Discuss whether supermarket are benefical to the society they operate Essay

Discuss whether supermarket are benefical to the society they operate within in the united kingdom - Essay Example The three-quarters of food shopping are made through just four firms. Supermarkets’ claims on fulfilling their corporate social responsibility can not be measured in the absence of relevant benchmarks. There is greater need to bring the civil society organisations to the table with supermarkets to hold a discussion on social, environmental and ethical issues but supermarkets are not coming forward in good numbers to follow an approach where transparency and stakeholder interests are protected with the participation of civil society organisations. A number of reasons can be attributed to the supermarkets’ withdrawal from such initiatives the like of Race to the Top (RTTT) project whose objective was to set benchmarks taking into confidence the civil society organisations (RTTT Final Report). Government intention to develop major performance indicators for the food sector created fear in the supermarket lobby of a new governance structure by selecting a successful RTTT. Supermarkets had not been forthcoming in providing data, which was crucial for partnering with society stakeholders. External data is costly because of expensive labour and methodological issues although crucial in showing change in comparison to supermarkets’ data showing company policies only (RTTT Final Report). There was lack of staff time and technical know-how. The timing of pressurising the supermarket companies to bring transparency in data on environmental and social effects mismatched because of their disinterest in providing the information due to cost cutting measures to remain in competition with leading market giants (RTTT Final Report) Another problem is the heterogeneous nature of the UK supermarket in terms of scale, ownership and customer base. Companies are wary of running such business initiatives that map the customer rather than the companies on sustainability of high animal-welfare food items (RTTT Final Report). The high

Effect of social network in today mass communication Research Paper

Effect of social network in today mass communication - Research Paper Example By using social networks as mass communication marketing tools, companies around the world are able to interact with their customers and advertise their products like never before. To understand how social media marketing works as a mass communication marketing tool, the importance of the Internet must be realized. â€Å"With nearly 260 million people using the Web on a regular basis in the United States alone, using the Internet has become a mainstream social activity. Consumers approach purchasing online differently, too, and as a result, you need to approach your marketing online differently as well,† (Singh, 2010). What Singh describes here is important to note. The number of users on the internet is astronomically high, and getting higher each day. As a result, the internet is seen as a perfect place to advertise products and utilize marketing practices, since such an audience is present. Social networks are crucial to this. According to a study conducted in June 2010, ne arly 80% of the United States internet population uses social networks (Heras, 2010). The top 10 social networks used as of March 2010 are Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Linkedin, Classmates, MyLife, Ning, LiveJournal, Tagged, and Last.fm, with Facebook receiving 133,623,529 unique visits daily and Last.fm receiving 3,473,978 unique visits daily (Nations, 2010). With the amount of time and the amount of people on social networks today, it has become not only important, but nearly necessary for companies to reach out to their online audience and extend their marketing plans to include them. Advertising to the online audience of a given company or brand is not the same as traditional advertising. â€Å"†¦advertising has traditionally been viewed as one way communication, delivered from the marketer using ads through some media vehicle to a receiver, the target audience. Thinking of advertising as one-way communication limits what is possible, particularly online,† (Tuten, 200 8). Social networks are all about communication: people getting in touch with long lost friends and family members, keeping in touch with the friends you already have, and in some cases, making new friends. From a business perspective, businesses must find a way to make themselves part of the communication. â€Å"Online, advertising becomes more about conversations, connections, and shared control and less about passive consumption of packaged content,† (Tuten, 2008). Brands join in on the communication by interacting with their customers using these social networks. On Facebook, brands create fan pages, where their brand can be â€Å"liked† by their customers. These fan pages have various ways in which they can engage customers to communicate. Many fans simply comment the fan pages, talking about a favorite product or an experience with the product. From there, the brand is responsible to monitor these comments and respond to them, with at least a simple thank you. Th e more they elaborate on their responses to comments, the more they can engage customers in conversation and develop a relationship between the customer and the brand. This can also be done by creating engaging status updates, where they encourage customers to share with them. This allows the customers to feel like they are contributing to a brand and that their voice is being heard. From there, it is largely in the customer’

