Monday, August 24, 2020

Merchant of Venice Assesment Essay

In this evaluation I will examine Shakespeare’s utilization of language, structure and sensational strategies to introduce the connection among Shylock and the Christians at various purposes of the play. I will initially take a gander at Act 1 Scene 3, where we discover that Shylock has endured barbarously on account of the Christians and now harbors a practically vicious scorn towards them. This can be proof by Shylock’s articulation to Antonio. â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦gabardine,†. This announcement permits the crowd to increase a comprehension of Shylock’s emotions and contempt towards Antonio. Be that as it may, what is intriguing about this statement is Shakespeare’s utilization of the words â€Å"you† and â€Å"dog†. This is on the grounds that, in spite of the fact that Shylock and Antonio have never met, Shylock’s utilization of the word â€Å"you† recommends something else. The explanation for Shakespeare’s utilization of individual and direct language is to permit the crowd to envision Antonio as the exemplification of Christianity. Along these lines, telling the Elizabethan crowd that Shylock’s sentiments of scorn is really pointed towards the Christians and consequently the Elizabethan crowd themselves, in this way bringing about additional dislike and bias towards Shylock’s character. While the utilization of the word â€Å"dog†, which is rehashed all through the play, not just represents that the Christians consider Shylock to be underneath them and will never be their equivalent. Yet in addition strengthens, using reiteration, that Shylock is viewed as an invasion to the Elizabethan culture, which thus adds to Shylock’s embarrassment and assurance for vengeance. Notwithstanding, because of his social positioning Shylock should deliberately perceive his situation of mediocrity and should likewise treat the Christians with an, uneven, regard, in spite of his rich position. Shakespeare figures out how to show this automatic regard from Shylock to Antonio by organizing the exchange between these two primary characters in verse. Moreover the degree of contempt that Shylocks has towards the Christians can be proof from Shylocks aside discourse to the crowd. â€Å"If†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦bear him.† The â€Å"ancient grudge† for this situation being that Antonio is a Christian. This aside proclamation not just reinforces the possibility that the common hatred among Shylock and the Christian is strict in nature, yet in addition Shylock’s over the top requirement for vengeance, a retribution he would like to accomplish through Antonio’s bond. In light of this aside discourse, most advanced crowds would have the option to feel for Shylocks requirement for reprisal. Be that as it may, for an Elizabethan crowd, Shylock’s aside discourse will have no thoughtful impact. Rather it was a sensational strategies utilized by Shakespeare to include further partiality towards Shylock’s character and to enhance the play. In Act 3 Scene 1, we see the earnestness of Shylock’s vicious nature when he finds that Antonio can't satisfy his bond. Contending that his fixation for vengeance is simply and he is qualified for retribution, similarly that any Christian would. â€Å"hath†¦..?†, â€Å"If†¦..revenge!† This famous discourse utilizes various powerful strategies to legitimize Shylocks emotions and requirement for requital. First notification Shakespeare’s utilization of non-serious inquiries with hardly a pause in between. This procedure makes the crowd think, concur and really feel for Shylock contention somewhat. This understanding is then fortified, using symbolism, permitting the crowd to increase a superior comprehension of Shylock’s feeling and feelings. In this manner cause the crowd to understand a portion of the partiality that is as of now present towards the Jewish people group. All in all Shakespeare has utilized an assortment of methods and types of dialects to successfully feature the preference towards the Jewish people group during the Elizabethan time frame. In the two demonstration that I referenced plainly Shylocks feels he merit equity through close to home retribution and that he isn't regarded in the general public, because of the Christians haughty and bias competes towards his kin. Albeit the greater part of utilization may not ethically concur with Shylock’s approach in looking for requital, there is no denying that the language utilized by Shakespeare is a solid token of what oppression can have on a person.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Individualized Cover Letter (in Finance) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individualized Cover Letter (in Finance) - Essay Example Through my difficult work and devotion to my examinations, I am outfitted with sufficient information in corporate money, key monetary administration, portfolio the board, budgetary detailing and money related investigation. My entry level position involvement with Camalia Capital Market in Israel gave me a hands-on involvement with helping deals and exchange of values. My adaptability additionally permits me work intimately with back-office staff in completing settlements and looking after records. Throughout the late spring of 2006, I have been blessed to make sure about an entry level position at Interparfums Inc which made me fully aware of how promoting issues is interrelated with budgetary concerns. Whenever given an opportunity, I will be exceptionally dedicated in bringing my qualities and skills for the most extreme advantage of your business association. Beside my previously mentioned information and ability, I am a lot of ready to gain proficiency with the important aptitudes to exceed expectations in the post.

Friday, July 17, 2020

The 11 Official Criteria for Addiction

The 11 Official Criteria for Addiction Addiction Print The 11 Official Criteria for Addiction/Substance Use Disorder By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Updated on September 20, 2019 Image Source / Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery You may be wondering what defines an addict or a substance use disorder.?? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders  (DSM), which is the official text on which diagnoses are based, contains the criteria for substance use disorders and other mental health problems. The latest version of DSM is the fifth edition, known as DSM-5, and it has some significant changes to both the list of substance use disorders and the criteria that must be met in order to diagnose some of these conditions.?? Substance Use Disorders In the last edition of the DSM, DSM-IV, there were two categories: substance abuse and substance dependence. DSM-5 combines these two categories into one called substance use disorder.?? If your substance use causes significant problems in your life, such as health issues, disability, and or not meeting your responsibilities at work, home, or school, you may have a substance use disorder. Criteria for a Substance Use Disorder Substance use disorders are classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how many of the diagnostic criteria you meet. The 11 DSM-5 criteria for a substance use disorder include:?? Hazardous use: Youve used the substance in ways that are dangerous to yourself and/or others, i.e., overdosed, driven while under the influence, or blacked out.Social or interpersonal problems related to use:  Your substance use has caused relationship problems or conflicts with others.Neglected major roles to use:  Youve failed to meet your responsibilities at work, school, or home because of your substance use.Withdrawal:  When youve stopped using the substance, youve experienced withdrawal symptoms.Tolerance:  Youve built up a tolerance to the substance so that you have to use more to get the same effect.Used larger amounts/longer:  Youve started to use larger amounts or use the substance for longer amounts of time.Repeated attempts to control use or quit:  Youve tried to cut back or quit entirely, but havent been successful.Much time spent using:  You spend a lot of your time using the substance.Physical or psychological problems related to use:  Your substance use has led to phy sical health problems like liver damage or lung cancer, or psychological issues, such as depression or anxiety.Activities given up to use:  Youve skipped activities or stopped doing activities you once enjoyed in order to use the substance.Craving:  Youve experienced cravings for the substance. Being Diagnosed With a Substance Use Disorder In order to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder, you must meet two or more of these criteria within a 12 month period.?? If you meet two or three of the criteria, you have a mild substance use disorder. Four to five is considered moderate, and if you meet six or more criteria, you have a severe substance use disorder. Types of Substance Use Disorders Each substance use disorder is classified as its own disorder. Here are the six most common substance use disorders in the United States:?? Alcohol use disorderTobacco use disorderCannabis use disorderStimulant use disorderHallucinogen use disorderOpioid use disorder The Difference Between Substance Use and Abuse

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Business Ethics Essay - 1323 Words

Many business managers argue that the primary responsibility of a business is to turn a profit; however, society is more concerned for corporations to assume ethical responsibility, in which welfare for the greatest number of people will be promoted. This paper addresses the fact that the subjectivity of morals within the military and individual leaders; as some issues could be viewed as ethical by a group but not so by others. The members of an organization and its employees are part of the team, therefore the organization would benefit if their leaders are having strong ethical principles and positive relationships . Because business ethics helps the team work better both individually and as a unit, thus inspiring ethical values while†¦show more content†¦The method of emphasizing ethics enables the leaders to be more inquisitive about their ethical issues not only in the leadership workshop but also back at work. As we continue working to become â€Å"all you can beâ⠂¬ , we can start to let go of our petty self-interests. As we give back, we can potentially reconstruct our communities. As we serve in for military using the values of freedom, justice, equality, caring, and dignity, we can constantly renew the foundations of democracy. Definition of Ethics In accordance to Velasquez, ethics is the discipline that deals with â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† or â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† decisions that are made in according with approved standards of behavior. This is normally regulated by society and legislated by laws from federal government, state, and the country in which the business is executed, as well as, highly scrutinized by the media. But ethical behavior should not stop there, because usually laws only set minimum standards which corporations could always improve on (Velasquez, 2006). The problems facing military personnel are similar to those that business leaders deal with because, both industries see the need for an operational approach to communication, and the commitment to their members to ensure profits and long term survival in their industry (Awad, E Ghaziri, H., 2006). Additionally, the military places strong emphasis in humanShow MoreRelatedBusiness Ethics : Ethic s And Business943 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussions in Business is Ethics. Some people believe that the decisions businesses make in interest of the business has no place in ethics and that they are essentially amoral. These businesses believe that their main objective is to simply make a profit and that it does not affect the success of the business. Whereas some businesses believe that they have to take ethics into consideration, in order for their business to be a success. Richard T. De George (1999) states that ethics and business do notRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics1471 Words   |  6 PagesReview Nowadays, the concern for business ethics is growing rapidly in the business community around the world. Business ethics are focused on the judgment of decisions taken by managers and their behaviors. The issue regarding these judgments is the norms and cultures that shape these judgments. Business ethics are concerned about the issue, how will the issue be solved and how will it move ahead along the transition analysis as well (Carroll, 2014). Business ethics can be addressed at differentRead MoreEthics And Ethics Of Business Ethics1304 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness Ethics Varun Shah University of Texas at Dallas Business Ethics Morals are a crucial part of life. Without having principles one would never be able to distinguish the right from wrong and good from evil. Just as it applies to life in general, ethics is an integral part of doing business as well. When we here the term Business Ethics in our work place, we usually do not take it seriously and brush it off saying ‘it’s just a simple set of basic rules like not cheating and so on’. ThisRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics Essay1097 Words   |  5 PagesResource A discusses how ethics is crucial in business. There are three key ideas used to understand this. Firstly, making ethically wrong decisions tend to cause more upset than other general mistakes as purposeful unethical actions are not as easily forgiven or forgotten. Secondly, ethics provides businesses with a broader understanding of everything to do with their business. Business ethics is effectively just business it its larger human context. Thirdly, being unethical ca n tarnish the publicRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics1064 Words   |  5 Pages    Business Ethics Ethics can be viewed as the rules and values that determine goals and actions people should follow when dealing with other human beings. However, business ethics can be defined as moral principles of a business. It examines moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. Generally, it has both normative and descriptive dimensions. Organization practice and career specialization are regarded as normative whereas academics attempting to understand business behaviourRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics757 Words   |  4 Pagesdeciding what to do in certain situations, ethics is what guides an individual to act in a way that is good, or right. Those involved in business settings apply ethics to business situations, known as business ethics. It is expected of businesses, small and large, to follow business ethics. There is a particular framework businesses are to follow. However, the reoccurring news headlines of poor business ethics prove differently. Poor busine ss ethics include bribery, corporate accounting scandalsRead MoreEthics And Ethics Of Business Ethics1200 Words   |  5 PagesEthics meaning in simple way for average person is what is right from wrong. According to Chris MacDonald (2010)† Ethics† can be defined as the critical, structured examinations of how we should behave - in particular, how we should constrain the pursuit of self-interest when our actions affect others. â€Å"Business ethics is the applied ethics discipline that address the moral features of commercial activity (Business ethics, 2008).Working in ethical way in business has a lot of benefits which can attractRead MoreBusiness Ethics Essay944 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding Business Ethics Unit 37: National Diploma Assignment brief TASK 1: Scenario: Business ethics - a study of a selected company With growing interest among consumers regarding the business ethics of the businesses brands that consumers buy, Westminster council wants to conduct an independent review of some of the organisations that sell their goods and services in the borough. You have been asked to select one of the following brands and conduct research into their business ethics. Read MoreThe Ethics Of The Business Ethics1431 Words   |  6 Pages BUSINESS ETHICS INTRODUCTION:- Presentation Ethics are exceptionally regular and essential good esteem that helps us to take the right choice where we think that it hard to pick between our own advantages and the correct thing to do. We are going to talk about three sections of morals Behavioral morals, Bounded ethicality and last one is irreconcilable situation. As from the names of these parts of morals, its verging on clarifying the significance of it. It clarifies why great individualsRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics Essay2711 Words   |  11 PagesBusiness Ethics Business ethics is a type of professional ethics or applied ethics which examines moral problems and ethical principles that come up in a corporate environment. It is applied to every aspect of conducting business. According to Milton Friedman, a company has the responsibility to generate as much revenue as it can while still conforming to the basic rules that society has set. These rules include the ones embodied in customs as well as in law. Similarly, Peter Drucker stated that

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Industrial Revolution Of Philadelphia - 1524 Words

