Anthropology - 1092 Words

Anthropology 1120 Assignment 1: Critical Reading Exercise Value: 10% of final grade DUE DATE: Section A: MONDAY OCTOBER 21 in your tutorial Section B: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 in your tutorial You must also upload your assignment to Turnitin via the course Moodle website by the beginning of the lecture on the due date. (more instructions will be provided in tutorials) How does it work? You must write a 3-4 page critical summary of 1 (one) of the following required reading articles from weeks 1-6: Miner, Horace. â€Å"Body Ritual Among the Nacirema† Geertz, Clifford. â€Å"Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight.† Rylko-Bauer, Barbra, Merrill Singer and John Van Willigan. â€Å"Reclaiming Applied Anthropology: Its Past Present and†¦show more content†¦Questions that have a clear yes or no answer or questions that seek specific pieces of information found in the article are not necessarily suitable for discussion. Good questions for discussion should relate the article to our larger discussion in class. Formatting Instructions Required Information on the first page: Your full name, student number, course code (ANTH 1120 A or B), Name of your Teaching Assistant, Time and Day of your tutorial. You should NOT produce a separate title page and can put all of this information at the top of the first page of text. Technical Details: 12-point font, Times or Arial preferred, 2.5cm or 1inch margins all round, double-spaced, with page numbers, and clear paragraphing. . Citations: see the AAA Simplified Citation and Reference Guidelines in the â€Å"Assignments: General Information† document for how to cite specific ideas and phrases from the course resources you consult. Title and References are not required for this assignment Tips on what to do and what not to do: Some of these articles may have summary abstracts at the beginning of the article; most articles will have introductory and concluding paragraphs that summarize the main points. These are very useful for focusing your attention on the main points of the article. But, do not copy or paraphrase these summaries. You should be critically reviewing these readings in your own words. We will deduct marks if I find that you are simplyShow MoreRelatedAnthropology : Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1472 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is anthropology? This is a question that can be answered in numerous ways, but we are going to define it as simple as possible. If we break the word down into its two components it means the study of human beings. â€Å"Anthropo† means human beings or human kind and â€Å"logy† or â€Å"logia† is Greek for the study or knowledge of something. When we put it all together, it is the study of human beings which can be very broad. Anthropolo gy can be broken down into four subfields: physical anthropology, archaeologyRead MoreAnthropology : Anthropology And Anthropology1550 Words   |  7 Pagesimagined the endless careers that are available to anthropology majors, before taking Professor Sharratt’s Intro to Anthropology course. The things that I have learned in anthropology have opened my mind to a variety of different career paths that is possible with a degree in anthropology. Anthropology majors go off to a plethora of careers with their degrees in anthropology. Anthropology is â€Å"the study of humankind in all times and place†. Anthropology has four different subfields which include: Physical/BiologicalRead MoreAnthropology : The Anthropology Of Sports1496 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology is a generic term which originates from the Greek word anthropo logos which means the â€Å"study of man.† Anthropology is the most comprehensive among the social sciences, covering every aspect of human behaviour, past, present and the future (Blanchard 1995:2). The anthropology of sports serves as a unique social scientific approach to understand and analyse sports alongside the practical application of results to real problems (Blanchard 1995:23) and like all other social sciences, operatesRead MoreCultural Anthropology : Physical Anthropology3800 Words   |  16 Pagesglossary Anthropology: It is a general comprehensive science of man in the past and present of any culture. This is divided into two main areas: physical anthropology, dealing with biological evolution and physiological adaptation of humans, and social or cultural anthropology that deals with people living in society, ie forms of evolution of language, culture and customs. Anthropology uses tools and knowledge produced by the natural sciences and the social sciences. Aspiration of anthropologicalRead MoreThe Anthropology Of Cultural Anthropology1370 Words   |  6 Pagescultural anthropology, which seeks to understand the purpose and place of the humans in this world. It will include anthropology as a social science, the concept of culture, and it would also introduction the human evolution and to archaeology, ethnographic field methods. The importance of human language, human development, patterns, global economy, marriage and the family, gender issues, global politics and local political organization, social stratification, medical anthropology, ethnicityRead MoreVisual Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1554 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropologists have been able to study the differences in human cultures and how they have evolve. â€Å"There are now four major fields of anthropology: biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology† (Dennis O Neil). Within these fields are subfields, visual anthropology is a very important subfield of cultural anthropology. Visual anthropology is the study of the history of human customs and culture through what one sees or perceives in various types of media. ThereforeRead MoreAnthropology and Its Branches1728 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropology is the study of human beings, in particular the study of their physical character, evolutionary history, racial classification, historical and present-day geographic distribution, group relationships, and cultural history. Anthropology can be c haracterized as the naturalistic description and interpretation of the diverse peoples of the world. Modern-day anthropology consists of two major divisions: cultural anthropology, which deals with the study of human culture in all its aspects;Read More Anthropology1316 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology Anthropology what a vulnerable observer you are! You may well have to jump into the arms of the scientists if you are going to try to keep your grass hut at the academy! -- Ruth Behar Debates on the role the reflexive plague the field of cultural anthropology as postmodern critics join the bandwagon attempting to claim authority in this dubiously recognized discipline. In the borderline realm between the sciences and humanities, cultural anthropology has tried to find a nicheRead MoreCultural Anthropology Of Humans Living And Dead Anthropology938 Words   |  4 Pagesnot share the same ideals as them. This lack of communication is a major barrier in advancement of our world. Anthropology, in short, is the study of humans living and dead Anthropology is divided into five main categories: applied, linguistic, medical, biological, archaeological, and cultural. Each of these five divisions teaches a different aspect of human life. Cultural anthropology teaches acceptance. There are social norms that can be found in every culture, the difference from culture to cultureRead MorePhilosophical Anthropology2982 Words   |  12 PagesPhilosophical Anthropology ABSTRACT: Philosophers cannot avoid addressing the question of whether philosophical anthropology (that is, specifically philosophical inquiry about human nature and human phenomenon) is possible. Any answer must be articulated in the context of the nature and function of philosophy. In other words, philosophical anthropology must be defined as an account of the nature of the subject of philosophical thinking. I argue that if philosophical thinkers admit that they

Overview of the Solar Panel Industry Free Essays

Global Business Operations Solar Panel Industry Student Name: student Number: Introduction The solar panel industry is a niche market dominated by a small number of large firms. Five out of the top ten biggest players In the Industry are Chinese firms. Solar panels capture sunlight and convert It Into electricity, In one of two forms; industry, due to the large market share dominated by a small number of players, furthermore, the solar panel industry not only cooperates with, but also competes with other industries such as power production and component manufacturing industries. We will write a custom essay sample on Overview of the Solar Panel Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Solar Panel Industry The Shape of the Solar Panel Industry With five out of the biggest solar panel producers worldwide being Chinese, it is no surprise that 45% of solar panel production across the globe is by Chinese firms. The solar panel industry is the fastest growing power technology in the world, with reported yearly increases in capacity of 50%. Consisting of mainly 10 firms, the industry isn’t large in terms of suppliers, however, the combined revenues of these 10 firms account for $21. Ban, thus the industry is large in revenue as well as production. Growth Global Presence The growth of the solar panel industry is fairly new, beginning in the early sass’s, thus the industry is not only dominated by a few large players, but it is also maintaining its volume position as it is not going through consolidation and turning into a fragmented industry; the large firms are still growing. Competition within the industry is tight, especially since all major firms ha ve a global presence. Any large firm involved in solar panel production without a global presence is sure to be overtaken by competitors. Product Variety Core Business Solar panels are generally a very homogeneous product, all firms that produce them apply essentially the same product with minor variations, this makes it even more difficult to develop a true competitive advantage within the industry. The industry is mainly based on business-to-business sales; power production firms order solar panels from the producers. Other revenue streams come from foreign solar panel retailers purchasing small orders and distributing them to private buyers such as homes or offices. Innovation, RD, and Demand conditions In order to develop and maintain a competitive advantage within the solar panel industry, it is paramount to invest in innovating and research development. As it stands, the industry remains very linear in terms of product innovation; investments are heavy however no new technologies have yet been discovered or implemented. Since its inception, the technology implemented within solar panels has definitely increased, however there have been no significant breakthroughs that would fairly stable; prices have been more or less constant and competition tight but not extensive as the players aren’t many. The industry took a blow in 2007 following the global crisis, however it recovered in 2010 and has been growing more than ever at an unprecedented pace. Vertical Integration Production Process The Chinese firms mainly adopt vertical integration from the raw materials to the finished product, whereas USA and Japanese firms, which are the other big players, tend to outsource some production as well as import components from suppliers such as Busch. This difference arises due to the costs involved in producing and assembling solar panels; in China, availability of resources is very high, as well as cheap labor and land, thus incurring less costs, hence why Chinese firms prefer to vertically integrate their production process. Whereas for American and Japanese firms, cheap labor and production space is not available, thus it is more cost effective to outsource production and import components. Vertical integration itself is not a fully efficient way of production in the long run, as demonstrated by the automotive industry in the early 20th century. Ford adopted a full vertical integration production process, and while for years it remained the market leader in the USA, eventually Toyota adopted a Just-in-time production process and overtook Ford in USA market share. This is mainly due to the incurred sots of vertical integration; at an early stage of an industry as a whole, vertical integration is cheaper, however as an industry and its accompanying technologies advance, third-party firms enter niche markets of component production and it eventually becomes cheaper to outsource most of the production process. Economies of Scale The biggest advantages to the large solar panel producers arise due to their economies of scale. With a huge production capacity and an efficient supply chain, every step of the value chain from production to delivery becomes much cheaper per unit. Economies of scale acquired by solar panel producers are down to their rapid growth mainly due to their early entry into the market. There are no physical barriers to entering the solar panel industry; governments actually subsidize firms who get involved in renewable energies through tax exemptions and monetary aid. However, the barriers to entry are known as ‘natural barriers’, meaning that the barriers to entry that do exist are not due to regulation, but rather to the strength and size of the competitors, which in turn relates to their economies of scale which allow them to sustain production at such high capacity and cost efficiency. Value Chain Configuration Sunsets is Chinese solar panel producer, up to 2010 it was the world market leader in the solar panel industry, today it has gone down to be the 5th biggest firm. After a series of financial troubles related to defaulting on US government bonds in 2011, the firm has reported revenues of $3. 1 ban and net loss of $1 Ban (2011). Sunsets was founded in 2001 and went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005, share price dropped 40% following its first default on government bonds. The following diagram shows Sentence’s value chain process, which will be explained in more detail underneath the diagram: The first segment of the value chain is inbound logistics, since Sunsets is a vertically integrated firm, it produces its own components which are later used in the production of solar panels. The next part of the value chain is operations; this part is the most important in Sentence’s value chain as it is where production takes place. The core business of Sunsets is the production of solar panels, without an impeccable product they would quickly cease to be one of the market leaders. The third step shown in the diagram is outbound logistics, this involves Sunsets distributing the finished product to its customers. Supply chain management is very important, especially since Sunsets is vertically integrated, they have their own distribution channels rather than outsourcing them, thus their customers must receive their products on time and in good condition. Marketing and sales isn’t such an integral part of the value chain, as the core revenue stream for solar panel producers is business-to-business sales rather than business-to-customer, thus jugular marketing methods are not as effective. The final step of the value chain is service, mainly involving post-sale service. Given the nature of the product, solar panels actually have an average life span of 25-30 years, thus minimal service is required, however, Sunsets focuses more on actually turning the service step into a long-term relationship with customers for repeat business and long-term contracts. Sunsets is present globally, with large volume sales to Australia, USA, China, Spain, AJAX, and Brazil, it is basically present in every continent. The main customers for Sunsets and other solar panel producers are power plants and solar farms, who in turn sell on the electricity they produce with the solar panels. It is a large market with very few players as power production is one of the hardest markets to enter, with extensive barriers to entry. Sentence’s overall performance is dubious. On the one hand, it lead the market for many years due to its excellent quality and reputation in production, and on the other hand, it crashed due to mismanagement of resources and financial troubles. In terms of cost efficiency, Sentence’s vertical integration is seemingly flawless as the hole production process is streamlined and very well coordinated, thus the conclusion in terms of performance is that operationally Sunsets is performing exceptionally well, however administratively it is performing horribly and is definitely behind its competitors. Out of the top 10 dominating firms, only two firms are running at a loss, one of which is Sunsets. Recommendations The main issue for Sunsets is mismanagement of funds, thus the main recommendations would be to change the CEO, which has actually been done. How to cite Overview of the Solar Panel Industry, Papers

