Poem Paraphrase paper Essay

When Richard Cory entered the business district all of the townspeople would stand aside and watch him. He was trim and clean cut. He was very rich and knowledgeable. He was also extremely privileged. The townspeople wanted to be him. They continue to work their lives away. One day Richard Cory killed himself. This brief summary of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s â€Å"Richard Cory† does not capture the true emotion and irony presented in the original poem. It excludes many uses of connotation, which help the reader build a clear mental picture. In the paraphrase it uses far more words to explain what exactly is happening in Richard Cory’s life. The poem â€Å"Richard Cory† is known for its use of irony and word association. Throughout the poem Robinson’s use of phrases such as â€Å"imperially slim†, â€Å"from sole to crown†, and â€Å"schooled in every grace† give you a strong mental image of what Richard Cory looks like and how he presents himself which certainly leaves you feeling as if he is of royalty. There are also many other royal connections such as the use of the line â€Å"He was rich-yes, richer than a king-† and also just by the main characters name alone, which is composed of the word Rich. Richard is also the name of many kings as well. In the paraphrase it fails to present certain word associations that readers would pick up on in the poem. Instead of using words that aid your imagination in the right direction it is very blunt for example by saying â€Å"He is very rich and knowledgeable† doesn’t quite leave the same effect as saying, â€Å"admirably schooled in every grace†. I do feel though that in the paraphrase it is far more shocking when Richard Cory’s suicide is announced because there is no clear foreshadowing presented. Where as in the poem it hinted as if he were only perfect on the surface by entering the line â€Å"In fine, we thought he was everything†. This leaves the lingering impression that something is truly wrong underneath his perfect exterior, which the paraphrase fails to capture. The summary is far less descriptive when it comes to the reveal of Richard Cory’s death. For example when you learn about his suicide in the paraphrase all that you are able to infer is that he took his own life. Where as in the poem it goes into greater detail by telling the reader exactly when and how the suicide was committed by saying â€Å"And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head†. Thepoem leaves much room for the reader to infer certain things by hinting and using vocabulary to portray a certain image. The line announcing his death has many contrasting meanings in itself to exemplify the pure irony of the entire poem. It mentions a calm summer night, where as the night was anything but calm for him. When summer is read it is typically used to portray light and happiness and by saying that it was night eliminates the meaning. It uses the word calm to present the idea that everyone else in the city was relaxed whilst Richard Cory was feeling desperate in the dark night. Without these connotations in the paraphrase it lacks the dramatic effect in the reveal of his Cory’s death. In the beginning of the poem it refers to the townspeople being on the pavement, which is typically lower than the sidewalk, already putting Cory above the working class. Since already reading through this poem many times it becomes clearer and clearer that Richard Cory was attempting to reach out to someone the entire time but everyone was much too intimidated to respond to him. It mentions that he was â€Å"always quietly arrayed† and also that he was â€Å"always human when he talked† which gives us the impression that he still remained a true gentleman in contrary to the amount of money he may posses. The poem states â€Å"but still he fluttered pulses when he said â€Å"Good Morning†Ã¢â‚¬ . But it never suggests that anyone ever responded to Richard Cory even though he seems to be reaching out by always remaining down to earth and easy to talk to. These desperate attempts at communication are defiantly not portrayed in the summary of the poem at all which fails to revel his desperation that also foreshadows his death. The poem begins with the townspeople idealizing Richard Cory to them realizing that they are stuck as workers that must go â€Å"without the meat, and curse the bread† which is most likely where they will remain for their entire lives. In the first line of the poem it refers to Richard Cory going â€Å"downtown† which insinuates that he must of previously of been uptown which leads you to believe that is where he lives, on the richer side of the city. Throughout the poem you get a sense that the townspeople respect Richard regardless of the royal connotations. A paraphrase is good in bad in the sense that it lacks certain word associations that present a clear mental image for the reader and by the way that it sums up a poem in its purest form by eliminating many connotations and examples that help show the bigger picture in the poem. Robinson uses dramatic irony to present the message that not everything is what it seems. These workers spend their lives wishing for everything that they think Richard has when in reality they have no idea the emptiness that his life consists of. The summary of the poem lacks the emotion portrayed in the story as well as eliminating many hidden details that foreshadow the events. The poem develops the story in a mysterious forces the reader to dig deeper into the character as well as the meaning while a summary disconnects you from the characters in the poem. Altogether a paraphrase lacks the emotional intensity as well as depth distilled in original poetry.

Psychological Impact of Socio-Political Factors Essay

A society is composed of distinct cultures which identifies itself from others. The cultures of societies are distinct and people’s lives are usually patterned from prevalent traditions, practices and beliefs within that culture. Culture could be held responsible in the upbringing of an individual. People continuously conform on the dynamic culture of the society as they adhere on the norms, practices and values. Culture is an ever-changing feature of a society and incessantly develops and redefines attributes based on lifestyles and conditions. It is influenced by various factors that create sustained tight cultures. This will further result on the variations in cultures of a global society. We attribute cultural differences in its historical and ecological context. Socio- political factors also influenced our culture. These factors influence psychological appendages of an individual. As world trade and globalization are greatly emphasized, interaction across culture is increased and cultural diversity becomes a hindrance to fully achieve its objectives. Socio-political factors are in many forms and are inherently embedded in culture. These factors play significant role in molding the identity of a particular society. Socio-political factors are founded based on our beliefs and values and our behavioral tendencies and they were accustomed in our daily lives (Schneider, 2004). Stereotyping There were so many social groups in every country and it makes that particular nation a diverse geographic area. We could easily picture a collage of the various social groups but we could fail to include the real identities and configurations of these social groups (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). We may generate a statement on the perception of the characteristics and utilized it to describe the whole group. For example, Germans are hot-tempered and African Americans are rowdy. This process of thought depicts the conventional definition of stereotypes in social psychology, in which stereotypes are regarded as the main picture portraying the totality or the representation of a particular group of individuals. Stereotyping could also exist in the minds of the persons who are being stereotyped (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Stereotyping is a type of socio-political factor where we categorized people based on our beliefs. Perception plays a large part in the social context. Stereotyping is how we perceive people as established by a particular circumstance. In the course of time, stereotypes are considered synonymous to certain constructs that is ordained in the study of stereotypes. Stereotypes are considered as products of categorization, labels, schemas- these constructs tend to overlap each other for they were closely related (Schneider, 2004). Stereotypes is a result of our behavior towards others, it also affect our behavioral patterns toward different kinds of people. There is a substantial participation of group members in fostering stereotyping in people. Shared experiences suggested that stereotypes grew impliedly when members of a particular group perceived a certain category on the other group of individuals (Schneider, 2004). We think in-groups and out-groups as natural phenomena and we perceive them differently. Categorization of groups evolved into stereotyping. Stereotyping could render negative implications, this includes depriving opportunities to the persons being stereotyped based solely on the biased belief of the one assessing them. Stereotyping could be an individual problem and shall consider that it is not a shared knowledge, but when the perception was common in all members of the community; its effects become more noxious because it affects the whole society in the same way (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Stereotyping, therefore, could be looked at two perspectives. It could exist in the person’s mind, as representations of a person’s beliefs and values. It could also be viewed as a piece of society’s social fabric, a part of a larger scale of commonly shared perception of social groups (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). It becomes a question if the existence of social reality is individualized or dwell as a shared understanding. The particular distinction between the two lies mainly in the assumed relevance of this common knowledge and its importance and impacts on the lives of each individual within the social group (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Racism Stereotyping could evolve into other socio-political factors that may render detrimental effects. Racism can be widely utilized in everyday life. The concept of racism is negatively burdened, injected with political and moral descriptions. Therefore, claiming someone to be a racist is considered as inappropriate and even immoral. The definition is inclined for connoting political abuse. The definition also offers significance in the field of academics and raise political and moral argumentation (Miles & Brown, 2003). Racism is the generalized body of information, real or imaginary, pertaining to a person or group of individual that render benefits or gain on the racist and expense on the one being judged (Memmi et al. , 1999). Racism is the mistreatment of people based on their race. We all belong in a particular race, human race. This resulted from the inequality in the social structures and configurations. It is also a product of inequitable and unequal stratification of economic, political and social means (Sherover-Marcuse, 2000). Racism is defined improperly. There is no established definition for racism, if we would think philosophically, if racism is defined as morally and politically undesirable. There must be a shared understanding on why it is unacceptable. the definition could not established a concrete criteria on whether an account is racist or not. Utilizing the existing definition, we could be all racists. If the broad definition will be adhered, then it impliedly says that American people are all racists (Miles & Brown, 2003). Sometimes the description on the person being discriminated is inaccurate and they were being judged based on their color and cultural identity. Thus, it result to social empowerment of the racists and the judgments were passed into concurrent society that affects everyone (Sherover-Marcuse, 2000). Sexism Another socio-political factor that becomes a major dilemma in the society is the concept of sexism. Sexism directs us in the delving into gender studies, but it is a critical issue for it deals with a lot of aspects of gender inequality. Sexism is the inherent belief of the superiority of a particular sex over the other and therefore claims the right to be dominant in society (Curry, 1995). This will lead us in perceiving that in conventional society male is dominant over the female specie. This is evident in our history books and even in the holy scriptures of religions. Most of the messages were addressed to males. The dominance of males connotes the inferiority of females and the deprivation of prerogatives and rights enjoyed by the other sex. Many uprisings of the women sectors have been accounted in history in attempt in obtaining liberation and equality in treatment and opportunities. For example, the acquisition of suffrage is a pivotal event in women’s history and the ability to participate in major economic and political activity was celebrated by women in the society. Although there are claims that sexism no longer exists in our society. We could say that it is impliedly manifested through various of means. There were still claims in mistreatment in the workplace and females were not given equal opportunities. Mass media greatly contributes in reinforcing the concept of sexism through the portrayals of women in ads and programs depicting the traditional concept of women as inferior, weak, dependent and as home providers. There is a lack of portrayal of the emerging female specie- dynamic, strong and nurturing. Psychological Impact These socio-political factors have an undeniable psychological impact to a culturally diverse individual. Each person was raised in a society with inherent culture established that distinguished the group of individuals to other group of individuals. Every one of us is composed of layers of cultural learning ascribed or acquired that make up the totality of our individuality. These layers of cultural teachings were acquired through various influences. Every individual was shaped ethnicity, race, religion, education, profession, organization and parents. These attributes are the primary factors that affect the formation of the individuality of a person. One’s gender, peers, family and origin are also vital in redefining the one’s cultural identity (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998). Because we acquired our cultural teachings in different sources we are programmed differently and were reared heterogeneously. Therefore our individual differences make us culturally diverse. The socio-political factors aforementioned could be well-explained and examined under the specific branch of psychology- Evolutionary Psychology. This new branch of psychology is focused on establishing explanations on mental and psychological traits of individuals. There is a growing symbiotic and significant relationship between environmental and social psychology. Evolutionary theory is slowly infiltrate social psychology researchers. Evolutionary psychology examines new frontiers with specialty, like the socio-political factors mentioned above (Perilloux & Webster, 2008). It was argued that these factors shaped a person’s psychological mechanisms. It was stated that the concept of self do not exist but it was layers of psychological mechanisms (Perilloux & Webster, 2008). These socio-political factors discussed above are somehow interconnected with each other. Stereotyping could render significant psychological impacts in the upbringing of an individual. They may obtain wrong information about persons they stereotyped. For stereotypical roles, though shared by a lot of people could not be regarded as true. Stereotyping will reflect implicit behavioral comments like that there are roles more appropriate for men and women. This will create a general perception that some roles are only intended for a particular sex and that the other could not offer strong decisions and capabilities in participating in these certain fields (Swim et al. , 2001). This also indicates that men are better in male-dominated fields (Swim et al. , 2001). Due to the stereotypical roles and attributes being tagged to persons, they were undermined of their capabilities and capacities. It will also say that women are inferior and passive (Swim et al. , 2001), which is untrue about women nowadays. More women are participating in the fields dominated by male before and show exemplary performance in doing tasks. But the greatest implication would be an animosity for women (Swim et al. , 2001). Because of stereotyping, people will create an attitude towards the stereotyped individual.

