Is america too dependent on technology? Essay

Are Americans too dependent on technology? Do you think Americans are too dependent on technology? Americans have become so reliant on technology in the 21st century that a vast majority of us probably wouldn’t know what to do if one day all the electronics just shut down. For example, I depended on this computer in order to write this paper, instead of just doing it the old fashioned way with a pencil and a piece of paper. Cell phones have become a â€Å"must have† in almost everyone’s life even the younger kids. I personally believe that we, Americans, are extremely too dependent on technology. Even though technology helps us in many ways it can also harm us as well. Despite the ease technology has given us â€Å"technology has caused people to become so reliant that, in a poll by CNET, 28 percent of people said they wouldn’t be able to live without high- speed Internet. The younger generation has lost its curious nature to explore to world. Instead, children are hiding behind a TV screen or Xbox game† (America). Many American children have awful social skills in todays time because they’re so stuck on their phones or computers. For example, my little brother is so stuck on his phone, ipad, or tv that when he has to talk to people in person he shuts down because he’s so used to just talking to people through his electronics. â€Å"Some experts believe excessive use of the Internet, cellphones and other technologies can cause us to become more impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even more narcissistic† (An Ugly). Another large problem technology has caused for us.

How Is the Story Told in Chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby Essay

Throughout chapter one of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald varies in technique to tell the story. He uses the character Nick Carraway to start off the chapter by having him narrate. And throughout Chapter 1 we are introduced to many other characters such as Tom, Jordan, Daisy and Gatsby. The use of narrational voice is very important in The Great Gatsby as Fitzgerald has created the character Nick, not only to narrate the story, but also be a key person in the novel. This adds a personal touch, but it could also make parts of story bias or inaccurate. We get hinted at this inaccuracy when Nick says ‘I have been drunk twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon’. We can see that his narration may be inaccurate as he was under the influence of alcohol, so he may not be able to remember parts of the story so well. Each character is described through the narrator’s voice and therefore the perceptions and thoughts of each character are effected by Nick and his views. The personal delivery of the story compels us to read on. This is down to Nick’s creative style of telling the story. Fitzgerald has created the character Nick to essentially tell the story and to have the opportunity to add personal judgements. Although the character repeatedly admits that he doesn’t make these judgements; this is a contradictory statement, and throughout the first chapter Nick continually breaks this. The first few pages can be described as a brief summary of Nick Carraway and his life where as a reader we begin to create and establish our perceptions of his character. Through the early summary, â€Å"In my younger and more†¦ † , Nick is summarising his life; it is as if he is shortening and quickly describing snap shots of his life. Fitzgerald has created the character of Nick as a participant of the story, although he is more of a spectator. The brief beginning summary is then followed by â€Å"And so it happened that on a warm windy evening.. † which can mark the beginning of the narrative and again shows the clever way that Fitzgerald has used Carraway’s character as a participant and a writer of the Gatsby story. This narrative technique focus’s the reader’s attention and creates a link between the reader and the character of Nick as it feels like he is personally relaying the story. Whereas through the later stages of the Chapter â€Å"the other girl, Daisy, made an attempt† is much more descriptive and film like. Overall Fitzgerald uses different techniques to tell the story on Chapter 1. One of these being, having Nick not just be a narrator but also a character. This adds to the overall delivery of not just Chapter 1 but the whole novel.

Global Warming Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Warming Blog - Assignment Example Coal, as a source of energy is not safe for the welfare of the universe (Singer 2001). Carbon compounds are the main constituents of coal. Once the carbon compounds are heated for the production of energy, they are released into the atmosphere. The carbon fumes released during the combustion of coal to release energy result to erosion of the ozone layer. This leads to increased global warming. The Greenpeace non-governmental organization has been on the forefront in fighting the use of coal but instead other environmentally friendly sources of energy. The background to the use of coal as a source of energy is based on the fact it is readily available in different states in the United States of America. Therefore, some people view this as an unexploited avenue hence their decision to use the mineral as a source of energy. Others engage in the coal business to increase their returns and make profits. This is not wise considering the intensity of the impacts after the use of coal as a source of energy. The issue surrounding efforts to stop the use of coal as a source of energy is to some extent of moral nature. The use of coal is an unethical act because the impacts derived from it are of a negative nature in relation to the environment (Veizer 2005). Therefore, with the knowledge of the negative impacts of using coal as a source of energy, then it is immoral to continue using the mineral as a source of energy. As long as the impacts derived from using coal affect the environment negatively, then it becomes unethical and immoral to continue using the energy from coal. The dilemma that community members may be faced with on the matter would be the purchase and use of environmentally friendly sources of energy apart from coal. These may be expensive but better in terms of environmental conservation. It might be tricky for some members of the community to embark on using

System Information Management, Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

System Information Management, - Assignment Example investment, deployment of the effective human resource, and sphosticated technology establshment are intended for facilitating corporate operations managemnt, effective data handling, decision making and resource handling. Furthermore, the implementation of information systems has become essential for every organization that handles overall organizational business information and management process. This report is aimed at analyzing and the IS/IT infrastructure implementation at Makkah Municipality. This report will provide the analysis of different aspects of the new information systems and information technology infrastructure implementation at Makkah Municipality. Makkah Municipality is one of the major city management departments in Middle East in terms of size and capacity. In addition, Makkah is the Islamic center for Muslims and it is most sacred place for Muslims. In month of Zill-Hajj more than 10 million people visit Makkah. This amount of visitor exceeds all through the year. The main roles and responsibilities of the Makkah Municipality are: In the effective management of all the above given problems we Makkah Municipality needs some new technology that is based on IS/IT. According to (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, p. 18), an information system gathers, performs operations, stores, evaluates, and distributes information for a particular function. Similar to any other system, an information system consists of inputs (such as instructions and data) and outputs (reports, calculations). In addition, it carries out operations on the inputs by using technology like PCs and develops outputs that are delivered to users or to other systems by means of electronic networks (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, p. 18). A management information system is a function or utilization of information system that offers management oriented reporting. These reports are typically developed or produced on a predetermined schedule and come out in a

Popular Music and Its Cultural Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Popular Music and Its Cultural Context - Essay Example To understand popular music in its culutal context, this paper divides the development of the art through the decades. Jazz - 1920 to 1950 -: Jazz was the most prominent style of music that was categorized as Pop Music from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was seen that in great Britain, jazz was adopted by thoswe musicians who wanted a platform for "social activism and political change". (McKay George, 2005). The cultural context: Jazz evolved from simple hum able melodies in the early part of the 20th century to become the most complicated and intricate genre of music. Music, at the beginning of the Jazz "era" was not just a part of culture, but a culture all by itself. Though it influenced the younger generation, the music could only be heard in pubs, magazines and some concert halls. Jazz has become an intrinsic part of different cultures of the world Jazz was first heard when the music of the Africans (brought to America as slaves) combined with that of American music prevalent in that time period and culture. The new Afro American genre of songs was initially typified by the Gospel music, a more "powerful, joyful and effective" rendition by the Africans who adopted Christianity. (Ergelmis, Can). Jelly Morton invented "Stride", music with a "wide perspective" (Ergelmis) mainly based on piano music. When the elements of Gospel music, Stride and the ambience of the Afro-American culture, came together in ragtime music, this symbolized the birth of Jazz, according to popular knowledge. Ragtime as we know is simple music with simple emotions, which chiefly ainmed to entertain and Scott Joplin (called the king of ragtime writers) popularized the genre to a remmarkable extent. (Biography of Scott Joplin). History tells us that after the first world war the economy of US bloomed and entertainment became an intrinsic part of life. (Ergelmis). Jazz musicians were invited to play their bands and sing, and this herlded the pdevelopment of popularity of this music. Louis Armstrong, was probably the most popular of jazz musiscians, and his rendition of the trumpet took jazz all over the world. Armstrong's commitment to music was phenomenol and by also symbolizing a voice of the Civil Liberties struggle, he will remain an important protagoniist of the cultural life of the US right from the 1920s. ("American masters", Web page) From the 1920s to the 50s jazz continued to influence the culture of the countries in which it was embedded as a music genre. Clothes, style, vocabulary and general attitude towards life were all influenced deeply by the music, its composers and their lifestyles. (Ergelmis). The economic depression after the 1920s brought lesser concerts for the musicians. They coped with the situation by forming larger bands. The music now came to be called "Swing". Radio and the movies too helped popularize music as people could now hear recorded performances; this did not burn a hole in theit pockets, as hiring a live band would have. (The history of swing music", Web page). After the 103-s and the tumultous events of the world war, jazz music started declining in popularity and only those deeply interested in the genre payed more attention to it. (Ergelmis), The reason attributed by George McKay (2005) for the decline of jazz, was that it was a fusion of Afro and European cultuures in Britain, something that was a reconciliation of opposing factors. 1950s

CIS 333 discussions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS 333 discussions - Coursework Example One of the biggest attacks on mobile operating systems today as noted by researchers at Silicon Valley Security Company is the malware called WireLurker (Perlroth, 2014). It targets the Apple mobile and desktop users. The malware is designed in a way that unauthorized people can access the data from the devices. The security company confirmed that this is a malware affecting the Apple iOS mobile users in China (Perlroth, 2014). The devices become infected with the malware if they connect their devices to Macs through the USB wires and in cases where mobile users have altered their devices and installed software that Apple has not authorized. In china’s case of malware attack on Apple mobile devices it is important for the device users to avoid the risk by not using unauthorized software applications. Users should also prevent the transfer of the malware from the Macs to the mobile devices which occurs when using the USB wire. Users who have altered their devices by jailbreaking or those updating their devices from unknown sites should accept that it is a risk and the consequence is stolen information. Users of Apple mobiles can mitigate this risk by using the mentioned preventative measures. After the attack on Sony in November last year, the company had to face new attacks in December after the company computer systems were breached (Barnes & Perlroth, 2014). The latest breach exposed the company’s executive compensation documents and had more movies pirated (Barnes & Perlroth, 2014). If I was an IT security professional at Sony, I would join a team of other IT engineers at Sony to work with security encryption companies to ensure that more is done beyond having everyone with the same VPN passwords. Tang Yan, a former employee at NetEase and now the founder of Momo, a dating application in China was accused of lack of professional ethics