Pendulum free essay sample

The pendulum shows elastic collision and conserved momentum. In this set up, no momentum is actually lost. Ball O Just transfers its momentum to stationary ball 1 which it collides with(head-on collision) so ball O is put to stop then ball 1 collides with ball 2 causing ball 1 to stop and transfer its momentum to ball 2 and so on until the momentum gets transferred to ball 4 then ball 3 collides with ball 2 and the cycle continues. Thoughts on KPIJP Grading System As we all know, the new KPIJP grading system is composed of four different parts: Knowledge, Process, Understanding, and Performance. Knowledge covers the facts and information taught. Process tests how students assess or process the knowledge taught to them. Understanding is how the students understand and explain the lesson after processing it. Performance is the product or outputs of the students. As changes are added, we should expect some effects as well. Being a second year high school student myself, I have experienced the good and bad sides of this grading system. We will write a custom essay sample on Pendulum or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page First of all, it had a good effect on the students in terms of giving effort in academics. Why? The answer is simple. All the graded seat works, quizzes, and long tests are now called assessments, and therefore they carry the same weight in terms of grading. This will enable students to study more and be more conscious about their grades. On the other hand, it may also affect many people like me. Since seat works are given to students very often and they weigh a big part of our grades, it tends to stress he students out because it is Just like having a quiz every other day. Another thing is that the process and understanding parts of the assessments can be subjective to some people. It did not affect me directly, but it did to some of my classmates. It is hard to get a concrete answer to those questions because not everyone has the same opinion and way of processing knowledge on a certain topic. Therefore it can give some students a hard time to adjust. In addition, school work Just doubled this school year. A lot ot students are already stressed out due to the amount of projects they have. I personally think that KPIJP is affecting this indirectly. As the number of projects increase, the risks of not submitting them on time will also increase. What happens if no output is submitted? Students will have to say good bye to the 30% of their grades. Therefore, I think there should be a balance between the KPIJP grading system and the amount of work given to the students, especially because this is Just the first year of implementing KPIJP.

Yanomamo Culture Essay Example For Students

Yanomamo Culture Essay There are many differences between the South American Yanomamo culture and the North American culture that we have adapted to, but just at there is culture diversity between us, we have some similarities. The ethnography, which is chose, was â€Å"Yanomamo† written by Napoleon A. Chagnon, anthropologists. Chagnon tells us how to it was to live among the Yanomamo family, political and warfare system versus the American Culture. The Yanomamo are of patrilineal culture, male oriented and very sexist. For some reason they believe that, they are superior to women, so do some men in American culture. However, they are jolted back reality when the law gets involved, unfortunately Yanomamo men don’t have this wake up call. Marriage is cross-cultural perspective. Yanomamo marriages are much different from that of American marriages. Yanomamo women are treated as materialistic objects and promised by their father or brother to a Yanomamo man in return for reciprocity. The reciprocity could be another Yanomamo women or political alliances. The trades are often practiced in the Yanomamo culture. Polygamy is also a part of the Yanomamo culture. Yanomamo women are kept in the male’s possession. The Yanomamo man tries to collect as many wives as he possibly can in order to demonstrate his power and masculinity. As polygamy in American Culture is referred to as bigamy which is against the law. We will write a custom essay on Yanomamo Culture specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Besides, polygamy, the practice of infanticide plays a role in the lack of women in their society. Yanomamo prefer to parent a male child rather than a female child, so in case a female is born she is killed at birth. This again proved their sexist beliefs that women are inferior. Many Yanomamo women fearing their husbands kill a female infant to avoid disappointing their so-called â€Å"better half†. To the people of American culture certain procedures of murdering a new born baby would be considered brutal, horrific and mutilation. But to the Yanomamo choking an infant to death with a vine, suffocating the infant by the placing a stick across her throat, or simply throwing the child against a tree and leaving it to suffer and then die is normal. Yet some Americans would also suggest that abortion is just like murder also, so what’s the difference!When an acceptable child is born into a Yanomamo family the mother breast-feeds him for a relatively long time. Children are nursed until they reach the age of at most, three or four. As long as the mother breast-feeds she is less likely to be fertile. This is a natural contraceptive. But if a new infant is born it will starve to death, because the older sibling would drink most of the milk, specially if it is a female infant. Male children grow up to be hunters and worriers. Female children although inferior (according to the Ya nomamo) are valuable objects of trade and political alliances. A confusing aspect of the Yanomamo marriages is, even though polygamy is freely practiced so is monogamy but only for the women. Adultery, just like in American culture, is inexcusable to the Yanomamo. In this topic similarities make a breakthrough in both cultures. If relationship between an American woman and an American man goes putrescent and the woman becomes promiscuous violence is only expected by the man. The problem is assault and battery charges can get you into a lot of trouble, not to mention how much you would have to pay a lawyer. But Yanomamo mean get away with their violent retaliation for being disrespected because again there are no laws protecting Yanomamo women not that American women are always protected by the law, it’s just a myth. .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d , .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .postImageUrl , .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d , .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:hover , .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:visited , .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:active { border:0!important; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:active , .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2cd85e904e02fd6af7994404cae8e34d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: I.t. doctors database analysis EssayThe punishment for the Yanomamo women who is only suspected of having an affair with another man is being beaten with a club, burned, shot with a barbed arrow, or the man decides to detach a limb (ex. Arm, leg) with an ax or machete. Even though it seems as though women are expendable is this culture she may have some one who would aid her if she needed help, her brothers. A Yanomamo women’s endeavor and search for aid is not always successful espically if her brothers are in a remote village that you could reach if you walked for a couple of days. But if her brothers are around and close enough for some strange reason she might get a little more respect (not too much). Alliances or formal pacts between groups are incorporated through trade and feasting. The relationships between these two parties are strengthened when the exchange of women takes place. A political alliance begins with an agreement to trade. Women for the Yanomamo are like how money is for Americans. They need it for political game. But payment isn’t usually made at the same time. Members of one village will go to another and trade goods. The members of second village will have to reciprocate with other type of items some time later. With this constant trade at hand one village is always in debt to another. But this also is a good excuse for visiting the other village, and as long they keep in touch they have a tight bond between them. Another method of forming political alliances is feasting. Feasting is when one village invites village for a feast or dinner. During the feast there is a lot social activity. The Yanomamo dance and mingle with each other along with eating a different variety of foods. The only catch is the other village must reciprocate a feast by one village. This feast is more like an American dinner party in which members of family or social group invite others to attend. A feast however can be dangerous and or fatal for those who attend. The Yanomamo can be very conniving and deceiving. They pretend to be loyal friends and invite the other village for a feast. The other very village very trustfully attends the feast not knowing that this might be their last meal. After the feast when the guests are helplessly resting in their hammocks they are attacked and brutally beaten to death. Yanomamo feasts can be dangerous, unlike American dinner parties, which are not violent other than an occasional mishap. But nothing likes the Yanomamo who plots a conspiracy to attack the guests. The Yanomamo warfare is commonly motivated by revenge. Because the lack of women many villagers raid on another village abducting as many women’s they possibly can. While abducting women they try and kill as many enemies as they can. When the village that was victimized has had some atonement and are prepared they seek out for revenge on the village that attacked them, sometimes procuring the women who were initially from their village. American warfare maybe a little more involved then the Yanomamo. Our quarrels are not over women, unless it is domestic, but our political reasons. And Americans don’t limit themselves, just to satisfy their need for a war they go international. And with all of the technology these day can do a lot more than villages. Americans also have alliances other countries. These alliances are for backup, just in case a country decides that imperialism is the key to a strong nation, the other countries who signed the treaty back them up. But warfare for any society in my opinion is barbaric and deplorable. The differences and similarities between the Yanomamo culture and American culture maybe vast, but all humans have an adoption to their culture. If an aspect of the Yanomamo culture is different from American culture it’s discriminated against because it is not understood. Keeping an open mind while I was reading the book was difficult because I was shocked by some of the ways they conducted themselves. But I realized that American don’t really conduct themselves in an orderly fashion at all time either. The Yanomamo make use of the little technology they have,, we on the other hand take advantage of the mass of technology that we have. The similarities between the Yanomamo and Americans was crystal clear, I could imagine Americans without technology living like the Yanomamo the only difference would be Americans would not be handle themselves under theses circumstances. .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 , .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .postImageUrl , .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 , .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:hover , .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:visited , .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:active { border:0!important; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:active , .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0 .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0783ad42242a8270c29849e43c31afe0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drawing and Recording by Lens-Based Media EssayAnthropology

