Verizon Communication Swot Analysis - 716 Words

SWOT ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION. A business must analyze their general environment and their industries competitive environment in order for the business to understand their environment. (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, McNamara 2014.) This comes by doing a SWOT Analysis which is a basic technique. By doing a SWOT Analysis, the company can identify its strengths and weaknesses which are the internal forces. The analysis also identifies the external forces which are the opportunities and threats in the industry. Verizon Communications is the company that will be reviewed. Verizon SWOT Analysis Strengths Opportunities Strong reputation of network coverage Brand recognition and Global Goodwill Largest wireless carrier in the US High customer†¦show more content†¦Threats Some of the biggest threats for Verizon is their competition. In the telecom industry there are some new growing competitors. (Olsen,2015) Sprint and T-Mobile seems to the fastest growing ones, neither of them have as many locations as Verizon although they are still a threat because they are expanding. Sprint and T-Mobile are both working to provide service at a lesser price and they are probably one of the biggest threats with their major presence across the globe and multiple locations. (Olsen,2015) This means that Verizon must adapt to any new technologies by offering ease of access for our customers. They must also keep up on competitive advantage to remain a leading company in the Telecom industry. Conclusion It is important for companies to perform such things as a SWOT analysis to evaluate their positions with internal and external factors. They help managers to see how they are performing and where they should focus their efforts to stay in competitive advantage with theirShow MoreRelatedVerizon Swot Analysis Essay737 Words   |  3 PagesVerizon SWOT Analysis Matt Ashcraft MGT/521 December 2, 2012 Ron Schwendiman Verizon SWOT Analysis This paper is to decide whether to invest in a company. The company I have chosen is Verizon Communication. I will conduct a SWOT analysis define the elements of the SWOT analysis, and identify the most relevant parts of the analysis. I will then identify Verizon’s stakeholders, both internal and external and describe the stakeholders’ needs and wants. Finally I will discuss howRead MoreVerizon Wireless: Operational Analysis1648 Words   |  7 PagesOperational analysis The success of the economic agents depends on a multitude of forces, such as the managerial ability to combine and exploit the resources in an efficient manner, the ability to manage the labor force or the ability to develop positive relationships with the external stakeholder, such as the customers, the business partners, the public and so on. Still, while all these factors are crucial, they are merely adjacent to the core operational function which builds towards organizationalRead MoreAssessment of core competencies for Verizon Corp.1631 Words   |  7 PagesExecutive Summary In order to identify Verizons core competencies, a SWOT and Five Forces analysis was performed. The SWOT analysis showed internal strengths in technology diversification, a large and talented employee resource pool, and an expansive network footprint. Internal weaknesses were revealed that centered on post merger issues such as corporate culture issues, impending workforce retirements, and a lack of systems or process consolidation. External opportunities include the potentialRead MoreProduct Offering Essay1476 Words   |  6 Pages Product Offering Verizon Communications Incorporated (Verizon) is an international leader in providing broadband and other wire line and wireless communications services to wholesale, mass market, business, and government customers (Verizon, 2011). The corporation primarily operates in the United States. To respond to the economic crisis, marketing challenges and opportunities of globalization, Verizon is transforming the way its business conducts marketingRead MorePresentation Report On Verizon Communication767 Words   |  4 Pages Presentation Report on Verizon Communication Author: Deepak Singh Krystal Wei Zihao Wang Doris Liu School: Adelphi University Under the Guidance of: Professor Olivia Limbu Date: Oct.03 2017 What is Verizon? Verizon Communications known as Verizon, is an American Multinational Telecommunication Company. It is the seller of wireless cell phones and services for America. It’s headquarter is in New York City, New York. The main products associated with Verizon are cable television, mobileRead MoreVerizon Communications, Inc. Case Analysis Essay1871 Words   |  8 PagesVerizon Communications, Inc. has many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as an organization. This case analysis will highlight the top three for each category and provide a rational for each factor. The SWOT analysis will serve as a tool for identifying alternative strategies for the organization and help define a 3-year growth plan. Various matrices, including a SWOT analysis and a Financial Ratios Analysis, will also support specific strategies and long-term objectives. OtherRead MoreComponents Of A Successful Business System1309 Words   |  6 Pagesparagraph talks about Verizon company and the business system problems or challenges they face and how some of these problems could be solved. Telecommunications has evolved from an easy technique of voice communication to one of the most significant means that our humanity uses to connect. Consequently, cell phones and wireless gadgets have come to replace and dominate the realm of technology. One of such companies heading and leading towards that direction Verizon. Verizon is headquartered in NewRead MoreMgmt 303 Swot Anaylisis1338 Words   |  6 PagesVerizon SWOT analysis MGMT 303 DeVry University Julia Smith May 19th, 2012 Verizon Communications Inc. is a provider of communications services with for operating segments: Domestic Telecom, Domestic Wireless, information Services and International. Domestic Telecom is services principally represent Verizon’s telephone operations that provide local telephone services in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Domestic Wireless are products and servicesRead MoreCompany Overview: Verizon Communications578 Words   |  2 PagesSituation Analysis External Factor and Internal Factor Evaluations- Verizon Communications is an American broadband and telecommunications company. It began in 1983 as Bell Atlantic, then in 1997 merged with NYNEX, acquiring GTE in 2000 and continuing growth and market share, particularly in the cell phone industry. The companys 2011 revenues were almost $111 billion, with a net income of $2.4 billion. Version has about 188,000 employees (2011 Annual Report, 2012). Because of their longevity inRead MoreComcast Business Analysis Essay4022 Words   |  17 PagesComcast Business Analysis Patricia Baskerville MGMT/521 January 30, 2012 Professor Samuel Cunningham Comcast Business Analysis Comcast is one of the largest video, broadband Internet, telephone, and cable service providers in the United States. The company is a member of the fortune 500 company as the largest and profitable companies. Comcast ranking number is 66 in the fortune 500 company and is in third

Piaget s Theory Of Children Essay - 2588 Words

PART A Jean Piaget was a Swiss clinical psychologist who believed that children go through four stages of cognitive development at various age levels. Piaget’s studies help us to understand what to expect from children, why they are so inquisitive and why they think much more differently to adults. Piaget firmly believed that children are not less intelligent than adults but that their brain functions differently in certain situations and as children gain more experience in the real world, that is when their cognitive thinking starts to develop. Piaget started his research in the 1920’s and his theory is still widely considered throughout the world today as it is still considered by many people to be valid. (Pulaski, 1971). Piaget based his research around qualitative, not quantitative characteristics that children develop over these four stages stated below. (Singer, 1978) (page 3) Piaget first began to think about how a child’s mind works and processes things when he first seen his nephew playing with a ball, it rolled away from the child and stopped under a table so the child went and retrieved it, the next time the ball rolled away from the child, it rolled under a sofa, so the child didn’t go after it as the object ceased to exist to the child as it was out of view. This got Piaget thinking about the child’s mind, he observed his nephew at the time and how he acted. Piaget thought his actions were somewhat illogical, so following on from Piaget thinking about theShow MoreRelatedJean Piaget s Theory Of Children1465 Words   |  6 Pagescrucial period of a childÅ› life. Children learn the most between these ages because their brain is developing. Heredity and the childÅ› environment affect they way the child learns. Reading to your children will improve their speech and language in the future. Also counting on a everyday basis with your child will help them with their cognitive thinking. Jean PiagetÅ› developmental theory is children develop in 4 different stages from the ages birth to adulthood. Jean Piaget was born in Switzerland andRead MoreJean Piaget And Vygotsky s Theory On Children s Cognitive Development1507 Words   |  7 Pagespsychologists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, have shared their knowledge on children’s cognitive development. Both psychologists had their own vision of what stimulates and helps a child grow. Jean Piaget s theory was shaped through the thinking and understanding of how knowledge is built through a series of four stages; preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational and concrete operational. He believed that the development was with the child themselves. On the contrary, Lev Vygotsky s theory is shapedRead MorePiaget s Stage Theory Account For Children s Cognitive Development1759 Words   |  8 Pageswell does Piaget’s stage theory account for children’s cognitive development? Intro Piaget believed there were four stages in a child’s cognitive development and sub stages within these stages. These stages have been the object of debate since Piaget introduced them and are still continuously debated. All of the stages are very concrete and large scale. They don’t account for children at a particular age who are behind or ahead. Piaget underestimated the capability of children to do particular thingsRead MoreHow Does Piaget s Stage Theory Account For Children s Cognitive Development?1576 Words   |  7 PagesHow does Piaget’s stage theory account for children’s cognitive development? Jean Piaget (1896-1980) had a stage theory about cognitive development and how it works with children. There are 4 stages to this theory; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Piaget emphasised that they occur in this order. (Smith, Cowie, Blades, 2015, p. 446). He considered the fact that the way child’s mind develops, intellectually, is a continuous process of Assimilation and AccommodationRead MorePiaget s Stages Theory And Evaluate Its Appropriateness For Explaining How Children Develop Mentally1726 Words   |  7 PagesThe aim of this essay is to briefly explain Piaget’s Stage Theory and evaluate its appropriateness for explaining how children develop mentally. His theory states that children develop in four different stages from the ages 0-12. There are varying sub-stages for these and each has its own description with experiments to test which stage an infant is in. Although Piaget is a credited theorist this particular theo ry is often criticised and this essay will explore the reasons for this as well as providingRead Morejean piaget1284 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Jean Piaget Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) was employed at the Binet Institute in the 1920s, where his job was to develop French versions of questions on English intelligence tests. He became intrigued with the reasons children gave for their wrong answers on the questions that required logical thinking. He believed that these incorrect answers revealed important differences between the thinking of adults and children. Piaget (1936) was the first psychologist to make a systematic study of cognitiveRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory Of Knowing921 Words   |  4 PagesJean Piaget was a developmental psychologist and philosopher from Switzerland. He is known for his epistemological studies with children. He was the first to make a systematic study of cognitive development. Piaget was also the Director of the International Bureau of Education. He was â€Å"the great pioneer of the constructivist theory of knowing.† He was known as the second best psychologist after Skinner by the end of the 20th century. Throughout his career, Jean Piaget declared that â€Å"only educationRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory And Theory1673 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is a theory? A theory is an organized set of ideas that is designed to explain development. These are essential for developing predictions about behaviors and predictions result in research that helps to support or clarify the theory. The theorist I a m choosing to talk about is Jean Piaget who discovered the cognitive development theory and who broke it down into different stages. The different stages are the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational thoughtRead MoreOutline the main similarities and differences between Piaget‚Äà ´s and Vygotsky‚Äà ´s explanations for cognitive development in children1702 Words   |  7 Pagescognitive development in children. Piaget and Vygotsky were both, looking into the same period of cognitive development in infants and children and sharing the same basic concerns. Piaget (1896-1980) developing his theory slightly earlier than Vygotsky (1896-1934) who worked to show that there were certain flaws in Piaget s theory of genetic epistemology. Vogotsky and his social-cultural theory of cognitive development might be seen as the Soviet counterpart to Piaget s western individualistRead MoreVygotsky And Vygotsky : Early Childhood Development1683 Words   |  7 Pages Amanda Rezzonico Piaget vs Vygotsky Early Childhood Development Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget are known in the educational world. Vygotsky and Piaget were developmental psychologists who had many of the same views and beliefs, but at the same time had opposing views. According to Jean Piaget â€Å"cognitive development was a repetitive reorganization of mental processes that derived from biological maturation in addition to environmental experiences’’ (McLeod, S. A. (2015). The child