E-law questions part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

E-law questions part 1 - Essay Example Moreover, US lawyers use technology in litigation, e-discovery, and e filing in courtrooms (American Bar Association 2012). They also use various hardware and software that include videoconferencing technology to take depositions and testimonies and to deliver professional legal education. On the other hand, videoconferencing technology applies in Australian courts in taking depositions and testimonies from witnesses and is accessible to lawyers in the urban areas. Indeed, there is little evidence of technology use by Australian lawyers in the rural and remote areas. Despite its significant benefits, IT and specifically videoconferencing technology is not popular with Australian lawyers (Kennedy &Winn, n.y). Internationalization has a positive impact on tax revenue charged by governments on businesses. Indeed, an increase in the internationalization indicator leads to a subsequent increase in tax revenue. Additionally, internationalization undermines the government’s potential to tax business income hence leading to more business profits. Moreover, it increases a business urge to relocate abroad and enhances the need for a better location with regard to infrastructure that promotes business activities. Indeed, it has adverse effects where a business finally relocates to another country. Globalization has divergent impact on business. It promotes the movement of goods across borders thus enhancing international trade. It leads to integrated customer service and the emergence of global business brand. It enables businesspersons to purchase products from convenient markets, selling of products in markets with higher profits, and outsourcing of raw materials. Additionally, globalization leads to high profit margins for companies that are able to source cheap raw materials and labor force from other countries. This equally leads to low earning potential for employees. Globalization also affects business management where companies can hire managers

Affluent Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Affluent Society - Essay Example The paper will also review the most important benefits and drawbacks of sub-urbanization and affluence for Americans in the 1950s. The suburban consumers in the 1950s gained much affluence due to the economic prosperity of the US during the period. There was an increase in luxury expenditure and increase in consumer values due to increased enlightening of the suburban population. Prior to the period of 1950s consumer values did not have much dominance in the United States of America. Affluence was not of much meaning before this period. It was during this period that the people of the United States of America gained confidence in the affluence. Material conformity was brought about by mass marketing and consumerism despite that fact that the US market was consisting of people with different characteristics and abilities. Conformity seemed to be the norm in social aspects such as religion and gender roles. The 1950s is commonly referred to as the decade of economic boom. This is a decade that came immediately after the end of the World War II. Therefore, Americans were so eager on spending their money on things that they could not access during the period of war. There wasthe growth of the industries that existed even before the war began. Good examples of such industries are automobiles and steels. There was also growth of new industries such as plastic, electronics, and computers. This is a clear indication that there was an increase in the availability of employment opportunities in the US. There was a resulting increase in workers’ wages and benefits1. This implies that the people of the United States of America were in a better position to spend money on things that were previously termed as luxuries. A research carried out by the Corning Glass company in the 1950s used American women to evaluate the possible performance of their coffee in the market. The research showed just shows the extent to which the specification of customers mattered

Apple Inc. Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Apple Inc. Business Analysis - Essay Example The reasons of investing as mutual fund manager in Apple are given, and the paper concludes with a summary of the business analysis. Apple Inc. Business Analysis. Company Background. Apple was incorporated in California in 1977. Apple Inc. and its subsidiaries develop, manufactures and sells its products including personal computers, media devices, mobiles, and digital music players. The Company also sells various related software, peripherals, services, networking solutions, and third party digital content and applications. Apple products and services comprise of iPod, iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, Mac, a portfolio of professional and consumer software applications, iCloud, the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings. The Company also sells and delivers digital content and applications through the App Store, iBookstore, iTunes Store, and Mac App Store. The company sells its products globally through its online stores, retail stores, and direct sales force, as well as through third-party cellular network transporters, retailers, value added resellers and wholesalers. Also, the Company sells various third-party iPod, iPhone, Mac, and iPod compatible products, including printers, application software, storage devices, headphones, speakers, and various other peripherals and accessories, through its retail and online stores. Apple sells its products to consumers, education, small and medium sized businesses, enterprise and government customers (www.apple.com). The Effects of Recent Economic Trends on Apple’s Business. The performance and operations of Apple depend significantly on global economic conditions. Uncertainty about worldwide economic conditions poses a risk as businesses and consumers postpone spending in response to unemployment, tighter credit, negative financial news and/or declines in asset values or income, which could have negative effects on demand for companies’ services and products (A ndreas, 2011). The Company usually increases prices on goods and services sold outside the United States; this is aimed to offset the effect of appreciating U.S. dollar in these markets, thus affecting the demand of Apple products. Other factors that affect the demand of Apple products and services include; conditions in the mortgage and real estate markets, increases in fuel and energy costs, labor and healthcare costs, unemployment, access to credit, and other macroeconomic factors affecting the spending behavior of consumers. Andreas (2011) notes that the global financial crisis and the debt crisis in Europe have led to new or incremental tightening of the credit market, low liquidity, and extreme volatility in fixed income, currency, credit, and equity markets. This has affected the Company’s business, including the financial instability of outsourcing trading partners or their inability to obtain credit to finance development and/or manufacture products resulting to prod uct delays. The crisis has also, has affected Apple customers, including channel partners by making them incapable to access credit to finance purchases of Apple products. Strategies of Adapting to Changing Economic Conditions. Economic recession provides opportunities to companies of starting new businesses, innovate and manufacture new products, and build and strengthen customer loyalty (Andreas, 2011). Apple operates in a highly competitive and highly volatile industry,

