American Romanticism in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Essay Example

American Romanticism in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Essay Example American Romanticism in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Essay American Romanticism in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: American Romanticism in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Several aspects of American Romanticism are evident in Abraham Lincoln’s â€Å"Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863†. Much of the Romantic language used in this excerpt illustrated the nation’s state and the Civil War. An aspect of American Romanticism stems from the theme of the Civil War. In the beginning of the address, Lincoln commences by asserting that, â€Å"our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal†. This statement verifies an aspect of Idealistic Philosophy regarding the reason for immigration in America. Additionally, it also provides a philosophy for the reason regarding the Civil War. This illustrates the Romantic superlative of being discontent with the present circumstances. It also symbolizes a belief in positive change. Consequently, Lincoln surmises, â€Å"†¦we can not dedicate-we can not consecrate-we can not hallow-this ground† because â€Å"the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This statement illustrates the countless lives that soldiers lost for a laudable cause. It provides an indistinct scrutiny of the Civil War and propels the Union to believe that the cause is sacred. At the conclusion of the address, Lincoln progresses his argument further by asserting that the ones who sacrificed themselves â€Å"shall not have died in vain† and â€Å"this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom†. After three years of intense war, the citizens of the Union question the integrity and incentive of the war. Additionally, Lincoln also incorporates democratic values, which comprise American Romanticism. His statement, â€Å"-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth† depicts support for democracy and individual freedom.

Strategic Management of Organizations

Strategic Management of Organizations Organizational structure Structure generally means the framework on which an organization is built and functions that keep the organization going. Organizational structure is the operating guideline that informs the members or workers how the organization works.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management of Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Structure explains the way members are received, how leaders are chosen, and the process of decision-making. Organizational structure explains the way an organization puts workers and jobs for effective work performance and goal realization (Baligh, 2005). Channel of communication depends on the size of the organization; small organizations have short channels of communication because the top manager can reach the lowest ranked employee easily. On the other hand, large organizations have long channels of communication because they contain many departments an d functions. From these decisions, an organizational structure is established. Organizational structure may be centralized or decentralized. In centralized structure, the top management is vested with the most of decision-making and total control over the organization’s departments, subdivisions, and divisions. In decentralized organizational structure, power and authority over control and decisions making is evenly distributed and the independence between departments and divisions is different (Baligh, 2005). In an organization, regardless of its size, employees’ tasks and complexity is defined by what function it partakes, its supervisors, and managers. Organizations use organizational charts to simplify relationship between its departments and positions and their interdependence. The finest organizational structure designed by any organization relies on many factors such as its work, revenue, number of employees, geographic distribution of its amenities, and the col lection of its trading. Organizational structures have been in existence since the ancient past, they have evolved to date because of their needs and complexities in the current organization.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How Organizational Structure Implement Organizations Strategy Organizational strategy is the tactic, which an organization uses to meet its future goals, mission, vision, and targets. An organization must compare its present state to the projected future state then look at the difference and plan on how to cover the difference through changing its working tactics. There are several organizational structures, which include pre-bureaucratic structures, bureaucratic structures, post bureaucratic structures, functional structures, divisional structures, and matrix structures. Organization strategy includes sequence of authority, span of organizing, departmentalization, circulation of authority, and organization’s height. These elements are integrated within an organization to give out the desired outcome in type of the organization and the management required (Baligh, 2005). The Basic Building Blocks of Organizational Structure An organization needs to be built on several organizational blocks to ensure and strengthen its survival. These blocks help in making sure that the organization is focused in its target of meeting its future goals. These blocks include: Hierarchy Hierarchy or layers of organization is the primary most component of the organizational structure, individuals’ need to have people above them to obey, respect, consult, and structure the way of achieving a target. Organization’s layer means the length of the line of communication, that is the procedure followed before the information from service man reaches the department manager. Hierarchy flow of information is mostly exercised in the b ureaucratic organizations where the individual must report directly to his or her immediate supervisor. Hierarchy act as a major organizational block because it determines each employee’s authority and responsibility in the organization. Hierarchy makes organization to be organized because every employee is aware of his or her duties (Tannenbaum, 2006). Formalization Formalization is another major form of an organization building block. Through formalization, an organization decisions, orders, and standards are passed to all employees. Formalization is closely attached to both leadership and hierarchy. A number of organizations prefer tight bureaucratic system of administration because these systems establish strict orders and methods in the organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management of Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bureaucratic systems call for rigid communication cha nnels. On the other hand, some other organizations allow for non-bureaucratic procedures, which allow for collaborative decisions making, employees dissent, and alternative ideas from employees. These kinds of organizations allow for flexible decision-making and channels of communication (Swayne, Duncan Ginter, 2008). Divisions Division is a basic building block for organization structure. Divisions depend on the size of the organization; small organizations can survive on one division in charge of all the operations because their operations are not complicated. On the other hand, all organization divide their operations according to the departments available such as; information technology department, accounting department, procurement department, transport department, marketing department, human resource department among others are created according to the organizations need. Other organizations divide the organization according to the production need, these may include vacuum cl eaners division, packaging division, processing division among others. This makes it easy for each division to be able to identify its authorities and responsibilities with ease and controlling confusion in the lines of duty (Philips Gully, 2012). Temporary Constructs Temporary constructs are basic building blocks in that they are frequently used by organizations to resolve issues arising from the operations and employees. Most of organizations will assign or create groups for a specified period to handle a problem arising in the organization or take care of a new project, the group may be selected internally or externally. Most organization prefers dedicated troubleshooters since they are good in getting a solution and working on an issue. Organizations are opposed to this approach though it saves time in handling a certain project (Philips Gully, 2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of each of the Building Blocks of Organizational Structure Hierarchy is advantageous in that those who are in the top positions enjoy a lot of privileges. Those at the top are vested with complex decision-making consequently making it easy for an organization to handle its complexities.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hierarchy is disadvantageous in that those at the lowest positions feel oppressed at some time because they enjoy no privileges, its procedural for decisions to get to the bottom level and there is limited interaction between the top management and the bottom workers so their problems are less heard. Formalization of an organization has the following advantages: it makes the goals of the organization to be clearly defined, it makes the business become legal entity, and it clarifies the organization’s objectives. The disadvantages include: formalization creates rigidity, long long-term planning is discouraged, and reduces creativity among employees. Organization division is advantageous in that it increases specialization and as a result, quality products and services are produced, division allows an organization form the culture of spirit de corps leading to higher production. Division disadvantages include politics between the divisions may arise, this may reduce production because of the competition between the divisions and divisions may undermine each other leading to inter division organization conflicts (Swayne, Duncan Ginter, 2008). References Baligh, H. H. (2005). Organization Structures: Theory and Design, Analysis and Prescription. New York: N.Y.: Springer. Philips, J., Gully, S. M. (2012). Organizational behavior : Tools for success. Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning. Swayne, L. E., Duncan, J. W., Ginter, P. M. (2008). Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Pulishers. Tannenbaum, A. S. (2006). Heirarchy in organizations: An international comparison. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

