Fahrenheit 451 By F. Bradbury - 1131 Words

Fahrenheit 451 is a very interesting book that shows its many themes in different ways. Through a compare and contrast between the our world now and the world presented in Fahrenheit 451 we will be able to see the different themes and the factors that influence them. The four main factors that influence the story are the controlling government, terrible social conditions, advances technology and censorship. Although, some a play a bigger part than others, without all the them the book s final outcome could have changed in a drastic way. The government in Fahrenheit 451 ties into most of the drama throughout the book. In the book, the government is constantly trying to control its citizens. It keeps a tight leash with constant†¦show more content†¦The men who came to pump her stomach, said they see around nine or ten cases a night. It’s the first clue you get to prove the unhappiness of the society. Everyone is constantly trying to escape or fake happiness , but with the society they live in will not allow it. This is shown in the second chapter with Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles. They are constantly trying to justify their actions to prove their own happiness. When the women start talking about the war, Mrs. Phelps talks about her husband Pete being away at war. She says, â€Å"The Army said so. Forty-eight hours they said, and everyone will be home.† This phrase is followed with her saying, â€Å"I ll let old Pete do the worrying. Not me. I m not worried.† In these two short lines you c an tell how desperate Mrs. Phelps is to act the part of a worry free citizen, always happy. Mrs. Bowles also shows her lack of emotion when talking about her children. She wouldn’t have a natural birth, she insisted on a caesarean section and she justified her having children by saying, â€Å"The race must go on.† However, our own society is constantly overwhelmed with emotion unafraid to hid it. This is comparable to the many people in our society trying to fake happiness. Although the suicide rate is not as high, it is become harder for people to find happiness causing them to do drastic things. Fahrenheit 451 only mentions two examples of technology more than one time. In the very beginning of the book weShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 By F. Bradbury1261 Words   |  6 Pages His hands were ravenous.† The meaning of this quote explains how the main character of Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, blames his hands for numerous crimes in the course of the book. They become a dominant symbol for Montag’s instincts of rebellion, will, and moral imperative. I got the opportunity to read this book my last year in high school, and I consider it one of the best works I have read. Fahrenheit 451 is one of the best works I’ve read because it impacts me by the knowledge and truth it revealsRead MoreThe Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury846 Words   |  4 Pagesliterature. The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451 both stand out as stunning literary works. But their success is not the only thing they share. Though they are very dissimil ar in setting as well as genre, the two books have the same theme. The theme is the universal message the book is trying to inform the readers about. Fitzgerald and Bradbury both convey the theme of the pursuit of knowledge versus the pleasure of ignorance in The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451. In The Great Gatsby, the themeRead MoreRay BradburyS Fahrenheit 451 Shows A Society Where, Similar1070 Words   |  5 PagesRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 shows a society where, similar to modern day America, technology and conformity are praised, but unique ideas are seen as taboo. Many have heard phrases to the effect of â€Å"Don’t watch so much TV, it’ll rot your brain!† But is there any validity to these claims? Ray Bradbury thought so when he wrote the novel, and he is not alone in these beliefs. Many believe that television can have detrimental effects on one s intellect, as well as their individuality. Similarly,Read MoreTechnology in Fahrenheit 451 and the Real World930 Words   |  4 Pagestechnology affects society in Fahrenheit 451 and the real world Every day, everywhere people are using technology to check email, calculate tax, and talk with each other. Technology has greatly affected the social structure today and in Fahrenheit 451. Technology has effected how the TV controls our lives, how we communicate with one another, and how strong the social structure is In both the real world and Fahrenheit 451. Similarly to the real world, in Fahrenheit 451 the TV is a habitual actionRead MoreReflection Of Fahrenheit 451766 Words   |  4 PagesFahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is a unique book that takes place in a dystopian future in which Guy Montag’s life has turned utterly upside down. His peculiar neighbor named Clarisse, who narrated his stories about the peaceful past which opened his eyes to a twisted present where people pay more attention to TV Families and not their actual families. Where people continue their senseless, ignorant lives blind to the fact that men like Montag who burn history to ashes, jail readers andRead MoreAnalysis of The Hapiness Conspiracy and Fahrenheit 451729 Words   |  3 Pagesnatural that we should actively seek it. Ironically though, in our naà ¯ve belief that we can somehow augment the amount of happiness in our world, we are actually making our world more depressing to live in. Both John F. Schumaker, in The Happiness Conspiracy, a nd Ray Bradbury, in Fahrenheit 451, argue that our myopic pursuit of happiness is actually counterproductive. The two authors attempt to persuade the reader that happiness is, and should be, an almost-serendipitous byproduct of a truly fulfillingRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1952 Words   |  8 Pagesplight of Ray Bradbury’s novel about a dystopian American society, Fahrenheit 451, which contains many ideas and bits of content that some people believed should be censored. In fact, one of the reasons that this novel was censored for displaying the dangers of censorship, which is both extremely ironic, and telling as to where this society is going. Thanks to several distributors and oversensitive parents and teachers, Fahrenheit 451 has been banned in many schools over the years, and replaced withRead MoreAlliteration In Leda And The Swan By Ray Bradbury1852 Words   |  8 Pagesusually) (Literature: A Portable Anthology). Example: In Fahrenheit 451, Montag states, â€Å"It’s fine work. Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn’em to ashes. That’s our official slogan.† The repetition sound of â€Å"M,† â€Å"W,† and â€Å"F,† show alliteration (Bradbury 6). Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, place, place, event, literary work, or work of art (Literary Devices). Example: On page fifty-seven of Fahrenheit 451, Beatty says, â€Å"Colored people don’t like Little Black SamboRead MoreFahrenheit 4511858 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Jhoan Aguilar Mrs. Armistead English III H (4) October 24, 2013 The Exhort of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury created the novel Fahrenheit 451 as a way to admonish future generations against social and economic trends that would emerge during the twentieth century. I. Introduction II. Reasons behind novel A. World events B. Personal events III. Economic trends of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries A. The economics of consumerism B. Economic effects on society IV. Social trendsRead MoreThe Depiction Of Society In Bradburys Fahrenheit 4511335 Words   |  6 PagesDepiction of the Future Within the novels Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, and 1984 the authors depict what they imagine the future will be like. Society today is corrupted by advanced technology, plagued by censorship, and intimate communication has been shattered. Although each novel has something comparable to today’s society, Bradbury’s depiction of society in Fahrenheit 451 is very comparable to America today. The society in the novel Fahrenheit 451 uses censorship to eliminate one’s feeling

