Business Strategy High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Strategy High School - Essay Example Their size has left them vulnerable to more flexible competition that can produce at a lower cost. Opportunities: They have an ideal opportunity to substantially expand their market share in the cordless market. Though the distributor network is currently a weak spot, Smith and White has an opportunity to restructure their distribution to their benefit. Their large size and brand recognition would give them the opportunity to form channel partnerships or enter direct marketing outlets such as through a web site. Threats: Their largest competitor, Makatume, can compete on price. Makatume has older battery technology, but has the cost structure to develop new technology, enter that market, and pre-empt Smith and White. Smith and White would be forced into a follower position on technology and price. Also, Able is on the horizon with a strong cordless product. They have been seeking a buyout or merger, which could reinvigorate them as a major threat. There are also several smaller companies that have no barriers to expanding and innovating. Smith and White needs to take 3 aggressive actions: Reduce costs, enter the battery market, and differentiate the professional line. This would be accomplished by making the professional and consumer lines separate business units. Relocate the manufacturing of the professional line to a lower cost environment. Develop a superior cordless line for the professional products to compete directly with Makatume and re-brand it with a similar but more robust image. The rebranding would have the required fundamental changes to the product to create a positive market acceptance (DeYoung 2006). The brand recognition and battery technology would differentiate the product. This would hold off the need to compete on price (Day & Reibstein 1997 p.36). Smith and White would be in a superior position with newer technology and higher voltages. Smith and White should then use the battery technology and transfer it to their consumer brands and take market share from Able Co. These products could be sold through distributor partners. Resources would need to be dedicated to rebuilding the distributor relationship, but this will be vital. The long-range plans would include renovation or relocation of the consumer business to a lower cost area. SWOT Analysis: Strategic Planning Makatume Strengths: Makatume's dominant place in Japan's market gives them a great force for entry into the US market. They can easily increase their revenue by capturing shares of the US market. They would not be in a position to need to spend resources protecting an existing position. They also have the advantage of their new plants and their low cost structure. Their dedication to the professional market has simplified development and marketing. Weaknesses: Though their dedication to the professional line can be a strength, it is also a limitation. It limits the market and restricts the outlets. Their current battery design is old and needs redeveloped. This will drain resources in the near term. They also suffer from low brand recognition in the US. Threats: The most immediate threat is the exchange rate fluctuation. It may make it difficult to borrow or finance any expansion. They are also threatened by the several competitors that have a small market share. Makatume has no particular advantage over them.

Management at Apple Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management at Apple - Research Paper Example Apple Company is located at Cupertino, California was established in 1976 and deals in personal computers, computer software other consumer electronics such as iPods, iPads, iPhones and tablets among others. In addition, the company has about 60, 400 permanent workers with 2,800 part time spread in more than ten countries and operating in about 357 retail stores with a present $65.23 billion â€Å"It plans to open a total of 25 stores in China by the end of 2011† (Head, 2007). Furthermore, Apple Company being a technology organization has used the location-based services strategy. This involves using an advertising platform that sends various offers to its clients from the nearby shops and restaurants. Similarly, Apple Company has been able to increase its sales and profits through venturing into the international markets such as China and Japan. In addition, departing from the domestic market to enter the international market by Apple has lead to reduced costs of production a nd the ability to trade in various markets hence lessening the dependency on one market. Supply chain management Supply chain management involves the organization and control of assets such as equipment, human, components and relationships such as customers, staff and suppliers among others in the production and delivery of customer’s commodity from unprocessed product to completed product as competently as possible. Apple Company is known to conduct its sale with a minimal physical supply sales chain. Instead, Apple uses digital supply chain involves distribution of digital media such as video or music though electronic medium from the provider to the client. For instance, through its virtual stores, Apple has been able to generate about $ 1 billion from iTunes sales only. â€Å"This can be considered as the first step by Apple towards implementing agility in its supply chain† (Sanders & Reid, 2007). In addition, the company has the ability to