What A Movie! essays

What A Movie! essays Wow! Fight Club is a wonderful and exciting movie. David Fincher who previously directed the movie Seven, (also staring Brad Pit) takes a novel by Chuck Palahniuk and puts it to life on the big screen with great results. Fight Club is original as well as entertaining and is definitely an energetic movie with lots of visuals. I have never seen anything quite like it. The most important thing about this movie is the message in the storyline, the first class acting by Edward Norton And Brad Pit is just icing on the cake. David Fincher directs the story of a lonely middle-class working guy (Norton) who begins to fall apart when he starts to realize the worthlessness of his existence. Edward Norton, whose characters name is never mentioned, becomes addicted to self-help groups because he is an Insomniac. The groups are the only way that he can sleep. A woman and Hypochondriac (Marla Singer) who joins all the same groups messes everything up. Norton is unable to sleep again. Thats when Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) shows up. A do what you want, live fast, die young kind of guy. This persona that Tyler carries has Norton Idolizing him. The two of them end up forming an underground gang of men from all walks of life. The gang is called Fight Club and the object is to relieve their frustrations of life by fighting each other. Tyler Durden the ringleader of it all gives his recruits new hope about their lifes and gives them all something to believe in. In one scene Pitt is talking to the men before the night o f fighting and says to them, I see an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables, slaves with white collars, advertising cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we dont need. We are the middle children of history with no purpose or place. We have no great war, no great depression. Our great war is a spiritual war; our great depression is our lives. The importance of ones life i...

Whenever vs. When Ever

Whenever vs. When Ever Whenever vs. When Ever Whenever vs. When Ever By Maeve Maddox It’s interesting that two-word phrases like â€Å"any place,† â€Å"a lot,† and â€Å"all right† are often squeezed into nonstandard one-word forms like anyplace, alot, and alright, but one-word wherever is often written incorrectly as â€Å"when ever.† As a relative conjunction introducing a conditional clause, whenever means â€Å"at whatever time, no matter when.† Here are some examples in which whenever is used correctly: Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.- Mark Twain Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.- Oscar Wilde. Whenever I turn on my computer, the screen says â€Å"Monitor going to sleep.† Here are examples of whenever incorrectly written as two words: Incorrect: Journalists are like dogs, when ever anything moves they begin to bark. Correct : Journalists are like dogs, whenever anything moves they begin to bark. Incorrect: She smiles at me when ever I see her. Correct : She smiles at me whenever I see her. Incorrect: The computer crashes when ever I try to game. Correct : The computer crashes whenever I try to game. The words when and ever are written separately when the sense is â€Å"when, if ever?† Here are some examples of when ever used correctly: When ever will you  get over your fear of cats? When ever will you  have this chance again?   When ever will they learn  to not put stuff up there? When  ever  did these feelings start?   When ever are you going to clean the house? When, Ever, Is a Murderer Anything but a Murderer? If your intended meaning is â€Å"every time that,† write whenever. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:8 Types of Parenthetical Phrases10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

Checkout paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Checkout paper - Essay Example In the arrangement she does all the chores around the house which makes her fill feel as she owns a daughter. My client is a full time student which limits the time she has to attend to the requirements of her roommate. She also has no time whatsoever to rest on her free time as the responsibility makes her perform poorly in her studies. She wraps up the interview by pointing out that she is angry and cannot continue with the arrangement. . In addition, considering the type of problem she was undergoing it was appropriate for them to fell more embraced rather than queried. I first used clarification at the start of my interview. The client described her problems to me: †³ living with my roommate makes me feel like mum which I do not appreciate †³. The client mentioned she had problems with her roommate. To get a more clear response, I asked her what type of problem (Edgar & Geare 34)†¦ What do you mean by problem...? From this question, the client was provided with an opportunity to provide a narration of the problem she had with her roommate. In summarizing the verbal interview, I asked her if the current situation and all she experienced made her unhappy. I also paraphrased her words to get a more clear response†¦ you think all the work makes you unhappy†¦ I inquired if she considered that her roommate was unfair to her after she mentioned it in her story. By paraphrasing the client was able to summarize in a sentence the general mood of the situation with her roommate. I was also able to make her reflect on the real situation†¦ are you nervous while doing the work†¦ I asked her if she felt nervous while she was doing house work. The response was made through an honest feeling. By describing her feeling she was able to enlighten me on whether or not she was comfortable with the arrangement or not. During the interview the body language was very significant. For this reason, I posed as relaxed and open as I

Not everyone needs a College Education to be Financially Successful in Essay

Not everyone needs a College Education to be Financially Successful in Life - Essay Example Through an analysis of people who have attained success without a degree, careers where a college education is not necessary, and alternative methods of achieving financial success, this essay demonstrates that it a college education is not necessary for financial success. Although there are many people that have found success through their college education, there are also a number of individuals that have found success without a college degree. One of the most prominent examples is that of Bill Gates. Throughout his childhood Gates had cultivated an interest in computer technology. While he attended Harvard for a semester he quickly recognized that he would find more success if he concentrated on his personal business. Gates would become to richest man in the world. While Gates’ example is extreme, such instances readily occur in smaller situations on a frequent basis. While a college education is necessary for success in careers such as medicine, there are a number of careers where a college education is not necessary. In large part college contains courses within specific academic disciplines, such as science, sociology, or mathematics. Although a number of career implement this higher-level thinking, for other careers such knowledge is extraneous. For example, the career of a construction worker, a plumber, or many times grocery and restaurant managers are learned not through formal education, but real world experience. With dedication and hard work it is possible for an individual without a college degree to gradually gain promotions or increased clients and in time find more financial success than individuals with a college education. Although a high paying job is very helpful for achieving financial success, there are many things that contribute to financial success that don’t involve a college education. Benjamin Franklin famously noted that a penny saved is penny earned. Indeed, one of the primary things that contribute to financial success

