“Employee Recognition in Relation to Motivation Theories”

Abstract Employee motivation is a topic widely researched noting numerous motivational theories and concepts. Similarly there has been much discussion on the many factors that influence an employee’s level of motivation. Those factors include monetary rewards, employee involvement, training development, employee recognition programs, etc. This paper will discuss review motivational theories developed based on the concept of â€Å"needs† and other motivational philosophies, as well as discuss the correlation between the motivational theories and employee recognition. Introduction The term â€Å"motivation†, which is defined using various terminologies, is often used to describe different types of behavior. Motivation is the â€Å"internal state or the†¦show more content†¦In this positive view, McGregor identifies that employees regard work as a natural activity. (Robbins, 2005) This premise led to the belief that motivation occurs due to an individuals’ drive to satisfy their needs. McGregor identified those managers of Theory Y type employees believed that people inherently like to work. A result of this belief the manager pushes more responsibility on the employee in an attempt shape employee’s goals to align with the organization. Following the steps of Maslow and McGregor, Frederick Herzberg developed a motivational theory based on the â€Å"needs† concept. Trying to answer the question â€Å"what do people want from work†, he developed the â€Å"Two Factor† theory. (Robbins, 2005) Based up on his studies he believed that satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work arose from different factors, and was not simply opposing reactions. Hygiene needs are defined as company policy, work conditions, relationship with supervisor, and salary by Herzberg. He believed that people strive to achieve hygiene needs because without them they are unhappy, but once satisfied the effect will wear off. End result or meaning is that satisfaction is temporary. This factor indicates that people are not motivated by addressing these hygiene needs, fulfillment just appeases the individual. Herzberg’s second factor is identifying â€Å"motivators†, suggesting that individuals areShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Behavioural Theories Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pages Organisational Behavioural Theories Organisational theory is the idea and principle about how the work could be done by investigating through different perceptive. Throughout the last century, scholars, psychologists and behaviour scientists have contributed in developing of new theories for the organisations to achieve more by allocating their workers to make more productive and most of those theories did well in old times. But at the turn of the next century, thing haveRead MoreFrederick Herzbergs Theory Of Motivation And Employee Dissatisfaction959 Words   |  4 PagesTwo-Factor Theory This theory is described as the most influential theory relevant to work redesign, and it has prompted a great deal of research and inspired several successful change projects involving the redesign of work (Hackman, 1976). Frederick Herzberg’s theory of motivation is based on two factors; hygiene factors and motivators (Gulati at el., 2014). Herzberg discovered that employees tended to describe satisfying experiences in terms motivators and included things like achievement,Read MoreTypes of Motivation1118 Words   |  5 PagesMotivation is defined as the accumulation of different process which influence and direct our behavior to achieve a goal (Negussie, 2012). According to Deci, there are two broad classes of motivation, which are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. 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Determining what motivates each individual is notRead MoreMotivation of Workers Essay1061 Words   |  5 PagesMotivation of Workers Having a motivated workforce is vital for most businesses, since it can lead to higher rates of productivity, better quality output, and low rates of absenteeism and labour turnover. The main factors which affect the motivation of workers are pay levels, job security, promotional prospects, being given responsibilities, working conditions, fringe benefits, participation in decision-making and working in a team. Motivational Theories Read MoreEmployee Retention Practices And Motivation Theories865 Words   |  4 PagesWeek 3 reading was related to motivation theories and explained the employee motivation affects on employee retention. Reading, examines how developing and implementing employee retention practices create a competitive advantage. This reading provides a connection between the effective employee retention practices and motivation theories as well as how these efforts serve as a strategy to increasing organizational performance. Also, making the case for financial importance in maintaining suchRead MoreEmployee Satisfaction Variables Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesEmployee Satisfaction Variables Employee Satisfaction: Employee satisfaction is considered to be a key indicator of productivity and customer satisfaction. Employee satisfaction is a key to the success of the organization. The Companys ability to fulfill the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of its employees is employee satisfaction. Satisfaction: Satisfaction is the psychological state that indicates how a person feels about his or her situation, based on an evaluation ofRead MoreAn Article The Fortune 100 And Their Fitness And Wellness Programs1272 Words   |  6 Pagesgender equality, good and flexible work organization permitting better reconciliation of working and personal life, lifelong learning, health and safety at work, employee involvement and diversity in working life.† (2012) . In an article The Fortune 100 and their Fitness and Wellness Programs, we can find the examples of such managerial attitude. For instance, Walmart provides its 1.1 million associates and family members with health care plans with access to affordable, comprehensive medical coverage