make sales worth more th an I billion of MP3 files without factors of physical supply management such as material sourcing, production, warehousing and transportation among others. These sales extend to iPhone mobile that do not use the normal supply chains. There are numerous advantages that are enjoyed by Apple in its usage of digital supply chains. For instance, increase in margin of hardware sales, increased maneuvers in the market because of higher flow of cash and the ability to provide what is on demand at right time. Therefore, because of this innovative idea of modern supply management, competition has increased among IT companies such as HP, Dell and IBM adopting and improving their methods. On that note, Apple has come up with its new design of supply chain called product lifecycle management (PLM). It is a programmed software that allows manufacturers from around the world to process the products they want using a collaborative design. â€Å"Thus the equation of achieving agility in supply chai n versus risk in meeting demand had to take shape for Apple† (Lebreton, 2007). Similarly, it permits the manufacturer to share and manage complicated design and commodity detail that aims at ensuring the proper development process of commodity. Inventory management Inventory management involves indicating the shape and percentage of completed products an organization has to sell. Numerous factors affect inventory of management of Apple Inc. Company. For example, there are the physical place of the

Media and the Idea of Beauty Essay Example for Free

Media and the Idea of Beauty Essay Elizabeth Rosales Cultural Anthropology-A18: Yi,Zhou April 21, 2011 Response Paper: Killing Us Softly Who are we? Who am I? With the average American exposed to approximately 3,000 ads a day they all remind us of who we are not and who we should be. The images we are constantly bombarded with by the mass media don’t just sell products they â€Å"sell values, images, concepts of love, sex, and normativity†, standards to which we so often compare ourselves to. Ads reinforce gender binaries, all making a statement about what it means to be a woman in this culture of thinness stressing a particular importance on physical beauty. Jean Kilbourne’s film Killing Us Softly explores and exposes the detrimental effects of the objectification and dehumanization in the representation of women in the popular culture, specifically advertisements. With only less than five percent of women of the entire population that reflect the images of the women advertised, the majority of women are left to feel ashamed for not trying hard enough. Women’s bodies are increasingly subjected to strict scrutiny under a magnifying glass by our superficial culture, these actions bring forth and further feed the shame and embarrassment women associate with their bodies, their sexuality, their size, and their weight. Spending self-conscious days, weeks, months, and even years in front of a mirror and scale, inspecting our bodies in front of a mirror comparing ourselves to the images spread over magazine covers as women we are repeatedly reminded that our bodies are home to imperfections and there is always room for improvement whether that be through exercise, plastic surgery, dieting, or over the counter â€Å"beauty and health† products. Rosales 2 Is this self-improvement or self-destruction? Today, 1 in 5 women are likely to develop an eating disorder and cosmetic surgery is more popular than ever before. More and more women each day are going under the knife for breast enhancements losing all sensation in their breasts. Such procedures dehumanize and objectify women transforming them from â€Å"subjects to objects†, all because as women we are conditioned by the dominant culture to want to feel desirable and seek the approval of men. The breasts, therefore, become a source of pleasure for the men and not the women who undergo the procedure. These internalized feelings drive many to strive to obtain an unattainable beauty and live up to certain impossible expectations whether it’s consciously or not. We fail to recognize that most of the images we are exposed to are computer generated, they are not real women they have been photo shopped and manipulated to look like that and yet we continue to perpetuate these images as the standards for beauty. Much more, the standards that women are expected to live up to is a paradox of ideas, we are to be both â€Å"innocent and sexy, virgin and experienced† child/doll-like and sex objects simultaneously. Can that be any more absurd? Gender is a performance that the mass media is largely responsible for defining, if we are not thin or beautiful enough then we are not feminine enough. The oppression and misrepresentation of women is not limited to gender though, race plays an active role in the representation of women. Asian women for example, are depicted as docile and passive lovers, whereas black and Hispanic women are hyper sexualized and portrayed as exotic promiscuous â€Å"creatures† dressed in animal prints. The perfect ideal woman was manufactured and it’s time we recognize this, she is an illusion that doesn’t exist outside of caricature. Instead of altering our Rosales 3 bodies to fit those Barbie doll like measurements we need to start portraying the large diversity of women accurately and stop condemning those who are not thin enough, tall enough, light enough, as not being beautiful because they aren’t trying hard enough to fit those categories.