Real Reason People Wont Change Essay Example for Free

Real Reason People Wont Change Essay The real reason people wont change is an article by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey. The article was first published in November 2001 in Harvard Business Review. The article describes and summarize about the personal immunity of people that resist them from being changed. The real reason people wont change is not due to lack of skill and deep commitment within them but it is due to hidden competing commitment followed by big assumptions. For some, the need is confidence-building, for others its behavior change or skill development. But sometimes, no matter how hard a person tries, their progress remains inexplicably stalled. The situation can be as frustrating to bosses, colleagues, and family members as it is to the individual. Organizational psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey developed the theory of a competing commitment to explain what they term personal immunity to change. Competing commitments are long held belief that has become an integral part of their make up so that it is difficult to change. When these beliefs are uncovered, change is possible. And it is still true that some people opt not to disrupt their immunity to change, choosing instead to continue their fruitless struggle against their competing commitments. The competing commitments cause even the valued employee to behave in inexplicably and irremediable way. It is a subconscious hidden goal of the people that conflicts with their stated commitments. Many of these competing commitments are based on long-held beliefs that are an integral part of their make-up so they can be difficult to change. Some examples of competing commitments are: Dragging ones feet on an assignment because one wants to avoid a next tougher assignment or future lack of work. * Avoiding teamwork or meetings because one wants to avoid the conflict that is associated with it. * Using sarcastic disruptive humor to keep oneself at a distance from a work group you may not want to be associated with. The article is a psychological analysis and research about the reason that resist people from being changed. The research of the article is mainly concern about uncovering the hidden competing commitment and unearthing big ssumptions. It is not an easy task to uncover the hidden commitment but author has suggested to go through the set of questions. They have developed 3 stage processes to help organizations to figure out what’s getting on way to change? 1. Manager guides employees to uncover competing commitments through the set of questions. 2. Employees examine these commitments to determine underlying assumptions. 3. Start the process of changing behavior. The author presents the example of John who is a talented manager at a software company. Though he is an open communicative type and values close relationship with others, because of his racial group he could not well integrated with the team even if he wanted. He believed that if he became well integrated with the team, it would threaten his sense of loyalty to his own racial group betraying his family and friends. John was genuinely committed to working with team but he had a powerful hidden competing commitment keeping him distance. Another example cited in the article is that of Helen, a manager at manufacturing company. Though she was committed to increase the production of the product she could not succeed. She had an unrecognized commitment of maintaining subordinate relationship with her boss Andrew. She thought that she would me more a peer than a subordinate so wouldn’t be up to the task. The article also describes about the big assumptions. Every employee who just does not change had a hidden commitment because of the assumptions resulting from the competing commitment. Some leaders assume that they would be incompetent if they couldn’t solve all the problems that come up. Even if they have a commitment to hearing from subordinates and maximize the flow of information, they had a competing commitment to not learning about things that he cant do. Competing commitment and big assumptions are the real reason that causes people resist to change. Kegan and Laheys recommended solution for diagnosing this resistance to change is based on guiding individuals through a set of questions to uncover competing commitments. For example 1. What would you like to see changed at work, so that you could be more effective or so that work would be more satisfying? 2. What beliefs or commitments are implied by this recommended change? 3. What are you doing or not doing, that is keeping your beliefs or commitments to change from being fully realized? 4. What if you were to imagine doing the opposite of what you are currently doing, would that cause discomfort, worry or vague fear? 5. What if you were to actually carry out this opposite behaviour, what outcomes are you trying to prevent? The first question responses the complaint which we mostly talk about. Tom, a manager grumbled, â€Å"my subordinates keep me out of the loop. The responses are the complaint which the most managers bemoan because of its negative and unproductive tone. The second question responses complaint what people care about most. Tom said I believed in open and candid communication. It’s a commitment of the Tom to shared decision making. Once the commitments of people are found, third question is identifying the undermining behavior that prevented them from being fulfilled. Tom admitted â€Å"When people bring bad news, I tend to shoot the messenger. † Next question is about going in the opposition of the undermining behavior. Tom concluded Im afraid Ill hear about a problem that I cant fix, something that I cant do anything about. After all, the final step is to transform that passive fear into a statement that reflects an active commitment to preventing certain outcomes. The resulting answer to this final question is the competing commitment which lies at the very heart of a persons immunity to change. These commitments usually involve protecting yourself from things like, not being in control, having to follow someone elses decisions, having to go along with decisions you dont like, not having to deal with problems you cant fix and so on. Once people uncover their competing commitments, big assumption can be easily found out. If people inverted the beginning of the sentences of competing commitment, and then filled out the sentence then assumption can be identified. For e. g. the assumption of Tom is I assume that if I did hear about problems I can’t fix, people would discover I’m not qualified to do my job. This is a difficult process, and it doesn’t happen all at once, because admitting to big assumptions makes people uncomfortable. After identifying competing commitment and big assumptions, Kegan and Lahey had recommended five steps on how to take action to overcome immunity to change. Notice and record current behavior It is about making a note of what does and doesnt happen as a result of holding assumptions to be true. This gives people the opportunity to develop a better appreciation for how and in what contexts big assumptions influence their lives. Look for contrary evidence Employees must look actively for experiences that might cast doubt on the validity of their big assumptions. When John looked around him, he considered for the first time that an African-American manager in another department had strong working relationships with her mostly white colleagues, yet seemed not to have compromised her personal identity. Explore the history It is exploring how and when assumptions took hold, and how long the self-protective stance has been employed Test the assumption It considers making changes in ones behaviour and test out if assumptions are validated; practice in safe environments or where one can extricate oneself fairly quickly if it becomes too uncomfortable. This is the first time people consider making changes in their behavior. Evaluate the results The final step is to check out the result and look for more effective ways to operate in future. This is worth nothing that revealing a big assumption does not necessarily mean it will be exposed as false. But even if big assumption contains the elements of truth, an individual can often find more effective way to operate once he or she has had a chance to challenge the big assumption. The process of challenging and uncovering the competing commitment and unfolding personal immunity to change takes a period of time. Competing commitments should not be seen as a weakness but some form of self-protection which is a normal form of human instinct. The reasons people are protecting themselves usually lie in some deeply-rooted beliefs about themselves and the world around them. These competing commitments usually arise from some big assumptions we have made about the world. People rarely realize they hold assumptions because they accept them as reality. So its necessary to uncover our hidden commitment and big assumptions that has been distance us away from change.

kiss the sky :: essays research papers

Ten people sit, waiting to embark On a journey to a place called Jurassic Park. They sit impatient, they can’t wait to leave Too see something none of them have ever seen. They’ve seen it in movies and on TV But never in real life like they are about to see. Although it will be exciting to be there, It’s as well a dangerous atmosphere; For they all tried to run when they heard the roar But they all got eaten by a dinosaur. So all we know is who they were; Nothing from after or from before But I will tell you what I can guess About all these people, I’ll do my best. There was a man who played on the stage And for each film he made, earned a hefty wage. He was an actor in huge demand Any sum of money would be placed in his hand. He could make you think he was anyone He could even convince his father he wasn’t his son. Although in his head he wasn’t too bright His personality was more than all right. The other nine like him, and that’s no surprise He was especially easy on the eyes. The man who with the actor bonded best Was a man with a million dollar wrist. On the cover of every sports magazine And being him was every boy’s dream. He was a bit short-tempered, but liked to joke They all thought he was funny, even the old folks. Although he could play many sports He was also a gentleman of many sorts. He was quite a charmer, pure to the core No girl could ever ask for anything more. Next on the list was a man who sang And when he did, on every word you would hang. For he could set the mood of any situation And make something small into a big sensation. Although he was not much to look at His words were rich like butter is fat. He was a college man but not very bright He never studied during the day, but he sang at night. He was rather shy and kept to himself Until he was on stage, then his songs he would belt. Then there was a man with utmost control Boss of the country was his role. Every decision was of his own He could change anything by making a call on the phone. But that’s okay, he was quite trusted And so neat about everything, even his ironing board was dusted. Everything he wore looked brand new It’s like everything he wore, he had two. He had great posture, even when he sat He stepped very lightly, just like a cat.

