The Case for Christ

BOOK SUMMARY The Case for Christ Lee Strobel. Pub. Zondervan Publishing House About the Author Lee Strobel, Master of Studies in Law from Yale Law School. Award-winning journalist & investigative reporter for 13 yrs. at the Chicago Tribune. Pg. 303. His life changes when his wife becomes a Christian. He fears he will lose the fun-loving companion and friend he has known for years, but instead he is surprised by subtle changes in her character. This not only intrigues him but prompts him to learn more about Jesus by using the same logical and factual approach he follows while working as an investigative crime reporter. He starts his learning quest as an unconvinced skeptic. His underlying question is, â€Å"Can a case for Christ be made beyond a reasonable doubt†? To answer this, he sets out on a fact-finding mission. For nearly two years, he interviews numerous subject matter experts and biblical scholars to answer his questions with facts and evidence. His skills in investigative reporting help uncover the truth regarding the reliability of the gospels. Introduction: Who is Jesus? This comes down to two answers: This man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. Part 1: Examining the Record Timeframe Skeptics: â€Å"Some scholars say the gospels were written so far after the events that legend developed and distorted what was finally written down, turning Jesus from merely a wise teacher into the mythological Son of God. † Pg. 32 Answers: â€Å"The standard scholarly dating is that Acts was written by Luke in A. D. 61-63, because Paul was still living and under house arrest in Rome. Since Acts is the 2nd of a two-part work, we know the 1st part – the gospel of Luke – must have been written earlier than that. And since Luke incorporates parts of the gospel of Mark, that means Mark is even earlier. So if you allow one year for each writing, you end up with Mark written no later than about A. D. 60, a maximum gap of 30 yrs. after Jesus’ death. Pg. 34 That’s still within the lifetimes of various eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus, including hostile eyewitnesses who would have served as a corrective if false teachings about Jesus were going around. † Pg. 33. Eyewitness testimony is the key here. The two earliest biographies of Alexander the Great were written by Arrian and Plutarch more than 400 years after Alexander’s death in 323 B. C. , yet historians consider them to be trustworthy. So whether the gospels were written 60 yrs. or 30 yrs. after the life of Jesus, the mount of time is negligible by comparison. Pg. 33. Character Test â€Å"The gospel writers had nothing to gain except criticism, ostracism, and martyrdom. The certainly had nothing to win financially. If anything this would have provided pressure to keep quiet, to deny Jesus, to downplay him, even to forget they ever met him—yet, because of their integrity, they proclaimed what they saw. Pg. 48. Eleven apostles were put to grisly deaths, which show deep conviction for what they believed and were preaching regarding Jesus. Pg. 45 Consistency â€Å"The gospels are extremely consistent with each other by ancient standards, which are the only standards by which it’s fair to judge them†. Pg. 45 â€Å"If the gospels were identical or too consistent, this would have raised awareness that the authors had conspired among themselves to coordinate their stories in advance, and that would h ave cast doubt on them†. Pg. 45 The Adverse Witness Test â€Å"Many people had reasons for wanting to discredit this movement and would have done so if they could have simply told history better. Pg. 51. Yet, look what his opponents did say. In later Jewish writings Jesus is called a sorcerer who led Israel astray—which acknowledges that he really did work marvelous wonders, although the writers dispute the source of his power. They never say he did not work the written miracles. If critics could have attacked the movement on the basis that it was full of falsehoods or distortions, they would have. But, that’s exactly what we don’t see†. Pg. 51 Corroborating evidence outside the Bible Josephus, Jewish historian, A. D. 37-100 †¢ Wrote about Jewish wars that have corroborated by other historians and archaeological excavations. Pg. 81 †¢ Writes about James, brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ. Stoned to death in A. D. 62. Pg. 78 †¢ Wrote about Jesus the tribe of his Christian followers that had still to this day not disappeared. Pg. 79 Tacitus, a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire, A. D. 56 –117 †¢ Writes about Christ suffering extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of Pontius Pilatus. Refers to an immense multitude of Christ followers willing to die for their beliefs. Pg. 82 Pliny the Younger, Roman citizen, and provincial governor, A. D. 23-79 †¢ Refers to rapid spread of Christianity among all classes of people, as well as Roman citizens that are sent to Rome for trial. â€Å"They have high ethical standards and if they repeatedly admit they honor Christ as God they are executed†. Thallus, a Greek historian, wrote in A. D. 52 a history of the Mediterranean world since the Trojan War. †¢ Referenced the total darkness at the time of the crucifixion. Pg. 84 Phlegon, a Greek author in A. D. 137 †¢ Reported about the greatest eclipse of the sun when it became night at noon in A. D. 33. Pg. 85 The Mishnah, the 1st part of the Talmud, an important Jewish work compiled in A. D. 200 regarding Judaism's Oral Law †¢ Refers to Jesus as a false messiah who practiced magic and was justly condemned to death. Pg. 86 Key Findings So if we didn’t have any New Testament or other Christian writings, we could conclude from non-Christian historical writings that: 1. Jesus was a Jewish teacher 2. Many believed he performed healings and exorcisms 3. Some believed he was the Messiah 4. He was rejected by Jewish leaders 5. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius 6. His followers spread beyond Palestine to there were multitudes of them in Rome by A. D. 64 7. All types of people worshiped him as God. Pg. 87. The Scientific Evidence Archaeology found an inscription from the time of Tiberius, from A. D. 14-37 which names Lysanias as tetrarch in Abila near Damascus—just as Luke had written. Pg. 97 John mentions the Pool of Bethesda and details the pool had five porticoes. When archaeologists excavated in this location 40 feet below the ground, they found the pool site and 5 porticoes (walk ways) exactly as John had described. A fragment copy of John 18 was found in Egypt that papyrologists have dated to about A. D. 125. Pg. 99 Part 2: Analyzing Jesus The Identity Evidence of Gospel Writings The cross: Pontius Pilate inscribed INRI, an acronym for â€Å"Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews. Pg. 135 The Psychological Evidence Gary Collins, Dr. in clinical psychology. â€Å"People suffering form psychosis display inappropriate emotions such as anxiety, depression or even anger. Jesus did not display any such emotions nor did he exhibit the misperceptions that plague people suffering from psychosis. Jesus did not show any symptoms of mental illness. Jesus supported what he said by his actions—healing, raising people from the dead and the casting out of demons. Pg. 153 Prophesy Fulfillment Louis Lapides, Jewish convert to Christianity. Grew up thinking Jesus was more derogatory than anything else. After returning from Vietnam War, he experimented with various religions and drugs. Was challenged about his disbelief in Jesus which led him to read the Old Testament prophesies. Was amazed of all the prophesies that Jesus fulfilled: â€Å"Isaiah revealed the manner of the Messiah's birth (of a virgin); Micah pinpointed the place of his birth (Bethlehem); Genesis and Jeremiah specified his ancestry (a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from the tribe of Judah, the house of David); The Psalms foretold his betrayal, his accusation by false witnesses, his manner of death (pierced in the hands and feet, although crucifixion hadn't been invented yet), and his resurrection (he would not decay but would ascent on high); and on and on† (p. 179). Lapides goes on to earn a bachelor's degree in theology and a master of divinity of theology. Pg. 173 Part 3: Researching the Resurrection To establish that Jesus rose from the dead, one must first establish that he died on the cross. The Medical Evidence The gospels tell us that Jesus sweat blood. â€Å"And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. † Luke 22:44 Dr. Metherell, M. D. & PH. D. in Engineering. Pg. 193 â€Å"In severe cases of anxiety, the body releases chemicals that break down the capillaries in the sweat glands. As a result, there’s a small amount of bleeding into these glands, and the sweat comes out tinged with a very small amount of blood†. Pg. 195 According to the Dr. , when Jesus was nailed to the cross, his arms would have immediately been stretched about 6 inches in length, and both shoulders would have become dislocated. This fulfilled the Old Testament prophesy in Psalm 22, which foretold the Crucifixion hundreds of years before it took place and says, â€Å"My bones are out of joint. † When Jesus suffocated on the cross, a Roman soldier confirmed it by thrusting a spear into his side, which likely went through his lung and into the heart. When the spear was pulled out, clear fluid and a large volume of blood would have come out. Clear fluid from the lung and large amounts of blood from the heart. This was confirmed in John 19:34 when John reported he saw blood and water come out Jesus’ side when the spear was removed. Pg. 199. The Dr. testified there would be no question that Jesus was dead at this point. Pg. 200. To speed up death, Romans would use a steel shaft to shatter the victim’s lower leg bones. This would prevent the victim from pushing up with his legs to breathe. Jesus’ legs were not broken, because the soldiers already determined that he was dead, and they just used the spear to confirm it. John 19:32-36 This fulfilled another Old Testament prophesy about the Messiah, which is that his bones would remain unbroken. Ps 34:20. Pg. 200 Roman soldiers had every incentive to ensure crucified prisoners were dead when removed from the cross, because they would be put to death if a prisoner escaped. Pg. 201. â€Å"Last of all, if Jesus did not die, and he somehow walked away from the tomb, he would have been in such poor condition and looked so pitiful that his followers would have felt sorry for him and try to nurse him back to health. They would never have been prompted to start a worldwide movement based on the hope that someday they too would have a resurrected body like his†. Pg. 202 The Evidence of the Missing Body Joseph of Arimathea takes to body of Jesus, puts it in a tomb, the tomb is visited by a small group of women followers of Jesus early on the Sunday morning following his crucifixion, and they find that the tomb is empty. They see a vision of angels saying that â€Å"Jesus has risen† (p. 215). Recorded in Acts 13:29-31 and prophesied in Ps. 16:10. Pg. 219. In the earliest Jewish writings, there was nobody claiming the tomb still contained Jesus’ body. The question always was, â€Å"What happened to the body? † The Jews proposed the guards of the tomb fell asleep, while the Christians proclaimed the guards were paid off to keep quiet. Pg. 221 â€Å"The site of Jesus’ tomb was known to Christian and Jew alike. If it were not empty, it would have been impossible for a movement founded on belief in the Resurrection to have come into existence in the same city where this man had been publicly executed and buried†. Pg. 20. The Evidence of Appearances Paul 5 B. C. – 67 A. D. †¢ Wrote in both 1 Cor. 9:1 and in1 Cor. 15:8 where he personally encountered the resurrected Christ. Pg. 228. †¢ Persecuted Christians until his conversion sometime in A. D. 33. †¢ Refers to the fact that Jesus was a descendant of David, that he was the Messiah, that he was betrayed, that he was tried, crucified for our s ins, and buried, and that he rose again on the third day and was seen by many people—including James, the brother of Jesus who hadn’t believed in him prior to his crucifixion. Pg. 8 †¢ â€Å"1 Corinthians 15:8 is part of an early church creed. In this portion of Scripture, the post-resurrection Jesus is said to have appeared to Peter, the twelve, plus more than five hundred people some of whom were still alive at the writing of this epistle†. †¢ People reading this at the time could still check with eye witnesses and question them if they wanted to confirm what it said†. Pg. 229. †¢ â€Å"This creed can be traced back to about A. D. 32 to 38 which means it lends it credence as primitive, unembellished testimony about Jesus appearing to skeptics like Paul and James† Pg. 30. Then they go on to cover the numerous sightings by other eye-witnesses mentioned in the gospels and the book of Acts†. Pg. 234. Were the appearances hallucina tions? Dr. Gary Habermas, PH. D. , considered expert on the resurrection. He refutes the theory that the appearances were hallucinations because a hallucination is an individual experience that happens to one person at a time. Pg. 238 The Circumstantial Evidence J. P. Moreland, PH. D. Professor and author. â€Å"When Jesus was crucified, his followers were discouraged and depressed. They no longer had confidence that Jesus had been sent by God, because they believed anyone crucified was accursed by God. They also had been taught that God would not let his Messiah suffer death. So they dispersed. The Jesus movement was all but stopped in its tracks. † Pg. 246 â€Å"Then, after a short period of time, we see them abandoning their occupations, regathering, and committing themselves to spreading a very specific message—that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of God who died on a cross, returned to life, and was seen alive by them. Pg. 247 â€Å"And when you've got eleven credible people with no ulterior motives, with nothing to gain and a lot to lose, who all agree they observed something with their own eyes–now you've got some difficulty explaining that away† Pg. 247. The Conversion of Skeptics â€Å"The gospels tell us Jesus’ family, including James, was embarrassed by what he was claiming to be. † â€Å"Later the historian Jos ephus tells us that James was stoned to death because of his belief in his brother. Why did James’s life change? Paul tells us: the resurrected Jesus appeared to him. There’s no other explanation. † Pg. 248 Saul executed Christians when he had the chance. â€Å"Suddenly, he doesn’t just ease off Christians but joins their movement. He writes that he saw the risen Christ and heard Christ appoint him to be one of his followers. † Pg. 249 Revolutionizing Jewish Life for followers of Jesus Immediately after Jesus’ death, 10,000 Jews were willing to give up five key practices that had served them sociologically and theologically for many centuries: 1. Jewish people no longer offered sacrifices they had been doing since the time of Abraham and Moses 2. You don’t become an upcoming Jewish member simply by keeping Moses’ laws. 3. Worshipped on Sunday (when Jesus rose) instead of Saturday, a 1500 year tradition. 4. Began to worship Jesus as God (trinity) 5. The Messiah was someone who suffered and died for the sins of the world, whereas Jews had been trained to believe that the Messiah was going to be a political leader who would destroy the Roman armies. † Pg. 251 Conclusion: So let’s revisit the underlying question of this book, â€Å"Who is Jesus†? Lee Strobel concluded the evidence of history and his own experiences was too strong to ignore. He made a personal decision to receive Christ. Later, his five-year-old daughter went up to his wife and said, â€Å"Mommy, I want God to do for me what he’s done for Daddy. † This book has helped strengthen my faith in Christ, by highlighting many intriguing historical facts and evidence that corroborates what is written in the Old and New Testament concerning Jesus. I will end with the book’s last paragraph which cites a quote from C. S. Lewis, an atheist and skeptical Cambridge University professor who was eventually won over by evidence for Jesus. C. S. Lewis is most notably known for his best-selling book series The Chronicles of Narnia. â€Å"I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: â€Å"I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. † That is the one thing we must not say. A man ho was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic†¦or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patr onizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. Pg. 271.