What is learning Essay Example for Free

What is learning Essay ?What is learning? From born to dead, we non-stop to learning, how to sound, walk, study knowledge, even working skill. We learn in our whole life. But what is learning? Why we need to learn? Is it to follow other success person so we need to learn? Gagne(1965) describe learning as four factors, Drive, Stimulus, Response and Reinforcement. For every learning process before it start there are also have a reason to basic on, whatever we are learning a knowledge or a skill. And this is the factor of drive, it can improve you to want to learn. It can be a basic need or other drive. For example, a baby learning how to speak, it can describe as a basic need drive, because the baby want to let his mother father to know what his want, and speak is the most effective and efficient way to achieve, thats why the baby go to learn. In stimulus factor of Gagne theory, learner must be stimulated by the learning process, because some of stimulus can make the learner to drew some nature response, it can help them to learn more effect and efficient. And when the learner in the learning process, they will get some individual stimulus, that is the feel of the new thing of you learn. When the stimulus was occur on the learner, they will take a response such as increased skills and knowledge. This stage must occur after process of drive and stimulus. The last factor is reinforcement, when the learner taking some new skill or knowledge, those thing may forget quickly, because we also can not remember now thing hardly for first time, that’s why we need to practice to reinforcement the new skill or knowledge. In the process on the learning, there have many variable element, such as what type of the learner are, what the way are adopt to learn, those variable will influence the result of the learning process. Below we will talking about those variable, how those influence the result. Learning styles encompass a series of theories suggesting systematic differences in individuals natural or habitual pattern of acquiring and processing information in learning situations. A core concept is that individuals differ in how they learn. The idea of individualized learning styles originated in the 1970s, and has greatly influenced education. Proponents of the use of learning styles in education recommend that teachers assess the learning styles of their students and adapt their classroom methods to best fit each students learning style. Although there is ample evidence that individuals express preferences for how they prefer to receive information, few studies have found any validity in using learning styles in education. Critics say there is no evidence that identifying an individual students learning style produces better outcomes. There is evidence of empirical and pedagogical problems related to the use of learning tasks to‘correspond to differences in a one-to-one fashion. ’Well-designed studies contradict the widespread meshing hypothesis, that a student will learn best if taught in a method deemed appropriate for the students learning style. Learning styles are a popular concept in psychology and education that are intended to identify how people learn best. The popularity of this concept grew dramatically during the 1970s and 1980s, despite the evidence suggesting that personal learning preferences have no actual influence on learning results. While the existing research has found that matching teaching methods to learning styles had no influence on educational outcomes, the concept of learning styles remains extremely popular. There are many different ways of categorizing learning styles including Kolbs model and the Jungian learning styles. Neil Flemings VARK model is one of the most popular representations. In 1987, Fleming developed an inventory designed to help students and others learn more about their individual learning preferences. David A. Kolbs model is based on the Experiential learning Theory, as explained in his book Experiential Learning. The ELT model outlines two related approaches toward grasping experience: Concrete Experience and Abstract Conceptualization, as well as two related approaches toward transforming experience: Reflective Observation and Active Experimentation. According to Kolbs model, the ideal learning process engages all four of these modes in response to situational demands. In order for learning to be effective, all four of these approaches must be incorporated. As individuals attempt to use all four approaches, however, they tend to develop strengths in one experience-grasping approach and one experience-transforming approach. The resulting learning styles are combinations of the individuals preferred approaches. For type of the learner, it can classification as 16 different type, as Serialist vs. Holist, Controlled vs. Impulsive, Dependant vs. Independent, Mature vs. Immature, Structured vs. Unstructured, Familiar vs. Unfamiliar, Instructional vs. Experimental, Deep learning vs. Surface learning. To identify what type the learner are, we can uses some of test to calculate it, and this is also a important step, because different type of learner will have stimulus by different learning way. As the way of learning, they were through words, questions, through images, pictures and abstract representations , through music and rhythm, through movements or physical activities, through social interaction and through independence or self-interaction. Those analysis by Gardner, in 1999. For suggest learner to used different way to learn, Riding (1997) to publish that, Cognitive Style, that’s mean an individual’s consistent preferences for particular ways of gathering, processing and storing information and experiences. It is a fusion of methods of thinking and of personality. And he also also warned about the possibility of confusing style with ability in 1997. Those theory bring out one mine idea that everyone who before go to learn, they should to find out what kind of they are, and what method are suitable for first, that is the most important. But this is not a easily even for an experience teacher, that’s why teacher should have a reliable and valid instrument, because some characteristics are not discernable, by (Beaty 1986; Dunn, Dunn, and Price 1977; Marcus 1977 How to Implement and Supervise a Learning Style Program, P. 9). Cognitive Style and learning style two-oriented theories and models mostly in the late twentieth century (1950) proposed that the two are very similar at first glance, very confusing. Jonassen Grabowski (1993) explain the main difference between the two is that learning styles were analyzed only for the learner preferences, without taking into consideration the actual ability of learners. To calculate the type of the learner are, there have few popular method to measure Cognitive Style, and there usually will identify as two big type of style. (Riding,1997 ). They are ‘wholist-analytical(WA)’ and ‘verbaliser-imager(VI) type. The wholist-analytical group are concerned with whether the individual processes and organizes data as a whole or in a piecemeal fashion and the verbaliser-imager group are concerned with whether the individual normally represents information in their memory as pictures or as words during the process of thinking. We can use Belbin test, MBTI test, and VARK Questionnaire test VARK Questionnaire test is a method to analysis a person learning style, basic on their gift and ability, VARK model as well as other learning style theories has been questioned and criticized extensively. One large scale look at learning style models suggested that the instruments designed to assess individual learning styles were questionable, while other critics have suggested that labeling students as having one specific learning style can actually be a hindrance to learning. Despite the criticism and lack of empirical support, the VARK model remains fairly popular among both students and educators. Many students immediately recognize that they are drawn to a particular learning style. Others may find that their learning preferences lie somewhere in the middle. For example, a student might feel that both visual and auditory learning is the most appealing. While aligning teaching strategies to learning styles may or may not be effective, students might find that understanding their own learning preferences can be helpful. For example, if you know that visual learning appeals to you most, using visual study strategies in conjunction with other learning methods might help you better remember the information you are studying or at the very least make studying more enjoyable. So what happens if no single learning preference calls out to you? What if you change preferences based on the situation or the type of information you are learning? In such instances, you probably have what is known as a multimodal style. For example, you might rely on your reading and writing preferences when you are dealing with a class that requires a great deal of book reading and note-taking, such as a history of psychology course. During an art class, you might depend more on your visual and kinesthetic preferences as you take in pictorial information and learn new techniques. There have four item to take a mark, Visual, Aural, Read and Kinesthetic. Visual learner are good at receive of image information some picture as charts, diagrams. illustrations, notes, and videos are all let visual learners easily to remember the information . People who prefer this type of learning would rather see information presented in a visual rather than in written form. Aural (or auditory) learners is good to learning by use of there ears . They more perfer to get a good part out of lectures and are good at remembering speech by people of there mouth. Reading and writing learners more likely to get information through as words. Learning source that are primarily text-based are strongly preferred by these learners. Kinesthetic (or tactile) learners learn best by touching and doing. Hands-on experience is important to kinesthetic learners. Of the outcome of my test of doing VARK test, my result are Visual: 5, Aural: 9 , Read/Write: 2, Kinesthetic: 9, that is mean that im good at aural and kinesthetic. Those of sound and touching thing and resource are effect for me to learning, those are stimulate way for me. That’s mean listing the teacher told and feel the new thing. Belbin test is a analysis method of calculate role of team of a person, this develop by Dr. Meredith Belbin in Cambridge, UK. Its main function are help tester to know himself, from self-character to other people idea of himself. And calculate the tester career development. It can understand the member of the team person working style quickly. Then you can know how to communicate with, and make the performance be more efficient and effect. And the nine type is Shaper (SH), Implementer (IMP), Completer-Finisher (CF), Coordinator (CO), Team Worker (TW), Resource Investigator (RI), Plant (PL), Monitor-Evaluator (ME) and Specialist (SP). As my know of myself, I will describe myself as Implementer (IMP), because its characteristic are Implementers are the people who get things done. They turn the teams ideas and concepts into practical actions and plans. They are typically conservative, disciplined people who work systematically and efficiently and are very well organized. These are the people who you can count on to get the job done. On the downside, Implementers may be inflexible and can be somewhat resistant to change. For my target career as a business administrative, this is suitable for of the role of the Implementer (IMP). MMDI test, full name is Myers Briggs Type Indicator, this test let character describe as sixteen type, this sixteen type include all human behavior, they are 1)ESTJ male chauvinism 2)ESTP challenge 3)ESFJ master 4)ESFP show off 5)ENTJ general 6)ENTP inventor 7)ENFJ educationalist 8)ENFP reporter 9)ISTJ public servant 10)ISTP adventure 11)ISFJ take care 12)ISFP art 13)INTJ professional 14)INTP scholar 15)INFJ author 16)INFP philosopher. Those of them also have benefit and weak point and no one is the best. When I finish the test, I know that im the type of the ESFJ master adventure one, this is different between I estimate one as ESTP challenge one, therefore, ESFJ as Enthusiastic, talkative, popular, responsible natural collaborators, active member of the committee. May be longer than the creation of a harmonious and harmony. Often doing good to others. Encouragement and praise when you get the best work. The main interest lies in those things that have a direct and significant impact on peoples lives. In the analysis, ESFJ is suitable of occupation such as Housekeeping Nurse, Administration, Teachers, Family Physicians, Clergy or other religious workers Office Manager, Counselor, Accountant, Administrative Assistant, this is matching with my target career as administrative.

