Positioning Strategies - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 419 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/09/14 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? POSITIONING STRATEGIES Positioning refers to creating a favourable image in the mind of the customers so that they perceive the product or a service to be better than that of its competitors. It is also occupying the mind, heart, body and wallet space of customers in the selected target market segment through differential advantage higher than rivals in an irreplaceable way by converting differential advantage into sustainable differential advantage. Positioning is not so much what a product actually is but rather how the company wants its target customers to perceive it. A company can choose from a number of different strategies. DIFFERENT POSITIONING STRATEGIES 1) Positioning by Attribute:- Associating a product with a particular feature. (i) ACE : â€Å"Small is Big. † (ii) Pril : â€Å"Pril clean. Full clean. † (iii) (iv) Positioning by Benefits:- Associating a product with a special customer benefit. (i) SERVO : â€Å"100% PERFORMANCE. EVERY TIME. † (ii) Angel Broking : â€Å"Service Truly Personalised† (iii) Pepsodent G : â€Å"MAKES GUMS HEALTHIER. FIGHTS GERM LONGER. † (v) Positioning by Use or Application:- Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Positioning Strategies" essay for you Create order Associating a product with a specific use or particular application. (i) Surf Excel : â€Å"Surf Excel hena! † (ii) Clinic All Clear : â€Å"Dare to wear Black† (iii) (vi) Positioning by User:- Associating a product with a user or a class of user. (i) BREITLING : â€Å"INSTRUMENTS FOR PROFESSIONALS† (ii) Raymond : â€Å"The Complete Man† (iii) Palio Stile : â€Å"The Fiat of the new generation† (vii) Positioning by Competitor:- Identifying a prouct by using a competitor as reference. (i) IIFL : â€Å"KNOWLEDGE IS THE EDGE† ii) (viii) Positioning by Product Category:- Positioning the product against other products that, while not exactly the same, provide the same class of benefits. (i) Mercedes-Benz: â€Å"The best or nothing. † (ix) Positioning by Quality and Price:- Positioning by price and quality can be done in two ways:- One way to do it is with ads that reflect the image of a high-quality brand where cost, while not irrelevant, i s considered secondary to the quality benefits derived from using the brand. Premium brands positioned at the high end of the market use this approach to positioning Another way to use price/ quality characteristics for positioning is to focus on the quality or value offered by the brand at a very competitive price. Although price is an important consideration, the product quality must be comparable to, or even better than, competing brands for the positioning strategy to be effective. (i) Parle Bisleri: â€Å"Bada Bisleri, same price† (ii) CAMRY: â€Å"Beyond excellence† (iii) BIG BAZAAR: â€Å"Is se sasta aur accha aur kahin nahi! †

The Harms of Losing Predatory Animals - 842 Words

Though it is not as commonly known, loss of predatory animals can be just as bad, if not worse, for the environment than the loss of prey animals. The depletion of animals like bears, mountain lions, and wolves have affected the environment around us in more ways than one might think. The deciduous forest can be a very harsh environment to live in. The temperature can range from extremely cold during the winter to nice sunny, fairly warm days in the summer. Precipitation can be anywhere from fifty to 200 inches in one year, which is a pretty big range. Deciduous forests are filled with different kinds of organisms. The most important predatory animals are wolves, bears, and mountain lions. If they were gone, the population of rabbits and deer would skyrocket which would throw off the stability of the forest. Bears, wolves, and mountain lions all live together in the deciduous forests of northern California. They live in other places, but this is one of the few where they all share a space in the environment. The decline in numbers of bears, wolves, and mountain lions were all caused by their one biggest shared predator: Humans. We almost knocked out three whole species because we honestly believed they were bad for the environment. We wanted to save all the cute little animals, and did not realize the huge impact it would be on the environment if the predators were gone. Humans have been hunting bears for both sport and extermination for about one hundred years. Wolves haveShow MoreRelatedZoos Are More Than Meets The Eye1253 Words   |  6 Pagesentertainment. These animals that make the zoo possible are stripped of their freedom and value of life so they can be used for entertainment by hundreds of people daily. The animals are thought of more like couches; sitting and waiting to be moved around from place to place until we grow old of them and â€Å"throw them out†. Leaving zoos to have a negative effect on the well-being of animals. When we visit zoos we go as happy and excited visitors, we tend to ignore the fact that keeping these animals in captivityRead MoreBiodiversity Is The Whole Collection Of Living Organisms1944 Words   |  8 Pagesplants and animals, that cohabitate in an ecosystem. This term collectively describes approximately all 8.7 million unique species, including every class of bacteria, virus, plant, fungi, and animal, that coexist on earth. As such, biodiversity and the conservation of biodiversity is extremely important to the human population and the health of all ecosystems. For instance, biodiversity provides food and materials needed to strengthen our economy. The selling of various plants and animals for consumptionRead More Stress, The Double-Edged Sword Essay1503 Words   |  7 Pagescant not avoid or escape. There probably isnt anyone in the world today that hasnt dealt with it. 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In our class discussion, these three fields need eachRead MoreEcological Niche Of The Kakapo3753 Words   |  16 Pagesstoats and feral cats Population Trends: In 1995, only 51 living kakapo individuals were left in all of New Zealand. The New Zealand government instituted a 10-year recovery plan and removed these survivors to protected island sanctuaries with no predatory mammals; a National Kakapo Team manages the birds. The team feeds the birds supplements and maintains breeding programs to help revitalize the kakapo population. The program has been successful in stimulating growth of the kakapo species; as of JanuaryRead MoreAnalysis Of Susan Sontag s The Cave 2336 Words   |  10 Pagestraveler cannot truly enjoy themselves because they are so focused on taking the picture to show what they were doing and that they had â€Å"fun† on their trip. I agree that the action of taking a photograph can cause us to pause and therefore we end up losing focus on the task at hand (enjoying the adventure). Although this is true, the experience hasn’t been lessened, taking photographs has almost become automatic and traditional. Sin ce it has reached this level of acceptance and commonality throughoutRead MoreThe View of American Society in the Depression Years in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men4450 Words   |  18 Pagesat the end where Carlson doesn’t know what it feels like to lose a companion saying â€Å"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?† , I think Steinbeck made the reader feel sympathy for both characters , firstly for George for losing a companion (Lennie) and secondly Carlson for not being able to have any sentimentality or sympathy for George this is because he doesn’t know what it feels like to have a partner or to care for someone and he cares back. This is veryRead MoreThe Environmental Legacy of Rachel Carson Essay2736 Words   |  11 Pagescreatures. Mrs. Carson’s effort to bring these things to light in her most well-known book, Silver Spring, a book that exposed just how dangerous the chemical dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and other synthetic chemicals was to the environment, animals, and humans. There was much more to her efforts and her concerns than just her coverage of DDT. Through her valiant devotion, Rachel Carson’s work lives on and the world is wiser to the potential hazards associated with scientific chemical advancementsRead MoreCognitive Therapy: Theory of Psychopathology and Theory of Personality4428 Words   |  18 Pagesanger; moral lapse in guilt. Cognitive content specificity has been refined to pinpoint key themes in each of the anxiety disorders, such as an imminent physical catastrophe in panic (e.g. dying, going mad, passing out) or losing mental or behavioural control that results in harm to oneself or others in obsessive-compulsive disorder (e.g. violent thoughts will be acted upon if not suppressed). Cognitive Vulnerability to Psychological Disturbance Accordingly, individuals are predisposed to specificRead MoreSience23554 Words   |  95 Pageswould escape back into space and the Earth’s average temperature would be a lot colder. However, if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, then more heat gets trapped than needed, and the Earth might become less habitable for humans, plants and animals. Carbon dioxide, though not the most potent of greenhouse gases,  is the most significant one. Human activity has caused an imbalance in the natural cycle of the greenhouse effect and related processes. NASA’s Earth Observatory is worth quoting