Callaway Golf Company

Callaway Golf Company (CGC) Harvard Business School Case Study Ely Callaway had a vision, â€Å"If we make a truly more satisfying product for the average golfer, not the professionals, and make it pleasingly different from the competition, the company would be successful† (Lal & Prescott, 2011, p. 1). Key factors that led to Callaway’s success included his vision, his understanding of consumer behavior, his product variety, and his ability to build a premium brand. Furthermore, the company’s relationship with its retail partners, the company’s new product development, and the company’s marketing strategy were key contributors to Callaway Golf Company’s success between 1988 and 1997. Callaway understood the competitive nature of the game and the competitive nature of the consumers. Golfers were consumers driven by social factors such as reference groups. According to Kotler and Keller (2009), â€Å"Reference groups consist of all groups that have a direct (face-to-face) or indirect influence on a person’s attitude or behavior† (p. 8). Reference groups expose people to new behaviors and lifestyles, influence attitudes and self-concepts, and create pressures for conformity that affect product and brand choices. Because Callaway understood the behaviors of his target market, he was able to strategically introduce new products that offered more satisfaction than the former products. With product modification , managers try to stimulate sales by improving quality, features, and style (p. 185). Callaway understood each product’s life cycle and introduced new products every two years. He discovered that after two years, the sales and prices typically declined (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 4), causing him to continually make his own products obsolete. However, this business process solidified the consumer’s expectation that Callaway Golf Company would always deliver a high quality product, a value-delivery system successfully established by the company. The Callaway brand was strong, therefore, giving the company marketing advantages such as improved perceptions of product performance, greater loyalty, less vulnerability to competitive marketing actions and marketing crises, larger margins, greater trade cooperation and additional brand extensions (Kotler and Keller, 2009, p. 131). There was consistent brand reinforcement with every product as Callaway’s marketing methods always conveyed what the brand represented, what core benefits it supplied, and what needs it satisfied. Additionally, Callaway conveyed how the brand made superior products that were strong, favorable, and unique. Various consumer spending and golfing behaviors left Callaway no choice but to change his marketing strategies. Callaway realized they could not depend on their 1982 original marketing strategy. Callaway believed there was no brand loyalty when it came to golfers. The bottom line was that golfers tend to purchase golf clubs they think will improve their game and will often blame the golf equipment for their lack of skill (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 4). Callaway knew their products had to be unique. Callaway also knew as the popularity of the game increased, golf equipment had to also increase in purpose and design. In 1998, Callaway experienced a decline in profits. The company lost $27 million because sales dropped 17%. Consequently, Ely Callaway realized he would have to change the way his company had been doing business. He refocused Calloway Golf Company’s â€Å". . . retail channels, new-product development, and marketing strategies† (p. 1). One force that drove Callaway to continuously change his strategy was the life span of the golf equipment. Callaway was quick at determining whether a product was a money maker or not. He measured the profit growth of a product within the first two years the product was launched. If sales decreased within the first two years, the product design was redesigned and â€Å"improved. † This could possibly lead to excessive inventories of one product and shortage of another. Through evaluation and control methods, Callaway was able to make the best product marketing decisions for the bottom line. Annual plan controls helped determine if the new product results were being achieved. Profitability controls determined if the new product was making or losing money. Efficiency controls balanced the spending and marketing expenditures. Strategic controls confirmed whether the company was targeting the best opportunities with the retailers, media, and advertising (Kotler-Keller, 2009, p. 331-333). Richard Helmstetter, vice president and chief of new products, joined Callaway Hickory Stick, Inc. in 1986. He transformed CGC â€Å". . . from a niche producer to an innovation powerhouse. . . † (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 2). Helmstetter viewed research and development differently than others in the industry. He challenged the scientists, engineers, and golfers he had hired to answer questions like â€Å"Where does backspin come from? † and â€Å"Why does a shot on the club toe hook left instead of right? † (p. 2). Helmstetter was correct in believing that by answering these types of questions the company would create better clubs. New product innovations included the development of the S2H2 (short, straight, hollow, hosel) model which redistributed the weight of the hosel. This allowed the weight to be better utilized elsewhere in the club. Following the S2H2 model was the development of the Big Bertha. It was a club with a bigger club head. The larger head allowed for fewer mishit shots and a better drive. This allowed the average player to have a better experience when playing, which led to loyalty to Callaway, despite the cost. Callaway found it challenging being caught in the middle of a changing marketing communication environment. Callaway had to take a deep look at the company’s marketing communication mix and decide if it was still effective. The marketing communication mix includes: advertising, sales promotion, events and experiences, public relations and publicity, direct marketing, interactive marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, and personal selling (Kotler-Keller, 2009, pp. 275-276). Callaway Golf Company did very little advertising. Callaway felt that word of mouth was the best way to promote his clubs Word of mouth marketing was what golfers used excessively. Whether a golfer wanted the latest, greatest style of club or testified to the improvement of a stroke due to the club, word of mouth marketing was huge amongst golfers because of the amount of time golfers spent with each other during a round of golf. Callaway knew that most non-professional golfers played in foursomes and would give live demonstrations each time they played. Furthermore, he built a premium product and recruited professional golfers who were the leaders in the sport to promote his products. These endorsements validated the products quality and superior technology. The professional golfers â€Å"not under contractual obligations† used Callaway products because of the performance enhancement the clubs provided. Eli Callaway knew his company had enjoyed many years of positive growth and he knows that many more years of positive growth lay ahead. Additionally, he knew that he would always be faced with decisions concerning what products to develop, what accounts need to be closed, what retail relationships should be developed, and what marketing strategy should be employed. â€Å"When asked if CGC could stay ahead of the competition, he said, citing Newton’s first law of motion, ‘No problem. Bodies in motion tend to remain in motion. ’ He continued, ‘It’s a hell of a story, and it’s not over yet’† (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 14). References Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2009). Analyzing consumer markets: A framework for marketing management, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Lal, R. & Prescott, E. D. (2000). Calloway Golf Company. Pearson custom business resources. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Case Analysis of Callaway Golf Company, (2009, May 16,). Retrieved on April, 5, 2011 from http://www. docshare. com/†¦ /Case-analysis-of-Callaway-Golf-Company2