Theory of Absolute Advantage

â€Å"If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, [we had] better buy it of them with some part of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage.†-Adam Smith (WN, IV.ii.12)This means that a nation produces and exports those commodities which it can produce more cheaply than other nations, and imports those which it cannot. A nation will not produce a good that is produced more expensively at home than abroad –be it â€Å"a thirtieth, or even a three hundredth part more† (WN, IV.ii.15) In economics, absolute advantage refers to the ability of a party (an individual, or firm, or country) to produce more of a good or service than competitors, using the same amount of resources.Adam Smith first described the principle of absolute advantage in the context of international trade, using labor as the only input. Since absolute advantage is determined by a simple comparison of labor productivities, it is possible for a party to have no absolute advantage in anything; in that case, according to the theory of absolute advantage, no trade will occur with the other party. It can be contrasted with the concept of comparative advantage which refers to the ability to produce a particular good at a lower opportunity cost.Origin of the theoryDuring the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the dominant economic philosophy was mercantilism, which advocated severe restrictions on import and aggressive efforts to increase export. The resulting export surplus was supposed to enrich the nation through the inflow of precious metals. Adam Smith (1776), who regarded as the father of modern economics, countered mercantilist ideas in his famous book, The Wealth of Nations, by developing the concept of absolute advantage.He argued that it was impossible for all nations to become rich simultaneously by following mercantilist prescriptions because the export of one nation is another nation’s impor t. However, all nations would gain simultaneously if they practiced free trade and specialized in accordance with their absolute advantage. This international specialization of factors in production would produce increase  in world output. The theory of absolute advantage itself is normally presented with an example of two countries and two commodities (2Ãâ€"2 model). Each nation can produce one good with less expenditure of human labor than the other and thus more cheaply. As a result, each nation has an absolute advantage in the production of one good. ExampleConsider the table below, which shows that Nation A has an absolute advantage over Nation B in terms of producing sugar, while Nation B has an absolute advantage over Nation A in producing rice. If Nation A will concentrate in the production of sugar and Nation B will focus on the production of rice, the combined production of rice and sugar of both countries would be greater, and these two countries would share in this in crease from exchange, and both will benefit from the higher output of both commodities.If both nations start trading with each other, each nation will specialize in the production of the good it has an absolute advantage in and obtain the other commodity through international trade. More units of both commodities can be produced overall because the given resources are utilized more efficiently. Through trade, both nations are able to consume more units of at least one commodity. In our example above, Nation A would specialize completely in sugar and Nation B in rice.There are no further gains from international trade beside this one-off increase in the overall production and thus consumption. Nothing more happens. Though Smith successfully established the case for free trade, he did not develop the concept of  comparative advantage. Because absolute advantage is determined by a simple comparison of labor productivities, it is possible for a nation to have absolute advantage in not hing. Smith stressed the importance of division of laborSmith’s thoughts on the division of labor constitute the basis for his theory. For him, it is the division of labor that leads to â€Å"the greatest improvement in the productive powers of labor† (WN, I.i.1). As a result of a more advanced division of labor, more output can be produced with the same amount of labor. The division of labor leads to quantitative and qualitative production improvements. This means that output is increased, technological development is stimulated, and workers’ skills and productivity are enhanced. As a result, economic growth is promoted and national wealth increases. This can be summarized as â€Å"the more specialization, the more growth† (Staley 1989, 43)Criticisms on Smith’s theorySubsequent economists did not pay attention to Smith’s theory of absolute advantage. In general, it is not seen as relevant because of the predominance of the theory of compara tive advantage, which â€Å"has been the bedrock on which all subsequent developments in the theory of international trade have rested† (Maneschi 1998, 10). As a result, Smith’s theory was barely noticed and not developed any further. Nonetheless, many of today’s textbooks deal briefly with the theory of absolute advantage, which is ascribed to Smith. They portray Smith’s theory as â€Å"a stepping-stone to a more sophisticated theory† (Staley 1989, 52), namely the theory of comparative advantage that is attributed to David Ricardo.The presentation of Smith’s international trade theory in textbooks is essentially standardized and does not vary significantly. Textbooks emphasize that the theory of absolute advantage â€Å"can explain only a small part of world trade† (Salvatore 2011, 37). Thus, it is seen as a special case of the theory of comparative advantage and both theories are seen as complementary (Dieckheuer 2001, 50). Smith is often criticized for not being able to come up with the more sophisticated theory of comparative advantage (Zhang 2008, 3). In comparison to Ricardo, Smith is described as a â€Å"poor trade theorist† and his theory as a â€Å"naà ¯ve theory† (Mehmet, 1999, 47).

