Black Elk Essays - Lakota People, Elk, Circle, Pi,

Black Elk For the power is not in us anymore. After the Heyoka ceremony, I came to live here where I am now between Wounded Knee Creek and Grass Creek. Others came too, and we made these little gray houses of logs that you see, and they are square. It is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square. You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation, and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion. Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the season form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our tepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nations hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children. But the Wasichus have put us in these square boxes. Our power is gone and we are dying, for the power is not in us anymore. You can look at our boys and see how it is with us. When we were living by the power of the circle in they way we should, boys were men at twelve or thirteen years of ago. But now it takes them very much longer to mature. Well, it is as it is. We are prisoners of war while we are waiting here. But there is another world (150-151). These lines from Black Elk Speaks are found close to the middle of the story, just after the Heyoka ceremony. Black Elk is expressing his concern for the loss of the power that can only be found in circles. He recalls the many ways in which circles influence the Power of the World, and now the Wasichus have put them in the square houses thus taking their power away. As is expressed in much of this novel, Black Elk describes the loss that his people are being forced to accept. He says, In the old days when we [they] were a strong and happy people, all our [their] power came to us [them] from the sacred hoop of the nation, and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished (150). In this Black Elk reports that in the old days his people were strong and happy due to the power from the sacred circle. However, now the hoop has been ruptured thus causing unhappiness and frailty. His people are no longer flourishing in the ways that used to bring strength to the circle; in fact, it appears as though the youth of his people are naive to the significance of many important ceremonies and customs. Black Elk speaks of various circles that embody the Power of the World. He discusses the sky, the earth, the stars, the sun and moon, seasons, and life itself. Perhaps the most poignant description is that of the tepees, Our [their] tepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nations hoop, a nest of many

buy custom PhD Admission Paper of Interest essay

buy custom PhD Admission Paper of Interest essay I have been working in the educational sector for over twenty years, which has made my experience in the field both enormous and versatile. Therefore, I plan to acquire more specialized knowledge and skills in the field of teaching, learning, and evaluation. Among other goals, my principal target lies in achieving solid expertise regarding proficiency in teaching because I hope to specialize in teaching education. My previous educational background in conjunction with the many years of practical activities will certainly be helpful in my future academic and professional efforts. What concerns my previous education, I hold a Bachelors of Arts in educational psychology. Moreover, I obtained a diploma in educational management and leadership with a very good GPA. Furthermore, I have also been awarded an MA in the field of education with an emphasis on educational administration with a very good GPA as well. Thereby, I managed to successfully complete my degree despite the fact that I am a mother of three children. My previous thesis was about teachers supervision. In view of the above, I would like to list several goals I plan to pursue in my PhD program: The goal of knowledge. According to Viv Ellis (2009), teachers knowledge of the subjects constitutes an appropriate characteristic in demands for the professional status (p. 29). Thus, my purpose is to accumulate as much knowledge in the domain of teaching, learning, and evaluation as possible. Hence, I am utterly determined to augment my knowledge about teaching strategies, conceptual frameworks, and the effective methods of teaching, as well as the contemporary issues particularly in teaching. Moreover, I am going to conduct the in-depth research featuring a critical review of different approaches, methods, and processes in education. Also, I am going to trace the complementarities and reciprocities of the research methodology. In particular, I intend to apply my mind to disadvantages of the contemporary teaching strategies. The goal of competence. According to Patricia A. Pugh (2008), the issue of competence is composed of the following components: facts, knowledge, attitude and behavior (p. 48). In conformity with that judgment, I strongly believe that my further education will enhance my professional competence, taking into consideration that I am already a practitioner. In the context of my studies, I am planning to grind my skills in teaching education. The goal of contribution. According to Reddy (2003), the teachers role is many-sided because they are required to perform teaching responsibilities, counseling measures, curriculum developments, public relations responsibilities and others as well (p. 1). In view of the above, my professional activities are conducted with the purpose of contribute to our society. I am going to augment our education in several ways. As far as my academic aspirations are concerned, my research will represent the brand-new opinions and suggestions in respect of the methodological basis of teaching, learning, and evaluation. I will illustrate both agreed upon and contentious issues in the current education. In addition, I would like to emphasize the domain of educational administration and management. Thus, my previous experiences in the field of educational administration are going to be very useful in my studies. Besides, my most important contributions will be made in respect of pupils and students. I plan to elaborate on the most reliable solutions which will assuredly improve the circumstances of learning, teaching and evaluation. Apart from the above, I would like to characterize my interests in the domain of education. They include a large number of issues connected with the processes of teaching, learning, and evaluation. I am placing a special emphasis upon the process of teaching which has given rise to my primary area of interest. Furthermore, I am very interested in the research education which may help me comprehend and apply research in real-life education. I am confident that a satisfactory research education consists of such significant components as topic investigation, critical reading, and overview of various types of practical research. Besides, I prefer to master teaching strategies in conjunction with methods of instructions. With the help of the aforementioned knowledge, I am going to examine how instruction reinforces student learning. I deem it my duty to ensure you that my educational expectations supported by my experience and high professional ambitions are great and undisputed. Thus, I am going to work diligently towards accomplishing those goals. My abilities are diverse: I may give undivided attention to what other people are saying, spend time to understand their points, and ask questions without interrupting them. I am capable of assessing performance by myself, my colleagues, and students. My speech is clear and the written language is expressive. I am proficient in both deductive and inductive reasoning. There is no problem for me to exercise day-to-day administrative tasks, analyze information, and evaluate results in order to select the best possible solution. To sum up, my previous educational and professional background combined with my goals and interests are sufficient grounds for embarking on a PhD program in teaching, learning, and evaluation, which is my naturally determined choice. Buy custom PhD Admission Paper of Interest essay

