One dark body essays

One dark body essays One race, enslaved for hundreds of years and taken away from their homeland, only to awake in foreign territories completely conflicting with their racial and native cultural heritage. The Africana heritage is a deep, intrinsic one with roots tied to the earliest know human existence, but within today's society, their ancestry has been created to be multi-cultural and shifted away from their original identity. But identity, with its prismatic and multi-layered dimensions which include racial, cultural, gender, national, and transnational ideals - is a precarious and contested category. The African identity wasn't always this perverse or questioned. With the development of America, many different races were formed and rearranged to fit the norms and standards of the new land, which was thought to be superior. Do you think the Africana people wanted to be taken out of their land, out of their heritage, out of their culture, to assimilate within a society not like anything they had ever seen or probably wanted to see? Du Bois, W.E.B., a black American historian and sociologist, put it perfectly when he made a statement on the ambiguity of the black identity: "One feels his two-ness - An American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings, two warring ideals in one dark body." This is describing the Africana experience within America and expressing an effort that black Americans were attempting to reconcile with their Africana heritage with their pride in being U.S. citizens. The pride, though in today's society might hold true - was originally a forced pride in an attempt to declare that this was the land of the free and brave, but hey, for now you are the slaves with no rights. Africana cinema deals with all of these aspects within the films. Through the films, some express black identity with political struggl ...

How to Measure Volume and Density

How to Measure Volume and Density Archimedes needed to determine if a goldsmith had embezzled gold during the manufacture of the royal crown for King Hiero I of Syracuse. How would you find out if a crown was made of gold or a cheaper alloy? How would you know if the crown was a base metal with a golden exterior? Gold is a very heavy metal (even heavier than lead, though lead has a higher atomic weight), so one way to test the crown would be to determine its density (mass per unit volume). Archimedes could use scales to find the mass of the crown, but how would he find the volume? Melting the crown down to cast it into a cube or sphere would make for an easy calculation and an angry king. After pondering the problem, it occurred to Archimedes that he could calculate volume based on how much water the crown displaced. Technically, he didnt even need to weigh the crown, if he had access to the royal treasury since he could just compare the displacement of water by the crown with the displacement of water by an equal volume of the gold the smith was given to use. According to the story, once Archimedes hit upon the solution to his problem, he burst outside, naked, and ran through the streets yelling, Eureka! Eureka! Some of this might be fiction, but Archimedes idea to calculate the volume of an object and its density  if you know the objects weight was fact. For a small object, in the lab, the easiest way to do this is to partly fill a graduated cylinder large enough to contain the object with water (or some liquid in which the object wont dissolve). Record the volume of water. Add the object, being careful to eliminate air bubbles. Record the new volume. The volume of the object is the initial volume in the cylinder subtracted from the final volume. If you have the objects mass, its density is the mass divided by its volume. How to Do It at Home Most people dont keep graduated cylinders in their homes. The closest thing to it would be a liquid measuring cup, which will accomplish the same task, but with a lot less accuracy. There is another way to calculate volume using Archimedes displacement method. Partially fill a box or cylindrical container with liquid.Mark the initial liquid level on the outside of the container with a marker.Add the object.Mark the new liquid level.Measure the distance between the original and final liquid levels. If the container was rectangular or square, the volume of the object is the inside width of the container multiplied by the inside length of the container (both numbers are the same in a cube), multiplied by the distance the liquid was displaced (length x width x height volume). For a cylinder, measure the diameter of the circle inside the container. The radius of the cylinder is 1/2 the diameter. The volume of your object is pi (Ï€, ~3.14) multiplied by the square of the radius multiplied by the difference in liquid levels (Ï€r2h).

Differences in Mergers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Differences in Mergers - Research Paper Example The merger between a manufacturing company and one of its distribution channel partners is an example of a possible vertical merger. When IBM acquired Intelliden in 2010 it is an example of another form of vertical merger. The smaller Intelliden in the business activity of automation software technology was vertically merged with the larger IBM, enabling IBM to make use of its automated software competencies, so that it did not have to create these competencies and develop the software available with Intelliden. A conglomerate merger is totally different from a horizontal and vertical merger, as it involves the merger between two companies that operate in different sectors of industrial activity. A clear example of such a merger can be seen from the merger of the financial company Berkshire Hathaway with the railroad and transportation company Burlington Northern Santa Fe (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2010,

Oil and Petroleum industry in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Oil and Petroleum industry in UK - Essay Example However, there are industries, like the oil and petroleum industry, which have managed to keep their competitiveness and remain intact from global market pressures. Current paper focuses on the oil and petroleum industry of the UK. The specific industry is considered as highly profitable, as analysed further below. Still, the industry has been related to anti-competitive behaviour, supporting the development of oligopolies. The characteristics and the competitive behaviour of the above industry are explored in this paper. Emphasis is given on the industry’s potentials to control anti-competitive behaviour and promote the equal development of its members. 2. Oil and Petroleum industry in UK 2.1 Current supply and demand conditions The oil and petroleum industry of UK is highly developed, a fact related to the country’s high efficiency in terms of oil and gas. Indeed, it has been proved that a percentage of 99% of oil and gas produced in UK is extracted from ‘the se abed surrounding the country’ (Oil & Gas UK 2012). The producing fields of the oil and petroleum industry of UK have been estimated to 383 (Oil & Gas 2012). ... For example, the country’s oil and gas production of 2009 reached high levels, covering ‘the two-thirds of the local energy needs’ (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2012). The particular industry also supports that UK economy; the contribution of the industry in the UK economy has been estimated to ‘an average of ?8 billion annually’ (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2012). In the context of the global market, the performance of the oil and petroleum industry of UK can be characterized as quite satisfactory, leading to the classification of UK as one of the most powerful oil and gas producers worldwide. Indeed, ‘in 2008 UK ranked 14th’ (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2012) in terms of its oil and gas production. It should be noted that the industry’s key firms have been estimated to 30 (see Table 1, Appendix); however, among these only 3 are those that share the key part of the oil and petroleum industry of U K (see those firms highlighted in Table 1, Appendix). 2.2 Collusive behaviour in the industry Collusive behaviour reflects the use of practices that are opposed to market ethics or to the law. In the oil and petroleum industry of UK such practices may have occurred but have not clearly reported or identified. However, there are signs that indicate the existence of such practices. For example, in a report published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change of UK (2012) it is explained that the production of oil in UK has reached up to now ‘the 40 billion barrels even if the potential for 20 more billion barrels existed’ (Department of Energy and Climate Change UK 2012).