Sociology and Air Force Essay - 1046 Words

SOCIO-AUTOBIOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER PERSING February 9, 2014 PROFESSOR J. JOHNSON The older and more grounded I become in the middle age phase of my life, the more aware I am of the person I have become and how the choices made both myself and my family have formed what is known as â€Å"My Life†. My family traditions, upbringing and values have influenced my biological, cultural views and values allowing me to formulate a life, principles, and a family similar in some aspects to my family, who raised me, while other aspects are astoundingly different. With my life and career goals very different from that of my parents’ lives and their expectations these influences by class, culture, and ethical teachings are†¦show more content†¦To further monopolize more of my mothers’ time, she felt it necessary to play her maternal roll and had a fifth child nine years later. (TCO 1, 2, 3, 4,5) Growing older through my adolescent and teen years and trying to escape the shadows of three older brothers and a younger sister, I forged the wrong path academically, while looking for acceptance from peers which usually resulted with hanging with the wrong crowd. I fortunately developed good work ethic and habits because my father insisted we all work during the summer months to minimize the possibility of, kids being kids, and me getting into trouble. Upon graduating high school, by the skin of my teeth, I entered the Air Force. The Air Force hierarchy and structure reinforced and further instilled society’s views of conformity through rules and regulations. Protocols such as, the â€Å"Military Chain of Command†, allowed me to mature and changed my very sheltered views of society altering my perspective of society both national and globally. (TCO 3,4,5,6) My new travels, endeavors and encounters, throughout the world, during my military years opened my eyes to the gender, religious and racial discrimination people encounter. These views and encounters I experienced further engrained in me that if I wanted more out of life for myself, or for that matter my family later in life, I would have to have my own business. In doing this it, would afford me the ability to prosper in a capitalistic society andShow MoreRelatedSociology and the Education System in America Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pages The definition of Sociology is that it is the study of human societies through the synthesis of theoretical analysis and controlled research, focusing on the social patterns and forces that influence humans. The study of sociology is the issues, concepts, investigations, and more importantly, the systematic study of relationships among people. 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Marketing Consumer Behaviour Of Organization - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Consumer Behaviour Of Organization. Answer: Introduction Consumer behaviour is a vital aspect of marketing and needs to be understood in the broader terms. It is the study regarding approaches or factors guiding decision making in the target customer segment. It is necessary to understand the driving factors behind particular customer choices over others. This helps in the development of suitable action strategy for pitching a product right. The analysis of the consumer behaviour not only helps in analysing the past but also helps on predicting the future. The factors influencing customer choices could be divided into a number of components such as- geographic, demographic, psychological and behavioural. In the current report we have tried to relate the importance of consumer behaviour within the business prospects. For the discussion of the report we have taken into consideration Square and compass which is a Melbourne based coffee and food restaurant ("Square Compass", 2018). Consumer behaviour The decisions and actions which influence the purchasing behaviour of a target customer base is known as consumer behaviour. Most of the selection process is backed by emotions and reasoning. Some of the most common factors influencing consumer choices and decision making are economic conditions, personal preferences, opinions of peers. Economic condition serves as a guiding factor in dictating consumer choices. As commented by Chung et al. ( 2017), the capacity of making purchases is often restricted by poor or limited economy. Therefore, indulging in an espresso which costs anywhere between 4-5 dollars may not be a convenient option where the family is looking out for a cheap grocery. As argued by Kerins et al. (2017), personal preferences often govern the customer choices and behaviour while choosing over a range of products and services. For example, a person simply love espresso over simple black coffee and may choose the same irrespective of the prices. As argued by Astuti Hanan (2016), the opinions of the peers are also important in choosing particular products or services. As commented by Chung et al. (2017), negative publicity about brand or its services can also prevent the maximum sales of the services. Additionally, the dependency on social media for collecting reviews about products and services provides a much wide forum for the consumers; where they are exposed to the opinions of others which further goes into making the purchase plan. There are a number of theories guiding consumer behaviour such as theory of reasoned action; Engel, kollet, Blackwell (EKB) model; Hawkins stern impulse buying behaviour. The theory of reasoned action states that the customer will only plan to indulge in particular products and services when they can expect a positive outcome out of it. As commented by Yeboah Owusu-Prempeh (2017), the consumers are the rational actors who choose to acts in their best interests. However, as argued by Alphonce, Alfnes Sharma (2014), from the time of decision making to the actual purchase time the consumer have the propensity to change their mind about using specific purchases. The EKB model further expands the theory of reasoned action which explains the selective approach of the customers while making the purchases. The first step is where the customer collects sufficient data about particular services before processing of the information. As commented by Lo, Wu, Law Au (2014), the costumers move into decision making phase based on rationale. The decision making is also influenced by process variables including the after satisfaction rate of the customers after making the purchase. With respect to the current scenario the theory of impulse buying can be highlighted. As commented by Gelbric, Roschk Gafeeva (2016), impulse purchases are driven by external stimulus and have no relation with traditional aspects of decision making. For example placing an order for medium sized pizzas worth rupees 199 at dominos a taco Mexicana is offered free which is quite an indulging deal. Additionally, offering of attractive coupons, discounts such as cashback on every purchase at a food court are some of the marketing gimmick that can appeal to the impulses of individual customers. Importance of consumer behaviour for organizations The marketers can use the theory in their favour where they can associate a purchase with a specific and positive outcome. The theory of reasoned action also helps the marketers in understanding that longer the gap between the initial desire and making the actual purchase the more are the chances of losing the customer (Kerins et al., 2017). With respect to the EKB model the marketers need to provide the customers with sufficient information regarding the products. This helps in keeping the products under consideration for purchase. For example a restaurant in order to attract maximum number of customers would need to invest in marketing gimmicks and advertisements. Here, the sumptuous meals prepared by the restaurant can be pitched to the customers based upon the feel and culture of the specific region. This is help in attracting maximum number of customers to the restaurant time and again. The consumer behaviour is highly important with respect to an organization. The focus on consumer help in developing the business practices. As commented by Aday Yener (2014), consumer behaviour is highly complex and dynamic in nature. During the process of buying a product or selecting services the consumer go through a number of psychological processes in their mind which dictate their actual purchase behaviour. As argued by Gelbrich, Roschk, Gafeeva (2016), the personality traits are also imperative in guiding the decision making approaches. The pragmatic people would purchase what is useful and necessary. With respect to a restaurant selling food one can say that the pragmatic people will choose a basic and healthy meal than a luxurious and sumptuous meal. An aesthetically inclined customer will be drawn towards the look of the product than its contents. However as argued by Wikstrm, , Williams, Verghese Clune (2014), it is difficult to convince the intellectually inclined cus tomers to buy out a certain product. As they mostly want to know regarding the benefits of the product or collect much knowledge regarding the positive reviews associated associated with the product before they could make the purchase. A huge part of their mentality is affected by peer responses. Therefore, the organization needs to develop a positive image about itself. Recent studies have established that the consumer takes less than 20 minutes time in deciding about the products or services that they want to buy (Gelbric, Roschk Gafeeva, 2016). Therefore, the marketers need to be selective as well as line up maximum diversity in promoting their services. Additionally, 58% of the purchases are unplanned which means that maximum time the customers are buying more out of impulses than out of needs (Aday Yener, 2014). Therefore, understanding the decision making approaches of the customer will help in maximization of the sale and the profit margins. Consumer profile The profile of a customer helps in describing the target customer segments categorically so that they can be grouped for advertising and marketing purposes. The services and products can be tailor made to satisfy individual needs and demands. As commented by Ye, Cronin Peloza (2015), before pitching of the products it is necessary to design suitable customer profile. The consumers of the square and compass restaurant have been identified based on a number of features such as preference, lifestyle, stage of life, attribute and traits. The customer profile can be further divided into primary and secondary segments. Primary segment The primary segment refers to the target market from where majority of the revenue from sales could be extracted. It focuses on marketing efforts where maximum amount of returns could be obtained. Geographic The primary target customer for the square and compass restaurant are the residents of East Melbourne Demographic They are mostly customers within age group of 18-30. Psychographic An overall positive opinion about the square and compass restaurant attracts the maximum number of customers. Additionally, the contemporary feel of the place attracts huge number of youth customers Behavioural The customers mostly within the young age group have been seen to be impulsive buyers and are aesthetic buyers who choose a product over their looks and feel than health benefits or nutritional value. Table 1: Primary segment target customers (Source: author) Figure 1: primary customer segment (Source Lo, Wu,Law, R Au, 2014) Analysis: The residents of the East Melbourne form the primary market consumers which could be attributed to feasibility of location ("Square Compass", 2018). The suitable and convenient location of the square and compass restaurant on the Clarendon Street makes it one of the most visited restaurants. Additionally, the place is mostly visited by the youth owing to its contemporary feel and look. The open spaces and the plenty of activities available make it one of the favourite hangout places for the youth. The aesthetic feel of the place also attracts huge number of target customer. The segmentation is further based upon the four Ps of marketing which are product, price, place and promotion. The promotions of the product, the prices as well as the location are some of the major contributors (Namkung Jang, 2017). Since the customer profile hitting the square and compass restaurant are mostly youths or young adults, price as well as place of the business outlet are some of the governing facto rs (Kang, Jun Arendt, 2015). Secondary segment Geographic The secondary target market is located within greater Melbourne and adjacent areas. Demographic They are mostly customers within the age group of 33-65. Psychographic Opinion of peers or reviews collected from social media sites influence the buying behaviour of the secondary target customer base. Behavioural The manner of making choices is influenced by the peer opinions. The nature of selection is guided by intellectual abilities where the health and nutritional aspects are taken into consideration before making a purchase. Table 2: secondary segment target customers (Source : author) Figure 2 : market segmentation (Source : Alphonce, R., Alfnes, F., Sharma, 2014) Analysis: The secondary target market consists of the ones residing in greater Melbourne and adjacent areas. These customers fall within the age group of 33-65 and mostly hit the place based upon the reviews and opinions of their peers and the collective reviews over the social media sites ("Square Compass", 2018). Since the customers fall within the middle age group they apply intellectual abilities in making the purchase decisions (Oliver, 2014). These are based upon collective reviews of peers and the amount of positive publicity done regarding the square and compass restaurant. Therefore, the promotional aspects form a very important component of business growth and profitability. Therefore, the management at the square and compass restaurant need to focus upon the marketing gimmicks where promotion of the sumptuous menu choices offered by the restaurant can be done over apps such as Zomato. Additionally, a link to the menu of the restaurant has also been pasted over their facebook and in stagram pages. Issue identification Some of the issues which have been found with respect to the square and compass restaurant situated in Melbourne are threats from similar market players in a highly competitive market. Additionally, labour and shortage in the number of international chefs are affecting the productivity of the Australian restaurants at large scale (Sethna Blythe, 2016). The square and compass restaurant stands at no exception. One of the dominant issues which are faced by the square and compass restaurant apart from cut-throat competition and labour shortage is the lack of adequate finances. In the lack of finances managing the day-to day operations of the restaurant becomes difficult (Lehman, Kovcs Carroll, 2014). Additionally, the entry of new restaurateurs in the emerging market scenario puts excessive pressure on the existing ones. The new entrants could come out with marketing gimmicks which may affect important parameters such as customer loyalty. Conclusion The square and compass restaurant constantly needs to renew its services and policies to attract the maximum number of customer base. Additionally, focusing upon the consumer buyer behaviour helps in improving the business sense and ethics. This further helps in expanding the future customer profile. Moreover, economy, personal preferences, opinions of the peers are further instrumental in affecting the customer buying behaviour and approaches. In addition the geographic, demographic, psychologic and behavioural aspects further govern the decision making. Additionally, promotions and strategic planning are some of the other aspects which can help in expanding the target market based upon customer preferences. References Aday, M. S., Yener, U. (2014). Understanding the buying behaviour of young consumers regarding packaging attributes and labels.International journal of consumer studies,38(4), 385-393. DOI: 10.1111/ijcs.12105 Alphonce, R., Alfnes, F., Sharma, A. (2014). Consumer vs. citizen willingness to pay for restaurant food safety.Food Policy,49, 160-166. Retreived from : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2014.06.009 Astuti, S., Hanan, H. (2016). The Behaviour of Consumer Society in Consuming Food at Restaurants and Cafes.Journal of ASIAN Behavioural Studies,1(1), 71-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/jabs.v1i1.173 Chung, N., Chung, N., Song, H. G., Song, H. G., Lee, H., Lee, H. (2017). Consumers impulsive buying behavior of restaurant products in social commerce.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,29(2), 709-731. Retreived from : https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2015-0608 Gelbrich, K., Roschk, H., Gafeeva, R. (2016). A Cross-National Observation of Counter-Cultural Consumer Behaviour.Marketing ZFP,38(3), 150-162. DOI: 10.15358/0344-1369-2016-3-150 Kang, J., Jun, J., Arendt, S. W. (2015). Understanding customers healthy food choices at casual dining restaurants: Using the ValueAttitudeBehavior model.International Journal of Hospitality Management,48, 12-21. Retreived from : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2015.04.005 Kerins, C., Cunningham, K., Finucane, F. M., Gibson, I., Jones, J., Kelly, C. (2017). Effects of an icon-based menu labelling initiative on consumer food choice.Perspectives in public health,137(1), 45-52. Retreived from : https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1757913916640826 Lehman, D. W., Kovcs, B., Carroll, G. R. (2014). Conflicting social codes and organizations: Hygiene and authenticity in consumer evaluations of restaurants. Management Science,60(10), 2602-2617. Retreived from : https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1903 Lo, A., Wu, J., Law, R., Au, N. (2014). Which promotion time frame works best for restaurant group-buying deals?.Tourism Recreation Research,39(2), 203-219. Retreived from : https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2014.11081767 Namkung, Y., Jang, S. (2017). Are consumers willing to pay more for green practices at restaurants?.Journal of Hospitality Tourism Research,41(3), 329-356. Retreived from : https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1096348014525632?journalCode=jhtd Oliver, R. L. (2014).Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Abingdon: Routledge, pp.225-351. Retreived from : https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=enlr=id=TzrfBQAAQBAJoi=fndpg=PP1dq=Oliver,+R.+L.+(2014).+Satisfaction:+A+behavioral+perspective+on+the+consumer.++Routledge.ots=LpMAhOReSvsig=c9QrUvHKwx3ZXDvGlvNOhlVXDyY#v=onepageqf=false Sethna, Z., Blythe, J. (2016).Consumer behaviour. London:Sage, pp. 127-236. Retreived from : https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=enlr=id=xcvBDAAAQBAJoi=fndpg=PP1dq=Sethna,+Z.,+%26+Blythe,+J.+(2016).+Consumer+behaviour.+Sage.ots=xQlZDbJuXfsig=4IHOTk7h73kFZB1kxCM2nKp4bRo#v=onepageq=Sethna%2C%20Z.%2C%20%26%20Blythe%2C%20J.%20(2016).%20Consumer%20behaviour.%20Sage.f=false Squareandcompass.com.au. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://squareandcompass.com.au/ Wikstrm, F., Williams, H., Verghese, K., Clune, S. (2014). The influence of packaging attributes on consumer behaviour in food-packaging life cycle assessment studies-a neglected topic.Journal of Cleaner Production,73, 100-108. Retreived from : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.10.042 Ye, C., Cronin, J. J., Peloza, J. (2015). The role of corporate social responsibility in consumer evaluation of nutrition information disclosure by retail restaurants.Journal of Business Ethics,130(2), 313-326. Retreived from : https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-014-2230-8 Yeboah, A., Owusu-Prempeh, V. (2017). Exploring the Consumer Impulse Buying Behaviour from a Range of Consumer and Product Related Factors.International Journal of Marketing Studies,9(2), 146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v9n2p146Square Compass. (2018).