INTRODUCTION: April 8, 2012 was the Sunday that Easter was celebrated that year. This date will also be forever remembered as the day that Lieutenant Robert Neary and Firefighter Daniel Sweeney lost their lives at the Thomas Buck Hosiery Factory fire in Philadelphia, PA. Since William Penn first founded the city of Philadelphia in 1682, it has been an evolving and growing city, from a 17th century colonial city to the capital of the United States during the American Revolution. The industrial revolution of the 19th century transformed the green fields of lower Kensington, a section of Philadelphia, to a mixture of homes and mills by 1875.†¦show more content†¦At 03:17 am, Engine 2 arrives on location and reports that he has heavy fire showing from the first and second floors, and requests a full first alarm assignment. One minute later he reported that he had fire all the way t o the roof in a 6-story building, 60’ x one city block. He then requested a full second alarm assignment and notified the dispatch center to prepare for the third alarm. Around 3:30 am, before most 2nd alarm companies arrived on the fireground. the first of many collapses occurred. A large section of wall collapsed from the upper story on the York Street side and crashed on to the street. By 4:01 am, this fire would grow to a five-alarm response. With the arrival of Engine 2 and other arriving companies, command was established, and the fire scene was divided into four geographic divisions (A, B, C, D) to manage this defensive fire. Command was passed from Engine 2 to the Battalion Commander, then to the Division commander and lastly to the Deputy Commissioner. As the fire intensified, the command structure grew to include an operations section, logistics, safety and an exposure group lead by a Battalion Chief. For over two hours the approximately 45 apparatus and ov er 150 firefighters and paramedics fought to contain the fire to the original complex and protect the surrounding neighborhood. The weather that night brought 17 mph winds, with gusts over 30 mph. These winds, combined with the heavy fire loadShow MoreRelatedThe Industrial Revolution : A Small Parts Of A Larger Manufacturing Development849 Words   |  4 PagesIn order to increase productivity of the fast changing economy, the Industrial Revolution presented new organizational strategies. Small parts of a much larger manufacturing development, known as outwork system were carried out in many individual homes. The outwork system was essential, especially for making footwear. The major step-forward was under the factory system. This system allowed work to be performed on a large scale in a single centralized location. 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Buad 310 Case Analysis Instruction Free Essays

BUAD 310 Spring 2013 Case Due by 4PM on Friday, May 3rd (in BRI 400C) In this case you will apply statistical techniques learned in the Regression part of BUAD 310. Please read the following instructions carefully before you start: †¢ This assignment uses data from the file MagAds13S. XLS, which you can download from Blackboard. We will write a custom essay sample on Buad 310 Case Analysis Instruction or any similar topic only for you Order Now After you download the file go to Data Load data from file in StatCrunch to open it (you don’t need to change any of the options when loading this data. ) †¢ The entire report should be typed and clearly presented without typos and grammatical errors. Copy and paste the relevant (explained further in more detail) regression output into your document. Do not attach any graphs. †¢ You are encouraged to work in groups (maximum size is 5). Any group submits only one report, in which the first page should have all the names and USC ID of the group members. A hard copy of the report needs to be submitted (an electronic copy is NOT acceptable). Before May 3rd, you can also hand in the report during class. When I am not in my office (BRI 400C), please drop the report in the office through the gap between the door and floor. Very important: present the problems in exactly the same order as they are listed. †¢ A note to Mac user: you might need to hold â€Å"shift† when selecting variables for the X-variables with multiple linear regression in StatCrunch. Magazine Advertising What factors influence the price of advertisements in magazines? Suppose you are part of a team of consultants hired by a retail clothing company wish ing to place advertisements in at least one magazine. They are curious about what types of costs they can expect for magazines with different readership bases so they most effectively utilize their advertising budget. Your team has collected cost data on 44 consumer magazines. In addition, your team has measured some other characteristics of the magazines and their audiences that may be useful in understanding the advertisement costs better. The variables are as follows, pagecost: Cost of a four-color, one-page ad (in dollars) circ: Circulation (projected, in thousands) percmale: Percent male among the predicted readership medianincome: Median household income of readership (in dollars) Some natural logarithms of the variables are also provided for your convenience. Your goal is to analyze the data with StatCrunch using Multiple Linear Regression methods and choose the best model to explain the differences in advertising costs between the different titles, and then to predict what the retail clothing company should expect to pay for advertising in the different magazines. Answer the following questions (with reasonable detail, not just â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, use one or two sentences per question). 1. Visually examine the scatter plots of the response variable, pagecost, versus each of the explanatory variables (circ, percmale, medianincome). In StatCrunch you can go to [Graphics( Scatter Plot] to do each plot. Describe the form and the direction of each relationship. Do not attach any graphs. 2. Perform a Regression analysis to predict pagecost using all three explanatory variables [Stat ( Regression ( Multiple Linear, then fill in the proper Response and Predictor variables, then click Next twice and under Save options select Residuals, Predicted values and 95% interval for either the mean or an individual (you will have to decide which one you need for part d! ). For he CI (or PI) to be produced you need to enter the values from part d in the row underneath the data table, in appropriate columns. Note that the value for circ has to be entered in the same units as all the values in the circ column. To produce a residual plot do a Scatter plot as in question 1, selecting Residuals as the Y variable and Predicted values as the X variable]. Include the regression output, but not the plot. a. Use the R-squared and the F-tes t to comment on the usefulness of the regression model you fitted (use the significance level of 5% for the test). b. Evaluate the regression assumptions by assessing the residual plot. c. Examine each of the explanatory variables individually to determine which are contributing significantly to the model. (Use the significance level of 5 %. Do NOT actually eliminate any variables from the regression at this stage. ) d. Using the same model with all the variables, provide an appropriate 95%-level interval to the retail clothing company for the amount that they would pay for a full-page ad in a magazine with a projected audience of 2,000,000 readers, 55 percent of which are male, with a median income of $30,000. Explain in one sentence and in simple terms what this interval means. 3. Rerun the regression in part 2 with circ replaced by LN_circ (the natural logarithm of the variable circ), keeping all the other variables the same. Include the relevant regression output (only the coefficient and ANOVA tables). [Stat ( Regression ( Multiple Linear, then fill in the proper Response and Predictor variables, then click Next twice and under Save options select Residuals and Predicted values. Produce a residual plot the same way as in question 2]. a. How does this model compare to the previous model using R-squared? Explain what this difference in the R-squared values means in simple terms. b. Evaluate the regression assumptions by assessing the residual plot. c. Examine each of the independent variables individually to determine which are contributing significantly to the newest model. (Use the significance level of 5 %. Do NOT actually eliminate any variables from the regression at this stage. ) 4. Rerun the regression in part 3 with LN_pagecost (the natural logarithm of pagecost) as the response (i. . the explanatory variables are LN_circ, percmale and medianincome). Include the regression output. [Stat ( Regression ( Multiple Linear, then fill in the proper Response and Predictor variables, then click Next twice and under Save options select Residuals, Predicted values and 95% interval for either the mean or an individual (you will have to decide which one you need for part d! ). For the CI (or PI) to be produced you need to enter the values from part d in the row underneath the data table, in appropriate columns. Note that the value for LN_circ has to be entered in the same units as all the values in the LN_circ column. Also note that the interval will be produced for the LN_pagecost variable. To produce a residual plot do a Scatter plot as in question 1, selecting Residuals as the Y variable and Predicted values as the X variable]. a. Evaluate the regression assumptions by assessing the residual plot. b. Examine each of the explanatory variables individually to determine which are contributing significantly to the new model. Use a significance level of 5%. . Remove the variables you find insignificant and re-run the model. Include the regression output for the new model. d. Using the new model, provide an appropriate 95% -level interval to the retail clothing company for the amount they would pay for a full-page ad in a magazine with the values given in 2. d (projected audience of 2,000,000 readers, 55 percent of which are male, with a median income of $30,000) using the newest model. Explai n in one sentence and in simple terms what this interval means. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: (roughly about ? to 1 page) You are given the task of summarizing your findings for the board of directors of the retail clothing company. Since they are not very well-versed in regression techniques, you will need to explain things in easy-to-understand, simple and practical terms. Make sure to answer the following questions within the summary: 1. Describe each of the models you considered in parts 2-4 and how these models estimate the relationship between the cost of one-page ad and each of the explanatory variables (for each of the models you will need about one sentence per explanatory variable). . Specify which model you would recommend to best forecast the cost of one-page advertisements. Explain why this model should work well and why you picked this particular model from the ones you tried (go over the positives you see for this model and the negatives for the other models). †¢ Reminder: include only the relevant regression output in your final document. Do not attach or include any graphs. How to cite Buad 310 Case Analysis Instruction, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

The Effects of Alienation and Lonlieness in Live of the Saints Essay Example For Students

The Effects of Alienation and Lonlieness in Live of the Saints Essay The Effects of Alienation and Loneliness in Lives of the Saints Loneliness is a state of mind that leaves people depressed and emotionally weak. The members of the Innocente family suffer from alienation through various social groups. In Nino Ricci’s Lives of the Saints, Cristina and grandfather (Cristina’s father) are alienated from the community (grandfather is isolated from the community), and Vitto is alienated from his family. Alienation makes the lives of these characters lonely and depressing. Throughout the novel the development of Cristina’s character has been effected because of her alienation from the community, making her feel lonely and helpless. The citizens of Valle de Sole despise and neglect Cristina because of her attitude and uniquely strong personality. When Guiseppena says, â€Å"Cristina you and I were like sisters, you know I wouldn’t wish you any harm. But other people aren’t so kind, they like to see a person destroyed. You can afford to walk around like a princess. It turns people against you† (Ricci 53). We will write a custom essay on The Effects of Alienation and Lonlieness in Live of the Saints specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Showing that Guiseppena, Cristina’s childhood friend even realizes that Cristina needs to change her attitude because the community will further neglect her, consequently making her more isolated and lonely. Therefore Cristina can only depend on herself and a few other close friends. Due to Christina’s loneliness she becomes short tempered, rude and her actions have brought shame to her father and his reputation. Her father proves his frustration when he says â€Å"was it for my sake you behaved like a common whore? Do you think you’re better than those people? They are my people not you, not someone who could do what you have done. I’ve suffered every day of my life, but I’ve never had to walk this town and hang my head in shame† (Ricci 149). As the mayor of Valle de Sole grandfather had the respect and admiration of the town. Though he loves Cristina very much his frustration is emphasized by calling Cristina, his own daughter, a whore. Although he did â€Å"suffer† (Ricci 149) everyday he had pride and now that pride has been stripped by his own daughter. Cristina’s actions and separation from the community not only affect her but affect her son Vitto also. The alienation Vitto suffers from his school and family builds him to become independent yet fearful. When Cristina was in the hospital for the second time Vitto comes home and asks his grandfather â€Å"did my mother come back? † (Ricci 116) His grandfather replies â€Å"make yourself something to eat; your mother is staying in the hospital a few days† (Ricci 116). Illustrating Vittos’ growing independence and maturity, being only seven years old he is forced to do more around the house and accept the circumstances his mother put herself and the family in. After his mother spoon feeds Vitto and holds his hand throughout his whole life, he is forced to make a drastic turn and essentially become the man of the house. Vitto also becomes more fearful and faces serious problems at school. The other boys at school harass Vitto in regards to his mother and as a result many fights occur ending with Vitto beaten up. â€Å"I was grateful nonetheless for the half hour or so from returning home after school† (Ricci 135). Vittos’ fear of these boys makes him stay after school every day in order to avoid them. Demonstrating that even the children of Valle de Sole know what his mother has done, except their victim is Vitto. The grandfather suffers from a lot of stress and struggle throughout his whole life, yet he does his best to keep his head held high, because being the mayor he must be an example to others. Cristina indirectly makes the community lose respect for him; as a result he too is neglected and alienated. â€Å"I’ve never had to walk through this town and hang my head in shame. Now people come to my house like they go to the circus, to laugh at the clowns† (Ricci 149). The people that once loved and looked up to grandfather now laugh at him as if he is a â€Å"clown† (Ricci 149) showing the degree of damage Cristina made him suffer. .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f , .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .postImageUrl , .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f , .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:hover , .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:visited , .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:active { border:0!important; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:active , .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3ebe662754d8d48075d4269f75d7033f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Kant's Philosophy EssayHe is forced to give up his position of mayor because he could not cope with the shame and humiliation brought to him. Grandfather puts himself in a state of depression in his own house. For a veteran like himself, respect is the most important value in his life and he has now lost it all. â€Å"I’ll rot in this bed, I’ll die and rot here, you might as well have put me straight into the grave† (Ricci 158). Grandfather is emotionally and physically shattered he is depressed and weak; being sixty six year old he does not see a reason for him to live any longer. Not only is he alienated from the community but he has now alienated himself from his family. Cristina’s attitude and actions have has a chain reaction on everyone around her consequently leaving her father the most affected. In this novel alienation played a key role to the character development and plot of the story. The lives of Cristina, Vitto, and grandfather are affected because of the alienation they suffered from the community and their families. Therefore they have to face many hardships which drift their family and community ties apart.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Mother to Child Transmission Essay Example