Aviation Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Aviation Business - Assignment Example Let us estimate the business cost for this charter company to run Cessna 172 twice a month as mentioned earlier is as follows: Total business cost includes fixed cost, running costs or operational costs and landing and overnight tie down costs. Cost of running the aircraft: Fuel required for running this charter flight is its main component: $ 1500 per one hour 2 Total flying hours in a month: For southern side: (2+3) x 2 = 10 hours For northern side : (2+2+2) x 2 = 12 hours Total flying hours = 10 + 12 = 22 hours Additional flying hours to be considered / month = 10 hours Total flying hours = 12 + 22 + 10 = 44 hours Therefore the total cost accounts to $66000 / month. The total cost per one year = $792000 (Fig 1) Lease costs for aircraft : Aircraft was purchased with 25 % residual cost of flight ($259,500) for 5 years: $64750 Lease cost for one year = $12950 Lease cost for one month = $ 1079 Fixed costs (This is the daily cost of running a business ie. Rent, ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2: Jagson Airlines. 2009. Charter services. Charter rules, terms and conditions. Rates : flying hours. http://www.jagsonairline.com/charter_services.htm. employee wages: It includes the charges for the pilot : Chief pilot is the only one person employed here. His salary component (including the benefit of super annuation) is $60,000 (Fig 2). For additional assisting staff (including the benefit of super annuation) : $25,000 Costs incurred on equipment, insurance, Air operators certificate, test approvals, Pilots annual checks and renewals = $ 10,000. Lease for the office building : $60,000 (Fig 3) Landing and overnight tie down charges for the airfield per year : $24,000 (Fig 4) Detailed description of... The charter aircraft will fly from Groote Eylandt (NT) to southern side in one fortnight and will return to Groote Eylandt (NT) and again from the same place it flies to northern side. Therefore in a month, it has to travel once in southern direction i.e. from Groote Eylandt to: Each time, it has to carry two medical staff and 40 kg medical accessories. All the basic principles of aviation including weather preparedness have to be kept in mind while planning the route plan (Parma, 1999). The net profit calculated by the company is $ 705650 which has been added to all the costs of running aircraft and accordingly annual tender amount of $ 1689600 per year and $140800 per month has been finalized. For successful flying with out any legal complications and for ensuring security norms of the respective nation, Cessna aircraft has to follow the aviation rules and regulations very strictly (Bruckert and Roud, 2007). The federal aviation regulations have to be followed very strictly while carrying out the aviation. The congestion management of aircrafts is essential along with the implementation of emission standards of aircrafts according to the federal regulations3.

Hinduism Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Hinduism Research Paper Essay For me, the process of reading this section and sorting the confusion of thoughts thereafter enough to write about, involved several attempts to reading, writing and letting it go. As I read through this section with much anticipation, I found myself struggling to capture the essence of the writings of Kant, Weber, Marx, Hegel and others. After numerous readings, I realised that I was reading about modernity through the perspective of western philosophical writers and social thinkers. My eastern heritage and western education had somehow missed adequate information on both Hinduism and a balanced approach to modernity. As I read the writings of Smith, shortly after the first page, the expectation of deepening my understanding of Hinduism was pushed to the back burner and I received an education on western philosophical and social thought. That was disappointing because I had hoped to learn more about Hinduism and its place in the modern day. My expectation was that somehow the author would reconcile so called rational theorisations (that I too am very attached to) and the in-explainable Hindu concepts that I was familiar with. Unfortunately, other than seeing shadows of faith based thinking in Hegel, the section on Hinduism and modernity abruptly ends with little or no understanding on Hinduism and the assortment of modern day theorists do not bridge the intellectual divide between the two concepts. A couple of days after reading this section and failing to write any thoughts, I suddenly realised another obstacle in my thinking. When I lived in India, amidst the Indian culture, I had come to accept Hinduism as the â€Å"modern† religion as opposed to Christianity or Islam. The basis of this label was that Hinduism lacked a book or structured definitions and paid no attention to conversion of others to Hinduism. As an organised religion, it was wonderfully ambiguous, largely spiritual and open to individual expression. It was okay to discard rituals or practices that did not my approval. That essence of Hinduism that I carried from my stay in India was a sharp contrast to the author’s perspective of Hinduism being the example of a â€Å"traditional† religion, and perhaps a far cry from modernity. My personal thought is that Hinduism, like philosophical or social theory has over the last 2000 plus years been defined by male dominated patriarchal societies. Like the cream on homemade Indian yogurt, that layer needs to be peeled away to study the essence of Hinduism or modernity and understand the closeness they share. European Discovery of Hinduism from â€Å"Hinduism and Modernity† The European discovery of Hinduism spans a period from the 15th century when the ports of Goa opened up for the Portuguese traders to the 18th century when the British begin to live in India and acculturate themselves with some of the Indian traditions. In these three hundred years, India seemed to change from an isolated country hidden from the world, to a country that could no longer hide its spices, its riches and its culture. Sadly though, the discovery of Hinduism for non Indians did not have a clear theoretical base, and was dependant on a largely oral and abstractly written sparse Hindu religious/cultural history, during a time when the Indian society was not open to sharing with the outside world. As a result, the accounts of Hinduism written by visitors depicted the Hindu religion as grotesque or insipid, by European writers who travelled to India and experienced the culture from their biblical eyes. The practice of sati, the deification of kings, the extreme deprivation of Brahmans and the overly sexualised art altogether presented a confusing picture that could not be corrected, because the language of India was not understood by the Europeans. To their sensibilities, the ways of the Indians were horrifying to say the least. The Europeans in India, who could have had the opportunity to experience the Hindu culture first hand, also were kept at the fringes by the Indians, as per the writings of Bentinck in 1807. It seemed as though their (European) â€Å"needs† and â€Å"business† were â€Å"taken care† for them, without them disturbing the hierarchy and the dictates of the local culture. At this point, it seems as though the hierarchical society in India was interchangeably used to represent the Hindu religion. There seemed to be very little understanding of the Hindu religion apart from the social structure, with the teachings of he religion being a closely guarded secret, by the priests and the wealthy. The