Philosophy of Truth Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of Truth Essay There are many theories on the meaning of truth, and with those theories come beliefs and questions as to why one is more adequate than the others. The theory that I will discuss as the most adequate is the correspondence theory. Honestly, I dont possess the capabilities to fully determine the most sufficient theory of truth. I do, however, have empirical evidence and solid reasoning to support the correspondence theory. There are many valid arguments and questions of this theory that I am not qualified to completely refute. For the sake of this essay I am only able to continue this age old discussion, not to conclude with an exact theory of truth to follow. First I will introduce the basic ideas of the correspondence theory and then I will show why I support these ideas. Then I will present what some other philosophers have said in regards to the correspondence theory and how I interpret these statements. To end, I will discuss the basic arguments against the correspondence theory, and show reasons as to why these arguments are applicable to any theory. The concept of the correspondence theory says that a statement is true only if the facts given match up with reality. (Solomon p. 268) This can be a very simple approach to determining the truth. The basic idea is that if, based on my understanding of reality, the statement given matches that reality then the statement is true. If the statement does not correspond to reality then it is false. A statement is a sentence that can be determined to be true or false but not both at the same time. So ultimately I use past experiences and beliefs to determine my concept of reality. Then, based on my idea of reality, I determine if a statement is either true or false. To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, or of what is not that it is not, is true (Solomon p 268) This was Aristotles belief in Metaphysics and seems to be a very clear-cut statement on how to determine truth. Either a statement is true or false. The law of contradiction says that a statement and its denial cannot both be true. (Solomon p. 266) This reinforces the belief that a statement cannot be true and false at the same time. As Aristotle also said in Metaphysics It is impossible for the same man to suppose at the same time that the same thing is and is not. (Solomon p 266) This however, as some still argue, does not solve the problem that what may true to one, may be false to another. If reality is based on my experiences, then having different experiences can cause different perceptions of reality. The argument of whom or what would determine the final truth is well beyond my qualifications. This can cause a contradiction of truth. This contradiction, based on an individuals idea of reality, is another concept that I am able to only understand and take a position. I do not have the final answers to these arguments but I do have a perspective. An individuals concept of reality is unique to that individual. Based on ones experiences comes that persons concept of reality. Just because someones experiences cause them to believe one truth, doesnt mean they are wrong if I believe another truth. This idea of reality is what causes philosophers to discuss different theories of truth and their credibilitys on many different levels. These extreme cases and abstract ideas is where the correspondence theory draws in the critics. I feel that some of these arguments, though valid, are applicable to any theory. The first argument of this theory roots from the name itself. This argument of the correspondence theory states that there is no such thing as a statement or belief that by itself is capable of corresponding to anything. (Solomon p268) This means that mainly because our words have different meanings in different languages there is not one single statement that can correspond to anything. I feel that this is a weak argument in that it would mean that nothing can be true. There are many different languages and there is no single word I know of that is universal. This argument could be applied to any theory of truth. If what I say is not true to everyone, then it is false. That seems to be the basis of this argument and because of this belief nothing could be true. To me that is an outrageous and un-realistic argument. The next point critics of the correspondence theory make is that there in some cases may be physical implications with verifying correspondence. One example of this for me may be my diabetes. If I say my blood sugar is low the only way to verify if that is true is through the use of my glucose meter. Without the correct equipment there is no way to tell if that statement is true. (At least until Im in a coma! ). To me this still seems to have a simple solution; the truth isnt known until it can be verified. I truly do not know if my blood sugar is low until I have tested it. This may cause me to have to rely on another persons statement but then I can only form an opinion. If I cannot verify the truth physically then I do not know if it is true. This brings up the next argument. The final point I will talk about is that of abstract ideas. Some people will argue that the correspondence theory does not work for abstract ideas, such as love and feelings. These are difficult to verify since they are mostly feelings. There is no concrete source to match them up with. To find the truth in these areas is very difficult with any theory of truth. The best answer I have to counter this objection is that the truth to these abstract ideas is unique to every individual and is really more of an opinion. If someone says I am hungry that is really more of an opinion than a statement. Therefore these claims cannot be either true or false, they are a feeling and that is not for me to judge as truth or not. This leads me to conclude that the correspondence theory is the most adequate theory for determining truth. As long as a belief or statement corresponds with my perception of reality then it is the truth. Though there are valid arguments against this theory I feel that they are a stretch and can be argued against any theory of truth. Bibliography Solomon, Robert, Introducing Philosophy, 8th edition, (Oxford University Press, NY 2005) pp266-279.