Patties Food Ltd free essay sample

A  leading manufacturer in Australia Industry: branded frozen food industry Major supplier and marketer of frozen savoury, dessert and fruit products. It has some iconic Australia brands in each of these product categories. the largest pie company in Australia Products: frozen savoury products: meat pies, sausage rolls, cheese and spinach rolls, pasties and quiches. Well-known frozen savoury brands: Herbert Adams, Four’N Twenty, Snowy River and Wedgewood. dessert products: fruit pies, waffles, crumbles and crepes. fruit products: frozen whole fruits (e. g. herries, strawberries, cranberries and raspberries) processed fruit products (e. g. fruit smoothies that are cubes of frozen concentrated fruit which can be added to milk by the consumer to create a drink). Well-known dessert and fruit product brands: Creative Gourmet, Nanna’s and Chef’s Pride. Growth History: a small cake shop in the Victorian country town of Lakes Entrance (origins back 50 years). then purchased in 1966 by the Rijs family extended into pies and bread rolls continued to grow (through acquisition product development) Subsequently refocused around frozen savoury, dessert fruit products Listed on the ASX in 2006. We will write a custom essay sample on Patties Food Ltd or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Stakeholders: 2 members of Rijs family involved as board members. Shareholders Customers: retailers (e. g. supermarkets) foodservice outlets (e. g. sporting venues or cafes). Not direct consumers. 2 main distribution: In-Home [retailers where products are bought for home consumption] Out-of-Home [foodservice outlets where products are bought ready for consumption]. lt; 1% sales coming from exports, despite moves to enter the US market with its Four’N Twenty products. Developed halal products in its Four’N Twenty range with the intention of growing sales in Asia. Its headquarters production facilities are in Bairnsdale, Victoria. A PFL’s strategic framework PhasesBuild the baseDevelop and growExpand and extend Outcomes†¢ Low costs †¢ High customer service levels †¢ Defend the core †¢ Category leadership†¢ New products †¢ Extra ranging †¢ Extra distribution †¢ More customers†¢ New channels †¢ New regions †¢ New categories †¢ New sub-business Executive leadership team focused effort on the ‘Build the Base’ phase of our strategic plan, relentless drive to build revenue reduce factory conversion costs Result: -improved trading Rebuilt market share in In-Home savoury category(important) Result: revenue increasing well over the category growth. Our strong relationships with the major supermarkets Result: enabled Patties’ brands to strengthen as market leaders. Strategic intent of increasing our mix of revenue towards foodservice other non-grocery channels [products sold through the Out-of-Home market]. Result: Out-of-Home revenue increased to another record level Sales management restructured with a new Head of Sales (Tim Peters ex Fonterra) joining the business. Investment in sales resources in all regions of Australia ensures we have a truly national representation. New products, across all channels Result: increased sales Exceptional technical expertise (due to well experienced Rijs Family) Result: enabled the new products to be launched with rapid entry to market New Four’N Twenty legendary Angus range developed and taken to commercialization stage during the year with the successful launch in June 2010. We expect this range to provide further growth in the near term. Increased marketing for the premium range of Herbert Adams savoury products. significant lift in sales in both In-Home and Out-of-Home channels achieved from the new TV commercial and consumer promotion celebrating Herbert Adams 100 years. Four’N Twenty brand increased exposure with the sponsorship of the AFL [national league] All Australian Football team. This initiative, and the successful tendering of a number of additional stadium supply rights, provided good growth in our core pie range and confirmed Four’N Twenty’s close connection with football in Australia. Patties Foods now has exclusive supply rights at most football stadia in Australia. Desserts business continues to grow with Nanna’s and Creative Gourmet brands retaining market leadership. lowered cost base and ensured the Creative Gourmet business can remain competitive in a very competitive market. (closed and relocated the frozen fruit packing operation from Silverwater NSW to Bairnsdale [in Victoria] in Feb. ) Manufacturing efficiencies are a critical driver of profitability. increased the economies of scale from the investment in production capacity during the year, further developed our team based continuous improvement projects. Thus conversion costs continued to improve A critical factor in our short and long term strategic plans: to maintain and build the high performance culture of the company. Introduced a comprehensive incentive scheme across the business this year. 340 people received monetary incentives based on specific targeted key performance indicators across the business. Balance sheet has been strengthened by the strong cash flow from both the improved trading and focused working capital management. This provides an excellent foundation for growth. Recent developments Patties Foods wins Reliance contract for BP sites won a $4. m+ contract to supply its products to the 200 BP branded sites in the Reliance Petroleum Group. The convenience stores will stock exclusively Four’N Twenty and Herbert Adams products. In announcing the contract, Reliance commented, ‘Patties have proven they are best positioned to build our Pie Sausage Roll business through strong marketing activity, excellent cost price and most importantly, a good pie! ’ Patties Foods Head of Sales, Tim Peters, says the contract win confirms Patties Foods’ market leadership in the Petrol and Convenience Channel. Creative Gourmet targets ‘Smoothie’ market Creative Gourmet’s innovative new range of Smoothie CubesTM proving a big hit with consumers. Launched in March with a national Television commercial featuring food presenter Maeve O’Meara, the new frozen Smoothie CubesTM are available at all leading supermarkets. Desserts Marketing Manager, Jane Westney, describes Smoothie CubesTM as a ‘game changer’, set to revolutionise how Australians enjoy breakfast and snack-time. ‘Smoothie CubesTM fruit-packed frozen cubes for making delicious Smoothies in a moment. a product innovation rated extremely highly in market testing. We’re confident they’re set to change the way Australians enjoy breakfast and snack-time’, Ms Westney said. The innovative Smoothie CubesTM come in 4 great flavours, Strawberry, Berry Antioxidant, Breakfast and Tropical. Look out for them in your local Supermarket. Four’N Twenty rules—Home and Away Four’N Twenty extended its national marketing push into northern States with a 5-year sponsorship agreement with the Sydney Swans [football team]. Patties Foods GM Marketing, Mark Connolly said: Four’N Twenty achieved instant popularity with Sydney fans since becoming the pie of choice served at the SCG [sports stadium] last year. ‘Sydney fans have really taken to Four’N Twenty at the footy and we’re delighted to be partnering with the Swans through this sponsorship—not only at the SCG, but by focusing on their positive community program.

Client Memo free essay sample

Internal control is the method put into place by a company to be sure the integrity of financial and accounting information, meets operational, profitability targets, and transmit management policies throughout the organization (Investopedia). Control deficiency is the result of the design or operation of the control not allowing management, employees to prevent, or correct financial misstatements (Ken Plessner CPA). Material weakness occurs with the possibility of the material misstatement not being prevented, detected, and corrected on a timely basis (Ken Plessner CPA). Significant deficiency requires attention by those in charge but is not as severe as material weakness (Ken Plessner CPA). SAS 115 allows the practitioners to more effectively use their judgment when they become aware of and determine the severity of the deficiency found. If it is determined the deficiency is severe enough, they will report it in writing, to management, and administration (Ken Plessner CPA). Benefits of the changes As with SAS 112, SAS 115 promotes clients understanding of their organization’s internal control weaknesses, which can benefit them in several ways, including (Thomas J. We will write a custom essay sample on Client Memo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ryan): * Written communication clarifies identified deficiencies determined to be significant or material weaknesses so management can weigh the risks and determine how they will be addressed. * Management addressing the deficiencies may result in reduced risks to the business because of financial reporting processes and controls being improved. This will also lead to more efficient audits moving forward. * Fraud may be deterred when higher internal controls are attained due to the identification of significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. As a result of managements heightened awareness and education on internal control, a client will be more confident with the internal control of financial reporting. Conclusion The changes put into place by replacing SAS 112 with SAS 115 give Certified Public Accounts (CPA) better ability to judge the severity of internal control deficiencies or material weaknesses that arise during an audit. The CPA’s, in turn will be able better to communicate the found deficiencies to the organizations being audited. As a result they can better assist their clients in obtaining constancy, accuracy, and better administrative practices (Ken Plessner CPA). Works Cited Investopedia. (n. d. )

Art Imitating Life Imitating A essays

Art Imitating Life Imitating A essays The late 1950s saw a new movement in the art world this became known as "pop art" due to the fact that the artists in this movement with this movement manly Andy Warhol and Roy Lichensten of the unites states as well as David Hockney and Derek Boshier of Great Britain, used elements of popular culture as main sources of their work. A good example of this is Warhole's screen prints of Marilyn Manroe, where he took a famous icon of the time and used a mass production technique to make her into a work of art. Lichenstine looked at a different element of popular culture youth culture- comic books. He used this style of painting and drawing to create a comic strip image. For example "Wham", although looks screen-printed it was infact panted by hand dot by dot. Hockney was influenced by graffiti a part overlooked by his contemporaries, he used it in the form of messages scrawled across the background of his paintings . Hockney said that he did this in order to make it clear to the viewer what the picture was about. Derek Boshier painted a series of pieces based on ideas he got from a toothpaste commercial. "identi-kit man" was his way of suggesting how easy it was for companies to manipulate people with the use of advertising and create mass markets. The whole ideas of pop art, as to take things from everyday life and make them into a piece of artwork. These things were those, which the people of post-war Britain were not ready to consider art in any way. There was a thing like Campbell's soup can of Warhol, The kitchen utensils of Tom Wesselman and Richard Hamilton and child like scribbles of David Hockney. Due to the art boom, in the 1960s and clear trends through pop art That designers were able to pick up on these and incorporate them into their work, influenced by fashion icons, movie stars, technology, and motorcars. Although the artists did have some overlapping styles, pop art focuses more on the subject and less on styl...

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Accomplishment of the Eeffectiveness of the World Essay

Accomplishment of the Eeffectiveness of the World - Essay Example My first accomplishment in Motorola was in transplanting the team cooperative culture into two enemy-like teams' DNA. It was a challenging interaction for me as the newly appointed leader of ## department, which is the "joint point" of R&D and marketing. In the cross-departmental meeting at Motorola, R&D and marketing were sharply divided on whether to add a feature application into a new product. R&D refused to incorporate this fearing that technology was still immature, while marketing insisted on an immediate launch of the feature to enlarge market shares and gain clients. In order to draw a resolution, I identified the sharp conflicts existing in two internal cultures-the traditional technology-driven culture and the newly market-driven one. To tackle this challenge was an opportunity to rebuild a collaborative culture, which will serve for the long-range strategy of Motorola. Thus, I launched a two-pronged approach which involved closer collaboration and effective interaction. I started out by conducting brainstorming sessions which allowed the interaction of these functional areas and identify strategy strengths and weaknesses. A better and deeper understanding of each other aroused them to learn from one another and embrace mutual trust building a productive partnership. This experience tested and enriched my leadership influence in exercising the political, interpersonal, and process skills to facilitate a successful outcome to the group's work. The public sector and the private sector often pursue to operate independently from each other. However, this independence hinders each sector to reap the benefits from using strategies and know-how which will enable them to function more efficiently. Thus, my second accomplishment is in transplanting the business concept into the governmental officers' DNA. At the beginning of 2008, Pingyao badly needed to reform its tourism industry which commenced with the Ancestral Hall Tour Company. As the leader of this project, I had an immediate inspiration from the venture capital practice in the business world in order to generate financial resources. However, this has been met with disagreements from conservative public officials. Noting that my problem in not changing the system but changing my leadership style to suit the situation, I began to present the successful cases of Italy in protecting cultural heritage which eventually opened their eyes. The project has been successful and thes e initial accomplishments greatly worked up government officers' immense enthusiasm on integrating business skills into public administration. With this experience, I realized that change leadership goes beyond leading a team, but rewriting the DNA of the team. Lastly, I believe that my humble interaction with a poor woman enabled me to transplant hope into the her DNA. Having been touched by the story of her son who died because of poverty, I was stirred to give her a chance to improve her living condition by finding her a job which made her self-sufficient. Currently, this woman is recognized by the homeowner's association and is also passing on to others the love and hope that I have passed on to her.

