Non-fiction short story The Nine Moods of a Magnificent Manager Essay

Non-fiction short story The Nine Moods of a Magnificent Manager - Essay Example The management consultant argues thus: â€Å"The subject of management is an overcrowded field. I quote Voltaire (1694-1778) who says that the magnitude of books is making us ignorant. â€Å"The major branches of management are financial management, marketing management, human resource management, strategic management, production management, operations management, service management and information technology management. The problem with the present managerial world is there are more books on management topics than the numerical strength of managers all over the world. Is it possible for a management trainee to study all of them and then become a successful manager? The relationship between success and management is like the one between wife and husband who desire to lead a harmonious life but are unable to do so but would not like to divorce either. Management is all about the ability of a Manager to rob the pocket of a gullible commoner/consumer or of another Manager in a competi ng organization! You all have made hefty payments to attend this one day’s seminar. You have done so with a hope. I congratulate you on your dynamism and your desperate desire to become magnificent managers. By the end of the session, I am sure you will become one and will have no inclination to return to this auditorium yet again. With this training, if you are unable to prove your worth as a magnificent manager, try your luck as a consultant on the topic of management. My formula for success is simple and straightforward. No textbooks and research journals are used in this seminar. No pen, pad or folder will be provided to you. No home assignments either; have a peaceful sleep after this session. Lend me your ears and mind and see how I change your thought processes to chisel an interesting personality to restore your inner cheer and inspiration. Those with whom you interact will remember you forever, for better or worse, depending on your luck. We begin with an important s ession-- Think that in place of your confused mind, a beautiful garden of roses has emerged with many hues and colors and invigorating fragrance. Think! Nothing is impossible to think! Has it emerged? I can see that in some of you from the expression on your countenance. Make an effort to smile. You are an individual of many moods. Various scriptures have defined nine moods. They are Erotic, Humorous, Pathetic, Terrible, Heroic, Fearful, Odious, Wondrous, and Peaceful. Now, think that you are a performing artist. The wise ones say that this world is a stage, and we are all dancing puppets attached to the strings in the hands of God. Each mood is associated with a particular color. Erotic: Pale Light Green, Humorous: White, Pathetic: Grey, Terrible: Red, Heroic: Pale Orange, Fearful: Black, Odious: Blue, Wondrous: Yellow, Peaceful: White. Some of the top fashion designers and connoisseurs of dress are aware of this weakness of humankind and exploit it to maximize their profits. Now w e come to the core part of the discussion. You need to spend some money to secure your future. Buy nine shirts for gentlemen and tops for ladies, of the colors specified above. Only shirts and /tops not trousers or other types of garments! Now, divide your working hours and allot one hour for each mood. Change your shirt/top after one hour and see the remarkable effect in your interactions. I do not ask you to adopt this system in one go. Hasten slowly. Let your session be restricted to some minutes to begin with. So, you will emerge as a complete individual full of delight, a conglomeration in human form of nine moods of

Accounting Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting Research - Essay Example Considering fairness as an integral part of management accounting, it is basically divided into two forms that include formal and informal fairness. In this regard, formal fairness takes into concern the design of management accounting system. Furthermore, it basically frames an effective structure for the managers who require setting up their predetermined goals along with budgets. It can be affirmed that the notion of formal fairness monitors the performances of the managers and delivers rewards accordingly (Matlala1-82). Conversely, informal fairness mainly entails the process through which the managers apply to execute the management accounting system. Fairness, as a valuable area of management frames various contributing factors that assist in ascertaining effectiveness of diverse organizations. According to various observations, it can be analyzed that fairness is basically taken into concern as the perception related to organizational justice. This particular area of managemen t accounting research i.e. fairness is quite interesting owing to the reason that justice along with fairness depicts proper functioning of organizational activities at large. According to recent observations, fairness is associated with the facet of controllability, which is mainly considered as an objective. It has been viewed that depending on the reports related to distribution of awards and performance, incentives are equally distributed amidst the employees. Furthermore, fairness can also be achieved by considering the equal pay and awards amidst the employees. In this context, a relationship can be formed between fair judgment and equity. By providing fair treatment to the employees, the management ensures optimum concentration of the employees. Furthermore, on receiving equal payment and awards, retention rate of the employees accelerates towards the accomplishment of organizational