Age of Chaucer

Romaunt of the Rose: It’s a lengthy allegorical poem written in octosyllabic couplets and based upon Le Romaunt de la Rose of Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meung. According to critics, not the entire poem, but the first part of it may be written by Chaucer. In this dream poem the narrator enters the Garden of Mirth, where he sees various allegorized figures and falls in love with a rosebud. Part A and B describe the instructions of the god of love to the dreamer. Part C is a fragment and satirizes the hypocrisy of religion, woman and the social order. (French Group) The Book of the Duchesse: It’s probably Chaucer’s earliest poem and is written in 1369. It’s a dream poem in thirteen hundred thirty four lines in octosyllabic couplets. It is believed to be an allegorical lament on the death of Blanche of Lancaster, the first wife of John of Gaunt, who died in 1369. (French Group) The poet falls asleep while reading the story of Ceix and Alcyone and in his dream he follows a hunting party. He meets a night in Black He meets a night in Black who played a game of chess with Fortuna and lost his queen. In answer of the dreamer’s question the knight declares that his beloved is dead now. The hunting party reappears and a bell strikes twelve. The poet awakes and decides that the dream was so wonderful that it should be set into rhyme. In the French group there are also three poems: The Compleynt unto Pite, An A. B. C. and The Compleynt of Mars. Anelida and Arcite: An incomplete poem by Chaucer. The poem tells the story of faithless Arcite to Queen Anelida. The first 270 lines are written in rhyme royal and 140 lines in varying metrical patterns. (Italian Group) The Parlement of Fouls: It’s a dream poem by Chaucer in 699 lines of rhyme royal. It has been thought to be a poem in celebration of a marriage, perhaps the marriage of the young Richard II and Anne of Bohemia in 1382. The poem is the first reference to the idea that St. Valentine’s Day was a special day for the lovers. The poet falls asleep after a prologue in which he makes the Boethian lament that he has not what he wants and he has what he does not want. He then has a vision of a garden in which three eagles pay attention to a beautiful ‘formel’ (female). Then there follows a long dispute about love and courtship. The dispute centers on the opposition between the courtly love approach of the noble eagles and pragmatism of the duck. The debate is unresolved and the birds agree to assemble a year later to decide. (Italian Group) Troilus and Criseyde: Chaucer’s longest complete poem in 8239 lines of rhyme royal, probably written in the second half of 1380s. Chaucer takes his story from Boccaccio’s Il Filostrato. In the story Troilus falls in love with Criseyde, a widow whose father Calchas leaves Troy and joins the Greeks. The first three books tell us how Troilus with the help of Pandarus, Criseyde’s uncle, finally charms her. In the fourth book, she has to go to the Greek camp because of the political reason and she promises to come back at the tenth day but she does not. Troilus writes to her but gets only evasive answers. Finally at his battle with Diamede he finds in Diamede’s hand a brooch which he had given to her. Ultimately he dies at the hand of Achilles. (Italian Group) The House of Fame: An unfinished by Chaucer in 2158 lines of octosyllabic couplets. After the prologue on dreams and an invocation on god of Sleep in Book I the poet dreams of the temple of Venus where on the walls he reads the depicted story of Dido and Aeneas. He then comes out and sees a golden eagle shining in the sky. It is from the same family of Dante’s eagle in the ninth book of Purgatorio. In Book II, the bird seizes him and carries him to the House of Fame and tells him during the journey that in the House of Fame he will learn about love affairs and hypocrisies of man. In Book III he watches in House of Fame the candidates approach the throne for fame, some being granted and others rejected. The poem owes much to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Dante’s poem is also a dream poem and divided into three books. And Dante in Divine Comedy is guided by Virgil. (Italian Group) The Legend of a Good Woman: It is possibly the first significant work in English to use the iambic pentameter or decasyllabic couplets which he later used throughout the Canterbury Tales. The poet falls asleep and sees in his dream that Cupid appears before him followed by twenty lady martyrs for love. Cupid accuses him for writing only about faithless female characters like Criseyde and as a penance instructs him to write about faithful women, beginning with Cleopatra. But in the poem Chaucer only finished eight stories and the ninth is left unfinished. Some of the good characters are – Cleopatra, Dido, Thisbe, Medea and Lucrece. (Italian Group) Canterbury Tales (English Group) The Lak of Stedfastnesse (English Group) Compleynte of Chaucer to his Empty Purse (English Group) * There are two prose tales in Canterbury Tales: Tale of Melibeus and The Person’s Tale. William Langland| The Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman: An allegorical narrative poem written in unrhymed alliterative verse, divided into sections called passus (Latin for step). The poem concerns the narrator’s intense quest for true Christian life, from the perspective of true Christian life, from the perspective of mediaeval Catholicism. The quest includes a series of dream visions and an examination into the three allegorical characters: Dowel (Do-Well), Dobet (Do-Better) and Dobest (Do-Best). A man named Will falls asleep and has a vision of a tower upon a hill and a fortress in a deep valley. Between these symbols of heaven and hell is a field full of folk, representing the world of mankind. In the early part of the poem Piers, the humble plowman, appears and offers himself as the narrator’s guide to truth. The latter part of the poem is concerned with the narrator’s quest for the Dowel, Dobet and Dobest. This poem appears in many manuscripts in three forms – A, B, C text. The A text is 2500 lines long, the B is more than 7200 lines and C is based upon B and 7300 lines long. The latest theory is that A text is written by Langland; B and C are composed by some poorer poets. John Gower| Speculam Meditantis: It’s his first poem, written in French and for a long time was lost, being discovered in 1895. The poem is about 3200 lines of octosyllabic in twelve lines stanzas, concerned about a fallen man, his virtues and vices. Vox Clamantis: The meaning of Vox Clamantis is ‘The Voice of One Crying Out’. It is a Latin poetry in 10265 lines of elegiac couplets that recounts the events and tragedy of the 1381 Peasant’s Rising. The poem takes aim at the corruption of the society and laments the rise of the evil. Gower takes completely aristocratic side in this poem and thinks the peasant’s claim as invalid and their actions are anti-Christ. Confessio Amantis: It is over 33. 000 lines long and containing 141 stories in octosyllabic couplets. According to the prologue it was composed at the request of Richard II. The epilogue dedicates the work to Richard II and to Chaucer. None of the tales are original. The source he relies most is on Ovid whose Metamorphoses was ever a popular source of example. Others include Bible and other classical and mediaeval writers. The framework of the poem is the confession of a lover. The confessor helps to examine the lover’s conscience and tells him the stories of behaviour and fortune in love, organised under the heading of seven deadly sins. There are eight books – one for the each of the sins and one (Book VII) which gives an encyclopedic account of philosophy and morals. John Barbour| Bruce: Barbour is the first Scottish poet to catch reader’s attention. His great work is Bruce (1375), a lengthy poem of twenty books. The book is really a history of Scotland’s struggle for freedom from the year 1286 till the death of Bruce. The central incident of the book is battle of Bannockburn. Sir John Mandeville| Travels: It is originally written in French. In English it has a preface in which it is stated that the author was Sir John Mandeville, a knight, crossed the sea in 1322 and travelled in many strange regions. Much of the personal narrative is invention. Nowadays the very existence of Sir John is denied. The real author of this book is said to be Jehan de Bourgogne. John Wycliffe| * Many Latin books in support of his revolutionary opinions. * Tracts and pamphlets in English * An English translation of the Bible. Wycliffe was a teacher in the Oxford University. He attacked the pope and bishops, pointing at them their fine palaces, their likings for ceremony and the extent of their power. He said Christ’s life and preaching were more important than the Church itself. True Christianity was a gathering of believers who had no need of bishops, abbots, priors or any of the pope’s officials. Then this brave man attacked other Catholic beliefs, particularly the one which says the bread and the wine served at Mass changes into the body and blood of Christ. The Church had taught this belief for centuries and refusal to accept it was called a heresy. Wycliffe spread his message by writing some of his book in English, the common men’s language, instead of Latin, the language of the Church. His followers were called Lollards, because of the low and quite way they said their prayers. Some of the Lollards went into the countryside to preach Wycliffe’s message to the common people. Wycliffe told others to translate the Bible into English. Many people became Lollards, and therefore heretics. The punishment for heresy became death. Under a new law, heretics could be taken to a public place for burning. There they were tied to a post and given an opportunity to declare their belief to be false. If they refused to do this, a fire stick was lit around them and they burned. Still the Lollards increased in numbers and joined the other discontented people in the countryside. Sir Thomas Malory| Morte d’Arthur: It was originally written in eight books. William Caxton published it in twenty one books in 1485. It is a compilation of all the Arthurian legends – the birth of Arthur, the twelve large battles fought by him against the Angles and Saxons, his marriage with Guinevere, his court Camelot and his Round table meeting with his knights, the adventures of Gawain, Gaheris, Tristram and Sir Launcelot (most well-known knight), Story of Sir Galahad (son of Launcelot and purest of all the knights) who led a search for a cup called Holy Grail, and the adulterous relationship between Launcelot and Guinevere.