Mother to Child Transmission Essay Example Mother to Child Transmission Essay Mother to Child Transmission Essay What is mother-to-child transmission? Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is when an HIV-infected woman passes the virus to her baby. This can occur during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. Without treatment, around 15-30% of babies born to HIV positive women will become infected with HIV during pregnancy and delivery. A further 5-20% will become infected through breastfeeding. 1 Is MTCT a major problem? In 2008, around 430,000 children under 15 became infected with HIV, mainly through mother-to-child transmission. About 90% of these MTCT infections occurred in Africa where AIDS is beginning to reverse decades of steady progress in child survival. 2 In high income countries MTCT has been virtually eliminated thanks to effective voluntary testing and counselling, access to antiretroviral therapy, safe delivery practices, and the widespread availability and safe use of breast-milk substitutes. If these interventions were used worldwide, they could save the lives of thousands of children each year. How can MTCT be prevented (PMTCT)? pic]An HIV positive mother and her HIV positive baby in India Effective prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) requires a three-fold strategy. 3 4 Preventing HIV infection among prospective parents making HIV testing and other prevention interventions available in services related to sexual health such as antenatal and postpartum care. Avoiding unwanted pregnancies among HIV positive women providing appropriate counseling and support to women living with HIV to enable them to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives. Preventing the transmission of HIV from HIV positive mothers to their infants during pregnancy, labour, delivery and breastfeeding. Integration of HIV care, treatment and support for women found to be positive and their families. The last of these can be achieved by the use of antiretroviral drugs, safer infant feeding practices and other interventions. Antiretroviral drugs Treatment for the mother Women who have reached the advanced stages of HIV disease require a combination of antiretroviral drugs for their own health. This treatment, which must be taken every day for the rest of a womans life, is also highly effective at preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Women who require treatment will usually be advised to take it, beginning either immediately or after the first trimester. Their newborn babies will usually be given a course of treatment for the first few days or weeks of life, to lower the risk even further. Pregnant women who do not yet need treatment for their own HIV infection can take a short course of drugs to help protect their unborn babies. The main options are outlined below, in order of complexity and effectiveness. Single dose nevirapine The simplest of all PMTCT drug regimens was tested in the HIVNET 012 trial, which took place in Uganda between 1997 and 1999. This study found that a single dose of nevirapine given to the mother at the onset of labour and to the baby after delivery roughly halved the rate of HIV transmission. 5 6 As it is given only once to the mother and baby, single dose nevirapine is relatively cheap and easy to administer. Since 2000, many thousands of babies in resource-poor countries have benefited from this simple intervention, which has been the mainstay of many PMTCT programmes. When is single dose nevirapine appropriate? A significant concern about the use of single dose nevirapine is drug resistance. Around a third of women who take single dose nevirapine develop drug resistant HIV,7 which can make subsequent treatment involving nevirapine and efavirenz (a related drug) less effective. Studies have found that drug resistance resulting from single dose nevirapine tends to decrease over time; if a mother waits at least six months before beginning treatment then it may be less likely to fail. 9  10 Nevertheless, in some cases the drug resistant HIV persists for many months in some parts of the body, even if it cannot be detected in the blood, and this may undermine the longer term effectiveness of treatment. 11 Whenever possible, women should receive a combination of drugs to prevent HIV resistan ce problems and to decrease MTCT rates even further. Among babies infected with HIV and exposed to single-dose nevirapine, around half have drug resistance at 6-8 weeks old. 12 Other infants may become infected with drug resistant HIV through breastfeeding. 13 Because of concerns about drug resistance and relatively low effectiveness, there is now general agreement that single dose nevirapine should be used only when no alternative PMTCT drug regimen is available. Whenever possible, women should receive a combination of drugs to prevent HIV resistance problems and to decrease MTCT rates even further. Nevirapine, however, is still the only single dose drug available to prevent MTCT. Other short course treatments require women to take drugs during and after pregnancy as well as during labour and delivery. This means they are much more expensive and more difficult to implement in resource poor settings than nevirapine, which can be used with little or no medical supervision at all. So, for now, single dose nevirapine remains the only practical choice for PMTCT of HIV in areas with minimal medical resources. Combining AZT with single dose nevirapine According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2006 guidelines,   the recommended course of drugs for preventing mother to child transmission (PMTCT) in resources-limited settings should be a combination of AZT and single dose NVP. This approach is much more difficult to administer than single dose nevirapine on its own, but it is also significantly more effective, and is less likely to lead to drug resistance. AZT was first shown to reduce MTCT rates in 1994, and is the best-studied drug for this purpose. Under the 2010 guidelines, all HIV positive mothers, identified during pregnancy, should receive an extensive course of antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother to child transmission. For more information about the 2010 recommendations, please see AVERTs 2010 WHO Guidelines page. If these extensive drugs are not available, then the 2006 recommended course might be an option and a woman should begin taking AZT after 28 weeks of pregnancy (or as soon as possible thereafter). During labour she should take AZT and 3TC, as well as a single dose of nevirapine. If the woman receives less than four weeks of AZT during pregnancy then her baby should receive AZT for four weeks instead of one. Triple combinations The most effective PMTCT therapy involves a combination of three antiretroviral drugs taken during the later stages of pregnancy and during labour. This therapy is essentially identical to the treatment taken by HIV-positive people for their own health, except that it is taken only for a few months, and the choice of drugs may be slightly different. Triple therapy is usually recommended to women in high-income countries, and is becoming more widespread in the rest of the world and the WHO 2010 Guidelines, reflects this. AVERT. org has more information about HIV and pregnancy, including a discussion of these more sophisticated regimens. HIVNET 012 controversies In mid December 2004 a news story appeared alleging that side effects from single dose nevirapine during the HIVNET 012 study had been covered up. It claimed that US officials had been warned that nevirapine research was flawed and may have underreported thousands of severe reactions including deaths. By the time this news story appeared, a committee from the US Institute of Medicine was already engaged in a major independent review of the design, conduct, results and validity of the HIVNET 012 study. After evaluating extensive material from a variety of sources and reviewing primary source documents from Uganda, the investigation reported its findings in April 2005. The committee found that the original report on the HIVNET 012 study was sound, presented in a balanced manner, and can be relied upon for scientific and policy-making purposes. The allegations about unreported deaths were found to be completely untrue. Of the 306 mothers who received nevirapine, 16 experienced serious adverse events, and only one was thought possibly to be due to nevirapine. 14 The safety and effectiveness of single dose nevirapine has been confirmed by many other clinical trails. Although long-term use of nevirapine has been linked to liver damage, there is no evidence of any significant safety risk from a single dose to prevent MTCT. The December 2004 press story (which seems to have arisen from a personal feud between US officials) has been thoroughly discredited. 14, 15, 16, 17 Numerous subsequent studies, including a large clinical trial in Thailand, have reaffirmed that nevirapine is safe and effective at preventing MTCT. 15 HIV and safer infant feeding [pic]African woman breastfeeding A number of studies have shown that the protective benefit of drugs is diminished when babies continue to be exposed to HIV through breastfeeding. 6 17 Mothers with HIV are advised not to breastfeed whenever the use of breast milk substitutes (formula) is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe. However if they live in a country where safe water is not available then the risk of life-threatening conditions from formula feeding may be higher than the risk fro m breastfeeding. An HIV positive mother should be counselled on the risks and benefits of different infant feeding options and should be helped to select the most suitable option for her situation. 18 A baby fed on infant formula does not receive the special vitamins, nutrients and protective agents found in breast milk. And the cost of infant formula often puts it beyond the reach of poor families in resource poor countries, even if the product is widely available. Many women also lack access to the knowledge, potable water and fuel needed to prepare replacement feeds safely, or simply have no time to prepare them. If used incorrectly mixed with unsafe water, for example, or over-diluted a breast milk substitute can cause infections, malnutrition and even death. Furthermore, if a mother chooses not to breastfeed in settings where breastfeeding is the norm then this may draw attention to her HIV status and invite discrimination, violence or abandonment by her family and community. Another factor worth noting is the contraceptive effect of breastfeeding, which can help to lengthen the interval between pregnancies. Infant feeding advice for women with regular access to antiretroviral drugs For HIV positive women who choose, or who are advised to breastfeed, the World Health Organizations (WHO) recommendations are based on whether a women has access to antiretroviral drugs or not. If a woman has support and a regular supply of antiretroviral drugs then she should exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of an infants life and then introduce mix feeding until the infant is able to have a safe diet without breastmilk. Mixed feeding (breastfeeding mixed with bottle feeding of water or formula, or providing other foods) is only safe in this situation because the mother or infant is taking antiretrovirals. Infant feeding advice for women who do not have regular access to antiretroviral drugs In situations where health services cannot supply women or infants with a regular supply of antiretroviral drugs, for an extended period of time, women are recommended to exclusive breastfeed for the first 6 months of an infants life and rapidly wean to avoid mixed feeding. Mixed feeding is not recommend because studies suggest it carries a higher risk than exclusive breastfeeding. Potentially this is because it damages the lining of the babys stomach and intestines thus making it easier for HIV in breast milk to infect the baby. If a HIV positive mother does not have access to ARVs she is strongly recommended to rapidly wean. Unfortunately, the best duration for this is not yet known and may vary according to the infants age and/or the environment 19 20. Read more about HIV and breastfeeding. Caesarean sections A caesarean section is an operation to deliver a baby through its mother’s abdominal wall. When a mother is HIV positive a caesarean section may be done to protect the baby from direct contact with her blood and other bodily fluids. However, as with formula feeding, there is a need to weigh the risk of HIV transmission against the risk of harm due to the intervention. If the mother is taking combination antiretroviral therapy then a caesarean section will often not be recommended because the risk of HIV transmission will already be very low. Caesarean delivery may be recommended if the mother has a high level of HIV in her blood, but the procedure is seldom available and/or safe in resource poor settings. Challenges faced by PMTCT programmes Even where PMTCT services are available, not all women receive the full benefit. Reasons for HIV positive pregnant women not accessing drugs include: Not being offered an HIV test Refusing to take an HIV test Not returning for follow up visits Not adhering to self-administered drugs HIV testing is critical because women who do not know they are HIV positive cannot benefit from interventions. In 2009 an estimated 26% of the estimated 125 million pregnant women in low and middle-income countries received an HIV test. 21 However some women refuse to be tested because they fear learning that they have a life-threatening condition; because they distrust HIV tests; or because they do not expect their results to remain confidential, and fear stigma and discrimination following a positive result. Women having tested negative early in pregnancy can become infected during pregnancy; without returning to clinics for retesting treatment is not accessed22 . Sometimes women who test HIV positive do not return to clinics for follow up visits, or fail to take the drugs they have been given. This can happen because they have had negative experiences nteracting with clinic staff, fear or stigma or disclosure and because they did not receive adequate HIV counseling. because they have been poorly informed about HIV transmission and how it can be prevented. Fear of disclosure is a common rea son why women are reluctant to return to their HIV clinic. In the words of a woman from Cote dIvoire: My husband might see me with the medicines, and he will want to know what they are for. That way he will find out about my [HIV positive test] result. Even the location bothers me, because everyone who comes to the clinic knows what goes on [at the programme]. As soon as a pregnant woman is seen coming here, its known right away that she is seropositive. 23 One of the major problems in preventing mother-to-child transmission, it has been argued, is making the provision of ARV drugs the focus of PMTCT efforts. Access to other services such as counselling, care and treatment services, infant-feeding guidance, and in particular sexual and reproductive health is ignored as a result. 24   Therefore, it should not be assumed that the proportion of HIV-positive pregnant women who are receiving antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent their child becoming infected – estimated at one-third in low and middle-income countries – are receivi ng comprehensive PMTCT services. 25 To achieve a high success rate, PMTCT programmes must have well-trained, supportive staff who take great care to ensure confidentiality. They must be backed up by effective HIV testing and counselling programmes and by good quality HIV/AIDS education, which is essential to eliminate myths and misunderstandings among pregnant women, and to counter stigma and discrimination in the wider community. Under these conditions, antiretroviral drugs have the potential to save many thousands of babies lives. International PMTCT initiatives There are a number of large-scale international initiatives to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. These include: 1. The Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 2. MTCT-Plus 3. The Global Fund 4. The Call to Action Project 5. The UN Interagency Task Team on MTCT The Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) On June 19th 2002, US President Bush announced a new $500 million International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to infants and to improve health care delivery in Africa and the Caribbean. The Initiative was later integrated into the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In 2008 PEPFAR was reauthorized with the original $ 15 billion funding now tripled to $ 48 billion over the next five years. The original Initiative had the aim of reaching one million women with HIV testing and counselling and providing preventive drugs to 80 per cent of HIV positive delivering women by 2007. It aimed to reduce mother-to-child transmission by 40 percent in its fourteen focus countries, twelve of which are in Africa. From fiscal year 2004 to FY 2007, PEPFAR has supported prevention of MTCT for women during more than 10 million pregnancies with antiretroviral drugs being provided in over 827,000 pregnancies. This has resulted in the prevention of an estimated 157,000 infant HIV infections. 26 AVERT. org has more information about the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in our PEPFAR page. MTCT-Plus The MTCT-Plus Initiative was established in 2002, and is coordinated by the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. The Initiative aims to move beyond interventions aimed only at preventing infant HIV infection. It does this by supporting the provision of specialised care to HIV-infected women, their partners and their children who are identified in MTCT programmes. Funding for the initiative is provided by a group of private foundations, including the Gates Foundation, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as by PEPFAR via USAID. The MTCT-Plus Initiative provides operational funding, medications, training and technical assistance at 13 sites in sub-Saharan Africa and at one site in Thailand. Since its inception MTCT-Plus has provided care and treatment to more than 16,000 adults and children. 27 The Global Fund The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a public-private partnership that distributes grants worldwide to fund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes. Grants are distributed over two years and most countries receive some grants to fund PMTCT programmes. In 2008 the Global Fund announced that 271,000 HIV positive pregnant women had been reached with prophylaxis for PMTCT through Global Fund money in 2007. 28 AVERT. org has more about The Global Fund. The Call to Action Project The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation initiated the Call to Action Project (CTA) in September 1999 to help reduce MTCT of HIV in resource poor countries. The CTA is a public-private partnership that receives funding from both private sources such as the Gates Foundation and government grants. CTA has worked or is now working at approximately 400 sites in nineteen countries worldwide, of which twelve are in Africa.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Maria Tallchief