eveyday use essays

eveyday use essays Everyday Use contrasts two generations to define a lost heritage. Dee, who is home from college, decides that she has a sudden interest in her ancestry. Dee comes home to her mother and her sister, Maggie. The mother has a very realistic and objective view of herself. She admits that she is a large, big- boned woman with hands of a man. She offers the reader a very lengthy, and seemingly, derogatory account of herself. The mother does, however, admit that she would like to be thinner. The mother's wish to be more attractive is only to satisfy her visiting daughter, Dee. Dee's mother, when talking about her fantasy of being on television, even says that, " I am the way my daughter wants me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake" (562-63). When Dee arrives the mother and Maggie seem to get nervous and treat Dee as if she were just another visitor. When Dee asks her mother for the quilt, Maggie and her mother are nervous and afraid to refuse. The ironi c part is that Dee wants to display the quilt to reflect her heritage. Dee does not seem to have any respect for this newly discovered heritage, however. The quilt is, indeed, a true symbol of their heritage. Every generation has owned the quilt and added on to it, adding character and significance. The reader soon learns that the mother had promised to give the quilt to Maggie. Dee accuses Maggie of being, "backward enough to put them to everyday use" (567). It seems that artifacts such as the quilt have become fashionable, as well as the idea of valued heritage. The mother observes that she had offered the quilt to Dee when she left for college, but Dee did not want the quilt then. Now, Dee comes back home saying that the quilt is priceless! The irony of the whole situation is that Dee accuses Maggie and her mother of not understanding their heritage. The ...

When Do PSAT Scores Come Out The PSAT Results Release Schedule

When Do PSAT Scores Come Out The PSAT Results Release Schedule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The wait for PSAT results can be nerve-wracking. It's likely your first time taking an SAT-like test, and the PSAT can give you a sense of what range your final SAT score is likely to be. Plus, if you score high enough, there's a lot of potential scholarship money available. So when is the wait over? When are PSAT scores released? In this guide, we explain when you'll get your PSAT results, walk you through the complete PSAT timeline, and offer some suggestions on what to do once you have your scores. Exclusive Free Bonus: Download a free guide containing our top 5 strategies for improving your SAT score by 160 points. After you get your PSAT score back, you'll want to know how to improve it. When Do PSAT Scores Come Out? First off, how long does it take to get PSAT results? You'll usually get your PSAT scores in December, six to eight weeks after taking the exam. Scores for the 2018 PSAT were released online December 10-12, 2018. The exact date on which students received their scores varied depending on where they took the test. The College Board doesn't have the 2019 PSAT score release date finalized yet, but based on past years, we expect 2019 PSAT scores to be available online beginning around December 9, 2019. However, note that your guidance counselor and school will be able to see your scores one week earlier- around December 2. Those who took the PSAT outside the US will get their scores a little later than those in the US will and can expect to see them around December 10, 2019. PSAT Results Timeline Now, let's go into more detail: how long does it take to get PSAT scores? Here's a complete look at the PSAT timeline for 2019-20 so you can see exactly when you'll take the test and when you'll get your scores back. Bonus: Do you know what score you need on the PSAT? Check out our guide on what's a good PSAT score to help you set a goal! Step 1: Take the PSAT in October The PSAT is generally administered in mid-October, though there are a few possible dates. The 2019 PSAT test dates are as follows: Primary Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2019 Alternate Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 Saturday Date: October 19, 2019 The exact logistics of taking the PSAT depend on your school. Some schools make each 11th grade student take the test, some offer PSAT sign-up, and others don't administer the PSAT at all (meaning you'll have to arrange to take the test somewhere else). To make sure you're not stuck without a PSAT score, ask your school by September 1 how they plan to prepare for and administer the test. If you don't like your school's method, you'll have plenty of time to consider other options and make plans accordingly. Step 2: Get Your PSAT Scores Online in December PSAT scores will come out in mid-December 2019 (the exact date you get yours depends on what state you took the test in). Once PSAT scores are released, you can access them online by signing into your College Board account: If you haven't made a College Board account, you can do so here. Once you've logged in, click "PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 Scores" to get to your PSAT scores. You’ll then be taken to a page that has your PSAT results. For more details on how to get your PSAT scores, including what to do if you can’t see your PSAT scores online, read our complete guide to the PSAT score report. Step 3: Schools Distribute PSAT Paper Reports In addition to the online reports, the College Board is still sticking to its tradition of giving paper PSAT score reports to schools and then having schools distribute those to students. Assuming the College Board sticks to its schedule from last year, you can expect to get your paper score report sometime in January 2020, but the exact date hasn't been released yet. PSAT Results: What Now? Here are some options for what you can do once you get your PSAT scores back. Option 1: Plan for the National Merit Scholarship If you scored high enough on the PSAT (and are a junior), you might qualify as a Semifinalist for the National Merit scholarship competition. Each year this program awards Semifinalist status to the top 1% of PSAT scorers, or about 16,000 students. Becoming a Semifinalist for this program is contingent only on your PSAT scores. The exact score needed to qualify varies depending on the state, so if your aim is to win a scholarship, it's a good idea to get a feel for what score you'll need before you take the PSAT. If you become a Semifinalist, note that becoming a Finalist requires a little more effort, including keeping up your GPA. Lay the groundwork for becoming a National Merit Finalist senior year by doing some research into what’s required. Option 2: Retake the PSAT as a Junior (If You Took It Early) If you're an early bird who took the PSAT as a freshman or sophomore, it's a smart idea to retake the PSAT your junior year, especially if you're hoping to qualify for National Merit and want to eventually get a super high SAT (or ACT) score. What's great about taking the PSAT as a freshman or sophomore is that it exposes you early on to the types of questions you'll see on the SAT. What's more, it lets you get a feel for where your weaknesses lie and what skills you need to hone in your prep, ultimately raising your chances of becoming a National Merit Semifinalist and hitting your SAT/ACT goal score on a first or second attempt. Option 3: Prep for the SAT (or ACT) The main purpose of the PSAT is to prepare students to take the SAT, either later on in their junior years or in the fall of their senior years before they apply to colleges. In fact, your PSAT score is intended to be a good estimate of how you’ll do on the actual SAT. This means that if you get 1200 on the PSAT and take the SAT without any prep, you’ll likely get around the same score. What's more, since the structure of the SAT is so similar to that of the ACT, you can use the PSAT to prepare for the ACT as well. (Note, though, that there are a handful of differences between the two tests, the biggest of which is the inclusion of a Science section on the ACT. In addition, it's probably a better idea to take the PreACT instead of the PSAT if you plan to take the ACT.) Don't despair if you get a low PSAT score. Instead, analyze what went wrong and then use that information to improve your knowledge and skills so that you can do better on the SAT or ACT. The process of analyzing your errors will be helpful even if you scored extremely well on the PSAT, since the content on the PSAT and SAT aren't exactly the same. PSAT scores only go up to 1520 instead of 1600 as they do on the SAT. The reason for this is that the SAT has higher-level reading passages, tests trickier grammatical rules, and includes more trigonometry and harder math. So even if you get a perfect score on the PSAT, you're not guaranteed a perfect SAT score! Your PSAT results will include information about whether you’re meeting the benchmarks for Reading, Writing, and Math, as well as a more detailed look at which subskills you excel at and which ones you need to improve. Rather than beating yourself up over what you did wrong, try to focus on figuring out why you did poorly on a given section. Was it because you’d never taken a standardized test before and got nervous? Maybe you felt rushed for time on certain parts, or just flat out didn’t know some of the material covered. Whatever the reasons for your issues, make sure to start your SAT or ACT prep by addressing your weaknesses revealed by the PSAT. For more advice on what to do with your PSAT scores, read this article! What's Next? Want to see how your score stacks up against other students’ scores? Find out with our coverage of the most recent PSAT percentiles and Score Selection Index. Learn all about the National Merit scholarship competition with our in-depth articles on how to become a Semifinalist and how to win the scholarship. Already taken the PSAT as a junior? Start to plan out when you’ll take the SAT with our up-to-date list of test dates. Alternatively, if you took the PSAT as a freshman or sophomore, find out when the next PSAT will be offered. Finally, when you get your scores back, you'll probably want to know how to improve your score for the big test: the SAT. We've researched hundreds of student stories and academic studies and found the 5 principles you need to follow to improve your score. Click the link below and enter your email address to get the best SAT prep advice you can get anywhere. Follow these 5 strategies to improve your SAT score by 160 points or more.

Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Operations management - Essay Example It would be considered wrong trying to develop a production system of a company, while that very company sources its products from external suppliers (Finch 2004, pp.183-186). Every organization will possess a different production system thanks to its unique traits and capabilities. Besides, the company may use this production mix as a blueprint in order to achieve supernormal profits by enhancing strengths and reducing weaknesses. At this stage, there is the need to distinguish some elements that come with the production system. Identify whether the system is process production or part production. While production systems will entail those items that undergo physical and chemical transformations, the part production system rarely transforms the product. In fact, the part production system is mostly involved with assembly or manufacturing of the product desired by the customer. Nonetheless, both types require a carefully researched production system as the production mix achieved has the same effect on the performance of the company. Now, considering that services present a very different respect on matters of production. The production system developed will thus be investigated on the lengths of service process matrix. This matrix tries to strike a balance between the degrees of labor intensity compared to the degree of labor customization. Analyses of all this respects will help establish a mix on which strategies for the organization will be made. The rising need for companies to establish a production mix that yields a competitive advantage has led to the vast studies on matters of operations management for both service and manufacturing sectors. More than before the area has received much attention due to the vital need for growth among various companies. This paper will seek to review a service production system whose strict observance is set to

Culture and Leadership in Microsoft Research Paper

Culture and Leadership in Microsoft - Research Paper Example Culture and leadership are the two main and basic features of the organizations involved in any kind of business or service provision. These elements enable a company to flourish and achieve its aims and objectives in a much clearer way than those workplaces which lack proper formulation and translation of the values and norms. When we see the success stories of the leading, global firms around us, it gives a good realization of the fact that a good leadership and a sophisticated organizational culture form a good organization. This paper discusses the concept of organizational culture and leadership in a detailed context. It also gives a comprehensive overview of these concepts with reference to Microsoft. Organizational Culture The concept of organizational culture plays an important role in the life and functioning of any organization. Defining the term in its specific context, the culture of an organization pertains to an idea referring to the aspect of organizational studies and management which explains the attitudes, experiences, psychology, beliefs and values related to an organization. According to many management experts the concept of organizational culture is described as the explicit compilation of norms and values which are commonly shared by groups and people in an organization. These values, beliefs and norms also influence the way the people in an organization communicate and network with one another and with the external parties and stakeholders outside the organization. To extend it further, these ideas and beliefs explain the nature of goals that the members in an organization normally follow. The culture also translates the suitable standards of behaviors, attitudes and the environment w hich are used by the members of the organization. Leadership Leadership is one of the main elements of the organizational management. According to many management experts and gurus, the term is described as the process of influencing the society and the workforce in which one member acts as the leaders and lists the support and assistance for other people and the subordinate in order to achieve the completion of a tasks which is being worked on as a mutual goal. The act of leading refers to the creation of a way through which the people in an organization put in their efforts and contributions in order to contribute something unusual to happen. Talking specifically about the implementation and influence if leadership in the organization, the effectiveness of this act pertains to the capability of the /leader to execute a successful maximization and instability to successfully integrate and maximize available resources within the internal and external environment for the attainment o f organizational or societal goals 1 Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is the leading organization in the field of the provision of computer hardware and software products. The company is a public multinational based in America and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA. The company is basically involved in the development, manufacturing, licensing and supporting a diverse variety of services and products which are chiefly connected to the computer-related technology thorough the divisions of many of its product divisions2. The history of Microsoft Corporation briefly dates back to April 4, 1975 and this was the time when BASIC interpreters was developed and sold to Altair 8800. The company also rose to control the computer operating system in the home market in mid-1980s with MS-DOS, which was later followed by the introduction of the modern Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. The Microsoft Corpora

Essay on Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Essay on Global Warming Essay Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. Even though it is an ongoing debate, it is proved by the scientists that the planet is warming. The 29th century is experiencing a continued increase of Earth’s mean atmospheric temperature by about 1.4 degrees F and about two thirds of it occurring since 1980. This is global warming is affecting the nature’s balance and has a huge impact on life like continued heat waves, and sudden occurrence of storms and floods. Don’t we see time to time the epidemics that are devastating to human life and the flooding of the farmlands that puts economy in a deep hole? Scientific evidence indicates that since 1950, the world’s climate has been warming, primarily as a result of emissions from non -stop burning of fossil fuels and the razing of tropical forests. Since the industrial revolution till this day, there is a constant emission of the carbon into the atmosphere, everything we do we leave carbon footprints. It is a man made cause of the global warming. The global emissions jumped 3 percent in 2011 and are expected to jump another 2.6 percent in 2012, researchers reported. The greenhouse effect is a process by which the greenhouse gases absorb thermal radiation; these are then reradiated in all directions. But when some of these radiations come back to the surface and lower atmosphere, it causes increase in the average surface temperature leading to global warming. Global warming Causes The causes are many of which the main culprit is the increase in the greenhouse gases that is produced by burning fossil fuel and deforestation, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect leading to global warming. The four main contributors of the greenhouse effect are, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Mining for coal and oil releases methane in the atmosphere. More ever the leakage from natural gas fields and landfills are additional source of methane. Excessive cutting down of the trees is another factor causing global warming. When deforestation happens the efficiency by which carbon dioxide is stored and oxygen released by the green plants are decreased to a huge rate in turn causing increased concentration of carbon dioxide that leads to increased greenhouse effect. The nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes are other factors that cannot be forgotten as the cause of Global Warming. Another source of methane is methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly. Ice caps and glaciers reflect sunlight, bouncing high temperature sun -rays back into space away from the Earth. When these icecaps are removed the earth gets warmer as the dark oceans absorb much thermal radiation from the sun. Some regions may be wet with rain and some areas will suffer drought due to global warming. The climatic changes happen due to global warming. Seasonal changes are unpredictable unexpected thunderstorms might result as mentioned earlier. The burning of wood (should be reduced to a greater extent) releases oxidizable carbon to the atmosphere whose presence in greater amount causes the elevation of temperature. There is strong evidence that emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were the major cause of the recent abnormal warming. Like carbon CFC do not trap heat but in the presence of UV rays the chlorine gets detached from CFC, drifts up into the stratosphere and these unattached chlorines catalytically convert Ozone molecules into Oxygen molecules depleting the ozone layer.

Pro-Choice Abortion Essay -- Freedom of Choice, Pro-Choice Essays

Abortion Abortion is one of the most personal, widely discussed, and controversial topics in American culture today. In most cases, people on both sides of the argument take worthy and moral positions. Who can blame someone who wishes to prevent the termination of a teen pregnancy to save the life of an unborn child? On the other hand, who can blame anyone who advocates the soon-to-be mother's right to make such a personal, heartbreaking choice? No matter what she chooses to do, should anyone have the legal right to force her to bear an unwanted child? Most people in the US are pro-choice, and believe that abortion should be a legal, confidential decision that only a woman can make for herself. However, some are against the idea of terminating life, regardless of its current stage. People advocating this pro-life opinion believe that de-legalizing abortion will make it go away. Sadly, that is incorrect. Throughout American history, despite complications of legality, women have managed to have abortions without much difficulty, whether from a doctor, a back-alley abortionist pretending to be a doctor, or even themselves. Fittingly, about 80% of women are pro-choice, while 60% of men follow the pro-choice ideal. This is exemplified by the fact that nearly half of all American women (including teenagers) have had an abortion at least once. Abortion has been a very common part of American life since the eighteenth century. Both in times of public scrutiny, and acceptance, abortion has always been present in the United States. At the start of the 1900?s, it was common practice for doctors to refuse medical care to woman suffering from abortion complications, until she confessed to having an abortion. This cruel practice ... ...responsible, naÃÆ'Â ¯ve adolescent. For example, the possibility that a girl whom is ?flamboyant? in her physical excapades, demands an abortion every other month, is purely ridiculous. I do not condone such behavior, but I do believe that abortion is sometimes the most logical, least heart-wrenching choice. Although I do not whole-heartedly agree with the concept of terminating the possibility of life, it is sometimes necessary to prevent or even end one life, to save a massive amount of suffering, and rescue the livelihood of many others. Furthermore, the opinion of corrupt political officials and the twisted view of society should have no say in the personal matters of a single, suffering woman. As a result, it is the right of every woman in the United States to judge how serious the circumstances are, and make the decision to accept or decline abortion for her self.

