Mittal Steel in 2006

Mittal Steal in 2006: Changing the Global Steel Game Industry Analysis Although steel was a highly demanded good, the industry as a whole was largely unprofitable. One reason for this was that the industry remained highly fragmented in contrast to their suppliers and even some of their buyers, who were considerably more consolidated. Aside from the increased competition that fragmentation contributed to, it also degraded the steal industry’s bargaining power to raw material suppliers and in some cases, such as the auto industry, the buyers.The resulting high fixed costs, volatile raw material prices, and intense price competition fueled unstable profitability. Adding to the fragmentation issues was a lack of differentiation in the market. For the longest time there were really only two production possibilities. One, being vertically integrated and producing higher-grade steel at a higher cost of operation, or two, de-verticalize and focus on low cost, low-grade steel productio n. Depending on the production selected, the resulting accessible customer base was limited.This lack of differentiation further fueled the limited bargaining power of steel manufacturers. As stated above, steel was highly demanded. The problem was that the growth of that demand remained quite stagnate for nearly 20 years. It wasn’t until the explosion of growth in the Chinese construction industry, attributing to 25% of total steel consumption, that the steel industry saw any profitability. In an industry where customers demand a low cost and a consistent product, being able to maintain a reliable supply while being as cost efficient as possible was key to a firms success.Though there was a spike in Chinese demand, only those strategically positioned could access the true value of the Chinese market. This was because the steel industry operated primarily on an intra-regional basis. Many factors attributed to this, but a firm’s dependence on raw material access, and tr ying to avoid high transportation and tariff costs, as well as delivery lags, were the primary reasons for high regional trade. In order to access the benefits of regional trade, firms had to expand their operations through high FDI in the form of M&A’s.This gained them access to highly profitable regions and it allowed firms to spread their risk over a larger area, reducing the impact of demand fluctuations in one particular region. The reason many of these M&A opportunities existed was because of a major shit from government owned steel plants to privatization. Through privatization, FDI opportunities became possible in many countries, thus make intra-regional trade more accessible and attractive. Consolidation & Integration Recognizing that the dynamics of the market were changing, LNM was quick to take advantage.He was steadfast in his belief that they only way to create sustained success was through consolidation and integration. With increased privatization opportunitie s available, LNM began a series of M&A’s that would gain him access to regions that were highly profitable, had lower labor costs, and would position him to have higher bargaining power with suppliers. LNM made the first moves in the industry toward consolidation, and was this strategic initiative that has since driven the evolution of the industry to where it is today.A major source of value creation was derived from their technological lead in DRI. LNM decided early on to focus their operations around â€Å"integrated minimills†, which was untraditional at the time. Through this structure he was able to capture the maximum value of his operation, using scrap in the minimills, then reverse integrating into DRI. Once unreliable, DRI technology had advanced so much that it’s output was now comparable to the quality of integrated steel plants.This technology stronghold provided them better quality steel at a cheaper cost of production, providing them with a huge c ompetitive advantage. Additionally, It was this technology, aided by a proven SWAT team and protocol, which supported their ability to transform underperforming government owned plants to profitable ones in a short period. LMN’s initial approach was to resurrect distressed government owed plants then breath new life into them through technology sharing and smart practices.He soon sought larger targets that would provide him not only economies of scale, but also provide competitive advantages through geographic scope. Starting with Karmet, he began to shift his targeting toward plants that were either highly integrated, possessed significant mineral rights, or supplied a strategic geographic advantage. Through designing their activity architecture in this way, Mittal steel became the world's largest and most integrated steelmaker; providing strong positions in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.The result of their strategic positioning, combined with their focus of coordi nation through KIP and KMP, made Mittal the first firm in the industry to operate as a transnational organization. Each plant provided its own uniqueness, providing different capabilities and skills that could be harnessed for the good of the whole organization. There was also a heavy flow of people, materials and finances between the interdependent plants, but at the center of it all was the Mittal Steel directing tight coordination and a shared strategic decision making process. On a regional level, they operated through regional hubs.This allows Mittal’s positioning of adjacent plants to source from the same suppliers, increasing their bargaining power and reliability of supply, while not jeopardizing cannibalism of sales as each plant’s customer base was unique to their location. Mittal’s vertical integration in mining and low cost position helps support profitability and helps to  reduce capital expenditure needs. They are the most diversified steel  co mpany in the world in terms of asset  location and market presence. They also have a diverse product range, including both flat and long steel.As such, Mittal is not overly dependent on any single  region, product, or end market. These benefits are somewhat mitigated however by the risks associated with Mittal’s rapid expansion through acquisitions. These include such things as institutional risks associated with emerging markets and uncertainties regarding the integration of newly acquired assets, although Mittal's  integration track record has been successful to date. Arcelor Acquisition In light of the above information, I believe that Mittal should pursue the Arcelor acquisition aggressively.Mittal Steel & Arcelor complement each other in terms of geographical coverage and product mix, as there is no significant overlap. Mittal has strong positions in the U. S. market; low-cost operations in Central and  Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa; and vertical raw-material i ntegration. Arcelor is the leader in higher value-added products with strongholds in Western Europe and Brazil, as well as a focus on Russia, India, and China. I believe that the positioning of Arcelor’s plants and resource capabilities would integrate nicely to Mittal’s activity architecture.There would be very minimal duplications of effort, and many of the regions that Arcelor operates are in prime locations to source raw materials. The addition will only strengthen Mittal’s integrated transnational value chain. Through acquisition, Mittal would produce nearly 110 million tonnes of steel per year, making them three times as large than their next competitor. Although this can lead to diseconomies of scale, in Mittal’s case, as the largest player in the steel industry both globally and in the key markets, the combined group would enjoy significant bargaining power.Additionally, through shared expertise, the combined entity would be in a better position t o develop the high growth region of China and South East Asia. Arcelor’s alliance with Nippon and Mittal’s acquisition of Karmet and stake in Valin will provide access to critical Asian markets. Regardless of the â€Å"synergies† the acquisition will create, caution still needs to be exercised by Mittal. There are evident signs that the acquisition will not be welcomed by Arcelor, assuming that Mr. Dolle’s canceled meeting and unreturned phone call was an indication to his temperature on the proposal.If the acquisition turned hostile there is a good chance Mittal would have to overpay for Arcelor, which could have adverse affects to it investment ratings. At the current bid price Mittal would already have to leverage â‚ ¬5 billion and would be in debt by â‚ ¬11. 5 billion. Although they have a good track record of ROI and the industry as a whole has seen a spike in ROIC, they do not want to spend more than they have to. Despite the favorable history and perceived synergies, Mittal should pay at a maximum â‚ ¬27. 1 billion for the deal. They should obviously try to pay as close to the current bid as possible, but at â‚ ¬27. billion they are still in a position where they could access the capital needed given their successful history. Also, at the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion their debt would raise to â‚ ¬20 billion, but with an EBITDA of over â‚ ¬5. 5 billion annually, not to mention the added revenues from the acquisition, the debt could be confidently paid off in a reasonable timeframe. If the bidding exceeds the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion, the negotiations should be ceased and Mittal should pursue other opportunities to continue their global footprint expansion.

Character Analysis -Tell Tale Heart

The short story can produce many different â€Å"types† of characters. Usually, these characters are faced with situations that give us an insight into their true â€Å"character†. In the Tell Tale Heart, a short story written by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator of the story is faced with a fear. He is afraid of the Old Man’s Eye. The actions that this narrator performs in order to quell his fear can lead others to believe that he suffers from some sort of mental illness. The very fact that this narrator is so repulsed by the old man’s eye, which he refers to as â€Å"the evil eye†, is reason enough to be suspicious of his character. The narrator has an inner struggle with the thought that â€Å"the evil eye† is watching him and an underlying feeling that â€Å"the evil eye† will see the real person that he has become. This paranoia leads the narrator to believe that the only way he can put down his fears is to kill the old man. It is said that denial is usually the sign of a problem. If this holds true, then the narrator has the characteristics of a â€Å"madman†. In the first paragraph, he asks, â€Å"but why will you say that I am mad! (Kennedy & Gioia, 34) This statement can be looked upon as a statement made by someone going through a paranoid episode. He talks as if he is in frenzy, especially when he talks about hearing things in heaven and in hell. â€Å"The disease had sharpened my senses? Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven? I heard many things in hell. † (Kennedy & Gioia, 34) The â€Å"disease† that the narrator is talking about eats away at his conscience until â€Å"[I] made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. (Kennedy & Gioia, 34) The progression of the story revolves around the actions of the narrator. He describes the â€Å"wise† ways in which he prepares himself to commit this deed. The way the narrator â€Å"stalks† the old man the whole week before he kills him can be evidence of a problem. Every night he would watch the old man sleep. He found comfort in knowing that the eye was not watching him, that it could not see the true evil within his soul. While the eye was closed, so was the idea of killing the old man. It is not until the old man awakens each day that the struggle within is apparent. This may be the reason why the narrator is so obsessed with watching the old man sleep. The actual act of murder, which the narrator believes was premeditated, was in fact a spur of the moment action. He toiled with the idea while the man was awake, that is, while he could see the â€Å"evil eye†. However, while the eye was closed, the narrator was at peace. One night, during one of the narrator’s â€Å"stalking† sessions, the old man awakens. The narrator goes into a paranoid frenzy, mistaking the beating of his heart for the beating of the old man’s heart. During this frenzy, the narrator is afraid that neighbors will hear the beating of the man’s heart. This causes the narrator to take action. He quickly subdues the old man and kills him. He then takes extreme steps in disposing of the body, dismembering it and burying it under the planks in the floorboard. These extreme actions can be used as evidence to the paranoia that is taking shape. The fear of getting caught would be a normal reaction to someone who has committed a murder. However, the dismemberment of the body was not necessary since the narrator had ample resources to dispose of the body properly. When the police arrive at the house, the narrator is sure that he has nothing to fear. He lets them into the house and bids them to search wherever they like. He leads them into the room where the body is buried and invites them to sit down. Although he fears nothing consciously, the narrator battles with his conscience subconsciously. He begins to feel uneasy when the officers start talking to him. The paranoia begins to build steadily and before long, the narrator hears the beating of his heart, which he again mistakes for the beating of the corpse’s heart. This implication gives further evidence to the paranoid nature of the narrator. The beating grows louder to him and, since it is his heart beating, the officers could not hear it. This made the narrator even uneasier since he could not understand why they could not hear it as well. A short while later and after a rabid inner struggle, the narrator, in a fit of rage, admits to his crime, believing that the police officer were aware of what he had done. This is the pinnacle of his paranoid state. The idea that the officers were just toying with him, that they knew all along that he had murdered, presents a clear case of paranoid psychosis. Despite the narrator’s cunning plan of how to commit the murder and how to dispose of the body, his own sub-conscience becomes his undoing. The sound of the old man’s heartbeat continues to taunt the narrator and his reaction to his subconscious thoughts causes him to admit his crime to the police.