The Rise of the European State and the Modern State Essay

The Rise of the European State and the Modern State - Essay Example According to Garner, Ferdinand and Lawson (2009), strong democracies have full fledged institutions that function to dispense the will of the people, effectively. Normally, strong democracies do not only boast of institutions that are fully functioning, but also institutions that discharge the will of the masses. These institutions may include public, nongovernmental and even private institutions, albeit emphasis is placed on public institutions. For this cause, institutions that make up the judiciary, the legislature and the executive are highly considered if they meet the threshold or not. For instance, an event that clearly epitomizes the democratic nature of strong judicial and legislative institutions in the US. Herein, although these institutions effectively and consistently discharge their duties as outlined in the US Constitutions, yet they did not arrogate themselves the authority to make marriage amendments without the involvement of the US citizens. Resultantly, to decide the fate of homosexual marriages in North Carolina, North Carolinians were extended the ultimate decision through voting, on May 8th, 2012. Thus, one can see that the strength of democratic institutions is not only hinged upon consistent and effective discharging of mandate, but also upon proximity of such initiatives to the will of the public. The will of the public is important herein since the legitimacy of these institutions and the government’s authority emanates from their closeness to public will.  ... Mostly, this weakness emanates from the absence of checks and balance and separation of powers. This absence denudates the effectiveness of these institutions by breeding external interference. In most cases, it is the head of the executive who does the interference. In weak states, important institutions such as electoral commissions and courts of law are unable to operate with autonomy, leading to spates of post-election violence and acts akin to crimes against humanity. Again, these states may be weak enough to be infiltrated by sectarian interests, instead of serving the interests of the majority or the people (Rotberg, 2003). States in the International Community That May Be Considered Just Too Weak To Continue Demanding Recognition One of the countries that aptly fit the class of weak states is Somalia. The weakness of Somalia is evidenced by its inability to provide public or social goods such as security, despite the fact that it has all the instruments of coercion (the priso n system, the police and the army). It is against this backdrop that large swathes of Somali land such as Jilib are still under the control of the Islamist organization, Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahedeen (commonly known as al-Shabaab). The ineffectiveness of the country is also underscored by the facts that: the presence and operation of al-Shabaab form a parallel government to that of Transitional Somali Government; and that foreign terrorist cells such as al- Qaeda are sponsoring al-Shabaab’s presence and operations in Somalia. The latter is the case since terrorists are bent on destabilizing Somalia as a strategic point to expand to Africa. The same also exposes the vulnerability of the Somali government since it

Teamwork and Motivation Problem of Friendly Bank Coursework

Teamwork and Motivation Problem of Friendly Bank - Coursework Example Technology has changed the whole concept of traditional banking and the recession dragged most of the private banks on a verge of shut down (Robbins, Judge, Millett and Boyle, 2013). In this paper, the effect of such structural changes on Friendly Bank will be analyzed and the role of team leaders and supervisors will be evaluated to understand their level of efficiency to motivate the team members and drive them towards achieving newly formed organizational objectives, keeping at pace with changing organizational cultures (Tissington, Hasel and Matthiesen, 2009). Â  Friendly bank, online banking division of Parkers Plc, is one of the high street banks of Southampton, reputed for its excellence in customer services. The targeted customer segment of Parker Plc being white, middle class and wealthy, the bank enjoys a competitive advantage by ensuring security and stability for all its customers. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank, Hector Brogan, Parker Plc is distinct from all other banks because, with Parker, the customers know where their money is. However, as a result of severe financial depression, especially in the European economy, in 2012 the bank was driven almost on a verge of bankruptcy. Though the bank had survived from a hostile takeover by a major competitor in 2013, more than 60% of the branch network of Parker Plc were closed and replaced by online banking operations to reduce operating cost. It restarted its operations under the head of Friendly Bank, established in the outskirts of Southampton, near the existing regional office of Parker Plc. Redundant employees of Parker Plc were shifted to the online and phone banking customer service operations of Friendly Bank at a less salary package. Emphasis was shifted from customer service to sale of wide range of financial products for generating additional income for the bank and accordingly Sales against Target (SAT) was introduced as a performance indicator.

To investigate how iPhone maker Apple competes across the Smartphone Dissertation

To investigate how iPhone maker Apple competes across the Smartphone market - Dissertation Example The marketing of the iPhone was done in tandem with the branding that Apple had in place, providing a platform from which to launch the revolutionary product. This study will look at the ways in which the market has been cornered by the product and what ways the perception of the product affects its popularity. Through the use of the grounding theory, a primary study has been made with a participant group of fifty users of Smartphones. Through the information provided by the questionnaire, the popularity of the iPhone has been examined and the ways in which it was successfully marketed has been explored. Table of Contents Abstract Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 The Marketing and Demand for the iPhone 1.2 Challenges presented by the iPhone within the Market 1.3 Research Objectives 1.3.1 To evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing strategy used by Apple 1.3.2 To investigate the quality and usability of product by Apple 1.3.3 To determine the outcome of customer sati sfaction with the Apple iPhone 1.4 Research Questions 1.4 Overview of Chapters Chapter Two Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Smartphone Technology 2.3 The iPhone Release 2.4 Marketing Strategy 2.5 Competition in the UK Market 2.6 Chapter Summary Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1 Overall Research Plan 3.2 Research Design 3.3 Population and Sampling Size 3.3.1 Population 3.3.2 Sampling 3.4 Data Collection 3.4.1 Primary Data 3.4.1.1 Data Collection Methods 3.4.1.2 Pilot Study 3.4.1.3 Data Collection Time Table 3.4.2 Secondary Data 3.5 Data Analysis 3.6 Research Limitations 3.7 Chapter Summary Chapter Four: Data and Analysis 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Profile of the Respondents 4.3 Findings 4.4 Analysis Chapter Five: Conclusion and Recommendations 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Theoretical Implications 5.3 Managerial Implications 5.4 Limitations of the Study 5.5 Future Direction of Research 5.6 Summary References Appendix 1 Appendix 2 The iPhone: A study on the marketing strategies and the perception s of consumers about the Apple iPhone Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 The Marketing and Demand for the iPhone In the last decade, the creation of Smartphone technology has revolutionized the communications business. One of the initial products that was brought out into the public was the Apple iPhone. This product created a sensation that has yet to be rivaled by any other communications product to date. It hit the market with such force that it was sold out quickly and was on backorder for months after its release. The deal that Steve Jobs made with AT&T meant that only one wireless provider would have the product, thus creating a demand for AT&T service, but creating a necessity for other manufacturers to rush to mimic the product so other providers could carry the same type of communication advantages. In the UK, the iPhone can be used with a number of providers. According to the Apple website, prepaid service with Vodafone and Orange is available, along with service on monthly pla ns from O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Three, and Vodaphone (Apple 2011). The iPhone is the most used form of Smartphone technology within the UK. Through this study, the iPhone will be researched in order to discover why this phone has this depth of popularity and how the marketing has contributed to its large market share. 1.2 Challenges presented by the iPhone within the Market The iPhone is a revolution in the communications industry, creating an elite consumer who has a product that is in high

