Hello Hello Essays - William Shatner, Priceline.com, Shatner

Hello Hello Essays - William Shatner, Priceline.com, Shatner Hello Hello Where no ham has gone before William Shatner, resurrected William Shatner has found a new role as pitchman for Priceline.com June 8, 2000 Web posted at: 1:28 PM EDT (1728 GMT) In this story: It's Priceline, pick up Big Head Bill and the Tribbles New book coming RELATED STORIES, SITES NEW YORK (AP) The guy in the leather jacket is flailing his arms, swinging his microphone, jabbing his finger, barking in his band mates' faces. Then, after several songs, he unleashes his finale: He grabs a guitar and smashes it. Name your own price! he shouts with beat-poet bonhomie. Who is this bizarre bard of the 30-second commercial spot, this histrionic ham so adeptly straddling the line between self-parody and self-humiliation? Might it be? Could it be? It is! It's William Shatner actor, author, starship captain, Canadian. William Shatner, 69, a celebrity retooled for the Age of Irony disproving again, in typically Shatnerian style, F. Scott Fitzgerald's warning that there are no second acts in American life. Here's Shatner the Pitchman hamming it up as he touts the name-your-price deals at priceline.com, the Internet broker of airline tickets and sundry other items. Here's Shatner the Manic Comic appearing as the Big Giant Head, the alien leader on NBC's 3rd Rock From the Sun. Here's Shatner the Sci-Fi Icon sent up by an arrogant but good-hearted Tim Allen in the wildly popular Star Trek satire Galaxy Quest. And here's Shatner the Novelist churning out engaging prose in three sci-fi series, including a set of tales about the resurrection of his alter ego, Capt. James T. Kirk Bibliography cnn

Universal and Diagnostic Screening in Setting SLO Goals

Universal and Diagnostic Screening in Setting SLO Goals Teacher evaluation programs require that teachers set student learning objectives (SLOs) using data that can help target instruction for the academic school year. Teachers should use multiple sources of data in developing their SLOs in order to demonstrate student growth over an academic school year. One source of data for teachers can be found in the data that is collected from screening in Response to Intervention (RTI) programs. RTI is a multi-tier approach that allows educators to   identify and then support students with specific learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with the use of a universal screen   of all students.   A  universal screen  is an assessment which has already been determined to be a reliable assessment of a specific skill. Universal screens are designated as those assessments that are: Accessible to all studentsGiven to all studentsSkill and concept specific  Easy to administer and scoreQuick turn-around time (1-3 days) of aggregated and disaggregated data to classroom teachersRepeatableReliable (Note: A â€Å"teacher-made† assessment cannot be referred to as reliable if it has not been analyzed by a psychometrician) Source: State of CT, Department of Education, SERC Examples of universal screens used in education at the secondary level are:  Acuity,  AIMSweb, Classworks, FAST, IOWAs, and STAR; some states, such as NY, use the DRP as well. Once the data has been reviewed from universal screening, educators may want to use a  diagnostic screen  to measure students understanding of a subject area or skills base  after a universal screen has revealed specific areas of strength or weakness for a student.   The characteristics of diagnostic assessments are that they are: Given to selected students  Reliable   Valid  (Note: A â€Å"teacher-made† assessment cannot be referred to as reliable or valid if it has not been analyzed by a psychometrician) Source: State of CT, Department of Education, SERC Examples of diagnostic assessments include  Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC-2); Childrens Depression Inventory, Connors Rating Scales. NOTE: Some results may not be shared for the purposes of developing SLOs for the classroom teachers, but may be used for education specialists such as school social worker or psychologist. The data from universal screens and diagnostic screens are critical components of the RTI programs in schools, and this data, when available, can help in refining developing teacher SLOs. Of course, teachers may create their own benchmark assessments to act as a baseline. These benchmark assessments are used frequently, but because they are often teacher created they should be cross-referenced with universal and diagnostic screens if available. Teacher created materials are imperfect or may even be invalid if students underperform or if skills are incorrectly accessed. At the secondary level, teachers may look at quantitative  data  (expressed in numbers, measurable)  from prior years: Standardized test results (State, SAT, ACT, NAEP);Report card grades (letter value or percentage);Attendance records. There may be qualitative  data  (expressed in description, observable)  also in the form of recorded observations by teacher(s) and  support staff or in prior report card comments.This form of comparison through multiple measures that are qualitative and quantitative is called triangulation: Triangulation  is the process of using multiple data sources to address a particular question or problem and using evidence from each source to illuminate or temper evidence from the other sources. In triangulating data to develop a SLO, a teacher make an informed decision on the student learning objectives that to help improve either an individual student or group of students performance.     All of these forms of assessment including those from the prior year, which may include universal or diagnostic screens, can provide teachers with the data to begin to develop well-informed SLO goals at the beginning of the school year in order to target instruction for multi-tiered student improvement for the entire academic year.

