The Odyssey And Beowulf s Morality - 1591 Words

Stories have always been a means of imparting the wisdom and knowledge of a society to young and old alike. Works like The Odyssey and Beowulf contain as much moralizing as children’s tales from Aesop’s Fables, the only difference being that The Odyssey and Beowulf’s morals are revealed in subtler ways. With the advent of the novel, many used the new genre as a way to moralize to women through novels such as Moll Flanders or comment on society such as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Yet, Henry James in his essay, â€Å"The Art of Fiction† seeks to dispel the notion that novels must moralize by offering a new, better purpose for the novel and allowing novelists artistic license in how they create their stories. However, though his ideas may have been fresh at the time, not all of them have held up over time. Though he sought to separate morality from the novel, the two still work together to create memorable, lasting fiction. Henry Ja mes had a threefold purpose in writing â€Å"The Art of Fiction.† He sought to respond to Walter Besant’s lecture wherein the novelist asserted that there were hard and fast laws which governed fiction, to defend the novel as a significant artistic genre, and to advise aspiring novelists (Richter, 434-435). In his final paragraphs, he addresses what he found most interesting about Besant’s lecture: the â€Å"conscious moral purpose† of the novel (Richter, 446). The morality of a novel â€Å"is a question surrounded with difficulties,† James saysShow MoreRelatedBeowulf: The Canonization of Anglo-Saxon Literature into Modern Popular Culture769 Words   |  4 Pages The cover of the November, 1975 comic book Beowulf: Dragon Slayer features a red-haired, horn-helmeted Beowulf swinging a large broadsword at a purple-caped villain also bearing two razor-sharp swords. As Beowulf rears up on his steed, a bikini clad woman, cloth slightly aside to reveal the shadow of a buttock is drawn falling, face filled with terror. In the background, a rising full moon and silhouetted gothic castle keenly set an atmosphere of dread and foreboding. Above the emboldenedRead MoreWhy Forrest Gump Is Very Much An Epic1584 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent characterizations of the title character and minor characters along with additional events, or changes to the timeline. Many of the events in the story are comparable to happenings in other epic tales as well such as Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey and to a lesser extent in its precursor Homer’s The Iliad. Odysseus’s journey and the epic adventure that was Forrest Gump’s life are quite reminiscent of each other. When Forrest Gump leaves Greenbow, Alabama to play football for the University of

The American Dream The Ideas Of The American Dream

The American Dream America, known as the nation of chance and flexibility, where any man or lady can come and have a reasonable shot at accomplishing the coveted objective usually alluded to as The American Dream. To many, effectively getting the American dream implies having a steady 2 parent family, with money related success, and rich in political and social opportunities. This fantasy be that as it may, is all the more effectively accomplished by specific individuals over others, and in spite of the fact that America prides itself on being the place where there is the opportunity and correspondence, those words serve all the more unequivocally as a wellspring of false reverence and incongruity. Ones race, economic†¦show more content†¦Blacks are, hereditarily, proportional to whites, in any case they are cruelly oppressed in view of their skin shading and compelled to conquer numerous more snags to accomplish a similar objective a white individual can accomplish no sweat . Deutsch conveys to consideration that bigotry isnt as strikingly evident as it was back in past times worth remembering, however it is still exceptionally pervasive (The American Dream is Still). Despite the fact that we may not be looked with the same racial issues we were looked with fifty years back, individuals still victimize a man in view of their skin shading, regardless of whether it be purposeful or not. Deutsch clarifies a circumstance in which resumes were sent to publicists in Boston and Chicago, some with white sounding names and some with dark sounding names. The outcomes were amazing. In the two urban areas, candidates with white sounding names got 50 percent a greater number of reactions from organizations than their dark sounding partners with parallel qualifications. (Deutsch, The American Dream is Still). Blacks, regardless of whether they show the very same certifications as a white individual, will even now be victimized in light of their race. With these sort s of circumstances happening, it isnt difficult to perceive any reason why race assumes such a colossal part in deciding onesShow MoreRelatedThe Idea of the â€Å"American Dream†1101 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream Final Exam By: Uday Govindswamy Period 2 The idea of the â€Å"American Dream† was first used in the book The Epic of America, written by James Truslow Adams, in 1931. Adams stated that the American Dream is, â€Å"the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦(31) â€Å". The key elements of the American Dream include: access to a college education, owning a home, enjoying politicalRead MorePoetic Ideas About The American Dream980 Words   |  4 PagesHughes’s Poetic Ideas about the American Dream Mr. Hughes, an African American poet, played an important role during the early twenties and thirties due to segregation. As his poetry portrayed the lifestyles of African men and women he eventually promoted the ideal message that African Americans were just the same as the