Innovative Approaches in Mandarin Language Essay

Innovative Approaches in Mandarin Language - Essay Example In oral examinations, teachers ask verbal questions to the students which they need to answer orally. Ellis-Christensen (n.d.) states, â€Å"The oral exam is a long held tradition in many schools and disciplines, which poses questions to students in spoken form†. The advantages of oral examinations for teachers include assessment of students’ level of confidence, quick assessment of students’ learning, and assessment of verbal communication skills.2.3 Task-Based ApproachTeachers can also use task-based approach (TBLT) as a creative way to teach Mandarin to students. In this approach, various tasks are given to the students in order to use the target language being taught to them. â€Å"Assessment and evaluation is not just based on accuracy and correctness of language forms† (Downing & Locke 2002). The assessment of students’ learning is based on the outcomes of those tasks that are given to students for the purpose of judgment. â€Å"TBLT starts f rom the notion that the learners learn by engaging in tasks† (Branden, Gorp & Verhelst 2007). This approach takes into account the requirement for an authentic communication. Based on the results of the outcomes, the teachers become able to analyze and improve their teaching approach if needed. Giving project assignments is another way to judge the language learning skills of students as students need to complete those projects in the new language. Teachers can give assignments to students that they need to solve without getting any sort of assistance from the teachers.

Progressive Reforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Progressive Reforms - Essay Example Some were simple superstitions, while others have resulted in more severe outcomes. Ancient medicine, for instance, was normally a mishmash of science, religion, and pagan. People suffering from the bubonic plague were instructed to atone or seek forgiveness for their transgressions (Christensen 2004). Apparently, this failed to get rid of the plague. Another case in point is the medieval doctors who assumed that majority of human maladies were the outcome of excessive volume of body fluid; hence, to ‘medicate’ the ill they practiced ‘venesection’, or the process of removing glut body fluid by extracting substantial amounts of blood from the body (Christensen 2004). But unfortunately, to no avail. In the contemporary period, these kinds of assumptions and beliefs continue to influence the field of medicine, especially, at this point, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has the instruments and legally sanctioned power to control the overall effect iveness and safety of drugs. The intricacies of reforming the drug approval procedure of the FDA are underlined by conflicts between private manufacturers of drugs and the FDA about the objectives and rationales that should dominate in carrying out the review procedure (Dohrman 2005).

The Holocaust through Speak You Also Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Holocaust through Speak You Also - Essay Example It is a startling tale of one boy's survival in Auschwitz, the most notorious death camp the Nazi's created. Steinberg shares his story in just such a way that you can truly feel his desperate need for survival. To choose a single book about the Holocaust, it needs to be a story that does not over-reach what the person will be capable of reading. Because the Holocaust was such a terrible human tragedy, it is of great importance that the book not try and share too much of what happened, but rather limits itself to the story of a few people, or only one. It must also, however, have a human note, one that allows the reader to connect with the main character. By connecting with someone who has been through such a tragedy, the reader will feel a greater desire to understand and be aware of the events that transpired, and not just let it go without trying to learn more, and share with other. In Speak You Also, we are allowed to travel with the author through his memories of what it was like to be a young boy trying to survive in a concentration camp. And not just any camp, Auschwitz, where some of the greatest atrocities ever committed against human beings happened. He tells his story with no whitewashing, allowing the reader to see the desperation in his actions, and his willingness to do anything, even hurt others to survive. By choosing a book that does not limit its... g an imperfect character makes the camp seem just that much more inhumane, because no matter how horrible a person, who deserves to be sent to a death camp, simply because they are the wrong religion Steinberg perfectly illustrates this need for remembering in his book, but he goes further than merely suggesting the Holocaust was horrible, he asks readers to look at why his being desperate to survive is sometimes seen as wrong. Known best for being "Henri," a young boy who worked beside the famous Primo Levi in the laboratory at Auschwitz, he admits he would have done anything to survive, including hurting others. It is a poignant moment when he realizes (both in the book and in life) that his lack of attachment to family and friends may have been what helped to keep him alive. Peter Steinberg could have easily created a book of hate. To lose everything, family, friends, and to almost lose life, is enough to bitter anyone. But he instead, encourages in his book forgiveness, and understanding. "I have no gift for hatred. I know what it's like to be hated I concluded that it would be profoundly degrading to play that same game and perpetuate the cycle" (174). Instead, of hate, he teaches remembrance, and respect for the lessons of diversity that the Holocaust taught. While this book is an excellent introduction to the Holocaust, it is not perfect. There are several detailed areas on which this book does not touch. One of the books greatest strengths, the lack of emotion and family connection, is also one of its greatest weaknesses. It is in the ghettos of Warsaw, and in the transportation and loss of family members that the depth of emotion and pain caused by the Holocaust and Adolf Hitler truly come to light. Because Steinberg did not have to see his family

Virtual life damage real life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtual life damage real life - Essay Example The article argues that a research carried out in 2008 in Americans stated that 28% of Americans confirmed that they were spending less time with their families. This statistics tripled the research carried in 2003 where statistic ranged at 11 percent. This shows that family bonding is diminishing by the day simply because of the advancement of technology (Turner 27). Television sets have cut the bond that the family would have chatting together in the living room (Sorensen 1). Fast foods and home delivery has diminished family meal times and children’s homework and plays have diverted to the internet. These aspects are greatly contributing to families living virtue lives instead of real life. To begin with, family bonding has become the thing of the past because most homes do not have time to share meals (Sorensen 1). Despite the fact that parents are busy, they have opted for the modern virtual ways of replacing their presence in homes through advanced technology. The fridge and the microwave have replaced the parents in the kitchen because they children can acquire stored food in then fridge and warm them in the microwaves. Online food orders have also replaced family meal times because the parents order food for their children over the phone or online which is delivered for the children to eat. All this aspects leads to children having enough privacy to explore other dangerous channels hence parental presence and love is necessary for family bonding. The cell phone and online chat is occupying many commitments that the parent would have had on knowing the children’s welfare due to the availability of cell phones (Sorensen 1). The parents use the cell phones to keep track of where the children are and how they are faring. This cell phone and internet chat replacement deprives the children the much-needed parental love, which leads children to finding replacements elsewhere (Livingstone & Bovill 4). Children are currently living in families wher e they do not find anybody at home to relate to when they are not in school. The idea of such absentee parents is that they will check on their children’s welfare by chatting through the internet or by communicating through the phone (Turner 360). The parents need to understand that spending quality time with them impacts more than modern technologies could offer. Due to lack of family bonding, the children or one of the spouses opts for the internet as the only available alternative. The internet has becomes people favorite because it offers virtue live that people prefer against real life (Voogt & Gerald 357). The isolated individuals and children bond with others by chatting online, which in turn occupies their time, and keep busy. These individuals tend to sink in the virtuous world of the web because it is simpler compared to the real world. This is so because, children pretend to be adults, and adults pretend to be children. More so, women pretend to be men and vice-ver sa, and people give false information about their background, religion and accomplishments. These virtues aspects are the opposite of real life where people meet and socialize physically. The fantasies of the virtuous world lead people to live a fantasy life (Turner 30). Cheating cases have been reported where both men and women are the victims.

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Part I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Part I - Essay Example Most critical customer demands that current operators assume are cost efficiency, quality picture, long battery life and durability of the gadgets. It is in this line that Samsung Corporation introduces a new smartphone into the market to address the divergent needs of both local and international markets. Samsung Galaxy s6 is stylish, customer friendly, energy efficient and easy to operate cell phone. Although the market is flooded, most products lack precision evidenced by this product. This provides Samsung with an incredible prospect for market growth. Several of Samsung developed merchandise attract immense admiration worldwide. In this regard, Galaxy s6 will register a fast, momentous market infiltration through a firm business model. In addition, company’s diverse and strong management team, strategic and long-range planning approach shall efficiently help to execute this exciting opportunity (Mohr, Sengupta & Slater, 2010). Other notable strategies that shall improve the cell phones success encompass strong bond with customers and elaborate market research. By the close of the year, Samsung will also have achieved mergers and established strong relationships with different cell phone competitors like Apple and HTC. Samsung phones meet specific market demands. Thus, Samsung Galaxy s6 retail will be a success. The marketing stratagems of Samsung is foundational to its business realization. The marketing strategy of Samsung Galaxy shall be customized fit under the banner of One Samsung (Mohr & Slater 2010). Once Samsung generates innovative electronic appliances and equipment. The strategy encompasses conducting a market analysis to establish the high-tech needs of the customers. Then addressing the needs through effective telecommunication gadgets like the product in line (Samsung Galaxy s6) that is comparatively affordable in the market with sophisticated technological involvement. To have an advanced competitive lead, the