Maria Tallchief Dates: January 24, 1925 - April 11, 2013Known for: first American and first Native American prima ballerinaOccupation: ballet dancerAlso known as: Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief, Betty Marie Tall Chief Maria Tallchief Biography Maria Tallchief was born as Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief and changed her name later to Europeanize it for career reasons. Her father was of Osage descent, and the tribe was the beneficiary of oil rights. Her family was well off, and she had ballet and piano lessons from age three. In 1933, pursuing opportunities for Maria and her sister, Marjorie, the Tall Chief family moved to California. Marias mother wanted her daughters to become concert pianists, but they were more interested in dance. One of Marias early teachers in California was Ernest Belcher, father of Marge Belcher Champion, wife and professional partner of Gower Champion. As a young teen, Maria, with her sister, studied with David Lichine and then with Bronislava Nijinska, who in 1940 cast the sisters in a ballet at the Hollywood Bowl that Nijinska had choreographed. After high school, Maria Tallchief joined the Ballet Russe in New York City, where she was a soloist. It was during her five years at the Ballet Russe that she adopted the name Maria Tallchief. While her Native American background led to skepticism about her talent by other dancers, her performances changed their minds. Her performances impressed audiences and critics. When George Balanchine became ballet master at the Ballet Russe in 1944, he took her as his muse and protege, and Maria Tallchief found herself in increasingly prominent roles which were adapted to her strengths. Maria Tallchief married Balanchine in 1946. When he went to Paris, she went as well and was the first American-born woman dancer to perform with the Paris Opera, in Paris and later with the Paris Opera Ballet in Moscow at the Bolshoi. George Balanchine returned to the US and founded the New York City Ballet, and Maria Tallchief was its prima ballerina, the first time an American had held that title. From the 1940s to the 1960s, Tallchief was one of the most successful of ballet dancers. She was especially popular and successful as and in The Firebird beginning in 1949, and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker beginning in 1954. She also appeared on television, made guest appearances with other companies, and appeared in Europe. Having been trained by David Lichine early in her dance education, she played Lichines teacher, Anna Pavlova, in a 1953 movie. Tallchiefs marriage to Balanchine was a professional but not personal success. He began to feature Tanaquil Le Clerq in key roles, and he did not want to have children, while Maria did. The marriage was annulled in 1952. A brief second marriage failed in 1954. In 1955 and 1956, she was featured at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and in 1956 she married a Chicago construction executive, Henry Paschen. They had a child in 1959, she joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1960, touring America and the USSR. In 1962, when the recently-defected Rudolf Nureyev debuted on American television, he chose Maria Tallchief as his partner. In 1966, Maria Tallchief retired from the stage, moving to Chicago. Maria Tallchief returned to active participation in the dance world in the 1970s, forming a school connected with the Chicago Lyric Opera. When the school was the victim of budget cuts, Maria Tallchief founded her own ballet company, the Chicago City Ballet. Maria Tallchief shared duties as artistic director with Paul Mejia, and her sister Marjorie, also a retired dancer, became the schools director. When the school failed in the late 1980s, Maria Tallchief again became associated with the Lyric Opera. A documentary, Maria Tallchief, was created by Sandy and Yasu Osawa, to air on PBS in 2007-2010. Background, Family Father: Alexander Joseph Tall ChiefMother: Ruth Porter Tall Chief (Scots-Irish and Dutch ancestry)Siblings: one brother; sister Marjorie Tall Chief (Tallchief) Marriage, Children husband: George Balanchine (married August 6, 1946, annulled 1952); choreographer and ballet master)husband: Elmourza Natirboff (married 1954, divorced 1954; airline pilot)husband: Henry D. Paschen (married June 3, 1956; construction executive)daughter: Elise Maria Paschen (born 1959; poet, writing teacher) Education piano and ballet lessons from age 3Ernest Belcher, ballet teacher (father of Marge Champion)David Lichine, student of  Anna PavlovaMadame (Bronislava) Nijinski, sister of Vaslav NijinskyBeverly Hills High School, graduated 1942

Friday, February 14, 2020

American Indians and horse culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Indians and horse culture - Essay Example Makes me wonder how nomads make it? They abuse and take off. No holds bar to sentimentality or reason because this does not stay factual to them. They keep on relocating- must they be finding something they subconsciously know can never be theirs? The persistence results to instability and desire for what is not present. It seems as if we people, from all cultures relish the idea of wanting the impossible. The myth that lies between nomads comes real today because people endlessly desire and at the end of it all, they lose all of the little they ever had. Do people want anything they are not ? Unconventional approach is what the writer used in this poem and the directive phrases and words comprise a tone of demand that yields the inner questioning he has for himself. There is a constant mention of the horse culture. The relation of each of the characters presiding in the plot are brought about a commonality and this would be the horse culture. Inconsistent, unstable and restless – qualities of the people he is referring to. This I believe are the same people I deal with each and everyday. Everybody is a half-breed struggling to learn about their horse culture – One of the last lines in the poem that struck me the most and led me to my thesis statement. The struggle and competition is never ending because people want more and more when there is not much to consume aside from each other. This American Indian heritage symbolizes the globalization of all humanities that have converged to meet the demands of disorienting racial discrimination. People are opening their minds all across the globe to get the best of everything – since standards are rising, they must keep up. Their own â€Å"ghosts† – at least they ones they named for themselves are rapidly approaching and they must escape.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Islamic Politics and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Islamic Politics and Culture - Essay Example From the Sunnis point of view, the immediate caliphs (four in number), were the rightful heirs of Mohammad and they are the one recognized as the leaders of Muslims (Lyon 86). This therefore implies that the Sunnis believed that authority is dictated from the immediate descendants of Prophet Mohammad. Shiites, on the other hand, believe that Prophet Mohammad’s son in law, Ali, was the rightful heir of the Islamic throne ((Lyon 86)). This therefore implies that Shia only recognized Ali as the legitimate successors of Prophet Mohammed. Therefore, even though both of these sects believed in Mohammad as their initial leader, upon his death, there arose differences on who was rightfully supposed to inherit his throne. Mostly, stand out differences between these two sects is not usually religious but political. According to Sigh, Shiites believed that their leader was pure and blameless by nature, they believed that they were absolutely sinless and that their authority is out of question since it is given directly from Allah (26). Therefore, Shia Muslims often look at the Imams as saints and perform excursions to their tombs and shrines in the anticipation of divine intervention. Sunni Muslims on the other hand pledge that there is no foundation in Islam for a heritable advantaged class of spiritual leaders, and there is certainly no base for the honor or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims maintain that the headship of the community is not a patrimony, but an earned trust that could be assigned or taken away by the Islamic people. Equally important, the Islamic religion entitles both the Sunni and Shiite are to a daily organized prayers at a specific time. However, these two sects usually practice certain rituals in different ways. Sacred practices also vary in terms of the scriptures that are conventional to them. While Shiites generally only recognize hadith attributable to Muhammads direct lineage or to descendants of Ali, Sunni on the contrary take a

Friday, January 24, 2020

Jim Henson :: essays research papers fc

JIM HENSON Jim Henson was born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi. He moved to Maryland in fifth grade and throughout his childhood had a strong interest in both art and television. His grandmother was very supportive of his interests and constantly encouraged him to use his imagination. In 1954 Jim started in television performing puppets on a local channel’s Saturday morning program. The next year, while studying at the University of Maryland, he was given a five-minute show called Sam and Friends which aired twice a day. This show introduced the first Muppets, marionette puppets. The success of this show led him to many appearances on shows such as The Today Show and The Steve Allen Show. During this time Jim began making many humorous commercials for sponsors. With weekly appearances on these shows, Jim asked for the help of a puppet maker name Don Sahlin and a puppeteer name Frank Oz. "From 1964 to 1969 Henson produced several experimental films." In the mid-60’s Jim was asked to create characters to populate a new children’s show, Sesame Street. It was here where he made some of his most famous characters such as Ernie and Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird. On this show Jim produced over two dozen shorts to teach counting and other basics. Soon after his fame on Sesame Street Jim, after promoting the idea for The Muppet Show for years, finally received backing to produce. On this show the most famous Muppet of all, Kermit the Frog, was introduced along with Miss Piggy, Rizzo the Rat, Rowlf the Dog, Fozzie Bear, and of course Gonzo the Whatever. The Muppet Show became the most widely viewed television program in the world. From this show many movies and spin-off television shows have been produced. Jim Henson died in 1990 from pneumonia right after his last project for Muppet Vision 3-D, an attraction for Disney World, and right before he was going to sell his company to Disney Studios. Today his son runs and owns the Henson Company. Jim Henson possessed many lovable qualities about him but his most important characteristic was his creativity. Jim Henson created characters that were out of this world and quite unexpected. Jim Henson also had an extraordinary sense of humor, which attracted young and old to his television shows. Jim Henson once said, "Nobody creates a fad.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Know Thyself Essay

When early Greek philosophers developed theories in the premodern period, they challenged many dominant assumptions of this period. Socrates and Plato were two of the most influential early philosophers who addressed the issue of the good life. For these two philosophers, the good life was an ethical life. Socrates was famous for his statement â€Å"Know thyself.† Psychologists throughout history have echoed this. Plato had some revolutionary ideas on what it means to be human. He was responsible for bringing dualism into popular thought. This had a profound influence on religion, philosophy, and Western thought as a whole. What implications does the statement â€Å"Know thyself† have, along with other ideas of Socrates and Plato, for the process of human change? How is this related to achieving the good life? How will this impact the evaluation of a person’s degree of living the good life? What was Plato’s understanding of human nature? How did dualism influence this understanding? Be sure to support your conclusions with information drawn from the online content, the textbook, and other credible, scholarly sources to substantiate the points you are making. Apply APA standards to for writing and citations to your work. Submit your response to the M1: Assignment 3 Dropbox by Wednesday, November 13, 2013. The paper should be 3-5 pages, double-spaced 12-point typescript, Times Roman font, with 1-inch margins all around, and free from grammatical errors. This page count includes the title page, text, and references. In life the Socrates’ famous statement â€Å"Know thyself† has great meaning to the lives of people today. Implications certainly come with this type of statement and Socrates and Plato provide ideas of how a human can change in order to under who they really are. While many think the â€Å"good life† is reachable so many do not know how to get to that point in their lives. Plato’s own understanding of human nature introduces dualism which shows another option to living the good life. Life has key goals in it and in order to understand a person’s purpose it has to be understood what Socrates meant when he said the statement â€Å"Know thyself†. To Socrates that meant a way of achieving the good life. His two  primary points of the good life were being ethical and having self knowledge; the most important tools to have. The statement â€Å"Know thyself† has conclusions such as how one should live and what they should seek. The answers to these questions come from seeking God and pleasure and living a moral and tempered life (Argosy, 2013). Socrates believed that humans obtain knowledge through analysis of concepts and rational process will bring objective truths. Additionally, he believed that with increase in knowledge comes increase in virtue (King, 2009). Half truths lead a person to a road of not knowing themselves fully but when they use the social, mental and physical knowledge they have together they can learn who they truly are. Human change cannot come without a person realizing a change is needed. Plato’s beliefs were more on rational beliefs than on sensory beliefs and a theory of forms. In the theory of forms he believed souls were reincarnated into another body and the new body may still have recollections of the past body making it difficult for the soul to comprehend (King, 2009). He had his own metaphor â€Å"the eye of the soul† where he felt the world was perceived through memories, images that keeps the soul from seeing the true reality form. Also, there were three types of souls; rational, appetitive and affective. The rational is in the head, appetitive in the gut and affective in the chest. He also believed that we are all chained inside a cave unable to see the outside world because we rely on senses instead of forms but we can overcome this by escaping captivity through reason.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Effect of Domestic Violence on Children - 692 Words

