Saturday, August 31, 2019

China & Art Essay

China is probably the most influential and powerful civilization in Asia and is a good source of a very rich cultural and artistic heritage. In its early centuries, Buddhism, as the major religion of China has had a great influence in the country’s artistic imagery. Other art forms that thrived during this period were painting and calligraphy. It is also during this early time periods that China invented one of its greatest contributions to art and to the world – paper. Very early in during this period, the Chinese made what they called the mingqi. These are sculpted figures of soldiers, attendants, entertainers, and also of usual objects that people need and use such as houses, wells, stoves, and more. This is in part of their belief that even after death they would still need those things and continue living their usual routines as when they were still alive. Some of the early proofs of Buddhism in China were the carvings of Buddhist Images on the cliffs at Kungwangshan in Jiangsu Province. These images were dated back to around the 2nd century. At around 100 A. D. the Chinese had started working on developing paper. Rag paper (probably the first forms of paper) that was found was dated to as early as the 2nd century B. C. The first hemp paper however that had writings on it were dated to around 109 A. D. Cai Lun was one of those people who helped developed the method for mass-producing paper made from tree bark, hemp and linen. It was by the 3rd century that paper had been widely used in China. China also has their share of Ceramics. Ceramic products that hailed from the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu are most admired. These provinces also had reputation in the creation of burial urns shaped like animals. The period from 220 to 265 A. D. was the period of the Three Kingdoms. Known for its Chivalric and Romantic nature, it became the setting and inspiration of one of China’s favorite historical novel. Written by Luo Guanzhong entitled Sanguo zhi yanyi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) was published during the 14th century. Towards the end of these first 5 centuries at 317 to 420 A. D. , the arts flourished even more in China particularly at Nanjing in Jiangsu Province. It was also the period of development of Chinese literature. Some important Chinese personalities that arose from that time were Wang Xizhi for calligraphy, Gu Kaizhi for figure painting, and Tao Qian (aka Tao Yuanming) for poetry. And at the 5th century Xie He wrote the Guhua pinlu (Classification of Ancient Painters). Being one of the most famous Chinese critics, he wrote this book stating six laws which he thinks are the good characteristics of a work of art and the person who created it. His ideas have been recognized and considered in Chinese painting ever since. Conclusion It is quite apparent that in the three East Asian Cultures that were discussed, it seems that the Chinese really had a lot to contribute in terms of creating art and understanding art during the ancient times. And these contributions and ideas are still apparent even to the present day. Let us not fail to consider that other Asian cultures also had their own influences and contributions to , Asia and the World but China probably just had the most influential ones because they were probably the first in doing and developing many things also considering how big and powerful the Chinese civilization is. In looking for a commonality, it seemed that all three had their share of ceramic and pottery craft. Naturally, they did not yet have plastic back then and they were still quite new to metals which was why clay would be the main material they would likely use in creating things. They also had a different use for some pottery; they used some urns as sort of coffins in which they placed their dead. In understanding today’s culture, it would be good to look back and understand the ancient forms of art that had a great role in the development of a culture and how it influences other surrounding cultures up to the present days. Works Cited â€Å"China, 1–500 A. D. â€Å". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/ht/05/eac/ht05eac. htm (October 2000)†Haniwa Boar [Japan] (1975. 268. 418)†. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/ho/05/eaj/ho_1975. 268. 418. htm (October 2006) â€Å"Japan, 1–500 A. D. â€Å". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/ht/05/eaj/ht05eaj. htm (October 2000) â€Å"Korea, 1–500 A. D. â€Å". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/ht/05/eak/ht05eak. htm (October 2000)

Friday, August 30, 2019

Contemporary Philosophy Essay

On the first page of Being and Time, Heidegger describes the project in the following way: Our aim in the following treatise is to work out the question of the sense of being and to do so concretely. Heidegger claims that traditional ontology has prejudicially overlooked this question, dismissing it as overly general, indefinable, or obvious. Instead Heidegger proposes to understand being itself, as distinguished from any specific entities. †Being† is not something like a being. â€Å"Being, Heidegger claims, is â€Å"what determines beings as beings, that in terms of which beings are already understood. † Heidegger is seeking to identify the criteria or conditions by which any specific entity can show up at all. If we grasp Being, we will clarify the meaning of being, or â€Å"sense† of being, whereby â€Å"sense† Heidegger means that â€Å"in terms of which something becomes intelligible as something. † According to Heidegger, as this sense of being precedes any notions of how or in what manner any particular being or beings exist, it is pre-conceptual, non-propositional, and hence pre-scientific. Thus, in Heidegger’s view, fundamental ontology would be an explanation of the understanding preceding any other way of knowing, such as the use of logic, theory, specific ontology or act of reflective thought. At the same time, there is no access to being other than via beings themselves—hence pursuing the question of being inevitably means asking about a being with regard to its being. Heidegger argues that a true understanding of being can only proceed by referring to particular beings, and that the best method of pursuing being must inevitably, he says, involve a kind of hermeneutic circle, that is as he explains in his critique of prior work in the field of hermeneutics, it must rely upon repetitive yet progressive acts of interpretation. Thus, Heidegger also conceptualized that being with time prior of having that time alone. This means that we can’t have time by simply telling that time exists but we also need to have that sense of being or the individual being to say that time really exist. Time in other hand, makes a history because of that sense of being which Heidegger rely on with his work of the Time and Being.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Organizational Culture at Apple Inc

Organizational Culture at Apple Inc. In the year 1976, it was a dream for most people to buy a computer for their homes. Back then the computer community added up to a few brainy hobbyists. So when Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs sold a van and two programmable calculators for thirteen hundred dollars and started Apple Computers, Inc. , in Jobs garage, the reach for success seemed far. But these two young business men, Wozniak 26 years old and Jobs 21 years old, had a vision. Computers aren't for nerds anymore, they announced. Computers are going to be the bicycle of the mind. Low cost computers for everyone. From the first day on the founders of Apple kept their vision intact and they spoke it at every turn. They only hired people into the company that had the same visions as they did. Even though Jobs was the founder of Apple Computers, he resigned from Apple Computers in 1985 to form NextStep Computers after losing control of Apple. Steve Jobs was re-hired in 1997 to save Apple from its beleagurement when the past three CEO's could not bring Apple to its glory days again. Steve Jobs is one of the founders of the Apple. From the beginning his main goal was to make technologies that will change the life style and that will serve the customer. Jobs left the apple during the 80ies, only to return in 1997 and completely shake things up. He is known not only as a good visionare but as well as someone whose decisions are always unpredictable (switching to Intel). He is as well known for publicly provoking his competitors (Mac vs PC videos and talking how Michael Dell and his empire are far behind Apple when it comes to innovation and that they can only copy them. Knowing to implement excellent design to all of its products – Apple is putting a lot effort when it comes to design of all its products. After Steve jobs returned to the company, both desktop and laptop computers received new stylish helmets. Even the OS X and later Tiger had better appearance than Windows. Apple Computer, Inc. has experienced both the best of times and the worst of times. The further survival and success of this company will depend on what strategic course they decide to pursue. In order to do this, the company must first re-establish what it actually is and what it aims to become. It is important to start a course of action and develop a culture that understands and supports Apple’s mission. The computer industry is important for Apple. It should therefore concentrate in its expansion. However, survival in the computer industry depends on the development of new products and technology. Products are subject to quick obsolescence and being a leader in new products is essential. In the past, a budget was cut as a cost saving measure. This is still advised due to the importance of developing new technology. Another recommendation for Apple is to consider the licensing of clones. Apple is the only company in the PC market that makes both computers and the operating systems to run them, whereas the market is dominated by computers that combine Intel processors with Microsoft operating systems. Because of their financial situation, they need to better position themselves to quickly produce and distribute any newly developed products. For example, if they developed a revolutionary new product, cloning companies could assist in the production and distribution of this technology. Revenues would be generated from the licensing agreements. This could result in quickly establishing this new technology in the industry and re-establish Apple as a leader in technology development. Developing a better marketing and distribution of their products is a further recommendation for Apple. Apple products are not as available as PCs to the retail market. People should have as easy access to Apple products as they have on other PC’s. Next, Apple should develop an integrated and easy-to-use computer system. This system could be targeted to young children and older individuals that would be interested in using a computer but do not want the hassle of setting up equipment. Although there are many different strategies to consider, Apple’s future success will depend on their future strategic decisions. Next, Apple has proved to be much more innovative in the industry than Microsoft. By trying to be always one step further, Apple has managed to develop the iPod and iTunes, as well as the iPhone which are all complements to the digital industry. Microsoft has not developed anything new and original for a long time now. It seems that all they do is creating advanced version of the operating system that is not always compatible with the old ones. Unlike Microsoft who is desperately trying to buy Yahoo! nd stay competitive, Apple does not have to do anything to prove its popularity. It already has faithful customers and their numbers are increasing every day. The reason for this is Apple’s good knowledge in customer base. Apple’s move into new industry may have different effects on its core business. However, given the success of the iPod and iTunes as well as the further promotion on the iPhone, it is safe to say that Apple is doing well in both industries. This means that Apple has already shifted in a different direction (digital music) but so far it has had a lot of success. In fact, some people might have heard about the iPod first, and then found out that Apple is actually a big and successful company that manufacturers computers as well. If a customer is satisfied with one product, he/she will be willing to buy another from the same company. If a person sees that Apple is selling all of these different products, and they are all popular and good quality, there is no reason why this person would not buy from Apple. Apple already has loyal customers and any innovation that may happen could only lead to more success. It will also increase its profits and gain more popularity. This is why, we believe that moves into new industry might impact Apple’s core business, but in a good way – bring better promotion and reputation. There are number of reasons why apple is set up for success within computer and music industry. It designs a very good quality, compatible hardware and software products. The operating system that runs on the Mac hardware (Mac OS X) remains as the major advantage over any version of Microsoft poor quality operating system with a lot of viruses, worms, spyware, and adware. Apple creates programs that run on Mac Os X operating system, and this brings bigger market share. Apple is set up for success because it targets a niche market: the Apple users. As the case study presents, it creates its own miniature techno-environment, economy with a wide range of products offered to their clients, this builds up their market share, and strengthens their position, creating future loyal customers. Apple sets up its own stores to display their products; in this way it catches new potential clients. Apple launched many advertising campaigns; one of them featured â€Å"real people† who had â€Å"switched† from the Microsoft Windows platform to the Mac. A popular advertising slogan â€Å"Think Different† remained the integral part of Apples identity. Put simply, Apple approaches the customers, with original, funny ads, this precipitates to the creation of the products considered as fashionable, well designed and build on Apple technology. Apple owns a big share of the market, which makes it easier for the future success. It is better to work for Apple because it s a dynamically growing company with well developed campuses where the employees play and work at the same time. With the high technology used in the Apple product, employee can participate in the development or learn how company like Apple works. Apple is a rewarding environment in which employees can build their career using their special skills and talents. Apple is looking for newly graduated stude nts, and professional programmers who are looking for work sacrificed for people who would like to work in different departments, starting from Mac Hardware Engineering finishing on Retail. It is worth working for a company like Apple because of the success that the company has achieved. Steve Jobs has done an amazing job at revitalizing Apple Computers. He took over Apple when it was at the brink of death, and brought back with much life. In spite of the bad publicity about its unprofitable quarters, predictions about its death, falling market share, and advice on how to save the business (i. e. make Windows compatible hardware), Jobs continued to prove the critics wrong. Even with the 5% market share, Apple is trying hard to increase its market share. As the world’s lowest paid CEO at $1 per year (Guinness World Records, 2000), Jobs strives to make Apple provide the best computing experience to its users. To be a successful CEO, one must understand the market they are competing in. Even though the previous CEOs did not have any computer related experiences, but was highly successful and regarded at their previous positions. The CEOs did fail to adapt their strategies remain competitive in the computer market. Scully could not maintain the competitive advantage it once had, and the other two CEOs did not have the right strategies to bring Apple back to its glory. Because they did not fully understand the computer market as Jobs had done, they unsuccessfully struggled to keep Apple from falling farther down the market. With Jobs deep understanding of the computer market as a pioneer in two businesses, consumer, and a technician, he implemented many of the strategies Apple should have done in the beginning. His added value to the Mac with software, customized the products to a target market, and simplified the product chart. Steve Jobs has successfully saved Apple from death, but he faces a greater challenge, increasing market share. As long as Jobs can maintain Apple’s competitive advantage and sustain it, increasing market share should not be too much of a problem. References http://www. bloggingstocks. com/category/battle-of-the-brands/2. http://piqued. brianfrantz. com/? s=apple3. www. dailyindia. com4. http://www. operating-system. org/betriebssystem/_english/bs-macos.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Masculinity Representation in Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Masculinity Representation in Films - Essay Example 54). However, at times, when these action heroes start going back to the action roles that brought them into the limelight, in some instances, several years down the line, scholars extend their ignorance and overlook the fundamental divinity of age as they discuss the hard bodies of these hegemonic heroes (Bould 2005, p. 39). As such, this paper intends to analyse the representation of masculinity in one of the Die Hard films, namely Die Hard 2. The analysis will be drawn by references to the works of Mulvey (1974), Neale (1983) and Tasker (2004). Masculinity as a spectacle merely depicts an idea of opinion which a filmmaker tends to deliver to the audiences. This depiction merely involves physical prowess, sexual virility and aggression (Rzepka and Horsley 2010, p. 61). These are potentially bewildering images of action heroes. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that this hegemonic ideal is not only hard to create but also implausible to maintain for the contemporary male. Therefore, the figure that depicts powerful masculinity may only exist or be embodied in legendary heroes, mythical figures and a minute number of males within a society (West and Lay 2003, p. 27). Die Hard 2 is a story revolving around a police officer who lives in New York. The movie begins when on the eve of Christmas he visits his ‘distanced’ wife, who lives in Los Angeles. Upon his arrival, he finds her and the rest of her work colleagues having a Christmas party at the building in which they work (Gates 2006 p. 35). Coincidentally, some criminals posing as political terrorists invade the building, demanding the release of war criminals who are jailed in an American penitentiary facility. John McLane works as a New York law enforcement officer. He stays far away from his wife and has some unresolved issues; it is partly due to them that he is not on good terms with his wife (Rzepka and Horsley 2010, p. 89). He is a masculine character with virile physical prowess and social dominance. Another important aspect is the high level of aggression noted among these heroes. Prior studies undertaken concerning the subject matter of Hollywood’s presentation of male genres have characterised Die Hard 2 as a male-driven action movie. The audiences of this movie will not find it difficult to spot the genre of the movie, i.e. male-driven. This is visible and prominent in the case of presentation of the lead hero as a macho man (Milestone and Meyer 2012, p. 50). This is because of his spectacular ability to wrestle his enemies, which is a trait of a hero from a movie of the male-driven genre. Indeed, extant studies and research from a feminist perspective clearly state that the physical masculinity of an action hero gives a preferential tone for the action narrative (Carroll 2003, p. 79). An analysis of Die Hard 2 highlights that movie directors focus on physicality in such action heroes as John McLane, and the way they display their bodies forms a vital ingredient of the visual effects (Gates 2006, p. 58). Several suggestions are that American action films strive, frequently at the expense of developing the narrative, to contrive situations or instances for displaying the body of an action hero. Ideally, extant literature that examines both the hegemonic male and the action hero