Joseph Epstein The Perpetual Adolescent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Joseph Epstein The Perpetual Adolescent - Essay Example This argumentative paper aims to defend my view of growing up and gaining maturity that should also be projected by media. The defensive account will be made in the paper by taking examples from Epstein’s article into consideration. The reason why I consider growing up as a wise phase in life is due the experience of older people that have allowed the young ones to learn from and understand the difference between right and wrong. The distinction between the adolescents and older people is in terms of experience. I would say that gone are the days when men and women were proud of the fact that they were growing wiser. Epstein has also stressed on the same view in his article by comparing example of intellect of older people with Aristotle (Epstein). Similarly, older generation needs to understand that they have the power of experience that would allow them to have a mature approach towards life. Maturity should be considered as an asset by the older generations, which is now no t given due consideration. It is because even older people are impressed by the false youth culture being projected by the media. Such a claim as per my observation becomes easy to understand by considering modern day older women as an example of this. Older women are no more reluctant to follow fashion trends displayed by young models in the media (Epstein). American women who are growing wiser must understand the distinction between youthfulness and adulthood, and then follow the trends. Similar example has also been given by Epstein in his article stating that women undergo a great deal of plastic surgeries just to look young because they think that being young and by following adolescent culture they will be valued more. However, the true attractive feature of women is when she grows older and wiser (Epstein). I believe that Epstein’s view on the faded line of distinction between the youth and adulthood in terms of the American nation is correct. At one hand, being young is not dire as adolescents have a lot of energy because they get to see new in life and are full of creativity; while on the other hand, becoming older and wise is a blessing as individuals have already been through crucial moments of life. But it should be noted that the media has misinterpreted the distinction between these two phases of life. The American nation has become a victim of the media’s agenda to sell youth culture depriving the confidence of living a life with wisdom and maturity (Epstein). I have also observed that our society has also accepted the youthful culture being projected by media in this way. This acceptance has led lives of adult to become miserable, as they have started to run after the youthful culture. The point to be noted here is that the adults are chasing youthful trends and culture which has passed them long before and it is about time that they must live with mature decision-making in every aspect of life. Society and media should go hand in hand to make a difference in people’s view for growing older and wiser. Media should celebrate experience of older people by appreciating them. Media should enhance the need of maturity that is lacking in the American society (Epstein). Through the above counter arguments, it could be said that adolescences have the energy that can create implications of a vision. Youth can be strong

Occupational hygiene survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Occupational hygiene survey - Essay Example The weight of dust sample was used to determine the exposure level of dust. Besides, the samples were chemically analyzed to determine the level of resin acids. In addition to that the details of the subject, environmental factor like temperature and relative humidity was recorded Air samples were collected too for analysis of microbiological content. Sampling was done several areas. Samples were collected simultaneously for a sampling period of 5 minutes. A sample was collected outside the gate of the factory to be a representative of ambient condition. Samples were then sent back to the laboratory for analysis. A seven-hole inhalable dust sampler (JS holdings, UK) was used to collect dust sample. The sampler was with 0.45m pore sizes, 25mm diameter Teflon Filters (Costar). This device was used to collect sample inhalable, as if inhalation through one's nose. The resemblance of the mechanism allowed study on health hazards by the dust inhaled. Teflon filter were used in order to collect particles for resin acids analysis. In the study, air was drawn through the sampler at the speed of 2 litre/minute. Four samples were taken for each location respectively. The weight of dust was determined by subtracting the pre-weight of the filter from the post-weight. All the weight measurement was conducted on the micto-balance (0.001mg sensitivity). Samples were equilibrated to the same temperature and relative humidity. All readings were taken at temperature 20+0.5 C and 50% relative humidity. Resin Acid Analysis There are two categories of resin acids: abietic and pimaric acid. The amount of acids exist in the dust depends on the species, maturity and storage condition. Method used to analyze resin acid was developed by Victor Leong and Mary Ellen Cassinelli (Pengelly, 1994). The quantity of abietic and pimaric acid was determine by a gas chromatography methodology. From the previous analysis, the Teflon filters were shifted into 100mm glass tubes with phenolic caps. 3ml of dichloromethane was used to extract the filters under ultrasonic bath for 30minutes. The extract was filtered with 24mm diameter 0.45 m pore nylon syringe filters. It was then washed with 0.5 ml of dichlorometh

Youth Subcultures and Clubbing

Youth Subcultures and Clubbing What is So Good About Clubbing? Introduction Hyder (1995) has argued that clubbing is one of the major forms of youth consumption and experience in towns and cities across the UK. Clubbing is so popular among the young that it is now a billion pound industry which is growing all the time, and which is indulged in by both employed and unemployed alike. Many youngsters spend their time counting the hours to Friday night when they can start dancing the weekend away, with an increasing number also becoming involved with soft drug taking. This assignment will investigate the growing tendency for many young people to plan their lives around the clubbing scene. It will look at a number of studies on this to try and ascertain why young people feel the need to live their lives in this way and to attempt to find an answer to the question â€Å"What is so good about clubbing?† Youth Subcultures Traditionally, sociologists regarded youth as the transition stage between childhood and adulthood. This is the generally accepted functionalist view of youth. Youth provides a link between the transmitted values of childhood and the changing values of adulthood. Eisenstadt (1956) maintained that young people dealt with this conflict through different dress styles and value sets. This helped them to deal with the transition in distinguishing themselves from their parents and at the same time it provided them with their own standards by which they would live their lives. However, functionalists did not deal with separate groups of young people, rather they saw this process as a function of everyone making that transition. Because these problems are faced by each succeeding generation of young people it leads to the development of a distinctive youth culture (Moore, 1996). The Marxist approach however, stresses the content of youth culture and the difference in social backgrounds. Cohen (1972) undertook one of the earliest Marxist studies into what he referred to as youth subcultures. While this study was restricted to youths in East London much of what he had to say has been drawn on time and again by people working in both sociology and in cultural studies. Cohen believed that in order to truly understand youth subcultures they needed to be examined both in their immediate context and in the wider context. Lea and Young (1984) maintain that youth subcultures reflect a multiplicity of groups that are not entirely divorced from the wider society, rather they reflect what is going on at a wider level. The Macro/Micro and Clubbing What is going on in the world affects how youth subcultures develop. In contemporary Britain there is a far more individualist and hedonistic attitude than at any other time since the Second World War. This hedonism or pleasure for pleasure’s sake is reflected in the increasing number of young people whose lives revolve around clubbing. Thus Cohen was right when he said that in order to understand youth subcultures one had to examine the local (micro) context and the wider (macro) context. Increasingly clubbing is seen by many theorists as a response to and consequence of city life. Skelton and Valentine (1998) interviewed three young people who visited different clubs. The researchers found that some young people often indulged in marijuana and alcohol before visiting a club, to put them in the right mood. Ecstasy is often used in certain strands of clubbing (Saunders, 1995). The researchers found that many young people felt the need to be part of a group in a narrow context rather than a stranger in the outside world and many of them would take soft drugs in order to do this. Parker (2003) undertook a study on young people, clubbing and drug taking, in three venues in the North West of England. The first was a city centre club with a large lesbian and gay customer base, another was situated on the edge of the city and played different types of dance music, the third was originally an out of town leisure centre but now hosted different hardcore rave type events. The s tudy was interested in young people’s safety but concentrated on those youngsters who danced and used drugs. The study sought to understand ways of researching an illegal activity on a large-scale, and in semi-private settings such as night clubs. Drug taking was common and some youngsters would be clubbing all weekend. Other studies have found that the practices of clubbing involve their own norms and rules such as competence in movement and dancing (Crossley, 1995). Clubbers develop their own norms and rules as a means of resistance. Herman and Ott (2003) found that clubbing, and particularly rave clubs, were both sites and means of resistance for those young people who were feeling alienated from mainstream society. Although Brewster and Broughton (2000) have noted that while clubbing is good, a rave is an idealized form of clubbing because its proponents believe they are beginning something new. Herman and Ott (2003) found that clubbing, to some extent involved a loss of self as boundaries between individuals were fragmented or overcome and the clubbers became as one community. They also found that this communal sense was enhanced by the taking of ecstasy – a particular favourite of the rave clubs because it was not just a drug, rather it raised consciousness among those who took it. Jackson (2003) maintains that clubbing is an important social experience that deserves further explanation. As we saw earlier clubbing has its rules of movement and dance, thus clubbing is a very physical experience and this makes it an embodied experience and thus and important source of social knowledge. Clubbing is uniquely related to the city, it is part of the city at night and as Alvarez (1996) argues this is a time when the city comes alive – clubbing is an important part of that life: Night in the city is time out – time for leisure and intimacy, family and lovers, hobbies and pastimes, reading and music and television. It is also the time for excitement and celebration: theatres, movies, concerts and party–going, wining, dining, dancing and gambling. For people who hold down boring or unsatisfactory jobs, night is the time when they feel they lead their real lives (Alvarez, 1996, p.295). It is upon this understanding of the city and the night that clubbing is built. Clubbing makes young people feel alive it is therefore an integral part of their ‘real’ lives. Jackson (2003) maintains that contrary to much popular thinking, clubbing is not confined to youth and youth subcultures – rather it is part of the wider social mileu in which these things have their existence. Parker’s (2003)[1] study also suggested that this might be the case as in the initial survey research some clubbers were in their fifties which can hardly be described as young. Jackson (2003) argues that having a wider age range shows the historical aspect of clubbing and how it may have changed over time. The change from clubs as private, late night drinking establishments to places where entertainment was on the agenda and marijuana and ecstasy later became key elements of this scene, is what interested promoters in the marketability of the clubbing scene as a mainstream leisure pursuit (Jackson, 2003). Conclusion Clearly clubbing can no longer be regarded as the preserve of youth sub cultures, rather it is something that is enjoyed by a variety of groups, each of whom find something that appeals to them and is an enjoyable part of their experience. It is arguably the case that clubbing can have the effect of making a person part of an elite group. On the other hand, clubs are such that they can also provide space to individuals who are tired of the lack of this in the busy cities in which they live. Clubbing allows people to let their hair down and to indulge in alcohol, illicit soft drugs, and dancing. Clubs are a place where you can meet others or be by yourself and it is this universality of experience that makes clubbing good for a large number of people. Bibliography Alvarez, A. 1996, Night: An Exploration of Night Life, Night Language, Sleep and Dreams, London: Vintage. Brewster, B., Broughten, F. 2000. Last night a dj saved my life: the history of the disc jockey. New York: Grove Press. Cohen, P 1972 Sub-Cultural Conflict and Working Class Community Working Papers in Cultural Studies No.2 University of Birmingham Crossley, N. 1995 Body techniques, agency and intercorporeality: on Goffmans Relations in Public, Sociology 29, 1:133-49. Eisenstadt, S 1956 From Generation to Generation New York, Free Press Herman, B and Ott, B 2003 â€Å" Mixed Messages: Resistance and Reappropriation in Rave Culture† Western Journal of Communication Vol 67 2003 Hyder, K. 1995 Ecstasys deadly cocktails, Observer, 13 August: 10 Jackson, P 2003 Inside Clubbing: The Art of Being Human New York, Berg Lea, J and Young, J 1984 What is to be Done About Law and Order Harmondsworth, Penguin Moore, S 1996 Investigating Crime and Deviance London, Collins Educational Parker, H 2003 Dancing on Drugs The Sociological Review Saunders, N. 1993 E for Ecstasy, London: Neals Yard Press. 1995  Ecstasy and the Dance Culture, London: Neals Yard Press. Skelton, T and Valentine, G eds 1998 Cool Places: Geographies of Youth Cultures London, Routledge. Footnotes [1] The survey was a means of reaching those who were aged 30 and under. Members of the younger group were then selected for interview.