Older Adults In Montreal Needs Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

string(291) " Decades of transit and land usage planning that favoured the car over other mobility manners like walking or public transit is a major factor that can put limitations on the mobility of seniors who do non drive, or seldom do so \( Cao, Mokhtarian, A ; Handy, 2007 ; Hodge, 2008 \) \." 1 Introduction For many older grownups in Montreal, the ability to make finishs and chances around their community has profound effects on all facets of their lives and daily activities. In order to stay affiliated within the community, mobility and handiness by agencies of public transit is of primary importance for older grownups ( McPherson A ; Wister, 2008 ) . It moreover ensures that those who can non drive and/or without entree to a private auto are non excluded from the chances of urban life. We will write a custom essay sample on Older Adults In Montreal Needs Health And Social Care Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now As one of the cosmopolite metropoliss in Canada and with a important figure of senior occupants, Montreal should guarantee that public transit systems must non merely expeditiously enable riders to travel from one finish to another but besides make it inclusive and easy to utilize peculiarly for those who face trouble in accessing it such as the older grownups. What do we cognize about public transit demands of seniors in Montreal? What has been undertaken to turn to their demands? In order to understand these inquiries, this paper aims to discourse the followers: ( 1 ) the importance of public transit and its consequent challenges to older grownups ; ( 2 ) current patterns in public theodolite services in Montreal ; ( 3 ) pattern rules and strength-based attack to pass through proviso ; and, ( 4 ) option attacks to pass through proviso for older grownups in the metropolis. 2 Importance of public theodolite and challenges to older grownups in Montreal Montreal, in comparing to the remainder of Quebec, has a greater per centum of older grownups in its population. The 2001 nose count informations shows that Montreal has 442,684 older grownups stand foring 13 per centum of the population and lending 46 per centum for Quebec ( Hodge, 2008 ) . This figure will go on to turn in the coming old ages as it is expected that one in every four Canadian will be 65 or over. About 101,190 seniors in Montreal have at least one signifier of disablement which includes trouble visual perception, hearing, communication, and walking, among others. Aside from sing physical damages, 28 per centum of them live under poorness and 18 per centum do non hold entree to a private auto ( Landreville A ; Bickerstaff-Charron, 2010 ; TCAIM, 2009 ) . As seniors tend to hold troubles runing a private auto, utilizing public transit so becomes indispensable for guaranting their ability to make their coveted finishs. A Importance of public transit The usage of public transit is a cardinal to community engagement, productiveness, and independency for older grownups, particularly those who can no longer drive or unable to drive. Public theodolite services, which include coachs and trains, are often their lone options for going independently to work, wellness attention installations, shopping Centres, and a host of other finishs outside their places ( Marston, Golledge, A ; Costanzo, 1997 ; McPherson A ; Wister, 2008 ; TCAIM, 2009 ) . Transportation system must be present in a assortment of signifiers to run into the demands of older grownups. Aside from supplying coachs, trains and other specialised theodolite services, proper pavements with equal signage and without barriers to walking are besides indispensable for seniors. Once transit services are available, seniors must besides be able to entree it easy and safely. Public transit besides helps to get the better of distance in state of affairss where seniors reside far from urban centres or where communities have few available installations and services. For older grownups, the ability to utilize transit is both a agency and an terminal: a agency to entree services and installations while fulfilling their desire non to be isolated ( Hodge, 2008 ) . Challenges in utilizing public transit and attendant impacts to older grownups Seniors frequently face challenges in utilizing public theodolite which is brought approximately by their physical damages and the manner the environment is constructed. It is noted that older grownups constitute a important proportion of people with some type of damage or disablement in relation to transit demands ( TRB, 2004 ) . These damages frequently have serious deductions in footings of mobility and entree to chances in the metropolis. An issue linked in urban countries concerns heightening handiness to transit usage among older grownups without compromising safety given that physical jobs tend to increase as one ages ( Titheridge, Achuthan, Mackett, A ; Solomon, 2009 ) . Older adult females further suffer dual favoritism in utilizing public transit both on the evidences of gender and damage ( Venter, et Al. 2002 ) . The fact that public conveyance exists is of class merely one portion of the image. Existing roadways, prosaic installations at Michigans and Stationss, and mass-transit vehicles were by and large non designed with the aged in head. Rather, they are based on a ‘normal ‘ individual-one presuming that the user is an able-bodied and to the full literate single. Public transit usage requires physical and cognitive abilities that may except some seniors such as the walking distance needed to the coach halt or Metro station are long and/or involve steep inclines. Reliability of theodolite agendas, long waiting times, the demand to mount high stepss in and out of the coach, and, transit driver ‘s competency in suiting senior riders are among the challenges that older grownups encounter in utilizing public transit. There is a demand to affect upon transit applied scientists and contrivers, policy shapers, urban contrivers and theodolite suppliers the importance of the †˜one-size-does-not-fit-all ‘ premiss refering the proviso of transit services and substructure. In peculiar, these decision-makers have a duty to develop a better apprehension of the features of older people on the footing of which betterments can be made. Guaranting that older grownups are able to be nomadic with comparative easiness in metropoliss will be one of the cardinal challenges for contrivers as the urban population grows older. Declining mobility among seniors can be explained by many factors including physical ( Dis ) abilities, fiscal resources, and personal picks, but the design of their vicinities and the distances between finishs can besides act upon their travel picks and behaviors. Decades of transit and land usage planning that favoured the car over other mobility manners like walking or public transit is a major factor that can put limitations on the mobility of seniors who do non drive, or seldom do so ( Cao, Mokhtarian, A ; Handy, 2007 ; Hodge, 2008 ) . You read "Older Adults In Montreal Needs Health And Social Care Essay" in category "Essay examples" Furthermore, the inability to entree to public transit would take to lower chances of traveling outside the place. For those who used to drive, releasing their driv er ‘s licence have a higher hazard of depression peculiarly older work forces ( McPherson A ; Wister, 2008 ) . These issues necessarily lead to their exclusion from making desired finishs and activities and to socially link with other people outside their places which in bend could lend to degradation in their quality of life. 3 Transportation system options to suit older grownups Even though the car is the vehicle of pick for making assorted finishs, communities across Canada are working hard to run into the transit demands of seniors who no longer thrust or have limited their drive to the daylight, the vicinity, or a individual finish. Given the pressing demand for more antiphonal and sustainable transit services, local and national transit bureaus have developed a figure of alternate manners to run into the travel demands of older grownups. The undermentioned summarizes the mix of transit options that would provide their demands ( insert beginnings ) : Car: individual rider, shared drive Public transit: low-floor coachs, community birds, trains/subways Demand-responsive para-transit services Private theodolite: taxis, limousines, chauffer services Specialized theodolite: hospital-based theodolite plans, interfaith and church-based plans, volunteer transit plans Other options: low-speed vehicles, walking 4 Current province of theodolite proviso for older grownups in Montreal The Societe de Transport de Montreal ( STM ) which is the chief theodolite bureau of the island has geared itself in bettering the whole public transit system to run into the demands of the population. STM has adopted a corporate policy on cosmopolitan handiness in order to cut down the figure of barriers forestalling people with functional damages from utilizing its public theodolite web ( STM, 2009b ) . The Master Plan of the City of Montreal purposes to heighten the perceptual experience and image of public transit in order to promote its usage ( Ville.de.Montreal, 2002 ) . Public infinites around tube, commuter train and intermodal Stationss, peculiarly the waiting countries, warrant particular attending to ease entree and make a safe and pleasant environment that meets the demands of every type of user. Action 14 of the Master Plan farther emphasized design rules in the locality of public transit entree points peculiarly in footings of easing connexions between coachs and tube. Implementing cosmopolitan handiness policies is one manner of advancing societal inclusion in the usage of public transit and entree to edifices. The Transportation Plan of Montreal besides mentioned cosmopolitan entree as a system-wide construct which is apparent through the deployment of articulated or low-floor coachs and supplying on-demand para-transit services ( Transport Adapte ) for frail seniors and other riders with functional damages. In 2008, STM launched a specialised coach service in August 2008 called Navette Or ( Golden Shuttle ) . This shuttle service now operates in 10 different vicinities in Montreal and makes Michigans at locations nigh high concentrations of older people ( including seniors abodes ) every bit good as at locations deemed to be of involvement to them ( STM, 2011 ) . This service is a positive measure that should greatly profit older people. Likewise, STM has late retrofitted five Metro Stationss along the orange line that are now accessible for wheelchair users ( STM, 2009a ) . Bonaventure station on the green line, meanwhile, is partly accessible ( i.e. from train platform to terminus ) . Supplying accessible Stationss from this theodolite line linking to the belowground metropolis is still under reappraisal and consideration. Despite these developments, much of the attempts are directed towards helping those who lack personal mobility and are wheelchair-bound. Covering with this most desperate and seeable group represents merely one section of the population with functional damages. Small attending has been paid to the demands of other mobility-impaired groups, including those who are blind or visually impaired and persons with other physical damages such as those with larning troubles still encounter restraints in utilizing the public transit ( Marston, et al. , 1997 ) . An emerging concern in transit services in Montreal are the migratory seniors in ethno-cultural communities who face troubles in talking either English or Gallic. The Alliance diethylstilbestrols Communautes Culturelles pour l’Egalite dans la Sante et lupus erythematosuss Services Sociaux ( ACCESS ) reported that 88.3 per centum of the migratory seniors reside in the greater Montreal country ( Delgado, 2011 ) . The ability to pass on with coach or para-transit drivers or even name STM ‘s client service could be a important challenge for them in order to utilize public transit services. 4 Interventions and strength-based attack to pass through proviso Practice rules Seniors should be included in all facets of transit proviso, from the conceptualisation, design, execution, monitoring and rating. Advocacy Authorization to better mobility and handiness Guaranting walkability of streets Guaranting safety of theodolite What do users state about their impacts? Expression at remarks in Transport subdivision at Montreal Gazette online Benefits and challenges of theodolite issues identified The planning of land utilizations and transit can greatly act upon handiness. By puting parametric quantities for the physical design of urban scenes, these countries of activity define what is possible and what is non within the physical environment. Integrating cosmopolitan handiness ( or cosmopolitan design ) has accordingly become an of import consideration in edifice, urban design and planning in general ( Audirac, 2008 ; Bromley, Matthews, A ; Thomas, 2007 ; Iwarsson A ; Stahl, 2003 ) . Universal design aims to simplify life for persons of all ages, sizes, and abilities by doing the bing and future built environment and merchandises useable by more people. Guaranting accessible installations are installed aids in run intoing the demands of the older grownups every bit good as persons with reduced mobility by leting a larger proportion of the population to go independently than would otherwise be the instance ( Malo A ; Berube , 1992 ) . There are many ways in which bettermen ts in the design of public conveyance with attending to the older grownups can in bend benefit the general population. This might include improved clearer word pictures of the border between roadways and prosaic infinite, well-built and decently maintained pathwaies without any broken or uneven surfaces, good marks with universally-intelligible icons and – if text is necessary – clear, big, brooding inscription in an easy-to-read fount, and of class, safe and user-friendly public conveyance. 5 Proposed attacks to better transit services for older grownups Information and counsel must be sought from human services bureaus and theodolite plans that provide transit to shopping and banking countries, clinics, senior Centres and retirement communities to guarantee that the appropriate conveyance options are provided for seniors. One may ask about any voluntary driver plans in the country every bit good so that one can happen committed voluntaries who are willing to portion their vehicles in traveling to and from different finishs. Additionally, auto pooling and bird services are other options for the seniors to avail of free drives to medical Centres and such. The authorities must besides guarantee that cab services would be given at decreased rates for senior citizens. There are besides medical and nonmedical place attention services that frequently offer transit and aid services to older members of society. By offering better transit options for senior citizens, they would be able to bask greater mobility and freedom. Proposed attacks Judaic Edward Estlin Cummingss centre theodolite plan Car-pooling and car-sharing plans Pooling riders traveling in the same way Appellation of prioritized seating for seniors Evaluation Guaranting airing by STM on feedback from different theodolite users 6 Decision The ageing population is swelling quickly in both absolute and relative footings in Montreal and Canada, in general, and is expected to make so in the long tally. This clearly poses of import challenges for the authorities and society as a whole. On the positive side, the economic growing and up criterions of life that have well improved length of service rates of the people in general. Yet older people face physical, economic, and psychological barriers to go ; for some aged this includes damages in motor, sensory, and cognitive abilities. To get the better of these barriers and to let older people to play a full portion in society, we have to basically rethink attacks to transit in the two states. As a whole, puting an docket by developing enabling environments for older people is both an economic and a societal jussive mood. Safety and handiness are two of import considerations in planing and bettering transit for the aged. Our social duty of run intoing older people ‘s dema nds in a safe, accessible, and sustainable manner entails integrating cosmopolitan handiness ( or design ) principles in the whole transit environment. How to cite Older Adults In Montreal Needs Health And Social Care Essay, Essay examples