Passage to India

An exploration of these possibilities hopefully shall veal which meaning, If not all of them, Forester Intended the Marimba Caves to possess. On a metaphysical level, the Caves can be seen as a representation of the subconscious. By entering the caves one penetrates the dark, cavernous realm of one's own psyche. Several characters experience a revelation within their walls. Mrs.. Moor's revelation is that of immense hopelessness. Her experience in the cave creates a sense of chaos and the sense that despite what is said or known in the world, It Is all essentially meaningless.The echo she hears reinforces this revelation to her. The scary resounding â€Å"boom† reduces every individual sound or voice to a continuous and indistinct noise (Forester 163). She meditates that the sound, â€Å"had managed to murmur ‘Pathos, piety, courage-they exist, but are identical, and so is filth. Everything exists, nothing has value. ‘ If one had spoken vileness in that place, or quoted lofty poetry, the comment would have been the same-‘oh-boom† (165). It is here she realizes the whole of human history has sounded Just Like this and that her existence makes no Impression upon it at all.That no matter what Is done and said It s all in the end meaningless. For her, the caves symbolize the antiquity of existence and she has been reduced to being another nonsensical blurb in the annals of time. When she emerges from the cave, Adele asks Mrs.. Moore if she saw the reflection of a match, calling it pretty. Mrs.. Moore claims to have forgotten, but ultimately the only thing she saw In the cave was a reflection of her fears. For the young Adele, the caves Invoke a different revelation.Perhaps their enormity and sense of removal from the world make her meditate on the decision she Is going to make to marry Irony. Looking upon the rock formations as if ripples in her own mind, she is reminded of her relationship with Irony and asks, â€Å"What about love ? † (168). Within these walls, she realizes that she is about to marry a man she does not love and ultimately by traversing the corridors of her own mind, she reaches a sense of inner awareness. Adele has a sudden epiphany In the caves and â€Å"vexed, rather than appalled, she stood still, her eyes on the sparkling rock† (168).Perhaps this sparkling rock that Adele focuses on represents a light that has been turned on inside of her. However, unlike Mrs.. Moore who is reduced to an irritable depression, Adele has what appears be a mental breakdown. She has made a decision to escape the confines of societal pressures and not marry Irony. This knowledge provokes such a state in her that she seems to be in a trance, unaware of the hysteria surrounding her until her Inner echo stops during the trial. After renouncing all charges against Aziza; Adele confides Tanat parlor to near cave explosion, sense experienced â€Å"a sort AT sadness. . Tanat I could not detect at the ti me†¦ No, nothing as solid as sadness: living at half pressure expresses it best. Half pressure† (266). Inside the caves is where she recognizes that so far she was not living her life â€Å"full steam†. Perhaps this revelation at a life led devoid of true experiences and satisfaction caused her possible â€Å"hallucination†. Up until this point in her life, she had seen life in only one direction; now there were many. In court, she conjures up this multi-directional view; describing it as a â€Å"double relation† (253).She tries to recount the day at the caves and questions herself as to why she did not enjoy what was around her initially. Looking back she realizes that it was â€Å"all dutiful and significant, though she had been blind to it at the time† (253). For both women the entrance into the caves is like an entrance into their own mind. They derive a new sense of knowledge within the hollowed walls and emerge with an echo- a â€Å"boom † that haunts them; an echo that may be the resounding hum of their own subconscious (168). This haunting echo for Mrs..Moore serves as a reminder of her own insignificance and mortality; while for Adele the echo chips away at her, revealing that perhaps she is uncomfortable with her new self-awareness until she can properly interpret it. However, she will need time to do this, remarking that â€Å"the vision disappeared whenever she wished to interpret it† (267). One can only speculate on Dale's revelation and her supposed â€Å"insult†. In the end she loses interest in who could have insulted her in the cave; because ultimately she encountered someone much more important in those walls, herself.Essentially, Adele grapples with three different issues: the â€Å"concept of her own Brutishness crumbles, as the very essence of her identity alters, [and] her disenfranchisement in Anglo-India 56). Her first step of assertion is by renouncing her accusations against Aziza. By disentangling herself from the British and their need to scapegoat him she has effectively removed herself from the Anglo-Indian system and become her own woman. In a more literal fashion the caves can be seen as momentary freedom from the constraints of each individual's society; Moslem, Hindu, and Anglo-Indian all converge here.The Marimba Cave setting is a less formal affair then the â€Å"bridge party' and serves as a removal from the country club and mosques that separate them. However, this confluence of cultures has disastrous results for the main characters. The initial entrance into the caves is described as absolute chaos by Mrs.. Moore. Inside there is no light and no distinctions can be made between people. She describes the caves as being, â€Å"Crammed with villagers and servants†¦ She lost Adele and Aziza in the dark, didn't know who touched her, couldn't breathe, and some vile naked thing struck her face and settled on her like a pad† (Forester 162).Here she suffers a panic attack at what is essentially a removal of the rigid hierarchies she is accustomed to. She is disgusted and threatened by the vile naked pad which slaps her and then turns out to simply be a baby. It is because she cannot see and categorize what is around her that she â€Å"went mad, hitting and gasping like a fanatic† (162). It is too much chaos for her and the scene unleashes her instinctual, primitive reaction; far from the decorum she may have though herself to possess. Despite her kindness and â€Å"orientation†, Mrs.. Moore is as reliant on a structured system as any AT near countrymen .I Nils scans AT Matrimonial TTY amongst cultures continues when Adele and Aziza enter the next cave. The reader is never informed of what really happens within the cave due to the narrative being from Jazz's respective. However, Dale's supposed insult resulting from Jazz's advances creates outrageous turmoil. It is rooted in the problem that they- a Moslem Indian and a British woman- are alone in such an environment. The insinuation here is that by lowering their guards both parties have suffered. If Adele was in fact insulted, then it was a result of being so familiar with an Indian man.However, if Aziza was innocent the problem was essentially still a result of taking the chance of having too much freedom around a British woman. This reprieve from town and cultural boundaries as shown that distrust and miscommunication are embedded within these groups. Essentially, by showing the havoc that ensues from being at the caves far away from societal restrictions, Forester is showing that perhaps there is a necessity for a separation of cultures when such misunderstanding and distrust exists. There will never entirely be hope for a healthy convergence of cultures if such elements of suspicion linger.The ideas of freedom and the subconscious that the caves inspire may only help to compound the element of mystery they possess. Monk no tes that, The Marimba Caves have a corrosive, annihilating effect on those who are susceptible to their power, and they become the central mystery of â€Å"mysterious India† in Forester's Passage thereto†. The caves are both a representation of mystery and the source of it. It is within their confines that Adele is â€Å"insulted†; yet the reader never really knows what happened if anything did happen at all.The mystic trance they seem to infuse their visitors with can be seen as reflective of the mystery of Eastern spirituality to western eyes. The east possesses a culture so different from the English; that it is resented as an enigma to them that can never be solved. McCauley remarks that, â€Å"Everything Indian is haloed in mystery; the caves, the landscape, even the bird that the English see in a tree and cannot identify, for â€Å"nothing in India is identifiable, the mere asking of a question causes it to disappear and to merge in something else† (201).The Marimba caves carry an enigmatic power. Forester comments that this power lies in their defiance of time and meaning, stating that â€Å"Nothing is inside them, they were sealed up before the creation of pestilence or treasure; if mankind grew Uris's and excavated, nothing, nothing would be added to the sum of good or evil† (Forester 119). Marimba caves may also serve as another example of the need to determine mystery from muddle. Earlier in the novel, a conversation is posed concerning the difference between the terms.Adele generally admits to abhorring mysteries, while Fielding chimes in agreement that â€Å"We English do† (73). However, it is Mrs.. Moore who makes the distinction between liking a mystery and disliking a muddle. The conversation ends with the question as to if India is a muddle. If India is a muddle, or not; what then would the caves be? Perhaps if the definition of the caves can be determined, then one could unlock the answer to whether I ndia is a muddle or mystery. The difference between the terms mystery and muddle are never clearly defined in the novel.However, a mystery by definition generally has an answer at the end. The implication of the word muddle is that there is no answer and randomness exists. If one examines the caves and the events within them, perhaps muddle could be the more appropriate description. Mrs.. Moore certainly described chaos, and the mystery AT Dale's Insult Is never solved. In ten caves scans ensues Ana no solutions are offered. This would indicate muddle. If the caves are muddle and reflect the real India; is India, therefore, a muddle or a mystery? Fielding seems to think â€Å"Indian's a muddle† (73).However, if India is a muddle than the implications of this could be boundless. For if this one country and culture is summed up as a muddle, could not the same opinion be made about most other places and people? Is mankind's existence random, chaotic, and essentially devoid of an y real answers? These questions sound undoubtedly like what Mrs.. Moore was asking herself outside of the Marimba caves. She drew a linear relationship between the nothingness of the caves and her own existence; indicating the same connection between these elements.Perhaps Forester's caves serve the purpose of showing that everything is essentially muddled. This muddle or mystery, subconscious, and freedom are all to be found with the Forester's Marimba Caves. Each character upon entering them emerges with their own definition of their meaning. Mrs.. Moore and Adele both approached the caves as if taking a walk within the confines of their own psyches, each discovering their worries and their fears. Aziza found himself victim to the caves and the mystery that happened within them.In addition, all of these characters experienced the ramifications and revelations that arise when one is free from societal observation. The question was posed of whether the caves represented freedom, the subconscious, or the mystery of India. After careful exploration, it is obvious that the caves represent all of these different elements. Perhaps the Marimba caves even represent what is seemingly impossible- both meaning and muddle. Their contradictory coexistence might be the real mystery of India, and of existence. , Works Cited Forester, E. M. A Passage to