Question is in the instruction part Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Question is in the guidance part - Essay Example In this article we will consider the degree to which this announcement is valid, basing on the advanced recording of Shakespeare's plays, with particular accentuation on Romeo + Juliet coordinated by Baz Luhrmann. These days, Hollywood is encountering a genuine 'blast' of utilizing traditional works with absolutely practical points - for example for moving them to the cutting edge condition, and these movies are situated dominatingly at youngsters and youngsters. In Gil Junger's Ten Things I Hate About You (1999), the plot of Taming of the Shrew is utilized, with the names of principle characters saved, yet Shakespeare isn't referenced as a source text in the film's titles. Same as in Philip Spink's Ronnie and Julie (1997), here just the essential lines of the plot are safeguarded, and the two movies are simply high school comedies. It can without much of a stretch be seen that in new screen forms of Shakespearean plays, the characters are 'moving' in reality; anyway they don't appear to lose their up-to-datedness, and it tends to be assumed that the writer of the sixteenth century figured out how to portray the existence circumstances and issues that are as yet topical these days, and that while our general surroundings has changed by methods for specialized and social advancement, the human spirit stayed only equivalent to 400 years prior. In this way, is the proposal of the 'progress of mankind' only a fantasy What is there past the inclination of movie executives to make new and new forms of the old works How do these new movies impact our view of Shakespeare, and, the other way around, how Shakespeare's picture of an acclaimed writer impacts our demeanor to the thoughts passed on by the cutting edge films dependent on his plots Let us attempt to enter into the universe of Shakespearean characters that have been 'moved' to the advanced condition. B) William Shakespeare versus present day shooting of his plays: is the writer's picture being 'abused' 1. 'Shakespeare's blast' in cinematography: a succinct diagram In the 80-90s long periods of the only remaining century, there has seemed an entire greater part of new movies dependent on Shakespeare's plays. When in doubt, they didn't go past the constraints of customary understandings: in 1989, an English on-screen character Kenneth Branagh coordinated Henry V that won an Oscar, European Film Award and many different honors; at that point achievement went to Branagh's movies Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996) and As You Like It (2006). There have been numerous endeavors of shooting Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - for example Franco Zeffirelli, who is generally recognized to be the creator of the best screen variant of Romeo and Juliet (1968) and who had additionally screened The Taming of the Shrew (1967) and Otello (1986), introduced his adaptation of Hamlet in 1991 with Mel Gibson having the fundamental male impact, anyway his film was assessed as extremely exhausting. Not especially new was Oliver Parker's Othello (1995) regarding understanding of Shakespearean plot and thoughts. In 1991, Peter Greenaway concocted a very unique translation of Shakespeare's Tempest - Prospero's Books. Very free is viewed as Branagh's

Accounting and Management Information Systems Essay -- Essays Papers

Bookkeeping and Management Information Systems A business needs bookkeeping and the board data frameworks to help take care of business issues that a business may experience; and a business needs bookkeeping and the executives data frameworks to help assemble and arrange data, with the goal that the business can use sound judgment in their dynamic procedure so as to enable the business to succeed. Likewise, without bookkeeping and the board data frameworks the organizations would be less sorted out in light of the fact that that is a significant piece of bookkeeping and the executives data frameworks. It trains the organizations on the most proficient method to turn out to be progressively sorted out and how to arrange the data with the goal that anybody would comprehend the data. As fundamental parts of the business world, bookkeeping and the executives data frameworks offer numerous chances. The executives data frameworks is a vocation zone which centers around two related regions, and the two related regions are association and innovation. As indicated by one master, â€Å"The association framework is the framework coming full circle in the authoritative obligations of the boss regulatory officer† (Allen 53). Association is imperative to organizations since it gives business procedures and utilizations individuals as chiefs and issue solvers. As John Tillquist states, â€Å"Technologies bunch around trade relations, giving procedure backing, coordination, and control mechanisms† (94). For instance, PCs are useful to organizations since they give a quick and simple approach to get required data for business choices. In this way, innovation and association are fundamental to the executives data frameworks. Bookkeeping includes the arrangement, examination, and communicati... ...g with the organization and what they ought to do to fix it. At last, bookkeeping and the executives data frameworks furnishes an individual with a great deal of vocation openings. Work Cited Allen, George. Business Systems. Ohio: Cleveland, 1970. Blackstaff, Michael. Business and Finance for IT People. New York: Springer, 2001. Choi, Frederick. Worldwide Accounting and Finance Handbook. New York: Wiley, 1997. Cushing, Barry. Bookkeeping Information Systems and Business Organization. Philippines: Addison-Wesley, 1974. Li, David. Bookkeeping, Computers, Management Information Systems. New York: New York, 1968. Tillquist, John. â€Å"A Representational Scheme for Analyzing Information Technology and Authoritative Dependency.† MIS Quarterly 26 (2002): 91-95. Wood, Gaylord. â€Å"Entrepreneurial Profit-(Almost) the Last Word.† Assessment Journal May/June 2002: 29-34.

The Great Power of Hellsberry!

As the chilled murmur of wind hits the side of my face, I understood how amazing, and motivating this town I was in, truly was. The moon shone brilliantly and sumptuous in the sky. It resembled a cut of cheddar staying there, prepared for it to be taken, and gobbled up entirety. The shade of blues in the mid-night climate, made it resemble the profound sea. Delicate and quiet, it remained there, for individuals' eyes to glimmer up, with the most splendid of tones that it uncovered to the world. The stars stood apart of spot, with its sparkling and shining shimmer of light, similar to a Christmas tree prepared for the euphoric occasions to come throughout everyday life. The people gazed upward and wheezed how shocking the sky looked, on this fresh and cold night. The enormous mountains were secured with white sparkling day off. It lay there, trusting that the hands of youngsters will get it, and be tossed at each other. The snow as I got it, scoured against the perfection of my hands. Causing them to feel harshly cool, which sent shudders and shivers directly through the tips of my fingers. The dark night sky looked miserable, as the fog camouflaged the pinnacle of the mountains. The dull fog made the mountains look frosty and hazardous for anybody offering to enter this deceptive obscure land. It showed up very ‘alien', as you didn't have a clue where the sky finished and where the dimness of the land began. The town society were kept warm as they had their flames land. The gleam from the flames shone through the windows of each house, which mirrored a surge of waves on the outside of the day off, small little gems shimmer and shimmer, much the same as jewels. Lamps gleam by the sides of beds, shinning through the rooms, making the town pillar with warmth, against the foundation of the grim long stretches of murkiness. The eye of the onlooker could perceive how grand the snow truly was. There was an indication or the like that was halfway decayed, and had been passed up wild breezes. It was canvassed in day off, on the edges icicles had framed. I pondered to myself what this strange bit of wood was. I scratched the day off ice off with my uncovered hands, and it said Welcome to Hellsberry! The name of this spot sounded exceptionally natural, I realized I had heard it previously, however where? At that point it came into my psyche. An old and savvy lady once enlightened me concerning a cavern that was close to the core of Hellsberry. A little and mysterious cavern that lay concealed away in the mountains, close to a lake that was solidified all as the year progressed, even in summer. Dead decaying trees lay defenseless around the lake, with their earthy colored crinkled leaves overwhelmed by the cold and savage breezes. No creatures walked around this forlorn spot any more. It used to be a delightful and quiet spot. The valley was green and lavish, with splendidly hued and sweet smelling blossoms which moved joyfully to the delicate breeze. Here, a wide range of creatures would come and munch on the long green grass, and laze around under the glow of the sun shinning above. The dark blue waterway was ample with heaps of various estimated fish. With its new clear water slicing against the side of rocks, making swells as it tenderly wandered down slope. The cascade fell over rocks, by the side where tropical blossoms developed. Deers would walk up to the lake to drink from it, while fowls would be flying near, tweeting and singing to one another. I needed to see whether this story she let me know was truly evident or not. I showed up at the foot of the mountains, which were a hazardous and dangerous spot for any of humankind to confront, after it came and made home in the mountains. Regardless of whether humankind were the most grounded and boldest on earth, nothing could outmaneuver and crush this animal of intelligence, fire and incredible force. It was an animal that a large number of the townspeople feared. After it came, the spot of so much excellence went to something dull and terrible. Leaves dropped off decayed trees, creatures ran like their foe was pursuing them, the cascade turned earthy colored and kicked the bucket, blossoms were squashed and harmed; the waterway solidified over as the chilled air went through it. The animal did this yet for to what extent would it continue? Each full moon throughout the previous 300 years, as the night developed dim, and the brilliant exquisite stars showed up in the mid-night sky, a chunk of seething fire would move about the dark night foundation. A gleaming of splendid and furious hues made the town become exposed as it pondered down this blameless and vulnerable spot. It became greater and more splendid each time it showed up according to the individuals, and furthermore the individuals developed progressively frightened each time it had arrived. They had battled valiantly against this animal, yet neglected to ward it off or even annihilate it. I was going to change this. The animal lived in the caverns upon the white lustrous snow of the mountains. The caverns ran for a significant distance along the edge of the mountains, with various turns and winding entry ways. Fire lived in the focal point of this mountain, it was the greatest and tallest of all. Damnation was set here for nobody to discover and look for. The cavern was chopped where it counts among day off ice. Around the region of this enormous mountain, were visit snow snowstorms. This gave the animal indispensable assurance, as no humanity could arrive at it. I progressed towards this obscure mountain. There was a composition of profound, dim, dark mists that step by step got greater and increasingly incensed continuously, with its commanding force standing by to get a handle on at anyone entering this spot of unethical behavior. As I progressed further up the mountain I could feel the super cold snow against the side of my face. I constrained myself through the extraordinary climate states of the snowstorm. The snow was hauling me to the focal point of damnation. The agony of the virus developed inside me. The clamor of the shrieking wind went through within my red solidified ears, similar to a thousand creatures running from what they are a generally scared of in their lives. I ran towards the rugged molded mouth in the cavern, with my spirit being pulled back behind me to the focal point of the tempest. The snow got heavier and heavier, as I got further to the cavern. There I saw a glint of light, making the cavern light up through the white foundation. I got further to the center of hellfire where this incredible and eccentric animal is standing by. Its life time was going to end. The cavern possessed a scent like dead human remains that had been there for a considerable length of time, blood was splattered against the sides of the unpleasant toothed rocks. Bones lay in the corner, one on one another, I felt progressively frightful as time went on, and as I found increasingly about the insider facts behind the cavern. There lay a fire in the dividers. I began to feel vibration under my feet. Something significant was coming towards me, I didn't have a clue what's in store. It showed up from behind me, a tall dim secretive figure. It drew nearer and closer. I moved back, stumbling over a stone, with blood on it. I slammed my head. I was on the floor. My head lay there. I was unable to move. The animal drew even nearer. Blood poured down the side of my head. I felt black out. A dark figure was before me. My eyes shut. I contemplated internally what right?