Australia Based Super Market Retail Chain †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Australia Based Super Market Retail Chain? Answer: Introducation Woolworths is an Australia based super market retail chain store. The company also serves liquor and other merchandise to the customers. In terms of revenue, Woolworths is the second largest company in Australia to earn revenue of AS$59 billion. The company was originated in the year 1924 by Percy Christmas, Stanley Chatterton, Cecil Scott Waine, George Creed and Ernest Williams. The company holds its headquarter in NSW Australia (Wahyuni 2010). The purpose of selecting Woolworths for the competitive analysis is that the company has efficiently flourished its market in different sectors of the company. Also the company managed to adopt the best practice of management from the competitors and strategically used it in its business to gain the market capitalization. Further the strategies of the company are discussed below: The basic goal of implementation of a business strategy is to increase the sales of the company along with expanding customer base. The company enjoys the 80% market capitalization in Australia by forming strategically co-operation with Coles (duopoly). Thus, due to which the company became one of the fastest growing company of Australia (Fernie, and Sparks 2014). On analyzing the strategy used by the company is that, Woolworths evaluated the market conditions and then made changes in their product accordingly. Further the company analyzed the following four questions: Where do we compete: under this analysis the company evaluated the market condition and industry analysis of the product. The company the company efficiently analyzed the market which gave them the information that no other company is currently prevailing in the market. This helped the company to form alliance with Coles in order to succeed (Luiz, et. al., 2011). Unique proposition of the product offered: afterwards Woolworths analyzed the internal process of the company. They evaluated that what unique specification they can provide to the prospective customers which can retain them. Also the company smartly imitated the management practices of their competitors i.e. Wal-Mart to succeed in their current market. This helped the company to gain the trust of the customers through its brand advocacy as well. As the mission of the company suggests that they to pu customers at their first priority which gave the company its USP, that is to sell according to the needs of the customers. Hence, it shall be noticed that the company used all the strategies prevailing in the market to gain the competitive edge. Resource and capabilities: the company Woolworths efficiently used its inputs and drives them to produce valuable output for the customers. Also the company initiated to become end to end retailer. Also, the management of the company focused getting feedbacks from customers so that they can look after the key areas to change in their business (Kang, and Gray 2013). How to endure USP: in order to succeed in the market it is mandatory for a company to maintain the quality of work. The company Woolworths always kept customers at is first priority resulting to which they generated maximum satisfaction of customers. So, in order to maintain their growth rate Woolworths initiated excellent management system and proper use of resources available to them. Ford Motor Company Ford is an America based multinational company having its business activities worldwide. The company manufactures automotive products. The company was found by Henry Ford in the year 1903. Ford earns revenue of US$ 151.8 billion, which gives an overview that the company is holding large scale manufacturing process worldwide (David 2011). The reason of choosing ford is that the company the company strategically used the resources available to them, and generated products satisfying the needs of the customers. Thus, due to this reason the company efficiently increased its global market share, resulting in growth of the company. Further talking about the competitive advantage which the company received is through its strategic internal management process. The company strategically designed two programs to function the activities of the organization, i.e. Centralized leadership program: through this program the company initiated the company to expand its market opportunities by giving the decision making authority to top management. This process helped the company to manufacture products desired by the customers and to maximum their satisfaction level (Holmes 2012). Decentralized process of implementing policies: under this process, Ford strategically improved the internal management process of the company to initiate efficiency of external process as well. The company managed to remove the different layer of management, resulting in flexibility of working. The communication process was also improved with the aid of this program. Ford motor company also initiated to make optimum use of its resources and generate returns to maximize the benefits received to the customers. The company gained the competitive edge in the market due to their efficient management strategies implemented in the organization. in additional to it the company also initiated the following two strategies to differentiate its product from the market: Product Differentiation: Ford designed the products specifically according to the requirements of the prospective customers (Wilson, and McKinlay 2010). They initiated partnerships with powerhouses in order to provide the customers entertainment benefits in cars and truck only. The company adopted the technological change prevailing in the market and instigated them to provide differentiation to the product offered. Along with entertainment the company also focused on providing luxurious cars with safety measures. This process gained the trust of customers and led them to purchase the products of the company. Low cost Leadership Model: the company adopted this model in order to cut excessive production costs and provide cost effective products to the customers. With the aid of this process, the business expense of the company reduced resulting to which surplus reserves of the company increased. The raw material expenses were reduced and an online process of manufacturing products was introduced by the company (Laudon, and Laudon 2011). The feature which helped the company in gaining the market share is that the company focused on their core values and never drifted the management focus on other products. Ford target the market fit for their working rather than targeting different segments of the market. This initiated the company to gaining trust of the customers and providing better services to them. References David, F.R., 2011. Strategic management: Concepts and cases. Peaeson/Prentice Hall. Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014. Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan page publishers. Holmes, P., 2012. Turbulence, coherent structures, dynamical systems and symmetry. Cambridge university press. Kang, H. and Gray, S.J., 2013. Segment reporting practices in Australia: Has IFRS 8 made a difference?. Australian Accounting Review, 23(3), pp.232-243. Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2011. Essentials of management information systems. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Luiz, J., Luiz, J., Bowen, A., Bowen, A., Beswick, C. and Beswick, C., 2011. Woolworths South Africa: making sustainability sustainable. Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 1(1), pp.1-21. Wahyuni, D., 2010. The Importance of Supply Chain Management in Competitive Business: A Case Study on Woolworths. Wilson, J.M. and McKinlay, A., 2010. Rethinking the assembly line: Organisation, performance and productivity in Ford Motor Company, c. 190827. Business History, 52(5), pp.760-778.

BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay Example

BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay Example BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay BAA Strategic Management Issues Essay BAA Strategic Management Issues BY Elodte7788 1. Introduction The following report has been undertaken to evaluate the strategic management issues concerned with the British Airport Authority (BAA). Strategic management is concerned with the overall direction of the whole organization. (Finlay, 2000). With the aid of a provided case study the strategies which are currently in place have been recognized and evaluated and the evidence has been used along with research carried out in textbooks and online Journals and the internet. The models provided by strategic management theorists have enabled possible future strategies to be valuated by showing a range of strategic options and how they will be best suited to a large organization in their industry. The report has been split into subsections due to the complex nature of BAAS operations and because of the many different internal and external factors which can affect the organization. The first section of this report gives a general introduction to the BAA company with an evaluation of their mission statement and the various stakeholders involved. The second section concentrates on an internal evaluation of the environment and identifies the strengths and eaknesses of the organization. The corporate culture is outlined and the resources are analysed by evaluating the company against models such as Porters Value Chain and the Cultural Web. Once an internal analysis has been carried out it is necessary to undertake an external analysis which constitutes the next section of this report. An external analysis is concerned with the environment in which BAA is operating, and therefore it is inevitable that the airline industry as a whole is evaluated. Porters five forces are used to analyse the competitive environment and the industry life cycle is valuated in order to help suggest possible strategies to keep the organization from going stagnant. The final section of the report looks at developing strategies and the problems associated with implementing these strategies. SAF analysis is used and proven to be a vital way of developing effective strategies. Issues of control are also examined. 2. Purpose of the organization 2. 1. Mission evaluation A majority 0T Duslnesses essentlally use an organlsatlonal vlslon ana mlsslon to establish the general direction of the firm with organizational objectives focused to define more specific targets. It seems that it may be too complicated for BAA to draw up a mission statement as need get all their stakeholders together, besides they also do not know what the future holds. The fact that there is no mission statement enables things to be more flexible and also can be changed. The downside however would be critical. Ferrovial the key major stakeholders could be considered as the highest players in this organization, yet BAA tends to be moving on regardless not it cannot be static. BAAS values are considered in terms of how the organization is run and include: To assess environmental impact on surrounding communities To provide a health and safety environment To achieve excellent value for their stakeholders and passengers To assess economic benefits and create employment for the local communities To inspire their team, encourage teamwork, sharing learning and open communication BAA continue to state that the way in which the organization run is much more than Just simply hitting targets and profit margins and it has certain responsibilities to society that they take very seriously suggesting each our their directors, employees and suppliers strive to meet its core commitments. . 2. Stakeholder analysis Stakeholders are those individuals or groups who depend on an organization to fulfil their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organization depends. Oohnson, etc. , 2006) It is important to understand expectation of all groups in detail, and how they are likely to seek influence over an organizations mission and strategies. Oohnson, etc. , 2006) Stakeholder mapping could be used to identify stakeh older expectations and power. It underlines the importance of two issues: how interested each stakeholder group is to impress its expectations on the organizations purpose and choice of pecific strategies, whether stakeholders have the power to do so. Oohnson, etc. , 2006) Figure 2. 1 The power/interest matrix The figure 2. 1 power/interest matrix shows managers and major shareholders are key players, have both high power and high level of interest. Employees, local communities, minor shareholders are keep informed groups, suppliers, media and aircraft manufacturers are keep satisfied. 2. 3. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility is identified as a concept whereby companies iintegrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their nteraction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis by Green Paper presented by European Commission in July 2001. (Cited in Hooley, etc. 2008) Strength in corporate social responsibility may bring competitive advantage. ( Branco Rodrigues, 2006, cited in Hooley, etc. ,2008) Questions of social responsibility are increasingly significant, posing both risks and opportunities. 3. Internal envlronment analysis 3. 1 . Resource Analysis When assessing BAAS overall situation, the identification of the strengths and weaknesses its internal environment was an important element. The functional area f the organization was considered when auditing the resources, as this is where resources become deployable. In terms of its Physical resources BAA currently own and operate seven I-JK airports and also have stakes in eleven airports outside the I-JK. With air travel demand now forecast to double, the company plan to invest E8 billion in South-east airports, E500 million in Scottish airports and include a fifth terminal for Heathrow, yet owe E7. billion in debt and are facing a credit crunch, so in terms of Financial resources they have none. The Intangible resources could nclude reputation through brands such as popular airports, established relationships with travellers as are surveying 70,000 passengers to get views each year and also the local community. BAA also has a reputation of its products and serv ices the firm own, for example retailers, world duty-free, and other luxury brands they own. Ferrovial is one of the worlds leading construction groups who specialise in four strategic lines of business, Airport, Construction, Transport infrastructure and Services. Through its subsidiary Cintra, Ferrovial also specialise in the construction nd construction of 20 toll road concessions around the world and are also experience to manage around 250000 car parking spaces. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) control all flight paths and aircraft routes at UK airports, regulates airlines, airports and National Air Traffic Service whereby it could be considered BAA has established relationships with these organizations. BAA also has an established relationship with the government and a good reputation as the year 1986 saw the Airports Act being passed, authority dissolve as all its property rights and liabilities were passed to them. In terms of assessing Human resources BAA has specialist knowledge of the unique airport environment that allows them to successfully iintegrate retailing in an balanced, yet BAA has no established culture and with a current clash of culture between Ferrovial and BAA could be the result of the its recent departures. As result human capital may be affected such as the assessment of skills, knowledge, and decision making abilities, training and expertise of employees, adaptability of employees therefore could affect the level of commitment and loyalty. The revenues from commercial activities in retailing account for a ignificant proportion of its total revenue, helping BAA maintain some of the competitive charges faced with. The intangible resources over time may become more important than the tangible as they can be the main source for competitive advantage an example of this may be ensuring a good reputation of its products and services are maintained. . 2. Porters Value Chain When examining the internal environment of BAA it is useful to use Porters Generic Value Chain (1985). When Porter uses the term Value its meaning can be defined as follows; Value is measured by the total revenue, a reflection of the price a firms product ommands and the units it can sell. A firm is profitable if the value it commands exceeds the costs involved in creating the product. (Cole, 1997). Figure (3. 1) below shows Porters Generic Value Chain taken from Cole, 1997 and as can be seen it shows that it splits the organization into five different operations, which are categorised as primary activities. In terms of an organization such as BAA inbound logistics will be the receiving of goods for sale in their retail outlets, bars and restaurants within the airports owned by BAA, and it is possible to count the input of assengers into the airports, as the airports are where these activities take place. Operations are the activities which occur within the airports and for BAA this will include check in, security, retail, and passport control. The best way to regard outbound logistics for BAA is the successful movement of passengers through the airport and onto their designated flights with the minimum of delays. Marketing and sales concerns the different operations and services provided by BAA and the different ways in which the products and services can be purchased and inducing the customer to do so. Cole, 1997). The service section can be described as, the activities associated with providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the product. ( Porter, 1985). There are linkages between the activities and they are not isolated from one another. One aactivity often affects the cost or performance of other ones. (Lecture notes, lecture 4). The support activities which are shown going vertically on the top part of the model are self explanatory, except for the term procurement, which in this model can be regarded as the purchasing function. Figure 3. 1 Porters Generic Value Chain The BAA case study reveals that; BAA is a complex company and much of our work is done in partnership with other businesses and organizations. This has to be taken into consideration when assessing the company using Porters Value Chain. A list of services to be iincluded under BAAS control include: Airlines. These are other organizations and would probably be best categorised in both the inbound and outbound logistics sections as they are inputs into the organization and also help carry passengers out of the airports once they have experienced the services on offer. Civil Aviation Authority. A ital part of the operation including safety measures which are a primary concern in every organization within the aviation industry, especially in todays climate. Commercial services. Such as catering, shopping, car hire and banking services. These are operations which are not outsourced and are therefore profitable and add value to the organization. A customer can prepare for his travel within the airport allowing convenience and this adds value to the customers perception of the experience. Immigration National Air Traffic services. Public transport operator. These are extremely beneficial partnerships as they rovide customers with easy access into BAAS airports and help produce the infrastructure, thus creating great value to the organization. For BAA, the primary activities are well coordinated between them (infrastructure, operation, outbound, marketing ana sales, servlces) ana contrlDute to tne Important actlvlty 0T Its airports However the new security measures causing flight delays and long waiting time queues can represent an obstacle for the outbound. Another cause of flight delays and waiting time can also be accredited to the size of infrastructure too small for handling an increasing number of passengers. The infrastructure has been affected by the management of Ferrovial. English managers left since the takeover of Ferrovial. Also the debt of Ferrovial has lead to reduce the effective of its employees touching the human resources management. However value can be added in technology development and procurement. The procurement of extra security equipment can help to overcome the problems of delays and waiting time, and therefore improve the operations of BAA. 3. 3. cultural web The cultural web identifies 6 inter related elements that help to make up what Johnson and Scholes call the paradigm of the work environment. BAA has no established culture. However BAA should be also confronted with Ferrovial since this last one can have influence on the company. Since the takeover, BAA is under a strict control. This has provoked some clash and English managers dissatisfied with the new rules of Ferrovial, left. Also the debt of the company has lead to redundancies within the company and Ferrovial is accused to be only cost driven. The group is not popular with the media either. There is evidence that BAA is reluctant to the new management of Ferrovial and in the paradigm we can therefore mention a clash of cultures. Figure 3. 2 Culture Web Figure 3. 2 Culture Web helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a company. It can make realise that sometimes corporate culture can be elusive: the intentions of a company are different from the reality. The cultural web can be used to correct this gap by taking each element aside and compare after the reality with what the company wants as for its culture. Henceforth, the company knows more precisely what aspects need to be changed. For BAA, there is some evidence showing a gap between strategic intent and reality. For example in the statement, BAA says it is ital that we engage our stakeholders in open and honest discussion implying that they have good relations with them. However, more recently the relations with stakeholders have been affected especially with the media, politicians and regulators. Most of companys statements are too idealised. It is not really about what people (employees or customers) experience daily and does not really consider the real values and practices of the company. What can be questioned in the cultural web is the control. Ferrovial imposed its rules without adapting to the English market. This ffected the relations with shareholders and the management structure of BAA as English managers left. It was in the interest of Ferrovial to keep these managers as they had more experience of running a company like BAA and knew the English market better. A strategy more appropriate for the company would have been to adopt a participative leadership (Likert, 1961). It mearns for the company working in cooperation with its employees by taking account of their ideas and suggestions. Even if at the end the company makes the decisions, they remain open to new ideas. 