Britannia International Hotel Industry: Analysis

Britannia International Hotel Industry: Analysis This is the strategic report on the Britannia International Hotel industry. It discusses the scheme of the strategic management in the business with the analysing of the tools of the strategy in the day to day operations of the business. Strategic report is focusing on the impact analysis of the business strategy of the hotel industry with the giving of the overall view on the strategic management scheme in the hotel industry. It is ideally giving of the recommendation for the improvement of the performance level of the hotel industry in the current market with the adoption of the suitable , feasible and acceptable techniques of the Hospitality Management to improve the level of the performance in the business. Introduction This is the strategic assignment focusing on the Britannia International Hotel Industry in London. The aim of the assignment is to discuss the strategic policy management of the Britannia International Hotel industry in London in the relation to their internal and external business environment. The Britannia International is one of the prominent hotel industry in the London situated at the heart of the city at Canary Wharf, London. They are having 35 hotels across United Kingdom using 7000 bedrooms, One of the hotel at the prime location of the city in London at the Canary Wharf is the key success factor nearer to the major airports and the seaside resorts surrounded by stunning country side (Lehman,2007) The strategic aim of the hotel industry is to provide the optimum money value at the desired level of the satisfaction facilitating to the easy opportunity of the decision-making to the guests who are coming ion the hotel industry (Buidcon,2009) As the London is an international cit y in the world many guests are used to come here from the different parts of the world in order to enjoy the city of London with its greenery, atmosphere, surroundings – due to which there is a wide scope of the development of the Hospitality industry in this area in order to hospitalise the visitors in this country. As a result many hotel industries are the wide popular in this city used to earn the good source of the potential income and sales turnover. The Britannia International at the Canary Wharf is offering the extremely competitive rates in the combination with the flourishes decoration with the facilities including restaurant, health club, night club, bars and free wireless internet access. (Gary,2010) The hotel is situated on the waters edge next to the Canary Wharf, at the Docklands of the London in the internationally developed renowned office development, the hotel industry is fully modernised in the traditional culture having up to date facilities (Simson,2009) Modern style hotel located on the waterside in Londons docklands closed to Canary Wharf where there are many international businesses as well as large shopping centre , various restaurants and Bars (Gilston,2010) Literature Review Business Strategy of the Britannia hotel industry is purely of the functional and authoritative nature, Hotel industry is rationally divided in to four parts of the line of the organisational set up in which there are the functional departments are diversified as per the core area of the business management, Strategic planning of the hotel industry is made on the basis of the grouping of functions in to four imperative divisions they are the Operations, Human Resource, Marketing and Finance, Information Management section is the co-coordinator of all the departments which is involved in the transfer of the information with in the different active departments as a core functional chain in the business (Tandon,2007) Strategic Management of the hotel industry is having a dynamic and imperative weight in the international cities as per the depending of the nature and scope of activities , many guests and visitors are used to come in the city of London which has created an enormous beauty and scope of the activities of the hospitalisation in the city of London, different services are provided as per the capability and intensity of the hotel industry at the reasonable rates in order to achieve an optimum level of the satisfaction from the customers, supplier power of the hotel industry is really is magnificent they are providing the restaurant, Bar, Kitchen, living and boarding facilities having 4 big halls for the conducting of events such as marriages, birth day parties, functions, meetings, ceremonies in which the area of the potentials of the hotel industry are based, recently they are planning to start the travel and tourism operations as their supportive area of activity to the core functional scheme which is the additional source of the revenue recognition (Rodrics,2010) Glance situation of the hotel industry at the magnified location is the measured strength of the hotel industry at the Canary Wharf , the increasing the number of the people with the large sco pe for the sale of the food items in the glorious location of the hotel industry are some of the ideal characteristics of the hotel industry giving the prominent scope of the development and hospitalisation (Small,2009) Intensity of the buyer towards the hotel industry is strategic and sound as they are willing to get the supreme level of the services with in the reasonable costs and achieving the enjoyment of the city of London, Docklands area near to sea shore is giving the glance opportunity of the business development to the Britannia international hotel industry at the higher rate of income with the global status and the exclusive customer support, they are having a stratified customer relationship management strategy in which functional scope of the CRM dimensions has been predicted through the norms of the customer identification , customer attraction, customer development and the customer retention (Philip,2008) The strategic Management of the Hospitality industry in London is the core activity of the management in which functional scope is administered as a tool of the resource management, Operational activities are coming under the day to day performances of the business and regular services to the guests who are coming in the hospitality industry in order to acquire services and potentialities for the earning of the higher revenue generation in the day to day operational management, Human resource strategy is the core activity of the functional management in which major concentration is given on the process of the recruitment and selection of the new candidates in the service so as to get completion of the business activities in the right strategic order and at the right time with in the reasonable resources, Marketing Activities are the activities which are relating to the development of the market through the making of the strategic relationships with the customers and attracting them in the shoes of the customer in order to develop and expand the business activities, Finance department is involved in the strategic financial operations including the accounting , internal audits, finance management, investments in the area of the business so as to maintain the liquidity and the cash management in the day to day business operations, Information Management department is the channelising information department in the business with the providing of the time to time information in the order to regulate the departmental activities in the business organisation (Shardul,2010) Discussion The strategic report is discussing on the management policy of the Britannia International Hotel industry. In the international city of London the wide scope is available for the hospitalisation sector as many visitors are used to come here from the different parts of the world in order to pursue their education, jobs, picnics and visits, living. In due course of the same there is a wide scope available for the development of the hospitality industry in this city to entertain the visitors . There is a wide scope of the strategic management in the hotel industry so as to administer the group of activities in the business management policy of the hospitalisation. Business strategy has been constructed as per the model guideline of the core hospitalisation. Hotel industry is using the effective and efficient Customer Relationship Management strategy in order to make the long lasting relations with the guests, visitors in the shoes of their customers . The strategy of the Customer Relati onship Management has been constructed in the view of the implementation of the efficient and effective CRM dimensions of the customer identification, attraction, retention and development to make the expansion of the business activities to capture the wider segment of the market. Market development strategies used to be formed with the using of the effective marketing communication techniques such as advertising and publicity , sales promotions, direct marketing , public relations and personal selling which will be helpful to develop the good communication system of the hotel with the creating of the Goodwill in the business. Business strategy of the Britannia international is constructed as per the ideal divisions of the functional activities in the four major departments specifying the executive strategy of the hospitality operations. Critical Analysis Strategic Management policy of the Britannia hotel industry is a constructive idea of the operational profile in which there is a wide scope available for the coverage of the functional area of activities. The strategic idea of the functional approach of the management policy is depending on the availability of the strategic factors which are in the support of the management and get inverse with the management. Following are the SWOT analysis are focusing on the internal and external factors of the hotel industry – a) Strengths Glance location of the hotel industry in the midlands nearer of the dockland airport is facilitating the visitors to take stay in the hotel. Availability of the feasible facilities including the air conditioned rooms, lodging and boarding, Restaurants, Bar,Kithen are all giving the strengths of the business. Staff operations are commensurate to the strategic development of activities , with the expertises of the staff and availability of the potential capacity of the labour services. Availability of the tourism operations is creating an additional constructive strength of the business . The scope of the information management department is to handle the ideal activities of the marketing function through the implementation of the different strategic marketing techniques. Availability of full fledged well furnished rooms , with the big halls for the events, ideal structure of the hotel set up is an added advantage. b) Weaknesses – No scope for the parking facility of the vehicles in the surrounding area of the hotel industry. Increasing the rate of the labour turnover in the business with the improper workforce management activities. There is a serious increases in the budgeted expenditures of the hotel industry in due course of the increasing the labour turnover of the business. Reduction in the profitability of the business over the period of time is affecting on the performance level of the hotel industry. Increasing in the costs expenditures will commensurate to the revenue recognition from the day to day operational control of the business. c) Opportunities – There is a greater scope available for the hospitalisation in the area of Canary Wharf. As London is one of the international city in the world many visitors are used to come here for the visits , picnic, education,travel,living,jobs. So that there is a wide scope of the opportunities for the development of the business is available towards the international visitors. Performance level of the hospitality industry is at the optimum rank , further there is a wide scope of the development to increase the level of the performance of the business with the employment of the skilled, efficient labour in the day to day business operations. Level of the business management can be used as a basis of the chanelising the information management function in order to acquire the objectives of the business. d) Threats – As the London is an international city in the world, many spectators are used to come here from the different parts of the world. It is therefore there is a wide scope for the development of the Hospitality industry in this area. The scope of the Hospitalisation is quite more in this city of London. Due to which many hotel industries are used to operate in this city to entertain the globalise visitors, guests. It is leading to the emergence of the different hotel industries. Hotel Hilton Metropolitan, Hotel Syon Park, Hotel Chariot Mirror are some of the leading hotel industries in the city competing the Britannia International. SWOT analysis is pertaining to the focus on the internal and external business environment which shows an exact picture of the hotel industry in a strategic manner. In depth focus further can be made in the business activities through the applications of the tool of the Porters five forces – Supplier Power – It is the creative idea of the different facilities offered by the Britannia hotel industry in the hospitalisation. They are having Bar , Restaurant, Kitchen services , lodging and boarding facilities , full well furnished air conditioned rooms which are attracting the visitors in the hotel. At one time more than 100 of people can have stay in the hotel in the well furnished rooms. There is an optimum level of the food facility available for the guests and visitors. Bar services are more timely and co-efficient. Operational strategic management has been done based on the implementing the ideal strategy of the hospitality management and its core area of the knowledge. The Hotel industry is having the strategic supply power which can attract the large number of customers in order to increase the capacity sales. Buyer Power – This is the power of the buyer intensity in which study of the buyer behaviour has been conducted. Buyer power is created with the availability of the financial position of the buyer leading to increase in the level of consumption. Understanding of the buyer behaviour in the business is a strategic task of the assessing of the demand position in the current market. On the basis of which the supplier power can be built up in the day to day business operations. In every business intensity of the buyer capacity is playing a strategic role. As the Uk is in the recovery stage of the credit crunch situation in the market, it is leading to the increase in the level of the economy along with the employment opportunities in the business. With the help of that the earning potential capacity of the buyer is now upgrading leading to the increase in the level of consumption. Market Competition – There is a strategic competition in the market. As the London is an international city there is a major scope for the development of the Hospitality sector because people who are coming from the different parts of the world are need to have facility for their hospitalisation and care. In due course of which many hotel industries are used to operate in this city creating a challenging business environment for the hospitality industry. With the availability of the international Hotels such as Hilton Metropolitan, Syon Park, Mirror Chariot there is an ultimate reduction is felt in the business of the Britannia international. Threat of New Entrants – There is a serious threat of the new entrants who are coming in the market. As this city has a wider scope of the hospitalisation business in due course of the international visitors, the scope of the hotel industries has been increased in this area. For the entertaining of the guests, visitors there is a need of the new resraurants,hotels which ultimately had given rise to the commencing of the new hotel industry businesses , which can create a challenging threats for the Britannia International as the same quality food may be available at the more cheaper rates in the new hotels for the sake of the capturing of the market. Barriers to New Entrants There are the certain barriers are available in this country for the new hotel industries. Govt. Licensing is a challenging task which requires the many compliances of the documents and still no assurance of the sanctioning of the license. Another problem is of the capital funding as London is one of the costly city in the world , there are the many requisites are raised for the mobilisation of the capital and still there are the issues which are arising in the starting of the business. These are the serious challenging barriers to the new entrants. Findings It has been found on the basis of the strategic analysis that there are the different strategies and customs are applied in the business. The normative strategic planning of the business is based on the Porters generic scheme. a) Cost Leadership – There is a cost efficiency and effectiveness is maintained in the business which is leading to the maximisation of the profits. Quarterly budgets are prepared indicating the schedule of the expenditures and the actual performance is used to compare with that schedule in order to improve the strategic performance of the business. Executive cost control is maintained in the business as a strategic tool of the business. b) Focused – The ideal focus of the activities is based on the restaurant and lodging and boarding activities. In the restaurant the strategic activities which are focused are the kitchen services, Bar services, Operating services. In the lodging and boarding activities the ideal services are the well furnished rooms along with all the facilities of the toilets, bathrooms. c) Differentiation – With the continuing of the focused core area of activity of the business hotel industry is planning to develop the new activity of the Travelling and Tourism operations which will facilitate the additional source of income of the business as the supportive level of activity to grow the business in the Hospitality sector. Conclusion and Recommendation The Britannia international is one of the reputed hotel industry in London having its strategic significance all over the world. Wide scope of the business with the glance opportunity is available for the expansion and development for the hotel industries. The Britannia hotel is having the imperative strength of the good supplier power , ideal resource management scheme which will be commensurate for the strategic management policy of the business. Good location of the hotel industry , facilities available are of the restaurant, bar , kitchen services , lodging and boarding services which are giving the scope for the business expansion and development. However, as the London is an international city in the world many spectators are used to come here for the travels, visits, education there is a wide scope of the development of the hospitality sector in order to catch the wide area of the business development. This is giving scope for the development of the many hospitality industries creating the market competition . Hotel Hilton, Hotel Syon Park, Hotel Passage to India are the hotels creating a challenging environment for the business. It is recommended to the hotel industry to give scope on the marketing communication techniques of the sales promotions and direct marketing in order to grow and expand the business. In the sales promotions focus can be on the giving of the different attractive discounting offers which can catch the customers. In the direct marketing hotel industry can use the strategic technique of the e-mail communications system to contact directly with the customers.

Media Influence on the Youth Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Meda Es

Media Influence on the Youth Media strongly affects youth culture. The media executives are quick to defend their role in youth violence and bullying while selling millions of dollars in adds focused on youth. TV producers, network executives, motion picture companies and others in the media deny any impact of their programs on the attitudes and actions of youth. Meanwhile they continue to spend millions on special effects and marketing geared to increase appeal to youth markets. While corporations spend millions on market research and advertising to create products and campaigns targeted at a youth demographic, they still deny their ability to influence youth. If this were true to fact, would NIKE continue spending millions every year on product development, marketing and advertising? Would McDonalds still be using cartoon like characters to sell hamburgers? Would music labels be increasing the level of violence and sexual content in the music geared towards the youth audience? Would liquor companies be using youth oriented activities in their advertising? Of course it works on influencing youth and its ideals advertising would not be a multi-billion dollar a year business. If it had no i nfluence, M-TV would not have consultant on staff spending huge amounts of money to ensure they keeping up with youth culture. Clothing companies are spending millions to get young good-looking individuals to make plain and boring clothes look appealing to youth. Youth respond t...