An Analysis On Upper Echelon Theory Essay

The Upper Echelon Theory links the attributes of firm performance and top management team members. Furthermore, this theory argues that the attributes of a certain person affect the attitudes and preferences of top members and the team dynamics. The theory suggests that the organizational outcomes are the result of the strategic choices that the managers make. The idea that the values, goals, and aspirations of top management influenced organization’s culture and systems can be proven by numerous corporations from different industries that have gained reputation and credibility in the marketplace for providing excellent products and quality services (Coyle-Shapiro, 2005). Those companies have good historical backgrounds and currently possess great missions and visions for their organizations. The goals and values of a certain organization determine the competitive strategy of the firm as suggested by the theory. Apparently, the prominent organizations that have been included on the lists of profitable companies portray excellence in terms of employee line-ups and performance. The people who are highly skilled and possess strong determination are usually found working in these corporations. In other words, the people on the top management could predict the success and future status of the company based on the values and goals that the company would like to achieve in every project. On the contrary to the theory of Hambrick and Mason, Laske and Maynes suggest that people have already their firm beliefs regarding certain issues prior to their participation to an organization. Naturally, people act, talk, and behave according to the constructed reality that the society had provided for them (Laske and Maynes, 2002). In this aspect, Laske and Maynes argue that the organization may or may not fail regardless of the values set by the organization because of the diverse personalities under that firm. The person who works for a certain organization may do his or her job merely because of the benefits like compensation and promotion that the company can offer and not because of what the goals that the top management would like to achieve for the company as a whole. Generally, upper echelon theory proposes a good view in the organizational outcomes; however, it shows conflicts on the values that the company sets and the employees in that firm possess. References Coyle-Shapiro, J. (2005). The Employment Relationship. USA: Oxford University Press Laske, O. and Maynes, B. (2002). Growing the Top Management Team: Supporting Mental Growth as a Vehicle for Promoring Organizational Learning. The Journal of Management Development. Bradford: MCB Ltd. Vol. 21

Marketing and Communications Strategy: Hackney Empire Theatre Essay

I. Introduction The dynamic nature of marketing strategy is not caused by its rapidly developing theories or its changing paradigms. It is caused by the fact that different environment requires different strategies. The difference between strategies could be very significant even though the markets are geographically located in the same region. Due to this dynamic nature, the study of marketing and communications strategy will never be completed. Concerning the issue, this paper will assess the marketing and communications strategy for exotic theatre buildings. The particular object of analysis is the Hackney Empire Theatre, which is one of the oldest and most valuable landmarks in London’s history of Theatre industry. The paper will discuss about generating marketing and advertising strategies for the theatre, segmentation and positioning strategies and also communication strategies. II. Hackney Empire Theatre Simply defined, Hackney Empire Theatre is a Music Hall built in 1901. The building is a historical place in London, especially for the performance art industry, because famous characters have all performed there, like WC Fields, Marie Lloyd, Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin. The building has been changing its function several times. It has even been scheduled for demolition at one time. Nevertheless, the building survived all the threats, and today it becomes a historical landmark for many reasons. One particular reason is because the building was a leading centre in alternative comedy boom in 1980’s. Stand-up comedian of all sorts had performed in this building and many famous ones too. One of its famous occasions is the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition. The latest development on the building is the fact that it was closed for three years from 2001 to 2004, in order to install more seats and to make the building suitable for opera performance. III. Marketing and Advertising Strategies Advertising strategies usually come about when we are finished designing our marketing schemes. In order to generate the best marketing plan, we need to first completely understand the marketing objectives. In its website, the Hackney theatre mentioned that one of its objectives is to become a recognized leader within the theatre industry, especially in offering opportunities for innovation, dialogue and engagement through all forms of theatre. In order to achieve that we need to first perform to things, which are: understanding consumers’ environment where we will operate and; understanding the potentials and conditions of the facility we are running. Both of these activities can be performed by means of strategic analysis tools. The first strategic tool that we should use to generate a marketing plan is the Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. This analysis tool helps manager understand conditions of the business environment and psycho-dynamics of the market. In terms of the theater industry, Porter Five Forces can help us understand the following factors: –  The theatre world is developing. It is used to be understood as a hard place to live, with competitive atmosphere and mediocre pay, but today the industry reported that it has contributed over  £ 2.6 billion annually to the UK’s economy. Arts council invests over  £ 100 million in 230 theatre organizations in UK for the development of the industry. So young artists and new performances are on the rise (Guide, 2000). – The environment face a rising level of competition, because audiences are also tempted by modern theatre buildings that are recently built – There is actually no competition to the historical value of the building, so the Hackney Empire Theatre will always have a unique place in visitors minds, but maintaining the attractiveness of that unique value is a challenge – The building has a different class or stature among other building. It is not easy for competitors to match the image of the building. – Its main customer segment is the high class society looking for entertainment in a presentable facility. Another analysis tool that we can use to guide our marketing and advertising strategy is the SWOT analysis. In terms of the Hackney Theatre building, the SWOT analysis could provide us the following knowledge: – Hackney Empire Theatre building’s strengths lie on its brand image and historical value. It is important that we maintain such atmosphere of class in every promotional event. – Its threatening weakness could be its ‘ancient’ image, which could be a turn-off for young and innovative artists Thus, a marketing strategy that attracts this segment should be prepared – Opportunities lay along with its efforts of dealing with its threats. If management of the building manages to design the building’s image so that it will attract young artists and novel performances, then it would generate a new opportunity for the building’s popularity (Guide, 2000) From the considerations that have been revealed by the analysis tools, we can generate various effective marketing and advertising strategy, for example: passing away discount tickets, making an advertisement to local TV and radio shows, making a demo performance in nearby campuses, etc. IV. Segmentation and Positioning Strategies In addition to the considerations made above, it is also critical that we understand the market enough to generate a marketing segmentation and positioning plan. Segmenting our customers will allow us to: better serve customers and wants, achieving higher profits, creating opportunities for growth, maintaining sustainable customer relationship, etc. Marketing segmentation requires us to do the following: identify customers based on their relevant characteristics to our business offerings; identify their needs and; developing a profile for every customer segment; evaluating the attractiveness of each segment; choosing one or several target segment and then develop a marketing mix for each targeted segment. There is no space for a detailed segmentation analysis within this paper, but in terms of theater audience, there are mainly 4 groups of people, which are: season ticket buyer, public single ticket buyer, public groups and corporate clients. Referring to the the Hackney Theatre building, the strongest marketing segment is still the upper class society looking for novel forms of sophisticated entertainments. This means the potential target segments are first: the corporate clients, second: the public single ticket buyer and followed by season ticket buyer. Thus, the marketing mix of our marketing and advertising plan must be designed to serve the first particular segment before others. For instant, the suitable advertising plan would be newspaper advertisement, internet advertisement, brochures sent directly to corporate managers, etc (Katz, 1955). V. Communication Strategies In using the mass media to influence our targeted customer segments, it is necessary that we consider these communication theories. The first is called the Hypodermic Needle Theory. This theory represent the view that people would be significantly (whether consciously or not) affected by the mass media they are exposed to and all its content. The second theory is called the two step flow theory. Under this view however, we are urged to understand that mass media influences people by multiple steps. First, it is the TV watchers and newspaper readers that are affected first, and then these groups of people will influence others on what they capture from the mass media. This explains why some effort of marketing through the mass media failed (Davis, 1981). In connection to the theatre industry, management of the theatre building should manage their advertising plan so that it would target mostly the people who are attracted to mass media. Convincing these types of people is the start of convincing the entire population. In practice, theatre advertising should made dramatic and attention getting, without losing its integrity as a high-class performance of art. Such a design might require the assistance of an expert in such advertising field.