Innocent Smoothies Customer Relationship

Innocent Smoothies Customer Relationship Although the smoothies market in the UK enjoyed a period of exceptionally strong growth of more than 150% between 2005 and 2007, this has now been stalled by the impact of the recent economic recession and consumers switching their loyalty to alternative, cheaper pure fruit drinks. As well as suffering from unfavourable economic conditions, smoothie manufactures have failed to convince UK consumers that the drinks are not full of calories and are not bad for their teeth, despite strong contradictory evidence from the British Nutrition Foundation (2008). The result of all of this is that the smoothies market declined by some 36% between 2007 and 2009 (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010). The smoothie market is now showing signs of a fragile recovery and Mintel forecasts that improved economic conditions, together with the increased penetration of the childrens market, will see the smoothies sector returning to growth soon (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010). 1.2 Background to Innocent From its founding vision of Europes favourite little juice company, Innocent has now moved on its goal to being the earths favourite little food company by 2030. This new vision encompasses food and not just drink and demonstrates how Innocent is moving in parallel with its customers desire for a whole range of fresh and natural foodstuffs (Innocent Drinks Annual Report, 2007). The brand leader in the smoothie market, Innocent, has largely been responsible for fuelling the growth in the market and despite the general market downturn, it still commands an 80% market share. However, Innocents market share has been boosted, not just by its own performance, but also by the decision taken by PepsiCo to remove its PJs smoothie brand in early 2009 (Mintel, 2010). 2.0 The Principles and Practice of Customer Relationship Management This CRM approach to business focuses on the retention of customers and the building of relationships with those customers. The concept of customer retention, as a lower cost option than a constant cycle of customer acquisition and loss, is a discipline that organisations have understood for many years (Rosenberg and Czepiel, 1984). However, some researchers have suggested there is a lack of evidence to support the quantifiable, financial benefits of customer retention (Dowling and Uncles, 1997). The notion of both retaining customers and enhancing customer relationships, in order to make them more durable and thus more profitable, has also been advocated by academics for some years (Berry, 1983). However, the idea of customer satisfaction as a function of relationship enhancement did not gain favour amongst theorists until the early 1990s (Crosby et al., 1990; Perrien and Ricard, 1995). The term customer relationship management (CRM) to describe an all embracing customer management system was not used until the mid-1990s in the information technology industry and was later described by Ryals and Payne (p.3, 2001) as information-enabled relationship marketing. The interchangeable nature of the terms customer relationship management and relationship marketing is now generally accepted (Zablah et al, p. 116, 2003). The successful implementation of CRM practises in the grocery retail sector has been well evidenced in the case of Tesco, which is the UKs leading supermarket chain. Its clubcard customer loyalty programme was first launched in 1995 and now has over seven million members (Tesco website, 2010). The scheme delivers a range of benefits to customers who shop both at Tescos stores and at its online supermarket and it also provides valuable market intelligence on shoppers purchasing habits, which feeds back into Tescos marketing planning process (Tesco website, 2010). This enables Tesco to deliver highly targeted and personalised communications via direct marketing which serves to further enhance the relationship with its customer base. A criticism frequently levelled at customer loyalty schemes is that they are not proven to foster loyalty nor do they deliver incremental sales and profits for an organisation (Dowling and Uncles, 1997). Tesco, however, has produced ample evidence that its loyalty scheme does indeed deliver on all of these counts (Humby et al, 2007). 3.0 Innocent drinks Customer Relationship Management Strategy Innocent has largely adopted a traditional approach to its marketing relying heavily on above-the-line promotion to build equity in its brand, which has been successful, as evidenced by its huge market share. Innocent has, however, dabbled in relationship marketing techniques in the past in order to attempt to increase the loyalty of its customers and encourage them to engage with the brand more. For an example, in August 2003, Innocent created Fruitstock, which was positioned as a free festival for nice people, the nice people in this case being Innocents customers. The event included live music and food stalls (Sahlman, 2004, p.8). Innocent spent nearly one third of its annual marketing budget on the first Fruitstock and repeated the event a year later when it attracted over 80,000 people (Sahlman, 2004, p.8) Commenting on the first Fruitstock, Richard Reed, Innocent co-founder, said, This event cost about  £200,000 to put on. At this point, I cant prove that it was a good investment. From a hard numbers perspective, maybe wed have been better off hiring new salespeople. But we are doing things that are hard to quantify. From a hard numbers perspective, why waste time on labels? There are important secondary benefits to things like Fruitstock: We had customers in the VIP area having a great day with their families. Employees could come with their family and friends. Its not just about advertising-it helps with recruiting, PR, and other areas. (Sahlman, 2004, p.8) Fruitstock has since been abandoned with Innocents CRM strategy now focussed on its website and associated newsletter which is sent to over 120,000 customers. However, Marketing Director at Innocent, Charlotte Rawlins, admits Were perhaps not as sophisticated in database management as wed like to be but  we do realise the value of direct contact and are going to make our newsletters more personalised (Turner, 2008). Innocents only structured current CRM strategy is based on its family, which is basically an informal club for customers. The benefits of membership seem to be limited to the entitlement to receive a monthly electronic newsletter and the promise of invitations to special events (Innocent website, 2010). 