Resource Based View (RBV): Advantages and Disadvantages

Resource Based View (RBV): Advantages and Disadvantages This report reviews the empirical studies of the resource based view (RBV) and examines the benefits and limitations of RBV as the best strategy route in the developing a firms strategy. By having a clear and focused strategic intent, it mobilises an organisation towards achieving the desire position. Firm would be able to achieve sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) by analysing its internal and external environment using the RBV and Porters industry analysis (IA) respectively, The significant of RBV is through an understanding of the relationships between resources, capabilities, competitive advantage, and economic rent. The RBV identified characteristics of advantage-creating resources such as value, rarity, imitability and Organisation (Clulow et al, 2007; Barney, 1991). In contrast, Porters IA focuses on lower cost and product differentiation in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Despite the conflicting issues, the RBV has examined issues and new directions that will help to clarify the value and boundaries by integrating with Porters industry analysis. Porters framework and the RBV of the firm essentially perceived the primary role of strategy in attaining a SCA (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). Thus, both frameworks are complementary as they emphasised in different dimensions of strategy (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). (183 Words) Introduction The RBV is one of the contemporary strategic management concepts to develop a firms strategy. The objective of this report is to accept or reject the contention that RBV analysis has a strong relationship with firms performance in attaining a SCA. This report reviews the literature on competitive advantage and firm performance. It is divided into five main components. The first section summarizes the literature on competitive advantage from two viewpoints, the RBV and Porters IA. The second section discusses on the strengths of the RBV in reviews with the literature on strategic intent, threshold resources, capabilities, competitive advantage, core competencies, SCA and VRIO. The third section illustrates Porters IA in reviews with cost, differentiation, and market focus. The fourth section deliberates the criticisms of the RBV. The fifth section illustrates how researchers have overcome some of these boundaries. It reviews an integration of the RBV and Porters IA in the proposed model of core competencies, competitive advantage and firm performance (Chabert J. M., 1998) (165 Words) The Resource Based View of the Firm Thompson et Al (2010) point out that RBVÂ  [1]Â  uses a companys VRIOÂ  [2]Â  strengths and competitive capabilities to deliver value to customers in an approach that rivals find it difficult to imitate. The RBV emphasises on the internal capabilities of an organisation in formulating strategy to achieve SCAÂ  [3]Â  in its markets and industries (Henry, 2008). It holds that firms can earn sustainable abnormal returns if and only they have superior resources and its protected by an isolating mechanism preventing their diffusion throughout the industry (Value Based Management.net, 2011). The Resourced Based View Assumptions The RBV assumed that resources are diversity and immobility (Barney, 1991; Mata et al, 1995). According to Mata et al. (1995), resource diversity concerns whether different firms possess bundles of different resources and capabilities; while resource immobility refers to a resource is difficult to obtain by competitors because the supply is inelastic or costly. These two assumptions can be used to determine whether an organisation is able to create a SCA by providing a framework to determine whether a process or technology provides a real advantage over the marketplace (Brown, 2007). Thus, the RBV tends to focus on the types of resources and the characteristics of these resources that make them strategically important. The RBV as the best strategy route in developing a firms strategy Today managers are moving manufacturing offshore to lower costs of labour, streamlining product lines to capture global scale economies, instituting quality circles and JITÂ  [4], and adopting Japanese human resource practices (Hamel and Prahalad 1989). It was believed that the application of concepts like strategic fit (between resources and opportunities), generic strategies (low cost, differentiation and market focus) and the strategy hierarchy (goals, strategies, and tactics) have often aided the process of CAÂ  [5]Â  (Hamel and Prahalad 1989; Andrews, 1971). Most companies have approached competitor analysis that concentrates on the existing resources like human, technical and financial of current competitors. Whereas, companies are only aware to the resources that able to increase the future margins and market share as their primary threat. There are few Japanese companies possessed RBV, manufacturing volume or technical competence of U.S. and European leaders. For instance, Canons first halting steps in reprographics business looked very small compared with the $4 billion Xerox powerhouse (Hamel and Prahalad 1989). Strategic Intent In addition, strategic intent envisions a desired leadership position and establishes the criterion of adding value to the RBV of the organisation, for instance, Komatsu set out to encircle Caterpillar (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). The concept emphasises on an active management process that involved focusing the organisations attention on the principle of winning. For example, the Apollo program where landing a man on the moon ahead of the Soviets was as competitively focused as Komatsus drive against Caterpillar. It also motivates people through shared value, enabled individual and