Creating Hypothesis Essay Samples

Creating Hypothesis Essay SamplesHypothesis essays are one of the many subjects that are available for a student to choose from when they are looking for something to write for a high school class or college assignment. In this article I will be discussing what the student is going to learn in a sample written essay and how you can use the information to your advantage. This article is meant to be a guide for those who are unsure how to create a sample to write and use in their assignment.This article will begin by discussing the word 'experiment'. In a lot of science experiments there are two different 'controls' involved. The first control will be the subject that the experiment is supposed to study. This control will help you make sure that you do not over perform and you also need to know that there is a control if you do not believe that it will work.The second 'hypothesis' will be that you do not think that your idea will work. So for this part you will have to be creative and try to come up with some kind of conclusion that you feel will help you choose a course of action to follow.For instance, a hypothesis is when someone believes that a certain food can be the cause of a disease. This can be in the form of a hypothesis, or it can be a hypothesis and a control.Another example would be if someone believes that getting a person to stop smoking can help a person get rid of their bad habits. Once again you will have a hypothesis and a control. The control will be the person that you are trying to help quit smoking.Now you have your subject, a hypothesis, and a control. To develop a sample you will need to take all of the content and put it into an essay. This will help to make sure that you do not over perform and that the material has enough material to allow for your own thoughts and ideas to run through your mind.When writing your hypothesis, it will help to make sure that you do not include anything that contradicts other information that you may have found. The next article will give you more insight into the process of writing a hypothesis and then in the last article I will be giving you some resources for making sure that you have some of the right type of information to begin with.

Electronic Medical Records - 770 Words

Electronic medical records 2 Electronic medical records In today’s society, time is limited balancing professional and personal lives. People expect the quickest method of communication so they can get back to living their lives, without interruptions. E-mail, the Internet, and cellular phones make communication faster for people to get the information they need. Communication is crucial between consumers and medical providers. Electronic medical records are a mode of communication between consumers and providers. Electronic medical records patient records including medical history, treatments, allergies, lab work, surgeries, and physician’s notes relating to the patient stored electronically on a computer. Benefit to patient†¦show more content†¦This does not mean patients are happy about their personal medical information being used for marketing purposes. There is a certain level of trust that must be maintained if marketing is going to be done through information from patients’ health information (Bowman, 2010). Marketing must follow the standards set forth in HIPAA to prevent unauthorized use of personal information. Health care technology is rapidly changing to make health care safe, efficient, and informative for patients. Electronic medical records are an asset to the health care field. Patients benefit from electronic medical records because the records are easier to maintain and are safer. These records make communication easier to maintain between patients and providers. The federal government will ensure that electronic medical records rules and regulations are strictly followed through the HIPAA laws. Electronic medical records 5 References Bowman, D. (2010). EMR mining unlocks personalized health care marketing. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from www.fierceemr.com Gellman, R. (2003). HIPAA basics: Medical privacy in the electronic age. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from www.privacyrights.org Landro, L. (2006). Social networking comes to health care. Retrieved January 7, 2012, fromShow MoreRelatedMedical Records And Electronic Records998 Words   |  4 Pagespresented multiple issues concerning converting paper medical record to electronic medical records. The first concerns are the inefficiencies of the paper medical records and the steps needed to convert the current records to digital records. A second concern was that the medical staff would have to change their work habits to adjust to using the electronic medical records and the training that would be needed to implement the electronic record software. Another concern would be the various formatsRead MoreElectronic Medical Records ( Emr )1245 Words   |  5 PagesElectronic medical records (EMR) Introduction For centuries, paper-based records were the only way of communicating patient’s medical records throughout the health care system. Gradually, for the past two decades, the healthcare system has been transitioning toward computerized systems called electronic medical records better knowns as EMR. Dr. Clem McDonald from the Regenstrief Institute stated that his â€Å"goal was to solve three problems, to eliminate the logistical problems of the paper recordsRead MoreApplication Of Electronic Medical Records1299 Words   |  6 Pageslocal community. The purpose of electronic medical records is to improve the efficiency of health care delivery by sharing information of a patient s history, treatment and outcomes. With this product we will save time, increase reimbursement, decrease physicians, nurses and other staff members wait time and increase better clinical outcomes. EMR generates data that can drive care quality, patient safety and effective financial management. The C enter for Medical Services known as CMS has mandatedRead MoreThe Benefits Of Electronic Medical Records1373 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The benefits of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) significantly outweigh the disadvantages, when it comes to the nursing care of patients in multiple settings. There have been multiple studies proving the enhancement and efficiency of nursing care in various areas, when electronic documentation is properly taught and utilized. Likewise, there is evidence supporting the reliability of the documentation, after comparing nurses’ verbal accounts of previously recorded information. When theRead MoreElectronic Medical Records ( Emr )1322 Words   |  6 PagesInformation Technology Technology plays a vital role on the overall productivity of a medical practice. Electronic medical records (EMR) are commonly used by both large and small practices. They offer practices an efficient mean of storing patient data; furthermore, the government offer incentives for meaningful use of electronic medical records. Generally when it comes to implementing an EMR, it is necessary to choose the right vendor. EMRs usually fall into three vendor systems: single-vendorRead MoreElectronic Medical Record ( Emr ) Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesElectronic Medical Record Introduction The introduction of computers has allowed the medical community to rapidly change the way they practice. Healthcare providers are no longer using paper records but have instead opted to utilize an electronic medical Record (EMR). While not all offices and hospitals have switched to an EMR it is becoming more standard to be a routine part of healthcare. Now patients can even view their health care records on the cellphones. Providers can access a patient’sRead MoreElectronic Medical Records Essay1856 Words   |  8 PagesElectronic Medical Records or Computerized Medical Record System what is it and what are the advantages along with the disadvantages of using this system? That is what we will discuss in this paper. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is a computerized database that stores all of the personal and medical information of the patient’s care and billing information by the health care providers. Today, only the providers and medical practices can implement these systems. Also there are neither known nationalRead MoreElectronic Medical Record ( Emr )1688 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment pushed for the automation of Electronic Medical Record (EMR), hospitals and private practices were required to follow the government mandate to avail of the incentives and at the same time to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Moving from paper to electronic records was a monumental tasks not only in the implementation of the software but also in training all hospital providers to properly use the EMR. In 2010, the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) decided to switchRead MoreElectronic Medical Records1228 Words   |  5 PagesBased Medical Records Abstract In the medical field there have been a lot of technological advances and making health records electronic is one of them. The days of having a paper health record are almost obsolete. An electronic health record keeps a patient’s medical information and history on a computer which is accessible to more people in less time. I will explain how the continuity, communication, coordination and accountability of the electronic health record can help the medical officeRead MoreThe Electronic Medical Record956 Words   |  4 PagesFor a nation to be technologically advanced, the United States (U.S.) is having a hard time overcoming the dark era of utilizing hand written scripts, progress notes, and paper records. In comparison to other countries, the U.S. is lagging behind in the health care system. Even with all the improvements that have been made recently, the U.S. ranked last in 2014 in areas such as access, efficiency and equity compared to Australia, Canada, France Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden

Television And Its Impact On Modern Society - 1976 Words

With the growth of modern society the question of whether or not television (TV) is dead has risen in order to try and help understand the ever developing digital age. The term ‘dead’, however, is perhaps an overstatement as television isn’t necessarily dead yet, it has simply been trying to stay relevant and essentially has been ‘dying’ since its commencement in the 1940’s. Firstly, we need to ask, what is television? Author, Elihu Katz, provides a perfect understanding in which he states that television is a technical device that over time has become entrenched within society as an organisation consisting of rules and roles in a setting of many social institutions (2009, p. 2). Secondly, it needs to be understood that as technology consistently progresses, the television medium has had to advance alongside it (Oren, Petro, 2004, p. 93). Over time however, the developments of television and technology have ironically been the main reason for t he disruption of the medium, both television historians and theorists would agree. The addition of newer and better ways of creating, watching and advertising for TV has aided in its demise. Television is no longer a small box in the corner of a room with an antenna on the roof and that is precisely why it is considered to be dying. Through the exploration of the history of television, the reasons for its downfall can be easily uncovered, and considering this, the initial question can be asked – is television dead? This essay willShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Modern Media On Us1046 Words   |  5 PagesEverything in our society impacts us in one way or another; these influences can either be positive or negative. For example, when we see something good happen to others around us we tend to be in a happier mood and when something tragic happens to our country, such as what happened in 9/11, we can’t help but mourn. We never notice how the small things in life could in fluence us in big ways. We never would notice that things like modern media, such as television, ads, and the internet would impact us in waysRead MoreInfluence Of Mass Media885 Words   |  4 Pagesthe last century mass media has went from paper to digital, these major developments have influenced American culture in many ways. Newspapers have been around from the beginning they provide readers with information of practical value such as; television schedules, weather maps, and listings of stock prices. In addition newspapers provide a source of entertainment through their stories, comic strips and crossword puzzles. One of the most important functions of the newspaper is to provide citizensRead MoreAfrican American Stereotypes Reality Television1531 Words   |  7 PagesReality programs have dominated television networks since their rise in popularity began in the early 1990s with MTV’s The Real World. The reality genre quickly gained viewership as it redefined the formulaic set up of televisions shows from the past. Reality television has infiltrated television because networks prefer low budgets for their programs that also generate high ratings (Hasinoff, 2008). People watch reality shows because they are intrigued by the seemingly â€Å"real† drama with ordinaryRead MoreSocietal Influen ce and Identity Formation Essay1058 Words   |  5 Pagesnumber of reasons and things helping to develop the appropriate sense of identity on the part of people. Some of them influence this process positively, and others have the negative impact on identity formation of people in the modern society. A remarkable role in the process of identity formation is attached to the society, such as media, family and peers, the so-called every-day environment of people. But people should understand that the identity formation is within the person and nobody can distractRead MoreHow Electronic Media--From Baby Videos to Educational Software--Affects Your Young Child by Lisa Guernsey1123 Words   |  5 PagesThe accessibility of modern technology in the lives of the public advocates the immoderate consumption of screen time. Within the past century, America’s development of futuristic technologies has surpassed expectations. The tools available today are often looked upon as a major improvement to society but often enough, the drawbacks are not recognized. As Americans are submerged in the influx of technological devices, the ability to restrain from them is mitigated. People prominently enjoy usingRead MoreThe Impact Of Technological Achievement On Society951 Words   |  4 Pagescan cause certain negative impacts to all aspect of human beings, especially in the society we are living. Therefore, identifying expression and effect of technology is necessary so that we can determine solutions for promoting positive impacts; surmount the negative impacts of it. Although the effect of technological achievement to society is various and complicated, it has prominent following expressions. The effect on the gap between rich and poor get wider in society, the effect on the consumerRead MoreResults of Advancements in Technology Essay811 Words   |  4 PagesIn today’s society, modern technology is evidently developing rapidly and it is portrayed as a negative impact. It can be seen that technology is a substitution of all characteristics of life. The purpose of every technological invention is to benefit the lives of mankind; thus re-enforcing the positive connotation of technology. However, in long term it may not be beneficial; such as, education, work and leisure are all becoming dependent on technology; cyberspace is dangerous and child obesityRead MoreRay Bra dburyS Fahrenheit 451 Shows A Society Where, Similar1070 Words   |  5 PagesRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 shows a society where, similar to modern day America, technology and conformity are praised, but unique ideas are seen as taboo. Many have heard phrases to the effect of â€Å"Don’t watch so much TV, it’ll rot your brain!† But is there any validity to these claims? Ray Bradbury thought so when he wrote the novel, and he is not alone in these beliefs. Many believe that television can have detrimental effects on one s intellect, as well as their individuality. Similarly,Read MoreModern Technology and Its Effects Essay1126 Words   |  5 PagesArgumentative essay In our present society, people cannot deny that the changes in this world have been tied to the advancement of the technology. It has evolved with this society so deeply where such conveniences are no longer luxuries but rather necessities. Unfortunately, the most affected group of people from the developed technology is the younger age people (Subrahmanyam, 2000). In the past, children were more lively and active: playing outdoors, running around, climbing trees and remainingRead More Media and Society Essay519 Words   |  3 Pages Media and Society Does society influence media or does media influence society? In a modern world, dependent on continuous communication this is a very important question. If the world were not dependent on communication over large distances, schooling on a mass basis would not be possible or necessary. Most knowledge in traditional cultures was local knowledge, (Geertz 1983) traditions that were passed on through a local community, a very slow and long drawn out

Teva free essay sample

In the late 1940s and 50sTeva and other Israeli pharmaceuticals emerged because big pharmaceuticals were not setting up a presence in Israel and private investors shied away. The lack of presence and investment were due to action taken in 1945 by the Arab League of Nations boycotting any company that did business with Israel. c. Teva set itself apart from its competitors in Israel by looking forward; they saw hat consolidation allowed growth having one company offer full complement of products. They have also used Jewish universities to perform RD which allowed them to enter the innovative market at a lower RD, this was not Just successful in the Israel market but in the worldwide market. Teva has vulnerabilities in a few fronts. Competitive front: a. The large pharmaceutical threaten Tivas market share by starting up their own generic arms. Novartis has done this with Sandoz. b. Large pharmaceuticals are partnering with generic drug companies to file the ANDA and getting the 180 day exclusivity. c. Teva also has more competitors from emerging countries that want to take some market share. Strategic front: Teva is spreading into the innovative market and biosimilars. This is increasing their RD and may lead them away from their core business. Managing Growth through acquisition: Teva has been acquiring and consolidating the market since its inception. They are currently doing this on a global scale. As of 2009 thy have grown to $14 Billion in

Road to Mecca free essay sample

What Is the reason for Anuss visit? What does he want Helen to do? Marcus had been to see Helen previously about her moving Into an old age home. HIS primary reason for now being there Is to see If Helen has made her decision on this matter. Marcus asking Helen Youre quite certain that you want to discuss this now, Helen? shows that they were both fully aware of the reason for this visit by the Domineer. He is also concerned as to whether she is eating correctly and uses this opportunity to bring her some vegetables out of his garden.This is evident when Marcus says And at our age we need fresh vegetables, Helen. (wagging his finger at her) Marie biscuits and tea are not a balanced diet. 2. Marcus claims that he knows what is good for Helen and that is why he has come to visit her. We will write a custom essay sample on Road to Mecca or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Do you believe him? Why? I believe that Marcus in his own mind believes that he knows what is best for Helen, but in actual fact he has no Idea what is going on In Hellene mind or psyche. I believe that his Intentions are good and coming from the right place, being concerned and doing his Domineer duties.When Mans says You seemed to understand that the only motive on our side Is to try and do what Is best for you. Shows that he thinks he knows what Is best for Helen. Im concerned with her feelings, Miss Barlow, not yours Marcus: Miss Barlow, for the last time, what you do or dont believe is not of the remotest concern to me. Helen is, and my concern is that she gets to live out what is left of her life as safely and happily as humanly possible. I dont think that should include the danger of her being trapped in here when this house goes up in flames. This statement from Marcus shows us two things:l) That he believes he knows the best solution to her safety as he would not want to send her away if he didnt believe that it was the best decision for her. He also wanted to keep her safe due to the fact that her curtains had caught alight and she, had after a short while of trying to extinguish the flames, Just stood there and watched It burn. The concern Is that she didnt run out and/or call for help. She Instead Just stood transfixed and watched the flames. When Else says Dont talk about her as If she were not here. Shes right next to you, Domineer. Ask her, for Gods sake But this time give her a chance to answer. This statement shows us how much Marcus thinks he knows what is best for Helen. So much so that he takes the liberty to speak on her behalf without her asking him to do so. Over and above this Marcus has made all the necessary plans and found out all the relevant information about the old age home for Helen without her instructing him to do so. 2) He has feelings for Helen. Over all Marcus has a true concern for Helen and believes he knows what is best for her.In my opinion he does not truly know her sorrow, happiness or her needs. He does not discover her actual reasons until much later In the play. His Intentions may be pure and, in his opinion best for Helen but he does not truly know what Is best for her. 3. Else claims that Marcus Is In love with Helen. Do you agree with her? Why? I agree with Else that Marcus is in love with Helen. Throughout scene 2 there is a build up to a friend and Domineer, but in a deeper way. This is shown in the play on many occasions. When Marcus says, The moment I stood up there in front of the ingratiation, I knew your place was empty we become aware of how Helen stood out amongst the other members of the congregation from the onset. From the beginning she had made an impression on him. Those statues out there cant give you love or take care of you the way we wanted to. And, God knows, we were ready to do that. But you spurned us, Helen. You turned your back on our love and left us for the company of those cement monstrosities. Marquiss reaction at this point reveals his emotional connection to the situation. He is not merely a Domineer acting in the est. interests of a congregation member, he is a man who is Jealous of the attention given to the cement monstrosities. Furthermore, Fudged gives us insight through his stage direction, Else, who has been listening and watching quietly, begins to understand. Here we clearly see that even Else is aware of Marquiss true feelings. Marcus really begins to express his feelings when he says, No, you havent! If that were so, you wouldnt be asking me to defend myself against the accusations of someone who knows nothing, nothing, about my true feelings for you. Here he is admitting that he has feelings that up to this point he has kept hidden. Feelings that were perhaps not appropriate in his mind and so he chose to suppress them. When he says, a life I care about as deeply as any I have known Marcus is expressing not Just concern and love but absolute devotion. Perhaps the most telling moment is when Marcus says, No, I think I do believe you, Helen which only makes it all the harder to accept. All these years it has always felt as if I could reach you.It seemed so inevitable that I would, so right that we should find each other again and be getter for what time was left for us in the same world. It seems wrong terribly wrong that we wont. Altars death was wrong in the same way. We are left with no more questions about his love for Helen. Marcus has compared the death of this possible relationship to the death of his wife, Aleut which was a turning point and almost a breaking point in his life. It is clear that he wanted to be the person that Helen could turn to and rely on. He wanted to fulfill her needs. That he was not that person does not detract from the reality that he was not. Road to Mecca free essay sample Question 1 will require you to write a short essay based on language acquisition theories. (30 marks) Question 2 will require you to write a short essay based on English in Education. The question will focus on issues revolving around Motivation for language. (30 marks) Section B counts 25 marks. You will have to answer questions based on various aspects of language covered in this module, such as word-formation and morphology; content and structure words; and parts of speech and their function. These are the kind of questions you met in Assignment 01 2 for this module. You will have to write your answers in your examination book. Section C counts 25 marks. You will also answer questions based on various aspects of phonetics and phonology- the kind of questions you met in Assignment 01 2 for this module. You will have to write your answers in your examination book. The total for the paper is 80 marks. Remember the other 20% of your final mark is based on your Year Mark. We will write a custom essay sample on Road to Mecca or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ) There only choice is in Section A of the examination paper. However, to prepare for this paper, you will have to revise all the material covered in the module. Please note that dictionaries are not allowed in the Examination room. If you revise your study material thoroughly, you will have nothing to fear. We wish you all the best in your studies and preparation for the examination. GOOD LUCK EED 201J Team

