Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The Future of Manufacturing in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
The Future of Manufacturing in the USA - Essay Example The Boeing Company in America announces its prevalent orders ever in the last year thus recording the highest exports by value. The enormous American brands, such as caterpillar and Intel, sustain the bases of domestic manufacturing despite their orientation globally. Companies repatriating include Ford and Continental AG that manufactures for a multitude of reasons, including problems of counterfeiting. Foreign corporations (Samsung and Volkswagen) at the same time build manufacturing amenities in America.                                                                     The current trends in the skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, creativity, diversity, excellent universities, and entrepreneurial spirit continues to pinpoint the manufacturing advantage. It is the U.S . contentment that it would be more attractive as its counterparts costs wane as a result of productivity.                                                                                          Predicaments and barriers have surrounded the U.S. manufacturing sector. It is noticeable that top foreign manufacturers could be more globalized than their counterparts in the United States. Data on the top manufacturers demonstrates that the foreign manufacturers would be more international. The foreign employment recorded increased employment to 68 percent during the years between 1998 and 2010. A comparable figure was 47 percent in 2010 for the U.S manufacturers.                                                                                                           The foreign manufacturers in the top list have established growing, and significant operations in the U.S. The market penetration could be due to green field investments, strategic alliances acquisitions, and mergers.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Privatization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Privatization - Essay Example Private individuals who buy these public shares will be able to participate in the decision-making process of these organizations and will be able to change their policies. On the other hand, some people argue that private sector organizations will emphasize more on their profits and not on the protection of public rights. They will keep increasing prices in order to earn greater profits. Opponents also argue that the ownership of some goods should remain in the hands of the government to ensure equality. These goods and services include healthcare and education facilities. These public goods should be facilitated by the government just as the private goods should be provided by the private sector. Through privatization, governments try to improve the performance of their duties like infrastructure etc. In the past, privatization has occurred in many different countries. In the Great Britain, privatization started with partial privatization of British Petroleum in 1979. A large numbe r of industries were privatized after this like British ports, British Telecom etc. In 1987, one of the largest airlines in Europe, British Airways was also privatized. Along with these, many other assets such as buildings, roads, and buildings were also privatized. In U.S. many services have been privatized including hospitals, parking lots, water utilities etc. One of the most significant examples of privatization was that of Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road in the U.S (Government Privatization, Web).
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Diabetes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2
Diabetes - Research Paper Example The research paper shows the prevalence of the disease. It gives information on the age group; race, ethnicity, body size and sex that have high chances of are getting diabetes mellitus. The paper also highlights on some minor causes of diabetes mellitus, and the severe complications resulted from the disease if it is not diagnosed at an early stage. Diabetes mellitus known as diabetes is the number of chronically metabolic diseases that are identified by rise in glucose levels in the blood; scientifically know as hyperglycemia (Chandalia at al., 2012). It may occur due to the pancreas producing inadequate amount of insulin, defect in insulin action, or both. It is considered to be the seventh cause of death in United States. The food we consume is catalyzed to glucose which is utilized by the body to provide energy. Hormone insulin, which is synthesized by the beta cells of the pancreas, regulates sugar levels in the blood. According to LeRoith et al. (2004), this is achieved by assisting the glucose in circulating blood to enter the body cells (p.225). Once the glucose has entered the body cells it is used to synthesize energy that is used in all body functions. Long term hyperglycemia result to ailments of the coronary artery, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as strokes, heart attack, angina and heart failur e and causes diseases associated with peripheral arteries (macro vascular) and also micro vascular complications in patients. In some cases, it also results in lower limb amputation. The data received for statistics of the number of US residents that were diagnosed by diabetes and prediabetes in 2010 was derived by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Patient Information Reporting System (NPIRS) and the United States renal data system of the national institute of health. The number of residential Americans aged 20 and above was 25.6 million which is
Saturday, September 21, 2019
20th century innovators of theatre Essay Example for Free
