Thursday, September 19, 2019
The Dramatic Intensity of The Crucibleââ¬â¢s Courtroom Scene Essays
The Dramatic Intensity of The Crucibleââ¬â¢s Courtroom Scene In this assignment I am going to investigate the Dramatic Intensity of The Crucibleââ¬â¢s courtroom scene. I am going to do this by exploring the language used, how the characters develop and how Arthur miller unfolds the plot to keep the reader interested and how emotion and feelings dictate the movements of the play. The Crucible is set against the backdrop of the mad hunts of the Salem witch trials in the late 17th century. It is about a town, after accusations from a few girls, which begins a mad hunt for witches that did not exist. Many townsââ¬â¢ people were hanged on charges for of witchcraft. Miller brings out the absurdity of the incident with the theme of truth and righteousness. The theme is conveyed through the struggles of Millerââ¬â¢s main character John Proctor. In The Crucible all the events flow naturally from one event to next. Everything happens naturally from the natures of the characters. The fact that the story isnââ¬â¢t made up and it is based on a true story makes the play interesting. There was sufficient conflict, so many things going on, it kept my interest aroused. There is much tension and suspense in the story. It covers basic human instinct and qualities. It shows the human necessity for survival, and the lengths at which a person will go to save his life. The Crucible is a study of mass hysteria that affects the village of Salem in a foremost way. There are many themes running through the play. One is obviously witchcraft. There is an idea of Abuse of power and, also the individuality and society, this is important because it is set in the 17th century and everyone was the same. There is an idea of honour and truth. Proctor... ...se are very valuable to drama as it adds interest and has the edge of the seat effect. The crucible is a thrilling play which gripped my attention, and after researching the play I have found how Arthur miller has allowed the plot to flow naturally to unfold dramatic intensity shown through themes to add tension and emotion to the story line. The theme witchcraft adds anxiety as other themes are unearthed,. The individual and society theme, when everyone is expected to act the same we discover witchcraft, which is brought by one of the main characters which does not belong to the same society. The narrator & stage instructions added to the text added conflict, however after watching the play I found it greatly enjoyable. I felt Arthur Miller made the crucible dramatic by showing feeling and emotion shone through accusations and the events of the play.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Corporate Downsizing Essays -- essays research papers
Downsizing has become an extremely popular strategy in todayââ¬â¢s business environment. Companies began downsizing in the late 1970ââ¬â¢s to cut costs and improve the bottom line (Mishra et al., 1998). The term ââ¬Å"downsizingâ⬠was coined to describe the action of dismissing a large portion of a companyââ¬â¢s workforce in a very short period of time. According to online encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org downsizing refers to ââ¬Å"layoffs initiated by a company in order to cut labor costs by reducing the size of the company.â⬠Downsizing became a familiar management mantra in the late 1980ââ¬â¢s and early 1990ââ¬â¢s. In fact, three million jobs were lost between 1989 and 1998 (Mishra et al., 1998). More than 350,000 jobs were lost in 2001 (DeSouza & Donaldson, 2002). Downsizing has become almost a way of life for U.S. companies. Typically, the first round of job cuts are followed by a second round of cuts a short time later. Not everyone agrees with t he reasoning behind downsizing. According to an article in the Journal of Banking and Financial Services, downsizing is merely ââ¬Å"a short-sighted business strategy motivated by arrogant CEOââ¬â¢s eager to appease shareholders (Unkles, 2001). Others feel downsizing is a necessary tool to ensure business survival in the face of a changing economy. Regardless, the costs of downsizing are high, and the payoffs of downsizing are mixed at best. This paper doesnââ¬â¢t serve as an approach to downsizing, rather, it explores the many aspects of downsizing, from when itââ¬â¢s time to downsize to what steps that can be taken to avoid the process altogether. Corporate Downsizing: An Overview à à à à à There are many reasons why a company downsizes. Layoffs began as a way for companies to offset a decline in earnings, but quickly became a popular practice even in companies that were doing well financially. A 1994 survey by the American Management Association found that two-thirds of all workers who were laid off were college-educated, salaried employees (Downs, 1995). Today, the term downsizing is used to refer to a narrow effort to reduce the workforce and also to broaden efforts to improve work systems or redesign the total organization. Companies may downsize to increase capital, as a result of a merge with another company (where additional staff are not needed), poor cash flow (which results in payroll issues), changes in technology, and lastly due to a chang... ...k Enterprise. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.findarticles.com Downs, A. (2005). Corporate executions: the ugly truth about layoffs-how corporate greed is shattering lives, companies, and communities. New York: AMACOM-American Management Association. Hoskisson, R., & Hitt, M. (2004). Downscoping: How to tame the diversified firm. Oxford University PR on Demand. Krepps, M. (2007). Industrial inefficiency and downsizing: A study of layoff and plant closures. New York: Garland Publishing. Mishra, K. E., Spreitzer, G. M., & Mishra, A. K. (2008, Winter). Preserving employee morale during downsizing. Sloan Management Review. Unkles, j. (2009). The downside of downsizing: after almost a decade of surging economic growth and booming share markets, many corporate and financial managers are getting their first look at a downturn in the business cycle. Journal of Banking and Financial Services, 115(6), 2. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from Baker College Web Site: http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com Zimmerman, E. (2007, November). Why deep layoffs hurt long-term recovery (HR's tools for recovery). Workforce. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://www.findarticles.com
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
21St Century Agriculture
