Content Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Content Writing - Essay Example with the English language and being a stranger to the Western education system, these students do require professional assistance for their term papers. Thus it took no time for us to realize that there desperately existed a need for a quality oriented custom research company. Yet, our allegiance to academic and professional standards required us to incorporate certain special features in our services. Some such salient features are; The writers at ***.com do see to it that each and every term paper is customized as per the customer requirements and while taking into consideration the constraints imposed by the topic, context and formatting style. A: Most of the writers serving with ***.com are either serving or retired teachers, meritorious students or the experts having special knowledge in a specific field. Hence they are conversant with the current academic trends and requirements. Besides our writers positively encourage our customers to be open and elaborate with their instructions and concerns. This ensures that every term paper is made to order and strictly in accordance with the customer requirements. A: Our seasoned and experienced administrators make it a point to strictly restrict the third party access to customers’ personal information and identity. Only a select group of our trusted employees is allowed access to the personal data furnished by our customers that is encrypted before being saved. You will be surprised to know that even our writers are never aware of the identity of the customers for whom they draft essays and term papers. Any revelation pertaining to the hiring of our essay writing services is an exclusive prerogative left to our customers. A: ***com’s commitment to furnishing custom written essays and term papers makes it imperative for us to allow our customers an unhampered access to their order status. Customers having an account with us can login any time and as per their convenience to track their order status, to

Assess the dramatic and thematic effectiveness Essay Example for Free

Assess the dramatic and thematic effectiveness Essay The opening act of The Duchess of Malfi is important in terms of the themes that John Webster is presenting. He uses the characters to explore such themes, and subsequently the audience are given detailed descriptions of most of the main characters. Moreover, Webster uses the characters to describe each other not only giving the audience an insight into their personal attributes, but also how each character perceives the other. Although not entirely apparent in the initial acts of the play, the fact that the audience only know about the characters from the other characters descriptions, implies the ideas of secrecy, deception, and spying, and the general theme that there are things that the characters think they know, when in fact they dont. Antonio is the first character to be introduced, and he is initially presented as an outsider returning home from the French court, which he admires. He has a brief conversation with Delio about the French court, and how although it was orderly, it could easily be distorted.  Pure silver drops in general; but if t chance  Some cursed example poisoned t near the head,  Death and diseases through the whole land spread. The rhyming couplet makes it almost seem like a curse, and exerts a sense of doom. This already gives the impression that the court of Malfi is it self distorted, as Antonio describes the goodness of the French court, and then quickly goes onto describe how easily any court could be corrupted, as if pointing a finger at the court of Malfi. Webster uses this contrast quite effectively to convince the audience from the beginning that there is more to the Court of Malfi than it may primarily seem.  Interrupting the conversation, Bosola arrives, and before he even speaks, Antonio speaks of him to Delio, and creating a distinct impression of Bosola. Would be as lecherous, covetous, or proud,  Bloody, or envious, as any man,  If he had the means to be so.  This unpleasant impression of Bosola given to the audience is further supported, as Delio reveals that he was a fellow seven years in the galleys for a notorious murder, making him appear as an evil character who is capable of murder.  Aside from the information the audience receive from Antonio and Delio, the way in which Bosola speaks makes him appear to be very negative. He and his brother are like plum trees that grow crooked over standing pools; they are rich and oerladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies, and caterpillars feed on them.  The constant use of dark and distasteful imagery attributes him to be quite bitter, and so completes the overall impression that he is indeed an unpleasant character. However, as Bosola leaves, Antonio says he has heard good things about Bosola, but his railing at those things which he wants overcomes these positive aspects. Tis great pity  He should be thus neglected; I have heard  Hes very valiant. This foul melancholy  Will poison all his goodness.  This indicates to the audience that Bosola may have a good side which he may or may not reveal later. Either way, this is another way in which Webster explores the theme of first impressions not being all that they seem.

Morally Ambiguous Characters in Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishmen

Often times in literature, we are presented with quintessential characters that are all placed into the conventional categories of either good or bad. In these pieces, we are usually able to differentiate the characters and discover their true intentions from reading only a few chapters. However, in some remarkable pieces of work, authors create characters that are so realistic and so complex that we are unable to distinguish them as purely good or evil. In the novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky develops the morally ambiguous characters of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov to provide us with an interesting read and to give us a chance to evaluate each character. Svidrigailov is one of the most unfathomable characters in Crime and Punishment. As the novel goes on, Svidrigailov’s pursuit of Dunya progresses into sheer harassment. After eavesdropping on Raskolnikov’s confession to Sonya, he uses his newly acquired information to lure Dunya into his room. Svidrigailov proceeds to promise help to Raskolnikov if she will give him her hand in marriage. He then threatens to rape her when she tries to run away. Right when Svidrigailov appears to be purely evil, he surprises us all when his rational side kicks in and allows Dunya to leave. Although he may seem to be the cold-hearted villain of the book, his good deeds cannot go unnoticed. It cannot be forgotten that he is willing to give Dunya the three thousand rubbles in his wife’s will and offers ten thousand rubbles to help Dunya because he thinks her marriage will be a disadvantage to her in the end. Once Katerina Ivanonva dies, Svidrigailov also promises to pay for t he funeral arrangements and to provide for the children, who will be sent to an orphanage. Although... ...ing to compensate for them. As his guilt is almost done eating him inside and out, Raskolnikov finally admits and with a new love, he points his life in a whole new direction. Svidrigailov’s moral ambiguity seems to play a smaller part in the whole picture than Raskolnikov’s, making a subplot for the story and adding details to make it more exciting. If these characters were both purely evil, and had no guilt whatsoever, this would be simply a boring story of unhinged men. Adding both good and evil sides to an individual adds a little something extra to the story that distinguishes it from many other pieces of literature. Aside from adding to the storyline, these morally ambiguous characters give students a chance to practice their skill at analyzing characters and think for themselves, forming their own outlooks on the characters and the book as a whole.

Individuals and Their Discoveries Are Not Enough to Bring Medical Progress Essay

Individuals and their discoveries are not enough on their own to bring medical progress. Explain how far this statement applies to Jenner and his work. Jenner’s discovery of the link between cowpox and smallpox was significant to the development of a vaccine for smallpox. However, it can be argued that Jenner and his discovery were not enough on their own to bring medical progress. The factors Scientific thinking, Government Communication and Changing attitudes played a major and important role to bring medical progress. One reason as to why the statement applies to Jenner and his work is because the Government worked in Jenner’s favour to bring medical progress. In 1802 and 1807, Parliament gave Edward Jenner  £30,000 to develop his work on vaccination. This clearly indicates that without the help of Parliament, Jenner’s work would not have shown as much signs of advancement; hence he would not have had the money to progress. In addition to this, fifty years later vaccination was made compulsory in Britain which led a dramatic drop in smallpox cases. This evidently shows that without the help of the Government, Jenner’s work would not have been as widely spread and used by the people as much; therefore the government did play a significant role his Edward Jenner’s development of Vaccinations. A different explanation as to why the statement is relevant to Jenner and his work is because of the communication. This factor is seen to have an impact on the medical progress of Jenner, is because without the spread of Jenner’s discoveries, people would not be aware of vaccinations. In 1798, Jenner published his own accounts of his discover, spreading the details of his methods worldwide. Consequently, that people could see his work but scientists in particular were able to see his work and they could learn from his work. This is evidence that by spreading his work worldwide, it brought medical progress; it was not just Edward Jenner alone brought medical progress to the development of a vaccine for smallpox. A different factor as to why the statement applies to Jenner and his work is because of the changing attitudes. Due to many people who had begun to think in a more scientific way, this meant that they were more open into accepting Jenner’s theory for Vaccinations. This implies that if people’s attitudes were similar to people who had supernatural beliefs, they would not have accepted the theory, therefore without the changing attitudes, Jenner’s work would not have caused a huge medical progression. Another reason which explains how the statement is relevant to Jenner and his work is because of the scientific thinking. Edward Jenner was able to use scientific method and experimentation in his research which is a clear indication his work can be considered trustworthy and it is likely to be accurate. Jenner also tested out his theory on a small boy which proved his theory to be correct but also on twenty-three other people. This shows that without the scientific methods and experiments, Jenner would not have reached the conclusion that his hypothesis was correct; therefore this is evidence for medical progress. Jenner’s scientific thinking is a key factor because without it, scientists would not have been able to see his work. Also his work would not have been as widely spread; people would not trust his work if it hadn’t been tested accurately, therefore people would not use his work. Another explanation as to why the statement applies to Jenner and his work is because of the individuals. Jenner himself had the insight to realise the link between cowpox and smallpox was important. If Jenner was not a determined individual and did not carry and publish his research, the theory of vaccination would most likely not exist today. Jenner had carried on, despite opposition and criticism which indicates with Jenner’s determination, he brought medical progress. In addition to this, Jenner also tested his theory of vaccination on twenty three people, including his six month old baby which shows he is a very dedicated individual. To conclude, there are many factors to support this statement: Government, Communication, Changing attitudes and Scientific thinking all bring medical progress, alongside the individuals and their discoveries. However, Scientific thinking caused the biggest impact on the medical progress because without whilst his methods and experiments, people would not trust his work, therefore people would not use his work.