Industrial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Industrial Economics - Essay Example Kenneth J. Cook wrote, "Many small business owners and executives consider themselves at worst victims, and at best observers of what goes on in their industry. They sometimes fail to perceive that understanding your industry directly impacts your ability to succeed. Understanding your industry and anticipating its future trends and directions gives you the knowledge you need to react and control your portion of that industry. However, your analysis of this is significant only in a relative sense. Since both you and your competitors are in the same industry, the key is in finding the differing abilities between you and the competition in dealing with the industry forces that impact you. If you can identify abilities you have that are superior to competitors, you can use that ability to establish a competitive advantage." (Cook, 1995) An industry analysis consists of three most key fundamentals: the causal forces at work in the industry; the on the whole magnetism of the industry; and the critical factors that establish a company's success within the industry. In 1980, Michael E. Porter developed a leading model for analyzing the arrangement of industries. A complete industry analysis necessitates a business owner to make an objective examination of the underlying forces, attractiveness, and success factors that establish the composition of the industry. ... Collecting and evaluating information on competitors is essential for successful strategy formulation. Porter wrote, "Once the forces affecting competition in an industry and their underlying causes have been diagnosed, the firm is in a position to identify its strengths and weaknesses relative to the industry. An effective competitive strategy takes offensive or defensive action in order to create a defendable position against the five competitive forces." (Porter, 1980) The first step in carrying out an industry analysis is to evaluate the impact of Porter's five forces. "The collective strength of these forces determines the ultimate profit potential in the industry, where profit potential is measured in terms of long term return on invested capital," Porter stated. "The goal of competitive strategy for a business unit in an industry is to find a position in the industry where the company can best defend itself against these competitive forces or can influence them in its favor." (Porter, 1980) Beer Industry The beer industry has been seeing a lot of globalization lately, although consumers all around the world continue preferring local brands over the imported ones. Besides, the cost of manufacturing at one place and then shipping to other parts of the world is costlier than brewing it regionally. As the millennium came in, the international brewers began extracting positive cash from their regional acquisitions in the 80s and 90s. The beer industry stands global today. Heinkin and Anheuser Busch, the two giants in the beer industry took drastic and significant steps towards becoming global. These companies either acquire breweries in other countries or contract with them and then brew and

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Cause and effect - Essay Example It is commonly known that when a person engages in physical activities, the heart rate and blood pressure increase, making the heart be exercised as well. Moreover, healthy diets are now getting popularly advertised and embraced for the same reason of having health benefits. In relation to cardiovascular diseases, Ivan Gyarfas states that there are no vaccines against such diseases but there is prevention. He mentions having healthy living as the top reason for such prevention. In the past three decades, studies show that the death rate caused by cardiovascular diseases decreased by forty percent. The reason for two-thirds of the decline is the awareness and practice adopted by people about healthy lifestyle. Diets were designed to reduce calories, fats and salts that improved control of hypertension, the growing popularity of fitness exercises, and smoking cessation--all of which have nothing to do with drug medications(1). This shows that indeed, eating healthy foods, exercise and quitting smoking all lead to a better healthy body. On of the causes cardiovascular diseases that have caught the attention of researchers lately is the psychosocial factor. The authors, Susan Everson-Rose and Tene Lewis claim that this is an important factor that must be considered in treating or preventing the disease and studies must be strengthened so that the relation of such factor will be established as a well-researched standard. The two writers claim that the emotional state of a person contributes as a risk factor to cardiovascular disease. Among the conditions they have explained are anger and hostility which is said to be â€Å"typically characterized by a suspicious, mistrustful attitude or disposition toward interpersonal relationships and the wider environment, considered to be enduring which means, it is a personality trait† (475). â€Å"Anger is an emotion which is considered to be one component of a broader, multi-dimensional construct that includes hostili ty and aggressive behavior†. This emotion is caused by perceptions of unjust events or actions (Everson-Rose & Lewis, 475) which could probably be true or imagined. Injustice causes anger which eventually causes hostility that somehow affect how the heart functions which consequently turn to heart problems. Other factors that are considered psychosocial are environment stressors. Examples of such are work-related stress and acute life stress. As mentioned earlier, researchers are seriously considering the possible effects of such factors in patient however, Lang, Lepage, Schieber Lamy and Kelly acknowledge in their article the fact that this is not fully supported. The reason for this is perhaps the multiple factors that may be involved, practiced by patients who were also used as research materials. Among the other factors that affect the poor acknowledgement of work related risk factors are smoking and high cholesterol (7). Other psychosocial factors are social factors which take on the subsets of social ties, social support and social conflict. It has been observed that people with strong support systems like family and friends; reduce their risk of having heart problems. On the other hand, those who have been isolated either intentionally for the purpose of studies or naturally because of certain personal reasons,

In my project I am using three tables Essay Example for Free

In my project I am using three tables Essay Calculate Date Due Back   Scroll through on the stock table to the desired item   The hire table displays all of that item and status etc   Change the status from available to on loan (L), select customer ID from the lookup and enter Date out   Click Calculate Date Due Back button to calculate date due back Validation And Verification I will use validation in my tables, e. g. length check for phone number, and the presence check for stock number. I eliminate a lot of the need for validation with lookup functions for example title in customer table, and item ID in hire table. This helps to avoid unnecessary mistakes, and prevents unneeded duplication. Testing I will now show hard copies of the database to prove that it is working correctly. This is the Customer Table The lookup function shows what a patient currently has on loan. Miss Russell currently has two junior crutches, a junior neck brace and a junior wheelchair which are due back on 23/02/2003 and 13/02/03 for the junior wheelchair. The wheelchair is currently overdue, and my overdue query will show this. Miss Russells other items are due to be returned within the week, so they should be on the Due This Week query, I will show a printout to prove my project is working correctly. The stock information query below shows that the junior wheelchair, stock #1 is in Miss Russells possession. I will now show that Miss Russell has returned the wheelchair, however it needs repaired, and Miss Russell requires a replacement. I will change the settings on the Stock Hire Linked table, and click the calculate Date Due Button These changes now appear in my tables and my weekly stock report. I will also show how I can add new items and customers. I will add a Mr Wilson, living in Gall Street, and in ward 5. This also shows my phone number validation, as I have purposely entered 11 numbers instead of 12.