Becoming influencial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Becoming influencial - Essay Example Honesty is a great virtue of a nurse and honest communication is essential for a nurse. I try to be honest without hurting other people's feelings because I am afraid if I am honest, then I will really hurt someone and then they won't like me. However, if I am going to be an RN, then I need to learn how take things personally. "I should pay attention to how I speak and how I act when I speak. Nonverbal signs & signals say more about us than words. I should make sure my words are reflected in my body language."(Sullivan & Decker, 2005) I need to focus on the problem, not the person. (Sullivan, 2005) I have to remember that my honesty is not personal, it's business. I should strive to improve my communication Skills (Sullivan, 2005) As a nurse, every night, I will assess / review what I have said to my peers and colleagues and note if I was honest or not. I will also ask my friends/ colleges from time to time how they view my honesty. I will start doing this now and will continue it in my nursing career. One more important virtue which I think is mandatory is Professional Positive Attitude. A positive attitude is everything. It is specially required for nursing and health care related jobs. Positive attitude "is a state of mind at which impossible is nothing. Our mind releases abundance of energy and strength in our body to achieve anything that we desire." (careercurry.com, 2007) Positive attitude increases the level of productivity for nurses and it will increase the chance of health for their patients by inspiration and positive energy. "Conveying a positive & energetic attitude sends the message of being "doer" and someone to be sought out for involvement in important issues. Being optimistic promote a can do attitude that suggests power & instills confidence in others."(Sullivan & Decker, 2005) I feel that when I am upset, then I have a hard time keeping a positive attitude. When taking care of patients a nurse needs to keep a positive attitude because patients can sense when you're upset. Thus, I will need to have some forms of exercise (such as jazzercise) which will enable me to have full control over my emotions. I will also need to see things from different perspectives so I am not easily angered. I will attend jazzercise sessions and every week I will evaluate/check what have I learned from such session and try to practice it to my day to day living. In September I joined jazzercise and have found that it decreases my stress, lower my blood pressure, and I have a more positive attitude now that I have been making myself do this every week. Now that I have started this I would like to continue this for the rest of my life. Becoming bold and/or daring also is also recommended for nurses. "Boldness is an opposite of being shy. A bold person may be willing to risk shame or rejection in social situations, and willing to bend rules of etiquette or politeness. An excessively bold person could aggressively ask for money, or persistently push a person to fulfill some request, and so on. Excessive boldness may thus be regarded as impertinence or arrogance. Outside a social context, "boldness" can also refer to a willingness to get things done, even despite risks, and is therefore broadly synonymous with bravery."(Wiki Encyclopedia, 2007) Boldness is being daring and essential for nurses. It is like the courage of taking risk in every circumstance that might not lead to a good result but still would want to pursue it. Becoming bold requires accepting risks for the

Intorduction to Communication-I Don't Want to Fight about it Assignment

Intorduction to Communication-I Don't Want to Fight about it - Assignment Example The conflict prolonged for one month. The supervisor withheld some important information on the requirements of the task to be taken. All this time the task I undertook was always rejected by the manager. On asking the supervisor, he always insisted on incompetency on the job. This led to a major conflict between the both of us that I could not even take instructions from the supervisor (Shapiro & Ebrary, 2004). 2). The use of covert conflict behavior hindered the efficiency of communication largely. Instructions for the task of the day always came from the manager through the supervisor. Due to the existence of the covert conflict behavior, I always got partial information on the performance of the task. Due to the feeling of being betrayed, communication had to be cut off between us. Repercussion of the communication breakdown came hard on the institution in performance and profitability. In addition, the relationship between us went sour hence slowing down the efficiency of the job and the respect of employees. For these reason sales in our department reduced due to prolonged conflict within the department (Shapiro & Ebrary, 2004). The issue at stake was insecurity of positions. For this reason, the supervisor intensions were to make me look bad on performance to eliminate competition. The conflict between us did not stop until the management and fellow workers jumped in the situation. The fall in sales of the institution could not be taken lightly and other individuals including the manager had to help with solving of the problem. The most important issue that led to solving the conflict was to improve the sales as well as maintain the quality of the products. Secondly, the efficiency of the employees had to be maintained as well as maintain proper communication in the institution. After the intervention, the conflict was resolved and everything went back to normal (Shapiro & Ebrary, 2004). 3) As communication remain a vital tool in

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills Essay - 3

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills - Essay Example This paper will discuss the qualities of a good intercultural Negotiator. It will then discuss on the experiences learned in a class negotiation simulation. Finally the paper will review the different aspects of communication strategies employed in the negotiation. In order for one to meet their goals as an intercultural negotiator, it is essential for them to possess the characteristics of a good intercultural negotiator. Firstly a good intercultural negotiator is observant. This means that they take time watch how other people communicate with each other where they note the differences between them. Secondly a good intercultural negotiator should know that different people communicate in different ways and should never assume that messages from different cultures should be interpreted in the same way. Thirdly one should be always positive when dealing with people from different cultures. This means that one should avoid miscommunication which is brought about by misconceptions about the persons intentions. A good Negotiator should also ask questions freely especially where they feel they have not understood. For instance one should ask for clarification on issues, gestures, and ideas to avoid miscommunication. One should also have good communication skills where they are able to express themselves freely by clearly explaining their communication. A good intercultural Negotiator should be polite. This means that when one is seeking any clarification or asking a question, they should do it in a respectable and polite manner in order to ensure the other participants ate not offended. Finally, a good intercultural Negotiator should be persistent meaning that they should not give up easily if they do not understand what is being communicated. One should be patient enough and allow the other person(s) to communicate in their own time. During the class negotiation simulation I got to practice the theories that we have