whites that deserved to live the American Dream just as everyone else. In addition to this, Mr. Hughes’s poems represent the idealistic thoughts about these African Americans versus theRead MoreThe American Dream As An Idea Of Achieving Success And Wealth Through The Process Of Creativity1050 Words   |  5 PagesCultural Acceptance The American Dream serves as an idea of achieving success and wealth through the process of creativity, perseverance, and determination. In â€Å"American Dreamer,† Bharti Mukherjee explores three different cultures and explains her experience with each one. Through the difficulties within each culture, she builds on her personal identity along with her cultural identity. Because of the exploration of different places, Mukherjee discovers her cultural identity. Because of the strictRead MoreThe American dream, an idea spread throughout the world, that coming to the United States would900 Words   |  4 PagesThe American dream, an idea spread throughout the world, that coming to the United States would give people ultimate freedom and opportunity for prosperity, and success with hard work. James Truslow Adams once said in his book The Epic of America, â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequatelyRead MoreThe American dream has been an idea since America was first founded. When thinking of the American600 Words   |  3 Pages The American dream has been an idea since America was first founded. When thinking of the American dream, one may think of a person rising from being poor to becoming rich, finding love, and gaining wealth and power. People’s views are constantly changing about the American dream, although it is generally based on independency, freedom, and a desire for something better. In the early days many wanting to acquire the American dream just wanted to own a lot of land and start a family, however inRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1429 Words   |  6 Pageshave dreamed on achieving the american dream but few have achieved it. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck writes a marvelous story about the hardship of achieving the unobtainable american dream. Steinbeck describes the elusive american dream in Of Mice and Men by comparing and contrasting the american dream with the characters in the novel. The american dream has many interpretations depending on who you ask. Some might say the american dream came from the declaration of independenceRead MoreThe American Dream As Defined By F. Scott Fitzgerald960 Words   |  4 Pages Sweet Dreams (An Analysis of the American Dream as Defined by F. Scott Fitzgerald in Winter Dreams) In Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author describes through a love story the idea of the American Dream. When young Dexter falls in love with Judy Jones, she quickly becomes his dream. However, it will become apparent that Dexter is not Judy’s dream. Although their dreams are very different, this somehow embodies the very idea of the American Dream as a concept that cannot be specificallyRead MoreAmerican Dream in the Film, The Pursuit of Happyness Essay1267 Words   |  6 Pages The American dream is not fully represented in the same way as the ideas were initially raised. The ideas were primarily fabricated in the very beginning of our country. The propagandist role of any medium has changed just as much as the times have since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In contemporary America, film is the leading component of the propagation and detraction of the American dream. The film The Pursuit of Happyness (2005) supports the idea of the Americ an dreamRead MoreThe American Dream1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe idea of the American Dream can be first traced back to a book called The Epic of America by author James Truslow, where he states, â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better, richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.† This idea of better opportunity really summarizes the goal of many early American immigrants as they traveled from faraway lands in hopes of a better future. Many would say this idea of prosperityRead MoreThe American Dream By James Truslow Adams1130 Words   |  5 PagesFrom the time our Founding Fathers introduced the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, many individuals are now craving to achieve their idea of the American Dream. The American Dream has changed dramatically over the few centuries. During the Founding Fathers’ time, many believed the American Dream meant freedom, equa lity, and mutual respect. Time has changed this ideology of the American Dream, which is now seen as owning a million dollar mansion with multiple luxury cars. This

Livoria Free Essays

Key Success Factors 1. Livoria deliver enjoyable experience to vacationers 2. Livoria is socially responsible that always exceeds environmental and safety regulations 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Livoria or any similar topic only for you Order Now Crew members , vacationers and marine life are safe during the journey 4. The services on cruise are high quality but affordable Leveraging (S-O Strategies) Livoria’s strong brand in safety can take advantage of the growth in tourism industry and strengthen economy in Canada. After acquiring Natural Splendour, Livoria can offer mix of products that can satisfy both vacationers who value for price and for special amenities. The steady growth in revenue and income has developed a strong financial fundamental for Livoria to expand the business in Canada. Constraints (W-O Strategies) Ineffective and inefficient promotion strategies become constraints for Livoria to get full benefit of strong demand in cruise. Because of the lack of web-based booking system, Livoria only can rely on Sales agent for