The Role of Orientalism in Western Conceptions of the Islamic Essay - 1

The Role of Orientalism in Western Conceptions of the Islamic Tradition - Essay Example In Orientalism, Edward Said writes that the West reckons the Islamic states to be static and undeveloped, which fabricates a view that Oriental culture can be studied, depicted and reproduced. This implies the idea that Western society is developed, rational, flexible, and superior. 1 Such view from the above does not give a complete picture of what the society has to offer. Some of the most famous ancient scientists, for example, Omar Khayyam, one of the supposed founders of algebra, belonged to the Oriental world; ancient Persia, unlike the tribes of the territory where modern Iraq is located, was the center of science, arts, and culture of its time. Islam as a very severe and, as it seems from the first look, cruel religion, creates its own image as a dictatorship of its norms and laws over a man and demands strict obeying, which is very difficult for the Western conscience of liberal world perception, and it leads to formulating of conceptions (and misconceptions as well) which a re not always true. It is necessary to define and investigate into such ones and to understand the role of Orientalism in their emergence. In Western Democracy and Islamic Tradition: The Application of Shari’a in a Modern World, Melanie Reed rises a matter of human rights in Islam. â€Å"While most scholars would agree that minimal human rights standards exist, the correct implementation of such standards is a topic of hot debate. In light of recent international conflicts, the relationship between religion and human rights, and in particular Islam and human rights, is a pressing topic.†2 Indeed, some Islamic countries, especially those with strong traditions of tribal society, Pakistan, Afghanistan, for instance, are an endless source of news about terrorist attacks, blood shooting, hostages taking and other possible violation of human rights. Islam, implying a solid faith in God, may result in society’s looking for the embodiment of such God – strong, wise, caring.