Todays agricultural community is embracing many new technologies. Innovative researchers have developed new ways to increase yields ranging from the global positioning of satellites to strip till. Strip till is a process of tilling small strips of soil while leaving the strip in between each row untilled to remain rich in organic matter. The benefits of strip till versus conventional till make it a practical way of increasing farm efficiency. Strip till first began in as a way for large farms to cover more acreage more efficiently in order to save time fuel and labor. The process begins a full growing season in advance with another crop. Once this crop is harvested, the stalks and other debris are mowed to the ground leaving the ground covered in organic matter; this crop is termed the cover crop. Once all equipment preparations are made the next growing season is started. A pass is made through the field with a minimum tillage implement. This implement plows up twelve-inch wide strips and then conditions them. Then the crop is planted and herbicide is applied. Throughout the growing season the crop is sprayed using a specialized hood sprayer, which protects the crop from the herbicide, to control weeds. This is a vast difference in conventional methods, which utilizes several passes to plow and condition the soil while also using herbicides. Environmentalists would have one believe that herbicide applications are detrimental to our ecosystems. However, with proper handling, our ecosystems are better protected from hazardous runoff when strip till practices are utilized. Conventional methods spray herbicide directly onto the ground where they can be washed away by rain or irrigation. Strip till methods spray herbicides onto the organic matter left behind from the cover crop where it can be absorbed into the plant. The method of spraying directly onto the desired area is called banding. The environmental concerns make strip till a more sound way of controlling unwanted organisms. Erosion and soil compaction are other environmental concerns which strip till alleviates. Wind erosion is made less possible because the ground is left with debris and root masses which holds water and do not allow the water to wash away soil particles. Soil compaction is also less of a problem because less passes with large tractors are needed to produce a crop. The greatest benefit to the farmer is cost reduction. Less fuel and less labor being required per acre generate more profit. In an era when commodity prices are at an all time low, generating a profit is of utmost importance. Through less equipment cost and maintenance, strip till allows farmers to produce a crop with less capital investments. The popularity of strip till practices grow each year as farmers find ways of incorporating it into their specific operations needs. Conventional till has been used for many centuries but this practice only stirs up a dust in that weed seed are plowed a way into a dormant stage only to be plowed up to germinate. Utilization of new agricultural technologies, such as strip till, allows producers to go into the 21st century with tools that will enable them to provide agricultural products to sustain the world.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Boeing Case Analysis
Lincoln University Graduate School of Business Marketing Management Team Project Case 3: Boeing Company Team ââ¬â 8 The five elements group: Derek Dellape : 7551 Synopsis As the largest aerospace company in the world, the Boeing Company employees more than 153,000 people in some 67 countries. The great dominance of Boeing is due to its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas Corporation, an aerospace manufacturer, and its 1996 purchase of the defense and space units of Rockwell International Corporation, an aerospace contractor.The corporation is the worldââ¬â¢s number one maker of commercial jetliners and military aircraft with more than 9,000 commercial planes in service worldwide, including the 717 through 777 families of jets and the MD-80, MD-90, and MD-11. In the defense sector, the company makes military aircraft, including fighter, transport, and attack aircraft; helicopters; and missiles. Moreover, Boeing is the nationââ¬â¢s top NASA contractor and the leader of the U. S. industry team for the International Space Station and directly involved in commercial space projects such as satellite networks.History The Boeing Company was founded by William Edward Boeing and his colleague George Conrad Westervelt in 1916, in Seattle, Washington. The first plane built by Boeing and Westervelt was a ââ¬Å"B & Wâ⬠seaplane and it was sold to the government of New Zealand which employed the plane for mail delivery and pilot training. The enterprise was expanded due to opportunities in the airmail businesses which lead to development of an extremely versatile and popular airplane called the Model 40.This airplane could carry 1,000 pounds of mail and a complete flight crew, and still have room enough for freight or passengers. In the years leading up to World War II Boeing led the way in developing single-wing airplanes. They were constructed completely of metal to make them stronger and faster, more efficient aerodynamic designs were emphasized and finally, directional radios were installed which enabled better navigation and nigh flying. At this point, Boeing had established itself as the leading manufacturer of airplanes.During the 1950ââ¬â¢s and 1960ââ¬â¢s, Boeing was allowed to use the government-owned B-52 construction facilities for the development of a new civilian/military jet. This new jet, the B-707, first rolled off the assembly line in 1957. Boeing enjoyed a large degree of success and profitability with the 707. The company devoted its resources to the development of a number of other passenger jet models, including the 720 (a modified 707) and the 727 introduced in 1964, which was able to carry 143 passengers. During this time the company also recognized a demand for a smaller 100 passenger jetliner for shorter routes.As a result, Boeing developed the 737 model which was considered to be a very technological advanced jetliner. Meanwhile, Boeing expanded its involvement in the defense market through the 1960 acquisi tion of Philadelphia-based Vertol Aircraft Corporation, a maker of military helicopters. During the Vietnam War, Boeing Chinook and Sea Knight helicopters were heavily utilized by American forces. The 1960ââ¬â¢s also saw Boeing active in the NASA contracting sector. As the Cold War continued, Boeing was selected to develop the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile system.In addition, Boeing was heavily involved in NASAââ¬â¢s Apollo project of the 1960ââ¬â¢s, beginning with its production of several Lunar Orbiters as well as the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which was used to explore the moon in the early 1970ââ¬â¢s. During the 1970ââ¬â¢s, Boeing tried to diversity its business by entering the metro-rail business, manufacturing mass transit systems for Boston, San Francisco, and Morgantown, West Virginia. The systems were modern, computerized, and efficient but prone to frequent breakdowns. After fulfilling its obligation to rectify the systems (at great cost), Boeing d ecided to discontinue its ground transport business.As the dominant aircraft manufacture for over three decades, Boeing began to experience a decline in its earnings and stock price during the middle of 1980ââ¬â¢s even though it remained profitable. Unfortunately, Boeing jets were involved in four fatal air accidents from December 1988 to March 1989, and the company missed its first delivery deadline in two decades when the 747-400 experienced production delays. These internal problems were exacerbated by increased competition from Airbus, which was heavily subsidized by a consortium of European companies and governments.Furthermore, worldwide orders of all aircraft by the airliners declined from 1,662 in 1989 to 439 in 1991. Fortunately, in 1993 NASA selected Boeing as the prime contractor for the International Space Station, which was called the largest international science and technology endeavor ever undertaken. Boeing was also becoming increasingly involved in commercial sp ace projects and in December 1995 ten commercial space satellites were produced and launched from a floating platform at sea.In the middle of 1990ââ¬â¢s, Boeing began its plan of acquisitions and in 1996 it paid $3. 