booking. This not only cause Livoria to miss the opportunity to capture Saleslers who prefer booking online, but also increases the passenger acquisition cost. Even worst, Livoria attracts younger people who less willing to spend on cruises. Vulnerability (S-T Strategies) As Livoria is known as outstanding safety among competitors, it can give confident to vacationers that the probability of on-board outbreak of disease in the cruise is minimal. Its unique services such as whale watching and ports of call can serve a niche market in cruise industry. This allows Livoria to compete with large brand operators in the market. Problem (W-T Strategies) Canadian market is relatively small for cruise industry and the industry is already dominated by large cruise ships and large brand operators. The competitive force among rivals is very intense. . The accident of Sandwich causes Livoria over 3 Millions repair cost. In the future, Sandwich will still potentially harm Livoria’s financial stability as its damage insurance coverage is limited. Livoria’s high operation cost and ineffective marketing  strategies can drive it out of the business easily. Issue Terrorist attack is a severer external threat for Livoria. Base on the effects of the past terrorist attacks, Livoria’s revenue is expected to drop around 35% in 2011. Fortunately, the effect should only last for a year. In addition, the accident of Sandwich will increase the repair cost for Livoria in 2011. Combining with the scheduled refurbishment, the repair cost can reach 6 Million. This will seriously affect Livoria’s financial health. If management does not have contingency plan, Livoria is expected to have $2.4M record losses in 2011. Current financial situation In 2010 fiscal year, Livoria performed better than planned. Total passenger was almost 2% more than planned. Revenue was 6.6% more than budgeted, so was net income 15.7%. (Appendix 2) Given the terrorist attack incident and 6 Millions repair cost in 2011, solvency and liquidity of Livoria are being concerned. The current long term debt to equity is 1.23 which implies that Livoria has risk of overleveraging. Fortunately, Income before tax and interest is 6.43 times interest expense and current asset is 1.75 times current liability. Moreover, Livoria has over 10 Million cash and marketable securities which is enough to pay off repair cost and interest expense next year. This conclude that the solvency and liquidity of Livoria is not an issue. Comparing over the course of 4 years, Livoria recorded increase in revenue, expense and net income. However, in 2010 fiscal year, the annually growth rate of revenue is lower compare to 2009 (13% vs. 31%). This also causes the annually growth rate of net income drop from 67% in 2009 to 33% in 2010. Given both cruises, Sandwich and natural Splendour were operating at more than 90% capacity, even there was no terrorist attack incident, Livoria would not have impressive growth in number of passengers in the near future. Assumptions: 1) Direct material, credit card and Sales agent commission is variable to revenue. Thus, if revenue drops 35%, so does these variable costs. 2) Dry dock revenue stays the same as maintenance works should be performed no  matter good or bad season. 3) Livoria can book 2.3 M in capital gain by selling the dry dock 4) All maintenance, refurbishment and repair for Sandwich can be finished before the beginning of May next year. Thus, Sandwich can service in 2011 cruise season 5) Termination cost for all kinds of labour are also $6,000 each 6) Training cost for unskilled labours is $1,000 each. Alternative: 1) Divesting the Fraser dry dock. Pro: During the economic downturn, it is wise to spin off non-core business, so that company can focus its limited resources to improve its core business. Dry dock business is non-core business for Livoria. It only contributed 8.5% of company’s total revenue in 2010. If removing inter-division transaction and associated direct material cost, dry dock actually reported 667 thousands loss. Con: Selling price for dry dock is only 4.3 Million which is not enough to cover the estimated repair cost for Sandwich in 2011. Later on, Livoria has to spend two Million on refurbishment every year. More importantly, reputation for safety is core competency of Livoria. Livoria is relying this to stay competitive in the market. Livoria can no longer ensure maintenance works are well performed and exceed regulation standards if it contracts the maintenance work out. The effects on project 2011 net income for divesting dry dock; Divesting dry dock will worse off than status quo. 2) Target more profitable market segment Base on customer survey conducted in 2010, Annual family income of our customers is $72 thousand vs. $78 thousand in the industry. It is mainly because we have more customers who under 40 years old than the industry (40% vs. 29%). The revenue per passengers per day for this group is only $209 vs. $334 for 40 to 60 years old group. In addition, we had difficult to attract repeat customers. There was only 20% of customers were repeated vs. 40% in the industry. Each repeat customer can generate $2000 vs. $1800 from first timer. The effects on project 2011 net income for aligning customer mix to industry average: Net Income before tax  $ (691.15) 3) Hire unskilled crew and hospitality from underdeveloped countries. Pro: It is a W-T strategy that prevents firm’s weakness from intense competition in the industry. Because of registering in Canada, Livoria has higher operating costs than competitors. By hiring employees in underdeveloped which commonly practice in all kinds of businesses, Livoria can lower its labour cost by 30%. It is critical for Livoria to stay competitive in the industry. Con: Experienced crew is rare and invaluable. By swapping all experienced crew by