Hatred in Notes of a Native Son Essay -- James Baldwin

The Destructive Nature of Hatred Hatred for white society was a common sentiment among the black community during the 1950s. These feelings were expressed through different mediums, ranging from music and art, to the written word. But James Baldwin, a popular black writer during this time period, does not harp on this subject. Instead of preaching about his hatred for white America, Baldwin utilizes his narrative and analysis techniques to illustrate the destructive nature of the black society’s hatred for white society in â€Å"Notes of a Native Son†. The hatred many African Americans possessed during the 1950s caused multiple riots. Baldwin touches on this in â€Å"Notes of a Native Son†, by mentioning the Harlem riots that broke out during the time of his father’s death. Baldwin states that â€Å"it would have been better to have left the plate glass as it had been and the goods lying in the stores† (Baldwin 82), but â€Å"it would have also been intolerable, for Harlem had needed something to smash† (82). The black community, infuriated by improper police action, exploded into a fury of anger. While Baldwin does not argue against the riots, he points out their futility. The riots, as Baldwin points out, did not cross the ghetto lines. Instead of wreaking havoc in white neighborhoods, the black mob simply destroyed its own area. The mob had succumbed to its hatred for white society, but in doing so, destroyed its own neighborhood. Thus, Baldwin points out the self-destructive nature of the black community’s hatred. Instead of causing damage to white society, or even white property, the black community ended up inflicting wounds on its own people. Baldwin does not stop with this event to illustrate the irony of the black commun... ... and from it learns two key lessons to prevent a similar destruction of his own life. Baldwin first states that one must accept that â€Å"injustice is commonplace† (84). Prejudice, according to Baldwin, will always exist in life, whether it is against race, color or creed. But while prejudice is ever-present, Baldwin concludes â€Å"one must never†¦accept these injustices as commonplace but must fight them with all one’s strength† (84). In order to succeed in this fight, one must keep his â€Å"own heart free of hatred† (84). Thus according to Baldwin, the real fight is not black society versus white society, but rather man versus himself. It is only by winning this battle that one can avoid the path of destruction. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Notes of a Native Son.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84.