Journal of Korean Melodrama A Moment to Remember(2004) Movie Review

Journal of Korean Melodrama A Moment to Remember(2004) - Movie Review Example A Moment to Remember (2004) is a typical Korean melodrama which is a beautiful romantic story with a heartbreaking view of love. Many may believe that A Moment to Remember is one of those typical love stories where the couple falls in love and eventually one of them gets terminally ill. This film was, however, one of those but the difference was that the girl was struck by Alzheimer’s disease. The film shows the series of forgetfulness suffered by the girl and how it leads to frustration and pain for the boy. The male lead is played by Chul Soo and the female lead is played by Su-Jin. This film gives thought to the views about the most important part of life. Some believe wealth and power are the most important while others say love and friendship. This movie rather portrays a simple view that our experiences are the most important part of us as they make us who we are. The movie teaches an important lesson about the significance of treasuring memories as they are the only thing we actually own. There are many other touching moments in the movie. One of them is the act and importance of forgiveness shown when Chul Soo is trying to forgive his mother for abandoning him when he was a child. Even though the movie is about the couple, it gives certain important messages such as being able to forgive is a gift. The movie then shows some really sweet and cute moments between the couple as they are torn apart by life. The story turns out to be painful and tragic as Su-Jin loses her memory. Death is common in melodramatic movies but this movie has pain and tragedy that is portrayed and acted very well. Thus, this movie clearly consists of all the elements that make it a good melodramatic movie. Melodramatic movies may commonly have five characteristics that are observed in this movie as well. The first is that it begins and ends with innocence. Secondly, the movie recognizes the virtue of the heroes and focuses on the victim. Thirdly,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Art appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Art appreciation - Essay Example This activity provided steady employment for many architects and sculptors who organized leading workshops in Greece, revolutionizing Greek classical art and architecture. The Parthenon, built by Menesicles and Ictinus, along with the Propylaea (the gateway with the finest paintings and sculpture of the Classical age) crowned the Athenian Acropolis. Other prominent works included The Panhellenic shrines, Delphi (oracle of Apollo) and Olympia (the shrine of Zeus). Delphi (460 BC) is the athlete offering libation of oil from patera (sacrificial bowl) in thanks for victory1. Ancient Greece produced some of the most exquisite sculptures the world has ever seen. The art reminiscence the freedom of movement, expression, and celebrates mankind as an independent entity. The great artisans of that period worked tirelessly to show the world what artistry could do for mankind. They replaced the strict asymmetry of figures with the free flowing form more true to life, through stone and bronze. The Greeks were fond of their history and most of the sculptures that adorned important government and other prominent buildings were those of the Kouros. Kouros statues dominated the archaic period of Greek Art. These statues were reminders of great Greek men and women who lived and died a popular figure. Most of these statues were stark reminders of those who died centuries ago and remain immortal through their artistic brilliance (Greeklandscapes.com, 2007). During the Classical period the charismatic smile that dominated so many archaic sculptures was replaced by a solemn facial expression. Sculptures which depicted violent and passionate scenes betrayed no expression, for the Greeks, their nobles were next to God, and it was their enemies (the barbarians) who were depicted with dramatic facial expressions (Greeklandscapes.com, 2007). This bronze

Monday, August 26, 2019

Week 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Week 5 - Assignment Example When there is such a rapport between the mentor and the mentee, there is a continuous development of life skills among the mentees. Life skills developed include assertiveness, goal setting skills, time saving methods, critical thinking, creative thinking, career awareness, conflict resolution, finance management and decision-making. A mentor also assists the mentee in obtaining extra resources especially when it comes to education issues. He is a resource broker. He guides and advocates for the rights of the mentee. He is a professional manager rather than a counselor. He does increase the ability to interact with diverse people from various economic, social, political, and cultural backgrounds. It is possible especially through introduction into various workplace and school settings, and talking with people with different diverse behavior, character and attitude. All these are qualities my mother, who has been the best mentor in my life, which she possesses. She has been a real mentor to me and has portrayed excellent positive qualities of a mentor. She is a good listener, always listening to my pleas even. She is available when I need her most, especially when am discouraged and at the verge of giving up. She is such a caring and responsible adult. Essentially, she is my role model, and I do aspire to be like her. Even when I fail in a few areas, she does not give up on me, but shows me there is still a new room for

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Discussion- CH5 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion- CH5 - Coursework Example Bank loans are not accompanied by any ownership condition. In addition, the bank personnel are not involved in the running of the business (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 104). The disadvantage of loan is that they are difficult to obtain and also the borrowers need to provide their personal guarantees. The pros of equity financing include no payment of interest. The investors are not paid interests though they will owe the entrepreneur some portion of profit. Equity financing has no liability. The entrepreneur is not liable and in case of failure, the investor takes the risk. No monthly payments are needed in equity financing. This allows for more money in the business to keep things running. Con associated to equity financing include giving up ownership. This is due to investors owning part of the business (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 303). Pros for stock include them being considered being having potential for higher returns as compared to other types of investments that are used by companies. Stock is considered to pay dividends. Extra income can be used to buy more shares for the company. Cons for stock include dramatically rise and fall that occur in stock price (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 167). Stack is seen also to have no guaranteed return. I agree with you that the most common types of financing for small entrepreneurs would be equity financing and debt financing. This is due to unavailability of ready finances. Debt financing allows using the finances and later pay to the lenders. Selling of shares is convenient to them as the money need not to be repaid. I equally agree with you that there are so many important skills that managers should have in order to drive success towards the company. The skills that are needed by the managers including ability to be a leader, positive relationship with employees, proper planning, proper delegation of duties, effective

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Business Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Planning - Essay Example The recommendations seek to prevent the encroachment of weaknesses in the business plans. Finally, the report will have a section for personal opinions and lessons learned from the business plans. Importance of a Business Plan Business plans are documentations that facilitate planning. An ideal business plan should cover three crucial business aspects, which are financial, marketplace and business concept. A business plan is important because it clarifies a company’s direction (DeThomas & Derammelaere, 2008). A business plan defines a business and its operations. Additionally, the plan outlines the business’s intention. This means that the plan clarifies the directions and purpose of the business. A business plan also outlines a business’s future direction because businesses adapt and evolve over time. The business plan factors the business’s direction and growth plan (Abrams, 2003). Additionally, the plan highlights strategies that the plan will use in ca se of market change and slow growth trends. A business plan attracts financing by showing the company’s potential to make profits. What a Business Plan Should Cover Differences in business environments provide challenges in the formulation of one business plan for all businesses. An ideal business plan should have a business concept, market and financial strategies (DeThomas & Derammelaere, 2008). Besides these three business sections, the business plan should have other sections that provide a comprehensive business description (Finch, 2013). These sections are business design and development, market strategy, financial information, competition analysis and operations and administration. Description of the Business Plans Bluespa Structure of the Company Bluespa is a family based company owned by Ray and Barbara Brunner. The two also double up as the founders of the company. Bluespa has an idea board that comprises of seven members. Mr. Ray Brunner is an additional member of the board. Additionally, the board will have three outside directors and two representatives chosen by Mr. Brunner and the firm’s major investors (Bplans, 2013). Mr. and Mrs. Brunner have a combined experience of 65 years in the retail industry. The two investors have senior management qualifications, and they held various management positions in their previous employment. The two founded the firm, which has its office in Portland, Oregon. From the first year to the fifth year of operations, the firm seeks to grow its head count from 10 to 65 (Bplans, 2013). The majority of this growth in head count is expected to come from store personnel. The rest of the staff will come from support staff. Products Provided Bluespa deals with body and skin care products that are developed by the company’s contact facilities based in California and France. The company also deals with apparel products produced through outsourcing with a sport-related apparel manufacturer. The productio n of accessories is managed by contract with the manufacturer of sports-related accessories such as totes, bags and socks. The company’s product line includes fitness and skin care apparel. Within the skin care line, the firm offers different products such as eye makeup removers, facial scrubs, cleansing creams, body lotions and masks (Bplans, 2013). Within the fitness apparel line, the firm offers Lycra products such as shorts and tights. New Look, Inc Company

Friday, August 23, 2019

Media empire and cultural entrepeneurs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Media empire and cultural entrepeneurs - Essay Example The point is that U.S. media has increasingly transformed into an institution, which undermines the fundamental principles of democracy, functioning in the interests of a narrow group, not the general public. To express this fast-changing picture, they should act through the established basic institutions; moreover, these institutions must be different. The most important institutions, which impact on the formation of our understanding of the real social world is very strong, are â€Å"newspapers, magazines, radio, television, books and movies† (Bagdikian, 1983). In view of the system, that our perception of the world is formed under the persistent influence of the likes and dislikes, it seems that it very important to write about them. The content of the information activities of the newspapers and television stations depends on considerations of purely commercial nature, which determine its constant focus on the interests of large business, advertisers, and how far it is fro m the satisfaction of genuine interests of the U.S. population, wishing to obtain objective and comprehensive information (Bagdikian, 1983). Currently, â€Å"there is the age of the convergence of music production, creation, distribution, exhibition and presentation† (Sen, 2010). The unknown musicians have a great power to become famous thanks to their fans and self-promotion. The modern Media Empire has transcended the traditional borders and now, being pushed by digital technologies; it brings in new musicians, creates new artists and unites a great army of fans with a high speed. Online Media Empire has become more democratic and there is a chance for everybody to become a full participant of it: â€Å"Music has been the force which could cut across cultures and transcend borders. With a huge push from the digital technology, music is zipping around the world at the speed of light bringing musicians, fans and cultures together† (Sen, 2010). In accordance with the wr iter in Wired magazine: â€Å"Dragged down by its own bulk and ripped apart by therebellious energy of the file-sharing revolution, the recording industry hit rock bottom. That was three years ago. Today signs of renewal are everywhere: amazing technologies, smart business models, even ringtones as hit singles. The best part? An explosion of creativity from artists and fans alike. Rock on† (Sen, 2010). An explosion of creativity from artists can be compared to cultural entrepreneurship. The musical industry brings in great profits and there is a need to eliminate stereotypes of the necessity of almighty parents and all other staff as integrative components of being famous. The newly created bands and artists have opposed to illegal file sharing downloads on the Internet. Nevertheless, a flow of illegal downloads has increased a popularity of unknown artists and it would be wrong to prevent young artists from self-promotion-free-of-charge. Music is a spirit of a modern life. I t is fast and over existent. It sounds from our IPhones and is an integrative part of the life of a modern citizen. The social networks and sites of free music â€Å"transcend some of the traditional barriers that the entrenched music industry implemented, consequently musicians and artists now feel free and unencumbered by institutional constraints. Artists and bands are now in a position to regain control† (Devitt, 2010). Therefore, it is at the artist’