Jeffrey Bezos

Most people believe a leader is either born or made. When it comes to Jeffrey Bezos, I believe it is a combination of the two. Bezos, founder of Amazon. com, was born into a family full of extraordinary people. Jeffrey’s step-father was a petroleum engineer and his grandfather was the manager of the Atomic Energy Commission’s operations office (Bezos, Ebsco). During his childhood, Jeff was intrigued by his surroundings, often finding ways to alter or enhance everyday items. The people and experiences throughout Bezos’ life have helped him become the successful CEO he is today.Jeff Bezos, born Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen, was born on January 12, 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After his parents split up, his mother raised him until he was two years old. In 1966, Miguel Bezos came into the picture. After his mother remarried, Jeff was legally adopted and took Miguel’s last name. (Bezos, Ebsco) Since a young age, Jeffrey Bezos has been intrigued by the way thi ngs work. At three years old, Jeff took a screwdriver to his crib, disassembling it into multiple parts. This trend continued when later down the road he built a burglar alarm with an electronic kit his grandfather had given him (Bezos, Encycl).Bezos’ grandfather, Lawrence Preston Gise, played a big part in who Jeff is today (Bezos, Ebsco). From age four to sixteen, Jeff would spend the summers living on his grandfather’s ranch in Cotulla, Texas (Brandt). Here, Jeff’s grandfather put him to work doing jobs such as fixing windmills and repairing pumps. Bezos’ grandfather used his background in working on space technology and missile defense systems to help spark Jeff’s interest in similar things (Bezos, Ebsco). But this was just the beginning. At age eight, Jeff was enrolled in a gifted program at his elementary school in Houston, Texas.Jeff used his intelligence to wow teachers with his knowledge of computers. While none of the teachers even knew h ow to use a computer, Jeff and some of his friends had managed to program one. A local author by the name of Julie Ray took interest in Bezos and featured him in her book, Turning on Bright Minds: A Parent Looks at Gifted Children in Texas. (Bezos, Ebsco) In 1978, Miguel Bezos was transferred to Miami, Florida where Jeff’s fascination with space began. Jeff went to Palmetto High School where he was already thinking out of the box for his time.Bezos hoped to one day become an astronaut on a shuttle that would take passengers from earth into outer space. (Bezos, Ebsco) Bezos graduated from Palmetto High School in 1982 where he was class valedictorian. Along with this honor, he received recognition from the Miami Herald for his academic excellence by winning the Silver Knight Award. Upon graduating high school, Bezos began running his own business with his then girlfriend before heading off to college. Jeff spent the summer establishing an educational summer camp for children. B ezos, Ebsco) In the fall of 1982, Jeff began studying at Princeton University in New Jersey. He graduated summa cum laude in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (Bezos, Ebsco). After graduation, there were many opportunities awaiting Jeffrey Bezos. He proceeded to go to New York to work for Fitel, a company that allowed him to build a worldwide communications network for financial trading (Bezos, Encycl. ). Two years later, while Fitel was struggling, Bezos accepted a job with Bankers Trust Corporation.This new job opportunity allowed him to develop software applications for the company’s pension fund clients. Jeffrey moved among the rankings quickly at Bankers Trust; within 10 months he became the company’s youngest vice-president (Bezos, Ebsco). But shortly after, Bezos realized this company was not for him. The next move would prove important in Bezos’ path to becoming an up and coming entrepreneur. In 1990, Jeffrey Bezos was hired by Wall Street financial trading company, D. E. Shaw. Bezos’ duties at D. E. Shaw included looking for new investment opportunities in areas such as insurance, software, and internet.In 1992, Bezos proved he was capable of his role by securing â€Å"one of the most successful qualitative funds on Wall Street†. He was promoted to senior vice-president shortly after. (Bezos, Ebsco) While researching for new business opportunities in the internet sector, Bezos came across some data that would help him in his decision to develop Amazon. com. According to these numbers, the internet was growing at an exceedingly fast rate. Jeffrey decided it was a good time for his next big step. He quit his job in 1994 at D. E. Shaw and prepared to venture into the world of online retail. Bezos, Ebsco) Jeffrey Bezos began by looking into what products could be sold successfully in the online retail market. He composed a list and determined that books would be the best choic e. Bezos told Karen Southwick in October of 1996 that â€Å"there are 1. 5 million Eng lish-language books in print at any given time. If you take all languages worldwide, it’s about 3 million books active and in print. † Bezos knew from his computer background that an online sorting and organizing database to purchase books would catch on. (Bezos, Ebsco) Jeffrey and his wife Mackenzie packed up and headed for the west coast.Jeffrey chose to start his new conquest in Seattle, Washington. Seattle offered a large number of skilled workers and was located by the largest book distributing company in the United States (Bezos, Ebsco). After experimenting with different names, Bezos decided to name the company Amazon after the world’s largest river (Bezos, Encycl. ). Using money from investors, his savings, and his parents, Bezos launched Amazon. com in July of 1995 from his garage in Seattle. At the close of the first month, it is said that Bezos had received orders f rom customers in all fifty states.The large quantity of books available on the database as well as the new features available on the site enticed many customers. (Bezos, Ebsco) Bezos and his colleagues established features that would change internet shopping forever. Amazon was the first of its kind to offer one click-shopping, customer reviews, and e-mail order verification (Hoover’s). Bezos’ main focus of the site was customer satisfaction. Along with these new additions to the site, Amazon was also one of the first companies to encrypt credit card numbers, ensuring safe shopping for their customers (Bezos, Credo).Jeff Bezos helped familiarize the public with on-line shopping, and it quickly became as popular as a trip to the mall (Bezos, Ebsco). After attracting 3 million customers, Bezos decided to take Amazon public in 1997. Jeffrey Bezos quickly became one of the first internet billionaires (Bezos, Credo). In 1998, Amazon broadened their inventory and began selli ng new products in order to gain new customers. Along with books, Amazon. com began offering CDs, videos, electronics, clothing, toys, and games to its millions of customers worldwide (Bezos, Ebsco). In 1999, Amazon. om hit a huge milestone when its sales crossed the billion-dollar mark. During this same year, Jeffrey Bezos was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year (Bezos, Ebsco). What once started as a small company in Bezos’ garage in Seattle had turned into the â€Å"world’s biggest everything store†. In 2000, Amazon. com teamed up with ToysRUs. com to launch a co-branded toy and video game store. However, this new partnership would not last long. Over the next few years, Amazon would dabble in an array of products. In 2002, Bezos began offering clothing sales from large retail stores such as the Gap, Nordstrom, and Land’s End.A few years later, in 2006, Amazon. com dabbled in online dry groceries. A year later the company began offering a fr esh delivery service for the Seattle area. (Hoovers) In 2007, Amazon expanded once again. Bezos introduced Amazon’s new electronic portable reader, the Kindle. By 2011, Amazon announced that they sell more e-books than printed books. Along with new items such as the Kindle, Amazon began offering products and services such as self-publishing, online advertising, e-commerce platform, hosting, and a co-branded credit card. (Hoovers) Today, Amazon. om has five international websites for Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The company has an estimated 20 million customers in 160 countries across the world (Bezos, Credo). According to Hoover’s Quick Report, Amazon. com employs 56,200 employees as of 2011 at all of their sites. Amazon’s efficient operating model has allowed it to succeed despite downward pressure on prices. Offering low prices to their customers has been a key success to Amazon’s business strategy (Hoovers). As a Business Man agement major, there are many things one can learn from looking at Jeffrey Bezos’ life.He saw a business opportunity and did everything he could to make it work. Starting off in his garage in Seattle, Bezos turned Amazon. com into the world’s largest online store. Despite the many years of not turning profit, Bezos managed to make Amazon. com into the company it is today. By focusing on customer service, Jeffrey Bezos was able to appeal to new customers and keep the current ones satisfied. Works Cited Bezos, Jeff (1964-). (2010). In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. om/entry/heliconhe/bezos_jeff_1964 Bezos, Jeff. (2003). In Capstone Encyclopedia of Business. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com/entry/capstonebus/bezos_jeff Bezos, Jeff. (2004, Jan 1). Leaders of Information Age (Bio Ref Bank. Brandt, R. L. (2011, Oct 15). REVIEW — Birth of a Salesman — Behind the Rise o f Jeff Bezos and Amazon: Richard L. Brandt on the Founder’s Texas Roots, the Sites Chaotic Early Days, Why Negative Reviews are Allowed and the Increasing Use of Personalized Data. Wall Street Journal, pp. C. 1. -C. 1. http://search. proquest. com/docview/898391472? accountid=2837