Proctor and Gamble – Strategic Management Case Study

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Proctor and Gamble (P&G) over its journey of about 175 years has become one of the world’s largest consumer goods Company with sales of nearly $80 billion and a net profit of about $10 billion. P&G has a presence in more than 180 countries with brands that accumulate to in excess of $25 billion. The company has achieved success by creating high quality brand recognized products that are sold on multinational level.It enjoys one of the largest brand names in household products like Pampers, Gillette, Tide, Ariel, Downy, Pantene, Head  &  Shoulders, Olay, Oral-B, Crest, Dawn, Fairy and Always and segments like household care, beauty, grooming, and personal health care. Although, P&G has world renowned brands, P&G needs to adopt strategies that enable it to maintain its competitive advantage over its rival. Consumer Goods industry where P&G operates has matured reaching the consolidation stage and competition amongst rivals is intense.P&G has many strategic options create competitive advantage over its rivals such as further market penetrations by rebranding its current line of products and selling them at a lower price. Another option for P&G is to expand in the emerging markets by collaboration or alliances with local businesses in various geographical regions. Lastly, P&G can specialize in skin care/beauty segment of consumer industry. P&G can provide consumers with products that are made with natural ingredients as trend in health and wellness is growing along with providing specialized products for men.INTRODUCTION P&G is a part of a competitive industry, and as such faces very stiff and fierce competition from its rivals. The competition faced by the company is virtually on every front like, market share, product line up, innovation of new products, R&D for new and existing products. It has witnessed a drop in market share and revenue from the developed market and but sustained appreciable performance in the developing markets.Th is report provides a thorough internal as well as external analysis of P&G, identifies its mandate, along with certain strategies that would help it increase its profitability, profit growth and sustain its competitive advantage in both developed and developing markets. The limitations of this report are due to the fact that it primarily relies on the information and facts as presented in Case 27, Proctor & Gamble: The Beauty/Feminine Care Segment of the Consumer Goods Industry.External references were also used and information was sought from the Proctor & Gamble Company 2012 Annual Report and the Proctor & Gamble website. COMPANY OVERVIEW Procter & Gamble was founded in 1837, by William Procter and James Gamble, who laid the foundation of P&G by initially making and selling soap and candles. By 1879, founders of P&G developed Ivory soap and established their own laboratory, and by 1935 the company established another factory in the Philippines after its acquisition of the British soap manufacturer, Thomas Hedley & Sons.In January 2005, P&G announced an acquisition of Gillette, forming the largest consumer goods company and placing Unilever into second place. At present, Procter & Gamble sells more than 300 leading brands, such as Pampers, Tide, Pringles, Ariel, Downy, Pantene, Head  &  Shoulders, Olay, Cover Girl, Pantene, Crest, Duracell, Secret, Folgers, Hugo Boss, Mr. Clean, Oral-B, Old Spice, Clairol and Zest. The company markets its products through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, high-frequency stores, department stores, perfumeries, pharmacies, salons, and e-commerce.It markets its products to over 160 countries, and operates a total of 115 plants in more than 80 countries all over the world. Procter & Gamble’s headquarters are located in Cincinnati, Ohio and it employs more than 98,000 employees worldwide. Off late, the company’s performance has dwindled as the company has been shuffling its strategy and has not been able to keep competitors at bay (Chung, 2012). Recently the company’s Board has unanimously accepted CEO McDonald, who had joined in July 2009, as the one who would plan and head the company’s turnaround of performance (Chung, Jul 2012).As such the company has adopted a multi-fold strategy to cut costs by a big chunk and bring up new and innovative products to shore up sales and profits. Example being the fact that â€Å"the company will launch at least nine new products in the next four months, many of them priced at a premium to generate higher profit margins† (Monk, 2012). MANDATE The mission of the company is to â€Å"provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come†.And this would automatically generate value for all its stakeholders in form of higher sales and returns. The vision of the company is to be recognized as à ¢â‚¬Å"the best consumer products and services company in the world†. P&G has kept is vision powerful and yet pretty clear. This vision of the company is simple enough be easily comprehended by all its stakeholders. The core values of the company rotate around the consumers, its brands and its employees. These values are leadership, ownership, integrity, passion for winning and trust.The company, through all its core values, has tried to address the fact that they seek to work and deliver a trust to their consumers with the help of their employees, who are expected to work with leadership and ownership and must have a passion for winning so that they can together work to strive to achieve the vision of the company. Just like the vision of the company, the core values also are very clear and straight forward that define the reason for the existence of the company. P&G’s stakeholders are its customers, shareholders, employees, uppliers and communities in which it operates. P&G’s customers are the ones who ultimately use the products and given the fact that the industry is highly customer oriented and demand driven. The shareholders invest in P&G’s shares providing the company with capital and the company rewards them by consistently creating and increasing the shareholder value. Proctor and gamble employees worldwide are considered its most important asset who are the back bone of this giant corporation, they expect ethical treatment along with fair wages and good working conditions.Another important stakeholder of P&G is its suppliers whose organizations heavily rely on the business agreements with P&G, and the businesses who sell and distribute P&G products. Also, different communities all over the world from Cincinnati, Ohio to the many communities around the world who are provided with jobs, employee education, stability and who pay taxes because of Procter & Gamble. EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 1. Competitive Rivalry: The industry that P&G op erates in is highly competitive and it has emerged as one of the leaders in the industry.This industry has five major competitors and has reached the stage of consolidation. Due to industry consolidation, changes made by one company forces other competitors to react and follow suit. This increases rivalry and might lead to price wars. The demand for beauty and personal hygiene products is on the rise due to many factors such as; the growth in the economies of developing world has improved the standard of living of people in those regions; men are becoming more interested in beauty and skin care; and also due to the growing demand for products made with natural ingredients and raw materials.This increase in demand and potential for growth has provided stability in the industry. 2. Threat of New Entrants: Five major competitors in this industry have captured most of the market share through economies of scale and brand loyalty. The wide range of products in major competitor’s p ortfolio makes it extremely difficult for the new entrants to compete and gain any significant market share. Potential entrant would require an enormous amount of capital for manufacturing alongside a huge budget for marketing activities, R&D, supply/sales channel in order to compete at the same level as major competitors.This creates a very high barrier to entry in the industry that makes the threat of new entrants, very low for the industry. The patents held by the company on various products also act as barriers to entry. 