Kants Moral Thoery Essay

(1) Explain Kant’s moral theory. Explain and critique Kant’s response to â€Å"The Nazis Objection. † Immanuel Kant is one of the most respected and studied philosopher of all time and is known for his basic yet in-depth moral theories and the belief that morality stems not from divine command or cultural conditioning but from reasoning and human freedom. His straight forward beliefs come from his very strict Lutheran upbringing which consisted of universal rights and universal wrongs with no exceptions He believed his moral laws to be universal and applied to every being including God, spirits and extraterrestrials. His ethics made him a leading figure in deontology which judges people on their actions, not the consequences of their actions, as morally significant. And actions are only as good as their intent to be morally permissible. Kant introduced two commandments of reason, called imperatives, from which all obligations and duties arise. The first imperative is called a hypothetical imperative which Kant describes as, â€Å"the practical necessity of a possible action as means to another end†(Kant, p. 327). This means if you want â€Å"A† then you must do â€Å"B†, such as if you want people to think you a thief, then you shouldn’t steal. This imperative is dependent upon our wants and goals which are ultimately rooted in self interest. The second imperative, which Kant bases the majority of his moral theory on, is called a categorical imperative which has no â€Å"if† in it and is a concrete universal law. Kant defines this imperative as â€Å"an action that is objectively necessary in itself without reference to any purpose†(Kant, p. 327). The categorical imperative of the example listed above would simply be â€Å"don’t steal†, because it against moral law. These imperatives rule out all self interest and are very blunt to what is right. Kant’s moral laws are laws that apply to everyone and everything without question. All things that should be done are required by moral law and all things that should not be done are forbidden by moral law. The method of determining these moral laws can be derived by what Kant describes as the only real categorical imperative in which he tells people to â€Å"Act as if the maxim of your action were to become by your will, a universal law of nature(Kant, p. 328). This makes the reasoning of a moral obligation or action a very simple process. You must simply ask if your action can be made into a universal moral law and if it cannot then you must not do it. And if they answer is yes, then that means that the action can or should be performed by every being in the universe with no grey areas or exceptions to the rule. One example Kant uses is a man who is seriously depressed and debating with the thought of ending his own life. Kant describes his maxim as â€Å"from self-love I adopt it as a principle to shorten my life when its longer duration Is likely to spread more evil than satisfaction(Kant, p. 328). † Even though he may think he is doing a good thing for the world out of self-love, a universal law to destroy life could not exist. One major argument against Kant’s moral theory where a grey area is obviously present is whether or not it is okay to lie under the right circumstances. The main objection here is called the Nazi objection which asks that if you lived in Nazi Germany during the 1930’s and officers were at your door asking if you were harboring any Jews; would it then be morally permissible to lie because if you told the truth, the Jews would be killed? According to Kant’s moral theory you must tell the officers where you are hiding them, but after the Nazis go after the Jews, it then becomes your moral obligation to help the Jews from being killed which turns into a huge contradiction(Furman). If we listened to Kant in this situation, the owner of the house as well as the Jews would both be murdered and the moral right that you tried to accomplish would be wrong. Therefore, Kant’s theory is false and it is okay to lie as long as your reason is to preserve a higher duty such as the duty to preserve human life. While Kant’s moral theory does have a fantastic base for many ethical issues and moral issues, his theory runs into problems because of its absoluteness. Another example of this is the moral dilemma that would occur if you have made two separate commitments and are somehow only able to fulfill one of them because of unforeseen circumstances(Furman). Kant leaves no instruction on how to deal with this situation because you are breaking a promise when you fulfill one but not the other. The solution would be to use your intuition and reasoning and make a decision on the importance of each commitment. So although his theory does provide good rules to live by, it Is too restricted to become fully accepted.

True comedy explores themes as serious and important

True comedy explores themes as serious and important as appear in any tragedy. Demonstrate to what extent Educating Rite contains serious and important themes as well as being a comic play. BY D.. Thomson Educating Rite True comedy explores themes as serious and important as appear in any tragedy. Demonstrate to what extent Educating Rite contains serious and important themes as Wily Russell play entitled ‘Educating Rite' Is a dark and comic drama set within the confines of a University classroom. The play features two characters, Frank a troubled lecturer who has grown disillusioned with his existence, and Rite, a working classLiveryman with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to find meaning In life. The drama tackles many serious themes including alcoholism, social class and exclusion, relationship troubles and gender roles. It addresses these issues in an engaging and comic way, the seriousness of these issues often disguised by the wit and charm of the characters. The way that Frank is introduced to the reader says a lot about his character. The curtain draws on Frank frantically scurrying about looking for a hidden bottle of whiskey that he has concealed in his bookshelf. â€Å"Eureka† exclaims Frank as he finally finds it.This somewhat amusing scenario serves to highlight an unhappiness felt by the character and Issues around alcohol. This point Is further highlighted during a rather sardonic going and throwing with his partner. Frank concedes In this conversation that he Is taking on extra work â€Å"to pay for the drink†, and the billing nature of the dialogue suggests that all is not well in his relationship. Rite enters the scene full of energy and life after battling with the door knob on the way in. Her demeanor is that of a nervous working class girl who is desperately trying to come to grips with surroundings that are totally alien to her.Rite's brash and unconventional manner is perfectly illustrated in her attempt to convers e with Frank about an erotic painting displayed in his room. â€Å"This was like the porn of its day, wasn't it? † Rite innocently asks. The characters repeated questioning disguises an awkwardness she feels amidst an overwhelming desire to gain an education and move up In the world. In amongst their troubles there begins to blossom a friendship between the pair, Rite compared to the elitist crowd with which he is familiar.Frank on the other hand is an enigma to Rite, she does not understand why Frank is so unhappy in a life that she so separately craves for herself. This dynamic brings about some truly comic moments between the characters, an example of this being when Frank attempts to familiarize Rite with the works of E. M Forester. In this dialogue, Frank tries to emphasis to Rite the importance of looking at literature from an academic perspective. This point is somewhat lost on Rite when she Jokingly asks â€Å"Does the repeated use of the phrase â€Å"only connectâ €  suggest that in reality E. M. Forester was a frustrated electrician. Rite's relationship with men is a theme that develops throughout the play. Rite feels eke she is being held back by her husbands expectations. Her relationship with her husband deteriorates as she continues to study against her spouses wishes. This culminates in her partners desperate attempts to keep her in her place by burning her books. Rite's charm is not lost on Frank, he tells her at their very first meeting that he thinks she is â€Å"rather marvelous†. As the relationship develops Franks fondness for Rite grows and he becomes increasingly protective of her and perhaps Jealous of her progress.This point is illuminated when Rite begins to make friends amongst other students. When Rite is invited to travel with some new friends Frank immediately barks â€Å"you can't go†, this hasty response shows that Frank is fearful of losing influence over Rite and perhaps losing her altogether. Rite's relationship experiences demonstrate the struggles that working class women were likely to encounter at this time and the opposition they faced from the expectant and often overbearing men in their lives. As Rite progresses through her academic studies she begins to feel a disillusionment with her present life and a feeling that she does not belong.Her studies opened up a ewe world to her that she had not previously encountered. She began to feel ill at ease with her working class background as she regarded those around her as lacking in culture and ambition. She did not however feel at ease amongst academics and scholarly types either and this left her in a sort of limbo where she began to lose sight of what makes her unique. Her feelings are demonstrated in the following quote, â€Å"I'm a freak. I can't talk to people I live with any more. An' I can't talk to the likes of them on Saturday, or them out there, because I can't learn the language. This frustration was further compou nded by Franks desire to preserve Rite's individuality at the expense of her progression. His criticism of Rite's work as containing â€Å"nothing of you in there†, illustrates Franks desire to conserve the things in Rite that he finds most alluring. The play ends on a rather sad note as both of the characters are left with uncertainty surrounding their futures. Franks drinking and subsequent behaviors have taken their toll on his work and on his relationship. Franks future lay in Australia without his former partner as punishment for his actions.Rite also faces upheaval in her life s she begins to come to grips with the changes that have occurred as a result of her decision to gain an education. What is clear is that the pair are unlikely to be sharing the play in a poignant scene between the characters with Rite giving Frank a haircut that she had previously promised. This moment of rare intimacy between the pair illustrates the warmth the characters feel for each other, it does however seem improbable that they will share many more moments like this in future. To a large extent Educating Rite tackles many serious and important theme's in a UN- evasive and thought provoking way.It is a credit to the author that he is able to tackle such issues while maintaining a thread of comedy throughout the play. As examined in this essay, the play is able to look at issues such as social class, gender roles, alcoholism and relationship troubles without descending into morbidity and manages to keep the reader engrossed throughout. The humanness of the characters and their flawed nature helps the reader to empathic with the pair and their conflicting views of the world provide the catalyst for an often dark but comedic tale. Bibliography Russell, W. (2007). Educating Rite. 1st deed. London: Methuen Drama.

Somalia and US Peacekeeping essays

Somalia and US Peacekeeping essays The desire for an organization that would help the international community avoid future conflicts and the recognized need for a global body that would promote international economic and social cooperation led the powerful states emerging from the rubble of WWII to develop the United Nations. The newly formed United Nations represented an expression of hope for the possibilities of a new global security arrangement and for fostering the social and economic conditions necessary for peace to prevail (Mingst and Karns 2). The need for mutual cooperation amongst the states following the second of the global wars was vital to the reconstruction of war-torn Europe, and for the development of a new world order. This attempt at cooperation was not the first of its kind. According to Mingst and Karns, The UNs Charter built on lessons learned from the failed League of Nations created at the end of World War I and earlier experiments with international unions, conference diplomacy, and dis pute settlements mechanisms (2). Despite this experience in mutual cooperation, the founding states still faced many problems in the security arena due to the advent of the Cold War. In order to effectively deal with security issues facing the UN, the Security Council turned to peace- keeping as an alternative to armed aggression. According to the United Nations Department of Public Information, Peacekeeping was pioneered and developed by the United Nations as one of the means for maintaining international peace and security (1998), and the UN deals with particular problems through the prevention, containment, and moderation of hostilities between or within states through the use of multinational forces of soldiers, police, and civilians (Mingst and Karns 3). This was a very different approach to quelling conflicts that had never before been pract...