20th century innovators of theatre Essay In this essay I will contrast and explore the key innovations and methodologies of the director/practitioner Peter Brook, and the Polish director/practitioner Wlodzimierz Staniewski and the workings of his theatre company, Gardzienice. One of Peter Brooks methodologies that I feel is key is his use of site specific work. Peter Brook felt a need to try and create theatre outside of traditional theatres. So in the early 1970s he started the experimentation of acting in the street, in hospitals, carparks, anywhere there was a space big enough to hold a production. In the early seventies we began doing experiments outside what was regarded as theatre. For the first three years we played hundreds of times in streets, in cafes, in hospitals, in the ancient ruins of Persepolis, in African villages, in American garages, in barracks, between concrete benches in urban parks. We learned a lot, and the major experience for the actor was playing to an audience they could see, as opposed to the invisible audience to which they were accustomed. This key innovation has helped both directors and actors all over the world, especially actors in third world/war torn countries who either dont have access to theatre buildings due to financial constraints, or who have no theatre buildings due to bombings. Peter Brook encountered a theatre director from Soweto in Africa. This African director explained that his theatre company had been helped greatly by Peter Brooks book The Empty Space, when Peter Brook asked how? the African director replied The first sentence, which is, I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all I need for an act of theatre to be engaged. Peter Brook felt that the newfound relationship between actor/audience would create a new and different dynamic for the actors involved, mainly due to the proximity (closeness) of the actors and audience. One of the actors main defences previously in conventional theatre was not being able to see the audiences faces. With this new site-specific theatre this defence was shattered. Peter Brook felt that this newly created relationship between actor/audience was key in the shared experience of the theatrical performance, so rather than the audience being alienated by the space, the audience sharing the auditorium and the actors the stage, suddenly both parties were sharing exactly the same space. Another aspect of the empty space is that the emptiness is shared: its the same space for everyone who is present. He also felt that there was no need for an elaborate set, lighting and the comfort of a theatre to produce living theatre, he felt that this so called living theatre was not linked to external conditions. I wish to compare what can occur only on a regular stage, with set and lighting, with what can take place only without lighting, without scenery, out of doors, in order to demonstrate that the phenomenon of a living theatre is not linked to external conditions. Gardzienice also used site specific work within their company, but what made their use of site-specific work different to Peter Brooks form was the way in which they executed it. Firstly they would interconnect their form of site-specific work and interculterallism. The Theatre Company would travel to a village and set up for a performance, this would be done in full view of the villages inhabitants so to insure a large turnout. A small group of performers would then walk between the houses either engaging in short performances in front of or inside the houses. They did this to make the villages feel like part of their performances rather than outside of them, this method connects to Peter Brooks method of actor/audience sharing the same space rather than feeling alienated, just spectators. The difference with Gardzienices performance/gatherings is that they actively encourage the villagers to participate/share in the performances. You may rehearse with local musicians, and if there are storytellers you try and include them as well, if not in the performance scenario then in the gatherings. So the preparations should animate the local community as much as possible. Gardzienice created these gatherings in order to share their work with agrarian communities and also give members of these communities a chance to share lifelong skills, in any performance-related art with them. If you present your skills, they will respond with their highest abilities. This method is used not only to share artistic forms, it is also used as a refining vehicle, because the responses of these villagers are so unblemished by society as we know it, Gardzienice felt that the responses of the villagers would be completely primitive and instinctive. The expedition tests and proves the strength and the causing effect of the performance, of the scenes, of acting, of timing-all the aspects which indicate whether it is alive or not. It is a very good camp for refining your craft. The use of the gatherings/performances changed the theatre of its time, as did the use of site-specific spaces for Brook. These gatherings created a whole newworld of what was seen as theatre. In the 1970s theatre was seen as a performance of a play in a conventional theatre space to a paying audience. Gardzienice changed this by using the natural environment of the village as the theatre. He also had no set play, the drama would unfold in an organic completely natural way, and this also reflected upon the environment in which it was set. I am of the opinion that gathering is a moment of theatre born of itself. The traditional gathering has, Within it, the fundamental structure and principles of drama. It has an enormous theatricality and dynamism. If you observe the traditional gatherings in the villages where the people meet to sing, play their