team opinions, sustaining enthusiasms as environments change and using intent consistently to guide allocation of resources (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). Barney (1991) and Peteraf (1993) point out that a firm is said to enjoy superior performance comparative than its competitor when the firm can produce economically and higher customer satisfaction, thus empowered them to attain CA. Whereas, Porter (1985) defined CA as the ability to earn returns on investment consistently above the average for the industry by focusing on the companys external competitive environment and how they position themselves against that structure (Halawi L. A., Aronson J. E, and McCarthy R. V., 2005). In contrast, the RBV of strategy points not to industry structure but to the unique cluster of RCÂ  [6]Â  that each organisation possesses (Henry, 2008; Collis and Montgomery 1995; Stalk et al, 1992). Firms Outperform and Maintain Competitive Advantage The Benefits of RBV RBV is best applied for the assessment of a firms existing resource portfolio or when exploiting the firms resources to move into new product markets (Sheehan and Foss, 2007; Barney 2001; Penrose 1959). There are two essential reasons for using the RC as a substance to its strategy. It provides a direction for firms strategy and they are the primary source of return for the firm. The RBV perceives the value derived from management skills, information capabilities, and administrative processes as scarce factors that able to generate economic rents (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). Firms as bundle of Resources Threshold resources are defined as the unique combination of assets and capabilities within a firm that enable firms to develop and implement strategies to meet customers minimum requirements and to improve its overall performance (Scholes J. G., and Whittington, R., 2008). It can be classified as either tangible or intangible resources. Tangible resources refer to the physical assets that a firm possesses. In order to add value, these physical resources must be capable to respond to marketplace changes. Intangible resources comprise of human and organisational capitals. It may be embedded in cultures and practices that have developed over time within the organisation (Henry, 2008). It involves knowledge based economy, the tacit knowledge and specialist skills of many employees which are difficult for competitors to imitate (Henry, 2008). Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) classified knowledge as explicit and tacit. A communication that can be readily transferred is known as an explicit knowledge; hence, it requires protection like copyright. While, tacit knowledge is discovered through its application and acquired through practices such as beliefs and perspectives and cannot be codified (Henry, 2008). RBV and Organisational learning The RBV stresses the significance of developing and enhancing those resources that are distinctive as distinctive capabilities (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997). Ten3 Business e-Coach (2001) defined capabilities as the capacity for a set of resources to interactively perform a business process. Capability is a source to SCA as it is based on organisational routines and processes that are socially complex, knowledge-based and difficult to imitate. A firm is able to possess dynamic and operational capabilities, where dynamic capabilities are defined as those processes that allowed the firm to change its resources based on techniques to meet the differences in strategic and competitive challenges (Zubac et al, 2010; Helfat et al, 2007). The perception of a dynamic capability was developed to expound why some firms have been able to outperform their competitors over long periods of time and despite significant changes in the marketplace (Teece et al, 1997). It is specific and identifiable processes involved conceptualisation, product development and strategic decision making (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000, p. 1105). Conversely, an operational capability is the firms capacity to combine, assemble and deploy the firms assets using pre-determined activities, routines, processes and the skills of its employees to make goods and services that are a source of potential profits to the firm available to its customers (Spanos and Lioukas, 2001). However when a firm is adopting a differentiation strategy, they would focus on new product development, whereas a firm which implementing low cost strategy would focus on improving manufacturing process efficiency (Henry, 2008). Capabilities are not built in short period; they are dependent on employees, knowledge based, understanding of the marketplace and customers requirements and operations (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997). The Competitive Advantage of RBV Competitive advantages and disadvantages in resources are equivalent to strengths and weaknesses respectively, which stimulate cost and differentiation advantages or disadvantages in competitive product markets (Valentin K. E., 2001). When an organisation implements a value creating strategy where it is not implement by the rivals then it is said to have CA (Halawi L. A., Aronson J. E, and McCarthy R. V., 2005; Barney, 1991). CA can be created in various methods through size, location and accessibility to resources (Halawi L. A., Aronson J. E, and McCarthy R. V., 2005; Ghemawat, 1986). The CA gained by these RC is then reflected in superior performance of the firm in financial terms such as higher profits, increased sales or market share (Clulow et al, 2007; Hunt and Morgan, 1995; Collis and Montgomery, 1995; Fahy, 2002; Wilcox-King and Zeithaml, 2001). The Competencies of an Organisations Henry (2008) evaluated competency as the internal capabilities that firms require in order to be able to