Indicator of Business assessment on Nursing home Article

Indicator of Business assessment on Nursing home - Article Example Thus, the role of nursing homes becomes one of the top most importance in today's life of the society. The elderly care industry can be split into two categories - nursing homes and residential care homes. Nursing homes are fundamentally private hospitals for elderly residents calling for high levels of care, staffed by managers and nurses with sophisticated levels of medical and care training. Residential care homes, on the other hand, are old people's homes. They provide a place to stay for elderly people who conceivably cannot do everything for themselves, yet nevertheless enjoy a degree of independence and require little hands-on care. They are staffed by qualified care takers whose level of training need not be as advanced as those working in nursing homes. Nursing homes as a business or an investment is a field which looks healthy in spite of the economic catastrophe. There are a number of reseat developments for this friendly environment for the investors. Though the extra legislation introduced through the Care Standards Act has made it binding for the potential purchasers to prepare and make a lot of commitment financially and personally on staffing and maintenance of the nursing home, any body now planning to go into this business is assured of study income and thriving business. Running a nursing home can be a rewarding business, as the returns one get from the care homes would be very significant. The majority of nursing facility services is funded by the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Nursing homes with private care patients generally provide higher quality care than facilities dependent on Medicaid patients. National Senior Citizens Law Center states that nursing homes discriminate against Medicaid patients versus private pay. The difference may be a special wing of a home, eviction of Medicaid patients and inferior food and services. One expert noted that nine out of ten attorneys give bad advice on qualifying for Medicaid. Approximately 63% of nursing-home patients of cognitively impaired. Nursing homes provide long term and sub-acute care to persons in need of 24-hour nursing services or significant supportive services. The quality of care and quality of life for residents of nursing homes have been a concern for decades. Nursing home residents are generally frail, physically and psychosocially compromised, heavily dependent upon others for basic care and sustenance, and in some cases near the end of their lives. When residents live in an environment where they are totally dependent on others, they are especially vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. Nursing home licensees must protect these vulnerable persons and are expected to provide the necessary care and services to allow each resident to achieve and maintain his or her highest possible level of function and well being. Financial status, in fact, causes inequalities in the quality of care received by an elderly person. It mainly may not be with in the same nursing home. African Americans are four times more likely than their white counterparts to reside in substandard nursing homes. But obviously if one has got money the service he gets is simply remarkable. The Silverado is an example to it; Silverado specializes in residents with severe dementia. Most assisted-living homes quarantine such patients in separate wards or ship them off to nursing homes when their

Generational Differences In Fashion Industry Essay

Generational Differences In Fashion Industry - Essay Example The paper tells that fashion shopping priorities and habits affect both generations in the level of knowledge, interest, and reactions. Generation Y has higher priorities to fashions that make them look modern and more comfortable shifting their priorities to high-quality fashion and market changing the trend that affects affect fashion compared to the generation X. In this regard, Generation Y can get frustrated if their favorite retailer doesn't "get them" fails to meet their needs by producing a quality product and comfort fashion values. However, both generations careless in regard to environmental stores than rather the actual fashion merchandise. In addition, both generations prefer to shop their fashion at overcrowded stores. Furthermore, the types of shopping/retail environments that each of a generation might be the same if their respective behavioral consumption in conjunction and subjective outcome factors such as loyalty and satisfaction meet their demand and interests. On a broad front, despite Generational differences in the fashion Industry, Generation X do not mind fitting to normal are motivated to fit in identity compared to generation Y. However, each generation will develop or grow to meet their respective fashion and needs. Advertisement appeal for both generations would not change with the change in needs and growth as both generations would grow to share same things and needs. Generation X would prefer non-conformist and humorous advertisement. Generation Y is a career and goal driven generation.

Rotana Hotels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rotana Hotels - Essay Example By understanding the direction the business is to take long-term, it can make decisions that always lead to goal attainment. Rotana’s stated goals of increasing the number of Hotels to 100 within a specific time period shows that the business understands how to develop strategy properly. The goals as they are written give Rotana focus and give the chain a sense of purpose about what direction to take moving forward. By setting two to three years as the basis of expansion, it gives the organization a very clear time-frame regarding what efforts need to be undertaken to get there. In some ways, this can be considered part of the vision as it gives everyone in the organization a sense of direction and know where the business is trying to head. As to whether they meet the criteria of well-written goals, the answer would have to be no. Well-written goals have specific accomplishments listed about the long-term strategy. They should include objectives on how the business intends to succeed all the way through the entire management process from planning, to organizing, to leading and controlling. This is just a broad goal without specific strategies listed. â€Å"To be the Leading Hospitality Management Company within the Middle East and Africa operating a comprehensive range of products and brands that aim to meet all the requirements of our guests† (Rotana, 2011, p.1). organization is actually in business and what is it trying to achieve as well as where it wants to go in the long-term. It tells that it is a customer-focused business that devotes most of its efforts into marketing and guest services. Like most visions should, it should motivate Rotana workers to achieve the goals of providing these guest services and inspire innovators in the company to develop new product variety. Rotana’s values are founded on its LIFE principles, which are long-term, innovation, friendly and ethical.

Employee stress in the work place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee stress in the work place - Essay Example Managers need to create a stress-free environment at the workplace for employees in order to ensure sustainable organizational performance. In this paper, we will discuss some of the main factors that can contribute to employee stress in the workplace, as well as the possible measures that managers can take to reduce stress in employees. 2. Factors That Cause Stress in Employees There are many individual, administrative, job concerning factors that can cause stress in employees. Some of those factors include discrimination, keeping employees away in decision-making processes, less promotional opportunities, rotating shifts, work overload, role conflict, team-based conflicts, excessive managerial control, increased job timings, lack of confidentiality, unsafe working conditions, and less salary (Akrani 2011). Let us discuss some of these issues in detail to know the way they cause stress in employees. 2.1 Discrimination Discrimination is one of the main factors that make employees str essed. Discrimination occurs when managers give preference to a particular individual or a group of individuals while taking any important decision. Such preference is usually based on racial, ethics, social, religious, and gender differences. For example, promoting a male employee to a higher position even when his performance is low than his female counterparts. Such decisions put a negative impact on the productivity and performance of other employees. 2.2 Keeping Employees Away In Decision-Making Processes Employees also feel stressed and depressed when they are not involved in decision-making processes related to their jobs. Employees want some recognition and value for the performances that they show for their companies. Involving them in decision-making processes is one of the best ways to do so. However, when employees are neglected during critical decision-making processes, they feel inferior and their level of commitment to their jobs decreases. 2.3 Less Promotional Opport unities If there are less opportunities of employee promotion in a company, employees may not like to work there because of less chances of career development. Working in a company where there are less progress opportunities and job enrichment is a main factor of stress in employees. 2.4 Increased Job Timings The balance between work life and family life is very important for every employee. In situations where employees do not find enough time to spend with their families due to longer working hours is also a reason of stress in employees. 2.5 Work Overload As Akrani (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"excessive work load leads to stress as it puts a person under tremendous pressure†. Employees feel stressed when their managers give them huge amounts of work to complete in a single day. Similarly, giving less or very simple work also causes stress in employees. Doing work of simple nature leads to boredom that eventually leads to stress and depression. 3. Strategies for Managing Stre ss in Employees As Manley (n.d.) states, â€Å"stress in the workplace is bad for an employee's health and also causes distractions, making it harder for the stressed individual to perform their job† (p. 1). It is the responsibility of managers to take effective measures and strategies to offset those negative effects

What are the Causes and Effects of Depression Essay

What are the Causes and Effects of Depression - Essay Example Being underdiagnosed, it can become a serious condition, which can make a person suffer greatly and even lead to suicide. There is no simple explanation to what causes depression. Health specialists define several major factors that can lead to the development of depression in a person. The first one of them is biological factors, which include genetic factors, brain chemicals, and hormones. The studies on the illness suggest that this mental disorder may be inherited with genes as far as depression often runs in families. A person can inherit an increased vulnerability to depression or the disorder itself; many people with increased vulnerability may never suffer it. Depression can be also caused by a decreased level of neurotransmitters (chemical substances in the brain), which causes improper communication between the brain cells and results in sleep disturbances, loss of appetite or sexual desire etc. The body’s balance of hormones may also play a role in the development of depression in a person (Centre for Clinical Interventions). In addition to this, there are psychological factors that can cause depression. The first one is a personality type. The recent researches have shown that some people are more vulnerable to depression than others in case they have particular character traits, such as self-criticism, low self-esteem, high interpersonal sensitivity, high levels of anxiety, perfectionism etc. Stressful life events, for instance, childhood trauma, loss or death of a relative or a loved one, financial problems, difficulties in families, physical illness, alcoholism and drug abuse etc., can also contribute to the development of depression (Black Dog Institute). Clinical depression, especially being untreated, can have a negative effect on a person’s health. Depression causes changes in sleep. In particular, people with depression report having problems with falling asleep and /or waking in the middle of the night;

Preoperative Fasting Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Preoperative Fasting - Research Proposal Example Patients will therefore be challenged to add personal efforts such as exercising to help them recover quicker. This can be tested by comparing two patients – one who exercises and another who does not. This hypothesis is interesting to me because it helps in making the work of the practitioner quite easier. This hypothesis will defeat any beliefs associated with level of recovery and gender. Rather, patients will be educated that for them to recover quickly, they need to pay frequent attention to their medications. This will be measured by assessing the recovering rates of people of both genders who take their medications in given format. This hypothesis will challenge patients to keep to nursing instructions without putting their trust in the experience of the nurses. There could be both qualitative and quantitative testing of the hypothesis as the working years of nurses can be calculated but then the compliance and recovering rate in patients must be done qualitatively (Kerlinger, 1986). This is an interesting hypothesis that will make patients responsible to complaining to nursing instructions. This hypothesis will promote monitored treatment to smoking addiction at the hands of health professional. This is because the level of recovery from smoking, if tested to be more efficient at the hands of professional will win more patients to following that path (Heppner, Kivlighan, and Wampold,

Bullying in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bullying in Schools - Essay Example This study declares that victims of bullying in school have been shown to manifest a higher risk of social maladjustment. The good news is that because bullying behavior typically occurs on a recurrent basis between two individuals who know each other, it is one of the few conditions that can also often be identified and prevented, perhaps with the result of a reduction in criminal behavior among adults.   However, before teachers and administrators can reduce the long-term effects caused by bullying schools, they must first be informed as to the prevalence, development and identification of the problem to instill in them an appreciation of the seriousness of the problem and then be provided with knowledge of those approaches that have proven to reduce these behaviors among schoolchildren.  This research stresses that  the term ‘bullying’ is used to denote a specific behavior pattern statistically occurring most often among boys but that can occur among girls as we ll.   â€Å"Bullying is characterized by bigger and stronger youngsters ‘victimizing’ their peers through the repeated use of negative actions, such as physical, verbal or relational aggression†.  Despite noted differences in bullying behavior noted among grade levels, other research determined that the patterns of bullying and the social rejection that results from this type of behavior are established early.  A child with overly aggressive tendencies will quickly become labeled as a bully and will be socially rejected from the group, contributing to further disruptive behavior.   