4.0 The Marketing Audit A marketing audit is a formal and structured review of an organisations existing marketing activities and market environment. The diagram below shows the role of the marketing audit in the overall marketing process. Objectives Marketing Audit Analysis Feedback Planning Implementation Control Feedback Evaluation 4.2 PESTEL Analysis A PESTEL analysis is deployed to enable an organisation to examine the external macro-environment that it operates in, as follows (Gillespie, 2007). (P)olitical This refers to government policy in terms of the degree of intervention there is, if any, in the marketplace. In 2004 the Food Standards Agency in the UK positioned itself to tackle the obesity problem by stating that there was going to be a focus on convincing consumers to seek out healthier food options. It also demanded that the food and drinks industry supported it in this stance (Food Standards Agency, 2004). The Agency did, however, concede that the industry had already made some progress in offering consumers healthier options but urged retailers in the sector to see this as part of their corporate social responsibility and not just as a marketing strategy to gain more business. Government efforts to promote healthier eating through an increased intake of fruit and vegetables with its 5-a-day campaign has created an awareness level of 74% amongst consumers with 58% claiming that they have taken action as a direct result (Food Standards Agency, 2008). (E)conomic This includes such factors as interest rates, taxation changes, economic status and growth prospects, inflation and exchange rates. Interest rates continue to be at an all time low with correspondingly lower mortgage payments for most homeowners. However, unemployment, and the threat of unemployment, in both the private and public sectors, has reduced consumer confidence resulting in a curtailment of spending on higher priced, so called luxury items. (S)ocial This covers changes in social trends that can impact on consumer demand. The age profile of the UK population is getting older. Currently 37.9% of the UK population is aged 45 or more. By 2031 this is forecast to grow to 45.7% (Office for National Statistics, 2010). There is a definite cultural shift towards healthier eating in the UK. It is unlikely that we will ever put health before taste, but brands that manage to combine great taste with practicality as well as a positive health proposition, are in an ideal position to win full marks from the consumer'(Quick, p. 3, 2008) (T)echnological This examines how new technologies create new products and new processes. The ubiquitous internet and the rapid onward march of mobile electronic communications devices will increasingly influence the way consumers interact with, and buy, branded products. (E)nvironmental Environmental factors include the weather and climate change and how these may impact on the marketplace. Global warming and climate change are impacting on the UK. With a generally warmer climate in prospect for the future the soft drinks market (including smoothies) may stand to benefit from environmental conditions. (L)egal This covers the legal environment and framework within which the organisation and its competitors operate. There are no current legal issues that may impact on the market. 4.4 Porters Five Forces Porters Five Forces model allows an organisation to examine how its micro market operates (Porter, p.49, 1980) The Threat of New Entrants includes such issues as capital requirements; brand identity and reputation; access to distribution; expected response from existing market players. Innocent enjoys an 80% share of the UK Smoothies market so it is vulnerable to threats from new entrants. However, the newest entrant into the market and number two in terms of share, Tropicana, has made little headway despite the equity in its brand gained through its fruit juice products and despite a heavyweight promotional spend (Mintel, 2010). The Bargaining Power of Suppliers suppliers of everything from raw materials to expertise can exert pressure on a business in different ways. For example they could charge premium prices for a unique, high quality or difficult to obtain ingredient or service. Innocent sources its raw materials from thousands of farms all over the world so is not particularly vulnerable to the bargaining power of its suppliers. In fact the bargaining power tends to lie with Innocent itself. The Bargaining Power of Buyers this refers to the ability of customers to put pressure on a business to reduce its current prices and to not increase prices. This pressure can manifest itself in different ways such as consumers switching allegiance to other brands based on price sensitivity. Smoothies are sold at a premium price in the fruit juices market. The market for smoothies is very price sensitive particularly during difficult economic times when consumers are liable to seek out lower priced alternatives such as pure fruit drinks. The Threat of Substitute Products this threat relates to the propensity of consumers to switch, not necessarily just to direct competitors but also to substitute products. Substitute products, in the form of supermarket own labels, pose a significant threat to established brands in the smoothie marketplace. The leading brands, such as Innocent, are suffering from consumers switching to own label smoothie and fruit juice products, in the shorter term, due mainly to price considerations. The extent of this switch is evidenced by the fact that the large supermarkets now dominate the fruit juice drinks market with their own brands (Keynote, 2010). The growth of supermarket own label brands is having a big impact on the sale of manufacturer branded, fast-moving, consumer goods (Veloutsou et al., 2004). Supermarket own label brands are no longer just the lower quality and lower priced alternatives to manufacturer brands that they once were as, since the late 1990s, they have been offering a genuine quality option for consumers (Burt, 2000). Rivalry among Existing Businesses in the Marketplace this covers such factors as overall growth in the market sector; product differences; brand identity and reputation; the nature and diversity of competing businesses. Although the smoothies market in the UK enjoyed a period of exceptionally strong growth between 2005 and 2007, this has now been stalled by the impact of the recent economic recession and consumers switching their loyalty to alternative, cheaper pure fruit drinks (Mintel, 2010). Also, smoothies manufactures have failed to convince UK consumers that the drinks are not full of calories and are not bad for their teeth despite strong contradictory evidence from the British Nutrition Foundation (2008). 