fact that that Indians were not open to foreigners examining their religion is evident from Bernier’s writings. Bernier’s base of atomism of Gassendi could have led to a productive exchange between the European and Indian culture, however, it seemed as if he gave u p because he could not visualise a coherent Hindu cosmological theory and the â€Å"pundit† who was his only source of information, did not have enough skills to dialogue. There were sporadic writings through this time, for example by Abraham Roger, 1649, themed on â€Å"Paganism† that attempted to describe the Hindu culture of India, but at some point they tended to disintegrate into a judgemental dismissal of the body of knowledge that was very different to say the least. There always seemed to be enough examples to create caricatures and convince the western world, that India was not worthy of serious enquiry. All in all, from a modern day perspective, it seems that the Indians had created multiple layers to protect themselves from invaders, missionaries, scholars, traders all of them having an agenda to rip open the cultural centre and expose the vulnerability to the world. So it seems that visitors were kept at bay, given spices, gold, and sent on their way. The resistance also came from an established social structure and was maintained by those in power, for whom, it made sense to keep up the confusing and diffused aura, so they may profit as the privileged few who understood both sides. Marx and Weber’s writings in the 19th century are also historical sources of information on this time, although Marx did not write anything that helped the world understand Hinduism. Webers’s writings did contain some key concepts which were central to the Hindus, such as â€Å"Samskaras† or â€Å"Karma† but also contained some extreme views which were more true of Webers’ own personal struggles and growth. It was not until the late 18th century, under the colonial rule by the British, that Indians met westerners as friends, who wanted to understand or join the Indian culture, without an agenda. Around that time, Indians within India had also begun to look beyond their borders and the environment seemed ready for cultural exchange. The exchanges thereafter where both the Indian and the British culture absorbed elements from each other created an environment where a genuine interest could sustain and studies could be done. Dayananda Saraswati from â€Å"A Source-Book of Modern Hinduism† Dear Sikander Bhaiya, I came across something interesting and wanted to share it with you. I’m taking a class in Hinduism, about 10,000 miles away from home, and learning about Dayananda Saraswati, who as it turns out, is the founder of our Arya Samaj sect. You may recognize the Arja Samaj nurseries near our house, well here is some information behind the teachings at these schools. As my professor says, Swami Dayananda was born into a Brahmin family in 19th century India. But one point you should know is that his real name is Mool Shankar and he was born in Gujrat. He found the Arya Samaj, meaning cultural organization, after an impacting event during the night of Shivratri. When mice ran all over Shiva and ate the offerings given to him, he could not understand why the idol could not defend himself from a mouse. Then, after the death of his sister from cholera, he no longer believed and degraded idol worship. That is when he created the Arya Samaj movement for people who do not believe in idol worship. Nevertheless, Swami Dayananda did not form the Arya Samaj based on this one principle, looking at Hinduism as a whole he rejected all the â€Å"falsehood† and created an body who believed in all the good in Hinduism. Swami Dayananda studied believed in the Vedic scriptures. One such notion he believed in was Moksha. Moksha is the escape from the reincarnation cycle and to finally become one with God. But, I personally believe that reincarnation is not bad and have no desire to escape this cycle. Why would one not appreciate the life God has given us and instead escape life to be absorbed into the soul of the Divine Spirit? As Swami Dayananda proclaims Moksha â€Å"is not emancipation but death or annihilation†. Death and annihilation are not words that come with a good meaning. Not everyone should be influenced to reach Moksha but instead be grateful for and enjoy what God has given us. Education is the sector in which Swami Dayananda made the most progress. For one, he wanted the Veda Bhashya to be translated into English in order to pread the information contained in these scriptures to the Europeans. He also believed in equal education for all. At his point of time in history women were not given the same rights as men and were often left to take upon simple maiden tasks. But he stated that this would cause â€Å"warfare in the house†. Women will also be wanted a s teachers in all girls’ school and knowledgeable enough to be involved in administrative affairs. In addition, Swami Dayananda urged teachers and their scholars not to give into corrupt acts that could prevent teaching or learning. I think he wanted to ensure that people and their actions were not what kept them from acquiring knowledge. I greatly support Swami Dayananda’s belief that marriage should be Swayamvara. He believes that a man and a women should â€Å"suit each other† before marriage so they will be happier. In addition, he condemns child marriage, which usually results in women becoming widowed at a young age. This is such a pervasive phenomenon that completely stopping child marriage has still not occurred in India. Instead he added another custom that women can remarry as long as they were not â€Å"consummated† in their first marriage. This allows women to live a normal married life later on. I hope this letter has given you some light on Dayananda Saraswati and his Arya Samaj principles. Read on about this great Indian leader, his principles are inspiring. Tanya Ramakrishna Paramahansa, from â€Å"A Source Book of Modern Hinduism† Ramakrishna Paramahansa was a famous follower of Bhakti traditions of 19th century India. He was born into a poor Brahmin Vaishnava family in a Bengal village where he devoted his life to â€Å"strenuous spiritual discipline† (Richards,63) to reach union with the Divine, whom for Ramakrishna was Kali. He became a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple near Kolkata, the city where his portrait hangs on every corner. Ramakrishna understood that Hinduism is like a shoreless ocean but still has two main facets Bhakti and Jnana, methods to become union with the Divine. He had chosen the Bhakti path to reach full consciousness with