The businesslike nature of the health care organizations including NHS Essay

The businesslike nature of the health care organizations including NHS - Essay Example The aim of the present study is to prove that NHS is a business organization which has implemented business principles in order to function effectively. The study begins with a discussion on how health care overall in a business and how NHS in UK is also functioning like a business organization. The business strategies being implemented in the organization to improve its performance and efficiency at a low cost are also explained. The trends in global health care are also explained and measures taken by NHS to keep up with the changes are also discussed. The conclusion of the study is presented in the end. Health care as a Business Health care is a USD 6 trillion dollar industry as is very much treated like a business in the global environment. Just like any other business, the health care industry provides provide returns on investments, creates jobs, provides insurance, and is often funded by the government (Ralston, 2007). Moreover, the services it provides are necessary for survi val of a society, thus it must be maintained as a business to ensure the future and present smooth running of the industry. In order to maintain health care as a business, the health care triangle must be maintained, which includes the â€Å"access, cost, and quality† of the services being provided to the consumers (Gandhi, 2012). Since health care is treated like a business, the individuals to whom it provides services are treated not as patients but consumers whose needs must be satisfied. Keeping this view of health care as a business in mind, the concept of Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) was introduced by Dr. Elliot Fisher in 2006 (Fisher, 2010). According to this model, an ACO is a â€Å"local health care organization and a related set of providers (at a minimum, primary care physicians, specialists, and hospitals) that can be held accountable for the standards of care delivered to a defined population† (Devers and Berenson, 2009, p. 1). This modal has becom e a major part of the US health care system since its implementation under the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act (Gandhi, 2012). The private health care firms operate more like business organizations than the public health care organizations as they provide quick quality care to the patients. Many patients whose treatments are delayed or denied often seek treatment from the private firms that charge their patients the desired price for their services. The private health care industries in the United Kingdom have been a victim of criticism in recently because of their inability to provide precise information of quality and price of their services (Ruddick, 2011).The business for the private health care firms is generated mainly through health care insurance and network agreements while some patients may also choose to pay themselves for the services (Ruddick, 2011). National Health Service as a Business The National Health Services (NHS) represents the three of the four h ealth care systems in the United Kingdom which is publicly funded through general taxation instead of health insurance. NHS is subjected to a number of health care services that are provided free of cost at the time of use. The NHS provides jobs to over 1.2 million people and allows patients with serious conditions, as indicated by the General Physician, a direct access to specialist treatment (Popper, Sutton, Whitnall, and Windmeiier,

Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era Research Paper

Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era - Research Paper Example The hard body status was no more only for the heroes but also for the common American individuals. The people liked to see the movie stars in such personas and attempted to identify themselves as a result. From the very early days of filmmaking, movies used to convey strong political and moral messages. Movies had the power of reshaping the whole society and the higher authorities were quick to realize that. That made them create a censorship so that they could control what the public was watching. Ronald Reagan was himself an actor in the past and the public could not help but link his presidency to his acting days. He was largely identified by the roles that he had played in his movies. However, in reality, it is very difficult to find a link between his politics and his acting days. As of Reagan himself, his marriage was once seen as a typical marriage in Hollywood. But with the passage of time, as Reagan’s daughter recollects, Reagan had and lesser contribution to the fami ly decisions than his wife. When the couple broke up, Reagan remarried and formed a tradition of being masculine both at home and at the office. Also, Reagan’s political messages became more gendered. After the Vietnam War, the American society seemed to have become effeminate. Reagan ideology attempted to restore the lost sense of masculinity. Moreover, the restoration of masculinity seems to be limited to white men. Black men have not been an active part of this hard body movement. However, there are some exceptions. In the movies of the Reagan era, masculinity has been a dominant subject. These movies displayed the male body in a manner that emphasized on masculinity. These bodies were â€Å"the indefatigable, muscular, and invincible masculine body [that] became the linchpin of the Reagan imaginary.† (Jeffords, 24, 25) The action adventure movies became a norm and the display of hard bodies like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger epitomized the same. One of the most convincing embodiments of hard body virtues is the character of John Rambo. The movie series has such a thumb print on the genre of action movies that every subsequent action movie is compared to it. The original character of Rambo from David Morrell's 1972 novel is more of a sympathetic monster who is bound to destruction because of his actions. Prior to Rambo Series, there were not many movies that promoted masculinity. Even Alfred Hitchcock’s movies had limited masculinity. According to Peberdy, â€Å"†¦both Hitch and his clientele represent a softer side of masculinity, offering on the one hand additional insight in the ‘permeation of a discourse of masculinity crisis during the 1990s and 2000s.† (7) In the movie, First Blood, Rambo is made heroic and the police play the role of villains. Rambo is never directly responsible for the death of any of his pursuers. Being a veteran of the Vietnam War, Rambo is both physically and psychologically d isturbed. He keeps up the appearance of being unaffected by the war but from the inside, he is torn apart. The character is played by Sylvester Stallone who is very a good physical specimen. Rambo goes through great physicality in the movie. He suffers a lot physically but shows great endurance to physical pain. In First Blood, he falls through pine trees from a height and one of the pine branches rips his arm. He screams in pain for a moment but as a vindictive policeman,

Microbiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Microbiology - Essay Example Nevertheless, not all the ways of the virus transmission have been fully defined and studied by the scientists. This virus is dangerous for human health and it causes much more deaths in comparison with other infectious diseases. The uniqueness of this virus and its main difference from Staphylococcus epidermis is the following: the cytoplasmic site of virus transmission and extension leads to enzymes encoding, especially those for macromolecular precursor pool regulation or for biosynthetic processes (Knipe, 2007). A morphogenesis of this virus is too complex and genomes of this virus encode the majority of proteins that interact with host processes at different levels (e.g. the cellular and systemic levels). Unlike Variola virus, Staphylococcus epidermidis  is a â€Å"gram-positive, coagulase-negative cocci that is a part of our normal flora† (Knipe, 2007). Within nosocomial environment, this pathogen has an ability to spread quickly among other non-infected humans. Nevert heless, unlike Variola virus, it is transmitted by means of foreign body infections. Staphylococcus epidermis is a facultative anaerobe and humans and warm-blooded animals are hosts for this infection. It should be also note that in spite of a non-pathogenic nature of S.

The mutation rate Essay Example for Free

The mutation rate Essay One of the greatest challenges for evolutionary biology is explaining the widespread occurrence of sexual reproduction, and the associated process of genetic recombination. Sexual reproduction involves one individual combining half its DNA with half of DNA of another individual, so that the offspring is only half genetic copy of each parent. However, in asexual reproduction, the offspring are genetic copies of the parent. Thus, sexual reproduction poses an evolutionary problem because it seems to be half as efficient a method of reproducing as asexual reproduction. Asexual females can potentially produce twice as many daughters as sexual females, so that the ratio of asexual to sexual females should initially double each generation, resulting in the two-fold cost of sex.? In addition to this 50% cost and the dilution of the individuals genome, sexual reproduction also presents other disadvantages in comparison to asexual reproduction. First and foremost there is the cost of recombination favourable gene combinations that have increased in frequency under the action of natural selection are broken up. Secondly, the process of sexual reproduction requires a significant cellular-mechanical cost as sex requires meiosis, syngamy and karyogamy. A great amount of time is taken up by these three processes alone, and far exceeds the time required for two mitotic divisions. Also, these processes are unnecessarily complicated if reproduction is sole objective. Asexual spores and meiosis-bypassing apomixis appears much more efficient. Thirdly, sexual species can not perpetuate what are often fitness-improving types (eg: triploids, aneuploids). Finally, the actual physical contact between organisms/gametes entails risks separate from those that are maintained by sexual competition. One of the primary costs of initial contact is the risk of disease or parasite transmission. Another significant cost associated with fertilisation is the eminent wastage of gametes, or more appropriately in some cases, a waste of effort transmitting gametes. Given all of these costs, we would expect natural selection to favour asexual reproduction in wild populations, however, it generally does not: sexual reproduction is widespread throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. Sexual reproduction must enjoy some evolutionary advantage, which means that the advantage is not caused by the process itself, but by the changes it causes in progeny genotypes (as a result of recombination), which should drive the evolution of sex. Thus, the problem of explaining sex is to find a compensating advantage of sexual reproduction that is large enough to make up for its cost. Many theoretical models have been developed to show the conditions under which there is a sufficiently large short-term advantage for sex to offset this two-fold cost. The general consensus amongst evolutionary biologists is that there are two relatively convincing, modern day theories. Both of these theories are concerned with a deterministic advantage to sex and recombination through the production of genetically variable offspring. This increases efficiency of selection, and hence accelerates the increase in mean fitness. The first of the two theories is known as the Mutational Deterministic Hypothesis (Kondrashov, 1988), and states that sexual reproduction can enable females to reduce the number of deleterious mutations in their offspring. This idea requires that each deleterious mutation leads to a greater decrease in log fitness than the previous mutation (synergistic epistasis between deleterious mutations). The principle theme is that when this is the case, sexual reproduction increases the variance in the number of mutations that will be carried by the offspring. The subsequent lowered fitness of the individuals carrying above average numbers of such deleterious mutations will lead to an increased number of deleterious mutations being eliminated from the population. If the resultant mutation rate per generation is sufficiently high, then this process can theoretically fully compensate for the two-fold cost of sex. However, the genomic mutation rate (U) is exactly where the problem lies, as the plausibility of such a Ratetheory is dependent upon a relatively high rate of mutation within the genome. A female gains the advantage whatever the deleterious mutation rate, but the relative benefit increases with the mutation rate. But what deleterious mutation rate is needed to outweigh the two-fold cost of sex? Kondrashov suggests that the answer depends essentially on the details of the theoretical model, but a rate of about one new deleterious mutation per individual is probably sufficient. Thus, sex becomes advantageous relative to cloning if U is more than about one. This is the most controversial point in this theory, because deleterious mutation rates have historically been thought to be much lower. Mukai has performed a number of experiments on Drosophila and deduced that a mutation rate of 0. 5 per individual per generation was sufficient. The problem concerning mutation rates is difficult to solve as there is no strong factual evidence that exists to rule out mutation rates as high as are required for sex to prosper. However, Mukais estimate of 0. 5 per individual was a lower bound estimate, and his results are also compatible with a figure greater than one. The second of the two modern day models ignores the effect of deleterious mutations and concentrates on external environmental change. This model suggests that sex accelerates adaptation to a changing environment by creating new gene combinations.