Free Catcher in the Rye Essays: Role of Allie :: Catcher Rye Essays

The Role of Allie in Catcher in the Rye  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Some authors create characters that appear briefly or not at all, but are a significant presence.   Even though he was dead, Allie affected the action, theme and development of Holden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The death of Holden's younger brother Allie played an important role in Holden's actions.   Holden could not deal with his death and showed it by causing physical harm to himself.   He did this to escape the pain he was feeling inside.   Holden said that Allie was "terrifically intelligent" and the "nicest" person.   Because Allie died so young, Holden felt that his innocence was taken away from him. This led to many of Holden's actions.   Such as, Holden acted out and pretended to be people so that you could deal with the pain he felt inside.   It caused Holden to condone something that he was strongly opposed to as a mere escape from the present.   This is a direct result of the strife Allie’s death left on Holden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The theme of   Catcher in the Rye was greatly influenced by Allie. Because of his early death, Holden felt his innocence had been stolen.   In reaction to this Holden felt it was his responsibility to protect the innocence of all children.   As a result he developed a job that he would like to have-- "a catcher in the rye."   He would stand at the edge of a cliff and catch the kids who were about to fall off.   This meant that if someone was about to lose their innocence, Holden would save them.   If it weren’t for Allie, Holden would not feel obligated to act as a proctector of innocence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the novel, Holden repeatedly asked Allie not to let him disappear. Holden felt like he was becoming invisible to the work around him.   He had great respect for Allie and knew that if anyone could save him, Allie could. During one incident, Holden calls for Allie.   This marks his breakdown.   It is then, because of Allie, that he realizes that it is inevitable that he will grow up. Holden is put in a psychiatric hospital.