India. Passage to India An exploration of these possibilities hopefully shall veal which meaning, If not all of them, Forester Intended the Marimba Caves to possess. On a metaphysical level, the Caves can be seen as a representation of the subconscious. By entering the caves one penetrates the dark, cavernous realm of one's own psyche. Several characters experience a revelation within their walls. Mrs.. Moor's revelation is that of immense hopelessness. Her experience in the cave creates a sense of chaos and the sense that despite what is said or known in the world, It Is all essentially meaningless.The echo she hears reinforces this revelation to her. The scary resounding â€Å"boom† reduces every individual sound or voice to a continuous and indistinct noise (Forester 163). She meditates that the sound, â€Å"had managed to murmur ‘Pathos, piety, courage-they exist, but are identical, and so is filth. Everything exists, nothing has value. ‘ If one had spoken vileness in that place, or quoted lofty poetry, the comment would have been the same-‘oh-boom† (165). It is here she realizes the whole of human history has sounded Just Like this and that her existence makes no Impression upon it at all.That no matter what Is done and said It s all in the end meaningless. For her, the caves symbolize the antiquity of existence and she has been reduced to being another nonsensical blurb in the annals of time. When she emerges from the cave, Adele asks Mrs.. Moore if she saw the reflection of a match, calling it pretty. Mrs.. Moore claims to have forgotten, but ultimately the only thing she saw In the cave was a reflection of her fears. For the young Adele, the caves Invoke a different revelation.Perhaps their enormity and sense of removal from the world make her meditate on the decision she Is going to make to marry Irony. Looking upon the rock formations as if ripples in her own mind, she is reminded of her relationship with Irony and asks, â€Å"What about love ? † (168). Within these walls, she realizes that she is about to marry a man she does not love and ultimately by traversing the corridors of her own mind, she reaches a sense of inner awareness. Adele has a sudden epiphany In the caves and â€Å"vexed, rather than appalled, she stood still, her eyes on the sparkling rock† (168).Perhaps this sparkling rock that Adele focuses on represents a light that has been turned on inside of her. However, unlike Mrs.. Moore who is reduced to an irritable depression, Adele has what appears be a mental breakdown. She has made a decision to escape the confines of societal pressures and not marry Irony. This knowledge provokes such a state in her that she seems to be in a trance, unaware of the hysteria surrounding her until her Inner echo stops during the trial. After renouncing all charges against Aziza; Adele confides Tanat parlor to near cave explosion, sense experienced â€Å"a sort AT sadness. . Tanat I could not detect at the ti me†¦ No, nothing as solid as sadness: living at half pressure expresses it best. Half pressure† (266). Inside the caves is where she recognizes that so far she was not living her life â€Å"full steam†. Perhaps this revelation at a life led devoid of true experiences and satisfaction caused her possible â€Å"hallucination†. Up until this point in her life, she had seen life in only one direction; now there were many. In court, she conjures up this multi-directional view; describing it as a â€Å"double relation† (253).She tries to recount the day at the caves and questions herself as to why she did not enjoy what was around her initially. Looking back she realizes that it was â€Å"all dutiful and significant, though she had been blind to it at the time† (253). For both women the entrance into the caves is like an entrance into their own mind. They derive a new sense of knowledge within the hollowed walls and emerge with an echo- a â€Å"boom † that haunts them; an echo that may be the resounding hum of their own subconscious (168). This haunting echo for Mrs..Moore serves as a reminder of her own insignificance and mortality; while for Adele the echo chips away at her, revealing that perhaps she is uncomfortable with her new self-awareness until she can properly interpret it. However, she will need time to do this, remarking that â€Å"the vision disappeared whenever she wished to interpret it† (267). One can only speculate on Dale's revelation and her supposed â€Å"insult†. In the end she loses interest in who could have insulted her in the cave; because ultimately she encountered someone much more important in those walls, herself.Essentially, Adele grapples with three different issues: the â€Å"concept of her own Brutishness crumbles, as the very essence of her identity alters, [and] her disenfranchisement in Anglo-India 56). Her first step of assertion is by renouncing her accusations against Aziza. By disentangling herself from the British and their need to scapegoat him she has effectively removed herself from the Anglo-Indian system and become her own woman. In a more literal fashion the caves can be seen as momentary freedom from the constraints of each individual's society; Moslem, Hindu, and Anglo-Indian all converge here.The Marimba Cave setting is a less formal affair then the â€Å"bridge party' and serves as a removal from the country club and mosques that separate them. However, this confluence of cultures has disastrous results for the main characters. The initial entrance into the caves is described as absolute chaos by Mrs.. Moore. Inside there is no light and no distinctions can be made between people. She describes the caves as being, â€Å"Crammed with villagers and servants†¦ She lost Adele and Aziza in the dark, didn't know who touched her, couldn't breathe, and some vile naked thing struck her face and settled on her like a pad† (Forester 162).Here she suffers a panic attack at what is essentially a removal of the rigid hierarchies she is accustomed to. She is disgusted and threatened by the vile naked pad which slaps her and then turns out to simply be a baby. It is because she cannot see and categorize what is around her that she â€Å"went mad, hitting and gasping like a fanatic† (162). It is too much chaos for her and the scene unleashes her instinctual, primitive reaction; far from the decorum she may have though herself to possess. Despite her kindness and â€Å"orientation†, Mrs.. Moore is as reliant on a structured system as any AT near countrymen .I Nils scans AT Matrimonial TTY amongst cultures continues when Adele and Aziza enter the next cave. The reader is never informed of what really happens within the cave due to the narrative being from Jazz's respective. However, Dale's supposed insult resulting from Jazz's advances creates outrageous turmoil. It is rooted in the problem that they- a Moslem Indian and a British woman- are alone in such an environment. The insinuation here is that by lowering their guards both parties have suffered. If Adele was in fact insulted, then it was a result of being so familiar with an Indian man.However, if Aziza was innocent the problem was essentially still a result of taking the chance of having too much freedom around a British woman. This reprieve from town and cultural boundaries as shown that distrust and miscommunication are embedded within these groups. Essentially, by showing the havoc that ensues from being at the caves far away from societal restrictions, Forester is showing that perhaps there is a necessity for a separation of cultures when such misunderstanding and distrust exists. There will never entirely be hope for a healthy convergence of cultures if such elements of suspicion linger.The ideas of freedom and the subconscious that the caves inspire may only help to compound the element of mystery they possess. Monk no tes that, The Marimba Caves have a corrosive, annihilating effect on those who are susceptible to their power, and they become the central mystery of â€Å"mysterious India† in Forester's Passage thereto†. The caves are both a representation of mystery and the source of it. It is within their confines that Adele is â€Å"insulted†; yet the reader never really knows what happened if anything did happen at all.The mystic trance they seem to infuse their visitors with can be seen as reflective of the mystery of Eastern spirituality to western eyes. The east possesses a culture so different from the English; that it is resented as an enigma to them that can never be solved. McCauley remarks that, â€Å"Everything Indian is haloed in mystery; the caves, the landscape, even the bird that the English see in a tree and cannot identify, for â€Å"nothing in India is identifiable, the mere asking of a question causes it to disappear and to merge in something else† (201).The Marimba caves carry an enigmatic power. Forester comments that this power lies in their defiance of time and meaning, stating that â€Å"Nothing is inside them, they were sealed up before the creation of pestilence or treasure; if mankind grew Uris's and excavated, nothing, nothing would be added to the sum of good or evil† (Forester 119). Marimba caves may also serve as another example of the need to determine mystery from muddle. Earlier in the novel, a conversation is posed concerning the difference between the terms.Adele generally admits to abhorring mysteries, while Fielding chimes in agreement that â€Å"We English do† (73). However, it is Mrs.. Moore who makes the distinction between liking a mystery and disliking a muddle. The conversation ends with the question as to if India is a muddle. If India is a muddle, or not; what then would the caves be? Perhaps if the definition of the caves can be determined, then one could unlock the answer to whether I ndia is a muddle or mystery. The difference between the terms mystery and muddle are never clearly defined in the novel.However, a mystery by definition generally has an answer at the end. The implication of the word muddle is that there is no answer and randomness exists. If one examines the caves and the events within them, perhaps muddle could be the more appropriate description. Mrs.. Moore certainly described chaos, and the mystery AT Dale's Insult Is never solved. In ten caves scans ensues Ana no solutions are offered. This would indicate muddle. If the caves are muddle and reflect the real India; is India, therefore, a muddle or a mystery? Fielding seems to think â€Å"Indian's a muddle† (73).However, if India is a muddle than the implications of this could be boundless. For if this one country and culture is summed up as a muddle, could not the same opinion be made about most other places and people? Is mankind's existence random, chaotic, and essentially devoid of an y real answers? These questions sound undoubtedly like what Mrs.. Moore was asking herself outside of the Marimba caves. She drew a linear relationship between the nothingness of the caves and her own existence; indicating the same connection between these elements.Perhaps Forester's caves serve the purpose of showing that everything is essentially muddled. This muddle or mystery, subconscious, and freedom are all to be found with the Forester's Marimba Caves. Each character upon entering them emerges with their own definition of their meaning. Mrs.. Moore and Adele both approached the caves as if taking a walk within the confines of their own psyches, each discovering their worries and their fears. Aziza found himself victim to the caves and the mystery that happened within them.In addition, all of these characters experienced the ramifications and revelations that arise when one is free from societal observation. The question was posed of whether the caves represented freedom, the subconscious, or the mystery of India. After careful exploration, it is obvious that the caves represent all of these different elements. Perhaps the Marimba caves even represent what is seemingly impossible- both meaning and muddle. Their contradictory coexistence might be the real mystery of India, and of existence. , Works Cited Forester, E. M. A Passage to India.