34 cultural lypes Another important and useful way of analysing the internal sectors of the organization is to look at the cultural types that exist within BAA as an organization. In order to do this the report looks at three different models. Firstly, BAAS strategies will be compared against the Miesling and Wolfe model (1989), and this is shown below in figure (3. 2). Figure 3. 2. The Miesling and Wolfe Model. On the model above two crosses have been plotted. The first cross at the bottom of the model marked BAA indicates what the authors believe where BAA would put themselves with known cause and effect relationships and a dynamic approach to nvironmental change. However, it is thought that the environmental change will be more stable than BAA would portray themselves. This is because any reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will easily be outweighed by the annual increase in air travel through their airports. It is also going to have to expand into green environments for their expansions such as terminal 5 at Heathrow. Therefore, the second cross, which lies in the computational planning style/analytical decision making indicates a more realistic position for them to lie. Greenley (1989), describes a computational style as; based on an ideal model of planning using a rational pproach, where perfect knowledge of the environment leads to an analysis which can result in decision making which is devoid of irrational behavior. It assumes a long-term rationale of profit maximisation and assumes that the personal aims of managers coincide with company objectives. Greenley, 1989). The second model to be used is a more simplistic approach to cultural types within an organization and is illustrated below in figure (3. 3). Figure 3. 3. Classification of generic cultures, Deal and Kennedy (1982). Once again the same principal has been used where two crosses have been plotted onto the chart. This model is done by analysing the degree of risk the organization is willing to take against the speed of feedback give n to the company. The cross labelled BAA is where the authors believe BAA would put themselves, but the cross in the process culture is the more likely position with a slower speed of feedback and a lower degree of risk taken than BAA would make out. The result of this model, the process culture seems to be ssimilar to the results of the Miesling and Wolfe model, which showed analytical decision making. The last model to be used is the Miles and Snow (1978) who identify hree dominant organizational cultures; The defender culture which view change as threatening, this is not possible in the airline industry as changes happen rapidly. BAA has also shown evidence that they are prepared for change with the implementation of new technology and the expansions in progress. Therefore, the defender culture can be discounted. Prospector cultures thrive on change with flexibility in management. BAA does not show much evidence of flexible management and therefore leaves the last culture, which is the analyser culure, which matches the results of the other two models used. Miles and Snow (1978) describe the analyser culture as those that seek steady growth in the market through very detailed planning and control systems. (Lecture 3) 4 External Environment Analysis Analysis of the operating environment helps to identify current and potential strategic position. The macro-environment analysis consists of broad environment factors that impact on all organizations, which provided by the PEST framework to identify. Then the five forces framework would be used to understand how the competitive dynamics within and around an industr y are changing. 4. 1 . PEST Model It is important to build up an understanding of how changes in the macro- environment are likely to impact on individual organization. Oohnson, etc. 2006) The PEST framework would be used to identify how future trends in the political, economic, social and technological environments might impinge on BAA. It helps managers consider how strategies might need to change depending on the different ways in which the business environment might change. There is PEST analysis as following which show some of the main factors influence the organization. These factors are not independent of each other, may are linked. Political Air Transport white paper in December 2003 and Follow-up report in 2006 by the government set out the UKs ppolicy for sustainable aviation industry. Air transport portal of the European Commission adopted a communication in September 2005 setting a strategy for reducing the climate change impact of aviation. EIJ Emissions Trading Scheme introduces the policies across Europe to tackle emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The new ELI-US Air Transport Agreement takes effect on 30 March 2008. European airlines can fly without restrictions from any point in the EIJ to any point in the US. This ppolicy will bring more competition, but also security and environment issues. Economic factors In 2001, aviation contributed ‚Â ¬13 billion to I-JK GDP which is 2% of total GDP. The UK aviation industry directly employs about 200,000 people. Aviations provision of transport infrastructure on which many other parts of the economy depend. Airlines and airports invest around ‚Â ¬2. 5 billion a year. Socio-cultural factors There is more travelling by flight nowadays on both leisure and business purpose. Aviation has now replace shipping as the primary mearns of transport for high-value, nternationally competitive goods and services. Technological factors Governments Transport White Paper in July 1998 clears out the future technology will take-up in the I-JK. Technologies predicted to enter service before 2030 with developments in the 5 to 10 years time period and potential to substantially enhance capacity and mitigate environmental impact. Technological advance will be fundamental to introducing substantial capacity improvements, such as Wake Vortex technologies, sophisticated management systems and data link technologies Training of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers trained aircraft maintenance engineers to meet he needs. New aircraft A-380 reduces noise, only as 25% of 747 competltlve envlronment o e P rt rs Hve Forces This tool was created by Harvard Business School professor, Michael Porter, to analyze the attractiveness and likely-profitability of an industry. Since publication, it has become one of the most important business strategy tools. Buyers Buyers are the customers of BAA, including passengers, airlines, retailers and other tenants. As BAA is dominant in the I-JK market, Buyers have limited choice for other supply sources. Also BAA is an international company meaning that they are dealing ith passengers from all over the world. Therefore Buyers are not Just located on one place, they are not concentrated. This aspect limits the power of Buyers. Substitutes Substitutes for BAA are the other airport companies in I-JK, Manchester Airport Group, Abertis, Peel Airports. Substitutes are not a real threat for BAA. BAA deals with 147,6 million passengers and the second bigger group coming after