Thinking Book Review Essay Example for Free

Thinking Book Review Essay Book Review:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chapter speaks about personal barriers and the system of enculturation. Enculturation meaning the way we were raised up by our families, the culture, work and religion affecting us through the way we see things. Importantly, are the factors of acceptance in society and following those norms through your lifestyle.   The things you eat, drink, religious beliefs, violence and discrimination are all generated by enculturation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When people step aside from the conditions of enculturation, they become more aware of the teachings and the ideas of others. It creates a theme of having an open mind and of better understanding. If the individual would step aside from some of the things brought down by family and the environment it would disregard many of the misconceptions being spread and taught. If those who are unable to resist the process of enculturation tend to be fanatics instead of thinking things objectively on different social and ethical concerns. Critical Review:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, the chapter allows one to reflect upon ourselves to see how culture, environment, and family affect us in many different ways. From the ideology to the way we treat people, we see others who think different than us as ignorant or blind but in actuality it is us who categorize and judge others based on our beliefs. Our own egos get in the way of learning and understanding other people or from experiences we would not have if it was not because of our own ideas. In the long run, we have to rationalize and understand that different ideas and personalities are what make us unique and learn to disagree or agree without regarding your personal emotions. We ourselves placed these personal barriers that as time pasts leads us to regret and stress.

Essay --

Literature is our ancient form of a hard drive where we can read something from the past and connect with our present. The more we read, the more literate we become. Therefore, we have the opportunity to open our minds to more ideas and try to understand the way other human beings think. From the beginning of time human beings have developed methods to communicate with each other. Our ability to develop these methods have allowed us to pass our knowledge from one generation to another. This development has given us the opportunity to expand our knowledge to higher standards. Literate work is beneficial to all of us by allowing us to understand others way of thinking, the ability to analyze characters, learn about the authors experiences and stimulate our mind. Literature gives us an insight of what other people think, feel, know, understand and gives us a glimpse of their past to name a few. In â€Å"Fences† by August Wilson, we learn how African American people have struggled to have equality. Wilson is able paint a picture for us through his literary work. As we read this play, we can almost feel as if we are there with the characters. We are able to learn how they dealt with obstacles when segregation was still happening and what they did to overcome those obstacles. Without Wilson’s literary work, we would not be able to acquire the knowledge and understanding from the past. Literature allows us to be able to evaluate characters. We can analyze the character analytically and with an open mind. The more we are exposed literary works, the more we are able to omit the obvious in characters. We are able to create our own thoughts about them and use our critical thinking skills to connect with them on a more in depth level. A perfe... ...d dive into our imaginations allowing us to have a pleasant break from our everyday routine. Literature is often our sanity in a busy, hectic life. How about a good thriller or mystery? These works are exciting because we find ourselves playing detective and involved in situations we normally wouldn’t be immersed in. A good romance novel will keep that helpless romantic hopeful and full of joy believing in a life of love and happiness. It is important to expose children to literature. Their minds are vessels filling with information and expanding with knowledge every day. It’s important they read about history to learn where they came from. No matter how young our old we can all benefit from literature and even become kinder, smarter and happier beings. In short, Literature is an expression of individual thoughts and feelings achieved through our unique creativity.

Food Safety Work File Essay

Directions: Complete the food safety interactive quiz. Use the information from the interactive quiz to complete the following responses regarding food safety practices. For each of the following food safety practices, share at least 2 statements from the interactive quiz. Be sure to put these statements in your own words and explain why they are helpful in preventing food borne illness. An example would be: When dining from a buffet, make sure hot food is hot and cold food is cold. Food that is 40 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit has already begun to grow bacteria and pathogens. Clean (16 points): 1.Keeping your hands clean keep from getting sick 2.Keep surface clean after cooking, or letting something on it. Separate (16 points): 1.When cross contamination happens it spreads germs from 1 item to a a food item getting u sick. 2.Don’t put cooked food on same item a raw food was on without cleaning it. Cook (16 points): 1.A food thermometer is the only way you can tell if foods at the right temperature to kill bacteria. 2.Cook thawed food to minimum internal temp to kill germs. Chill (16 points): 1.When cooked food is left out it can grow bacteria that make u ill. 2.Freezing foods to 0 degrees inactivates bacteria. In your own kitchen, explain 2 food safety practices you feel your family can improve and 2 food safety practices you feel your family does well. (16 points) We can improve cooking food to the correct temp, and cleaning our hands after touching raw foods. In what ways do your school and community practice or promote food safety to contribute to your personal health? (20 points)