compete in the marketplace. In addition, Zubac et al (2010) defined CCÂ  [7]Â  as the collective learning of individual members within the firm and their ability to work across organisational frontiers. Prahalad and Hamel (1990, p. 82) stated that: The skills that together constitute core competence must coalesce around individuals whose efforts are not so narrowly focused that they cannot recognise the opportunities for blending their functional expertise with those of others in new and interesting ways. Thus, a CC or strategic capability can be thought as a collection of features that a firm possesses which enables them to achieve CA. Honda and BMW are examples of the organisations that have achieved CC in a way they configure their value chain respectively (Henry, 2008). RBV and Sources of Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) Barney (1991) suggested that there can be heterogeneity or firm-level differences among firms that enabled them to attain SCA. Ten3 Business e-Coach (2001) describes SCA as the continued benefit when an organisation is implementing a value-creating strategy that is not being implemented by potential competitors and incapable to imitate the benefits of this strategy. Therefore, the RBV emphasises on strategic choice, structuring the management of the firm with the important task of identifying, developing and deploying RC to maximise returns (Value Based Management.net, 2011). Bharadwaj et al (1993) propose a framework of SCA for a firm is derived from the RC of the firm. The extent of the service firms SCA is essentially determined by the degree of imitability inherent in the firms resources. Kerin et al (1992) presented an integrative framework of the literature on first mover advantage, suggesting that the realisation of SCA, through market pioneering, is contingent on the resources that a firm possesses (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997). Strategic resources and Superior performances As a source of CA, RC must have four attributes which is VRIO in order to outpace others. A resource must be valuable as it empowers the firm to perceive or implement strategies that enhance its efficiency and effectiveness through lower costs and incline of revenue (Ecofine, 2010). Substitutability states that there must be no strategically equivalent valuable resources that can be exploited to implement the same strategies (12manage, 2008). For instance, Wal-Mart sells most of the same merchandise as its major competitors, but the effectiveness and innovation of its logistics system ensures that it is the market leader in the industry. Wal-Marts valuable and imitability point-of-purchase inventory control systems and cross-docking distribution plants have resulted in competitive advantage relative to its major competitors (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997; Barney, 1995). Porters Framework Porters Industry Analysis Porter (2008) illustrates CA as an understanding of industry structure that guides managers toward productive possibilities for strategic action that includes positioning the company to be better cope with the current competitive forces, anticipating and exploiting shifts in the forces, and shaping the balance of forces to create a new industry structure that is more favourable to the company. There are three sources that is irreproducible, for instance, market structure that limits entry, a companys history which by definition will require time to imitate and tacitness in relationships refers to the routines and behaviours which cannot be imitate since the organisations themselves are unsure how they work (Henry, A., 2008). Porters mentioned that there are only two generic studies to compete either through low cost or product differentiation that lead to superior performance (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). To assist managers in understanding, improving, and implementing a low cost or differentiation strategy, Porter (1985) developed the value chain framework; it is a generic activity that is used to decompose the firm into the individual activities it undertakes to create value for the customer (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). Economies of Scale Cost leadership is achieved through the aggressive pursuit of economies of scale, product and process simplification, and significant market share that empower companies to exploit experience and learning effects (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). Dell being one of the organisation are protected by scale economies in their direct-sales method, efficient lean-manufacturing approach, expertise in logistics and supply-chain management. Hence, these capabilities provide it with CA and which its competitive incapable to imitate (Henry, 2008). Differentiation and Core Competencies It requires firm to differentiate for creating a product that customer perceives as highly valuable and distinctive (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). The first-mover advantage refers to firms which benefit from the learning and experience they acquire as a result of being first in the marketplace like Toyota has achieved CC in the production of petrol-and-electric hybrid cars (Henry, 2008). Hence, a CC should provide access to a diversity markets, make significant contribution to perceived customer benefits of the end products and difficult to imitate. Honda is one of the organisations that focuses on the technical excellence of 4-cycle engines, have facilitated it to leverage its CC to compete in markets from motorcycles to automobiles to a broad range of gasoline-engine products (Grant, M. R., 2001). Market focus Strategy can be viewed as building defences against the competitive forces or discovering the weakest forces in the industry. For instance, Paccar, a firm with heavy-truck market, has chosen to