2 billion for the aerospace and defense holdings of Rockwell International which was responsible for the Space shuttle and International Space Station programs, as well as activities in launch systems, rocket engines, missiles, satellites and military airplanes. Furthermore, in 1997 Boeing completed a $14 billion acquisition of McDonnell Douglas which was the worldââ¬â¢s number three maker of commercial aircraft.The acquisition increased Boeingââ¬â¢s share of the world market for large commercial jetliners to more than 60 percent and left it with just one major competitor in that sector, the European Airbus which held about one third of the world market. Unfortunately, 1997 turned disastrous for Boeing for reasons wholly unrelated to its acquisition spree. Attem pting to take advantage of the upswing in airplane orders, which was in part caused by the aging of the airlinersââ¬â¢ fleets, Boeing committed to doubling its production over an 18 month period.The eagerness of Boeing to increase its revenue lead to production delays, including the wholesale shutdown of some production units and reducing its workforce from 238,000 at year end 1997 to between 185,000 and 195,000 by the end of 2000. If the delays and reduction of workforce werenââ¬â¢t bad enough for Boeing enterprise, the contract awarded to Boeing by the Air force to undertake the Evolved Expandable Launch Vehicle program (EELV) was canceled due to allegations of cheating to win the Air force contract. Today Boeing is undertaking a major project, Boeing 787 Dreamliner which will provide a super-efficient airplane apable of flying long ranges with less fuel. However, Walter James McNerney, the CEO of Boeing Corporation, will have to deal with many issues such as competition, va lue chain and ethics in order to dominate the aircraft industry in next future. Analysis Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: The commercial aircraft business is very important for Boeing because it covers more than 65% of its total revenue. In this market, losing market share can cause big impact on the performance of Boeing and its future development.The competition from Airbus is considered extreme and on the scale between 1 and 10, it can be ranked as 9. The level of competition between the two aircraft manufactures is very clear as it is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Graph of market share (%), gross orders between Airbus and Boeing from 1994 to 2006. The level of rivalry between Airbus and Boeing shown in Fig. 1 depicts Boeing as the market share leader from 1994 to 1998. However, Airbus took the market share from Boeing in 2001 and kept its position as the market share leader until 2004.Even though the number of orders was more superior with Airbus in 2004, the total r evenues of Boeing was still much higher than that of Airbus. While the revenue of Airbus in 2004 was $40 billion, Boeing had the revenue of $55 billion. This is due to the fact that Boeing gained profit from other activities such as military aerospace, defense, and space business. The competition from Airbus industry is getting more and more threatening to Boeing in the commercial aircraft market. Boeing has been the market leader since 1980ââ¬â¢s.Nevertheless, Airbus has gained ground and expanded its market share very successfully by making great efforts in doing market research and development of new products. While Airbus spent 5. 9 percent of its total revenue on research and development in 1999, Boeing only spent 2. 3 percent. Therefore, it means that Airbus is now a big threat to Boeing and may take over its market leader position soon if Boeing doesnââ¬â¢t take any serious action to protect itself. Threat of New Entrance: It is not easy for new companies to enter the m arket of manufacturing large ommercial aircraft. The high cost of developing airplanes is a major factor in prohibiting new entrants to the market with costs as high as US$5. 5 billion to develop the Boeing 777 in the 1990ââ¬â¢s. Furthermore, aircraft manufactures must sell between 400 and 500 aircraft at a rate of 50 sales per year in order to regain their investment after developing a new product. This means that companies which enter the market must be prepared to wait for around 10 years before showing any profit even though there is no guarantee that they will become profitable.For that reason, the threat of new entries is considered very low on the scale of 1 to 10, it is ranked as 1. Nevertheless, Boeing now has been faced the threat of new entrance by China. The Chinese government has officially approved the launch of China Commercial Aircrafts, which will manufacture large passenger airplanes. The plan is to have jets designed and built in China by 2020. Asian Airlines a re expected to buy nearly 10,000 new planes by 2025, with more than 2,200 of those going to Chinese airlines.Since Boeing and Airbus have been outsourcing most of the technical and engineering jobs to China, barriers of technology requirement to enter the industry can be overcome by the Chinese. As a matter of fact, a consortium of Chinese companies known as China Aviation Industries Corporation produces components for Boeingââ¬â¢s 747 and 787 wide bodies and operates a final assembly line for the Airbus A320. For that reason, China is now in advantageous position to build passenger aircraft due to its tremendous wealth, technological strength and a huge home market.Therefore, once China starts manufacturing aircrafts, it could also become a significant player in the world of passenger plane market and take part of the market share away from Boeing and Airbus. Nevertheless, the Chinese ambition to enter the aircraft industry is not a short run threat to Boeing because it may take at least 15 years to China begin to develop its airplanes. Despite its goal of eventually challenging Boeing, the Chinese will have to produce large jets which are able to meet only a small part of domestic demand while Boeing will continue to claim a big chunk of the Chinese market.Value Chain Analysis: For the past several years, Boeing has been grappling with problems in launching its latest major passenger airplane, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner at a cost of $178 million each. Airlines around the world preordered over 900 787 airplanes before they ever took a test flight based on its projected fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, low maintenance costs, flexibility, and other major design elements. However, the first test flights for the plane were delayed, largely because of supply chain issues.Boeing subcontracted out the design and assembly of major components of the 787 to firms in Japan, Italy, China, and India but did not impose adequate coordination across these various suppli ers. For that reason, subassemblies did not fit together properly, there were numerous quality and delivery issues, and countless other problems occurred. The biggest problem was that Boeing didnââ¬â¢t realize that integrating the supply chain and choosing the correct suppliers was much more difficult than it could have anticipated for.In this case, Boeing outsourced the assembly of parts of the airplane to countries such as China and India where labor is cheaper so that it could reduce cost of operation. Unfortunately, outsourcing to foreign countries to save money can cause backlash from the media, current customers, as well as possible future customers. As a matter of fact, one risk Boeing is taking by outsourcing its supply chain is