Macro Environmental Factors Affecting The Industry Marketing Essay

Macro Environmental Factors Affecting The Industry Marketing Essay 1.0 Introduction This report shall examine Coles Supermarket, Western Australia Based, Australian grocery retailer, and its position in the Australian supermarket industry. Through examination of Coles internal operations it is hoped that a better understanding of Coles s strategy, and subsequent success, can be gathered. Hence recommendations for future sustained competitive advantage can be formulated based on the findings from an examination of the external environmental factors affecting the industry. 1.1 Coles Supermarket The focal grocery retailer of this report is Coles Supermarket, specifically, its food and retail grocery business. Coles operate 742 stores across Australia, has taken its total sales to $30 billion in 2010, a rise of 4.2%, and now controls around 35% of the industry. Hence, Coles is the second place in the market leader, with its leading competitor, Woolworths controlling 40% of the market (Westfarmer Annual Report 2010). However, with major environmental changes on the horizon it is debatable if Coles can increase such numbers in future. C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png Figure 1, Coles full financial year revenue2008-2010, and Coles Operate stores (Westfarmer Annual Report 2010). 2.0 External Analysis Significant trends in macro-environmental dimensions will be discussed, specifically socio-cultural and economic trends and how they will impact Coles profitability in future. The Porters five forces model may be utilized to assess the state of the competitive environment, and finally the attractiveness of the industry to Coles in the future shall be examined. 2.1 Macro-Environmental factors affecting the Industry Socio-Cultural Factors: One major social trend is the increasing consciousness towards health and well-being, reflected in a movement towards organic produce and healthy alternatives. This trend offers an opportunity for Coles, as currently there are few players in the market offering organic foods, and sales of organic foods are set to rise over the long-term (IBIS, 2011). It also constitutes a potential threat in that farmers markets and niche supermarkets which specialize in such produce will thrive in the environment. Another social trend would be the increasing number of consumers who are time-poor. Consequently, there is a higher demand for time convenience. i.e. the ability to patronize a store when consumers have the time. The ability to provide fulfill this need has been possible by extending in trading hours. In addition, Coles is providing further convenience through expansion of its product range as much as possible, and created new business such as Coles Express. Economic Factors: The current economic climate has resulted in lower spending levels, especially with flexible goods. Hence, consumers are switching to private label brands for cost savings. Subsequently, supermarkets are increasing their private label offerings. This enables them to compete on the basis of price while realizing the higher margins. Provision of private labels also enables supermarkets to compete on the basis of choice convenience, i.e. offering a low-cost alternative. 2.2 Porters five Forces Analysis In this section, the attractiveness/profitability of the Australian supermarket industry in current times shall be assessed. This will be followed by an examination of Coles relative position in said industry. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is high, as Coles laces many indirect competitors, such as convenience stores, specialist grocery stores, and farmers markets. Evidence suggests these indirect competitors are viable substitutes to Coles and cause serious threats in the future: Convenience stores have also experienced an expansion in product offerings and would he competing directly with supermarkets in the provision of choice convenience and wide product range. With the increasing trend towards healthy alternatives, Farmers markets selling organic produce are also poses a potential future threat. However, the threat posed by specialty stores is perceived to be minimal with the rise of increasingly time-poor consumers. Rivalry amongst Existing Competitors: A high degree of rivalry exists in the land is a direct result of the small number of major players in the market and their lack of perceivable differentiation due to the generic nature of the services and products provided. Therefore, competition is primarily based on price, but other competitive factors include product choice and store location. Three main drivers of an increase in future rivalry are the private retailer IGA, Actions and Woolworths which in the leading position. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers used to be very low. With Woolworths and Coles controlling more than 75% of the market (Fenner, 2011), many local Australian producers have an extremely limited selection of intermediaries to choose from (McKinna, 2011).Therefore, in many cases, Coles or Woolworths is the major purchaser, perhaps even the only purchaser, of a producers production. Even major international brands such as Kellogs and Nestle do not dare to upset either retailer; such is the power of their market-share (Wade, 2002). However, this is set to change, with the existing of the Action supermarket and the expansion of IGA, along with the Federal Government and The Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions (ACCC) recent push to lower competition barriers in the Industry (Hewett, 2011). Thus, the bargaining power of suppliers is set to be moderate in future due to a potentially larger selection of intermediaries to consign to. Bargaining Power or Buyers: Whilst low, the buying power of consumers is also set to increase in future. Once again, the aggressive push by the Federal Government and ACCC to lower competition barriers and allow new competitors to enter the market is set to increase consumer choice (Hewett, 2011), consequently increasing consumers bargaining power. Further driving the increase of consumer bargaining power would be the rise of price comparison websites such as grocery.bestpricedirectory.com.au which enables consumers to compare prices and choose the cheapest alternative. Both factors are set to bring consumers future bargaining to a more moderate level. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants is very low, and is set to remain unchanged. An insidious combination of local zoning laws and leasing agreements with landlords has resulted in an artificial scarcity of grocery store sites (Hewett, 2011). As such, this has deterred many new entrants from entering the market, especially overseas players interested in the Australian grocery industry. This is further aggravated by preferential treatment for Coles and Woolworths by landlords, due to their enormous pulling power in terms of consumer traffic (McKinna, 2011). Furthermore, potential entrants to the Australian grocery market must compete with Coles and Woolworths incredible economics of scales. Thus the investments in infrastructure, and facilities would be massive, and the expertise to manage them all would be specialized and rare. Thus, very few firms have the expertise or resources required for such a significant undertaking, and only a few players such as IGA and Action are able to do so (McKinna, 2011). 2.3 Comparison of industry attractiveness for Coles From the Porters Five-Forces analysis in the previous section, the Supermarket industry until a few years ago presented moderately high to high attractiveness for Coles, the most important reason or which was the high barriers to entry and weak bargaining power of suppliers and buyers. Hence profitability would be high for Coles at that point of lime. However, future environmental changes are set to change the attractiveness of the industry to Coles to moderate. Hence, Coless profitability is set to decrease from high to moderate in future as well. The main reasons for this would be the increase in bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, along with the greater intensity of firm rivalry with Woolworth, Action and expansion of IGA.C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png Figure 2, Attractiveness and Profitability of Industry to Coles in near future As such, the ability to outperform its rivals and maintain its competitive edge rests on Coles resources and capabilities, and more importantly how those resources and capabilities are utilized in the future, when industry attractiveness and profitability has decreased from previous levels. 3.0 Internal Analysis This section will begin with an assessment of Coless position in the food chain (i.e. extended value system) the firm participates in. It will be followed by an examination of the significant functions within Coles Value Chain that delivers the most value to the firm. Finally, Coles most significant resources and capabilities shall be identified and discussed in detail. Coles 3.1 Examination of the Food Chain Coles participates in C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png Figure 3, Coles Food Chain From the above diagram, it can be observed Coless function in the food chain is to provide producers with a channel to reach end consumers. This is because the producers Coles works with concentrate solely on production, hence those producers require to go-between with retailing expertise and infrastructure. For many of Coles suppliers, Coles is a major buyer, if not the only buyer of their produce. Thus, Coles exerts great influence over many of the small local producers and can state things like farm sizes, crop type, agricultural methods and prices the producers receive, which are based on Coles product and process quality specifications (wade. 2002). 