Mainstream Conceptions of Gender and Development Term Paper

Mainstream Conceptions of Gender and Development - Term Paper Example However, this is not the case as gender approaches and issues cover both men and women and the relationships between men and women. The emergence of gender and developed has taken shape over the past decades and it has evolved from issues of women to encompass both gender. To understand better the conception and development of gender and development, it is important to trace the history of gender and the emergence of gender and development as a concept. This paper critically examines the mainstream conceptions of gender and development by exploring the evolution of gender and development from feminist development approaches and the integration frameworks that led to its uptake. Conceptions of Gender and Development The emergence and conception of gender and development is pegged on the issue of gender and the relationships between men and women. Gender can be viewed on two aspects, namely, the social construction perspective and the relationship between sexes. As a socially construct ed aspect, gender refers to the social design of a biological sex that is determined and influenced by the tasks, functions and roles that are attributed to women and men in society (Council of Europe, 2004). Gender also refers the social construction of the relationship between the sexes and it often revolves around unequal power relationship where male dominate while female act in subordination. Gender therefore refers to the range of socially constructed roles of males and females and the relationships between them. According to UNESCO, gender refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women that are created in our families, societies, and cultures and it entails the expectations held on characteristics, aptitudes and likely behaviours of femininity and masculinity (Jimenez & World Bank, 2007). Due to prior pre-defined gender roles, men and women usually undertake various productive and reproductive roles in development. Gender and development evolved as a sequence of we stern feminism theories and ideologies. Indeed, the history of gender and development issues requires thorough and comprehensive understanding of development and feminists theoretical frameworks and concepts. The evolution of gender and development can be attributed to the intensified global awareness of women and gender issues. During the pre-war days, women and gender issues were marginalized from development issues and processes. This period was characterized by a development phase where women were conspicuously absent and invisible and their experiences were ignored. However, there were little progress that was made in relation to the recognition and acknowledgement of experiences of prominent women in the society. This phase recognized the experience and contribution of prominent and unusual women but their activities were judged majorly from male perspectives (Parpart & Barriteau, 2000). The phase was also dominated by the societal emphasis on the differences between sexes and there roles in the roles. During the pre-world war period, development approaches and initiatives ignored women. The post world war period re-oriented the world perspective on gender issues as it gave rise to feminist approaches that underscored the experiences of women in the society. The initial feminist approach to gender aspect were women centered as they often neglected

Fiat 500 Diesel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fiat 500 Diesel - Essay Example According to their press release 2010, the car is special and has been designed using blue-sky technology added on to its features as illustrated in the Table1.In this model, consumers derive performance, status and approval due to its stylish trend, special features in the interior design, spacious boot at the rear which can accommodate bulky loads and a new sophisticated engine that is powerful and can race more kilometers without a stop-over. The car is small, economical in fuel consumption which implies that it is cost saving which places the consumer at a better purchasing power. It is also fun to drive, the car having being made mainly for youth city dwellers that are affluent and who need better fashionable designs. The product has a wide variety of attributes, like for instance, new midnight indigo blue colour; a set of aggressive 16 inch alloys wheels; imitation air intake integrated into the rear hatch opposite one of the most famous logos of Italian fashion; the yellow bra ke clippers for the 1.4 liter version making 100 HP and quite a few satin chrome painted features, including the moldings which evoke the atmosphere of diesel fashion world. The new special model offers a wide variety of additional products, mainly consumers, known as Fiat 500 Accessories that consists of graphics and badges for consumers to choose from. They include a wide variety of badges that are offered in affordable prices, a psychological make-up that could show that this class of consumers is loyal to their country as well as to fiat products. It also offers mats and mudflaps for consumers to ensure the car remains clean, as it is driven by a higher richer city dwellers youth. It also accompanies multiple services amongst which include car care services, safety instructions and other merchandise services to satisfy the consumers. The New Fiat 500 by Diesel has a depth of product lines, currently featuring five models in European markets: punto Evo model, panda model, bravo m odel, Doblo model and Qubo model.2 The consumers are willing to willing to spend some time looking for the car due to its excellent features that has made it popular, environmentally- friendly and fuel- saving. Its power unit, the 0.9-litre Twin Air is a unique engine that has won international standards and is currently the engine of the year in the latest awards (The 2011 GreenFleet awards City car manufacturer of the year)3. 1.2. Current Pricing The current pricing strategy is competitive and affordable (ranging from ?11600 to ?15500). The consumers are willing to spend some time looking for the car due to its brilliant features highlighted above: environmentally- pleasant and fuel-saving. This is mainly attributable to its class of consumers, mainly the rich city dwellers youth who do not care much about price. The product is in a competitive market position as other car manufactures also exhibit high sophisticated technologies and produce at low costs. However, Fiat group, the car manufacture division has excellent models for the rich and higher social class who will not care much about the price due to their higher incomes and quest for recognition in society. The fiat 500 by Diesel model is a luxurious good, and as such, the rises in prices or even if prices are higher than the competitor’s, it does not reduce demand but instead it increases it as consumers care more about recognition and admiration than prices from their fellow low-class consumers who utilizes

Impact of wireless communication devices and systems nowadays Essay Example for Free

Impact of wireless communication devices and systems nowadays Essay ABSTRACT Nowadays, wireless communication devices and systems have a huge impact on everyone. This project describes the performance of the 433MHz RF module for WSN applications. The system is built wirelessly where it can transmit and receive signals from DHT11 which is a temperature sensor and humidity. This 433MHz RF module is used to transmit and receive data from Arduino Pro, which is connected directly to the RF module and sensor modules. It also allows data packets to be moved remotely. There are other transmissions such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth and others but the 433MHz RF module creates more flexibility in dealing with such problems. Therefore, the 433MHz RF module is selected to achieve the goal of the project as the RF module can handle the problem. Additionally, the transferred data will also be sent and received without any loss of data in the barrier or in a line of sight. These projects should examine the distance and performance of the 433MHz RF module. ABSTRAK Pada masa kini, peranti dan sistem komunikasi tanpa wayar mempunyai impak yang sangat besar kepada semua orang. Projek ini menerangkan tentang prestasi modul RF 433MHz untuk aplikasi WSN. Sistem ini dibina secara wayarles dimana ianya boleh menghantar dan menerima isyarat dari DHT11 yang merupakan sensor suhu dan kelembapan. Modul RF 433MHz ini digunakan untuk menghantar dan menerima data dari Arduino Pro, yang disambungkan secara langsung dengan peranti modul RF dan sensor. Ia juga membenarkan paket data yang diperlukan untuk dipindahkan dengan jarak jauh. terdapat jugak penghantaran lain seperti Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth dan lain-lain lagi tetapi modul 433MHz RF mencipta lebih banyak fleksibiliti dalam menangani masalah seperti ini. Oleh sebab itu, 433MHz RF modul dipilih untuk mencapai matlamat projek ini kerana modul RF dapat menangani masalah tersebut. Selain itu, data yang telah dipindahkan juga akan dihantar dan diterima tanpa ada sebarang kehilangan data di dalam halangan mahu pun garis penglihatan. Projek-projek ini perlu mengkaji mengenai jarak dan prestasi modul RF 433MHz. DEDICATION To my beloved parents, thank you for the support, encouragement, and understanding from both of you, Mukhtar Bin Baharom and Rahmah Binti Yunus. This work is dedicated to them. Acknowledgment Thanks to Allah S.W.T for his blessing and mercy for giving me the strength to complete my task that given in Final Year Project. However, it is impossible for me to complete this project without help and support from anybody. So, I would like to thank you for all of them. I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Mr. Mohd Khanapiah Bin Nor for guiding me to complete this project. He was giving me necessary information regarding the project and a lot of inspiring ideas. My appreciation also gives to my beloved parents, family members, and friends who have been behind me throughout this project for the encouragement and supported from them. I really appreciate all their help and support while I’m completing this project. Lastly, I would like to sincerely thank Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) for providing the facilities and equipment for me to complete my project. In the previous era, the technology application mostly using wire but now a wireless device has become commonplace. The wireless sensor network can be defined as an application that having no wires connection on that devices. In addition, to make the system easy to monitor from a distant location, the RF 433MHz module was used. So, this project gives the idea for studying details about the RF 433MHz module performance for WSN application. 1.1 Project Background Nowadays, using the wireless sensor network (WSN) technology to monitor the environment helps someone to solve the problems of deployment difficulty, high cost, and realized unmanned monitoring which is mostly used in a factory, buildings, laboratory, and house. This project is to study the range and performance of the RF 433MHz module for WSN application. RF 433MHz module is popularly used in the remote control system. This range also available to use in this area. There are two types of the RF module which is transmitter and receiver. From research, using RF 433MHz module, the data can get more accurately without any data losses with the range that given than compared to another transmission for the wireless sensor network. The range that can reach by this RF module is different between outside and inside area. For inside area, it can work for 50 meters through multiple walls with an antenna, while for the outside area, it will be able for hundreds of meters. Besides that, a microcontroller such as Arduino also used in this project. Arduino that available for this project is Arduino PRO which is it has 3.3V port that will be easier to connect directly to the types of RF 433MHz module that used in this project. This project also will be studied the analysis of the data transmission by giving a few of distance between the transmitter and receiver of the RF 433MHz modules when located in the obstacles or line of sight area. Then, the data that are received will be displayed on the computer whether there are data losses or not. The problem that becoming as issues right now is there is a lot of ways to send data but the problem is about the range, cost, and data losses. So, for this situation, study the performance of RF 433MHz can overcome the problem for the WSN application. The objectives of this project are to understand the range and performance of RF 433MHz module. Moreover, exploration about the transmitting and receiving the data by using the RF 433MHz module. The main work scope of this project is to make sure this project will achieve the objectives. The main focus of this project:- i. To study and understanding the range of RF 433MHz module. ii. To transfer data by using RF 433MHz module. 1.5 Methodology In this project, there is three part that needs to follow. For the first part, it will be focused on the conducting the literature review and do some research more detail about the RF 433MHz module. Meanwhile, for the second part, after the software development process, the hardware development process will take over and include the testing of the project. Last part, when the hardware and software complete their part, it will be followed by testing the performance and the operation of the project to make an analysis. The methodology is the explanation of the procedures or steps when doing this project. The simulation, analysis, and evaluation of the project. A literature review is an important step before proceeding to the project. Collecting all the required information about the 433MHz RF module from the books, journals, and website. The literature review also can provide a useful information to complete the project. The idea for this project comes from the problem faced when the data that have been transmitted becomes losses with the range that provided. In this chapter, it will be explained more details about the project and also the components that will be used in this project. The frequency of 433MHz that used in the wireless sensor network can test the sending and receive the data for this range without any data losses. 433MHz RF modules required the 17cm of the antenna to support the range to send the data. The range is one of the most important parameters of any wireless system which is it defined how the transmitter and receiver can be apart from each other to send the data. A range of the outside with few obstacles the data can go through hundreds of meters. While for the indoor, the data can go over 50 meters through multiple walls. The external antenna will be soldering to the â€Å"ANT† on the transmitter to get more range which is 17cm of the length of the antenna that was used. Regarding the several research that I have done from a few of journals that can relate to my project. Wireless sensor networks are currently widely used in several of monitoring and control applications. Guohua Yang and Kui Zhang (2015) have conducted a project regarding the 433MHz radio for long-range communication. They present about the connectivity, range of the communication and packet loss ratio that have been performed in the indoor and outdoor environment. The Maarten Weyn and Glenn Ergeerts (2013) conducted the survey of the DASH7 Alliance Protocol for wireless sensor network (WSN). In this research, it stated that 433MHz is an unlicensed band. They said that, due to the frequency, it has a better propagation characteristic opposed to the higher frequency. The wavelength at the center of frequency is 69.14cm which is the bandwidth for the frequency is 1.84MHz. This limits the data rate of the communication at this frequency 433MHz is an ideal for low power of low data rate communication. Budi Setiyono, Sumardi, and Rafdito Harisuryo (2015) have conducted a project on measurement system of temperature, humidity and air pressure over 433MHz radio frequency for an application on a quadrotor. They using the telemetry system which is the measurement process of data at a certain distance. Then, they stated that data will be processed or analyzed by the receiving station. They stated on their result which is for successful transmission, the amount of data that received will be same as the amount of data that have been sent. This project is to improve the data transmission with 433MHz RF modules either in obstacles or line of sight condition. The 433MHz RF modules are categorized as the lower cost, lower power consumption and the most important is when the longer the distance for data that transmit remains accurate when it received by the receiver. In theoretical, the success of data transmission is the amount of data received will be same as the data that have been sent. That means there are no data losses when the transmission occurred. Radio Frequency (RF) is a rate in the range of around at 3 kHz to 300GHz which is corresponding to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating current that can carry the radio signals. ITU bandstand for International Telecommunication Union that defined for the electromagnetic frequencies that used for radar and radio. The best set of terms for frequencies used in communication. While the very lowest bands have no radar applications. The table below shows the frequency range and ITU band. The Arduino Pro is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328. This microcontroller is an open-source hardware and software. The version that used in this project is 3.3V/8MHz. This version can be powered by a battery or external power supply. It has 14 digital inputs and output pins which is 6 of it can be used as PWM output, another 6 pins for the analog input, battery power jack, an ICSP header and reset button. Arduino Pro needs to connect with FTDI cable through six pins header to provide the USB power and have a communication with the board. Arduino Pro has the port for 3.3V that can supply the voltage for the transceiver. Each of the 14 digital pins on the Arduino Pro can be used as an input and output which is operated at 3.3V. Each of the pins can provide or receive a maximum of 40mA and has internal pull-up resistor (disconnect by default) of 20 until 50 kohm. The ATmega328 has 32KB and running 8MHz of the external resonator. It also has 2KB of SRAM and 1KB of EEPROM that can read and written with the EEPROM library. The operation of the Arduino microcontroller is based on the connection made on the pins. The application can be done by using the Arduino software where Arduino function can be edited according to the applications in this software. This software can work on by using the C or C++ language. The program that has been creating the need to upload to the microcontroller by using the USB cable. If there is an error detected on the program, it will be adjusted by editing to make a correction on the process and then the program needs to reload again. Other than that, there is another option which is using the reset button to delete all the previous program that have been upload before this to make it clear then built again. MHz RF Module version that has been used. It is because can operates in the unlicensed ISM (Industry Science and Medicine) radio band. It’s available for use in the inexpensive area for short-range wireless networks of sensors. This types can operate on the 433MHz frequency and can capable of transmitting at up to 100mW and up to 300kbps. When increasing the transmit power and reducing the data rate it can maximize the range of the 433MHz. DHT11 is a digital temperature and humidity sensor. Its suitable for my project that only needs to read the data about the temperature and humidity only. Micro-B is the smallest USB connector type. This type also used for the android as a cable for charging while USB port A is that can connect to PC or laptop. This USB cable needs to connect the RF transceiver module with the Arduino Pro at the transmitter and receiver. Using this board because the standard FTDI board cannot supply the enough current to run the RFM69 433MHz RF Modules. The difference between standard FTDI and Beefy 3 FTDI is the current that can provide which is standard FTDI provide 50mA while Beefy 3 FTDI provides up to 500mA. This chapter will be discussed the procedures and steps that used in this project. Each of the methods that were used to achieve this project will be stated and explain briefly. The purpose of the methodology is used to achieve the objective that has been stated. 3.1 Software Design In this part, the software design is part to do the programming by using the Arduino software. The flow of the data transmission starting from the reading of the temperature and humidity by using the DHT11 sensor. Then, the data will be processed by a microcontroller. It will be sent through the transmission of data by using the 433MHz RF transmitter module. When the power supply is turned on, the 433MHz RF receiver module and the microcontroller ready to accept the data that have been transmitted. After that, the data is sent by the Arduino microcontroller via a serial port to the computer for displaying the data. Based on Figure 1 and Figure 2 it showed the flow how it works. Hardware design consists of two parts which are from here it will be explained how the flow of the project will be complete. For the first part as shown in Figure 3.3 is the data obtain from the DHT11 sensor reading, then the data will be transmitted by the 433MHz RF transmitter modules. While for the second part as shown in Figure 3.4 is the data received via 433MHz RF receiver modules then sent by the Arduino PRO that connected to a computer for display. The generated data for this project should be the same with the theoretical results. Besides that, the results of this project will be compared with the theoretical results, the journals or book that have been found.