The Impact of Automakers Demands on the Steel Industry Assignment

The Impact of Automakers Demands on the Steel Industry - Assignment Example Ford’s River Rouge factory’s partnership with steel mill has gone for a long time with the partnership leading to the construction of highly popular vehicles in America, ranging from the Model A to F-150 pickup truck. However, in 2014, Ford announced its switch to the use of Aluminum in the construction of its F-150 trucks. This is not just a concern to Steel mill but all steelmakers within the US as most of the car makers have turned their attention towards the use of aluminum in the construction of cars. Being the second vital source of revenue for steelmakers, only after the construction industry, the automakers constitute about 20 percent steel sales for the steel makers within the US on an annual basis. As such, a shift towards aluminum as a replacement of steel would have a great impact on the revenue of the steel industry. The automakers are pushed towards adopting the lighter steel as a major component of their cars as a result of the push by both the administra tion and the consumers to develop fuel-efficient vehicles. The steel industry has effectively and rapidly responded to this shift in consumer demands by developing lighter, high-strength steel that would meet the needs of the consumers. For Steel Mill, this has led to the adoption of the lighter steel by Ford in building the frame of its F-150 trucks. This type of steel is sold at a lower price than the initial steel, which has reduced the cost for the consumers while at the same time increasing the sales for the steel-makers. Other companies within the steel industry have also been forced to merge with other companies that have proficiency in the development of lighter steel, as a strategic move aimed at holding onto their consumers.

Sales Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sales - Research Paper Example elling principle should incorporate three basic prescriptions: good communication; understanding of consumer preference; and ability to perceive emotional response of the customer. These philosophies are highly relevant for desired sales result. Effective communication is at the heart of all types of interaction. It facilitates better understanding of cross cultural values and promotes mutual respect. Good salesmen are able to ‘engage in behaviors that increase long-term customer satisfaction and avoid behaviors leading to customer dissatisfaction’ (Dunlap, Dotson, and Chambers 1988, p. 178). Indeed, effective communication and understanding of consumer behavior helps to customize the products to suit their needs. ‘Fundamental selling behaviors provide a mechanism through which salespeople can influence customers by satisfying customer needs (e.g., Spiro and Perreault 1979). A clever salesman is also flexible in his approach and changes his script according to the perceived responses of the prospects. The better he is, in understanding the delicate nuances of his prospects, better are his chances of clinching the sales deal. Dunlap, B.J., Michael J. Dotson, and Terry M. Chambers. (1988). Perceptions of Real-Estate Brokers and Buyers: A Sales-Orientation, Customer-Orientation Approach. Journal of Business Research, 17 (September),