The origins of English Drama Essay Example

The origins of English Drama Essay The Origins of Drama: an Introduction The word drama comes from the Greek meaning to act, do or perform, and It Is In the several subtle and diverse meanings of to perform that drama can be said to have begun. All communities accept that their later drama has roots in prehistory. Anthropologists have shown that primitive societies used (and in certain cases still use) role-playing in teaching the codes and behavior required to live and survive in that society; for example, to teach the skills needed in knowing what and how to hunt, the making and use of weapons and the rules of warfare. Performance could be involved in oral repetition to teach the laws and social customs, while enactment of mythical or historical episodes perpetuates and transmits what is thought important to maintain In the race-memory of the tribe. Most early societies lived by a seasonal cycle, a regular pattern allied to the movements of the sun or moon, and perhaps related to the movement of prey, or to seedtime and harvest, and drama was especially Important In devising rituals to deal with the Inexplicable, the changing seasons, the natural phenomena of night and day, or the waxing and waning of the non. We will write a custom essay sample on The origins of English Drama specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The origins of English Drama specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The origins of English Drama specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Without propitiation with certain symbolic ceremonial safeguards or sacrifices, the sun might not rise again, the crops might fail. All humankind has, and had, concerns with life and death and has evolved ceremonies and rituals to help deal with the perennial questions of where did I come from? and where do I go after death? These were usually answered by some kind of belief in an outside power, an almighty being or beings, to give the hope of an after-life, to avoid extinction at death. Thus the invention of gods happened to provide a liaison between this world and the ext and societal rituals would encompass Joy, hope, and renewal, or death, despair and foreboding. Omens became important and had to be Interpreted by wise men, perhaps Involving Impersonation, and disguise, In punctiliously performed ceremonies to appease or placate the gods. Rules for communal living would gradually be agreed: incest might be banned, but witchcraft allowed within given limits; murder be condoned for some offences but avenged for others. Most societies would include rituals of purification, perhaps for menstruating women or after childbirth, and ordeals for children to undergo in order to attain adulthood and acceptance into full membership of the community. And all this would be taught and learnt through oral tradition, through story-telling and through performances and enactments passed down from generation to generation. All societies seem to have had these ritual traditions in one form or another from which spoken drama often, but not always, emerged. It is these ritual and community roots that later dramatists have drawn on In trying to express humanity concern with life and death In both tragedy and comedy. In the early communities everyone was Involved In the drama f a ceremonial ritual, perhaps with Impersonation and Identification with priestly roles, or as characters depicted in enactments, or simply as celebrants but it was when the occasion became a performance by some in front of others as an entertainment. However since the sixteenth century, the two terms have become synonymous with both words loosely understood as meaning the representation of a story enacted by actors in front of an audience. Most communities have some mention of folk drama derived from oral storytelling becoming a narrative in dialogue, but by its nature oral storytelling is mostly unrecorded, and histories are parse and fragmentary. It is thought that music and dance associated with death and rejuvenation is represented in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs from around BEECH but little more is known about Egyptian practices. Although Herodotus wrote about an Egyptian temple ceremony involving a mock battle, and implies this was an annual event, nothing is known about any spoken drama. In China music is believed to have existed in BEECH, scribes wrote of rituals and religious worship accompanied by music and dance from BEECH, and of emperors who were reproved for enjoying theatrical performances by actors. However, written classical Chinese poetic drama is only recorded from the sass BCC. In India the beginnings of spoken drama are uncertain but it is also thought to have derived from earlier dramatic dances and mimes related to ancient rituals and seasonal celebrations, and to have appeared about the same time as the Greeks began writing their plays. Some authorities suggest Indian dramatic writings were influenced by the influx of Greek culture after the invasion by Alexander the Great in BEECH. For Greece, and in particular Athens, is credited with the beginnings of performing plays in front of an audience as we understand them today. Greek Drama We have many of the texts of actual plays performed in Greece from around BEECH. Knowledge of them became widespread because European culture was founded on the classical authors of Greece and Rome. From the Renaissance until the twentieth century a formal education in a European school was based on, or at least included, Latin authors such as Virgil and Cicero, and plays by Seneca and Terrace. The Greek texts used included stories from The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer; and many of the plays first performed centuries before by Aeschylus and Aristotelian, Sophocles and Meander, as well as the writings of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. The performances of plays in the Greek culture were as part of a religious festival not in the sense of a ritual offering of an art in the form of drama but as a celebration with and for the god. Slowly the drama was becoming theatre with the God as the most important spectator. Usually, but not exclusively the performance was for the god Dionysus, and it is believed the theatre developed from the Dionysian cult- festivals and the seasonal celebrations and rituals for crop sowing and harvesting. Some of the earliest representations of theatrical performance from the 6th century BCC show actors dressed as animals or birds. We know a little of how Dionysus may have been worshipped from Aristotelian play Chariness in which he mocks a peasant familys Dionysian feast. They recite a prayer and then the family walks in the sacrifice, a slave carrying a phallus, the father singing a bawdy phallic song, the wife watching from the house roof. This gives us prayer, a procession, the diathermy (a certain kind of rough lyric verse) and the sacrifice, which may have originally been a man but later became a goat and then fruit or other foodstuff. Occasionally the procession was combined with the symbolic wedding of the wife of a leading citizen to Dionysus in the temple. Dionysus was represented in person at this time as a bearded long-haired mature man with two little horns on his forehead as a sign of unbounded energy. This later became a sign for adultery. The crown of ivy and the burgeoning thirsty (a ritual staff of narthexs or fennel twined with and vine leaves and capped with a pine cone) showed he was not affected by seasonal changes. In procession he was preceded by virgins and followed by Bacchanals dressed as satyrs in goatskins, or in wine-stained garments and with faces smeared with wine dregs. Some of the Bacchanals represented the dead with horrifying death masks and grave loathes. The popular name for the satyrs was traits, which means goat; they sang a tragic or goat song from which eventually came tragedy. Dramatic songs and dances were performed at the sacrificial site, the temple. In parallel with this solemn religious festival there grew up the comic phallic sports, with choruses of young men coming after the official procession, often in their chariots, singing improvised, witty, and probably bawdy, songs. The young men were called cosmos and their songs were called comedies. It is believed that drama developed from narrative songs in the diathermy verse, first even by a single person and later performed by a chorus. At first there was no identification of characters by separate voices but eventually a second voice was introduced and at least part of the sung narrative became dialogue. Thesis is credited with introducing this innovation and is by tradition considered the first actor. He was said to come from Scoria, which had links with the Dionysus legend. Dionysus is supposed to have been friends with Caries the King. Thesis is thought to have started in the provinces with a chorus, traveling with a cart on which he stood o give a solo performance in spoken verse independently of the chorus. The actor could play the hero or the god and the chorus respond as the soldiers or the worshippers or whatever was required by the story. And from this came the style of Greek tragedy with its use of a chorus and first one then two and then three actors playing the single voice parts, and the development of dramatic action. All this came about not solely for entertainment but for a religious festival usually in honor of Dionysus, although it is believed the acting troupes would travel the country and resent the plays for suitable occasions outside the actual festivals. We know there were earlier dramatists whose works have not survived, although some names such as Princess are known, but the first play texts we know of are by Aeschylus who was born in BEECH. Only some seven of Aeschylus plays have survived from what is believed to be a total of around seventy and it is not even certain which of his writings deserves the honor of having been shown first. There is scholarly debate as to whether it was Suppliants (Supplies) or The Persians works is The Roasters which is a complete trilogy presented at a festival for Dionysus n Athens in BEECH In the earliest plays the single voice is subordinated to the chorus and the story is told in the interchanges between him and the chorus, but Aeschylus added a second actor and then the two could address each other without the chorus. We know quite a lot about Aeschylus from an anonymous biography of uncertain date and uncertain sources. But some of the information is confirmed from comments by others. He was certainly honored as a great writer in his lifetime; his plays won the City Dionysian thirteen times, and some of those victories were after his death in BEECH. He said of himself that what he wrote were slices from Homer. He retired to Sicily and was buried at Gel with an epitaph he had composed: Here lies Aeschylus of Athens, son of Euphoria, who died in fertile Gel, and whose prowess the long-haired Made experienced on the celebrated battle of Marathon. The dramatists had to rehearse their own plays and usually took a part themselves so they had to be proficient not so much as actors but in singing and dancing, for this is how the plays were presented. Aristotelian, when he mocked Aeschylus in The Frogs, had him say that it was he who gave new poses to the chorus, and he is ported as being innovative in making the Nudeness (the Furies) in The Roasters rush disheveled into the orchestra. Sophocles, (chic- BEECH) for his part, was also reported to have been a fine singer and dancer. He added a third actor and limited the size of the chorus to fifteen, which increased the possibilities of conversational exchange. He was said to have introduced scenic decoration and dressed his actors in long-sleeved formal robes. There are seven surviving texts of his plays. These are more about characters such as Oedipus or Made in an overwhelmingly tragic tuitions than the explorations of wider moral dilemmas that Aeschylus wrote. There are nineteen plays by Euripides (chic- BEECH), which are different again from either of the others in his dramatic use of language but the themes of his plays are less powerful and at times almost incomprehensible. The best known are probably The Beach and The Trojan Women. We know less about the Greek comedies because few have survived but scholars have differentiated three kinds. Firstly the Old Comedy encompassed Aristotelian, and whilst it is certain there were others writing in the same style, only his works have survived. The characters in the Old Comedy are grotesques in bawdy, vulgar satire intermixed with buffoonery, but it is a genre especially distinguished by the use of the chorus who speak directly to the audience, a style called the parabolas. In the Middle Comedy chic-BBC there was more direct political reference, no parabolas and more colloquial language. Only fragments of these texts remain but they seem to have been more realistic and more domestic. Then around the time of Alexander, BEECH, the New Comedy appeared, as seen in the fragments of plays by Meander. The grotesques have gone, mythology has gone, the gods appear very rarely, and the masks, if they were still used, were more realistic. About 4000 lines survive from Meander. His plays are realistic in that there are familiar characters from everyday life with more emphasis on their human behavior and on the correction of social manners. Where the Greek dramatists were writing for festival presentation and the kudos that would ensue, the Roman theatre was commercial and the dramatists wrote for money or patronage. Phallus and Terrace adapted Greek originals. It is known that they used the plays of Meander, and others whose work has not survived, from the Greek New Comedy. The Roman writers kept the same kinds of metrical pattern for the dialogue, gave longer lines for chanting and lyric forms for the songs. They kept the Greek costume and masks and the basic types of conventional young men in love, a clever, tricky or sly slave, a pimp, a parasite a dirty old man, etc. At the same time in both Greek and Roman societies there was unliterary comedy. Burlesque farces from Meager in Greece, and influences from Southern Italy and Sicily, in Rome, which seem to have included music, comic songs, mime and dance. This genre was known as Fibula Telltale after the town Tattle. It is believed that the separate art of mime originated with this genre, but it also influenced the taste of the Roman audiences for grotesques and farce. So that there was reversion back to the Old Comedy in the adaptations Phallus and others made of the New Comedy to suit the taste of the Roman public. Phallus (chic-BEECH) certainly wrote for money. He went by the name of Titus Mucus (which meant Buffoon) Phallus (which meant flat-footed) but his original name is unknown. Its thought he was born in Umbra from where he went to Rome and worked as a stage hand and then as an actor, and eventually gained Roman citizenship. He wrote many popular plays, which are the earliest complete Latin literature that we have, and which are more or less in the form in which they were written. His plays were different from run-of-the-mill farces, although he had to broaden the Greek original and added elements from the Telltale farces and in a way ranged back to the style of Aristotelian. It is thought too that masks were used more than they had been in Meanders works. He adds scenes to his sources to allow for more tricks and deceptions, and often has many loose ends, but he has a verbal dexterity and plays with the language, using witty alliteration, assonance and bombast. He gave his audience sentimental realism and farcical burlesque and often mixes spoken colloquial dialogue with the lyrical. His characters have little development and rely upon usual stock types: the comic slave intriguing, blustering, impertinent, irascible old men and available women. There are no surprises; the audience knows what to expect, but Phallus extends theatrical technique by using comic irony more fully than Meander or Aristotelian. He lets his audience in on all the secrets from the beginning and then delights them with the mistakes the characters make because of facts not known to them but known to the audience. His lay Miles Glorious, about Pyrotechnics the Swaggering Soldier, has two plots and many loose ends. Money is usually important in his plays and he often mixes Roman attitudes, events or elements into a play nominally set in Athens, or, as this one, in Ephesus. But Phallus wrote for the masses, and the masses liked it. Terrace, who wrote cobble, was a much more literary writer. He came to Rome as a His master freed him and gave him his name, Eternities Afar. He aimed for the smile rather than the guffaw and his characters were usually the elegant men about Rome, conscious of their manners and annoyed by their elders old fashioned ideas. Although the setting might be elsewhere. For his plays differed from his Greek sources in that the manners and behavior were Roman with Roman attitudes to women and slaves, with lots of sentimental posturing. He used the same repertoire as Meander and the same stylistic conventions but he aims for greater realism and has less flamboyance than Phallus, with what we see as psychological analysis. His prologues also show him more at home with his masters friends, or at least with a more literate and thoughtful audience than Phallus. Perhaps not surprisingly his plays were not very popular with the general public in his lifetime but they have nice become most influential in the development of European drama. Seneca was the other Roman dramatist whose work has come down to us. He was born around BCC in Spain and lived under both Tuberous and Caligula. He offended Claudia and then later became tutor and adviser to Nero. He shows some inconsistencies in his writings and seems to have swayed with the current political wind. His plots are taken from Greek sources but there is no balance in his treatments, they are sensational and rhetorical rather than poetic, bathetic rather than pathetic, with little motivation or development of character. Nevertheless, some academic refuse to dismiss his work out of hand and suggest that he was deliberately writing grotesque parodies even travesties of the Greek models in a philosophical commentary on the sordid world in which he lived. It is thought his plays were not written to be performed but read and perhaps thus able to be more thoughtfully considered than would be the case in performance. Like Terrace he has helped to form later European drama and was particularly influential on the Renaissance dramatists. The term Renaissance is usually attributed to the nineteenth century Swiss art writer Jacob Bureaucrat in his book The Civilization of he Renaissance in Italy of 1860 and people have accepted his definition in hindsight. He set out the idea that there was an almost spontaneous re-birth in interest about the classics, in classical art and literature. But an earlier writer, in the sixteenth century, Giorgio Vassar, often seen as the Medici PR man for artistic affairs, wrote in his The Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects around 1550:- about the rise of the arts to perfection, their decline and their restoration or renaissance. Historians are not agreed that one can set any specific dates for the Renaissance but t is usually agreed that a rural Medieval feudal society gradually changed to an urban mercantile society with more centralized political institutions, a commercial economy and growing lay patronage of the arts and music, sometime around the 14th century in Italy and this spread to rest of Europe through 16th and 17th centuries, and that this was a period of renewed interest in the arts of the classical past. There had been drama before this. There are records of popular comic theatre presented by traveling troupes, and of religious plays and theatrical celebrations at Christian festivals, although many clergy thought plays as such sinful. But much of plays written as a religious didactic tool used Roman forms. The Shimmering nun, Wraiths chic AD, modeled her plays on Terrace, while other religious plays have recognizable language from Latin writers. There were also theatrical representations or kinds of tableaux on a feast day or other special occasion. In Italy these were known as sacred representations and were often given by a confraternity. These used very elaborate staging effects of all kinds long before such settings were used in staging secular entertainments. However the start of an academic classical interest n theatre seems to have begun with the find of a manuscript copy in 1427 of some of the comedies of Terrace and Phallus which led to attempts to present these and other classical plays in what was thought to be the original manner. An Academy was formed in Rome by the scholar Julius Pompons Latest (1425-1498) a leading humanist, specifically to study and present ancient Latin plays, mainly those of Phallus. Oddly the most irreverent and bawdy of the Roman dramatists. Latest was fanatically devoted to what he understood by the customs of ancient Rome and even was said to refuse to learn Greek in case it spoilt his Latin. The Academy was oppressed by Pope Paul II in 1468 for its political aims and pagan spirit and Latest and his companions were imprisoned and tortured. But the interest in classical arts and literature continued and the translations into English of many Latin texts in the sixteenth century brought the plays to England, where the Elizabethan dramatists such as Marathon plundered the plots of Seneca. , or like Johnson tried to emulate his style. T. S Eliot wrote about SÃ ©ances influence on Elizabethan thought and said SÃ ©ances influence upon dramatic form, upon versification, and language, upon sensibility and thought, must in the end be all estimated together. And asserted that when an Elizabethan hero or villain dies, he usually dies in the odor of Seneca by which he seems to mean that, like Seneca, the Elizabethan heroes do not often have an honorable death but include disgrace, violation even dismemberment whether deserved or not. Aristotle taught that tragedy should purge humankind through pity for the protagonist and fear of our own weaknesses, but Seneca and his heirs showed that we are all guilty and we live in a world of cruelty and suffering. The gods could no longer be placated by dramatic ritual and ceremonies as in the origins of drama.