Linguistic Structure of the Unconscious by Lacan

Linguistic Structure of the Unconscious by Lacan Lacans View of the Linguistic Structure of the Unconscious and Implications for the Relevance of Psychoanalysis to the Social World Jacques Lacan has been called the most influential psychoanalyst since Freud. The impact of his work, both as a theory of the unconscious and as a repertoire of clinical practices, is reflected in the use of Lacanian methods by over half of psychoanalysts worldwide. Lacanian concepts and constructs also are thriving outside the consulting room, in the studies of literature and film, in feminist studies and legal studies, international relations and social policy. But what does psychoanalysis have to do with the social world? Historians, social and political scientists have contested a role for psychoanalysis in their respective social domains. There is fear that psychological reduction is inevitably results, lowering the objective social sphere to the subjective level of a culture on a couch. However, the theory and practice of psychoanalysis need not be atomistic. Freud regarded the study of institutions, languages, literature and art as a necessary prerequisite to successfully comprehending the analytic experience. Like Freud, and in his project of returning to Freud, Jacques Lacan studied and borrowed from a range of disparate fields, including philosophy, structuralist anthropology, literature, music, topography and semiology/linguistics. He agreed with Freudon the legitimacy of social analysis inspired from a psychoanalytic perspective. In A Theoretical Introduction to the Functions of Psychoanalysis in Criminology (1950), Lacan expresse d his position as follows: It may be well that since its experience is limited to the individual, psychoanalysis cannot claim to grasp the totality of any sociological object, or even the entirety of causes currently operating in our society. Even so, in its treatment of the individual, psychoanalysis has discovered relational tensions that appear to play a fundamental role in all societies, as if the discontent in civilization went so far as to reveal the very joint of nature to culture. If one makes the appropriate transformation, one can extend the formulas of psychoanalysis concerning this joint to certain human sciences that can utilize them (Stavrakakis, 1999, p. 3). Anthony Elliott (1992) cited Lacans ideas as establishing the principal terms of reference for thinking about the interconnections between the psyche and social field (p. 2). In this vein, Feher-Gurewich contended that Lacans psychoanalytic approach is founded on premises that are in sharp contrast to the ones which have led to the failure of an alliance between psychoanalysis and social theory (Stavrakakis, 1999, p. 14). One set of these premises is the topic of this discussion. The following is an attempt to explain Lacans claim that the unconscious is structured like a language and to discuss the bearing this claim has on the relevance of psychoanalysis to the social world. First, a brief overview of Lacans career, or project, may assist in supporting this analysis. Overview of Lacans Project Although many perceive his theoretical works as impenetrable or as an incoherent jumble, there are common threads throughout. Lacan consistently viewed his mission to be a return to Freud. The keynote for this return was his placement of language as the central construct in theory and in practice(Clement, 1983). The Mirror Stage Beginning in the late 1930s, after the publication of numerous case studies, Lacan began to focus on the emergence of the sense of self, the function of the I. He termed this emergence the Mirror Stage in the development of a childs sense of self during the first two years of life. Drawing upon revelations from his own psychoanalytic experience, together with the work of psychologists such as Henri Wallon, Charlotte BÃÆ' ¼hler, and Otto Rank, Lacan posited that the childs emergent sense of self is formed upon entry into language, the realm of the symbolic, and always in reference to some other. That other could be the childs own image in a mirror, the mother or any number of other objects with which the child associated self via Freuds mechanism of narcissistic identification. The mirror stage is the origin of a fundamental alienation or split in the individuals sense of self. The speaking subject (I) becomes de-centered from the ideal ego (me). Because self is oriented toward an other who is perceived as ideal/omnipotent, and thus as a potential rival to the self, the ego that emerges from this stage is characterized by a hostility that threatens its very existence. Lacan concluded that human identity is formed only within this intersubjective context in which alienation and aggressivity characterize the natural state. Rather than being the first step toward the formation of a healthy and stable ego, his proposal that  mà ©connaissance,  or misperception, is central to the ego formation flew in the face of a basic construct of ego psychology, that the ego is the origin and basis of psychic stability. In 1953, Lacan broke with the dominant faction of ego psychologists and formed his own professional group, the Socià ©tà © franaise de psychanalytique (SFP). The Discourse of Rome During the first meeting of this group, in Rome that year, Lacan presented a paper which quickly became known as the manifesto of the new society. He argued that speech and, more generally, language were central to psychoanalytic practice and to any theoretical conclusions that might be extrapolated from it. He drew upon and adapted the semiologic principles of Ferdinand de Saussure and the philosophical traditions of Hegel for his theoretical vocabulary. It is during this time that Lacans public focus shifted clearly from the developmental to the linguistic. Drawing from the language of music, he posited three registers of functioning, the symbolic, imaginary and real. The symbolic, a function of speech/language, was seen as central and in dynamic interaction with the imaginary. Lacans acerbic characterization of the ego as the seat of neuros is rather than the source of psychic integration and his emphasis on the symbolic organization of the human psyche opened new territory for psychoanalytic theory. Lacan credited Freud with the concept and blamed his ego-psychologist followers for obscuring the point. Meta-theory The charge that psychoanalysts had abandoned the founding texts of their profession exacerbated tensions between the ego psychology and the SFP until Lacan left the group in 1963 to form another organization, the École Freudienne de Paris (EFP). Lacan continued his close readings of Freuds texts, but he now began to introduce a number of terms and concepts not found in Freuds own work. By the time his selected essays appeared 1966, his seminars were standing-room-only. Many in the crowd associated him with structuralists such as Jacques Derrida, Claude Là ©vi-Strauss, and Michel Foucault. As with other members of this group, Lacan was often criticized for the difficulty of his style. Within the EFP itself, many of the practicing analysts were concerned about what they perceived as the increasingly theoretical and academic emphasis of Lacans work. During this stage of his career, Lacan began work toward a meta-theory of psychoanalysis, constructing ideas about Lacanian ideas. His construct of the three registers expanded to three-plus dimensions. He attempted to recast his earlier insights in the more precise language of mathematics, employing topological figures, such as the Klein bottle and Borromean knot, to illustrate and explore the relationship among his theoretical constructs. However, many of Lacans followers criticized this approach, complaining that his arguments were increasingly incomprehensible and irrelevant to clinical practice. Lacans response was the dissolution the EFP and the founding of yet another association, the École de la Cause Freudienne, which he directed until his death in 1981. The Structure of the Unconscious and Relevance to the Social World In the  Introductory Lectures to Psychoanalysis, Freud commented that the unconscious can be compared to a language without a grammar (Laplanche Pontalis, 1983). Lacan, using structuralist linguistics, attempted to systematize this contention, arguing that the unconscious is structured like a language, and that it speaks/  ca parle. A symptom, Lacan claimed, may be read as an embodied metaphor. As Freud had argued, what is at stake within a symptom is a repressed desire objectionable to the consciously accepted self-conception and values of the subject. This desire, if it is to gain satisfaction at all, accordingly needs to be expressed indirectly. For example, a residual infantile desire to masturbate may find satisfaction indirectly in a compulsive ritual the subject feels compelled to repeat. Just as one might metaphorically describe ones love as a rose, Lacan argues, here we have a repressed desire being metaphorically expressed in some apparently dissimilar bodily activity. Equally, drawing on certain moments within Freuds papers On the Psychology of Love, Lacan argues that desire is structured as a metonymy. In metonymy, one designates a whole concept (e.g.: military force) by naming a component of it (e.g.: a sword). Lacans argument is that, equally, since castration denies subjects full access to their first loveobject (the mother), their choice of subsequent love objects is the choice of aseries of objects that each resemble in part the lost object. According to Lacan, the unconscious uses the multivalent resources of the natural language into which the subject has been inducted (what he calls the battery of the signifier) to give indirect vent to the desires that the subject cannot consciously avow. While Freud is interested in investigating how the polymorphously perverse child forms an unconscious and a superego, and becomes a civilized adult, Lacans focus is on how the infant develops the illusion commonly termed as a self. His essay on the Mirror Stage describes that process, showing how the infant forms an illusion of an ego, of a unified conscious self identified by the word I. For Lacans theory, the notion that the unconscious, which governs all factors of human existence, is structured like a language is central. Freuds account of the two main mechanisms of unconscious processes, condensation and displacement, reinforce this claim. Both are essentially linguistic phenomena; meaning is either condensed (in metaphor) or displaced (in metonymy). Lacan noted that Freuds dream analyses, and most of his analyses of the unconscious symbolism used by his patients, depend on word-play (e.g., puns, associations, etc.) that are chiefly  verbal. According to Lacan, the contents of the unconscious are acutely aware of language and of the structure of language. Hence, the unconscious, structured like a language, serves to reveal a symptom of neurosis or psychosis through this medium. Lacan followed ideas laid out by Saussure, but adapted them to his use. He argued that Freud had understood the linguistic nature of human psychology but that he had simply lacked the Saussurean vocabulary necessary to articulate it. Saussure talked about the relationship between signifier and signified in the formation of a sign, and contended that language is structured by the negative relation among signs (i.e., the existence of a sign is dependent on its distinction from another sign). For Lacan, the contents of the unconscious form signifiers and these signifiers form a signifying chain. One signifier has meaning only if it is distinct from some other signifier. There are no signifieds in Lacans model; there is nothing to which a signifier ultimately refers. If there were, then the meaning of any particular signifier would be relatively stable; there would be a relation of signification between signifier and signified, and that relation would yield meaning. Lacan posited that re lations of signification do not exist in the unconscious; rather, there are only negative relations in which one signifier can exist only if it is distinct from another signifier. Because of this lack of signifieds, the chain of signifiers constantly slides and shifts in an endless series, like actors in search of a play. There is no anchor operating in the unconscious, nothing that ultimately gives meaning or stability to the system. The chain of signifiers is constantly in play, in Derridas sense; there is no point at which a definitive meaning can crystallize. Rather, one signifier only leads to another signifier, and never to a signified (Lacan, 1966). Lacan posited this as the nature of unconscious content: continually circulating chains of signifiers, with no anchor or center. This is Lacans linguistic translation of Freuds depiction of the unconscious as a chaotic realm of shifting drives and desires. While Freud attempted to bring those chaotic drives and desires into consciousness so they could be understood and made manageable, Lacan theorized that becoming an adult, a self, is the process of trying to halt the chain of signifiers so that stable meaning, including the meaning of I, becomes possible. According to Lacan, however, this possibility is an illusion, an image created by a misperception of the relation between body and self Even sexual identity is determined by the subjects relation to the signifier, not by some innate, biological predisposition. For Lacan, what Freud described as the oedipal phase is actually a moment in which the individual faces the option of accepting or rejecting the signifier in the place of the object or the imaginary other. Although Freud called this signifier the phallus, its primary characteristic is not its status as a biological organ that one may or may not possess. Rather, this primordial signifier possesses the fundamental property of being separable from the object it represents. Freud identified this possibility as castration, but Lacan claimed that it is simply the functional principle that enables the signifier to appear as such. Sexuality and, more generally, personal identity is thus not biologically determined but instead constructed through ones relation to the symbolic order. Most of Lacans work from this period traces the connections between specific properties of the signifier and their effects in human experience. He claimed that the entire structure of intersubjective relations is determined not by the individuals involved but by the way those individuals model on a moment of the signifying chain which traverses them. Because the signifier is autonomous from the signified, the link between them, ordinarily considered to constitute meaning, is an effect of the signifier itself and its relation to other signifiers in the signifying chain. Lacan described the way that illusory meaning comes about by referencing Roman Jakobsons distinction between two poles of language, metaphor and metonymy. Lacan contended that these functions account for the sense of meaning although there is a barrier between the signifier and the signified, or between the symbolic and the real. According to Lacan, meaning never consists in language, it insists in the chain of signifiers as one supplants the other metonymically. Language seems to mean in the usual sense due to displaced signifiers that function as the signified in Saussures model. Subsequent signifiers merely refer back to earlier ones, and it is this retrospective reference that sustains the  effect  of reference in the absence of a referent or an actual signified. Lacan described this effect as the creative spark of metaphor (Beneveuto Kennedy, 1986). It is, for Lacan, the seat of the subjective. Traditionally, subjectivity has been understood as a juncture of words with objects, situated on the bar between the signifier and the signified or the border between language and the world. That border, Lacan argued, is within the unconscious. Read through Saussures influence and Lacans emphasis on the autonomy of the signifier, Freuds discovery of the unconscious established an absence in the subjects relation to the object and to the self. This absence or lack, termed the other, can be thought of as the object of desire. Lacan contended that the concept of the unconscious reveals a subject constituted in relation to an Other it cannot know and oriented toward an object that it can never possess. As discussed in the Mirror Stage, this splitting is brought about by the subjects entry into the symbolic, supplanting the imaginary unity derived through identification with the other. That identification is replaced by a more complex relation to the symbolic Other. Introduced in the Discourse of Rome the Other designates a number of concepts for Lacan; e.g., death, the symbolic father, the role of the analyst, the unconscious. For Lacan, Freuds angry father becomes the Name-of-the-Father or the Law-of-the-Father. Submission to the rules of language itself; i.e., the Law of the Father, is required to enter into the Symbolic order. To become a speaking subject, you have to be subjected to, you have to obey, the laws and rules of language. Lacan designated the structure of language, and its rules, as specifically paternal, calling the rules of language the Law-of-the-Father in order to link the entry into the Symbolic, the structure of language, to Freuds notion of the oedipus and castration complexes. The Other is posited as the center of the system, that which governs the structures shape and the manner in which all the elements in the system can move and relate. The term Phallus also is used to designate the Other, emphasizing the patriarchal nature of the Symbolic order. The Phallus limits the play of elements and stabilizes the structure. It anchors the chains of signifiers with the result that signifiers can have stable meaning. Because the Phallus is the center of the Symbolic order, of language, that the term I designates the idea of the self. Lacan has referred to this anchoring effect as a point de capiton or quilting point ( Stavrakakis, 1999). This quilting point has particular significance for the useful application of Lacanian psychoanalytic theory to social domains. Without it, the practitioner is left with a postmodern concept of an endlessly fluid chain of signifiers, signifying nothing in terms of a relatively stable identity or meaning. For Lacan, the slipping chain is halted by the prominent role attributed to certain signifiers in fixing the meaning of whole chains of signifiers. Lacan described this effect as everything radiating out from and being organized around this signifier, similar to these little lines of force that an upholstery button forms on the surface of material. Its the point of convergence that enables everything that happens in this discourse to be situated retroactively and retrospectively (Stavrakakis, 1999, p. 60). This is the point with which all concrete analyses of discourse in the psychoanalytic and the social world must operate. Discussion Lacans great contribution to contemporary culture is his teaching about rhetorical performance and cognition, doing and knowing. The revolutionary dimension of Lacans pedagogy for Felman (1987) is the dialogism of the performative and constative, how in practice they undermine, deconstruct, and yet inform each other. The interactions of doing and undoing form the dynamic basis, Felman said, of psychoanalysiss ineradicable newness (12), its evergreen vitality and unceasing revolutionary nature. Building on this insight, Lacan has shown experience, largely unconscious, to be structured like a language, since human behavior manifests the dialectical interaction of conscious and unconscious experience, the double writing of that which is  enacted beyond what can ever be  known  at any one moment. For example, Gallop (1987) pointed out that the psychoanalyst learns to listen not so much to her patients main point as to odd marginal moments, slips of the tongue, unintended disclosures. Freud formalized this psychoanalytic method, but Lacan has generalized it into a way of receiving all discourse (p. 23). Lacan was often and roundly criticized as a self-aggrandizing showman, a sloppy theoretician, an intentionally inscrutable speaker and author, a postmodern, post-structural want to be, and a polygamously perverse human. Many disciples justified his obtuse style of presenting ideas as an attempt to model his concepts within the instrument of his linguistic style. Others found his style to be sufficient reason for avoiding Lacans work altogether. In addition, his clinical practices, such as the abbreviated session, were frowned on by many traditionalists in the psychoanalytic community. However, Lacans linguistic approach to the unconscious serves as an important counter to the more-entrenched biological and neurological constructs. His synthesis of Freudian theory with Saussurean semiology generated new conceptual tools for critical research and reading in the social sphere. These tools allow a dynamic analysis of social process from the perspective of What is this doing? rather than What does this mean? References Beneveuto,B. Kennedy, R. (1986).  The Works of Jacques Lacan. London: Free Association. Clement,C. (1983).  The Lives and Legends of Jacque Lacan; A. Goldhammer(trans). New York: Columbia University Press. Elliott,A. (1992).  Social Theory and Psychoanalysis in Transition. Oxford: Blackwell. Felman,S. (1987).   Jacques Lacan and the Adventure of Insight: Psychoanalysis in Contemporary Culture.   Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Gallop,J. (1987).  Reading Lacan. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Lacan,J. (1966). Of structure as the inmixing of an otherness prerequisite to anysubject whatever. In R. Macksey E. Donato (eds),  The Structuralist Controversy, Baltimore: John Hopkins, 1970. Laplanche,J. Pontalis, J.B. (1983).  The Language of Psychoanalysis; D.Nicholson Smith (trans.). London: Hogarth. Stavrakakis,Y. (1999).  Lacan and the Political. London: Routledge.