Improving Effectiveness and Efficiency of Sentiment Analysis

Improving Effectiveness and Efficiency of Sentiment Analysis Modha Jalaj S. Chapter – 1 1. Introduction: Big Data has been created lot of buzz in Information Technology word. Big Data contain large amount of data from various sources like Social Media, News Articles, Blogs, Web, Sensor Data and Medical Records etc. Big Data includes Structured, Semi-Structured and Unstructured data. All these data are very useful to extract the important information for analytics. 1.1 Introduction of Big Data: [26] Big Data is differs for other data in 5 Dimensions such as volume, velocity, variety, and value. [26] Volume: Machine generated data will be large volume of data. Velocity: Social media websites generates large data but not massive. Rate at which data acquired from the social web sites are increasing rapidly. Variety: Different types of data will be generated when a new sensor and new services. Value: Even the unstructured data has some valuable information. So extracting such information from large volume of data is more considerable. Complexity: Connection and correlation of data which describes more about relationship among the data. Big Data include social media, Product reviews, movie reviews, News Article, Blogs etc.. So, to analyze this kind of unstructured data is challenging task. This thing makes Big Data a trending research area in computer Science and sentiment analysis is one of the most important part of this research area. As we have lot of amount of data which is certainly express opinion about the Social issues, events, organization, movies and News which we are considering for sentiment analysis and predict the future trends and effect of certain event on society. We can also modify or make the improve strategy for CRM after analysing the comments or reviews of the customer. This kind analysis is the application of Big Data. 1.2 Introduction of Sentiment Analysis: Big Data is trending research area in computer Science and sentiment analysis is one of the most important part of this research area. Big data is considered as very large amount of data which can be found easily on web, Social media, remote sensing data and medical records etc. in form of structured, semi-structured or unstructured data and we can use these data for sentiment analysis. Sentimental Analysis is all about to get the real voice of people towards specific product, services, organization, movies, news, events, issues and their attributes[1]. Sentiment Analysis includes branches of computer science like Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Text Mining and Information Theory and Coding. By using approaches, methods, techniques and models of defined branches, we can categorized our data which is unstructured data may be in form of news articles, blogs, tweets, movie reviews, product reviews etc. into positive, negative or neutral sentiment according to the sentiment is expressed in them. Figure 1.2.1: Sentiment Analysis Sentiment analysis is done on three levels [1] Document Level Sentence Level Entity or Aspect Level. Document Level Sentiment analysis is performed for the whole document and then decide whether the document express positive or negative sentiment. [1] Entity or Aspect Level sentiment analysis performs finer-grained analysis. The goal of entity or aspect level sentiment analysis is to find sentiment on entities and/or aspect of those entities. For example consider a statement â€Å"My HTC Wildfire S phone has good picture quality but it has low phone memory storage.† so sentiment on HTCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s camera and display quality is positive but the sentiment on its phone memory storage is negative. We can generate summery of opinions about entities. Comparative statements are also part of the entity or aspect level sentiment analysis but deal with techniques of comparative sentiment analysis. Sentence level sentiment analysis is related to find sentiment form sentences whether each sentence expressed a positive, negative or neutral sentiment. Sentence level sentiment analysis is closely related to subjectivity classification. Many of the statements about entities are factual in nature and yet they still carry sentiment. Current sentiment analysis approaches express the sentiment of subjective statements and neglect such objective statements that carry sentiment [1]. For Example, â€Å"I bought a Motorola phone two weeks ago. Everything was good initially. The voice was clear and the battery life was long, although it is a bit bulky. Then, it stopped working yesterday. [1]† The first sentence expresses no opinion as it simply states a fact. All other sentences express either explicit or implicit sentiments. The last sentence â€Å"Then, it stopped working yesterday† is objective sentences but current techniques can’t express sentiment for the above specified sentence even though it carry negative sentiment or undesirable sentiment. So I try to solve out the above problematic situation using our approach. [1] The Proposed classification approach handles the subjective as well as objective sentences and generate sentiment form them. 1.3 Objectives: The objective of this research work is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of classification as well as sentiment analysis because this analysis plays a very important role in analytics application. Till now Sentiment analysis focus on Subjectivity or Subjective sentiment i.e. explicit opinion and get idea about the people sentiment view on particular event, issue and products. Sentiment analysis does not consider objective statements although objective statements carry sentiment i.e. implicit opinion. So here the main objective is to handle subjective sentences as well as objective sentences and give better result of sentiment analysis. Classification of unstructured data and analysis of classified unstructured data are major objectives of me. Practical implementation will be also done by me in the next phase. 1.4 Scope: Scope of this dissertation is described as below. We are considering implicit and explicit opinion so sentiment analysis expected to be improved Analysis of unstructured data gives us important information about people choice and view We are proposed an approach which can be applied for close domain like â€Å"Indian Political news article†, â€Å"Movie Reviews†, â€Å"Stock Market News† and Product Review† so, with the consideration of implicit and explicit opinions we can generate precise view of people so industries can define their strategies. Business and Social Intelligence applications use this sentiment analysis so with this approach it’ll be efficient. Applications: There are so many application of Sentiment Analysis which is used now-a-day to generate predictive analysis for unstructured data. Areas of applications are Social and Business intelligence applications, Product reviews help us to define marketing or production strategies, Movie reviews analysis, News Analysis, Consider political news and comments of people and generate the analysis of election, Predict the effect of specific events or issues on people, Emotional identification of person can be also generated, Find trends in the world Comparative view can also be described for products, movies and events, Improve predictive analysis of return of investment strategies. 1.6 Challenges: There are following challenges which are exists in sentiment analysis are Deal with noisy text in sentiment analysis is difficult. Create SentiWordNet for open domain is challenging task i.e. make a universal SentiWordNet is the Challenging task. When a document discusses several entities, it is crucial to identify the text relevant to each entity. Current accuracy in identifying the relevant text is far from satisfactory.[5] There is a need for better modelling of compositional sentiment. At the sentence level, this means more accurate calculation of the overall sentence sentiment of the sentiment-bearing words, the sentiment shifters, and the sentence structure. [5] There are some approaches that use to identify sarcasm, they are not yet integrated within autonomous sentiment analysis systems.[5]

The Unconventional Kate Chopin Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