Time Scale for Research Project

Time scale for Research Project 1. Design and create Video demonstrations (Completed) 2. Decide on a conceptual framework for the project (Laurillard) 3. Decide on quantitive/qualitative or mixed method (Mixed quantitive/qualitative) 4. Source and read 20 quality applicable resent journal articles (5 new already) 5. Design and create a questionnaire for research (Completed) 6. Design and create a practical marking scheme (completed) 7. Decide on whither to use a focus group or not or interview or not (numbers)(Focus Group Interview) 8.Design and create a questionnaire for info on students phones for first day (completed) 9. Decide on what journal to write for (by Nov 1st) 10. Decide on possible themes for article structure and headings etc (see 9) 11. Design and create a consent form for the students (by Nov 1st) 12. Design and write an application for consent from ITB to carry out research (by Nov 1st) 13. Put abstract together and submit to Open Learning online journal(completed) 1 4. Make up a specific timetable for implementing study (by Dec 1st) 15. Write annotated bibliography (by Dec 7th) 16.Decide on a learning theory for the project (by Dec 1st) 17. Rewrite literature review (Completed) 18. Rewrite research proposal (Completed) 19. Decide on specific method of analysing the results. Miles and Huberman’s interactive model of data analysis. (by Dec 7th) – (Jan 1st) 20. Carry out practical study and collect data (Jan 6th – 22nd) 21. Collect data from questionnaires and focus group (Jan 25th – 29th) 22. Analyse data (Feb 1st – Mar 1st) 23. Write journal paper (Mar 1st – June 1st) 24. Constantly read journal papers and adapt entire study as work proceeds, start writing ASAP and keep on updating ePortfolio and private Blog.

First Amendment Essays (303 words) - Tort Law, Free Essays

First Amendment Essays (303 words) - Tort Law, Free Essays Does the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protect defamation? Explain why or why not. To simply answer that no, it do not. Even though the first amendment is the stung foundation of the first 45 words written however First Amendment protections applied only to laws passed by the U.S. Congress, but since 1925 ( Gitlow v. New York, 268 U.S. 652), theyve applied to the rules set by government at any level federal, state, and local. Also the all kids of speechs like Slander, libel or defamation. There are many, many nuances here and the rules are different depending on whether or not the injured person is a public or private figure. business2community.com/ What is the relationship between the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and censorship when doing business? First Amendment- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Censorship- Censorship, the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. There relationship is in that they both deal with a means of expression and both censorship and the first amendment both cover both of those bases. What are the elements of negligence? There are four basic elements negligence -duty of care owed by one person to another - Someone breached their duty owed by one person to another -Proving Monetary Losses -Breach Directly Causes Injuries. How does an intentional tort differ from negligence? Provide examples. How does the strict liability doctrine apply to the practice of accounting? Provide examples.

Greates Gift Ever essays

Greates Gift Ever essays Theodore Roethke was born to Otto and Helen Roethke in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1908. He had one sister named Helen June. His father was a floriculturalist and greenhouse owner, which was where Theodore spent a lot of time as a young boy. His impressions of the natural world contained there would later profoundly influence the subjects and imagery of his verse. As a child, he was hardly one who would have been expected to become a major American poet. For example, Theodores relationship with his parents was not one that could be described as nurturing and loving. He especially did not have a good relationship with his father. Otto had terrible mood swings which caused a tremendous strain on his relationship with Theodore. His mood swings would escalate with the consumption of alcohol, thus creating a very unhealthy and unsafe environment for his son. No matter how bad things became, Theodore seemed like he could always handle his fathers awful drunken and abusive side. Several years later, he was able to express, through his writings, the pain he endured emotionally and physically during his childhood. The environment through which he travels displays hostility, though he has obvious feelings of sympathy for the smallest creatures, whose size and innocence resemble his own (Mills 25). When Theodore was only fourteen, his father passed away due to cancer and he inherited his fathers business as a result. However, the tragic death of his father did not keep him from accomplishing his dream to become a poet and author. It has even been said that the death of his father gave him the ambition, desire, and strength to follow his own path and ultimately fulfill his destiny. As Mills states, however it came about the choice was fortunate because it marked out the route his poetic imagination was to take, and one likes to think, even urged him on his way by revealing the similarities existing bet...

Crenation Definition and Example

Crenation Definition and Example Crenation is the term used to describe an object having a scalloped or round-toothed edge. The term comes from the Latin word  crenatus  which means scalloped or notched. In biology and zoology, the term refers to an organism displaying the shape (such as a leaf or shell), while in chemistry, crenation is used to describe what happens to a cell or other object when it is exposed to a hypertonic solution. Crenation and Red Blood Cells Red blood cells are the particular type of cell most discussed with reference to crenation. A normal human red blood cell (RBC) is round, with an indented center (because human RBCs lack a nucleus). When a red blood cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, such as a highly saline environment, there is a lower concentration of solute particles inside the cell than outside in the extracellular space. This causes water to flow from inside the cell into the extracellular space via osmosis. As water leaves the cell, it shrinks and develops the notched appearance characteristic of crenation. In addition to hypertonicity, red blood cells may have a crenated appearance as the result of certain diseases. Acanthocytes are spiked red blood cells that may form from liver disease, neurological disease, and other illnesses. Echinocytes or burr cells are RBCs that have evenly-spaced thorny projections. Echinocytes form after exposure to anticoagulants and as artifacts from some staining techniques. They are also associated with hemolytic anemia, uremia, and other disorders. Crenation Versus Plasmolysis While crenation occurs in animals cells, cells that have a cell wall cannot shrink and change shape when placed in a hypertonic solution. Plant and bacterial cells instead undergo plasmolysis. In plasmolysis, water leaves the cytoplasm, but the cell wall does not collapse. Instead, the protoplasm shrinks, leaving gaps between the cell wall and cell membrane. The cell loses turgor pressure and becomes flaccid. Continued loss of pressure can cause the collapse of the cell wall or  cytorrhysis. Cells undergoing plasmolysis do not develop a spiky or scalloped shape. Practical Applications of Crenation Crenation is a useful technique for preserving food. Salt curing of meat causes crenation. Pickling of cucumbers is another practical use of crenation.

American History Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American History - Article Example His influence in the American society, therefore, lies in his activism against Communism and his effort to protect the State against disloyalty, security risks, and Communist infiltrations (â€Å"Senator Joseph McCarthy,† n.d.). During the term of Senator McCarthy, he tried to put into trial those who are Communists and their supporters. The goal of his administration is to prevent the Communists from infiltrating the State and risk military and civilian security, as well as the government’s information and technical system (â€Å"Senator Joe McCarthy,† n.d.). In addition, his committee gathered information on, mostly, government officials, which was later proven to be faulty and had no substantial evidence. As a result, Senator McCarthy faced issues related to civil liberties as he, seemingly, deprived the people of their freedom of belief and expression. However, in the brighter side, his aims are for the good of the government as those develop loyalty and security, as well as ensure that the Democratic stand of the nation is still solid. Therefore, his life and works had made him a prominent figure in American

The Success of Apples iTunes Download Service and the iPod Developing Literature review

The Success of Apples iTunes Download Service and the iPod Developing - Literature review Example The evolution of the Internet model has produced significant downturns in CD sales and the global recorded music market is in steep decline and the empirical data demonstrates a continued trend in falling physical CD sales in significant major markets. In contrast, the new digital business model has fuelled a sharp increase in digital sales, which whilst offsetting part of the decline in the physical CD sale market, has not managed to entirely redress the balance in stabilising sales. It is evident that the recorded music sales are in steep decline and rising digital sales are offsetting in part the physical market decline, which could potentially offset part of the physical market by the end of this year, with analysts estimating the figure to be around $23 billion. However, this is in stark contrast to the peak of $45 billion in 1997 and leading analysts Enders Analysis posit a negative forecast for global recorded music sales figure of 4.4% for the period of 2006-2012. Moreover, i t is submitted that the contemporary marketplace, the evolution of the internet business model has forced the music business in particular to rethink corporate marketing strategy and this is further highlighted by the proliferation of the multi-channel retailing paradigm as required retailers to â€Å"innovate† in order to maintain position in the marketplace. On the other side of the spectrum, the digital revolution has resulted in multiple distribution streams, challenging pre-existing methods of information dissemination.

Customer Profile Pape for La Perla Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Customer Profile Pape for La Perla - Essay Example It mainly deals with sleepwear and underwear for both women and men. In particular, La Perla boutique sells bras, lingerie, pajamas, briefs and nightgowns. The La Perla focuses on distinctive categories of products that are flexible and responsive to the needs of the customer. In particular, La Perla attracts women who love gentle and feminine sensuality. Its management aims at offering the best shopping experiences for its discerning customers with flexible price ranges for the product category which can go up to $200 for a bra. La Perla boutique targets women who value their lingerie and will always desire to shop at a specialty store than a mere departmental store. In this regard, these women cherish the detailed services that focus on individualized needs, such as personal brand choices. In particular, La Perla boutique targets intricate, cosmopolitan, business women of medium to high income earning levels. They entail high-class women who range between the ages of 30 to 55. They are also financially stable and are much more independent. This target group also loves their bodies enough to set aside plenty of money to acquire items and products that bring out their splendor and sensuality. Over and above, it targets the cosmopolitan area and city center population where many high income earning customers are located. The La Perla boutique aims at using different fabric compositions for its products. In particular, it focuses on high-class, stylish and pleasing to the eye products acquired from only select fabrics. The manufacturing process of the fabric is done intricately to foster the Italian craft tradition. The La Perla boutique employs the Leavers Lace and the Soutache process, in addition to the Frastaglio techniques in designing its products. They integrate the corsetry techniques which entails the sophisticated art of boosting the feminine sensuality in socially  assorted means.  