unskilled labour, Livoria may risk losing its core competency – reputation of safety. Moreover, this may also affect our quality of service. Superior service is also critical to survive in the industry as well. Furthermore, termination and training costs can offset the benefits of labour cost saving. The effects on project 2011 net income for hiring unskilled labour Net Income before tax  $ (3,550.04) How to cite Livoria, Papers Livoria Free Essays Livoria deliver enjoyable experience to vacationers 2. Livoria is socially responsible that always exceeds environmental and safety regulations 3. Crew members , vacationers and marine life are safe during the journey 4. We will write a custom essay sample on Livoria or any similar topic only for you Order Now The services on cruise are high quality but affordable Leveraging (S-O Strategies) Livoria’s strong brand in safety can take advantage of the growth in tourism industry and strengthen economy in Canada. After acquiring Natural Splendour, Livoria can offer mix of products that can satisfy both vacationers who value for price and for special amenities. The steady growth in revenue and income has developed a strong financial fundamental for Livoria to expand the business in Canada. Constraints (W-O Strategies) Ineffective and inefficient promotion strategies become constraints for Livorla to get full benefit of strong demand in cruise. Because of the lack of web-based booking system, Livoria only can rely on Sales agent for booking. This not only cause Livoria to miss the opportunity to capture Saleslers who prefer booking online, but also increases the passenger acquisition cost. Even worst, Livoria attracts younger people ho less willing to spend on cruises. Vulnerability (S-T Strategies) As Livoria is known as outstanding safety among competitors, It can give confident to vacationers that the probability of on-board outbreak of disease In the cruise Is minimal. Its unique services such as whale watching and ports of call can serve a niche market In cruise Industry. This allows Llvorla to compete with large brand operators in the market. Problem (W-T Strategies) Canadian market Is relatively small for cruise Industry and the Industry Is already dominated by large cruise ships and large brand operators. The competitive force among rivals Is very Intense.. The accident of Sandwich causes Llvorla over 3 Millions repair cost. In the future, Sandwich will still potentially harm Llvorla’s financial stability as Its damage Insurance coverage Is Ilmlted. Llvorla’s high operation cost and Ineffective marketing strategies can drive It out of the business easily. Issue Terrorist attack Is a severer external threat for Llvorla. Base on the effects of the past terrorist attacks, Llvorla’s revenue Is expected to drop around 35% In 2011. Fortunately, the effect should only last for a year. In addltlon, the accident of Sandwich will Increase the repair cost for Llvorla In 2011. Comblnlng with the affect Llvorla’s financial health. If management does not have contingency plan, Llvorla Is expected to have 32. 4M record losses In 2011. Current financial situation In 2010 fiscal year, Llvorla performed better than planned. Total passenger was almost 2% more than planned. Revenue was 6. 6% more than budgeted, so was net Income 15. 7%. (Appendix 2) Given the terrorist attack Incident and 6 Millions repair cos n 2011, solvency ana llqu101ty 0T Llvorla are Delng concerned. I ne current long term debt to equity is 1. which implies that Livoria has risk of overleveraging. Fortunately, Income before tax and interest is 6. 43 times interest expense and current asset is 1. 75 times current liability. Moreover, Livoria has over 10 Million cash and marketable securities which is enough to pay off repair cost and interest expense next year. This conclude that the solvency and liquidity of Livoria is not an issue. Comparing over the course of 4 years, Livoria recorded increase in revenue, expense and net income. However, in 2010 fiscal year, the annually growth rate of revenue is lower compare to 2009 (13% vs. 31%). This also causes the annually growth rate of net income drop from 67% in 2009 to 33% in 2010. Given both cruises, Sandwich and natural Splendour were operating at more than 90% capacity, even there was no terrorist attack incident, Livoria would not have impressive growth in number of passengers in the near future. Assumptions: 1) Direct material, credit card and Sales agent commission is variable to revenue. Thus, if revenue drops 35%, so does these variable costs. 2) Dry dock revenue stays the same as maintenance works should be performed no matter good or bad season. 3) Livoria can book 2. M in capital gain by selling the dry dock 4) All maintenance, refurbishment and repair for Sandwich can be finished before the beginning of May next year. Thus, Sandwich can service in 2011 cruise season 5) Termination cost for all kinds of labour are also $6,000 each 6) Training cost for unskilled labours is $1,000 each. Alternative: 1) Divesting the Fraser dry dock. Pro: During the economic downturn, it is wise to spin off non-core business, so that company can focus its limited resources to improve its core business. Dry dock business is non-core business for Livoria. It only contributed 8. of company’s total revenue in 2010. If removing inter-division transaction and associated direct material cost, dry dock actually reported 667 thousands loss. Con: Selling price for dry dock is only 4. 