3.2 Value Chain Analysis of Coles Coles mission statement specifies how Coles Down Down, Prices Are Down and Quality food costs less at Coles. Thus, all the value-creating activities of Coless business are all geared towards delivering the above promises (Westfarmer Annual Report 2010). The three main value-creating functions involved in delivering the firms promises are: 1. In-Bound Logistics: Coles is essentially a retailer. Hence it does not produce the products it sells. Instead, it controls the distribution network of its products. Within this function there are two significant activities which contribute to the firm: Procurement and Logistics: C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png Figure 4, In-bound logistics summary (Coles Supplier, 2011). Coles produce goes directly from producers to a national or regional distribution centre, where it is certified for quality then transported directly to stores. In addition, Coles owns and operates of all the trucks and distribution centers involved in its distribution network. This puts it in a better position to prevent worker strikes and enables greater control in ensuring punctuality of shipments. Moreover, operating the distribution centers (DCs) and trucks in its supply chain puts Coles in a better position ensure optimum distribution efficiency and product quality (Coles Supplier, 2011). 2. Operations: This involves two primary activities that ensure customer convenience and value, Quality Assessment and Inventory Management: C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png Figure 5, Operation Summary (Coles Supplier, 2011). From the time the stock arrives at the retail store to when the products are put on display, constant checks are made to detect and remove defective products. Furthermore, for each stock unit there is a Minimum Presentation Level (M.P.L)'. Sophisticated Point of Sale (POS) technology keeps track of the number of stock units sold for a particular product, and once stock levels fall beneath the M.P.L, a re-stocking order is dispatched to the relevant distribution centre (Coles Supplier, 2011).In addition, Coles utilizes an advanced forecasting program to forecast future changes in demand due to environmental factors such as seasonal changes or economic trends. 3. Marketing and Sales: Two main activities are involved in increasing sales and enabling Coles to compete effectively, In-store Promotions and Organizational Dynamism: C:UsersMuiAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip11clip_image001.png Figure 6, Marketing and Sale Summary (Coles Supplier, 2011). Coles holds weekly specials to boost short-term sales of certain products where prices of certain items are reduced by a large percent (Coles Supplier, 2011). This is supplemented by the distribution of sales catalogues informing consumers of the weekly specials. Highly effective in boosting short-term sales and inventory turnover, an example would be how Coles would normally sell $2000-$3000 worth of toilet paper per week, but that amount increases to around $8000 during its weekly special (Coles, 2011). A significant capability of Coles would be its ability to keep up with consumer trends and environmental changes, enabling the formulation or new strategies to compete effectively (Coles, 2011). For instance, to keep up with current consumer lifestyles and preferences, Coles introduced its selection of easy to prepare meals under its Coles Quality Food brand in conjunction with its monthly online interactive Coles Feed Your family Recipe guide which provides recipe suggestions and nutritional advice for healthy living (Coles, 2011). 3.3 Assessment of Coles Significant Resources and Capabilities Coles adopts an integrated competitive strategy, i.e. it utilizes a combination of both cost leadership and differential elements to compete, with its efficient supply chain to minimize costs, and its brand image to differentiate itself based on quality. In addition, strategic factors such as minimization of future threats and keeping the firm flexible in wake of environmental changes are also critical to Coles survival. Thus, with the above factors in consideration, Coles three most significant resources and capabilities are: Highly Effective Supply Chain: Coles efficient distribution network is both a resource and a capability in its in-bound and out-bound logistics. The end of tangible and intangible assets such a technological capabilities and supplier relationships, it is highly valuable as it was the significant cost- savings achieved throughout its entire logistics network that enabled Coles to come closer to Woolworths (McKinna, 2011). The level of cost saving benefits provided is non-substitutable by any other resource. It is also difficult o copy as the level and scope of the technological capabilities involved is highly specialized and staggering. However, should Coles posses an unfavorable public image or sell products undesirable to consumers, possessing an efficient distribution network would be irrelevant. Thus, by itself an effective supply chain is insufficient as a distinct competency, and must be supported by other competitive advantages. Brand Reputation: Coles reputation as quality food was built over many years. This was done via positive consumer experiences with its products which can be attributed to its stringent quality assessment procedures throughout its supply chain (Urban, 2007), as well as its Quality Food Cost Less at Coles advertising campaign. Hence, this brand reputation is valuable, as it provides meaningful differentiation to its competitors, and has directly contributed to higher levels of customer satisfaction. It is also non-substitutable, as the benefits provided cannot be matched by any other resource. However, it is neither rare, nor hard to copy, with most of its rivals also claiming to sell fresh and Quality food. More importantly, fresh food and quality products have come to become a basic expectation of consumers. Thus, this reputation is not a distinct competitive advantage; rather it is a point of parity that Coles must possess in order to compete. Effective Top Management: Despite recessionary pressures and rising inflationary rates, Coles is still able to achieve growth rates at higher than. This can be attributed to Coles effective top management, in particular CEO John Fletcher (Fenner and Raja. 2011). Further, the relations within the Coles Group top management is a significant factor perceived as enabling Coles to compete effectively with AGI in future and the main competitor such as Woolworths (Fenner. 2011). Thus, the capability of top management in steering Coles through the current economic climate and continuously achieving high growth rates makes it a valuable resource. As such, it is non-substitutable by any other resource, and is hard to copy as it is difficult to obtain capable and effective senior managers. However, it cannot be considered rare: as Due to the mature nature of the sector, most of the companies operating in the Australian Grocery Industry also have capable senior management. Therefore, effective t op management is not a distinct competitive advantage, but a point of parity that is utilized in conjunction with other factors such as efficient supply chain to enable Coles to outcompete its rivals. 4.0 Recommendation The recommendations presented by this report are classified into short-term and long- term recommendations: Short-term Recommendations: In the short-term, Coles should invest more in advertising. More specifically, Coles should create advertisements representing how their Coles Quality range of healthy meals to go fits into consumers everyday routines. This would heighten brand recall of Coles in consumers minds, which increases purchase likelihood. More importantly, by creating advertisements linking Coles to healthy, easy to prepare meals that are conveniently available at reasonable prices, this would increase the chance of making Coles identical with convenience and healthy consumption, a valuable point of differentiation in a market where Quality food cost less are now points of parity. Long-term Recommendations: It is recommended for Coles to focus more on convenience and an enjoyable shopping experience in the long-term. Coles current program to refurbish stores should be supplemented by measures to improve store atmosphere, such as the inclusion of relaxing music and having cheerful, enthusiastic and helpful staff to create an enjoyable shopping experience. More importantly, in the long run it is recommended for Coles to invest in more profitable industries and businesses. As mentioned earlier, the attractiveness and profitability of the Australian supermarket is set to fall in the future. Thus, Coles should focus in new businesses in which sales growth are projected to rise over the long term, such as Coles Express and Coles online shopping. 5.0 Conclusion Coles Supermarkets business strategy has been analyzed in this report which base in Western Australia. Examination of Coless external environment such as socio-cultural trends as well as the deteriorating economic climate had been conducted to gain understanding of current industry trend. The industry attractiveness was found to have declined in recent times, due to difference factors such as a rise in supplier and buyer bargaining power, greater intensity amongst rivals and higher threats from substitutes. Internal operations it is hoped that a better understanding of Coles s strategy. Coles control of the distribution network of its products helps ensure quality and distribution efficiency. Coles three most valuable resources and capabilities were found to be its highly efficient supply chain, its brand reputation and its effective top-level management. With recommendations for short-term and long term strategies may perhaps ensure sustainability of Coles supermarkets future.