his Divine Mother, Kali. But he does not narrow his view of religion and God to only Kali. I agree with Ramakrishna when he says that God comes in various forms and as one becomes more devoted to God they begin to understand the wholeness of God’s existence in this universe. When one sees Kali, the idol, with a naked eye they see black. But her color can be compared to the blue sky, as one approaches the sky they realize it has no color. Yet, the sky is nowhere and everywhere, just like Kali. So, as one comes closer to Kali you will see her without color. Indians believed that there once existed Asuras , demons, who were tall, dark skinned and out to harm. Kali is a goddess who absorbed the negative physical attributes of the Asuras, hence her dark colored skin, but on the inside is a goddess who embodies Shakti, empowerment and strength. In India, Kali is considered the most powerful women who kills all evil and absorbs their poison so others are void of it. She is a powerful female warrior, which goes against the stereotype that men are the ones who hold the strength and power to fight. Hinduism as a religion gives great power to women, unlike the society which strips women of their influence. I strongly support Ramakrishna’s perspective that â€Å"each religion is only a path leading to God† (Richard, 65). I admire the many rivers into one ocean analogy used to describe his idea of different religions but only one God. He was accepting of all other religions and believed â€Å"it is not good to feel that one’s religion alone is true and all others are false† (Richard, 65). One can see that equality was important to Ramakrishna whether it was through religion, the caste system or gender rules. He illustrated that by finding love for God, one’s mind, body and soul no longer belong as a part of the cast system. In addition, during Ramakrishna’s time in history women were not given the same rights as men and were often demeaned. But his belief that women should be worshiped as â€Å"embodiments of the Divine Mother† (Richard, 73) severed this separation. I greatly admire Ramakrishna as he demonstrates his idea of ‘duties’ undertaken by people for name and fame, resulting in an individual’s ego. Duties that are made and carried out by one’s self is not as selfless as those completed as they are presented. Success from carrying out ‘duties’ is what creates a person’s ego. The ego makes people individuals and separates them into ‘you’ and ‘I’. But God sees everyone as one and wishes others would see the same. The only means by which all individuals can become one is by â€Å"going away from the world into solitude† (Richard, 69). This moves the individual away from the distractions of the Maya and allows one to concentrate on the inner self to develop the love of God. With the love of God and as part of one, they are no longer an individual ego. Mahatma Gandhi from â€Å"Gandhi’s Key Writings: In Search of Unity† Let me tell you about a man named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who is known as Mahatma, meaning great soul, Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869 to a Vaishnava family. His mother and father were greatly religious people and influenced his perception of the world. However, growing up, he realized he was not a man of religion but of ethics. His interest in ethics drove him to study Law in London, England. With a background in Law, Mahatma Gandhi set out to create equality and morality amongst the people. His first attempt was in South Africa where he went to attain civil rights for the 62,000 Indians living there as laborers. At that time, Indians were not allowed to vote and were deprived of many other human rights. The civil rights movement lead by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa is where he found Satyagraha. Satyagraha as a theoretical principle was first introduced in Mahatma Gandhi’s book Hind Swaraj and he shows how he used this philosophical principle in South Africa through his book Satyagraha In South Africa. Satyagraha is a theory that â€Å"recognizes the universal possibility of goodness and virtue† (Suhrud,78). The original Gujurati title of Mahatma Gandhi’s book is Dakshin Africa Na Satyagraha No Itihas (Suhrud, 77) when translated into English it would read â€Å"A History of Satyagraha in South Africa†. However, Mahatma Gandhi had a strong stance between the words ‘Itihas’ and ‘History’, even though they can be considered direct translations of each other. He believed that Itihas in English means ‘it’s so happened’ as opposed to ‘history’ because for him history is associated with a past filled with wars and hatred. This is a glimpse of how Mahatma Gandhi coined the term Satyagraha as a â€Å"soul force† that is completely void of violence. (Suhrud, 77) Satyagraha’s meaning has many faces and the theory itself comes along with many values, but the real meaning of Satyagraha is â€Å"holding on to truth†. According to Mahatma Gandhi this meaning should insinuate love and firmness, bringing about non-violence. This is a separate term from passive resistance, because the latter is still considered a weapon using violence. In fact, one of the principles of Satyagraha is ‘Ahimsa’ meaning non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi started the Satyagraha struggle in South Africa with a series of non-violent protests. One such act was the burning of registration certificates at a community bonfire. This bonfire was an act of defiance against the Asiatic Registration Act of 1907. The means by which Gandhi took a stance against the act broke the law, hence he took the corresponding punishment i. e. multiple blows to the head. As a Satyagrahi, Gandhi did not respond to the violent punishment but instead attempted to get back on his feet and continue burning the registration certificates. Due to Gandhi’s persistence, he was thrown in jail for not succumbing to the police. This is one brutal example of how Mahatma Gandhi implemented Satyagraha in South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi believed that morals and ethics were essential in order to create unity amongst societies and the people within them. From moral and ethics he derived a dogma known as Satyagraha whose core values are truth and ahimsa. Mahatma Gandhi adopted this attitude and applied it in any of his rebellious acts in South Africa. This was an astute strategy he created, so regardless of his actions that stood against the power, he was still ethically correct, making it more difficult for the authorities to bring him down. In this manner, Mahatma Gandhi attained civil rights for the Indians in South Africa.