The Thomas Cook France Strategy On French Market Marketing Essay

The Thomas Cook France Strategy On French Market Marketing Essay In 2009, the international tourism industry generated more than 611 Billion Euros but it goes through a transformation cause to some externals factors. Firstly, the development of internet has particularly modified the context, permitting a disintermediation between the tours operators suppliers and the finals customers. On the other hand, Internet has also allowed the development of Pure players specialized in discount prices on the tourism industry. Because of this situation, the major tour operators groups and travel agents are developing new strategies. Their mains purposes are to satisfy the customers demand and to respond to the emergence of electronic markets system. Most of tours operators offer a wide range of holidays packages in a highly competitive market constantly in evolution. The Package Holidays (or all inclusive travels) is defined as a single package including at least travel and accommodation and sometimes other services. In France, its very popular because the customers like the value it provides, the security offered and the large choices of destination. Numerous group as TUI, Expedia, Go Travel, Club Medà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are present in the French market but Thomas Cook is a very good model in term of strategy, positioning and growth Indeed, with 3 million annual customers in 2009 and a market share of 13%, Thomas cook France is a second major tour operator in France offering a large range of tourism and services through all over the world for all the budgets. Thanks to the acquisition of Jets tours and results in net progression, the group is now able to develop a strategy based on the innovation and on it network growth. In 2012, Thomas Cook wants to reach 20% of market share on the tour operating market and is interesting to explore the strategic position of the groups to achieve its objectives. Throughout this report, we are going to analyze the macro-environment of the group thanks to the Pestle Analysis and the five forces framework, as well as it strategic capability in order to understand it strategic fit and direction with Environment. 2 Task A The Macro- Environment To maintain profitability, the tours operators have to analyze their business environment to achieve high sales volume and to reduce the costs of the packages by allowing to the customers a great valuable experience. Nowadays, tourism is a dynamic industry, really vital for the international economy. Nevertheless, this industry is very dependent of the macro-environment mutations. Indeed, some elements can influence the stability of the market as the geopolitics conflicts, effects of terrorism and environmental issues for example. All this can have impacts on the tours operators performance as well as in their strategic direction. Its necessary for the managers to use the Pestle Analysis for understanding their industry situation. Thanks to this useful tool the tours operators will be able to consider its external environment before to make wrong choices and to put in place their strategies. 2.1 PESTLE Analysis Figure 1 Pestel Factor on the tourism industry 2.1.1 Political The political influence is certain. Since the 11 September attacks the global political situation has changed. These facts have had bad impacts on the tourism industry and on its different actors (travel agent, airline companies and tour operators). The precautions related to security, the struggle against the terrorism and the management of the crisis became majors factors which resulted to modifications and reorganization in the touristic activities. The procedures to enter on the territories are harder, controls in the airports have been reinforced and all this affect tourist perceptions. Cause to the deficit public, the French government will establish in 2012 a new Taxation policy on the internet subscription (source le Figaro). This decision can impact the purchasing power of the French people and influence their holidays destinations. Nevertheless, some events promoted the activities touristic like the Schengen area expansion or the enlargement of the European Union (Cyprus in 2004 which is a great destination for the French people, Turkey in a near future). 2.1.2 Economic All stakeholders are strongly influenced by the economic situation. Tourism is one of the most resilient industries in the world. The international tourists arrivals are estimated to have declined worldwide by 4% in 2009 to 880 millions. In the same year, international tourism generated 611 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ billion in export earnings according to the world tourism organization. Cause to the global economic crisis and the problem of the H1N1 Flue, the short distance travel have been privileged face up to the purchasing power diminution. Indeed, in France, only 20% of the population traveled in a foreign country and 46% didnt go on holidays cause to the diminution of their budget. The decreasing of the Euro and the unemployment augmentation can represent also a threat for the French customers. Moreover, the pressure on the fuel prices by the speculation, the conflicts or by the OPEP countries can cause majors impacts in the Tour operators strategies because the oil prices is also an important factor in the package holidays industry. 2.1.3 Social Nowadays, we can see a rise in tourism by elderly and by the student. News customers expectations emerge and influence the tour operators offers. With the development of cheapest holidays (particularly in Mediterranean countries), the travel abroad became banal and now, lot of people are looking for a consumption more responsible. The attitudes concerning safety and environment play from now on an important role in the customers decisions Moreover, brand consciousness has a good impact on the people. 2.1.4 Technological With the internet development, lot of actors offer competitive price and also at the last minute. This entire permit for the customers to choose and to compare The impacts are considerable because the online reservation and sales permits to eliminate staff, intermediaries and in this way tour operators have to adopt their strategies in order to dont lose their customers. Nevertheless, Internet is also a low barrier for potential entrants. Internet has also permitted the emergence of platform like Trip Advisor. Just in few seconds the customers have the power to destroy the reputation of a company. 2.1.5 Environment The sustainable tourism represents a good opportunity in the Tourism industry. We can see consumption more responsible and the augmentation of ethical packages holidays. For example, KUONI group realized a partnership with some organizations or associations to promote tourism more responsible. However, Tourism can contribute to the degradation of the environment (CO2 emission cause to the aviation contribution, green house effects, pressure on the local resources and water for some countries). Natural disasters like the tsunami, Caribbean hurricane, Iceland disruptive volcano have major negatives effects. At long term, these events can cause many problems on destinations. 2.1.6 Legal In France, the employment law concerning the working time (35 hour per week, 5 weeks of holidays) has permitted to the French people to travel more but on shorts distances which favored the development of short stays(Marrakech, Romaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). 2.2 Porters 5 Forces 2.2.1 Threat of new entrants is low High barriers to entry due to a high concentration Global players and strategic alliances: Merger and acquisition reinforce the positioning of big groups and let little chance to new distributors (maybe niche marketà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). They propose competitive prices and lot of destinations thanks to economies of scales and integration strategies. Brand recognition: play an important role as barrier to new entrants. In the French market, more than 35% of market share is controlled by Thomas Cook and TUI. 2.2.2 Threat of substitutes is high Emergence of the information and communication technologies Internet product development  [1]  : Has permitted the online agency emergence which necessitate less investments so a repercussion on the final price The role of the tours operating is questioned. Now its possible to plan his trips without going through the traditional network. 2.2.3 The power of buyers High due to large choices of substitutes The buyer power is high: Easier access to substitutes / Customers can compare the offers and impose their conditions to have a better value for money Customer reactions: Have the possibility to give her opinion on the company performances and services after their trips = Necessity for the tours operators to managing the customer relation and to attract and keep it. 2.2.4 The power of suppliers High due to a disintermediation phenomenon E-Commerce development  [2]  : Suppliers (airline companies, hostelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) can sale directly to the final customer in order to absorb  [3]  the intermediarys margin Difficulties for companies having a low market share to have power on supplies 2.2.5 Competitive Rivalry- High due to pressure on the margins and differentiation opportunities The French market of tour operating is fragmented and enough saturated. High fixed cost largely favors the top leaders and permits to realize concentration and integration strategies in order to pressure on the margins The big group came from internet are stronger and reinforce their position with acquisition and merger to propose competitive prices However, there are still opportunities for companies because: Low differentiation between the tours operators: Excepted Club Med, Voyageurs du Monde or Marmara for example, the tours operators compete on a same segment(midrange and up market) without a really distinct identity Even if, Thomas Cook and TUI have an important financial capabilities, the financial performances of the sector are average 2.3 Critical success factor Now, we can identify the critical success factors to conclude the macro-environment analysis. This latter are important key points to consider in order gaining a competitive advantage: The price is highly important even for the up market segment because the tourism industry know a strong pressure on the margins Offer a service of quality to the customer in order to be differentiate of the competition and to attract and keep the customer Control the costs in order to be competitive on the market Consider the ICT (information and communications technologies) to extend the customer base and to face up at the evolution of the market Partnerships and network 2.4 Opportunities and Threats OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Sales augmentation thanks to internet Online Agencies growth and development Employment law favorable for travels Disintermediation between the tours operators suppliers and the finals customers Opportunities in niche and up market segment Air traffic controls cause to terrorism Ecotourism development Easier access to substitutes Brand consciousness Increase of the oil barrel price Customers are looking for a service personalized based on the quality Purchasing power diminution / Global recession Low differentiation between the tours operators Natural disasters, green house effects Table 1: Opportunities and Threats 3 Task B The external factors play a major role on the tourism industry and its actors. Now that the macro-environment analysis has been realized, the second parts will deal with the strategic capabilities of Thomas Cook France. 3.1 Thomas Cook France Since 2000 the group is present on the French market and possesses a valuable brand image thanks to its first distribution network in France (660 agencies), a strong brand portfolio (Jet Tours, Club Jumboà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and values which place customers at the center of its preoccupations. In this second part of the assignment, competitive advantage, resources and competencies will be analyze in order to understand how the group can surmount the threats and exploit the opportunities of the market. 3.2 Value Chain 3.2.1 Primary activities The main activities generating added values for Thomas Cook is firstly the supply of packages followed by the composition of the offer and its arrangements according to their customers and orientation. Then, come an important key concerning the service based on sales experience and the manner to advice. To conclude, the after sales service in order to insure the customer satisfaction and his fidelization. 3.2.2 Support Activities Support activities provide support and added value to the primary functions improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the latter. If tour operator want be competitive in the market, he has to acquire informatics systems and infrastructure. Moreover, as Thomas Cook is an intermediary between suppliers and the customer, the management of the human resources is highly important to insure a support in the primary activities. In this context, the network and partnerships are essentials in order to offer competitive touristic products and services and Thomas cook is well positioned on this point with more than 150 partnerships (Club Med, Traveltainmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) This value chain provides an overview of the functioning of a tour operator like Thomas Cook and will help the managers to understand which activities provide more value to be competitive. Infrastructure and informatics systems Human resources: formation, experience, destination Knowledge Development of partnerships and networks contacts SUPPLIES COMPOSITION OF THE PACKAGES HOLIDAYS MARKETING AND SALES SERVICE Figure 3 Thomas Cook France Value Chain 3.3 Resources and competences 3.3.1 Physical resources and capabilities Even if Thomas Cook is a service provider, the tangibles goods that it possesses take on a strategic importance. The most important factor for the group is the utilization of its most important physical resource: its 660 agencies on all the French territory. These agencies permit to develop a good quality in term of sales and advices but also permit to identify in live the demand evolution. Thomas Cook is the first tour operator which covers all the territory thanks to its distribution network. TUI Travel, the leader on the French market arrive in second position with almost 400 agencies. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..). The most important factor for tour operator capabilities is the utilization of the distribution framework. More than 60 % of the sales are carried out by the agencies network. Moreover, Thomas cook possess a quite sophisticated IT infrastructure thanks to its partnership with TravelTainment. Thanks to a performing tool concerning the online reservation, the group proposes a high technological solution and became the first group in France to put in place such a partnership. 3.3.2 Human Resources and competencies Thanks to 1700 employees at the attention of the customers, Thomas Cook France attach an importance to human resources management The human resources policy of the group, emphases training and adaptation of teams to increase the professionalization and promote an operational decentralization. All the employees are positively aware of all the destinations. Nevertheless, the low level of wage can be a threat for the group in term of competitiveness. Indeed, in 2010, 40% of the employees have participated at a strike to demand augmentation face to positive results. One indicator for the human resources competency of Thomas Cook can be the Chairman knowledge,  skills, experience  and  behavior  used to improve performance of the group. Since 2006, the chairman of Thomas Cook, Denis Wathier, expert in E-commerce fulfils totally the group expectations in accordance with the market opportunities and threats (E-commerce evolutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). He has refocused the strategy, developed the franchise network and internet sales and has permitted to recover profitability. He has a great valuable experience in tourism industry (see Table 3) and the frequency of chairman substitutions have been stop (source). Since 2006 THOMAS COOK CHAIRMAN 2004 2006 MAEVA Group strategy Director 2000 -2004 VOYAGES-SNCF.COM General Director 1996 -2000 PIERRE VACANCES TOURISME Marketing and Communication  Director 1995 -1996 CLUB MÉDITERRANÉE Marketing Director France   1990 -1995 UCPA Marketing and sales Manager Figure 4 Denis Waltier Experience, Thomas Cook France Chairman 3.4 Financial resources and competencies Since 2007, Thomas Cook have positive results (Table4) because in 2006 the net income was 6  300 000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬. Denis Waltier hopes for 2010 an operational profitability of 5 %. This profitability will be the result of a hard work concerning the staff control cost and package holidays costs. THOMAS COOK France 2008 2007 Evolution Net income 71  900 000 4.400.000 + 1534,09 % Gross operating profit -900.000 -1.700.000 + 47,06 % Table 2 Financial results Ratio THOMAS COOK France 2008 2007 Evolution Cash flow Staff costs 1.900.000 400  000 4.200.000 1.300.000 -54,76 % -69,23% Table 3 Financial Ratio Staff cost is a key performance in term of cost management. The difference is significant for 2007-2008. This entire permit to be more competitive on the market because there is a huge pressure on the margins. 3.5 Intangible resources and capabilities The intangible resource of Thomas Cook is its brand recognition and experience. The group has a huge brand image in France but also all around the world. In 2001, after only one year of experience in the French Market, Thomas Cook has had 31% of notoriety and overtook competitors based on the market since more than 10 years. In this segment, the group has a significant potential in term of competitive advantage. Moreover, the leadership position of Thomas Cook on the French market is explained by the values which animate its business: the quality of services and the customer satisfaction. 3.6 Overview about Threshold vs. Unique resources /Competencies RESOURCES COMPETENCIES Threshold competencies Financial Human Financial Human Physical Intangible Capabilities for competitive Advantage Intangible Physical Figure 4 Threshold vs. Unique Resources / Competencies The principal competitive advantage of Thomas Cook France is its reputation and brand name which are two elements which permit them to be the second leadership on the French market. With more than 150 partnerships, 4 billions of customers and a strong presence in the international market, the brand Thomas Cook has a good reputation and notoriety. 3.7. Evaluation of a sustainable competitive advantage The sustainable competitive advantage of Thomas Cook is its distribution network. With a multi-canal distribution strategy, the group is in advance on its competitors. Indeed, it has the best distribution capabilities in term of agencies and covers all the French territory. All this permit to gain market share and to have a great positioning in term of distribution. The group hopes to overtake TUI Travel in 2 years thanks to this advantage. 3.8 Summary of Strengths and weaknesses STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES Excelent brand image and notoriety Human resources: Decrease of the wages Competitive distribution network : 660 agencies High Chairman substitutions (4 in five years) Human competencies Financial resources: Negative gross operating profit Positioned on all the segments Low cost with Club Jumbo Mid-range with Up market with Jet Tours The group is late on the internet distribution network Intangible resources: Lack of identification on other Thomas Cook brands Strong partnership and relation with suppliers Net Income growth Table 4 Strengths and weaknesses 4. Task C 4.1 Strategic Direction Thomas Cook France follows a strategy based on its growth network and on innovation. The principal objective for Thomas Cook France is to control the costs in order to be competitive. Thomas Cook is conscious of the threats and opportunities on the market. Nowadays, the group wants to strengthen its positioning on the French market and developed new segments like its niche concept voyage trà ¨s privà ©e and Au coeur du monde. Thanks to the Ansoff matrix, we can analyse the strategic direction : Two main options Market penetration: Thomas cook has to gain market share if the group wants to achieve its objectives for 2012: 20% of market share in 2012. The group proposes competitive products and services. It has a strong power vis-à  -vis suppliers and thanks to its strong distribution network, he has in advance on these competitors. Now, the group has to increase their economies of scale It has to have a clear positioning on the market Horizontal integration: 4.2. Strategic Fit Opportunity /Threats SUITABLE Strategy  ? Comments Eco tourism product development X For the moment Thomas Cook doesnt take account of this opportunity in its strategy. It has strong partnership with non gouvernemental organizations like planà ¨te urgence but doesnt propose ethical packages holidays. Brand consciousness Æ’Â ¼ Thomas Cook France have a strong brand image and its communication strategy is based on its knowledge and experience Service personalized for the customers Æ’Â ¼ The customer is in the center of its preoccupations. Their only objective is to give at the customer an unforgettable experience. For example Thomas Cook France is the only company who propose an assistance in French in their village holidays Purchasing power diminution Æ’Â ¼ Thanks to its new low-cost product Le Club Jumbo, the group can face up to the global recession and propose substitution product and services to maintain their sales volume Internet development X The group is late on this segment. The sales represent only 11% of the sales. The Chairman has decided to invest in this network and wait for the next years Low differentiation between the tours operators X Even if the group is positioned on all the range, it has a lack of differentiation due to the numbers of its offers and its positioning strategy is not enough clear Online Agencies growth and development Æ’Â ¼ Appropriate strategy thanks to the development of an online platform Vacances trà ¨s privà ©es.com Green house effects/ Global Warming Æ’Â ¼ The sustainable development is a priority in the Thomas Cook strategy. Since 2007, the group put in place a strategy to reinforce their image : 1 package holiday bought = 1 tree planted in Indonesia Opportunities in niche market Æ’Â ¼ The group propose a new offer positioned on a niche segment: luxury package holidays at decreasing price scale Table 5 Strategic Fit of Thomas Cook Critical succes factors Match? Comments The price Æ’Â ¼ -Thomas Cook propose competitive prices thanks to its network and partnerships -Strong relations with the suppliers which permit economies of scale and to be competitive -Pricing policy Servive of quality Æ’Â ¼ Quality of the service is at the center of the preoccupations Before the travel: Assistance 24/24 and 7/7 by phone or internet During the travel : special assistance services After the travel: Customer satisfaction study Consider the ICT Æ’Â ¼ Partnerships Æ’Â ¼ 150 partnerships Control of the costs . Table 6 Thomas Cook France match with critical success factors References List Books Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington, 8th edition, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Text and cases, 2010 Gilian Dale, BTEC National, Travel and tourism, 2007 John Beech, Simon Chadwick, The business of tourism management, 2006 A.K Bahtia, The business of tourism: Concept and strategies, 2007 Viviane Tauran-Jamelin, Marketing du tourisme  : 1à ¨re et 2à ¨me annà ©e, 2002, France Internet Journal du net, 2006, Qui sont les championsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦du voyage  ? Available at: http://www.journaldunet.com/management/0608/0608149-match-tour-operateurs.shtml Tnooz, 2010, Build your own package holiday on Thomas cook and you actually go with Expedia Available at: http://www.tnooz.com/2010/01/08/news/build-your-own-package-holiday-on-thomas-cook-and-you-actually-go-with-expedia/ Journal du net, 2010, France : Le marchà © du tourisme en ligne Available at: http://www.journaldunet.com/cc/10_tourisme/tourisme_marche_fr.shtml Strategos, Pierre Amalou,2009, Denis Wathier, prà ©sident du directoire de Thomas Cook France Available at: http://www.strategos.fr/spip.php?page=article-numeroid_article=775 Synolia, 2010, THOMAS COOK VOYAGES DOPE SES PARTS DE MARCHÉ AVEC SUGARCRM Available at  : http://www.synolia.com/cas-clients-sugarcrm/thomas-cook-voyages-dope-ses-parts-de-marche-avec-sug-2.html BFM Radio, 2010, Interview de Denis Wathier : On ne peut pas se contenter de faire uniquement du voyage gà ©nà ©raliste Available at: http://www.radiobfm.com/edito/info/81395/denis-wathier-on-ne-peut-pas-se-contenter-de-faire-uniquement-du-voyage-generaliste/ Les Echos, 2009, La consolidation du secteur est en cours Available at: http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/service distribution/dossier/300377344-la-consolidation-du-secteur-est-en-cours.htm Daily Bourse.fr, 2008, AVEC JET TOURS, THOMAS COOK ATTEINT LA TAILLE CRITIQUE EN FRANCE (WATHIER) Available at: http://www.daily-bourse.fr/avec-jet-tours-thomas-cook-atteint-la-taille-criti-Feed-AFP080609113548.x4aesox2.php Daily Bourse.fr, 2008, THOMAS COOK FRANCE PASSE À LOFFENSIVE ET ÉTEND SON RÉSEAU DAGENCES Available at: http://www.daily-bourse.fr/thomas-cook-france-passe-a-l-offensive-et-etend-so-Feed-AFP070926111050.1ot6c8zf.php Corporama watching the business, 2010, Economie : Un partenariat de 3 ans pour Transavia et Thomas Cook Available at: http://www.franceactus.com Journal du net, 2008, Thomas Cook rachà ¨te Jet Tours au Club Med Available at  : http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/tourisme/actualite/thomas-cook-rachete-jet-tours-au-club-med.shtml Tourmag.com, 2006, Thomas Cook France de retour à   là ©quilibre Available at: http://www.tourmag.com/Thomas-Cook-France-de-retour-a-l-equilibre_a12080.html Wikionews, 2010, Thomas Cook ouvre 3 nouveaux Club Jumbo Available at: http://www.tourmagazine.fr/Thomas-Cook-ouvre-3-nouveaux-Clubs-Jumbo_a15707.html Rà ©seau de veille en tourisme, 2008, Regard sur les grands changements du  «tour-operating » mondial Available at: http://veilletourisme.ca/2008/03/10/regard-sur-les-grands-changements-du-tour-operating-mondial/ Là ©cho touristique.com, 2010, Thomas Cook France revendique 5 % de rentabilità © en 2009 Available at: http://www.lechotouristique.com/thomas-cook-france-revendique-5-de-rentabilite-en-2009,19959 Là ©cho touristique.com, 2010, Thomas Cook assure en cas de force majeure Available at: http://www.lechotouristique.com/thomas-cook-assure-en-cas-de-force-majeure,20842 Verif.com, 2008, Thomas Cook France, Financial infomations Available at: http://www.verif.com/bilans-gratuits/THOMAS-COOK-FRANCE-431994482/ Tourmag.com, 2009, Thomas Cook France: Denis Wathier succeed à   Olivier de Nicola, Restructuration de Thomas Cook France Available at: http://www.tourmag.com/Thomas-Cook-France-Denis-Wathier-succede-a-Olivier-de-Nicola_a19001.html Strategos, 2010, Denis Wathier, prà ©sident du Directoire Thomas Cook France Available at: http://www.strategos.fr/spip.php?page=article-numeroid_article=794 Sud Aà ©rien, 2004, Quand les  «Ã‚  low cost  Ã‚ » grignotent les marchà ©s du charter Available at: http://www.sud-aerien.org/Quand-les-low-cost-grignotent-les Stratà ©gies.fr, 2004, Adieu Havas voyages, bonjour Thomas Cook Available at: http://www.strategies.fr/actualites/marques/r28235W/adieu-havas-voyages-bonjour-thomas-cook.html Tour Hebdo, 2010, Thomas Cook champion de la rentabilità © du secteur en 2010 Available at: http://www.pros-du-tourisme.com/actualites/detail/30682/thomas-cook-champion-de-la-rentabilite-du-secteur-en-2010.html Strategos, 2010, Denis Wathier, Thomas Cook Available at: http://www.strategos.fr/spip.php?page=article-numeroid_article=660 World Tourism Organisation, 2010, Comitted to tourism, travel and millennium development goals Available at: http://www.unwto.org/index.php 2008, THOMAS COOK GROUP MAKES ACQUISITIONS IN FRANCE AND CANADA www.thomascook.fr/pages_statiques//CP_version_Anglaise_finale.do