music and tell their stories, you will see that they are richer and more developed than many dramas on the stage. Gardzienice also created this innovation of gathering/performance to truly allow their audience to be an integral part of the performance. For without them the performance is not actually possible. The real performance, the real event is the gathering. Staniewskis company wished to change the passive audience into the active one through the constant evoking of their senses. He did this through his deeply moving performances, which involved music and song, this musical song was used in a very ritualistic way. This performance type has elements of religious ritual and the natural environment, which usually connects greatly with these villages, as most of their lives are rooted in tradition and religious activity and their constant connection with the land. The performance demonstration is very important because it allows you to identify your work. The village is never passive during the performance because this sort of society still has liveliness, an immediate reaction to an action, a picture, to events, happenings. But the gathering is much more significant because you are changing the passive audience into the active one. In both Staniewskis and Brooks work they share a common interest in the role of the spectator. Brooks methodologies are such that the audience must be an alert energy whilst speculating. Within Brooks work he is aware that the audience should be alert to the action but not directly involved. He sees the audience as active through the channelling of their positive energy onto the actors; they have an awakened presence that manifests itself onto the energy of the performers. The eye of the audience is the first element, which helps. If one feels this scrutiny as a true expectation, which demands at every moment that nothing be gratuitous, that nothing can come from limpness, but all from alertness, one understands then that the audience does not have a fully passive function. It does not need to intervene or manifest itself in order to participate. It is a constant participant through its wakened precence. On the contrary Staniewski encourages the spectator to become an integral part of the performance process (within gatherings), sometimes even encouraging the audience to actively taking part in the creation of the action. Gardzienice display their skills, to which the villagers then respond with skills of their own. You must demonstrate your own abilities as perfectly as possible. If you present your skills, they will respond with their highest abilitys. Another very important innovation of Peter Brooks is interculterallism. He is very interested in the idea of sharing forms. Especially those that come from a long line of tradition, forms that were inbred into a people, rather than learnt/acquired as forms are usually learnt in the western world. When talking about a Taazieh performance that he saw in Iran he said about the performer It was although we heard his fathers voice, and his fathers fathers, and so on back. Although Peter Brook admires the greatness of these age-old plays/rituals/ceremonies, he also discusses the way in which these forms can become out of touch with society. Peter Brook believes in taking a form from another culture and adapting it. He believes that trying to create an exact representation of a form so alien to an outsider, yet that comes so naturally to its inhabitant is useless. Peter Brook felt that once a form was formed it was rigidly stuck and unable to progress. He said, Generally speaking, we can conclude that tradition, in the sense of the word, means frozen. It is a frozen form more or less obsolete, reproduced through automatism. He feels that forms are just like any natural cycle within our universe that everyone must accept, everything is born and everything must die. He believes that only the constant re-evaluation and adaptation of a form will keep it alive. There is no form beginning with ourselves that is not subject to the fundamental law of the universe: that of disappearance. All religion, all understanding, all tradition, all wisdom accepts birth and death. In 1968 he met a Japanese actor named Yoshi Oida who was trained in No theatre. He believed that although his training was beneficial to him, it wasnt truly in touch with the world around him. Peter Brook agreed with this actors outlook, he felt that it was important to assess the context in which you are producing/performing the form in, and inevitably its connection with an audience. A magnificent form is not necessarily the appropriate vehicle to carry a living experience once the historical context changes. So in Peter Brooks productions he takes elements of ritualistic traditions/forms that he has encountered by indigenous people, and he adapts them to suit western actors/audiences. For Peter Brooks production of The Conference of the Birds, he brought in a Balinese actor with a vast experience in the use of traditional Balinese masks, to work with his actors. Although the acting company was in awe of what they saw him do with these masks, they knew that it would be almost impossible to recreate. He used the mask as a Balinese tradition, with a thousand years of ritual behind it. It would have been ridiculous for us to try to be what we were not. Finally we asked him what it was possible for him to do. Gardzienice has a similar methodology with regards to interculterallism but rather then heavily reforming the customs the Theatre Company try to translate the nature of the form that is shared with them whether in song or dance. Staniewski and his collaborators in Gardzienice translate what they explore and discover in their expeditions into their own highly complex and innovative theatre