Absolutism and Louis 14 essays

Absolutism and Louis 14 essays Absolutism and Louis XIV Louis XIV of France had had both a long and powerful reign on the throne. He was able to achieve this due to the development of absolutism in France. Absolutism is defined as the political idea that absolute power should be vested in a single ruler. The whole idea of absolutism originally came from philosopher Jean Bodin in the 16th Century. Louis ¹ absolutism developed with four major parts: The breeding of a strong and controlled military, The building of Versailles to control the nobility, The selling of nobility, and The appointed of an advisor. The first step to the creation of Louis ¹ absolutism was the building of the military. Louis made war an activity of the state. He made sure all armed persons in France fought only for him. Much of this idea that law and force within a country should be monopolized by the lawful king came from Bishop Bossuet. This idea led to domestic peace. Louis also put the artillery organically into the army, systematized the military rankings and grades, and clarified the chain of command, putting himself at the top. The government also supervised recruiting and took most of the responsibility for equipping, provisioning, clothing, and housing the troops. Louis also established civilian administration in military. Under Louis, the army went from about 100,000 soldiers to about 400,000. The military made many gains under Louis, thus helping him gain absolutism. Louis built Versailles as both a relaxing and entertaining place for himself, and to disable the nobles and gain an edge in absolutism. Louis demanded that nearly half of France ¹s 10,000 nobles be present at court everyday for  ³role. ² These 5,00 nobles were those who were thought to pose the most risk to Louis XIV ¹s absolutism. Louis reputedly said to these nobles  ³If I cannot see you [at court], you do not exist. ² As a result, the nobles spent much time at Versailles and were unable to get into any  ³political mis...

M4-A2 -OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

M4-A2 -OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Physical control and information generation enables the lenders to reduce the financial risks and uncertainties in the global supply chains. Risk mitigation ensures effective generation of capital. A report published by the Aberdeen Group in 2008, 58% of multinationals suffered financial losses in 2007 due to disruptions in the global supply paths. Supply chains disruption sat the global level were caused by mostly financial and political instabilities. There is also the risk associated with forecasting errors that result in overstocks or inventory shortfalls (Welborn & Kasten, 2007). Increased financial losses impact negatively on company’s operations. Companies usually scale down their production processes as a result of financial constraints. Decreased production leads to reduced supplies in the global market. The customers experience reduced sat6isfaction, if supply of products is limited. Forecasting errors leads to poor prediction of market requirements. This leads to low levels of customer satisfaction. The threats lead to low profits margins of companies. For instance, the financial threats leads to low sales levels hence reduced profits. Low profit margins lowers the operation levels of the company, hence low production of products to meet global market requirements. Inadequate commodities in the market, leads customers to purchase substitute products, or products of competitors. Forecasting errors leads to wastages of resources, especially during overproduction. This can drive companies to high loss levels (Manuj & Meotez, 2008). An effective selection criteria should adopted so as to assess a global supply chain partners on issues like quality, quality, geographical presence, and reliability. Certain logistic service providers should be outsourced. This ensures risk reduction and appropriate adoption of innovation; for instance, adopting information technology solutions (Welborn & Kasten, 2007). Global supply chains that

Fleet Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fleet Assignment - Essay Example Thus, the spilled passengers are 50 passengers, and they would wish to travel in flight 1 and 125 passengers who would want to travel in flight 2. Since the fare for A-B itinerary is much less than the two local itineraries, the profit maximization is to spill 50 passengers on the A-B itinerary (15000 dollars). From this, the remaining demand for flight 1 does not exceed the capacity (Holloway, pp.124-178). Because the local fare for flight 2 is much less than the fare for X-Z itinerary, 75 passengers are spilled from B-C itinerary (16875 dollars). Hence, the minimum spill cost for fleeting 1 15000+16875 = 31875. The spill cost for each transient is in Table 5. Thus, the fleeting contribution for fleeting 1 is 71250-(30000+31875) = $9375. Through analysis, the rest of the fleeting as shown in Table 5, that the optimal fleeting is fleeting 1. The spill minimizing strategy for this case in every flight is to drop passengers in view of increasing fare until passenger’s number accurately equals the assignment capacity in every flight. For instance, managers always spill passengers in order to keep the higher fares for connecting

Reality vs. Fantasy Essay Example for Free

Reality vs. Fantasy Essay Rene Descartes, author of Meditation 1, writes how he must erase everything he had ever learned and thought to be true and must begin again from the first foundations (222). One may ask how Descartes came to this conclusion. The answer is that of he realized how many were the false opinions that in [his] youth [he] took to be true, and thus how doubtful were all the things that [he] subsequently built upon these opinions (222). This change was to take place at the perfect time in Descartes life however, he wasted much time waiting for that moment Descartes decided to simply let go of it. He started questioning everything he ever believed in. Descartes raised one specific question: How does one justify being awake from dreaming? He gives an example stating that I am here, clothed in my dressing gown, seated at the fireplace, when in fact I am lying undressed between he blankets! (222). Descartes describes how a dream may feel so real, one might actually think their dream is in fact reality. He goes on further saying plainly that there are no definite signs to distinguish being awake from being asleep that I am quite astonished, and this astonishment almost convinces me that I am sleeping (222). This all lead to Descartes coming up with a theory that perhaps we do not even have these hands, or any such body at all (223). He started questioning the existence of God as well, wondering whether or not he existed or if the heavens and earth were actually there. More questioning followed asking himself how do I know that I am not deceived every time I add two and three or count the sides of a square or perform an even simpler operation? (203). What Descartes became certain of was that an evil genius as clever and deceitful as he is powerful, who had directed his entire effort to misleading me (224) and a conclusion was made that he would regard [himself] as having no hands, no eyes, no flesh, no blood, no senses, but as nevertheless falsely believing that [he] possess[es] all these things (224). Descartes reasoning in my opinion is false for the most part. I would have to agree with him that people should sometimes examine their belief to see whether or not it is accurate. People dream of things that seem very realistic as if it were actually happening however, once they are awake they can distinguish what was reality and what was a dream. Sometimes being fooled by a dream doesnt come to the conclusion that everything around us and everything we believe does not actually exist. However, it is possible to also dream that one woke up in their dreams remembering the dream they were having. The dream may have felt real but in the end they when they were awake the difference between reality and dream could be pointed out. Someone can not be 100 percent sure of something but they can be confident about what they believe is real vs. dream. A person who has a hand is aware of it. All the physical ways to know a hand is there exists. They can see it, feel it, touch it, and use it. The question Descartes raises says that even though we can see a hand how do we know it is truly there and it isnt our imaginations or a dream. Reality is what it is. We know we are not dreaming because of the details we see in reality and the pain we feel. It is also possible to be fooled by a dream sometimes thinking something is actually occurring when it isnt. I know my hand is there because I believe it is and am certain of it unless there is someone who can give evidence proving my belief is false. All rational people would agree with me. There is no sure way of proving that my hand is there because in this world there are many things that cannot be proven even though we know for a fact they exist. There is no sure way to prove if anything exists. There is no proof that we are not controlled by an evil scientist or that our brains our controlled by another making us feel and think things that actually arent there. The only thing a person can rely on is there senses and experiences. They must trust that something is there and it is in fact reality. If one goes on doubting everything and anything around them then they also doubt themselves. If one believes nothing exists they themselves dont exist which is false because they do. If they do not exist then it would not be possible for them to have these thoughts. Overall a hand is a hand. It exists. It is made up of fingers and nerves which we use day after day. If it didnt exist no one would be capable of doing much in their lives without their hands. How would one be able to type, or play the piano, or even write a story? Descartes believed he had no hands, then how were his thoughts and feelings written down if they do not exist? I believe that our hands do exist however, there might be a chance that my hands and other things are controlled by someone else but it is not likely the case. Nothing can be for certain unless there is actual proof and evidence proving whether it is true or not. We must trust our instincts and everything around us to guide us in believing the right and accurate things. Descartes might say in response to my reasoning that I am false and my reasoning is unjust and inaccurate. He would most likely give counterexamples to falsify my reasoning. I would then ask him how he has been able to eat without hands or how a person might drive a car? I would be most anxious to hear what answers he would come up with . Reality is, if no one had hands the world would not exist. Descartes, Rene. Meditation 1. Twenty Questions: An Introduction To Philosophy. Ed. Steve Wainwright. 5th ed. Belmont: Holly J. Allen, 2004. 221-25.