Beethoven Sonata in D Major, Opus 10 No 3 First Movement Term Paper

Beethoven Sonata in D Major, Opus 10 No 3 First Movement - Term Paper Example In the thirty-second notes, it contains very many passages, which limits the rhythm at which it can practically be in use. Its creation features a fake recapitulation in flat E. First movement The first movement is signified by a marking, ` con brio,’ which contains a number of examples of the urgent need of virtuoso pianistic techniques. Towards the end, the first movement has a quasi-cadenza. The final allegro assai movement includes trills, upward runs, sudden contrasts, and some use of the minor key. It is a package of variations on a subject matter marked by, "La Prima Parte Senza Replica’’ where the very first part is not repeated. The music has 3 variations. At this point, it looks like it is almost ending quietly like in the first movements and in the last movements, but it concludes suddenly with a roaring C major chord. In the very first phase of the first movement the form that involved is sonata, G major: allegro vivace. In the second movement, the fo rm is serenade, C major: adagio grazioso. Finally, in the last and third phases, the form is rondo sonata, G major: allegretto. The stridently profiled distinctiveness of the op.10 sonatas nonetheless admits a number of familiar features amid them, such as the occurrence of comic music thriving in rapid contrasts and surprising turns. Fanciful, random comedy surfaces in the finales of all the pieces, and mainly noticeably in the beginning allegro of the succeeding sonata is in F major. The sonatas are nevertheless marvelously contrasted in personality, mainly in the opening movements: the abrupt, theatrical phrase of the C small sonata sets into reprieve the calm, naughty spirit of the F major, while the vibrant intensity of the third sonata, in D major, propels the official intend from inside. Similar to Beethoven’s four previous sonatas, op.10 no.3 also has four faction sandwiched amid a beginning allegro and a finale in a silent quicker tempo. In the preliminary seriousnes s of this sonata, like the largo e mesto of op.10 no.3, Beethoven stress the distinction among hopeful, apparent lyricism and dark, discordant chords in the bass. Other than in the pathetique some of these variations are combined at the onset; the logic of conflict implied in the up melodic recitation is eroded against the brooding load of the C minor tonality, through highlighting on diminished-seventh chords. Whilst penetrating the high pitch registers, melodious rise becomes both touching and fragile. This is because it is reliant on the immovable choral reinforcement of the bass (Marshall 76). The recitative-like expression close to the ending of the grave are harmonically parenthetical, hanging on an illusory accentual intonation that delay the forthcoming motion to the tonic C minor in anticipation of the commencement of the following allegro di molto e con brio. The sluggish movement in tonic or non-tonic minor mode in op.10 no.3 It is the lights out effect that gives the ini tial impact: the sudden precipitation of a gloomy antitype to the first movement’s type. Always, when non-tonic happens in the slow movement, it is expected that there will be a relief in all movements. Thus, the logic of no escape is redoubled during the subside of representation into minor. Allegorically, when the beginning is heard, especially the beginning of a sluggish movement, the chilling of gloom passes above the tonic; the

Economics (twin deficit) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics (twin deficit) - Essay Example The deficit has been covered through the borrowing from various agencies both foreign and domestic. The persistent current account deficit for last 20 years has given unprecedented amount of claims to foreign investors. It is always possible that at some time in future and specially if no corrective measures are urgently taken up, the situation may very well become challenging. The foreign claims are generally in the form of stock bonds, treasury issues, bank accounts and other types of financial securities. Foreign governments, their central banks and international agencies possess a sizable share of the claim. One way of looking at the present scenario is that America is becoming increasingly dependent on the imports while its export market is not showing substantial growth. Steady depreciation of the dollar in the international market is the indicator that decides the inflow of foreign investment in the country. When the dollar depreciates, there is more inflow of foreign goods and services. IMF in recent time has also cautioned US to take appropriate steps to curb its rising current account deficit. The report says that ‘the concern remains that at some time more adjustment will be needed to ensure that the global pattern of current account position remains consistent with the willingness of the international wealth holders to build up net claims on the United States’. The global economy has been advancing at a very fast rate and in the present circumstances when the global inter-dependence has become a norm, United States needs to moderate its consumption and spending and focus on issues that would help restrain the increasing growth of current account deficit. One must conclude that today statistics show that US needs to import $1 trillion of foreign capital every year. In the long run, it is highly unsustainable situation both in terms of

Beethoven Sonata in D Major, Opus 10 No 3 First Movement Term Paper

Beethoven Sonata in D Major, Opus 10 No 3 First Movement - Term Paper Example In the thirty-second notes, it contains very many passages, which limits the rhythm at which it can practically be in use. Its creation features a fake recapitulation in flat E. First movement The first movement is signified by a marking, ` con brio,’ which contains a number of examples of the urgent need of virtuoso pianistic techniques. Towards the end, the first movement has a quasi-cadenza. The final allegro assai movement includes trills, upward runs, sudden contrasts, and some use of the minor key. It is a package of variations on a subject matter marked by, "La Prima Parte Senza Replica’’ where the very first part is not repeated. The music has 3 variations. At this point, it looks like it is almost ending quietly like in the first movements and in the last movements, but it concludes suddenly with a roaring C major chord. In the very first phase of the first movement the form that involved is sonata, G major: allegro vivace. In the second movement, the fo rm is serenade, C major: adagio grazioso. Finally, in the last and third phases, the form is rondo sonata, G major: allegretto. The stridently profiled distinctiveness of the op.10 sonatas nonetheless admits a number of familiar features amid them, such as the occurrence of comic music thriving in rapid contrasts and surprising turns. Fanciful, random comedy surfaces in the finales of all the pieces, and mainly noticeably in the beginning allegro of the succeeding sonata is in F major. The sonatas are nevertheless marvelously contrasted in personality, mainly in the opening movements: the abrupt, theatrical phrase of the C small sonata sets into reprieve the calm, naughty spirit of the F major, while the vibrant intensity of the third sonata, in D major, propels the official intend from inside. Similar to Beethoven’s four previous sonatas, op.10 no.3 also has four faction sandwiched amid a beginning allegro and a finale in a silent quicker tempo. In the preliminary seriousnes s of this sonata, like the largo e mesto of op.10 no.3, Beethoven stress the distinction among hopeful, apparent lyricism and dark, discordant chords in the bass. Other than in the pathetique some of these variations are combined at the onset; the logic of conflict implied in the up melodic recitation is eroded against the brooding load of the C minor tonality, through highlighting on diminished-seventh chords. Whilst penetrating the high pitch registers, melodious rise becomes both touching and fragile. This is because it is reliant on the immovable choral reinforcement of the bass (Marshall 76). The recitative-like expression close to the ending of the grave are harmonically parenthetical, hanging on an illusory accentual intonation that delay the forthcoming motion to the tonic C minor in anticipation of the commencement of the following allegro di molto e con brio. The sluggish movement in tonic or non-tonic minor mode in op.10 no.3 It is the lights out effect that gives the ini tial impact: the sudden precipitation of a gloomy antitype to the first movement’s type. Always, when non-tonic happens in the slow movement, it is expected that there will be a relief in all movements. Thus, the logic of no escape is redoubled during the subside of representation into minor. Allegorically, when the beginning is heard, especially the beginning of a sluggish movement, the chilling of gloom passes above the tonic; the

Bertrand Russell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bertrand Russell - Essay Example Family is the unit of the society and a happy and contented family is an asset for the nation. I am willing to applaud that individual who has worked for his family all through his life. This is virtuous living, for he lives for a noble cause. Viewpoint of Russell: According to Russell, in such conditions, an individual need not work and such an individual must spend from his earnings, and should not save, as saved money leads to unemployment, and spent money generates employment. My response: This problem arises when philosophers try to become economists and make an attempt to advise the Finance Ministers! Job satisfaction is a psychological virtue, as such earning money and saving with a purpose, are alternative beats of the same heart. Viewpoint of Russell: â€Å"If the ordinary wage-earner worked four hours a day, there would be enough for everybody and no unemployment -- assuming a certain very moderate amount of sensible organization. This idea shocks the well-to-do, because they are convinced that the poor would not know how to use so much leisure.†(p.5) My response: I agree on this issue partially. The important point is how one will spend the remaining 20 hours. One is not expected to sleep for more than 8 hours—that will be inviting idleness. Recreation for the remaining 12 hours of the day on a long term basis is impossibility. I will be bored of such a recreation. For example, suppose an individual likes ice cream. The first cup is fine; the second one is good; the third one is tolerable. The fourth one, that individual will vomit!! As such happiness is not in free time, but spending the time