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buy custom Federal Civil Right Legislation essay Introduction There are various federal civil rights legislations and judicial rulings that have had tremendous effects on cultural diversity. Statute A: Equal Protection Clause Explanation This clause was an amendment of the constitution of United States. It states that no state shall deny any individual equal protection by the laws. It requires that all citizens be treated equally regardless of their color, race or origin. The clause was enacted to prevent American States from establishing separate public schools for the whites and blacks. The high court banned segregation in public schools (Waldo, 1998). Implications on Cultural Diversity This clause has helped erase discrimination that prevailed between white American and black Americans. After it enactment, there was free mingling, interaction and association between whites and blacks. One of its major impact was intermarriage that eled to exchange of cultures, beliefs and practices amongst the white and black Americans. Statute B: Religious Accommodation Explanation This law requires that all employers should be able to accommodate and cope with religious beliefs of their employees, unless doing so would lead to unnecessary hardships at the workplace (Merriman, 2007). Implications on Cultural Diversity This Law recognizes and allows for diversity in religious beliefs and practices. Furthermore, it strengthens an individuals root in religion. This appreciation of religious diversity encourages people to live harmoniously within the society through respect of other peoples religions. Statute C: Sex Discrimination Act Explanation This Law protects persons against sexual discrimination. Sexual discrimination ranges rom sexual harassments, such as open and direct search for sexual favors at the workplace, creation of a hostile environment to persons of a certain gender and discriminations based on childbirth or pregnancy status (Dyer, 1976). Implications on Cultural Diversity People should not be discriminated based on their sexuality. The state and the society as well should recognize various sexualities exhibited by different people. This would enable free interaction of people of different sexes and gender, thereby promoting cultural diversity amongst them. Federal Judicial Ruling Ruling Citation A: there is no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. Explanation This ruling was made on Justice Harlan in the Brown v. Board of Education case. He further argue the American Constitution is color blind as thus there was no need to segregate schools for white Americans from those of black Americans. Implications on Cultural Diversity The ruling implied that there was no basis for discriminating American citizens on grounds of their skin colors. All citizens had to be view and treated equally before the laws. All citizens, whether black or white, had equal rights and should have equal access to public amenities such as schools and health facilities. In my opinion, this ruling facilitated the exchange of cultures amongst the American citizens. The freedom of association made possible transfer of societal values amongst the people. Ruling Citation B: If any white person intermarry with a colored person, or any colored person intermarry with a white person, he shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by confinement in the penitentiary for not less than one nor more than five years." (Vile, 2010). Explanation This ruling was made in a case filed by Loving against Virginia State. The Virginia State barred peopple from marrying non-whites. She wanted all marriages to be racially classified. Implications on Cultural Diversity In my view, the right and freedom of a person to marry or not to marry another person of his or her choice solely depends on that persons decisions and should not be infringed, flouted or violated by the state. The state should not deprive or deny any person the right to choose, right to life and the liberty to marry whoever he/she wishes. Intermarriages should be encouraged as far as possible. Such interracial marriages enable transfer of cultures, beliefs and practices between different societies, thereby promoting peace and harmony. The federal government, and Virginia State, must realize that every person was created by one God, though they were given different skins colors and placed in separate continents or places. We are all equal as human beings. Ruling Citation C: a master is subject to liability for the torts of his servants committed while acting in the scope of their employment. (Vile, 2010). Explanation In this ruling, an employer who created a sexually hostile environment and exposed her female lifeguards to unintended and offensive touching was held liable for damages. Implications on Cultural Diversity In my opinion, nobody should be subjected to sexual discrimination at the workplace. Appreciation of sexual diversity is vital at the workplace and should be highly encouraged. Employers conducts that are sexually discriminative should be avoided at all costs. Similarly, supervisory sexual harassments usually demoralize and demotivate workers and consequently reduce productivity. In conclusion, discrimination should not be based on race, color, religion, sex and place of origin. All individuals must be protected against such discriminations. Employers should take responsibility and be charged for damages caused to employees whenever they violate these federal laws and civil rights. Buy custom Federal Civil Right Legislation essay