language. Gardzienice take the use of interculterallism to a completely new level through their use of the Gathering. This event not only involves sharing of cultural forms, it also takes the reactions of the spectators, or the sounds of the natural environment during a performance, and adds this to its theatre language, so it can be recreated in later rehearsals/performances. This innovation Staniewski calls interference in dialogue For example, an actor speaks a monologue and a voice from the crowd is constantly adding something. This is when they interject with material belonging to their own lives. So Gardzienice not only share and receive songs and rituals with these villagers, crossing the boundaries of culture, they also apply their natural reactions to aid the growth of their material. This innovation again bears similarities to Peter Brooks methodologies, although Brook does not directly involve the spectators in the action. Although he believes that the actors and the audience have a link through their imagination, he doesnt want them too directly participate as in the gatherings of Gardzienice. In the sixties we dreamed of an audience participating. Nai vely, we thought that participating meant demonstrating with ones body, jumping onto the stage, running around and being part of the group of actors. The participation that Brook talks of is more of a silent participation, not in the sense of conventional theatre where the audiences are there to just watch. They must finely tune their energies into the energies of the actors in order to create an extra daily atmosphere/energy. The audience does not need to intervene or manifest itself in order to participate. It is a constant participant through its awakened presence. De-urbanisation is a key innovation shared by both practitioners. This de-urbanisation was thought to have helped cleanse the acting company of the pollutions of city life. It also helped them to get more accustomed to the natural world. De-urbinisation is a recognizable process in the history of twentieth-century actor training. Stanislavski, Vakhtangov, Brook and Copeau have, at some point, sought rural retreats for their work. The differences in their use of de-urbinisation being that Brook retreated to country retreats whilst being involved in certain rehearsals, but Gardzienice has a permanent residence in rural Poland. Brook and Staniewski believe that urban life warps our bodies. Staniewski holds the same view he said in an interview Habitants brought from the city slowly die out the defensive attitude (necessary there), the dullness of the senses, and the indifference. Gradually we become sensitive to one another, we feel our constant, tangible, warm presence. Another of Staniewskis key methodologies is incorporating religious/ritualistic ceremonies into nearly all of their performances. This is not a new innovation as theatre was born originally out of religion, but it is a key factor within Garzienices theatre practices. His theatre is a spiritual theatre that encompasses outside factors and digests them in order to externalize them whenever necessary. Staniewski expects greatness in his performances not only through the actors transmission of the material gathered over the long rehearsal period, but also with regards to the reaction of the audience. I think that Staniewski wishes the reaction of the audience (and to some extent the actor) to be similar to the transcendence that some religious ceremonies awake in people. Should one expect miracles from a performance? Yes. You have to know how to prepare the ingredients, ignite the fire under the crucible, and then the actors can transmute their material into gold. Peter Brook believes that the religious/ritualistic ceremony/performance can be completely lost once taken out of its natural environment. In the community where the ritual originates from religious sense usually pervades everything. A western audience may not understand or want to understand the importance of the religious element/indigenous peoples way of life with regards to the context of this ritual, therefore something in the spectators reaction will be lost. Brook gave an example of a performance by the Bengal Chauu a group of villagers who act out battle, moving forward in little jumps. In India Bengal Chauu are greatly received, a big excitement for the villagers. But when the same performance was performed in front of a British audience Peter Brook felt that there was no energy left within it. The spirit was no longer present, nothing was left but a show, a show with nothing to show. Another key innovation that Staniewski discovered was that of musicality. It not only involves Music in its true sense through the use of choral work, but also musicality created through the body (rhythms). This form is seen to have a direct connection with the earth, Staniewski believes that every natural element contains musicality within it. I am utterly convinced that the earth is musical, that it has musicality and that every part of nature can be musical He believes that musical composition can be composed in a totally new way to its traditional form of writing a score. He feels that the western music is in some way inhibited by its strictness in form. Thats why our western music, codified since the middle ages, is sometimes refereed to as reduced. Through the use of breath, animal sounds that occur through our connection with the earth (such as stamping), using these sounds can help to create a musical composition, full of the earths richness. The entire world is filled with sound. But natural sounds represent a rich world of music. In dogs barking in the village and birds singing at my window, I hear musical compositions, which inspire me. These innovations have revolutionized the way in