Creative Writing Commentry Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing Commentry Essay The kite runner presents a tale of intertwined personal conflicts and tragedies, its a compelling novel set in 1970s Afghanistan, revolving around a tragic incident that allows Hosseini to examine themes of loyalty and betrayal, revealing its significant flaws in 1970s Afghan society. This capturing plot is what attracted me to use The Kite Runner as my stimulus text as it presented me with an opportunity to explore the themes of loyalty and betrayal whilst adding a modern twist to it. For my creative piece I decided to compose a short monologue of a friend witnessing his life long companion being a victim of knife crime, this short monologue mirrors that of Amirs thoughts during the scene in the kite runner whilst his half-brother Hassan is being raped by another boy from the neighbourhood. From this monologue it is clear I have specifically formed it by taking certain aspects from the rape scene of the kite runner and also empowered another aspect from the kite runner by utilising the theme of betrayal and also considering the historical context of the novel as it was set at a time of conflict in Afghan community during the 1970s therefore by modernising it so it relates to the social context of today, as knife crime is almost a daily, fashionable occurrence in modern society, just like conflicts between the Pashtuns and Hazaras were during 1970s Afghanistan. The title Loyalty Juxtaposes the actual monologue as it portrays an act of disloyalty, and in a sense betrayal. This was done to make the reader think back to the title after reading it as the plot of the monologue is likely to have been a contrast of their assumptions before they actually read it, this also adds a sense of ambiguity and leaves the reader to speculate or predict what may have happened next as I purposely did not make it clear what the narrator does after Jamals final words, does he in fact empower the title by then pursuing his murderer? This is a question that is likely to linger in the readers thoughts. My title has a similar effect to that of Khaled Hosseinis novel, as the title The Kite Runner is one which immediately create assumptions about a story which portrays freedom and unity, however just like my monologue, the novel juxtaposes its title as the story is based around oppression in Afghan society and intra-conflicts between a religion . Like Khaled Hosseini, I employed the use of short and single word sentences in the build up to my climax to create a sense of anticipation just before one of the main characters Jamal is stabbed Jamals filled with panic. Confusion. Regret. This is also done in kite runner towards the rape sceneHe unzipped his jeans. Dropped his underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan Didnt struggle. This was done as It creates a hostile environment, reinforcing the readers belief that something dramatic is inevitable. Another technique I have adopted from Khaled Hosseini is his use of flashbacks to provide the reader with information of the two boys relationship before this tragic night, this is effective as it allows them to understand why this young boys thoughts are filled with such hatred and hostility towards himself for not helping his dying friend. Furthermore I attempted to employed Hosseinis use of imagery effectively in my Creative piece, this is shown through my description of the scenes prior to the knife incident Jamal still lay on the ground dampened by the slight drizzle of rain. Stationary. His blood slowly dripping from his jacket to the ground landing into the pool of water, diluting it. This is similar to the way Hosseini approaches the climactic scene of his novel when he describes the alley in which Hassan is raped A havoc of scrap and rubble littered the alley. Worn bicycle tires, bottles with peeled labels, ripped up magazines, yellow newspapers, all scattered amid a pile of bricks and slabs of cements. Another technique of Hosseinis that I attempted to replicate was the way in which he structured The Kite Runner, many critics have suggested that Hosseini develops a structure in the novel where he is able to set up expectations at the beginning of the novel, then turn these expectations into a reality by the end. I have attempted this by incorporating flashbacks into my first paragraph making it appear as something dramatic is going to occur in the next paragraph, whilst Hosseini employs flashbacks also to represent the fact that the key character Amir will be forced to rectify these early experiences to salvage what is remaining of his guilty conscious. I also incorporated a similar sentence structure in my piece utilising short sentences and pauses. Overall I have tried to replicate certain aspects from my stimulus text The Kite Runner, mainly those involving form structure, the key themes and also the significance of the title and flashbacks, the historical and social context of the novel, the use of imagery, juxtaposition of the themes as loyalty and betrayal are almost opposites of each other. I believe I have been successful in achieving most of these factors as the majority are included in my creative peice.