An analysis of aldis strategy

An analysis of aldis strategy Introduction In 1948, the brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht opened the grocery store ‘Albrecht Discounts (Aldi) in Essen (Ruhr Valley), Germany. The store had a simple layout and provided a great deal of products at a low price. The company grew rapidly, owning 13 stores in 1950 and about 300 stores in 1961 across Germany. In 1961, Theo and Karl divided the company into Aldi North (run by Theo) and Aldi South (run by Karl). The reasons for this division, according to Dieter Brandes, a former managing director of Aldi in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, were different views about how to develop the business. However, the brothers normally exchanged information about a range of issues such as performance and cost figures, current and potential suppliers and they also conducted joint negotiations with suppliers. In 2003, Theo and Karl resigned as CEOs. Theos son, Theo Albrecht Jr, now runs Aldi North, and Juergen Kroll and Norbert Podschlapp run Aldi South. Since the ‘Spend a little Live a lot message is being known by more and more people, and Aldi has been obtained ‘Best Supermarket 2009 Award in 2009, Aldi has become one of most reputable retailer in the international business, and it operates over 7,000 stores worldwide. Considering of this situation, it would be interesting to understand and analyse the management strategies of Aldi. Therefore, my project will analyse management strategies of Aldi which operates a discount supermarket chain in the retail industry. The paper begins by using PEST analysis, Porters 5 forces analysis and Competitors analysis to analyse the environment of supermarket industry. The next section is to analyse the strategic capability of Aldi. The following section discusses purpose of Aldi, and the final section draws recommendations for improvement of Aldis strategy. Section 1: Environmental Analysis PEST analysis Based on using a PEST analysis, it is likely to recognize the core environmental influences on Aldi. Firstly, it is well-known that the major economic factor is the global recession which originally caused by the United States housing bubble during the period from 2005 to 2008. This financial event has been to strongly motivate customers who begin to purchase inexpensive products with high quality. This means that Aldi will attract a great deal of customers without advertising and doing activities of sales promotion. Because of this situation, it is not necessary to conduct new strategies for the growth of customers. On the other hand, global recession possibly result in the increase of products cost, thus there is a doubt of whether Aldi could sale low-price products with good quality. Therefore, Aldi should consider this problem in order to ensure future growth. Furthermore, social factors impact on Aldi includes the change in consumer taste, some of lifestyle changes and health concerns. It is clear that in recent years more and more consumers start changing their taste, for instance, an increasing demand for organic foods and ban of GM foods. Aldi should consider this factor because it may impacts on the future products development of strategy. Moreover, there is not doubt that some of lifestyle changes such as home shopping and interest usage might increase online shopping, thus according to this factor, Aldi possibly invest more funds to enhance their online service and deliverys service. Recently, health concern has become a key issue around the world, so consumers tend to purchase health products without worrying about the price. For example, BSE outbreak precipitated ban of British beef (Elliott, 2005). There do not seem to any main political and technological factors in the environment that Aldi needs to consider. Porters five forces In order to effectively analyse the competitive environment of Aldi, it is better to use Porters five forces to analyse (Porter, 1985). According to the analysis, the threat of new entrants into the supermarket industry in the UK is not high. It is clear that Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and other supermarket chains may set up considerable barriers to entry for new entrants. For instance, the new supermarket will not be able to access inexpensive and reliable suppliers because Tesco may have cornered the market for certain goods. However, there is evidence of size and power of large supermarket unable to retaliate on price, value and quality. For example, Aldi successfully obtain more market share in the UK in recent years, because it has applied the strategy of low-price products with high quality. Furthermore, it is not doubt that buying power of consumers was high because they had so much choice, and their actions can force prices decline. For example, if beans are too expensive in Aldi, buyers will move to another supermarket to purchase, thus a price was will happen immediately among supermarkets. Moreover, it is believed that suppliers power was low because of low cost of switching suppliers and alternative source of supply. However, sometimes suppliers may stand a high power. For instance, normally suppliers signed a contract with retailers about paying a certain price for their products, but if retailers do not pay the price, suppliers will delay the products delivery or do not send goods to them. Competitive rivalry is very high in the supermarket industry. The core reason for competition is strong in the supermarket industry because price wars always happen among supermarkets. Based on price wars, winner can gain more market share. For instance Aldi gave the highest discount to gain a part of market share while it enters the UK supermarket industry. Product for product substitution within supermarket industry is the main threat, thus it is believed that the threat of substitutes is strong. For instance, Aldi has competition from companies like Asda or Tesco that can provide substitutes for their goods. This may drives a low-price of groceries in both companies. Competitors analysis Aldi not only faces the competition of strong supermarkets such as Tesco, but also faces the threat of Lidl as the discount store. In 2008, Tesco launched a new strategy that setting 34 