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essayEssay Writing Service

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essayEssay Writing Service EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essay EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS essayThe development of business strategy requires making a thorough analysis of internal and external environments. In this context, it is important to consider the segments of the general environment, the forces of competition and the companys position in relation to these competitive forces, to assess external opportunities and threats, to weigh internal strengths and weaknesses of the company and to develop a strategy basing on the results of the analysis. Furthermore, it is important to identify the capabilities and resources of the company, to determine its core competencies and to analyze the companys value chain as well as its alignment with the above mentioned resources and capabilities.The industry chosen for this analysis is information technology, and the company chosen for analysis is Apple, Inc. It is a multinational corporation which is the leader in manufacturing and selling consumer electronics, computers, software and online servic es. Apple is the second largest company in the IT industry by revenue (Yahoo Finance, 2014). In 2013, Apples brand was recognized as the most valuable brand in the world (Yahoo Finance, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to analyze external and internal environment of Apple, Inc. and to generate recommendations pertaining to the companys future strategy.Segments of the general environmentThe general environment in which the company is operating is shaped by different dimensions of the society. There are seven key segments of the general environment: demographic, economic, political/legal, socio-cultural, technological, global and physical (Parth, 2003). The general environment can hardly be influenced by businesses, but it does have a powerful impact on industries and companies operating in them.For Apple, two segments of the general environment that have the largest impact on the companys strategy and operations are technological and socio-cultural segments. The socio-cultural seg ment encompasses values and attitudes common in a society (Parth, 2003). The whole process of IT industry development is largely influenced by social values and interests such as the interest to entertainment and the interest to communications.Apples market leadership is based on the interest of the general public to technology and to telecommunications, to the growing popularity of smartphones, tablets and other portable devices and on the growing dominance of Internet as the means of communication. Apple manages to drive and shape customer interest to their products; the companys market success depends on the ability to track customer values and needs and to offer the products that fulfill these needs. Furthermore, Apples brand management is based on esthetic values (Apples products are positioned as exceptionally designed) and on the willingness to stand out of the crowd (Apples products are largely positioned as elite products).Naturally, technological segment of the general env ironment has the largest impact on IT sphere and on Apples business. This segment pertains to the institutions and activities associated with technology, new discoveries, innovations and technological change in general (Parth, 2003). IT industry actually emerged due to the advancement of technological segment, and continues to expand rapidly due to the creation of new technologies. Currently rapid technological development and replacement of technologies are both driving Apples growth and intensifying competition in the industry. Advanced technologies of creating software and hardware, the growth of cloud services, emergence of new wireless technologies all these changes are used by Apple to develop and market new products.Forces of competitionThe second component of external environment that should be analyzed is industry environment and competition in the industry. This environment can be assessed using the model of five forces of competition. These forces include: threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and rivalry among competing firms. With regard to information technology industry and Apple Inc., the most important forces are bargaining power of suppliers and rivalry among competing firms.Apple successfully managed to overcome other competitors using innovations and effective brand management. The company chose to position its brands as exceptional products and outperformed competition in terms of product design and performance, and introduced novel features which were missing in competing products. In fact, the ability of Apple to distinguish itself among competitors is one of its key competencies.As for the power of suppliers, Apples successes were ambiguous. On one hand, Apple is a valuable partner and the suppliers are likely to compete for being Apples vendors. On the other hand, the key supplier of Apple is Samsung which is also Apples key competitor. Samsung is the key suppl ier of high-quality screens and other novel components. While Apple is developing the relationships with other suppliers and looking for replacements of Samsungs products, the dependency on these supplies was not efficiently managed by Apple in the past.Ways of improving forces of competitionTwo key forces of competition important for Apple, Inc. are bargaining power of suppliers and competitive rivalry. In the future, Apple should first of all address the bargaining power of suppliers in general and the dependence on Samsungs supplies in particular. Apple is already negotiating with LG to supply screens. The company also stopped purchasing iPhone screens from Samsung and reduced purchases of iPad screens (Yahoo Finance, 2014). The number of flash memory chips purchased from Samsung also reduced. However, Apple still depends on Samsung to supply microprocessors and memory components, as well as other supplies (Yahoo Finance, 2014).The choice of high-quality components for Apple is l imited, and it should be noted that LG is also Apples competitor in terms of smartphones and tablets. Therefore, Apple should develop additional ways of solving the problem other than simply switching between suppliers. It might be recommended for Apple to organize own production centers in Asia to produce critically important components. Such step would allow Apple to reduce the power of suppliers and would help to maintain rigorous quality standards for hardware components.Competitive rivalry in IT sphere is intensifying as more hardware leaders start manufacturing their smartphones, laptops, players, tablets, etc. Apple can address this force of competition by further driving innovation and differentiating their products. Apple is perceived as high-quality brand offering cutting-edge technology at premium price (Yahoo Finance, 2014). Therefore, it would be beneficial for Apple to add new features into their products, introduce new versions of their products and foster innovation in order to retain industry leadership.External threats and opportunitiesThere exist various external threats influencing Apple, Inc. The major threats are:rapid technological development and change (the company might be set aside by a competitor who invents a novel technology)tax increases (Apples profits were driven down due to tax increase which took place in the United States in 2013)patent breaches (competitors might imitate Apples patents or apply reverse engineering to Apples novel features and make profit on these features)appreciation of the dollar (Apples profits in foreign countries are reduced due to strengthening dollar)growing popularity of Android (widespread use of this operating system make Apple infrastructure less attractive for customers)increasing labor costs in Asia (the protests of workers in Asia, especially Foxconn workers, lead to the increase of Apples costs and drive profits down)price pressure performed by Samsung (Samsung is gradually increasing the pri ces of key components).There also exist various opportunities available for Apple. The list of key opportunities includes:growth of demand for tablets and smartphones, along with market expansion (worldwide demand for smartphones, tablets and other portable devices is increasing, and Apples revenues are likely to grow)internal innovation (Apple can develop new hardware technologies and advanced software, using its RD capability)innovation through acquisitions (Apple can acquire promising technologies, patents or startups and integrate them into Apples ecosystem)patent protection of new technologies (the company can protect its novel features by patents and secure itself against potential cloning of new devices performed by competitors)launch of iTV (iTV is expected to enrich Apples ecosystem and to provide advanced experience for TV watchers; this product is already long-awaited)mobile advertising (the market of mobile advertising is growing, and Apple can drive revenues by populari zing its iAd platform for advertising)increasing demand for cloud services (the popularity of cloud services makes it possible for Apple to popularize its iCloud system).The most serious threat for Apple is rapid technological development and change. If strong competitors like Samsung invent new technologies and market them, Apples market position might be significantly affected. In order to keep market leadership, Apple should introduce new products and develop or acquire new technologies. Therefore, Apple should pursue own innovations; the company should also keep track of recent advancements and acquire promising technologies.The most attractive opportunity for Apple is currently the launch of iTV. Although Apple offers TV services, the overall TV infrastructure lacks sophistication and alignment with overall Apple ecosystem. The audience of TV is huge and the launch of new interactive TV device compatible with other Apple devices will increase the companys profits and popularity .Internal strengths and weaknessesIn order to identify Apples perspectives and strategies, it is necessary to consider internal factors (strengths and weaknesses). Apple has lots of strengths, the major of them being:impressive brand reputation (Apple managed to position the brand as premium products for elite people)high customer loyalty and appreciation (the customers are loyal and tend to stay in Apples ecosystem)self-reinforcing ecosystem (Apple has a diverse ecosystem which integrates various hardware and software products into one large interactive space)status of top innovator (Apple is perceived as the leading innovator and its products are highly anticipated)very strong financial performance (high profit margins and very high liquidity)network of retail stores (high-quality customer service helps to create advanced user experience; new products are distributed through the network)powerful marketing strategy (Apples team masterly uses various marketing techniques to create a hype for their products and to strengthen the brand)At the same time, Apple also has a number of weaknesses:high prices (Apples products are sold at premium prices which are significantly higher compared to competitors prices)closure of Apple ecosystem (Apple software and hardware are not compatible with other platforms, so users might refuse from using Apple products in order to be able to work with their favorite software)decreasing market share (although Apple is the market leader, its market share is slightly declining, primarily due to competition)changes in senior management (Apple now has to operate without the guidance of Steve Jobs; in addition, two senior managers responsible for retail left the company)new product defects (some new products of Apple might have flaws or faults; these issues damage brand reputation and sales)dependence of Apple supply chain on the key competitor (as it was mentioned above, Samsung is the key competitor of Apple, and it is also its major su pplier)decline of gross margin (Apples gross margin demonstrates a decline over time).Available strategiesFor strategic purposes, it is important to consider how Apple can take advantage of its key strengths and how it can address its most significant weaknesses. First of all, Apple can combine such strengths as the status of top innovator and its self-reinforcing ecosystem to attract more customers and keep them attached to the ecosystem: the expansion of Apple into other niches, such as television (iTV) and smart gadgets (iWatch) allows to gain the attention of new customers, and once they purchase Apple products, they will be able to feel the value of Apples ecosystem. Using such strategy, Apple can also address such weaknesses as declining market share and declining gross margin.Furthermore, Apple can develop new software products and online services to enhance customer loyalty and appreciation and to integrate current customers further into the ecosystem. In addition, Apple sho uld consider addressing such weakness as high prices. On one hand, premium prices are part of Apples brand image and lowering these prices might affect both profits and brand value. On the other hand, high prices might prevent customers from purchasing Apple products. It is recommended for Apple to adjust its marketing strategy and to offer two ways of receiving products at discounted price: loyalty programs for existing clients and various contests and drawings for new clients. In this way, Apple will further fuel the interest to its products and reward existing customers for their loyalty. Using this strategy, Apple would be able to address such weaknesses as high prices and declining market share.Resources, capabilities and core competenciesStrategic analysis should take into account the companys competitive advantage. In order to assess competitive advantages, it is necessary to explore organizational resources, capabilities and core competencies. Resources can be classified int o tangible (quantifiable and observable assets) and intangible (assets that cannot be observed physically, are rooted in the companys history, are difficult for competitors to imitate and accumulate in the course of time) (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2014). Capabilities are defined as special methods of organizing resources in order to create customer value, and core competencies are determined as capabilities which are the source of competitive advantage (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2014).Apples key resources are:financial resources (high profit margin, large deposits of cash, large market share)technological resources (manufacturing centers, outsourcing agreements)RD resources (research laboratories, ownership of advanced technologies)human resources (highly skilled employees)marketing resources (network of retail stores, partnerships with other companies, marketing power of Apple ecosystem)goodwill (impressive brand reputation, many loyal customers)Distinct capabilities of Apple are shaped by successful combinations of Apples key resources and include:RD capability (achieved due to effective use of RD resources, technological resources and human resources)marketing capability (formed as a combination of goodwill, marketing resources, financial and human resources)customer service capability (developed as a combination of human resources and financial resources)All of these capabilities are Apples core competencies: RD potential, superior customer service and impressive marketing. Indeed, these capabilities are rare, create value for Apples customers, cannot be substituted as Apples development actually relies on these core competencies and are both difficult and costly to imitate (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2014).Apples value chainValue chain activities are the activities aimed at creating customer value. Key activities involved in the value chain include inbound and outbound logistics, operations, marketing and service (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010).At the f irst level of general administration, Apple creates value through effective strategic management and uses its strong financial performance to enhance further growth and development. At the level of HRM, Apple selects the most talented employees and rewards them for their achievements to form a superior workforce. At level 3 which is associated with technological development, Apple creates innovations in its research labs, acquires external innovations, protects its technologies using patents and licenses and extends its manufacturing capabilities. At the procurement level, Apple establishes relationships with suppliers and optimizes its supply chain (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010).The level of inbound logistics encompasses internal supply systems, receiving systems, methods of acquisition (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010). The level of operations pertains to developing and manufacturing new devices, performing consumer research, etc (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010). Outbound logi stics includes the network of retail stores, relationships with other distributors, retailers, transportation companies, etc (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2010). At the level of marketing and sales, Apple uses the power of its skilled workforce to impress the customers with new advertising campaigns and positions its devices in a proper way. Finally, at the service level Apple provides high-quality customer service which adds even more value to Apples products.