Moral Panic: Youth Slashing in Singapore

Moral Panic: Youth Slashing in Singapore 1. Introduction Slashing cases involving Singaporean youth gang members gain immense notoriety in 2010. The visibility of such criminal acts is amplified further by the mass media. Such reports provoke the publics latent fear of being attack by youth gangs especially so when high-profile cases such as the murder of Darren Ng at Downtown East was reported to occur in the evening between 5.30pm and 5.57pm at a time period where school-going children would be making their way home. This fuel the anxiety felt by already paranoid parents of school-going children. Moreover easy access to gruesome and explicit pictures of the victim that were splashed across both printed and online medias, further fuel widespread panic of youth gang members being more daring to strike anytime in the day. Such panic is contrary to updated statistics proving that crime rates in Singapore have been steadily on a downward trend. The question at hand then is What caused this mass panic of youth slashing in Singapore despite there being no actual spike in crime rates? In our assessment of Singapore youth slashing, several critical tenets of moral panic were identified; high concern over youth violence and gang associations, increase hostility towards the group seen as a threat (people, who were caught carrying weapons, at-risk youths), disproportionality in depiction of the problem and short life-span. This paper seeks to investigate moral panic on youth slashing in Singapore. In our essay discourse, we argue that the surge in news reports youth and gang violence attributes to the moral panic of youth slashing in Singapore. The increased visibility of such criminal acts and detailed reporting has push the issue of youth delinquency to the spot light. This paper will first consider the crime trends in Singapore with an emphasis on youth statistics to ascertain whether the crime rates show any spikes which may be a cause for panic for citizens. In our use of statistics, we assume that all criminal acts were reported accurately. Next, a study of news reports by the Singapore printed English media- Straits Times and New Paper would be conducted to see how frequent such reports were published. 2. Crime Trends in Singapore In the latest Singapore Police Force Annual 2009, it published a 10 year trend of crime rates for Singapore. It captures official crime statistics that includes only reported criminal cases. Figure 1 show that the overall crime and overall crime rate is relatively stable, reaching its peak in 2005 and gradually decreasing over the next 3 years. The year 2008 saw a marginal increase of 1% in overall crime from 32,796 cases in 2007 to 33,113. However according to the SPF annual, the crime rate per 100,000 population mark has actually fallen from 715 in 2007 to 684 in 2008. Further statistics from SPF website records that in year 2009, the number of overall crime cases recording a marginal increase of 0.2% as compared to the previous year. However, overall crime rate in 2009 was 665, lower than 684 in 2008. In 2010 then, overall Crime reportedly fell by 0.6% (or -200 cases), from 33,186 cases in 2009 to 32,986 cases in 2010. There was no mention of crime rates. Comparing the total crime cases reported in 2010, the general crime trend for Singapore would be seen as gradually decreasing. In 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010 reports, youth crime was highlighted as a key crime concern. The majority of crimes among youths were for shop theft and other theft. Only in 2007, did rioting become the second most common crime among youths. At the peak of 4608 recorded cases of crimes against persons in 2005, only 21 of them were murder cases (Singapore Police Force, 2010). 0.004% of crimes against persons were murder cases at the peak of crimes against persons. There were no statistics that confirm what percentage of the murders was committed by youths. However, the overall crime against persons has remained relatively unchanged since 2006, and we would extrapolate that the number of murder cases would accordingly remain stable. Contrary to the statistics, there was a surge in news reports youth and gang violence in 2010. In the official crime summary for 2010 it was reported that there has been an increase in the number of youths arrested for rioting from 468 persons in 2009 to 531 persons in 2010. However the number of youths arrested for rioting 2010 is still lower from that in 2007 whereby 573 persons were arrested for rioting. Yet in 2010, the responses towards youth and gang violence were more fervent. The public members were organising Citizens-on-Patrol (COP) Programmes (Lim, 2010) and increasing the frequencies of such patrols in the wake of the Bukit Panjang Slashing case. One cannot help but ponder what incites such panic among citizens regarding neighbourhood safety when the statistics seem to show a relatively stable decrease in crime rate. In our essay, we argue that the surge in news reports youth and gang violence attributes to the moral panic of youth slashing in Singapore. 3. Literature Review From a sub-cultural perspective, using Cloward Ohlin(1960) theory of differential access in illegitimate society we could see street corner gangs as a form of conflict subculture, and their senseless violence a product of status frustration. Subcultural theories looked at how crime occur as individuals internalize a set of norms and values that brings them into conflict with the law. As described by Miller (1958) in the focal concerns theory of lower class where he identified trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, autonomy, fate as concerns deeply embedded in the culture of the lower class. While many studies have attempted to explain street corner gangs and youth violence, there are also many others that looked at the social construction of the crime. Media constructions of crime have been immensely studied in the field. Research on media and crime generally agreed that crime is staple in news and popular programming and that uncommon events tend to be overrepresented (Pizarro, Chermak, Gruenewald, 2007). In studies of gang and youth violence, it is established that particular media portrayals of gangs and youths have shaped the identity of this group and the societys attitude towards them (Dorfman et.al, 1997; Thompson, et. al, 2000). Esbensen Tusinski (2007) discussed medias tendency of stereotyping gangs and their associations with violence and organizational capacity. Where youth violence is concerned, there are also studies particularly on school shootings in US public schools (Frymer, 2009; Waldron, 2002; Muschert, 2007) and knife crime in UK (Squires, 2009; Wood, 2010). The concept of moral panic however goes further to explore the profound influence of media as an instuitution of social control through amplifying deviance. Attention is given to the ideological role of media and the construction of meanings. In Cohens work of mods and rockers this concept is useful in understanding how they were labelled and controlled, as well as explaining how and why the societys reaction was formed. Concept of moral panic can be characterised by a heightened fear over evildoers and the threat they bring to society. It must have a scapegoat and an obeject to be panicked about. This usually brings about a strengthening of social contol apparatus such as stricter regulations. The indicators of moral panic included high concern over the problem, increasing hostility toward the group engaged in the behavior, widespread agreement that the threat is real, disproportionality in the depiction of problems and volalitily (Goode Ben-Yehuda, 1994). Goode Ben-Yehuda (1994) used three theories to explain what brings about the panic. Interest-group theory looks at moral entrepreneurs use media to publicise their concerns their claims taken up by significant section of the media and presented as factual (Jenkins, 1992). Elite-engineered theory see the ruling class as deliberately and conciously creating a moral panic over an issue which they see as not terribly harmful to the society to diver t the public from more serious issues. The third- grassroots theory- presented by Goode Ben-Yehuda (1994) is a bottom-up rather than top-down theory of moral panic. This theory looks at public participation in moral panic, where media then magnify real public fears about crime. There has been increasing application of this concept in studying youth and gang violence (Welch, Price, Yankee, 2002; Bartie, 2010; Killingbeck, 2001), and we believe that this concept is relevant to the current issue we are studying. Yet it would be inadequate to dismiss Singapore slashing case merely as a moral panic. As Squires (2009) argued, Cohen (1972) study of Mods and Rockers did also present how moral entrepreneurs have exploited societys reaction for their own agenda. Henceforth, this paper would like to discuss whether the attention given to local cases could be attributed to moral panic. 4. Case Studies of Youth Slashing in Singapore One of the first incidents, though did receive much attention include one at Pasir Ris on 5th March. The incident was only reported in June where the attackers were prosecuted (tell me if you find another article about this). The other is at Kallang area where a a gang of Sarawakian robbers committed 4 violent thefts, where 1 Indian national was murdered. Below are the high-profile cases: 1) 30th October 2010 at Downtown East 19-year-old Darren Ng Wei Jie died after being assaulted by a group of gang members. The attack started with staring and angry words before he was attacked with choppers and knife. A total of 11 youths were arrested and charged with murder, all of whom were Chinese. The incident was seen as gang-related. Ng was later found out to be a member of one of the gangs. 2) 8th November 2010 at Bukit Panjang 20-year-old Jayasiva Shangar Guru was slashed and stabbed by a group of gang members. The gang also attacked at Jelapang Road, where another six youths were assaulted. In both incidents, the victims were attacked after denying being a member of Pak Hai Tong gang. The attackers were believed to be members of Sah Lak Kau. There were speculations that nights incident was related to a gang fight earlier that day at 6pm where a group of men were chasing after a teenager taunting him to fight back. A total of fifteen men were arrested. Following the two high-profile slashing cases, there were reports of three others. On 18th November at Ang Mo Kio, two youths got into a dispute outside a fast-food outlet, where eventually one of them attacked the other with a knife. On 24th November at Teck Whye, an off-duty auxiliary cop was attacked by 7 street-gang members who deliberately bumped into him. In December at Yishun Ring Road, a 23-year-old man was reported to have been assaulted by 3 youths of age 13, 15 and 18 after a dispute of missing handphone. 5. Societal Response 5.1 Media Attention The series of attacks have triggered a search for explanations on the phenomenon of rising gang violence. Society seeked to explain the nature of fights, whether it is random or due to revenge, and the structure of gangs, now observed as loose associations different from tradition secret societies. Following Downtown East incident, many reports talked about youth gangs- how staring incidents can lead to violent fights, why youths joined these gangs. News reports of ensuing cases tend to remind readers about the significant attack at Downtown East and Bukit Panjang that inadvertently create concerns over gang-related violence in Singapore. There were also follow-up reports to keep public updated on who has been arrested and charged. Reports of being arrested were frequent to remind the society of the strict laws and the consequences of such acts. 40 suspected gang members were arrested in blitz carried out by police officers (Yong, 2010). Although there were no details mentioned, the report came with comments by Minister of Home Affairs, K. Shanmugam, to assure the public tough acts were taken to tackle youth gangs. Comments by public figures like Minister of MCYS also bring public attention to at-risk youths on the importance of increase community initiatives to prevent them from gang associations. Beyond print media, interactive news media seems to play a role in public discourse over the slashing incidents. According to Straits Times on 6th and 4th November 2010, online articles related to the incidents were most read and commented on. News of Bukit Panjang slashing received overwhelming amount of comments from members in ST forum and STOMP and Asiaone News (STOMP: Singapore Seen, 2010;, The Sraits Times Discussion Board, 2011; Asiaone News, 2010). While many comments were neither constructive nor substantial, they do reflect publics concern over gang violence and more importantly, question the safety and security of Singapore society. Again, comments are a way of making sense of the incidences: they were many questions of what is happening in society and the youths and whether there is a come-back of gangs. News and visuals in interactive media allow netizens to fuel speculations and fear over these incidences. 5.2 Legislation: Tackling Gangs In the wake of perceived insecurity at Downtown East, police patrols were stepped up. Zero-tolerance policy was affirmed, as showed in reports where teenagers carrying offensive weapons were arrested and suspected of involvement in gang activities (Straits Times, 2010). In a parliamentary debate, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam stated that 93 gang members were arrested since end October 2010. He also stated the possibily of giving police additional power to prevent gang formations which include getting youths to observe curfew hours or to attend intervention programmes (Parliament of Singapore, 2011). There was also a suggestion of considering regulating the sale of knives (Parliament of Singapore, 2011). Youth crime was one of the three crime types identified by the police this year (Singapore Police Force, 2011). This is despite a decrease in total number of rioting cases last year. Police efforts of combating youth crime which include working with schools in identifying youths at risk and the StreetWise Programme- that aims to divert youths away from involvement in crime- have been re-emphasized. Such focus can be seen as a way to assure public that something is done to contain the problem of street gangs. It is clear that the series of incidents heightened the fears over youth violence. Before 2010, reports of such slashing incidents were rare.(keywords youth violence and gang violence produced mainly stories from US about American street gangs in Factiva search builder when sources are limited to Straits Times and New Paper.) And because there were little reports, there were little discussions in online forums about gang violence. In list of parliamentary reports from 2006, youth violence only came into attention recently after the incidents. Minister of Home Affairs have emphasised that the crime rates have continually decreased over the years and there is no increase of gang violence lately in Singapore (Parliament of Singapore, 2011). Henceforth, one can conclude that the attention given by the public on slashing and gang violence are a product of a moral panic constructed by the various media portrayals of the incident. 6. The Media Politics of Youth Violence in Singapore Therefore, by concluding that the public concerns on slashing and gang violence are formed as a result of moral panic, we can also conclude that the media plays a pivotal role in the construction of moral panic. The media has universally being respected as one of the major actors of disseminating information over the years. Therefore, the media has been trusted to convey the information to the public, operating as moral entrepreneurs informing the readers the goods and bads of society (Cohen, 1972). This influence has made almost every fact conveyed in the media being perceived as the truth, and when the moral value conveyed in the media intercepts with the societal value that needs to be protected, even the minor happenings in society will generate concerns and instigate fear that some measures should be taken. Thus, the media has used this authority by providing news that instigates fear to the public and arouses concerns about the slashing issue. The frequent follow-ups of the Pasir Ris slashing incident are continuous in nature whereby it tracks down from the initial crime down to the news coverage of the murdered teens funeral and the eventual revelation that he is part of the gang. This surge of news reports are aimed to cause panic and fear of the crimes, and also warns the public about the dangers of gang involvement-as seen from the reports that Darren is part of gang- and the consequences of engaging in such acts. This has instigated fear to the public whereby concerns were directed to the safety of the neighborhood, and parents not allowing their children to return home late at night since the incident happen. The incident in Bukit Panjang has encouraged more residents to take part in the Citizens on Patrol (COP) programme formed by the Zhenghua division in Bukit Panjang, in order to beef up security in the area. (Ismail, 2010) In addition to that, the interest groups, the state as well as the grassroots have used the media as a social control agent to express their concerns towards the conditions of the society. These moral entrepreneurs reach the public through the media such that the news will generate some concerns from the public and get their support in controlling the crime before it goes off-hand. The media amplified the situation by describing the criminals as young, in their teenage years and living in subcultural environment of gang violence (Wong,2010). These facts have amplified the publics response towards the crime when Teen Challenge, a voluntary welfare organization received 20 percent more calls from parents since the slashing cases. The grassroots leaders are working with schools in order to control the issue of gang violence. This is to allow the youths to feel that they are part of the community, and they will feel how important it is to feel accepted by the society. There is therefore, a profound influence of the media as a social control by reporting deviance in a moral provoking manner. 7. Criticism of Moral Panic The moral panic concept has its own criticisms. The problem lies with the proportionality between the cases reported in the media and the reality. The medias role as the medium of disseminating information is regulated by the higher political and commercial forces, The news were received by citizens at second hand which means that is has been manipulated (cohen,1972).Therefore, the citizens panic might not be justified since the reality of the case is not known. The issue reported by the media might not carry the same severity as the reality. As most of the time, the media is amplifying the slashing cases in order to instigate fear and gain concern from the public. However, in actual reality, statistics provided by the home affair ministry have shown that crime cases, which include the case of gang violence, have been decreasing (Parliament of Singapore, 2011). It is only when the citizens panic has reached its point (which means that the government has received enough support and concern from the citizens), will then the reality of the case is revealed and the public will then realize that the case that they have been panicky about was an isolated one. On example of this is the Downtown east incident, whereby Pasir Ris MP Dr Ahmad Magad said that the case is an isolated one, and the neighborhood is peaceful. This was stated after receiving feedbacks from worried parents about the safety of their children and security around the neighborhood has already beefed up by the citizen as well as police patrols (Toh, Tee, 2010). This has shown the proportionality between the case reported on media, and the reality, and the citizens agenda of using the media to exaggerate the case only to gain support and concern from the public. Another point is that the publics reaction towards the issue might not be directly due to panic generated from the media reports, those reaction might be one of the societys concern towards the issue and they would like to help the state take control of the problem before it becomes worse. This is also evident from the states intervention of the matter, describing the re-examining the sentencing options as allowing an early intervention , in order to help the gangs who are yet to commit criminal offences (Ismail,2010). This implies that the situation is not as serious as it seems to be, and the state is only exercising measures to control the spread of youth violence by controlling its growth before it is too late. In addition to that, the media labeling of the criminals highly deviant and depiction of the gangs as a danger to the not only serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy to the deviants and induce them into committing more offences in the future. Thus, the moral panic not only causes the heightened attention by the public, but also exerts the identity to the gangs that they should be feared. They gain their self-defined meaning of success through displaying their masculinities and these hateful reports are only making these gangs to pursue their goals (Mcrobbie, Thornton, 1995). On example is the follow-up of slashing cases since the downtown east incident, one of which is the Bukit Panjang slashing incident involving 6 youths. It was featured in the Straits Times entitled beware the rise of copycat gangs as well as discussion forums such as Stomp and Straits Times, sparking interests that the case in Bukit Panjang might be a sequel of copycat gang-related attacks to the one in Downtown Ea st. This shows that the moral panic caused by the media did not really help to engage the community and help to eradicate the crime but rather helped the criminals in engaging with more acts as labeling them as gangsters will just reassert their identity and make them continue with their criminal behaviors. However, the media is still regarded as the most reliable medium to get current news reports and therefore its credibility rarely goes unchallenged. The frequent follow-ups by the media, portraying the numerous pictures of the crime scene viewable on the television brings these cases close to reality, with the pictures of the victim that could engage the viewers into believing that something needs to be done with these criminals.(Estrada,2001) 8. Conclusion The case of youth slashing incidents in Singapore has illustrated to us how the media induces moral panic in a society. The concept of moral panic further to explore the profound influence of media as an instuitution of social control through amplifying deviance. Attention is given to the ideological role of media and the construction of meanings. This paper also suggests that moral panic is superficially created by incessant reporting of youth slashing incidents rather than a significant spike in crime rates. In other words, this paper argues that rather than an increase in crime rates involving youths, there was an increase in visibility of such criminals act through exposures from mass media.