A Rose for Emily - Poem Interpretation Essay Example for Free

A Rose for Emily Poem Interpretation Essay The novel of William Faulkner ‘A Rose for Emily’ recounts a part of the past in the life of Miss Emily Grierson and the society in a town of Jefferson after the Civil War. We can watch the intriguing story of a young woman when she is changing from nice and likable young lady to a hermit-like individual, a burden and nuisance for the people and authority of the town. She lived in a gorgeous but rundown house without any major ‘troubles’, like paying taxes for example, which was settled (established?) in 1894 with the Mayor, when she couldn’t afford it. When the change in the office came the tax collectors started asking her to pay the debt to no avail. There was a ‘silent war’ going on for years between Emily and the town people until she fully retreated to her house after the death of her father. There is a short time of romance when Emily met a man and the fear of being abandoned made her crazy to a point where she tried to ‘keep’ him for herself ‘with the little help’ of arsenic. This was the last time he was seen alive. People suspected something bad happened but with no evidence there was nothing they could do about it. Only after her death they entered one of the rooms on the second floor and discovered what took place 40 years earlier. Her lover was ‘asleep’ in a bed, still in nightclothes. Next to him, on the pillow, Emily’s strand of hair. The author tries to go deeper into dark, psychological side of American Goth, going away from its basic ideas like haunted houses, castles, deaths, ailments (diseases), madness, curse, etc. The end of the novel is startling, giving a reader quite a criminal case sample, where the guilty got away with the crime. The question â€Å"Is it possible to commit a crime with no consequences?† lingers in the air. According to the author apparently yes. In his times. It is doubtful that an incident like that could happen in present times, however we still have shocking stories in the news that occur every day and still cannot believe how human mind can lead a person to do heinous crimes.

Pretend Plays role in childrens cognitive development

Pretend Plays role in childrens cognitive development For many years, researchers have been interested in the implications of pretend play in child development; and whether imagination influences how well children evolve in later life. Presently, pretend play is claimed to contribute exceedingly to a childs social and academic wellbeing, with increased emphasis imposed upon pretend play and its relation to cognitive development. From studies supporting clear links between pretend play and cognitive competence; researchers have proposed numerous theories that have contributed to a better understanding of whether pretend play may be implicated in child development. Accordingly, this essay will argue that pretend play is related to several components of cognitive development; while also proposing that a range of variations across cultures in the types, structures and frequencies of pretend play may exist, with such variations influencing a childs development. Utilizing evidence from a study by Joseph (1998), the relationship between mental representation (theory of mind) and pretence will be reiterated; with additional evidence by Kraft and Beck (1998), Wyver and Spence (1999) and Curran (1999) used to further emphasize that other cognitive strategies such as self-regulation, narrative recall, problem solving and rule understanding are linked to pretend play. Haight, Wang, Fung, Williams Mintzs (1999) study will evidently support the idea that several cross-cultural differences exist in the pretend play of children. Fantasy play or pretend play is defined as simple imitative actions done in a non-functional context (Smith, 2010), involving certain actions, use of objects, verbalizations or meanings. The first phase of pretend play or decent-ration is said to surface at the age of one, when young children begin to use an actor, object or action to symbolize reality (Sigelman Rider, 2009). By the age of two, children begin to join in pretence; initiating imaginary actions, playing with imaginary objects or imitating their parents; a stage known as de-contextualization. Pretend play increases in frequency and sophistication at around two to five years of age, when children incorporate their ability for pretence and their increase in social play to form social pretend play, or play which allows them to interact with peers or caregivers. Later, children show the ability to integrate pretend acts together in order to create a narrative. It is this type of play in particular that requires a high deal of social competence, including the theory of mind or people reading skills (Sigelman Rider, 2009); two theories proposed by some researchers and discussed to some extent in this essay. Engaging in pretend play allows children to construct and develop their theory of mind, hereby understand other peoples perspectives, and overcome egocentrism. This relationship between pretend play and the development of mental representations or Theory of Mind (TOM) was first introduced by Leslie; when it was suggested that children have the capacity for metarepresentation (Leslie, 1987) or multiple mental representations and that pretence aids a childs ability to understand mental states (Leslie, 1987) of self and of others. Recent laboratory studies of theory of mind indicate younger children often show understanding of others thinking and beliefs in their naturally occurring play (Bergen, 2002). Joseph (1998) conducted a series of experiments of 3 and 4 year old children and their understanding of pretend behaviors through their ability to distinguish between an involuntary behavior and the same behavior acted through a pretend action. It was concluded that children aged 4 were able to discriminate the intentionality of the pretend behaviour (Bergen, 2002), and although relatively low, evidence was also found 3 year olds showed an emerging understanding (Joseph, 1998). These findings oppose prior suggestions that children under the age of 5 do not evaluate intent from action-outcomes and do not understand the role of intention in pretend. Focus was also emphasized on understanding of pretend as a mental state and whether this may result in a childs appreciation of pretend as mental representation (Joseph, 1998). While 5 year olds were able to associate the knowledge condition of pretense well, 4 year olds showed little understanding. However, Joseph suggests that 4 year olds were failing the task not because they saw pretend as a strictly behavioural phenomenon because they were associating pretense with a mental state of ignorance (Joseph, 1998). It is important to point out that the relative low performance of 4 year olds in tasks evaluating their unders tanding of pretend, could be an indication of the difficulty, but not the absence in a childs reasoning formally about the logical relations between intention, knowledge and pretend (Joseph, 1998); proposing an underestimation of a childs ability to recognize mental states in previous studies conducted. Importantly, however the study does point out that throughout the experiment children were aware of the characters states of pretending, hereby eliminating them of creating their own determination of pretend; and a possible limitation of this study. Overall, however this study shows that children understand the mental and subjective features of pretence by age of 3 or 4 years (Joseph, 1998) and are able to reason correctly about counterfactual mental representations in the context of pretend play before they are able to do so in the context of belief (Joseph, 1998), hereby supporting the relationship that pretend play contributes to the development of the theory of mind and therefore to cognitive development. Following in the footsteps of Lev Vygotsky, who proposed the young infants use speech as a way of regulating their behavior, it has also been suggested that pretend play aids a childs higher cognitive functions, including self- regulation and narrative recall. Expanding on this theory of the use of speech to regulate behavior, mainly through internal thought; Krafft and Beck (1998) conducted an experiment in order to compare the use of private speech in children of preschool age attending play based programs. It was concluded that speech did occur predominantly during the program; specifically during pretend play. They suggested that for preschool children make-believe play serves as a vital context for the development of self-regulation (Krafft and Beck, 1998). Furthermore, the study proposed that pretence within a social setting, which allows children to determine task goals and carry them out (Bergen, 2002); gives children an opportunity to practice and use self-regulating speech compared to play environments which are guided by prior goals or adult direction. Similarly, in a study conducted to examine cognitive change and pretend play, Kim (1999) tested 4 and 5 year old children on their ability to understand narrative structures; by way of reenactment of stories to condition using storytelling. It was found that children in the pretend play condition use more elaborative narratives and had higher levels of narrative structures (Kim, 1999). Additionally, children showed relatively higher rates of narrative recall in the pretend enactment and even at a later time when asked to retell the story. This strong evidence between self-regulation and narrative recall and pretend play suggests a clear link that pretend play does enhance cognitive development; as it was proven that speech was highly correlated with pretend play and that children who engage in pretend play create more complex narrative stories and prove to have a higher rate of narrative recall even at a later stage. Similarly, additional studies have been conducted to further elaborate the effect of play, specifically socio-dramatic pretend play on problem solving and rule understanding. In order to detect this relationship, Wyver and Spence (1999) compared two types of problem solving to numerous categories of play. It was concluded that there seems to be a reciprocal, rather than unidirectional relationship between problem solving and pretend play, with co-operative social play having a more general influence on divergent problem solving and thematic play having a more specific influence on semantic problem solving (Bergen, 2002). Similarly, Curran (1999) conducted an observational study of 3- 5 year old children engaging in social pretence. It was discovered that children could use explicit rules to engage in fair pretend play; while also suggesting that while children construct implicit rules, these rules were harder for them to act out. Curran (1999) found that while play stopped if rules w ere broken when explicit rules were used; the children stopped playing altogether. Interestingly enough, under another condition, children gradually learned the rules if they were foreign to them, while the more experienced children also aided those who were inexperienced in order to keep the play ongoing. Therefore it can be suggested the development of implicit rules, in particular, requires both divergent thinking and comprehension of rules structure (Bergen, 2002), two skills important for later school success. While not extensive, this evidence does point to both definitive and precise ways in which pretence play may aid higher-level aspects of cognition, allowing a child who engage in pretence to develop rule understanding and higher levels of problem solving skills; two clear indications of cognitive development. Pretend play has been studied in several cultures, with aspects of childrens play and cultural differences being the focus; while also emphasizing the assumption that pretend play and development of children is not universally distributed. Much of this research suggests that, although play is often regarded as universal, many researchers propose play to be a culturally mediated activity that may take different forms in different groups (Haight, Wang, Fung, Williams Mintz, 1999). In fact it has been proposed that the physical and social characteristics of environments; such as setting, props, time, individuals around the child and the beliefs of pretend play by adult figures influence development. Using longitudinal data of Irish American families in the United States and Chinese families in Taiwan, Haight et al. (1999) proposed universal, culturally variable, and development dimensions of young childrens pretend play(Haight et al., 1999), arguing several universal dimensions may exi st, but that numerous differences are also evident . It was pinpointed that both Chinese and Irish children used objects in their pretend play, much in conjunction to the theory that for toddlers, objects may facilitate the transition from the literal to non-literal world (Haight et al., 1999), suggesting that for the child to imagine something the child must first define the action. The study also proposed that the act of pretend play in children is fundamentally a social activity as it was found that in other cultural communities, pretend play was primarily a social activity embedded within interactions with family members and friends (Haight et al., 1999). Contrastingly, the study proposed that interpersonal context of pretend play varied amongst the two groups; with the Chinese children pretending more with their caregivers, while the Irish American children were found to pretend considerably more with other children. Variations in the amount of social play is said to exist; as compared to Irish American children, a greater amount of pretend play by the Chinese children was social. However, Irish American children frequently engaged in multiparty pretending in groups of three or more players, often including slightly older children (Haight et al., 1999). Additionally, conduction of caregiver-child play, function of caregiver initiations and centrality of themes vary significantly across cultures. Haight et al., (1999) found that caregiver pretend play in Irish American families was conducted by children, while the opposite applied to the other group. The study also suggests that Chinese caregivers initiations more often functioned as way to practice proper conduct (Haight et al., 1999) and points out that toys around Western children appeared to be toys from childrens movies, suggesting that greater emphasis is placed on fantasy themes. Finally, the study proposed that centrality of objects, particularly toys varied significantly; suggesting Irish American caregivers purchased many objects for childrens pretending, and the majority of childrens pretend play time revolved around toy miniatures (Haight et al., 1999). Chinese children did not exhibit any play with objects, and seemed to rely on shared knowledge of social routines to guide their joint play. Much of the current research on pretend play does not account for variations of culture and do not take into account how such variations play a part over life course development. It is possible that in order to construct a valid theory, research should focus on the relationship between a set of complex ecological and ideological factors and their effect on pretend play (Haight et al., 1999) in multiple cultures or communities, an aspect not focused on in this study. It is clear that universal and variable dimensions of pretend play in certain communities do exist. It can be concluded that such variations may have the ability to create specific and unique development pathways, possibly influencing a childs various aspects of social, emotional and cognitive development, such as theory of mind and higher cognitive strategies, such as rule understanding or later problem solving skills. There has been a growing body of evidence supporting the relationships between cognitive competence and pretend play, as well as the concept of pretend play and its variations across cultures. Pretend play has been positively linked to a childs ability to develop a theory of mind, self-regulation, narrative recall, problem solving and rule understanding. Additionally, variations of pretend play across cultures have been revealed, with a possibility for variable dimensions creating distinctive pathways in play and development itself. It can be suggested, that while current research, based on small scale studies seems insignificant at present, it is fundamentally important for society to continue implementation of pretend experiences in young children; while also implementing further research on the relationship of play and cognition during childhood; as it can been seen from the evidence above that this stage of life has proven to be important and crucial in overall development.