The British Thought about Colonialism Literature review

The British Thought about Colonialism - Literature review Example In the colored community, very less skill level people are there and job opportunities are more in the manufacturing sector, women and racial or ethnic minorities are less to possess the human capital and its characteristics are associated in its job opportunities. To get a job one has to be skilled in a particular area. Every company looks for an ideal candidate who should be an asset to the company and should not become a liability. Colored groups (immigrants from Asia and Africa) earn less compared to whites. So which is different wages for each category or group? In cultural context colored women are not allowed to grow in their career life or in personal life, they prefer not to work outside the home. Compared to colored the Whites are more liberal and enjoy gender equality provided by the European countries constitutional laws. Whatever the reasons there still exists inequality among these groups. The Morant Bay issue shows how the English tend to show their prevalent masculinity and representations in the ascension to power of the middle class whose concept of gentility was based on religion and dignity. In this case, Thomas Carlyle and John Stuart Mill stood up to for those who are oppressed under the whites.

Nuclear tension between the US and North korea ( past, and present) Essay

Nuclear tension between the US and North korea ( past, and present) - Essay Example Having a background of unhappy interactions dating as early as the mid-nineteenth century, when the first diplomatic expeditions from America venturing to Korea and Japan for the sake of trade ended up killing 200 Korean troops, the history of negotiations between the two countries has been colored by high levels of distrust on either side. So far the course of events has made it evident what the policies of either country is aimed at. America, with friends in the neighborhood is seeking to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and North Korea seems to be using Nuclear weapons as both ‘military deterrents’ and as a source of ‘diplomatic leverage’ to get what it wants from the international community. With the successful nuclear tests of 2010 and the undeterminable intentions of satellite launch in 2012, North Korea’s doctrine on the nuclear program is gradually coming out into the open, striving for the same status as New Dehli i.e. the international acknowledgement of North Korea as a Nuclear Power along with the normalization of relations with the U.S. This may not exactly be acceptable to the U.S with its own concerns. However the cooperation of North Korea can only be achieved if its concerns regarding security are adequately addressed. Although this process may require patience and time, it is far better than the imposition of sanctions which further deters any developments.

Deviance and Social Control Experiments Essay Example for Free

Deviance and Social Control Experiments Essay An interesting assignment was assigned to us this week, one that I was excited and a little nervous to get started on. Our society is quite dependent on what is â€Å"normal. † Normal is following a routine, one that was set only by you and no others. Normal is to dress in what is considered socially acceptable, not garb that would throw you into a social outcast setting. But what happens when you defy these norms and start to step out of the box? At home my husband and I have established a routine that works well for us. Simple chores, such as, loading and unloading the dishwasher and laundry are split equally between us. Another routine that took shape shortly after we were married was where we sat in relation to the television. I sat on the long couch on the middle cushion; he sat on the love seat with the recliner. I have no idea where this tradition came from but I was excited to shake it up. I started sitting in the recliner. No words were spoken about it beforehand; it was just claimed as mine. This behavior merited a few odd looks and that was that. I suppose to think this behavior was odd is to know my husband. The most laid back person I have ever met, he shies away from confrontation on any level. I brought up the subject a few days into the experiment and he simply shrugged his shoulders and said that it was just a place to sit. We have since fallen back into our routine but now we both have an unspoken knowledge that it is indeed, just a place to sit. When it comes to fashion sense, mine falls under classy yet comfortable. I was excited to see that fashion could play a role in this assignment and actually chose to utilize the entire week. Being a stay at home wife means that there is hardly a dire need for me to leave the house. Errands can be accomplished in one day. However, I do enjoy the library and frequent it often, but instead of visiting in casually comfortable clothing I wore a party dress. Not just a party dress but one with ridiculous shoes, rain boots. I felt so silly at first but boldly embraced my fashion choice as the day wore on. Many patrons of the library stole glances but didn’t say much. I was feeling sad for myself, I was finding that standing out is much harder that I imagined but also admiration for those who do it daily and have no tribulations. As I was leaving a little girl came and grabbed my poufy skirt and told me she liked my dress and I found it to be an instant mood booster, one that made this little experiment well worth the challenge. My mother and I have a wonderful relationship, one that took years and years of teenage angst and stubbornness to overcome. These days, however, we are thick as thieves. I call her daily just to chat and she is a shoulder to cry on during hard times. She is, in no way, soft spoken but in her aging years has gotten to be much calmer. We rarely fight or argue anymore and when we do we simply get off the phone. One day I called her and talked to her in a loud voice. As I did I was having flashbacks to my teenage years where, it seemed, all I did was talk to her like this. She was instantly upset with me and asked why I was mad and yelling. I wasn’t yelling just talking loudly and since it happens so rarely anymore she mistook it for yelling. We have maybe a minute long talk and she hung up. I was severely upset and hated doing this experiment. I had no idea it would upset her so much and that, in turn, would upset me. I called her back immediately and informed her of the assignment. She thought it was hysterical. She laughed so hard but I feel it was more out of relive than anything else. Overall, this assignment was enjoyable. I learned how to step out of routine and that sometimes that is ok. It is not going to shake up life as much as would be expected. I learned that fashion is in the eye of the beholder. It is not something that should hold as much pressure as magazine emphasis and that sometimes a little girl knows all the right words to turn your day upside down. I learned how sensitive my mother can be and also, how sensitive that makes me. I learned not to take myself to seriously because nobody else does.

Sex and Mans Struggle Against Nature :: science

Sex and Man's Struggle Against Nature In "Sex and Violence, or Nature and Art," Camille Paglia claims nature is inherently stronger than society. "Society is an artificial construction, a defense against nature's power.a system of inherited forms reducing our humiliating passivity to nature." (Writing in the Disciplines 572) I agree with the majority of Paglia's opinions, however, I believe that there are points that could have been elaborated on more substantially. In this essay, Paglia states that man is born evil and it is society's job to condition him to be a good, moral person. Paglia would disagree with someone who said the reason a person murdered was because he grew up in a bad section of town, or his home life left something to be desired. On the contrary, Paglia claims it is the inner evil, the "nature," of the person to kill, and it is society's lack of conditioning that releases this savage response. "Society is not the criminal but the force which keeps crime in check." (Writing in the Disciplines 574) She claims no matter how much a person sinks into religion, or their society, nature will always have the upper hand. Paglia believes if man is left to his natural instincts, with no threat of society's punishment, he will be evil and commit evil deeds. In society, sexual urges can often influence a person's morality, making him second-guess his values for the sake of sexual pleasure. She also goes on to say, "getting back to nature. would be to give free rein to violence and lust." (Writing in the Disciplines 573-574) I agree that this scenario is a possible outcome, but Paglia fails to mention that with out society we would have no idea, which deeds were evil and which were not. It is society that has set the limits and told us what is evil. Before men were grouped together in societies, they roamed free with no idea of right and wrong. It wasn't until man made up his religion with its rules, regulations and laws that he had a conscious idea of evil. But I do agree with Paglia that nature is the stronger force, and no matter how much we try to fool ourselves into believing that society or religion can save us from the torment of nature, we will always be reminded of mother nature's force. "Civilized man conceals from himself the extent of his subordination to nature.

Kite Runner Reflection Essay

Narrated by Amir, a novelist living in California, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells the riveting story of a young friendship destroyed by jealousy, fear, and the kind of ongoing evil that develops at some point during politics. A parallel joining the loss and redemption in this novel is the story of today’s inhospitable environments in Afghanistan and of Amir’s guilt-ridden relationship with the rundown city of his birth. â€Å"If you went from the Shar-e-Nau section to Kerteh-Parwan to buy a carpet, you risked getting shot by a sniper or getting blown up by a rocket-if you got past all the checkpoints, that was. You practically needed a visa to go from one neighborhood to the other. So people just stayed put, prayed the next rocket wouldn’t hit their home.† (Hosseini 256). In the modern world, Afghanistan is just as it is portrayed in this novel. The climates have not changed and the community acceptance has diminished. The Kite Runner begins in the final days of an Afghan king’s 40-year reign and traces the country’s fall from a loving community to a tasteless, inhospitable environment controlled by the Russians, followed by the trigger-happy Taliban. When Amir returns to Kabul to rescue Hassan’s orphaned child, the personal and the political get tangled together. Today’s laws are based for majority on past ones. Laws and regulations in Afghanistan have merely gotten worse over the past few decades and there doesn’t seem to be any hope for any betterment in the future. It’s very heart wrenching when I see on television pictures of children, much younger than us, that have significantly nothing compared to what we have today. It makes me think and appreciate everything that’s been given to me in my lifetime. I know it is much more than most and I am very appreciative of it. There are a few similarities between Canada and the Middle East, but very few. There are laws; yes, however the severity of the punishment only worsens. In this novel, we see that when the Taliban are ruling Kabul, they are very persistent when it comes to abiding the law. If you look at them the wrong way, your life could be taken very easily without them thinking twice. They will never regret it. In the novel they are monsters who thrive on the punishment of others. No regrets hang over them. No matter what, it will always be that way.