Rayovac Case Study

Rayovac Case Study Executive Summary Rayovac Corporation is contemplating expanding its rechargeable batteries line. This would be a shift from the alkaline disposable batteries. Currently, the company is the third largest battery maker, after Duracell and Energizer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rayovac Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Like all profit-making organizations, Rayovac is interested in maximizing its return on investment. The company intends to maximize shareholder value through growth. Battery consumers are divided into two groups based on size of purchase. There are individual (family) consumers and manufacturing customers. The threat of new entrants in this industry is insignificant. The current industry players already own all the patents related to manufacture. Since the market is composed mainly of individual buyers, the overall bargaining power of buyers is relatively low. There is stiff competition amo ng the top three industry players Duracell, Energizer and Rayovac. This is evident in the guerrilla tactics employed in their advertisement campaigns. A financial analysis was conducted to determine whether the rechargeable batteries option is viable. The Ansoff’s growth matrix has also been used to determine the strategic options available to Rayovac. According to these findings, it is not worthwhile for the company to implement the strategy. Rather, it should focus on market penetration and market growth. Problem Statement Rayovac Corporation is contemplating expanding its rechargeable batteries line. This would be a shift from the alkaline disposable batteries. Currently, the company is the third largest battery maker, after Duracell and Energizer. The market is yet to adopt the concept of rechargeable batteries fully. This is both an opportunity and a threat. It could be an opportunity for market growth or a fad, which may pass. Mr Falconi needs to decide whether to seek other means of creating sustainable competitive advantage in the disposable batteries market or to change the strategy to focus on rechargeable batteries. Rayovac needs answers to several questions before making this strategic decision. If they make the investment, will the company grow to be the market leader in this product line? Will the market embrace the product? Will the company have enough cash to execute the strategy? Which marketing strategies should be adopted if the plan is implemented? How are competitors likely to respond? Will this strategy grow the overall business?Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Situational Analysis Rayovac History Rayovac was founded in the early 1900s. Initially, it was called The French battery Company. The name was changed to Rayovac in the 1930s. In 1933, the company patented a hearing aid. This began the journey to dominate t he hearing aid market. Currently, Rayovac is the market leader in wearable hearing aids. In the years 1930-1988, Rayovac concentrated on manufacturing batteries for consumer products such as radios, flashlights and computer clocks. The company acquired several patents in this department. However, it did not manage to unseat the two market leaders Duracell and Energizer. In 1990, the company shifted its focus to Heavy Duty and Industrial products. The company launched a campaign to use renewable batteries in 1995 with Michael Jordan as the brand ambassador. The project did not do as well as expected. Despite this fact, Rayovac continued to develop and bring to market different chargers for the rechargeable batteries. The advertisement campaign with Michael Jordan created some brand equity for Rayovac. The company secured 20% of the rechargeable batteries market. Company Mission, Goals and Objectives Like all profit-making organizations, Rayovac is interested in maximizing its return on investment. The company intends to maximize shareholder value through growth. This growth should be achieved with minimal sacrifice of profits from existing products. This goal creates a conflict of interest. Growth in the rechargeable batteries segment will ultimately lead to decline in the alkaline battery segment. Rayovac is committed to environmental sustainability. The company aims at creating safe environments and minimizing damage by recycling and reusing. Whichever strategy Rayovac chooses to pursue, it should conform to these policies, goals and objectives. Finally, Rayovac aims at being the market leader in the industry. If the rechargeable batteries strategy can aid in achieving this goal, then the company will pursue it. Customers Battery consumers can be divided into two groups based on size of purchase. There are individual (family) consumers and manufacturing customers. Manufacturing customers buy batteries on a large scale to include in their products. Individual consumers can be divided into heavy technology users and medium technology users.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rayovac Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Heavy technology users use batteries for high-drain gadgets, replace batteries frequently and purchase impulsively. Medium technology users purchase based on price replace their batteries less often and use low- drain gadgets. The medium users compose the bulk of battery markets. However, the heavy users would be the ideal consumers of rechargeable batteries. The market for batteries is growing due to the increased popularity of high drain devices such as laptops and cameras. Traditional alkaline batteries account for 70% of the market in Canada. However, experts have pointed out that this product has reached its peak. Little innovation can be done on these batteries. Rechargeable batteries account for only 10% of the market. Though they are more conven ient, customers are yet to adapt to these batteries. The cost of the chargers put many consumers off. Rayovac’s major competitors are focused on the alkaline battery. This presents an opportunity for Rayovac to focus on the rechargeable battery, which has potential for market growth. Major Competitors Duracell Proctor Gamble (PG) currently own the Duracell brand. PG has extensive distribution networks for its consumer products all over the world. This is a source of competitive advantage for Duracell. The company offers batteries with long life and charges a premium price in return. Duracell is currently the market leader in consumer batteries in the US due to this strategy. The company also serves 39% of the batteries market worldwide. Duracell competes on innovation of the alkaline battery. The market recognizes this fact since Duracell batteries are very durable. This association of Duracell’s batteries with long-life is a source of brand equity. The company has al so executed a growth by acquisition strategy. It acquired both Geep of India and Rocket of South Korea. These two companies were market leaders in their regions. Duracell has managed to expand its worldwide reach through them. Energizer Eveready Battery Company was formed in 1896. It later renamed to Energizer. It is currently the world’s largest battery company followed closely by Duracell. The company advertises using the â€Å"Energizer Bunny†. The brand recognition has grown greatly due to this campaign. Its competitors have tried to copy this strategy without much success. Rayovac entered into an agreement with Disneyland to use their cartoon characters in its adverts. This campaign has not borne much fruit. Ralston Purina Co. had acquired energizer. Later, Energizer left the portfolio to become Energizer Holdings. Soon after, the company acquired a razor and sword blade company. This created a portfolio similar to Duracell and intensified their competition. Energ izer’s competitive advantage is based on strong brand equity and excellent distribution channels in the batteries and flashlights market.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Industry Analysis Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in the batteries industry is quite low. The current industry players already own all the patents related to manufacture. Thus, a new entrant would need to obtain permission to use their specialist knowledge. The capital requirements to start a battery company are relatively high. This locks out many potential competitors. The only new entrants who pose a threat are the manufacturing customers who may decide to practise backward integration. However, this is highly unlikely since making batteries is not one of their core competencies. The current industry players control most distribution channels. Their brand names have been established for decades now. Most customers are already loyal to one or two brands. It would be difficult for them to switch to a new supplier. These marketing issues make the threat of new entrants a weak force in this industry. The weakness of this threat is e vident in the inability of large Japanese firms such as Sony to gain market share in the batteries market. Bargaining Power of Buyers Battery consumers are divided into individual purchasers and manufacturers. Manufacturers purchase batteries to include them in their products while individual users buy them for home use in their electronics. Individual buyers have little bargaining power. They are price takers. Majority of battery buyers are individual consumers. Manufacturers have more bargaining power than individuals do. They can negotiate for discounts based on scale. Battery companies have to keep these large consumers happy or lose their large purchases. Since the market is composed mainly of individual buyers, the overall bargaining power of buyers is relatively low. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers in an industry is low if there are many fragmented suppliers and the switching costs are low. This is the case in the batteries industry. There are many suppliers of the necessary chemicals. Companies can also obtain packaging and marketing materials from many different suppliers. Actually, suppliers compete for the industry’s attention. This leads to price wars and reduces suppliers’ bargaining power. Specialist employees in Research and Design have a high bargaining power. They supply the company with skills that are crucial to survival in an industry driven by innovation. There are also few such specialists. This gives them advantage in negotiating for their salaries. Threat of Substitute Products Solar power and electricity are the major substitute products for batteries. People can use the two to run their electronics instead of batteries. However, batteries still have the advantage of portability. They are also more reliable. For instance, it would be almost impossible to use solar power during winter. Electricity on the other hand is liable to power cuts. Solar power is clean energy. This is its major attra ction. The available substitutes are cheaper and more inconvenient than batteries. The initial outlay required to acquire solar panels is quite high. Electricity is expensive. Therefore, this force is weak in this industry. Competitive Rivalry Within the Industry There is stiff competition among the top three industry players Duracell, Energizer and Rayovac. This is evident in the guerrilla tactics employed in their advertisement campaigns. There are also price wars with Rayovac pricing its products slightly lower than the others do. The fact that Duracell and Energizer have similar product portfolios serves to intensify their rivalry further. This rivalry should be kept in check to avoid reducing the industry’s profit potential. SWOT analysis for Rayovac Corporation A SWOT analysis helps to establish a company’s strategic position. Both internal and external factors critical to Rayovac’s success will be examined. The results will guide the next step of decision -making. Strengths Rayovac already launched an advertisement campaign with Michael Jordan. This campaign increased their brand equity. If the company were to launch another campaign, the product would not be new to consumers; rather, they would be reminded to use it. Currently, Rayovac is the market leader in rechargeable batteries in Europe. It also controls 5% of the small American market. This position can enable Rayovac to drive the trends in this segment. The company is also under a strong leadership team. Mr. Falconi has 27 years of experience in the batteries industry. He has also previously worked for competitor, Duracell. Weaknesses Rayovac’s major weakness is lack of the core competencies in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries. In order to grow its market share, Rayovac would have to rely on Japanese suppliers. This could develop into a threat later. Rayovac is currently lagging behind industry leaders in terms of sales of alkaline batteries. This means that i t has little influence over this market. Opportunities Duracell and Energizer are both focused on the alkaline battery market. Rayovac could take advantage of this to grow its market share in the rechargeable battery segment. Technological developments have led to a growing demand in high-drain gadgets. Majority of rechargeable battery users purchase them for use in these high-drain gadgets. This trend could lead to further growth in the rechargeable battery market. The world is becoming environmentally conscious. This trend has caught up in Europe, where rechargeable batteries are gaining popularity. With all the green campaigns, the rest of the world is likely to follow suit. If this happens, Rayovac can position its batteries as environmental-friendly in order to gain sales. Threats The largest threat facing Rayovac is its competitor’s likely retaliation. There is no way to predict how far Duracell and Energizer are willing to go to protect their market share. Alkaline bat teries are more profitable than rechargeable batteries. This is why the market leaders are unwilling to shift to rechargeable batteries. There is also the risk that the market may fail to embrace the product. Rayovac may make heavy investments and fail to recoup. This threat can be mitigated by carrying out extensive market research before commencement. The company can also carry out consumer education. Financial analysis This aim of a financial analysis is to establish whether a project is economically feasible. There are two options open to Rayovac. It could enter the market and employ a volume strategy or a niche strategy. Each strategy’s projections are shown in the tables. The Rayovac case study contains some information that will be used to conduct an analysis. We are provided with the projected market sales growth of the rechargeable batteries segment in Canada. We are also given the potential market share growth of Rayovac in this country. By multiplying the two, we c an obtain the projected sales Rayovac expects to make in subsequent years. The above computations show that sales will grow much faster if the Volume strategy is adopted. However, before a decision is made, we have to consider other factors such as contribution margin. The Canadian market is said to represent approximately 20% of the North American market. Using this assumption, we project the North American sales to be as follows: The gap between sales from the volume strategy and those from the niche strategy continues to widen as the years progress. If this were the sole decision criteria, Rayovac would choose the volume strategy. The impact of these strategies on total sales can be shown by adding the Canadian and North American projected sales. This table is useful in showing how Rayovac’s major markets would fair if the company adopted the proposed strategies. Contribution Contribution is the difference between sales and variable costs. Variable costs are considered bec ause they are the incremental cost of making one extra battery. In manufacturing industries, many fixed costs are also likely to be sunk costs and therefore not useful for decision-making. If Rayovac adopts a volume strategy, it will have to sell the batteries at a lower price in order to attract the mass markets. The contribution margin for such a strategy is 45%. The projected contribution is obtained by multiplying the margin by the projected Rayovac sales in that year. The niche strategy yields a higher contribution margin of 60%. This strategy would entail selling in specialist stores. The company can then charge a higher price than in the volume strategy. During the first two years, the Niche strategy seems slightly better than the volume strategy. However, in the end, the volume strategy will yield more in terms of contribution. If Rayovac adopts a volume strategy, it will have to sell the batteries at a lower price in order to attract the mass markets. The contribution margi n for such a strategy is 45%. The projected contribution is obtained by multiplying the margin by the projected Rayovac sales in that year. The niche strategy yields a higher contribution margin of 60%. This strategy would entail selling in specialist stores. The company can then charge a premium price. During the first two years, the Niche strategy seems slightly better than the volume strategy. However, in the end, the volume strategy will yield more in terms of contribution. One of the major expenditures in expanding the rechargeable batteries line is advertising costs. The cost depends on whether Rayovac adopts a niche or volume strategy. The costs associated with the niche strategy vary between 7% and 5% of the contribution. The costs associated with the volume strategy vary between 10% and 6%. The advertising cost was obtained by multiplying the projected proportion of contribution by the contribution obtained earlier. The volume strategy has a higher advertising cost than the niche strategy in all the years. The company should ensure it could meet the required advertisement costs before settling on a strategy. The net contribution represents the money that will be available to cover fixed costs and profit. This figure is very crucial in decision-making. In this case, it is obtained by subtracting the previously computed advertising costs from the projected contribution. The niche strategy is only attractive for the first two years. Thereafter, the volume strategy produces much higher returns. The company should therefore opt for the volume strategy. If the company chooses the niche strategy over the volume strategy, the difference in net contribution is shown below. If the company makes the wrong strategic choice, it stands to lose over $15 million in the years subsequent to 2006. Other Financial Considerations Exhibit 7 shows that Duracell made a profit of $ 325 million in North America during the 2004 financial year. According to these projections, Ra yovac is likely to make sales of $120 million in North America by 2010. Rayovac needs to triple these sales if it hopes to beat Duracell. The reality is this might take decades. Rechargeable batteries have a much lower profit margin than alkaline batteries. Actually, for each $2 made on the sale of a rechargeable battery, $ 250 is lost in alkaline battery sales. The company needs to come up with innovative ways to close this gap. If this does not happen, much revenue will be lost. Rayovac will end up making losses. This is quite undesirable. The final consideration is whether the company has the resources available to execute the plan. If there is no spare cash, Rayovac needs to consider credit. Strategic Marketing Options After examining Rayovac’s operating environment and the financial implications of the strategies, it is important to explore the options available to the company. In this paper, we choose to do so within the framework of the Product-Market growth matrix. Th is matrix shows the options Rayovac can pursue to grow its overall market share in the batteries segment. Market Penetration This strategy involves Rayovac defending its current market position. It can also attempt to grow its market share in the segments it currently operates. Rayovac’s present product portfolio contains nine major products. The most famous product in the portfolio is alkaline batteries. These batteries are useful for many home devices such as flashlights, remotes and toy cars. Most lone consumers purchase these products. They come in