Invisible Man Comparative Essay -- essays research papers

Their Eyes Were Watching God and Invisible Man Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life has never been easy for African-Americans. Since this country's formation, the African-American culture has been scorned, disrespected and degraded. It wasn't until the middle of the 21st century that African-American culture began to be looked upon in a more tolerant light. This shift came about because of the many talented African-American writers, actors, speakers and activists who worked so hard to gain respect for themselves and their culture. Two writers were on the front lines of this movement, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison. Their novels, Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God, probed deeply into the life and culture of the African-American, something that was practically unheard of. But not only did their novels shed light on the African culture, but they also shifted away from the traditional Romantic style of writing. Instead of focusing on religion or society, these novels focused on self-awareness, pride, and finding happiness. The merit of these novels pervades every page, but can especially be found in the themes, diction, and characterization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both novels shared two similar themes: the pursuit of happiness and self-actualization. These themes had to be dealt with tenderly in an intolerant, white-culture society. Both Hurston and Ellison did this beautifully, in that their stories were not forceful nor prea... Invisible Man Comparative Essay -- essays research papers Their Eyes Were Watching God and Invisible Man Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life has never been easy for African-Americans. Since this country's formation, the African-American culture has been scorned, disrespected and degraded. It wasn't until the middle of the 21st century that African-American culture began to be looked upon in a more tolerant light. This shift came about because of the many talented African-American writers, actors, speakers and activists who worked so hard to gain respect for themselves and their culture. Two writers were on the front lines of this movement, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison. Their novels, Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God, probed deeply into the life and culture of the African-American, something that was practically unheard of. But not only did their novels shed light on the African culture, but they also shifted away from the traditional Romantic style of writing. Instead of focusing on religion or society, these novels focused on self-awareness, pride, and finding happiness. The merit of these novels pervades every page, but can especially be found in the themes, diction, and characterization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both novels shared two similar themes: the pursuit of happiness and self-actualization. These themes had to be dealt with tenderly in an intolerant, white-culture society. Both Hurston and Ellison did this beautifully, in that their stories were not forceful nor prea...