3. Bargaining Power of the Buyers: Businesses in this industry rely heavily on its buyers to generate a considerable portion of revenue. Buyers of this industry are mainly distributors like Walmart, Macy’s, Target etc. These distributors buy in large quantities which increases their buying power allowing them to bargain lower prices.As a result, over exposure of sales to any single buyer could pose a serious threat to this industry if competitors do not h ave their own customized distribution network. 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: There are almost no substitutes for raw materials being used in products manufactured by this industry which is a cause of concern. Suppliers seem to enjoy high bargaining power but the sheer size and quantities purchased by major competitors in this industry tends to scale back the supplier power as competitors can move towards vertical integration.Hence, the buying power of suppliers is medium. 5. Threat of Substitutes: There are no known substitutes for this industry which places the threat of substitutes at a very low level. Macro Environment The raw materials used to manufacture products in various segments of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry are regulated by governments in many countries. There is a risk that currently used raw materials may be considered potentially dangerous and therefore restricted in their use due to the increase in health consciousness especially in western markets. Product testing can take months even years before getting an approval for consumption and during this time regulations can change preventing a product from ever being introduced to the market resulting in large R&D expenses which may never be recovered. Social forces can have an effect on this industry such as the desire for organic products as consumers become concerned that chemicals currently being used can cause long-term health ailments like cancer and skin diseases.Men are also fast becoming more interested in beauty and hygiene products and populations in developing countries are also turning towards beauty and personal hygiene products as their living standards improve. The future for this industry is bright with potential for growth but for some companies this can be a threat if they fail at product innovation and strategizing their business as per the changing trends. Technological changes such as exponential growth in internet and ecommerce provides a great platform to th is industry to market its products directly to target demographics and also to raise awareness of personal hygiene.On the internet, there is a massive potential to target consumers based on their web searches, previous online purchases, etc. Advancement in technology can also help this industry’s distribution systems such as emergence of real-time inventory systems allows inventory levels to be replenished on time and prevent excessive inventory on-hand in factories or warehouses. The reduced barriers to international trade give companies in the industry the opportunity to expand into various regions of the world. Many regions like China, India, and South America are opening up to the world providing an excellent opportunity for expansion.However, the reduced barriers to international trade can also be considered a threat if international companies expand into home bases such as Europe and North America which will in turn give rise to the local competition. INTERNAL ANALYSIS P&G is the industry leader because of its ability to maintain a competitive advantage over its rivals resulting in higher than average profitability. P&G has many resources that contribute towards gaining and maintaining competitive advantage over the rival. One ofP&G’s main strength is its strong financial position which allows it to acquire other companies. P&G has acquired Gillette boosting its competitive advantage over its rivals as Gillette mainly caters to Men which is growing market. Strong financial position also allows P&G to incur high R&D costs i. e. in excess of 2. 2 billion dollars. P&G is constantly investing in product innovation and improving its current line of products. The company over the past many years has successfully launched and managed new products.As such, P&G has the ability to push for innovation and ensure faster commercialization than any of its competitor in the industry. This investment in improving brands and innovation also promotes brand l oyalty. P&G operates in various segments of FMCG industry such as Personal hygiene, Household care, and Beauty. This variety of products offerings from P&G caters to almost all demographics; throughout different ages, genders, countries and cultures. P&G operates in various regions across the globe and has successfully managed to establish itself as a leader in these markets across many segments.This diverse range of product offerings along with its operation in various geographic regions allows P&G to reel through the recessions in the economy and maintain its profitability. Any slowdown in the economy of anyone region or segment is countered by growing economy and segments in other regions. Also, type of products offered by P&G are considered to be recession proof as they considered to necessity such as soaps, shampoos, personal health products etc. P&G derives its strengths from its various capabilities. First of all is that P&G has the marketing of its products in the industry.T his enables P&G to convince its consumers to buy products and also keeps them up to date with new products as well as about any improvements in the current line of products. P&G also has an efficient distribution system which allows it to distribute its products in various region of the globe at a lower cost than its competitors. P&G also collaborates with distributors like Wal-Mart, Target etc. to keep supply chain functioning efficiently. This allows restocking of shelves at distributors much easier as it provides real time data to P&G as stock levels deplete.This allows P&G to save costs associated with huge inventories and warehouses. Also, P&G owns and operates almost 115 manufacturing facilities across 80 countries around the globe. This is a great asset of the company which provides it with the capability of saving on cost of shipping products from one region to another. All these sets of co-related resources and capabilities allow P&G to save on costs and provide high qualit y products at a reasonable people which in turn has generated above average profits in the industry making P&G the industry leader.Along with strengths, P&G also has certain weaknesses and threats that can offset its competitive advantage and affect its profitability. In the current global down turn commodity prices across the globe are increasing due to transportation costs associated with higher oil prices. This will force P&G to raise prices on many of their products which might affect market share because some consumers may switch to cheaper low quality products. This is further exacerbated by the fact that switching costs for consumer are quite low between the competitors in many segments of this industry.While P&G has great collaboration with Wal-Mart, which allows it to maintain an efficient supply chain management but this is also one of the weaknesses of P&G as Wal-Mart is its number one buyer as considerable amount of P&G sales are accounted to Wal-Mart and followed by oth er major retailers like Target, Zellers, etc. This provides buyers with immense buying power and any decrease of sales at any of the top customers can affect P&G effecting its revenues and subsequent profitability.P&G is also exposed heavily towards the matured markets of Europe and North America. STRATEGIC OPTIONS Further Market Penetration – In