Acc#5 Farm Financial Standards Council Model Case Essay

Acc#5 Farm Financial Standards Council Model Case - Essay Example GM has adopted traditional cost allocation system wherein the overheads are arbitrarily allocated to the products on the basis of the labor or machine hours. It produces only one product i.e. the corvette and as such apportionment of overhead costs may not be such a big problem except for the fluctuations of production volumes which may distort the contribution margin figures. John & Mary Farmer on the other hand produce two products namely: corn and soybean that too in two farms, for which there are a variety of cost drivers which have to be identified to diversified activities to estimate the differences in cost of production between farms and overall profitability between commodities produced in different years. While adopting traditional cost allocation system, as in GM, may be easier for accounting purposes, it actually does not serve the purpose of arriving at a specific cost structure especially when the direct labor component is in small proportion in the total production process owing to the present automation taking place even in the farming sector. 1. Overheads would have been charged according to the production volumes which may fluctuate from time to time. Hence, the accurate per unit contribution margin which is the basis for competitive managerial decisions in today’s world would be misguiding. 3. The products produced in the case study are corn and soybean that too in different fields of which few are owned by the firm and the others are taken on lease. With such diversified methodology of tie ups with different parties, if ABC is not undertaken, the differences in the production would not be useful in providing effective strategy to minimize risk associated with the business and enhance profitability. 4. With the growing mechanization even in the farm sector, the importance of direct expenses is shrunk day by day

Operating Theatre Management System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operating Theatre Management System - Essay Example In general, Operating Room Management in profit-oriented health-care systems in USA gives emphasis to strategical consideration while in countries with publicly-funded healthcare like the UK; the focus is on operational judgment (McIntosh, Dexter & Epstein 2006). The act of managing and organization all aspects of a surgical suite are to achieve a definite set of objectives. As a budding discipline, operating room management is all the time more examined as how to best: 1) guarantee patient safety and best patient outcome, 2) present surgeons with suitable access to the Operating Room with the aim that patients can have operations in an appropriate way, 3) take full advantage of the competence of operating room utilization, workforce, and resources, 4) reduce patient wait, and 5) augment approval among patients, employees, and doctors. This management skill as employed to the surgical suite is getting more focus as a result of increasing market influence on hospitals from competitors and from customers looking for reduced charges. The surgical suite is generally thought as an advantageous hospital unit. Thus, surgical suites also include a significant portion of hospital budget expenditure. By keeping patient safety constant, the prospect to raise financial increase by means of changing the utilization of already accessible sources is a main goal for managerial study. Incremental efficiency in operating room utilization and operating room efficiency can have significant impacts on hospital workers and resources. Some hospital managers see efficiency in the operating room as throughput, completing the most surgical cases within budget. Later in this article we will provide examples of tools a manager may use to analyze efficiency. The Significance of OR Management Operating expenses consist of, although are not restricted to, the space, know-how and appliances, pharmaceuticals and workforce. Hospital managers have thus focused their interest towards making best use of Operating Room productivity, and consequently hospital productivity, by means of contribution margins. This focus, as well as the increase in demand for promising surgery, has led to a fast development of Operating Room facilities. Traditionally, nurses have been mainly responsible for the daily operation of the surgical suite. All the time more, facilities are employing a physician medical director for the Operating Room, as characterized by a surgeon, anesthesiologist, or both. In some cases, all three fields of surgery, anesthesia, and nursing will be embodied in the daily OR organization infrastructure. By functioning collectively, these three fields can organize all resources crucial to exploit OR efficiency. Since medical requirements and regulatory requirements are frequen tly changing, the idea of appointing a medical director in the OR, an operating room manager, has gained recognition (Siciliani & Hurst 2005). Clinicians normally focus on operational decisions on the day of surgery for instance moving cases from one Operating Room to another, assigning and replacing staff, prioritizing critical cases, and scheduling add-on case. In contrast, upper management

An exploration of notions of 'order' present in Bernard Tschumi's Dissertation

An exploration of notions of 'order' present in Bernard Tschumi's deconstructive architecture of the late 70's - Dissertation Example From the mid-1970s, small pockets of resistance began to form as architects in advanced, post-industrial cultures began to adopt a system of defamiliarization from the established norms. The new mediated world reflected and reinforced dismantled reality. Architecture incorporated such dismantling and fragmentation, through â€Å"celebrating the culture of differences, by accelerating and intensifying the loss of certainty, of centre, of history†4. Deconstruction as a style of architecture has become increasingly influential among architects, educators, policy makers, and developers of prestige projects. Numerous recent projects are based on the deconstructive style. Besides visual fashion, this type of architecture is conceived around form, function and aesthetics. The main characteristics of deconstructive architecture are a â€Å"lack of human-scale details, jagged and convoluted figures, disjointed masses and planes, glittering glass and polished metal surfaces†5. De constructive architecture is rooted in a branch of philosophy whose chief proponent was the late French philosopher Jacques Derrida. To create order in an architectural composition, form, space and other principles play an important part. Order does not refer only to geometric regularity, but to a â€Å"condition in which each part of a whole is properly disposed with reference to other parts and to its purpose†6, towards producing a harmonious arrangement. A natural diversity and complexity is present in the program requirements for buildings. The forms and spaces of any building should acknowledge the hierarchy that is fundamental to the functions they facilitate, the users they serve,... The importance of a theoretical framework in architecture, for increasing the aesthetic and functional value of the built environment has been underscored. Bernard Tschumi’s work which introduces the urban setting into the Parc de la Villette has a distinctive characteristic emphasizing contemporary deconstructive trends. A theoretical framework elucidates the reasons why some buildings affect human beings in specific ways. Nikos Salingros, a colleague and adversary of Tschumi who promotes traditional aesthetics in architecture, also supports this view . He adds that one of the essential requirements of architectural theory is to integrate and organise scattered and seemingly unrelated observations of the ways in which human beings interact with built form. Another significant element of theory is to formalize those observations into an easily applicable framework usable for design. Architecture’s recent embarking on a formulation of its theoretical basis has been long overdue. Until now architecture has been based on personal notions and fashion, rather than on theoretical support.

Uc civil engineering transfer student personal statement

Uc civil engineering transfer student - Personal Statement Example As a child I used to stand for hours at a construction site watching in awe as the workers worked in perfect harmony. There was nothing that gave me more joy than seeing a structure grow where none existed before. I therefore knew from an early age that I would like to be part of creating new structures. When I grew up a little and learnt more about different careers, I decided that I would be a civil engineer. Throughout my years in school, physics and mathematics have been my most favorite subjects and my grades in both have always been impressive. I have consistently topped my class in both for many years of my schooling. It was a trend that had continued my elementary school to high school. With time, I got to travel more and see more buildings, canals, bridges and other structures built in various designs that increased my yearning to enter into a career leading to construction. After I got access to the internet, I did comprehensive research on civil engineering and became quite knowledgeable in many topics in the subject. After I finished high school, I applied to join the (NAME COLLEGE). At first I was afraid due to notion that had been propagated into us that the course was difficult. I worked quite hard in my studies since it was a course I had passion in and I had had a good background in since I had been good in mathematics and physics. I realized that for anybody interested in civil engineering, it is not as difficult as we had been made to believe. On the contrary, I found the subjects simple, practical and enjoyable. Over the years I have had a chance to study civil engineering, I have had the opportunity to attend various consultative for a for civil engineers in which I have had the chance to interact with civil engineers and exchange ideas on further developing construction skills. These for a have left me more knowledgeable and have triggered critical thinking in me

Grammer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Grammer - Assignment Example The significant thing that I think I could develop in my paper would be the improper use of apostrophes and sentence fragments. For instance on bartleby.com there are many mistakes that can compromise the quality of the paper (Strunk, 2012). With the possessiveness of very many objects being indicated with lack of apostrophe and use of sentence fragments, it sounds irregular and odd. The website was very helpful and useful. I would definitely recommend it to another student to read it. The following is an example of two sentences in one of the paragraphs: â€Å"This boat is Peter’s.† This was the first original sentences, and after reading and understanding from the website provided, the first sentence does not sound great (Strunk, 20120. However, the revised one would sound like this: â€Å"This is Peter’s boat.† On the issue of sentence fragments, I found that the original sentence read like this â€Å"Working hard into the night in an effort to save his little boat†. After reading this sentence I discovered that something was missing, a noun. A correct sentence would read like this â€Å"Peter worked hard into the night in an effort to save his little