The Man Who Was Almost A Man

Richard Wright’s â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† is a story of a 17-year-old teenaged boy, Dave, who wanted to be called a completely grown up man.He was though approaching adulthood but still was an adolescent and he was viewed as an adolescent and a kid by the adults. This was the most annoying factor for him. However, Dave possessed certain qualities that really represented childish behavior in him. Because of his childish attitude many people won’t believe in him as a grown up mature man.The story themes are centered on racial differences, poverty and sufferings of a black youth. He’s disgusted at being still too young. He wants to get old and rich and wanted to become a respectable citizen of the society. However, whatever actions the emotional and anxious kid takes are ridiculed and makes him younger in adult’s eyes. David Glover was from a poor family with not enough resources to develop a social status. He lacked economical influence and his social status was negligible because of poverty.In the story he acted in a way to acquire power but was rebuked and threatened by the adults for behaving childishly. He takes the gun to make and think of himself more powerful. â€Å"It was empty if anybody could shoot a gun, he could. He put the gun into his hip pocket and started across the fields. When he reached the top of a ridge he stood straight and proud in the moonlight, looking at Jim Hawkins’ big white house, feeling the gun sagging in his pocket.† (Wright)â€Å"  Ã¢â‚¬ËœWhut yuh do wid tha gun?’ his mother asked.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"’What wuz he doin wida gun?’ his father asked.†He was obsessed with the feelings of adulthood. He finally decides to get apart from a society that does not accept him as an adult. Dave is portrayed as an emotional kid who wants power, fame and high social status. He strives that the society should accept him as a noble man.â€Å"Dave turned and walked slowly. He heard people laughing. Dave glared~ his eyes welling with tears. Hot anger bubbled in him. Then he swallowed and stumbled on.† (Wright) Though people used to laugh on him he was still very serious regarding his actions and to be a man.†That night Dave did not sleep. He was glad that he had gotten out of killing the mule so easily, but he was hurt.† (Wright)He’s a kind of emotional, childish and lacked an understanding that why was he not accepted as a man.Richard Wright himself as a black narrates the difficulties he encounters as a black person while dealing with whites. He encountered whites during is professional career at jobs. He noticed violence and discrimination against blacks.Wright is a deliberate man who struggles through his life years. Other characters in the stories are also vibrant and well-drawn but Wright is shown as the most powerful and influential of all. As we go through the complete book we get more familiar with his charact er and how he’s being hurt. His pain is that why such dishonesty persist in this world.Most of the black characters are usually ridiculed for any of their set backs or made the point of humor. They’re shown as fat and whatever they do as funny. American culture is filled up with racial discrimination from school, education, and business to film, media, screen and shows. Color has become an integral part of our society and we don’t have much to talk about if we would no discriminate between colors and whites as inferiors and supers respectively.   