this strategy, P&G should increase market penetration its current skin care and personal hygiene segments. P&G should look towards in its customer base and specifically targeting low income consumers in mature markets. P&G can achieve economies of scale in its current product mix by rebranding such as packaging or size/volume of the product. This way P&G will be altering its existing products at a low fixed cost.By harbouring this strategy, P&G will be able sell its products at a cheaper price and increase its revenue and subsequent profits. This is low risk strategy because P&G has managed to achieve strong brand recognition and cus tomer loyalty so P&G does not have to incur huge marketing costs in order to introduce its products to the market. P&G already and effective supply chain management and it has good relationship with mega distributors like Wal-Mart, Target etc. so it will be much easier for P&G to introduce these rebranded products to consumers.Furthermore, P&G has a strong financial position which is essential in case the strategy fails to garner expected results. Further Market Penetration| Arena| All markets where P&G currently has a presence| Differentiator| Price, Quality| Vehicles| Rebranding, marketing| Staging| Rebrand products in different packaging with less volume quantities| Economic Model| Sell rebranded products at lower price to the low income consumers| Pros| Enhances existing capabilities and resources Low Risk| Cons| Short to medium term solutionBrand loyalty is scarce in consumers looking for lower priced products| Table 1There are some drawbacks in this strategy which must be cons idered such as the lack brand loyalty in low income consumers. Low income consumers tend to prefer products that are competitively priced so if another competitor implements the same strategy they can take away P&G’s market share. Hence, this strategy is only viable from short to medium term. Global Expansion in Emerging Markets – P&G derive most of its revenues from matured market of North America and Europe where market has reached the saturation point and revenue growth is stagnant.Unlike the mature markets, emerging or growth markets have a lot of potential for growth and there is a lot of market share up for grabs. As P&G looks to gain greater share in the developing countries, it needs to adjust its planning according to the demographics of such country i. e. ethnic groups with different skins, hair types etc. As P&G already has a strong set of products, it must be relatively easier for P&G to penetrate into emerging markets especially in terms of brand recogniti on, mass market presence, and brand loyalty.P&G can avail this opportunity by introducing quality products based on the specific needs of the local population or by acquisition of businesses who produce such products. This strategy would help P&G in the long run as it would allow P&G in keep its revenues up during the economic downturns in mature markets as sales in emerging markets will offset the recessions in the mature markets. Rules and regulations vary country to country so some countries can have stringent rules for Multi-national Corporation to protect its local businesses.Global Strategic Alliance or collaborations with local businesses will enable P&G to expand in to the local market in areas such as China, India or South America. The extensive knowledge of consumers, market trends, laws and regulations that Partner Company brings to the table can be considered an excellent distinctive competency. Global Expansion in to emerging Markets| Arena| Emerging Markets| Differenti ator| Price, Quality| Vehicles| Collaborations (Global strategic alliances), Acquisitions,| Staging| Collaboration with local businesses and then move towards acquisition of the same. Economic Model| Provide quality product at reasonable price to consumers in the emerging markets| Pros| Great long term potentialDiversification through operations in various regions which provides an opportunity to keep revenues up during recession in one region| Cons| High risk involved in collaboration/acquisitions along with the instability of economic growth in emerging marketsCompany can lag behind in innovation| Table 2 P&G should select it partner carefully in emerging markets keeping in mind the risks associated such as rules, regulations etc.P&G must form a structure where the share, responsibilities of each party is clearly defined along with contingency plans to mitigate various risks involved. P&G should protect its trade secrets and product formulas so manufacturing facilities must have s eparate units, and PG should also get all its patents recognized in the region where it will operate. Some of the cons of this strategy are embedded with the collaborations with local businesses and the instability in the emerging markets.Also, P&G will essentially be rebranding most of the products it sells in mature markets along with selling some products of its partners which means there will be less spending on R&D and company might lag behind in innovation of new revolutionary products. Differentiation in Beauty/Skin Care Segment – In this strategy, P&G will offer unique and innovative products that address special needs of various market segments and demographics such as products with natural/organic ingredients, products for certain demographics such as men, ethnic groups etc.Beauty/skin care segment of consumer goods industry is growing as consumers are more interested in grooming themselves with better products and growing trends in health/wellness. P&G can create a competetive advantage by specializing in products made for men and products made with natural/organic ingredients. This strategy will require acquisition of products or spending in R&D to innovate such products in house. This will also require aggressive marketing and branding of such products to introduce them to the consumer.These products must be priced at a premium price based on the advertising costs, acquisitions and R&D spending. Many features of the products along with quality will offset and justify the higher price for such products. With continuous R&D spending over time, advancement in technologies and increasing competition, prices will eventually reduce. If P&G is able to acquire or create new line of specialized products which caters to certain market segments or demographics, it will be a competitive advantage for P&G over its rivals.Differentiation in Beauty/Skin Care Segment| Arena| Mature Markets first and move into growth/emerging markets| Differentiator| Select ion, Quality| Vehicles| Acquisitions, Signalling| Staging| Acquisitions of major business involved in organic and men beauty/personal hygiene segments| Economic Model| Sell specialized products targeting certain customers with premium prices i. e. organic products| Pros| Leverages existing resources and capabilitiesLong Term potential| Cons| High Risk with acquisitionsHigh costs associated with R&D spending| Table 3This strategy has some disadvantages as well such as it requires a lot of capital investment either for acquisition or R&D to create new products. REFERENCES Mockler, R. J. (2007). â€Å"Procter & Gamble: The Beauty/Feminine Care Segment of the Consumer Goods Industry† In C. W. L. Hill & G. R. Jones, Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach, 6th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Chung, J. (2012). â€Å"P&G's Board ‘Unanimously Supports' CEO McDonald† Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10000872396390444464304577534930564069566. tm l Mo nk, D. ( 2012) â€Å"Procter ; Gamble planning nine new product launches† Retrieved from http://www. bizjournals. com/cincinnati/blog/2012/09/procter-gamble-planning-nine-new. html Annual Report (2012) Retrieved from http://annualreport. pg. com/annualreport2012/files/PG_2012_AnnualReport. pdf P;G History (2012) Retrieved from http://www. pg. com/translations/history_pdf/english_history. pdf P;G Purpose, Vision and Principles. (2012) Retrieved from http://www. pg. com/translations/pvp_pdf/english_PVP. pdf