Dressed All in Pink free essay sample

Literary Ballad A literary ballad is a poem written by a specific author. These ballads are not set to music. An example of a literary ballad would be Dudley Randalls ballad Dressed All In Pink Dressed All In Pink by Dudley Randall It was a wet and cloudy day when the prince took his last ride. The prince rode with the gonernor, and his princess rode beside. And would you like to ride inside for shelter from the rain? No Ill ride outside, where I can wave and speak to my friends again. They ride among the cheering crowds, he young prince and his mate. The governor says, See how they smile and cheer you where they wait. The prince rides with the governor, his princess rides beside, dressed all in pink as delicate as roses of a bride. Pink as a rose the princess rides, but bullets from a gun turn that pink to as deep a red as red, red blood can run, for she bends to where the prince lies still and cradles his shattered head, and there that pink so delicate is stained a deep, deep red. We will write a custom essay sample on Dressed All in Pink or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page the princess rides beside, and her dress of pink so delicate deep, deep red is dyed. Jackie Kennedy is the princess -iambic tetrameter -rhyming scheme: abcb -the dress symbolizes the country itself falling from grace -colour imagery of pink as roses and red as blood -princess is described in colour -dyed at the end has a double meaning -dress is said to be as pink as roses but roses are also a deep shade of red, but the dress is not referred to a rose when it is covered in blood -Pink is the colour of innocence and it turning red is significant in displaying the loss of innocence

Hamlet - Ophelia Character Analysis Essays - Characters In Hamlet

Hamlet - Ophelia Character Analysis Ophelia is a beautiful and simple-minded woman, easily molded by the more powerful opinions and desires of others. The thoughts of her father and her brother influenced her the most. The love letters from Hamlet also swayed her opinions and confused her mind. Ophelia wasn't able to realize herself because of all the pressures exerted on her to be something she's not. That weakness of mind and will, which permitted her obedience to her father and thus destroyed her hope for Hamlet's love, finally resulted in her insanity and death. When her father had challenged the honor of Hamlet's intentions, Ophelia could only reply "I do not know, my lord, what I should think" (III, iii). Used to relying upon her father's direction and brought up to be obedient, she can only accept her father's belief, seconded by that of her brother, that Hamlet's "holy vows" of love were simply designed for her seduction. She was to obey her father's orders not to permit Hamlet to see her again. Her father also wanted to prove Hamlet's madness to the king. He used Ophelia as bait so he and the king could listen to Hamlet's words. Ophelia willingly obliged to her father's desires. By not thinking for herself and only doing as her father wished, she ruined her chances of love with Hamlet. Hamlet put pressure on Ophelia by expecting her to surpass his mother's shortcomings and be an epitome of womankind. He searched her innocent face for some sign of loving truth that might restore his faith in her. He took her mute terror for a sign of her guilt and found her to be a false person, like his mother. In his letter to her, he addressed the letter to "the most beautified Ophelia" and he terminated the letter with "I love thee best, O most best, believe it" (II, ii). He used the word "beautified" to display a sincere tribute, and it is apparent he still loves her. His attempts to win her affection are not triumphant. Ophelia is still too much under the influence of her father to question his wisdom or authority, and she has no mind of her own to understand how much she has made her lover suffer. No matter how much it pained her to not see Hamlet, all she could see in his present behavior is the madness that terrified her. Ophelia's insanity was a mixture of love and hate caused by her father and Hamlet. An example of hate is when she sings about a "baker's daughter"(IV, v). Ophelia is referring to the way her father used to treat her before the tragic incident of his death. The love within her madness is when she speaks about the events on "Valentine's Day"(IV, v). When Ophelia speaks about Valentines Day she is referring to the events of romance that she was denied. Ophelia's madness is brought on by her lack of being able to demonstrate any maturity in trying to cope with her losses and in return can only inflict her madness on the court. Abused by her lover, and bereft of her father's protection she loses control of her mind. In her insane state she came to believe that the seduction her family tried so hard to protect her from has passed. Her father's admission of error might have embittered a more independent Ophelia. This explains Hamlets rejection of her. Being tormented of scenes of death and the burial, she reaches out to the beauty of hanging flowers in a willow tree and somehow drowns. Ophelia was never able to understand exactly what Hamlet was suffering from, and in a way he created a situation for her to relate; death of a father and betrayal by a loved one. Hamlet managed to rise above insanity and feelings of suicide, but her weaker spirit could not hold the burden.

Input Devices essays

Input Devices essays Computers would be useless without input devices. Even small-scale computers from calculators to GPS navigation systems require some input from the human being in order to work properly and produce worthwhile output. Some of the everyday input devices like keyboards, mice, joysticks and microphones have reached increasingly more sophisticated levels of technology. Other input devices that are available to the general public but are generally used in commercial settings include touch-screens, keypads for ATMs and bank card purchases, credit card scanners, bar code readers, and more. However, new technology is constantly being developed to create ever more sophisticated and futuristic input devices. Some of these, like the digital signature capture pen and 3D body scanner, may never make it into the common household but are nevertheless fascinating new developments in technology. They enhance the ways in which human beings can interact with machines. Some other new input devices discussed in the Popular Science online magazine include touch screen GPS systems, fancy digital music centers that operate independently from the PC, and the most outlandish: the wearable computer. The wearable computer is mostly a thing of fantasy but baby steps will continually be made to eventually enable the entire human body to potentially interact with a computer. The portable navigation systems currently out on the market are very helpful for drivers, hikers, and campers. They usually require the user to input coordinates in a cumbersome manner, by scrolling down a list and manually inputting navigational points of reference. This tedious process has been recently made more streamlined by the introduction of the touch screen GPS system. However, this is really no different from the technology used for touch screen computers; the difference is in the output of the The advances in digital music...

The importance of Commitment in any relationship that one hopes will Essay

The importance of Commitment in any relationship that one hopes will last - Essay Example The role of the simplistic Gimpel in â€Å"Gimpel the Fool† is a classic example of total commitment to a relationship – in this case, to his wife Elka. The story, set in a small Jewish town, tells how a gullible Gimpel is lured into marriage with an adulterous woman who treats him with contempt and ridicule, brazenly carrying on affairs with different lovers. Gimpel suffers this humiliation, sometimes yearning to break away from the relationship (â€Å"Enough of being a donkey,† he used to chide himself, â€Å"Gimpel isn’t going to be a sucker all his life†). But sucker he chose to be, turning down the advice of the rabbi to divorce Elka (â€Å"Let her go, the harlot,† said he, â€Å"and her brood of bastards with her†). Gimpel continues to believe in his wife â€Å"What is the good of not believing? Today it’s your wife you don’t believe, tomorrow it’s God himself you won’t take stock in†), staying totally committed to her until her untimely death. Elka realizes the importance of commitment in their relationship only when she is on her death bed, when she pleads with her husband to forgive her (â€Å"Forgive me Gimpel. It was ugly how I deceived you all these years†). The wrongs that she committed, and the bad way she treated her simple but good husband, continue to plague her even after death (at the end of the story, Elka’s ghost materializes, urging Gimpel to continue in the path of righteousness). â€Å"The Lady with the Dog† is a story set in Russia. The protagonist, Dmitri Gurovm denigrates women and refers to them as â€Å"the lower race†. Unhappy with his marriage, bound to a wife â€Å"who loved without any genuine feeling†, and linked to the conventional Moscow society, he looks for diversions. He does not attach importance to commitments in various extra-marital relationships as â€Å"simple and amusing,† testimony of his â€Å"eagerness for life.† Anna

Six Sigma Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Six Sigma Quality - Essay Example Wide spread of this concept has led to unreasonable growth of supervising personnel. Up to 40 and more percent of strength of workers involved in manufacture, that in its turn has caused irrational increase of expenses for quality management and, hence, has lowered efficiency of production. As a result in 20th the attention of managers has moved from rejection of production in the process of its yield to quality control in the process of manufacture. The most significant role of this stage was played by Mr. Shuhart, Western Electric company's employee, who suggested to apply statistical methods (known now as Shuhart control charts), which allowed to increase qualitative products yield in the process of production. However improvement of separately taken process has been often restrained by inefficiency of other fields of companies' activity. This problem has been solved owing to activity of Japan manufacturers who, having collided with a strong competition from the side of foreign pr oducts, have decided to take steps for improvement of quality at simultaneous decrease of net cost. They have invited American experts Deming and Juran, who worked the program consisted of 14 items, and based on improvement of entire company's management system, on direct participation of management in all quality issues of company, and on stimulation of personnel to qualitative labor activity. It appeared a 'Zero Defect' concept. New approaches have led to growth of quality produced goods and decrease of expenses for their manufacturing. However the qualitative product still was understood as production being congruent with norms, established by the manufacturer, instead of by consumers. In this connection the high-quality goods sometimes did not go through. From the middle of 60th of twentieth century manufacturers were focused on better satisfaction of consumers' demands. At this stage appeared the theory of reliability and system of the automated designing of works. As a result of analysis of industrial systems it was found out, that the reason of a better part of defects (about 80 %) is insufficient quality of design works. That is why before testing of samples in real conditions they began to conduct mathematical modeling of products and processes of manufacture properties. It has considerably raised efficiency of developmental works.Six Sigma Today companies use various technologies for decrease of costs, satisfaction of requirements of clients, reduction of terms of development and yield of production to the market. In order to transform consumers' demands into technical requirements to products and their manufacture, it is often conducted the functional-cost analysis (the analysis of expenses for manufacture of a product with the purpose to decrease its cost price); the analysis of opportunities of occurrence and influence of defects of a developed product on consumers; the is functional-physical analysis (the analysis of quality of technology projects, principles of product and its components working). At this stage the quantity of concepts of quality management grows. Despite of otherness of names and used tools, they have been based on the same principles. Quality can be presented in the form of a five-pointed star, in the basis of which lays documented, the formalized organizational system of quality manage

Marketing Plan for The Times Newspaper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Plan for The Times Newspaper - Essay Example This essay stresses that marketing strategy is primarily concerned with the process where a need satisfying product or service is exchanged for a certain value and there are mainly four variables that constitute a market offering and they are: product, distribution/place, price, and marketing communication. To a greater extent, the success of any marketing strategy employed by any company is strongly dependent on the effectiveness of its marketing communication. There must be a good flow of information between the buyer and the seller to enable the buyers to make informed decisions which always take precedence before the actual purchase. In its endeavor to establish a new product, The Times ought to adopt strategies that would allow them to clearly distinguish their target market in a bid to have some competitive advantage over other rival competitors who also operate in the same industry. This paper makes a conclusion that communication plays a very important role in marketing a product to the customers. The advent of the internet has brought about sweeping changes in the way organisations operate as well as market their products. There is need for an organisation to segment its market in order to clearly identify their target customers in order to have a competitive advantage over other rival competitors that may exist in the market. As noted, there is need for The Times newspaper to effectively use marketing communication in order to successfully launch a new product to the customers.