Educated While In Prison Essays - Platonism, Free Essays

Educated While In Prison Essays - Platonism, Free Essays Educated While In Prison English 101 April 9, 2014 Educated While In Prison The Allegory of the Cave by Plato and A Homemade Education by Malcolm X are very similar to each other. In both writings they are communicating how they were detained in some sort of way and how instruction was seen as a way out. The thought of mistreatment safety and flexibility are available in both writings. In both writings they were held detained and had no control of the circumstances. They opposed to everything to start with. Be that as it may, the detainees soon understood that their flexibility was through instruction. In Plato's content we figure out how a couple of detainees got instructed about the outside world from aggregate haziness. In the mean time, Malcolm X clarifies to us how he chooses to use his time in jail to better instruct himself. Both Plato and Malcolm X outline their voyage of training through a dim zone to their opportunity of seeing the world and instructing themselves about it through their eyes. In "The Allegory of the Cave" the text opens up with "Behold! Human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open toward the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning around their heads. Above and behind them a fire blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets(1113)". Here Plato talks about how the detainees have been held since youth with chains. Their legs and necks are bound so they can't turn around to see what is behind them. Placed directly behind them is a fire that is bursting and in the middle of the greater part of this is a raised screen like way, which has manikins for the detainees to see. The detainees are in a dull zone and just light accommodated them is the flame. In "A Homemade Education" Malcolm X talks on a night in jail. He states When I progressed to really serious reading, every night at about ten p.m. I would be outraged with the lights out. It always seemed to catch me right in the middle of something engrossing. Fortunately, right outside my door was a corridor light that cast a glow into my room. The glow was enough to read by, once my eyes adjusted to it. So when lights out came, I would sit on the floor where I could continue my reading in that glow (717). X wasn't permitted to peruse after specific hours while in jail, ten p.m. So he had no decision however to stay himself into one corner of his cell and read from somewhat light that might sparkle into his cell. Not just was X breaking the principles and opposing to what was befalling him. He was instructing himself and attempting to bring about a noticeable improvement. Much the same as in Plato's content how the detainees were held to one particular spot in a dull zone with sticks a bit light generally so was Malcolm X. He was limited to one spot in his cell after ten p.m. so hopefully he could keep perusing after "lights out". In both writings they were held in dim ranges with simply a little light sparkling toward them to help proceed their training. Then again, their training does not end once they are free. In Plato's content we read Anyone who has common sense will remember the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the minds eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remembers this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be ready to laugh; he will first ask

Telephone Business Conversation Role-Play

Telephone Business Conversation Role-Play Telephoning is an important part of doing business in English.  Telephone conversations, especially business telephone conversations,  follow certain patterns: Someone answers the phone and asks if they can help.The caller makes a request- either to be connected to someone or for information.The caller is connected, given information or told that they are not in the office at the moment.If the person who is requested is not in the office, the caller is asked to leave a message.The caller leaves a message or asks other questions.The phone call finishes. Of course, all business telephone conversations do not follow this rigid scheme. But this is the basic outline for most business telephone conversations, especially those made to request information or ask for clarification. Example Business Telephone Conversation: Role-Play The following business telephone conversation can be used as a role-play in class to introduce a number of standard phrases to practice  telephoning in English. Ms. Anderson (sales representative Jewels and Things): ring ring...ring ring...ring ring...Mr. Smith (Secretary): Hello, Diamonds Galore, this is Peter speaking. How may I be of help to you today? Ms. Anderson: Yes, this is Ms. Janice Anderson calling. May I speak to Mr. Franks, please? Mr. Smith: Im afraid Mr. Franks is out of the office at the moment. Would you like me to take a message? Ms. Anderson: Uhm...actually, this call is rather urgent. We spoke yesterday about a delivery problem that Mr. Franks mentioned. Did he leave any information with you? Mr. Smith: As a matter of fact, he did. He said that a representative from your company might be calling. He also asked me to ask you a few questions... Ms. Anderson: Great, Id love to see this problem resolved as quickly as possible. Mr. Smith: Well, we still havent received the shipment of earrings that was supposed to arrive last Tuesday. Ms. Anderson: Yes, Im terribly sorry about that. In the meantime, Ive spoken with our delivery department and they assured me that the earrings will be delivered by tomorrow morning. Mr.  Smith: Excellent, Im sure Mr. Franks will be pleased to hear that. Ms. Anderson: Yes, the shipment was delayed from France. We werent able to send it along until this morning. Mr.  Smith: I see. Mr. Franks also wanted to schedule a meeting with you later this week. Ms. Anderson:  Certainly, what is he doing on Thursday afternoon? Mr.  Smith: Im afraid hes meeting with some clients out of town. How about Thursday morning? Ms. Anderson: Unfortunately, Im seeing someone else on Thursday morning. Is he doing anything on Friday morning? Mr.  Smith: No, it looks like hes free then. Ms. Anderson:  Great, should I come by at 9? Mr.  Smith:  Well, he usually holds a staff meeting at 9. It only lasts a half-hour or so. How about 10? Ms. Anderson: Yes, 10 would be great. Mr.  Smith: OK, Ill schedule that. Ms. Anderson at 10, Friday Morning...Is there anything else I can help you with? Ms. Anderson: No, I think thats everything. Thank you for your help...Goodbye. Mr.  Smith: Goodbye. Short Summary of the Telephone Conversation Review your knowledge by filling in the gaps with the words and phrases below to complete the summary of the conversation. Ms. Anderson telephones Diamonds Galore to _____ with Mr. Franks. Mr. Franks is not in the office, but Henry Smith, the secretary, speaks to Ms. Anderson about a _____ problem with some earrings. The earrings have not yet _____ at Diamonds Galore. Ms. Anderson tells Peter that there was a problem with the _____ from France, but that the earrings should arrive tomorrow morning. Next, they  _____ a meeting between Ms. Anderson and Mr. Franks. Mr. Franks is not able to _____ with Ms. Anderson on Thursday because he is _____. They finally decide on Friday morning at 10 oclock after a _____ that Mr. Owen usually holds on Friday mornings. Answers speak, delivery/shipment, arrived, shipment/delivery, schedule, meet, busy, staff meeting Key Phrases and Vocabulary How may I be of help:  This is a formal phrase used to show politeness. It means Can I help you?calling:  telephoningout of the office:  not in the officetake a message:  to write down a message from the callerurgent:  very importantdelivery:  the bringing of goods to a clientmentioned:  saidresolved:  taken care ofas quickly as possible:  in the fastest manner, ASAPshipment:  delivery, the bringing of goods to a clientassured:  a certainty that something is true or will happenpleased:  happydelayed: not be able to do something on timelooks like:  seemsstaff meeting:  a meeting of employeeslasts:  to take timeschedule: make a future appointment Practice Cues for Role-Plays Use these cues, roles, and scenarios to create practice role-plays on your own to further your telephoning skills to help with workplace communication. Role-Play Cue 1 John Youd like to speak to Kevin at FunStuff Brothers, a toy-making company. Youre returning his sales call because youre interested in the companys products. Kate Youre the receptionist at FunStuff Brothers, try to transfer the call to Kevin, but take a message when you find out Kevin cant take the call. Role-Play Cue 2 Estelle Youre calling to schedule a meeting with the head of the personnel department. Youd like to meet on Tuesday morning, but can come in on Thursday and Friday as well. Bob Youre able to schedule a meeting at the end of next week, but you will be out of the office until Thursday morning.