The Unconventional Kate Chopin Kate Chopin, a female author in the Victorian Era, wrote a large number of short stories and poems. She is most famous for her controversial novel The Awakening in which the main character struggles between society's obligations and her own desires. At the time The Awakening was published, Chopin had written more than one hundred short stories, many of which had appeared in magazines such as Vogue. She was something of a literary â€Å"lioness" in St. Louis and had numerous intellectual admirers. Within weeks after publication of The Awakening, this social landscape that had appeared so serenely comfortable became anything but serene and anything but comfortable. Of all things, death led Kate Chopin to write. The death of her brother, her beloved grandmother, her husband, and lastly, her mother left her with an overwhelming sadness and six children to raise, prompting her move to write. With such earnest promptings, Chopin took up writing at age thirty-eight. The publication of the love poem "If It Might Be" in January 1889 marked Chopin's first appearance in print. Many of Kate Chopin’s writings wave a backward glance to her childhood. Kate's grandmother, Madame Charleville, spent much time telling Kate stories that stirred her interest about people's lives, minds, and morals. Madame Charleville's favorite saying was, "One may know a great deal about people without judging them. God does that" (Oscar 17). Young Kate must have paid a great deal of attention. Three decades later, when she came to do her own storytelling, she would continue to leave judgment entirely to God. Kate Chopin’s first novel, At Fault, also refers to sentimen... ...m Blake, Chopin was interested in innocence and experience, and both of these themes run within The Awakening. It was this book, though after her death, that made her loved. Kate Chopin died in August of 1904 of a cerebral hemorrhage. She was an incredibly talented writer. She wrote about real issues and real feelings. Light and shadow play in her fiction. Moods come and go, representing the diverse events Chopin experienced. Unfortunately, like many other authors, Kate Chopin was never recognized for these incredible talents until it was far too late. Work Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Views On Kate Chopin. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 125-133. Oscar, Steven. Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening. New York: Rosen Publishers, 1992. 17-24. Thornton, Lawrence. "Kate Chopin." The Scribner Writers Series.CD-ROM, 2001: 1-9