The Eisenstein And Architectural Montage Film Studies Essay

The Eisenstein And Architectural Montage Film Studies Essay From a lump of clay a vessel is made, what makes it useful is space within the vessel, for a room, we make doors and a window, but what makes a room habitable is the empty space, so while theres advantages in the tangible, it is in the intangible that theres use.  [1]   Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, c.550 BC Tzu describes a space which is not empty but which is a gap, a gap which is waiting to be transformed by experience. These spatial gaps are inherent in fragmentation. In his book Actions of Architecture, Jonathan Hill focusses on these spatial gaps and discusses the Chora L. Works by Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman. The book is split into three sections. It doesnt start at the beginning nor does it end at the end. The first and last sections are penetrated by nine holes whilst the middle section has only conceptual holes. Hill states the intention of this was to convey that the absence of a section doesnt mean the absence of meaning. In the book, Eisenmann and Derrida declare that solid and voids are architectural representations of presence and absence. Voids have as much of a presence as solids in the book, as users can fill in missing words with their own meaning. Montage: In Actions of Architecture, Jonathan Hill discusses the use of montage in architecture. He uses Alvar Aaltos Sanatorium and Le Corbusiers 1931 rooftop apartments for Charles de Beistegui as examples of buildings where montage was used as a strategy for architectural composition. In Aaltos Sanatorium, montage is used as a strategy to join two dissimilar aspects of the building which have no connection expect for being adjacent to each other. Aalto achieved this by utilizing two distinct fragments.  [2]   In Le Corbusiers rooftop apartments, the architect departs from his traditionally rational design approach. Various surfaces of the apartment are juxtaposed with elements of the surrounding city. Important fragments of the city are isolated from the rest of the urban context below with the use of high walls surrounding the perimeter of the terrace. By doing this, Le Corbusier twinned the fireplace with the Arc de Triomphe in the far distance. The architect revealed selected views of the city with sliding walls. A periscope in the centre was the only means by which the entire city could be seen as a spectacle.  [3]   Space Between: Hill explains montage as a spatial exercise where fragments are brought from other sites to a new location while maintaining to some extent the essence of the older location. He uses film to explain this. In film, we perceive fragments through the arrangement of components. In Baldessaris artwork, the artist claims the process is as important as the final result. He juxtaposes unrelated components as he opposes the predictability and linearity of film.  [4]   Jose Quetglas suggests that Mies is concerned with the creation of visual perspective that acts as a guide to movement.  [5]  A Miesian plan is primarily concerned with compositional aspects of perspective painting than that of the anti-perspective intentions of the De Stijl. Jonathan Jones, a researcher at the Applied Visual Research Unity in Derby University found that according to his research, it is impossible to comprehend a painting in its entirety at once. A single glance is not sufficient to take in everything. Visual perception is fragmentary in nature. Our visual field is quite small so to focus on objects results in the background becoming blurred. Similarly in a film by a montage director, the world is viewed through a series of glances.  [6]   While designing the Barcelona Pavilion, Mies drew an axial line over and over from which he measured asymmetries against.  [7]  Mies orientated the Pavilion along an East West axis. Through termination of axis and spaces, movement was diverted. Mies used this technique to formulate movement sequences. Zimmerman states movement flows on the outer of planes in contrast to the delimiting floor and ceiling planes.  [8]  Mies contrasts symmetry and asymmetry and slices space with elements of the building which is characteristic of postmodernism.  [9]   In his book Neoclassicism Architecture Rowe analyses the work of Mies. He states the centre is diminished by the international style and emphasis is placed on dispersion along the axis in which Mies creates a composition of balanced symmetry.  [10]  The Pavilion is an example of decomposition of a volume which is deconstructed into individual planes. Through Mies Pavilion we see a focus on multiple viewing positions as opposed to a single perspective of the classic. The positions of internal walls are determined by the use of triangulated lines. Mies aligns corners and end points of planes using this technique.  [11]  His attention was divided between the fragmentation of the space and the integration of visual perception through this method. The image was fragmented by The Cubist Art Movement which created multiple points of view. As discussed, in Mies Pavilion we see a shift from centrality, abstractions of geometries and facades with frontal relations.  [12]  Buildings such as this cannot be experienced or understood from a static position. Cinema Montage is composition and the assembly of movement images. This comprises an image of time.  [13]  These parts succeed each other creating a parallel alternate montage. Eisenstein criticises Griffith for what he see as the juxtaposition of parts and not a unity of production. A cell, which makes its own part by division and differentiation. Eisenstein agrees with Griffiths idea of an organic composition as an assembly of movement images to the transformed situation through the transcendence of opposition.  [14]   Deleuze investigates cinema in terms of movement, the philosophical and the technical. Movement informs our understanding of the formation of worlds in terms of the types of information it selects and generates as new forms. Deleuze discusses cinema in terms of framing the movement image. In a relatively closed system; framing, type of shot and cut are the vital aspects for the films quality creating what he calls a set of values.  [15]  The speed and rhythm of the shots affects the image. Cinema Montage: Dleuze looks at four schools of montage. American, French, German and Soviet. Deleuze situates montage in the relation the movement of time. In the Deleuzian system, montage is the determination of the whole of the image, achieved through the techniques of cutting and creating continuities. Montaged images creates sets of images. Montage creates movement which in turn produces specific modes of time that are not fixed but events that are contextually reproduced over the passage of chronometric time. He regards montage as the coming together of images to create a whole whose final form is in movement. He refers to the work of Bob Dylan as an example of the long preparation for creating work. To him things are made after an encounter with other things, people but also with after encounters with movement, other ideas, events, entities. Cinema is comprised of a number of different kinds of images, Deleuze calls this image- assemblage montage. Through connections as of yet un-thought, un-named, but intuited through things already manifested in forms and the performance of those intuited spaces. Montage makes possibilities take new forms. Eisenstein: Architectural Montage. For Eisenstein, a relentless vertigo is determined from the architectural forms interacting with each other. Eisenstein intention was for architectural representations of space to explode into successive stages of montage from decomposition to recomposition as though it were an array of shots. From this, Eisenstein claimed the principles of montage are embodied by architecture. In Montage and Architecture by Eisenstein, he sets out this theory. Two paths of spatial perspectives are contrasted, where the viewer follows an imaginary line created among a series of objects. Varying positions moving in front of a spectator and the architectural, where, the viewer moves through an array of carefully positioned elements which he has viewed in order with a visual sense. Eisenstein claims that the perspective path of the Acropolis constructed by Auguste Choisy depicts composition of the site.  [16]  He asks the reader to view it with the eye of a film maker. Eisenstein claims there are carefully sequenced perspectives here. He suggests that there is a relationship between the viewers pace of movement and the rhythm of the buildings. To him, Choisy has set up a combination of a film shot effect, producing new impressions from each new emerging shot. This creates according to Eisenstein a montage effect, where effect is gained from sequential juxtaposition of these shots. In the movie street Eisenstein shows his interest of cause and effect as a notion of movement. Shots are decomposed and recomposed. Architectural composition is compared to cinematic montage by Eisenstein in an essay on two Piranesi engravings for the early and late states of the Carceri series. The flux of form which contains the potential to explode into a series of successive states Eisensteins theory of space constructions depicted new ideas of architecture as frozen music. Eisenstein compared the basis of architectural composition, massing and the establishment of rhythmic elements to that of music, painting and cinematic montages. Montage: As Frozen Music In The Culture of Fragments Gianmarco Vergani puts forward a proposition for the unification of interdisciplinary arts to create an original art form. This is an area which offers a depth of experimentation. According to the author, the merging of architecture and music can be achieved through two principles, synchronic and diachronic expression.  [17]  He terms music as a diachronic art form as it is derived from change and continuous transformations in time. Architecture on the other hand, is synchronic, it a fixed medium consisting of structure and volumetric elements. This leads to two methodologies by which to create architecture through music. First, music must be reduced to its architectonic dimensions outside of time. Music is then seen as a synchronic structure in which it can be applied to architecture. In the diachronic approach, architecture unfolds through time. Space is read sequentially in time increments and is experienced through the observers movement.  [18]  This is a reversal of positions as the observer is required to move in order to experience the architectural composition unlike the listening of music where the observer remains static whilst enveloped in music. Relationships are formed between the two elements. The author proposes that in music; tone timbre, pitch, dynamics and duration can be extracted while in architecture; texture, material, light, colour, scale. These can be transposed into architectural spaces. In music the pitch is transposed into colour, tones and timbres are transposed into textures and materials. The dynamics of a piece of music can be read as contradiction and increasing scale.  [19]   However, he does claim some limitations in this methodology. He states the art form is not truly fluid or dynamic as it can only become such through the participation of the observer. Architecture is static; representing time in this medium cannot be fully executed. The author proposes that a truly diachronic visualization of music is needed. Folding In Folding in Architecture Greg Lynn declares the importance of defining compositional complexity in architecture. Gregg seeks a progression from the collage aesthetics of Robert Venturis Complexity Contradiction in Architecture and the spatial collage of Deconstructivist Architecture. Greg terms Intricacy as a fusion of components into a continuity creating a whole in which the various elements form a larger composition.  [20]   According to the author, this intricacy is unlike compartmentalisation or hierarchy. Instead it is the variation of components. He aims for the term to move from an understanding of detail in architecture as an isolated component. What is proposed is an architectural system where there are no details in the traditional sense. Instead the detail is everywhere continuously variegated throughout the whole. As mentioned in previous chapters, the loss of structure to Greg was in favour of an infinitesimal component and displacement of a fragmentary collage.  [21]   The infinitesimal is a fragmentary approach to form. It is based on the slipping between single frames and interconnections. From a distance the form possess similarity and in a coherence of detail between varying elements that compromise the structure. According to the author, the composition of the intricate is organic, in that every component interacts and communicates simultaneously. Every instance is affected by every other instance. The outside is not a fixed limit but a moving matter animated by peristaltic movements, folds and foldings that together make up an inside: they are not something other than the outside, but precisely the inside of the outside. Deleuze Foucault p.96-97 Le Pli, the concept of the fold, is Deleuzes architectural philosophy. In which, the fold is seen as continuous multiplicity of differentiation Thus a continuous labyrinth is not a line dissolving into independent points, as flowing sand might dissolve into grains, but resembles a sheet of paper divided into infinite folds or separated into bending movements, each one determined by the consistent or conspiring surroundingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A fold is always folded within a fold, like a cavern in a cavern. The unit of matter, the smallest element of the labyrinth, is the fold, not the point which is never a part, but a simple extremity of the line.  [22]   The fold is the integration of elements that are unrelated into a continuous form. Deleuzes philosophy of the fold offers continuity and variation in the development of a form. To him the form is the conclusion and the process. The Inflection as Delezue describes is the point at which a curve begin to form as either convex or concave. Inflection is the ideal genetic element of the variable curve or fold. The essence of a fold is the temporal nature in which it develops from the inflection to its subsequent position. A memory is maintained of its previous position.  [23]   to unfold is to increase, to grow; whereas to fold is to diminish, to reduce, to withdraw into the recesses of a world.  [24]   An example of this can be viewed in Origami. The folds of which shift from enfolding, unfolding to enveloping. After the first fold, the context begins to reduce in size. The form is unpredictable, after each fold the shapes from the previous fold cease to exist. According to the author, in this instance memory can be enacted through unfolding. A variation of this is Kirigami. The continuity of the folds becomes obstructed by cuts in the fold. This demonstrates conflict and contradiction instead of smoothness and continuity. The folds in origami act as bounding agents between other folds, in Kirigami when a conflict arises, the folds deviate from their continuity and exhibit but not resolve the occurring confliction. In this way, Origami is like folding architecture seeking to realize conflict and contradiction whereas Kirigami is similar to Deconstructivist architecture, it exhibits them. According to Deleuze, multiple is not many parts. It is something that has been folded in many ways. This becomes a unity that envelopes a multiplicity.  [25]   As a by-product of the fold, form and context become surfaces with no distinct interiority or exteriority. The continuous nature of the fold implies a dialogue between time and environment. Case Studies: Montage Strategies Rem Koolhaas who had involvement in cinema as a scriptwriter conveys cinematographic image in some of his plans. In his proposal for the City Hall in The Hague, we see a transfer of the Manhattan skyline to the European City. The famous skyline which is seen so many times in film is utilized here as a movie set made into architecture. Koolhaas breaks down the overall volume into various slabs and uses a series of prisms of differing heights. From a distance, the effect appears like a series of skyscrapers compressed on a flattened image, as would be the view from the opposite side of the river in Manhattan. Since the latter decades of the 20thCentury, fragmentation has been a central issue in architecture. The many different guises of architecture today from postmodern, Deconstructivist and to all subsequent trends are based on fragmentation. A transcript of Rem Koolhaas and Sarah Whilings conversation is quite revealing in this aspect. as an entire object from the exterior of a building. That is what seems to unite the biggest project competitions from 1989 (Zeebrugge, ZKM and Bibliotheque). In some of the projects, the architectural language is quite unstable. The facades and the angles of Porto Case de Musica and Seattle are odd structures which no longer possess a unified identity. For the most parts these projects appear more decon now than they did as part of the 1988 Deconstructivist Exhibition.  [26]   For Koolhaas, the characteristic of Deconstructivism was not in the strange forms, but in the fragmentation. According to Koolhaas, each new building insisted on assembly and integration, the construction of a new whole, which may be unstable but which remains a single entity.  [27]  An example of this are the Seattle and Porto projects which have forms that cannot be recognized as regular geometric shapes but they have in their volume a unity of materials on the outside. In terms of metropolitan scale, Koolhaas has said, A city can obtain a coherence in its planned composition through a system of fragments.  [28]   This is evident in his large scale urban projects where he strives to achieve coherence. According to Koolhaas when a building gets beyond a certain size, it becomes a big building. The volume can no longer be articulated by one architectural gesture nor a combination of gestures. It is this which initiates the autonomy of its elements. This is not fragmentation as the elements remain committed to the overall building. To establish links between independent elements, Koolhaas relies on the programmatic hybridizations, frictions, overlaps, proximities and the superimpositions that are possible in a building of large scale. Montage itself was founded to organize relationships between independent elements. As Maholy-Nagy stated in 1929. The technique of montage is present as efficient in many fields of design. It can be found in methodology, in text, writings and in painting through collage.  [29]   In Soviet avant-garde cinema, Lev Kuleshovs idea of montage can be viewed as an analysis, a dissecting into parts, with the aim of reintegration or as he stated, Montage is a two way operation Montage is the basis of cinema. It enables us to fragment and to reconstruct and finally to remake the material.  [30]   Dualities: Koolhaas utilizes these methods of montage in the urban planning and architectural projects his office undertake. A dualism is present in his use of montage. A decomposition and a reintegration. For example, in Lille Congrexpo, there are three independent sections. The zenith, the conference and the expo which are all juxtaposed without any articulation as though the three sections had been cut from one complete form. The CCTV HQ project in Beijing can be viewed as a single skyscraper which has been divided up into six parts which contain functionally different divisions. In these examples the concept was to concentrate all the activity and program into a single system. The Hyper Building in Bangkok is an assemblage of a series of pieces that maintain their independence in the final building. This is both sculptural and architectural. The building was designed by Koolhaas as a veritable city that groups a vast array of programs together giving the essence of a hybrid building on an urban scale. According to Koolhaas, several buildings fuse together into a larger singular whole which brings together the coexistence of real space and cyberspace, of electronics and real facilities. To him the montage consists of material bodies and immaterial flows. Montage as a collision: Urban Complexity Koolhaas compares the work of an architect with the cinematic montage. Im certain the work of a screenwriter and the processes of an architect are methods based on editing, in creating programmatic, cinematographic or spatial sequence  [31]   The complexity of urban life such as infrastructural congestion is the central themes to many of Koolhaas projects. He highlights these elements through the collision of contrasting elements. As with Eisenstein  [32]  , this collision sometimes occurs at several scales in Koolhaas projects, from the urban scale down to the encounter between materials. The Kunsthal in Rotterdam is an example of this issue. The concept was a square with two routes crossing it. The collision between these routes gives rise to the project. These two infrastructures also cross over other collisions, crossing between ramps and staggered planes, and between these and the horizontal planes. A similar instance can be found in The Euraille project. A tower was placed over the TGV station, this solution was the symbol of infrastructural and programmatic congestion that characterized the architectural operation. Similarly with Eisensteins films, through collisions, the visual and mental conflict involved in this montage is what expresses the concept. In The Hague, a service tunnel comprising of a subway with a station at either end and two car parks with pedestrian entrances, was not designed by Koolhaas to resemble a tree like system. Instead it is a hybrid project, building and infrastructure. The different program elements interpenetrate spatially and form an assemblage in which the flow and the visuals are participants an altering but not segregated perception. The strategy utilized here is that of the montage in which collisions between constituent environments and elements give rise to a richer and clearer spatial experience. The Villa Savoye marked a high point in Le Corbusiers promenade architecturale As a critic explains The movement, in one sense, is more virtual than real, to progress through the building you must engage your imagination  [33]  and if entertainment is associated with the displacement of the viewer, then the house becomes the source of that entertainment. It does this by choreography; there is no fixed image but a series of overlapping images. This architectural effect is clearly associated with cinema  [34]   Sequences There are three relations in an architectural sequence. The first deals with the working method. Secondly, external relations where spaces are juxtaposed and thirdly the program. The mode by which architects traditionally draw implies a transformational sequence. Layers of transparent paper are placed on top of each other. Each has a variation around a theme. An open system of sequencing sees transformation through the addition of new elements which are juxtaposed according to criteria such as narrative or programmatic. However, not all architectural sequences are linear and comprised of spatial additions. Fragmented montages produce structure where meaning is found through order of experience rather than the order of the composition. Mies Pavilion as discussed in previous chapters is an example of this fragmentation of space. Its sequence is organised around a thematic structure and variations.