4.5 Changes in Consumer Behaviour The emergence of global brands, such as Coca-Cola and Apple, and the continuing globalisation of world markets, together with the introduction of new technologies, such as the internet, have all enabled consumers worldwide to interact more easily with the organisations from which they buy their products and services (Doole and Lowe, 2008). This, in turn, has fragmented many consumer markets and made them far more competitive than previously. Organisations have to increasingly recognise that the consumer is king in modern business and if they fail to satisfy those customers, organisations are unlikely to generate improved sales revenues and profits (Blackwell et al, p.10, 2001) Consumer behaviour patterns in the grocery retailing markets have evolved over the last twenty years and are continuing to change. For example, in the last few years government campaigns promoting healthy eating, such as the 5-a-day campaign, mean that consumers are more educated about the benefits of healthy options in their diet and are, consequently, increasingly demanding healthy food from their retailers. A quote taken from a report by Business Insights re-enforces this viewpoint: 80.6% of respondents agreed that over the next 5 years consumers will increase their uptake of functional health products, but will also continue to indulge. (Kemsley, 2006) 5.0 Proposals for Improving CRM 5.1 Intelligence gathering It has been seen that an integral part of effective CRM is customer satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to customer loyalty. However, for an organisation to truly be able to identify and satisfy the specific needs of its customers, it has to adopt one of the basic principles of market orientation namely, customer intelligence gathering (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990; Ruekert, 1992). The type of intelligence gathered should focus on customer feedback that gives the organisation insight into its market position vis-à  -vis its competitors (Ruekert, 1992). The dissemination of the intelligence throughout the organisation is as important as the gathering process (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990). Apart from its family club here is little evidence to suggest that Innocent is operating an effective customer intelligence gathering system so it needs to consider this as part of its overall CRM programme. Innocent should conduct regular focus groups and surveys of its customers and potential customers to constantly monitor customer expectations, in terms of product quality and performance. 5.2 Helping Customers to Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle The PESTEL analysis has shown that the political and social environments are very much pro healthy eating and drinking habits and, consequently, are conducive to the growth of the smoothie market. Also, the Porters Five Forces analysis has demonstrated that consumers are not convinced about the health benefits of smoothies. In addition changing consumer behaviour patterns mean that consumers are now more educated about the benefits of consuming healthy products than ever before. At present, 100% pure fruit juices and smoothies count as only one portion in terms of the criteria laid down for 5-a-day, regardless of how much of either product is consumed (Ruxton, 2008). This is in spite of the fact that research has shown that that pure fruit and vegetable juices, such as those contained in smoothies, offer comparable health benefits to those of whole fruits and vegetables, (Ruxton et al., 2006). The Porters Five Forces analysis has also shown that consumers are generally not convinced of the health benefits of smoothies. So there is an opportunity for Innocent to help its customers better understand the health benefits of smoothies and, at the same time, lobby for their support in recognising the true value of smoothies in a 5-a-day regime. If customers could be persuaded to pledge their support through, for example, signing an online petition in favour of the proper recognition of the value of each portion of smoothies then this would not only galvanise support for the case for smoothies but also raise customers awareness levels of the health benefits of smoothies. Additionally it would serve to increase customer engagement with the innocent brand. This, together with the inclusion of general healthy lifestyle advice within the Innocent family newsletter, would all work in favour of customer satisfaction with the brand and could all positively influence loyalty. 5.3 Promoting Loyalty through Customer Segmentation Changing consumer behaviour has been shown to have fragmented markets and intensified competition and the smoothies market is not immune to this trend. This is further evidenced by the Porters Five Forces analysis, which indicates that the smoothies market is facing intense competition from substitute products, in the shape of lower priced, pure fruit juices and supermarket own brand smoothies. In times of intense competition, customer loyalty programmes are often introduced in order to improve customer retention rates through the provision of rewards for customers or certain segments of customers (Bolton and Ockenfels, 2000). Although loyalty programmes have their critics research has shown that they can increase brand loyalty and profit (Caminal and Matutes 1990; Kim et al., 2001). The PESTEL analysis has also revealed that the UK population profile is forecast to shift increasingly to the over 45s. Innocent currently has little resonance with this market (Mintel, 2010) and consequently needs to engage with existing and potential customers in this age group. By targeting this market, Innocent will be able to grow its market share outside of its traditional core audience, which is the market segment in which there is the most intense competition. Innocent should, therefore, consider developing a smoothie drink especially for the over 45s, which would have a formula made up of ingredients that have specific health benefits for this particular audience. Research has shown that the over 45s are increasingly conscious of their health needs and are seeking out the so called magic foods which include berries, almonds, and ginger (Starling, 2010). Innocent could easily manufacture a smoothie for this market containing such ingredients, which are natural and would not compromise its commitment to using 100% natural ingredients. Innocent could then also segment its CRM programme by specifically addressing these customers in its direct marketing activity and it could create a special family of over 45s within its existing overall customer family. By producing a separate newsletter for this audience, with unique and relevant content and incentives, Innocent could, for the first time, start to build relationships with the over 45 age group. 