giving away technology to third parties such as foreign aerospace companies. For example, Chinese suppliers may use the knowledge acquired from their work to begin creating a company of their own.If this occurs, it would be a huge threat to Boeing as well as Airbus since they have plans to capitalize on the flourishing Asia-Pacific markets. Ethics at Boeing Over the years, Boeing is focused on a flood of scandals that have tarnished the companyââ¬â¢s image. In July 2003, the Pentagon stripped Boeing of one million dollars in rocket launch business for possessing proprietary documents stolen from a competitor, Lockheed Martin. As a matter of fact, Boeing was suspended from doing business with the federal government for twenty months. In another incident, the department of defense reported that Boeing overcharged the U.S. army by $13 million for parts opposed to a fair sale price of $10 million. Due to a lack of ethics, Boeing may lose credibility with its suppliers and customers who may think twice before signing a contract with Boeing. Moreover, Boeing lack of ethics is unfair to other companies as well as tax payers. Another ethic issue involving Boeing is that it has sacrificed American jobs for foreign government subsi dies. In recent years, Boeing has sought subsidies from foreign governments and it has pushed its manufacturing overseas in order to obtain such subsidies.For the 787 aircraft, Boeing reportedly secured a subsidy of almost $600 million dollars from the Italian government towards the manufacture of the rear fuselage of the airplane by the Italian firm, Alenia. Moreover, Boeing also reportedly obtained approximately $1. 5 billion in subsidies from the Japanese government for the same aircraft. In order to secure this Japanese subsidy, Boeing outsourced the manufactured of the wings and fuselage of the aircraft to the Japanese companies Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi.Sadly, Boeing outsourced the sort of technology that had benefited from years of American taxpayer-funded research and development spending. As a matter of fact, Boeing lack of ethics can leave many hard working Americans without jobs. Conclusion The dominance of aircraft manufacturing business by Boeing is impressive, but Airbus and threat of new entrants could take part of the market share away from Boeing. For that reason, Boeing should spend more money in research and development so it could improve its airplanes with new technological advances.In this market, technology is crucial because it can help differentiate one company from another; and therefore, the most advanced technological firm is more able to keep and gain more customers than its competitors. Even though technological advances are important factor that help distinguish one company from another, Boeing shouldnââ¬â¢t neglect the fact that supply chain is also very crucial to a company success. When Boeing outsourced its supply chain to China and India, it caused a delay on Boeing 787 Dreamliner production.If a company wants to be the market leader, it shouldnââ¬â¢t outsource supply chain because it is sometimes difficult to contact with suppliers and verify quality of products being used to assemble the aircrafts, for example. I n addition, Boeing shouldnââ¬â¢t outsource supply chain because it takes a risk of giving away technology to third parties such as foreign aerospace companies in China and India. If Boeing wants to keep its dominance of aircraft manufacturing business, it should be more ethical when doing business.The lack of ethics by Boeing can cause a great harm to the image of the company; and worst of all, Boeing could lose credibility with its suppliers and customers who may think twice before signing a contract with it. The bottom line is that Boeing should have more consideration with its competitors as well as tax payers when doing business. Answers and Questions: 1) Discuss the nature of the market structure and demand for the Dreamliner. What are the applications of this for Boeing and customers?A) The nature of the market structure for the Dreamliner is oligopolistic which means that the market or industry is dominated by a small number of sellers in this case aircraft manufactures. T he oligopolistic market is comprised of a handful of competitors sheltered by significant barrier to entry. This means that firms are heavily restricted from entering or leaving the industry. For that reason, Boeing has the chance to take the market share away from Airbus since it has only one competitor and manufactures mid-size aircrafts capable of flying long ranges with high fuel efficiency.Since the demand for Dreamliners is not used for personal or direct consumption but rather for its use in providing other goods and services, the demand for the Dreamliner is known as derived demand. The Airlines that purchase Boeing aircrafts want to comply with customer demand for more comfortable and luxury airplanes. Passengers will experience during their flights and great deal of comfort with higher cabin pressure and humidity which reduces common flying symptoms like headaches, dry mouth and fatigue.At the same time, midsized wide-body airplanes will provide to airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environment performance while cutting costs with fuel consumption. If airlines are able to cut cost with fuel, consumers will be directly benefited with cheaper air fares. 2) What examples of the major types of buying situations of you see in this case? Discuss the implications of each in terms of marketing strategy. A) The major types of buying situations are: straight rebuy, modified rebuy and new-task buying.In straight rebuy the buyer routinely reorders something without any modifications. The marketing strategy used in straight rebuy is based on getting high quality and low cost products, superior service, and prompt delivery from a partner seller. In fact, the buyer can save time with tedious paper work requirement since they have already ordered previously with the seller. In modified rebuy involves a business buying situation in which the buyer wants to modify product specifications, prices, terms, or suppliers.The market strategy of modified rebuy allows buyers to look at alternative offerings within their established purchasing guidelines. In fact, they might take this step if their current supplier has let a rebuy situation deteriorate because of poor service or delivery performance. In new-task buying involves a business buying situation in which the buyer purchases a product or services for the first time. The strategy of new-task buying in marketing is to acquire goods or services by carefully considering alternatives offerings.In fact, it is very important to a company entering a new field to search out potential suppliers, and evaluating proposals. 3) List the specific features of the Dreamliner. What customer benefits result from each? A) The Boeing 787 Dreamliner incorporates structural composite materials in the airframe instead of predominantly aluminum which offer customers a guaranteed reduction in maintenance costs. Moreover, the use of structural composites enhances fuel economy as well as trave l range of the 787 Dreamliner.This means that airlines will be able to save money with fuel so that consumers will pay less for air fares. Due to the use of composite technology, the Boeing 787 has a higher cabin pressure which helps customers have a better flight experience and reduce common flying symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. The cabin design incorporates increased legroom, and added rooms such as lounges which can benefit customers with a comfortable flying experience. In addition, the 787 Dreamliner also contains 19-inch electrochromic dimmable windows, which adds passenger comfort.At last, the Dreamliner is environmental friendly because it is a low emission airplane. In this case, customers will benefit from an airplane which emits less carbon dioxide which can help keep the air cleaner. 