Essay on Internet Privacy - Cookies and Internet Privacy :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Cookies and Internet Privacy    Student Josà © Amador likes to use his email account at yahoo.com. "I find paper so obsolete," he says. Amador is not worried about the privacy of this account. Perhaps he and the many other people that use yahoo email should be concerned, however. All users of Yahoo mail are having their actions tracked.    Yahoo monitors the actions of users, in part, by using "cookies." Cookies are small files that record visits to web pages. When you open up a cookie dispensing web page, the web server sends one or more of these files to your browser. The cookies will usually contain a number that is unique to that browser. Then the next time that this browser opens that particular page, the web site will both send a new cookie and retrieve the old one. This makes it possible, for sites to compile lists of how often visitors go to a particular page as well as when they visit it.    By themselves, cookies cannot reveal the identity of the user. All these files can do is store information about domain names and the rough location of the visitor. That said, if the site requires registration and a sign in -as is the case with yahoo email, for example- then site administrators can combine the two streams of data with ease. Cookies also cannot send viruses. They are only text files thus preventing that danger. Readers who want to view the cookies stored on their browser should search for a file called on cookies.txt on PCs or a file called MagicCookie on Macs.    The first browser that could handle cookies was Netscape Navigator 1.0. Cookies have become commonplace on the web since that browser first came out in 1995. By one account, 26 of the top 100 web sites utilize these files. Sites that use cookies include AltaVista, all pages on the GeoCities domain, and the web version of the New York Times. The New York Times is a lot like Yahoo mail in that the acceptance of cookies is required. Most sites, however, do not require browsers to accept cookies.    Web site administrators say that the primary purpose of cookies is not to track Internet surfing habits. Rather they argue that cookies allow users to customize their experiences on the web. Services like My Yahoo would not work nearly as smoothly without cookies.

Amadeus Biopic Essay

Told from the flash back perspective of an aged Antonio Salieri in an insane asylum to a priest for a confession, the movie reveals Antonio’s introduction to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his professional career with Mozart, and his bitter rivalry and betrayal of Mozart. The film depicts an inaccurate account of Mozart’s life but still delivers on the pieces which he composed. Throughout the film, we’re exposed to what are clearly historical inaccuracies. I understand that this film is an adaptation of the original Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus performed on Broadway in the 1980’s and for purely theatrical purposes to endow the story with a plot, these changes had to either be implemented or just purely fabricated in order for the story to make sense. However, some of the erroneous interpretations of Mozart’s life are just impossible to ignore for anyone who even had even the simplest understanding of his life, such as myself. The predominant trait of Mozart that stuck out to me like a sore thumb was his high pitched cackling laughter. The movie’s laugh for Amadeus was constructed from letters that referenced Mozart having an â€Å"infectious, giddy laugh† much like â€Å"metal scraping glass† according to Forman. However, Robert L. Marshall, author of â€Å"Film as Musicology: Amadeus,† discredits this notion as there were no citations that provided the existence of such letters. Since Mozart lived over two centuries ago, there’s no possible way to know exactly how he sounded. However, the brilliant Mozart in the film is supposed to be Gods creature (The Latin translation of Amadeus translates to â€Å"lover of God† or â€Å"beloved by God†) that usurps the mediocre Salieris position as the â€Å"voice of God. † So in effect, his laugh is God mocking Salieri in his mediocrity which further drives the frustration and anger of Salieri towards Mozart thus pushing the plot along. While we’re on that subject, there is little evidence that Mozart and Salieri actually rivaled each other to the extreme that the movie depicts. Certainly, they were rivals, but they were professional rivals. By professional rivals, I mean that even though they often butted heads in their pursuit of music and their attempted publicity of their works, they still admired and respected each other greatly. Despite Salieri being the inferior musician, he still pooled great respect from Emperor Joseph II and his subjects and served as court composer, director of the Italian opera, and court conductor. Mozart on the other hand came as an outsider therefore did not possess the same influence or reputation as Salieri. To me, this just appears to be the politics of music; it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Regardless, Salieri really didn’t have a reason to hate Mozart as much as the movie shows because his influence alone virtually neutralized Mozart as a threat. I’m sure when Mozart attempted to get his operas on the Italian stages it must have certainly irked Salieri, but never to the point of violence. However, once again the fiction is created in order to develop a sensical plot line. Without that aggressive rivalry, there’s no movie. One last thing that I personally found confusing is that absence of Joesph Haydn from the entire movie. History tells us that Mozart and Haydn met somewhere 1783 or 1784 and instantly hit it off. They both admired each other’s work immensely and Mozart even went as far as to dedicate six string quartets to Haydn as a tribute to the father of the string quartet. Throughout their lives, they were in correspondence with one another up until Mozart’s death. However, despite this documented historical fact, Haydn is still left out of the movie. The movie itself is about two famous classical composers so why not add Haydn to attract Haydn fans to the play or movie? One can only guess as to why that is. Perhaps Forman thought that the addition of another prominent classical composer would ultimately lessen the importance of the feud between Mozart and Salieri. But Forman fashioned other characters throughout the film in order to serve roles that further drove the plot, so why not use Haydn instead? Or at least mention him? At one point in the film, Mozart mentions that he doesn’t care for Gluck (which is also inaccurate, he was an admirer of Gluck), but nevertheless, he still at least mentions the name. At this point it’s all speculation and I can’t find anywhere an explanation for his absence. The movie is riddled with other inaccuracies that raise a lot of questions, but if anything I learned in English is true, it’s that in order to read any literature that’s fiction or watch any movie, you’re supposed to â€Å"suspend yourself in willful disbelief† meaning that enjoy it for what it is without dissecting it too much, which I can honestly and wholeheartedly say I did. Although it doesn’t give an accurate portrayal of Mozart, Salieri or the setting it’s supposed to be placed in, it still gives an enjoyable experience. Despite the erroneous depiction, the musical pieces revealed chronologically throughout the film are in fact the offspring of Mozart’s genius. Whilst enjoying each piece as much as the next, I don’t have the musical ear or expertise to discern which piece is being played in which scene, aside from the operas. However, the films composer John Strauss created a two disc soundtrack for the film and I have to admit, even though I lack the expertise, I am astounded by Mozart’s ability. Luckily, between the internet and my own mothers personal love for music (Fortunately, she had a library of CDs that included many of Mozart’s work), I was able to essentially find each individual piece within the movie. I have to say, my favorite musical piece offered in the movie is the finale of the Don Giovanni. Perhaps some of it is because of the twist that Salieri puts on it; that â€Å"only [he] understood that the horrifying apparition was Leopald raised from the dead! The inference that I took from that between the monumental sounding music and the fervently conducting Mozart in the scene is that Mozart poured his personal misfortune of not living up to his father’s expectations in his work. It just makes it seem to be so personal, so passionate. I know that was the movies intent for me to feel that way, but I couldn’t help getting sucked in, between seeing the gargantuan black commander singing in the deep bass voice is what seems to me to be such an accusing tone allegorically â€Å"accusing his son in front of the world† as Salieri puts it. All the while the plot twists during this play, as the madness grew within Salieri as he discovers such a simple way to destroy Mozart. It’s just so epic, for lack of better words. One of the brighter operas in the film â€Å"The Marriage of Figgaro† has a much lighter note. Despite all of the red tape Mozart endures, he nevertheless through the exceptionally brilliance of his music and borderline arrogance persuades the emperor to allow him to perform his opera. While we obviously never get to see the whole thing, the music and performance we do see is good. I wouldn’t say I particularly cared for it. The colors, the notes, the lighting, it’s just too bright. However, the most impressive part of it is that his confidence in his music allowed him to break the traditional rules in order for his perform his opera. This seems metaphorically to portray the fact that Mozart’s music didn’t follow these contemporary musical rules of the time which contributed to his genius. Perhaps that’s a long stretch, but that’s immediately what came to mind. While the movie is composed (Pun intended) of Mozart’s work, it would take an entire separate paper to dissect each one individually. Regardless, each piece performed in the play is enjoyable from one degree to another. Overall, I have to say I was more than happy with this movie. For a while, I dreaded watching the movie thinking it would be a long drawn out boring biographic film, but to my surprise it shared little characteristics with a biography. The central thematic message of the movie is mostly if not entirely fictitious, but still lays a foundation in which the movie tells factual information about Mozart and sets a stage in which one can hear the pieces and enjoy them chronologically. To be frank and honest, if these fabrications of the bitter rivalry between Salieri and Mozart weren’t there, I would have had a hard time truly appreciating the Mozart as seen in the movie. Not to say his music is bad, it’s brilliant, but the underlying plot is what made the movie so interesting. Ultimately, if you’re looking for historical facts about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a movie that’s interesting and loosely based on one of the world’s greatest composers who ever lived, look no further.