PS 103 ASSIGNMENT 1 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ID: S99003183; URIAM ROBATI ABSTRACT Domestic Violence has a great effect on children. Domestic violence also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse or child abuse is recognized as a pattern of abusive behavior by one or both partners especially those in marriage. This coercive behavior is used against another person to obtain power and control over the other party in a relationship. Domestic violence takes many forms such as physical violence which includes kicking, hitting, shoving and restraining. Verbal and physical threats of sexual abuse, intimidation and emotional abuse are aspects of domestic abuse. Criminal justification of domestic violence varies between different states such that†¦show more content†¦Most theories on human growth and development advance the idea that individual identity is a result of combined internal and external factors in an individual s environment ( †¦.). But what if that environment exposes a child to violence and abuse committed by his or her own parents ? This paper aims to examine the implications and effects of exposure and experience of domestic violence in the home in relation to children s formation and perception of identity II . Review of Related Literature At the mention of domestic abuse most people s first reaction is wife battery or spousal abuse . However , It is not only the beleaguered spouse who suffers the effects of an abusive domestic life . Due to their age and dependence on their parents , children are among the hardest hit by the effects of domestic abuse . While they may not necessarily receive direct physical or verbal abuse from their parents , exposure to domestic violence alone can affect their cognitive development and perceptions not only of gender roles but also their sense of identity Women are commonly the victims in abusive relationships. Because of their own coping problems and stress, their ability to function in their maternal parenting capacity is often impaired leaving the children to fend for themselves in terms of interpreting and developing a form of understanding of their home situation (Levendosky and Graham-Bermann 2001 , pp .172-173 The ways and degrees by which children are exposedShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Domestic Violence on Children1529 Words   |  7 PagesProject: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Trudy Root Kaplan University CM107-11 Children are negatively impacted by the surrounding of domestic violence in multiple ways, in which need to be identified. The audience that needs to be aware of domestic abuse’s effects on children is adults that care for children; such as pediatricians, teachers, counselors, and parents. The issue that needs to be addressed is the negative effects on children involved in a domestic violence situationRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children1387 Words   |  6 Pages Literature Review: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children By Taralyn Dean SW 8570 March 11, 2015 Introduction Today this paper will be exploring the affects of intimate partner domestic violence and how this impacts the children. The children of theses situations are the bystanders of these physical and emotional events. This paper will review in depth what other professionals are saying about the children of the domestic violence relationships and also the findings andRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesIn a similar study by Ybarra, Wilkens, Lieberman (2007) the goal was to determine if domestic violence leads to functioning shortfalls, and what its effects it has on a child’s behavioral and cognitive functioning. In homes where domestic violence happens, young children are more likely to witness violence than older children. It was hypothesized that children who witnessed violence at home had lower verbal capabilities, and would display greater internalizing and externalizing behaviors. ParticipantsRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Children1445 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is domestic Violence? Domestic Violence is described as violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. Many children end up being the victims to seeing domestic violence in the home which is very unhealthy to their development. Some children may development resentment toward both parents- one for not leaving and the other for causing the abuse. Depression, aggressive behavior, emotional distress and suicide depending on the severityRead MoreEffects of Domestic Violence on Children1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe biggest victims of domestic violence are the littlest. The home is a suppose to be a safe and secure environment for children with loving parents and free from violence. Children need a secure environment where they can come home to when the outside world is unsafe. However, every year there are millions of children who ’s homes are not a safe haven. Millions of children are exposed to a parent being violently assaulted. Domestic violence is a prevalent social issue in America today. First, whoRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children And Children1541 Words   |  7 Pageslife. Domestic abused affect women and children. Lots of women are more at risk in their own home. Spouse abuses happen when one person in the marriage chooses to control the other party by using fair intimidation physical, emotional abuse. Domestic violence displaced many families because they are trying to get away from their abuser. Abuse can range from physical, mentally, emotional or psychological. One of every 5 woman are said to have experience an abuse from their partner. The effect of DomesticRead MoreEffects of Domestic Violence on Children908 Words   |  4 PagesEffects of Domestic Violence on Children by Mary Pelham English 1010-19 5 October 2011 Pelham i Outline I. Effects on younger children A. Feelings of deprivation Read MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children963 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Many children witness domestic violence each day. Most times, children witness their mothers being abuse by their fathers, step-fathers, or mother’s boyfriends. According to Couchenour and Chrisman (2011), â€Å"Women and children are at greater risk of being victims of abuse than are men† (p. 131). Witnessing violence or being abused at home has serious effects on children. This article explains the short-term and long-term effects that domestic violence hasRead MoreEffects Of Domestic Violence On Children990 Words   |  4 Pagesexposed to domestic violence at an early age, that child adapts to these adverse circumstance and situations (Holmes, 2013). Therefore, children who are regularly exposed to domestic violence may initially display less aggressive behaviors than children who are never exposed. However, this is due to their fear of being a victim of a physical assault (Holmes, 2013). This finding was interesting because it shows how deeply the children are affe cted by exposure to domestic violence. The children becomeRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children1444 Words   |  6 PagesWhen it comes to domestic abuse there are signs to watch for and if caught early enough one can stop it before it begins. In violent relationships the ultimate goal of the abuser is to have complete control over the abused. According to Shattered Lives magazine, â€Å"One out of every four households experience a form of domestic violence† (1). When one feels they have nowhere to go they become more attached and often have children with their perpetrator. The children also play a part in the family members

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

A Gathering Of Old Men By Ernest J. Gaines - 909 Words

In the book, â€Å"A Gathering of Old Men†, by Ernest J. Gaines, there are some events that corresponds to issues Malcom X responds to in his speech â€Å"The Ballot or the Bullet†. Mathu’s believes in his respect as an equal person and gains it by not fearing white people. However, the preacher Jameson fears the whites and is scared of the consequences of standing up to them. In the book, times have changed and racism is slowly dying. In the story, â€Å"A Gathering of Old Men†, Mathu was a character that was respected, because he feared no one. When Beau was shot dead on Mathu’s lawn, he stated, â€Å"If Fix started anything, I am going to protect myself† (Gaines30). Being that Fix is a white man, going against a white man at that time can lead blacks into a lot of trouble, such as being lynched. Yet, Mathu was still prepared for the fight. If Mathu did not have the respect he has, then he would have been lynched the moment he and Fix had the altercation at the store. According to the text, â€Å"When Fix told Mathu to take the bottle back in the store again, and Mathu did not, Fix hit him---and the fight was on† (Gaines30). Mathu gained his respect, because he refused to be mistreated by anyone. According to the book, â€Å"To Mapes, Mathu was a real man† (Gaines84). Mapes thought this because Mathu was not like the other African-Americans he knew due to Mathu actually defending himself. Even though Mathu stoop up for himself, he wanted for the other African-Americans to do the same. MathuShow MoreRelatedA Gathering Of Old Men By Ernest J. Gaines1129 Words   |  5 Pages The past is never completely forgotten and in A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines, this statement is proven true. Set in the 1970s in central Louisiana on the tail-end of the Civil Rights and Jim Crow eras, this novel by Gaines reflects on the struggle between past traditions and a new world order. The setting presented directly correlates to the theme of change in the novel and how broader societal changes affect the characters’ actions. By examining the significance of the theme of changeRead MoreThe American Author Review Assignment1391 Words   |  6 PagesEarnest J. Gaines Author s Date of Birth: January 15, 1933 Author s Date of Death (If still alive, then not applicable): N/A What genre of literature did this author typically write: Fictional short stories and Novels Name the most noted or famous literary work this author is known for: â€Å"A gathering of old men† (1983) When was this work published? 1983 Tell why this particular work was so important or significant for this author and what made this work his/her most famous? ïÆ'Ëœ Gaines is bestRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Murder Of Beau Boutan 1391 Words   |  6 Pagesthose were ethnic related (â€Å"Latest Hate Crimes†). Most of these crimes were committed by white males. In A Gathering of Old Men, Sheriff Mapes, the white sheriff, although he represents justice and the law, enacts a kind of â€Å"hate crime† by misjudging the murder he knows the murderer is African American, simply because of his racial status. Gaines depicts this racial prejudice of white men towards innocent African American people. This stereotype holds true today, as evidenced by the recently raciallyRead More A Lesson before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines Essay1992 Words   |  8 Pages A Lesson before Dying, one of Ernest J. Gaines later works, was written in 1993. Some of his earlier works include A Gathering of Old Men and In My Father’s House. The novel covers a time period when blacks were still treated unfairly and looked down upon. Jefferson, a m ain character, has been wrongly accused of a crime and awaits his execution in jail. Grant, the story’s main protagonist must find it within himself to help Jefferson see that he is a man, which will allow him to walk bravely toRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesModel 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint Lost in Translation? 31 Questions for Review 32 Experiential Exercise Workforce DiversityRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesamong other racial/ethnic groups. Seventy percent of all women with children under age six are in the workforce, and 60% of all women with children under age three are working. Both men and women are marrying at later ages, with the median age of first marriage for men about 27 and for women about 24. A majority of both men and women aged 18 to 24 still live with their parents or are considered dependents. The decline of the traditional family and the increasing numbers of dualcareer couples and working

Monday, December 23, 2019

Education State Funding Vs. Public Education - 1019 Words

This research would be based on the fact that education state funding receive less than incarceration state funding. Within the past 15 years, Federal state spending has increase but decrease state funding towards education and protection system. Although education state funding has a higher income than the protection system, it is not distribute fairly, due to the population in each system. Keep in mind, over the past 15 years money has changed, causing to affect and benefit different areas. What is the purpose of a higher education? Isn’t a higher education the most valuable resource a human being could have, then why are students worth less? We know this is not right, how can we go about this situation? In the website†¦show more content†¦Education receiving an estimate of â€Å"$149 billion† and protection an estimate of â€Å"$35.5 billion†. Increasing the Federal budget did not help much support the education and protection systems, it received a l ittle more than 2000 but the federal seemed to focus less on the education and protection system. However education still received more federal fund then the protection federal fund. As you can see, the fact that education receive less than prisons is false. Education receive more than prisons. Why is that they say education receive less than prison. Well, the reason why education receives way more than prison is because of the population they have. The population is one of the main reason the education receives more federal funding in total. In 2000, education had an estimate of â€Å"556.9 million† students. As of 2015, there are an estimate of â€Å"922.6 million† students in the education system. Compare to the prison system whom seems to receive less funding due to its low population. â€Å"146.8 million† Inmates were recorded to be incarcerated in 2000 and as of 2015 there was â€Å"272.3 million† inmate incarcerated. Throughout my research I notic e that the only reason my statement can go wrong is by the population on each area. The population is what affects the total federal funding in each area. Each individual is worth a price. The more individuals you have the more money you will receives. That the

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Google Strategic Analysis Free Essays