4) Discuss the customer buying process for a Boeing airplane. In what major ways does this process differ from the buying process a passenger might go through in choosing an airplan e? A) The process of buying an aircraft can be a complicated process due to the fact that a 787 Dreamliner can cost over 100 million dollars.In order to buy an airplane, buyers must take in consideration costs and benefits which come with the purchase of the airplane such as long-term operating and maintenance costs. Moreover, customers will have to wait for years in order to receive their planes since the aircraft manufacturer may take years to produce them. The purchase of an airline ticket by a consumer may be classified in a few different ways. Customers traveling the same route regularly do not require them to spend a great deal of time or mental effort in arriving at the purchase decision.On the other hand, leisure customers who travel occasionally, the purchase process would require considerably more time and effort. However, the decision of consumers to buy an airplane ticket has not as many factors to consider as in the case of an airline purchasing a 787 Dreamliner. In add ition, the outcomes are more numerous and the stakes are much higher. 5) What marketing recommendations would you make to McNerney as he continues to try to resolve the problems with the 787 Dreamliner program?A) The first problem that McNerney has to resolve with 787 Dreamliner program is improve ethics of the firm. If Boeing doesnââ¬â¢t have a good work and business ethic customer relationship can be compromised. As a matter of fact, Boeing could lose credibility with its suppliers and customers who may think twice before signing a contract with it. At last, McNerney should keep the supply chain in America because it is easier to contact with suppliers and verify the quality of products being used to assemble the 787 Dreamliner.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
J. Crew Company Analysis
I. Problem Definition J. Crew at Stonestown mall is having difficulty targeting San Francisco State students to shop at their store, even when J. Crew offers a 15% off discount to college students. J. Crew is a very successful brand that reaches out to young business professionals; however J. Crew, specifically at Stonestown mall, is having difficulty reaching out to the college students at San Francisco State University. J. Crew believes the students at SFSU are a smart target to reach, considering the University is located right next to the Stonestown mall. Although J. Crew believes the college students are smart target to reach, many students are unaware of the student discount they offer. Looking over J. Crewââ¬â¢s past marketing campaigns, they have used older looking models. When doing our research, we noticed that J. Crewââ¬â¢s top competitors: GAP (Banana Republic), and BCBG use younger, college age range, type of models. With this is mind, we feel that the best advertising campaign is to follow their competitors and choose younger looking models, in order to reach out to the college market. J. Crewââ¬â¢s competitors use fun advertising methods to reach out to a younger market. We noticed in all of GAP holiday commercials, the young models are jumping around having a good time. We get a sense of fun and playful energy from the commercial, which could draw in college students. Gap also gives off a feel of comfort, casual and trendy style in clothing for the everyday college wear. We feel that if J. Crew starts advertising with younger looking models emphasizing on basic wear of a typical college student, J. Crew may have better success at reaching out to the SFSU students. II. Advertising Objective Our main advertising objective is to gain attention of the college students. The goal of our advertising campaign is to create interest for the brand and thus to encourage college students (the target audience) to make an initial purchase of a J. Crew products. Advertisement should seek to tell the market about J. Crewââ¬â¢s products, emphasize the quality and fashion of the products, and last but not least build awareness of the company. We can typically employ creative advertising strategies in order to cut through other competing advertisements. III. Situational Analysis J. Crew first debuted in 1983 as a catalog only shopping experience by Arthur Cinader. Six years later he opened its first flagship store in South Street Seaport New York. J. Crew is American clothing and accessories for men and women. They recently added several line extensions such as ââ¬Å"Crewcutsâ⬠for children ages 2-12, ââ¬Å"J. Crew weddings and Partiesâ⬠, and ââ¬Å"J. Crew Collectionâ⬠for limited edition pieces. The retailer is known for its young and preppy fashions including jeans, khakiââ¬â¢s, and other basics that are quite pricy and targeted to young professionals. They have 300 stores worldwide including the website and catalog. In 2003 Millard Drexler the former CEO of Gap Inc. ecame the new CEO for J. Crew by pushing service, quality and innovation to the next level. This caused so much controversy with the two companies, being that they are major competitors. J. Crew partners with the best fabric mills and craftsmen such as Jack Purcell, Timex, Thomas Mason, and Red Wing to get the best quality goods. J. Crew is continuing to exp and their retail series with specialty boutiques such as Menââ¬â¢s only shops that specializes in Suiting and Madewell a modernized interpretation of an American denim label founded in 1937 which targets women ages 18-40. Although we think J. Crew does good overall, the Stonestown mall wants to gain attention of the college students because they offer a student/teacher discount. The problem is many of the college students donââ¬â¢t shop at J. Crew because they donââ¬â¢t know much about it. Swot Analysis: J. Crew for the college audience Strengths â⬠¢Over 300 stores in the United States â⬠¢E-commerce website (convenience) â⬠¢Discount sales ongoing â⬠¢Multiple lines for different age categories Weaknesses â⬠¢Too Pricey for the normal college student â⬠¢Targeted more for the young ââ¬Å"Businessâ⬠professionals â⬠¢No commercials aired/ Advertisements are few Opportunities Target advertisements to that particular age group â⬠¢Possible commercial advertisement for future â⬠¢Expand to new segments of the young market Threats â⬠¢Increased competition of Gap Inc. â⬠¢During the recession students do not have the luxury to spend on pricey clothing â⬠¢Increased celebrity ad vertisement of competitors â⬠¢More discounted sales at competitors IV. Target Audience Demographics For our advertising plan we will target young college students living in the city. These students will be mainly females, as college female students are more willing to pay good money for their clothing than male students. Because our target audience consists mostly of young college students, most will be seen as single. The typical consumer will only make about $12,000 annually or less, most with part time jobs and attending school