The Relationship of Torvald and Nora Essay -- A Dolls House Henrik Ibs

The Relationship of Torvald and Nora At the beginning of the play, Nora and Helmer seem to have a happy marriage, although it is quite a childish relationship as Helmer often uses diminutive language and names such as ‘songbird’ or ‘squirrel to talk to Nora. However, by the end of the play Nora seems to have changed. The way Nora speaks changes from being a young girl to being like a woman. Finally, she leaves Torvald. At the start of the play Nora speaks in a very childish manner. You notice this when she says things such as ‘heaps’ and ‘the great blue sky’. This shows that she is mentally naive. She says these things as a child would say them. For example, the lines that she speaks have a lot of exclamation points and as Nora says some things she jumps up and down or claps her hands, this shows the childish way she acts. Torvald speaks to her in very over-romantic language and it seems as though maybe it isn’t real and their love is just part of a game. It is so romantic it seems as though he is trying to convince himself that he loves her. He says things such as ‘squirrel’, ‘lark’ or ‘songbird’. Songbirds are kept in cages so this may have something to do with Nora’s situation as Torvald controls the way she thinks and so she is caged in his world. Torvald also acts very paternally towards Nora and patronises her. Helmer uses the word ‘little’ a lot when he speaks to Nora. He calls her his ‘little Nora’ or ‘little creature’ which shows that their relationship seems to be more paternal than marital. Helmer treats Nora like a daughter. This is really noticeable when he does things like kissing her on the forehead or putting his arm around her. Helmer and Nora play a game and Nora manipulates Hel... ...lived by performing tricks for you, Torvald.’ She also says that Torvald had her as his ‘doll-wife’ and that Torvald played with her as the children played with their dolls. When she announces that she is going to leave him Torvald reacts at first by trying to forbid her from leaving ‘I shall not allow it! I forbid it!’ and since this doesn’t work Helmer tries to use religion as an argument so that she doesn’t leave. Also, he suggests that society will look on her badly, and then he pleads with her not to leave and says that he’ll change for her. However, Nora had her set view even though Helmer tried to use strength, religion and his sweet charm to keep her at home. In the end Nora leaves. She slams the door as she goes which shows a symbolic cut between her former life and the life that she is about to lead. She has finally left her Dolls house.