Marketing Myopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Marketing Myopia - Essay Example This article and its subject matter are very pertinent to the field of marketing because it helps define a path that should be taken by marketers if they intend to avoid very common and just as destructive mistakes. The management of a company may make several errors that are discussed in the paper. Sometimes the company’s scope is incorrectly defined and this creates a restriction for this company which hinders future growth. Furthermore, sometimes the unique selling proposition of the company’s product may become obsolete and since management does not renew nor revive the proposition the customers lose interest in and soon forget about the product. Baseless assumptions and complacency are also two mistakes hinted at by Levitt in his essay. A huge problem may arise if management focuses on supply side policies and overlooks demand side policies and conditions; if a strong and lasting bond with the consumer is not created, it is very likely that the brand/product will n ot be successful. Another failure on the part of the company’s management is when/if they become so singularly focused on the future that they fail to acknowledge the circumstances they face in the present which essentially leaves them nowhere; with no proper strategy to deal with current issues the company will not be left capable to deal with the future issues it was focusing in. In a nutshell, management’s main strategy should be one with a visionary approach and one which simultaneously focuses on the company’s customers as the most important asset of the company. This is the only asset which will function as the company’s life jacket during an economic or financial crisis. A second most critical approach is how the business’s scope is defined; if too restricted and narrow it will hinder and may even halt growth and progress. As a result of a thorough critical analysis of Levitt’s work, some strengths and weaknesses of his work come to light. Levitt’s article has garnered

Citizens Have to a Guaranteed Minimum Income in a Democratic Society Essay Example for Free

Citizens Have to a Guaranteed Minimum Income in a Democratic Society Essay Although abuse of the system are inevitable, social welfare payments are essential to protect the rights citizens have to a guaranteed minimum income in a democratic society Discuss. Social welfare is an essential element of an advanced society. Good systems are always abused, but that does not mean they are faulty. In my opinion, the two main reasons why welfare payments are necessary are as follows: First of all, critics forget that there are many forms of welfare besides payments to the unemployed. Their negative opinions harm those who are not capable of earning a wage, such as single-parent mothers, the disabled, and the sick. Moreover, the unemployed have the right to an income, too. They are not always at fault for not having a job, and in most cases the tax they have paid in the past entitles them to assistance. The second reason is that crime increases when people have no means of support. The desperately poor inevitably turn to crime, which is not only dangerous but costly. Policing the streets is more expensive than providing welfare. A policemans wage is four or five times higher than a dole payment. Certain members of society believe that people should look after themselves. They point out that welfare increases dependency on others and destroys dignity. This may be true, but in the case of the unemployed, the relief payments are usually temporary. It is surely the fault of the government if there are long-term unemployed. Welfare critics also believe that it is the responsibility of a victims family to provide financial assistance. However, it is too expensive to provide complete help for a severely disabled person. To conclude, it is vital to understand the need for welfare in a modern democratic society. Without welfare payments the poor are destined to become poorer. The first duty of a government is to provide a financial safety net for all disadvantaged persons, and that includes those without work.

“Give me a stand point and I will move the earth” Archimedes Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Give me a stand point and I will move the earth† Archimedes Essay Feminists are of the opinion that women in this world have been neglected by history and men through out the ages and liberating them would be synonymous with giving them a stand point to move the world. Klues looks to the pioneers of female research in antiquity whose glimpsing women history through a record from which the female sex has been excised for millennial by patriarchal bias, must have been like constructing a house out of the space between the slats of a fence. Further Klues considers that assiduous and objective scholarship produced an unassailable picture of the role of women in classical Athens, a picture now almost universally accepted, in which domination of male over female is there seen as complete and crushing. Only one wave of classical scholarship, obviously by anthropology, looks to male-female relationship as a significant determinant in Athenian society, as in any other: an ingredient of total culture no less fundamental than its economy or its religion or its political structure. More authors have argued that women did not have a place in history. However, Hasel making reference to Pauline Schmitt –Pantel makes a note worthy reminder of Greek philosophers works such as Aristotle and Plato that made relation to different sexes. A similar reference is made about the Greek cosmologies meaning that women have always had such a place. Hasel has therefore put forth a vivid conclusion. â€Å"The image of the Topos then might not hold much because it is based on seclusion of women in antiquity which may not be the case. † The portraits of Lipia as discussed in Bartman had an effect in creating a stronger imperial Rome. Though there are undertones of their use in propaganda and other political machinations and maneuvers, Bartman note that they were sculpted in the spirit of compromise which he refers as ‘give and take’ between the sculptor and the sponsor. Scott say that there was a moment not all that ago, when feminists thought gender to be an invincible barrier against biology. The sex/ gender distinction would analytically separate the physical body from the social body; it would then no longer be conceivable that anatomy was destiny. Though women might be viewed as ‘non- actors’ thus acting in the realms of those who built and wielded political power to which they were subject to had a private life which of course influences public life. In the words of Scott, those absent from official account none the less partook in the making of history; those who are silent speak eloquently about meaning of power. This reawakening Scott notes has brought about congruence in thought between political historians and writers penning ‘her story’. It has also brought about to the way changes occurred in law, politics and symbolic presentations. A further implication Scott explains is that there are social explanations rather than biological and characterological to the different behavior of men and women and their unequal positions. The feminists are thus challenged in this argument for neglecting female agency by diminishing the historical importance of personal life encapsulated in its three elements- family, sexuality and sociability. Thus irrespective of what feminists think women have always had the stand point and have moved the world as much. Reference Bartman ‘Portraits Of Livia Joan W. Scott, (1988) Gender and the Politics of History (New York 1988) 15-50. Joan W. Scott, `Millenial Fantasies`. The Future of Gender in the 21st Century`, in: Claudia Honegger – Caroline Arni (eds. ), Gender. Die Tucken einer Kategorie (Zurich 2001) 19-37 Wagner Hasel (1989)Women’s life in oriental seclusion? On history and and use of Topos. Pauline Schmitt –Pantel (1992) â€Å"Greek thought on the position of women resolved†. Pg 79.