which theatre is produced today. In the 1970s when these forms were first discovered music would only appear within theatrical performances in the traditional musical theatre setting, or to increase tension, or as background music. Peter Brook uses music to create dramatic tension. He sees music as accompanying the action, rather then as in Gardzienices work music being a through line during all performances. He sees music as a complimentary tool that can help develop the energies of the actor. In contrast to Staniewski He imagines this music to be outside of the actor, composed, rather then created by the performers. The simple present of a pulse or a throb is already a tightening the action and a sharpening of the interest. Then other instruments enter to play a role-always in relation to the action. But feels that this music must contain a unified language with relation to the performance, and cant contain a language of its own language, whereas Staniewski combines the two to create a newer more innovative language. Staniewski connects musicality to spirituality, although he believes that the church has had a negative influence in the codification of music. The churchs influence on Western music is a well-known story. Dissonance was regarded as a sin. Ornamentation is not only an expression of emotion but also an intellectual statement-the Church found it too dangerous and reduced it. The connection and utter concentration of the senses that musicality techniques arouse can awake the inner senses making it an almost religious experience. Codified music is usually in the background of this musicality, creating a great juxtaposition in the finished performances. He sees the music as framing the musicality. My performances incorporate music and musicality. You have to form your artistic proposal and frame it. Once you repeat this framed work, you are developing a uniform structure of sound. Musicality is like a rough diamond, which is perfectly framed by the gold of the codified music. Song is also an important aspect of Garzienices musicality; singing/choral work is incorporated in some way into every one of their performances. Song is not used in a traditional sense within their practices. The act of singing is seen as something sacred, like sharing something with you audience. It is not about communicating a skill or ability as in the conventional meaning. It must not just involve your head your whole body must become consumed by the song. Song is a being; it is not just a composition or melody which must simply be sung. Nor is it a pretext for an actor to express his or her ability as an actor. Song is not illustration; Most of the songs that are used within Gardzienices performances are strongly linked to a given community or tradition (as with all of his work). The creative potential of this way of perceiving performance has received further confirmation through Staniewskis discovery of related techniques found in native cultures. He feels that the song in its natural tradition is sung from deep within and that is what he wants his actors to recreate. They take the song and then deconstruct it using varying words, harmonies and tempos etc. You have to penetrate the song through experimentation: through making different combinations of voices and harmonies. You explore different musical ideas, which will suddenly show you different plants within the organism of the song. Gardzienice have explored harmony, polyphony and dissonance rhythm and counterpoint. This way of singing is seen to produce an almost cathartic effect, through the deep training and the actors real sincerity in giving the song through humbleness rather than through self and ego. I am an idealist. I always believe that there must be a final destination within a song, a way of singing it, which explains everything, bringing a sort of catharses. In conclusion I have compared the methodologies of two key 20th century innovators of theatre. I started off talking about Peter Brooks use of site-specific spaces. I feel that this has been a key and revolutionary innovation in terms of the freedom it has given actors/theatre companies. It has in a way broken a barrier between the classes. Poorer companies of actors may not have been able to afford to hire out large theatre spaces. It has also encouraged the actors to be more creativity within the context of performance. Gardzienices methodology is similar to Brooks in relation to using a non-theatrical space as a setting for a performance. But they take it one step further with the involvement of the people of the village within their performances also talked about actor/audience relationship and audience participation. Peter Brook believes that the spectators are active through their silent energies. Gardzienice wants the audience to directly participate in the action. With regards to inter/cross culturalism Gardzienice embraces other cultures forms and incorporates many of them into their unique theatre language. Peter Brook also embraces other cultures forms, but he constantly evolves them, retaining little of their original substance. Both Peter Brook and Staniewski have embraced de-urbanisation. Peter Brook during some of his rehearsal periods. Gardzienice indefinitely. Both practitioners were interested in ritual. Peter Brook felt that something is lost when these rituals are performed out of their original contexts. Gardzienice have a great respect for other cultures rituals, they rehearse these songs/dances so much that they become a part of them, thus becoming re-contextualised. The last topic discussed was music/musicality/song. Gardzienice have revolutionised the process of creating music within a performance. A new non-codified type of music has arisen that can work alongside the codified form. Peter Brookes music as a background element in a performance to at times highlights the action. In my estimation all of these innovations have been important in the development of theatre, as we know it. But I believe that Garzienice on every level have taken Peter Brooks methodologies one step further.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Company overview of IKEA