Oedipus Obstacles Essays

Oedipus Obstacles Essays Oedipus Obstacles Essay Oedipus Obstacles Essay Oedipus endured many different experiences on his search for the truth that he was not aware even lingered. Each one of these experiences had a polarity of sorts paired along with it in some way. Oedipus intellect throughout the play showed both his great strength and his ultimate downfall. Throughout the play of Oedipus the King by Sophocles, there was evidence of great polarities in his search for truth ranging from fame and shame, and sight and blindness, to ignorance and knowledge. The most dreadful of the situations was when Oedipus great fame turned bruptly into shame upon himself and his kingdom. His fame cane from him relieving the city of Thebes of the plague that so long hindered them by the Sphinx. Once Oedipus solved the Sphinxs riddle, leading her to her ultimate suicide, he received the crown due to his heroic deed. The whole kingdom adored him and would be revolted when they found out the truth. This came about when it was realized that Oedipus prophecy that he left Corinth to escape, actually came true. The fact that he killed his birth father and married his mother brought him great shame. With this shame came other things. Although Oedipus could physically see, he was blinded by the fact that he did not know the dark truth that was hovering around him. When his sight was given to him, he did not know how to react, and therefore literally took it away from himself. The shame was too great for him to endure so by voluntarily blinding himself, he thought that would be a sufficient punishment. Oedipus was unaware of his reality so when this dreadful news was brought to his attention, he needed some way to aid his grief and did so in an unruly manner. Oedipus ignorance came directly from the fact that he had no truthful knowledge of who he really was. He had left Corinth to escape the chance of letting the prophecy come true, but unbeknownst to him, it would come true because of his departure. The previous knowledge that Oedipus believed about him being from Corinth allowed him to prosper and become a highly respectable king. This ignorance that he possessed was the cause of all of the cumbersome problems he endured throughout the play. Oedipus reliance of his intellect both aided him and ultimately led him to is downfall. If all else were void, the intellect that Oedipus withheld allowed him to be a beloved king adored by the people of Thebes. After all, his intellect was the tool that allowed him to relieve the city of Thebes from the plague. When everyone actually became aware of the truth, Oedipus could not fathom his newfound intellect and performed and act of self-mutilation. It led to his wife (and mother) killing herself, him being exiled from Thebes never to see him children again, and having to give up his crown to someone who did not want the responsibility of a king. These great polarities that Oedipus faced on his Journey for the truth showed the fast opposites he endured during the various experiences. Usually had times help shape a persons character but these hard times were too much for anyone to handle. Although he was an extremely respectable leader, in the end the negatives outweighed all of the positives presented by Oedipus. When all of the puzzles pieces onto his family and kingdom. With a man who did not want any kind of kingly duties taking his throne, I do not see how things could change for the better.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Free Online Research Papers Jane Eyre, a novel about an English woman’s fights told through the writing of Charlotte Brontà «, has filled its audience with thoughts of hope, love, and deception for many years. These thoughts surround people, not just women, everyday, as if an endless cycle from birth to death. As men and women fall further into this spiral of life they begin to find their true beings along with the qualities of others. This spiral then turns into a web of conflicts as the passenger of life proceeds and often these conflicts are caused by those sought out to be guides through the journey of life but merely are spiders building a magnificent web to catch its prey. In Jane Eyre, Brontà « uses the literary elements of plot and character to convey the theme that a person often falls in love with a manipulator because she has little experiences of other forms of love and as a result she has to establish her own integrity. Brontà « uses the character element of opinions to show how some people often form conclusions about others and express them in their thoughts as either cruel or friendly. Since Brontà « bases Jane Eyre as story told through a young lady the reader is allowed to experience her thoughts and reactions to those around her who make her very personality. As Jane is in her youth she develops these notions about her own family yelling at her cousin John saying, â€Å"You are like a murdereryou are like a slave-driver- you are like the Roman Emperors.† (p. 8) Not only showing that Jane has the intellectual maturity much greater than that of a normal ten-year-old but also that she finds John cruel and sees him becoming a bad man when he grows up. Due to Mrs. Reed’s lack of discipline John did grow as his cousin perceived causing his own demise and the relief of Jane for her cousin no longer could torment those lesser than himself. â€Å"Mr. Rochester continued blind for the f irst two years of our union: perhaps it was that circumstance that drew us so very near – that knit us so very close: for I was then his vision, as I am still his right hand. Literally, I was the apple of his eye.† (p.578) Jane expresses her grief over Rochester’s injuries but emphasizes her constant love as everything that he has lost. Rochester appears completely opposite from the first time they met; he’s helpless just as Jane was when they first met and it is her influence which provokes him to her. All of Jane’s, along with the other characters, opinions cause changes in positions from being blind to walking for the blind, or from being led to doing the leading. Brontà « uses the character element of appearance to show that corrupting people often influence others by their mere charismatic look. This is shown through the description of Edward Rochester as he first meets Jane and begins his moral capture of Jane. â€Å"He had a dark face, with stern features and a heavy brow; his eyes and gathered eyebrows looked ireful and thwarted, just now; he was past youth’ but had not reached middle age; perhaps he might be thirty-five. I felt no fear of him and but little shyness.† (p.142) These words spoken by Jane clearly show that by a slight glance, without even knowing a person, a conclusion is made; Jane’s decision here is that Rochester is her protection, her scapegoat out of her life of solitude. She also mentions how she doesn’t fear him, allowing the audience to sense his commanding aura as if it were a protective wall giving this young shy lady the ability to comfort herself in this strange new acquaintance. Jane continues by saying, â€Å"Had he been a handsome, heroic-looking young gentleman, I should not have dared to stand thus questioning him against his will and offering my services unwillingly.† (p.142) This is an example of the theory that women choose to be with men that they feel will ensure them with protection and strong healthy children. Every woman has her vision of that prince charming that will ride in on his steed and woe her off her feet and give her that magical kiss to free her from all previous burdens that she may have had. Jane seems to take notice to Rochester’s age but in change is intrigued by his masculinity, which she experienced in short at Lowood School with Mr. Brocklehurst. All it took was an accidental meeting between Jane and her employer to begin the cycle of love that would eventually overtake then empower a meek woman inexperienced in the art for which she has been a pawn of. Brontà « uses the stylistic character element of speech to induce a thought that the words of some admirable people often influence others and sometimes can even be heard from them. Through the mentoring of Rochester and St. John does the reader see two different men, both in some way bringing them closer to Jane turning her into what they have both become. â€Å"Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s authorial strategy is to balance one kind of temptation with its obverse: if Rochester is all romantic passion, urging her to succumb to emotional excess, St. John Rivers is all Christian ambition, urging her to attempt a spiritual asceticism of which she knows herself incapable.† (Joyce Carol Oates) Oates relates these men to their backgrounds and how they both tempt Jane with their own strategies of moral tactics. Because Jane was raised in a strict boarding school it becomes apparent why she can be attracted to St. John and his Christian-like ways, but her inexperience with love due to Lowood al ways causes her to be attracted to Rochester. Rochester ask Jane, â€Å"am I cruel in my love† (p.365) This question provokes Jane to decide whether she truly knows love or not. A young woman from a boarding school having to resolve her love for this man causes a type of confusion in Jane and she is left with the mere thought that she must love this man. Rochester furthermore entangles Jane when he tells her, â€Å"Be not far from me, for trouble is near: there is none to help.†(p.377) Rochester gives her assurance that he is her protection and that she has somewhere to go when trouble rises. This is better for Rochester because he knows that this is the first and only secure place that she has known of and if trouble arises she will come to him for help as her guide and mentor. Men realize that they can input their vibes into young woman and often do this in order to either please their own lustful wants or fulfill their needs. Brontà « uses the plot element of general events to show that as corrupters advance with those easily manipulated they change, not only themselves, but also those they try to manipulate. Jane initially meets Mr. Rochester as a governess to Ad?le, but their conversations lead to mysterious times of revealing each others past so Rochester decided to dress as a fortune-teller. Fortune-tellers are seen as mysterious and able to unlock truths, which apparently Rochester attempts to do; find the truths about Jane’s emotions, especially anything about him. When Rochester reveals his identity Jane realizes the traps she’s fallen in and the entrapment that Rochester causes for his own wants to know about Jane. As Rochester remain handicapped before their marriage he ask Jane if she would marry a, â€Å"crippled man, twenty years older than [her], whom [she] will have to wait on.† (p.570) This particular event is Jane’s deciding moment where she picks to stay with the man that she supposedly loves or to go out and adventure like the one she somewhat had love for in St. John. Jane chooses to stay with Rochester and start a beautiful life together as she had always planned to do. As she is married to Rochester Jane sends Ad?le off to school in order to get rid of her French heritage. This is exactly what Jane didn’t want to happen when Blanche Ingram was supposedly going to marry Rochester. The reader can find this her ultimate change from an innocent woman to the one manipulating others in place of her crippled husband. When Jane finally ends as a manipulator the reader sees that corruption can be passed and characters undergo changes due the actions of those around them. Brontà « uses the plot element of a specific event to reveal that some people have dark past which cause them to seem mysterious and sometimes very intriguing, this is seen in the discussion between Jane and Rochester for the fir time in the house. Rochester begins his insightful conversation by telling Mrs. Fairfax that Jane is the reason for his sprained ankle. The reader immediately catches this as distaste for Jane and sees Rochester as a resentful man full of hatred. The men Jane had known in her life were all full of hate; from little John Reed to the schoolmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst. Rochester then brought up her former schoolmaster, asking about conditions at Lowood and what all she had the privilege to learn while attending. Rochester becomes more involved asking these type questions and allows Jane to find her security in him for he is her employer and must know her background if she wishes to teach his Ad?le. The thought of Lowood has significance because of the low, which symbolizes her lowest point of existence and if she is able to just talk about it he will know where it is that haunts her most. They end with comments on Jane’s artwork and how imaginative it is. This partially is due to her over-imaginative youth with books and troubling family. Rochester hit every point of the childhood Jane wanted to forget so that he would know a little about the new lady sleeping in his home. In order for someone to come accustomed to their surroundings they must make peace with their past; Rochester guides Jane into accepting her past. Brontà « uses the plot element of digression to express that individual questioning and talking between two people can provoke one, such as Jane when she gets her fortune told, to express all their feelings and find themselves in the process. Rochester, imposing as a gypsy, begins by asking Jane about now she is feeling and why she’s not nervous. This type of introduction gives Jane a sense of self-determination knowing that she feels fine and controls her own destiny no matter what the fortune-teller may say. This type of confidence is found through self-examination and allows its seekers the will to continue no matter what the outcome may be. Though Jane replied to the fortune-teller as being fine the fortune-teller told her â€Å"You are cold, because you are alone; no contact strikes the fire from you that is in you. You are sick, because the best of feelings, the highest and the sweetest given to man, keeps far away from you. You are silly, because, suffer as you may, y ou will not beckon it to approach, nor will you stir one step to meet it where it waits for you.† (p.248) Rochester notices her fault and clearly points them out to her. Allowing a person to hear their own faults causes them to examine whether or not these accusations are true or not. In Jane’s case Rochester pinned out Jane’s faults and he’s doing his part to help her become more like him instead of being a shy, little, shrewd Quaker. The fortune-teller finally mentions Jane’s love for Rochester, but unknown to Jane the fortune-teller is Edward Fairfax Rochester. Jane hints toward this love but has clearly been manipulated by Rochester into his entanglement of love, which Blanche was thought to be in the center of. The main point of Rochester’s deception is to encourage Jane to except her love and express is to someone other than Rochester and to feel love for the first time if at all possible. As Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s novel is read over through the generations, the theme that a person can be manipulated into love and often times has to find her own integrity is passed on. By using many different elements of plot and characters she creates a novel forever found to be part of American Literature and English History. Research Papers on Jane Eyre by Charlotte BronteHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Fifth HorsemanThe Spring and AutumnThe Hockey Game