full time. Psychographics: The psychographics of our target audience will be students living in dorms and on the campus. We will also target young adults living in apartments near college campus life. Most young students donââ¬â¢t mind a little shopping to help them cope with a bad grade or too much studying. These students will be found around the mall regularly and will be shopping at competing stores like GAP. These consumers will be living the college life, learning to be professional in school as well as out. They should enjoy social gatherings and night events where they can show off their style. We will target students that are often in search for discounts at high end stores, looking for long lasting quality in basic casual as well as professional clothing. They need to be able to finance their money well and buy good quality products with long durability. Profile of Typical Target Consumer â⬠¢Female â⬠¢18-25 years old â⬠¢Single â⬠¢College education â⬠¢Part-time job â⬠¢Aware of quality & price â⬠¢Regular shopper â⬠¢Sociable â⬠¢Enjoys nightlife â⬠¢Active in the community â⬠¢Stylish/Fashionable â⬠¢Full-time Student V. Consumersââ¬â¢ Perceptions Our consumersââ¬â¢ perception of the brand, J. Crew, usually entails the style they advertise in commercials and television. J. Crew can be seen as a style with practical women in finely cut business suits and overcoats. When most people visualize the company they visualize classy and professional clothing. The problem is they are not seen as the standard, like Gap, for instance, they lack the basic necessities to attract young college students. J. Crew just wants to maintain its professional status, but attract a younger crowd who are establishing their position in the real world applying and interview for jobs. When walking into the store, consumers see bright lights and a variety of fabrics and styles. The dresses range from simple around the house to dressy date-night dresses. The one-thing consumersââ¬â¢ can expect to see when entering J. Crew is the variety of clothing. Consumersââ¬â¢ can perceive clothing brands based on what they see on television, advertisements, and magazines. For instance, there was a point during the election, when Michelle Obama was wearing all J. Crew clothing. After seeing this, consumersââ¬â¢ then compare their own lives to the First Lady and the President. It gives off the intention that people wearing J. Crew are wealthy and extremely successful individuals. This perception is false because not everyone needs to be wealthy to afford this clothing. Many people are looking for a good way to be fashionable and professional at the same time. J. Crew provides high quality clothing for a good price. This store may seem more expensive, but price goes hand and hand with quality. College students can choose to buy cheaper clothes, but they canââ¬â¢t be guaranteed to last as long as higher quality fabrics. While, if they were to buy clothing from J. Crew, a high-end clothing company, their clothes would last longer and there would be no need for repurchasing products. According to youlookfab. com one of the customerââ¬â¢s comment on how the preppy and fashionable products were expensive, but the quality and drape were impeccable. Other opinions on J. Crew revolve around the age range of the clothing. Most people look at J. Crew as clothing for older more mature audiences. They believe it should be for women in their 40ââ¬â¢s or older. This is a common misconception as the style is mostly for a professional look, but for a young professional style. Models often used in the J. Crew magazine, most recently, are younger looking professionals with a modern feel to them. The store has become more mainstream recently, but still continues to maintain innovative colors and ensemble combinations. J. Crew keeps their nice basics and people can often leave the house wearing their attire from head to toe. Consumersââ¬â¢ often perceive J. Crew as currently declining in quality and have problems with sizes and overall fit. As sizes and fit compare depending on the consumer, the fit would be made specifically for younger professionals. As for quality, our prices may have been declining, but our quality can be just as durable as before. As all retail stores were hit hard in the economy, many stores have decreased in overall price. Quality can often be an issue to those who have over worn a piece of clothing. Many customers will find J. Crew products at a rack store or a second hand store and buy them there. Even though they are usually a few years older, they still remain in good condition as if they had never been worn. This contributes to the proof of quality as well as durability in J. Crew clothing. Consumers will always find a way to agree or disagree, but the best we can do to keep those customers content is to create good quality clothing at a sufficient price, producing long lasting and stylish clothing for both professional and casual occasions. VI. The Competition Swot Analysis: GAP INC. Strengths 3,143 stores in the United States â⬠¢518 stores Internationally (Ireland, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, France) â⬠¢Dominants clothing market ââ¬Å"clothes for the familyâ⬠â⬠¢Socially responsible campaigns: VOTE, (RED) aids awareness, reducing waste, and strongly concerned about supply chain â⬠¢Lots of commercials aired daily â⬠¢Many young celebrity endorsem ents â⬠¢Multiple lines for different age groups (Banana, Piperlime, Old Navy, Athleta) Weakness â⬠¢Consumers can view low prices as low quality products â⬠¢Not fashion forward for college students more concentrated on Basics â⬠¢Does not create a unique niche in market Opportunities â⬠¢Continue to gain attention with popular celebrities amongst college age students â⬠¢Continue to expand on the new denim line, with high quality fabrics â⬠¢Started working with new upcoming designers to feature in stores at a low cost â⬠¢Expand accessories Threats â⬠¢H&M is a high threat for Gap Inc with low priced fashionable goods and widespread â⬠¢Competitors lowering prices due to the economic downturn Swot Analysis: BCBG Max Azria Strengths â⬠¢Global womenââ¬â¢s contemporary fashion â⬠¢9,000 stores over 45 countries and 5 continents â⬠¢Make women look and feel beautiful Recognizable brand and customer loyalty â⬠¢E-commerce website â⬠¢Specializes in fashionable business attire and special occasion dresses â⬠¢Mailers to customers> due to in-store customer database â⬠¢Multiple lines for different age groups Weakness â⬠¢Not to many advertisements â⬠¢No commercials â⬠¢Very pricy for college students Op portunities â⬠¢Expand on advertisement â⬠¢Expand on BCBGeneration stores (targeted to college students) and only can be found at Macyââ¬â¢s. Threats â⬠¢Due to the recession consumers are looking for fashionable goods at a low price at stores such as: H&M, ZARA, and MANGO. Being mass distributed to chains such as Nordstrom, Macyââ¬â¢s, and Bloomingdales where they can offer sales promotions, which will deter consumers to go to actually BCBG stores. VII. The Creative Strategy A. The Single Most Compelling Benefit Our Brand Can Offer to Our Target Consumers For J. Crew, we are using a differentiation strategy using their special student discount, which makes it unique and puts it up against regular retailers whom do not offer such discounts. J. Crew offers a special student and teacher discount of fifteen percent off of all regular priced items, sale items are not included in the discount. This offer is valid for any in-store