Marketing Strategy at Ikea Essay

Synopsis The case study is to discuss about the different strategy used by IKEA to approach their customers. It is also talking about the localization concept from a global company based on the cultural demand from different countries worldwide. IKEA is also famous for their less expensive furniture, has some other strategies to â€Å"reach† the customers based on their needs. 4 Ps concept plays a very important role on IKEA’s success besides the way of shopping which is differ from all other their competitor. Company Background 1920s At the age of five Ingvar Kamprad starts selling matches to his next door neighbors and by the time he is seven, he starts selling to further neighborhood, using his bicycle. He buy matches in huge numbers cheap and re-sell them individually at a very low price but still make a good profit. From selling matches he expands to selling flower seeds, greeting cards, Christmas tree decorations, and later pencils and ball-point pens. 1940s-1950s The roots of a furniture dealer, Ingvar Kamprad is entrepreneurial in developing IKEA into a furniture retailer. This period sees the exploration of furniture design, self assembly, advertising, the use of a catalogue and a showroom to reach the many people. 1960s-1970s The IKEA concept starts to take place. New IKEA stores opened and hero products are developed such as POÄNG, KLIPPAN and BILLY bookcase. It is a time where concept takes shape and is documented in Ingvar Kamprad’s The Testament of a Furniture Dealer. 1980s IKEA expands dramatically into new markets such as USA, Italy, France and the UK. More IKEA classics arrive such as LACK and MOMENT. IKEA begins to take  the form of today’s modern IKEA. 1990s IKEA grows more by introducing Children’s IKEA and the focus is on home furnishing solutions to meet the needs of families with children. The IKEA Group is formed and responsibility for people and the environment is seen as a prerequisite for doing good business. 2000s IKEA expands into new markets such as Japan and Russia. Everything for the bedroom and kitchen is explored and presented in coordinated furnishing solutions. This period also sees the successes of several partnerships regarding social and environmental projects. IKEA’s Vision and Business Idea IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Their 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. IKEA’s mission: People have very thin wallet. We should take care of their interests. IKEA’s Product RangeIngvar Kamprad The IKEA product range focuses on good design and function at a low price. It offers home furnishing solutions for every room in the home. It has something for the romantic at heart, the minimalist and everyone in between. It is coordinated so that no matter which style you prefer our designers and product developers work hard to ensure that our products meet your day-to-day needs and eliminates the unnecessary. IKEA’s Low Prices Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision and our business idea. The basic thinking behind all IKEA products is that low prices make well-designed, functional home furnishings available to everyone. We are constantly trying to do everything a little better, a little simpler, more efficiently and always cost-effectively. A better everyday life We have taken the straightforward approach to the furniture business, by starting with developing furniture with the price tag in mind. This is the IKEA way, to maximize the use of raw materials in order to fulfill people’s needs and preferences by offering quality products at an affordable price. Social & Environmental Responsibility In 2004, IKEA published their first Social and Environmental Responsibility report. IKEA believes good society is good for IKEA with the passionate to create successful business in a responsible manner. That’s the reason sustainability is very important for IKEA’s strategic direction. Prioritizing sustainability drives further innovation and development. Managing resources with new ways to do things and developing skill set and expertise are very important in driving IKEA’s business. As a company with low price product must be a low cost company which include earth’s limited resources usage in a good manner. IKEA has made tremendous and valuable contribution across the world. Forests of Siberia, cotton fields of India, homes in New York, Lisbon and Shanghai are good examples of sustainability. IKEA blue bags are big, sturdy and sustainable. Out with plastic bags! In with reusable bags! SWOT analysis IKEAs objectives are easily achieved via their SWOT analysis and it is a  strategic planning tool too. It helps the business to focus on key issues. SWOT is the first step of planning based on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a business. Strengths and weaknesses are internal aspects and it is within the control of the business. They may refer to aspects of marketing, finance, manufacturing or organization. Opportunities and threats are external factors and they are outside the control of the business. These may include the environment, the economic situation, social changes or technological advances, such as the internet. Strengths Strengths could include a company’s specialist marketing expertise or its location. IKEA’s strengths include: a.Low cost structure At any economic situation, IKEA able to maintain the profit margin due to their â€Å"affordable† products. IKEA buy the products in bulk from suppliers with a lower price and get their customers to assemble the product by themselves, which gives customer a lower price product. Their long term partnership with their suppliers also ensures they have access to high quality material at reasonable prices. Their furniture is stylish, modern and functional. The company’s low cost structure is able to meet the customers’ need at any point of economic condition. b.Sustainability IKEA’s cost effective and Social & Environmental Responsibility concept is a unique strength of IKEA compare to their other competitors. IKEA use renewable, reusable and recycled materials as much as possible. Example, IKEA’s catalogues are printed in chlorine-free paper and contain at least 10% to 15% post consumer waste. All of their products come in cardboard, compact packaging for easy use and recyclability. These make IKEA outstanding from their competitors. Opportunities A business uses its strengths to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. IKEA believes that its environmentally focused business conduct will result in good returns even in a price sensitive market. Some of the opportunities that IKEA takes advantage of through its sustainability agenda are: a.IKEA can further invest on the â€Å"go green† movement and IKEA’s customers’ desire to have less of an impact on the environment. This concept is also denoting the demand for cheaper and greener products. b.Sustainability can be further maintained by offer tips and ideas online for customers to create a more sustainable home in any part of the world. It can also help to reduce carbon footprint by packaging in less material. . Weaknesses and threats Weaknesses IKEA has to acknowledge its weaknesses in order to improve and manage them. This can play a key role in helping it to set objectives and develop new strategies. IKEA’s weaknesses may include: a.The size IKEA is a warehouse style shopping centre. Because of their huge size, there are not enough people in a smaller region to maintain a store at that size. Also, IKEA find it difficult to penetrate a small market because they offer only home furnishing. Unlikely company like Target offer home furnishing besides clothing, groceries and also technology. b.The need for low cost products. This needs to be balanced against producing good quality products too. They are also need to differentiate itself and its products from other competitors. IKEA believes there is no compromise between being able to offer good quality products and low prices. c.Communication Communication or updates on their environmental activities with its consumers and stakeholders must be consistent and up to date. IKEA produces publications in print and online (for example ‘People and the Environment’) and carries out major TV and radio campaigns to enable the business to communicate with different target audiences. Threats If a company is aware of possible external