Citizen Kane Essay examples -- essays research papers

Citizen Kane After watching the movie â€Å"Citizen Kane† I realized why this movie was named one of the best films ever. Yellow journalism was in an era from the 1880 to the 1900 and it featured flashy journalism of that time, which made editors write about invented stories. Which went to big headlines on subjects that weren’t true. The two big writers of that time were William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. During the film Kane is depicted as a yellow journalism at different times. One example is when they put out the article â€Å"Charles Foster Kane Defeated, Fraud At Polls†. From that headline you would believe that he was beaten by some illegal purpose, but it was just a headline getting people to read the article and the enjoyment of writing against your enemy. Next, when Kane got all the writers from the chronicle to start writing for the inquirer. He put out an article that said â€Å"The Greatest Newspaper Staff In The World† and had a picture of all the new guys standing together. As you can see there it is not so much false information, but he said they are greatest writers in the world. When all these guys came form the opposing newspaper. While watching the film there are many other times that Kane portrays yellow journalism. He was out to help the poor people of the community and just have fun with the newspaper. In today’s society we think of yellow journalism as tabloids. A lot of those headline stories that we see in the supermarket get our attention. Which always lead to false information on subjects that we are interested in. In the film there are many ways that loss and belonging have a big part of Charles Foster Kane’s Life. It started when he was taken from his birth parents at a young age to go have a better life. We saw that the mother wanted to get him away from his father because we assumed that he was getting beaten. For many young children being taken away from their home, must really heart the child. We don’t know why he was taken but assume it was because of his father and also not having enough money to raise him. He must of thought that his parents didn’t love him but all they wanted was a better life for him. Another example of not feeling belonged is when his wife and himself were going through some problems. Even if he was the cause of the problem you saw how he wanted to belong to someone and for others to love him. Throughout t... ...y that they lived in during that time was a time that the majority of people didn’t have much money. For Kane power was something that he never lived without. He was given a newspaper to run on his own, which made him have a lot of people that worked under him. Throughout the film anything he wanted was done. Since he was the one calling the shots in the newspaper he could have anything printed. For example during the beginning of his election he would print articles that would make him look better then his opponent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For society, during that time period know one knew of anything else but to listen to people that had a lot of power. They would also follow in their footsteps. When people of that time had power they were looked up too as a very high person in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To sum everything up this film was one of the greatest films ever made. There are so many different parts of the movie that made other filmmakers take a look at â€Å"Citizen Kane† before starting their own film. This film has change many filmmakers decisions on how to portray there film. â€Å"Citizen Kane† will never be forgotten and will on in every filmmakers decisions.

Ghani Glass (Strategic Management Report)