6.0 Summary and Conclusions The smoothies market experienced dramatic growth up until 2007 when the impact of the worldwide economic recession brought the market to a halt. Innocent has retained its market share and continues to be the dominant player albeit in a market that has suffered from declining sales for the last three years. Innocent has achieved its dominance primarily through heavyweight promotional support for its brand. However, this strategy alone is no longer enough to sustain the business in a changed world of fragmented and globalised markets where consumers demand more from their brands. The marketplace is well set to work in Innocents favour, however, with the UK government being committed to improving the health of the nation and consumers themselves having become more educated about the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Nonetheless, consumer scepticism about just how healthy smoothies really are is currently restricting growth of the market. Also, the ongoing tough economic situation is ca using some consumers to switch from the premium priced, manufacturer- branded drinks to more affordable supermarket own brands and to other products, such as pure fruit juice drinks, which consumers perceive as having similar health benefits. So there is a big task ahead for the Innocent brand inasmuch as it needs to persuade its customers of the true health benefits of its products. There is a precedent for the implementation of an effective CRM programme in the grocery retail sector in the shape of Tescos Clubcard. For Innocent, it is proposed that a much expanded CRM programme could help alleviate the negative effects of the current market conditions that are working against its growth objectives. These health giving benefits are probably the most important attribute that smoothies possess and Innocent, as market leader, needs to demonstrate its leadership qualities by engaging in more meaningful relationships with its customers and persuading them of the healthy nature of its products and campaigning with them for a greater recognition of this factor in the political environment. It is also important for Innocent to broaden its product appeal and establish meaningful and durable relationships with a market sector it h as failed to penetrate to date, namely the over 45s age group. Underpinning any successful CRM initiative is the gathering of customer intelligence. Innocent needs to invest in this area by conducting more research with its customers using tools such as paper based and online surveys and focus groups, in order to truly understand trends in the marketplace, the nature of its customers buying behaviour and, most importantly, how its customers relate to the Innocent brand. Only by doing this can Innocent construct and implement a CRM programme that will have resonance with its customers, and potential customers, and will, consequently, deliver an opportunity for deeper, more meaningful and mutually beneficial customer relationships.

Hemingways Themes Essay -- Essays Papers

Hemingways Themes â€Å"Hemingway’s greatness is in his short stories, which rival any other master of the form†(Bloom 1). The Old Man and the Sea is the most popular of his later works (1). The themes represented in this book are religion (Gurko 13-14), heroism (Brenner 31-32), and character symbolism (28). These themes combine to create a book that won Hemingway a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and contributed to his Nobel Prize for literature in 1954 (3). â€Å"Santiago’s ordeal, first in his struggle with the big fish, and then in fighting against the sharks, is associated by Hemingway with Christ’s agony and triumph,† (Bloom 2). When Santiago sees the second and third sharks coming, he shouts â€Å"Ay,† and Hemingway notes: â€Å"There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just such a noise as a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hand and into the wood† (Waldmeir 28). â€Å"Santiago is often regarded [as] a Christ figure, and his love for all living creatures and forbearance in physical pain are attributes that support this [idea]. However, Santiago shares few traits with Christ (Brenner 38). In his book The Old Man and the Sea: Story of a Common Man, Gerry Brenner states: Christ is a fisher of men, but Santiago is merely a fisherman; Christ is a figure with a divine mission, Santiago one with a secular mission (to bring back an oversized fish); Christ is a martyr who willingly but reluctantly dies for his convictions, Santiago is a persevering champion who is willing to die only to win a battle with a fish; Christ is a teacher of spiritual and ethical wisdom, Santiago is a professional with skill and slogans to impart (38). The Hemingway hero is often religious, but their religion is rarely central to their lives (Gurko 13). Santiago is Cuban, at once devout and credulous (13). However, neither his religion nor his superstitious beliefs play a role in his ordeal with the great marlin (13). God is sometimes prayed to by the Hemingway hero in a time of crisis, but He is never depended upon (Waldmeir 29). When Santiago says his prayers, he also says, â€Å"I am not religious,† even as he says his prayer (29). After forty-five hours of struggle have passed, Santiago says, â€Å"I’ll say a hundred Our Fathers and a hundred Hail Mary’s. But I cannot say them now.† (Waldmeir 29-30) For those ... ..., Mrs. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea† Lecture: 2000. Timms, David. â€Å"Contrasts in Form: Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Faulkner’s ‘The Bear’† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Wagner, Linda W. â€Å"The Poem of Santiago and Manolin† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Spreng 8 Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Waldmeir, Joseph. â€Å"Confiteor Hominem: Ernest Hemingway’s Religion of Man† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Wilson Jr., G.R. â€Å"Incarnation and Redemption in The Old Man and the Sea† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Young, Philip. â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea: Vision/Revision† Modern CriticalInterpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. HaroldBloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52.