Business Strategy and Innovation of Cisco Systems Inc

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of the report was to discuss the business strategy of Cisco Systems Inc (Cisco), a company widely considered innovative. The report was to discuss the justification of Cisco’s status of innovative, how the business environment impacted on Cisco and it’s opportunities for innovation, their sources of competitive advantage, strategic options available to Cisco, and evaluate the risks of implementing the strategic change to achieve this optionThis was done by evaluating Cisco’s current strategies, its business environment and markets, applying strategy frameworks in the context of its industry and innovation, and by analysing the risks that could be associated with implementing this change. Cisco innovate in three ways; they build innovation using research and development budgets; they buy innovation, by making strategic acquisitions; and they partner, developing strategic partnerships and ecosystems to aid innovation. Cisco’s ex ternal environment was assessed using PESTEL analysis and applying Porter’s Five Forces framework.It was established that the main key drivers for change were technological and worldwide competition laws. VRIN Frameworks were applied to assess Cisco’s sources of competitive advantage, as well as some of the threats they face in these areas. It would appear that the biggest threat to Cisco in this area is Non-substitutability; Cisco’s competitors are eroding their market share by offering similar products. Two strategic options were discussed; selling their enterprise products directly to the end users and entering the consumer market.It was decided that the more radical of the two was entering the consumer market; and the risks associated with implementing the change, along with advice on how Cisco could manage the strategic change, were discussed. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. 0 INTRODUCTION5 2. 0 IS CISCO INNOVATIVE? 6 3. 0 CISCO AND THEIR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT8 3. 1 TH E MACRO ENVIRONMENT8 3. 2 KEY DRIVERS FOR CHANGE8 3. 3 APPLYING PORTER’S FIVE FORCES FRAMEWORK9 3. 3. 1 The Threat of Entry10 3. 3. 2 Threat of Substitutes11 3. 3. 3 Power of Buyers11 3. 3. 4 Power of Suppliers12 3. 3. 5 Competitive Rivals12 4. 0 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE13 4. 1 Value14 4. 2 Rarity15 . 3 Inimitability15 4. 4 Non-Substitutability16 4. 5 Cisco’s Organisational Knowledge16 5. 0 STRATEGIC OPTIONS17 6. 0 IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC CHANGE19 6. 1 Risk20 6. 2 Managing Strategic Change21 7. 0 CONCLUSION22 8. 0 REFERENCES24 9. 0 BIBLIOGRAPHY26 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Cisco Systems Inc (Cisco) was established in 1984 by a husband and wife team who wanted to solve the technical issue of emailing each other, but on different networks, and developed the first multi-protocol router, a device which allowed the different networks to ‘talk’ to each other by translating the different protocol languages (Cisco Systems Inc, 2012).This report will examine Cisco as an innovat ive company, the external factors affecting their ability to innovate, their sources of competitive advantage within the industry and consider some of Cisco’s strategic options, the risks associated with the changes in strategy and how this can be managed. The information has been compiled from information published by Cisco on their website, Exploring Strategy, Ninth Edition (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011), Academic Journals and published articles. 2. 0 IS CISCO INNOVATIVE?To establish if Cisco is innovative, first we have to define what innovation is. Innovation can be defined as, â€Å"†¦the conversion of a new knowledge into a new product, process or service and the putting of this new product, process or service into actual use. † (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011, pg 296). Therefore until the product, process or service is brought to the market; it cannot be considered an innovation. In regards to innovation, Cisco has an extensive innovation strategy. They do this using their â€Å"three pillars of innovation: build, buy and partner† (Cisco, 2012.Acquisitions, pg 1. ), The ‘Build’ aspect relates to internal innovation, whereby they develop products and services with Research and Development (R&D). They have 7 major laboratories in locations around the world, and employ around 20,000 engineers (Cisco, 2012). The diversity of basing these facilities all over the world will only help to aid innovation, as the people can use their own cultures and experiences to develop new product and services, thereby helping to develop worldwide solutions to global industry problems. Yearly Cisco invests over $5 Billion on R&D (Cisco, 2012).With regards to their ‘Buy’ aspect of their innovation strategy, Cisco is constantly looking to acquire technologies to improve their current product range. Cisco has acquired over 160 companies up to the end of 2012, and will continue to actively seek out acquisition opportunities to increase their product range (Cisco, 2012). It may be argued that innovation by acquisition is not innovation; however the innovation comes with the integration of these technologies into their existing product ranges and taking new products to market.Cisco also purchase technologies that have yet to be brought to the market, so are more inventions than innovations, and take calculated risks in doing so. Cisco’s approach to innovation is an open one, and they have many strategic partnerships. Cisco is aware that to maximise the potential of their products, they must rely on the products of other vendors. Cisco have created an Ecosystem, to help develop their Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), a system that Cisco see as the future of the IT network; the collaboration of the network, all managed simultaneously on one platform (Cisco, 2012).By opening up their innovation to these ecosystem partners, it will engage the partners on a positive way and ensure tha t the partner’s complimentary products and services will be fully compatible with the UCS. The ecosystem approach will help speed up innovation, as more people working together to create innovative products or services are more likely to get superior products to market faster (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Cisco has, since inception, been a first-mover in its markets. Cisco’s vision, â€Å"Changing the way we work, live, play and learn† (Cisco, 2012.Corporate Overview Pg 11), shows that they want to lead the market in developing networking technologies. This gives them considerable advantages, allowing them to become market leaders in these areas, and charge a premium for these products. 3. 