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law - Essay Example The appellant slipped and fell on the cruise ship while walking through the Conservatory restaurant located in the ship. On falling on the restaurant’s floor, the appellant, Dawkins, sustained soft tissue injuries in her knee and wrist. She claimed that there was a small pool of fluid, which made the floor slippery making her slip. The appellant later took the matter to Southampton County Court claiming damages under Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. Considering the ship’s location during the accident, the claim would be heard only under the Athens Convention on Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974, which was part of Wales and England’s law already owing to the provisions of section 183 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The lower court (which is the county court) handled the case as stipulated by the general legal process. The case followed the general legal process as the accident had happened within the county and the case therefore heard in a county court. Failure to make judgement led to a higher court (Royal Court) to resolve it as required by the legal process. The defendant on his part claimed that he had put in place reasonable measures to ensure that the accident did not take place because they failed to observe reasonable care. When the Recorder conducted an investigation regarding the claim by the appellant about the spillage of liquid on the floor, It was discovered that the defendant had put in place a system of frequent inspection of the floor in order to avoid causing injuries to the clients that would arise owing to wanting of care. It was the appellant’s responsibility to justify the lapse on the system of the inspection with the Conservatory restaurant, as this was the only reason to prove negligence on the part of the cruise ship. Relying on the provisions of the Ward v Tesco Ltd, the Recorder dismissed claims for damages by the plaintiff, Mrs. Janet Dawkins. In line with the case law, the mater was latter appealed to the Royal Courts of Justice before lord justice Moore-Brick and Lord Justice Aikens. The court of appeal judges tried to establish the burden of proof on the side of the appellant that damages the defendant’s act of negligence brought on suffering to the appellant. Banks state that using the test Ward v Tesco Ltd,3 they realized that the defendant could not establish the evidence that could prove the presence of necessary systems for ensuring the safety of the passengers. According to the court of appeal, judges’ failure to provide evidence by those responsible for overseeing implementation of the safety system of inspection and observation is a clear justification that no one could establish the time span of which the liq uid had been on the floor. In other words, the burden of proof lied with the defendant, P & O cruise ship, to prove that the gap between the liquid spilled on the floor, and the time the accident took place was too minimal to allow for quick safety measure response by the staff charged with responsibility of overseeing the safety system.4 As such, the Court of appeal judges overturns the ruling of the Recorder in Southampton County Court. Liability of Bresco The liability of Bresco, a local supermarket, arises under the Company’s Act 2006. 5 Bresco, being the occupier of the supermarket store, owes all the visitors entering the building a duty of care. This means that Bresco should eliminate any hazard or acts that may cause injury to any party entering the premises, within the premises or leaving the premises. Negligence on the part arises if it fails to do that. Breach to observe reasonable care can lead to

Economic Environment of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Economic Environment of China - Essay Example This issue is one of the most sought after topics for the researchers because in the recent years a lot of flexibility has been allowed in the economic system of China. There are several sectors where the private players are being allowed to exist in the market. The stringent restrictions on the property rights of the country have also been relaxed. The paper also analyses the economic systems that the other developed and developing countries have adopted. The comparison of the economic systems provides an insight into the various pros and cons of the set ups that are existent across the world. The fundamental premise for the contention is that the economic structure and the systems of a particular economy are a major determinant of the growth and prosperity of the economy. The world has witnessed the set up of different kinds of economic systems over different eras. There are various countries that have adopted different theories and have tried to implement them into their economies . The economic set up that China, Russia or Poland have followed the socialist structure while that of the US or German Economy have adopted the capitalist set up. In this paper comparison of China has been done with the other countries that work on a different economic model. A variety of economic systems around the world can be observed. In the Capitalist economic system which is alternatively called the market economy, the forces of demand and supply are allowed to operate. The prices and quantities to be sold are determined in the free market and there is no restriction put by the government on the determination of the prices that are sold in the market. Thus the profit or surplus that is earned by the owners of the means of production remains on their hands and the employees or the workers are eligible for salaries or wages (Gardner 27). The economic structure of the United States is of the capitalist type because this ideology has been applied in the economic system of the Uni ted States. In an alternative system that is the Socialist structure of the economy, the entire ownership of the means of the production lies with the government of the country. In this kind of a socialist system the surplus that is derived out of the production of goods and services after the payment of the wages are equitably distributed among the people that constitute the residents of the entire nation. Even the disabled people who directly cannot contribute to the production get an equal share of the surplus as the wage earners are entitled to. The main proponents of the theory of socialism were Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. They believed in the theory of class struggle and the theory of surplus value. A third kind of economic system that has the quality of both the capitalist structure and the socialist structure is the mixed economy. In this kind of an economic structure, the public and the private sector institutions coexist (Conklin 37). The government of such mixed econo mies does not interfere into the activities of the private sector directly but they do have certain restrictions imposed on them in the form of legal and constitutional regulations. The economy of India is an example of mixed economy where there is the coexistence of the private and the government players in the markets. Literature review The

Dangerous Virus of the 21st Century Dissertation

Dangerous Virus of the 21st Century - Dissertation Example It has also to be appreciated that the virus is even a health risk to the researchers and this may account for the seemingly almost absence research on finding either its cure or treatment. All in all, it can be said that even though the disease is fairly widely known among the medical community, the general public appears not to have enough information and this was clear during the recent outbreak. Going forward, it will be interesting to note the efforts that will be directed towards the disease in the coming months and years given that the latest Ebola outbreak appears to have come under control. The outbreak of Ebola virus in parts of West Africa, and specifically Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea surprised the world and filled people with fear. This is because, for the first time, the scale of the outbreak was simply unprecedented (Bradford, 2014, Close, 1995). Many people like never before were affected and killed by the virus, and within days, it had captured the attention of the world. According to several studies, Ebola virus can first be traced to an outbreak in 1976 which affected Sudan and former Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo or simply DRC) (CDC, 2015, Bradford, 2014 and Cohen, 2001). The name Ebola came from the Ebola River which is found in the DRC (Cohen, 2001). Ebola is a viral disease, popularly known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever. It is fatal if left untreated, and fatalities can reach up to 90 percent of the cases (Close, 1995). The most important fact is that Ebola has no known cure and can only be managed by ensuring that the patient is hydrated as it involves a lot of loss of the body fluids. Ebola outbreaks in the past have mainly been confined to rural areas where populations are mostly sparse. This is perhaps why the previous outbreaks were easily contained after a few deaths (Centre for Health Protection, 2014).

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example Knowledge alone cannot provide the wisdom and thoughtfulness to take the right decision but experience plays a vital role. One must have the ability to delineate what one must know and what not to act accordingly. Self belief provides confidence to trust perception. When an individual touches any hot object, reflex action works and immediately hand is withdrawn before any mishap occurs. This is based on knowledge that a person acquires, things burn if they catch fire and an experience further strengthens knowledge to stay away from hot objects, such an approach safeguards the individual from any jeopardy. This is based on accuracy of information and experience gained. In a similar manner if there is a leakage of cooking gas, a person immediately senses the potential danger of some mishap and by trusting the accuracy of sensory response an immediate action is taken based on the knowledge, to switch off the regulator and to open the doors and windows. Sense of perception empowers one to drive safely on the road. By trusting the accuracy of sensory response of sight, judgement to drive with precision and to manage the traffic turns up and enables an individual to avoid road accidents. This is based on knowledge, road sense and accuracy in driving. Experience plays a vital role in taking certain decisions, for instance if an individual had an argument with his neighbour and he happens to see his neighbour talking with one of his close friends, immediately a thought enters his mind that the neighbour must be talking about the incident of argument. This perception could be inaccurate as they may be talking about something else. Such perception depends on the nature of the individual, the psychological upbringing which frames the thoughts and hence it is based on the nurture of the individual. In some cases sensory data is interpreted inaccurately. For instance, one may judge the depth of the ditch on the road as shallow and presumes that he can cross

Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down) - Essay Example The mission aimed to abduct several top lieutenants and significantly warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid then return to base. The operation intended to last for 90 minutes. The work provides insightful and original analysis of the commander’s performance, based on establishing cohesive teams through mutual trust, use of mission orders, and accepting prudent risk. On 3rd October 1993, Task Force Ranger, U.S. Special Operations Forces comprised of Bravo Company 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (better known as â€Å"Delta Force†) operators, and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), (â€Å"The Night Stalkers†), attempted to capture Aidid’s foreign minister Omar Salad Elmi and his top political advisor, Mohamed Hassan Awale. The Special Forces elements involved lightly armed warriors fielding submarine guns, automatic rifles, and light machine guns1. Delta Forces members had variety ofi assault rifles whilst Army Rangers depended on the support of squad-level, small-caliber machine guns in the M60 and M249 SAW. In addition, Heavily-caliber, vehicle-mounted 0.50 quality weapons were on lightly armored HUMVEE vehicles. However, main line of heavy support lay in the air cover provided by Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk medium transport and Hughes OH-6 â€Å"Little Bird† light helicopters. The Black Hawks outfitted a pair of 0.50-caliber heavy machine guns while; â€Å"Little Birds† fielded a collection of mini-guns, rocket pods, or M60 machine guns as needed. The Somali militias used AK-47s, rocket propelled grenade launchers (RPG-7), automatic rifles. They convoyed in improvised fighting vehicles. During this period, the Somali guerillas gained several tactical advantages over the US Special Forces. First, the Somali militias engaged on familiar grounds, leaders could muster an Army of several thousand men, and boys in short order. Second, their civilian appearance

Gibbs Cycle of Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gibbs Cycle of Reflection - Essay Example In view thereof, this paper is thus divided into the following sections: (1) description, (2) feelings, (3) evaluation, (4) analysis, (5) conclusion and (6) action plan. Description A sixty year old woman was recently operated because of a heart disease. A colleague and I received the recently operated woman into the post-operative recovery care unit. Upon seeing the woman, my colleague and I were unsure as to how she coped with the surgery and whether or not she has fared well in this regard. She looked a little pale and was not really showing distinct signs of whether she is alive or not. However, we are sure that she was still alive since this has been guaranteed by the surgeon and his team. My first instinct was to determine the vital signs of the patient as obviously, these were greatly affected because of the surgery and the anesthesia applied to the patient. In analysing the vital signs of the patient, I focused on its frequency and duration, depending on the condition of the patient who has recently undergone surgery and the normalcy thereof. When I first conducted this, we noticed that whilst the female displayed good vital signs, we were not however s ure as regards the normalcy thereof. Because of this, we had to undergo other tests so as to ensure that the operation was indeed successful. Aside from merely checking the vital signs of the patient, my colleague and I also assessed the level of consciousness of the patient. In conducting this test, we were able to determine that the patient was relatively conscious and we must only wait for a longer time before her vital signs begin to normalize. Moreover, we also focused on the following were determined: (1) the patient’s heart rate, (2) the ECG levels, (3) the respiratory rate of the patient, (4) oxygen saturation, (5) non-invasive blood pressure and (6) the skin temperature. In conducting these tests, we were able to determine that there is nothing wrong with the patient and she is merely recovering from her surgery. We also followed a simple procedure by which we can determine the improvement of the vital signs on the patients. In fact, this procedure entails that the v ital signs be recorded every thirty minutes for at least two hours and hourly thereafter. This was continued on until the woman was awake and has begun eating and drinking. We also monitored the temperature of the patient. Remarkable improvement was seen from the patient during the first two hours. Her vital signs continue to rise significantly every thirty minutes. After the second hour, we monitored her hourly and it was shown that her vital signs continue to rise towards normalcy. Six hours after her operation, the woman woke up. However, she was not ready to start eating and drinking anything. It was only two hours after she woke up that she expressed thirst and was given a drink. She also started eating after consuming her first drink. Considering the gravity of the operations performed on the patient, my colleague and I also performed other tests. These tests also focused on the fluid loss experienced by the patient. Generally, we were not able to actually determine something abnormal as regards her fluid loss. In fact, our observation showed that she was not really losing too much liquid than what is considered as average. Moreover, we also looked into whether there is actually excessive bleeding but there was no sign in relation to this. Aside from the physical condition of the patient, my colleague and I also focused on her physiological and psychological conditions. Basically, upon close examination of the patient, we did not find anything wrong as regards her physiological

Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down) - Essay Example The mission aimed to abduct several top lieutenants and significantly warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid then return to base. The operation intended to last for 90 minutes. The work provides insightful and original analysis of the commander’s performance, based on establishing cohesive teams through mutual trust, use of mission orders, and accepting prudent risk. On 3rd October 1993, Task Force Ranger, U.S. Special Operations Forces comprised of Bravo Company 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (better known as â€Å"Delta Force†) operators, and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), (â€Å"The Night Stalkers†), attempted to capture Aidid’s foreign minister Omar Salad Elmi and his top political advisor, Mohamed Hassan Awale. The Special Forces elements involved lightly armed warriors fielding submarine guns, automatic rifles, and light machine guns1. Delta Forces members had variety ofi assault rifles whilst Army Rangers depended on the support of squad-level, small-caliber machine guns in the M60 and M249 SAW. In addition, Heavily-caliber, vehicle-mounted 0.50 quality weapons were on lightly armored HUMVEE vehicles. However, main line of heavy support lay in the air cover provided by Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk medium transport and Hughes OH-6 â€Å"Little Bird† light helicopters. The Black Hawks outfitted a pair of 0.50-caliber heavy machine guns while; â€Å"Little Birds† fielded a collection of mini-guns, rocket pods, or M60 machine guns as needed. The Somali militias used AK-47s, rocket propelled grenade launchers (RPG-7), automatic rifles. They convoyed in improvised fighting vehicles. During this period, the Somali guerillas gained several tactical advantages over the US Special Forces. First, the Somali militias engaged on familiar grounds, leaders could muster an Army of several thousand men, and boys in short order. Second, their civilian appearance

Pakistan Today Essay Example for Free

Pakistan Today Essay Pakistan has faced many problems ever since it came into existence. 63 years have been passed and the situation is getting worse day by day. Today Pakistan is facing all kinds of problems e.g. Inflation, Illiteracy, Unemployment, Corruption, Feudalism, Terrorism, Natural Disasters. Before the water goes over the head, it’s the time that the youth of Pakistan stands and plays their role in development of the country which we got after many sacrifices. The bud of nation’s future finds a fragrant blooming in the hands of its youth. It’s the time of culmination when the youth must realize and individually shoulder the responsibility of resuscitation of Pakistan in every aspect viz. social, economical, political, administrative etc. Development of a strong nation demands youth possessing steely will power, mighty determination and tremendous grit. For this the youth itself must be fully sound and armor itself with all essential qualities so that modern Pakistan sees its unprecedented growth and development by skilled finishers. Youth are the real sculptors of the nation. What is actually required in the present scenario is to unleash the immense latent patriotism and chauvinism among youth, which will lit the fire of responsibility and will dedicatedly involve them in the upliftment of the nation. Albert Einstein once said,†Problem cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them†. So in order to eradicate these crux youth with double toughness are required. The main motto of the youth should be† to nip the evil in the bud†. Our political system is governed by desperados, hooligans and such miscreants of society who have attired themselves in the robes that present them as the saviors of the nation. Infact they are eating away the nation like worms slowly and gradually. Criminalization of the politics has infact obfuscated the image of fair play in government. So this is now a â€Å"Wake up Call†, for the youth of the Pakistan to wake, rise and move ahead and prove their hegemony over such corrupt leaders and take the command into their hands to run the government. Only few selected families are always elected in the government. Read more:  Pakistan Political System Pakistan has never seen any ‘common man’ to rule the country e.g. Prime Minister of President. It has always been the feudal lords or big industrialists running the show. According to me the blame goes on the public. In the previous elections, out of the population of 17 crores, less than 2 crore people voted. It’s unfortunate but the youth of Pakistan doesn’t take part in voting. This is one of the prime reasons that feudal lords are ruling our country, emptying the national treasure and increasing their bank balances. I am sure if we all go to vote in the elections then we would be able to elect the most deserving candidate. This could assure that are country is in the right hands. The most important problem of Pakistan is education. People are not aware what is good for them and what is not. There aren’t any schools in rural areas which are providing good quality education. Unfortunately in Pakistan, only those are getting education who can afford it. It’s the responsibility of the youth to create awareness about the importance of education. In rural areas people are not willing to send their sons/daughters to acquire knowledge. This is one of the prime reason that Pakistan is lagging behind other countries. We, the youth of Pakistan should take this responsibility in spreading the awareness. We could help directly by constructing schools providing free education or by teaching voluntarily. People are not willing to invest in our country. It is just because of the negative image created about our country. This is affecting our economy. Our exports have decreased, no new jobs are been created, no roads are being built. the tourism industry of Pakistan has just nearly finished. I think it’s the responsibility of the Pakistani youth to correct the image of Pakistan in the international arena and attract investment. We can do so by showing the positive side of the Pakistan and achievements of Pakistanis. I believe that if we could all be responsible enough and bring a change in ourselves then it could do wonders for our country. We always wait for the government to take some action. If we all fulfill our responsibilities and duties honestly than I believe no one could stop Pakistan from being a developed country. If all the people just clean the area outside their homes and plant trees than whole Pakistan could become clean and green. â€Å"Little drops make great oceans†. We should obey all the rules and laws of our country. Lets pledge that we won’t throw any rubbish on the streets, never break a traffic signal, never give bribe, achieve things on merit rather taking shortcuts. Above all we should realize that we all are Pakistanis. We should stop all the grouping and discrimination on basis of language, place, color, and culture. Events and activities should be organized to promote brotherhood. People should realize that in the eyes of Allah all people are same. The communities should help each other whenever required. We should send a message to the entire world how united we are. It’s time that we should stop fantasicing about other countries and cultures and instead be proud to be a Pakistani. Learn to respect Pakistani leaders, cultures, languages, talents etc. It’s the time that we should value our talents and resources. We, the youth of Pakistan are the future of tomorrow. It’s our responsibility to take Pakistan out of this crisis. It’s high time that we should stand up for our country before it’s too late. For us the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam said â€Å"Pakistan is proud of her youth who are the nation builders of tomorrow†. Pakistan is the best country in the world; we know it, now let the world also know it.