discount brands across 350 categories and reduce its price to attract more customers to purchase products in Tesco in order to defend the price war of Aldi (Reuters, 2008). After that, the sales of Tesco has increased by 6.7 percent according to researchers TNS World panel reported (Reuters, 2008). Furthermore, Tesco possible offers great range of discount brands in the future, and negotiates with more suppliers to decrease the price of goods in order to gain more market share. Tesco has applied another strategy that it has opened 24 hours Tesco express to service for consumers to buy products in the evening, which also increase the sales of products in Tesco. Considering this situation, Tesco will be the core competitor for Aldi. Therefore, Aldi should pay more attention to Tescos development. Beside the competition of Tesco, Aldi also faces the strong competition from Lidl as one of the largest grocery retailers in Europe, because Lidl has almost the same target customers and similar sales strategy with Aldi. Moreover, possibly Lidl may enter into tourism in order to increase its competitiveness. Therefore, Lidl is the most powerful enemy for Aldi in the supermarket industry. Section 2: Capability Analysis Strategic capability Firstly, Aldi successfully saves the cost of hiring employees. In each shop, Aldi only employs less than six employees to work per day. Although few people work for Aldi, services for customers have never been later, for example, if there is a long queue waiting for checking out, a special ring is used to call other colleagues to open the other line. Furthermore, Aldi efficiently saves the cost of building up stores. Kumar (2006) states that â€Å"Another efficiency stems from the fact that Aldi sets up outlets on side streets in downtown areas and in suburbs, where real estate is relatively inexpensive. Since it uses small spaces, the companys start-up costs are low, which enables it to blanket markets: Aldi now owns 4,100 stores in Germany and 7,500 worldwide†. Aldi also presents other strategic capabilities which help it to successfully reach its goal. According to Kumar (2006), â€Å"Aldis stores display products on pallets rather than shelves in order to cut restocking time and save money†. In addition, consumers need to bring their bags or purchase bags while they are shopping in Aldis shops (Kumar, 2006). Section 3: Purpose The mission of Alid is to make prefect quality products available to its customers at the lowest possible price, and make its customers to enjoy the best for less. Furthermore, the objective of Aldi is to sell products that are popular with customers, made from the best possible ingredients and represent brilliant value for money. All of these are key considerations when deciding on the products that we offer. Corporate Social Responsibility Aldi is a responsible business, and they value both the trust and satisfaction of their customers. Aldi promise to delivering high quality products; not just in terms of safety and value, but also in terms of the social and ecological criteria involved in their production. Moreover, Aldi (2009) presents that â€Å"Aldi take their responsibilities as an international retailer seriously and they are active members of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)†. Human Rights, Labour Standards, Environmental Protection and Fighting Corruption As a member of BSCI, all of the European operations of the Aldi South Group, including their suppliers, are committed to complete the principles of the BSCI code of conduct. According to Aldi (2009), â€Å"This code of conduct promotes compliance with local and national legislation and specifically prohibits: Child labour Forced labour and unlawful disciplinary measures Discrimination of any kind Excessive working hours Poor health and safety provisions Non-payment of minimum wage Infringements on freedom of association and collective bargaining rights Poor environmental protection practices Bribery and corruption.† Aldis membership of BSCI also promises it and its suppliers to the execution of an independent social auditing programme, set to international criteria. It aims to use this programme to normally examine its social performance and, together with its suppliers, it also aims to identify that the social conditions in its supply chain adhere to the highest possible standards. In addition to Aldi (2009) states that â€Å"Aldis membership of BSCI, Aldi is also committed to the following international standards: The fundamental principles, rights and working standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) The UN Declaration of Human Rights and the principles of the UN Global Compact†. Organisational Culture Aldis founders have strongly impacted on its culture, and its cultural rules and values reflect Aldis philosophy, guiding principles and business strategy. Furthermore, it is easy and clear for employees, managers and customers to understand the Aldi model that is the provision of low-price products with high quality. It is well-known that the aim of Aldi is to avoid unnecessary cost wherever possible, and urge employees and managers at all levels of the company are very cost conscious and greatly focus on to economic efficiency, because Aldi is not allowed to waste. For example, one of typical rules is that all of employees have to switch off lights in offices when there was enough daylight from outside. Therefore, the concept of ‘cost-watching extends into all areas of the value chain, including the development of new techniques for warehouse management or for the transport of goods. Beside pay more attention on economic efficiency, Aldi also aim to find small improvements in all aspects and to develop pleasure in achieving small successes. This culture of continual improvement is accompanied by a strong focus on the development and implementation of solutions. Aldi will try new ideas and solutions, rather than revealing detailed analysis, for example, new products are not subjected to detail market analyses, but are tested in three shops. If they are successful, meaning that they achieve a fast, pre-determined minimum turnover, they are introduced in all other shops. The organisational culture is strengthened by Aldis selection and recruitment