Main cause of the Pilgrimage of Grace was a widespread dislike of religious changes Essay

Do you agree with the view that the main cause of the Pilgrimage of Grace was a widespread dislike of religious changes? There were three main rebellions in Henry VIII’s reign as king; The Lincolnshire Rising, The Pilgrimage of Grace and Cumberland Rebellion. These rebellions were all connected because each one triggered off the next one. The three main factors that set off the rebellions were the economic state of the country, the political state and the religious activities at the time. There are evidences that support the view that the main cause of the Pilgrimage of Grace was a widespread dislike of religious changes. Source 6 states that â€Å"†¦ Pilgrimage of Grace was a reaction against the religious changes†. Everything about the rising was to do with religion, the banners that the rebels carried had the five wounds of Christ on it, and all the rebels had to take the pilgrims oath. Where they swore not to carry out violence and that the pilgrimage was all to do with God and not overthrowing the king. This is supported by the evidence in source 7 where it says â€Å"except for the love you bear to Almighty God†. The author for source 7 is Robert Aske, who led the Pilgrimage of Grace to defend the religious houses that were being closed and property seized by the king. This goes to show that religion seemed to be the main cause of the uprisings against the king; the evidence shows that the Pilgrimage of Grace was named due to religion. Source 6 also mentions â€Å"brought to the boil by the dissolution of the smaller monasteries†. The timing of the rebellions started when the smaller monasteries were closed down and while commissioners were in progress of shutting other ones. Many monks and clergymen were now starring at homelessness and unemployment and many felt that standing up to the kings new policy was all they could do-they had nothing left to lose. They didn’t have the skills in the fast paced world and no financial means to survive and were on poor pensions. However, the monks could easily gain the support of the local people as the monks had looked after them, and the fact that the monks would of most probably have come from the surrounding areas. Even though the monks could gain the support of the locals, many of them would join the rebellion as they would lose their place of worship and pray. Source 7 also mentioned â€Å"maintenance of the Holy Church† this suggests that people started to see that Henry VIII was moving away from the traditional Catholic methods and starting to take up protestant views. Robert Aske named this uprising using a religious name. This meant that many more people would join, as all the people in England didn’t agree with Henry VIII’s new religious policy. The audience for source 6 are for the general public most importantly history students however this source was written 400 years after the event and could be argued if the memory of the author is distorted or have the author done an extensive research. On the other hand, there are evidences in the sources to suggest that religion was not the main cause for the Pilgrimage of Grace. Source 8 mentions â€Å"involving many social elements† it can be inferred from source 8 that the rebellions wasn’t only focused on religious activities but also socio-economic factors. England at the time of the Lincolnshire Uprisings was in turmoil, especially in the north of the country. The successful resistance to the amicable grant had stopped the government, but the English people were now weary and didn’t hold complete support for the English government. The north had been in a poor economic situation for a long time, the economy wasn’t the biggest reason for the fights and rebellions, but it would have played a part. This is supported by evidence in source 6 where it states â€Å"those responsible to be punished† suggests religion wasn’t the only thing the rebels were fighting for. Source 8 also mentions â€Å"high taxes, enclosure, the statue of uses†¦.. † the harvest of 1535 had been terrible and 1536 had seen little improvement in the produce. Which then in turn lead to hunger and poverty. What also didn’t help was the introduction of an extra tax. This ‘new’ tax soon aroused suspicion as this use of premium income was only used at a time of conflict for the country. The government also introduced new policies which involved tax being paid to landowners and these caused landowners to cheat and charge extra amounts. This could have really frustrated the common people and might have pushed them or the force behind the Pilgrimage of Grace. Also the introduction of enclosures really affected large populated areas like York due to the shortage of land and this would have caused the people of the north to call for a rebellion. Moreover it can also be argued that there were political reasons for the outbreaks. This is caused due to Henry’s attempt to end his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. This was intensified because of Henry’s idea to centralised power, which meant excluding the north. Thomas Cromwell, who was no important noble family, carried out the centralising of the power to the south, was just a commoner turned king’s main advisor. Many people, especially in the north felt that Cromwell had no right to be advising the king. This is supported through evidence in source 7 where is says â€Å"†¦. bad counsel from his advisers†. In conclusion, it can be argued that most of the reasons for the outbreaks are religious based, but the risings started due to taxes, bad harvest, the introduction of protestant methods in church and the dissolution of the monasteries and the dislike for Cromwell and his new policies. These all surely added up to the triggering of the revolts. However, the amount of people that took part in the rebellion depended on the issue that they weren’t happy about. So for example if some people didn’t like the closing of the monasteries, they would have felt angry and frustrated enough to have to join the ‘Pilgrimage’. The fact the it was named the Pilgrimage of Grace seems to hint that Aske and others that started it only felt it was meant to be purely religious affair and that the other groups that joined in used as a front for their anger.

The eNotes Blog Scholarship Spotlight May2015

Scholarship Spotlight May2015 Every month, will select some of the best scholarships around and post them on our blog. Take a look at this months scholarships! When you are ready to apply, check out our tips on How to Write a Scholarship Essay. $10,000 Comeback Clothes Scholarship Amount: $10,000 Eligibility:  Must be under 26 years old. Requirements: Instead of trashing old clothes, give them a second life by recycling them. You’ll save water, energy, and landfill space.  Run a drive at your school or in your community to collect unwanted clothes and drop them off at your local HM. Due Date: May 31, 2015 NPFDA Foundation Scholarship Amount: $2,000 Eligibility: Applicant must be a full-time junior or senior at a U.S. institution, and pursuing a career in a poultry or an agriculturally related field such as agricultural business, poultry science, food science, animal science, pre vet, or food marketing. Requirements: Letter of recommendation, essay, official transcripts Due Date: May 31, 2015 The Merchants Exchange Scholarship Fund Amount: $500-$2,000 Eligibility: Applicants chosen field of interest must be maritime affairs or international trade. Applicant must be a junior or senior in an accredited four year university, or accepted to a two year degree program at an accredited institution of higher learning. Must be able to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Requirements: Letter or recommendation, official transcripts, completed application Due Date: May 31, 2015 Charlotte Woods Memorial Scholarship Amount:$1,500 Eligibility: Applicant must be a graduating high school senior or a full-time undergraduate in an accredited institution of higher learning. Must be interested in or enrolled in a degree program in transportation logistics, or a related field. Requirements: Three letters of recommendation, essay, official transcripts, photo Due Date: May 31, 2015