Good to Great Book Review Essay -- Good Great Business Management Essa

Good to Great Book Review To transform a good company to great company is all manages’ dream, but only few of them make it. To find out the core factors which lead to a good company became a great company is very difficult, because in different era, different industry companies face different opportunities and threats. To begin the research for the Good-to-Great study, Jim Collins and his research team searched for companies that: performed at or below the general stock market for at least fifteen years; then at a transition point began to pull away from the competition, and sustained returns of at least 3 times the general market for the next fifteen years. He started with a list of 1,435 companies and found eleven that met his criteria. These eleven companies produced, on average, a return of 6.9 times the general stock market during the 15 years following the transition points. Collins chose a 15-year span to avoid "one-hit wonders" and lucky breaks. In the book, Collins highlights some important fa ctors which are the result of the research. They are level 5 leadership, fist who †¦ then what, confront the brutal facts, the hedgehog concept, culture of discipline, and technology accelerators, (Collins, 2001, p.12). According to Wheelen & Hunger, strategic management â€Å"is that set of managerial decisions and actions that determines the long-run performance of a corporation. It includes environmental scanning (both external and internal), strategy formulation (strategic or long-range planning), strategy implementation, and evaluation and control† (2004, p2). All eleven good to great companies are benefit from strategic management and gain long term strategic advantage then lead to outperforming compared companies. The first factor is level 5 leadership. A leader is the soul of the company. Base on the research, every good-to-great company had level 5 leaders during the pivotal transition years. In the book, level 5 leaders embody a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will (Collins, 2001, p.13). Darwin E. Smith is an example of lever 5 leasers. Smith transforms Kimberly-Clark into the leading paper-based consumer products company in the world within twenty years. Generated cumulative stocks return 4.1 times the general market, furthermore beating its direct rivals Procter & Gamble and Scott Paper. Level 5 leaderships’ ambition i... ...gy not likes leader, concept, and culture; it is an accelerator for the company. Good-to-great companies used technology as an accelerator of momentum, not a creator of it. None of the good-to-great company began their transformations with pioneering technology, yet they all became pioneers in the application of technology once they grasped how it fit with their three circles and after they hit breakthrough (Collins, 2001, p.162). Before become a pioneer in the application of the technology, we have to do the external and internal scanning to see is it the technology fit our long term strategic and hedgehog concept. Generally speaking, Good-to-Great are base on six major factors: leadership, staffing, information, concept, culture and technology. All these factors drive the companies good to great. Without a doubt, this is a must read for anyone in business, running a business or starting a business. Reference Collins, J. (2001). Don’t Good to Great – Why Some Companies Make the Leap†¦and Others. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. Wheelen T.L., & Hunger J.D. (2004). Strategic Management and Business Policy (9thed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

A Visit to Italy :: Descriptive Essay Examples, Rome, Italy

A Visit to Italy    The capital city of Italy is a very extraordinary place to visit. The population of Rome is well over two-million. The people there are very friendly and are extremely proud of their country. Rome is a beautiful bustling city that has a moderate cli mate. The temperature usually stays around eighty degrees. The main way of transportation is by bus.    The side walk cafes are very popular in Rome. The cafes were always populated with happy Italians and a few curious tourists. The most preferred cafe was the Cafe S. Petro. this cafe was in perfect walking distance from the Vatican city. The Vatica n city is were the pope lives. The main meals served at the cafes varied from pizza to tortillini. The pizzas were not exactly like Pizza Hut's pizza. They were crispy thin with very few toppings available. Most pizzas came with cheese, pepperoni and a watery tomato sauce. The tortillini had soft, medium-length, hollow noodles with more watery tomato sauce. Another favorite at the cafe was the lasagna which was unbelievably delicious. After having tasted the pizzas and the tortillini, I was not exp ecting the lasagna to be so tasty. The lasagna was packed full of hot meat, zesty cheese, and a tangy tomato sauce. It was not out of the ordinary to see Italians, instead of eating at the cafe, talking with their friends and sipping on hot cappucino.    The streets in Rome were always swamped with motor scooters, three-wheeled cars, and buses. Although, the main way of transportation are buses, Italians also scooted around on their motor scooters. The scooters were more convenient because the scoote rs could easily slip through traffic jams. The parking was very hazardous for people because some cars would be blocked in by a small car that was parked vertical between two horizontally parked cars. Car accidents were very common in Rome. When two pe ople had a car accident, they would just wave or yell at each other and drive hurriedly away. The police were not notified and there was no question of who would pay for the damages.    The worst part about Rome were the buses. These buses were jammed tight with people who were sweaty and excessively vulgar.