BT Company: Business Analysis Report and SWOT

BT Company: Business Analysis Report and SWOT Part 1: Understanding the business 1. Suggest the income streams and costs that may be appropriate to an organisation in your sector. The main income streams for the telecommunication industry is the revenue achieved through the usage of their services. Originally those services were limited to the provision of telephone communication using landlines. Today, the communication industry has expanded the number of services that it provides into mobile, VoIP, internet and other communication. The majority of the revenue can come from any one of those different services. For example, in 2005 BT had 75% of its revenue coming from their traditional services, but in 2006 this number decreased to 68%. Instead the company received an increased amount of revenue from it’s â€Å"New Wave† services, such as networked IT services, broadband, mobility etc. The mobile telecommunications provider such as Vodafone gets the most of its revenue from the tariffs that it charges its customers for using their mobile phones. However, the mobile telecommunication has also expanded into the provision of other services such as messaging and data and information provision. The largest cost for any communication company is the maintenance of the business. This cost can consist of staff costs, contractor wages, operational costs etc. Main contributor will depend on the company. For example, BT identifies ‘other operational costs’ as its main contributor to the overall cost of maintaining the business, representing 35%. The ‘other operating costs’ include the cost of supporting the network IT services, maintenance and support of the networks, costs of accommodation and marketing and general overheads (BT, 2007, p. 34). 2. What measures of performance are applicable to the industry? The majority of the industry has a few fundamental performance measures. The prime measure is the satisfaction of their customers. This is not surprising considering the competitiveness of the industry, the ease with which customers can change providers and the fact that the companies’ profits are based on the volume of customers. The other measures can include the satisfaction of the company’s employees. The industry that is so customer focused tries to provide them with as much human contact as possible (as long as it is profitable). Therefore the industry employs a large volume of employees. Satisfied employs are more likely to make sure that the customers are happy with the service that they are getting, allowing the companies to stay competitive. For example, BT has four performance measures regarding the satisfaction of their employees: employee engagement index, diversity, HS: loss time injury rate and HS: sickness and absence rate. Other performance measures can include: the satisfaction of the suppliers; investment in the community; protection of the environment; digital inclusion and sustaining integrity. In order to measure those performance measures, the company engages a number of internal indices. Some of those indices are much easier to measure, for examples the number of complaints that the company receives, the others are more difficult, such as measuring the integrity of the employees. The majority of the companies employ surveys in order to measure the more difficult quantifiable factors. 3. Construct a Value Chain for a company within the industry. The value chain has been developed by Michael Porter in 1985. The method divides the organization into the activities that is performs and them links them to the company’s competitive position. Porter (1985) argued that only by separating the organization into its activities and findings the right links will the managers be able to achieve a competitive advantage. The value chain method distinguishes between primary and support activities. Combined, they should lead to a margin, which is equal to the cost of the product subtracted from the price that it is sold to the customer. Model 1 depicts the value chain. Primary activities in the business are concerned directly with the creation, production and delivery of service and are grouped into inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service. The Support activities are there to help the primary activities and they are divided into main areas of support activities: procurement, technology development (including RD), human resource management, and infrastructure (systems for planning, finance, quality, information management etc.). The support activities are directly linked to the primary activities, and if those links are produced well, then the company will become more efficient and competitive in the market. The value chain model can be applied to the telecommunication industry. The inbound logistics are the goods and services that the company receives from its suppliers. In the world of telecommunication, this can be the phones (that might be manufactures in China), the cables, the sim cards etc. The ‘operations’ in the original method meant manufacturing of the product. Since telecommunication is already dealing with a finished product, it is the provision of this product that can be named their ‘operation’. For example, provision of the reception, the IT platform that connects people etc. The outbound logistics is the finished product being delivered to the customer. In this case this can be the phone set, the website of the company where the customer can buy their own product etc. Every telecommunication company has their marketing and sales team, that offer services and make customers aware (through advertising) of their services. In the competitive industr y such as telecommunication, the firms pay a lot of attention to the right kind of marketing and promotion. If a company releases a new product, the other companies are likely to follow. Therefore the first ‘inventor’ has to capture as much market as possible. Furthermore, due to the competitiveness of the industry, the companies are under pressure to provide the customers with as much as possible, in order to keep them, as finding a new customer is always much more expensive then keeping the old one. The last section of the primary activities is the ‘service’. Service is something that the company provides after the customer has the product. In the telecommunications this means installation of the product into the customers home, helping the customer with every day questions, replacing the product if is gets broken etc. Under the support activities the first factor is ‘procurement’. The procurement department in the telecommunications industry are people who buy all of the inbound logistics into the company. This department will be in charge of agreeing the best deal with the suppliers of the product and making sure that the product is of high quality. Technology development is an extremely important element in the telecommunications industry, which allows them to gain a competitive advantage. The technology development in this method can also include customer relationship management activities, and not be limited purely to the innovation. Human resource management is a vital part in this method as those people are responsible to the satisfaction of the employees, which can be achieved through remuneration, training and development, bonuses and other HR strategies. The above mentioned would be the base for the value chain. However, it should be noted that the majority of the companies in the telecommunications industry are multi-national corporations. They provide a large number of products to their customers world wide. Furthermore, the components of their services may come from a wide range of suppliers, for example the plastic for the phone will come from Russia, the phone will be constructed in China and painted in India. Due to their size, the majority of the companies have already established the most productive and available route of producing, maintaining and providing the service. Therefore, the value chain would be a lot more complicated with both the primary and support activities. Furthermore, the margin may also come from a wide range of sources, such as mergers and acquisition, investment in stock markets etc. 4. Construct a Value System for the industry. The value system was also introduced by M. Porter (1985). It represents the link between the value chains of different ‘market customers’. For example, it will link the value chain of the suppliers to the value chain of the company to the value chain of the channel and then to the value chain of the customer. The supplier value chain for the telecommunications industry can include the suppliers of the physical products, such as phones and sim cards from the supplier value chain; provision of the telephone connection and services in the company value chain; services provided by the third party distributors (such as Yahoo!) in the channel chain and a wide range of customers buying the products (for example businesses, individuals and other telecommunication companies). 5. What are the environmental factors that may influence the industry? Most of the large organizations today are environmentally friendly, and have special strategies to maintain this position. For example, BT is one of the largest consumers of electricity in the UK (BT, 2007, p. 3). In order to reduce the damage to the environment, the company has adopted the majority of the environmentally-friendly electricity sources, such as wind generation, solar and hydroelectric energy generation. The telecommunications industry face a number of environmental risks that can damage their profitability. For example, global warming increases the number of storms and floods that are occurring around the world. In turn, this damages the telecommunications’ infrastructure and can cost the industry billions of pounds. Moreover, by damaging the environment, the costs of the primary products can increase (e.g. electricity). Since the telecommunications industry relies on a wide range of products outside of their own services, an increase in the cost of primary prod ucts, such as electricity, is likely to have a negative effect on their profits. Part 2: Evaluating Company Resources 1. How well is the present strategy working? â€Å"Group Strategys principal role is to help the BT Group maximize long term value for shareholders. This involves ensuring that the BT Group can sustain competitiveness in all its markets† (BT, 2007, Group Strategy). The financial results for the 2006 showed that the company has strengthened its position in the market. It had increased its revenue by 6% to  £19,514m, provided its customers with both the income and investment growth, by increasing the share price by 8% and dividend pay out by 14% in one year (BT Annual report, 2007, p. 2). Since their share price has gone up over the year, it can be argued that the company’s strategy has worked. Furthermore, BT has also subdivided their strategy aim into a number of objectives, namely: â€Å"to pursue profitable growth in new wave markets to maximise the return from our traditional business to transform our networks, systems and services for the twenty-first century to create long-term partnerships with our customers† (BT, 2007, Annual Report, p. 4). The â€Å"new wave† activities (networked IT services, broadband and mobility) growth has been overachieved by 50% by the company in 2006 (BT, 2007, Annual Report, p. 4). The company has also asked all of their existing customer to swap to the subscription-based packages. They have achieved 67% customer base being swapped to the subscription, which has also overachieved their target. The transfer of all of the services onto the 21C (twenty-first century IP technology) has not been completed yet. Finally, BT has achieved an increase of 3% in their customer satisfaction table, which also brought them closer to their long term goal. Therefore it can be argued that BT’s strategy has been successful. 2. What are their resource strengths and weaknesses? BT’s resource strength is their brand and strong reputation, that is recognized world wide. Their strong brand allows them to form stronger relationships with their customers (stakeholders, customers, suppliers, employees). BT’s reputation of reliability, consistency and effectiveness allows them to keep their customers and increase their customer base. Furthermore, BT provides a wide range of services that are in line with the latest technology, such as IP phone calls and are often a market leader in the industry. BT had a large number of weaknesses a few years ago: it was loosing the DSL market share to every competitor in the market, it had a shrinking market share in the fixed line services and sometimes it was not up to speed with the innovative technology. However, the new market strategy has proved very beneficial to the company. The company was the first in the IDSL provision in the UK market in 2006; its market share is growing and it is transferring most of its services onto the 21C technology (BT, 2007, Annual Report). Although introduction of 21C will be beneficial to BT in the future, it can have a negative impact on the profits in the short run. Furthermore, does BT think far enough? There are a wide range of external risks that BT group faces. From the social aspect, they can be divided into: supply chain working conditions and outsourcing. The ‘supply chain working conditions’ risks arises from the wide range of services that BT buys from across the world. The company is committed to following the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labour Organisation rules. The main risk of breaching those rules is that the company may be faced with a large number of law suits and loose its reputation. In turn, reputation is one of the most valuable assets of the company, as it has a positive correlation with the number of customers that sign up and stay with BT. The group deals with this risk by asking all of the suppliers to fill in the ‘Risk assessment questionnaire’, which it then examines and decides if it should deal with the named supplier (BT, 2007, Human Rights and Suppliers). BT has outsourced a number of operations such as human resource contracts, pensions, recruitment and training, as well as finance, accounting and payroll (BT, 2007, Outsourcing). The risk arises when the company tries to get the cheapest service and ends up making a very expensive mistake. For example, the BT can loose control of the quality of the service that the outsourced functions provide; or the outsourced departments may make a financial mistake, that will lead to wrong internal decisions within a company. 