Niagara Falls Case Study :: Environment, Hydroelectric-power, energy

Niagara Falls Case Study Niagara falls lays to the south of Toronto on the border with America. The average depth of the water below Niagara Falls is 170 ft and is as deep as its walls are high. The massive volume of water that flows over the falls causes the water to appear green in colour. The water that flows over Niagara Falls comes from Lake Erie which is one of the four great lakes of America. In excess of 5 billion gallons or over 2 trillion litres of water per Hour rushes over the edge of the Falls. This water going over the falls flows down the Niagara River into Lake Ontario and then into the Saint Lawrence River which is 300 miles away. Continuing further North-East , the water finally flows into the Atlantic Ocean over 1000 miles away The governments of America and Canada control the surrounding area most of which is now parkland and conservational areas so as to keep the area attractive to tourists. 44% of tourists to Canada visit Niagara Falls which is roughly 13.4 million people annually .The falls were formed 12,000 years ago as the retreating glaciers exposed the Niagara escarpment, thus permitting the waters of Lake Erie to flow north, to Lake Ontario. This was at the end of the last ice age The escarpment has been gradually eroded back toward Lake Erie, a process that has formed the Niagara Gorge 7 miles long . The Horseshoe Falls is eroding upstream at a faster rate than the American Falls because of the greater volume of water passing over it. Ice accumulates during the winter in the Maid of the Mist pool. The river may become bridged by this ice mass of up to 70 ft above water level. The force of the ice weighs down and erodes the banks and islands as well as bridges such as the honeymoon bridge which collapsed in 1938. .A great rock slide occurred in 1954 at the American Falls and formed a huge talus slope at its base.

The Opening of Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie Plays Themes E

The Opening of Glass Menagerie The opening of Glass Menagerie is key in establishing themes, relationships, dramatic conventions character symbolism and style. Discuss. The opening of the play ‘Glass Menagerie’ let the audience know about various elements of the play such as themes, relationships, characters and dramatic conventions. This was done by detailed description of the setting and the narrator, Tom informing the audience. The main themes of the play could be found in the opening. The fact that the play was about memory had been made clear in the beginning with the line, â€Å"the scene is memory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Once again confirmed very clearly by Tom who said, â€Å"the play is memory.† The audience could easily interpret that this play was Tom’s memory of his life with Amanda and Laura in St Louis. At the end of the play the audience found out that Tom could not erase the memory of leaving Laura. â€Å"Oh, Laura, Laura I tried to leave you behind me but I am more faithful than I intended to be.† This theme of memory influenced Amanda also as the play progressed. It became evident that she could not escape from her memories of living in the â€Å"Blue Mountain† where she had a pleasurable and an abundant life. Few minutes after the play began the audience already hears Amanda babbling about it â€Å"I remember one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This happened throughout the play consistently. She would talk about her life in the â€Å"Blue Mountain† whenever she got a chance to. So it would be quite true to say that Amanda was living in her memory, which caused her to deny the reality. The idea of accepting the reality was also evident in the opening of the play. Tom spoke of gentleman caller who â€Å"is the most realis... ...When she had one finally, he turned out to be the greatest disappointment and left her devastated in the end. So Amanda had to awkwardly sum the whole incident up by saying â€Å"things have a way of turning out so badly,† and blame it all on Tom. The unusual dramatic conventions were set in the opening. The narrator, Tom directly addressed the audience, â€Å"I am the narrator of the play†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which was unusual. Also by using the screens to produce appropriate images and music frequently, the play was made more interesting and accessible to the audience. The opening of the play was the key in establishing themes, characters and their relationships and dramatic conventions as it revealed them effectively to the audience. So the audience could easily understand what was happening, guess what would happen and receive the message that was meant to be delivered.

Dolphins :: essays research papers

Dolphins   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dolphins are mammals closely related to whales and porpoises. Dolphins have a powerful and streamlined body. They are found in all seas and oceans. Dolphins can be told apart from porpoises by their nose, which is beaklike, and also their conical teeth. Porpoises have a flatter nose, sharper teeth, and a more solid body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are 32 known species of dolphins. The bottle-nosed dolphin is often the species used in aquatic shows. The common dolphin inspired many Mediterranean folk lores. Both of the dolphins above appear in open waters, usually around cruise ships. They like to show off around the boat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are also freshwater dolphins that live in rivers of Asia and South America. The Buffeo dolphin has been spotted up to 1250 miles up he Amazon River. The buffeo is the smallest of all dolphins averaging about 4 feet. The bottlenose is closer to 10 feet. The killer whale, which is also considered a dolphin, can grow to be 30 feet long. The pilot whale is also considered a dolphin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dolphins were once hunted by commercial boats for the small amount of oil that can be extracted from their body. This oil is used to lubricate small parts in watches. Cheaper oils have been found, so dolphins are not hunted for this reason anymore. Dolphins can be caught in tuna nets by accident. Since dolphins have to breath at the surface they drown in tuna nets. It is estimated that 4.8 million dolphins were killed in tuna nets from 1959 to 1972. Under pressure from animal rights activists tuna consumers will not accept tuna from canners that do not protect dolphins. Animal rights activists also believe that dolphins shouldn't be in captivity for use in aquatic shows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dolphins eat a lot of food in a day, usually about one third of their body weight. A dolphin's diet consists of mostly fish and squid. Dolphins can swim very fast, so they are able to easily catch their food. The dolphin has 200 to 250 sharp teeth. Dolphins follow schools of fish in groups. The Pacific white-sided species is estimated to travel in groups with tens of thousands of members, while on the other hand bottlenose dolphins travel in groups that contain only a few members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dolphin, like whales, breathe through a blowhole in the top of their head. While traveling dolphins break the surface once every two minutes. When dolphins exhale water is sometimes thrown from the blowhole. After exhaling the dolphins inhale and disappear into the ocean. A dolphins lungs are adapted to resist the physical problems that are caused by quick changes in pressure.

