The retail sector is very price sensitive. Nike does have its own retailer in Nike To wn. However, most of its income is derived from selling into retailers. Retailers tend to offer a very similar experience to the consumer. Can you tell one sports retailer from another? So margins tend to get squeezed as retailers try to pass some of the low price competition pressure onto Nike. Opportunities Product development offers Nike many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that Nike is not a fashion brand. However, like it or not, consumers that wear Nike product do not always buy it to participate in sport. Some would argue that in youth culture especially, Nike is a fashion brand. This creates its own opportunities, since product could become unfashionable before it wears out i.e. consumers need to replace shoes. There is also the opportunity to develop products such as sport wear, sunglasses and jewelry. Such high value items do tend to have associated with them, high profits. The business could also be developed internationally, building upon its strong global brand recognition. There are many markets that have the disposable income to spend on high value sports goods. For example, emerging markets such as China and India have a new richer generation of consumers. There are also global marketing events that can be utilized to support the brand such as the World Cup (soccer) and The Olympics. Threats Nike is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that Nike may be manufacturing and/or selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. The market for sports shoes and garments is very competitive. The model developed by Phil Knight in his Stamford Business School days (high value branded product manufactured at a low cost) is now commonly used and to an extent is no longer a basis for sustainable competitive advantage. Competitors are developing alternative brands to take away Nikes market share. As discussed above in weaknesses, the retail sector is becoming price competitive. This  ultimately means that consumers are shopping around for a better deal. So if one store charges a price for a pair of sports shoes, the consumer could go to the store along the street to compare prices for the exactly the same item, and buy the cheaper of the two. Such consumer price sensitivity is a potential external threat to Nike. (Via Nike 2013 Annual Report, http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html, http://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/account-management-provides-special-treatment-in-marketing-administration-marketing-essay.php http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/nike-swot.html) Analyze the Competition. Nike has some competitive Direct competitors- Adidas, New Balance and Li Ning. They offer the product that Nike does, and all of these companies have different key success factors. Adidas, is the most competitor od Nike with do doubt, they compete with Nike for No.1 sportswear branding for over 40 years But in these years, Adidas’s market in decrease very fast .Because Adidas’s endorsers did not famous than Nike’s endorses .Adidas’s endorses including Yao Ming ,A.I ,Derrick Rose and so on .But they hurt or retied .Adidas’s quality and technology is also well known .But Adidas lost because the endorses; New Balance is known as a most comfortable shoes .They has many new technology ,such as BIOSHIELD ,ABZORB EX ,REVAX ,ENCAP ,and so on .And New Balance is popular in young people ,you will find many young people wear New Balance in the street . IT’s a huge market to New Balance; Some Significant competitors like Under Armour and Skechers, they offer similar products like apparel or footwear, they compete with Nike in some fields. Some Indirect competitors like The North Face or Columbia, both of them are the most of the famous outdoor brand, they offer windbreaker or accessories that Nike does. They have impacts to Nike in some mutual markets. Conclusion: Nike does perfectly in quality and endorsement, they almost signed all significant players and teams all over the world. Adidas has no most strength but all factors are averaged. New Balance does best in technology, it can makes sneakers more comfortable. (New Balance has never signed any endorsers since it founded, so its score is little bit lower) Cost leadership. Nike uses Business Simulation Strategy. It has no factories, it uses OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to get the work done, and it doesn’t has stores mostly. It offers products to Franchised retailers, and let them sell the products. It saved money from factories and rent, so its overhead is low. No shop, no labors,. quantity of materials, low too. If a supplier increases costs, Nike can easily change a new one with lower cost, Nike can do this because of its ability. Nike definitely has low cost access to factors of production. The enormity of Nike in respect to their suppliers gives them a huge advantage in production negotiations. Due to their high volumes for products, the cut-throat low cost nature of selecting a manufacturer, and coupled with the fact that Nikes suppliers depend so heavily on them for their own success that they have little to no bargaining room toward raising prices, allows Nike to continuously enjoy low costs of production. Nikes hardware and software technology implementations of using the not only using the best materials but creating them in a vertical fashion and housing an innovation culture from the top down, allow Nike a first move advantage into cost savings. However most of these advances only bring definite savings for a short time due to competitive parity within the industry, their creative nature definitely does benefit over the long run. Nike reduced costs by cutting some of its endorsements. Company research suggested the endorsement by the Italian soccer team, was not achieving the desired result. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and a few other endorsers were retained while some other like Italian soccer team, were eliminated, to saving over $100 million. Nike does incredible in cost control. (Nike 2013 Annual Report) Differentiation. Differentiation strategy by Nike is used to gain market share advantage in the broad foot ware market. Aside from foot wear, the company boasts of products such as clothing, equipment, and even accessories. The strategy is achieved by producing consumer goods and services that customers perceive to be of high quality or have added unique features. This has been achieved by the company innovating state of the art athletic shoes that are publicized through dramatic â€Å"guerrilla† marketing. Marketing of the different products is designed to coerce customers that Nike’s shoes are not only superior but also a high fashion statement which is a necessary part of a lifestyle based  on athletic or sporting interests. The company has also differentiated itself by using highflyers that are best used in distinguishing sporting disciplines hence enabling the company reach its target market, for instance, the Brazilian national soccer team or even Michael Jordan. Also, Nike is different from others in their Ads. They show not only their technology but also leading endorsers like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Cristiano Ronaldo in their Ads of new products. At the same time, their Ads are also very creative and with imagination, make people who watched them unforgettable. (Via Nike 2013 Annual Report) Focus.