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature vs. Nurture Essay A lot of people wonder where they get their freckles from, or their edgy and thrill seeking personality. This type of curiosity about where people get their traits from brings about the worldwide debate on nature vs. nurture. There are scientists who argue that people develop characteristics mainly based on their genetic makeup, and then their are people who say that environment and social interactions has more to do with a person’s traits than do genes. People often question why people are the way they are. Nature and Nurture often have a big impact on a person, and can help in explaining why they are a certain way. The nature vs. nurture debate encompasses a variety of major topics, leading to the idea that both nature and nurture influences people in their behaviors and decisions. Criminals go through different reasoning processes for why they commit a crime. They may have been brought up in a rough environment and are acting out, or because they simply just can not control themselves or their minds. There is evidence which suggests that there could be such a thing as gene mutations that determine our traits. These mutations control how the mind and body react to anger , whether it’s aggressively or controlled. According to Adriel Bettelheim, â€Å"researchers studying a dysfunctional Dutch family announced in 1993 that aggressive behavior may be linked to a single faulty gene that causes a shortage of enzymes needed to break down serotonin molecules that transmit signals in the brain.† This idea that criminal behavior may be associated with genetics, opens the doors to many controversial topics such as the insanity defense or the possibility of gene therapy. â€Å"For many centuries, people have tried to craft legal distinctions for the mentall y ill based on the belief that they should not be held fully responsible for their actions† (). The insanity defense is believed to often be abused and is the easy way out for guilty criminals to be held accountable. There are also people who support the insanity defense and say that the law needs to protect people who are too mentally ill to understand their actions. For some criminals, it’s not just a matter of their genes but more their environment that contributes to why they commit crimes. â€Å"Many social scientists say researchers, in a rush to ‘biologize’ behavior, are ignoring environmental influences, such as poverty, broken families and  racism† (). A lot of times the reason why criminals get in trouble with the law, is because they are acting out. Being aggressive or going against authority is like their coping strategy for dealing with their problems. †The frequency and nature of todays violence can only point toward an inherent anger or frustration† (). Ultimately, both nature and nurture can affect criminals and people ma y never be able to fully understand what exactly leads them to make bad choices. In addition to criminal behavior, there are also many other controversial topics regarding nature vs. nurture, such as intelligence and what contributes to peoples intellectual ability. â€Å"Mental ability seems closely related to the volume of those little gray cells in the brain; and differences in that volume seem to be largely a result of heredity†().Scientists are finding that intelligence goes along with the amount of brain cells (gray cells) towards the front of the brain which can be inherited through the family. There is evidence which suggests that if a person does really well with one mental task, they are more than likely to do really well on other mental tests as well. This concept is considered the general mental ability which is associated with those gray cells. Although intelligence is found as being directly associated with the brain cells, many people believe that intelligence is also based on a person’s environment and how they learn. For a lot of people intellectual ability is not purely genetic. Their intelligence can have a lot to do with how they were brought up or their environment in which they learned. Someone who goes to school regularly will probably have a higher intelligence level, versus someone who doesn’t. How people start off learning is also important because often times, if a child is intellectually stimulated at earlier ages, their brain will mature as the child gets older and that child will have a higher intellectual ability because they started learning sooner. IQ testing is a very controversial topic because many people disagree over whether or not it is a good judge of a persons actual intelligence. â€Å"The rift between psychologists over the value of IQ tests stems from a stark difference in the w ay they define intelligence: One camp sees a central, dominant intelligence, the other envisions multiple types of intelligence† (). Although scientists have not found hard evidence to prove that IQ tests are  not liable, social scientists continue to go against certain theories, such as the idea of general mental ability. They choose to believe and promote that there are different kinds of intelligence and everyone excels in different areas regardless of genetics. While genetics does play a role in intelligence, if a person works hard in achieving their goals they can become just as intelligent through challenging themselves and excelling in certain areas. The worldwide debate on nature vs. nurture also encompasses addiction. In a study about drug addictions researchers found, â€Å"the correlations with psychoactive substance use largely resulted from social environmental factors in adolescence† (). Family environments are important to young children and can have a huge affect on them as they get older. An unstable family life can cause people to resort to drugs or alcohol to help them deal with their emotions. If a child has social issues with their friends when they are young, that can affect them as well and cause them to resort to substance abuse to deal with their problems. â€Å"As people aged, however, more of the correlation in psychoactive substance use resulted from genetic factors†(). As substances such as alcohol are more readily available to adults, genetics can influence them more and also their decisions. If there is a history of substance abuse in the family, that person is more likely to become addicted in their lifetime. In the 1920’s, â€Å"Alcohol prohibition lead to a rise in violent organized crime, a trend critics have compared to the ongoing war on drugs(). Because so many citizens used alcohol and a lot of them apparently became dependent on it, they felt they had rights to it; so they organized a violent crime movement to prove that. People who were involved in this war with drugs were not just the poor or downtrodden, but also the middle class and the wealthy. Addiction has no boundaries, and can affect anyone whether it is through nature or nurture. Nature vs nurture will always be a major dispute over genes and environment, but ultimately they both have an impact on people. The reasoning behind criminal behavior is often questioned. Evidence that suggests there are gene mutations, which contribute to aggressive behavior, argues that nature can have a major role in criminal behavior, just like nature affects criminals  actions. In addition to criminal behavior, another worldwide topic discussed in the nature vs nurture debate is intelligence. Like mentioned earlier, intelligence is thought to be determined by genes and general mental ability; but there are social scientists who believe that there are many different types of intelligence, determined by environment and not just genetic make up. Addiction is another controversial subject because addiction can run in families but it also can happen to someone who had no history of it. Addiction also is very much related to a persons environment and how they deal with their problems. For those who wonder where they get their intelligence and edgy personality, or more seriously why they feel aggressive, or become addicted to drugs, think about nature and nurture , which contribute to peoples personality and traits.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Jaydens Rescue Alternative Ending Essay Example for Free

Jaydens Rescue Alternative Ending Essay â€Å"Well, AFGOI it’ll have to be,† said Alex. â€Å"That’s all we have. I just hope it’ll put Rechner away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Next time we will see him we will all say AFGOI at once,† suggested Vanessa. They waited patiently to see the evil Rechner again so they could use the magic word to free Jayden. Several days went by and the time was passing very quickly at camp. Every day was full of activities. At the end of the week Sam, Vanessa, and Alex all decided to go sailing because of the water skiing accident. Alex did not want to water ski again. Neither did Vanessa after what happened to Alex last time. They kept wondering when Rechner would appear again. After spending time on the lake, it began to rain cats and dogs. They ran for shelter under a pavilion and were glad that they were off of the sailboat. Sam said, â€Å"Why don’t we head towards our cabin and call it a night.† Alex and Vanessa agreed. They began their long trek to reach the cabin. The ground was very soggy and muddy and they all got their shoes extremely dirty. They were all happy to hit the hay for a good night’s sleep. Their counselor stayed up to watch them to make sure they didn’t leave again. In the morning their counselor was exhausted so he let the campers sleep longer than usual. When they awoke, they all were starving and their entire cabin headed to go eat. After breakfast Alex, Vanessa, and Sam went back to the cabin to brush their teeth and that is when the evil Rechner finally appeared. All three of them said AFGOI at once and Rechner said, â€Å"Okay I give up and you win. Jayden gets to go back to her palace.† Alex, Vanessa, and Sam couldn’t believe what they just heard. Everyone that lived in Idyllia was so happy to have the Emerald Queen back. They pushed nine hundred dollars out of the book. Alex, Vanessa, and Sam were so excited because Jayden was now safe and they each had three hundred dollars. They were finally done with Rechner once and for all! Jayden’s Rescue Written By: Vladimir Tumanov Project by: Schmo went through 2 green lights. Mane went through 1 red light. Torch went through 3 yellow lights. This is 6 lights in all (2+1+3). Then they repeated the same path so 6+6= 12 lights passed. Torch went through 3 yellow lights twice so 3+3 = 6. Each ticket was $300 so 6 lights times $300 is $1,800. He only had $100 bills so you need to divide $1,800 by $100 and you get 18. Torch passed 4 ponds which each had a duck. These 4 ducks bit his hand each one time and each bite caused 4 red bumps. So 4 bites times 4 red bumps each is 4 x 4 which equals 16 red bumps.

Approaches To Leadership In Tata Group Management Essay

Approaches To Leadership In Tata Group Management Essay Introduction: Leadership is an integrated part of our life. According to corporate chief and former US presidential candidate Ross Perot, the principles of leadership are timeless because, in a rapidly changing world, human nature remains a constant. We all experience leadership in our life from early childhood in our families, through friendships, social sports activities, school higher education, in politics, in government and of course in our work. We all recognize leadership in other people and often in ourselves. In government, global corporations and small businesses alike, the leadership role is becoming more demanding, more open to scrutiny and more difficult [Gill, R. 2006]. The development of leadership theory also parallels the development of organizational theory. The bureaucratic form of business organization is characterized by laissez-faire leadership whereby so-called leaders tend to avoid taking a stand, ignore problems, not follow up, and refrain from intervening or transactional leadership, in which leaders practise management by exception, focusing only on deviations from what is required, and contingent reward, rewarding people (either materially or psychologically) for achieving what is required. The emergence of the post-bureaucratic form of organization in the late nineteenth century reflects the development of the concept of transformational leadership [Gill, R. 2006]. Theory Approaches to Leadership: Many Leadership theories and approaches have been evolved around Style, Trait, Behaviour, Situation and Charisma. Many researchers made efforts linking these theories across these leadership approaches. However, each leadership model has its merit, assumptions and limitations. Most recent researches are conducted on Situational Transformational leadership styles. Various leadership Gurus presented new models as variations to the already existing models. Max Weber, MacGregor, Bass, Bennis Nanus are some of the most important researchers in the area of transformational leadership. The difference between transactional and transformational leadership is vital in getting the whole concept of transformational leadership theory. In general, a relationship between two people is based on the level of exchange they have. The more exchange they have the stronger the relationship. Managers expects more productivity from employee in order to give good rewards. In this way, if something is done to anyone based on the return then that relation is called Transactional type. In business, leaders announce rewards in turn to the productivity. These relations are all about requirements, conditions and rewards (wordpress.com). In our life at various stages some things are happen without any expectation from other side e.g. mothers love for her babies. This is one for of transformational approach. Transformational Leaders work toward a common goal with followers: put followers in front and develop them, take followers to next level, inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests in achieving superior results (wordpress.com). Here we discuss the various forms of leadership and Table 1, given below shows how Basss full range model of leadership works [DBS Notes]. Table 1 By studying the evolution of leadership approach of the TATA Group, an in-depth analysis of importance of leadership model is given now onwards. Leadership Approach in TATA Group: TATA Group founded in 1868, is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. The Group has more than half million employees spread across over six continents (more than 100 countries) and is the largest private corporate group in India. The estimated market capitalization of the group is worth $80bn. It is the biggest employer in UK as well, employing more than 50,000 people. It has main interests in communications, IT, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Its present chairman, Ratan Tata is the most influential business leaders in India. He is also one of the worlds most influential people as per Forbs magazine. The Group is known for ethics and value based business approach. Evolution of Leadership in TATA Group: Under the leadership of the Ratan Tata, the Group has incorporated more leadership changes which were essential in current environment to drive towards to be more competitive. In terms of leadership style, the Group has adopted a team-led culture and collective effort approach. Trust became a major factor and theme of the group. Ratan has put a complete organisational restructuring, since he became chairman of the group in 1991, by taking a more matrix-style approach building teams. These changes have transformed a lot in the group business, senior managers have to be on their toes and flexibility and adaptability became essential qualities to have. The leadership changed from a centralised, command centre to a much more distributed form with employees and all managers enjoying greater responsibility and knowledge, which in turn motivated them to work harder and as a group. From well established leadership models such as the McGregor Theory X and Y; in which the theory X manager believes workers dislike work, are not creative and avoid all responsibility whilst the theory Y manager believes that workers get as much enjoyment from work as they can derive with leisure, accept responsibility and be creative. Theory Y approach has been adopted by the Ratan Tata. He wanted all his managers to be modelled as closely to Theory Y and he himself could be called a Theory Y facilitator. He encourages managers to be more innovative and share all their ideas, consulting actively with them and giving them more responsibility and importantly encouraging team-working. Five Factor Leadership Model: Emotional Stability: Ratan has very low anxiety within him and has great sense of security with his future leadership. Extraversion: Even being a bachelor Ratan is very sociable. He has produced very positive affect on future leadership of the Group. Openness: He believes in originality and versatility. By making  £1200/- car he has shown his great interest with and innovation seeking personality. Agreeableness: Within his management team and outside world, Ratan is well trusted and very friendly. Conscientiousness: He is very dutifulness. He spent most of his life working for Group without having any self-interest. He leads a very well organised life. Style (Behaviour) Theory in TATA Group: As per style theory, there are three kind of leadership models are available in literatures. These are as given below. Autocratic Democratic Laissez-faire Ratan Tata is a leader who engages in more democratic style of leadership approach and occasionally shows the other two leadership styles as well. He is more democratic because he always encourages his group leadership to be creating good communication and participation. The budding leadership are well informed about group future strategy and they are very well engaged in decision making process. Most of the group long-term and short-term strategies are formulated by the lower rank of the leadership and are treated as stake holders. Ratan has occasionally shown some short of autocratic style of leadership. Sometimes when needed especially when quick and informed decisions have to be taken, but he is never too commanding in his nature, being a man of few words and being more of a man of action. This is evident from the manner he aggressively pushes for bold international deals, such as during the global acquisitions of business powerhouses such as Corus, JLR, and Tetley. One of his se nior leadership team members, Muthuraman refers him Ratan was the chief architect of the Corus deal. I was worried about the magnitude and the amount of money. But he instilled confidence. In daily routine matters and in developing the leadership, Ratan also uses the Laissez-Faire model such as the delegation of important duties and decision-making, he also do not interfere with any managers functioning, he might make a broad strategic assessment but he does not interfere in operational issues and details, which shows that he has his trust and faith in his managers and believes in their ability. Another quote from Gopalakrishnan, an executive director of the company, expresses how much value Ratan places on his trust, this can be highly motivating for managers and workers alike, I remember what Ratan told us at a meeting. He said that he will continue to trust all his managers, but once they lose that trust, he will go after them. I think that is a very fair deal. Max Webers Leadership Model in TATA Group: Looking at Max Webers Transactional and Transformational Leadership models, where leadership is classed in three forms, Bureaucratic, Charismatic and Traditional, where a Bureaucratic leader is one who is always bound by the set rule and never go beyond them; a Traditional leader is one who does and follows everything from a history and always loyal to obey these traditions and a Charismatic leader is one who uses his own wit or abilities to inspire and is one who can be described as radically opposed to administrative rules and set principles. From these models, Ratan Tata falls into the Charismatic form because he is one who leads by example, coming up with highly innovative ideas such as  £1200 (Rs. One Lakh) car the Nano, budget hotels or low-end watches, he brought radical change to the Tata Group as a whole, changing it from its Traditional mindset to new more flexible and adaptive cultural mindset in global world. Bennis Nanus Transformational Leadership Model in TATA Group: We can see from Bennis and Nanuss Transformational Leadership model that the transformational leaders groom their followers into self-empowered leaders and their main focus is to articulate vision and values clearly so these self-empowered leaders know where to go. Their traits include logical thinking, persistence, empowerment and self-control. Benniss and Nanus has evolved the model which emphasis on the four Is of Transformational leadership, which are Idealised Influence (being a role model) Inspirational Motivation (creating a team spirit, motivating and provide a challenge) Intellectual Stimulation (innovation and creativity) Individual Consideration (mentoring and providing support for followers) Ratan Tata has been proved a true transformational leader. We can see all Is built-in in Ratan Tata. He is the leader with great vision hence he knows right approach to groom future leadership. He has created the team spirit in whole group at every level. He has empowered all his managers and executives and has complete faith in them. He is extremely innovative and is credited for much of the Groups new products; he places a great deal of importance to his RD department. He deeply cares about the welfare of all his employees and managers. During the Mumbais terrorist attack in Taj Hotel (belongs to TATA Group), he took front line in leading at the time of crises. In his leadership statement he articulated One hundred years from now, I expect TATA Group to be much bigger, of course, than it is now. Best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver and best in our value system and ethics. [tata.com] As a leader of a global business group, Ratan, knows the fierce competition experienced by group business empire. He put a lot of effort in making his business competitive at global level. Through transformational leadership process, the group has made their processes and technology up to date. Ratan Tata said to his managers in his leadership speech A company or business which remains static is a business that will die; a company that constantly changes and accepts that there are better ways to do things than the way they are done today, is a company that will survive in the global market that we face. From this statement we can infer that he knows the importance of developing a good leadership within group to take Group to new heights. Ratan, involves strategy in leadership. He is a deep thinker and a brilliant strategist as is described by one of his Executive Directors, Alan Rosling, He is a deep thinker and extremely strategic. He is always 2-3 steps ahead. Ratan Tata is a man o f strong integrity, ethics and valued principles. He cultivated the same across the Group companies. One of his companies CEO said Tata has shown that there is no other way he will do business other than do it ethically. He believes in strong value based leadership approach in doing business. Ratan Tata has led the TATA Group to transforming from local business group to become a global leader. Leadership Development in TATA Group: TATA Group has long standing leadership program in-place. Their leadership program is based in British Administrative Service model. Groups leadership development programme aims at grooming the managers of today into the leaders of tomorrow. The leadership development programme conceived by JRD Tata, the late chairman of Group in 1950s. The idea behind the leadership programme known as Tata Administrative Services (TAS) was to select and groom young managers, provide them opportunity for professional growth, and make them leaders of tomorrow. This is TATAs in-house programme and has goal is to provide training to high performers, act as a cradle of change and develop the leadership qualities. Most of the Group companies are traditionally led by these in-house groomed leaders. Cons in Leadership Development in TATA Group: Although Ratan Tata has been very successful in leading the group to a new height, but as in case of every leadership he lacks in few of the areas, these areas includes his successor and integration of his own companies in smaller numbers. Due to large number of companies within group, there is chance of internal conflict between its own companies leadership. There have been cases when the Ratan Tatas leadership has been ineffective in dealing with some critical situation. Ratan Tata will be retiring next year and the group is still struggling to get his replacement. He made himself bigger than the group as a whole. Most of the group leadership hover around him and whole leadership has become Ratan centric. Due to recent scam in 2G spectrum allocation in India, the group reputation has been affected severely. Its few of the top leadership were involved in different scams which could prove detrimental to group business in future. Furthermore TATA Group leadership lacks international f lavour. This could be a major hindrance for the group in becoming a major global player. Conclusions: Ratan Tata has transformed TATA as global brand under his leadership. He has created a rank of leadership to whom he can easily pass the leadership baton. Grooming 98 CEO/MD (TATA Group has 98 companies in its group) is a challenging job in which Group has been very successful so far. He has provided inspiration to leaders within his own company. Ratan Tata has successfully led and motivated its CEO/MD of the group companies to be ambitious. Ratan Tata has adopted a management by consensus style. Leading a large group of companies in current business scenario of changing regulations, increasing competition and global economy could be a tough challenge for many business leaders. Leading the business through these tough times and growing multi-folding revenues could be a dream for many business leaders. Achieving this requires clear vision, innate conviction, ability to inspire and guide along the way. Ratan Tata established himself to be the right leader who has helped the company sai l through the turbulent waters and reach the desired lands. Appendix: Reference List DBS Managing People Lecture Notes Roger Gill, Theory and Practice of Leadership, Sage Publication, 2006 Robins, S.P Judge T.A (2010) 10th Edition, Essentials of Organizational Behaviour, Pearson, ISBN 0-13-815763-4 http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/transactional-leadership-vs-transformational-leadership/ http://business.outlookindia.com/inner.aspx?articleid=682editionid=22catgid=70subcatgid=464 http://www.tata.com/company/Articles/inside.aspx?artid=YJbf7uiUY0M= Visionary Leadership: Creating a Compelling Sense of Direction for Your Organization (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series): Burt Nanus Tata Group Annual Reports (1991 -2011)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A Comparison of Two Characters in A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning :: comparison compare contrast essays