approach. Managerial talent from inside the Aldi is carefully selected, developed and enhanced. Moreover, significant qualities for potential managers are a high attention on economic efficiency, fairness towards others, including suppliers, modesty, and reservation towards the public and the press. These behavioural characteristics are strengthened by job descriptions outlining clear goals and competencies. Aldi managers have always been employed in different parts of the organisation, including the shops and the warehouse. They have to understand how Aldi operates and have ingested the organisational culture. For example, area managers need to understand the structural and procedural factors of retail management, including store operations and trading rights, administration, logistics and property management when they go through a 12-month training project. The program is described as follows (Area Managers, 2005): â€Å"An important part of this program centres on Aldis management system, including its focus on economic efficiency. The first part of the training takes place in a store where future area managers take over the role of a store manager for several months. This ‘hands on approach aims to acquaint them with Aldis operations, but also its business philosophy and core values. During the second part of the training, future area managers work alongside experienced colleagues and learn about their role and responsibilities. This includes the tasks of recruitment, planning and organisation of the stores.† Section 4: Recommendations Since global economy in recession, the sales of Aldi in the UK have been dramatically increasing, because Aldi is selling the low-price products with high quality to customers who would like to spend little money for goods in order to safely spend this period. Although the sales of Aldi in the UK have been slightly grown, comparing with Tesco, the market shares of Aldi still not match. Firstly, Aldi need to invest in new product development. The core reason for that is Tesco has developed some of discount products for new target market in order to capture more market shares from Aldi. Therefore, Aldi need to develop more new discount products in order to against new strategy of Tesco, and also keep its competition in the UK market. In addition, it is highly possible to launch its private label to open new segment market. Based on this idea, Aldi may enhance its brand and increase its market shares in the UK. Otherwise, Aldi may directly sell its products to some of small retailers which like canteen in University campus or in the street of city centre. This possibly motivates the growth of sales of Aldis products. Aldis website also needs to be improved in order to attract more people to shop in Aldi. Reference Aldi, (2009), Available from: http://www.aldi.co.uk/index.htm [Accessed 1st July 2009] Area Managers, (2005), Available from: http://uk.aldi.com/recruitment/recruitment_2.html [Accessed 1st July 2009] Elliott, V. (2005) Nine-year BSE ban on older beef lifted http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article567064.ece [Accessed 20th July 2009] Kumar, N. (2006) Strategies to Fight Low-Cost Rivals, http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2006/12/strategies-to-fight-low-cost-rivals/ar/1 [Accessed 11th July 2009] Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press. REUTERS, (2008) Tesco takes on discounters with new low-cost range, http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLH54179620080917 [Accessed 3rd July 2009]

The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice Essay

The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Midway through Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet arrives at a moment of self-awakening which, notably, results from the influence of someone else: Fitzwilliam Darcy.   For critic Susan Fraiman, this complication amounts to no less than, as she titles her article, "The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet." From this moment forward, according to Fraiman, Elizabeth Bennet ceases to think for herself.   She submits to Darcy as to a second father, relinquishes her trust in her own judgments, and thereby suffers a "loss of clout."1   This pivotal moment comes because, after Elizabeth has rejected his proposal, Darcy justifies himself in a lengthy letter.   It is true that Darcy claims that he has not, as Elizabeth has charged, separated Elizabeth's sister Jane from Jane's suitor, Mr. Bingley, "regardless of the sentiments of either" (127); neither has he inappropriately cut off Wickham, his childhood companion and son of his late father's steward, from a promised career as a clergyman.2   Darcy's version of events challenges the talent in which Elizabeth prides herself most: her ability to judge character.   Yet Fraiman maintains that "Darcy's letter saps [Elizabeth's] power to comprehend": that is, that Darcy's logic undermines Elizabeth's own and, furthermore, that Darcy designs his letter to "inflict" pain on Elizabeth.   By allowing Darcy's logic to supercede her own, and receiving with "enthusiasm" the pain that he inflicts, Elizabeth accepts this "humiliation."3   Although Elizabeth comes to agree that Darcy's previous actions were indeed justified, Fraiman incorrectly assumes that this transformation "disables" Elizabeth's capacity to arr... ...eth's tribulations and subsequent accomplishments cannot be deemed as a symbol for women's liberation, her flawed character faces an even bigger battle: a fight against the weaknesses of human nature.   She, as are we, is prone to the gender-neutral weaknesses of prejudice and vanity, yet by recognizing and responding to these all-too-human failings with level-mindedness and dignity, she shows us a way out.         Notes       1. Susan Fraiman, "The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet," excerpted in the Norton Critical 2nd edition of Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, ed. Donald Gray (New York and London: Norton, 1993), 377.    2. All references to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice are from the Norton Critical 3rd edition, ed. Donald Gray (New York and London: Norton, 2001).    3. Fraiman, 382.    4. Fraiman, 382.      