Financial Management in Non Profit Organizations

ITO-YOKADO COMPANY, LTD. M. Edgar Barrett and Christopher D. Buehler Overview The Ito-Yokado Company consisted of three business segments: Superstores and other Retail Operations (lto-Yokado superstores, Daikum discount stores, York Mart, York Benimaru, Robinson's Department Stores, and Oshman's Sporting Goods); Restaurant Operations (Denny's and Famil Restaurants); and Convenience Store Operations (7-Eleven Japan). Ito- Yokado had just acquired struggling Southland Corporation and transitional long-term strategies for Southland would have to be developed.Although diversified, Southland's largest business segment was its Stores Group responsible for operating and franchising of over 7,500 7-Eleven convenience stores. Masanori Takahashi, a senior strategy analyst for Ito-Yokado was considering the possibility that long-term strategies that had been successful in Japan also could be successful in the United States was vastly different than that of Japan; nevertheless, he was confident that through careful and thorough planning, the goal of making Southland profitable could be achieved. Learning Objectives . To acquaint students with the development of a Japanese company and its move into U. S. markets essay writer service review. 2. To acquaint students with elements of â€Å"Japanese management† through Ito-Yokado's â€Å"operation reform project† and to induce them to question the transferability of marketing across national boundaries. 3. To familiarize students with the nature of retailing in Japan buying essay papers online. 4. To show how Southland Corporation became subject to acquisition by Ito-Yokado Company, Ltd. 5. To present the nature of the convenience store industry in the United States.In mid-March 1991, Masanori Takahashi, a senior strategy analyst for Ito-Yokado Company, was preparing to depart for Dallas, Texas. Once there, he would be leading a team of Japanese and American managers responsible for establishing transitional and l ong-term strategies for the Southland Corporation. After nearly an entire year of intense bargaining and negotiation with Southland and its creditors, Ito-Yokado acquired Southland on March 5, 1991. Takahashi began working with Ito-Yokado in 1972 as an assistant manager of one of the company's superstores. He had advanced to the position of regional manager by 1979.In early 1981, Ito-Yokado's Operation Reform Project was conceived and Takahashi was asked to be a member of the team leading the project. During the first few months on the team, Takahashi quickly understood certain crucial aspects of the new project, most notably the use of point-of-sale (POS) systems. Implementation of the project advanced most rapidly in Ito-Yokado’s 7-Eleven Japan subsidiary, so he also had become familiar with the operating environment of convenience stores in Japan. As Takahashi left his Tokyo office, he could not help but feel both excitement and apprehension regarding his new position.He h ad gained confidence while involved with the successful Operation Reform Project at Ito-Yokado's superstores and 7-Eleven Japan convenience stores, but this experience might or might not prove to be useful in respect to Southland. COMPANY BACKGROUND Ito-Yokado's founder, Masatoshi Ito, was born in 1924 and graduated from a commercial high school in Yokohama. He worked briefly at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries before joining Japan's war effort in 1944. After World War II, he worked with his mother and elder brother at the family's 66-square-foot clothing store in Tokyo. 1 The store was incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Yokado in 1958.By 1960, Ito was in sole control of the family business. During that same year he made his first visit to the United States. In 1960, Ito visited National Cash Register (NCR) in Dayton, Ohio. While in the United States, Ito was introduced to terms such as â€Å"supermarkets† and â€Å"chain stores† by NCR, which was interested in selling cash r egisters to Japanese retailers. In Japan, retailing was dominated by mom-and-pop stores and a handful of venerable department stores, with few types of retail outlets in between. At this time, Ito began to see the possible role of mass merchandisers in a society becoming â€Å"mass-oriented. Ito soon opened a small chain of superstores in the Tokyo area. These stores carried a large selection of household goods, food, and clothing of generally lesser quality and lower price than either the mom-and-pop or department stores. ‘ By 1965, Ito had opened eight superstores. In the same year, the name of the chain was changed to Ito- Yokado. The Growth of Ito- Yokado as a Superstore Ito's concept for the superstores was centered on having the rough equivalent of several types of retail stores contained within one multistory superstore.The initial stores were located near population centers and railroad stations in the Tokyo areas. ‘ Often, several stores were located in close p roximity in order to achieve â€Å"regional dominance. † The results were high name recognition, reduced distribution costs, and the effective squeezing out of competition. Ito soon realized that social changes in Japan could create new opportunities for his retailing ideas. Younger and more mobile Japanese appeared to be less willing to spend a great deal of time shopping at numerous mom-and-pop stores. Also, the Japanese society was experiencing increased suburbanization.Ito decided to locate stores in suburban prefectures. There were 47 prefectures (provinces) in Japan. One reason for locating stores in suburban areas was the lower cost of real estate. This allowed Ito-Yokado to open larger stores with more parking spaces than competitors located in congested urban areas. Ito continued to use a strategy of â€Å"regional dominance† with these new openings, most of which were concentrated in the greater Kanto district, which consists of the Tokyo metropolitan area an d surrounding cities. By the early 1970s, Ito-Yokado stores were opening at the rate of four or five per year.By the late 1970s, nine or 10 new stores ‘were opened annually. † In early 1987, 101 of 127 Ito- Yokado superstores were located in the greater Kanto district. Ito also adopted a strategy of leasing some properties for new stores. As of the mid-1980s, more than 87 percent of Ito-Yokado's aggregate sales floor space, 10 of the company's 11 distribution centers, and the company headquarters in Tokyo were all leased? Often, property prices were astronomical, or the owners of well-located sites would not part with their property for any price. Constraints on GrowthThe initial success of Ito-Yokado and the other superstores soon resulted in retaliatory action by a powerful competitor: the mom-and-pop store owners. These small retailers were said to â€Å"pull the strings of Liberal Democratic Party politicians at the local level. †8 The action initiated by the small retailers resulted in the 1974 Large Store Restriction Act, which was subsequently strengthened in 1979. The original act restricted the opening of stores with sales areas of more than 1,500 square meters (16,500 square feet). In addition, the act restricted the hours of operation of new and existing large stores.A series of changes in 1979 added restrictions on stores with sales areas greater than 500 square meters (5,500 square feet). A Commerce Coordination Committee was established in each area in order to set policy regarding large-store openings and hours of operation. The committees were effectively controlled by the small retailers. By the early 1980s, Ito-Yokado was opening only four or five new stores annually. † Factors other than the Large Store Restriction Act adversely affected Ito-Yokado. Japanese consumers' real disposable income decreased by a little more than 1 percent during 1980-1981. 0 Japan experienced a general economic downturn in the early 1980s, as did the rest of the world, again serving to limit consumer purchasing power. Net income for Ito- Yokado-which had grown almost 30 percent per year between 1976 and 1981-grew by 9. 7 percent in 1982 and by 0. 9 percent in 1983. 11 The legal restrictions imposed on large stores, when combined with the economic downturn, led to both lower current earnings and a projection of reduced rates of growth in future earnings. Ito-Yokado as a Parent Company During the early 1970s, Ito began pursuing new retailing interests.In 1972, he approached Dallas-based Southland Corporation in an attempt to secure a license to operate 7-Eleven stores in Japan. He was rebuffed. He made a similar attempt in 1973 with the aid of a Japanese trading company, C. Ito and Company, and was successful in obtaining the license. Concurrently, Ito was pursuing another U. S. firm, Denny's Restaurants, in an attempt to obtain rights for opening Denny's Restaurants in Japan. Both subsidiaries, Denny's Japan and 7-Ele ven Japan (originally called York Seven but renamed 7-Eleven Japan in 1978), were established in 1973.The first 7-Eleven and the initial Denny's in Japan were both opened in 1974. Stock for each of the two majority- owned subsidiaries was traded independently on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Both subsidiaries became profitable around 1977. ITO-YOKADO IN THE 1980s The Ito-Yokado group consisted of three business segments: Superstores and other Retail Operations, Restaurant Operations, and Convenience Store Operations. The Convenience Store Operations segment was made up of 7-Eleven Japan. The Restaurant Operations segment consisted of Denny's and Famil Restaurants.Ito-Yokado super- stores, Daikuma discount stores, two supermarket chains (York Mart and York-Benimaru), Robinson's Department Stores, and Oshman's Sporting Goods Store made up the Super-stores and other Retail Operations segment. Ito-Yokado's financial statements are shown in Exhibits 1 through 3 in separate attachments. SUPER STORES AND OTHER RETAIL OPERATIONS York Mart and York-Benimaru York Mart was a wholly owned subsidiary established in 1975. In 1990, it operated 40 supermarkets located primarily in the Tokyo area.These stores sold mainly fresh foods and packaged goods, and competition was high in this geographic and retail area. Ito- Yokado's Operation Reform Program was implemented by York Mart in 1986 as a means to boost efficiency and profits. By 1990 sales were increasing at 6 percent per year. See Exhibit 3. Is York-Benimaru was a 29-percent-owned affiliate of to-Yokado, and was an independently managed regional supermarket chain. York-Benimaru operated 51 stores as of 1988. The stores were located in the Fukushima prefecture of Koriyama-city in northern Japan. Like York Mart, York-Benimaru operated with a higher profit margin than the supermarket industry as a whole. York-Benimaru's earnings growth rate of 13 percent per year was expected to last into the 1990s, and Ito-Yokado's share of this profit was the major contribution to the â€Å"equity in earnings of affiliates† portion of Ito- Yokado's income statement (see Exhibit 2). Daikuma Daikuma discount stores were consolidated into the Ito-Yokado group in 1986, when Ito-Yokado's ownership of Daikuma increased from 47. 6 percent to 79. 5 percent. † In 1990, Daikuma was one of the largest discount store chains in Japan with 14 stores.Although Daikuma was popular among young Japanese consumers, the discount stores attracted the critical attention of competing small retailers. Because the discount stores were regulated by the Large Store Regulation Act, intensive effort was required to open new stores. Despite these circumstances, and increasing competition, Daikuma opened two discount stores in 1989. Robinson's Department Stores In 1984, the Robinson's Japan Company was established to open Robinson's Department Stores in Japan. The Robinson's name was used under the terms of a license granted by the U.S. sto re of the same name. The Japanese company was wholly owned by Ito-Yokado, and the first Robinson's Department Store in Japan was opened in November 1985 in Kasukabe City of Saitama Prefecture. This was a residential com- munity north of Tokyo and was a rapidly growing area. Although an Ito- Yokado super- store was located nearby, Ito-Yokado's management believed that a niche existed for a slightly more upscale retail store. Ito-Yokado had â€Å"shattered traditional wisdom by opening up a department store in the suburbs, not in the center of Tokyo. 21 The location was expected to serve a population area of more than 600,000 residents and to offer a broad selection of consumer goods at prices higher than superstores yet lower than the downtown Tokyo department stores. ~ Many of the strategies employed by Ito-Yokado in opening its Robinson's Department Store followed similar strategies employed in its superstores. The land was leased (in a suburb). Instead of purchasing goods on a co nsignment basis as most other department stores did, Robinson's managers were made responsible for the outright purchase of goods from suppliers.This allowed Robinson's to purchase goods at a significantly reduced price. Robinson's reported its first profit in fiscal 1989, approximately four years after opening. † In contrast, most Japanese department stores operate approximately 10 years before reporting a profit. The single Robinson's location grossed about ? 28 billion (US$220 million) in fiscal 1989. 24 The second Robinson's Department Store opened in late 1990 in Utsunomiya, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Tokyo. Oshman's Sporting GoodsIto-Yokado licensed the Oshman's Sporting Goods name from the Houston, Texas, parent company in 1985. That year, two stores were opened. One of the stores was located inside the original Robinson's Department Store. RESTAURANT OPERATIONS The Famil Restaurant chain was started in 1979 as an in-store restaurant to serve customers at Ito-Yokado superstores. It had; however, expanded to 251 locations by 1988. 25 The Famil chain did not record its first positive earnings until 1986. In Famil's attempts to expand operations, the company had emphasized its catering business. By 1990, the in-store operations (those located in Ito- Yokado superstores) accounted for 45 percent of Famil's sales, the catering business accounted for 32 percent of sales, and freestanding stores accounted for 23 percent of sales. † Denny's Japan Ito-Yokado opened the initial Denny's (Japan) Restaurant in 1974 with a license from Denny's of La Mirada, California. Ito-Yokado tailored the U. S. family restaurant to the Japanese market, and Denny's Japan became profitable around 1977. By 1981, 100 Denny's Japan restaurants had been established. † and in 1990 there were 320 such restaurants operated by Ito-Yokado. In 1990, Ito-Yokado controlled 51 percent of Denny's Japan stock. In the early 1980s. Ito-Yokado decided that Denny's Jap an should purchase all rights to the Denny's name in Japan. The purchase was made in 1984, and royalty payments to the U. S. parent were thereby discontinued. In fiscal year 1990 (March 1989 to February 1990), Denny's Japan reported a net annual sales increase of 10. 9 percent, as compared with the 4. 9 percent Japanese restaurant industry sales increase for the same period= Exhibits 4 and 5 contain financial statements for Denny's Japan.In 1988, Denny's Japan began using an electronic order-entry system, which allowed managers of individual restaurants to quickly order food sup- plies based on trends in their own restaurants. It also allowed for the periodic updating of menus to reflect new food items. See exhibits 4 and 5. CONVENIENCE STORE OPERATIONS 7-Eleven Japan Since the opening of the first 7-Eleven store in 1974, the chain had grown to more than 4,300 stores located in virtually all parts of Japan by February 1990. 32 At that time, about 300 new stores were being opened ann ually.Ito-Yokado owned approximately 50. 3 percent of 7-Eleven Japan in 1990. Originally, young urban workers represented the primary customer base. As 7-Eleven penetrated the Japanese market, however, almost everyone became a potential customer. In Tokyo, for example, utility bills could be paid at the chain's stores. The 7-Eleven stores were small enough, with an average of only 1,000 square feet, to effectively avoid regulation under the Large Store Regulation Act. This allowed 7- Eleven to compete with the mom-and-pop retailers on the basis of longer hours of operation and lower prices.Faced with this competition, many of the small retailers joined the ranks of 7-Eleven. By converting small retailers to 7-Eleven stores, Ito-Yokado was able to expand rapidly and blanket the country† 7-Eleven Japan pursued a strategy of franchising stores instead of owning them. The franchise commission for 7-Eleven stores was approximately 45 percent of the gross profit of the store (the co mmission was 43 percent for 24-hour stores). Ito-Yokado provided most of the ancillary functions for each store (e. g. , administration, accounting, advertising, and 80 percent of utility costs).In 1987, 92 percent of all 7-Eleven stores in Japan were franchised. † and by 1990, only 2 percent of the 7-Elevens were corporate owned. † Within the Ito-Yokado group, 7-Eleven contributed 6. 