threats, it can plan to counteract them. By generating new ideas, IKEA can use a particular strength to defend against threats in the market. Threats to IKEA may stem from: a.Competition More competitors are now entering the low price household and furnishings markets. Example Home Depot is the 2nd largest retailer in the world and also a huge threat for IKEA. Home Depot also provides hardware, lumber, kitchen appliances, furniture and many other products. IKEA needs to reinforce its unique qualities to compete with this kind of â€Å"giants†. Question 1 – What are some of the things IKEA is doing right to reach consumers in different markets? What else could it be doing? IKEA Group operating 301 stores in 41 countries worldwide (IKEA statistics 2012) including franchisees. IKEA’s marketing strategy starts with their business concept as stated in IKEA’s vision statement: The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We make this possible by  offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing product at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. (IKEA Corporate Website) IKEA has a principle to work in the same way in every country. This standardized approach provides operational advantages besides some disadvantages due to the different markets. Based on the marketing mix which starts with product strategy, product covers more than the physical goods that a company wants to sell. It is the goods & service combination that a company offers to the target market. Thus, IKEA offers a whole range of product with the pricing which supposed to be the same (95%) with very small adaptations for all countries and in all stores worldwide. The pricing of products are comparatively low to what the consumers can find in a competing store. The basic aim of IKEA is to deliver high value at a low price. IKEA has been cutting price in most of the countries. IKEA is also source it’s products from various companies all over the world rather than a small number of suppliers like many of the retailers do. IKEA has 1,300 suppliers from 53 countries, who can supply products as per local taste based on their needs. Most of the IKEA stores are placed out of city centre, out of town location due to a lower land cost and traffic access. Exceptional for UK stores (Coventry – 2007 & Southampton – 2009) located in city centre as a response to UK government restrictions blocking retail establishment outside city centers. It is a seven floors store with a different flow compare to other IKEA stores. Normally the stores will be 2 floors with a car parking availability and also comes with restaurants. The restaurants sell foods according to the local taste and also it opens daily before the rest of the stores. Example in Canada, breakfast includes eggs, sausage, and hash browns and various add-ons like bacon and pancakes at additional costs. In the United States, the local variation serves scrambled eggs, bacon, country potatoes and choice of Swedish pancakes or French toast sticks. The selling environment and service of IKEA stores are also adjusted to fit with local taste. Example like DIY concept is fully accepted by Sweden and UK where the consumers believe that’s the price they pay for the low prices products. Whereby in China, DIY concept is new to them because of the cheap labor and the prices are also not perceived as generally low. Q1.1What else could it be doing? 1.Developing competitive advantage – because IKEA has a low cost structure, they should be able to expand online market easily without incurring too much additional costs. IKEA also should look at an expansion to the West Coast, particularly California. Also, expansion into regions with enough people to sustain a store of their size. 2.Developing a strategic focus – going online is not only reaching potential customers in less populated area, it is also will help customers to catch up with competitors. Besides that, younger people (Gen Y) willing to buy online more compare to the older people. Question 2 – IKEA has essentially changed the way people shop for furniture. Discuss the pros and cons of this strategy. Factors that encourage customer’s choice of visit to IKEA – Pros i.Social motives for the customer – the shoppers go in group since the outlet is huge and it will take time to shop. Also the location is far from city. It’s a kind of short trip instead of shop-visit which consume a lot of time and they prefer to go in a group (friends or family). ii.Availability of other services and amenities – Restaurants (food and beverages) and baby-sitting services within the stores which gives a greater convenient to all customer. Parking is also not an issue since most of the stores located far from the city. iii.Information availability – online info is more useful. Customers can  surf online catalogues in various languages for inspiration and planning purpose before go to the store. This will also help them to catch up with their competitors. Younger generation will be also attracted with this online concept because they are the IT savvy generation compare to the older generation who is still a little â€Å"doubt† about buying online. iv.Access – Operating hours are good. Long hours on weekend very helpful for those customers work odd hours and also busy on weekdays. v.Speed of delivery – no waiting time as they go and pick up their products. Factors that discourage customer’s choice of visit to IKEA – Cons i.Design – the color and bulbs used make the environment dull. Less store assistants and the routes are very long also make customers not really prefer to shop in IKEA. Customers feel bored when they are required to follow one special route instead go direct to the product that they want to purchase. ii.Product availability – difficult to find, stored somewhere else, arrange in an illogical order. Also, ONLY furniture available in IKEA unlikely Home Depot provides all kind of products / items beside furniture. iii.Amount of shopping time  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it is time consuming. The route makes them to go through all products and to get the product seen before must go a big turn again. Also, customers ended up buying more than planned as going thru all the display products. iv.Assemble yourself – most of the IKEA products are need to be assembled by customers themselves. If you’re a handyman, or someone experienced with tools, it is fine. But for the normal men or even women, assembling some pieces might be slightly difficult. Also it can be ended up doing something wrong. Conclusion In conclusion, IKEA is a good place to shop furniture with a lot of different designs. Less expensive furniture made IKEA grow consistently around the world. IKEA has their own way of sustaining their business for decades. The overall identity of IKEA is based in Smà ¥land, historical and thrift are strong characteristics of the region and its people. All IKEA policies live up to this standard from the products that they sell. Exhibit 1 – Facts & Figures FY2011 References 1.The Testament of a Furniture Dealer – A Little IKEA Dictionary by Ingvar Kamprad (founder). Published by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2007 2.Standardized Marketing Strategies in Retailing? IKEA’s marketing Strategies in Sweden, the UK and China by Steve Burt, University of Stirling, 2008. 3.IKEA Facts and Figures -2011 http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_AU/pdf/yearly_summary/Welcome_inside_2011.pdf 4.Student Info – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html 5.The IKEA Experience – A case study on how different factors in retail environment affect customer experience by Rebecka Isaksson & Mirela Suljanovic. 6.History – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/history/index.html 7.Introduction – SWOT analysis and sustainable business planning – IKEA case studies and information The Times 100 http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/ikea/swot-analysis-and-sustainable-business-planning/introduction.html 8.IKEA International A.S. History & Company Profile http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/ikea-international-a-s-history/ 9.Kerry Capell, â€Å"IKEA: How the Sweedish Retailer Became a Global Cult Brand,† BusinessWeek, November 14, 2005 10.IKEA group corporate site n.d., About the IKEA Group. Cited from (08.05.2009) http://193.108.42.168/?ID=25