Gran Torino Essay

Does the movie Gran Torino glorify violence and gun culture in the United States make specific reference to events in the film? The movie Gran Torino does glorify, justify violence and gun culture in the United States when used for the greater good as the military or police do to save lives of many civilians every day. The protagonist Walt Kowalski known as simply Walt well he’s a character he loves using his gun as if it was his culture after all he is a retired veteran. He demonstrates in this movie that it is only by facing the sometimes overwhelming obstacles and difficulties of life that an individual can truly be at rest even by guns. In the movie Walt is the main contributor to justifying violence and gun culture including saving sue and her friend from near death as well as the Hmong saves Thao from Latino gang, saving Tao from the Hmong gang also his cousins and for everyone’s greater good giving up his life to save Tao and his family from anymore danger. As sue and her date are walking down the street they are confronted by bunch of street thugs(the black gang) who try to sexual abuse sue and threaten to hurt her date. Walt brings justice to this by standing up to the gangbangers they exchange words Walt pulls out his pistol to scare off the gangbangers and in successful with doing that he takes sue back home. Also Thao is saved from a gang by gang as he was walking the Latino gang try to interact with him but he puts his head down and keeps walking then his cousin comes around and saves him from death As he uses force and gun use to potentially save her life which does diligence and glorifies the use of gun violence. Thao is caught by Walt when he tries to steal the 1972 gran Torino as part of a gang initiation he fails at doing so. His family finds out about this miss deed and in order to restore honour Thao must pay his dues to Walt. The punishment that Thao receives is to work for Walt for 2 weeks in those few weeks. He is harassed for failing his initiation and helping Walt. Walt sees Thao for who he truly is in the time they spend together, and lends his helping hand going as far as to get Thao a job.one of the Hmong gang members Thao cousin saw him walking back from work and thinks Thao is trying to make him look bad in the eyes of the family. He is viciously beaten by the gang bangers, his tools are also broken and in vengeance Walt along with his trusty pistol goes after one the gang member and beats the living hell out of him. Walt tells the gang that if they ever touch Thao or his family again  he will kill all of them. The gang does not listen to Walt’s warning and drive by shoot there house and seriously injure sue. Walt Kowalski’s actions are glorified and considered valiant efforts to protect the Hmong family. In the end the most glorified moment is when Walt gives his life up, which not cannot be given back to cease all gun battle and violence to restore peace. Walt does this for the Hmong family in the days before his death Thao had asked him to help retaliate for the drive by shooting Walt tells Thao that they will retaliate but plan it out and tells Thao to come back tomorrow at four. Walt the next went to get a haircut and a suit fitted as well as to get a confession from father Janovich.When Thao returns they go to the basement, Walt locks him in and tells him he’s going to end this Thao deeply protests. As Walt shows up he calls the gang bangers out there ready with the automatic weapons Walt sports a cigar as he pulls for a light the gang it’s a gun and open fire taking Walt’s life the police are called and there are witnesses this finally puts rest to the violence. To conclude the movie Gran Torino does glorify, justify violence and gun culture in the United States when used for the greater good as the military or police do to save lives of many civilians every day. You never need an argument against the use of violence; you need an argument for it.Walt uses violence a lot but it is seen as good including saving sue and her friend from near death as well as the Hmong gang saves Thao from Latino gang, saving Tao from the Hmong gang also his cousins and for everyone’s greater good giving up his life to save Tao and his family from anymore danger. Ultimately use the use of violence and gun culture brought quite the opposite safety and happiness this was justified in the events in the film, sometimes in real life issues.