0 CISCO AND THEIR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT When we discuss the business environment, we are in fact looking at the environment where the business operates. In this section the external environment will be analysed using PESTEL framework, focusing on some of the key dri vers for change, use Porters Five Forces to analyse the Industry and will look at the opportunities and threats Cisco face. 3. THE MACRO ENVIRONMENT The Macro Environment of a business is concerned with the external factors which affect almost all organisations (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Appendix A shows a PESTEL analysis for Cisco, outlining some of the issues which they face. For the purpose of the report, however, only the important key drivers for change will be discussed. 3. 2 KEY DRIVERS FOR CHANGE Looking at the PESTEL Analysis, there are some that are more relevant to the industry Cisco operate – Technological. Virtualisation technology became one of the most important key drivers for change in the IT industry of recent times.This meant companies like Cisco had to begin to develop systems that would take advantage of this. This has led to huge developments in ‘Cloud’ technologies, where the resources are provided, at a service fee, over the internet. They provide several variations of the ‘x-as-a-service’ model. This is beneficial to cash-conscious companies, who are looking to reduce the expensive CAPEX costs IT infrastructure incurs, passing this responsibility onto the service provider. The rate at which this technology has been released and adopted has fuelled Cisco’s innovation, as they have to innovate to continue to remain competitive.Another key driver for change is the Competition Laws Cisco are faced with, namely the US Antitrust policy, whereby all acquisitions have to be approved by the Department of Justice and the Federal Change Commission, who look at how acquisitions will affect the competition balance. They do not, however look at the innovative developments these acquisitions will create, nor if the benefit of such innovation outweighs the competition problems (Mandel and Carew, 2011). Appendix B shows some of the scenario outcomes of the effects of acquisition laws on the develop ment of technologies in the Cloud market.Scenario building can be useful, however you cannot have just one universal scenario for the company as a whole, there can be an endless chain of scenarios created for every situation that can be thought up. That is why, when looking at scenarios, it is important to identify the key drivers for change. 3. 3 APPLYING PORTER’S FIVE FORCES FRAMEWORK Porter’s Five Forces Framework can help Cisco establish if an industry is an attractive option, identifying five areas in competitive forces; the threat of entry, the threat of substitutes, the power of buyers, the power of suppliers and competitive rivalry (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011).For the purpose of the report, we will focus this next section on Cisco’s Switching market. 3. 3. 1 The Threat of Entry Cisco must be aware of potential competitors into their markets, and creating sufficient barriers to entry can help. These barriers need to be overcome by new entrants to the market if they wish to compete (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Cisco, as first-movers, has created several barriers to entry; Cisco has greater experience over its rivals and uses its first-mover advantages to secure market share before anyone else tries to compete.Cisco do not manufacture the components of their products, they rely on over 600 companies for this (Cisco, 2012). They could try to secure exclusivity with these suppliers, thereby reducing the new entrant’s ability to buy the same components, making it harder for them to replicate Cisco’s products. In response to competition threats, Cisco could, in theory, enter into price wars with new entrants to the market, they could increase their marketing spend, and out-market the new entrants, as they have the financial means to do so.Overall, the threat of new entrants means Cisco have to remain innovative, to product new products, protected by patents, and creating new industry standards, to ma intain their share of the market. 3. 3. 2 Threat of Substitutes With the emergence of cloud technologies, Cisco was in danger of falling behind and their products substituted with Cloud technologies. However Cisco has developed products to compete in this area, for example their Switching-as-a-Service, giving their customers the option to have their network switching hosted in the cloud.To avoid being substituted, Cisco had to adapt to the emergence of Cloud technologies to remain relevant. Emerging technologies such as this ensure Cisco retains their innovative edge. 3. 3. 3 Power of Buyers Cisco only sells their enterprise products through a network of distributers. This increases the distributers buying power as Cisco are reliant on them. However due to the complexity of the products, there doesn’t appear to be a threat from the buyers in terms of competition, as they are unlikely to find backward vertical integration attractive.Cisco have to remain innovative to maintain the relationships with their buyers, if Cisco are seen to fall behind technology’s advance, then they will become obsolete to the buyers, and they will look to buy other products that are innovative. 3. 3. 4 Power of Suppliers As previously discussed, Cisco relies on over 600 suppliers to provide the components of their products. This gives the suppliers power, as delays in Cisco receiving their products will disrupt their supply chain. 3. 3. 5 Competitive Rivals In the switching market, Cisco currently hold around 69% of the market share Cisco, 2012), and while this is a comfortable position to be in, Cisco must not become complacent. HP is growing in market share year-on-year (Gabra, 2012), offering Cisco real competition in affordable managed switching products. HP also has a strong brand and a large presence in both the business and consumer markets. This makes HP an attractive alternative to the end user, which is a threat to Cisco’s core switching business. Cisco has to continue to develop their products, make them better than the rivals, to ensure they can maintain the market share.Customers need to see that they are getting value for money, so Cisco must do this with that in mind, they have to make the products affordable AND innovative. Cisco is strong in many areas discussed, they are innovative in nature, it is part of their history that they began and continue to innovate. As innovation is part of Cisco’s DNA, this is unlikely to change. They are developing some of the traditionally physical technologies (switching for example) for the cloud market, creating cloud platforms which they can still provide their core products from.Cisco has patent protection on their products, which puts them in a strong position to their competitors. To keep this patent protection relevant they need to continue to invent new designs to bring to market. They do have some weakness; the entry of HP to their core switching market is worth noting. Cisc o have still got a good market share, however HP are slowly eroding this, with gains in market share each year. Cisco will have to tackle this to ensure this erosion does not progress too far. To do this they must continue to produce superior products to HPs, and thereby drives their innovation. 4. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE As previously discussed, Cisco currently have over 69% of the market share in their switching market. How does Cisco maintain their competitive advantage? The resource-based view is that, â€Å"†¦competitive advantage and superior performance of an organisation is explained by the distinctiveness of its capabilities. † (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011 pg 83) This is to say that it is the capabilities of the companies which give it the competitive advantage; the development of new innovative technologies alone will not give a company this competitive advantage (Eng & Luff 2011).Looking at some of Cisco’s resources and competences (Appendix C) we can see that these are wide-ranging, from the obvious of buildings, Computer Equipment and Employees, to the less obvious; strong balance sheet, worldwide R&D and Ecosystems. From here we can establish which of these are threshold resources and capabilities, those which are required to compete in a market (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011) and the distinctive resources and capabilities, those required to give a company it’s competitive advantage (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011).These have been illustrated in Appendix D. For the purpose of this report we will focus on the distinctive resources and capabilities, as those are the ones which will secure Cisco’s Competitive Advantage, and apply VRIN Framework to assess Cisco’s basis of these advantages; Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Non-substitutability. 4. 1 Value â€Å"Strategic capabilities are of value when they provide potential competitive advantage in a market at a cost that allows an org anisation to realise acceptable levels of return†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011 pg 90).Cisco does this by taking advantage of opportunities and limits the threats that they are presented with (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Acquisitions allow them to adopt new technology that their rivals cannot. If, for example, they were only to licence technology from these companies, their competitors could also. By buying these companies this allows them exclusive access to the technologies. Cisco’s R&D spending and the acquisition of technologies allow Cisco to produce products, which they protect with patents, that their competitors do not have, putting them ahead of the competition.Cisco spends billions of dollars each year on R&D, however still produce good profits which is acceptable to their shareholders. This shows that the shareholders understand that to achieve and maintain the market share, then spending on this level is acceptable. 4. 2 Rarity â€Å"Rare capabilities†¦are those possessed uniquely by one organisation or by a few others. † (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Cisco currently has over 8000 patents protecting their products, and files around 700 more per year.This gives them long lasting protection from competitors. Cisco employ over 20,000 engineers (Cisco, 2012) and the skills and knowledge of these people is a valuable commodity. Cisco must ensure they try to maintain a high level of staff retention to avoid engineers going to work for competitors. Cisco has a strong brand in the business market, with around 69% of the market share in the switching market alone (Cisco, 2012).Cisco have to ensure that they keep creating new rare capabilities to maintain this competitive advantage and adequately protecting innovations, for example, in the USA design patens last 14 years (United States Patent and Trademark Office, 2003) and 20 years in the UK (Intellectual Property Office, 2011). 4. 3 Inimita bility â€Å"Inimitable capabilities – those that competitors find difficult to imitate or obtain† (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011 pg 91). Cisco work with their customers to ensure that their needs are met, in turn this leads to co-specialisation (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011).If Cisco is successful with this, then the customer is more likely to come back to them with future problems for Cisco to solve, and are unlikely to move to a competitor. Cisco’s innovative culture was imbedded into the company right from inception. Cisco has a competitive advantage here as innovation is something they just ‘do’ and have always done. Breeding this into an established company may prove difficult due to a lack of experience, resources and change resistance.Cisco also adapt well to changes in market conditions, and as technology moves forward, so do Cisco; by producing products and services to meet emerging technology. 4. 4 Non-Substitutability Cisco is at risk of substitution by competitors. Patent protection lessens the risk as by the time the patents expire; technology will have advanced so much that the patented technology is already old. This also does not stop companies from copying ideas; you only need to look at the press coverage of Smartphone producers taking each other to court, accusing the other of patent infringement.Cisco has to ensure that the products and services they offer remain ahead of the competition, to get a foothold on the market, to avoid substitution. 4. 5 Cisco’s Organisational Knowledge â€Å"Organisational knowledge is the collective intelligence, specific to an organisation, accumulated through both formal systems and the shared experience of people in that organisation. † (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011 pg 94) The items discussed in the VRIN framework above can be consolidated into the organisational knowledge of Cisco, and this too creates competitive advantage.The ex plicit knowledge gained by using codified information within the company’s structure and the tacit knowledge gained by experience and expertise combines is difficult to imitate, thereby creating a source of competitive advantage over rivals (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). 5. 