Analysing Strategy And Operations Management - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 5851 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Todays business environment is complex, dynamic and uncertain and is influencing the strategies of modern enterprises (Beirnat, 2004). It is generally understood that there is a growing change in relationships between buyers and sellers which are impacting the way in which business is conducted (Buttle, 2007). Industry reports suggest that changes in todays social and economic environment have had an impact on consumer spending behaviours. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysing Strategy And Operations Management" essay for you Create order In such an unpredictable environment, the management of customer relationships becomes vital to the success of a business (Dyche, 2002). This realisation has prompted studies in the area of strategic management with the aim of gaining an understanding of a firms internal and external environment and developing strategies to exploit internal capabilities and external opportunities (Slack et al, 2006). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the activities of John Lewis and explore its business operations in relation to Michael Porters generic strategies model. The paper will continue by examining Michael Porters value chain analysis and apply the theories practically to John Lewis. The paper will also discuss how the added value creates distinctive competences and lead to a competitive advantage for the business. Company Background John Lewis plc John Lewis is a UK retailer which comes under the umbrella name of John Lewis Partnership. The Group comprises of John Lewis department stores, Waitrose supermarkets, John Lewis Direct and the direct services company Greenbee. It is a public limited company owned by its employees (Partners) who influence the running the business and who benefit from a share of the companys annual profits. The chain has an upmarket image which appeals strongly to a middle class core customer base. Chart 1: John Lewis Plc market share 2003 2007 (Mintel, 2007) The chart shows the market share growth for John Lewis from 2003 to 2007. The chart displays a steady growth pattern during this period. It would be fair to suggest that John Lewis has been performing well within the market as it market share has grown year on year. Mintel reports forecast that the retailer will continue to witness steady growth within its industry and states that John Lewis will be one of few retailers who will sustain growth despite changes in the economic climate and consumer spending behaviours. Activities John Lewis department stores offer a wide range of goods, including electrical, home garden, sports and fashion goods, with many brands exclusive to John Lewis. Waitrose supermarkets sell a large number of own-brand goods which are mainly in the food and household-cleaning sectors. Both parties place emphasis on quality goods and customer service, rather than low prices. To date the partnership comprises of 234 Waitrose supermarkets, 30 John Lewis department stores, John Lewis Direct an online and catalogue business and Waitrose a online grocery service, Greenbee a direct services company, which is supported by nine distribution centres, three production units and a farm. The Partnership has implemented a programme of social activities for partners, which includes a golf club; playing fields and tennis courts; two large country estates with parklands; a sailing club with five cruising yachts and two country hotels offering holiday accommodation for partners. Partners are also enrolled in a pension scheme, given very generous holidays, and are part of a death in service insurance scheme. Additionally, upon completing twenty five years of service with the Partnership, they are given six month paid break. Principles The John Lewis Partnership defines its business on seven distinctive principles. They acclaim that these principles are as relevant to todays business environment as they were when first introduced by its founder, John Spedan Lewis in 1906. [See Appendix 1 for Partnership Principles] These principles are considered the backbone of the Partnerships activities and ultimately the force behind the success of the Partnership. The notion of trust and respect to all its members, customers and business partners is incorporated into the Partnerships business strategy: The Partnerships reputation is founded on the uniqueness of our ownership structure and our commercial success. Our purpose is the happiness of all our members, through their worthwhile, satisfying employment in a successful business, with success measured on our ability to sustain and enhance our position both as an outstanding retailer and as a thriving example of employee ownership. (John Lewis Partnership, 2002) The strategy is centred on satisfying three independent objectives: partners, customers and profit. They state that these objectives demand an appetite of innovation, continuous improvement and enterprise to maintain the spirit of their commercial and democratic capability. This ideology will be explored in further detail to verify its true validity. Stakeholder Groups The Partnership has recognised the importance of its operations in relation to their internal and external environment. This is apparent when considering the Partnerships Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). They state that the management of social, ethical and environmental issues involve everyone and through active engagement with their stakeholders they determine their business priorities, how they manage and monitor their performance, how they determine their business goals and objectives, and how they ensure that they are living up to their promises on a daily basis. This is achieved through the alignment of the Partnership seven business principles and current thinking on their corporate social responsibility. This alignment sets out how the business perceives its responsibilities in terms of community investments, environmental protection, responsible sourcing and trading and workplace equality, diversity and dignity. This is communicated through the Partnerships corpor ate social responsibility policy: As a responsible retailer, owned beneficially by our employees (Partners), we believe that the long-term future of the Partnership is best served by respecting the interests of all our stakeholders: Partners, customers, suppliers and the wider community. We look actively for opportunities to improve the environment and to contribute to the wellbeing of the communities in which we trade. Our CSR policy sets out the principles we follow and the programmes we have developed to focus on the areas where we have significant impact or influence. (John Lewis Partnership, 2002) The corporate social responsibility policy is based on four key principles: shared responsibility, honesty and accountability, sustainable progress, and demonstrable progress; and four programmes are set in place to ensure its governance: environment, relationships, communities and partners [see Appendix 2 for CSR principles and programmes]. Competition Keynote reports state the retail industry is one which is face with strong competition from small family-run stores to larger multinational well established outlets. Mintel reports state that each retailer tries to differentiate itself from the competition, but the strategy that the company uses to sell its products is the most important factor. Mintel reports further state that the department store market can be divided into the following main areas: Luxury department stores: Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. Middle market department stores: Debenhams, Marks and Spencer (MS) and John Lewis. Price-led department stores: The Co-operative, TJ Hughes and Boyes. John Lewis falls into the category of middle market department stores. The middle market retailing area will be the focus of this paper. The key players in this market are: Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Debenhams and House of Fraser [See Appendix 3 for company profiles]. Industry reports state that the market leader is Marks and Spencer despite having a dip in sales and market share over recent years. The number two player, John Lewis is said to be further widening the gap between itself and rival player number three Debenhams. House of Fraser is the number four player who appears to have struggled most during the recession. [See appendix 4 for industry trends] Analysis Competitive Advantage The early 1980s witnessed growth of theoretical studies surrounding the concept of competitive advantage with the objective of defining strategic goals of a business (Kak Sushil, 2002). A key writer on competitive advantage is Michael Porter (1985) who stated that the goal of all businesses is to achieve a competitive advantage in relation to its industry rivals. Porter (1980) developed the five forces model as a framework for analysing industry competitiveness. This model enabled managers to understand the external business environment, identify opportunities and threats, and allowed them to develop strategies to compete with industry rivals. The PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological) or PESTEL analysis (including Environmental and Legal factors) is another framework developed to allow managers understand the external environment. John Lewis Partnership PEST Analysis Political: Political stability, tax policy, environmental regulations Economic: Economic growth, inflation rates, unemployment rates, interest rates Social: Demographics, class structure, attitudes Technological: Technology incentives, RD activity, technological developments These are the key factors of the external environment that affect John Lewis based on the PEST analysis. Factors such as class structure and technological developments have a direct impact on the Partnership due to the nature of the business and because of its core customer base. Other factors such as political stability, economic growth and unemployment rates have a greater impact on the retail industry and influence consumer buying behaviour. It is fair to conclude that the Partnership as responded effectively to changes in the external environment based on considering the activities of the business. Industry rivalry has witnessed a shift in core business activities from traditional methods suc h as bricks and mortar and high street store to bricks and clicks where stores also have an online presence. The partnership adopted an online presence in 2001 and has since witness rapid sales and profit growth as a result. According to Porter (1985), merely achieving a competitive advantage is not enough for long term success but rather developing a strategy that allows for creating and sustaining a superior competitive advantage is essential for long term business success. Porter (1980), also states that a sustainable competitive advantage is one which is difficult to duplicate and allows a firm to gain higher profits than its rivals. Acquiring and sustaining a competitive advantage can be seen as the primary strategic aim of a firm in todays dynamic business environment (Beirnat, 2004). Heerkens (2006), states that the following elements are required to enable a firm to develop an effective competitive strategy: A firm must clearly define itself in terms of its basis fo r competing, and its standards for measuring its success. A firm must develop a methodical understanding of its internal strengths and weaknesses. A firm must evaluate its strengths and weaknesses and specifically focusing on its position relative to the external business environment. A company must develop policies and methods to communicate information to all areas within the business. Buttle (2007) stresses the importance of understanding a firms internal environment and building on unique capabilities for gaining a competitive advantage. The SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) was developed as s tool for analysing the internal and external environment. It provides a firm with useful information for matching its resources and capabilities to the environment in which it operates. It is argued that successful strategies depend on accumulating competencies and exploiting them by matching these competencies to the market opportunities (Kak Su shil, 2002). Identifying a firms core competences is the key to making this connection. [See Appendix 5 for John Lewis SWOT Analysis] Core competencies Core competencies are often described as a collection skills and resources that enable a firm to add value to its business operations (Porter, 1980). Kak and Sushil (2002), state that a firms organisational learning, effective technology management, and people provide important sources of core competences. The effective management of such resources and the ability to link between a firms resources and business strategy can be considered as key for sustaining a competitive advantage (Slack et al, 2006). Heerkens (2006), suggest a firms core competences should possess the following five characteristics in order to add maximum value to its operations: They should provide a firm with an opportunity to gain access