focus on owner-operators group of customers. They have customised the value chain to work immensely with the forces in the segments. Thus, Paccar has earned a long-run return on equity (Porter, 2008). Criticisms RBV Implications The RBV of the firm is a contemporary theory that provides insights on both strategic and organizational issues. An often-recurring critique on the RBV is that its core logic contains circular reasoning in the specification of the relationship between rents and resources (Truijens, 2003). It resulted based on the assumptions of firm heterogeneity and economists preference (Truijens, 2003). Rents are frequently used as firms critical resources which acknowledged by comparing successful firms with unsuccessful firms (Truijens, 2003; Mosakowski et al., 1997, p.2). The RBV also emphasises on the role of human capital in the creation of CA, which at the same time caused issues for accountants in terms of total business and intangible asset valuation (Toms, 2010). Accountants equally are concerned with controls which prevent misappropriation of resources that ultimately are shareholders property. Thus, a theory of value also needs to be accountability (Toms, 2010). Conclusion Porterian thoughts on value chain activity actually ways in which to configure and coordinate internal RC in various ways to achieve value at every stage until it results in SCA, and ultimately, achieving strategic intent, i.e. a desired leadership position. Porters value chain model was a contribution that helps complement his views on strategic positioning and CA. His views on analysing the industry five forces and selecting one of the generic strategies ultimately require the firm to look into its value chain activities. If, for example, the goal is to achieve cost leadership, then every activity, resource and capability in the value chain will be configured, coordinated, combined and utilized in such a way as to bring down costs and achieve greater productivity and higher profit. The strategic intent may be to attain no. 1 position. But cost leadership as a generic choice becomes the driver that guides all RC decisions and activities in the value chain. Activity-based drivers and RBV has many similarities, both influence a firms cost and differentiation position, and both need managerial involvement in a way that drivers must be made controllable, while resources must be organised (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). Although these frameworks have often been presented as conflicting views; they can contribute greatly to the development of a strong business strategy. By integrating these frameworks, it enables activity-based view solves implementation issues that are unresolved when using the RBV (Sheehan and Foss, 2007; Barney and Arikan, 2001). It enhances many of the individual weaknesses of the two views. The activity-based view is weak in its assumptions about factor markets, which would be addressed by the RBV (Sheehan and Foss, 2007; Teng and Cummings, 2002). Thus, Porters IAÂ  [8]Â  remains crucial and the choice should not be seen as one of either but rather one of complementarity.

Essay on Love and Gender in Twelfth Night -- Twelfth Night essays

Love and Gender in Twelfth Night      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's Twelfth Night examines patterns of love and courtship through a twisting of gender roles. In Act 3, scene 1, Olivia displays the confusion created for both characters and audience as she takes on the traditionally male role of wooer in an attempt to win the disguised Viola, or Cesario. Olivia praises Cesario's beauty and then addresses him with the belief that his "scorn" (3.1.134) only reveals his hidden love. However, Olivia's mistaken interpretation of Cesario's manner is only the surface problem presented by her speech. The reality of Cesario's gender, the active role Olivia takes in pursuing him/her, and the duality of word meanings in this passage threaten to turn the traditional patriarchal concept of courtship upside down, or as Olivia says turn "night to noon" (139).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps the biggest upset to the traditional structure is the possibility that Olivia may be in love with a woman. Shakespeare allows his audience to excuse this by having Olivia be unaware that Cesario is actually female. Yet, Olivia's attraction seems to stem exactly from the more feminine characteristics like Cesario's "beautiful scorn" and "angry lip" (136-137). Olivia's words allow an audience, particularly a modern one, to perhaps read her as suspecting or even knowing that Cesario is female, yet choosing to love him/her anyway.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Olivia's description of Cesario's beauty, both here and upon their first encounter, praises typically feminine qualities, but curiously doesn't question Cesario's gender. The comparison of love to guilt tempts the readers mind to wonder if Olivia is guilty about her love for such female attributes. Olivia's oath on maidenhood ... ...ess Ltd, 1972. 222-43. Burton, Robert. The Anatomy of Melancholy. Ed. Floyd Dell, New York: Tudor Publishing Company, 1927. David, R. W., ed. The Arden Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost. London: Methuen, 1951. Dusinberre, Juliet. Shakespeare and the Nature of Women. London: Macmillan Press Ltd, 1975. Erasmus, Desiderius. In Praise of Folly. Trans. Hoyt Hopewell Hudson, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1970. Hotson, Leslie. Shakespeare's Motley. New York: Oxford University Press, 1952. Potter, Lois. Twelfth Night: Text & Performance. London: Macmillan, 1985. Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. Zijderveld, Anton J. Reality in a Looking-Glass: Rationality through an Analysis of Traditional Folly. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982.   