A Presentation Of George Orwell And His Protest Novels :: essays research papers

Eric Arthur Blair was born on June 5, 1903, in Bengal, India. His father was not a wealthy man. He supported his family only on the salary of a civil servant. When his writing career began, his penname became George Orwell. Orwell received his formal education from Eton Academy during a period ranging from 1917 to 1921. After completion of Eton, Orwell did not continue his education; instead he joined forces with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. He served with the police until he began teaching. He was a high-ranking officer during his years on the police force. His life was poverty stricken until the mid-1930’s. He was considered to be a â€Å"combination of middle class intellectual and working class reformer† (Stewart). Orwell chose to live among tramps in England and the working class in Paris. His experience in England and Paris was the basis for his first book Down and Out in Paris in London, first published in 1933. For many years, Orwell worked as a teacher . A Clergyman’s Daughter was based on his experience as a teacher (Borman 5-6). Considered a novelist and a social critic, Orwell’s fame began in 1945 with the publication of his first protest novel, Animal Farm (Stewart).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Animal Farm is just one of Orwell’s protest novels, but disputably the best protest novel of all time. The novel is allegedly based on the Russian Revolution. Animal Farm is an allegory of the political strife in twentieth-century Europe (Brown 72). According to Orwell his inspiration for Animal Farm came from a little boy, perhaps ten years old driving a huge cart-horse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat. (Williams 339) During the Russian Revolution, leaders such as Russia’s Joseph Stalin negotiated with England but made plans secretly with other leaders and nations. In Animal Farm various animals personify or represent political leaders and factions of the Russian Revolution. In the novel Old Major represents Karl Marx, a German economist of the Russian Revolution. Joseph Stalin is portrayed, in the novel, by Napoleon. Stalin was known for negotiating with England but also leading acts of corruption with other countries. In Animal Farm Napoleon negotiates with Mr.

The Trail of Tears :: essays research papers

The Trail Of Tears Gloria Jahoda, the author of The Trail of Tears talks about how Indian populations dropped and how white people are the ones responsible for the drop of their population. The white men are not responsible for the drop of the Indian population. Johoda makes all Indians sound like defenseless children. Johoda is making excuses for Indians because Indians let the white man take over their lives and life style. Indians would do everything that was asked of them by the white man instead of standing up for themselves. The Choctaws were granted citizenship in the exception of them not living their everyday life style. Under citizenship, the tribal government of the Choctaws was abolished. Choctaws was given heavy fines and even jail time if the Choctaws dishonored the demands of the white man for their citizenship. Chief Moshulatubbee was shocked so he decided to run for congress. Mississippians took Moshulatubbee wanting to run for congress as a joke. Moshulatubbee lost. The lost started a civil war among the Choctaws. No matter what the Choctaws did they did not get their way. When leaving Mississippi some of the Choctaws died of diseases and of hunger. So the Choctaws gave in and again let the white man take control of them. One of the presidents of the United States, Andrew Jackson went to war with Indians hopping to get rid of the Indians. Black Hawk was a 62-year-old Indian who hated Americans. Black Hawk says that American promises are empty. When ever Americans told Black Hawk that they would do something for the Indians the Americans would never do what they promised. Black Hawk decided to take the side of the British. When ever the British said they would do something for the Indians the British would always do what they promised. Black Hawk always carried a British medal around his neck he respected the British a great deal. Andrew Jackson the president of the United States at the time came face to face with Black Hawk. The president asked Black Hawk, â€Å"why did you go to war,† Black Hawk did not answer. It was said that maybe the sac chief did not understand the question, but I say it’s just another excuse for Indians being naà ¯ve and letting the Americans do what they would l ike with the Indians. This book educates the audience on how there were brave Indians.