Comparison of strategy of Nike and Adidas Essay

1.0 Introduction: Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005, p.9) defines strategy as the way in which an organisation plans to use its resources effectively in order to gain a competitive advantage over the long term. In other words the carefully planned guidelines that organisation’s follow, which differentiates them from other organisations. Mirow (2005,p.10) suggests that strategy of Amazon.com,Inc., a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, focused on providing customers with low price, convenience and a wide selection of merchandise. They focused on this strategy and started their website in 1995 as an online book retailer. They slowly expanded their products and are currently an online shopping website with the largest product supplies online earning revenues in billions. Hence we can see how important strategy is for the success of an organisation. There are three levels of strategy, which are corporate level, business  level and functional level strategy. Strickland and Thompson (2003, pp.50, 55 and 56) suggests that the corporate level strategy is the strategy which is determines the overall purpose and prospect of an organisation and reflects on how to add value to different parts of the organisation. The business level strategy provides guidelines on how to excel competitors or survive in a particular market and the functional strategy is the contribution made by the resources, people and processes to the business and corporate level strategies. Companies strive with their strategies in order to become the leader in their specific industry or market. Nike and Adidas are the top two competitors in the footwear, apparel and accessories segment of the textile industry. The focus of the latter part of this report is on how these competitors compete with each other using their strategies. 2.0 Literature review: In order to fully understand about strategy, it is mandatory to know about the five generic competitive strategies. The five generic strategies according to Strickland and Thompson (2003, p.150) are low-cost provider strategy, in which the organisation provides goods or service at a low cost, broad differentiation strategy, in which the organisation differentiates its products or services making it appeal to a vast range of customers, best-cost provider strategy, in which the organisation provides goods or services of high quality making it worth the amount they are charging which is lower than their competitors, a focused strategy based on lower cost, in which the organisations focus on a narrower buyer segment and provides them their goods or services at a lower cost than its competitors and focused strategy based on differentiation, in which the organisation focuses on a narrower buyer segment and produces product customized according to their needs. 3.0 Backgrounds of Nike and Adidas: [IMAGE URL: http://digestingdesign.wordpress.com/tag/nike/] 3.1 Company overview of Nike According to (www.nikebiz.com) NIKE,Inc. was founded in 1972 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. It designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear,  apparel, equipment and accessories for a vast range of sports and fitness activities and are currently the world’s leading company in the athletic footwear, apparel and accessories segment in the textile industry. It is based in Beaverton,Oregon and has subsidiaries such as Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury items such as shoes, handbags and coats. Their subsidiaries also include Converse,Inc. and Hurley International LLC and Umbro,Ltd. The revenue of Nike,Inc. as at May 2010 is around US$ 19014 million according to (www.biz.yahoo.com). [IMAGE URL: http://www.soccercleats101.com/2009/10/07/adidas-predator-x-get-ready/] 3.2 Company overview of Adidas Group: According to (www.adidas-group.com) Adidas, founded in 1949 by Adofl Dassler, is a sports apparel manufacturing company. Starting with athletic footwear such as running shoes and soccer shoes, they currently manufacture a wide range of products such as bags, watches, shirts and accessories. They are the second largest sportswear manufacturer, behind Nike,Inc. Adidas Group is made up of three companies, Reebok, TaylorMade Adidas Golf company and Rockport. The revenue of Adidas as at May 2010 is 14878 US$ Million according to (www.biz.yahoo.com). 4.0 Critical Incidents that occurred in the past: 4.1 Critical incidents that affected Nike: Nike, Inc. had gone through various incidents which had an impact on their success. According to Dermesropian, Drage, Grigaite and Lopez (2004,p.3) in 1972, Nike persuaded marathon runners at Olympic Tracks to wear their shoes which was an innovative strategy as it resulted in strong advertising when some of the runners were the top finishers and popularity of Nike continued to grow throughout the 70s. In 1979 Nike had 50% of the US running shoe market. In 1988 Nike introduced their famous slogan ‘Just do it’ and acquired a company called Cole Haan. They sponsored many famous athletes such as Michael Jordan, a famous basketball player and Tiger Woods, an excellent young golf player. During 1992 Nike acquired Canstar sports which included the hockey equipment maker Bauer and opened its first Niketown store. In early 1995 Nike acquired a license to put its logo on NFL uniforms  which resulted in strong marketing. Air Jordan [IMAGE URL: http://www.myairshoes.com/air-jordans/air-jordan-xx3-officially-unveiled.html] They launched a new brand called Jordan, in 1997, which was influenced by the famous basketball player Michael Jordan and one of the most famous shoes of that brand were called Air Jordan. Some incidents harmed Nike during 1998 as they had to cut 1,200 jobs due to the fall of sales in Asia and the demand of athletic shoes fell in 1999. Nike wanted to diversify and in the year 2000 they shifted a little towards the technological and electronic sector and introduced athletic electronics, which included MP3 players, heart monitors, and two-way radios. Products of Nike in the BCG matrix [IMAGE URL: http://www.robmillard.com/archives/BCG%20Matrix%20Big1.html] They opened their first Nikegoddess store in California in 2001. They acquired Hurley International, a distributor of action sports apparels and lost their license to put their logos on NFL uniforms to Reebok in 2002. In 2003 they acquired one of their competitors called Converse but it continued to operate independently in order to sustain the brands popular name. 4.2 Critical incidents that affected Adidas: Adidas also faced various occurrences in order to attain the title of the second largest athletic footwear sportswear and accessories manufacturer.   Adidas Samba [IMAGE URL:http://www.bestshoesmen.com/adidas.Men.Samba.Classic.Soccer.Shoe/detail.html] According to (www.adidas-group.com) Adidas registered as a company in 1949 with the three stripes logo as their trademark. (www.footballshirtculture.com) explains that in the year 1950 they produced the â€Å"Samba† all-round soccer shoes which are even now considered to be the best classic training shoe today. One of the biggest successes of Adidas was in 1952 when it was the most common shoe brand worn at the Olympic Games  held in Helsinki. They made the first track shoes with removable spikes. Emil Zatopek, in Adidas shoes, won three gold medals in one week creating a huge impact on the image of the brand. German National Team wearing Adidas in the 1954 football world cup [IMAGE URL: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/feature?id=696762&cc=4716&ver=global] In 1954 Adidas became famous all over the world as the German national team was victorious in the football world cup for the first time, wearing Adidas shoes with screw-in spikes. In 1955 Adidas came up a shoe with exchangeable spikes which became very popular among the high jumpers. In 1964 Billy Mills won the men’s 10,000 meters wearing the new Adidas shoe which was considered the lightest shoe weighing 135 grams. In 1969 Adidas produced the world’s first injection molded multi stud soles of polyurethane, which gave a one year guarantee on the soles. Adidas began production of balls in 1961 and in 1970 their football was the official ball of the football world cup. In 1971 the famous ‘Fight of the century’ where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought with each other, both of them wore special boxing shoes designed by Adidas. Products of Adidas in the BCG Matrix [IMAGE URL: http://www.robmillard.com/archives/BCG%20Matrix%20Big1.html] Adidas Copa Mundial [IMAGE URL: http://www.footballbootroom.com/Adidas-Copa-Mundial] In 1979, Adidas produced ‘Copa Mundial’, which even today is still the world’s best selling soccer shoe. In 1986 Adidas introduced Azteca, the first synthetic world cup matchball in the world. However, in 1993 Adidas took over Sports Inc., a US based sports marketing company and Adidas was loosing US$100 million a year. Robert Louis Dreyfus had become the new president of Adidas and he downsized the German staff and went subcontracting to China. Adidas once had 70% market share in the US and it fell to 2% in 1993. In 1994 Adidas made a comeback by producing the revolutionary soccer shoe called the Predator during the soccer world cup in the USA. They went public in 1995 and acquired the Salmon Group which consisted of the brands TaylorMade, Mavic  and Bonfire in 1997. The new company is named Adidas-Salmon AG. They were the first sporting goods company to chosen as the official sponsor of a soccer world cup in 1998 when they sponsored the 1998 FIFA World cup in France. Adidas Predator Mania [IMAGE URL: http://www.produktenews.ch/newsflashartikel.cfm?key=179710] In March 2002 Adidas launched ClimaCool a footwear with a ventilation system and introduced the new Predator Mania boots and jerseys with the dynamic layering concept in the 2002 FIFA world cup with their own official ball called the Fevernova. They sold over 6 million footballs and more than 1.5 million jerseys and half a million of the Predator Mania that year. In 2006 Adidas became the official partner, supplier and licensee for the FIFA world cup to be held in 2006, 2010 and 2014. They acquired Reebok International in the same year. 5.0 Comparison of the strategies of the companies: 5.1 Strategies of Nike: In order to become the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, Nike followed many strategies. Their corporate level strategy, according to Dermesropian, Drage, Grigaite and Lopez (2004,p.15) is their focus on innovation and emphasis on their research and development department in order to be profitable in the long run and they do their best to produce footwear, apparel and athletic equipment that reduce or eliminate injury, help in athletic performance and maximize comfort. They continue to expand their operation in the USA, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the American regions trying to reach as many customers as possible. Their business level strategy is a combination of the best cost provider and broad differentiation strategy, but more emphasis is put on the best cost provider strategy. They rely heavily on strategic outsourcing and most of their products are manufactured outside the United States. One of the main reasons behind their success following the cost leadership strategy is their extensive network structure that allows them to cancel their alliance with any company that fails to maintain their standards. They work very closely with their suppliers which allow them to produce their goods at a very low price and of superior  quality with the newest technology which makes them the market leader and the rest have to try producing similar goods close to their standard in order to survive in the market. They work very hard in their marketing strategies and which one of the primary reasons behind its success. Fig.1Fig.2Fig.3 Players who wear Nike – Fig.1) Cristiano Ronaldo [IMAGE URL: http://s702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/bleedingblue97/?action=view ¤t=Cristiano_Ronaldo_Manchester_United.jpg&newest=1 Fig.2) Michael Jordan [IMAGE URL: http://www.ionlinephilippines.com/2009/12/michael-jordan-look-alike-michael-jordan-imposter-video/] Fig.3) Tiger Woods [IMAGE URL: http://www.dailyworldbuzz.com/tiger-woods-still-has-support-of-nike-gatorade-and-gillette/4970/] Nike