Marriage Essay -- Married Relationships Family Families Essays

Marriage What does marriage mean? By definition, marriage is â€Å"the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife† (Webster’s Dictionary). Most people claim that they want their marriage to last a lifetime. Because over half of all marriages in the United States end in a divorce, most people lack the understanding of what it takes to stay married. I believe that couples should become more aware of the commitment that they are making when they enter into marriage. Men and women should get to know one another completely before deciding to get married. Important issues such as religion, finances, career, and whether or not to have children should be discussed so that the couple can learn each other’s views regarding the issues to determine compatibility. For example, Br...

Economical Analysis Essay

In this section, an economical analysis will be carried out to compare the generation cost of electricity from two different sources. The generation cost of electricity ($/kWh) from PV system as well as gas turbine will be considered. The computation for cost of electricity – irrespective of the source – depends on several factors such as the cost of capital, the productivity and the life of the plant as well as the fuel and operation and maintenance costs. Renewable sources have distinct characteristic of eliminating fuel cost and, as a consequence once the plant is setup, the energy costs are largely fixed and inflation has a slight affect. However, productivity is highly dependent on the site or location; hence the cost of energy cannot be uniquely defined. Generation of electricity by burning fossil fuels incurs elements of costs, which conventionally are not directly attributed to these processes. These costs are termed â€Å"External â€Å" costs. They originate, for example, in subsidies such as additionally provided infrastructure and Research and Development and environmental pollution. In contrast, renewable energy technologies incur marginal external costs. Generation costs may simply be evaluated as follows: G = C R + f + m E where G is the unit cost of energy ($/kWh) C is the initial capital cost ($) R is the annual charge rate (%) E is the annual energy yield (kWh/kW) f is the fuel cost per unit ($/kWh) m is the operation and maintenance cost per unit ($/kWh) The capital recovery factor varies according to the period over which the capital is to be recovered, n years, and the test discount rate, r, thus R = r / (1-(1+r) –n) The cost of electricity from a particular source of supply is therefore dependent upon the particular combination of value of these variables. Table (2) estimates the cost of kWh production from PV systems and Gas Turbine unit. To calculate the generation cost of the Gas Turbine, we assumed 25 years of unit’s lifetime, 8% discount rate, and the unit will operate at its rated power for 8 hours for 9 months a year (2,160 hrs). On the other hand, the generation cost of the PV cells was estimated using PV arrays with panels facing south (Tilt angle 25o), the yearly estimated generated energy was about 1964 kWh/m2/yr and the panel cost of $5/Wp. The calculations indicated that under the assumed rates of interest and capital cost the unit generation cost using PV cells is more than three folds the generation cost of the Gas Turbine. A sensitivity analysis was carried out by varying installation capital cost, and discount rate, Table (1). The results indicate that PV generation can be competitive to that from Gas Turbine when the capital cost drops to $2/Wp and at 8% interest level. The capital cost of PV generation is 30% higher than that of a gas turbine system for the specified parameters. This is contributed to the high installation cost of the PV system and the low conversion efficiency. Further sensitivity analysis of some parameters, namely, conversion efficiency and installation cost were carried out. The results are illustrated in table (2). The results suggested that a reduction of installation cost to 4 $/Wp the generation cost can be competitive to that of a gas turbine. Concluding that: 1. The mathematical modeling indicate that the optimum tilt angle for a plane facing south is 25oC in the State of Qatar, and the year average total daily radiation was a bout 5. 295 kWh/m2. day for 25oC compared to 5. 062 kWh/m2. day for a horizontal surface. 2. Using a photovoltaic system can be more expensive than buying power from the local utility, through the electrical outlet in your wall. However, it is dramatically less expensive than running a power line to a remote area that is currently with out service. 3. Finance rate and loan term are critical economic elements because photovoltaic is capital intensive. The formation of solar bank that makes capital readily available for solar energy systems and below market interest rates with more than 20 years terms should be pursued. 