Comparative Analysis on Erp Vendors

School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend K507–Enterprise Resource Planning – 2008 Fall – ERP Project Comparative analysis of ERP vendors: SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Koenraad Adams, Eric Piazzoni, and In-Saeng Suh [email  protected] com, [email  protected] com, [email  protected] edu Abstract This is a study of the comparative analysis on the enterprise resources planning (ERP) vendors, SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft. We research on functionalities, cost, features, and target market for each vendor. Keywords: ERP, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, SME 1 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend . Introduction ERP system is an integrated information system to support the business within different organizational parts of an enterprise. The leading global providers are SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft. ERP packages are designed to be customizable to concrete needs of an organization and to its legacy systems. The customization of ERP modu les for a concrete user is performed with special tools and using specific or standard programming languages. Due to already mentioned general ERP characteristics, customization and implementation usually require specialized knowledge and significant resources.SAP was founded on April 1, 1972, by five IBM employees. It developed its first product (financial accounting software) in close cooperation with its first customer. The company grew initially around ERP and solidified its market leadership by being a pioneer in the move from mainframe to client-server computing with its R/3 ERP solution introduced in the 1990s. From there, SAP expanded into a much broader set of applications for other functions in the enterprise: customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), product life-cycle management (PLM), and supplier relationship management (SRM).By bundling and integrating these applications, SAP became known for high-quality, comprehensive enterprise solution s, which SAP or SAP-trained SI consultants would then customize. Oracle was founded in 1977 as Software Development Laboratories. The first Oracle program was written in assembly language, ran on PDP-11 and with 128k of memory. The software was never â€Å"officially† released though. Version 2 which was released in 1979 was the first to be released. The company had changed its name by then to Relational Software Inc. Business grew and by 1982 they had changed their name again, this time to Oracle and in 1987 the company went public.Today, Oracle remains one of the leaders in the ERP industry. A few of the firsts Oracle brought us are: ? The first commercially-available SQL-based database (1979) 2 School of Business and Economics ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Indiana University South Bend The first database to support symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) (1983) The first distributed database (1986) The first database product tested to comply with the ANSI SQL standard (1993) The first 64-bit data base (1995) The first web database (1997) The first proprietary RDBMS to become available on Linux (1998) The first database to support XML (1999)Microsoft Dynamics AX is a line of business management solutions that provides financial management, business intelligence, human resource management, project management, customer relationship management (CRM), manufacturing, supply chain management solutions, collaborative workspace, and configuration and development. The Information Technology views quadrants Gartner Consulting produces each year as a type of benchmark to see where each provider stacks up against their competition. In 2007, Gartner released the quadrant on the left.While many will argue that Gartner‘s methods are too simplistic and don‘t give a truly accurate view of what the decision makers face, it is still a good place to start when comparing products. Gartner ranks venders in two areas, Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute. Using various qualifie rs based on the rankings, the solutions are places in one of four quadrants: ? Leaders score higher on both criteria; the ability to execute and completeness of vision. Typically larger industry developed businesses with vision and potential for expansion 3 School of Business and Economics ?Indiana University South Bend Challengers score higher the ability to execute and lower on the completeness of vision. Typically larger, settled businesses with minimal future plans for that industry ? ? Visionaries score lower on the ability to execute and higher on the completeness of vision. Typically smaller companies that are unloading their planned potential Niche players score lower on both criteria: the ability to execute and completeness of vision. Typically market fledglings In 2007, both Oracle and SAP were placed towards the bottom of the Challengers Quadrant.This would indicate they have the ability to execute, though maybe not that well as they are towards the bottom of the quadrant , and they don‘t seem to have a great deal of vision. But is that all there is to look at? In this study, we focus on functionalities and features, the total cost of ownership, and target market of the ERP vendors: SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics. 2. Functionalities and Features 2. 1 SAP R/3 SAP R/3 is a client-server based application, utilizing a 3-tiered model, the presentation layer, the application layer, and the database layer.SAP R/3 is structured using its own proprietary language called ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming). ABAP, or ABAP/4 is a fourth generation language (4GL), geared towards the creation of simple, yet powerful programs. SAP R/3 also offers a complete development environment where developers can either modify existing SAP code to modify existing functionality or develop their own functions, whether reports or complete transactional systems within the SAP framework. ABAP's main interaction with the database system is via Open SQL state ments.These statements allow a developer to query, update, or delete information from the database. Advanced topics include GUI development and advanced integration with other systems. With the introduction of ABAP Objects, ABAP provides the opportunity to develop applications with object-oriented programming. SAP ERP redefines enterprise resource planning – delivering role-based access to crucial data, 4 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend applications, and analytical tools. With SAP ERP, we can efficiently deal with business challenges in the following areas: ?End-user service delivery – Ensure that employees can readily access the critical data, applications, and analytical tools they need to perform all their job functions efficiently and effectively while also supporting a shared-services organizational model for human resources, finances, and other key processes. SAP ERP offers role-based access, self-services, and employee interaction center support through SAP Manager Self-Service, SAP Employee Self-Service, Duet and employee interaction center support. Plus, SAP Mobile Time and Travel enables employees in the field to report time and expenses offline. SAP ERP Financials – Ensure compliance and predictability of business performance – so the organization can gain a deeper financial insight across the enterprise and tighten control of finances. SAP ERP Financials automates financial and management accounting and financial supply chain management. The solution also provides rigorous support for corporate-governance mandates such as Basel II and Sarbanes-Oxley. ? SAP ERP Human Capital Management – Optimize the HR processes with a complete, integrated, and global human capital management (HCM) solution.SAP ERP provides this HCM solution for organizations of all sizes and in all industries. You can maximize the potential of your workforce, while supporting innovation, growth, and flexibility. The SAP ERP HCM solution automates talent management, core HR processes, and workforce deployment – enabling increased efficiency and better compliance with changing global and local regulations. ? SAP ERP Operations – Manage end-to-end procurement and logistics business processes for complete business cycles – from self-service requisitioning to lexible invoicing and payment – optimizing the flow of materials. SAP ERP Operations also helps discrete and process manufacturers manage the entire life cycle of product development and manufacturing. The solution automates the entire manufacturing process and reduces costs by controlling and adapting the 5 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend manufacturing process in real time – and increases customer satisfaction by delivering higher-quality products. ?SAP ERP Corporate Services – Helps organizations manage their most costintensive corporate functions by supporting and stre amlining administrative processes in the areas of real estate; enterprise assets; project portfolios; corporate travel; environment, health, and safety compliance; quality; and global trade services. SAP ERP Corporate Services is a complete and integrated solution that maximizes transparency and control, while reducing financial and environmental risks and enhancing safety of employees. ?Performance management – Support the entire life cycle of performance management, delivering real-time, personalized measurements and metrics to improve business insight and decision making. SAP ERP supports financial analytics, operations analytics, and workforce analytics, as well as consolidated financial and statutory reporting; planning, budgeting, and forecasting, strategy management and scorecards, and risk management. 2. 2 Oracle An Oracle database system is a platform with at least one application running n it to access and process the data. Data is stored logically in the form of ta ble spaces and physically in the form of data files. The recommended structure for an Oracle database is the institute RAC–Real Application Clusters. Multiple instances, usually on different servers, attach to a central storage array. This offers better performance, scalability and redundancy for the users. There are various versions of the Oracle database management software. In addition, Oracle divides it‘s product into various editions to track marketing and sales. Enterprise Edition – The full suite of performance, scalability, security and reliability stored on either a clustered or single server. Runs on all standards and available with a large number of applications. ? ? Standard Edition – Provides Enterprise level functions for mid-sized organizations. Sold through Oracles 400 Value Added Resellers. Standard Edition One – low end—minimum five users—entry level package. 6 School of Business and Economics ? ? ? Indiana University South Bend Express Edition – primarily intended for students to learn how to code applications for Oracle.It is small, free and his limited capacity. Oracle Personal Edition – ? High end? functionality but sold to single-use developers. Oracle Database Lite – designed to run on mobile devises. Though this looks like a large number of options, there are really only three true choices and they are based on the size (number of seats) of the organization. Of the other three, 2 are for developers and the other just provides access to database information from a mobile devise. Oracle does, however, offer some other ? flavors? to offer as well.Oracle has grown dramatically mostly through acquisitions. Their product lines include. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? PeopleSoft Enterprise Siebel JD Edwards Hyperion Agile AutoVue Fusion Not counting the other products (PeopleSoft, JD Edwards etc. ) Oracle Business Suites alone have over 140 different applications which can be installed on the ir platform. These include: ? Enterprise Performance Management – A tool which aides in the executive decision making process by supporting a broad range of strategic, financial and operational management processes. Business Process Outsourcing – an application which seems to work as an extranet and allows organizations track the non-core business processes which have been outsourced. ? Customer Relationship Management—tracks what is going on in the sales department. Allows other departments (finance, production) know what they can expect. It will also allow the marketing groups know how effective campaigns have been. 7 School of Business and Economics ? Indiana University South Bend Customer Self-Service Solutions—allow customer place orders themselves without the supplier having to have someone enter the order.This reduces the risk of order entry errors. Production or warehouse groups receive the order right away and can act on it much quicker so turn a round takes less time. ? ? Financial Management Solutions—provides and tracks data for finance operations, governance, risk, compliance, and performance management. Human Capital Management – ? tracks all aspects of the Human Capital needs, from core human resource (HR) transactional functionality through service automation and delivery to complete enterprise talent management solutions.? 