A Comparison of Two Characters in A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning    In "A Rose for Emily" and "Barn Burning," William Faulkner creates two characters worthy of comparison. Emily Grierson, a recluse from Jefferson, Mississippi, is an important figure in the town, despite spending most of her life in seclusion. On the contrary, Abner Snopes is a loud, fiery-tempered man that most people tend to avoid. If these characters are judged by reputation and outward appearance only, the conclusion would be that Emily Grierson and Abner Snopes are complete opposites. However, despite the external differences, these two characters have surprisingly similar personalities. First of all, Emily Grierson and Abner Snopes have very different backgrounds. Emily Grierson is born to a wealthy family, referred to as the "high and mighty Griersons" (50). She lives in an elegant and large house, rebuilt after the Civil War. Her house is set in the heart of what was once the most elite area of Jefferson. She spends almost all of her life inside this house, coming outside its walls only on rare occasions. Yet the townspeople are always concerned with Miss Emily, as she is the last Grierson. They are interested in what is going on with her, constantly putting together the pieces of her life. However, no matter how much the people piece together the events, few know Miss Emily at all. Upon her death, she is said to be a "fallen monument" (47) because she was so idolized throughout her life. On the contrary, Abner Snopes is at the other end of the social scale. He is in the lowest class. As a tenant farmer, Abner lives a life almost like that of a slave. He works con tinuously from day to day, living with his family in small shacks that "ain't fitten for hawgs"(7). He is itinerant and never has any money. Abner constantly displays his lack of decency and rude manners. He is considered a menace wherever he goes, and no one has any interest in getting to know such a foul and arrogant man. Even though they are at the extreme ends of the social spectrum, Emily Grierson and Abner Snopes have something in common-they are both outsiders in the communities they live in. Colonel Grierson limits the people Miss Emily is allowed to see and to the point that she has no friends or even acquaintances. A Comparison of Two Characters in A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning :: comparison compare contrast essays A Comparison of Two Characters in A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning    In "A Rose for Emily" and "Barn Burning," William Faulkner creates two characters worthy of comparison. Emily Grierson, a recluse from Jefferson, Mississippi, is an important figure in the town, despite spending most of her life in seclusion. On the contrary, Abner Snopes is a loud, fiery-tempered man that most people tend to avoid. If these characters are judged by reputation and outward appearance only, the conclusion would be that Emily Grierson and Abner Snopes are complete opposites. However, despite the external differences, these two characters have surprisingly similar personalities. First of all, Emily Grierson and Abner Snopes have very different backgrounds. Emily Grierson is born to a wealthy family, referred to as the "high and mighty Griersons" (50). She lives in an elegant and large house, rebuilt after the Civil War. Her house is set in the heart of what was once the most elite area of Jefferson. She spends almost all of her life inside this house, coming outside its walls only on rare occasions. Yet the townspeople are always concerned with Miss Emily, as she is the last Grierson. They are interested in what is going on with her, constantly putting together the pieces of her life. However, no matter how much the people piece together the events, few know Miss Emily at all. Upon her death, she is said to be a "fallen monument" (47) because she was so idolized throughout her life. On the contrary, Abner Snopes is at the other end of the social scale. He is in the lowest class. As a tenant farmer, Abner lives a life almost like that of a slave. He works con tinuously from day to day, living with his family in small shacks that "ain't fitten for hawgs"(7). He is itinerant and never has any money. Abner constantly displays his lack of decency and rude manners. He is considered a menace wherever he goes, and no one has any interest in getting to know such a foul and arrogant man. Even though they are at the extreme ends of the social spectrum, Emily Grierson and Abner Snopes have something in common-they are both outsiders in the communities they live in. Colonel Grierson limits the people Miss Emily is allowed to see and to the point that she has no friends or even acquaintances.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Education Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of Education Statement Teache

Education Philosophy My life has been influenced greatly by teachers. Since I was a child, teaching is all I wanted to do. My mother is a fifth grade teacher. I have quite a few friends that are teachers. I have been fortunate to be influenced by some great teachers throughout my academic career. I love to be around kids and I like participating in the process of learning. I appreciate learning even today. I enjoy the learning process and hope to one day influence students in the future. I hope to one day become a high school social studies teacher. I enjoy history and geography, and I especially love politics and discussing current events. I like class discussions and letting different opinions express themselves. These are my beliefs regarding the education of a student. I would strongly agree that students should be active in the learning process. I would strongly agree that many students learn best by engaging in real-world activities rather than reading. I would strongly agree that schools should prepare students for analyzing and solving the types of problems they will face outside the classroom. I would also strongly agree that people are shaped more by their environment than by their genetic dispositions or the exercise of their free will. I would agree that material is taught effectively when it is broken down into small parts. I would agree that the curriculum of a school should be determined by information that is essential for all students to know. I agree that students should be immersed in the community’s problems, resulting in taking action or responsibility in planning a change. I do agree that the United States must become more competitive economically with counties such as Japan, and schoo... ...eaching methods would include programmed instruction, teaching machine, computer-assisted instruction, interactive multimedia, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, critical thinking skills, and cognitive problem solving. The classroom management style would include monitoring and observing events, using reward systems, and establishing rules. The evaluation of the student would include behavioral objectives and performance contracting. The teacher would be trained in the scientific method, a planner and user of behavioral objectives, controller of behavior, and an arranger of contingencies. I hope that one day I will be able to use these different philosophies in my own classroom. I hope that I keep these values, and be able to shape some young minds. I hope that I will become a great teacher, like the ones that I have experienced in my own career.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Comparison Of Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass Essay -- Compar

Comparison Of Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass America, a land with shimmering soil where golden dust flew and a days rain of money could last you through eternity. Come, You Will make it in America. That was the common theme of those who would remove to America. It is the common hymn, the classic American rags-to-riches myth, and writers such as Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass had successfully embraced it in their works.Franklin and Douglass are two writers who have quite symmetrical styles and imitative chronology of events in their life narratives. They both approached their story with a "rags-to-riches" idea. In addition, we must realize that both Franklin and Douglass are powerful writers. In that sense, I mean that Franklin was a "well-educated" man in which he filled his life with bountiful knowledge through reading and productive dialogues with peers. On the other hand, Douglass mode of writing, like ones of William Lloyd Garrison's is sentimental and contains compelling language.In The Autobiography by Franklin and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Douglass, both narrations are generally composed of series of life events and encounters with hardship that eventually brought them success. I shall put forth some parallel ideas of both the authors have in common. In Franklin's Autobiography, his chapters of life events and improvements are symbolized by his travels, especially on the boat. His first travel signifies his "new beginning" and it caused great hardship. He was "cut so a miserable fi gure" when he started out. (Franklin, 1771:196). However, Franklin was quick to gain ground. His move to another city or country signified his advancement and his prologue to his success to come are in his description of his boat travels. By this I mean that, Franklin intentionally gave the details of his boat travels to prepare the reader for the kind of successes or failure that he was going to face in the next chapter of his life. For example, he described his first travel as an unpleasant one, and nevertheless his first move to another city was a struggle. In Franklin's later travels, he spoke of being around some prominent figures such as Governor Hamilton and nonetheless, he landed with a successful job at a famous Printing House in Bartholomew. With this characteristic in mind, Douglass's narration ... ...nt of maturity. In addition, both authors think that matured readers in general are harder to persuade compared to younger readers (those at the of 16 to 18). This is why both Franklin and Douglass intentionally set their "rebellion stage" at the age of 17. This is to encourage the "less stable" teenage readers to dare do something different and to not compromise with normality. This less-stableness would enable these teenage readers to be more receptive to radical ideas. With this thought in mind and armed with Americans vulnerability in believing the rags-to-riches myth, Franklin and Douglass are able generated effective and persuasive narrations.With such effective writing prose, the authors created well-fabricate compositions which modeled upon the "rags-to-riches" chronology.These are the myths, Americans live by them and the country survives with them. Thus, it is the American Dream. Works Cited: Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1845:p.1017-1081 Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography. (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1776: p.282-284.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Home vs. Alone Lfe