How Play Benefits Autistic Children Essay

Autism results in several deficiencies in children that affect their educational and social lives. Autistic children feel difficulty to interact with their peers and they even cannot play individually (Sherratt and Peter p. 34). Relevant behavioral deficiencies are also found in autistic children if they have deficiency to play either individually or in group (Wolfberg, p. 23) and they feel difficult to socialize (Williams, Reddy and Costell p. 67-77). Types of Play There are different types of play in which children are engaged such as soico-dramatic play, symbolic play and functional play. In symbolic play, children use their imaginations to use any object as any other object that is not present. The object used in this type of play does not possess the properties of the object that is imagined to be present in place of the actual object (Libby, Powell, Messer, & Jordan, p. 487-497). Children use common things in their symbolic play to represent specific things such as they use sticks and imagine that they are using swords. Where as, in functional play, children do not use imaginary things, rather they use things that are really useful for their play (Libby et al. , p. 487-497). In such a play, children may cook pretend food by using toy kitchen objects such as cooking utensils that are made from plastic for playing purpose. Children play specific roles in socio-dramatic play. They use particular themes to represent specific roles. Most common socio-dramatic themes are playing school, playing hospital and playing house in which each child is given a specific role to perform. Autistic children find it hard to engage in such type of play because they do not feel comfortable in playing roles that require specific social cues, nature of pretending and language. There are different levels of playing. The child does not require any other child to play with in an isolated play. In this type of play a child plays gets involved in a particular activity and plays with an object with out the need of other children (Sherratt and Peter p. 58-74). Children involve in this type of play only when they are engaged with their favorite toy or object. Autistic children play with an object or a toy in a way that is not common to that object or toy (Wolfberg, p. 78). An autistic child with lacking playing skills does not play with a car in a way that normal children do rather that child would prefer to spin the wheels of the car and would not move the car as normal children do. There is another type of play known as common focus or dyadic play. This type of play requires a child to play with another child. This type of play cannot be played in isolation (Sherratt and Peter, p. 76-95). Usually two children get involved in this type of play. When an autistic child gets involved in this type of play, he or she is more likely to be closer to another child while play but he or she will not interact with another child. Three or more children get involved in group play (Mittledorf, Hendricks and Landreth, p. 63-86). Children involved in group playing usually play board games, non-team games that can be played in a playground. An autistic child does not get involved in this type of play as it requires social cues and peer interaction Another example of play is team play in which a common goal is set to achieved and two or more groups compete with each other to achieve their goal (Mittledorf, Hendricks and Landreth, , p. 63-86). This type of play is organized either on a playgroud or in-house such as team tag, baseball, kickball and basketball. This type of play requires social interaction, rules of play to be followed and high level of activity and thus autistic children usually find it difficult to get involved in this type of play. Some Play Strategies to Help Autistic Children Learn More Efficiently Educational decisions should be based on the individual qualities, skills and needs of every child. Autistic children should be considered in the same way. There are several factors that determine which intervention should be implemented by a teacher to teach playing skills to a child. These factors are the determination of the developmental level of the child, the language level of the child and the determination of the type of the play to be taught. Developmental Readiness It is very important to determine the developmental level of the child before considering which intervention will be implemented for the child. This type of determination is very important for the children that are passing through their early childhood phase. Lifter et al. (1993) found out that it is very important to know the developmental level of the autistic child in order to select a play to teach preschool autistic children. When children are involved in play activities that are appropriate according to their developmental level, they get involved in those activities very quickly and they do not spend much time to learn those activities. Children learn developmentally appropriate activities more quickly as compared to activities that are appropriate according to their age because at the same age, different children have different developmental levels that are necessary to know (Lifter et al. , p. 139-159). Different developmental objects are used to identify which activity is developmentally appropriate for a child to learn (e. g. , Broomfield p. 732-745). The present level of functioning of a child determines which developmentally appropriate activity should be chosen regarding of the age appropriateness because the developmental level of every child is different. Some children’s level is more advanced so the activities and skills selected for them are different from those whose developmental level is lower than their age. Same thing goes to the autistic children whose developmental levels differ from child to child. Language Development Stahmer (p. 123-141) observed the autistic children with the typical children when both types of children were involved in symbolic play. It was observed that both the groups were involved to an equal extent when their language abilities were the same. So it is advised to initially find out the language abilities and developmental level of autistic children when plan to teach play skills to such children. Mundy, Sigman, Ungerer, and Sherman (p. 349-364) found that language development is based on play skills. The language abilities of autistic children can be developed during their play with other children. The autistic children learn different aspects of language such as they learn how to take turn, their behavior is related when they request for their turn, and they are involved in joint attention and other social interactions (Baranek et al p. 20-30). Peer Involvement Peer involvement matters a lot. Typically developing children can play a great role in engaging their autistic peers in appropriate play and positive activities (Blanc, et al p. 229-245). There are different ways in which the typically developing children can be encouraged to engage their autistic peers in social activities such as programs for peer tutoring, Circle of Friends etc. Teachers can discuss with typical peers about autism through an informal method. In this method, teachers discuss with typical peers about the ways in which they should initiate their social interactions with their autistic peers and they are also taught that they should accept social initiations if made by their autistic peers. If typical peers do not encourage social interactions in a natural setting then training programs are initiated for them. It is also found that group games with same age-group play an important role in increasing positive social interactions and appropriate play (Baker et al. , p. 300-308). The researchers also pointed out that natural setting plays a great role. So, it is advised in order to get successful generalization, the setting of group games should be kept as natural as possible. There are a number of games that can be played in groups on the playground such as tag, baseball etc (Baker et al. , p. 300-308). Setting and Intervention Method Setting and intervention method are as important to consider as the type of play. Teachers should consider different types of setting when they are to select the settings to teach play skills to autistic children. There is a variety of appropriate setting for such a task including the classroom of autistic children or of typical children to give them general education, a day care setting, the home of a child, playground of the school or a local park or other areas where students can be engaged in playing. Using Peer Trainers and Peer Models Blanc et al found that children usually make other children involve with them while they are playing. Children should be encouraged to play because when they play with each other, they learn social and behavioral skills through interaction. Children who do not feel comfortable in such interactions do not go through experiences that are essential for their development. Autistic children do not prefer to play with their peers and they hesitate to socialize but they also get involved in activities when integrated settings are provided to them. This means that autistic children do not prefer non-integrated settings (Blanc, et al p. 229-245). Integrated classroom is essential when typical children are encouraged to interact with their autistic peers. Integrated classroom is useful only if an intervention is implemented, otherwise typical children would prefer to play with other typical children and they would not preferably interact with their autistic peers (Blanc et al p. 229-245). Goldstein et al. also believed that social interactions among typical and autistic peers should be increased and for that purpose they developed a number of intervention strategies that were purely peer-mediated. The main purpose of those strategies was typically to bring typical and autistic peers closer by increasing social interactions between them. In this intervention strategy, typical children were taught how to initiate social interactions with their autistic peers and how to respond when their autistic peer initiate an interaction. This intervention resulted in an improvement in the social behaviors of autistic peers. Autistic children are encouraged through this strategy to respond to any initiation made by typical peers. The social behavior of autistic children are also strengthened when they get a response from the typical peers (Goldstein et al. , p. 265-280). Group Games. The facilitation of play skills and social interactions can be increased by incorporating typical peers into games and activities with their autistic peers (Baker et al. , p. 300-308). Teachers can use the preferred topics of autistic children in which they can get involved easily to increase their social behaviors. Baker et al. (p. 300-308) suggested that group games should be developed by asking the autistic children about their favorite topics. These groups are usually very common such as tag. Children are usually inspired by movie characters so teaches should ask autistic children about their favorite movie character and they should incorporate that character into the game. In this way, autistic children are motivated and they become interested in engaging with their typical peers through social interactions. In tag game, the target autistic child and typical children are given instructions about the game and then they are encouraged to play the game. Baker et al. , found that social interactions among autistic child and typical children increase because the target autistic child is given more importance as he or she is the who has chosen the topic of the tag game, typical children become involved because they find a lot of fun in the tag game, and the target autistic child, as a result, gets motivated to increase his or her social interactions with his or her peers. Integrated Play Groups Model. Integrated play groups model can be used as another effective method to increase the play interactions among the typical and autistic children. In this type of play, the children are provided with proper guidance, support, environmental arrangements (Wolfberg, p. 52). the setting of the play area is very important to consider. Children should be engaged in activities in places where children normally play. In such a setting majority of the children should be socially competent so that they are able to integrate their autistic peer easily and comfortably. The environment of the play area should encourage play activity. The play area should be of a normal size, the materials should be arranged properly and the children should be able to access and organize the material easily (Wolfberg, p. 52). The play groups should be balanced. Wolfberg (p. 52) explained that all the members of the play groups must be familiar to each other, means that they are children who meet with each other regularly. The play groups may have children of different age groups but they should be socially competent. It is very important to determine the competencies of the target child. This element is very important to consider when developing an integrated play groups model. With the help of this feature it will be easy for the teacher to find out how much and what type of support has to be given to the target child. In order to facilitate the group play, the target child should be given the opportunity to select what type of activity he or she wants to play and this thing will help the teacher to find out the developmental level of the target child. Guided participation is also encouraged in this model. Children are guided by an adult how to involve in a play that will enhance their social behaviors. The adult should provide supportive guidance instead of directive one (Blanc et al pp. 229-245). The principle of immersion should be followed in this model, means that children should be fully immersed in the play. Through immersion, more experienced children help the less experienced children in learning their roles under the supported guidance of an adult facilitator (Blanc et al pp. 229-245). Conclusion As autistic children have to struggle for the development of play and social skills in them, the teachers should be aware of all the necessary methods that are useful to teach the autistic children the required skills. A teacher must be able to determine the developmental level, language level and peer involvement level of the target autistic child and then the teacher should design, select and implement strategies that will enhance the required skills in him or her. The learning ability of autistic children also depends on the type of play and setting in which the activity will be initiated. The researcher can conclude at this point that play is very important in childhood as children learn from each others experiences. Autistic children need to be taught how to socialize in order to make them useful citizens and for this purpose it is very important to implement strategies that are necessary to fulfill this task. Works Cited Baker, M. J. , Koegel, R. L., & Koegel, L. K. Increasing the social behavior of young children with autism using their obsessive behaviors. The Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 23 (1998), 300-308. Baranek, G. T. et al Object play in infants with autism: methodological issues in retrospective video analysis. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59(1) (2005), pp. 20-30. Blanc, R, et al Dysregulation of pretend play and communication development in children with autism. Autism, 9(3) (2005), pp. 229-245.

Elijah Muhammad, the Leader of the Nation of Islam

Elijah Muhammad, the Leader of the Nation of Islam For more than forty years, human rights activist and Muslim minister, Elijah Muhammad stood at the helm of the Nation of Islam- a religious organization that combined the teachings of Islam with a strong emphasis on morality and self-sufficiency for African-Americans. Muhammad, a devout believer in black nationalism once even said, â€Å"The Negro wants to be everything but himself[...] He wants to integrate with the white man, but he cannot integrate with himself or with his own kind. The Negro wants to lose his identity because he does not know his own identity.† Muhammad Rejects the Jim Crow South Muhammad was born Elijah Robert Poole on October 7, 1897 in Sandersville, GA. His father, William, was a sharecropper and his mother, Mariah, was a domestic worker. Muhammad workforce in Cordele, GA with his 13 siblings. By the fourth grade, he had stopped attending school and began working a variety of jobs in sawmills and brickyards. In 1917, Muhammad married Clara Evans. Together, the couple had eight children. By 1923, Muhammad had grown tired of the Jim Crow South saying, â€Å"I seen enough of the white man’s brutality to last me 26,000 years.† Muhammad moved his wife and children to Detroit as part of the great migration and found work in an automobile factory. In Detroit, Muhammad was drawn to the teachings of Marcus Garvey and became a member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The Nation of Islam In 1931, Muhammad met Wallace D. Fard, a salesman who had begun teaching African-Americans in the Detroit area about Islam. Fard’s teachings connected the principles of Islam with black nationalism- ideas that were attractive to Muhammad. Soon after their meeting, Muhammad converted to Islam and changed his name from Robert Elijah Poole to Elijah Muhammad. In 1934, Fard disappeared and Muhammad assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam.  Muhammad established Final Call to Islam, a news publication that helped build the membership of the religious organization. In addition, Muhammad University of Islam was founded to educate children. The Temple of Islam Following the disappearance of Fard, Muhammad took a group of the Nation of Islam’s followers to Chicago while the organization broke off into other factions of Islam. Once in Chicago, Muhammad founded Temple of Islam No. 2, establishing the town as the headquarters of the Nation of Islam. Muhammad began preaching the philosophy of the Nation of Islam and began attracting African-Americans in urban areas to the religious organization. Soon after making Chicago the national headquarters for the Nation of Islam, Muhammad traveled to Milwaukee where he established Temple No. 3 and Temple No. 4 in Washington D.C. Muhammad’s success was halted when he was imprisoned in 1942 for refusing to respond to a World War II  draft. While imprisoned, Muhammad continued to spread the teachings of the Nation of Islam to inmates. When Muhammad was released in 1946, he continued to lead the Nation of Islam, claiming that he was Allah’s messenger and that Fard was in fact, Allah. By 1955, the Nation of Islam had expanded to include 15 temples and by 1959, there 50 temples in 22 states. Until his death in 1975, Muhammad continued to grow the Nation of Islam from a small religious organization to one that had multiple streams of income and had gained national prominence. Muhammad published two books, Message to the Black Man in 1965 and How to Eat to Live in 1972. The organization’s publication, Muhammad Speaks, was in circulation and at the height of the Nation of Islam’s popularity, the organization boasted a membership of an estimated 250,000.   Muhammad also mentored men such as Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and several of his sons, who were also devout members of the Nation of Islam. Muhammad died of congestive heart failure in 1975 in Chicago. Sources Muhammad, Elijah. How to Eat to Live - Book One: From God In Person, Master Fard Muhammad. Paperback, Reprint edition, Secretarius Memps Publications, August 30, 2006. Muhammad, Elijah. Message to the Blackman in America. Paperback, Secretarius Memps Publications, September 5, 2006.