Free Essays on The Miller’s tale by Chaucer

How does Chaucer present the characters of Nicholas and Absolon? The Miller’s tale by Chaucer presents the reader who two characters, Nicholas and Absolon. It can be said that the pair are opposites of one another. It is also open to interpretation to who out of the pair is the ‘Courtly Lover’. Some may say that it is Nicholas and others Absolon. It can be said that this idea of the pair is not easy to understand and will be able to convey. The character of Nicholas is an important character in the tale. This is because the prologue presents the reader with the suggestion that the tale will reflect the Miller. The Miller is a drunk who loves to tell rude stories which draw people’s attention especially those of men. It can be said that Nicholas is in the forefront of this idea. The character of Nicholas is an extremely private man, â€Å"alone, withouten any compaigne†, as he lives alone in a rented bedroom. We can presume that he has a single bed as he has no company and that he and Alison don’t sleep together in this room. Another suggestion for Nicholas being a private and sly character is because the reader doesn’t receive any physical description of him. The reader finds out more information about Nicholas’ room then they do him. Some argue that Chaucer has done this deliberately to reinforce the idea that he is a private man. We never see Nicholas anywhere bar the Carpenterâ€⠄¢s house. He plays his music on his own, â€Å"So sweetly that all the chamber rong†, which is significant because it shows he is gifted and doesn’t want others to hear his gift. It can also be seen to be a way of wooing women as music is romantic. Furthermore Nicholas is a well educated man. He is very interested in astrology, â€Å"his astrelabie longinge for his art†; this is a subject which many at the time wouldn’t have understood. He has the ability to predict events, â€Å"to deman by interogacious†, especially the weather. Anothe... Free Essays on The Miller’s tale by Chaucer Free Essays on The Miller’s tale by Chaucer How does Chaucer present the characters of Nicholas and Absolon? The Miller’s tale by Chaucer presents the reader who two characters, Nicholas and Absolon. It can be said that the pair are opposites of one another. It is also open to interpretation to who out of the pair is the ‘Courtly Lover’. Some may say that it is Nicholas and others Absolon. It can be said that this idea of the pair is not easy to understand and will be able to convey. The character of Nicholas is an important character in the tale. This is because the prologue presents the reader with the suggestion that the tale will reflect the Miller. The Miller is a drunk who loves to tell rude stories which draw people’s attention especially those of men. It can be said that Nicholas is in the forefront of this idea. The character of Nicholas is an extremely private man, â€Å"alone, withouten any compaigne†, as he lives alone in a rented bedroom. We can presume that he has a single bed as he has no company and that he and Alison don’t sleep together in this room. Another suggestion for Nicholas being a private and sly character is because the reader doesn’t receive any physical description of him. The reader finds out more information about Nicholas’ room then they do him. Some argue that Chaucer has done this deliberately to reinforce the idea that he is a private man. We never see Nicholas anywhere bar the Carpenterâ€⠄¢s house. He plays his music on his own, â€Å"So sweetly that all the chamber rong†, which is significant because it shows he is gifted and doesn’t want others to hear his gift. It can also be seen to be a way of wooing women as music is romantic. Furthermore Nicholas is a well educated man. He is very interested in astrology, â€Å"his astrelabie longinge for his art†; this is a subject which many at the time wouldn’t have understood. He has the ability to predict events, â€Å"to deman by interogacious†, especially the weather. Anothe...

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