Company overview of IKEA IKEA is an internationally known home furnishing retailer. It has grown rapidly since it was founded in 1943. Today it is the worlds largest furniture retailer, recognised for its Scandinavian style. The majority of IKEAs furniture is flat-pack, ready to be assembled by the consumer. This allows a reduction in costs and packaging. IKEA carries a range of 9,500 products, including home furniture and accessories. This wide range is available in all IKEA stores and customers can order much of the range online through IKEAs website. There are 18 stores in the UK to date, the first of which opened in Warrington in 1987. In July 2009 IKEA opened a store in Dublin too its first in Ireland. IKEA stores include restaurants and cafà ©s serving typical Swedish food. They also have small food shops selling Swedish groceries, everything from the famous meatballs to jam. Stores are located worldwide. In August 2008 the IKEA group had 253 stores in 24 countries, with a further 32 stores owned and run by franchisees. It welcomed a total of 565 million visitors to the stores during the year and a further 450 million visits were made to the IKEA website. IKEA sales reached 21.2 billion Euros in 2008 showing an increase of 7%. The biggest sales countries are Germany, USA, France, UK and Sweden. In 2008 IKEA opened 21 new stores in 11 countries and expects to open around 20 more in 2009 as part of its strategy for growth. IKEA Vision and Business idea The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people puts this concern at the heart of the business. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. Aims and objectives SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Strengths -Flat-pack technology -Numerous global suppliers -Focus on low price with meaning -Extra in-store perks: restraunts, shopping carts, pencils, etc. -Unique store environment -Modern design pieces as well as traditional pieces Weaknesses -Not doing appropriate market researach when branching into a new cultures market-such as when IKEA came to America. -Ratio of sales representitives to consumers IKEAs self-service ethos, Americans are not used to this type of service. Opportunites -Saving money on labor by establishing supplier relationships with developing countries -Movement into other countries that do not have this type of retailer -Capitalize on good design with reasonable pricing -Capatalize on the unique and appealing shopping experience Threats -Lower prices of general retailers like Target and Wal-Mart that have the ability to regain losses on other merchandise -Finiding ways to appeal to a borader public-Scandinavian design and style is a niche not specifically suited to everyones tastes. Therefore, IKEA must figure out how to do this before someone else does. PESTLE ANALYSIS External Environmental Factors IKEA faces a variety of external environmental factors when conducting business in a competitive, global furniture market. These different factors, provides an explanation of what faces IKEA (The Broad Environment) Research shows in the broad environment, an individual firm can do little to directly influence these factors. In this study, IKEA is broken down by social, economical, technological and political/legal factors to dissect the broad environment. Socioculturally it was hard for IKEA to integrate itself in the American market. The furniture market in the United States contained a wide dichotomy between high-end and low-end design. Within this fragmented market, the top 10 furniture retailers were only responsible for 14.2% of the entire market share. The general discount stores, i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, Office Depot bring up the low-end market. These stores usually marketed their furniture on the basis of cut-rate pricing making margins low in for these channels. There were also smaller shops offering cheap furniture to price-conscious customers such as college students. However, these stores reflected their low price focus with dreary, dingy environments containing haphazard displays and poor, inconsistently managed inventories. Conversely, the high-end specialty markets offered luxurious store environments with clean, plush displays, conjuring up affluence, prosperity and comfort. These specialty retailers include Ethan Allen, Thomasville, and Jordans Furniture. Many of these retailers offered easy payment credit options lessening the debate when considering big-ticket items. Also, these stores came complete with high-touch sales consultants who assisted with measurements and product selection. These retailers offered interior design services for consumers whom were more interested in complete home makeovers. In addition, they boasted of huge inventories often containing many sub-styles within each specific style. Complete with delivery services, retailers could guarantee that consumers new purchases would be delivered and set up in their homes in a matter of weeks without them even having to lift a finger. Lastly, these specialty retailers focused on the quality of the furniture touting that their quality pieces will last a lifetime hence the justification of steep prices-a customer would not or should not need to replace the piece again within their lifetime. The other large part of IKEAs bumpy entry to American culture was the lack of market research. Many Americans didnt like IKEA products because the beds and