Shakespeare †Sonnet 116 Analysis and Interpretation Essay Essays

Shakespeare – Sonnet 116 Analysis and Interpretation Essay Essays Shakespeare – Sonnet 116 Analysis and Interpretation Essay Paper Shakespeare – Sonnet 116 Analysis and Interpretation Essay Paper Sonnet 116 was written by William Shakespeare and published in 1609. William Shakespeare was an English author and poet. and has written a batch of celebrated dramas. amongst them Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan epoch. At that clip. the literature and art was in bloom. and his plants are clearly characterized by that epoch both as linguistic communication and subject goes. A sonnet is a poem consisting of 14 lines. three quatrains and a pair. in which the round follows the iambic pentameter. Sonnet 116 is. like the most of Shakespeare’s sonnets. about love. In this sonnet. Shakespeare tries to specify love by utilizing comparings. metaphors and personification. The subject of the sonnet is decidedly â€Å"true love† because of all his efforts to specify it by depicting what true love agencies. and why it is so of import to human existences. The first quatrain is kind of the â€Å"introduction† of the sonnet. while the two following quatrains are the organic structure of the sonnet. where he elaborates the two first lines. The pair in the terminal is the decision. and is used to sum up and shut the sonnet. In Shakespeare’s sonnets. the last two lines are frequently about Shakespeare himself in some manner. Either by sharing his ain sentiment on the subject he is composing approximately. or to praise himself as an creative person. In the first one and a half line. he says â€Å"let me non to the matrimony of true heads admit impediments† . That means. that he won’t declare any grounds to why two people with true love towards each other shouldn’t acquire married. He continues with: â€Å"love is non love which alters when it change finds. or bends with the remover to remove† . which can intend that love is non love if it changes or fades off when a better chance comes up. He elabor ates this in the following quatrain. where he uses a metaphor and compares love to an ever-fixed grade. taking the ships like the North Star. The ships are meant to be the human existences lost in the hunt for life’s true significance. The last line of the quatrain says: â€Å"whose worth’s unknown. although his tallness be taken† . which is a clear comparing to love. and how it is mensurable. but still more valuable than words can of all time explicate. This metaphor makes the message more clear. because you can conceive of this star steering the lost crewmans in the center of the ocean and you understand the significance of the words in an other manner than if he had merely written: â€Å"love is priceless† . In the 3rd quatrain. he begins with: â€Å"Love is non Time’s sap. though rose-colored lips and cheeks within his flexing sickle’s compass semen. † First of all. â€Å"Love is non time’s fool† is a personification. because â€Å"time† is given a human quality by being a sap. The whole sentence agencies. that clip is nonmeaningful to love and that love doesn’t attention about aging or decease. The following two lines: â€Å"Love alters non with his brief hours and hebdomads. But bears it out even to the border of day of reckoning. † Empathizes the fact that love is a changeless construct and goes beyond decease. This last quatrain is truly powerful and to state that non even decease can halt love makes it even stronger. This is really the whole message in the sonnet. that true love is so strong. non even decease can get the better of it. With the pair in the terminal. he turns the focal point on himself by stating: â€Å" If this be mistake and upon me proved. I neer writ. nor no adult male of all time loved. † He sort of says. that if what he has merely written is proved incorrect. no 1 has of all time loved. and he isn’t a poet. He likely means that he is so certain about this ceaseless true love. that he would curse on his most cherished ability. viz. his accomplishments as a author. In some manner. you can state that he ends up praising himself a small spot in this sonnet excessively. The same thing happens in the pair of sonnet 18 â€Å"shall I compare thee. . † where he ends up proclaiming that his verse form makes people immortal. Another thing that sonnet 18 and sonnet 116 has in common is their many comparings. Al though the comparings in sonnet 18 are a little more obvious in sonnet 116. it is still sort of the same construct. comparing love and beauty to nature. And of class. the subject of love is consistent through so many of his sonnets. The difference between these two sonnets is largely the fact that sonnet 18 is written to a specific individual ( at least. we assume that ) . while the receiving system of sonnet 116 can be anyone who is funny to cognize the definition of true love. The â€Å"love† issue takes up a batch of infinite in both Shakespeare’s sonnets and dramas. and I think that it is the ground that his plants neer go out of manner. It is merely a dateless subject. interesting no affair what race. age or gender you are. His plants are known around the universe. and can beinterpreted so it fits every head everyplace in the universe. With this sonnet. Shakespeare has defined love for the full human race.

Age discrimination in employment (especially for older people) Research Paper

Age discrimination in employment (especially for older people) - Research Paper Example Policies and procedures for the company should be written clearly in an employee manual. This should include how promotions, salary increases/decreases and reduction in work force will occur. Having clearly written policies and procedures will benefit the employee and the company in age discrimination cases. These laws fall under the federal United States Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, although state governments also have their own laws regarding age discrimination (eeoc.gov). Age discrimination can be defined as when either an employee or an applicant who is over the age of 40, experiences unfair treatment when it comes to anything related to employment including hiring and dismissal, pay, job assignments, layoffs, work hours, promotions, etc. (eeoc.gov). Although there are many reasons for age discrimination, insurance companies are primarily to blame. Harassment relating to age occurs when supervisors, other employees or even clients continually hassle or badger someone. The law does not cover light hearted teasing or occasional off handed remarks, but when the situation escalates to create a hostile work environment for the employee it could be an issue of age discrimination (eeoc.gov). Keep in mind that the law pertains to people over the age of 40. According to U.S. News Money, people in the United States are retiring later than in previous years. This can be attributed to a lack of employer sponsored retirement benefits, reduction in Social Security benefits, longer life expectancy, improved health as people age and the coordination of retirement between wives and husbands when statistically, wives are three years younger than their husbands (money.usnews.com). Increased career length leads to an increase in age discrimination instances. With the recent downfall of the United States economy beginning in 2008, it has become more important for people to continue to work past typical retirement age. Since that time, age

Managing Resistance to Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Resistance to Change - Research Paper Example Using the systems thinking approach, an organization can be assessed for the way in which it functions as a single entity, all of its parts performing so that the performance of the whole achieves mutual goals. Identifying the way in which the system functions is vital in assessing the way in which change will be accomplished. The model of managerial approach that can best be used is through establishing a work culture that has enough flexibility to embrace change. The second step is in providing clear information and creating inclusion in the ways in which the change is created. These two aspects of management are the most important in defining the environment in which change can take place. Resistance is minimized when an organization becomes an organic entity with flexible, porous boundaries that are focused on the overall success of the goals of the company. Through information and inclusion, this environment will not only achieve the goals of transition and change, but keep on t rack for achieving overall goals for the company. Managing Resistance to Change Introduction Change is a phenomenon that requires swift adaptation, an uncomfortable situation for people to manage. Human behavior is approached with apprehension of an outcome and when change occurs, fear of the unknown can create resistance. As a manager, the professional leader must find a way to create smooth transitions when changes occur in a work environment. This can be difficult as the manager is not only trying to reassure his team members, but to alleviate his or her own concerns. Despite the perception that change will be an unwelcome addition to a routine, most changes are intended to increase productivity and provide benefit for a business. Therefore, it is vital that a manager find a way to successfully introduce and implement changes so that the benefit that is intended can be realized. In examining managing resistance to change, the systems thinking approach is the model that allows for the best possible outcome through the most organizational structures. All organizations have a basic number of ways in which they function. These elements of the organization exist in small and large entities, their purposes vital to the overall functioning of the system in order to provide an organic structure. Some organic structures are flexible, while others are rigid, and it is in the level of rigidity that management fails to create an organization that can more easily create transitions when needed. Without transitions, there is not growth, therefore in order to best manage resistance to change, an organic, flexible ideology will best serve reducing resistance to change. Literature Review The primary problem presented with an element of change within an organization is in dealing with the anxiety that team members feel when their space of comfort is disrupted. Work consists of creating known habits and behaviors that define the progression of the day. When change is implemen ted, anxiety is created as the individual must reconcile what is a known outcome with what is an unknown variable. Maltz (2008), discusses the balance that is created by the existence of transition having a natural correspondence with resistance. There is an element of ’data’ in regard to resistance which is critical in defining productivity, development, and the creation of a successful change within the organization (p. 3). The primary focus of the work that Maltz (2008) has

Battered Child Syndrome Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Battered Child Syndrome - Term Paper Example Once Battered child syndrome is identified, ensuring the child's well-being is of vital importance. Despite a large number of reports that are being made, there is an abundance of research demonstrating that mandated reporters fail to report child abuse even when required and that there is considerable variability of reporting rates among professionals. The research indicates that there is a range of factors influencing reporting. Factors such as gender and education level of the reporter, fear of damaging the therapeutic relationship, the wording of reporting laws, and incomplete descriptions of what defines abuse have all contributed to discrepancies in reporting. Moreover, professionals often believe that the legal standard of reasonable suspicion is insufficient to demonstrate that abuse has occurred and therefore refrain from reporting. By 1967, almost all states had adopted some type of mandated child abuse reporting laws. These early laws were aimed primarily at physicians who came in contact with children in their medical practices. They served to help physicians identify possible abuse victims and established reporting procedures. These early laws were later expanded to include a variety of other professionals who have contact with children. The adoption of mandated reporting laws by the states was seen as one of the major contributors to the increase in identifying cases of child maltreatment. It also increased public awareness of the gravity and magnitude of child abuse (NACC, 2011).... It also increased public awareness of the gravity and magnitude of child abuse (NACC, 2011). In 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was passed by Congress, which established national definitions of child abuse and neglect. Under this act, individual states had to adopt the CAPT A definitions in order to receive federal funding for their child welfare programs. The funding provided states with new resources for investigation and prevention of child abuse. One significant part of the act was the creation of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN). This organization compiled data on child abuse as well as providing information about child maltreatment and prevention (NACC, 2011). In 1991, the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 was passed by Congress, and served to advance efforts to investigate and prosecute cases involving child maltreatment. This act has been amended over the years (NACC, 2011). Following the initial enactment of this statute, in 1997 the Adoption and Safe Families Act (AFSA) was passed in an effort to provide more timely and focused assessment and services for children and families. AFSA set the time limit for reunification of children removed from their families to one year in an effort to protect children and promote attachment with caregivers. Reporting Behavior Research has addressed a number of criticisms professionals have made regarding challenges to reporting child maltreatment. Research reported that, the vagueness of statutes, although legally permissible, decreases professionals' ability to make consistent determinations about whether or not abuse has occurred. This inconsistency and uncertainty contributes to a subsequent lack of confidence about