Strategic Audit of Google Google Abstract Google was founded by two Stanford PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in 1998. The two recognized a need within the internet services industry for a search engine that would provide accurate results. The two opened Google, Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Google Strategic Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now as an online company that provided a superior search engine, a platform for extremely targeted advertisements, and intranet solutions to internet users across the world. The company obtained the majority of its revenues by selling advertising space within the search results. Google employed an innovative system for selling this space to companies; companies would only have to pay Google for the advertising space if a customer â€Å"clicked† on their advertisement. As Google became the most-used search engine in the world due to its greater accuracy of producing relevant results, advertising revenues increased at a phenomenal rate. Google faced competition from others in the internet search services industry; specifically AOL, MSN, and Yahoo. Each competitor recognized the importance of a quality search engine to customers – as well as the opportunity to gain advertising revenues – and was attempting to develop an innovative search engine that would top Google’s. Competition from Microsoft was also a possibility. Microsoft indicated that they might attempt to add a search engine to their new operating system that was set for release in 2006. While Microsoft was not an established player in the internet search services industry, they had the technical expertise and massive resources to present a major competitive threat. The importance of the search engine to Google’s competitors as a stand-alone service was great but the development of a search engine rivaling or bettering Google’s would also attract customers to their other services. Google’s competitors offered many other services, in addition to their search services, such as email, online dating, and fantasy sports networks and were successful in doing so. Google’s success as a company hinged almost completely on the success of their search engine. Google, Inc. egan to diversify into other segments of the internet services industry in order to lessen the risk of having only one truly successful product and to build up both their customer base and customer loyalty. Google began to offer internet users the ability to search within a directory of 425,000 still images. Their collection of images tied with Yahoo’s as internet users’ first choice for image-searches. Google also began offering a directory of 50 0 million discussion topics that dated back to 1981 called Google Groups. Customers, in addition to being able to examine discussion topics within Google Groups, could add postings to a new group. Also, in 2004, Google began offering its users access to a compilation of 4,500 news sources located all over the world. Google then developed a service that would allow cell phone and handheld device customers to use Google’s search and other services on their wireless devices. In addition to these services and others, Google developed Google Catalog, a service that would allow users to search print mail order catalogs, and offered email accounts to select clients. In order to remain ahead of the competition and an industry leader in providing internet services, Google had to now make some strategic decisions. To assure the future of the company, Google’s management team knew that they would have to differentiate Google’s products from those offered by competing companies, such as Yahoo, MSN, and AOL. Google could either continue to expand the amounts of services it offered (i. e. include text messaging services, large email accounts, and others), it could work to improve the services it offered across the board, or it could focus on improving its most successful creation: the Google search engine. Each option had its merits and the company had plenty of resources to use in pursuing any of these three (or other) strategies. The difficult issue was choosing the most appropriate strategy for the company. I. Current Situation A. Performance ? Most-used website in the world ? Possesses global brand; one-half of internet users outside the United States ? High degree of user loyalty and brand identity ? Employs interface for over 88 languages ? Generally considered to possess the most accurate internet search engine ? Google network is utilized by 80% of internet users; used by 165 million people in the United States and United Kingdom per month ? Google’s 2008 revenues were $21,795,550,000, a 31. 34% increase since last year[1] ? Google’s 2007 revenues were $16,592,986,000, a 56. 47% increase over 2006’s revenues[2] ? Google’s cash increased 42. 34% from $6,081,593,000 in 2007 to $8,656,672,000[3] ? Google’s debt to equity ratio was 10. 44% in 2007 and 11. 1% in 2008. Yahoo’s debt to equity ratio was 22. 05% in 2007 and 17. 81% in 2008. Microsoft’s debt to equity ratio 50. 15% in 2007 and was 50. 7% in 2008[4] ? Google’s current ratio was 8. 49 in 2007 and 8. 77 in 2008. Yahoo’s current ratio was 2. 41 in 2007 and 2. 78 in 2008. Microsoft’s current ratio was 1. 44 in 2007 and 1. 69 in 2008[5] ? Google’s income from operations was 30. 64% of sales revenues in 2007 and was 30. 43% of sales revenues in 2008. Yahoo’s operating income was 9. 98% of sales revenues in 2007 and 0. 18% of revenues in 2008. Microsoft’s operating income was 36. 23% of revenues in 2007 and 37. 19% of sales revenues in 2008[6] ? Return on Assets (ROA) = 16. 6% in 2007 and 13. 3% in 2008. Yahoo’s ROA = 5. 4% for 2007 and 3. 1% in 2008. Microsoft’s ROA = 19. 3% in 2007 and 19. 9% in 2008. [7] ? Return On Equity (ROE) = 18. 5% in 2007 and 15. 0% in 2008. Yahoo’s ROE was 7. 2% in 2007 and 4. 5% in 2008. Microsoft’s ROE was 38. 8% in 2007 and 57. 4% in 2008[8]. B. Strategic Posture ? Mission Statement: â€Å"To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. †[9] ? Objectives: ? Remain the industry-leading website in terms of internet traffic market share ? Remain the industry leader in providing the most accurate search engines ? Capture market share in the online advertising market and become the industry leader in providing directed, online advertising services ? Reduce risk by increasing market share in non-search internet services: Google catalog, Google Business Solutions, Google News, etc ? Begin licensing patented wireless technology and intellectual property to other companies ? Further diversify company from competitors C. Corporate-level strategies ? Pursue a strategy of concentric diversification by entering into other areas of the internet services market D. Business-level strategies ? Differentiate Google’s products from those offered by competitors ? Competitive rather than cooperative E. Functional-level strategies ? Google’s R strategy is to be a technological leader ? Google’s marketing strategy is to simultaneously pursue a market development strategy to gain market share for its search engine and pursue a product development strategy to increase the diversity of its product portfolio. In both cases, Google primarily uses a pull strategy to entice consumers to utilize its products. For example, Google uses Google Business Solutions to advertise the ways Google can help various businesses through the use of their products. This advertising results in businesses â€Å"pulling† Google’s products through the channels. ? Google’s financial strategy includes maintaining a low debt to equity ratio. Their debt to equity ratio was only 11% in 2008, which is much lower than that of the competition ? Google’s operations strategy includes increasing and maintaining global operations. They have offices and thousands of services in many different countries on several continents. This is more fully discussed in a later section. ? Human resources – Google’s HR strategy entails maintaining and further developing an extremely diverse work force. Its strategy is also focused on attracting employees with advanced technical skills and paying them well both monetarily and with many fringe benefits. This is more fully discussed in a later section. II. Corporate Governance A. Board of Directors[10] ? Eric Schmidt has served as our Chief Executive Officer since July 2001 and as a member of our board of directors since March 2001, where he served as Chairman of the Board from March 2001 to April 2004. In April 2004, Eric was named Chairman of the Executive Committee of our board of directors. Prior to joining us, from April 1997 to November 2001, Eric served as Chairman of the board of directors of Novell, Inc. , a computer networking company, and, from April 1997 to July 2001, as the Chief Executive Officer of Novell. Eric was a director of Siebel Systems until January 2006. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University and a Master’s degree and Ph. D. in computer science from the University of California at Berkeley. Sergey Brin, one of our founders, has served as a member of our board of directors since our inception in September 1998 and as our President of Technology since July 2001. From September 1998 to July 2001, Sergey served as our President and Chairman of the Board. Sergey holds a Master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in mathematics and computer science from the University of Maryland at College Park and is currently on leave from the Ph. D. program in computer science at Stanford University. Larry Page, one of our founders, has served as a member of our board of directors since our inception in September 1998 and as our President of Products since July 2001. From September 1998 to July 2001, Larry served as our Chief Executive Officer and from September 1998 to July 2002 as our Chief Financial Officer. Larry holds a Master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in engineering, with a concentration in computer engineering, from the University of Michigan and is currently on leave from the Ph. D. program in computer science at Stanford University. ? L. John Doerr has served as a member of our board of directors since May 1999. John has been a General Partner of Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, a venture capital firm, since August 1980. John is also a director of Amazon. com, Inc. , an Internet retail company, Homestore, Inc. , a provider of real estate media and technology solutions, Intuit, Inc. , a provider of business and financial management software, and Sun Microsystems, Inc. , a supplier of networking computing solutions. John holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a Masters of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science nd a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Rice University. ? John L. Hennessy has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2004. Since September 2000, John has served as the President of Stanford University. From 1994 to August 2000, John held various positions at Stanford, including Dean of the Stanford Univer sity School of Engineering and Chair of the Stanford University Department of Computer Science. John has been a member of the board of directors of Cisco Systems, Inc. , a networking equipment company, since January 2002 and chairman of the board of directors of Atheros Communications, Inc. a wireless semiconductor company, since May 1998. John holds a Master’s degree and Doctoral degree in computer science from the State University of New York, Stony Brook and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University. ? Arthur D. Levinson has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2004. Since July 1995, Art has served as a member of the board of directors of Genentech, Inc. , a biotechnology company, and has served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since September 1999. Prior to 1999, Art held various executive positions at Genentech, including Senior Vice President of R. Art has been a member of the board of directors of Apple Computer, Inc. , a computer hardware and software company, since 2000. Art was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Microbiology at the University of California, San Francisco. Art holds a Ph. D. in biochemistry from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology from the University of Washington. ? Ann Mather has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2005. Since April 2004, Ann has been a director of Central European Media Enterprises Group and serves on its Audit and Compensation Committees. She served as a director of Shopping. com from May 2004 until it was acquired by eBay in 2005 and was Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. From 1999 to 2004, Ann was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Pixar. Prior to Pixar she was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Village Roadshow Pictures. From 1993 to 1999 she held various executive positions at The Walt Disney Company, including Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration for its Buena Vista International Theatrical Division. Ann holds a Master’s degree from Cambridge University. ? Paul S. Otellini has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2004. Paul became the Chief Executive Officer and President of Intel Corporation, a semiconductor manufacturing company, in May 2005. Paul has been a member of the board of directors of Intel since 2002. He also served as Intel’s Chief Operating Officer from 2002 to May 2005. From 1974 to 2002, Paul held various positions at Intel, including Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Intel Architecture Group and Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Sales and Marketing Group. Paul holds a Master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of San Francisco. ? K. Ram Shriram has served as a member of our board of directors since September 1998. Since January 2000, Ram has served as managing partner of Sherpalo, an angel venture investment company. Prior to that, from August 1998 to September 1999, Ram served as Vice President of Business Development at Amazon. com, Inc. , an Internet retail company. Prior to that, Ram served as President at Junglee Corporation, a provider of database technology, acquired by Amazon. om in 1998. Ram was an early member of the executive team at Netscape Communications Corporation. Ram holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Madras, India. ? Shirley M. Tilghman has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2005. Since June 2001, Shirley has served as the President of Princeton University. From August 1986 to June 2001, she served as a Professor at Princeton University and from August 1988 to June 2001 as an Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Shirley holds a Ph. D. n biochemistry from Temple University and an Honorary Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Queen’s University. ? Three members are inside board members and seven are outside board members; two are female ? Committees include: audit, leadership development and compensation, nominating and corporate governance, executive, acquisition, and real estate[11] B. Top Management ? Eric Schmidt , Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer ? Larry Page , Co-Founder President, Products ? Sergey Brin , Co-Founder President, Technology Nikesh Arora , President, Global Sales Operations and Business Development ? Laszlo Bock , Vice President, People Operations ? Shona Brown , Senior Vice President, Business Operations ? W. M. Coughran, Jr. , Senior Vice President, Engineering ? David C. Drummond , Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer ? Alan Eustace , Senior Vice President, Engineering Research ? Urs Holzle , Senior Vice President, Operations Google Fellow ? Jeff Huber , Senior Vice President, Engineering Omid Kordestani , Senior Advisor, Office of the CEO and Founders ? Patrick Pichette , Senior Vice President Chief Financial Officer ? Jonathan Rosenberg , Senior Vice President, Product Management ? Rachel Whetstone , Vice President, Public Policy and Communications ? Susan Wojcicki , Vice President, Product Management III. External Environment Analysis (EFAS, see Exhibit 1) A. General Environment[12] 1. Natural Environment ? Solar or geomagnetic storms in space could destroy or damage Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites as well as cause electric power outages on earth. In 1989, a geomagnetic storm caused a nine-hour power outage in Eastern Canada that affected millions of people[13]. The GPS satellites are used by Google to provide their Google Earth service. The power outages could affect internet traffic which would reduce Google’s advertising revenues. The power outages may also prevent Google from offering services due to a lack of power to run their equipment. Another possibility is that Google may have to use back-up power – such as generators – or purchase it temporarily at a higher rate from another source; thereby increasing their operating costs (T) ? Climate change is expected to result in an increase in the intensity and the frequency of severe storms. Weather issues that are expected to increase in both intensity and frequency are: windstorms such as tornados and hurricanes, heat waves and droughts, storms with extreme rains or snow, and dust storms. Floods and landslides are expected to increase as well[14]. This could affect Google by causing damage to the communications infrastructure – i. e. cable cuts – which would cause the internet connections to become intermittent or nonexistent until the cable cut or related issue is repaired. In the case of wireless connections, â€Å"wireless nodes† like cell phone towers may be knocked over. Other communications items such as switching networks may be damaged by extreme weather as well[15]. The extreme weather could prevent Google from delivering services to customers and could damage other businesses and industries as well; resulting in reduced revenues for Google and a slump in the overall economy (T) ? As mentioned above, storms with extreme winds are expected to increase which will likely increase the tumultuousness of the ocean. 5% of cable cuts in undersea cables are caused by ships’ fishing nets and 18% are caused by ships’ anchors. Extreme weather may increase the frequency of undersea cable cuts from ships; resulting in internet disruptions[16] (T) 2. Sociocultural Forces ? An estimated 577 million people worldwide access the internet using mobile devices. The number of people accessing the internet via mobile phones is expected to increase to 1. 7 billion by 2013. By 2014, mobile internet users are expected to make up around 50% of all internet users (O)[17] ? The pace of life is increasing for the average consumer. Due to advances in technology – like the cell phone, wireless laptop computer and email – each person with access to these technologies is pressured to complete more tasks. This increases reliance on the newest technologies to meet the demands of increasing expectations put upon consumers[18] (O) ? Consumers are worried about identity theft and privacy; especially how their information can be accessed and used by other companies and individuals online. [19] (O) ? The average American respondent spent 19 hours per week surfing the internet[20] (O) ? Email remains the most popular online activity. This is even more true with users 64 years and older. 73% of teenage users reported using email more than anything else on the internet and 74% of internet users aged 64 and older reported using email more than anything else on the internet[21] (O) ? The largest increase in internet usage can be found within the 70-75 year-old age group. Previously, 26% reported using the internet; this number has increased to 45%[22] (O) ? Internet users aged 18-34 are the largest group of internet users who use the internet for entertainment purposes. For this group, entertainment includes watching videos, playing online games, engaging in virtual worlds, and downloading music[23] (O) ? Internet users aged 12-34 are the largest group of users to read and write blogs and are also the largest group of users to engage in social networking via the computer[24](O) 3. Technological ? Internet speed is increasing[25] (O) ? Storage capacity on the internet is increasing (O) ? Internet software capabilities are increasing (O) ? Consumers are expecting a greater level of personalization in their web searches, frequently-visited websites, and internet services than in prior years[26] (O) ? Emergence of a new technology called The Internet of Things. This technology is designed to run hardware appliances – such as a refrigerator – as optimally as possible. Also, it runs sensors within appliances that can report back to the user via the internet. For example, in the case of a refrigerator, this technology would report what foods you are running low on and which foods may no longer be safe to eat[27]. e. g. , Google may want to examine providing an internet service designed to connect users with the hardware and software in use – especially via mobile device. )(O) ? 