Management & Leadership

Apple’s Management and Leadership Apple’s Management and Leadership Apples management and leadership have taken the small company in Silicon Valley and transformed it into a multinational conglomerate. From the time of its inception, Apple’s innovation has delivered the personal computer, the Graphical User Interface, the world’s most popular portable music devices and favorite cellular phone. The creation of these products only illustrates part of the success of Apple’s management; the other would be the successful integration into the lifestyle of cultures around the world. Apple has molded the face of personal computing at a global level with its strong and visionary leadership, ability to remain innovative, and its ability to maximize globalization will remain a dominant force organizationally. This paper will investigate Apple’s management and leadership, their responsibility in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture, the effect of globalization and management across borders and will recommend two strategies to maintain their healthy organizational culture. Management and Leadership Friends Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak established Apple Computer Incorporated in 1976 in California’s famous Silicon Valley (Apple Bios, 2010). The company initially made custom circuit boards for people who wanted to build their own computers. Between Jobs marketing genius and Wozniak’s technical expertise the two realized the potential of the computer and with a little work they created a whole new market; personal computers (Schneider, 2010). Though the beginnings were fairly humble with only $1300 for startup (Funding Universe, 2010) which would soon change. In 1977 the Apple II Personal Computer launched, grossing 2. 7 Million its first year and growing to over $200 million in three years (About. com, 2010). Apple has since revolutionized the world with its personal computing products and creative marketing. Apple’s management has been as innovative in the growth of this global organization as their products have been. A quick glance would leave one to think this Apple is ripe, but the company has only recently started to bloom. Expanding into European and Asian markets in 2003 they have made a steady climb every year, but still have claimed only ive percent of the Windows PC market (Yarrow & Angelova, 2010). To examine the leadership of Apple is to look to its original marketing director, Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was the visionary force at Apple, determining the company’s vision and orchestrating its implementation. He lured executives as John Sculley away from Pepsico (Costello, 2010) and raised funding from former Intel M arketing Director Mike Markkulla Junior (Wikipedia, 2010). The team entered 1984 with a revolutionary new line, the Macintosh. The Macintosh was the first computer to use a graphic user interface. When the company initially launched the Macintosh, it rolled out with a commercial based on George Orwell’s novel 1984 with Apple representing the heroic rebel struggling for freedom (Costello, 2010). The captor was widely recognized as IBM’s business based computer and in the commercial the new Macintosh was destroying the IBM world. Directed by Ridley Scott the commercial cost nearly 1. 5 million, and only aired once in 1983 on a small unknown station to make it eligible for film awards, but news and talk shows replayed it everywhere (Bellis, 2010). Unfortunately, the Macintosh was not well equipped with programs for the business side of the market and though the GUI interface was well received, the company slumped, high tensions between Sculley and Jobs increased, which ultimately lead to a board decision 1985 to give Sculley control of the company, Jobs quite (Schneider, 2010). This proved to be a bad move for Apple’s board of directors, they were left with management but lacked Jobs visionary leadership. This management continued to perform the daily task, making small improvements, they struggled to hold to its small market share as well as its internal talent and managed to do so only because of its small but loyal following. Though Jobs was no longer at Apple in a management position, he retained his seat on the board and had continued to work on an advanced operating system; this new system would become Apples biggest advance in their operating system since the GUI. This software platform would become the new OSX platform and pave the way for Jobs return to Apple in December 1996 (Schneider, 2010). In early 1997 the effects of Jobs leadership were already being felt at Apple as Jobs announced that Apple would start to sell their computers online, and within one week of its launch it was the third largest e-commerce site on the Internet (Schneider, 2010). Inspired by the success Apples board of directors decided to give Jobs the reigns as CEO. The decision to bring Jobs back to Apple and to make him CEO has proven in large to be Apples keys to success. Jobs technical knowledge and innovative thinking have pushed Apple ahead in product development and brought to market the iMac, the iPod, and the iPhone. Jobs understanding of the importance of design and aesthetics have also been felt by Apple and the global market. He has driven the development of functional and elegant products and this leadership has earned Apple and its products a devoted following. Creating a Healthy Organizational Culture In 1984 Bill Gates had caught a glimpse of Apples first GUI product called Lisa, immediately realizing the potential he reworked Microsoft Windows and pitched the platform to IBM (Bellis, 2010). This action quickly developed into threats of a lawsuit between Apple and Microsoft over infringement of copyright, patent, and trade secrets. Knowing that they had overstepped their bounds, Microsoft quickly proposed a license agreement that would allow Microsoft to use similar structures such as tiled windows, a mouse pointer and drop down menus, Apple agreed (Bellis, 2010). In 1987 Microsoft released Windows 2. 0, having the look and feel of a Mac. Apple took Microsoft to court for 170 infringements of copyrights, patents and trade secrets. The court ruled that the license agreement given to Microsoft granted the legal right to develop and market the Mac drop down menus, the floating windows and the mouse point and click environment. Furthermore they ruled in favor of Microsoft on all 170 infringements (Bellis, 2010). This judgment helped surrender Apples technological lead in the computer industry, cost the company potential revenues and forced layoffs. No doubt these events affected the corporate culture at Apple, to this day the company is very secretive of any development the organization works on and takes its secrecy so seriously that employees are timid to give out any information on the company at all. Some authors voice their frustration claiming that employees back out of interviews, refuse to give any detailed information and even refuse to give their name for fear that the company will discover them and take action (Morrison, 2010). Despite this supposed fear, the employees understand the potential consequences financially if product information is leaked; this understanding develops trust in Jobs leadership and with the company’s success in every market it enters reinforces this trust. Apple’s corporate catch phrase is â€Å"Think Differently† (Apple, 2010) and the company has proven to do so by ignoring trends and market research analysis, and triumphantly resisting pressure from other large corporate conglomerates while continuing to increase profitability and bring revolutionary products to market. In his younger years before Apple Steve Jobs had taken a trip to India and returned with his head shaved, wearing traditional Indian clothing and claiming he was a Buddhist (Wikipedia, 2010). This is perhaps one of the biggest influences in Steve Jobs life personally, and though he does not continue to wear the traditional Indian clothing, the Zen influence of meditation and intuition, and minimalism are still very visible in his leadership and the culture at Apple. Additionally Jobs has kept Apples creative talent in an incubator of sorts, deep inside the campus catering to their comfort and privacy (Morrison, 2010). Apples leadership has also brought attention to detail to the forefront, spending tremendous amounts on perfecting minor details in products before they are released. The creative talent at Apple are highly protected and hidden deep with the camp Globalization and Management Across Borders The effect of Globalization on Apple has been tremendously positive. In 2003 the company started expanding into European and Asian markets with products and Apple stores and has experienced growth exceeding 500% (Yarow & Angelove, 2010). Despite this rapid growth CEO Steve Jobs and only a small handful of his top executives see new products in completed form, the rest of the organization develops small parts of the products they built in different locations amidst Apples sprawling global campus (Morrison, 2010). This organization continues to hold its vertical structure with the majority of the important decisions coming from Jobs and his small group of senior executives. Apple continues to maintain its vertical structure in an effort to protect its product development and globalization have to add to its ability to remain secretive in this process. Strategies to Maintain a Healthy Organizational Culture Apple has undoubtedly changed all of our lives with its computers, iPods and iPhones, and with its current leadership has managed to create an organization that does indeed â€Å"Think Differently† (Apple, 2010). The task becomes maintaining this innovative corporate attitude to ensure the companies future success. It is clear that most of the success that Apple has experienced because of its innovative leadership and preserving its leadership is one strategy for maintaining its healthy organizational culture. It’s inevitable that age if nothing else will weaken the current leadership. With this in mind, where as the organization and its leadership are strong, plans to train or recruit future leaders, which are aligned with Apples unique culture, should be developed. These plans should account for Apples maverick attitude and future goals. A second strategy for maintaining this successful culture is to plan strategically. Apple’s products have had profound effects on their prospective markets, decimating its competition; however competitors will watch and learn and begin to implement Apples strategies to compete in emerging markets making strategic planning much more important. Typical strategic planning ranges from three to seven years out and is handled by senior management (Bateman & Snell, 2009, p. 141). This type of planning will take into account foreseeable obstacles that the company may face and provide enough time to respond effectively. Apples history of bucking trends and ignoring fads can still be maintained, and even some low performing products may be endured if the proper strategic planning has been done. Conclusion Apple’s corporate catch phrase â€Å"Think Differently† (Apple, 2010) and their ability to do so is shown in their innovation and marketing. Their innovation, creativity and corporate secrecy all play a part in maintaining their unique culture and will ensure they remain a dominant force globally (Morrison, 2010). Their strong and visionary leadership has changed computing, as we in our lifetime have known it with inventions like the Graphical User Interface, the iPod, and the iPhone. Apple has demonstrated the positive effects globalization and management across borders has had on the company by its move into European Asian markets. These markets have seen enormous growth and still possess plenty of potential for growth. By retaining their innovative leadership as opposed to corporate management and plan strategically they will ensure their place as one of the most uccessful and innovative companies in human history. References Apple (2010). Bios. Retrieved April 15, 2010 on the Apple website: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/jobs. html Bellis (2010). Inventors of the Modern Computer. Retrieved April 15, 2010 from the About. com website: http://inventors. about. com/library/weekly/aa051599. htm Morrison (2010). How to Innovate Like Apple. Retrieved April 16, 2010 from the BNET website: http://w ww. bnet. com/2403-13501_23-330240. html Schneider, Laura (2010) Tech Careers. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the About. om website: http://jobsearchtech. about. com/od/historyoftechindustry/a/SteveJobs. htm Thomas, S. , Bateman, S. , & Snell, S. (2009). Management  (8th ed. ). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Wikipedia (2010). Steve Jobs. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Steve_Jobs Yarrow & Angelova (2010). Chart of the Day: Apple’s Retail Strategy is Paying Off. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the Business Insider website: http://www. businessinsider. com/chart-of-the-day-apple-stores-vs-mac-market-share-2010-3 Management & Leadership Apple’s Management and Leadership Apple’s Management and Leadership Apples management and leadership have taken the small company in Silicon Valley and transformed it into a multinational conglomerate. From the time of its inception, Apple’s innovation has delivered the personal computer, the Graphical User Interface, the world’s most popular portable music devices and favorite cellular phone. The creation of these products only illustrates part of the success of Apple’s management; the other would be the successful integration into the lifestyle of cultures around the world. Apple has molded the face of personal computing at a global level with its strong and visionary leadership, ability to remain innovative, and its ability to maximize globalization will remain a dominant force organizationally. This paper will investigate Apple’s management and leadership, their responsibility in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture, the effect of globalization and management across borders and will recommend two strategies to maintain their healthy organizational culture. Management and Leadership Friends Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak established Apple Computer Incorporated in 1976 in California’s famous Silicon Valley (Apple Bios, 2010). The company initially made custom circuit boards for people who wanted to build their own computers. Between Jobs marketing genius and Wozniak’s technical expertise the two realized the potential of the computer and with a little work they created a whole new market; personal computers (Schneider, 2010). Though the beginnings were fairly humble with only $1300 for startup (Funding Universe, 2010) which would soon change. In 1977 the Apple II Personal Computer launched, grossing 2. 7 Million its first year and growing to over $200 million in three years (About. com, 2010). Apple has since revolutionized the world with its personal computing products and creative marketing. Apple’s management has been as innovative in the growth of this global organization as their products have been. A quick glance would leave one to think this Apple is ripe, but the company has only recently started to bloom. Expanding into European and Asian markets in 2003 they have made a steady climb every year, but still have claimed only ive percent of the Windows PC market (Yarrow & Angelova, 2010). To examine the leadership of Apple is to look to its original marketing director, Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was the visionary force at Apple, determining the company’s vision and orchestrating its implementation. He lured executives as John Sculley away from Pepsico (Costello, 2010) and raised funding from former Intel M arketing Director Mike Markkulla Junior (Wikipedia, 2010). The team entered 1984 with a revolutionary new line, the Macintosh. The Macintosh was the first computer to use a graphic user interface. When the company initially launched the Macintosh, it rolled out with a commercial based on George Orwell’s novel 1984 with Apple representing the heroic rebel struggling for freedom (Costello, 2010). The captor was widely recognized as IBM’s business based computer and in the commercial the new Macintosh was destroying the IBM world. Directed by Ridley Scott the commercial cost nearly 1. 5 million, and only aired once in 1983 on a small unknown station to make it eligible for film awards, but news and talk shows replayed it everywhere (Bellis, 2010). Unfortunately, the Macintosh was not well equipped with programs for the business side of the market and though the GUI interface was well received, the company slumped, high tensions between Sculley and Jobs increased, which ultimately lead to a board decision 1985 to give Sculley control of the company, Jobs quite (Schneider, 2010). This proved to be a bad move for Apple’s board of directors, they were left with management but lacked Jobs visionary leadership. This management continued to perform the daily task, making small improvements, they struggled to hold to its small market share as well as its internal talent and managed to do so only because of its small but loyal following. Though Jobs was no longer at Apple in a management position, he retained his seat on the board and had continued to work on an advanced operating system; this new system would become Apples biggest advance in their operating system since the GUI. This software platform would become the new OSX platform and pave the way for Jobs return to Apple in December 1996 (Schneider, 2010). In early 1997 the effects of Jobs leadership were already being felt at Apple as Jobs announced that Apple would start to sell their computers online, and within one week of its launch it was the third largest e-commerce site on the Internet (Schneider, 2010). Inspired by the success Apples board of directors decided to give Jobs the reigns as CEO. The decision to bring Jobs back to Apple and to make him CEO has proven in large to be Apples keys to success. Jobs technical knowledge and innovative thinking have pushed Apple ahead in product development and brought to market the iMac, the iPod, and the iPhone. Jobs understanding of the importance of design and aesthetics have also been felt by Apple and the global market. He has driven the development of functional and elegant products and this leadership has earned Apple and its products a devoted following. Creating a Healthy Organizational Culture In 1984 Bill Gates had caught a glimpse of Apples first GUI product called Lisa, immediately realizing the potential he reworked Microsoft Windows and pitched the platform to IBM (Bellis, 2010). This action quickly developed into threats of a lawsuit between Apple and Microsoft over infringement of copyright, patent, and trade secrets. Knowing that they had overstepped their bounds, Microsoft quickly proposed a license agreement that would allow Microsoft to use similar structures such as tiled windows, a mouse pointer and drop down menus, Apple agreed (Bellis, 2010). In 1987 Microsoft released Windows 2. 0, having the look and feel of a Mac. Apple took Microsoft to court for 170 infringements of copyrights, patents and trade secrets. The court ruled that the license agreement given to Microsoft granted the legal right to develop and market the Mac drop down menus, the floating windows and the mouse point and click environment. Furthermore they ruled in favor of Microsoft on all 170 infringements (Bellis, 2010). This judgment helped surrender Apples technological lead in the computer industry, cost the company potential revenues and forced layoffs. No doubt these events affected the corporate culture at Apple, to this day the company is very secretive of any development the organization works on and takes its secrecy so seriously that employees are timid to give out any information on the company at all. Some authors voice their frustration claiming that employees back out of interviews, refuse to give any detailed information and even refuse to give their name for fear that the company will discover them and take action (Morrison, 2010). Despite this supposed fear, the employees understand the potential consequences financially if product information is leaked; this understanding develops trust in Jobs leadership and with the company’s success in every market it enters reinforces this trust. Apple’s corporate catch phrase is â€Å"Think Differently† (Apple, 2010) and the company has proven to do so by ignoring trends and market research analysis, and triumphantly resisting pressure from other large corporate conglomerates while continuing to increase profitability and bring revolutionary products to market. In his younger years before Apple Steve Jobs had taken a trip to India and returned with his head shaved, wearing traditional Indian clothing and claiming he was a Buddhist (Wikipedia, 2010). This is perhaps one of the biggest influences in Steve Jobs life personally, and though he does not continue to wear the traditional Indian clothing, the Zen influence of meditation and intuition, and minimalism are still very visible in his leadership and the culture at Apple. Additionally Jobs has kept Apples creative talent in an incubator of sorts, deep inside the campus catering to their comfort and privacy (Morrison, 2010). Apples leadership has also brought attention to detail to the forefront, spending tremendous amounts on perfecting minor details in products before they are released. The creative talent at Apple are highly protected and hidden deep with the camp Globalization and Management Across Borders The effect of Globalization on Apple has been tremendously positive. In 2003 the company started expanding into European and Asian markets with products and Apple stores and has experienced growth exceeding 500% (Yarow & Angelove, 2010). Despite this rapid growth CEO Steve Jobs and only a small handful of his top executives see new products in completed form, the rest of the organization develops small parts of the products they built in different locations amidst Apples sprawling global campus (Morrison, 2010). This organization continues to hold its vertical structure with the majority of the important decisions coming from Jobs and his small group of senior executives. Apple continues to maintain its vertical structure in an effort to protect its product development and globalization have to add to its ability to remain secretive in this process. Strategies to Maintain a Healthy Organizational Culture Apple has undoubtedly changed all of our lives with its computers, iPods and iPhones, and with its current leadership has managed to create an organization that does indeed â€Å"Think Differently† (Apple, 2010). The task becomes maintaining this innovative corporate attitude to ensure the companies future success. It is clear that most of the success that Apple has experienced because of its innovative leadership and preserving its leadership is one strategy for maintaining its healthy organizational culture. It’s inevitable that age if nothing else will weaken the current leadership. With this in mind, where as the organization and its leadership are strong, plans to train or recruit future leaders, which are aligned with Apples unique culture, should be developed. These plans should account for Apples maverick attitude and future goals. A second strategy for maintaining this successful culture is to plan strategically. Apple’s products have had profound effects on their prospective markets, decimating its competition; however competitors will watch and learn and begin to implement Apples strategies to compete in emerging markets making strategic planning much more important. Typical strategic planning ranges from three to seven years out and is handled by senior management (Bateman & Snell, 2009, p. 141). This type of planning will take into account foreseeable obstacles that the company may face and provide enough time to respond effectively. Apples history of bucking trends and ignoring fads can still be maintained, and even some low performing products may be endured if the proper strategic planning has been done. Conclusion Apple’s corporate catch phrase â€Å"Think Differently† (Apple, 2010) and their ability to do so is shown in their innovation and marketing. Their innovation, creativity and corporate secrecy all play a part in maintaining their unique culture and will ensure they remain a dominant force globally (Morrison, 2010). Their strong and visionary leadership has changed computing, as we in our lifetime have known it with inventions like the Graphical User Interface, the iPod, and the iPhone. Apple has demonstrated the positive effects globalization and management across borders has had on the company by its move into European Asian markets. These markets have seen enormous growth and still possess plenty of potential for growth. By retaining their innovative leadership as opposed to corporate management and plan strategically they will ensure their place as one of the most uccessful and innovative companies in human history. References Apple (2010). Bios. Retrieved April 15, 2010 on the Apple website: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/jobs. html Bellis (2010). Inventors of the Modern Computer. Retrieved April 15, 2010 from the About. com website: http://inventors. about. com/library/weekly/aa051599. htm Morrison (2010). How to Innovate Like Apple. Retrieved April 16, 2010 from the BNET website: http://w ww. bnet. com/2403-13501_23-330240. html Schneider, Laura (2010) Tech Careers. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the About. om website: http://jobsearchtech. about. com/od/historyoftechindustry/a/SteveJobs. htm Thomas, S. , Bateman, S. , & Snell, S. (2009). Management  (8th ed. ). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Wikipedia (2010). Steve Jobs. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the Wikipedia website: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Steve_Jobs Yarrow & Angelova (2010). Chart of the Day: Apple’s Retail Strategy is Paying Off. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the Business Insider website: http://www. businessinsider. com/chart-of-the-day-apple-stores-vs-mac-market-share-2010-3