3 Million which is not enough to cover the estimated repair cost for Sandwich in 2011. Later on, Livoria has to spend two Million on refurbishment every year. More importantly, reputation for safety is core competency of Livoria. Livoria is relying this to stay competitive in the market. Livoria can no longer ensure maintenance works are well performed and exceed regulation standards if it contracts the maintenance ork out. The effects on project 2011 net income for divesting dry dock; Divesting dry dock will worse off than status quo. 2) Target more profitable market segment Base on customer survey conducted in 2010, Annual family income of our customers is $72 thousand vs. $78 thousand in the industry. It is mainly because we have more customers who under 40 years old than the industry (40% vs. 29%). The revenue per passengers per day for this group is only $209 vs. $334 for 40 to 60 years old group. In aaaltlon, we naa OITTlcult to attract repeat customers. I nere was only customers were repeated vs. % in the industry. Each repeat customer can generate $2000 vs. $1800 from first timer. The effects on project 2011 net income for aligning customer mix to industry average: Net Income before tax (691. 15) 3) Hire unskilled crew and hospitality from underdeveloped countries. Pro: It is a W-T strategy that prevents firm’s weakness from intense competition in the industry. Because of registering in C anada, Livoria has higher operating costs than competitors. By hiring employees in underdeveloped which commonly practice in all kinds of businesses, Livoria can lower its labour cost by 30%. It is critical for Livoria to stay competitive in the industry. Con: Experienced crew is rare and invaluable. By swapping all experienced crew by unskilled labour, Livoria may risk losing its core competency – reputation of safety. Moreover, this may also affect our quality of service. Superior service is also critical to survive in the industry as well. Furthermore, termination and training costs can offset the benefits of labour cost saving. The effects on project 2011 net income for hiring unskilled labour Net Income before tax. How to cite Livoria, Papers

To a contemporary audience, th... free essay sample

To a contemporary audience, there is no doubt that Stanley is presented as the villain of the play due to his violence towards Stella and Blanche. However, when put in the context of 1940s New Orleans, where casual domestic abuse was common, and archetypal gender roles expected, Stanleys violent behaviour becomes not the fault of a villain, but of a villainous culture whereby every character is flawed, and a man felt it necessary to fiercely defend himself in several aspects.Despite his violent behaviour, Williams clearly steers Stanley away from the role of a villain, through the passionate and committed relationship he holds with Stella. Williams presents Stanleys Neanderthal-like attributes displayed throughout as a symbol of masculinity- he tosses her the meat package to normalize. The couple are clearly settled a functional yet passionate relationship until the appearance of Blanche when he goes away for a week†¦ I go wild [Stella]. We will write a custom essay sample on To a contemporary audience, th or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Stellas obvious dependence on Stanley in their life together after Stellas escape from Belle Reve presents him as having more heroic characteristics, having saved her from all that Blanche had to endure deaths are expensive, miss Stella! having to struggle with financial independence. Moreover, this breadwinning role adds to the archetypal family unit that increased in popularity during the 1940s, and shows that Stanley had similar goals to any American man, making him relatable to an audience of the time, and therefore directing him clearly away from any villainous role. Arguably, it is Blanches appearance which disrupts the peace in their relationship, which Williams uses to inflame Stanleys violence. However, the fact that Stanley and Stella remain together after Blanches implies their closeness, and unbreakable bond. Moreover, Williams presents Stanley is as a character essential for Stellas happiness- Blanches flirtation, deserving of rape? Several of the characters have flawsDespite his value as an individual, Williams presents Stanley not as a villain, but a representative of the class and society which shaped him, a product of flawed cultures clashing together, the Kowalskis and the Dubois have different notions. Stanleys brash sense of entitlement, for e xample when speaking about the Napoleonic code theres this policy†¦ only emphasizes the ascendance of the working class male, with new- found social mobility. Whilst this entitled viewpoint of Stanley blends seamlessly into the New Orleans lifestyle, being a place of desire it conflicts with Blanches character- a representation of the death of the Old South. Williams here displays the incompatibility of the two cultures, and the struggle of the changing fabric of society, still finding its feet. One could argue that this lead to Stanleys sense of entitlement to women, resulting in his rape of Blanche youve had it coming from the beginning†¦ It could also be argued that the rape was a way of defending what Stanley viewed as his property sizes women up quote due to Blanches blatant racism in labelling him a Polack and animal. Not only are the insults a symbol of the contrasting cultures, but of the way in which Stanley is made to feel degraded in society Im not a Polack, Im an American. Therefore his villainous behaviour to Blanche can be seen as a direct retaliation to her racism, and a way to defend territory. Placing such weight upon the culture in which Stanley is a product of makes him being a villainous individual unlikely. T huey long and polack, self defence

Ford Motor Company Redefining Strategies