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example for Free

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay In the epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh ventures upon a quest seeking immortality as a result to peace and significance in life. In means of this journey, Gilgamesh undergoes a combination of grand adventure, of mortality and also of tragedy. He tries to reach immortality in unusual ways, each as unsuccessful as its predecessor. Gilgamesh suffers conflict due to being two-part god and one part man, in a preliterate time, when gods were seemingly to be replaced by mortals on the throne of the city-states. Gilgamesh tries first through his actions, but then undergoes a transformation which leads him to next attempt physical immortality. Through events of this process, Gilgamesh encounters whom is to be his counterpoint, his equal. Gilgamesh then learns, on his journey to immortality, the truth of a man who endures the wrath of a god, in which he has displeased, causing a stage of extermination of mankind. Gilgamesh gains mature knowledge among his quest. Uruk, his city, is his legacy and the key to his quest. The legends of the pursuit for immortality assembled in the Epic of Gilgamesh portray the conflict felt around Sumerian times. As urbanization swept Mesopotamia, the ethnic condition pivoted from an unsettled hunting society to that of a rural gathering society. Man found his relationship with the divine indefinite and insecure. From the gods, Gilgamesh possessed a perfect body, perfect beauty, restlessness and courage. From his father, Gilgamesh possessed mortality. This results in Gilgamesh having to face the ultimate conflict; conflict of the desires of the god and destiny of the man. Even the king, to whom all things were known, would have to confront commands of tragedy. Superior to all mortal, Gilgamesh finds no desirable match in love or in war. Intending to provide a companion, the gods create from Clay, Enkidu. â€Å"Enkidu, the ‘natural man’ reared with wild animals, and as swift as the gazelle† (Gilgamesh, 22). Gilgamesh and Enkidu seemed to equal out each other and quickly became partners. Gilgamesh was made by the gods so therefore has high self confidence, very smart, but extremely arrogant. He felt as if he had â€Å"supreme powers† and that nothing was impossible. Enkidu was raised by animals in the forest. He was brave, smart, and loyal to his new friend. Enkidu helped Gilgamesh discover his humble and kindhearted side by their newfound brotherhood. Even though the first time they met was a long brawl, the two became inseparable brothers. Not only have they fought against each other but they also fought against many other evils. This later concludes in Enkidu’s death and brings Gilgamesh into a sadness he thought he could only overcome if he was immortal. My hand’s strength, the sword in my belt, The shield before me† (Gilgamesh, 62), reveals the nature of Gilgamesh’s relationship with his soul mate, best friend, and loyal companion, Endiku. The gods in Gilgameshs epic are bestowed as being easily agitated and vindictive. Being two-thirds a god himself, Gilgamesh acts of defiance also speak to a bitter aspect of the gods among ancient Mesopotamians. The gods are depicted as being challenging to satisfy, sometimes penalizing without account or granting punishments that seem out of equivalence to violation. Both men face consequence by insulting Ishtar, but Gilgamesh is able to face his own mortality and Enkidu discover s great knowledge of the measure of life. Subsequently, the loss of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s young brother and dear friend landed Gilgamesh in a pit of despair. His equal companion has been overtaken by mortality. On his journey in search of immortality, caused by this fear of death, brought him to Utnapishtim. The man who was blessed with everlasting life after surviving the great flood. Aroused by the outrageousness, Enlil, the god of air, felt, â€Å"In those days the world teemed, the people multiplied and the world bellowed like a wild bull†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel† (Gilgamesh, 70). As the advocate of destruction towards human kind, Enlil dominates with his weapon of storm. To his care, Anunnaki, gods of the underworld, cast upon rising waters by lightening. A great flood that will exterminate all mankind has been cursed upon Utnapishtim. â€Å"I looked at the face of the world and there was silence, all mankind was turned to clay† (Gilgamesh, 71). Similar to Noah’s ark, like doves, a swallow and a raven were released. After land was promised, fed to the gods are sacrifices made by Noah and Utnapishtim. In turn, everlasting blessings were cast upon themselves and their families. Utnapishtim challenged Gilgamesh’s commitment to immortality by ordering Gilgamesh to prevail against sleep for six days and seven nights. Gilgamesh fails this request. This journey underscores his humanity, which he did not truly learn a lesson until he first erred in the wrong direction. Therefore, the society, by writing the story of Gilgamesh, guarantees not only his immortality, but the immortality of the new order being established. The Sumerians were the beginning literate culture of Mesopotamia. They carried the gift of language and ideas. In a time when gods were replaced by mortals, Archaic Sumerian civilization was the age. From the oldest of the tablets from Gilgamesh, language relates back to the one of the Sumerians. Through Gilgamesh’s desperate seek to find immortality, he eventually comes back to the point at which he began; however, now he realizes that the beginning point was always the object of his quest.

Essay --

â€Å"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you† (C.S Lewis).The novel A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway engages numerous themes associated with love and death. Taking place during World War 1, Hemingway displays the horrors of war, yet he contains Henry and Catherine’s love story in the midst of it all. Hemingway demonstrates themes such as religion and reality of war associated with love, and uses weather and loss related to death. The novel revolves around the love story between Henry and Catherine, taking place in the World War. Therefore, Henry emerges himself into love in order to escape and overcome the grim reality of war. Similarly, Catherine mourns the death of her late husband but uses love to to fill the void. Religion is a major theme highlighted with love in the novel. Literary critic Arnold A. Markley states, â€Å"A religion or any organized system of beliefs has to be tried and tested before frederic will be able to accept it, and as yet, he has found no system of beliefs or value to commit himself entirely. Early in the novel when his companions bait and tease the priest, Frederic nevertheless respects the humble man.† (173). For example The priest informs Henry of the nature of love. â€Å"When you love, you wish to sacrifice, you wish to serve† (63). From the very beginning of the novel, Henry has had a special bond with the priest and his messages, unlike the other soldiers. Als o during their summer in Milan, Henry and Catherine talk about their marriage. and having a formal marriage with religious rituals, but Catherine goes on saying, â€Å"You are my religion (237). So Henry’s religion lives only in the form of his love for Catherine. After... ...her in Milan, Catherine tells Henry that she’s scared of the rain. Though they both enjoy walking in it, she says †I feel dead in it†. Often the rain suggests imminent destruction; there is a storm the night that Frederic must leave Italy to avoid being arrested, Catherine dreams that she is dead in the rain† (173) Finally at the end of the novel after Catherines gruesome death, it is raining outside. Hemingway uses rain to imply that it is a force of nature which cannot be controlled, just as fate is something no one can control, Hemingway highlights love and death in the lives of Catherine and Henry as they experience the war in the background. He conveys this through religion and weather etc. Hemingway emphasizes that â€Å"Life never goes as planned...it's in those moments where you define yourself adapt and overcome. You'll become a better person because of it.†

Surfing, Duke Energy, and the Coastal Alliance :: Personal Narrative Environment Essays

Surfing, Duke Energy, and the Coastal Alliance On my way out to the beach I still had no idea what I was going to do for my fifth essay. As my surfing buddy and I exited the freeway and entered the town of Morro Bay I saw three giant gleaming smoke stacks surfacing over the top of the hill. As we got closer to the beach the three smoke stacks gave way to a massive power plant that was a mere fifty feet from the water’s edge. It was surrounded by a fifteen foot cement wall and cameras everywhere. I thought what a perfect topic for my paper. As we parked and started to suit up I noticed there was an abundance of strange looking birds all around us. My friend explained to me that the whole area is an estuary preserve that protects endangered bird species. With the towering Morro Rock looming overhead we began to wade into the surf. After I made it out past the break I turned around and saw a giant sign against the harbor wall that said â€Å"Welcome to Morro Bay† with the towering smoke stacks grasping hold of the tiny harbor like three long fingers. By the time we were done surfing I was determined to research this area further. Not just for this paper, but the fact that there was no way that the power plant is helping the estuary or the ocean. After having the opportunity to surf Morro Bay, I felt it my responsibility to protect these waters so that future generations might enjoy it. It turns out that there is a huge controversy going on because Duke Energy is attempting to get a permit to remodel the entire power plant. The official Duke Energy website starts off by saying that remodeling projects are going to begin shortly. I noticed that the plant was nearly fifty years old so it seemed logical that the plant needs renovation, but I was not convinced so I read on. Already treading on thin ice the writer tried to insert a little blurb about seawater intake at the end of the paragraph.