to a wide variety of products and markets. They should be capable of contributing in a demonstrative way to the benefits of end products, as perceived by customers and they are able to impact what customers care about. They should make a company unique in compariso n to industry rivals. They should be difficult for competitors to duplicate. They are should be stable and sustainable. It is fair to suggest that the core competences in the case of John Lewis are its employees (Partners). The Partnerships unique structure means that each partner has a vested interested in the success of the business. They strive at serving customers to the best of their abilities to ensure customer leave with a memorable and pleasurable experience thus strengthening the brand of the business and instilling customer loyalty. These are intangible core competence which can prove difficult to measure and manage. As a result, rival firms have found it difficult to replicate such a competency and this is evident when considering industry market share figures and customer satisfaction surveys. It is argued that this strategy has proved successful to the Partnership and has resulted in long lasting relationships with customers crossing generations. The Partner ships outlets can be considered as tangible or physical competencies. The Partnership has carefully selected the locations of its large multifunctional outlets in popular busy cities to focus their efforts towards their core customer base. Oxford Street is the location of their head office branch and with 3 other outlets in London, 3 in Scotland and many other outlets across England and Wales. It is fair to suggest that these outlets have been strategically placed at busy upmarket locations to maximise their sale potential. Arguably, the added value created by the Partnerships core competences can also be regarded as it distinctive capabilities because these attributes characterise the business and has given the Partnership a competitive advantage superior to that of its rivals. Competing retailers have attempted to replicate these capability but arguably have not witness equal measures of success as John Lewis, Generic Strategy Model Porter (1980), states that a firm can achieve a competitive advantage either by selling its products and services at a lower price or by differentiating its products and services. This calls for an understanding of Michael Porters generic strategies model. The model identifies 3 distinctive strategies as sources of a competitive advantage: Cost Leadership Strategy, Differentiation Strategy and Focus Strategy. [See Appendix 6 for Generic Strategies] It is fair to suggest that John Lewis has implemented a hybrid strategy which includes elements of a focus strategy and a differentiation strategy. Their strategy is deemed a focus strategy in terms their core middle class customer base instead of aiming their product to the mass market. Arguably, this is because of the type of products the retailer is offering to its customer and due to the price of their products which are often higher than competition. The Partnership believes that their higher prices are justified and that their c ustomers do not just benefit from a transaction but leave with a memorable experience. It is fair to suggest that this strategy has been successful for the business when considering their sale figures as the Partnerships sales were up ÂÂ £204.7m, 3%, to ÂÂ £6.97bn at the end of 2009. Notably, the Partnerships online operations witnessed a sales increase of ÂÂ £64.8m, 24.2% to ÂÂ £332.9m. Differentiation is another strategic direction the business strives towards. One way in which this is achieved is by ensuring that their Partners receive extensive product knowledge training in order to answer almost any possible question their customer may have about their products. Another way in which this is achieved is in their efforts in satisfying their customers. They strive at providing their customers with the best possible service and setting their standards above what they perceived to be satisfactory within the industry they operate. It is fair to suggest that the y have been successful in their efforts as they their online business, John Lewis Direct was voted best online retailer of the year by Which in May 2010. The Partnerships sister company Waitrose was also voted best supermarket of the year in September 2010, for a second year running. Murray (1988), states that the Porters generic strategies concept is disappointing because it does not explain how any generic strategies can be implementing, it is confusing and it disfavours practicing managers by advocating limitations to adopting a single generic strategy where no empirical evidence exist to support such a limitation. He argues that the contingency approach is a way of overcoming such limitations associated with Porters generic strategy model as it dismisses the perception of limiting oneself to a single strategy and it also demonstrates that each generic strategy is associated with a cluster of generic means. This argument and other alternative theories must be explored in gr eater detail by researchers and decision makers to gain a truly holistic perspective on current strategic thinking. It is of value exploring contrary conceptual frameworks and supporting theories in order to gain a true understanding of the study area and for discerning which concepts and theories can be applied practically to a satiation or a unique business. Value Chain Organisational planning and control often focus on the performance of several different business functions within a firm (Buttle, 2007). Porters value chain analysis is a common way of displaying these business functions and is a useful framework to analyse specific activities which enable a firm to create value and ultimately develop a competitive advantage (Heerkens, 2006). The framework displays a sequence of business functions from which a firm can add value to its operations through various primary and support activities (Porter, 1985). [See Appendix 7 for Value Chain] Porter (1980), states that the value chain model is a useful tool for analysing a firms core competences and identifying its distinctive capabilities. Heerkens (2006) suggests that the successful management of value chain activities involves the management of the outcomes with an awareness of inputs, rigorous management of the several channels and flows, and the management of relationships which include: inte rnal relationships, business relationships and customer relationships. In the case of John Lewis, it can be argued that service is the businesses core primary activity with marketing and sale being secondary. This assessment is based on their applied differentiation strategy from porters generic strategies model where interactions with their customer are at the centre of their business philosophy. It is fair to suggest that service ensures customer satisfaction and customer retention for the Partnership whilst sales and marketing facilitates continued profit and growth for the business which will ultimately benefit their partners who are the owners of the business and receive a percentage of the profits the business generates. The partnership has two key support activities which complement its primary activities. It can be argued that the Partnership Human Resource Management through recruitment and selection practices ensures that the business attracts and retains high standa rds within its workforce. It is in the best interest of the business to employ individuals with the passion and drive for success and who will also adopt the spirit of the Partnership in order to maintain its strong reputation and high standards. Technology developments such as having an online presence is said to be another means adopted by the Partnership to exploit its core competencies. Mintel reports states that the Partnerships online presence has grown from strength to strength since its initial introduction in 2001. Arguably, the Partnership is using their website as a mean to not only reach customer in remote location but also to target their marketing and sales activities and increase the growth potential. Conclusion The strategic direction of a firm is one of great importance to managers in todays business environment. Michael Porter provides several conceptual frameworks which support decision makers in understanding their internal and external environment as well as evaluating potential threats and possible opportunities. Key theorists within the study area discuss Porters Generic Strategies Model and Value Chain Model as exhibiting essential characteristics in understanding a firms activities and exploiting core competencies. In the case of the John Lewis Partnership, Porters theories have provided valuable information to facilitate the understanding of the business and the environment in which it operates. Gaining such an understanding will allow decision makers not only to measure and control performance but also develop and implement future strategies to ensure continued growth for the business. It is of value to explore alternative conceptual frameworks in addition to Porters theo ries when conducting research in the study area to enable a truly holistic perspective on future studies and to mitigate any limitations associated with past theories and isolated or abstract theoretical deductions. References Beirnat, J. E., 2004. Strategic management: Text Cases. 1st ed. New York: McGraw Hill. Boddy, David., 2005. Management: An Introduction. 3rd ed. London: Prentice Hall. Businessballs, (2008). Learning and Development Resource. [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.businessballs.com [accessed 13 October, 2010] Buttle, Francis., 2007. Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Tools. 3rd ed, Netherlands: Elsevier Ltd. Debenhams (2001), [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.debenhams.com/ [accessed 13 October, 2010] Dyche, Jill., 2002. The CRM Handbook: A Business Guide to Customer Relationship Management. 1st ed. Canada: Addison Wesley. Heerkens, Gary., 2006. The Business Savvy Project Manager: Indispensable Knowledge and Skills for Success. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. House of Fraser (1999), [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/ [accessed 13 October, 2010] John Lewis Direct (2001), [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.johnlewis.com [accessed 13 October, 2010] John Lewis Partnership (2002), [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/ [accessed 13 October, 2010] Kak, Anjana., and Sushil., 2002. Understanding Flexibility in Supply Chains: A Conceptual Framework and Models. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Vol. 3, (4), pp. 23-38 Keynote (2007). The Home of Market Intelligence, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.keynote.co.uk [accessed 13 October, 2010] Marks and Spencer (1999), [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.marksandspencer.com/ [accessed 13 October, 2010] Mintel (2007), Consumer and Market Insight, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://academic.mintel.com [accessed 13 October, 2010] Murray, I., Alan., 1988. A Contingency View of Porters Generic Strategies. The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 13, (3), pp. 390-400 NetNBA (2002), Business Knowledge Resource, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.netmba.com/ [accessed 13 October, 2010] Porter, E., Michael., 1980. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: The Free Press. Porter, E., Michael., 1985. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. 1st ed. New York: The Free Press. QuickMBA (1999), Online Knowledge Resource, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: https://www.quickmba.com/ [accessed 13 October, 2010] Rowson, Pauline., 2009. Successful Marketing: Get Brilliant Results Fast. 1st ed. London: Crimson Publishing. Slack, Nigel., Chanbers, Stuart., Johnston, Robert., 2010. Operations Management. 