Food Marketing, Consumption, and Manufacturing Essay

Food Marketing. Food products often involve the general marketing approaches and techniques applied the marketing of other kinds of products and services. In food marketing, topics such as test marketing, segmentation, positioning, branding, targeting, consumer research, and market entry strategy, for example, are highly relevant. In addition, food marketing involves other kinds of challenges–such as dealing with a perishable product whose quality and availability varies as a function of current harvest conditions. The value chain–the extent to which sequential parties in the marketing channel add value to the product–is particularly important. Today, processing and new distribution options provide increasing increasing opportunities available to food marketers to provide the consumer with convenience. Markting, services, and processing added do, however, result in significantly higher costs. In the old days, for example, consumers might have baked their own bread from locally grown flour. Today, most households buy pre-manufactured bread, and it is estimated that the farmer receives only some 5% of the price paid by the consumer for the wheat. Demographics and Food Marketing. The study of demographics involves understanding statistical characteristics of a population. For food marketing purposes, this may help firms (1) understand the current market place (e. g. , a firm interested in entering the market for sports drinks in a given country, or worldwide, might investigate the number of people between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five, who would constitute a particularly significant market) or (2) predict future trends. In the United States and Germany, for example, birth rates are relatively low, so it can be predicted that the demand for school lunch boxes will probably decline. Therefore, firms marketing such products might see if they, instead, can shift their resources toward products consumed by a growing population (e. g. , bait boxes for a growing population of retired individuals who want to go fishing). Food marketers must consider several issues affect the structure of a population. For example, in some rapidly growing countries, a large percentage of the population is concentrated among younger generations. In countries such as Korea, China, and Taiwan, this has helped stimulate economic growth, while in certain poorer countries, it puts pressures on society to accommodate an increasing number of people on a fixed amount of land. Other countries such as Japan and Germany, in contrast, experience problems with a â€Å"graying† society, where fewer non-retired people are around to support an increasing number of aging seniors. Because Germany actually hovers around negative population growth, the German government has issued large financial incentives, in the forms of subsidies, for women who have children. In the United States, population growth occurs both through births and immigration. Since the number of births is not growing, problems occur for firms that are dependent on population growth (e. g. , Gerber, a manufacturer of baby food). Social class can be used in the positioning of food products. One strategy,upward pull marketing, involves positioning a product for mainstream consumers, but portraying the product as being consumed by upper class consumers. For example, Haagen-Dazs takes care in the selection of clothing, jewelry, and surroundings in its advertisements to portray upscale living, as do the makers of Grey Poupon mustard. Another strategy, however, takes a diametrically opposite approach. In at level positioning, blue collar families are portrayed as such, emphasizing the working class lifestyle. Many members of this demographic group associate strongly with this setting and are proud of their lifestyles, making this sometimes a viable strategy. An advertisement for Almond Joy, for example, features a struggling high school student being quizzed by his teacher remarking, â€Å"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t! Nowadays, by the way, social class is often satirized in advertising, as evident in the Palanna All-Fruit commercials while the matron faints because the police officer refers to the fruit preserves as â€Å"jelly. † Demographics in the U. S. have significantly affected demand for certain food products. With declining birth rates, there is less demand for baby foods in general, a trend that will continue. Immigration has contributed to a demand for more diverse f oods. Long working hours have fueled a demand for prepared foods, a category that has experienced significant growth in supermarkets since the 1980s. Food Marketing and Consumption Patterns. Certain foods—such as chicken, cheese, and soft drinks—have experienced significant growth in consumption in recent years. For some foods, total market consumption has increased, but this increase may be primarily because of choices of a subgroup. For example, while many Americans have reduced their intake of pork due to concerns about fat, overall per capita consumption of pork has increased in the U. S. This increase probably results in large part from immigration from Asia, where pork is a favored dish. Consumption of certain other products has decreased. Many consumers have replaced whole milk with leaner varieties, and substitutes have become available to reduce sugar consumption. Beef and egg consumption have been declining, but this may be reversing as high protein diets gain increasing favor. Some food categories have seen increasing consumption in large part because of heavy promotional campaigns to stimulate demand. International Comparisons. Americans generally spend a significantly smaller portion of their income on food than do people in most other countries. Part of this is due to American affluence—in India and the Philippines, families are estimated to spend 51% and 56% of their incomes on food, respectively, in large part because of low average incomes. Food prices also tend to be lower in the U. S. than they are in most industrialized countries, leaving more money for other purposes. Americans, on the average, are estimated to spend 7-11% of their income on food, compared to 18% in Japan where food tends to be very expensive. This is because food prices are relatively low, compared to other products, here. Food outlets. Food, in the United States, is sold in a diversity of outlets. Supermarkets carry a broad assortment of goods and generally offer lower prices. Certain convenience products—e. g. , beverages and snacks—are provided in more outlets where consumers may be willing to pay higher prices for convenience. Distinctions between retail formats are increasingly blurred—e. g. , supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants all sell prepared foods to go. A small number of online retailers now sell food that can be delivered to consumers’ homes. This is usually not a way to reduce costs—with delivery, costs are usually higher than in supermarkets—but rather a way to provide convenience to time-pressed consumers. Internationally, there are large variations. In developing countries, food is often sold in open markets or in small stores, typically with more locally produced and fewer branded products available. Even in many industrialized countries, supermarkets are less common than they are in the U. S. In Japan, for example, many people show in local neighborhood stores because it is impractical to drive to a large supermarket. In some European countries, many people do not own cars, and thus smaller local shops may be visited frequently. Food is increasingly being consumed away from the home—in restaurants, cafeterias, or at food stands. Here, a large part of the cost is for preparation and other services such as ambiance. Consumers are often quite willing to pay these costs, however, in return for convenience and enjoyment. Government Food Programs. Government food programs, in addition to helping low income households, do increase demand for food to some extent. In fact, increasing demand for farm products was a greater motivation than helping poor people for the formation of the U. S. food stamp program. The actual impact on food stamps on actual consumer demand is limited, however, due to the fungibility of money. It is estimated that one dollar in food stamps increases the demand for food by 20 cents, but when food stamps are available to cover some food costs, recipients are likely to divert much of the money they would otherwise have spent to other necessities. Food Marketing Issues. The food industry faces numerous marketing decisions. Money can be invested in brand building (through advertising and other forms of promotion) to increase either quantities demanded or the price consumers are willing to pay for a product. Coca Cola, for example, spends a great deal of money both on perfecting its formula and on promoting the brand. This allows Coke to charge more for its product than can makers of regional and smaller brands. Manufacturers may be able to leverage their existing brand names by developing new product lines. For example, Heinz started out as a brand for pickles but branched out into ketchup. Some brand extensions may involve a risk of damage to the original brand if the quality is not good enough. Coca Cola, for example, refused to apply the Coke name to a diet drink back when artificial sweeteners had a significantly less attractive taste. Coke created Tab Cola, but only when aspartame (NutraSweet) was approved for use in soft drinks did Coca Cola come out with a Diet Coke. Manufacturers that have invested a great deal of money in brands may have developed a certain level of consumer brand loyalty—that is, a tendency for consumers to continue to buy a preferred brand even when an attractive offer is made by competitors. For loyalty to be present, it is not enough to merely observe that the consumer buys the same brand consistently. The consumer, to be brand loyal, must be able to actively resist promotional efforts by competitors. A brand loyal consumer will continue to buy the preferred brand even if a competing product is improved, offers a price promotion or premium, or receives preferred display space. Some consumers how multi-brand loyalty. Here, a consumer switches between a few preferred brands. The consumer may either alternate for variety or may, as a rule of thumb, buy whichever one of the preferred brands are on sale. This consumer, however, would not switch to other brands on sale. Brand loyalty is, of course, a matter of degree. Some consumers will not switch for a moderate discount, but would switch for a large one or will occasionally buy another brand for convenience or variety. The â€Å"Four Ps† of Marketing. Marketers often refer to the â€Å"Four Ps,† or the marketing portfolio, as a way to describe resources available to market a product: * Product. Firms can invest in the product by using high quality ingredients or doing extensive research and development to improve it. Both McDonald’s and Burger King, for example, literally spend millions of dollars to perfect their French fries! In today’s Western markets with varying tastes and preferences, it has generally been found that products that offer a specific benefit—e. g. , a very tart taste in jam—tend to fare better than â€Å"me, too† products that merely imitate a competitor’s products. Less is known about Eastern and developing countries. * Price. Different strategies may be taken with respect to price. Generically, there are two ways to make a profit—sell a lot and make a small margin on each unit or make a large margin on each unit and settle for lesser volumes. Firms in most markets are better off if the market is balanced—where some firms compete on price and others on other features (such as different taste preferences for different segments). The same idea applies at the retail level where some retailers compete on price (e. g. , Food-4-Less and Wal-Mart) while others (such as Vons Pavillion) compete on service while charging higher prices. * Distribution. Most supermarkets are offered more products than they have space for. Thus, many manufacturers will find it difficult to get their products into retail stores.