Teenage Drinking and Driving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teenage Drinking and Driving - Research Paper Example A research conducted by CDC in 2008 revealed that, almost 3,500 teenagers who were between the age bracket of 15 and 19 died because of car crashes. Furthermore, 25% of the deceased teens involved in those accidents tested positive to high levels of alcohol count in the blood system (CDC ). Drinking among teenagers is due of immense peer pressure among the concerned age group. Most of the programs aired in the media tend to lure teenagers into drinking since they fail to highlight on the multiple catastrophes of alcohol. It is therefore evident that drunk driving kills’ people, people become used to drunk driving and people often lose control while driving. One of the causes of teen drinking in USA is the individual’s urge to be rebellious. Most of the accidents correlated to drunk driving are because of teenagers’ rebellion. Some other acts of rebellion manifest through teens staying out past curfew or ditching classes. Universally all teens are famous on their rebellious acts of defying authority (Thompson 16). There have been several engagements targeted at advising youths against alcoholism, but the rebellious nature f the youths have overridden the efforts. Teens have a tendency of swanking of how they manage to drink and drive as long as there are no negative consequences suffered. Although society views drunk driving as a serious social epidemic, teenagers view it as a comfortable way of massaging one’s ego thus molding and directing them to the path of defiance. When in adolescence stage, teenagers undergo a period when a chemical substance in the known as dopamine is in its highest activity. Dopamine is responsible for most of the youth desired experiences like pleasure and feel of reward (Sifferlin). Coupled with poor ability to respond to impulse, teenagers end up indulging in undesired behaviors such as driving while drunk, which they view as pleasure. The second cause for the unnecessary phenomenon of drunk driving among teenagers is their reluctance to stop this epidemic. As teenagers, they themselves play a part in the dominance of this social hardship. Teenagers let it happen; they let the river take its cause. Presently, teenagers have a problem of failing to speak out against drunk driving among teenagers. As compared to the previous generations, teenagers of this era tend to maintain silence even when driven by drunk drivers. A further research conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in 2007 alone, almost three out of ten teenagers within the US reported cases of being passengers driven by drunk drivers. Teenagers are exposed to lengthy risks since they are afraid to speak out against drunk driving thus endangering their own lives and the lives of other passengers. Through the actions of teenagers failing to speak up and say NO against teen drunk driving; they are obliquely and inadvertently accommodating the actions committed by the drunk drivers. By acceptin g such social affliction, the teenagers create a dangerous cycle whose epitome is drunk driving among teenagers (Kelli and Traci). Since their peers fail to mention negative remarks against drunk driving, other teenagers tend to assume that driving under the influence of alcohol complies with the social norms set by the society in general. The act of failing to speak against the social affliction is in itself a representation of

Strategy Management in the course Purchasing and Logistics Essay

Strategy Management in the course Purchasing and Logistics - Essay Example Another strategy for them to adopt is marketing strategy which is a very powerful measure to give them an added competitive advantage in the business arena. Consequently it will allow the organization to focus on concentrating its resources on the greatest opportunities so as to boost sales and attain a sustainable competitive advantage.1 Marketing strategy can be termed as a high-level formula involving the "generals" of the organization in determining how to bank and upgrade the firms strengths while taking advantage of its opponents/ competitors weaknesses. Barclaycard should therefore consider making e marketing strategy a major component of their various strategies. This is because the strategy will define how Barclaycard will engage its clients, predictions and the overall competition in the marketing field for assured success. A marketing strategy will serve as the base of a marketing plan. The plan contains a set of specific actions necessary to successfully implement a specific marketing strategy. For example: attaching low price tags to their products so as to attract more customers. Once the organization establishes a relationship with consumers, it will sell additional, higher-margin services which will enhance the consumers interaction with the low-cost service. The marketing strategy will adequately integrate Barclaycard’s marketing goals, its policies, and sequences of action into a solid whole. The strategy’s objective will be that of providing a foundation for the development of a tactical plan, thereby allowing the e organization to effectively and efficiently carry out its mission. The strategy should flow from the organizations mission statement since the strategy is derived from much broader corporate strategy, missions and goals With every marketing strategy being unique, both generic and specific strategies can be categorised in a number of ways. Michael Porter categorized the strategy on the dimensions of strategic strength and