0 STRATEGIC OPTIONS When assessing Cisco for potential strategic options, the following had to be considered; what markets do Cisco currently operate in, what products and services do they provide and is there any scope within the value chain for vertical integration?Two of the options which came to light were selling their enterprise products directly to the end user and entering the consumer market. Using the â€Å"Ansoff product/market growth matrix† (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011 pg 232) selling products to the end user would be market penetration, which would involve Cisco increasing their market share with their current product range through vertical integration of the Sale s and Marketing part of the value chain.The reasons behind Cisco taking this approach would be the potential of increased profit margins. By selling through distribution channels and partners, Cisco will come up against bias towards their competitors. As end users often rely on their IT reseller for advice on what they require, if the IT reseller has a preference for a competitor, then Cisco will lose the opportunity, regardless if their product is superior. They will increase their contact with their end users, and this will increase customer visibility and co-specialisation.Marketing direct to the end user will provide a greater visibility of the Cisco brand and could help build their brand awareness. This would also give them an advantage over competitors who do not sell online, and allow them more direct competition with those that do. They would still be able to work with their partners, as the partners would be the ones implementing the equipment, and will maintain their curre nt partner program revenue.There are a few issues that Cisco needs to be aware of if they implement this option; this will be costly. They will have to increase their sales and marketing presence, and they will also have to increase their distribution facilities, as well as create a direct sales channel, especially an online sales platform. They also run the risk of alienating their partners, as they will be in direct competition with them, which could result in partners looking to other options.This however could be combated by working with the partners, using partner deal registration procedures, to ensure that Cisco and their partners do not end up going after the same deals. They could also provide a referral system for new customers to the partners, if they buy direct from Cisco, then Cisco will refer them to a partner to handle the installation and management of the system. It may be that for this to work Cisco would have to withdraw their business from the distributers, essen tially cutting out some of the middle men.With regards to entering the consumer market, Cisco could go into the market selling new products and services (conglomerate diversification) however in this their current portfolio could be included, as they would be new products into the market (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). Consumers are looking for ways to combine their work and home technologies, making accessing all of the information they require easier. Therefore entering the consumer market with a mix of both current and new products may be prudent.This would allow them to build a market share on the products they know well. With new products, Cisco’s innovation policy of â€Å"Build, buy and partner† could apply here; they could build new products, for example set-top TV boxes and smart TVs which include their collaboration products (Cisco Jabber and TelePresence); buy innovation, for example if they were to buy a telecoms provider such as TalkTalk, they co uld introduce IP Telephony at home as a standard offering; or they could partner with the producers of these products to integrate Cisco technologies into these products.This would allow Cisco to generate Economies of Scope, as they would be able to use their existing resources in the new market. This may also produce a synergistic effect (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011) as the increased brand awareness in the consumer market may bring more sales into the business market and vice-versa. 6. 0 IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC CHANGE In the previous section two possible strategic options were considered; selling their enterprise products direct to the end user and entering the onsumer market. Here the focus will be on the more radical option of entering the consumer market and will look at the risks associated with implementing this change and how this change can be managed. When evaluating strategies, it is important to look at three key areas; Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility , otherwise known as SAFe. For the purpose of the report we will focus on risk, a key point in assessing the Acceptability of the strategy (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). . 1 Risk â€Å"Risk concerns the extent to which the outcomes of a strategy can be predicted† (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011 pg 371). This can be assessed using different financial and statistical tools to establish the effects of the strategy on the Cisco’s risk level. Sensitivity testing can be used to challenge the different assumptions about a strategy and what the effects the ‘what if’ scenarios will produce (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011).If Cisco enters the consumer market with assumptions of how much revenue this will generate, and there is an economic downturn, resulting in reduced revenue, what will the effects if this reduced revenue be? Financial Ratios would allow Cisco to look at the financial impact of the strategic option (Johnson, Whittington a nd Scholes, 2011). For example, entering into the consumer market would be of high financial risk due to sunk costs in setting up the new business stream and increased R&D costs, which would have a negative impact on the financial position of Cisco.Break even analysis is another financial tool that can be used to assess risk. This analysis shows the point where revenue will match fixed and variable costs, allowing Cisco to know the level of revenue required to break even (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011) and assess if it is even viable. 6. 