Deconstructing the Sphinx of Fashion Essay

Clad in drapes and flowing fabric, with enough chutzpah to sport a turban that had become her signature, Madame Gres had always been an icon of fashion and art. With a stellar list of clients and muses, from noble royals such as Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Matilda of Greece, the Duchess of Windsor and the Duchess of Deterling, among others; to film celebrities and then-socialites Marlene Dietrich, Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, Barbra Streisand, and Greta Garbo. Such was her presence and inimitable style that many would say, unwittingly, that she was more Garbo than Garbo herself (www. parfumsgres. com). Full of passion and fashion, and shrouded with mystery. Even her birth was mysterious. Many documented sources indicate that she was born to a bourgeois family, a fact that was only established after many years. Her birth on November 30, 1903 gave her the name Germaine Emilie Krebs, hardly one suitable for a would-be legendary fashion designer. To keep historical accounts of her personal life consistently vague, not much is known about her early years—until she eventually launched her fashion career sometime after the Wall Street plunge in 1930, an unfortunate time to do so as the market was no longer viable for luxury products. Some reports have it that she started as a sculptor, but was never quite successful at it—making her decide to change career paths (Mendoza). It is also said that she soon opened a couture house under the name Alix, yet others have mentioned that she was only but an employee of a small-time couturier named Julie Barton. However, that time was adjudged to be the best for a woman to be working in fashion, since the most well-known names—Lanvin, Vionnet and Chanel—made themselves known during the period (www. telegraph. co. uk). She later married the Russian painter Serge Czerefkov, and used the anagram of his name as hers, exactly the way he would sign his artwork. But the marriage laster only for a year or less, for Czerefkov traveled all the way from France to Polynesia, and never returned. Alix Gres, as Germaine Emilie Krebs then called herself, forged on and indulged herself in the one passion that would etch her name in history—fabrics and fashion. Taking inspiration from one of her design models, Madeleine Vionnet (Chang, 2005), the Grecian silhouette was what art and fashion historians would attach to the Gres name. Madame Gres viewed the clothes she created as works of art, and fashioned a manner of construction and style that is uniquely hers—draping. This technique, as opposed to tailoring, entailed sculpting yards of fabric directly onto the bodies of her models. producing her acclaimed signature, the flowing jersey dress. Gres’ distinct style emulated the classic Hellenic dress, which called for what is known as wet-drapery—the manner of fabric contortion through animated folds, that ultimately reveals the shape and contour of the human body (Koda, 200-). Clearly, it is Gres’ background in sculpture that influenced her choice of couture, that also brought her to use other like fabrics such as chiffon and crepe. Her lines were always simple and clean, yet completely feminine and elegant. Drama was her goal, and unlike most designers in the 1940s and 50s, Madame Gres never relied on structure and stiff support to create her silhouettes, no matter how much complexity and angular shapes were in fashion at the time. She also used heavy fabric and paper taffeta to achieve her signature flowing designs, which achieved more impact than expected, considering its basic construction. The dresses and gowns of Madame Gres were always lauded for their almost-opposing characteristics of being timeless and modern at the same time, yet in truth, they were innovative and evolved constantly. During the 1940s, in the aftermath of World War II, many restrictions were put in place and Madame Gres’ classic Grecian fashions could no longer be produced as often and as much as she used to. Because of this, she focused on perfecting another technique called fluting, which is a detailed, highly-concentrated version of the regular pleating. thus, when fabric became widely available once more, Madame Gres easily incorporated this new standard of workmanship into her classic Greek-inspired creations. In 1958, Madame Gres went on a journey to India, where she discovered another significant influence on her art. It was here that she took a liking for the country’s native saris and caftans, which she rightly surmised would perfectly blend with her already-established smooth, flowing style. Fashion journals all over the world showcased Gres’ new collections that included pajama pants, which she wisely combined with the trends at the time—even with miniskirts and the ubiquitous hot pant (The Museum at Fit). It was also during this trip that Madame Gres took inspiration for a perfume line she named Cabochard, quite apt for the launch of her new company called Parfums Gres, The 1970s and 80s proved to be Madame Gres’ most memorable years, for at this time she was offered numerous titles and recognition. In 1974, she became President of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, as well as recipient of the De d’Or de la Haute Couture. Later, in 1980, Madame Gres was named â€Å"The most elegant woman in the world†, and, for her unmatched contribution to French culture, she was given the honor of being a â€Å"Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur†. Also, while she constantly refused to delve into pret-a-porter, it was during the same year that she launched Gres Boutique—her first collection. Her colleagues also agreed with all the accolades given her, particularly her sense of design and classic style. The popular designer Bill Blass was asked for his opinion, on the statement that fashion is an art. He said no, it is a craft, unless it is done by Balenciaga or Madame Gres. For further validation of the woman’s talents, 1988’s Vogue History of 20th Century Fashion named her â€Å"the greatest living couturier† (www. parfumsgres. com). But not everything in Madame Gres’ life was as pristine and flowing as the dresses she designed, or the celebrated couture house that was at par with the world’s best (Cocks, 1986). Like many successful celebrities, she had her own share of negative publicity and vicious tales. Stories have been told about her indifference to the past and the accomplishments she made, even as she would travel the world just t open numerous boutiques to her name. While the legendary Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, would comment that Madame Gres had the best address in Paris (Trow, 1980), Gres was also compared to Carmel Snow, longtime editor of Harper’s Bazaar, on their both being self-centered and uninterested in nothing but themselves (Horyn, 2005). But what was most disturbing and mysterious about Madame Gres’ life is her death in 1993. For over a year, her only daughter Ann kept the fact hidden from fashion journalists and her mother’s colleagues. Ann would even respond to queries sent about Madame Gres, indicating her mother’s appreciation of the gestures, as evidenced by the time when Yves Saint Laurent gave due praise to the Gres prospective of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ann sent back a note detailing how Madame Gres was greatly touched and appreciative, even including a personal account of her mother’s humble beginnings, told in an uncomfortably personal tone. In truth, Madame Gres was already whiling away her remaining days at a nursing home in the South of France. She was believed to have been either 89 or 94 years old. The fashion society in Paris were all baffled by this turn of events, which they were completely uninformed about. She continued to hold the position of honorary president of the Chambre Syndicale, because no one knew of her her demise. Apparently, correspondence was sent regularly to Ann Gres, which she refused to answer. Ann Gres was adamant about keeping her mother’s death a secret. She believed that was how Madame Gres would have wanted things to be—mysterious and secretive. She disclosed, though, that their family was in dire need of funds and other resources, that she had not been able to even afford a decent tombstone befitting her legendary mother. Ann also lambasted her mother’s so-called friends, whom she declared to have never even inquired about Madame Gres’ condition. Sadly, this was how things turned out for the once-prosperous fashion icon. Her business, with debts and failures mounting, was sold to Bernard Tapie, an American businessman. After two years, the French group Estorel took over the company, only to go bankrupt in 1987. Eventually, a Japanese investment group called Yagi bought the Madame Gres name for $2 million in 1988, but the contract did not include royalty payments for the designer. (Deeney, 1994). The same fate happened to her perfume company, which was acquired by Lamotte Taurelle, a distribution company, that later sold it to a finance company subsdiary. The licenses were soon purchased by The Escada Group, which in turn sold in 2001 to Silvio Denz (www. parfumsgres. com). To this day, much of Madame Gres’ influences live on, and her existing pieces are now proverbial treasures. Auctions of her creations command the highest prices, as they are true showcases of a woman’s lifelong passion for the art of fashion. Draping is a skill many of today’s young designers try to emulate, an example of which is a noted finalist in Season Four of Project Runway, a hugely popular American reality show documenting the challenges of over a dozen young designers. Rami Kashou, who won second place, is known for his talent in draping—which may probably tell of his knowledge of Madame Gres’ legacy. It is just, however, completely mind-boggling how many accounts and stories lead to the conclusion that Madame Gres and her incredible talent would be the source of envy of her only child. Though, as they say, Ann Gres despised her mother for that known fact, But it is correct to say that Madame Gres has carved her name and design philosophy into the annals of global fashion. And just like her ethereal creations that had been consistently singular and distinct, the life of Madame Alix Gres, or Germaine Emilie Krebs, will always be mysterious and legendary. Works Cited Cocks, Jay. â€Å"An Elegant Legacy Comes Alive†. Time Magazine, February 3, 1986. Trow, George W. S. The Talk of the Town. â€Å"Work†. The New Yorker, September 29, 1980. Horyn, Cathy. â€Å"Before There Was Vreeland†. The New York Times, December 4, 2005. Deeney, Godfrey. â€Å"The Strange, Secret Death of Madame Gres†. Women’s Wear Daily, December 14, 1994. Koda, Harold. â€Å"Classical Art and Modern Dress†. Timeline of Art History. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 200-. The Costume Institute. â€Å"Costume in the Metropolitan Museum of Art†. Timeline of Art History. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 200-. Alix Gres: An Exceptional Couturier. http://www. telegraph. co. uk/fashion/main. jhtml? xml=/fashion/2008/02/17/st_ madamegres. xml Biography. http://www. parfumsgres. com/biography. html Chang, Lia. Cut and Construction: The Foundations of Fashion, 2005. http://www. asianconnections. com/a/? article_id=594 Mendoza, Sandra. Alix Gres (1903-1993). http://www. vintagefashionguild. org/content/view/664/111/ The Museum at Fit. The Life and Career of Madame Gres. http://www3. fitnyc. edu/museum/gres/lifeandcareer. htm