Business-level Strategy of Ford Motor Company Sameer Kirtane et al argued that market share of Ford Motor decreased dramatically in the US market and its sales profit dropped more than $1 billion in 2006 due to lack of implementation of effective strategies though it changed leadership approach in 20051.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ford Motor Company: Redefining Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, Ford followed a real business-level strategy to be more cost effective company, for instance, it reduced operating costs, and offered generous buyout packages. According to the annual report -2010 of Ford, the management team of this company decided to increase investment on the potential new models, suggests the employees to work as a team with shift model mix and adopting functional strategies, for instance, it would close three Ford-plants including one ACH-plant by 2011 that would resul t decreasing automobile debt by $10.1 billion. Enhancing Ford Motor’s Value-Chain Links To Create Value for the Firm Value chain structure works as a determinant for potential profit of the major players in a particular industry paying attention on industry’s present appearance. However, in order to compete better in this era of globalisation, it is essential for the Ford Motor Company to focus on developing its value chain links. The value chain links could be enhanced by improving its infrastructure, human resources management, procurement, and technology in the way suggested below: – Infrastructure: – The management team should review the changing strategic decisions with IT infrastructural strategy, and acquire or joint venture with other competitors and it would be greatly benefit its value chain links; Human resources management: – Ford should also arrange numerous training program for the pilot, crew, and other employees in order to minimiz e risks, increase efficiency, and satisfy the customer; Procurement: – These activities should be coupled with the concerns on supply chain management by ensuring more efficiency on supply chain with IT enabled customer services of online services can reconcile any gap in the value chain links; Technology: – It is one of the most important factors for Ford, as use of cloud computing in internal organisation can create better communications system. On the other hand, concentrating on primary functions, pricing strategies, production management systems, customer relationship management, assessment of market situation, route planning, and analysis of the position of major competitors can enhance the value chain of Ford. Porter’s Five Forces Model and Position of the Ford Motor Company Rivalry among existing firms The international motor vehicle industry is exceedingly competitive owing to the existence of a large a number of car producers along with their exceptio nal offerings. As a result, Ford has to confront numerous smaller and larger rivals at both national and international levels; nonetheless, potential competitors of the company are General Motors, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Skoda, Fiat, etc.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Threats from new entrants Threats from new entrants are comparatively low in the industry because of various barriers to enter the market. New entrants more often lack adequate finances, proficiency, satisfactory knowledge about specialized car manufacturing methods, and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it gets hard for the new players to sustain in the highly competitive business environment after establishment and to join in price competitions with the industry giants. Bargaining power of buyers Due to the presence of many automobile producers, the switching off costs of the buyers are relatively high than any other industry sectors; moreover, the customer loyalty is also not significantly noticeable. Companies like Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Fiat, etc. offers cars comparatively at the same prices for which it gets easier for the customers to select their desired piece of product from any one of them. However, the bargaining power of the customers seem to diminish when it comes to price considerations of cars companies like BMW or Mercedes as their prices are quite higher than others. Threats of substitute products The vehicles of Ford need to contending with several similar product lines of the rival firms; for instance, the substitutes of Ford Taurus and Volvo are Toyota Avalon, Acura RL, Lincoln MKS, etc; Ford Fusion faces competition from Honda Accord, Mercedes C Class, and BMW 3-Series (4-door). On the other hand, the substitutes of the midsize convertibles of Ford like Volvo C70 are Saab 9-3 and Volkswagen Eos; the substitutes of midsize SUVs li ke Ford Edge, Ford Flex, Ford Taurus X, and Volvo XC90 are Acura RDX, BMW X3, BMW X5, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Veracruz, Mercedes M Class, Nissan Murano, and Toyota FJ Cruiser. According to the evaluation of sales in 2006, the existence of so many substitutes create practical difficulties for Ford; in comparison between the sale of Ford’s hybrid-cars, the hybrid-cars of other companies like Toyota-Prius, Toyota-Camry, Lexus RX-400h, Honda-Civic, and Honda-Accord seemed to be selling more than Ford Escape or Mercury-mariner. However, Ford occupied merely 9% share in the US market whereas Honda occupied about 14% share; however, the following figure shows more details – Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ford Motor Company: Redefining Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Figure 1: – US Sales Percentage of hybrid cars in October 2006 Source: – Self generated from Ford Motor2 Bargaining power of suppliers Annual report of Ford Motor (2010) suggested that the suppliers of the company are generally raw materials suppliers those responsible to deliver steel, aluminium, fuel, copper, lead, rubber, etc. therefore, the bargaining power of these suppliers varies as it has to collect product from different countries, for instance, bargaining power of Mexican suppliers