Organisation Resource Management Ikea Commerce Essay

Organisation Resource Management Ikea Commerce Essay History is evident from the fact that for the success of any organisation is very vital to have an alignment between the strategic and human resource objectives of the organisation to ensure both short term efficiency which would ultimately lead to long term profitability. A concept by McKinsey stating 7 S which includes super ordinate goals, strategy, structure, systems, staff, skills and style was a spectacular approach towards setting up an organisations performance excellence criteria. Human resource management alignment with mission is simply combining people management with organisational ultimate goal achievement strategy, one way of doing is to grant access to human resources to be a part of planning phase as a company would always prosper if the employees or human resource is given equal importance and utilization as other sectors of decision making. Unlike the traditional strategic planning where human resource department was only considered to be a provider of personnel fa cility like staffing, pay, training where as sectors like research and development, finance, production and marketing were the major players to be carefully considered neglecting human resource significance completely but the concept was out ruled by the modern sense of strategic planning, in which the importance of human resource is realised together with the actualisation of the fact that the company is known by people it keeps, as the business world got into the era of intense competition the need for people training and development increased rapidly and time came when for a successfully run company it has to have properly trained and skilled people and also have a system of provision of more trained employees on regular intervals to continuously fill the gap caused by employment turnover, companies opted for the later concept noticed instant improvement not only in the performance level but also the motivational level of staff showed a rapid incline which realistically the only reason for the overall improved performance. It is evident that where ever people in organisation are involved then its inevitable to neglect the presence of HR elements, Human resource also plays a very vital role in bringing cohesion between the employees of any organisation which when achieved could do wonders in terms of goals achievement and has created history at several times. A retailer which stands by its name IKEA (Ingvar Kampard Elmtaryd Agunnaryd), a home furnishing retailer which was established in 1943, currently IKEA is not only a furniture retailer but a phenomenon, a name which is identified from its unified identity of standardisation no matter what part of the world one steps into its big blue and yellow set of blocks which carries approximately more than 9500 range of home furnishing and relevant products with a restaurant facility as well provided under the same roof. Over the years it has evolved as an identity of its own, a simplified approach towards furniture making with excellent cost cutting strategies, which ultimately has a direct impact on the price offered to customer, price offered by IKEA stands out to be the cheapest in the market which has become so far the best unique selling point this brand can offer, but nothing is worth without a consideration of flat-pack concept back in early days which entirely change the image of furnit ure industry, it was planning ahead which now proves to be a convenience by coping up with the pace of present days working people life style particularly younger generation Ikeas vision is to create a better everyday life for many people is a complete reflection of how company perceives people in mind which not only includes customers but any stakeholder which has a direct or indirect link to the company operation e.g. customers, employees, suppliers etc. on the other hand IKEA follows a very careful path in the pursuit of its business mission which is to offer wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability at prices so low that the majority of people afford to buy them Therefore it is evident from the mission and vision that IKEA not only relates and base its overall operation to provide a better life for cheap but also focus on the quality and modernisation of the product it sells to keep it desired on affordable prices. The harmony between the organisational overall strategy and human resource strategy is achieved through a process which in present era been adopted and utilised by almost all the organisation realising the importance of integration of human resource element into overall strategy to ensure excellent results and motivated employees. To dig further deep it is very essential to realize the political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal environment of IKEA which basically makes the basis of any strategic objective as external environment together with elements of internal environment that are strength and weaknesses would assist to evaluate ikeas corporate strategic situation which becomes the basis of ikeas strategic plan quite carefully phrased in it its vision and mission. Ranging from political stability. concern for society and social causes together with people concern, day to day technological advancement to overall economic recession faced by the company , the companies strategy to keep the cost low is a great tactic in these times of economic turmoil specially when the retail market is hit by vat increases starting from 04th of january,2011 low price policy with diversity in the nature of product range and business concepts referring to restaurant business IKEA has evolved as an intelligent set of brains and with inclusion of human resource strategy and other functional strengths to align with the overall mission has proved to be a successful and productive idea in terms of sales and employee retention as well. C) Merger: Its a kind of a take over when both the firms combine into a new firm with the due permission of the real owners of the company who possess the shares of the company therefore resulting in completely new official entity. IKEA first of all baring the largest share in the home furnishing industry doesnt find itself in an urgent need of a merger as among the main reasons for merger is the pursuit of better performance or avoidance from decline scale of performance, expansion behind ikeas one of the vital priorities in next few years might attract the concept of merger with some furniture retailer most probably on high street level to launch its high street outlet , but doing that would require certain changes which could include new payroll system, different pay and other remuneration schemes, new policies for training and development could be settled between the parties to the merger, new staffing methods, new policy could be formed for retirement scheme and benefits, disciplinary proc edures could be altered as well etc. in a nut shell relocation of resources is always a part of mergers which could also include relocation of human resources depending on which kind of merger does actually take place. Acquisition: In case of acquisition as well the whole set of human resource elements would be considered by party purchasing the other to suit their enhanced business and acquired work force requirements together with legal regulations, but in this form of take over if IKEA takes over any company it must be an intention to provide a helping hand to stakeholders of the acquired company, therefore changes like payroll, staff rotation, job rotation, combined training and development, it could also result in human expertise been sent to look after the acquired business resulting in lack of concentration on the main operation which indicated intense care is necessary while allocating the employees efficiently. Strategic alliances: This is now being seen in regular practice by various firms all over the world reason being either to achieve competitive advantage like Superdrug and the perfume shop etc. or to plan a reduction of operating cost because of shared resources or purely marketing reasons. IKEA faced by this type of situation would definitely face some changes on immediate basis including maintenance of healthy relationship between the organizations for the achievement of combined goals, changes would require in the decision making patterns in the favor of common interest, allocation of right people on the right job could raise argument between the relevant heads involved from both sides, a methods requires to be developed to ensure data protection of trade secrets which could be at risk if not handle with proper attention. Human resource strategy would also need a bit of alteration in terms of agreement on objectives as both the parties could have different set of overall objectives to follow. Joint ventures: It is a kind of project undertaken by the two firms for a common interest and share the rewards or losses from the particular venture, depending on the kind of joint venture the human resource would change to suit the requirement of the venture on both side to be conducted smoothly without bothering the overall objectives of both the firms and ensure all the relevant aspects like allocation of combine resources together with any training and development measures required to carry out the joint venture. TASK 2: EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT cultural multiplicity is one of the ikeas prime concern as far its recruitment policy is concerned, IKEA has always abide by the legal employment regulations and also exhibited a very responsible attitude towards its employees and potential employees, with the significance importance been given to the development of multi cultural environment at work place IKEA has established a very strong and constructive multicultural hub for people who IKEA believes only work for people. A suitable candidate is always the one with high motivational energy together with relevant experience or knowledge. EMPLOYEE RETENTION IKEA has a very smart process of communication in-between the employees who allow them express freely their concern about the business and the company, both ways communication is appreciated and practiced which is a prime reason for less percentage of employee turnovers. Together with fair and constructive pay system the company has gained its place in the hearts of its employees and with proper amount of training and development procedures creates a bond between the brand and its very own people. Proper exit interviews are conducted on the exit of any member and both the parties are left with a brilliant image on each other for future reference. TRAINING AND DEVLOPMENT It is a responsibility of an efficient organisation to have a complete provision of training and development facility at work in order to maintain the motivation level of the team and to fulfil the overall strategic objective of the organisation over all quality of work together with amount of loyalty are directly related to companys performance which are fully practiced in a routine culture of IKEA day to day operations. human resource department together with other functional heads and directors establish a strategy for training the team members over a given period of time to achieve future strategic goals with better preparations ensuring all the line managers of the departments are fully informed and trained for the training to be provided on the basis of individual performance and line of direction opted in the company, and together with the same line managers top management develops a plan in order to understand the needs for the relevant process. IKEA has very comprehensive set of performance appraisal system which is conducted on every regular interval constructively to ensure employee satisfaction ultimately leading to customer satisfaction. IKEA has design a unique format of trading and development pattern with the name of on the job training as organised by IKEA college for the seek of potential managers which could lead the brand to a new era an excellence. Task 3: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL is a technique or a format to review the performance of the employees on one to one basis and comparing it to the company standards to evaluate the areas of strengths and weaknesses in order to improve the performance level and build-up the motivation level of the determined staff, but an alarm bell for below average performing members to come to know their areas of errors and rectify them in a given amount of time ends till next appraisal date which could be from 1 to 6 months depending on the urgency of it . Appraisal is a very vital tool for the employer being the one of its own kind to assist management of performance level. With the help of performance appraisal it is very easy for the employer to assess their potential inner-hierarchy growth in the company, therefore together with affecting the career path of the employees performance appraisal has also got a quite close relation with the salary increments as well. It is always recommended for an appraisal to be conducted with the immediate line manager to get the complete and comprehensive feed back for the sake of improvement over the next period of time, the appraisal process must be familiarised by the manager conducting it and be fair by all means as more the feedback being honest more chances of constructive development in an employee concerned provided the appraisal is conductive with ease and the employee has received all the feedback correctly without being offended. It is very beneficial for human resource department to develop policies also can be utilised to give a chance to employees to express their opinion about anything about their job they wish talk about. Human resource department can provide plenty of assistance and advice with the help of the appraisal form prepared by the HR keeping in view each and every segment of working employee. Overall a very useful tool for employer and employee in relation to performance levels. REWARD MANAGEMENT: The overall idea behind the reward management phenomenon is to support the human resource and mission of the company, it assist the company with patterns how to trains and develop the individuals which ultimately leads to employee motivation, rewards management system enhance the employer employee relationship and bring more harmony and determination among all of them as its about reward in return with self actualization , a proper reward management system has some legal implications to be made sure before drafting it and is also quite smartly looked after. Rewards: There are two kinds of rewards: 1) Financial 2) Non-financial Financial being classified as tangible reward, one could get a monetary return for services but several studies are evident that these type of outer level needs doesnt keep the person motivated for a long time therefore classified in basic needs scenario, but Non-financial are the ones which although has no material value but have done enough to make histories. Intrinsic rewards ensuring self efficacy, self recognition and self actualization etc. satisfies higher level needs which are also known as motivators. Contradicting to the reward definition in old days, money as matter of fact is only considered to be a material return to fulfill basic needs and then what really works for an employer is when the employee is provided a sense of achievement etc. for a better future for the company and employee as well.