Business Enviroment Assignment Essay

Pl- Describe the type of business. M. Whitfield Pharmacists LTD M. Whitfield pharmacists are a large company around the north east of England. They are situated at seven different branches, Gilesgate, Thornley, Coxhoe, Blackhall, Wheatley Hill, Horden and Victoria Rd. The pharmacists and there staff are members of your local healthcare team. They aim to provide you with the highest quality of healthcare. To do this they need to keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you. We know that you value your privacy and he security of personal information held about you. You can download our information leaflet here which explains how we safeguard information about you. M. Whitfield LTD offer a wide range of drugs that can be offered either over the counter or prescribed by a consultant at your local medical surgery or hospital, this is depending on the strength and reason of the drug. Also inside the chemist it has advertisements for mobility scooters and other helpful things that can aid elderly or sick people around the local area. Inside all of the branches there is a consultant oom where one of the fully qualified Pharmacists will have a one to one about what drug is best for you. The purpose of this company is that it delivers high quality medical drugs and health care which is proscribed by a doctor or a medical consultant. Medical care is given either paid or free depending on financial status or education. M. Whitfield is a sole trader this means that the company is not very large however it has a large amount of branches around the northeast of England. To make this company bigger the owner will need to bring in some investors which could expand the company and ove more branches around the nation. The owner will have to work a lot of hours and he will find it hard to take holidays as he has a lot more responsibility then if he was in a partnership. P3 – Describe how two business are organised M. Whitfield LTD is organised as a small company, most of the branches are occupied with four to five assistance to control the branch whilst two to three pharmacists working on the behind the counter packing the drugs. All of the staff in the chemist will have different set shifts usually Monday to Friday. M. Whitfield is a private company not run by the government and will not be on the stock pile. The owner will have to maintain regular check-ups to make sure everything is running smoothly in all branches and the staff are doing their Job correctly. However the NHS is a much larger company and is run by the government. There is no actual owner of the NHS it is set out in departments which have directors in each department. Compared to M. Whitfields the NHS employs a lot more employees in for all citizens, based on need, not the ability to pay. The NHS is made up of a wide range of health professionals, support workers and organisations. The NHS is funded by the taxpayer and is therefore accountable to Parliament. It is managed by Department of Health – which is directly responsible to the Secretary of State for Health. The Department sets overall health policy in England, is the headquarters for the NHS and is responsible for putting policy into practice. It also sets targets for the NHS and monitors performance through its four directors of health and social care. Around one million people work for the NHS in England and it costs more than E50 billion a year to run. This will rise to E69 billion by 2005. Regional assemblies control health services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The NHS aims to bring about the highest level of physical and mental health for all citizens, within the resources available, by: promoting health and preventing ill-health diagnosing and treating injury and disease caring for those with a long-term illness and disability P4- explain how their different style of organisation helps them to fulfil there purpose The NHS is a fast paced

Review Questions

In your own words explain what is meant by: vision, mission and goals. Vision – it is an aspirational view of what the company will be like in the future. It is a detailed description of how things will be when the organization eventually reaches its destination. Mission † A mission statement answers the question â€Å"Why do we exist? † and expresses the company's purpose both for those in the organization and for the public. It identifies the organizations reason for being and may define the rganizations primary customers, the products and services that they produce.Purpose is to communicate what the company stands for and where it is heading. Goals – Is basically what the organization alms to achieve In future, perhaps to increase revenue, profit, reputation and loyalty to the public. 2) Discuss their role on strategy formulation. The vision, mission and goals play a great part when organizations formulate their strategy for the long term direction as it will help to identify the implementation steps, the planning, coordination, collaboration, communication and control that the ompany will need to do In order to achieve the maln goal of their organization. ) In your opinion, what should be the starting point for strategy formulation be? The competitive advantage from the resource and capabilities of the organization will be the starting point of strategy formulation. Organizations identify how they differ from their competitors and design such strategies to exploit such differences, as strategy is about being different and this will help In formulating long term direction, scope of the organization and alrnlng to achieve advantage In a changing environment.International strategy 1) What Is the difference between global and multl-domestlc strategy? Global Strategy – assumes a single market and offers a standard product to meet customer needs wherever they are located. This is a cost leadership strategy, exploiting economies o f scale and other cost efficiencies. Multi-domestic strategy – assumes variance in customers needs according to their location and therefore issues a differentiation strategy, adapting products and services to make unique local requirements. ) Identify five examples of each. Multi-domestic Strategy 1) Red bull and Packaging 2) Nokia 2) 3) Reebok 3) 4) Ford Motor 4) 5) McDonalds 5) Value chain and value system 1) Explain how the concept/framework of the value chain and value system may help in the strategy formulation process. The value chain will help identify competitive advantage. Focusing on the way the organization may use its resources may allow the organization to identify how it can be different and unique or where it can be more efficient. ) With reference to the value chain; identify alternative strategies available to the nternational organization Since an international organization will typically comprise of more than one business, the organization should be decomp osed into strategic business units with different strategies considered for each. An organization can develop cost leadership, product differentiation, and business innovation strategies to confront its competitive forces. Cost leadership requires the organization to find and exploit sources of cost