8 percent of revenues in 1990. With this relatively small portion of overall corporate revenues, however, 7- Eleven Japan contributed more than 35 percent of the group's profit. Under its licensing agreement, 7-Eleven Japan paid royalties of 0. 6 percent of gross sales to the Southland Corporation. In 1989 and 1990, 7-Eleven Japan paid royalties of about $4. 1 million and $4. million, respectively. The financial statements for 7-Eleven Japan for the years 1986 to 1990 are shown in Exhibits 6 and 7. OPERATION REFORM PROJECT Ito-Yokado implemented the Operation Reform Project in late 1981 in a retail industry environment punctuated by reduced consumer spending and decreasing margins. The goals of the project were to increase efficiency and boost profitability by increasing the inventory turn while avoiding empty store shelves. The plan was originally implemented in the Ito- Yokado Superstores and the 7- Eleven Japan convenience stores.The implementation of the project involved a coordinated effort of catering to rapidly changing consumer preferences while, simultaneously, monitoring merchandise flow more closely. This coordination was accomplished by making individual store managers more responsible for such decisions as what merchandise was to be stocked on store shelves, thus allowing managers to tailor merchandise selection in their individual stores to local preferences. Top Ito-Yokado regional managers held weekly meetings with store managers to monitor the implementation of the project.As late as 1988, these meetings were still held on a weekly basis. † In o rder to avoid depletion of store stocks, Ito-Yokado established an on-line ordering system with vendors. In 1982, the ordering system reached only 400 vendors. By 1988, however, the system linked Ito- Yokado with 1,860 vendors. Point-of-Sale System As implementation of the Operation Reform Project began, Ito-Yokado paid increased attention to the importance of obtaining information regarding the flow of merchandise through individual stores. The tool chosen to accomplish this task was the point-of-sale system.POS system usage was increasing in the United States in the early 1980s, but the systems were used primarily to increase productivity at the cash register. In contrast, Ito- Yokado used similar systems as a part of the project by monitoring specific merchandise flow. As of the late 1980s, many retailers in the United States had begun utilizing POS in similar capacities, and some had begun to use POS to track the purchases of individual consumers. The first use of POS systems in Japan came in 1982, when 7-Eleven Japan began installing them in its stores. By 1986, every 7-Eleven store in Japan was equipped with such a system. The systems available were sophisticated enough to monitor the entire stock of merchandise in a typical convenience store having about 3,000 items. ‘ The systems could monitor the flow of every item of merchandise through the purchase, inventory, sale, and restocking stages. In late 1984, Ito-Yokado decided to install POS systems in the superstores. The sophistication of those systems installed in convenience stores, however, was not adequate to handle the merchandise flow of a superstore, which could stock up to 500,000 items. † New POS systems were developed n a coordinated effort by Ito-Yokado, Nippon Electric, and Nomura Computer Services. The installation of POS systems in the existing superstores was completed in November 1985, with more than 8,000 POS registers installed in 121 stores. † With 138 stores in 1990 , Ito-Yokado had an estimated 9,000 POS registers in the superstores alone. In 1986, after the systems had been installed in all superstores and 7-Elevens, Ito- Yokado accounted for about 70 percent of the POS systems in use in Japan as of 1988; 7-Eleven Japan was the only major convenience store chain in Japan to have installed POS systems. By August 31, 1989, Japan had 119,137 POS scanner-equipped registers in 42,880 stores, making it the country with the most POS systems in use. † The POS systems used by 7-Eleven Japan and Ito-Yokado superstores were upgraded in 1986 to add a new dimension to Ito-Yokado's Operation Reform Project. The upgraded systems allowed for bidirectional communication with the company headquarters. This feature essentially allowed information to flow not only from individual stores to a central location, but also from the central location back to individual stores.By linking the central system to other computer systems, more information than just sale s of retail items could be transmitted. This capability allowed Ito-Yokado to increase the efficiency of deliveries by centralizing some orders. By increasing the total size of orders, Ito-Yokado increased its bargaining position with distributors. One result of this bargaining strength was more frequent deliveries of smaller volume. From 1987 to 1988, deliveries increased from one to three per week for stores in many regions of Japan, notably the Tokyo, Hokkaido, and Kyushu areas.Using the POS systems, 7-Eleven began to offer customers door-to-door parcel delivery in conjunction with Nippon Express. In addition, some POS terminals were being used to issue prepaid telephone credit cards+' Since October 1987, Tokyo-area customers had been able to pay their electric bills at 7-Eleven; since March 1988, they had also been able to pay their gas bills Women traditionally manage household finances in Japan, so these services were designed to attract more women customers to the convenience stores. Results For the Ito-Yokado superstores alone, average days of inventory decreased from 25. in 1982 to 17. 3 in 1987. By 1990, it was estimated to be 13 days. The effect on operating margins and net income for the entire Ito-Yokado Corporation was equally dramatic. In 1982, the company's operating margin stood at 5. 1 percent. It had increased to 8. 1 per- cent by 1987. By 1990, the operating margin had climbed to 10. 5 percent. Net income for the corporation increased from ? 14,662 million in 1982 to ? 34,649 million in 1987, and ? 58,465 million in 1990. 7-Eleven Japan recorded similar increases in operating margins and net income during the same period.In 1982, 7-Eleven Japan's operating margin was 20. 7 percent. It had increased to 34. 6 percent by 1987. Net income from the 7-Eleven operations increased from ? 7,837 million in 1982 to ? 33,000 million in 1987. As of 1990, the Ito-Yokado Corporation was the second largest retailer in Japan, with ? 1,664,390 million of ann ual gross sales. The leading retailer was Daiei, with ? 2,114,909 million of revenues. Ito- Yokado was, however, the most profitable retailer in Japan, with net income of ? 58,465 million. In comparison, Daiei recorded net income of only ? 9,457 million for 1990.Financial statements for Daiei are shown as Exhibits 8 and 9. THE SOUTHLAND CORPORATION The Southland Corporation began in Dallas, Texas, in 1927 when Claude S. Dawley consolidated several small Texas ice companies into the Southland Ice Company. This new company was under the direction of 26-year-old Joe C. Thompson, Sr. Under Thompson's guidance, Southland began to use its retail outlets (curb service docks) to sell products in addition to ice, such as watermelon, milk, bread, eggs, and cigarettes. With the addition of these products, the concept of the convenience store was born.During the Great Depression and the 1940s, Southland's convenience store business added several more products, including gasoline, frozen foods, beauty products, fresh fruit and vegetables, and picnic supplies. Because the store opened at 7 AM and remained open till 11 PM, the store name 7-Eleven was adopted during this time. The 1950s were a period of substantial growth in terms of the number of stores and of 7-Eleven's geographical coverage. The first stores located outside of Texas were opened in Florida in 1954. During the same year, 7-Eleven's operating profit surpassed the $1 million mark for the first time.By 1959, the entire 7-Eleven empire constituted 425 stores in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and several other East Coast states. John Thompson became president of Southland when his father, Jodie Thompson, died in 1961. During the 1960s, a population migration toward the suburbs and changing lifestyles presented Southland with new growth opportunities. John Thompson lead Southland on the path of expansion, and more than 3,000 stores were opened in the decade. The product line of 7-Eleven also grew during this time to i nclude prepared foods, rental items, and some self-service gasoline pumps.The 1970s were also a period of achievement for Southland. In 1971, the $1 billion sales mark was surpassed. Southland- stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972, and the 5,OOOth store was opened in 1974. It was at this time that Masatoshi Ito approached Southland with the prospect of franchising 7-Eleven stores in Japan. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Southland's activities became more diversified. In 1986, the company had four operating groups: the Stores Group, the Dairies Group, the Special Operations Group, and the Gasoline Supply Division.The Stores Group represented the largest of the operating groups in terms of sales through the 1980s. The Stores Group was responsible for the operating and franchising of convenience stores. At the end of 1985, there were 7,519 7-Eleven stores in most of the United States and five provinces of Canada. This group was also responsible for 84 Gristede' s and Charles & Company food stores. 38 Super-7 outlets, and 7-Eleven stores operated under area licensees in the United States, Canada, and several Pacific Rim countries, including Japan.The Dairies Group was one of the nation's largest dairy processors in 1986 and served primarily the Stores Group, although aggressive marketing in the 1980s targeted service to institutional dairy needs. This group operated in all of the United States and parts of Canada. The Special Operations Group consisted of Chief Auto Parts (acquired in 1979); Pate Foods (a snack food company): Reddy Ice (the world's largest ice company); and Tidel Systems (a manufacturer of cash dispensing units and other retailer equipment).The Gasoline Supply Division was formed in 1981 to serve the gasoline requirements of the more than 2,800 7-Eleven stores handling gasoline. This division's history was punctuated by the 1983 acquisition of Cities Service Refining, Marketing, and Transportation businesses (CITGO) from Oc cidental Petroleum. Southland's Recent Activities Southland's dramatic growth and diversification during the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in 7-Eleven having a dominant position in the convenience store industry.Despite this position, circumstances since the mid-1980s had greatly eroded 7-Eleven and Southland's strengths. The oil price collapse of early 1986 was the sharpest drop of crude oil prices in history. The instability of crude oil and wholesale refined products, coupled with CITGO's inventory methods and various write-downs, resulted in only modest income for a previously very profitable company. The volatility of CITGO's financial position greatly affected Southland's earnings. Southland's equity interest in CITGO contributed to a $52 million loss for the entire corporation in 1986.In order to reduce the impact of an unstable crude oil market and the accompanying volatility of CITGO's earnings, South- land entered into a joint venture with Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) i n late 1986. The joint venture with PDVSA had several components. Southland sold a half- interest in CITGO to a subsidiary of PDVSA for $290 million. In addition, PDVSA agreed to both supply CITGO with a minimum of 130,000 barrels of crude oil per day and pro- vide its share of CITGO's working capital requirements. A takeover attempt of Southland occurred in April 1987.Canadian financier Samuel Belzberg approached the Southland board of directors with an offer of $65 per share of common stock. Unwilling to relinquish control of Southland, the Thompson family tendered $77 per share for two-thirds of the outstanding shares in July 1987. The other third of the shares would be purchased at $61 per share (plus $16 per share of new preferred shares) by the would-be private Southland Corporation. Financing for this acquisition came from $2 billion in loans from a group of banks and a $600 million bridge loan from Goldman, Sachs and Salomon Brothers. An additional $1. billion was generated by the issue of subordinated debentures Gunk bonds) in November 1987. This occurred after the stock and junk bond markets crashed in October 1987. Southland's investment bankers had to sell the bonds at a blended rate of almost 17 percent, instead of the anticipated rate of 14. 67 percent. The Thompson family emerged from the buyout owning 71 percent of Southland at a total cost of $4. 9 billion. Paying the High Costs of a Leveraged Buyout After Southland had been taken private through the leveraged buyout (LBO), significant changes occurred in both Southland and 7-Eleven operations.Southland was restructured, with the elimination of two levels of middle managers. During this time, Southland began selling more 7-Eleven stores than it opened in the United States and Canada. Due to the increased number of licensees opening stores overseas, however, the total number of stores worldwide continued to increase. 7-Eleven Japan was primarily responsible for this increase, with the opening o f 340 stores in 1988 and 349 stores in 1989. Southland also divested itself of many large assets in the 1988 to 1990 period (see Exhibit 10).Significant in this group of divestments were the entire Dairy Group, more than 100 7-Eleven stores in the continental United States, Southland's remaining interest in CITGO (sold to PDVSA), and 7-Eleven Hawaii, (purchased by 7-Eleven Japan). In November 1989, 7-Eleven Japan purchased 58 stores and additional properties from Southland. These properties and stores, which were located in Hawaii, were exchanged for $75 million in cash. The 58 convenience stores were organized as 7- Eleven Hawaii, which was established as a subsidiary of 7-Eleven Japan.As of December 31,1990, Southland operated 6,455 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States and Canada, 187 High's Dairy Stores, and 63 Quick Mart and Super-7 Stores. Southland owned 1,802 properties on which 7-Eleven stores were located. Another 4,643 7-Eleven stores in the United States and C anada were leased. In addition the company possessed 234 store properties held for sale, of which 109 were unimproved. 77 were closed stores! and 48 were excess properties adjoining store locations. Three of Southland's four food-processing facilities were owned (the other was leased).The company owned six properties in the United States on which distribution centers were located. Five of the six distribution centers were company owned. Until December 1990 the company had also owned its corporate headquarters (called City- place) located near downtown Dallas. 59 Financial statements for Southland Corporation are shown in Exhibits 11 and 12. THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF SOUTHLAND BY ITO-YOKADO The divestments of 1988, 1989, and 1990 constituted attempts by Southland to generate sufficient cash to service the massive debt incurred from the LBO of 1987.By early 1990, however, it was apparent that the cash generated from these divestments and Southland's operations was not sufficient to cov er its interest expense. Some experts estimated that Southland's cash shortfalls would reach $89 million in 1990 and more than $270 million in 1991. 60 Southland's long-term debt still totaled about $3. 