2 Managing Strategic Change Due to the rate that the technology markets change, Cisco should adopt a revolutionary change strategy (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011) to ensure they take advantage of the opportunities available to them.They must ensure that there is a clear and concise strategic direction communicated throughout the company and to its stakeholders. To do this Cisco may be required to make changes to management, taking in new people to reinforce the changes (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011), preferably people with a proven track record in the consumer market. Management must also be ready to provide a business case for change (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011) to outline why the proposed strategy is a good one, and may include some of the risk assessments mentioned above.Some of the decisions made to facilitate the change may seem extreme; changes in management, portfolio changes, increased focus on the consumer market and increased R&D spend, however these can be seen as both symbolic and rational levers for change (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011). In managing resistance to change, Cisco should adopt a situational leadership style, where they can use different styles in change leadership to adapt to different situations (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011).This will allow Cisco the flexibility to use different methods to increase stakeholder ‘buy-in’ to the s trategy. Some stakeholders may resist the changes as they may feel they are unnecessary or the timing is wrong, and it is essential that this is controlled to avoid stakeholders just ‘doing what they are told’. Compliance, as opposed to co-operation (or ‘buy-in’) can be detrimental to the success of the strategy, as underneath the surface nothing will have changed. Using this methods to achieve co-operation from stakeholders will keep the strategy focused (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011).However managers must also be sensitive to the strategy resistance, if there is a large amount of resistance they must assess to see if the resistance is warranted. Managers should be, wherever possible, honest in regards to the progress of the strategy (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011), from their business case for change, the progress of the change, through to the results achieved by the change. Failure to be honest in this will result in the stakeholders l osing faith in the strategy. 7. 0 CONCLUSIONCisco’s innovation is based around their ‘three pillars of innovation’; ‘Build’, where they spend around $5 Billion per year on R&D; ‘Buy’, they have acquired over 160 companies over the years and actively seek out new acquisition possibilities each year; and ‘Partner’, Cisco has developed strategic partnerships and ecosystems to aid innovation. The innovation culture has been part of Cisco’s strategy since the company was formed in 1984. The business environment Cisco operates in was discussed using PESTEL analysis and applying Porter’s Five Forces Framework.With the PESTEL analysis it was established that most of their Key Drivers for Change came from the Technological area of PESTEL. It was also decided that the legal aspects relating to competition law was also a Key Driver for Change, as it impacts their Acquisition policies. Scenario building was deemed importan t, however Cisco must be aware that not one scenario was sufficient, they must develop scenarios for all of their Key Drivers for Change. Porter’s Five Forces was discussed to show some of the factors which determine if the industry is attractive, and the threats Cisco face within the industry.It was determined that innovation alone does not bring competitive advantages. Cisco’s distinct resources and capabilities were assessed against the VRIN framework to identify the sources of their competitive advantage. The VRIN framework can also be consolidated to form Cisco’s organisational knowledge, which was also identified as another competitive advantage. Two strategic options for Cisco were discussed, selling of their enterprise products direct to the end user, and entering the consumer market. It was decided that the more radical of the two was the entry into the consumer market.The risks associated with implementing this strategy were discussed as was managing t he change. It was concluded that Cisco should adopt a revolutionary change strategy to facilitate the strategy implementation. 8. 0 REFERENCES CISCO SYSTEMS INC, (2012). 2012 Annual Report. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc. Available from: http://www. cisco. com/assets/cdc_content_elements/docs/annualreports/ar2012. pdf [Accessed 19 November 2012] CISCO SYSTEMS INC, (2012). Corporate Overview. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc. Available from: http://newsroom. cisco. om/documents/10157/0/Corporate+Overview+-+Q2FY12. pdf [Accessed 19 November 2012] CISCO SYSTEMS INC, (2012). Cisco Overview. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc. Available from: http://newsroom. cisco. com/overview [Accessed 19 November 2012] CISCO SYSTEMS INC, (2012). Acquisitions. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc. Available from: http://www. cisco. com/web/about/doing_business/corporate_development/acquisitions/about_cisco_acquisitions. html [Accessed 21 November 2012] CISCO SYSTEMS INC, (2012). Ecosys tem Partners. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc.Available from: http://www. cisco. com/web/strategy/energy/ecosystem_partners. html [Accessed 29 November 2012] ENG, T-Y. and LUFF, P. , (2011). Competing and developing competitive advantage in the digital world. [online]. London: Routledge. Available from: [Accessed 19 November 2012] GABRA, M. , (2012). Ethernet Switching Market Share: Did HP eat up that much share from Cisco? [online]. Palo Alto: Hewlett-Packard Company. Available from: http://h30507. www3. hp. com/t5/HP-Networking/Ethernet-Switching-Market-Share-Did-HP-eat-up-that-much-share/ba-p/120753 [Accessed 25 December 2012]IPO, (2011). Renewing your patent. [online]. Newport: Intellectual Property Office. Available from: http://www. ipo. gov. uk/types/patent/p-manage/p-renew. htm [Accessed 28 December 2012] JOHNSON, G. , WHITTINGTON, R. and SCHOLES, K. , (2011). Exploring Strategy, Ninth Edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. MANDEL, M. and CAREW, D. G. , 2011. Innov ation by Acquisition: New Dynamics of High-Tech Competition. [online]. Washington: Progressive Policy Institute. Available from: http://capitalis. com/admin/white_papers/file43. pdf [Accessed 3 December 2012] USPTO, 2003.How long does patent protection last? [online]. Alexandria: United States Patent and Trademark Office. Available from: http://www. uspto. gov/main/faq/p120013. htm [Accessed 28 December 2012] 9. 0 BIBLIOGRAPHY CISCO SYSTEMS INC, 2012. 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc. Available from: http://csr. cisco. com/cdnorigin/media/documents/CSR-Report-2012-Full-Report_129973894373990000. pdf [Accessed 19 November 2012] D’AVENI, R. , 2007. Mapping YOUR competitive position. [online]. Available from: [Accessed 5 November 2012] EVANS, D. , 2012.How the Internet of Everything Will Change the World†¦for the Better. [online]. San Jose: Cisco Systems Inc. Available from: http://blogs. cisco. com/news/how-the-internet-of- everything-will-change-the-worldfor-the-better-infographic/#more-90780 [Accessed 3 December 2012] HAMEL, G. and PRAHALAD, C. K. , 1989. Strategic Intent. [online]. HILL, T. and WESTBROOK, R. , 1997. SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall. [online]. PORTER, M. E. , 2001. From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. [online]. TEECE, D. J. , 2009. Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. [online].