BAA, which is Manchester Airport Group deals only with 28,3 million of passengers. These figures show the dominance of BAA. Suppliers Suppliers include retail suppliers, equipment suppliers and construction suppliers. Not enough information was provided on the suppliers. Services from suppliers should be really in demand from BAA, as they have an important aactivity and they generally invest huge amounts in construction but also in security. Threats of entrants To enter this market, an industry needs huge capital requirements. Therefore economies of scale are extremely important as a company needs to spread the cost over the market. As well, government policies do not facilitate the entrance to the market as they already restrict airports expansion for existing companies. This market is subject to strict regulations. Competitive rivalry This can be a synthesis of the previous aspects seen before. There are high barriers to entry the market. As well the power of buyers, suppliers and substitutes are limited. Competition between carriers will intensify across the Atlantic as US and European airlines open now, unrestricted, routes. BAA is not subject of real competition as they dominate the market and their dominance in the market is now being questioned by the OFT (Office of Fair Trade) as passengers will not benefit from lower charges and the potential benefits of the Open Skies agreement will be iminished. . 3. Industry Life Cycles Industry life cycles comprising four phases of an industry, which are introduction, growth, maturity and decline. (Haberberg Rieple, 2001) The authors point out the industry life cycle is a simplification of reality that glosses over a lot of exceptions. Figure 4. 3 Industry life cycles Figure 4. 3 shows the aviation industry is in the growth phase, when the industry becomes established and the number of firms and sales of the product grow rapidly. There may be some improvements in the industry and in the process technology used. In the growth phase, there are still enough customers to go around, so competition is unlikely to be fierce. 4. 4. Evaluation of opportunities and threats Evaluation of opportunities and threats is the final stage of external audit. The key opportunltles Include: Growth of aviation industry and growth of airport capacity provide development capacity. New technologies, such as new aircraft could reduce noise. Potential new market outside the UK The key treats include: Capacity However, expedition of Heathrow airport also is a treat, more capacity mearns more difficult on operation, required experiences staff. Security issue is still one of major problems for BAA in the future. Environment issue is another threat for BAA, limit environment effect is the )Â ¤flrms social responsibility. Figure 4. 4 below shows classifying the opportunities using measures of probability and internal capability. New technology in quadrant Exploit with maximum interest, both potential international market and growth of industry are in quadrant Investigate, with great potential for BAA, but low internal capability, which mearns further investigation. Figure 4. Evaluation of opportunities Figure 4. 5 shows the evaluation of threats. Two major threats in quadrant Prepared, BAA has greater capability to deal with such probable threats, thus are prepared. Environment issues is in quadrant Monitor, that is more uncertain, although this threat are currently unlikely, it may became so in future and thus BAA must monitor it. Figure 4. 5 Evaluation of threats The aviation industry is facing significant technical and pr actical capacity constraints and due to long-term nature has been slow to address these. Environmental and security issues are exerting sthrong pressures on the industry and its ability to grow. 5. Developing and implementing strategy 5. 1 . Recommend future strategies and evaluation of strategies The Anoff product/ market growth matrix (figure 5. 1) provides a simple way of generating four basic alternative directions for strategic development. It explicitly considers growth options. Product development and market development could be the two better way for BAA future strategy. Figure 5. Anoff product/market growth matrix BAAS existing strategy of airport development may now well be broken. The plans over the next 10 years airport expansion, however The Competition commission are ow deciding whether their dominance of the market translates into distortion of the market, or wnetner proper long-term planning can De aellverea Dy a large, staDle, well regulated group. Britains Office of Fair Trading (OFT) argues that the competition between airports is much more critical at the moment, as they believe the barriers to entry that hamper the market. There were factors taken into account when selecting a strategic route forward for BAA in terms of its Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility and tools and approaches were also used to help select the correct strategic group. 5. 1 . 1. Development of Airports Suitability Suitability is concerned with whether a strategy addresses the key issue relating to the strategic position of the organization. BAAS plan for airport expansion over the next ten years is appropriate to the product life cycle and the relative position of the firm within its competitive environment. Reasons for this include the fact that their in a dominant competitive position and are in in an industry that is in the growth stage. BAA is also sthrong in terms of its competitive position as are able to attain cost leadership and are able to be defended. The proposed strategy of airport expansion ill eventually generate more passengers that will allow an increase consumer spending, for example, retail accommodation. The organization is prepared to handle capacity in terms of no. of passengers, therefore service quality should improve, which in turn may create a demand for airport usage by airline companies. The reinforced linkages in the (internal) value chain from the strategy of airport expansion will create an oopportunity to improve its competitive position and boosts the linkages in the value chain, so could allow them to increase prices in its products as overall passenger service should provide value for money. Acceptability Airport expansion is likely to satisfy key stakeholders, for example, shareholders, employees, managers, customers, however may have an effect on local communities, pressure groups. The fact that there is a credit crunch is not going to eliminate any financial risk to the company and due to such developments there is no guarantee of their being service quality as reasons for this may include BAAS human capital not being used to its full advantage to enable retailing to be iintegrated in a balanced way that supports efficient airport operations, enhances the travellers experience and ake the most of the commercial opportunities available. Feasibility BAA has an experienced security and fire service yet there is no established culture which may affect its human capital as may not be able to enable iintegrated retailing in a balanced way that supports efficient airport operations. As a result it could affect the assessment of skills, knowledge, and decision making abilities, training and expertise of its employees, adaptability of employees therefore could affect the level of commitment and loyalty therefore may not have the resources required to sustain n competitive advantage.