different sizes for different gadgets. The sizes are AAA, AA, C, D and 9V. The second largest product is the rechargeable batteries line. These batteries come in similar sizes to their alkaline counterparts. However, they can be re-charged and re used several times. They come with special chargers for this purpose. They are used in high-drain gadgets such as digital cameras and music players. This product line is environmental friendly Rayovac has a flashlights range too. There are outdoor and general-purpose flashlights. The company also makes flashlights for industrial use. This range also contains light bulbs. The fourth product line is the hearing aid range. Currently, Rayovac is the market leader in this market. The company enjoys competitive advantage created by the first mover advantage they possess. Rayovac holds several patents for manufacturing hearing aids. The company was the first to develop a wearable hearing aid battery. It continues to dominate 60% of the world market. Rayovac has a flashlights range too. There are outdoor and general-purpose flashlights. The company also makes flashlights for industrial use. This range also contains light bulbs. The fourth product line is the hearing aid range. Currently, Rayovac is the market leader in this market. The company enjoys competitive advantage created by the first mover advantage they possess. Rayovac holds several patents for manufacturing h earing aids. The company was the first to develop a wearable hearing aid battery. It continues to dominate 60% of the world market. The heavy-duty batteries are created specifically for devices such as clocks and smoke detectors. These devices discharge batteries slowly and are used rarely. The special feature in these batteries is long life. Rayovac also deals in lithium, specialty and lantern batteries. The final category is industrial batteries. The major purchaser of these products is manufacturing companies. Rayovac’s major market is Canada and South America. Unlike Duracell and Energizer, the company’s global distribution network is poor. A market penetration strategy involves defending the market share currently held. Rayovac can accomplish this through aggressive marketing campaigns. The company can acquire other smaller battery manufacturers in a bid to increase its market share. This strategy is likely to provoke guerrilla tactics from Duracell and Energizer. Product Development This strategy entails introduction of new products into the markets Rayovac currently operates. The rechargeable batteries strategy falls under this category. Rechargeable batteries are relatively new to the market. Consumers are yet to adopt their use. This is the perfect opportunity for product development. The European market is likely to adopt the product faster than the American and Canadian markets. This is due to their concerns for the environment and preference for long-lasting products. Rayovac could focus on controlling this market before competitors respond. Afterwards, the strategy can be implemented in America and Canada. This strategy is likely to succeed because Rayovac already has brand equity in this segment. The risk that competitors will respond aggressively is lower than in the market penetration strategy. This is because this strategy does not directly attack their market share. Rayovac also needs to consider the possibility of its suppliers integrating forward. Suppliers have a high bargaining power since they possess core competencies in manufacturing rechargeable batteries. The risk that competitors will respond aggressively is lower than in the market penetration strategy. This is because this strategy does not directly attack their market share. Rayovac also needs to consider the possibility of its suppliers integrating forward. Suppliers have a high bargaining power since they possess core competencies in manufacturing rechargeable batteries. Market Development A market development strategy would require Rayovac to take its existing products to new markets. This strategy is ideal if Rayovac reckons it will be unable to unseat the current market leaders. It is necessary when customers already have strong brand loyalty and are unwilling to switch suppliers. There is a growing demand for electronics in Africa and Asia. The company should consider exporting to these continents. The advantage associated with new marke ts is that consumers have no brand loyalty. Thus, with a creative advertising campaign, Rayovac can create brand equity for its products. If adopted, this strategy will require extensive market research and massive expenditure on advertisement and Public relations exercises. However, the results are long lasting. Rayovac needs an extensive distribution network if this strategy is to succeed. This is where strategic alliances become necessary. The company can negotiate with a large consumer company such as Unilever to carry their products in the latter’s distribution channels for a fee. Energizer and Duracell already have global networks. If Rayovac hopes to compete in the same league, it must acquire equal or better channels. Diversification Diversification entails creating and innovating new products. These products are then sold in new markets. This is the most drastic strategy. However, it presents the most opportunity for growth. Diversification is also the most expensive growth strategy to implement. It requires investment in both research and development and advertisement. The company needs to carry out market research in the proposed new market to establish customer needs. Thereafter, it should develop products to meet these needs. The marketing function should then ensure that the market is aware of the product’s existence. Solar panels are a viable diversification option. There is a high demand for clean energy in the West. On the other hand, in Africa and Asia, there is a high demand for a cheaper source of energy than electricity. Solar energy is a solution to both. Rayovac can use the knowledge it has acquired so far in developing batteries that can power vehicles. With the depletion of crude oil, the world is ready for innovative solutions to the problem of gasoline. Decision Criteria Profit Potential The strategy chosen should maximize Ryovac’s profit or increase it substantially. A business needs profit to sustain its operat ions, meet its financial obligations and still pay a dividend to shareholders. Any business that is constantly making losses is not sustainable. Profit potential of a strategy will be benchmarked against the market leaders’ current profit. If a strategy fails to demonstrate reasonable profit potential, it will not be adopted. Cost Rayovac must consider the cost of implementing the strategies. The company does not have unlimited resources. Therefore, the resources must be used efficiently and effectively. Drastic changes are indicators of a costly strategy. The strategy chosen should be one, which Rayovac can afford to implement. Environmental Impact Rayovac cannot ignore the environmental impact of its operations. The company must be conscious of the current global trend towards sustainable living. Therefore, though alkaline batteries are profitable, they may lose that edge in future when consumers’ decision criterion is based on environmental impact. Risk How much ris k does a strategy pose? Risk refers to the probability that things may not work out as planned. A risky investment is one that involves much uncertainty. There are no projections to support the claims. It is one based on pure speculation. Such investments should be avoided. The investment chosen should expose Rayovac to moderate risk. Strategic Marketing Choice I would recommend that Rayovac pursue two growth strategies. The first is market penetration and the second market development. Market penetration will enable the company to maintain its current share of the market. Market development on the other hand will facilitate revenue growth from these new markets. Market penetration is a low cost and low risk strategy. This is because Rayovac will be dealing with a familiar market. Market development is also low cost because the products to be sold are already there. Since they have succeeded in Rayovac’s current market, it is probable that with proper marketing, they will suc ceed in the new markets. Rayovac should not adopt the rechargeable batteries strategy. This strategy has a low profit potential yet it may have high initial costs. There is also no certainty that there will be market growth in this segment. Even if there is growth, Duracell and Energizer have such strong brand recognition that consumers are likely to purchase their rechargeable batteries over Rayovac’s batteries. This strategy is too risky. If it fails, Rayovac will be left to lag behind in both the alkaline and rechargeable batteries segments. Strategic Implementation and Control The market penetration strategy requires a fresh advertisement campaign that will attract new users. The campaign should focus on young men who buy batteries often for their electronics. There should also be a second campaign focused on mothers who control house budgets and control home purchases. This campaign should encourage buyers to switch to Rayovac because it provides value at low price. It s hould emphasize durability to challenge Duracell’s position. The products should also be priced slightly lower than competitors’ products. This will capture the attention of shoppers who buy based on price. Rayovac should position its batteries as the environmental friendly option. Market development requires careful study of the new market before any move is made. The company should determine which products would perform best and how to position them. If the market requires cheap products, then Rayovac should compete on price. However if the market requires high performance products, Rayovac should compete on efficiency. These strategies should be monitored on an annual basis. If there are no sales increases, then the company should take corrective measures. This may involve slight alteration of the current strategy or complete abandonment all together.