kitchen cabinets did not fit American sized sheets or appliances, sofas were too hard for American comfort, the dimensions were in centimeters, and the kitchenware was too small for American serving preferences. A manger of the first store in Philadelphia (1985) recalled people drinking out of the vases instead of the serving glasses. Economically, IKEA is low cost. This is a big piece of breaking into the American market. IKEA had to focus and advertising campaign directed specifically to thwart Americans unwillingness to part with their furniture. Part of this angle is the low cost. It is only furniture, change it. By being willing to listen to consumer feedback and changing the way Americans looked at furniture, during the mid-1990s IKEAs profit share in American markets improved. Technologically, IKEAs Flat Pack is unlike any other furniture retailers shipping method-IKEA claims that they do not want to pay to ship air. This is precisely why they can be self-service and do not have to employ as many people as someone would think. These flat packs make it possible for people to lug their packages home without having to wait weeks for delivery. IKEA provides pencils, measuring tapes, store guides, catalogs, shopping carts, bags, and strollers to assist with the shopping experience. Customers are expected to transport their own purchases as well as assemble them on their own. The method in which IKEAs stores are lined up are ingenious. A customer will shop displays and then take their selections (jotting their item numbers) down to the warehouse to pick up their flat packed items before proceeding to check out. Utilizing Porters Five-Forces Model of Industry Competition, IKEA can be evaluated in the following way: 1. Customers Americans-the primary consumer base for IKEAs debut in the American Market. The most likely IKEA shopper are those sort of people who travel abroad, like taking risks, enjoy fine food and wine, have a frequent flier plan, and are early adopters of trendy consumer technologies such as Discmans, laptops, and cell phones (incidentally, IKEAs most atypical customer would be they type of person who collects guns). 2. Suppliers IKEA relies heavily on global suppliers. Once IKEA sets its base price for an item, they then seek to balance cost-effective labor with the companys quality product standards. It does so by working with 1,800 suppliers in over 50 countries. In many instances, IKEA circulates its idea within supplier rings and encourages them to compete for the production package. Sometimes to meet the base price, IKEA will have one design with pieces from several different suppliers. 3. Existing Competitors Traditional Furniture stores are abundant in America. There are none exactly like IKEA in the United States. Therefore IKEA has an advantage over those traditional stores that have high priced furniture. If that is not what the consumer is looking for, then they can go to IKEA for quality, less expensive furniture with a modern design edge. 4. Potential Competitors/Entry Barriers Since IKEA is such a unique, original idea/store it would be very hard to duplicate the totality of IKEAs culture. A store could probably duplicate one or two of the things which compose IKEAs atmosphere but they would fail in other aspects. Like, a store could try and copy the Scandinavian design niche but it would be hard and unauthentic (like what IKEA embodies) without the Scandinavian heritage. 5. Indirect Competitors/Substitutes Wal-mart, Target, Office Depot and other low-cost suppliers are indirect competitors in the fact they do offer low-priced furniture that consumers assemble themselves. However, these indirect substitutes differ in the fact that these are general retailers instead of where IKEA is a specific retailer of home goods. Target, for instance, retails apparel, accessories, home goods, groceries, office products and cleaning supplies. IKEA Strategy and Strategic options Company vision IKEAs vision has from the start been To create a better everyday life for the majority of people. IKEAs business concept originates in the decision to meet a need that no other company appeared concerned with and led it to develop a niche market: manufacturing beautiful, inexpensive and durable furniture for the majority of people.27 I. Kamprad states that IKEA should stand on the side of the majority of people, which involves taking on more responsibility than might at first seem to be the case.28 A recent example is the companys exceptionally costly move into the Russian market, but considered necessary as affordable furniture is a pressing need for the Russian population.29 The democratic design also involves representing the interests of ordinary people and getting rid of designs, which are difficult and expensive to produce, even if it is easy to sell.30 The concept was formalized in 1976 in Ingvar Kamprads thesis Testament of a Furniture Dealer, which became an important way to spread the IKEA philosophy.31 The fundamental goal was and is to provide affordable furniture for the people and cost cutting is key to achieving this. Cost-consciousness is a strong part of the business idea and the waste of resources is considered a mortal sin at IKEA32. By ensuring that ordinary people are able to afford to furnish their homes beautifully, many associate IKEA with a company that stands on the side of the little person and this is a positive image for a company to have. In addition to this, I. Kamprad had another dream: the dream of good capitalism which is the idea that the good in a profit-making business can be combined with a lasting social vision. This implies the goal of developing and achieving a better future for IKEAs customers as well as people working for IKEA believing that by working for IKEA, they are working for a better society and thereby contributing to a better world.33