Chasing Amy Essays - English-language Films, Miramax Films

Chasing Amy Essays - English-language Films, Miramax Films Chasing Amy Framing is a vital part of the film making process. It sets the mood, brings attention to sutleties, and can show us the real intentions of a character. For example, would the scene with the famous shot from between the legs of Mrs. Robinson in the movie The Graduate be as memorable if it instead showed a close up of Dustin Hoffman as he entered the room? Or the final shoot out in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Would there be more impact with an American shot of Clint Eastwood? The answer is obvious, of course not. The Kevin Smith masterpiece, Chasing Amy, follows those memorable scene's by showing the evolution of the two main characters, Holden (Ben Affleck) and Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), relationship from friends to lovers with framing and other cinematographic methods. Cinematography- The art or technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and the development of a film, (American Heritage, 159) but you probably have not even noticed it. Cinematography has existed for as long as film has, but it has not really been considered an art for until the late 1930's, early 1940's. It can be used in many different forms, artistic expression, political belief's, or even used to satire pop culture. Chasing Amy follows this pattern of cinematography with showing the relationships of Holden and Alyssa change into a budding romance. Chasing Amy is a romantic comedy about people who write comic books for a living whose most passionate conversations can involve the sex lives of Archie and Jughead, (Ebert, 138) and is the third installment of Smith's New Jersey Trilogy. The New Jersey Trilogy consists of two other films as well. The critically acclaimed Clerks and the not so critically acclaimed, Mallrats. Clerks had been over-praised, Mallrats has been over-bashed, third time's the charm, (View Askew.com) Smith said on his website. The movie stars Ben Affleck as Holden McNeel, an aspiring comic book artist who falls in love with another comic book artist, Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). As the movie goes on, you find out that Alyssa is a lesbian and all the encounters she had with men which led her to make that decision. But in one key moment when Holden admits his feelings to Alyssa, the whole pace of the movie changes. Alyssa decides to take a chance and decides that Holden is the one for her as she throws her whole world upside down to be with him. But in the end, her radical and experimental life style is too much for Holden as he finds out a little to much of her past for his liking and throws it all away. But finding out the hard way of the error of his ways he finds out that it is too late and learns the lesson it's not who you love, but how. (View Askew.com) Holden's inability to deal with aspects of Alyssa's sexual history mirrors Smith's own problems dealing with aspects of (his girlfriend's) past (Gin, 543) makes this a very personal film for Smith, and he shows it in the way he films this movie. The first encounter that Holden and Alyssa have alone together is in a bar. It is the same day that they met and they are still trying to get to know each other. So Alyssa brings up the idea to play darts and Holden politely accepts the offer. While they are playing darts, they get to know each other better by discussing their current projects, Holden is a successful comic book creator and artist with his comic book Bluntman and Chronic, while Alyssa is not as successful in her own right with her project titled Idiosyncratic Routine. As the scene goes on you can see that both of them have a mutual understanding, and according to Holden, both of them have shared a moment. The way that Kevin Smith went about showing this vital scene is by having a point of view shot from the dartboard. This shot showed both Holden and Alyssa standing next to each other. Also since the dartboard is a stationary object, you don't have any movement in the scenes the framing is primarily focused on them so not to distract from the viewer to focus from the pair. Also the use of deep focus comes in handy. For example, when one of them ran out of darts to throw they would walk up to retrieve them, while they were doing this the camera would use deep focus to show the other in the background, sutilly checking the other one out. Also if you notice, the sides that they stand on in the scene reflect their stance on life. Holden, the more conservative of the

Cause and Effects Diagram Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cause and Effects Diagram - Research Paper Example The nature of programming is such that it is quit complex with so many concepts and programs. In addition, it consists of several pieces of details connected together. Thus, programmers when developing a new corporate website must have the capacity to pay attention to the tiny details involved in programming and development. Similarly, good memory and the ability to abstract play a crucial role as some of the specific skills that programmers should have. Programming entails a lot of information that needs to be remembered. For example, there is the syntax language with a set of functions prewritten that require to recall and identify the parameters that they would take, as well as the variables and functions associated with them in a particular program. Hence, one needs to have a good memory in order to remember all that stuff and more, as well as their applications. On the other hand, ability to abstract is the most imperative skill in programming, which involves compartmentalizing information into little black box. This technique performs useful tasks, but keeps away some details such that a programmer does not have to remember them all the time. In programming activities such as website development. There are several issues that arise during the process; thus, effective problem solving skills comes in handy when such circumstances arise. Another skill is knowledge of programming languages. This is important because one cannot perform a website development without the knowledge of programming languages (Dudley & Butte , 2009). However, this does not mean knowing all the languages, but knowing just one or two of the programming languages is appropriate in achieving a perfect website development. Knowing programing languages allow programmers to evaluate where a language should be applicable, and where a particular language should not be applicable. New things come up in the information and technology field, which requires advancements in our knowledge, skills, and abilities. Therefore, a good programmer must be open and ready to learn new technology in order to enhance his skills and stay on top of the game despite the changing world. Similarly, entrepreneurial skills highly apply in this field because of the opportunity to grow and expend businesses. Entrepreneurial skills among programmers helps them to see beyond the functions of mere development, and incorporate certain features that may enhance business operations (Brian, 1999). Finally, in the category of personal skills social skills and even social networking skills play a crucial role in programming. Working as a tem to develop a new website, members need have social skills in order to help them understand the issue. Naturally, humans are social beings, and this is one of the factors that improve team performance and leads to success of the development. In addition to the individual skills, there are team skills that programmers must ensure they utilize towards the as developing a successful corporate Web site. This involve manage development time, which ensures that the development everything that you need is according to the stipulated time schedule. In addition, the programmers must