The Watch Essay -- Observation Essay, Descriptive Essay

I am sitting in a still room, borrowing a moment to inhale the serenity that seems to float in the air like a cloud of fog, and listening to the silence. Listening closely, I notice that the silence, an absence of apparent sound, is its own symphony; it is an orchestration that is being kept alive by a carefully beating drum. I concentrate on the drum’s beats, observing that its rhythm is steadily and confidently throbbing. When glancing, I make a discovery and erupt with laughter. At this moment, precisely 1:43 PM, I realize that the incessant pulsation is not the tempo of tranquility, but rather the ticking of my watch. A small, thin, golden band strapped to my wrist, the watch is a living creature; it has a face, hands, a heartbeat. It has its own mechanized mind, a willpower to keep ticking at the same pace despite the circumstances; some of the more durable watches even tick under water. Within each brisk movement of the second-hand, a human has laughed, some have shed te ars, one is gripped by death, and yet another is being given the gift of life. Just like the individuals who comprise the human race, these curious creatures come in all shapes and sizes, each with its own beauty. My watch, an example of those delicate timepieces fastened with a band of gold or silver, resembles a bracelet. Yet, there are watches with thicker straps; some with leather, plastic, and even bands of bulky cloth; watches with bold heavy-set numerals; timepieces with only dots or diamond-shaped accents to represent the twelve hours; as well as the contemporary digital watch. Despite the endless assortment of watches, each serves the very same purpose: creating a framework in which those who ride the roller coaster of modernized life must run th... ...e not only created a world where our slavery to time is inevitable, but are now pushing the envelope to race against the clock. No longer are we satisfied to wait three days to receive information in the mail; we simply send a fax or an email with the punch of a button or the click of a mouse. In a civilization that craves instant-gratification, whether in terms of financial transactions or communication, speed has become the most valuable commodity. Our newly conceived definitions of the words â€Å"fast† and â€Å"slow† are resetting the biological clocks of younger generations. My watch tells me that several hours have passed while I have been explaining every nuance of time, but I have numerous tasks to accomplish before the curtain comes down on February the fifth, two-thousand three. I better attend to these duties before I realize that I have wasted too much time.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: Free Essays on 1984