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Spirituality in Howl by Allen Ginsberg Essays -- Papers Poem Poetry
Spirituality in Howl by Allen Ginsberg Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" is a complex and intriguing poem about the divine in the common world. The minor themes of drugs and sexuality work together to illuminate the major theme of spirituality. The poem reveals through a multitude of sharp images and phrases that everything from drug use to homosexuality to mental illness is holy, even in a world of atom bombs and materialistic America, which Ginsberg considers not to be holy and he refers to as Moloch. As it is stated in Ginsberg's "Footnote To Howl," "The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy! The nose is/ holy! The tongue and cock and hand and *censored* holy! / Everything is Holy! Everybody's holy! Everywhere is holy!" (3-5). Sexuality is a theme that runs throughout the entire poem. It is not an uptight sexuality of the 1950's culture but a liberated one. And this sexual imagery, that mostly takes place in the first part of the poem, constantly refers to spirituality and the divine. The poem reads, "who let themselves be *censored*ed in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and/ screamed with joy, / who blew and were blown by those human seraphim, the sailors," (91-93). These two images contrast the common view of homosexuality in the 1950's. The sailors are "seraphim", and the motorcyclists are "saintly". They are not corrupt as the common view might see it. The combination of these images helps to uncover the true theme of the piece. The things that most people of the time would consider to be depraved, such as homosexuality, are actually divine. Images of drug-use are other tools that are used in this poem to help illuminate the major theme. Once again, even though the drug -users " †¦ate fire in paint... ... machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb! Moloch whose love is endless oil and stone! Moloch whose soul is electricity and banks! Moloch whose poverty is the specter of genius! Moloch whose fate is a cloud of sexless hydrogen! Moloch whose name is the mind! (262-73) Even with all this negativity in the poem, the major theme of spirituality remains. The poem "Footnote To Howl" sums up the theme of spirituality in "Howl". It reads, "The bum's as holy as the seraphim! the madman is as holy as you my/ soul are holy!" (7-8). Spirituality and the divine run through "Howl" like veins. They carry the theme throughout the piece and deliver it to the reader. Works Cited Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and other Poems City Lights Books San Francisco 1956
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Female Political Candidacy :: Politics Political Science
Female Political Candidacy Abstract Factors which influence female political candidacy were investigated. The results indicated significant gender differences on the following hypotheses: H1: Female and male political leaders will differ in their uses of interpersonal power; H2: Female and male political leaders will identify different motivations in seeking public office; and, H3: Female and male political leaders will differ in their perception of barriers to participation as political candidates. The secondary perspective of race was also considered but was not found to be a significant barrier to female candidacy. This significantly predictive model has regional and international implications, and future studies will tested it comparatively by state and region to affirm its generalizability. Female Political Candidacy: A Racial and Gender Perspective This study examines the use of interpersonal power by females in elected political positions, the factors that influence women to run for elected office, and the barriers that hinder female candidacy. Drawing from three areas of gender difference - women and development (IWPR, 2000), institutionalization of power relationships (Parsons, 1969), and socialization of gender roles (Bennett and Bennett, 1999; Lindsey, 1997) - the research focuses on women in elected political leadership positions using a comparison of women and men matched by elected positions in the State of Mississippi, USA. The hypotheses were: H1: Female and male political leaders will differ in their uses of interpersonal power; H2: Female and male political leaders will identify different motivations in seeking public office; and, H3: Female and male political leaders will differ in their perception of barriers to participation as political candidates. The secondary perspective of race is evaluated using statis tical methods on a non-matched comparison of African Americans and Caucasians who responded to the gender study. Economic arguments and incentives for policy supporting broad-based political representation are numerous. There is widespread acceptance that peoples who have little political voice are overlooked in the distribution of public goods and have less access to education and health. Kenworthy and Malami (1999) note that representative critical mass necessary for females as a social group to exert a substantial influence on politics is considered to be 30% of a legislative body, while Harvard sociologist Rosabeth Moss Kantor puts representation at closer to 50% to make a difference in the culture of an institution (Ivins, 2001). The United States Agency for International Development notes that while almost all peoples around the world, specifically women, have a legal right to vote, actual female participation is inhibited by cultural, social, economic, legal and educational constraints (USAID Fact Sheet, 1997).
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