advantages, efficient manufacturing processes and tight cost controls.Product differentiation is based on understanding the customers and heir needs in order to provide something unique and valuable to them. Generic Strategy 1) Describe each of the generic strategies Segmentation strategy Cost leadership – This strategy involves the firm winning market share by appealing to cost-conscious or price-sensitive customers. This is achieved by having the lowest prices in the target market segment, or at least the lowest price to value ratio (price compared to what customers receive).To succeed at offering the lowest price while still achieving profitability and a high return on investme nt, the firm must be able to Differentiation strategy – A differentiation strategy is appropriate where the target customer segment is not price-sensitive, the market is competitive or saturated, customers have very specific needs which are possibly under-served, and the firm has unique resources and capabilities which enable it to satisfy these needs in ways that are difficult to copy. 2) Identify and describe the strategies that may deliver a competitive advantage.Since an international organization will typically comprise of more than one business, he organization should be decomposed into strategic business units with different strategies considered for each. An organization can develop cost leadership, product differentiation, and business innovation strategies to confront its competitive forces. Cost leadership requires the organization to find and exploit sources of cost advantages, efficient manufacturing processes and tight cost controls. Product differentiation is b ased on understanding the customers and their needs in order to provide something unique and valuable to them.Strategy formulation 1) Identify and describe the different ways strategy may be formed within organizations In general terms, strategy formation in most organizations can be thought of as resolving around the interplay for three basic forces: An environment that changes continuously but regularly; An organizational operating system A leadership whose role is to mediate between these two forces, to maintain the stability of the organizations operating system while at the same time ensuring its adaptation to environmental change. Describe the key stages in a typical planning approach to strategy formulation 3) Critically evaluate, compare and contrast the planning and adaptive modes of strategy formulation Competitive advantange 1) In your own words, explain what is meany by resource, routine, capability and competence. Review Questions 1. Explain the significance of components (encapsulation) in the context of object-oriented development. 2. Explain how does OO based development helps reuse? 3. How does the concept of inheritance relate to OO-based development? 4. How does the concept of composition/ aggregation relate to OO-based development? 5. Identify the four components of a use case and how they affect each other. 6. Provide an example for actor generalization. What is the significance of generalizing or specializing actors? 7. Provide an example for use case generalization. What is its significance? 8.What are the differences between â€Å"extend† and â€Å"include† use cases? 9. How do you define structural modeling in an object-oriented approach? 10. How would you distinguish objects from classes? Can you provide an example? 11. Where do classes originate from? 12. To build an information system, which one do you need to identify first, classes or objects? Explain. 13. Structural modeling rep resents classes or objects? 14. How does encapsulation protect business rules from unauthorized access and manipulation? 15. How does an object’s interface relate to services that the object provides? 6. Comment on the statement: â€Å"Classes provide the containers and objects provide the contents. † 17. Why should operations be described by verbs? 18. What is â€Å"protected† visibility? Give an example. 19. What is the difference between aggregation and composition? Give an example for each. 20. Describe the relationship between dynamic modeling, behavioral modeling and structural modeling. 21. Comment on this statement: â€Å"Dynamic modeling is about interaction. † 22. How sequence diagram differs from use-case modeling? 23. Explain how objects interact by exchanging messages. 4. Explain the role of parameters and return values in exchanging messages. 25. What are the building blocks of a sequence diagram? 26. Explain the lifetime of an object. Provi de an example. 27. How actors and objects fit in a sequence diagram? 28. Why dynamic modeling is based on objects, but not classes? 29. Explain the following pairs in relation to each other: a. Method & Operation b. Event & State. c. Interaction & Message. 30. What are the components of statechart modeling? 31. What is the significance of statechart modeling? Review Questions 1. Explain the significance of components (encapsulation) in the context of object-oriented development. 2. Explain how does OO based development helps reuse? 3. How does the concept of inheritance relate to OO-based development? 4. How does the concept of composition/ aggregation relate to OO-based development? 5. Identify the four components of a use case and how they affect each other. 6. Provide an example for actor generalization. What is the significance of generalizing or specializing actors? 7. Provide an example for use case generalization. What is its significance? 8.What are the differences between â€Å"extend† and â€Å"include† use cases? 9. How do you define structural modeling in an object-oriented approach? 10. How would you distinguish objects from classes? Can you provide an example? 11. Where do classes originate from? 12. To build an information system, which one do you need to identify first, classes or objects? Explain. 13. Structural modeling rep resents classes or objects? 14. How does encapsulation protect business rules from unauthorized access and manipulation? 15. How does an object’s interface relate to services that the object provides? 6. Comment on the statement: â€Å"Classes provide the containers and objects provide the contents. † 17. Why should operations be described by verbs? 18. What is â€Å"protected† visibility? Give an example. 19. What is the difference between aggregation and composition? Give an example for each. 20. Describe the relationship between dynamic modeling, behavioral modeling and structural modeling. 21. Comment on this statement: â€Å"Dynamic modeling is about interaction. † 22. How sequence diagram differs from use-case modeling? 23. Explain how objects interact by exchanging messages. 4. Explain the role of parameters and return values in exchanging messages. 25. What are the building blocks of a sequence diagram? 26. Explain the lifetime of an object. Provi de an example. 27. How actors and objects fit in a sequence diagram? 28. Why dynamic modeling is based on objects, but not classes? 29. Explain the following pairs in relation to each other: a. Method & Operation b. Event & State. c. Interaction & Message. 30. What are the components of statechart modeling? 31. What is the significance of statechart modeling?