purchase until the student graduates, and all that is needed is a student identification card. In our current economic situation today, people are more conscious with their spending and hold on to tighter budgets. Luxury clothes are not as affordable as they used to be. Most consumersââ¬â¢ perceptions of J. Crew are that it is an expensive clothing brand. They think that they get better deals from retailers who have the same clothes for cheaper prices. As we promote J. Crewââ¬â¢s student discount and basic clothing items, we have a particular target market in mind. We are looking at this offer as an option or alternative for example, against the retail competition. It is an offer whose benefits are best maximized around college campuses and young professional environments. The discount solves the problem for students who want a back to school shopping spree that is easier on the budget. When we look at dollar value with regards to J. Crew, it is not just the discount itself that we are looking at but also the long-term utilization of the back to school basic items that have multi-purpose uses. So when you think of J. Crew clothing you might want to consider it as an investment, not as an expensive luxury. After all, same with any product you consider buying, you would rather put your money on quality and reliability over a cheaper product that will not last you nearly as long. What is even better about J. Crew is that it is a long term savings on your clothing budget and it will not be as affected by rising clothing prices due to its special student discount. You get more quality per dollar with J. Crew than any other clothing store. With more quality per dollar, consumers can wear their clothes for longer and consume less clothing, which means a lot of savings on their clothing budget. Consumers will feel comfortable wearing J. Crew because they know they are wearing a luxurious brand and saving money at the same time. Now consumers do not need to shop at the cheaper retailers as often as they used to and keep their money in their wallets for much longer. B. Support: Why Should College Students Shop Here? J. Crew is prominently known for being a luxurious clothing brand with higher prices. The brand features collections of men's and women's clothing, accessories, and shoes, in ââ¬Å"classic stylesâ⬠with a J. Crew ââ¬Å"twistâ⬠. Many of the products feature luxury materials such as Italian cashmere and leather, Czech glass buttons, and British wool. J. Crew is the perfect brand to wear every day because it does the savings for you. When buying the back to school basics, you are not only using these items for a professional setting, but also in your everyday school and recreational outfits. The average college student would not normally be interested in shopping at J. Crew, but if they are informed of the college student discount and the basic clothing items that they offer, it will be more enticing to shop there. The biggest push is raising awareness of the student discount because most students are unaware of it. Since J. Crew is not advertised often, it would be most efficient to raise awareness to college students on college campuses with flyers or online through Facebook. When they become aware, it will make them interested to see what the store sells and perhaps tempt the student to visit a local store or shop online. During a visit in store or online, the consumer will notice the advertised ââ¬Å"Back to School Basicsâ⬠and special student discount emphasizing the basic clothing items. These basic clothing items will be more appealing to students who now know that they can get regular discounts on clothes that they can wear everyday for any occasion. Basic clothing items and professional items will be a great investment for the average J. Crew shopper and many others. The average J. Crew shoppers are females ranging from ages 18-49. Most of these consumers are young professionals or part of families with incomes of $60,000 and greater. The shoppers who are in the age range of 18-49 and do not necessarily have the money to regularly shop at J. Crew, should have a chance to purchase basic clothing items and young professional attire. The important idea of buying J. Crew clothing is that it can not only be worn on teachers and students at school or in everyday recreation, but also when you graduate and get a job in the real world you can still wear the clothes for casual or business attire. C. Tone of Advertising When it comes to J. Crew, consumerââ¬â¢s original thoughts are: expensive, elegant, and older professional. We would like to use a tone to raise awareness to college students and young professionals that would slightly alter a consumerââ¬â¢s thoughts. The tone that we would like to use would be young, playful, trendy, and basic. The tone would push the young professional look and ââ¬Å"Back to Basicsâ⬠slogan around back to school shopping time. J. Crew does not have commercials so implementing commercials with a young, playful, and happy tone would be most effective. These commercials would include young, professional looking adults jumping and dancing around with popular music in the background. The actors in the commercial would be wearing a mixture of basic items and professional items that are in all different colors to make the commercial appealing to the eye and promote the basics that people may not have noticed before. The idea in this would be to make J. Crewââ¬â¢s advertising more like GAPââ¬â¢s and have it start appealing to more of the college kids and young professionals. GAPââ¬â¢s 2009 Holiday Commercial is the perfect example of the tone J. Crew should promote. Most importantly, these advertisements and commercials need to promote money savings (such as the student/teacher discount) and ââ¬Å"Back to School Basicsâ⬠. The most important things to a college student is saving money, and looking good while doing so. If J. Crew follows this newly thought out plan, they will accomplish just that! VIII. The Creative Brief J. Crew, specifically at Stonestown mall, is having difficulty reaching out to the college students at San Francisco State University. J. Crew is mainly categorized as expensive and for an older professional. By changing their advertisement strategies to have a younger feel, we hope to gain awareness of college students at SFSU. Our advertising plan will focus on college students and young professionals. These students will be mainly females and most will be seen as single. They will make about $12,000 annually or less, most with part time jobs and attending school full time. College students usually enjoy social gatherings and night events where they can show off their style. They are looking for long lasting quality in basic casual and trendy clothes. Most college students visualize J. Crew as classy and old professional clothing. The brand is seen as expensive but college students regard J. Crew products as being high quality. The single most compelling idea we need to communicate to our target market is that fact J. Crew allows college students to wear high quality and fashionable clothes, while saving money at the same time. J. Crew is prominently known for being a luxurious clothing brand with higher prices. But the brand has also basic clothing items for the typical college student on which they can get regular discounts. Our desired brand personality/tone of J. Crew should be a young, playful, and trendy
Saturday, September 14, 2019
How Far Was the Nuclear Arms Race a Threat to World Peace Essay