Literature Search Strategy â€Å"Strategic Management can be defined as the Art and Science of formulating, implementing and evaluation cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives† [1] â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term which achieves advantage for the organization t Through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations†. [2] Stages of Strategic Management The strategic-management process consists of 3 stages that are; pic] Strategic Analysis This is all about the analyzing the strength of businesses' position and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be assisted by a number of tools, including: †¢ PEST ANALYSIS – a technique for understanding the â€Å"environment† in which a business operates †¢ SCENA RIO PLANNING – a technique that builds various plausible views of possible futures for a business †¢ FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS – a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition in an industry MARKET SEGMENTATION – a technique which seeks to identify similarities and differences between groups of customers or users †¢ DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX – a technique which summarizes the competitive strength of a business’s operations in specific markets †¢ COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – a wide range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summaries a businesses' overall competitive position †¢ CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR ANALYSIS – a technique to identify those areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT ANALYSIS – a useful summary technique for summarizing the key issues arising from an assessment of a business’s â€Å"internal† position and â€Å"exte rnal† environmental influences. STRATEGIC CHOICE This process involves understanding the nature of stakeholder expectations (the â€Å"ground rules†), identifying strategic options, and then evaluating and selecting strategic options. STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION It is the trickiest part†¦ When a strategy has been analyzed and selected, the task is then to translate it into organizational action. VISION STATEMENTS Vision statements are defined by organizations as â€Å"What do we want to become? † [3] â€Å"Strategic visions ought to convey a larger sense of purpose- so that employees see themselves as â€Å"building cathedral† rather than â€Å"laying stones†. [4] MISSION STATEMENTS â€Å"Mission Statements are enduring statements of purpose that distinguish one business from other similar firms. A mission statement identifies the scope of the firm’s operations in product and market terms. † [5] â€Å"A mission describes the organization’s basic function in society in terms of the products and services it produces for its customers†. [6] A clear Mission statement should have each of the following elements: [pic] External Assessment: Porter 5 Forces Model That Shapes Industry The process of performing an external audit must involve as many managers and employees as possible. Awareness of the 5 forces for external assessment can be very useful for the firm as it is able to determine the position of the respective company in the industry. To perform an external audit a company must accumulate competitive intelligence and information about economic social cultural demographic environmental political governmental legal and technological trends. Other sources include magazines, newspaper, internet and business journals. Following are the 5 forces that shape strategy. [7] These 5 forces determine the attractiveness of the industry. If the rivalry is intense, for example in auto and gaming industry, we can say that it has reduced the attractiveness of the industry. Similarly, if the forces are moderate, as they are in industries such as software, soft drinks, and toiletries, many companies are profitable. Industry structure drives competition and profitability, not whether an ndustry produces a product or service, is emerging or mature, high tech or low tech, regulated or unregulated. While a myriad of factors can affect industry profitability in the short run – including the weather and the business cycle – industry structure, manifested in the competitive forces, sets industry profitability in the medium and long run. These five forces are further affected by the external environment which are rather uncontroll able and are widely popular as PEST in Porter theory of 5 forces. They are called Political, Environmental, Social and Technological. Relationship between External forces and Organization [pic][8] Internal Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses A strategic-management audit of a firm’s internal operations is imperative to organization’s health. Increasing number of successful organizations are using the internal audit to gain competitive advantage. Management, marketing, financial/accounting, production / operations and management information systems represent the core competencies of the organizations and their value chains. An organization should identify and evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively formulate and choose among alternative strategies. [9] GENERIC COMPETETIVE STRATEGIES The second central question in competitive strategy is a firm's relative position within its industry. Positioning determines whether a firm's profitability is above or below the industry average. A firm that can position it well may earn high rates of return even though industry structure is unfavorable and the average profitability of the industry is herefore modest. Each of the generic strategies involves a fundamentally different route to competitive advantage, combining a choice about the type of competitive advantage sought with the scope of the strategic target in which competitive advantage is to be achieved. The cost leadership and differentiation strategies seek competitive advantage in a broad range of industry segments, while focus strategies aim at cost advantage (cost focus) or differ entiation (differentiation focus) in a narrow segment. The specific actions required to implement each generic strategy vary widely from industry to industry, as do the feasible generic strategies in a particular industry. While selecting and implementing a generic strategy is far from simple, however, they are the logical routes to competitive advantage that must be probed in any industry. [10] COST LEADERSHIP: Cost leadership is perhaps the clearest of the three generic strategies. In it, a firm sets out to become the low-cost producer in its industry. The firm has a broad scope and serves many industry segments, and may even operate in related industries — the firm's breadth is often important to its cost advantage. The sources of cost advantage are varied and depend on the structure of the industry DIFFERENTIATION: The second generic strategy is differentiation. In a differentiation strategy, a firm seeks to be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It selects one or more attributes that many buyers in an industry perceive as important, and uniquely positions itself to meet those needs. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. FOCUS: The third generic strategy is focus. This strategy is quite different from the others because it rests on the choice of a narrow competitive scope within an industry. The focuser selects a segment of group of segments in the industry and tailors its strategy to serving them to the exclusion of others. By optimizing its strategy for the target segments, the focuser seeks to achieve a competitive advantage in its target segments even though it does not possess a competitive advantage overall. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: A firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is â€Å"stuck in the middle. † It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. If a firm that is stuck in the middle is lucky enough to discover a profitable product or buyer, competitors with a sustainable competitive advantage will quickly eliminate the spoils. In most industries, quite a few competitors are stuck in the middle. Ghani Glass – An Introduction: The founder of Ghani Group Sheikh Abdul Ghani (late) started business in 1963 and established a coal / silica sand mining firm in the name of Ahmad Brothers and Company. Now, the group is running a diverse range of businesses including three glass manufacturing plants, an automobile plant and a number of leading mining companies have an annual turnover of over Rs. 8 Billion. The origins of this group can be found in the mining industry given its involvement in coal, salt and sand mining since 1959. The substantial strategic benefits of vertical integration led them to consider venturing into the manufacturing field in subsequent years. The chosen manufacturing field was glass manufacturing due to the robust demand for glass products in the country. The Ghani Group was not new to the glass manufacturing industry. They had been supplying silica sand to the glass industries four decades back. Their dedication to quality and customer service allowed them to land an exclusive 25 year excellence certificate from Phillips. Their venture into the manufacturing field took the form of Ghani Glass, incorporated in 1992 and starting production in 1995, forming the first step on the road to success of Ghani Glass limited, which today own three glass plants namely GGL1 – Hattar, GGL2 – Landhi and GGL3 – Sheikhupura Road. Companies of the Group The diversified businesses operating under the umbrella of Ghani Group are as follows: †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Hattar (GGL-I) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Karachi (GGL-II) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Sheikhupura (Float Glass Plant) †¢ Ghani Automobiles Limited (formerly Ghani Textile Ltd. †¢ Makerwall Collieries Limited †¢ Ghani Mines (Pvt. ) Limited; †¢ Ghani Chromites Mines Pvt. Limited †¢ Ghani Corporation †¢ Ahmed Ghani Joint Venture †¢ Al-Muhandus Corp. †¢ Ahmed Brothers and Co. Vision: To indulge in honesty, integrity and self determination, to encourage excellence in performance and most of all to put our trust in Allah, so that we, eventually through our efforts and belief, become the leader amongst glass manufacturers not only in Pakistan but in Asia. Mission: The company has no mission statement and according to them, their vision connotes their mission. External Environment Porter’s Five Forces Applying Porter’s five forces to the Glass Industry allows us to acquire a fair view of the potential attractiveness in terms of profitability of the industry and Attractiveness. | | |Yes |~ |No | |A | |(+) | |(–) | | |Threat of New Entrants | | | | | |Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in your segment of the industry? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any Proprietary product differences in your industry? | | |[pic] | | |Are there any established brand identities in your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do your customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? | |[pic] | | |Is a lot of capital needed to enter your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is serviceable used equipment expensive? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer to your industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does experience help you to continuously lower costs? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer have any problems in obtaining the necessary skilled people, materials or | | | | | |supplies? |[pic] | | | | |Does your product or service have any proprietary features that give you lower cost? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any licenses, insurance or qualifications that are difficult to obtain? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Can the newcomer expect strong retaliation on entering the market? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | The threat of new entrants is significantly low as there is high capital investment required for establishing a manufacturing facility in this industry. Besides, the current players in market are well settled and have strong brand identities. Incase any new firm wants to enter this industry; it will be faced with predicaments in setting-up distribution links as the existing companies have substantial control over main channels. PEST ANALYSIS P: The Government of Pakistan has certain regulations related to establishment of a manufacturing facility. All new firms are subject to different licensing and regulatory procedures and the industry’s tax structure in also not supportive. E: Primarily, the economic conditions do not affect the behavior of this industry as glass has no direct substitutes and all the buyers including domestic and commercial ones are bound to buy glass when they need it. S: With a strong cultural heritage, Pakistanis are well known for their arts and crafts. The words beautification and decoration are directly related with glass. Besides basic usage, people decorate their houses with vases and other decorative items made up of glass (mainly float glass). Hence, the social and societal values are in favor of this industry. T: Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and one of the basic reasons for that is lagging behind in the field of technology. The technology required in this industry is not only expensive but the manufacturing / processing equipments are also not easily available in Pakistan. All existing companies have to import the machines from countries such as Japan, Germany and China. | | |Yes |~ |No | |B | |(+) | |(–) | | |Bargaining Power of Buyers | | | | | |Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? | | |[pic] | | |Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? | | |[pic] | | |Does the buyer need a lot of important information? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is there anything that prevents your customer from taking your function in – house? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. | |[pic] | | |Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding. |[pic] | | | | |Your customer’s business are profitable |[pic] | | | | |You provide incentives to the de cision makers. |[pic] | | | In this industry bargaining power of buyers is very low. This is due to low number of producer of glass compare to large number of buyers of glass. There are hardly four companies existing in this industry. PEST ANALYSIS P: As such, the politico legal system has not influenced the bargaining power of customers in this industry. Even in the turbulent times, the company has been successful in achieving sales targets and net income is continuously showing an upward trend. E: Economic conditions do not impact the bargaining power of buyer in this industry because the offerings of Ghani Glass are quite high in quality as compared to that of others. S: The float glass has become an indispensable element of modern infrastructure thereby; it has resulted in an increase in demand and decrease in bargaining power of buyers. T: The element of technology is very significant in glass industry and the processes involve high-tech machinery which makes superior glass. It can, therefore, be concluded that technology factor is lessening the buyers’ power. |C | |Yes |~ |No | | |Threat of Substitutes |(+) | |(–) | | |The industry is growing rapidly. | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Industry is Not Cyclical with intermittent over capacity. | | |[pic] | | |The fixed costs of the business are a relatively low portion of total costs. | | |[pic] | | |There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. | |[pic] | | |It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and | | |[pic] | | |facilities or long-term contract commitments, etc. | | | | | |My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. | | |[pic] | | |My product is comple x and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. | | |[pic] | | |My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. | |[pic] | PEST ANALYSIS P: Political conditions of our country don’t hit the rivalry factor of this industry up to large extent. But when small players in the industry leave the business due to unrelenting political mayhems, big players like Ghani Glass take the advantage of a decrease in competition, direct or indirect. E: The GDP of our country is growing and so is per capita income. Glass is a commodity where consumption is dependent on income. As incomes of individuals and corporations tend to increase, the consumption of glass also increases. Glass is also used in bottling of soft drinks, medicines and automobile industry. The consumption of consumer goods also helps glass industry to endure economic slowdowns. S: Since the social factors are causing an increase in demand for glass, every player gets a chance cater certain segment of users. Thus it reduces the intensity of rivalry among the exiting competitors. T: Due to the enhancement in technology and emergence of internet, both domestic and corporate customers have easy access to different suppliers thus it is increasing the rivalry among the existing competitors. F | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Opportunities |   |   |   | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 20 |4 |0. 80 | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply rising demand in |0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |construction of business arcade (in which float glass is the main | | | | |ingredient) | | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince Glass which is |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | |technologically well-equipped | | | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional conglomerates in |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |pursuit of globalization | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in Afghanistan, Iran and Indian |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |markets. | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | |Threats | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 0 |3 |0. 