66% of internet users report using search engines when making complex decisions. (O) ? Respondents in the survey listed in the bullet above report only 25% of searches produce needed results the first time. Of these same responde nts, 30% report giving up on the search after failing to receive the desired result[28] (T) 4. Economic ? Period of American and global economic recession[29] (T) ? Fed. Chairman has declared that America’s recession is likely over and expects moderate growth for the next two years. [30] Around half of Google’s users are in the United States (see above). (O) ? An end to the recession in the European Union is expected during the third quarter of this year[31]. Around half of Google’s users are outside the United States (O) ? Federal interest rates are between 0-0. 25%, making capital more affordable for advertising customers and for Google[32] (O) ? Real GDP is expected to be -2. 6 this year but is expected to increase to 2. in the end of next year[33] (O) ? Consumer spending is expected to increase from -0. 9 this year to 1. 1 next year[34] (O) 5. Political – Legal ? Internet crimes (a component of these is copyright infringement), in one year, are estimated to have resulted in losses of $240 million dollars; as opposed to an estimated loss of $198 million dollars as a result of these crimes in the previous year. The increased amount of these crimes is likely to result in increasingly stringent regulations regarding crimes – including intellectual property-related crimes – perpetrated over the internet. The impact to Google is this: Google stores images and written works in their directory – exposing them to potential future legal liability for intellectual property related violations. Google has already been sued for this; Google was forced to remove 100,000 clips of copyrighted material from YouTube and paid out $90 million dollars to one party for a related issue[35] (T) ? Character defamation by anonymous bloggers has resulted in courts forcing companies like Google to reveal the identity of the anonymous blogger to the courts[36] (T). India is issuing subpoenas (or their equivalent) to â€Å"platform† companies like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft for content displayed on their â€Å"platforms. † The companies have court cases pending against them for content displayed on their sites including: copyright infringement, character defamation, hate messages, and gender selection advertisements[37] (T) B. Task Environment 1. Threat of New Entrants ? Threat of new e ntrants is medium ? Switching costs are virtually non-existent; customers can use search engines for free and can use them apart from other services offered by the company furnishing the search engine. Customers will likely try another search engine if the results they require cannot be obtained quickly and easily from the engine they are using. Google’s advertising customers are not required to sign a long-term contract; nor do they have to make a sizable investment up-front in order to place an ad with Google. Advertisers pay Google for space on their search engine results pages only when customers â€Å"click† on their ads and can therefore switch to another company without large sunk costs. ? Barriers to entry do exist, however, due to the amount of computer equipment necessary to be competitive with the likes of Google and Yahoo. Also, the large competitors within this arena have servers strategically placed all over the world. This may be difficult for a new company to this industry to replicate in a fashion that would make them competitive. Also, the large companies in this industry have vast amounts of information about their customers and online advertisers that would be difficult for a new entrant to amass. [38] 2. Rivalry Among Competitors ? Rivalry among competitors is high ? Google’s competitors (at this time) are all larger companies with large amounts of resources ? Google’s competitors offer other internet services as well as search services. The search engine attracts customers to their other services (for example, dating services, email, and fantasy sports league platforms); which raises the importance of possessing a superior search engine past its importance of a stand-alone service for Google’s competition ? Competition with Microsoft is expected to increase. Microsoft is attempting to integrate a search engine into its operating system and other products [39] ? Google considers Microsoft and Yahoo their greatest competition. These companies have greater cash resources and ability to make acquisitions, a longer operating history, and more established customer and end user relationships. They also operate internet portals and offer more products and services than Google does. In the case of Microsoft, they also have more employees [40] ? Google’s market share in the U. S. internet search market is 31%; Yahoo’s market share is 26% and MSN’s is 20%. This is very close. ? The industry is attractive and margins are high. Google’s success has increased the intensity of competition since these other companies want to share in the financial success ? Microsoft is working to develop a search engine to rival Google’s. This may be in lieu of the MSN search engine mentioned above[41]. This will definitely increase competition dramatically (in the short run at least) as Microsoft throws its resources in promoting their new product and attempting to steal market share from Google. Microsoft has a longer history of marketing than Google does, which may increase rivalry. 3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers ? Bargaining power among suppliers is low ? Google, as an internet-based service firm, requires few raw materials from outside sources. The supplies required, with the exception of electricity, are available from multiple sources ? Potential employees have some power over Google due to the short supply of qualified applicants. According to Google’s CEO, Google was having problems finding applicants that were either not technically proficient enough to complete the task at hand or of â€Å"insufficient quality. † 4. Bargaining Power of Buyers ? Bargaining power among buyers is medium ? Google has 31% of the internet search traffic market share, compared to 26% for Yahoo and 20% for MSN. This strengthens Google’s position with buyers since Google is the industry leader and is therefore more attractive than competitors to advertisers who would like to place ads on search engine results pages ? No buyer of Google’s services is responsible for larger than 3% of Google’s revenues. Because Google’s buyers are fragmented and none are responsible for a large amount of revenues, Google’s buyers do not have much power over Google[42] 5. Threat of Substitutes ? Threat of substitutes is high ? Although there aren’t any true substitutes for a search engine, there are different ways to organize information. In this case, a different method of searching might produce a substitute to the current method that may produce better results ? Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and Microsoft are working to develop search engines that will either equal or exceed the functionality of Google’s search engine and have the resources to allocate to a massive research and development effort. Time will tell whether they are, in fact, viewed as a substitute by search users. ? Google’s search-engine customers value accuracy of search results. Google’s competitors already offer search engines. Google’s competitors may be able to create a comparable search engine over time . Bargaining Power of Other Stakeholders ? Bargaining power of other stakeholders is medium ? Special interest groups, like the American Association of Publishers and the Authors Guild, have sued Google and won for copyright infringement for content used by Google on their Google Print and Google Books applications. These groups a nd other groups are constantly monitoring Google’s actions for incidents of actual or perceived copyright infringement on their applications. [43] ? Google has been forced, as a result of a lawsuit, to reveal the identity of a blogger who wrote offensive comments about a Canadian model. Google may be required to release the identity of other users upon request in the future because of this precedent which may reduce their customer base. [44]This example is meant to illustrate that individuals, as well as organized groups, may have the power to influence Google’s business operations ? Google’s employees have little power to exert when negotiating with Google. Labor within Google is not organized[45] IV. Internal Environment Analysis (IFAS, see Exhibit 2) A. Corporate Structure (See Exhibit 3 for organization chart) ? Google’s corporate structure is primarily functional. 46] ? Google is broken down into five functions: Engineering, Sales, Products, Marketing, Legal, and Finance ? Underneath the overarching functional structure, Google is further broken down into product markets or geographical areas, which technically makes Google’s structure a hybrid of functional, geographic, and product structures. ? Each product market or geographical a rea element under the functional areas is treated as a small business unit. The small business unit element of Google’s structure provides flexibility. B. Corporate Culture ? Corporate culture values innovation and ambidexterity. Employees (including corporate level managers) are encouraged to devote 70% of their time on core business activities, 20% of their time to core-business related projects, and 10% of their time to unrelated new business activities. According to Marissa Mayer (see top management section for job title), around half of Google’s new products are a direct result of actions taken by employees during their free time (S)[47] ? Culture seems to have high degree of intensity and integration ? Culture values include â€Å"an obsessive commitment to creating search perfection and having a great time doing it (S)†[48] ? Other priorities for Google members are innovation and keeping costs low ? Google values ability over experience and encourages everyone to share ideas. Also, Google created an informal atmosphere where anyone can ask the CEO or top management a question and be answered. [49] (S) ? Google’s corporate culture puts emphasis on not exploiting the user of their products. [50] ? Being quirky and having fun are also emphasized. Google’s work area has foosball tables, ping pong tables, volleyball nets, and several other games present (S)[51] C. Corporate Resources 1. Marketing ? Google promotes advertising packages through Google Business Solutions. Information is available to prospective clients on how Google can improve clients’ profitability through their advertising packages (S) ? Services – Google’s advertising customers often see Google’s service team as arrogant and find it time consuming and difficult to do business with Google because Google often switches the team assigned to handling the clients’ business before the clients’ advertising submission is complete (W) ? Google is second to Yahoo in being able to finalize agreements with advertisers (W) ? Television advertising is currently not being utilized by Google. In comparison, Microsoft is showing Television advertisements for their products. TV advertisements may reach a good portion of the older audience and inform â€Å"non-tech-savvy† about their products and services[52] (W) ? Google doesn’t advertise on their home page which is attractive to search customers (S) ? Extremely strong brand. Google has been added to the Oxford dictionary as a verb (S) ? Average sales per click per month were a little under 54. 5. However, Yahoo’s average sales per click were only 53 during the same month. Yahoo is currently Google’s biggest competitor[53] (S) ? â€Å"Adwords† system employed by Google to deliver advertisements is user-friendly for advertisers. Google’s system is also easy for advertising customers to use for changing the advertisement shown on Google’s results pages. (S) ? Product – Google’s search engine is most accurate in the world (O) 2. Finance ? Google’s revenues in 2004 were $3,189,223,000. This is 117. 56% greater than their revenues in 2003, which are $1,465,934,000 (S) ? Google’s cash balance in 2004 was $426,873,000; 186. 5% greater than their cash balance of $148,995,000 in 2003 (S) ? Google’s profit margin was 12. 52% in 2004. Yahoo’s, in 2004 was 23. 49. [54]Microsoft’s profit margin was 22. 17[55](W) ? Google’s quick ratio (acid test) was 7. 18[56] in 2004. Yahoo’s quick ratio in 2004 was 3. 38. Microsoft’s quick ratio in 2004 was 4. 44(S) ? Google’s Return on Assets (ROA)[57] was 21. 05% in 2004. Yahoo’s ROA in 2004 was 11. 83% and Microsoft’s ROA in 2004 was 9. 38%(S) ? Google’s Return on Equity (ROE)[58] was 25. 97% in 2004, as compared to Yahoo’s ROE in 2004 of 14. 65% and Microsoft’s ROE in 2004 of 11. 69%(S) ? Google’s debt to equity ratio was 13. 12% in 2004. Yahoo’s was 29. 24% in 2004 and Microsoft’s was 23. 47% in 2004[59](S) ? Net income was positive in 2002-2004. Net income was $399,119,000 in 2004; an increase of 277. 79% over 2003’s net income of $105,648 (S) 3. Research and Development ? In 2004, Google spent 7. 7% of sales revenues on RD. This is very low for a tech firm (W) ? RD is one of Google’s strengths. They have more market share in the search engine market because of the creation of their innovative search engine (S) ? Research and Development efforts have led to the creation of the most-used search engine in the world. Another notable innovation that relates to this is their creation of a learning search engine. The more a customer uses their search engine, the more it learns and responds to the user’s individual preferences. Due to Google having the largest market share, their engine can learn faster than those offered by the competition which reduces its imitability[60]. (S) ? Google owns 13 registered trademarks and 7 unregistered trademarks as a result of R and D efforts[61](S) 4. Operations and Logistics ? One of Google’s biggest strengths is getting a large volume of users to their websites which makes them very attractive to advertisers (S)[62] ? Google has servers and locations all over the world to improve distribution of services[63] (S) ? Google has the ability to translate their information into over 88 different languages. This improves operations and logistics control when activities are taking place in a non-English- speaking country (S) ? Google’s Adwords system is self-managing; meaning that an advertising customer can change their campaign as their budget changes. This results in quick, efficient adjustments (S) 5. Human Resources Management ? Google employed 2,700 employees in 2005; 900 were â€Å"techies† ? Employees receive many fringe benefits in an effort to make them feel they are a priority. This strengthens corporate culture to a degree. Google has been listed as the top company to work for for two years in a row by Fortune Magazine. Employees have access to free high-end on-site dining facilities, snack stations, gyms, laundry rooms, barbers, massage rooms, dry cleaning, and several other employee fringe benefits[64] (S) ? Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, stated that the company was having problems recruiting employees who were both of acceptable caliber and technically proficient (W) ? Google maintains a diverse workforce and hires locals to work in its geographically dispersed locations (S) ? Google has a long hiring process that takes several months to complete. This would be a strength, except the company reported having problems finding people that were both quality employees and technically proficient (W) ? Employees are skilled at multitasking. For example, the individual who created Google’s holiday logo also was responsible for translating Google’s website into Hangul (Korean language) (S) ? Google’s technical employees work 70% of the time on regular business, 20% of the time on new but related business, and 10% of their time on completely new and unrelated projects. This makes Google more adaptable and builds â€Å"ambidexterity† into the organization (S) 6. Information System (IS) ? Google utilizes a system called â€Å"Live Out Loud† to promote communication between employees, to create a searchable database of related projects employees are working on to promote economies of scope and transfer of knowledge, and as a control system. How it works: Google employees weekly send an email to a central source concerning the specifics of the project they are working on and their progress. Google has used the same search engine it employs on its website Google. com to search through the emails to find the relevant ones. Managers simply have to search, using the Google search engine, for the employee’s progress they wish to evaluate. The system is user-friendly for both the employees and managers and it is simple. An employee working on a project can search the system for other relevant projects and obtain useful information they can incorporate when completing their specific task[65]. S) ? Google uses a triple redundancy system to ensure errors don’t disrupt the flow of timely information. If one computer doesn’t respond to an employee’s request for information within a few milliseconds, two others provide the information to the employee. All information is stored in three places. This makes their system very reliable and efficient in delivering timely information (S)[66] ? Google uses a database system called BigTable as part of their manag ement information system. Due to the volume of information Google must manage, Google has developed this software to break apart large files that are too big for any one server into smaller pieces so they can be stored on multiple servers. This ensures that capacity is available for their information[67] (S) ? Many of Google’s basic activities are automated (S) V. Strategic Alternatives and Selected Strategy A. Growth Strategies 1. Enter market providing legal music and video downloading services (SO) a. Pros: ? Google has the intellectual capital to successfully develop the software to provide this service. Google has already proven that they can provide the search capabilities to link users with their desired songs or videos; their search engine is the most accurate in the world and the popularity of their product YouTube suggests they possess the capabilities to develop a desirable music/video downloading service ? With a large cash balance and the capabilities to obtain financing due to an extremely low debt to equity ratio, Google definitely possesses the financial resources to develop these services and bring them to market ? By providing different but related services, Google will be reducing their â€Å"diversifiable risk†, if you will, by increasing their product portfolio from one successful revenue generating product to several ? There is a large market for these services already in place; this market is likely to grow as digital media becomes more prevalent in society and obsolete technologies such as tapes, CDs, and records further decline ? Google’s brand strength would be beneficial in this market since the music and movie downloading industry is related to Google’s area of expertise (i. . it is equivalent to an industry leader in the manufacture of small power tools diversifying into producing concrete mixers and pumps, rather than the power tool company diversifying into diapers and other baby products. A DeWalt brand logo on a pair of diapers likely won’t transmit the same message of quality and expertise that it would on another type of tool) b. Cons ? Apple iTunes owns 82% of legal music downloading market. [68] Competing with a company that owns this much of the market share and has more experience in this industry will be very difficult ? Increases the probability of copyright infringement lawsuits ? Shifts emphasis away from Google’s core product – the search engine. If the search engine is imitated or surpassed by a better product before Google establishes a dominant position and greater profits and revenues from its new endeavor, Google may lose a large part of its almost sole source of revenues ? Regulation and trends concerning royalties paid to artists and music production companies may reduce the profitability of this industry ? Illegal downloading may increase; thereby reducing the size of the legal downloading market ? Requires maintaining existing advertising business model and creating and maintaining a new switchboard model (connecting multiple buying downloaders with multiple selling digital music and video suppliers 2. Develop new search engine designed for seniors markets – â€Å"Google Golden Life†. New search engine has an option for adjusting the size of the font used on the search pages based on the capabilities of the user’s vision and allows seniors to type in a question instead of just key words. In addition, it will contain a function that completes words for the typist if he or she so chooses (like an internet browser address box does) – concentric diversification (SO) a. Pros ? First mover advantage could be gained by focusing on this market segment. Seniors have been ignored – for the most part – in the development of online products and services. No company currently caters to the needs of older internet users ? Seniors represent the largest growing demographic of internet users and represent a large segment of all societies ? The baby boomers are aging and will want/demand products focused on their needs soon ? Google possesses the financial resources to make this happen ? Google also possesses the brand strength and awareness to appeal to older users; older individuals tend to like larger, stable, established, well-known companies as opposed to small, new, relatively unknown startups ? Creating products geared toward older users may increase their interest in Google’s existing products ? Utilizes existing advertising business model to obtain revenues from pay-as-you-click advertisements b. Cons ? Today’s older internet user’s wants and needs are poorly understood by the online industry; this makes developing products/services focused at them a risky undertaking in the short-term. Younger baby boomers are familiar with current computer software but current seniors are less familiar and use computers more infrequently and for less activities (i. e. they may email but not shop extensively online) ? Once Google enters this market and proves the market is attractive, competition will increase and profits will likely go down as the market matures ? The idea of marketing online products and services geared toward older users is a newer one but an imitable one; other companies may have a greater understanding of the older consumer than Google since it has focused on products/services for a primarily younger audience with different needs. This means that other companies may prove to be more successful with this market segment than Google because of a greater knowledge of the older consumer ? Older users may only be interested in emailing and may have little interest in clicking on advertisements; thereby lowering the desirability of placing advertisements on Google’s new products ? May be hard to reach market segment to inform them of new product 3. Develop Social Networking System –â€Å"Google Linkage†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Concentric diversification (SO) a. Pros ? Facebook and MySpace are both very popular. Today, internet users 12-34 are largest demographic to engage in social networking. As this age group ages, they will likely continue to use social networking sites and younger individuals entering this age group will likely also engage in social networking via the computer; growth in the social networking industry is virtually assured. Why the growth in this industry is important for Google: advertising revenues will likely increase as ads are placed on social networking pages ? Creates the potential for another profitable advertising platform; reduces the reliance on advertising revenues created from one product – the search engine ? May increase interest in Google’s other products (i. e. a social networker uses Google Images to send a picture of a desert rose to another gardener via Google’s networking service) ? Could compliment Google’s existing mission of organizing the world’s information with a new addition to the mission: â€Å"Organizing the world’s information – and people – to make it and them universally accessible. † ? Google’s strong brand and reputation will likely spark interest from social networkers in Google’s new networking platform ? Google has the financial resources to create and advertise a social networking site either alone or through a joint venture ? Utilizes existing advertising business model to obtain revenues from advertisers through Google’s AdWords and AdSense ? Likely inexpensive to maintain once it is â€Å"rolled out† b. Cons ? Social networking market may be saturated. Customers may have all their needs met through Facebook and Myspace. These companies already dominate the industry and have more knowledge and experience in this market ? Google may not be able to provide any new innovations in social networking ? Doesn’t utilize their distinctive search competency ? May not prove profitable after a cost/benefit analysis is conducted since advertisements will be less focused on self-identified market segments. For example, if one conducts an internet search for Echeveria Subrigida seeds – a succulent plant – advertisements related to plants may be of interest to the searcher. However, an ad related to purchasing succulent plants online may not be of much interest to the random individual attempting to contact another individual whose interests and needs are also unknown ? Requires a different set of competencies than Google already possesses. Email is the most basic social networking method and Google did not perform well in creating a popular email system 4. Create open source network for the development of applications for mobile devices – Google Architects – concentric diversification (S O) a. Pros ? Market is supposed to almost triple in size in the next five years ? Google already has knowledge of how to make internet applications compatible with mobile devices – i. e. connecting Google search engine to mobile devices ? It is forecasted that half of internet users will be mobile internet users ? Google has the financial resources to undertake both the product development and advertising ? Google has experience and ability when it comes to developing internet apps. ? Could be set up to accommodate Google’s existing business model – obtain advertising revenues through offering free products ? Takes advantage of innovative technical staff b. Cons ? Stiff competition – Apple already has a large market share for mobile applications that are used on the iPhone and others. Microsoft, as operating systems become more commoditized, will likely enter the mobile internet applications market ? May not generate much revenue if customers have a finite number of minutes on their mobile plan. Customers in this situation are not likely to engage in gratuitous searching for curiosity’s sake. ? While Google has proven adept at creating applications, their distinctive competency resides in search engine excellence. Developing apps for mobile users requires a different skill set and core competency. Google may not be able to gain competitive advantage in this market since generating applications may not be one their distinctive competencies 5. Create a search service designed to locate music in a superior manner – â€Å"Google Music. † The search system would allow a user to enter in any part of a song, a band name, a song name, or a CD name and the search will provide results that include not only what the searcher is specifically looking for, but also links to the band’s website, links to listening to or downloading a particular song or multiple songs from the artist, and links to other related sites (i. . sites that offer guitar tablature for the artist or song mentioned in the search) a. Pros ? Will attract more users to the Google search engine, which increases the desirability of advertising on Google’s web pages ? Google music will increase brand loyalty and strength as it meets more of Google’s customers’ needs ? Will strengthen the desirability of the search engine for existing customers ? Will capitalize on Google’s distinctive competency of creating a search engine that produces more accurate results than other search engines offered by competitors ? Will address the needs of the large segment of internet users that use the internet for obtaining and enjoying music ? May provide an additional source of revenues from bands that would like to advertise their products on Google Music’s results pages b. Cons ? Users can already find all of these items using the traditional Google search engine ? Will likely add little to Google’s revenue stream ? Doesn’t address the problem of Google only possessing one profitable product ? Doesn’t truly meet the needs of internet music users since it doesn’t allow users to download music directly from Google ? Most of the results will likely be advertisements. Users may not want to search through advertisements B. Stability Strategies 1. Pause/Proceed with Caution – Use resources to improve existing search engine until threat from Microsoft’s new search engine can be determined and countered. Then grow (S T) a. Pros ? 99% of revenues are generated from ads placed on search engine pages – Google already dominates market for search services – this must be protected in the short term to protect the sustainability of Google as a company ? Google is currently doing well and doesn’t need to grow to stay in business in the short term ? Financial resources may be needed to counter Microsoft’s efforts to gain position in the search market ? Reinforces Google’s distinctive competencies ? Also allows for the economy to improve before expanding; advertisers may need to rest as well before further investing in ads in non-search related areas b. Cons ? Market dominance in the mobile applications market is being determined now. The opportunity to be the first to focus products toward seniors is open right now. The other opportunities presented above also are available now but may not be in the future ? Doesn’t address the problem and risk of having only one major income-producing product ? Google has the financial resources and ability to obtain further resources if necessary; there are no critical reasons not to grow ? Is only a short-term fix and may cause growth to be put off too long C. Retrenchment Strategies – Google, at this time, has no reason to retrench and should therefore stay away from adopting a retrenchment strategy. It is in good financial condition, its products are still desirable, and it has little to no chance of failing in the short term. D. Adopted strategy – Concentric diversification into mobile applications (Google Architect), music search services (Google Music), and products focused on older internet users (Google Golden Life), combined with investment in maintaining the superiority of the search engine. ? Rationale – both diversifying into mobile applications and products focused on older users deals with seizing opportunities by using organizational strengths (RD, financial resources ,etc). Both areas represent growing markets and several opportunities to fill emerging or existing needs. Older users are the largest growing segment of internet users and mobile users are expected almost triple in the next five years to finally make up almost half of all internet users. Both allow focused advertising based on known customer needs and interests (the type of application utilized points out the interest – i. e. a customer uses an app to learn a new guitar chord; obviously the user has an interest in the guitar. Also, advertising can be focused on the users of the open forum. Both hardware and software tech companies can advertise on the forum. Elderly people have several universal needs and likely popular interests) and the use of the existing business model. By developing Google Music, Google will further strengthen their best product – the search engine – as well as utilize their distinctive competencies in search engine creation. This strategy diversifies the risk of having one profitable product, which eliminates a major organizational weakness, and is financially feasible given existing resources. The strategy doesn’t face a major threat of being derailed due to organizational weaknesses and outside threats don’t directly threaten the diversification efforts. Google would face virtually no competition by entering the market to deliver online products and services to older users and has the rare opportunity to obtain first mover advantage on a large scale (there are numerous elderly people in the world). Diversifying into these areas has a higher probability of success and is less risky than entering the social networking and downloading markets. Neither of these two areas of diversification would require major shifts in technological knowledge and would utilize the intellectual capital present in Google’s existing staff. This strategy does require an allocation of financial resources toward maintaining the superiority of the search engine because Google must rely on it for success in the short term and will aid in Google’s success over the long term. It represents their distinctive competencies and must be protected at all costs. Adding capital and effort to improving the search engine would not be mutually exclusive with the diversification strategy since Google possesses a large cash balance and a low debt ratio. Given Google’s situation, both parts – the concentric diversification and the concentration on the search engine should be focused on simultaneously. ? This corporate strategy requires a business level strategy of differentiation and functional level strategies of technology pioneer/leader in RD and a product development strategy within Marketing E. Implementation 1. Product One (Google Golden Life -search engine designed for seniors markets. New search engine has an option for adjusting the size of the font used on the search pages based on the capabilities of the user’s vision and allows seniors to type in a question instead of just key words. In addition, it will contain a function that completes words for the typist if he or she so chooses (like an internet browser address box does) ? Product RD should be allocated 2% of 2004 sales revenues for two years ($63,784,460/year) ? Organizational members must be chosen to head the new program and participate on RD teams ? Required new activities must be evaluated for conflict with existing operating activities. ? At least two deadlines must be given to the teams: the first, a working beta version of the product must be created by the end of the project’s first year of existence. Second, a final product that is ready for use on the internet must be in place at the end of a year and a half. After the beta version is released, a team should be given a $1 million budget to obtain and forward on suggestions provided by older users on how to fit the program to their needs. Duration of team: 1 year. ? ROI after year two must be 6% or more and must be at least 10% by the end of year 5 ? Market share (of the existing older internet users) must be 5% at the end of year two and 20% or over after year 5 ? An updated version must be made available by the end of year two ? A flexible budget must be created for year on e and year two. Pro forma income statements and balance sheets should be created for at least year two and five ? New product must make up at least 2% of total revenues by year two and at least 5% by the end of year five. ? Access to intranet databases must be given to staff working on both diversification products so that a. The wheel isn’t reinvented and, b. Learning can be transferred throughout the organization if relevant pieces of information are discovered during the creation of the new products ? Product must be available in at least three languages by the end of year 2 and 15 languages by the end of year 5 ? Economic value added should be positive at the end of year three 2. Product 2 (Google Architect – open source network for the development of applications for mobile devices) ? Product RD should be allocated 1% of 2004 sales revenues for 2 years ($31,892,230/yr) ? Organizational members must be chosen to head the new program and participate on RD teams ? Required new activities must be evaluated for conflict with existing operating activities. At least two deadlines must be given to the teams: the first, a working beta version of the product must be created by the end of the project’s first year of existence. Second, a complete product must be in place at the end of a year and a half ? ROI after year two must be 7% or more and must be at least 10% by the end of year 5 ? A flexible budget must be created for year one and year two. Pro forma income statements and balance sheets should be created for at least year two and five ? New product must make up at least 3% of total revenues by year two and at least 6% by the end of year five. Access to intranet databases must be given to staff working on both diversification products so that cross pollination of ideas between projects can occur ? Product must be available in at least five languages by the end of year 2 and 20 languages by the end of year 5 ? After the beta version is released, a team should be given a $1 million budget to obtain and forward on suggestions provided by older users on how to fit the program to their needs. Duration of team: 1 year. ? Economic value added should be positive after year three 3. Product 3 (Google Music – The search system would allow a user to enter in any part of a song, a band name, a song name, or a CD name and the search will provide results that include not only what the searcher is specifically looking for, but also links to the band’s website, links to listening to or downloading a particular song or multiple songs from the artist, and links to other related sites (i. e. sites that offer guitar tablature for the artist or song mentioned in the search) ? Product RD should be allocated 1% of 2004 sales revenues for 2 years ($31,892,230/yr) ? Organizational members must be chosen to head the new program and participate on RD teams ? Required new activities must be evaluated for conflict with existing operating activities. ? At least two deadlines must be given to the teams: the first, a working beta version of the product must be created by the end of the project’s first year of existence. Second, a complete product must be in place at the end of a year and a half ? ROI after year two must be 7% or more and must be at least 10% by the end of year 5 ? A flexible budget must be created for year one and year two. Pro forma income statements and balance sheets should be created for at least year two and five ? New product must make up at least 1% of total revenues by year two and at least 2% by the end of year five. ? Access to intranet databases must be given to staff working on both diversification products so that cross pollination of ideas between projects can occur ? Product must be available in at least five languages by the end of year two and ten languages by the end of year five ? Economic value added should be positive after the year following the release date VI. Evaluation and Control A. Product 1 (Google Golden Life) ? Management should ensure a beta version is complete by the end of year one and a complete version is ready to be released on the internet by one and a half years ? Dupont Return on Investment (ROI) calculation (net profit margin x total asset turnover) should be used to verify whether or not ROI in year two meets or exceeds 6% in year two and 10% in year five. Management should audit the expenditures of the customer satisfaction team quarterly to determine if the team in charge of obtaining feedback by customers is staying within the budget and whether the budgeted amount of $1 million is adequate ? Management should determine whether or not market share (of the existing older internet users) is 5% at the end of year two and 20% or over after year 5 ? Management should ensure that a new version is available at the end of year two ? Management should evaluate product to verify whether or not it is earning 2% of revenues at the end of year two and 5% of revenues after year five. ? Product should be evaluated at the end of year two to ensure it has been translated into at least three languages and 15 or more languages after year five is complete ? Success of site should also be determined by whether or not it gets at least 10 million hits per month (eyeballs) after year two and 40 million hits per month by the end of year five ? Economic Value Added (EVA) should be positive at the end of year three B. Product 2 – Google architect ? Management should check to make sure that deadlines have been reached concerning the beta version of the product after year one and the first, complete version is completed by one and a half years after the start of the project ? Dupont Return on Investment (ROI) calculation (net profit How to cite Google Strategic Analysis, Papers