1984 was written by George Orwell about a grim future in which people are controlled by a party known as the brotherhood which is led by Big Brother. The background of the story is that nuclear war has ravaged the earth and three superpowers have arisen out of the rubble, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia, all of which are at war with each other. The leading party in Oceania, where the story take place, exerts and maintains its power through such techniques as the Spies, a youth group that encourages children to report adults, including their parents, to the party officials. Another technique is the thought police, who observe and spy on society and eliminate those who have thoughts against the party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The party engages in many activities that people would consider blatantly wrong. These include the changing of history with the objective of making the party look good. The worst thing about the party is that it makes up the things it has the people believe through its telecasts, which the entire population watches. The main character is Winston, who works for the Ministry of Truth, which is an ironic name since it makes up what the people are to believe. Winston has thoughts all the time against the party but luckily has never been caught by the thought police. He keeps on seeing some woman and eventually they meet and he finds out her name is Julia. She also hates the party and they keep on meeting, even though it is against the policy of the party for two people to have sexual relations. They break the rule however and end up having sex outside the city. They differ in their view of how best to oppose the party. He believes in a widespread rebellion while she b elieves in just going against the party when it is safe. Eventually, they come to follow a man named O’Brien who is the leader of an opposition party to the brotherhood. He gives the couple a book by a man named Goldstein that is against the brother hood. He reads the book but soon after is arrested by the thought police because there was a hidden camera inside his room. It turns out that O’Brien was a thought police that had tricked them. Both he and Julia are taken away large cells with all the other people that have betrayed the party.

Organizational Behavior Essay -- Organization Group Business

Organizational Behavior, by definition, is the study of human behavior, attitudes, individual differences, and performance in organizational settings. Understanding the internal and external forces within an organization is important to the success of any business. The internal and external forces that are to be understood are restructuring, economy, competition, fiscal policies, organizational mission and globalization and economy. Economic factors for an educational institution are greater than is generally thought. Internal and external economic issues affect continued success and profitability of the organization. Receiving no tax monies, private educational institutions depend solely on students for their income stream. Economic forces affecting educational forces usually work in reverse of the current economic conditions present in the private sector. As the economy worsens on a national level more people consider returning to school. As a general rule enrollment standards during periods of economic slumps tend to increase as schools tighten admission requirements to admit only the most qualified students. Although outside economic forces on private educational institutions are minimal, internal forces on the University of Phoenix prove to be of greater impact on the profitability of the parent organization. Private organizations respond to internal economic forces by limiting expenses due to the fact that limited funds and controllable expenditures are the most easily manipulated items in any budget. Many organizations feel that salaries are the greatest controllable cost for the organization. However, â€Å"Colleges are faced with 3 types of costs: 1. uncontrollable costs, which include utilities, books, supplies, and equipment, 2. controllable costs, which include wages, salaries, and contracted services, and 3. mixed costs, which include employee benefits and employment taxes.† (Bernard & Beaven, 1985, 78) The University of Phoenix feels that reducing staff and therefore reducing salaries is counterproductive. Reducing staff levels inhibits the universities ability to service students and lessens the likelihood that students will complete the educational goals and graduate with the degree they desired. The University of Phoenix and the parent company The Apollo Group approach the subject of economic forces as opportunities. By increasing staff... ...es transcontinental interactions and global networks of activity, which increases the diffusion of ideas, goods, information and people. In conclusion, the internal and external factors of Organizational Behavior thrive in each of our team member’s workplaces. Each of these factors goes hand in hand, and can produce both positive and negative impacts on any organization. Understanding the factors of Restructuring, Economy, Competition, Fiscal Policies, Organizational Mission and Globalization and how they relate to an individual’s specific workplace is necessary to the success of any organization. References Global Transformations. (1999, March). Retrieved July 31, 2005, from http://www.polity.co.uk/global/executiv.htm#whatis Schermerhorn, J.R., Osborn, R.N. & Hunt, J.G. (2005). Change, innovation and stress. Organizational Behavior, 16, pp. 6, 21 & 34. Retrieved July 28, 2005 from UOP Online, 9th Edition, rEsource. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2005). Introducing Organizational Behavior. In Organizational Behavior (p. 25). John Wiley & Sons, Inc

BlackBerry Company Essay

1. – ABOUT THE COMPANY BlackBerry is a line of Smartphones developed by the Canadian company called â€Å"Research In Motion† (RIM). They integrate mobile email service and typical applications like: address book, calendar, task list, memo pad etc., as well as telephone capabilities on newer models. It is primarily known for its QWERTY keyboard, and for its ability to send and receive e-mails from the same network, making it easier for businesses to communicate constantly with not restraints. The first BlackBerry was released in 1995 in Canada. The best known BlackBerry was released in 2002, which supported push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, Internet faxing, web browsing, and other wireless information services. Currently, the most widely sold is the Blackberry Bold 9700. BlackBerry devices are currently very popular in the commercial market in Latin America. The strategy that Blackberry used was to incorporate to their phones a BlackBerry Messenger that is an instant messaging applicati on exclusively for them. The BBM allows users to chat with their Blackberry contacts and also can create groups among family,  friends, or colleagues to share files, photos, music, messages. Thanks to the connected applications, BBM users can share everything you have on your Smartphone. The BBM provides an opportunity to communicate instantly and can see clearly that the recipient of your message was received, read, and when they are answering. It works via a PIN code and can be customized with a profile picture, add a sentence, or even show the users music. 2 – REASONS WHY BLACKBERRY WAS SUCCESSFUL The success of BlackBerry was for the following reasons: An innovative product with an accessible price Partnerships with brands (BBVA, DIRECTV) Ethical business 2.1. AN INNOVATIVE PRODUCT WITH AN ACCESSIBLE PRICE Blackberry was successful by being an innovative product for many applications that integrates the cell phone. Because of these unusual features, consumers had the opportunity to buy the product with many payment options. 2.2. PARTNERSHIPS WITH BRANDS (BBVA, DIRECTV) BBVA BBVA say: â€Å"Security is a must. We are a bank and the BlackBerry solution is very safe.† Benefits The BlackBerry ® solution has integrated BBVA’s workflows and processes resulting in a 25% reduction in time taken to complete these activities The high level of security has enabled BBVA to justify the mobilization of its processes BlackBerry ® smartphones have been integrated into every aspect of BBVA’s employees working lives, helping them to manage tasks and duties while working remotely DIRECTV â€Å"With the DIRECTV Mà ³vil application, we have more ways for our customers to communicate with us, which means happier customers and it gives us the opportunity to drive our sales.† Benefits: DIRECTV created a custom application called DIRECTVâ„ ¢ Mà ³vil, designed to offer subscribers in Argentina access to DIRECTV services from their smartphones and tablets, including BlackBerry smartphones – with operating system 5.0  and above – and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. The latest release of DIRECTV Mà ³vil also runs on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets, allowing users to record their favorite TV shows even when away from home, browse through movies and view trailers. 2.3. ETHICAL BUSINESS BlackBerry has programs which present several opportunities to support communities through fundraising drives and volunteering. BlackBerry donated to 294 organizations around the world. 3. REASONS WHY BLACKBERRY DECLINED IN THE MARKET Laying Off employees due to financial problems of the company New Competition Bad Application of marketing 3.1 – EMPLOYEES The Canadian company â€Å"Research In Motion† (RIM), will eliminate 2,000 employees worldwide, which is more than 10% of total workers, to cut costs. RIM has suffered a loss in the market due to competition from Apple and Google’s Android system. Between February and May this year, the BlackBerry market share fell by 24.7% as opposed to Android and iPhone which grew by 5% and 27%. 3.2. COMPETITION: The primary competitors of the BlackBerry are the Android and the Apple iPhone. For a number of years, the BlackBerry was the leading Smartphone in many markets, particularly the United States. The arrival of the Apple iPhone and the Google’s Android platform, caused a slowdown in BlackBerry growth and a decline in sales in some markets, most notably the United States. This has led to negative media and analyst sentiment over the company’s ability to continue as an independent company. BlackBerry has managed to maintain significant positions in many markets, strengthened by a large user base, cost effective phones and plans, and a growing smartphone market globally. 4. SOLUTIONS 4.1 – BLACKBERRY SOLUTION Blackberry 10 is the solution to RIM’s declining market share, turning the company around to once again become a player of significance in the smartphone market. The main characteristics of the BlackBerry 10: You can access everything by means of a swipe. It enables the smooth transitioning between apps, without having to leave an app entirely. BlackBerry Hub displays all of your communication (mails, messages, tweets, linked-in updates, and so on). When you’re in an app, you can access all of the options of that app by moving your hand top to bottom, again starting outside of the screen. 4.2. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: They should also consider partnering with other companies Make a better marketing of the new products Motivate employees to internal customer loyalty Enter to the market with a new name and with a better product