3. What are the external opportunities and threats facing them? There are also a number of factors that can be quite threatening to BT. The change in the environment, where natural catastrophes can destroy BT’s infrastructure, have already been discussed. The collapse of the stock market can also have a negative effect on the company, as BT invests some of its money in the stock market. Furthermore, an innovative product, such as WoIP being introduced by another major competitor, will strongly harm BT’s profits (since all of the phone calls can be free, without relying on the internet). The economic and political decisions can also affect the profitability of the company. For example, if the interest rates rise sharply in the UK, the disposable income of the customers will decrease. In turn, the customers may reduce their usage of the BT’s services or swap to cheaper providers. Moreover, since BT has global presence, large looses in one of the countries may put a lot of pressure on the rest of the Group to ‘bail outâ₠¬â„¢ the damaged company, which can negatively affect the profits. As has been mentioned above, there is also an issue of reputation. Loss of reputation due to the external factors can strongly affect company’s profitability. Furthermore, mobile phone providers also represent a threat, since they undercut the prices and the majority of the customers find mobiles an effective way to communicate. However, there are also a wide range of opportunities available to BT externally. For example, the technology progress has been very rapid over the last few years, which means that BT can take advantage of this to gain extra customers. The IP voice communication will also allow BT to gain more customers worldwide, as there will not be legal barriers of the contract. More and more people are getting to know how to use the internet. Since BT is moving towards making their phone calls through the internet rather then fixed lines, this means that BT will have an opportunity to deal with a larger customer base. Finally, BT has a good reputation, capitalization and brand that it can use to expand into a wide range of those products. 4. How strong is their competitive position? BT’s competitive position can be seen from two perspectives: in the UK and worldwide. In the UK, BT has a very strong competitive position, since it is the largest communication provider in the country (BT, 2007, Annual Report, p. 7). Worldwide the situation is a bit different (see Table 2). Table 2: BT’s competitive position worldwide BT T Pvt1 VZ Industry Market Cap: 47.23B 232.84B N/A 105.08B 6.51B Employ ­ees: 104,400 302,000 143,251 N/A 12.52K Qtrly Rev Growth (yoy): 5.00% 23.10% N/A 31.80% 3.80% Revenue (ttm): 38.76B 63.06B 5.62B1 88.14B 4.02B Gross Margin (ttm): 84.08% 56.99% N/A 60.33% 65.54% EBITDA (ttm): 11.00B 22.88B N/A 29.53B 1.67B Oper Margins (ttm): 13.31% 16.87% N/A 16.13% 15.46% Net Income (ttm): 5.38B 7.36B 304.40M1 5.48B 402.77M EPS (ttm): 6.35 1.887 N/A 2.12 1.55 P/E (ttm): 8.98 19.76 N/A 17.03 15.1 PEG (5 yr expected): 2.17 1.51 N/A 3.08 1.64 P/S (ttm): 1.24 3.67 N/A 1.21 1.61 Source: Yahoo! Finance Where: T= AT&T Inc Pvt1 = Cable and Wireless plc VZ = Verizon Communication Inc Industry = Telecom Services – Foreign As can be seen, BT has a small capitalization value compared to its closest direct competitors in the telecommunication market. However, its value is still nearly 7 times the size of the average market capitalization of the industry. The revenue growth has also been poor compared to the largest competitors, and hardy exceeds the industry average. However, despite the low capitalization, the net income of BT is very close to that of the other companies, which indicates that the company is efficient. 5. What is your assessment of the culture within the company? Will it be supportive to change or not? BT has a strong set of values within the company. Those values build the culture of the company. Furthermore, judging from the amount of information that is available of their website, it can be assumed that BT is very good at informing all of its employees of any changes that are taking place in the organization. The employees rarely welcome change or restructuring, however over the years it has been shown that good and frequent communication with the employees will allow the company to implement the changes much more easily. Therefore, the BT’s employees are likely to be supportive of the changes that BT makes. Part 3: Strategy and Competitive Advantage 1. Review the generic strategies. Which would be suitable cost advantage, differentiation or focusing on a niche market? Given the 3 generic strategies: cost advantage, differentiation or focusing on a niche market, BT is more likely to go for differentiation. This opinion is based on the existing strategy that the BT is adopting. BT provides a wide range of services. It could go for a niche market if it will have an opportunity to keep the rest of the products. For example, at the moment it’s transferring most of its services onto 21C platform. This will allow BT customers to use internet for communication. Although most of the large telecommunications companies have not done that, there are a number of companies that have already dominated this market e.g. Skype. BT could also go the cost advantage, as the telecommunication industry is becoming more and more price competitive. However, as with any industry, price wars can not last forever. Considering that BT used to be a state monopoly and therefore has an advantage of the largest customer base, it has decided to provide quality to the customers rather then quantity. Furthermore, since BT is launching the large transferal of its technology onto the 21C base, it is unlikely to go for a cost advantage this year. Instead, it will provide its customers with high quality innovative products, that will be cheap once they launch (internet communication is free). This leaves differentiation. As has been discussed above, BT has chosen a number of strategies that will differentiate it from its competitors, such as the 21C platform, direct and clear communication with the customers, emphasis on the good treatment of its employees and innovative products. 2. Looking into the future, how may the company seek to achieve cost competitiveness? Achieving cost competitiveness is the aim of every company in the world. Cost competitiveness can be achieved through economies of scale and scope, as well as synergies. BT is a very large company and therefore has a stronger negotiation power with its suppliers. The suppliers might be willing to provide BT with lower prices for their products, since BT is likely to order large volumes of products. Economically, as the company gets bigger, the cost of production of one more unit of a good or service decreases (marginal cost). Therefore, as BT expands it will be able to decrease the cost of the production. However, the economic theory also states that this decrease in marginal cost will eventually reach a point where the company will enter the diseconomies of scale (the marginal cost will start to increase). In order to avoid that, BT has expanded globally, rather then just within the UK. BT can also reduce costs through the economies of scope – the production of a wider range of goods. The marginal costs will decrease because certain fixed costs will be shared between the products. For example, the IP platform that BT is using will not only be used to generate revenue from the phone calls, but will also be used for the provision of video messaging services. Later on, if BT decides to bring out another product, it will be able to use this IT platform without the need of building a new one. BT can achieve synergies between its businesses. BT operates 4 separate businesses: BT retail, BT wholesale, BT Global services and Openreach. There are a large number of synergies between all of those companies, for example HR, finance and accounting services. Furthermore, if BT decides to acquire another company in the future, it is likely to use the existing synergies to create even more synergies with the new company in the future. Furthermore, there are a large number of other cost cutting exercises that the company can do in the future to achieve cost competitiveness, such as restructuring, selling some parts of its business that are no longer useful to it and increasing efficiency internally. 3. Suggest ways that information technology and information systems can be used to exploit external opportunities and defend against threats facing the company? Information technology (IT) is strongly linked to the information systems (IS) in telecommunication industry. BT is successfully using both to capture new opportunities in the market, as has been discussed previously. However, as the whole industry is moving towards VoIP, BT could use its existing information systems to move a step further – provide WoIP services. VoIP requires internet in order to use free voice calls, while WoIP allows a customer to use free voice calls without internet. In turn, by using the IT and IS BT can capture a larger share of the market not only in the UK but also worldwide. Furthermore, BT has enough capitalization and IT in order to compete with the mobile phone providers. It can expand to provide those services. Efficient IT and IS will allow BT to connect people cheaply around the world, where the customers will not need to worry where they are resident. BT is very much aware of the external threats that it faces. IT and IS will not be able to defend BT from the environmental risks. However, some of the social risks can be eliminated. For example, the outsourced functions of finance and accounting can be checked electronically first, by setting up an appropriate IT system. The work can then be send to Britain for checking. Furthermore, although BT can not control the stock markets, it can certainly install a number of IT systems that will allow it to prevent a large loss of money, for example by using Technical Analysis systems. By making sure that all of BT’s IT and IS systems work efficiently, the company will reduce the risk of losing its reputation. 4. Analyse the current core competencies of the company. The current core competencies of the company is professionalism, integrity, straightforwardness and team work. All of those competencies are built into their core values. Furthermore, by achieving those competencies as a business the company will be able to achieve its overall aim – bring value to the shareholders. Competencies are often measures on the internal scale of the company, which makes it difficult to analyze for the outsider. However, the companies achievements and the strategy for the future work reflect those competencies. It is in the interest of the company to retain professionalism and integrity towards the customers and employees, if it want to keep both groups. Straightforwardness is a good differentiator of the company, as this allows better communication with the customer, and therefore contribute towards building a loyal customer base. The team work, in turn, will allow the company to achieve its performance targets. 5. Apply a SWOT matrix to the analysis carried out in Activity 2 to gain an understanding of how the strengths and weaknesses of the company may be considered, together with the opportunities and threats that exist, to determine a set of strategic options for the company. SWOT Analysis (S)trengths (O)pportunities Stable and increasing share price Strong financial results Strong brand Good reputation Worldwide Reach Market leader in the UK Large customer base Increasing number of customers that will use the IP platform Further expansion into the world market Use of capital to expand into ‘products of the future’ (W)eaknesses (T)hreats Lack of innovative products Sometimes overprices products which leads to loss of the market share (DSL) Weak global market presence Supply chain working conditions Outsourcing Loss of reputation Environment Stock market crash Recession Mobile phone users BT is the largest fixed-line provider of communication in the UK. Since BT used to be a state monopoly it has a very large number of customers. However, since its privatization, despite a strong competition not only from the new fixed-line providers by also from the mobile phone providers, BT still has a very strong market presence in the UK. This indicates that BT has built a certain customer loyalty, which can be added to its strengths. As the communication market matures, new technology and opportunities are entering the industry. The most recent innovation, that remains a threat to the most fixed-line providers is the building of the IP platforms. The IP platforms allows the customers to speak to each other for free by using their internet. BT has been extremely proactive and has built the platform. Since the majority of its customers are still using fixed lines for communication, in order to the customers to start using the new products, BT should communicate the instruction on how to use the products very clearly. Furthermore, it should also inform the customers of the new products available. Strategically, BT should be able to connect the majority of its customers, since it will be cheaper to them to use the platform. The next move would be to make sure that all of the ‘voices of the customer’ are heard, as with any new systems there will be a number a faults. BT should then implement all of the changes that it has decided on. Since the price of the communication will decrease, the BT will be able to make higher revenue through an increasing number of customers that will start using the service and through the sale of other goods and services that it provides through the new platform. Therefore, BT should start making a good marketing plan of how to sell their new products. The number of customers available to BT is likely to increase over time, as more people are connecting to the internet. This is a great opportunity for BT to increase its world market share. Considering that BT is not the first company to implement this, a large number of customers have already been captured. The BT can use