Estore at Shelll Essay

In recent years there has been shift in the fuels and lubricant marketplace that has resulted in more price-sensitive customers and a growing downward pressure on Shell Canada’s margins. Due to the financial pressure to reduce costs, Shell Canada launched an online, self-serve â€Å"eStore† to their agricultural customers in hopes of streamlining their business, cutting costs and salvaging their shrinking profit margins. The purpose of this case report is to address and analyze the issues surrounding eStore, identify the best alternative to solve the key issues and determine the most appropriate method of implementation. It is anticipated that these findings will illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of potential solutions, which will in turn lead to actual implementation of the best solution. Key issues encompassing Shell’s shrinking profit margins, communication and delivery and technology were identified and discussed. Using a SWOT analysis and the Porter’s Five Forces model, internal and external factors affecting the eStore business plan were analyzed. In accordance with the analysis, three alternatives were generated including the redesign of eStore website, abandonment of the online project and the generation of alternative self-serve strategies. After considering which solution would best serve the eStore initiative at Shell Canada, it was determined that continuing with the project and redesigning eStore would be most effective and a plan of implementation was established. It is recommended that Shell Canada follow the implementation plan in order to attain maximum success for eStore. Despite some reluctance of agricultural customers to adopt an online ordering system, there are clear opportunities for Shell’s eStore initiative to succeed in this market. Introduction As a leading manufacturer, distributer and marketer of refined petroleum products, Shell Canada limited is one of the largest integrated petroleum companies in Canada. With consolidated earnings of $810 million and $9. 5 billion in assets in 2003, Shell Canada was ranked the 14th largest company in the country. In recent years there has been a shift in the fuels and lubricant marketplace that has resulted in more price-sensitive customers and a growing downward pressure on Shell’s margins. The agricultural segment s specifically underperforming and because of this, Shell hoped to effectively implement an online ordering system that would decrease the need for costly rural sales representatives. After the initial launch in September of 2002, it was noted that eStore was not as successful in attracting and retaining customers as initially planned. This report will outline key issues, conduct internal and external analysis and prepare an action plan to implement the best solution to achieve success in Shell’s eBusiness initiative. Key Issues Shell has three key issues that need to be addressed before deciding how to best proceed with the implementation of eStore. Shrinking Profit Margins in the Agricultural Segment With the shift in the agricultural segment towards price-sensitive customers, Shell Canada is currently experiencing a growing downward pressure on margins and is thus faced with the need to minimize costs. The remoteness of Shell Canada’s agricultural customers provides unique challenges in managing communication, delivery and sales settlement, therefore there is a need for a more streamlined process in managing these customers. Using local sales representatives in the agricultural segment is costly, and thus Shell is faced with the need to move towards a more efficient, self-serve strategy for these customers. In order to effectively decide on an implementation strategy for eStore, Shell Canada needs to determine an optimal self-serve strategy to satisfy these customers. Communication and Delivery The second key issue is centered upon the lack of sufficient marketing of eStore. After the initial implementation of eStore, Shell Canada noted a pattern whereby customers had signed up for an account only to not use it again or use the system only perfunctorily. Feedback from the customers indicated a range of issues, including a lack of familiarity with eStore and a preference to use other options such as their local sales representatives, or the call center to place their orders. Some customers had not heard of eStore, and those who had, did not see the added value of eStore, and were concerned that an online solution was no better than either placing their orders directly through the 1-800 call center or faxing orders in directly. Many preferred to do business with their local sales representative as they valued the personal relationship of dealing with someone in their own community. Shell is faced with the need to develop a strong marketing platform that will attract customers to eStore in order to increase usage levels. Technology A user experience review of eStore by RareMethod consulting group also indicated a number of technological issues with the eStore website. While some customers saw the value, many found it cumbersome to use and experienced inconvenient interface-related issues. Some customers found the website cryptic and often encountered trouble when typing the Web address. If they failed to type the secure connection URL, it appeared as if the system was non-responsive. Also, the passwords automatically generated by eStore were often too complex for the customers to remember. They required the customer to remember a random sequence of letters and numbers in order to conform to the strict security guidelines. The log-in screen was confusing to customers as it presented what appeared to be two separate log-in panes, one for customers, and one for employees. As these two options were not clearly labeled, customers who chose incorrectly would be presented with an error notification, and would invariably stop trying to log on. The e-mails customers were receiving from eStore were also confusing. Instead of receiving e-mails from eStore, customers were receiving e-mails from eBusiness, and having no familiarity with eBusiness, would often ignore them. In order to enhance the user experience and retain customers on the system, Shell must eliminate these cumbersome interface-related issues and design a website that is more user-friendly. Given these key issues, the following ranking was created based upon their importance and urgency. Shell’s greatest strength is arguably the relationship they have developed with their agricultural customers. By taking advantage of the rapport the local representatives have built with their rural customers, Shell can effectively use these employees as distribution channels to promote eStore. By using Shell International, Shell Canada can also capitalize on considerable resources and expertise to develop an effective implementation strategy. The Electronic Customer Access to Shell (eCATS) initiative by Shell International to develop a generic electronic store can be used as the basis for the self-serve application needed in the Canadian marketplace. By using eCATS as their platform, Shell Canada is able to considerably reduce the development costs. Capitalizing on these strengths will allow Shell to effectively implement eStore in their target market. Weaknesses  Although assessed above as a strength, the relationship the local representatives have built with the rural customers is concurrently one of Shell’s weaknesses when considering the implementation of eStore. Because customers have been able to enjoy a personalized working relationship with members of their own community, they could be hesitant to adopt an impersonal online system that will remove the valued relationship they have with their local representatives. The lack of sufficient marketing for the eStore project is also one of the weaknesses Shell faces in implementing eStore. Many of Shell’s customers have never heard of eStore, and those have do not see the added value in using an online system. Even the local representatives are not fully on board as many feel their time is better spent dealing with client issues rather than promoting eStore. Other weaknesses pertain to technological and user-interface related issues. The customers that have tried eStore are not currently satisfied with the online system and as a result, eStore is experiencing low usage levels. Opportunities Due to the remoteness of many of Shell’s agricultural customers, there is an unfulfilled need to develop a system that makes communication, delivery and sales settlement easier and more efficient for these customers. An online, self-serve strategy provides customers with an easy, convenient way to place orders and gives Shell an opportunity to more effectively manage these customers and generate sales. Also, while a competitor analysis showed that there were many competitors in the market such as Imperial Oil, Irving Oil, UFA, PetroCanada and Federated Co-op, none was pursuing initiatives similar to eStore. Because these companies are likely experiencing the same margin compression, this gives Shell the opportunity to salvage profit margins and simultaneously increase their market share by providing customers with the innovative offering of an electronic store. Streamlining business using an online system would not only attract new customers, but it would also cut costs and relieve some of the pressure on Shell’s margins. Threats Although Shell Canada has few external factors that would seriously threaten the implementation of eStore, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. With the shift in the agricultural segment towards price-sensitive customers, Shell Canada must find ways to satisfy these customers in order to maintain their business. Shell must ensure that an online store is the most effective way to keep these customers, not deter them. Also, although no other company has currently developed an electronic store, there is nothing stopping them from developing one in the future. If Shell is unable to effectively implement their eStore, another competitor could easily learn from Shell’s mistakes, and develop a more effective online system that would satisfy the particular customers Shell was trying to attract. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis The ‘Porter’s Five Forces’ model was designed primarily to conduct industry analysis. It may aid a company to understand both the â€Å"strength of their current competitive position and the strength of the position that they are looking to move into. The model is used to identify whether new products, services or businesses have the potential to be profitable† (Porter’s Five Forces, 2010). Figure 2: Illustration of Porter’s Five Forces Model Source: http://www. quickmba. com/strategy/porters. html Supplier Power- Low  The supplier provides the input for the final product or service, and therefore the supplier for Shell’s eStore is the developer and platform owner. Although implementation of the online system requires the development of at least some the applications since they are not readily available in the marketplace, Shell has extensive resources to draw upon from within the organization therefore making the supplier power low. Members of the Calgary IT group were involved with the development of eCATS and Shell Canada has a strong information architecture already established to guide the implementation of eStore. Buyer Power- High With the shift in the agricultural segment from traditional based farming methods to business-class farming, the fuel and lubricant market currently consists of highly price-sensitive customers. As business-class farmers make up a vast majority of Shell’s agricultural business at 95 per cent, these customers control about 2 percent of Shell’s total market share, and make up a significant source of revenue. Since there are no associated switching costs, customers can easily choose to do business with any company offering the lowest price. As well, customers can decide which services best meet their needs and implementing an electronic store website is only as useful as the number of users. If few people make the transition, regardless of the services eStore can offer, the system will be virtually useless. Threat of Substitutes- High Although substitution is currently not a threat as no other companies have developed an eStore, it is likely that another company could easily develop the same initiative in the near future. While the internet is not heavily regulated in Canada, there is no way for Shell to develop a patent on their eStore system. Another company could not only follow suit, they could learn from Shell’s mistakes and make their own store more effective. Although Shell Canada had the cost-saving advantage of using eCATS as their platform foundation, technology is getting cheaper and companies may be easily able to buy better, more effective online applications off the shelf. Similarly, if Shell fails to satisfy customers with an online ordering system, ustomers may look to other companies that offer the representative relationship they prefer. Barriers to Entry- Low The marketplace in which eStore will conduct business is online, and therefore there are very few barriers to entry. Because there is little regulation online, other companies can easily enter this marketplace with similar initiatives. Moreover, it is often the case that the second version of an IT system is better than the first, therefore other companies can see what Shell has done with eStore, and make their version even more efficient. Competitive Rivalry- High  Taking into consideration the aforementioned factors, competitive rivalry can be considered high. With price sensitive customers in the agricultural segment occupying 2% of the market share, and many players in the market, the company that offers the lowest price will assume this customer base. Shell’s online initiative could potentially set them apart from the competition by offering an innovative, more efficient way of doing business. By reducing their own costs, the savings could then be passed on, at least partially, to the customer in the form of lower prices.