Consideration for Ethics and Diversity Proposal

Consideration for Ethics and Diversity Proposal Ethics in organizations is an important ingredient of organizational success. Both the employers and employees ought to act ethically to ensure that the goals and objectives of the organization are achieved (Mello, 2006). However, given the different personalities and thinking of human beings, ethical problems in organizations are inevitable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Consideration for Ethics and Diversity Proposal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As such, it is important that the human resource department of each organization puts in place appropriate measures to deal with ethical problems facing them. It is because of this that most organizations have in place a â€Å"code of ethics† that shows the expectations of the employer with regard to ethics. The main ethical consideration affecting my division is the high rate of absenteeism by most of the workers. Upon careful review of the workers’ mas ter roll books and clocking schedule, I have noted with a lot of concern that most of the workers fail to report to work during some days of the week. This is a weighty issue because the production rate in my division has in turn significantly gone down. Upon further calculation of the hours lost by the absent employees, the Account department has noted a decline in company’s profits in the last quarter of the financial year. This prompted my department to find out the reasons behind the high rate of absenteeism. It has come to my attention that the workers are complaining of long working hours with few breaks which makes the workers very fatigued and opting to allocate themselves off-days by being absent from work. It is my humble request that a re-schedule is made on the duty rooster of the workers to incorporate more breaks during working hours as well as rotational off-days for the workers. I also request the incorporation of three shifts in my division instead of the cur rent two in order to have workers work for shorter hours. This will not only reduce the rate of absenteeism but it will boost the morale of the workers thus increasing productivity hence higher organizational profits. In addition, it will also improve the reputation of the company on the basis of corporate social responsibility. Diversity is yet another significant issue of concern in organizations. It is brought about by the differences in the culture, race, social class, age and gender of different people (Bohlander Snell, 2007). Given the increase in rate of globalisation where companies are operating in the international market, the issue of diversity is inevitable.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Miscommunication is one of the diversity considerations that are prevalent in my division. Given the fact that the division currently holds people from different cul tural backgrounds who speak different languages, the workplace has in the recent past become hostile. This has significantly affected productivity since most of the time is either spent in arguments or resolving disputes instead of doing constructive work as expected. It is therefore my appeal to the Human Resource Director that proper sensitization and education is done to all the workers in order to make them accustom to different cultures and backgrounds. This will help promote an open and clear atmosphere in the workplace where each individual feels safe and comfortable. This will in turn increase productivity of the workers hence profits. In addition, the human resource department could make formal communication to all the workers regarding the common language to be used in the company in order to avoid cases of miscommunication. Reference List Bohlander, G., Snell, S. (2007). Managing human resources (14th ed.). Mason, OH:  Thomson Higher Education. Mello, J. (2006). Strate gic Human Resource Management. Westford: South-Western  Cengage Learning.

Writing for Literary Magazines

Writing for Literary Magazines 163 Literary Magazines Accepting Reprints http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2016/01/163-literary-magazines-accepting.html The more I read the list the madder I got. Not at the blog and not at the author, but at the fact  123 of those 163 publications dont pay for reprints. But what you dont immediately see is most of them dont pay for original works, either. Look closely and youll see that 11 pay token payments, three admit paying pennies, 12 pay semi-pro rates when pro is six cents/word. Some admit $1, $2, $5 and $8 flat rate. You could count on one hand the ones that pay double digits, with the highest admitting paying $10 to $100. I understand that the author of the piece attempted to help writers who wanted to resell material theyd already published. Very few of them will pay you, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have reached more readers. Sorry, thats still exposure, in my book in lieu of payment.   Why should you write for these publications? You shouldnt. The only way Id write for a publication such as these is if their reputation is pretty darn big and can catapult your career. I dont mean 2,500 readers. I mean tens of thousands and their name is recognizable and respected. Otherwise, youre feeding their preference to pay writers nothing and the exposure promise is worth nil. Exposure to a small group is not exposure. Why do people submit to them? A wide range of reasons. Because they think itll make them look professional. Because they think the exposure will do something for their career, not evening thinking what exposure means.  Because they hate rejection. Many would rather publish quickly or for nothing than hold out. Its possibly ego or desperation to publish, or a combination of the two. Its so much more professional, and youll respect yourself so much more, if you hold off publishing until you can climb the ladder a little bit and reach the paying publications. Yes, even in the literary world, they have markets that pay. One of the biggest myths out there is if you write for free or pennies, you are paying your dues. Um, no. You are proving to a higher calibre editor and publication that you settle for less. Most say they do not have the budget to pay. Many say they are nonprofit and cannot afford to pay. Some say they are university affiliated and, therefore, cannot afford to pay. The fact is, if you run a business (and a nonprofit or university press is a business), and you run it properly, you find the money to pay the people providing the raw materials that make it happen. The printer, the mailman, and all the players who put that publication together are getting paid. Which means you should be shamed into starving.

Taj Mahal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Taj Mahal - Essay Example This is to take advantage of the waterfront situation in the garden. The garden around the Tomb has two major sections; the cross-axial and the four-fold garden. The waterfront was a chief element in the design of the whole complex. At the southern far corner of the garden is the Taj forecourt, at both of its widths, are framed by two smaller courts (tombs of lesser wives of Jahan and courtyard for the tomb attendants). The mausoleum also has additional complex of quarters for merchants and tourists. This was to ensure its accessibility to the whole world. The upkeep and maintenance of the Taj Mahal was financed by the taxes from thirty villages in Agra and income from bazaars and caravanserais as ordered by imperial command. According to Koch (2005), â€Å"The Taj is built architectural theory and can be read like a literary text, once we have mastered the architectural language† (p. 137). Even though there are no texts to prove that the Mughals had written architectural theory, Koch states that his investigations have shown that the theory was laid down in the planning itself. In conclusion, the principles of Shah Jahan’s architecture, which resulted in the building of the monument, are geometric planning, symmetry, hierarchy, proportionality and uniformity, attention to details, naturalism, and symbolism. These principles and their astonishing results can be clearly seen in the complex. For instance, asymmetrical planning with a focus on bilateral symmetry can be seen in the central axis in which the main features are placed. In addition, the building was built to symbolize the power and glory of Shah Tahan. The naturalism principle can be seen through decorations of walls, ceilings, and the tombs; they are mostly decorated with flowers of different colors (Koch