When Not To Use the Personal A of Spanish

When Not To Use the Personal A of Spanish The general rule is that the personal a of Spanish is used before a direct object when that object is a person or an animal or thing that has been personified. However, there are exceptions. The personal a is either optional or not used when the direct object is a nonspecific person, when following the verb tener, or to avoid awkwardness when two as would be close to each other in a sentence. Omitting the Personal A When the Person Isn’t Specific Perhaps the best way to state the biggest exception to the rule is to clarify the rule. Rather than saying that the personal a is used before people, it would best to say that the personal a is used only with specific, known, or identified human beings (or animals or things that have been personified). In other words, if the person is treated as a member of a category rather than as a known person, the personal a isnt needed. Here are some examples of the difference: Busco a mi novio. (I am looking for my boyfriend. Here, the boyfriend is a specific, known person, even though his name isnt given.)Busco un novio. (I am looking for a boyfriend. Here the boyfriend is merely someone who is a member of a category. We do not know who the person is, or even if he exists.)No conozco a tu bisabuela. (I dont know your grandmother. We have the persons identify even if her name isnt given.)No conozco una sola bisabuela. (I dont know a single great-grandmother. As in the case of the boyfriend above, the person is talking about a hypothetical person rather than an identified one.)Necesito una secretario. (I need a secretary. The speaker needs assistance, but not necessarily from a specific person.)Necesito a la secretario. (I need the secretary. The speaker needs a specific person.) As a result, some sentences can have a slightly different meaning, depending on whether the a is used. For example, we might say El FBI busca a un hombre de 40 aà ±os, meaning that the FBI is looking for a specific 40-year old man, perhaps the one who committed a crime. If we say El FBI busca un hombre de 40 aà ±os, it suggests the FBI is looking for a 40-year-old man in general, perhaps for a criminal lineup or for some other purpose where it doesnt particularly matter which 40-year-old man it finds. The main exception to this clarified rule is that certain pronouns, such as alguien (someone) and nadie (no one), always require the personal a when used as direct objects, even when they refer to no specific person. Example: No conozco a nadie.  (I dont know anybody.) Dropping the Personal A After Tener When tener is used to indicate have in the sense of having a close relationship, the personal a is not used even if the direct object is known. Tenemos tres hijos. (We have three sons.)La compaà ±ia tiene muchos empleados. (The company has many employees.)Ya tengo mà ©dico de atencià ³n primaria. (I already have a primary-care doctor.) When tener is used to mean have someone in a role, however, the personal a is retained: Tengo a mi hermana como amiga de Facebook. (I have my sister as a Facebook friend.) Avoiding Two As in a Sentence Sometimes a sentence following the general rule would have two as, especially when a verb is followed by direct object and then an indirect object. In such cases, the personal a before the direct object is omitted. The listener will then understand that the object without a preceding a is the direct object. In this way, such sentences often mimic the word order in English. Mandà © mi hijo a su profesor. (I sent my son to his teacher. Note the lack of a before hijo.)El bombero llevà ³ Pablo a mi madre. (The firefighter carried Pablo to my mother.) Key Takeaways Although Spanish uses a personal a when a person is a direct object, the personal a is not used unless the person is a known person rather than someone who merely fits a category.An exception is that the personal a is required with nadie and alguien.The personal a is often not used following the verb tener, even if the object is a known person.

Self Analysis Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self Analysis - Personal Statement Example I just wanted to experience the culture of the United States. I had been fascinated by American movies since I was a kid and something just clicked. And thanks to the strong Japanese Yen (not good for our exporters, but good for me); I had more than enough funds. So I spent the next year applying to colleges and planning for the next few years in the United States. The big day finally arrived; I took from the Tokyo Airport and landed in Los Angeles Airport. I was very excited. I had meticulously planned everything, my first visit to the United States was nothing like I expected. It was extremely exciting. My housing was already arranged. It was a house, off campus and I had three room mates, one from California, one from Singapore and one from India. It was a most interesting combination and it seemed we had a little U.N. going. My room mates were very helpful. Naresh from India was pursuing his Masters in Engineering; Li Kwon from Singapore was also doing his Phd in Biotechnology. And Chris Adams from San Diego was a fifth year senior pursuing his degree in liberal Arts. I had already arranged for a purchase and pick up of a car before I left from Tokyo. Chris dropped me of at the dealership. Though I had an international driver's license1, I decided against driving the car out of the dealership that day. I took some driving lessons for a week and got accustomed to driving on the opposite side. Having such a varied group of room mates also was a learning experience and various perspectives. I had taken a few cultural orientation classes in Tokyo before coming here, and there was some preparation given to us to expect a few people in the U.S. (a very small minority of people.) who could be xenophobic or racist. It did stick in my mind; however I could not find these xenophobic racist people at the classes I enrolled for and even at the cafeteria where I joined to work a few hours a week. After the first week I wondered if such people existed or if they were relics of a bygone area. I asked my room mates. Naresh said that most people he met held Indians in high regard. One time someone did yell at him out of a driving car when he was trying to cross the road calling him a "camel jockey" which was slightly misplaced racism as that is a derogatory term for Arabs. Lee Kwon said, he definitely did not encounter any. Chris who was a Caucasian said, generally African Americans encountered a lot of racism, but most of it was overt and not too blatant. It was of course illegal to discriminate on race at work or school. But Chris said an over proportionate percent of the African American Population would be arrested or sent to Prison.2 "There is a long and bitter history between blacks and whites in this country" he said. "Perhaps like between us and the Chinese or us and the Koreans". Both Nar esh and Chris almost exclaimed at the same time, how can you tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese and a Korean. I was taken slightly aback. I told them that the difference between Japanese and Chinese was like between Night and Day. Chinese tended to have smaller features, while the Japanese had a much redder tinge; the Chinese had more of a yellowish tinge. However one day as I was walking in the park, an older gentleman walked by me and just said "go back jap" I was shocked , this gentleman must have been in his eighties, he lived a couple of blocks down