The college years are a time of growing independence for every college student. Freshman’s have to make decisions that will change the person they are now and mold them to be the person that they will become after college. During college, students learn to manage their time and practice different methods that make their lives easier. They realize that their decisions can make them suffer because of limitations. This is why some college students have a difficult time deciding whether they want to stay at home with parents or alone.Most students choose to move out so that they can develop their independence and responsibility by being alone in an apartment. Other students select to stay home because the cost of living at home is less expensive for them than the cost of staying alone renting an apartment. Therefore it may seem like staying alone in an apartment has more benefits at first, but in the long run, living at home can have more advantages. The most common reason for stu dents choosing to stay at home is that the cost of living in an apartment is too expensive to handle for someone who has a job that cannot cover the rent.Staying at home gives the student a better opportunity to save more money because a student that stays at home during college has less financial responsibilities. The most major responsibility students in apartments deal with is rent when conversely students that stay at home do not have to pay rent unless their parents ask for it. Even if the students’ parents ask for rent, there is a high chance that the amount that the parents ask for is cheaper than what the student would spend renting their own apartment.Not having to pay a high amount for rent can take a burden off of the student because some students that live alone in an apartment struggle to pay rent. Some students that choose stay in the apartments may first have to pay an expensive security deposit to acquire the apartment. After paying for the security deposit, r ent, and utilities, the student also might also have to pay for cable and Internet access because apartment living does not afford these same luxuries.Students are in charge when they live at their own apartment so they have to be responsible when paying these new bills in their apartment because these bills can help or hurt the student’s credit. For example, when students do not pay their rent and utility bills on time, they can suffer from penalty charges or eviction. Each time the student pays bills on time, they build credit which over time gives them a strong credit rating that can help them to get approved for an auto loan, a house or another purchase they may want to make.Unless the student has bills placed in their name, they do not build credit as much when they live with their parents. Additionally, students generally must sign a lease with their landlord before they rent an apartment. Not only must they pay rent by a certain date, they must also adhere to other ite ms outlined in the lease agreement. For example, if they have a pet, the student is responsible for cleaning up after the pet and ensuring it does not disturb neighbors.Students that live at home also have responsibilities but if they do not complete them due to illness or time constraints, another family member might complete them for the student. For example, if that student is responsible for mowing the lawn and they get ill with the influenza; their parents might mow the lawn for them. When they live in an apartment, they must complete their responsibilities regardless of how they feel or have to work out an alternate arrangement with your landlord.Students living in a house with their parents stress less about food, clothes, and toiletries because the parents may provide these necessities with shelter. Students that stay in apartments most likely have to run errands such as buying clothes, groceries and toiletries for themselves. The student at home also has the benefit of avoi ding the expense of buying furniture, linens and other household items. It is also easier for stay-at-home students to save more when it comes to laundry because students that live in an apartment may have to pay laundry fees to use washing machines and dryers.Unlike stay at home students that have a washer and dryer at home, the students in the apartment may have to travel to a laundry mat every week spending more money just to keep their clothes clean. Students staying at home can save more money also because these students generally do not have to worry about these expenses. Even if the parents do not provide these needs for the student staying with them, there is a better chance that they will help because the student is closer.Living alone may teach students to be more responsible but living at home gives students a better support network from their parents. When living at home the family ensures that the student’s basic need for shelter and security is met. Living alone means that you have more freedom but also that you will have to deal with troubles more by yourself. For example, after a long exhausting day of working, a student can come back home and realize all most everything in their apartment is gone because of forgetting to lock the door.This is horrible thought but this could have been prevented more if the student stayed home. This is less likely to happen for students living with their family because the students’ parents are actually going to be there to remember the student to lock the door or lock the door for them. Living at home with parents, the rule the student lives by is â€Å"As long as you live under my roof, you follow my rules†, so is the advantage of security but disadvantages of less freedom and more rules. When it comes to living at home the student might not get to put their own design style in every room.For instance, over the years, one or more of the parents have probably picked out furniture, carpet an d other decor to suit their tastes. Although the student might have gotten a chance to offer input when it came to choosing a new living room or bedroom suite, their parents likely had the final say. Apartment living allows the student to decorate their living space with furniture that appeals to them. Some apartments also let renters paint so living in their own apartment gives the student the chance to get creative and express themselves in their home.Having their own apartment, the rule the student lives by is â€Å"You pay the cost to be the boss†, so the student can come and go as they please because they make the rules of the house. There is generally no one to tell the student what time to go to bed, get up in the morning or when to clean your home. Their friends can stay over late and the students can choose the forms of entertainment they engage in. For example, they can go out overnight and enjoy pleasant time with companions when they stay alone and that seems to b e tough when living with family.If they were living at home, they would have to ask their parents if friends can come over and stay late. Depending on the parents, the student also might have to arrive home at a certain time of the evening. . Even though living at home with parents mitigates the benefits, such as more independence and responsibilities that students receive when staying alone, it is more beneficial because it helps them transition from high school to college more easy. It is easier for the student to concentrate on our lessons if they are at home because their parents motivate them more.Imagine how the student is disturbed by a group of friends while trying focusing on studies at their own department. It would take a lot more time to have a talk with these friends then the student has to spend hours on concentrating again. The consequence of learning will descend gradually if the student is distracted. In conclusion, besides similarities such as being a stable place to stay, there are thousands of considerable discrepancies between the boundaries of living alone and living with family.I have distinguished which one satisfies the student most in certain periods of time. The choice the student picks will affect every detail of their life, right down to the way you talk, the foods you eat, and how much money you can spend. It will also determine how often the students’ friends visit and how much freedom the student will have. For example, while living under the rule of the parents, the student will have to leave the house in order to socialize and the communication will be short periods of time. Living alone, however, yields much more room for fun because of freedom.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Five reasons for pursuing higher education Essay

There are many reasons or purposes behind pursuing higher education, but these may change depending on each individual student. However many distinct reasons there may be, the majority of them can be grouped into five broad categories. The first of these categories relates to money, the second is the transmission of culture and history, the third has to do with esteem or social class, fourth comes education for the benefit of democracy, and last is entertainment or personal enjoyment. Almost everybody has a â€Å"dream job†, one where they do some kind of interesting work and get paid lots for it. This is one of the reasons why a person would consider going beyond high school, and pursuing higher education; so they can get that â€Å"dream job†. With degrees and Ph.D.s comes money, along with wider opportunities for the future, and less physical work. Of course, the three aforementioned traits do not always apply, but in the majority of cases they do. In learning more about your world, you can absorb some history, and in the process keep your culture alive. Culture and traditions can only survive if they are passed down from generation to generation. By studying history, you can also learn from the mistakes of those who came before you, and ensure that you do not repeat those mistakes. Good examples of this are failed strategies used in war; you would definitely not want to repeat those. Some people go for degrees because they think it earns them power, respect, and esteem. Certain socialites feel that if you do not have a Ph.D., you are not worth anything, not even a bit of their time. The third reason to pursue higher education is to appease swine like this. If you want to become one of the social elite, college is necessary. No matter how hard you try to deny it, the majority of people are dolts. In order to ensure a healthy democracy, you need well educated people to vote on modern issues. It is pretty obvious that if we had a bunch of easily duped idiots voting on important matters, for example the election of a president, liberty all around the world could be threatened. What would happen if a complete moron were to be put in charge of a world superpower?  Perhaps there would be a series of unjust wars, a few signings of acts destroying privacy, some crimes against humanity, and unnecessary bloodshed; all in the name of patriotism and freedom, an obvious lie. It is important that people know their rights, how their government works, and where to draw the line. Most importantly, they need to know the difference between right and wrong in relation to the entire world, not just their little nook. It is possible that some people enjoy education because it expands their minds, they may see it as entertainment. This is reason enough to enroll yourself in classes. If something beneficial to everybody is what you enjoy taking part in, by all means, go ahead and do it. How does Philosophy fit into these five categories? Philosophy, although mostly boring, can be interesting at some times – which leads it to be entertaining. This class could be taken by people who enjoy learning how to better understand the workings of the human mind and/or religion. For theists, Philosophy could reinforce their faith in God, making them feel all good inside, or it could lead them to question their absurd religions, grow a pair, and stop using the church as a crutch – a tie or win situation, respectively. Once they give up their silly beliefs, they could also drop the prejudices that come with them and allow everybody to be treated equally. The less prejudiced people there are voting in this country, the better, this would lead to a stronger government with more freedom for all. In conclusion, there are five purposes for education; money, history, respect, better governments, and entertainment. Philosophy fits snugly into the entertainment and governmental categories.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Telstra and Mcdonalds