30 | |The emergence of substitute products such as aluminum and wood |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium and Malaysian Float Glass |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 05 | INTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION | |IFE MATRIX | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Strengths |   |   |   | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |2. Team Vigilance |0. 10 |3 |0. 20 | |3. Loyalty of employees |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their business |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |5. Better product quality compared to rivals |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |6. A widely recognized brand |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | |7. Strong distribution channels |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  8. Dedicated human resource at managerial levels |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | | |   | |Weaknesses | | | | |9. Weak R & D related to new product development |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 | |10. Lack of technically-sound labour |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  11. Not upgraded training facilities for labor |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 15 | COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX (CPM) | | |Ratings |Total |Ratings |Total | |Product Quality |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Technology |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Advertisement & Communication |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |1 |0. 05 | |Financial Position |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Management |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Market share |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Competition |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |1 |0. 10 | |Price Competitiveness |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 |2 |0. 20 | |Dedicated Human Resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Distribution Channels |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 20 | |2. 20 | Competitors Analysis Pharmaceutical Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Float Glass Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 75% in this industry. Food & Beverages Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Major Customers: Leading national and multinational companies of Pakistan †¢ Construction companies – local and multinational †¢ Architectural and engineering companies †¢ Also being exported to over 12 countries KEY SUCCESS FACTORS UNMATCHED QUALITY: Ghani Glass is successful because of the quality it offers. In connivance wi th same, they charge a premium price and this results in high profit margins. Consequently, the company has more money to reinvest. STRONG DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ALL OVER PAKISTAN: Ghani Glass has successfully formed a strong distribution network by giving better margins to distributors. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY: Ghani Glass uses the most advanced technology in the industry. The company installed its first state on the art plant in 1993. Later on, the company set-up first Float Glass manufacturing facility in 2003. Since then, they are constantly improving their technology and resultantly, they have been able to make quality oriented products and it helped them in becoming a trend setter and market leader. MARKETING STRATEGIES: Word of mouth is the most important tool which they have used for the promotion of their products. They have also used billboards and personnel selling tools to promote their products. In nutshell, they were able to position their product as the best in terms of quality through marketing strategy. This also increased their brand equity. SKILLED ENGINEERS HIRED FROM FOREIGN MARKETS: In Pakistan, the education level is backward that has led to lack of availability of skilled labour in the country. Also there is such institution in Pakistan that engineer can be trained to handle the technology. Therefore to overcome this hindrance they have hired employee mainly engineer from foreign market. As compare to their rival their engineer are more skillful and efficient. DEDICATED HUMAN RESOURCE & EMPLOYEES: Ghani Glass provides is staffs with three time meal that is breakfast, lunch and dinner free of cost. It means that they make sure their employee and labors are fit and healthy. It is due to their policy that their labor has become dedicated and hard working. Company makes sure that no labor or employee is ill-treated. They follow strictly the labor law which has made the labor and employee loyal to the company. Core Competencies: – Technology: The company is using superior technology as compared to others in market and it has helped them in retaining market leadership status. – Dedicated HR: The employees are extremely loyal and the company is using strategic tactics to retain their motivation level. For instance, there are no overtimes and each and every employee is given free meals throughout the day. – Product Innovation: Ghani Glass is leading the industry by innovating round the year and becoming pioneer in every segment of glass industry. Value Chain Financial Ratio Trends Financial Ratio Trends |Ratios |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Activity Ratio | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |6. 55 |6. 13 |5. 67 |4. 04 |2. 0 | | | | | | | | |Fixed Asset Turnover |1. 86 |1. 78 |1. 6 |1. 45 |2. 68 | | | | | | | | |Total Asset Turnover |1. 04 |0. 78 |0. 79 |0. 86 |1. 04 | Analysis Ghani Glass is the market leader of its industry. It is financially sound with increasing returns and stable inventory control. Following is an in depth analysis of Ghani Glass Ratios: LIQUIDITY RATIO Liquidity ratio examines the liquidity position of the company. This means, whether the company has enough liquid or cash or inventory to cope up with its short term liabilities and expenses. The current ratio FY2005 was 2. 9 which is very high. Ghani had a lot of liquid FY2005 which was idle and needed to be invested back in the company, and hence doing so GHANI reduces its current ration to 1. 98 FY2009 which is still very high, but it defines GHANI to be in a strong position with enough liquid to cope with short term liabilities. Quick Ratio describes whether the company is able to pay its short term liabilities without relying on its inventory. GHANI FY2009 has an adequate quick ratio of 1. 05, hence defining GHANI to be in a better position even if it runs short of inventory. Price to earning ratio, though has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06x in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical , law and order situation. Profitability Ratio Ghani has been able to produce good profits and returns for its investors. Ghani has been able to maintain its Gross Profit Margin between 25-30% and Net profit Margin between 15-20%. This explains a balanced business operation that has been able Ghani to maintain this level of profits, despite deteriorating political and economic conditions. Return on Capital employed has been increasing since 2006. In 2006, the return on capital employed was 12. 06% but now has been increased to 25. 65% which is clearly overwhelming. It clearly shows that Ghani have been successful in producing excellent returns but every penny invested in the company by its investors. This proves Ghani to be a market leader and why Ghani is financially sound. Price to earning ratio, though ,has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06 xs in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical, law and order situation. MATCHING STAGES THE Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix is another important Stage 2 matching tool of formulation framework. It explains that what is our strategic position and what possible action can be taken. It is not closed matrix. It is prepared on graph. It is closed matrix. This follow counter clock wise direction. It contains four-quadrant named aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive strategies. The axes of the SPACE Matrix represent two internal dimensions financial strength [FS] and competitive advantage [CA]) and two external dimensions (environmental stability [ES] and industry strength [IS]). These four factors are the most important determinants of an organization's overall strategic position. |Financial Strength (FS) |Rating | | | | |1. Return on investment |+4 | |2. Leverage |+3 | |3. Liquidity |+3 | |4. Cash Flow |+3 | Financial Strength: Ghani has a strong Financial Condition with increasing returns and has enough liquidity to cope with its short term liabilities. |Industry Strength (IS) |Rating | | | | |1. Growth Potential |+4 | |2. Profit Potential |+3 | |3. Technological know-how |+3 | |4. Financial Stability |+3 | Industry Strength The growth potential of the entire Glass industry has been on the higher side since the demand of glasses in households and offices had taken shape in our businesses and daily lives. Financial stability is quite positive in the industry as Ghani has been performing well along with its competitors who are located in the informal sector of the market. Technology is an important factor here as people get more and more aware of the new technologies coming in the market & their benefits the more they will demand it as influenced by the external as well as internal forces. Profit potential in the industry is quite high as population & demand are ever growing factor. Environmental Stability (ES) |Rating | | | | |1. Technological Changes |-2 | |2. Barriers to entry into market |-2 | |3. Competitive Pressure |-1 | |4. Price range of competing products |-3 | Environmental Stability Barriers to entry are low as Technology required for producing glass is very high. Competitive pressure is low du e to only 2 major companies in the Industry. Also price range of competing product is stable in the industry Competitive Advantage Ghani has excellent market share which accounts for 71% in the market. Ghani has a good product quality to cater to its audiences. The industry doesn’t necessary has customer loyalty and any customer would be looking for good quality affordable glass irrespective of the producer of the glass. |Competitive Advantage (CA) |Rating | |1. Market Share |-1 | |2. Product Quality |-2 | |3. Customer Loyalty |-3 | |4. Technological know how |-1 | SPACE MATRIX RESULT |x-axis: 5 + -2 = 3 | |y-axis: 6 + -3. 25 = 2. 75 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | |POSITION |   |   |   |   |   |   |COMPETITIVE | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | | | | | |IV |V |VI | | | | | |VII |VIII |IX | [pic] 3 to 4 [pic] 2 to 2. 99 [pic] 1 to 1. 99 |STRENGTH |WEAKNESSES | | |Superior Technology than competitor. |Weak R&D related to new product development | | |Team Vigilant |Lack of Abundant quantity of quality labor | | |Skilled and abreast with knowledge employers|Not upgraded training facilities for Labor | | |Ample financial resources to reinvest and | | | |grow their business. | | |Better product quality relative to rivals | | | |A Widely recognize market leader | | | |Strong Distribution channel | | | |Dedicated Human resources | | |OPPORTUNITIES | Strengths-Opportunities SO |Weakness-Opportunities WO | |Increasing demand of glass products | |With increasing demand of glass products, | | |With superior technology, better skilled |Ghani glass should improve its research and | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |employees and increasing demand of glass, |development department. (W1 O1) | | |Ghani Glass can pursue product development | | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply |by producing products such as bowls and |Partnering and ventures with regional | |rising demand in construction of business |glass crockery. (O1 S1 S3 S4) |conglomerates will bring in skilled labor. |arcade in which float glass is the main |Ghani should export glass to Afghanistan (S4|(O5 W2) | |ingredient |O6) | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince |Ghani should install plant in Iran (S4 O6) | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |With ample financial resources, Ghani Glass | | |well-equipped |can acquire small businesses in the | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional|industry. (O4 S4) | | |conglomerates in pursuit of globalization | | | |Uprising demand in Afghanistan and Iran | | | |markets. | | |THREATS |Strengths-Threats ST |Weakness-Threats WT | |Gas Load Shedding |Increase trade promotion as a proactive |Ghani R&D should produce new products to | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |measure to silent emerging rivals. (S4 S5 S6|compete with emerging rivals like Khawaja | |The emergence of substitute products such as |T2) |Glass. (W1 T2) | |aluminum and wood |Negotiate with the Government to receive | | |Importing of glass from China, Saudi Arab, |exemption in Gas Load Shedding. T2 O6) | | |Malaysia a nd Belgium | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From the I-E Matrix it can be concluded that Ghani Glass is internally very strong with the IFE of 3. 15 and EFE weighted score of 3. 05 which means that it lies on the first quadrant of the I-E matrix. Company lying on the first quadrant of the matrix are suppose to adopt aggressive strategy. Company which lies on Quadrant I,II or IV are suppose to grow and build. Here Ghani Glass lies in First Quadrant so it should Grow and build its market which means it has to adopt aggressive strategy such as forward integration, Market penetration or product development. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE Q S P M | |Key Success Factors |Weight |Market Develop. In Iran & |Product Development (Glass | | | |Afghanistan |Crockery) | | |AS | | |TAS | | | |TAS |AS | | |Opportunities | | | | | | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 0 | | | | | | | |4 |0. 80 | |0. 60 | | | | | |3 | | |Forward integration (opening retail |0. 10 | | | | | |outlets) | |- |- |1 | | | | | | | |0. 0 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply | | | | | | |rising demand in construction of business | | | | | | |arcade in which float glass is the main | | | | | | |ingredient | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 5 | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince|0. 15 | | | | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | |well-equipped | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Partnerships and joint ventures with |0. 05 | 2 |0. 10 |2 |0. 10 | |regional conglomerates in pursuit of | | | | | |globalization | | | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in |0. 05 | | | | | |Afghanistan and Iran markets. | | | |3 | | | | |2 |0. 10 | |0. 15 | |   | | | | | | |Threats | | | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 0 | | | | | | | |- |- | | | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 10 | | |2 | | | | | | | |0. 20 | |The emergence of substitute products such |0. 05 |- |- |- |- | |as aluminum and wood | | | | | | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium made and |0. 05 | 3 | 0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |Malaysian Float Glass | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | | | | | | | |Strengths | | | | | | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |2. Team Vigilant |0. 10 |- | | | | |3. Skilled and abreast with knowledge |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |employers | | | | | | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | |business | | | | | | |5. Better product quality relative to |0. 10 |- | |2 |0. 20 | |rivals | | | | | | |6. A Widely recognize market leader |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |3 |0. 15 | |7. Strong Distribution channel |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |8. Dedicated Human resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 0 | |Weaknesses | | | | | | |9. Weak R&D related to new product |0. 10 |- | |1 |0. 10 | |development | | | | | | |10. Lack of Abundant quantity of quality |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |- | | |labor | | | | | | |11. Not upgraded training facilities for |0. 5 |- | |- | | |Labor | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 60 | |2. 35 | Interpretation of QSMP After tho roughly analyzing the QSPM scores, it can be concluded that the Market Development in Afghanistan and Iran is much more feasible rather than opting for product development. The pitfall in applying this strategy can the cultural mismatch in the organization. Balanced Business Scorecard | | | [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] ———————– [1] Fred R. David, Strategic Management Concept and Cases 12th Edition. p. 4 2 Johnson and Scholes, Planning and Strategic Management, 1999. p. 10 [2] Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 [3] Thompson, Strategic Management 13th edition p. 40 5 Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 6 Mintzberg [4] Strategic Management by Thompson, 13th edition p. 80 [5] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th edition p. 73 [6] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th Edition p. 104 [7] Creating and sustaining superior performance by Michael E. Porter Free Press, 1998 (1985) ———————– 10 2 1 3 1 10 4 10 1 2 10 1 3 10 1 [pic] Objective 1. Continuous training and development 2 Organizational cultures which encourages change and development. Measure Create a supportive work environment & corporate culture. Target 1. Increased one-to one contact at all levels; 2. Real time communication. 3. Collective decision making Initiative 1. Empowerment. 2. Restructuring of Human Resource department and policies. Learning & Growth Initiative Simplify procedures and streamline workflows. Target More strategic acquisitions of small players Measure Engineering efficiency, continuous technology adoption Objective To bring continuous improvement in business processes and reduce costs Internal Processes Objective To strengthen relationship with customers. Measure Number of co-operative efforts Target Maximum customer participation and involvement Initiative Increase focus on check-in services. Customer Objective Increasing profit by 3% in F. Y 2010 Initiative Trade promotions locally and internationally Target Retain Market Domination Measure Strive for an incline in Sales Revenue Financial TOWS Matrix AMMa