differ in accordance with quality and price. In context, the global automobile industry possesses numerous raw material providers for which their bargaining powers are not too high. The lithium ion battery producing companies are the key supplier group of Ford Motor Company to delivering technical components to producing hybrid cars; as a result, these manufacturers’ bargaining power are a little more than the suppliers of raw materials’ (steel, aluminium, fuel, resins, copper, lead, rubber). Managing Customer Relationships to Increase Strategic Competitiveness Second larg est car manufacture Ford Motor manufactured more than 7.20 million vehicles worldwide with lots of successful brands and it earned highest revenue through selling the maximum number of car in UK market. However, Toyota Corporation was able to earn highest revenue in 2010 by selling the maximum number of car in global market while Ford was in third position and BMW was not in top ten automobiles; however, numbers of car sales depend on many factors including customer relationship management, price, quality and services. The customer relationship management of Volkswagen and Toyota is stronger than Ford; therefore, it should need to meet up this gap immediately by introducing effective CRM tools in order to become global market leader in automobiles industry.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the view of Stoner et al, there are mainly four obligatory elements, which are vital for successful implementation of CRM and these features have driven from the theoretical framework of CRM implementation and these tools have showed in the following figure – Figure 2: – Theoretical framework of customer relationship management Source: – Self generated from Stoner et al Robert Grant notes, ‘four crucial elements help practice of CRM at any organisation’ and these are relationship marketing, appropriate organisational structure, manage of data warehouse and data consumption for effective customer management, and the four elements generate the framework of CRM necessary for any organisation that intend to develop their CRM strategies4. As a result, the CEO of Ford would suggest the board of the company to follow the above model along with other business strategies in order to get better outcomes. The marketers of Ford identified that CRM system of automobile industry has turned just into a slogan rather than appropriate integration due to lack of knowledge about core values of CRM; therefore, the CEO of Ford reported that the company should more concentrate on this issue though it has already integrated SAP to know the comprehensive view of the customers. However, Ford should develop successful CRM program to influence customers regarding its new products and it should use multimedia marketing strategies to increase sales revenue and decrease its investment risks. In order to avoid late response from the company side, the marketers need to take prompt initiatives to upgrade data base system to collect and retrieve data about the customers and need to increase number of call centre to provide reply on time. In addition, development of communication skills is one of the most important factors for Ford to expand its operation all over the world and to give right message to the customers regarding new products, after s ales service, new offers and so on. Moreover, Ford needs to take technological advantages and integrates Microsoft Dynamics of CRM in order to solve the problem of the customers; consequently, it should increase budget to arrange regular training program and integrate other relevant software. Effective Way to Differentiate Products at Low Costs To differentiate its products efficiently at low costs, the business should focus on its manufacturing progressions – costs can be reduced by adopting Japanese manufacturing process, just in time management, specialisation approach, and entire superiority management or QC techniques. Conversely, introduction of innovative technologies and focus on advertisement through celebrity endorsements together with total quality management will be able to create adequate differentiations Competitor Analysis Reuters notes that the main competitors of Ford are Toyota Motor Corporation from Japan, General Motors Corporation from United States, Hond a Motor from Japan, Chrysler Group LLC from United States, Hyundai Motor from South Korea, Volkswagen from Germany, BMW from Germany, Nissan from Japan, Mazda from Japan, Mitsubishi from Japan, Fiat from Italy, Mercedes from Germany, and Skoda etc5. However, the following table shows the direct comparison among major rivals of automobile industry – Figure 3: – Direct Competitor Comparison Source: Self generated from Yahoo Finance Learning Outcomes from Competitive Situation From the competitive position of the company analysed in the paper before, it can be concluded that Ford is in a comparatively superior position than major competitors. However, to survive in this tough competition in long-term, it is important for the business to offer vehicles at lower prices like Toyota, to emphasize more on eco-friendly and hybrid cars, and to follow the strategic leadership approach and to introduce effective corporate governance system. Role of Strategic Leadership to Meet St rategic Objectives Ford was the first company of the world, which adopted the dictatorial approach of Taylor in its business; later on, the company has adopted autonomous approaches to some extent with time, but it is important to argue that a single form of leadership style may not be sufficient to manage the business effectively. This is because firms may need to uphold different leadership styles in different times, for instance, during tough times, paternalistic form of leadership will play important role, whilst autonomous management