The nuclear arms race did threaten world peace because the weapons being created had the potential to destroy the world, to any nation this comprehension was threatening especially due to these weapons being in control of two countries that ideologically conflicted. Additionally, both superpowers paranoia for one another grew as the power of the weapons created grew and multiplied, this further threatened world peace since any minor movement made by either power could have been misinterpreted as an attack. However, it becomes clear from a post perspective that the arms race did in fact deter any form of violence between the USA and the USSR, this was due to their fear of mass destruction and that it was more a competition of ability between the two powers rather than a desire to attack their opponent. Although these facts do suggest the arms race wasnââ¬â¢t threatening, the fact that both nations had the capability to destroy the world can be seen as enough for the arms race to have been a threat to world peace. The Culture of secrecy that developed during the arms race threatened world peace because it fuelled the paranoia consuming each nation as to whether the other had military superiority. The fears concerning both powers led to assumptions being made on the other countryââ¬â¢s progress, this is evident with the profound effect the Gaither report of 1957 had on the US. The report which was commissioned just after Sputnik heightened fear that the Soviet Union had military superiority because there was a missile gap between the two nations. The report led to the US creating a National Defence Education Act in an attempt to reinforce their already extensive military science and defence units, at the time the number of students studying at college doubled (mainly in engineering, maths and science). The impact of the report illustrates US fears of Russia gaining military superiority and if Eisenhower had thought the report to be true, it is questionable how much action might have been taken to prevent Russian military knowledge expanding. Therefore the culture of secrecy and the ignition of fear it created made the arms race a threat to world peace. Additionally, the concentration of power in the hands of both nations encouraged dangerous tactics to be considered, such as, the US doctrine of ââ¬Ëmassive retaliationââ¬â¢ in 1954. The US was confident at this point of their nuclear superiority over the world and believed that no nation would risk a war against their nuclear based force, it used the method of brinkmanship which involved going to the brink of nuclear war. Therefore the method was extremely provocative and if used would easily cause further hostility and conflict, especially since the USSR was adopting similar methods. An example of Brinkmanship can be seen in the Cuban Missile crisis 1962 which did arguably come to the brink of nuclear war, itââ¬â¢s an example of how dangerous the method is since if both powers were attempting to use it it wouldnââ¬â¢t have the desired effect of forcing the other country into submission. Consequently it seems the arms race in the 1950ââ¬â¢s had led to over confidence for both nations to be considering such tactics which undoubtedly would have threatened world peace. However, the nuclear arms race did arguably deter both nations from participating in direct conflict due to the threat it would disrupt world peace. This concept of nuclear deterrence arose during the Korean War due to the threat direct conflict posed for not only Korea but the world. To prevent nuclear escalation procedures were followed such as Stalin not becoming directly involved in the war and Truman not using nuclear weapons against China, since this would lead to Russia having to support China and an indirect nuclear conflict taking place. When evaluating the Cuban Missile Crisis it is evident the effect different concepts and methods have on the outcome of nuclear threat, massive retaliation led to a quarantine in the Cuban crisis, whilst in the Korean war nuclear deterrence led to peaceful existence of both countries in opposition with no nuclear threat present. But this does show that different methods being interpreted played a key role in the arms race being a threat to world peace and that it wasnââ¬â¢t solely the nuclear arms being created. It is also clear during 1949-62 that the arms race was more of a competition between the two powers, hence ââ¬Ëraceââ¬â¢. Neither concluded any form of destruction or conflict as a result of the arms race, therefore itââ¬â¢s difficult to view the race as a threat. It is evident that it was simply a competition since it also involved technological and space advances, such as when Sputnik was launched in 1957, US failed in launching their own satellite Vanguard which was seen as a great failure and embarrassment for the US. The Soviet Union seemed to advance with rocket technology and in 1961 Yuri Gagarin in Vostok I became the first man in space, this indicates that particularly for Russia the arms race was not only about military advancements but overall technological advancements. It illustrates that the arms race was more about being the smartest and most powerful nation rather than bringing about the others destruction and thus being a threat to the world. It appears that the arms race wasnââ¬â¢t only about the destructive weaponry but about the paranoia and the ego of the two powers. Both nations were in fierce competition with the other to be the best super power and this seemed far more important to them than actually attacking the other nation, this is clear due to both countries agreeing to nuclear deterrence and limited war. Neither country wished to disrupt peace but simply lived in fear of the other country developing a more powerful weapon they could confront the other with, or succeeding them in space technology and thus being the better nation. Although any confrontation that had taken place rarely truly would have led to a nuclear war, there was always a slight threat that even with the most minute misinterpretation a missile could have been fired. This concern combined with the fact both nations did have the capability to destroy the world is enough to conclude that the nuclear arms race was a threat to world peace.
Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay Animal Farm Essays
Animalism in many ways does symbolize Communism. Animalism for the animals would be a perfect land, no rich, no poor, and everyone is equal. They all would own the same amount of the farm. No animal would be above any other animal. As in a communistic society, they would all work the same and receive the same. The government would own everything and they people would own the government. In both Animalism and Communism, their goal was a society in which the workers, not the capitalists, owned all the means of production. To reach this ideal situation, a transition period was needed, during which the government controlled the economy. The government guaranteed hospitalization, education, housing, and pension plans, as well as jobs. In Animal Farm, the animals did receive some of those features while Snowball was with them. The people, as well as animals, in turn, gave up every indication of freedom. Thus, everyone would share equally in the benefits of production, and everyone would ha ve an equal share in the goods that were produced. The government (pigs), regardless of demand, determined supply. Everyone was forced to work...
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