Exam cases: †¢ McDonald’s †¢ Telstra Pre-seen exam information Semester 1 2013 CPA Program professional level Global Strategy and Leadership  © CPA Australia Ltd 2013 Case Study 1 McDonald’s case facts McDonald’s Corporation: A strategic approach to global growth McDonald’s Corporation (McDonald’s) is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33 500 restaurants serving nearly 68 million people in 119 countries each day (McDonald’s 2012a). In 2011 the company generated USD 27 billion in revenue from its global operations and USD 8. 5 billion of operating profit.Headquartered in the United States, McDonald’s Bar-B-Q restaurant was opened in California in 1940 by brothers Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald as a typical drive-in featuring a large menu and car hop service (where customers stay in their car and are served their food). In 1948 the brothers closed the business for three months of renovations and reorganised the business as a hamburger restaurant, using production line principles and featuring a simple menu of nine items including the staple 15 cent hamburger, cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips and a slice of pie.In 1954 Ray Kroc, a salesman for Prince Castle Multi-Mixer, visited the restaurant intending to sell the brothers some items. Kroc was fascinated by the operations and learned that the brothers were looking for a franchising agent to expand their restaurant chain nationally. Kroc joined the company in 1955 as National Franchising Agent, and opened his first McDonald’s in Illinois. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers.McDonald’s Corporation was created in 1965 when the company had its first public stock offering on the New York Stock Exchange at USD 22. 50 per share (McDonald’s 2012b). The famous ‘golden arches’ of McDonald’s were created in 1969 when the companyâ₠¬â„¢s logo underwent a major change, and remodelling of the restaurants was also undertaken to re-brand the company. The original red-and-white tiled buildings were replaced by more contemporary buildings emphasising the golden arches as the company’s branding.Under Kroc’s leadership McDonald’s expanded quickly across the United States. International expansion commenced in 1967 with restaurants opened in Canada and Puerto Rico. In the next 10 years the company would grow rapidly, such that the 1978 opening in Japan marked the 5000th restaurant. By 1983 the company had an interest in 7778 restaurants in 32 countries (McDonald’s 2012b). Although Kroc died in 1984, he left a lasting legacy with the company continuing to grow to date.In addition to outlet expansion, McDonald’s has constantly trialled and introduced new product items and categories in order to increase the company’s share of food consumption and meet changing customer tastes and needs. The company has also extended into complementary product categories, such as the launch of McCafe in 2003. More recently, the company has introduced more premium offerings such as the Angus beef burger in Australia which is made of premium Angus beef, and a higher price is charged compared to its core burger range.McDonald’s is expected to face stronger competition in the future, given the rising popularity of healthier fast-food operators such as Subway, which has a larger number of franchise stores across the world and recently eclipsed McDonald’s as the world’s largest fast-food operator in terms of establishments. This will increase pressure on McDonald’s to promote and expand its new healthier product options and to improve the nutritional content of its food if the company wants to stay the market leader. The following information is based on a number of McDonald’s corporate publications.Part A provides an overview of McDonald’s strategic direction and operating model. Part B provides a review of the 2011 Chairman and CEO reports. Part C provides a summary of the franchising model used by McDonald’s for its restaurants. Part D is a timeline of the development of McDonald’s. Part A: McDonald’s strategic direction, operating model and global priorities Strategic roadmap: The Plan to Win Jim Skinner, Vice Chairman and CEO, states in the 2011 Annual Report: ‘Our performance is driven by two key factors.The first is our ongoing commitment to [our strategic framework] the Plan to Win which was launched in 2003 and has served as our operations roadmap for nine years. The Plan focuses on the core drivers of our business—People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion †¦ It keeps us disciplined around our brand holistically and enhancing the customer experience across our entire business—from our menu and service to our value and convenience’ (McDonald’s 2011 , p. 1). Global Strategy and Leadership Page 1 of 20McDonald’s has ‘enhanced the restaurant experience for customers worldwide and grown comparable * sales and customer visits in each in each’ year to 2011 (McDonald’s 2011, p. 10). This framework has also delivered strong results for the company’s shareholders. McDonald’s has exceeded its long-term ‘financial targets of average annual †¦ sales growth of 3 to 5%; average annual operating income growth of 6 to 7%; and annual returns on incremental invested capital in the high teens every year since the Plan to Win was implemented’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 0). Operating model: Our System partners The 2011 Annual Report goes on to describe the second factor: ‘the collaboration of Our System partners. From our worldclass franchisees, who are dedicated to running great restaurants and being leaders in their communities; to our unparalleled global suppliers, who provide us with safe and high quality products each and every day; to our talented company employees led by President and Chief Operating Officer Don Thompson and our †¦ global leadership team.And, of course, our restaurant managers and crew—the 1. 7 million men and women who work to deliver the best experience every day’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 2). Also known as the ‘three-legged stool’ business model, the philosophy set by founder Ray Kroc, this business model balances the interests of all three key stakeholder groups, and provides a foundation only as strong and as stable as each of the three legs. Each leg represents the company, the franchises and the suppliers respectively.This model is embedded in the current operating philosophy and Jim Skinner, in his address, refers to ‘Our System partners’ with the motto of ‘Your Success is Our Success’. All three groups are strongly aligned around common goals. ‘The strength of th e alignment between the Company, its franchisees and suppliers †¦ has been key to McDonald’s success’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 10). Three global priorities ‘We hold a strong competitive position in the market place, and we intend to further differentiate our brand by striving to become our customers’ favourite place and way to eat and drink.Growing market share will continue to be a focus as we execute our three global priorities’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 11). 1 Optimising our menu—‘delivering even greater excitement around our food, beginning with our iconic core favorites—Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets and French Fries—and evolving our menu with new innovative local offerings. We’ll continue by growing McCafe beverages, from specialty coffees to real fruit smoothies, differentiating our brand as a beverage destination.We’ll stay focused on adding greater choice and balanced options around the world [ to enhance our food image], from wraps to oatmeal to new Happy Meal alternatives, as we stay in step with our customers’ needs’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 2). Modernising our customer experience—‘continuing to modernize our restaurants to provide a superior experience for our customers, as well as our managers and crew. We’re adding new features and technologies that are making the drive-thru, ordering and payment processes easier.In addition, we’re moving ahead on our reimaging efforts, remodeling a growing number of restaurants with our contemporary new designs. With roughly 45% of our interiors and 25% of our exteriors reimaged around the world, we still have ample opportunity to keep reshaping our brand and delighting our guests with our updated restaurants’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 2). ‘The customer experience efforts will include accelerating our interior and exterior reimaging efforts and providing our restaurant teams with the appropriate tools, training, technology and staffing’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 1). 3 Broadening our accessibility—‘making the McDonald’s brand more accessible is another important priority. Continuing to deliver strong value across every price tier, extending our operating hours at more locations and strategically opening new restaurants in both emerging and mature markets will make us more available more often, when and where our customers want us’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 3). 2 ‘As we keep elevating all of these aspects of our business, we’re strengthening our brand as well. We will continue to use our size, scope and esources to make a positive difference for children, families, and communities around the world. Giving back is a part of our heritage, so we remain committed to taking leadership action across the broad spectrum of sustainability— including nutrition and well-being, a sustainable supply chain, env ironmental responsibility, employee experience, and the community’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 3). * ‘Comparable’ refers to same stores. That is, stores that were opened in both years, so as to remove the effect of store openings and closures. This is a common method for monitoring store performance in retail networks.Global Strategy and Leadership Page 2 of 20 Part B: McDonald’s 2011 performance Jim Skinner, Vice Chairman and CEO, states in the 2011 Annual Report: ‘2011 was another strong year for McDonald’s. Global comparable sales increased 5. 6%, our ninth consecutive year of same store sales growth. Operating income grew by 10% in constant currencies and we continued to extend our market share lead around the world. In addition †¦ we delivered a 35% total return to investors, making us the top performing company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average for 2011’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. ). ‘Specific menu pricing actions ac ross our system reflect local market conditions as well as other factors, notably the food away from home and food at home inflation indices. In our Company-operated restaurants, we manage menu board prices to ensure value at all price points, increase profitability and mitigate inflation, all while trying to maintain guest visit momentum. In order to accomplish these objectives, we utilize a strategic pricing tool that balances prices, product mix and promotion. Franchisees also have access to, and many utilize, this †¦ tool.In general, we believe many franchisees employ a similar pricing strategy. In 2011, we increased average price at Company-operated restaurants in each area of the world, although increases varied by market and region. We look to optimize product mix by utilizing a menu with entry-point value, core and premium and fourthtier (a range of tasty and appealing items in smaller portion sizes) offerings. We also introduce new products that meet customer needs, wh ich can expand average purchase and increase our visitor counts’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 10). ‘Our success continues to be truly global, with all areas of the world contributing.Such balanced growth highlights our deepening connection with customers everywhere, as well as the underlying strength of our business in today’s ever increasing global economy’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 1). The company is organised into three key regions being ‘the United States (U. S. ), Europe and Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA)’. The company’s three global priorities ‘represent areas where we are intensifying our efforts to drive †¦ sales and customer visits despite challenging economies and a contracting Informal Eating Out (IEO) segment in many markets’ (McDonald’s 2011, pp. & 10). Tables 1 and 2 provide a summary of the performance of McDonald’s for the years 2009 to 2011. Table 1: McDonald’s finan cial performance, 2009 to 2011 (USD in millions) 2011 US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Total revenue US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Total operating income US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Total assets US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Total capital expenditure 8 528. 2 10 886. 4 6 019. 5 1 571. 9 27 006. 0 3 666. 2 3 226. 7 1 525. 8 111. 0 8 529. 7 10 865. 5 12 015. 5 824. 2 4 285. 1 32 989. 9 786. 5 1 130. 1 614. 1 199. 1 2 729. 8 2010 8 111. 6 9 569. 2 5 065. 5 1 328. 3 24 074. 6 3 446. 5 2 796. 8 1 199. 9 29. 9 7 473. 1 10 467. 7 11 360. 7 5 374. 0 4 772. 8 31 975. 2 530. 5 978. 5 493. 1 133. 4 2135. 5 2009 7 943. 8 9 273. 8 4 337. 0 1 190. 1 22 744. 7 3 231. 7 2 588. 1 989. 5 31. 7 6 841. 0 10 429. 3 11 494. 4 4 409. 0 3 892. 2 30 224. 9 659. 4 859. 3 354. 6 78. 8 1 952. 1 Source: Adapted from McDonald’s (2011), 2011 Annual Report, ‘Segment and geographic information’, p. 38. Global Strategy and LeadershipP age 3 of 20 McDonald’s ‘revenues consist of sales by Company-owned restaurants and fees from restaurants operated by its various franchisees’. Revenues from franchised, licensed and affiliate restaurants include rent and royalties based on a percentage of sales along with minimum rent payments, and initial fees. ‘Fees vary by type of site, amount of Company investment, if any, and local business conditions. These fees, along with occupancy and operating rights, are stipulated in the franchise/license agreements’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 9).Table 2: McDonald’s revenue by store type, 2009 to 2011 (USD in millions) 2011 US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Company-operated revenues US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Franchised revenues US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Total revenues 4 433 7 852 5 061 947 18 293 4 096 3 034 958 625 8 713 8 529 10 886 6 019 1 572 27 006 2010 4 229 6 932 4 297 775 16 233 3 883 2 6 37 769 553 7 842 8 112 9 569 5 066 1 328 24 075 2009 4 295 6 721 3 714 729 15 459 3 649 2 553 623 461 7 286 7 944 9 274 4 337 1 190 22 745Source: Adapted from McDonald’s (2011), 2011 Annual Report, ‘Revenues’, p. 14. Regional highlights for 2011 United States †¢ †¢ †¢ Grew customer ‘counts and market share with comparable sales up for the ninth consecutive year, rising 4. 8% in 2011, while comparable customer counts rose 3. 3%, despite a slight decline in the IEO segment’. ‘Remained focused on maximizing our core business while providing customers with affordable products and value throughout our menu including options available on the Dollar Menu at breakfast and the rest of the day’. Highlighted core menu items like Chicken McNuggets that feature new sauces, breakfast products including new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, additions to the McCafe beverage line and limited-time offerings such as the McRib Sandwich. ‘National launch of the McCafe Frozen Strawberry Lemonade and Mango Pineapple real-fruit smoothie provided †¦ extensions to the McCafe beverage line’. ‘Convenient locations also continued to provide a competitive advantage with extended hours and efficient drive-thru service’. Modernizing the customer experience †¦ with the expansion of our major remodeling program to enhance the appearance and functionality of our restaurants and make our restaurants more relevant to our customers’ daily lives. Over 900 existing restaurants were remodeled during 2011 with the majority adding drive-thru capacity to capture additional customer visits’. ‘Completed our two-year, Systemwide roll-out of a new point-of-sale system. This allows us to continue expanding our menu offerings while making it easier for our crew to fulfill every order accurately’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 10). †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Global Strategy and LeadershipPage 4 of 20 Europe †¢ †¢ Comparable ‘sales rose by 5. 9%, marking the eighth consecutive year’ of growth, with comparable customer visits increasing by 3. 4%. ‘Major contributors were the U. K. , France, Russia and Germany’. ‘Initiatives that helped drive our business included †¦ our tiered menu featuring everyday affordable prices, menu variety including new and limited-time offerings, and reimaging over 900 restaurants’. We also ‘offered new premium menu items such as the 1955 burger and expanded McWraps across several European markets’. And we ‘continued to offer a fourth-tier platform—such as Little Tasters in the U.K. ’. Expanded ‘our coffee business and have over 1500 McCafe locations, which in Europe are generally separate areas inside the restaurants that serve specialty coffees, indulgent desserts and snacks’. Increased ‘accessibility and convenience’ with the completion of ‘the rollout of the new drive-thru customer order display system in over 4500 restaurants’ and ‘extended operating hours’. Continued ‘building customer trust in our brand through communications that emphasized the quality and origin of McDonald’s food and our commitment to sustainable business practices’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 0). †¢ †¢ †¢ APMEA †¢ †¢ ‘Our momentum continued with nearly every country delivering positive comparable sales, led by China and Australia. Comparable sales rose 4. 7% and comparable guest counts by 4. 3%’. Performance was ‘driven by strategies emphasizing value, breakfast, convenience, core menu extensions, desserts and promotional food events. Australia launched a Value Lunch program that features meals at discounted price points for certain hours while China and Japan concentrated on affordability by continuing their Value Lunch’ programs. New menu ite ms such as real-fruit smoothies and frappes in Australia and the extension of the Value Breakfast program in China were popular with customers’. ‘Japan executed another successful U. S. themed burger promotion and celebrated its 40th anniversary by offering popular core menu items at reduced prices’. ‘Desserts continue to play a meaningful role as we seek to deliver on customers’ menu expectations through products such as the McFlurry and unique storefronts like the dessert kiosks in China, where we are now one of the largest ice-cream retailers’ (McDonald’s 2011, pp. 10–11). †¢ †¢ †¢Part C: McDonald’s franchising approach McDonald’s believes ‘franchising is important to delivering great, locally-relevant customer experiences and driving profitability. However, directly operating restaurants is paramount to being a credible franchisor and is essential to providing Company personnel with restaura nt operations experience. In our Company-operated restaurants, and in collaboration with franchisees, we further develop and refine operating standards, marketing concepts and product and pricing strategies, so that only those that we believe are most beneficial are introduced’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. ). The company continually reviews, and as appropriate adjusts, the mix of company-operated and franchised (conventional franchised, developmental licensed and foreign affiliated) restaurants with the ‘goal of improving local relevance, profits and returns’, while maintaining a strong presence through company-owned restaurants seen as important to success (McDonald’s 2011, p. 16). As a franchisor McDonald’s sees its role as providing clear and positive leadership with vision, competence and integrity, to ultimately protect the strategic vision of the brand.Listening and responding to customers’ wants and needs through constant innovation has been a key driver to success. This success places pressure on all Partner System parties who have a responsibility to consistently rise to the occasion each time and deliver an exceptional customer experience. As McDonald’s must deliver this leadership as the franchisor, it needs its franchisees to do the same for the company’s continued success. The mix of McDonald’s franchises and company-operated McDonald’s restaurants is set out in Table 3.The difference between types of franchise stores is outlined in the ‘Franchise investment’ section below, and is dependent on how much capital investment McDonald’s has in the business. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 5 of 20 Table 3: Summary of McDonald’s stores in 2011 Store type Conventional franchise Company operated Licensed to foreign affiliates (primarily in Japan) Development franchise Total worldwide stores Number of stores 19 527 6 435 3 929 3 619 33 510Franchise ‘sale s are not recorded as revenues’ by McDonald’s, but ‘are the basis on which the Company calculates and records franchised revenues and are indicative of the health of the franchise base’ (McDonald’s 2011, p. 9). ‘Franchised margin dollars represent revenues from franchised restaurants less the Company’s occupancy costs (rent and depreciation) associated with those sites †¦ The franchised margin percent in APMEA and Other Countries †¦ is higher relative to the U. S. nd Europe due to a larger proportion of developmental franchises and/or affiliate restaurants where the Company receives royalty income with no corresponding occupancy costs’ (McDonald’s 2011, pp. 15–16). Table 4 presents franchised sales and margins for the years 2009 to 2011. Table 4: McDonald’s franchised store sales and margins, 2009 to 2011 (USD in millions) 2011 US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Total franchised sales US Europe APMEA Other countries and corporate Franchised margins Source: Adapted from McDonald’s (2011), 2011 Annual Report, p. 5. 2010 28 166 15 049 11 373 6 559 61 147 3 239 2 063 686 476 6 464 2009 26 737 14 573 9 871 5 747 56 928 3 031 1 998 559 397 5 985 29 739 17 243 13 041 7 625 67 648 3 436 2 400 858 538 7 232 Selection of franchisees for a cultural fit with McDonald’s One of the key reasons McDonald’s believes it is successful is that it maintains the highest standards of operational excellence while creating individual opportunities.Having dynamic individuals who are able to create high performance environments within their local stores is crucial for franchisee success. Franchisees must also be great brand ambassadors and run outstanding restaurants to deliver on the McDonald’s brand promise. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 6 of 20 For example, great care is taken in recruiting, screening, training, developing and retaining qualified franchise es.When considering potential franchisees, the company looks for people who †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ are looking to make a 20-year commitment; aspire to become an integral part of the community as an employer, service provider and local business leader; are energetic and take a hands-on approach; have had a successful business or career, demonstrated significant team leadership and know how to get the most out of people; accept that McDonald’s will be the franchisee’s only business, and the franchisee must be prepared to put in hard work and long hours to make it a success; will commit themselves to being full time in the business rather than an absentee investor; and are able to make a significant financial investment. McDonald’s provides extensive training and ongoing support to franchisees. Franchisee candidates must complete the McDonald’s Applicant Training Program which goes for a minimum of nine months full time and i s unpaid. This is a comprehensive program designed to provide training in all aspects of operating a McDonald’s restaurant and to assist McDonald’s in evaluating a franchisee applicant.It also allows the applicant to evaluate McDonald’s and get a true understanding of what it takes to run a restaurant. Most of this training takes place in a restaurant, with some formal classroom sessions which include seminars, conferences and one-on-one sessions with corporate staff. It is essential that they agree to the philosophy of working within the framework of the McDonald’s system. McDonald’s is looking for people who are prepared to follow a proven system—one based on 50 years of experience. Franchisees are advised that if they are not good at taking advice, they should not become a McDonald’s franchisee. McDonald’s does not ‘expect franchisees to re-invent the wheel’, but ‘to make it turn faster’ (McDonaldâ €™s NZ 2012, p. 3).Franchisees must operate the franchise according to McDonald’s quality, service, cleanliness and value standards. In addition, franchisees must use McDonald’s †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ formulae and specifications for menu items; methods of operation, approved suppliers, inventory control, bookkeeping, accounting and marketing; trademarks; concepts and restaurant design, signage and equipment layout; and information systems. Franchise investment Under the conventional franchise agreement, franchisees provide a portion of the capital required by initially investing in the equipment, signs, seating and decor of their restaurant business, and by reinvesting in the business over time.The company owns the land and building or secures long-term leases for both company-operated and conventional franchised restaurant sites. This maintains long-term occupancy rights, helps control related costs and assists in alignment with franchisees. In ce rtain circumstances, the company participates in reinvestment for conventional franchise restaurants. Under developmental franchise arrangements, franchisees provide capital for the entire business, including the real estate interest, and the Company has no capital invested. In addition, the company has an equity investment in a limited number of affiliates that invest in real estate and operate and/or franchise restaurants within a particular market where foreign ownership may be restricted, such as Japan and China.As a matter of policy, McDonald’s does not make direct sales of food or materials to franchisees, instead organising the supply of food and materials to restaurants through approved third-party logistics operators. For successful applicants, the franchisee must make a substantial financial contribution to the business, summarised as follows in Table 5 for an Australian franchise. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 7 of 20 Table 5: Example of McDonald’s Aus tralia franchisee investment and ongoing contribution Term of franchise Ongoing fees 20 Years A monthly service/royalty fee based on a percentage of the restaurant’s gross sales (currently 5%).A monthly rental, being a fixed base rent and a percentage of the restaurant’s gross sales. A monthly advertising contribution of not less than 4% of gross sales. All outgoings including rates and utilities. Initial costs Licence fee paid to McDonald’s on or prior to the commencement of the franchise. Stamp duty may be payable on the documentation (stamp duty laws vary from state to state so franchisees must obtain their own legal advice). Security deposit for the performance of the franchise. Documentation fee. Approximate cost of staff training, salaries, purchase of trading stock, living expenses whilst training and other start-up expenses.Approximate cost of kitchen equipment, signage, seating, decor, air conditioning and landscaping (paid to suppliers). AUD 15 000 AUD 3 000 AUD 160 000–AUD 200 000 (indicative) AUD 1. 7 million (indicative) AUD 60 000 plus GST Source: Adapted from McDonald’s Australia (2012), ‘Becoming a key ingredient in our success: McDonald’s Australia franchising overview’, p. 6. In addition, a franchisee must maintain a maximum of 75 per cent debt to assets ratio for the entire term of their franchise agreement. Hence, McDonald’s will not allow borrowings to be more than 75 per cent of the total asset value of the restaurant. If purchasing an existing restaurant, McDonald’s will not permit the purchaser to borrow more than 75 per cent of the McDonald’s agreed valuation.These stringent financial requirements are to ensure a sustainable return for the franchisee and the long-term viability of the restaurant for McDonald’s. In 2011, McDonald’s total revenue from franchisees was USD 8. 7 billion, comprised as follows in Table 6. Table 6: McDonald’s Corpo ration revenues from franchised restaurants, 2009 to 2011 2011 Rents Royalties Initial fees Total franchised sales 5 718. 5 2 929. 8 64. 9 8 713. 2 2010 5 198. 4 2 579. 2 63. 7 7 841. 3 2009 4 841. 0 2 379. 8 65. 4 7 286. 2 Source: Adapted from McDonald’s (2011), 2011 Annual Report, p. 35. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 8 of 20 Part D: A timeline of McDonald’s developmentWhen 1940 1948 1949 1955 1958 1959 1962 1963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1971 1973 1974 1975 1978 1979 1981 1983 1987 1990 1996 2000 2002 2003 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Milestone Dick and Mac McDonald open McDonald’s Bar-B-Q restaurant in California, US, with a large menu and car hop service Restaurant closes for three months of renovations and re-opens as a self-service, drive-in restaurant French fries replace potato chips on the menu, triple-thick milkshakes make their debut Ray Kroc becomes National Franchising Agent and opens McDonald’s franchise in Illinois, US The 100 millionth ha mburger is sold The 100th restaurant is opened in Wisconsin, US McDonald’s in Denver, Colorado, US, becomes the first restaurant with inside seating The 500th McDonald’s opens in Ohio, US First public stock offering at USD 22. 50 per share; 700 McDonald’s restaurants throughout the US First TV commercial. Ronald McDonald appears in his first US TV commercial, appearing on a flying hamburger in one-minute colour spots on the NBC and CBS networks McDonald’s goes international—the first international restaurants open in Canada and Puerto Rico The Big Mac, developed by an owner/operator in Illinios, US, is added to the national menu Ronald McDonald gets new friends—Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, Captain Crook and the Big Mac join Ronald McDonald in McDonaldLand Quarter Pounder with heese is added to the menu First Ronald McDonald House opens in Philadelphia, US Breakfast at McDonald’s—the Egg McMuffin, created by owner/operat or from Santa Barbara, California, US, added to national menu The 5000th restaurant opens in Japan Happy Meals debut to coincide with the International Year of the Child First restaurants open in Spain, Denmark and the Philippines 7778 restaurants by year end in 32 countries Fresh salads added Moscow, Russia, restaurant opens McDonalds. com launched Fruit ’n Yoghurt Parfait introduced McHappy Day first held—20 November 2002 designated as World Children’s Day, with McDonald’s donating USD 1 from every Big Mac sold to children’s charities worldwide Plan to Win strategic framework launched Snack Wrap introduced—grilled and crispy chicken wraps Global packaging redesign, focused on environmentally friendly and common packaging worldwide McCafe goes national in US.McCafe coffees including lattes, cappuccinos and mochas added to menu McCafe Real Fruit Smoothies and Frappes introduced Opens restaurants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trinidad and Tobago —now operates in 119 countries Shamrock Shake, a mint green milkshake which was launched in 1970 and sold on St Patrick’s Day only, now added to menu and sold all year round in US Source: Adapted from McDonald’s (2012b), ‘Our company, McDonald’s history’ (accessed February 2013). End of Case Study 1 case facts. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 9 of 20 Case Study 2 Upwardly mobile: The Australian mobile telecommunications carrier industry A Introduction—Mobile telecommunications around the world The global mobile telecommunications carrier industry is one of the largest global communication sectors, with global revenue growing at around 5 per cent annually. Mobile telecommunications is now an established industry separate from the broader telecommunications industry.This industry has over six billion users worldwide and about USD 970 billion in annual revenue (Vodafone 2012). The industry comprises companies, known as carriers, who p rovide mobile telephone services to business and consumer customers. The global industry has several major segments including mobile voice, text and data services. Having experienced fast growth over the last 30 years, mobile voice and text services have reached maturity in the developed markets of Europe and the United States. This maturation is primarily due to increasing competitive and regulatory pressures 1 that have lowered prices, together with the slower pace of economic activity.Global emerging markets, such as those in Asia and Africa, are experiencing strong demand for traditional voice and text services as mobile phone penetration grows in tandem with economic growth. In contrast, the increasing demand for data services is providing strong growth in the developed markets. For example, in 2006, data services accounted for 6 per cent of mobile telecommunications carrier revenue, whereas in 2011 they accounted for 20 per cent and are expected to rise further over the medium term. Demand for data services is driven by the higher penetration of ‘smartphones’ that integrate voice, text and multimedia messages, with internet, music and social networking (e. g. iPhones), combined with significant enhancements to network data speed and coverage, and an increased range of mobile applications (Vodafone 2012).Data services are forecast to be the strongest growing segment of the global mobile telecommunications carrier industry, with estimates that, from 2011 to 2016, worldwide mobile data revenue will grow by USD 142 billion, compared to a USD 27 billion decline in voice revenue over the same period (Vodafone 2012). Another key driver of growth in developed markets globally is technological innovation in the form of upgraded networks 2 and innovative products and services. Innovations in technology are also bringing new competitors in the form of internet service providers (ISPs) and software companies who offer converged services such as Voice ov er Internet Protocol (VoIP; services (e. g. Skype) which provide internet transmission of voice communications).Japan is a global leader in many aspects of telecommunications, and the Japanese Government has played a strong role in shaping the development of the telecommunications industry. Japan has ‘one of the world’s leading mobile telecommunication markets, not only in terms of size but also in terms of innovation and its ability to be early with the introduction of advanced technologies’ (Budde 2012a). The trends in the Japanese market suggest ongoing competition on price and the importance of continual product and service innovation such as cloud-computing services and online storage, which encourage greater data usage by allowing users to store data on shared (‘cloud’) servers rather than mobile devices.Similarly, South Korea is a leader in the global mobile telecommunications industry, with strong government support to help transform that cou ntry into the knowledge era. The industry has experienced strong growth and a trend toward value-added products and services. This growth is coming at the decline of traditional fixed line services. For example, in the United States about 22 per cent of households are mobile only and do not have a fixed line, whereas in Australia about 14 per cent of households are mobile only—up 2 per cent from the previous year and suggesting an ongoing trend away from fixed line to mobile-only households (Bartholomeusz 2012). 1 2 Regulators continue to impose policies to lower the cost of access to mobile networks through setting lower mobile termination rates (the fees mobile companies charge for calls received from other companies’ networks) and to limit the amount that operators can charge for mobile roaming services’ (Vodafone 2012, p. 18). A mobile network is a number of transceivers or base stations located across an area of land that provide radio frequency coverage fo r the transmission of voice and data signals between communication devices such as smartphones. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 10 of 20 B The Australian mobile telecommunications carrier industryAustralia’s mobile telecommunications carrier (AMTC) industry is one of the most profitable industries in the broader Australian telecommunications sector, with revenue of AUD 20 billion in 2011–12. The industry is made up of carriers who supply, operate and maintain mobile telecommunication network services that deliver communications through the airwaves rather than through fixed copper or fibre cables. Consistent with the trend in the global industry, the AMTC industry is moving toward the maturity stage of its life cycle, with some segments in the industry expanding faster than the Australian economy as technology drives growth through network upgrades and innovative products.The industry currently has over 30 million mobile phone subscribers in Australia, with mobile phone penetration level at around 90 per cent (ACMA 2011a), or 130 per cent when customers with multiple SIM and mobile broadband cards 3 are included (Shulman 2012b, p. 7). 1 AMTC industry products and services Growth in the industry has shifted from mobile voice communications to data transmission services, such as multimedia messaging service (MMS), mobile TV and internet, music streaming, interactive gaming and global positioning system (GPS) mapping. Smartphones have enabled the convergence of the industry with this growing range of products and services functional on the one device. Revenue for the major segments is set out in Table 1, with key segments discussed.Table 1: AMTC industry revenue by segment (AUD in millions) Year 2005–06 (a) 2006–07 (a) 2007–08 (a) 2008–09 (a) 2009–10 (a) 2010–11 (a) 2011–12 (a) 2012–13 (f) 2013–14 (f) 2014–15 (f) 2015–16 (f) 2016–17 (f) Equipment 990 1 190 1 330 1 650 1 990 2 090 2 603 2 750 2 810 2 900 3 100 3 300 Voice 10 010 9 790 9 490 9 150 8 800 8 450 7 210 6 120 5 450 4 690 4 010 3 450 Messaging 1 090 1 450 1 862 2 060 2 450 2 940 3 405 3 450 4 040 4 600 4 900 5 450 Non-messaging data 320 650 1 290 2 100 3 020 4 050 5 608 6 420 7 300 8 200 8 990 10 032 Mobile commerce 310 390 560 760 900 1 010 1 204 2 270 2 550 3 800 4 280 5 349 Total industry 12 720 13 470 14 532 15 720 17 160 18 540 20 030 21 010 22 150 24 190 25 280 27 581 Note: (a) = actual, (f) = forecast. The figures provided in this table are simulated. aEquipment The sale of handsets and other mobile devices provides a significant and growing share of industry revenue, driven by innovations in high-value smartphones and tablets (mobile computers such as iPads and Kindles that are operated primarily by touchscreen). b Voice Voice services, made up of call charges and access fees, generated the largest source of revenue in the industry in 2011–12. This segment has benefi ted from the migration of consumers from fixed services (landlines) to mobile services as adoption of mobile technology has become widely accepted. However, the segment has become saturated and commoditised, 4 and is now in the decline stage of its product life cycle. In order to reduce customer ‘churn’ (loss of customers to rival carriers), there has been a trend to offer capped plans with free call minutes and message services.This trend has resulted in decreasing average revenue per user (ARPU) and hence voice revenue as a 3 4 SIM (subscriber identity module) and mobile broadband cards store and verify the identity of the mobile phone user. ‘Commoditised’ means the price of a product or service falls as it become widely available and standardised. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 11 of 20 proportion of total mobile revenue has fallen during the last five years. This decrease is expected to continue as competition in the voice segment continues to inte nsify, and as consumers continue to switch to mobile VoIP and the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax 5) mobile broadband system. Messaging The increasing demand for text/SMS (short message service) and MMS has provided major growth for the industry over the last five years, as consumers switch from voice calls to these types of communications. As well as individual use, businesses are increasingly using SMS as a form of customer communication. d Non-messaging data Technological innovations in the form of new generation networks and integrated handset products have driven strong growth in the demand for, and use of, non-messaging data (ACMA 2011b). Non-messaging data includes mobile internet, media updates, music streaming, mobile TV, gaming and GPS mapping (Shulman 2012b, p. 15). This growth is expected to continue through to 2016–17, boosted by the proliferation of high data usage devices such as smartphones and tablets (Shulman 2012b, p. 15).Mobile carri ers have enabled the growth of non-messaging data through the provision of mobile broadband that has enabled high-speed internet access to mobile devices, increased data usage allowances, and access to a variety of content. e Mobile commerce Mobile commerce (M-commerce) refers to commercial transactions, typically payment services, between customers and merchants that are operated on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. M-commerce provides customers with a convenient and accessible service for making transactions. Applications include mobile banking services, buying goods and services, and paying for car parking, flights and concert tickets (Shulman 2012b, pp. 15–16).M-commerce is predicted to provide a source of revenue growth in the AMTC industry, as consumers increasingly make these transactions using their mobile devices rather than desktop or laptop computers. 