6th ed. London: Prentice Hall Appendix 1 Partnership Seven Principles The Partnerships Seven Principles which define the business (John Lewis Partnership, 2002): Purpose: The purpose of the Partnership is the ultimate happiness of its members. This is through their worthwhile and satisfying employment in a successful business. The Partnership is owned in trust for its members who share the responsibilities of ownership of the business as well as its profit rewards, knowledge and power sharing. Power: There are three main governing authorities within the Partnership who share power; the Partnership Council, the Partnership Board and the Chairman. Profit: The aim of the Partnership is to make acceptable profit from its trading operations to sustain its commercial presence, to finance its continued development and to distribute a share of its profits to its members each year. The profits also enable the Partnership to undertake other activities consistent with the aims of the business. Members: The aim of the Partnership is to employee indiv iduals of ability and integrity who are committed to working together and ultimately to supporting the principles of the Partnership. Relationships are based on mutual respect and courtesy, with equality between its members as differences of responsibility permit. The aim of the Partnership is to recognise each individuals contributions and to reward them fairly. Customers: The aim of the Partnership is to deal honestly with its customers and to secure their loyalty and trust by providing excellent choice, value and service. Business Relationships: The aim of the Partnership is to conduct all its business relationships with integrity and courtesy and to honour accurately every business agreement. The Community: The aim of the Partnership is to obey with spirit and the letter of the law and to contribute to the wellbeing of the communities in which the Partnership operates. Appendix 2 Corporate Social Responsibility (John Lewis Partnership, 2002) Principles Shared Responsibility: The Partnerships unique structure means that its members share the responsibilities of ownership and benefit from its rewards. The aim of the Partnership is to develop and implement social and environmental policies which fit in with its members everyday responsibilities and activities. Honesty and Accountability: The democratic ownership structure means sharing power, profit and knowledge. The Partnership communicates its environmental policies, objectives and performance openly and honestly to its partners and to others who share an interest in the business activities, including customers and suppliers. The Partnership encourages them to communicate with the business and continuously seek their views. Sustainable Progress: The Partnership is committed to improving its performance. They take into account technical developments, changing scientific evidence, costs and customer concerns and expectations in the development and implementation of all new so cial and environmental policies and procedures. They monitor their performance, set regular objectives for improvements and report business progress. Demonstrable Compliance: The Partnership guarantees to meet all relevant legislation and exceed where possible. Where no legislation exists they aim to develop and implement their own appropriate working practices and business standards. Programmes Environment: The aim of the Partnership is take all reasonable steps to manage its operations so as to minimise the environmental impact and to promote good environmental practice. They set and follow high standards in food production, quality and safety. They promote responsible and sustainable methods of agriculture, animal husbandry and biodiversity; and review regularly the business practices and performance to identify how they can improve their energy efficiency, minimise packaging and reduce water usage, waste disposal and air emissions. Relationships: They will conduct their business relationships with integrity and courtesy, and honour all trading commitments. Their aim is to build long-term relationships with suppliers and provide support for small, local, specialist producers. The Partnership is committed to trading fairly with all it suppliers, and will communicate their responsible sourcing expectations to them in the areas of health, safety and worker welfare, sust ainable and profitable agriculture, high animal welfare standards, biodiversity and good environmental practice. Communities: They aim to build lasting relationships with their customers, suppliers and the local communities by encouraging Partners to consider the needs of others and involve themselves in public service. They obtain a wide range of views on their social and environmental policies and performance. Partners: They will respect their Partners and encourage individual training and development. They will promote equality as differences in responsibilities permit and consider the interests of their Partners including their welfare, health and safety. The aim of the Partnership is to empower Partners and they will recognise individual contributions and reward Partners fairly. Their ultimate aim is the happiness of its members through their worthwhile and satisfying employment in a successful business Appendix 3 Marks and Spencer plc Marks and Spencer is a leading clothing retailer in the UK and a major operator in the grocery sector. The retailer operates 600 stores in the UK and 300 stores internationally in over 40 territories. The company has witnessed a rapid recovery within the retail sector under the management of Stuart Rose until a more subdued second half of 2007/08 (Mintel, 2007). According to Keynote reports, Marks and Spencer has made promising progress towards resurrection in recent years. This has been achieved by re-establishing its style and value credentials through improvements to product offer, price positioning, stores and marketing. Other improvements to cost controls and buying have helped sales and profit margins Chart 2: Marks and Spencer market share 2003 2007 (Mintel, 2007) The chart shows a steady increase of market share for Marks and Spencer from 2003 to 2007 with the exception of 2007 as the retailer lost market share. This could have been due to a global economic crisis resulting in changes in consumer spending behaviours. Debenhams plc Debenhams is a leading UK department store chain with a greater preference to fashion than home products. The store has differentiated itself through a large portfolio of private labels, including popular designers at Debenhams ranges. International franchising is a small but rapidly growing part of the retailers business. Debenhams has 153 stores across the UK and Ireland and a fully transactional website, reflecting Debenhams commitment to offering customer greater value, a wider choice and excellent service across every area in which it operates. Chart 3: Debenhams market share 2003 2007 (Mintel, 2007) The chart shows the market share activity for Debenhams from 2003 to 2007. There appears to have been some steady growth for the retailer from 2003 to 2005, however, they suffered a loss in 2006 and struggled to regain their position as there was no market share changes from 2006 to 2007. House of Fraser Ltd House of Fraser is one of the oldest department stores in the UK. The department store was founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 1749. Mintel reports state that the department store had lost its way in the new millennium resulting in repositioning itself as a premium brand under its new owners, the Highland Group in November 2006. The early signs appear promising, but it is argued that many question marks remain. House of Fraser has 62 stores across the UK and Ireland and a fully transactional website. The retailer offers luxurious items at affordable prices; from beauty essentials to home accessories. The premium department store strives to offer its customers an enjoyable and pleasant shopping experience both, online and in store. Chart 4: House of Fraser market share 2003 2007 (Mintel, 2007) The chart shows the market share activity for House of Fraser from 2003 to 2007. It is fair to suggest that the retailer has struggled relatively more to retain customers and generally maintain growth across this period. The retailer lost market share between 2003 and 2004, it then grew market share in 2005. However, this was short lived as there appeared to be a steady decline from 2005 to 2007 with 2007 displaying the lowest market share figures for the retailer during that period. Appendix 4 Industry Trends Department stores operate in several different product markets which make the business more complex than specialist formats. However, it is argued that having such a variation of products offer a measure of protection to the business (Mintel, 2007). Keynote reports suggest that demand for core department store products like clothing, brown goods and personal care products were strong during the five years leading up to 2007. Despite this many department stores failed to capitalise fully on the boom times and lost market share to industry rivals. The financial crisis of 2008/09 has resulted in a change in customer spending patterns. Industry reports suggest that customers have favoured lower ticketed items for themselves and their homes over discretionary purchases such as furniture, brown and white goods. As a result, department stores have found it increasingly difficult to compete with specialist operators like clothing or electrical retailers. Many retailers have responded by narrowing their product offering whilst others have focused their efforts on customer retention and reviewed their pricing policies. Mintel reports state that the retail market has witnessed a 0.5% sales reduction in 2009 and predict that this trend will carry over into 2013. They state that the winners in the department store sector will be those that can adapt best to their customers changing needs, earn their loyalty and trust and at the same time keep a tight rein on cost and working capital. Figure 1: Consumer Confidence Index, Jan 2006-Oct 2008 (Mintel, 2007) Figure 1 shows a decline in consumer confidence, which was accelerated in July 2008. It is argued that this was a result of an increase in prices such as utility bills and the news that inflation was continuing to rise. Mintel sources suggest that a less confident consumer is more likely to cut back on discretionary spending which will have a direct impact on department stores especially those operating in the middle market like John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. Figure 2: UK GDP growth, 1989-2008 (Mintel, 2007) Figure 2 shows the lowest growth rate since the last recession. This supports the argument that the external environment is having a direct impact on consumer behaviour and ultimately affecting the British economy. Figure 3 displays the sales and market share figures for the key department store competing within the middle market sector. The figures for both sales and market share support the argument that Mark and Spencer is the clear leader within the industry. This is no surprise when considering the number of outlets Mark and Spencer has compared with the other department stores especially John Lewis. However, John Lewis has 1/3 of the number of outlets compared with House of Fraser and almost 1/6 of the amount of outlets compared to Debenhams and has a higher sales and market share figure compare to both department stores. It would be fair to suggest that John Lewis is doing exceptionally well among its industry competition even against Marks and Spencer when considering al l the figures together. Appendix 5 John Lewis Partnership SWOT Analysis Strengths: The Partnership has a strong reputation amongst its customers resulting in strong customer loyalty; there is an underlying perception of value for products and services allowing for higher premiums in product prices; an online presence enables the Partnership to compete amongst industry rivals and reach customer in remote locations. Weaknesses: The Partnership has a very large selection of product from small electrical items to large white good and furniture items making it difficult to compete with specialist retailers; the Partnership only has department store within the UK unlike some of its rivals. Opportunities: The Partnerships website is used to increase marketing activities and online sales; the partnership has recently expanded its product offering into the financial services market by introducing John Lewis insurance which has proved successful suggesting that further growth in this area to be advantageous; the partnership recently introduced its value ra nge which has proved successful thus attracting a new customer base and increasing market share. Threats: The competitive rivalry within the retail industry from small family business to large multinational firm and direct competition from other department stores to specialist retailers; the UK retail market has been affected by economic changes and economic concerns through the credit crunch; Changes in consumer spending behaviours require further market analysis and as technology develops consumer buying patterns change which will result in product areas requiring evaluation. Appendix 6 Porters Generic Strategies Target Scope Advantage Low Cost Product Uniqueness Broad (Industry Wide) Cost Leadership Strategy Differentiation Strategy Narrow (Market Segment) Focus Strategy (low cost) Focus Strategy (differentiation) Cost Leadership: The aim of this strategy is to sell products and service at the lowest price in the industry. This strategy is effective if a firm can command prices close to industry averages and without having to give away the cost advantage by discounting prices. Differentiation: The aim of this strategy is to make a product or service unique so as to be perceived as better value to customers when compared with industry rivals. The concept of value can be considered tangible as in product characteristic or intangible like company image and brand recognition. Focus: This aim of this strategy is to adopt a narrow competitive scope in the industry. This can be achieved by targeting specific market segments such as customers with unique requirements or within a geographical location. Alternatively, cost focus is acquiring specialised machinery that can handle specific market needs effectively like creating short product runs.