Pestel Analysis

Literature review * Political factors – Essentials of Marketing (2002) says that many of the legal, economic and social developments in society is nothing more than political decisions put into action. The political climate is of great significance to the marketing firm and has a direct effect on many aspects of the economy and society. Factors in the political environment both national and international should be carefully monitored.Modern Management (2006) describes how nationally the government can affect business through its policies in relation to industrial service development, tax incentives, capital grants and expansion schemes that are available. Internationally it describes the influences the business has through policies in relation to international trade and deregulation. The main ways in which the government influence international trade in through their input into the general agreement on trade and tariffs. Individual governments can impose embargoes or sanctions on trade with any particular country they wish.Developments in the European Union in recent years have seen the deregulation of financial markets, public utilities and the airline industry. The aim is to remove protective restrictions on operations and to allow greater competition between countries. * Economic factors – In Modern Management (2006) they describe the economic factors as being shaped by the state of the economy in a particular country and the economic policies that is implemented within that country. In Essentials of Marketing (2002) they describe economic factors as being vital to marketing firms because they influence cost, price and demand.They can be viewed as opportunities or threats. Tieran et al, (2006) describes government’s implementation of different economic policies which affect key areas such as taxation, inflation, exchange rates and economic growth. Interest rates determine the extent of an organisations loans and investments. An increase in the inflation rate results in a demand for an increase in worker’s wages. As inflation increases the purchasing power of consumer’s declines as they can no longer afford products or services that they have been previously buying.Exchange rates have a huge impact on company’s who export large amounts of their products. If the currency rises in the country that the business is exporting to, their goods become expensive and in turn reduce their competitiveness. A business needs a firm exchange rate and low inflation rate to ensure that their business grows. As Ireland is a small open economy an important development has been the emergence of global interdependencies between different economies. * Social factors – Modern Management (2006) tells us that social factors are concerned with the demographics, attitudes and behaviour of members in society.Lancaster et al, (2002) say people’s basic beliefs, attitudes and values are shaped by the society the y grow up in. Modern Management (2006) describes demographics as identifying characteristics of people living within society, these include work groups, organisations and countries. These characteristics can be measured in terms of age, gender, family size, education and occupation. Buying behaviour is influenced by social conditioning. The social culture has an impact on the business environment. The company needs to be aware of the demographics when planning recruitment, selection and training of employees.Demographics have an impact on human resource policies and on what kind of products and services are available within society. Developments in the social environment can have implications for a business in terms of the behaviour and attitudes of their workforce and consumers being more environmentally aware. * Technology factors – Affect the way goods are distributed and promoted. It increases efficiency on how products can be distributed. Tieran et al, (2006) states that no organisation is immune to the effects of technology.It can affect the company in the following ways; technology innovation, production techniques, how the company is managed and how communication takes place within the company. Essentials of Marketing state that technology has a major impact on how market research is gathered and conducted. Sales forecasting is important and has become easier to do with the technology that companies have. The laser checkout can record consumer purchases automatically and is used to analyse sales, control and re-order stock. Sales reps can use audio visual to entice people to buy their good or services.Technology has influenced developments in products such as genetic engineering and cameras. * Environmental factors – Includes the weather and climate change. No organisation can ignore environmental issue according to Mastering Marketing Management (2002). Their actions have serious consequences on land, sea and air. In Principles of Market ing (2010) companies are expected to take measures to conserve and allocate scarce resources properly. They must be seen to show active interest in the welfare of the community and the people living within it.Consumers want to buy products and services from a company that is seen to be environmentally friendly. * Legal factors – Is related to the legal environment in which the firm operates. Legal changes can affect a firms cost and demand. In Principles of Marketing (2010) organisations are affected by government monetary and fiscal policies such as import/export policies and custom duties. Anti-pollution laws impact on marketing plans and policies. Marketing policy-making is influenced by government policies and controls throughout the world.There are many laws that a company must follow some of these are health and safety, employment laws and consumer law to name a few. Introduction of company chosen The company chosen to carry out an analysis of their macro-environment is Mc Ardle Transport Ltd Callenberg, Inniskeen, Dundalk, Co. Monaghan. According to Mc Ardle transport Ltd website (www. mcardletransport. com). Mc Ardle Transport Ltd was established in 1968. It operates one of the largest fleets of road transport equipment in Ireland. It employs 80 people on their site.Mc Ardle transport Ltd has become one of the leading specialists in transport, logistics, warehousing and supply chain management. They currently operate a fleet of 45 vehicles and in excess of 125 trailers ranging from mega trailers, euro liners, box vans, box fridges and skelly trailers. They are committed to providing a well-organized, flexible service, operating integrated satellite tracking and communications solutions in order to ensure peace of mind for their customers. They try to deliver a reliable, efficient, cost effective and personal service. Services offered by the company According to Mc Ardle Transport Ltd website (www. cardletransport. com), they offer transport and distribution services which include national and international transport. This covers collection and delivery service, full load and part load service, container loads, hazardous cargoes and refrigerated cargoes. Their export and import service include food, pharmaceutical, engineered machinery, palletised cargo, hazardous cargoes and chilled cargoes. They also offer a warehousing service, they have 5 separate warehouse units on site and 16 dock levelling loading ramps. It is a customs approved premises and department of agriculture food and fisheries approved.Warehousing services include materials intake, good manufacturing practices (GMP), inspection of export containers, container loading and safe operation fork truck and pallet truck. . Finally they offer satellite tracking on their fleets, this ensures that goods are delivered to the correct location, at the correct time, in the correct condition, thus customers are satisfied. PESTEL analysis of Mc Ardle Transport Ltd For the f ollowing PESTEL analysis the author spoke to Micheal Mc Ardle of Mc Ardle Transport Ltd to ask how the macro environment affected his company. Political factors: Government policies that have a major impact on Mc Ardle Transport Ltd are taxes such as duty taxes and regulatory policies relating to employment. In the current climate these government policies push costs up within the company. Mc Ardle Transport Ltd would like the current government to abolish green diesel completely and offer a rebate to essential users of diesel. For instance farmers that use green diesel have them as essential users, and rebate them to lower the price of white diesel. This would eliminate the problems relating to the laundering of diesel. companies within Ireland import all fuel to Ireland, one of these import 80% of all fuel to Ireland. Revenue would benefit if this area was properly controlled and it would also boost their income on tax. The current government could change taxes that are charged on trucks regarding toll roads in Ireland. Trucks pay a disproportionate amount of taxes compared to other road users. The government need to change policies with regards to how trucks are taxed. Currently trucks are taxed based on weight instead of being taxed by emission, if this was changed it would entice companies to cut down emissions and to re-invest in their company. Economic factors: In regards to exchange rates this area has little effect on this company. The Euro has eliminated this problem the majority of business is done in Euro, some in Sterling and very little in Dollars. Some of the costs are in dollars for example deep sea shipments outside Europe are usually quoted in dollars. Inflation rates over the last couple of years have tended to be reasonably stable which is positive for this company. Inflation was a problem in 2006-2008 in regards to wage inflation as it was difficult to get the right quality people for the job as they were drawn to higher paid jobs in other areas.Interest rates have been very stable over the last couple of years, which has assisted this company in re-investing. Mc Ardle Transport has invested in their company this year with a new fleet of trucks and expansion of their warehousing. * Social factors: Mc Ardle Transport Ltd encourages staff to up skill. They have some of their employees in DKIT courses ranging from management, logistics, health and safety and business admin. This is positive for the company as it’s a win/win for both sides. It helps the company and the employees to adapt to the current climate. Technology factors: Mc Ardle Transport is very dependent on broadband and uses an array of technology within the company. Satellite tracking is used to track the position of all trucks on the road and is used to send messages to and from the trucks. Engine management gives every detail of the truck, number of times the brakes is pressed, speed of the truck, working time and fuel consumption. It is used to m ake sure that working time directives are followed, management of fuel consumption, maintenance of trucks is kept up to standard and also tracking temperatures of cargoes carried.The driver sets the temperature of the cargo if the temperature goes up or down the company is notified by an alarm 24/7 through e-mail or text messaging. The company can give a full download of the temperature history of the cargo to the customer on arrival. Barcode scanning is used in the warehouses. All products received are scanned on arrival, this shows what the product is, how much of it there is and the batch number. This also is used to locate a position within the warehouse and it shows the location of each pallet. The company uses e-mail, telephone and internet on a daily basis. Environmental factors: Mc Ardle Transport Ltd has all of their warehousing insulated as well as temperature controlled and monitored. There are very aware of fuel emissions and when upgrading their fleet, they look for fue l efficient vehicles. They use technology such as engine management to monitor fuel consumption of all vehicles. They have an environmental officer on site to report on energy usage on site and to assist drivers in any way possible. They work with their customers to select the best route to help them reduce their carbon footprint. They offer to track their customer’s carbon footprint from collection to delivery.One of the major problems during last winter was access from their site to the main road, it also impacted on the efficiency of the schedule they could keep. Mc Ardle Transport tries to reduce their carbon footprint by assessing their fleet and the life cycle of their vehicles every year. * Legal factors: As Ireland is part of the EU, Mc Ardle Transport Ltd must follow EU regulations such as employment law, drive time directives and authorised economic operators, this is recognised companies who are compliant with revenue. They received their department of agriculture certificate and medicine board certificate from the EU.All vehicles must be DOE approved they must be passed and issued with a certificate of road worthiness. In terms of health and safety an independent consultant comes on to the site every week. Mc Ardle Transport Ltd provide training for health and safety, drivers who are working alone, first aid, fire safety, robbery response training and drivers who are carrying hazard material training. Conclusion As you can see from the above Mc Ardle Transport Ltd is affected by all of the macro-environmental factors particularly legal and technology factors.Being a part of the European Union has many advantages. It gives common standards to similar companies like Mc Ardle Transport Ltd throughout the EU, customers can recognise these standards and can see who is compliant. In terms of technology the lack of broadband options in Ireland is putting Mc Ardle Transport Ltd at a disadvantage. They are very dependent on a good broadband system fo r the daily running of their business in terms of satellite tracking their trucks, taking orders, sending quotes etc.All of these macro-environmental factors need to be monitored in order for the company to move forward and be successful in the future. Bibliography Lancaster, G. , Massingham, L. & Ashford, R. (2002) Essentials of Marketing, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education Tieran, S. , Morley, M. & Foley, E. (2006) Modern Management and practice for Irish students, 3rd Edition, Gill & Macmillan Cartwright, R. (2002) Mastering marketing management, 1st Edition, New York, Palgave Dundalk Institute of Technology E- library (2011) Principles of Marketing [online], available from: http://site. brary. com/lib/dkitlib/Doc? id=10415387&ppg=47 [accessed 7 October 2011] Appendices McArdles Transport LTD 1) What government policies affect your company? 2) How has the current government affected your business? (i. e. any decisions they have made) 3) In terms of exporting your goods how has th e following affected that; a) Exchange rates? b) Inflation rates? c) Taxation changes? d) Interest rates? 4) In the current economic climate have you found that staff are up skilling in your company? (i. e. going back to college, evening courses) ) What technology does your company use? 6) How does this technology benefit your company? 7) Does the technology used benefit your customer in any way? (if yes then how) 8) During last winter how did your company cope with the extreme weather? 9) Was it a difficulty to keep on schedule during this time? 10) How have you prepared for this years winter? 11) Have you any pressure coming from environmental groups in terms of your company’s fuel emissions? 12) What measures have you taken to try and reduce your carbon footprint? 3) How has the price of fuel impacted on your company? 14) Do you find there is a pressure coming from your clients to be more eco-friendly? 15) Do you find that being a part of the EU gives your company an advan tage when doing business? 16) What are the main EU regulations that your company must abide by? 17) How did you obtain government approval for your warehouses? 18) What regulations must all your vehicles go through in order to obtain a certificate of road worthiness? 19) Brief overview of the main safety regulations that must be abided by?