hired famous basketball player Michael Jordan, tennis player Serena Williams and Tiger Woods who signed a seven year contract in order to be the spokesperson of Nike. In 2003 they spent around US$ 32.4 million on Net TV commercials and another US$ 39.8 for magazine ads. In order to become the market leader one has to follow a rigid and innovative strategy but to remain as the market leader the strategy has to be sustainable. According to (www.bizjournals.com) on a report published by Nike, suggest that they have planned five major programs in order to keep their corporate level strategy sustainable. In order to sustain in the long run Nike is now emphasizing more on the concerns about global warming. They have decided to focus more on their product design process, eliminating toxics and wastes wherever possible, start a GreenXchange web marketplace to share intellectual property which have been designed to act as a catalyst in green development, establish a lean manufacturing and human resource management in order to acquire a more equitable supply chain, establish a social program which combines education and sports programs for the third world countries and establish a new group call the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy. 5.2 Strategies of Adidas: The strategies of both these sports giants are very similar but Adidas  focuses more the broad differentiation strategy. According to (www.adidas-group.com) the corporate level strategy of Adidas also focuses on innovation, trying to produce new products, services and processes in order to cope up with the competition. In 2009 the Adidas Group strategically decided to move from a vertically integrated brand structure into a functional multi-rand structure for the Reebok and Adidas brands. This created a global sales function which were responsible for commercial activities and a global brands function which were responsible for the marketing of both brands. The global sales function was also split into two departments, wholesale and retail, which catered to the various needs of both these business models. This was done in order to sustain their corporate level strategy for the long run so that these divisions could emphasize and work hard in their respective departments in order to make the most of their efforts. This led to the elimination of regional headquarters and moved towards more direct communication between the local markets and the global functions. They implemented a multi-brand strategy by having a diverse brand portfolio which allowed them to cater all segments of the market from players to almost everyone. This helped them to keep a unique identity and concentrate on their core competencies. Adidas focused their investments in the best marketing and distribution channels in different countries by critically evaluating the consumer buying behaviors and their constant struggle to secure prime shelf space. They have also embraced e-commerce in order to become more efficient and appeal to more customers and make purchasing much more easily accessible for them. Their supply chain is closely communicated and hence it helps them to customize their products which appeal to a wide range of customers. The organizational culture of Adidas group obligates employees to be innovative. This culture forces them to produce goods which are highly innovative and with the use of the latest technology their products have a very good quality. According to (ar2001.adidas-salomon.com) using latest technologies they produce products which enhances performances of players and they focus on sports such as football, tennis, basketball and even training shoes which are used by anyone with the ability to run. Their new technologies have lead to the production of Climacool, a shoe with a ventilation system and a ­3 a shoe with an energy management system that guides and drives an athlete’s foot  through each stride. Fig.4Fig.5Fig.6 Famous players who wear Adidas – Fig.4) Zinedine Zidane [IMAGE URL: http://s670.photobucket.com/albums/vv70/tomdavies99/?action=view ¤t=09_zinedine_zidane_dpa_300.jpg&newest=1] Fig.5) Kaka [IMAGE URL: http://soccerpitch.co.za/tag/real-madrid/] Fig.6) Kobe Bryant [IMAGE URL: http://family-fitness.mattters.com/2010/7/2/couldnt-wait] Adidas Trefoil logo [IMAGE URL: http://free-extras.com/images/adidas_logo-658.htm] Adidas has world class players who wear their products such as Zinedine Zidane of France, Alessandro Del Piero of Italy and Kobe Bryant an NBA champion who is a style icon for basketball lovers. They also concentrate on their classic items, reintroduce and redesign them under their Trefoil logo. 5.3 Comparison of the strategies of Nike and Adidas: According to (http://comparisonz.com) Nike and Adidas have almost similar strategies but different implementation methods. Both the companies concentrate heavily on technology and strive to produce new and innovative products. Nike focuses on the American markets whereas Adidas focuses on the European market. Nike does not have any production plants as they only design, distribute and market their products and hence they outsource to various countries in Asia, mainly Taiwan and Korea, which outsource their production to China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Adidas on the other hand, carry out all their production in Germany and recently has adopted Nike’s outsourcing policy by outsourcing to Asian countries. Nike and Adidas both follow a premium pricing strategy which according to Kotler (2003, p.272) is a strategy where companies charge a premium price for their products. Their competition is always intense and according to Anderson (2010) during the world cup 2010 Nike launched the popular â€Å"write the future†, three minute advertisement featuring world cup stars which was a major hit on Youtube and Adidas replied with their two minute video with celebrities like Snoop Dogg  and Daft Punk into a famous scene from the movie Star Wars. Nike sponsored nine teams whereas Adidas sponsored 12 teams. World’s Largest LED by Nike [IMAGE URL: http://johannesburgbc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nikefootball-delivers-the] Even though Adidas was the official sponsor of the World cup 2010, Nike attached an LED display to a 30 story skyscraper in Johannesburg where soccer fans could write short messages using popular social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook and Nike put up 100 messages on the side of the walls every night. Adidas adiPURE III Nike Tiempo Elite [IMAGE URL: http://soccerlens.com/shirts/nike-vs-adidas-buying-football-shoes-in-2010/6410/] Umair (2010) compares the constant rivalry between Nike and Adidas using their products. During the world cup Nike launched an Elite series for the 2010 world cup called Nike Tiempo Legend Elite which had customized shoes worn by famous football players such as Christiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas. Adidas on the other hand, launched a new collection called Adidas Adipure for the world cup 2010 which also had customized shoes worn by famous players such as Kaka and Lionel Messi. In soccer Adidas shoes are worn by famous players such as Zinedine Zidane, Kaka and Lionel Messi, whereas Nike shoes are worn by Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and the original Ronaldo. In basketball Nike shoes have been used by Michael Jordan and Adidas shoes have been worn by Kobe Bryant. 6.0 Future Plans of Nike and Adidas: It is easy to become the market leader or the market challenger for organisations but sustainability is the primary concern and hence organisations focus of the sustainability by coming up with strategies that will make their position sustainable in the long run. According to (www.environmentalleader.com) Nike’s future plans are to focus on the environment and production of eco friendly products. They mentioned in their 2005 and 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report that they will become carbon neutral by 2011 by reducing their Caron Dioxide emissions. They have decided  to design all Nike brand footwear in ways through which they can reduce waste production during product design and packaging. They will eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds and use more environmental friendly material in their products and be carbon neutral by 2011. Adidas on the other hand became the official sportswear partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The London Organising committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOGOC) has few regulations which all of its partners are obligated to follow. These obligations are focused towards the environment. Adidas, being a partner of LOGOC has to follow all these regulations as their future plans are to be the official sponsor of almost all major events in the world, and in order to achieve this goal their strategy is to produce environment friendly goods as well. They have to ensure that all their products are produced with environment friendly materials, which would protect the human health and the environment and their packaging should also be produced with materials that can be recycled. Hence we can see that both the future plans of Nike and Adidas are quite similar. 7.0 Conclusion: The main element that determines an organisation’s success or failure is the strategy it follows. Any industry is vast and the competition is also fierce and in order to survive in the competition organisations must devise innovative strategies. Nike and Adidas have started their journey decades ago and they have struggled but sustained their positions; Nike as the market leader and Adidas as the market challenger. Various incidents have occurred in the past to both the companies which were both good and bad, but it was the strategies that helped them survive and sustain their positions. The strategies of both these companies are quite similar and Adidas is not far behind from Nike, but any small mistake by Nike, might make them the market challenger and Adidas the market leader. Nike has to be very careful while implementing their strategies because Adidas is very close to becoming the market leader. Nike’s initial strategy of being just the product designer, distributor and marketer gave them the competitive edge against Adidas, because their investments were low compared to Adidas as they have production plants, but Nike should be very careful to sustain their market position. 8.0 List of references: Books: Johnson,G., Scholes,K. and Whittington,R.(2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases. Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall. Thompson,A.A., and Strickland,A,J.(2003) Strategic Management Concept and cases. 13th edition. McGraw Hills. Kotler,P. ( 2003)Marketing Management, Eleventh Edition, Pearson Education. Websites: (2010) NIKE, Inc. Company Profile, [URL:http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/14/14254.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2009) Adidas Group History, [URL:http://www.adidas-group.com/en/ourgroup/history/history.aspx] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Nikebiz: Company Overview, [URL:http://www.nikebiz.com/company_overview]/ (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Adidas AG Company Profile, [URL:http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/92/92632.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) The history of Adidas, [URL:http://www.footballshirtculture.com/2006102796/history/adidas-football-shirt-history.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Strategy, [URL:http://www.adidas-group.com/en/ourgroup/strategy] (accessed: 29 August 2010)/ Strategy: Adidas, [URL:http://ar2001.adidas-salomon.com/adidassalomon2001/strat_adidas/] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Nike vs. Adidas – Compare Side by Side, [URL:http://comparisonz.com/comparisons/100305/nike-vs-adidas]/ (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2009) Adidas: 2009 Sustainability review, [URL:http://ser2009.adidas-group.com/suppliers/3_4.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) Articles: (2010) Nike plans to be Carbon neutral by 2011, [URL:http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/05/31/nike-plans-to-be-carbon-neutral-by-2011] (accessed: 29 August 2010) Umair,A.(2010) Nike vs Adidas – Buying football shoes in 2010,