7 billion, and interest expense alone in the first three quarters of 1989 was almost $430 million. † In March of 1990, Southland announced that it was seeking â€Å"rescue† by Ito-Yokado. Proposed Acquisition of Southland by Ito- YokadoSouthland had â€Å"looked at possibilities of receiving assistance from other U. S. companies, but decided that†¦ Ito-Yokado was the best potential partner. â€Å"63 The original proposal would have resulted in Ito-Yokado receiving 75 percent ownership of Southland for $400 million. This proportion of Southland would be split between Ito- Yokado and 7- Eleven Japan, with 7- Eleven Japan obtaining two-thirds of the 75 percent share. The deal was contingent on Southland's ability to swap its outstanding publicly traded debt for stock and zero-coupon (non-interest-bearing) bonds.The publicly traded debt amounted to approximately $1. 8 billion. There were five classes of public debt, ranging in type and interest paid. The interest rate of the bonds varied from 13. 5 percent to 18 percent. Ito-Yokado's offer was also contingent on 95 percent of all bond- holders of each public debt issue accepting the swap. Under this original proposal, the Thompson family would retain a 15 percent stake in Southland, and the remaining 10 percent of the company would be held by bondholders.The original proposal had a deadline of June 14, 1990, at which time either Ito- Yokado or Southland could cancel the agreement. Neither party indicated that such action would be taken, even though Southland's bondholders balked at the swap proposal. A bigger problem was facing the two companies: a rapidly approaching interest payment due on June 15, 1990. Southland's failure to pay the $69 million payment would result in Southland having a 30-d ay grace period in which to compensate bond- holders. At the end of the 30-day period, unpaid bondholders could try to force South- land into bankruptcy court. Revisions to the Proposed Buyout Southland did not make its scheduled interest payment that was due on June 15, 1990. Bondholders, meanwhile, had shown little regard for the original deal struck between Ito-Yokado and Southland. Three more revisions of the proposed debt restructuring and terms for the buyout were submitted between mid-June and mid-July 1990. In each revision, either Ito- Yokado's or the Thompson family's stake in Southland was reduced and the share of Southland stock offered to bondholders increased.With each revision came increased bondholder support, yet this support was far short of either the two-thirds majority (as required in Chapter 11 restructuring cases) or the 95 percent acceptance rate dictated by Ito-Yokado, As revisions were submitted, the expiration dates of the debt restructuring and stock purc hase by Ito- Yokado were extended. On July 16, a bondholder filed suit against Southland for failure to pay interest on June 15, because on July 15 Southland's grace period had expired. By September 12, a majority of bondholders had tendered their notes. This majority was still far short, however, of the 95 percent swap requirement dictated by Ito-Yokado. The deadlines were extended to September 25 for both the debt swap offer by Southland and the stock purchase offer by Ito-Yokado. As Southland was apparently headed for involuntary bankruptcy filing under Chapter 11, the proposal again seemed in jeopardy. Acceptance of the Proposed Buyout The deadline for Southland's debt swap offer was again extended. Bondholder approval was finally obtained in late October.Ito-Yokado's offer to buyout Southland was extended to March 15, 1991, pending court approval of the prepackaged bankruptcy dea1. The bankruptcy-court petition for approval of the prepackaged debt restructuring was filed on Oct ober 24,1990. Although Southland did not have sufficient bondholder approval as dictated by Ito-Yokado, the bankruptcy court proceedings were swift. The last few bondholders who held out were placated in January when the Thompsons relinquished warrants for half of their 5 percent stake of Southland's stock. † On February 21, 1991, the U. S. ankruptcy court in Dallas approved the reorganization of Southland.?! At that time, at least 93 per- cent of the holders of each class of debt issued by Southland had approved the reorganization. On March 5, 1991, Ito-Yokado purchased 71 percent of Southland's stock for $430 million. Two-thirds of this stock was purchased by 7-Eleven Japan, and the other third purchased directly by Ito-Yokado. The terms of the accepted debt-restructuring agreement between Southland and its bondholders are shown in Exhibit 13. THE CONVENIENCE STORE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATESThe convenience store industry in the United States changed dramatically during th e decade of the 1980s. The number of convenience stores in the United States, the gross sales of these stores, and the gross margins all increased during this time period. The net income of convenience stores, however, decreased significantly. This outcome was largely the result of the rapid expansion of several chains of convenience stores and the increased number of convenience stores opened by oil companies. Aggregate Measures of the Industry The number of convenience stores grew from about 39,000 in 1982 to more than 70,000 in 1989.From 1985 to 1989, industry sales increased from $51. 4 billion to $67. 7 billion, an increase of 6. 3 percent per year. Gross margins increased from 22. 8 percent in 1985 to 26. 2 percent by 1988. Despite such growth, convenience store operations experienced a decrease in net profit in the late 1980s. The total industry pretax profit peaked in 1986 at $1. 4 billion, fell to $1. 16 billion in 1988, and plummeted to $271 million in 1989. Some trends ar e shown in Exhibit 14. The expansion of convenience stores in the 1980s was led by large convenience store chains and oil companies.In addition to the growth experienced by the Southland Corporation's 7-Eleven, Circle-K, a Phoenix-based convenience store chain, expanded from 1,200 stores in 1980 to 4,700 stores in 1990. The Role of the Oil Companies The impact of oil companies on the convenience store industry had been significant. Virtually all of the major U. S. oil companies began combining convenience store operations with gasoline stations in order to boost profits. In 1984, Exxon opened its first combination convenience store and gas station. By 1989, it had 500.Texaco operated 950Food Marts in the same year. From 1984 to 1989, the number of convenience stores operated by oil companies increased from 16,000 to 30,000. Gasoline sold at a lower margin (about 6 percent in 1984) than nongasoline convenience store products (32 percent in the same year), so the sale of convenience s tore items presented an opportunity for those gas stations with good locations (i. e. , street comers) to increase profits. In order to capitalize on the potential for higher profits in retailing, the major oil companies boosted their marketing expenditures.In 1979, the petroleum industry spent about $2. 2 billion for their marketing efforts. By 1988, these expenditures were almost $5 billion. The convenience stores operated by oil companies were growing in both number and size. In 1986, only about 20 percent of the oil company convenience stores were 1,800 or more square feet in size (the size of about 90 percent of traditional convenience stores). By 1990, however, more than 50 percent of the oil company convenience stores were between 1,800 and 3,000 square feet in size. â€Å"? Merchandise Trends for Convenience StoresBecause of the intensified retailing efforts of oil companies and large convenience store chains, some trends (other than those mentioned previously) evolved. In 1985, gasoline accounted for 35. 4 percent of convenience store sales. By 1989, gasoline accounted for 40 percent of sales. † The gross profit margin for gasoline sales had increased from 7. 3 per- cent to 11. 7 percent more than the same period. â€Å"? Of the 61,000 convenience stores in the United States in 1985,55 percent sold gasoline, and in 1989, 65 percent of 70,200 convenience stores sold gasoline.In 1989, 75 percent of the new convenience stores built were equipped to sell gasoline. † Although gasoline sales and margins became an increasingly significant contributor to convenience store revenues, contributions of revenue from other merchandise stagnated. In 1985, merchandise (other than gasoline) sales for the convenience store industry amounted to $33. 2 billion. In 1,989, sales reached $40. 6 billion. † This increase in merchandise sales, however, was offset by the large number of store openings. In 1985, the average yearly merchandise sales per store was $544,000.This number increased to only $578,000 in 1989. THE SETTING While flying from Japan to the United States, Takahashi reflected on the success that both Ito-Yokado and 7-Eleven Japan had enjoyed over the course of many years. These achievements were the result of long-term strategies that were carefully tailored to the Japanese market. Could these same, or similar, strategies be the foundation for making Southland financially successful again? He realized that the convenience store industry in the United States was vastly different from that of Japan.Nevertheless, he was confident that, through careful and thorough planning, the goal of making Southland profitable could be achieved. -11 pts if late (after 6pm of due date) and additional -5pts for each day thereafter for max late points of -26 pts. Lists the Strengths / Weaknesses/ Opportunities / Threats for the Ito-Yokado Company (total 10 pts) SWOT analysis. Strengths (list and briefly discuss only 3) 1 pt each for tota l of 3 pts. SWOT, defined as the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is an organizational tool used to analyze core competencies of a business.And like most businesses the Ito-Yokado Group consisting of three business segment (superstores and retail operations, restaurants operations, and convenience store operations) is no different. The strategies used to expand its operations Point of sale register, diversified portfolio, name(branding) and strategic location Weaknesses (list and briefly discuss only 2) 1 pt each for total of 2 pts Opportunities (list and briefly discuss only 2) 1 pt each for total of 2 pts The need for new ideas, real estates, the most vulnerable (younger generation) Threats (list and briefly discuss only 3) 1 pt each for total of 3 pts.The threats faced by the Ito-Yokado Group are: competition from mom and pops store, decrease in disposable income and Large Store Restriction Acts. As discussed in the article, the Large Store Restriction Acts influen ce by rival competitors makes it challenging for the organization to cater to its consumer needs. The result is not only deprived customer, but decrease in revenue, as the laws restrict the size of the store, making it impossible to grow different variety in store products.Another threat is consumer income, the limited consumer income, means consumer has limited amount for discretionary spending. And last but not least is the competition from mom and pops stores. These types of small businesses despite their sizes can pose a real threat for large companies such as 7-Eleven, reason being, is the fact that they are better known and rooted within the community. Essay questions to be answered in detail. (18 pts for each question for total of 90 pts) 1.What were some of the primary reasons for Ito-Yokado's remarkable degree of success during the past several decades? Globalization in my opinion was one of the biggest factors in the company success. Today’s market makes fierce comp etition therefore businesses no longer can afford to operate locally. In order for them to be successful, they must join the rest of the world in forming partnership through Joint Ventures, Franchising, Licensing, and Foreign Subsidiaries. While the advantages of globalization exist, it is not without its disadvantages.The transformation of a company from a local organization into a transnational organization is not an easy task mainly because of the various laws, time, efforts, and monetary investment that one must be able to shoulder before taking on such venture. The factors listed include, but are not limited to political stability, relationship between the two countries, licenses fees, market responsiveness, and the cost can determine the successfulness of a business. In addition, the careful planning and leadership ability can also determine whether or not a business can make the transformation successfully.As a leader one of the primary goals is to have a vision that can be c ommunicated down the chain. And as demonstrated by Ito-Yokado, he clearly demonstrated his vision for the company by strategically expanding the company’s operations into three different segment ranging from retail stores, restaurants chain and convenient stores. The result was a diversified portfolio with increase revenue. Another reason of success can be measured by the risk decision made by the company’s leaders. With any operation whether personal or professional, one must be willing to take isk, a risk in which the benefits outweigh the cost. Although the transformation from the Japanese market to the American was uncertain, because of factors such as consumer responsiveness, income, laws and applicable regulations, the decisions to invest into the various markets was worthwhile all because of proper planning and market response. The result was a successful Ito-Yokado group. 2. How did Ito-Yokado’s 7-Eleven Japan differ from Southland's 7-Eleven operations during the 1980s? While the two shares the same name the difference in their operations where obvious.The 7-Eleven in Japan compared to that of Southland differ in their operation that is, the door-to-door parcel delivery by Nippon, the convenience of bill pay for its customers, faster growth opportunities through franchising. Because of the Large Store Restriction Act, the company was limited in growth to expand its physical location; as a result, they resort to a smaller size stores strategically located in suburban areas. This venture was a deliberate marketing strategy used to penetrate the most vulnerable areas (suburbs) and fight off competitions brought on by the moms and pops stores.While the 7-Japan thrive in its operations of smaller stores with over 3000 items with point of sales register, their counterpart was not far behind. Under the leadership of John Thompson, the 7-Eleven in Southland were able to operate convenience stores with expanded products and services includ ing; low cost gasoline, and prepared food. Despite troubles with the oil industry, the 7-Eleven of Southland was able to form a partner with Oil Company such as CITGO and largest ice producer Reddy Ice. The result was a perfect union that brought about increase revenues.The union however, was short lived, as the company profit plummeted and had to file for bankruptcy. 3. What are Ito-Yokado and Z-Eleven Japan getting for their $430 million? 4. What is your prognosis for Southland under Ito-Yokado ownership? Will Ito-Yokado be successful? Based on the article, it is apparent the management and leadership of Ito-Yokado Group are making the right decisions and stirring the company in the right direction. This is evident through it increase franchising of stores and increase revenue. While the Group might be successful in Japan, areful consideration must be given to the market in the United States. As noted in the reading, the Southland Group under the leadership of John Thompson has ha d its share of misfortune mainly because of the oil industry. The fall in oil prices and volatility of the market resulted in loss of profit and buyout. While the venture of acquiring Southland Group, Ito-Yokado, must ensure it does it homework, with proper study of the US market. They must also, realize that the US market is one of capitalism with fierce competition.Unlike Japan, there are no such rules as the Large Store Restriction Act, as long as the proper conditions are met with the right paperwork, a business can expand as necessary. Another determining factor is the need for the product. yes the idea to expand is great! However, is it cost effective or will the company be better off 5. Is 1to-Yokado a global company? Explain your answer. The answer whether Ito-Yokado was a global company would be yes based on the fact that the company operate in more than one country with various subsidiaries.Ito-Yokado, will be consider Multinational Corporation simply because the operation and production of its products and services were done both in the United States and Japan. In addition the trading of its stocks was offered on both the NYSE, and the Japanese trading markets, thereby influencing the economy of both nations. Another important factor is the fact that nowadays, globalization makes it almost impossible for businesses to operate locally. For this reason they must be willing and able to compete on a global stage with numerous