2 AMTC industry trends Australia is an advanced country in terms of mobile telecommunications. About 9 0 per cent of adults own a mobile phone, with a high level of smartphone penetration with about 37 per cent of mobile phone subscribers using a smartphone (ACMA 2011b). Following in the steps of the global industry, the AMTC industry is transforming into a digital era of new generation networks, increasing data usage, and innovative mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.Industry growth is underpinned by the fact that mobile phones, and in particular smartphones, have become the primary means of communication in Australia. This growth has also been driven by lower prices that have commoditised voice services and tightened business margins. a Network upgrades Mobile network technologies and infrastructures provide a set of standards for mobile devices and telecommunication services that comply with international standards. Periodically these network technologies are upgraded to a new generation. Each new generation of mobile technology is typically characterised by different frequency bands, wider bandwidth and improved data transmission rates. The improving availability and coverage of upgraded carrier networks has driven increased demand in the industry.The progression from second generation (2G) to third generation (3G) networks, and the rollout of fourth generation (4G) from 2011, continues to invigorate industry growth with superior functionality and lower data transmission prices, leading to increased demand. 6 The rollout of 4G technology will enable a variety of data services, such that revenue from data is forecast to outweigh revenue from voice over the years to 2016–17 (Shulman 2012a, p. 4). 5 6 WiMax is a fourth generation mobile broadband system that provides data speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second, and data exchanges across greater distances. WiMax applications include mobile broadband connectivity between cities and countries, and are an alternative to cable and digital subscriber line (DSL) for ‘last mile’ broadban d access to customers. G, introduced in Australia in 1987, was an analogue network that was superseded by the 2G digital network from 1993. 2G offered data services (e. g. texting), and improved network capacity and data security. 3G commenced in 2005, with enhanced speed and services, including internet connectivity, MMS and music/video downloads. (Next G is a Telstra 3G network. ) 4G commenced rollout in 2011 and is designed especially for data transmission, with faster speeds and reduced network congestion that let users access fast internet connection, high definition TV and video conferencing from their mobile devices. GSM is one of the early, very basic, networks. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 12 of 20Wireless networks now cover 99 per cent of the Australian population. Telstra was the first telecommunications company in the world to build a nationwide 3G network. More broadly, the rollout of 4G, combined with the implementation of the Australian Government’s AUD 43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), 7 will speed the entry of the Australian economy into the digital era. This in turn will embed the importance of telecommunication services in the activities of consumers and businesses. b Data consumption Improvements in mobile and smartphone technologies have underscored a shift in demand from voice traffic to data traffic, 8 including messaging, non-messaging data and M-commerce.The development and widespread uptake of applications for mobile devices, in particular smartphones, has generated large revenue gains in non-messaging data. Australia has the third highest penetration of 3G handsets, behind only Japan and South Korea (ACMA 2011a). Online banking, internet browsing and video streaming from sites such as YouTube and live sports websites have contributed significantly. According to Shulman (2012a, p. 4), this trend will continue to 2016–17, with data becoming the primary source of industry revenue. A second key driver of t his trend to data traffic is improved network capacity and functionality and cheaper data prices, which are helping to drive strong growth in data consumption.Faster speeds and lower data prices are supporting ‘new value added features for mobile phones and will improve the functionality of Internet connectivity via a wireless data card. This will further increase bandwidth usage as internet browsing, mobile applications (apps [software that allows users direct access to content or websites such as as banking, shopping, entertainment, and social networking]), mobile TV and M-commerce are all forecast to grow concurrently with accelerating network speeds’ (Shulman 2012b, p. 9). The rollout of 4G is expected to provide a further boost to data consumption from mobile and data cards, with the advent of demand for super-fast mobile services. c Convergence Advances in technology have broken down industry barriers in the telecommunication sector.The bundling of products and se rvices is now an industry standard. Voice, video, transaction, media and information services are packaged together on mobile devices. Smartphones in particular have driven the convergence of communication products and services in the AMTC industry. Overseas trends suggest that industry convergence will continue as the importance of data increases and the distinction between ISPs and mobile telecommunication carriers dissolves. The global trend is for companies that previously operated in non-telecommunication industries, such as cable operators, mobile-TV technology providers, content owners and search providers, to look to move into the telecommunications sector.To gain greater control over the supply chain major market, participants will want to fully integrate and operate across key distribution channels. This will necessitate that the wired and mobile markets coexist within the media, IT and communications sectors (Shulman 2012a, p. 10). While convergence will drive growth in t he AMTC industry, it will also increase the level of competition and hence have a neutral impact on profitability. d Consumer behaviour As the segment composition of the industry has changed over time, so has customer behaviour towards carriers. Mobile communication consumers select a carrier to provide their mobile telecommunication needs.Portability of mobile phone numbers means that a consumer can take their number with them if they change from one carrier to another. Consumers can sign up with a carrier with either a prepaid or postpaid plan. 9 With the proliferation of higher functionality smartphones, there is a trend from prepaid to postpaid subscription by consumers. This shift will increase ARPU, which is currently AUD 61 for postpaid subscribers versus AUD 18 for prepaid subscribers. The Generation Y demographic (18–35 year olds) will produce increasing ARPU over the years to 2016–17 as they take up postpaid contracts for access to high cost and high value 3G - and 4G-enabled smartphones and use significant data services.Growing consumer understanding and acceptance of mobile devices, and the variety of mobile data services available, will support greater demand in the industry. Smartphone penetration and turnover is higher in the Generation X and Y demographics (people born between 1966 and 1994), as these groups look for new features and products. These trends are significant, given that the Generation X and Y demographics are the largest in Australia, making up over one-third of the population. 7 8 9 The NBN involves the rollout of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), or high-speed fixed-wire broadband, to 93 per cent of premises in Australia. Data traffic is a term used to describe the transmission and flow of data. This includes messaging, non-messaging data and mobile commerce. Prepaid plans have a contract period (e. g. 4 months) and the consumer pays in advance per month for a set amount of value for calls, SMS and mobile internet data. Whe n the limit is reached, usage is restricted or charged at substantially higher rates. Postpaid plans are usually monthly contracts that provide a set amount of value which can be exceeded and charged at the same rate and which the customer pays in arrears. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 13 of 20 An increasing proportion of Australians now have a range of communication devices and options, with a shift from fixed to mobile voice and data. Young Australians in particular are choosing to communicate using mobile devices or social networking via their computers or laptops, smartphones and VoIP.According to ACMA, ‘gender, age and location appear to be primary drivers of the shift towards mobile phone-only living, with males, those aged 25–34 years, and people residing in metropolitan areas of Australia most likely to not have a fixed-line telephone in the home’ (ACMA 2011a, p. 17). With the growing range of voice and data communication devices comes a greater dep endency of households and businesses as they subscribe to these mobile services: ‘The all-encompassing product range is allowing a growing number of consumers, sole proprietors and small businesses to rely solely on wireless services for delivering all their communication needs. Such dependency is facilitating a boom in mobile usage’ (Shulman 2012a, p. 7). Government oversight Historically, the Australian telecommunications sector was subject to strong government controls and monopoly structures protected by legislation in the form of Telstra (formerly Telecom Australia, renamed Telstra Corporation Ltd in 1993), the previously government-controlled telecommunications company (Shulman 2012). Since 1989, the sector has been progressively deregulated and opened to competition. The Telecommunications Act 1991 (Cwlth) issued two additional mobile network licences, granted to Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA), which has set up a tripartite market. Legislation in 19 97 established a regulatory framework and industry codes and standards, and provided greater scope for industry self-regulation.Pricing, spectrum licensing and access are the three main areas of regulatory control, as described below. The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) has the power to set the pricing that carriers can charge for access to their networks. This pricing power encourages competition in the industry and acts to limit the power and profitability of the three main carriers. Telstra notes that ‘we are required to provide certain services to our competitors using our networks based on the ACCC calculation of the efficient costs of providing these services. In many cases we believe that the ACCC proposes prices that are below our efficient cost of supply †¦ There is no right to a merits review of ACCC decisions’ (Telstra 2012a, p. 16).The Australian Government controls the availability of the spectrum licences that assign the specific airspace on which mobile signals are transmitted and which operators require to provide mobile services within geographic areas and frequencies. 10 According to Shulman (2012b, p. 27), government policy decisions are required to reissue spectrum licences, and release new spectrum licences. Access to spectrum is a key factor in supporting the rollout of new mobile devices and services. The regulation of access to mobile network services is a third critical factor in the AMTC industry: ‘Under the Trade Practices Amendment (Telecommunications) Act 1997, network services can be â€Å"declared† whereupon carriers supplying network services are under an obligation to supply the services to requesting service providers.Thus, once a service has been declared, it is essentially under the control of the regulatory framework’ (Shulman 2012, p. 39). Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 11 services are declared services subje ct to regulated access pricing, while the 3G network is not subject to regulation. The potential for the government to mandate the opening up of a carrier’s mobile network to rivals is likely to increase competition and reduce the profitability of one or other of the three main carriers. There is speculation, for example, that the Australian Government may make the 4G network a declared service. 3 AMTC industry competitionStrong industry growth, combined with industry deregulation, contributed to the globalisation of the AMTC industry with the entrance of competitors, most notably Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA). a Industry competitors As at 2012, the AMTC industry is highly concentrated with the three major competitors—Telstra, Optus and VHA— accounting for about 90 per cent of industry revenue (Shulman 2012b, p. 22). Over the last seven years the market shares of these competitors have not changed significantly, with Telstra at about 40 per cent, Optus 30 per cent, and VHA 25 per cent. Competition is intense among these carriers, each of which has its own full-coverage mobile networks.VHA and Optus introduced strong price competition to the market with capped plans (prepaid and postpaid) and handset subsidies that give consumers low-price handsets as part of their contract. Shulman (2012b, p. 24) estimates that prices have fallen by around 5 per cent per annum over the past five years. 10 11 This airspace is becoming scarce due to the boom in mobile data transmission. CDMA is a transmission method that allows multiple users to use the same channel. Global Strategy and Leadership Page 14 of 20 The level of competition in the AMTC industry is high, given the regulated access to networks and the commoditised nature of voice and messaging services in which competition based on price is very strong.The three major carriers compete against telecommunication resellers who buy capacity on their network services then resell it to con sumers, and they also compete against mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) such as Virgin Mobile. MVNOs use an existing mobile network to sell a service linked to other branded services. For example, Woolworths, an Australian listed company with a significant presence in the retail sector, established an MVNO with Optus (Shulman 2012b, p. 26). Telstra The largest industry competitor, Telstra, is discussed in detail in Section C of this case study. Optus Optus is an integrated communications company that provides mobile, national and international services, local telephony and internet services to 9. 5 million customers in Australia. It is the second largest competitor in the AMTC industry.Optus is now a 100 per-cent-owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel), the biggest Asian-based communications group, with operations in over 20 countries and about 470 million mobile customers. SingTel is restructuring Optus following a drop in sales and revenue in 2012. â €˜SingTel †¦ reduced the workforce at Optus in Australia by about 10 per cent and is changing how it sells to consumers †¦ Customers will see more Optusbranded distribution channels †¦ Optus is cutting licensing to other retailers and adding its own stores to compete with its rival [Telstra], which has rolled out faster mobile-phone networks to expand market share’ (Chen 2012).Optus was the second carrier in Australia to commence the rollout of a 4G network in some of Australia’s metropolitan areas in September 2012: ‘Optus has revealed prices that are cheaper, with larger download limits, than Telstra’s plans †¦ [However] Optus cannot extend its 4G network into regional areas for several years because it does not yet have suitable low-frequency spectrum available’ (Battersby 2012). With the slowdown in customer growth in the Australian market, Optus is now focusing on improving the customer experience in order to achieve more profitable growth. VHA VHA is a joint venture between the Vodafone Group and Hutchison Whampoa.The Vodafone Group is one of the world’s largest mobile companies with a well-known brand, operations in over 70 countries and over 400 million customers. The large scale of the Vodafone Group provides strong economies of scale in purchasing and the rationalisation of operations, as well as off-shoring shared services to lower-cost locations such as India and Hungary. A key part of the Vodafone Group strategy is to achieve growth in mobile data services, particularly in the developed markets. The Vodafone Group aims to grow revenue from data services by upgrading and improving its networks to lead the market. This entails providing a faster and more reliable service, greater network coverage and capacity, and enhanced customer service.To enable this growth, the Vodafone Group plans to stimulate demand by informing and encouraging customers to take up the range of data services that are available now and that are being developed as networks are upgraded and new mobile devices released: ‘Vodafone, together with a number of other leading operators, has developed the next wave in personal mobile communications known as rich communication services which will enable data services such as instant messaging or live chat, live video sharing and file transfer across any device and on any network †¦ Vodafone is also developing a range of new services to generate additional revenue and enhance the customer experience such as mobile commerce, machine-to-machine and operator billing’ (Vodafone 2012, p. 19).Hutchison Whampoa, the other partner in the VHA joint venture, is also a leading global operator of mobile telecommunications and data services, with over 60 million customers and a strong focus on innovative mobile technology. VHA operates the Vodafone, 3, and Crazy John’s brands, and has nearly seven million customers. VHA provides 3G coverage to 94 per cent of Australians. VHA has performed poorly in recent times due to network coverage difficulties, delays to network upgrades, and poor customer service that has resulted in the loss of one million customers in the two years to July 2012. In the first half of 2012 Bill Morrow was appointed as the new chief executive officer (CEO), with a focus on improving network coverage, capacity, speed and reliability, and improving customer experience.VHA has invested AUD 1 billion in upgrading its network with the rollout of a new 3G network, and in 2013 plans to commence the rollout of 4G in an effort to match Telstra and Optus: ‘For Vodafone customers, this is translating into better coverage, better call quality and an improved mobile data experience on smartphones, tablets and mobile broadband devices’ (Hutchison Telecoms 2012). Global Strategy and Leadership Page 15 of 20 b Alternative products and services The relatively high pricing of 3G and 4G network use has e nabled competition from alternative services that operate on lower cost bases. This is offset by the carrier’s substantial investment to improve the availability and coverage of their networks. 1 2 Fixed telecommunications.This product has been in strong decline as consumers have terminated their fixed line phones and switched to mobiles as their first means of communication. Mobile and fixed VoIP. With the growth of the data services segment it is expected that: ‘internet service providers †¦ that offer mobile connectivity via fixed networks will become direct competitive threats †¦ For example, Skype allows users located in hotspots [sites (e. g. cafes and libraries) with wireless internet access for customers] to make free calls and send text messages via their mobile phone while completely bypassing traditional mobile networks’ (Shulman 2012b, p. 11). Wi-Fi 12 and WiMax. These fixed wireless networks provide data services at cheaper prices than the mobile networks.The use of these services is growing and they are predicted to become a profitable niche, particularly as the mobile networks are likely to struggle to cope with increased demands on their capacity. As the importance and usage of data transmission increases, ISPs offering WiMax technologies are forecast to pose a greater competitive threat to the AMTC industry. 3 c Barriers to entry There is a range of barriers to entry to the industry. The AMTC industry is capital intensive. According to Shulman (2012b, p. 27): ‘Upfront investment costs involved in the rollout of a network can be substantial; for example each GSM network station can cost up to $500 000 on top o