Marketing and Nike Swot Analysis Essay

Nike Swot Analysis Strengths * A very professionally competitive company. * Has ownership of no physical factories so production can be moved to a more cost effective location when necessary. * Very well branded among consumers. * Offers their products worldwide. * Have offices in forty five different countries. * Fortune 500 company. * Employs over thirty thousand people across the world. * Has a very strong marketing campaign that increases brand familiarity. * Chains of retail stores such as Niketown. * Has ventured into many different rebranding opportunities with successful results. * Providing lightweight shoes by incorporating lunarlite foam materials. Read more: http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html#ixzz2IzMDg4a0 Swot Analysis Nike Weaknesses * Profits are largely dependent on the footwear products while other branded products are not as strong. * History of violations of over time laws and minimum wage rates in Vietnam. * Accusations of poor conditions in the work place. * Accusations of exploiting workforces that will work for cheap in overseas countries. * Constant focal point for negative criticism by the anti-globalization groups. Read more: http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html#ixzz2IzMHweg2 Swot Analysis Nike Opportunities * Creating sportswear items by incorporating the waste from regular manufacturing. * Stepping into the line of economy boosting projects that will encourage recycling. * Product development that changes as the trends change. * Expansion into sport sunglasses and jewelry lines. * Expansion in the global markets to create larger brand recognition. * Reducing controversy surrounding their trade and production practices. Read more: http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html#ixzz2IzMJaFq6 Swot Analysis Nike Threats * Operating business internationally opens them to the possibilities of currency value fluctuations that can lead to losses. * Competitors are becoming more aggressive and creating high quality products that are taking from the profits of NIKE. * Sensitivity to price among consumers leads them to purchase the most cost effective pair of sports shoes. * Maintaining the reputation of being eco-friendly. * Managing the financial conditions in the economy today. Read more: http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html#ixzz2IzMLVeVp SWOT Nike February 26, 2010 By Hitesh Bhasin Leave a Comment SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: * Nike is the world’s no. 1 shoemaker. It designs and sells shoes for a variety of sports including baseball, golf, cheerleading, volleyball, tennis and football. * Nike uses a â€Å"Make to Stock† customer order which provides a fast service to customers from available stock. * Nike operates Nike Town shoe and sportswear stores, Nike factory outlets and Nike Women shops. Nike sells its products throughout US and in more than 180 countries. * Nike is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce high quality product at the lowest possible price. * Nike is a global brand. It is the number one sports brand in the World. Its famous ‘Swoosh’ is instantly recognizable, and Phil Knight (Founder and CEO) even has it tattooed on his ankle. Weaknesses: * The income of the business is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes. * The retail sector is very price sensitive. However, most of its income is derived from selling into retailers. Retailers tend to offer a very similar experience to the consumer. So margins tend to get squeezed as retailers try to pass some of the low price competition pressure onto Nike. Opportunities: * Product development offers Nike many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that Nike is not a fashion brand however consumers that wear Nike product do not always buy it to participate in sport. In youth culture especially, Nike is a fashion brand. This creates its own opportunities, s * There is also the opportunity to develop products such as sport wear, sunglasses and jewellery. Such high value items do tend to have associated with them, high profit * The business could also be developed internationally, building upon its strong global brand recognition. There are also global marketing events that can be utilised to support the brand such as the World Cup (soccer) and The Olympics. Threats: * Nike is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that Nike may be manufacturing and/or selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. * The market for sports shoes and garments is very competitive. Competitors are developing alternative brands to take away Nike’s market share. SWOT Analysis Nike, Inc. Would you like a lesson on SWOT analysis? Strengths. * Nike is a very competitive organization. Phil Knight (Founder and CEO) is often quoted as saying that ‘Business is war without bullets.’ Nike has a healthy dislike of is competitors. At the Atlanta Olympics, Reebok went to the expense of sponsoring the games. Nike did not. However Nike sponsored the top athletes and gained valuable coverage. * Nike has no factories. It does not tie up cash in buildings and manufacturing workers. This makes a very lean organization. Nike is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce high quality product at the lowest possible price. If prices rise, and products can be made more cheaply elsewhere (to the same or better specification), Nike will move production. * Nike is a global brand. It is the number one sports brand in the World. Its famous ‘Swoosh’ is instantly recognisable, and Phil Knight even has it tattooed on his ankle. Weaknesses. * The organization does have a diversified range of sports products. However, the income of the business is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes. * The retail sector is very price sensitive. Nike does have its own retailer in Nike Town. However, most of its income is derived from selling into retailers. Retailers tend to offer a very similar experience to the consumer. Can you tell one sports retailer from another? So margins tend to get squeezed as retailers try to pass some of the low price competition pressure onto Nike. Your marketing qualification We’re delighted to offer you online marketing courses which give you total flexibility and the freedom to learn marketing when you like – from anywhere in the world. You can sign up to a course today. It takes 5 minutes! Marketing Teacher is the most popular marketing education content site in the world. You can gain certification and qualifications from Marketing Teacher. Opportunities. * Product development offers Nike many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its owners whom truly believe that Nike is not a fashion brand. However, like it or not, consumers that wear Nike product do not always buy it to participate in sport. Some would argue that in youth culture especially, Nike is a fashion brand. This creates its own opportunities, since product could become unfashionable before it wears out i.e. consumers need to replace shoes. * There is also the opportunity to develop products such as sport wear, sunglasses and jewellery. Such high value items do tend to have associated with them, high profits. * The business could also be developed internationally, building upon its strong global brand recognition. There are many markets that have the disposable income to spend on high value sports goods. For example, emerging markets such as China and India have a new richer generation of consumers. There are also global marketing events that can be utilised to support the brand such as the World Cup (soccer) and The Olympics. Threats. * Nike is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that Nike may be manufacturing and/or selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. * The market for sports shoes and garments is very competitive. The model developed by Phil Knight in his Stamford Business School days (high value branded product manufactured at a low cost) is now commonly used and to an extent is no longer a basis for sustainable competitive advantage. Competitors are developing alternative brands to take away Nike’s market share. * As discussed above in weaknesses, the retail sector is becoming price competitive. This ultimately means that consumers are shopping around for a better deal. So if one store charges a price for a pair of sports shoes, the consumer could go to the store along the street to compare prices for the exactly the same item, and buy the cheaper of the two. Such consumer price sensitivity is a potential external threat to Nike.