will work best if the employees in a particular sector are highly efficient. Therefore, it is significant to the business to adopt a situational approach of leadership, which would help Ford to take the right decisions at right time to meet the strategic objectives. However, the short time objectives of the firms include in the following figure – Figure 4: – The short time objectives Source: – Self-generated from Ford Motor7 C urrently, the market situation of the company is not in very good position as Ford suffered significantly from the recession throughout the FY 2010; therefore, it should need effective plan to attain its ultimate objective to be market leader and to recover quickly from this situation by introducing strong leadership style instead of flexible approach. In fact, paternalistic approach may not suffice to face global financial crisis. In this context, the CEO of Ford Motor should adopt a situational approach of leadership to be market leader in the UK market and to achieve the short time objectives. Bibliography Ford Motor. One Ford Annual Report 2010: Ford Motor Company. Web. Grant, R, Contemporary Strategy Analysis and Cases: Text and Cases, 7th edn, Blackwell Publishing, London, 2010. Kirtane, S, R Shukla, L Wang. Is The Way Forward Really Ford’s Way Forward? 2006. Web. Reuters. Ford Motor Company (F.N). 2011, retrieved https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile/F .N. Stoner, F, F Edward G Daniel. Management, 3rd edn, Prentice-Hall, Delhi, 2003. Yahoo Finance. Direct Competitor Comparison Ford Motors. 2011, retrieved https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/F/profile?ltr=1. Footnotes 1 Kirtane, S, R Shukla, L Wang. Is The Way Forward Really Ford’s Way Forward? 2 Ford Motor. One Ford Annual Report 2010: Ford Motor Company. 3 Stoner, F, F Edward G Daniel. Management, 3rd edn, Prentice-Hall, Delhi, 2003. 4 R, Grant, Contemporary Strategy Analysis and Cases: Text and Cases, 7th edn, Blackwell Publishing, London, 2010 5 Reuters. Ford Motor Company (F.N). 2011. 6 Yahoo Finance. Direct Competitor Comparison Ford Motors. 2011. 7 Ford Motor. One Ford Annual Report 2010: Ford Motor Company. 2011. This case study on Ford Motor Company: Redefining Strategies was written and submitted by user Clare Banks to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

3 Strategies for Combining Sentences

3 Strategies for Combining Sentences 3 Strategies for Combining Sentences 3 Strategies for Combining Sentences By Mark Nichol One approach to making prose more concise is to stitch together two related sentences by revising one so that it serves as a subordinate clause to the other rather than an independent statement. Here are three ways to accomplish this goal. 1. Firms are increasingly susceptible to noncompliance, as demonstrated by the stream of regulatory enforcement actions seen over recent years. These regulatory enforcement actions could have been avoided by taking an agile approach to managing the compliance requirements inventory. When a sentence repeats a noun phrase from a previous sentence, those statements are candidates for combination. Convert the second sentence to a subordinate clause, as shown here: â€Å"Firms are increasingly susceptible to noncompliance, as demonstrated by the stream of regulatory enforcement actions seen over recent years- actions that could have been avoided by taking an agile approach to managing the compliance requirements inventory.† 2. Crafting and managing these agreements is a unique and valuable skill. This is the case because the financial risks of violating their terms can be substantial. When an assertion is supported in a subsequent sentence by a statement that provides an explanation, splice the sentences by deleting the subject from the second one, as shown here: â€Å"Crafting and managing these agreements is a unique and valuable skill because the financial risks of violating their terms can be substantial.† 3. Uber continues to disrupt other geographies internationally, including London’s taxicab industry. Uber is now often also cited as an example of how disruptive technology is affecting established industries. When a subject is repeated in two consecutive sentences, it’s often possible to transform the first sentence into a parenthetical subordinate clause of the second one, as shown here: â€Å"Uber, which continues to disrupt other geographies internationally, including London’s taxicab industry, is now often also cited as an example of how disruptive technology is affecting established industries.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?How to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsUsing Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

Three of the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior Essay

Three of the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior are perception - Essay Example Finetti notes that online advertising and new media channels "is becoming a larger part of the marketing mix" due to the increasing number of online users who utilize internet-enabled technologies to transact with companies. Second, marketers have to give due consideration to changing consumer preferences towards ethical and socially responsible consumption. The same author observes, for instance, that "more and more companies are going green." Apparently, this is in response to the growing public pressure on corporate actors to contribute to efforts at mitigating the social and environmental problems that business activities and the culture of consumption creates. Lastly, marketers have to take note of the lifestyle and economic changes wherein consumers live in a more fast-paced, time-constrained environment since this inevitably affect the way that consumers evaluate and associate themselves with products and companies.