The Classical Dramatic Speech From Sophocles Antigone

The Classical Dramatic Speech From Sophocles' Antigone Written by Sophocles around 440 B.C., the title character in Antigone represents one of the most powerful female protagonists in theatrical history. Her conflict is a simple yet poignant one. She gives her dead brother a proper burial against the wishes of her uncle, Creon, the newly crowned King of Thebes. Antigone willingly defies the law for she devoutly believes that she is doing the will of the gods. A Summary of  Antigone In this monologue, the protagonist is about to be entombed in a cavern. Although she believes she goes to her death, she contends that she was justified in offering her brother his funeral rites. Yet, because of her punishment, she is uncertain about the ultimate goal of the gods above. Still, she trusts that in the afterlife, if she is at fault, she will learn of her sins. However, if Creon is at fault, the fates will surely inflict revenge upon him. Antigone is the  heroine of the play.  Stubborn and persistent, Antigones strong and feminine character supports her family duty and allows her to fight for her beliefs. The story of Antigone surrounds the dangers of tyranny as well as loyalty to family. Who Sophocles Was and What He Did Sophocles was born in Colonus, Greece in 496 bc and is considered one of the three great playwrights in classical Athens amongst Aeschylus and Euripides.  Famous for the evolution of drama in theater, Sophocles added a third actor and reduced the importance of the Chorus in the execution of the plot. He also  focused on character development, unlike other playwrights at the time. Sophocles died around 406 BC. The Oedipus Trilogy by Sophocles includes three plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus. While they are not considered a true trilogy, the three plays are all based on Theban myths and often published together.  It is understood that Sophocles has written over 100 dramas, though only seven full plays are known to have survived today. An Excerpt of Antigone The following excerpt from Antigone is reprinted from Greek Dramas. Tomb, bridal chamber, eternal prison in the caverned rock, whither I go to find mine own, those many who have perished, and whom Persephone hath received among the dead! Last of all shall I pass thither, and far most miserably of all, before the term of my life is spent. But I cherish good hope that my coming will be welcome to my father, and pleasant to thee, my mother, and welcome, brother, to thee; for, when you died, with mine own hands I washed and dressed you, and poured drink-offerings at your graves; and now, Polyneices, tis for tending thy corpse that I win such recompense as this. And yet I honored thee, as the wise will deem, rightly. Never had I been a mother of children, or if a husband had been moldering in death, would I have taken this task upon me in the citys despite. What law, ye ask, is my warrant for that word? The husband lost, another might have been found, and child from another, to replace the first-born; but, father and mother hidden with Hades, no brothers life could ever bloom for me again. Such was the law whereby I held thee first in honor; but Creon deemed me guilty of error therein, and of outrage, ah brother mine! And now he leads me thus, a captive in his hands; no bridal bed, no bridal song hath been mine, no joy of marriage, no portion in the nurture of children; but thus, forlorn of friends, unhappy one, I go living to the vaults of death. And what law of Heaven have I transgressed? Why, hapless one, should I look to the gods anymorewhat ally should I invokewhen by piety I have earned the name of impious? Nay, then, if these things are pleasing to the gods, when I have suffered my doom, I shall come to know my sin; but if the sin is with my judges, I could wish them no fuller measure of evil than they, on their part, mete wrongfully to me. Source: Green Dramas. Ed. Bernadotte Perrin. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1904

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

Israel 2 - Essay Example â€Å"In contrast to these sources which presuppose that the Omrides were strong rulers over an autonomous kingdom and in hostile relations with the Yahwistic prophets, the stories of the three battles with Ben-haded and the Elisha stories presuppose quite a different situation. Both of these narrative groups†¦depict the king or kings of Israel as international weaklings, bullied by the Syrian kings of Samaria.† (Miller and Hayes, 262) Therefore, as pointed out by Miller and Hayes, the sources relating to the Omride kings disagree over the political power of the Omrides. Similarly, the authors argue that there are significant conflicts in the sources relating to the Omride kings as the sources disagree over the sequence of Syrian kings during the period of the Omrides. The information about the sequence of Syrian kings during the period of the Omrides conflicts â€Å"with the biblical stories of the three battles with Ben-haded as well as with the Elisha stories, if one assumes that these two narrative groups are in proper context. That is, if the stories of the three battles with Ben-haded actually pertain to the last years of Ahab and the Elisha stories actually pertain to Jehoram’s reign, then we have a Ben-haded on the throne of Syria followed by Hazel rather than a Hadadezer followed by Hazel.† (Miller and Hayes, 263) Miller and Hayes provide an important picture of Omri and Ahab in international politics/affairs in the famous book A History of Ancient Israel and Judah and they give convincing evidences to establish and support their picture. According to the authors, Israel reached the zenith of its glory during the rule of Omri and Ahab. The readers are not able to gather a great picture about Omri from the documents, although he is the earliest biblical characters to be mentioned in ancient non-biblical documents and also the first king