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Auditing - Essay Example he corporate managers have grossly increased to unprecedented levels where their decisions might have had a greater impact on the larger good of the stakeholders i.e. Shareholders, general public, government etc. In the heat of competition the managers of these organizations take decisions which may not be in favor of internal as well as external customers of these organizations. This has therefore necessitated the more proactive role of the board of the directors of organizations in promoting good governance specially their role in ensuring the effectiveness of the internal controls of the organization is stressed upon a lot. An effective internal audit function can play an important role in helping Board of directors to discharge their responsibility of ensuring effective control. However before discharging this responsibility, an internal audit function within the organization need to be objective and proactive in nature with a mandate to conduct independent reviews and with the n ecessary organizational flexibility to report their findings to the highest authority within the organization so that not only independence is maintained but also the results are communicated to the platform where they can be executed and explored without any internal compromises and with an aim of safeguarding the interests of the shareholders by adding value to their investments. Corporate governance has succeeded in attracting a good deal of public interest because of its apparent importance for the economic health of corporations and society in general. However, the concept of corporate governance is poorly defined because it potentially covers a large number of distinct economic phenomenon. As a result different people have come up with different definitions that basically reflect their special interest in the field. It is also believed that if the firm is nothing more than a legal fiction than its values must be driven by its stakeholders thus the companies values emerge as a

Settlement in Southeast Asia Essay Example for Free

Settlement in Southeast Asia Essay An example of such a country is Singapore. There are also countries with some areas that are much more urbanized than other areas. The entire area is closely clustered with buildings. A good example of such a pattern can be seen from Bangkok in Thailand. Dominant settlement patterns of most major cities in the world with high population densities are likely to result in clustering of buildings due to constraints of land resources. Urban settlements tend to be clustered as people in urban settlements are mainly involved in activities like business and manufacturing. All these require transportation and services. Thus, having settlements clustered together enables them to have easy access to transportation. Population density here is usually higher than in rural settlements and the incomes of people in urban settlements are usually higher than those in rural settlements as well. 2. Linear Liner settlements can be found along main transport roads, railways, rivers or canals. Individual buildings are arranged in a linear pattern that takes after the structure of the transport road, making travelling easier for people living in the settlement. Such examples can be found in Philippines, along its main roads and in Vietnam, along its canal. Rural settlements tend to be linear and located along a river as rural settlements are mainly involved in activities such farming, fishing, growing of crops, etc. Population density in this area is low, with few amenities such as schools, clinics, public transports and etc. The living of people in this settlement is usually closely related to the settlement’s main function and physical environment. 3. Dispersed Dispersed settlements are created with individual buildings being scattered all over a wide area or large open spaces. Some examples are forests, farmlands, etc. This pattern happens usually due to limited natural resources or fertile soil, resulting in people being spread out to ensure enough land for agriculture functions and for obtaining resources from the ground. An example of where the dispersed pattern can be found is in Philippines. Dispersed settlement patterns are usually found in rural areas around the world due to small population sizes and low population densities in those areas. Patterns of settlements are very closely linked to the physical landscape, climate, location of water and resources and access to trade routes of the area. Historically, people settled close to trade routes, by which it is usually water routes, in areas of hospitable climates and terrain. This general pattern remains true today. The only difference is that humans of today are more adapted to harsher climates and more rugged terrains and trade is no longer the factor controlling settlement patterns. There are various factors that affect the location of settlements in the Southeast Asian region. However, the factor that plays the most important role is rivers. When Southeast Asia was first colonised by the Europeans, they set up trading ports beside rivers and seas. Thus, until today, extensive changes of dominated port cities have been established in countries such as Singapore. Sources also show that in both ancient and modern times, people have sought out all kinds of ways to settle alongside bodies of water, rivers in particular. They have historically been a draw to migrants in search of fresh water for drinking, cooking and food. In addition to providing an abundance source of fish, lakes and streams have long been desirable places to hunt animals coming to drink from them. For many cultures of the world, rivers have also had a spiritual significance, drawing people to visit, pray, celebrate and settle along their banks. Rivers are important as they are the main paths for water transport. Transport is vital for trade and trade is vital for the wealth of a country. In some Southeast Asia regions, water transport is generally faster and cheaper than most ways of travel on land. Water is also counted as a resource that is usually in good supplies and does not need any up keeping. An example of such a country is Vietnam. Vietnam is not as well-developed as some other countries and thus, water transport is still commonly used there. Rivers provide water for agriculture as well. Countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand do a lot of crop planting (wet agriculture), so they need plenty of water. Thus, settling along rivers allow them to be able to draw in water effortlessly as they have easy access to water.