4. The basic economical evaluation of electricity generation in the State of Qatar suggests that photovoltaic technology is not far from being economically feasible. The advanced technology and wide market demand of photovoltaic systems result in improved conversion efficiency and lower unit cost. However, it should be emphasized that photovoltaic systems are clean source of energy and their positive impact on the environment should be taken into consideration. PV systems produce power intermittently because they work only when the sun is shining. More electricity is produced on a clear, sunny day with more intense sunlight and with a more direct light angle, as when the sun is perpendicular to the surface of the PV modules. Cloudy days can significantly reduce output, and of course no power is produced at night. PV systems work best during summer months when the sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer. Because of these variations, it is difficult for PV systems to furnish all the power you need, and are typically used in conjunction with utility-supplied electricity Renewable Resources In 1987, a United Nations commission chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, the then Norwegian Prime Minister, was formed to determine how to reconcile economic development with environmental protection. The term ‘sustainable development’ was first used in the commissions’ report, Our Common Future. The report recognized that renewable energy sources are essential for sustainable development because they provide us with constant sources of energy with fewer effects on the environment. It also identified that globally, there was the need for more efficient use of energy and that the industrialized world, especially, had to improve its conservation efforts to lessen the impact of economic development on the environment. Renewable energy sources have been used for centuries. Until the mid-1800s, most of our energy came from two biomass sources, wood and peat. The location of many large plants and mills during the industrial era in Europe and North America was determined by the availability of fast flowing streams to generate power. It was not until the latter stages of the Industrial Revolution, the mid-1850s, and following the widespread incorporation of the steam-engine into factories, that fossil fuel use, mainly coal and oil, became commonplace. By incorporating fossil fuels into the manufacturing process instead of using water, industrialists were not limited to locations by rivers or streams. Plants could be located closer to sources of raw materials, markets or major shipping ports Renewable energy sources has been constantly being sought upon to replace dwindling fossil fuel reserves. The main question is where to look for these renewable energy sources. Some of them, like biomass, have already begun to contribute significantly to power generation in several developed nations like the US. Photvoltaic cells are economically viable in some locations and wind energy, though so far contributing only a tiny fraction, is rapidly expanding in the US and several European nations. The search for renewable energy sources points to photovoltaics, wind, solar thermal electricity, and biomass-produced electricity. These are highly prized due to the ease at which electricity can be transported and converted into othe forms, with the none or low polluting energy that these bestow and because of the potential that these sources may contribute in the near future. The earth’s atmosphere acts like glass in a greenhouse: sunlight can pass through, but the resulting heat cannot escape. Gases, such as carbon dioxide, are particularly effective at trapping heat. When burned, coal, oil and natural gas increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the earth’s average temperature is raised. Renewable energy initiatives will result in reduced demand for fossil-fuelled electricity generation, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions These renewable sources once proven to be technically practical and economically feasible to provide required quantities of power, then there is no doubt that they would be greatly preferrable replace existing energy generation methods. An energy source can be classified as renewable provided the passed the following criterias: 1. there should be and indefinite supply or at least can be harnessed for an extreme length of time. 2. there would be a great reduction in the world pollution. Or at least the pollution released by the manufacturing and generation of power using these resources would not add up to current contributors to pollution. 3. and lastly, the must be able to provide energy self-sufficiency or at the very least provide a great reduction in the energy dependency.