Metaphor And Theme Of David Copperfield English Literature Essay

Metaphor And Theme Of David Copperfield English Literature Essay The aim of this thesis is to study the metaphor and theme of David Copperfield written by Charles Dickens for understanding of this novel. 2. Introduction to Charles Dickens and David Copperfield Charles Dickens, the most popular writer of the Victorian age, was born near Portsmouth, England, in 1812 and he died in Kent in 1870. When his father was thrown into debtors prison, young Charles was taken out of school and forced to work in a shoe-polish factory, which may help explain the presence of so many abandoned and victimised children in his novels. As a young man, he worked as a reporter before starting his career as a fictional writer in 1833. In his novels, short stories and essays, Dickens combined hilarious comedy with a scathing criticism of the inhuman features of Victorian industrial society. Many of his novels Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, etc., have been made into first-rate TV and film versions. David Copperfield is the story of the narrators life from early childhood to adulthood. In it, David describes all the obstacles he had to overcome in order to acquire peace of mind and economic stability. Chapters 1-2: David enjoys a happy childhood with his mother and her faithful servant, Peggotty, until his mother marries again and proves powerless to protect him from the cruelty of his stepfather, Mr. Murdstone. Chapters 3-4: Mr. Murdstone sends David to a boarding school in London where he makes friends with Steerforth and Traddles. When Davids mother and his baby brother die, David is sent to work at Mr. Quinions business. Chapters 5-6: While he works at the wine-bottling business David stays at Mr. Micawbers house but when the latter leaves London, owing to his debts, David decides to go in search of his only relative, Miss Trotwood, whom he finds in Dover. Davis is sent to school again and becomes a great friend of Agnes Wickfields, at whose house he stays when hes not at school. Chapters 7-8: After finishing school David goes to Yarmouth to visit Peggotty, who has married Mr. Barkis. There, he meets Steerforth who seems upset that Emily, Mr. Peggottys niece, is marrying her friend Ham. At Mr. Spenlows, with whom David is going to study law, he falls in love with Dora, his daughter. Chapters 9-10: David arrives at Yarmouth after Mr. Barkiss death. There he hears that Emily has run off with Steerforth. Mr. Peggotty is devastated and starts searching for her. Back in London David proposes to Dora and is accepted. Chapters 11-12: When Miss Trotwood informs David that she has lost all her money, all his plans collapse. He starts learning shorthand to find a good job in order to be able to marry Dora. In the meantime, Uriah Heep, a disgusting man who lives with the Wickfields, wants to marry Agnes. Mr. Peggotty keeps looking for Emily. Chapters 13-14: David and Dora marry thanks to the money he has earned by writing stories. Dora proves to be a very incompetent housewife, but David loves her all the same. Mr Peggotty hears that Emily has left Steerforth and asks an old friend of hers, Martha Endells, to look for her in London. Martha locates Emily and Mr Peggotty decides to emigrate to Australia with her and the Micawbers, now that Mr Micawber has got rid of Uriah Heep and exposed him as a thief. Chapters 15-16: Dora falls ill and dies and, in Yarmouth, a terrible storm kills Ham and Steerforth. Moreover, all the rest of Davids friends, except for Miss Peggotty and Traddles, leave for Australia. David travels abroad to try to forget Dora but he falls ill and returns to England. David eventually marries Agnes, who had always loved him, has five children and becomes a famous writer. 3. Metaphor analysis 3.1 Devils and angels The novel has a clear-cut moral structure, whereby the good characters are clearly distinguishable from the bad characters and on the whole, good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. 3.2 Predatory animals Images of predatory animals are used to convey cruelty, destructiveness, opportunism, and exploitation of other people. In Chapter XXVI, Uriah is described as being like a great vulture: gorging himself on every syllable that I said to Agnes, or Agnes said to me. In similar vein, in Chapter XXXIX, Uriah and his mother are like two great bats hanging over the whole house. In Chapter XLVIII, David gives up trying to improve Doras mind, fearing that if he continues, he will degenerate into the spider again, and be for ever lying in wait. There is an implicit reference to Mr. Murdstone, who acted in just such a predatory and cruel way with Davids mother 3.3 Symbols 4. Theme analysis 4.1 The abuse of power David Copperfield examines those who have power over the weak, and finds that they often abuse it. Davids first experience of this is as a child, when a kind and gentle authority figure, his mother, is supplanted by cruel authority figures, the Murdstones. The Murdstones stop Davids education and send him to work in a factory, where he is unhappy, poor, and hungry. Mr. and Miss Murdstone crush Clara Copperfields spirit, make her ill, and arguably are responsible for her death all under the pretence of improving her mind and firmness of character. There is an interesting parallel to this episode in Davids marriage to Dora. Dora is similar to Clara Copperfield in her childlike nature and unfitness for housekeeping, and David at first tries to form her mind by teaching her aspects of housekeeping and educating her. However, this only makes her miserable and defensive, and David, unlike the Murdstones, is sensitive and caring enough to notice this and stop trying to change his wife. By providing a parallel situation with a different outcome, Dickens shows that everyone has a choice about how they exercise their power, and that it is the responsibility of the powerful to treat the powerless with kindness and understanding. 4.2 The importance of kindness and charity In David Copperfield, Dickens portrays many types of human suffering: for example, poverty, child labor, social disgrace, and betrayal by friends and loved ones. While he does not suggest ways to systematically reform society to lessen these abuses, he does put forward an antidote on the individual level. He emphasizes the vital importance of kindness and charity that is given without thought of return. Such acts are nevertheless generally rewarded, as a kindness given inspires a kindness in return. 4.3. Equality within marriage In Chapter XLV of David Copperfield, Annie Strong says, There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose. The novel emphasizes the importance of this kind of equality within a marriage, though Dickens was not so progressive as to embrace modern notions of equality, where neither partner has authority over the other. While Annie and Dr. Strong love, respect, and honor each other, Annie has no objection to kneeling before her husband as a sign that she submits to his authority. Dr. Strong does not abuse his authority, but always treats Annie with gentleness and compassion. Conclusion

A Comparison of Shakespeares Sonnet 18 and Duffys Valentine Essay

A Comparison of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 and Duffy's Valentine Shakespear's attitude towards his lover is she is superior to the summer and very beautiful " Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" This show Shakespeare is thinking about comparing her to the summer but then he gives examples of how she is better than the summer. He says she is lovelier than the summer " Thou art more lovely and more temperate." He then goes on to say "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May" this means that she is more like a darling bud of May than a rough wind that come in the summer. He also explains, using a metaphor that the summer doesn't stay forever, but she will be beautiful forever " And summer's lease hath all too short a date." Then he says that sometimes the sun is too hot and is hidden by clouds but her beauty is never hidden and she is perfect. "Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines. And often is his gold complexion dimm'd" He then uses a double metaphor to explain that every living this is doomed to die and that nature cannot stop itself from dying ...

The Positive Impact of Being a Disciple of Jesus Essays -- Papers

Being a Disciple of Jesus and Its Effect on a Person's Life Depending on who you are and where you come from, "good effect" can have a number of meanings. Some people can say that a "good effect" is taking heed of God's message to love one another, and showing kindness in little ways, or a "good effect" can mean deciding to give up your life to devote it to poor people or the sick, or by becoming a priest. However "good effect" can mean deciding to change your life from sinful ways, like drinking too much, taking drugs, or being a child abuser, and following God, and repenting for what you have done. Also, some people think that being rich and famous, and having lots of possessions is "good," or simply being thankful for having your family near you. Some people think that being a follower of Christ gives you something to believe in and someone to use as a role model, to mould their behaviour on. This would have a good effect because they would be spreading the word of God and also, they would be helping people, by ...

Dramatic Monologues Essay -- essays papers

Dramatic Monologues The dramatic monologue features a speaker talking to a silent listener about a dramatic event or experience. The use of this technique affords the reader an intimate knowledge of the speaker's changing thoughts and feelings. In a sense, the poet brings the reader inside the mind of the speaker. (Glenn Everett online) Like a sculpturer pressing clay to form a man, a writer can create a persona with words. Every stroke of his hand becomes his or her own style, slowly creating this stone image. A dramatic monologue is an ideal opportunity for a poet to unveil a character. A dramatic monologue is a species of lyric poem in which the speaker is a persona created by the poet; the speaker's character is revealed unintentionally through his or her attitudes in the dramatic situation. This persona must be identified, but not named. He or she can be a real person, an imaginary character, an historical or literary figure; in essence, anyone except the poet or a neutral voice. The writer does this through various techniques within a dramatic monologue by using mood, diction and imagery to mold the character before the reader's eyes. Firstly, by creating a certain mood, the writer attempts to give his or her reader a particular feeling. This, in turn, reveals new insight to a side of the character that the reader has yet to discover. In William Butler Yeats' poem, An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, Yeats adds a very distinct mood to the clay that creates this airman. This man, who very obviously sees no meaning in either his life or his death, speaks carelessly about his non existent self-worth. This creates a dark and depressing atmosphere for the reader. In the finishing lines of this poem, Yeats writes... ... and Atwood manipulate to achieve a similar goal: the unveiling of their character. In much the same way that a sculptor molds clay, the writer uses mood, diction and imagery to shape its characters. Through a dramatic monologue the poet allows the reader to not only envision the characters in their physical forms, but feels their pain, celebrates their triumphs and journeys with them throughout their various dramatic experiences.  Works Cited Atwood, Margeret. Journals of Susanna Moodie Macmillan of Canada, 1980. Johnson, Pauline. Flint and Feather McCelland and Stewart, 1972. Kennedy, Ronald. The Yeats Reader Dundurn, 1968. Landy, Alice, Martin, Dave. The Heath Introduction to Literature Canadian Edition, Heath and Company, 1980. http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/rb/dm1.html http://www.uvic/writersguide/eng/dramatic.mono.com

Role Reversal within Macbeth :: Essays Papers

Role Reversal within Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth documents a man’s desire for power, and the murderous acts that he commits in order to gain it. Nevertheless, it equally focuses on his power-crazed wife and her amplified drive for control. Macbeth and his wife are joined by more than holy matrimony. Shakespeare creates an intriguing relationship that traces the downfall of not a single person, but an entity comprised of two. The concentration is directed on this oneness through the plot progression within Macbeth, in which the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are reversed. Even upon the first introduction of the Macbeths, it is evident that they do not represent the stereotypical men and women of Shakespeare’s day. In public, Lady Macbeth plays the traditional housewife and hostess while Macbeth is acknowledged by his colleagues as a fierce and loyal warrior; however, the Macbeths behave quite the opposite when in only each other’s company. Lady Macbeth blatantly distinguishes herself as the dominant force in the relationship. For instance, when Macbeth is unsure of how to manage Duncan’s visit to Inverness, Lady Macbeth instantaneously seizes control of the situation, demanding that Macbeth â€Å"put/This night’s great business into my dispatch† (1.6. 79-80). This type of behavior from a woman was unheard of in Shakespeare’s time according to Roland Muschat Frye, who states, â€Å"This evil consists in Lady Macbeth’s usurping, as a wife, that conjugal authority which Shakespeare’s age regarde d as naturally and irrevocably assigned to the husband† (102). Macbeth, however, displays no interest in assuming command and is portrayed as subservient to his overbearing wife, as Frye confirms, â€Å"While Lady Macbeth ‘unsexed’ herself, Macbeth profaned his sex by submission to her† (104). Hence, even from the start, the Macbeths’ personalities reflect the inverse of the social standard of that time. As the play proceeds, however, the balance of this relation will reverse. Macbeth and his wife clearly exchange roles in terms of the amount of ambition they display. Although both characters blatantly crave power, it is Lady Macbeth who is initially presented as the driving force in the relationship. Her intentions are purely directed toward obtaining immediate power. For example, upon first learning about the witches’ predictions, she immediately devises a murder plot and takes charge of the situation. This is made evident as she coldly explains to her husband, â€Å"Only look up clear,/To alter favor ever is to fear.