1 It provides the needed resources and has proven to reduce the costs. ? Procurement – Insures that the supply chain stays on top of productions needs and maintains the most cost effective method of doing so. Project Management—maintains record of current projects statuses and communicates with those needing the information in order to insure projects are proceeding as they should. ? Transportation Suite—insures shipments reach their destination as well as, ? lowers transportation costs, improves customer service and asset utilization, and provides flexible, globa l fulfillment options.? 2 These are just a handful of the applications available.Essentially, whatever the need, Oracle has a way to meet it. 2. 3 Microsoft Dynamics Financial Management Microsoft Dynamics AX accounting and finance solutions help you track and analyze business information. You can easily manage your general ledger, payables, receivables, inventory, sales process, purchasing, analytical accounting, cash flow, bank reconciliations, fixed assets, and collections. 1 â€Å"Human Capital Management Solutions. † Oracle, The World's Largest Enterprise Software Company. 19 Nov. 2008 . 2 â€Å"Transportation Management. † Oracle, The World's Largest Enterprise Software Company. 9 Nov. 2008 . 8 School of Business and Economics Business Intelligence and Reporting Indiana University South Bend Microsoft Dynamics allows you to manage budgets, create and consolidate reports and look for trends and relationships in any part of the business. Human Resource Management M icrosoft Dynamics allows the management of applicant and employee information: payroll and benefits, skills mapping, recruitment and employee registration, and skills development. In addition the system helps you ensure your organization is meeting government reporting requirements accurately and on time.Project Management Project management and accounting applications allow project managers, accountants and executives to improve their project profitability and adapt to changing conditions. In addition manage resources, forecast costs and budgets, track time, and expenses. Lastly, manage contracts and billing. Customer Relationship Management Customer relationship management solutions enable management of customer groups, create and launch marketing campaigns, track customer activity, manage sales and after sales.It also enables automation of many day to day tasks for sales, customer service, field service, call center, and marketing professionals. Manufacturing It provides an integ rated suite of manufacturing applications that give you the tools to plan, manage, and execute a top of the line manufacturing operation. The manufacturing process consists of product configuration, scheduling and shop floor, and supply and capacity requirements planning. Supply Chain Management This improves inventory management, management of single or multi-site warehouses, demand planning, order processing, and online collaboration with suppliers.Collaborative Workspace This extends the reach of business applications, information and process to employees, customers, and partners with role based delivery through a single web-based portal. Configuration and Development 9 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend Customization capabilities enable programmers and system administrators to add new functionality and modify existing functionality quickly and with limited coding. 3. The total cost of ERP ownership Total cost of ownership (TCO) is a significant factor in ERP strategies and decisions.Yet while both end-users and ERP vendors tend to talk about lower TCO and many vendors claim it as a point of differentiation. Three different elements of total cost associated with ERP implementations are actually important: ? ? ? Amount spent on software Amount spent of external services Internal costs Since as the company grows, the number of users goes up, along with the total cost of software and services, one can naturally expect a correlation between size of the ERP deployment and costs. As shown in Table 1, as the number of users goes up, the total cost of software and services also rises.Table 1: Average Software and Services Costs by Company Size Company Size Under $50M $50M – $100M $100M – $250M $250M – $500M $500M – $1B $1B – $5B Over $5B Average # of Users 38 92 195 344 475 2187 3365 Average Software $176,597 $482,941 $695,395 $985,714 $1,364,286 $2,360,577 $2,652,500 Average Service $126,022 $351,374 $ 581,090 $655,263 $1,110,000 $2,081,000 $2,102,778 Average 3 years Maintenance $81,676 $247,554 $443,066 $346,639 $617,735 $1,479,208 $1,163,531 Average total cost $384,295 $1,081,869 $1,719,551 $1,987,616 $3,092,021 $5,920,785 $5,918,809Source: Aberdeen Group, July 2007 Table 2 displays software and service costs by vendor, since the ratio of services to software costs is indicative of both ease of use and ease of implementation. We just adopted a few major vendors, Infor, Lawson, QAD, SAP and Oracle. Table 2: Software and Service Costs by Vendor 10 School of Business and Economics ERP vendor Infor Lawson QAD SAP Oracle Average Software $703,261 $482,500 $633,871 $1,276,667 $1,929,167 Average Service $494,444 $455,556 $463,158 $1,115,323 $1,694,231Indiana University South Bend Average # of ERP modules 11. 0 10. 8 10. 2 11. 9 11. 5 Average Software + Service per user $9,843 $10,521 $9,741 $11,381 $16,882 Average total costs per user $12,773 $11,826 $12,161 $15,067 $20,983 Source: Abe rdeen Group, July 2007 Functionality and TCO remain significant factors on ERP strategies and decisions. The depth and breadth of functionality deployed, along with the cost of software, services, and on-going maintenance combine to provide a price performance of ERP.Table 3 shows the ERP usage and total cost per user per percentage Point of functionality used by three vendors, SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics. Table 3: ERP Usage and Costs per User per Percentage of Functionality Used ERP Vendor SAP Oracle Microsoft Dynamics Average # of Modules Used 12. 4 11. 3 10. 6 Average % of Functionality Used 69. 1% 72. 4% 73. 2% Average # of Users 834 1365 116 Software + Service + 3 Yrs Maint. $702 $513 $607 Source: Aberdeen Group, July 2007Cost Areas of Microsoft Dynamics AX The initial average license price per user for Microsoft Dynamics AX is $3,000. According to Nucleus Research, Inc the average initial license price for a Microsoft Dynamics AX customer was $571,234 with a low of $50 ,000 and a high of $2. 55 million. The consulting average expenditure for Microsoft Dynamics AX deployment was $1,169,745 with a low of $50,000 and a high of $6. 8million. The median expenditure for consulting was $600,000.Pertaining to those customers that made hardware investment, the average hardware costs were $180,188 while the median cost was $84,750 (Nucleus Research, 7). Those companies that invested in the internal personnel for deployment and 11 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend ongoing support for the ERP solution the average personnel costs were $346,667 and the average annual ongoing cost was $192,000. Lastly, training costs on average were $141,375 with one hundred and ninety-five users, twenty-nine hours of training time at a cost of $25 per hour. Table 1.The Average 3-Year Cost of an Microsoft Dynamics AX Deployment Average $571,234 $1,169,745 $180,188 Data Components Average initial license price Average standalone consulting expenditure of customers interviewed Average hardware expenditure of customers interviewed Average number of personnel needed to deploy:4 Average time of deployment:13 months Assumed fully loaded cost of an employee:$80,000 Average number of users: 195 Average training time: 29 hours Assumed fully loaded hourly cost of an end user: $25 Average initial cost of deployment Average maintenance rate: 16% Average initial license price.Average number of FTEs required to support Microsoft Dynamics AX: 2. 4 Assumed fully loaded cost of a support FTE:$80,000 Average 3-year costs of software, consulting, hardware, personnel, training and maintenance. Software Consulting Hardware Personnel $346,667 Training Total Ongoing Costs Software maintenance Personnel $141,375 $2,409,207 $274,192 $576,000 Total 3-Year Cost $3,259,399 Table 2.The Median 3-Year Cost of an Microsoft Dynamics AX Deployment Initial Costs Average Data Components Software $168,000 Median initial license price Median standalone consulting C onsulting $600,000 expenditure of customers interviewed Median hardware expenditure of Hardware $84,750 customers interviewed Median number of personnel needed Personnel $220,000 to deploy:3 Average time of deployment:11 12 School of Business and EconomicsIndiana University South Bend months Assumed fully loaded cost of an employee:$80,000 Median number of users: 120 Median training time: 24 hours Assumed fully loaded hourly cost of an end user: $25 Median initial cost of deployment Median annual cost of license: 15% Median initial license price: $168,000 Median number of FTEs required to support Microsoft Dynamics AX: 1. 25 Assumed fully loaded cost of a support FTE:$80,000 Median 3-year costs of software, consulting, hardware, personnel, training and maintenance. Training Total Ongoing Costs Software maintenance 72,000 $1,144,750 $75,600 Personnel $300,000 Total 3-Year Cost $1,269,950 3. Target market SAP serves 75% of the Fortune Global 1000, but less than 1% of Fortune Global mi llion. The small and medium enterprise (SME) market is a huge opportunity. SAP views SMEs as its main potential source of growth. As of summer 2006, SAP led the midmarket segment, but to reach its goal of having 45% – 50% of order entry from SME customers by 2010, SAP has to address the two most important elements of an SME solution: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and ease-of-use.SAP‘s offering has higher up-front outlays but lower maintenance rates. SAP aggressively expands SME market via the SAP NetWeaver platform strategy toward the goal of doubling SAP‘s market cap by 2010. It would probably be safe to say Oracle targets anyone interested in purchasing an ERP solution. That wouldn‘t be entirely accurate. It‘s obvious that Oracle has achieved it‘s success by building for the large Enterprise organizations but they‘ve also been successful due to their focus on their platform.Enterprise solutions will probably remain a staple target for the m. However, if you look at the products they are now producing making it easier for smaller organizations to get introduced to their product, it‘s an obvious sign they are seeking more small to medium businesses in their portfolio. The 13 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend Standard Edition One with a price of $180 per user is a sign of that. They also have a suite of ? out of the box‘ applications ready to bolt on once the server is in place.Get the business used to the Oracle environment when they are small at a competitive price, then sell more licenses as your software helps them grow seems to be their motto. I can‘t say that‘s a bad one. At the end of the day, selecting the best solution comes down to preference. Obviously, each solution has strengths and weaknesses. But how do you select a solution when one provider is strong in one area you need while another is strong in another? Additionally, there are more solutions coming on the scene.Smaller companies who may be able to provide a different type of service than what the biggest players offer. Another solution many will consider in the future, especially with the current economic situation, is the growing Software as a Service trend. 3 SAP has already got a jump on the market with their ByDesign solution. At the end of the day, it will have to come down to what solution works best for the business making the choice. 3 Maxcer, Chris. â€Å"Is SaaS ERP a viable model for manufacturing? † Manufacturing ERP software and management – SearchManufacturingERP. om. 9 Sep. 2008. 23 Nov. 2008 14 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend References â€Å"Bit on Gartner‘s Magic Quadrants and 2007 report for ERP Vendors† OracleApps Epicenter. 11 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Compare ERP System/ERP Software Solutions. † Technology Evaluation Centers. 12 Nov. 2008 . Farber, Dan. â€Å"Disruptions in the software fabric. â €  Builder AU – By developers for developers. 25 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Gartner Consulting Web Site.. † Gartner Consulting. 20 Nov. 2008 . Greenbaum, Joshua. â€Å"SAP beats Oracle? Oracle surrounding SAP?Microsoft raking in new customers?. † ZDNet Blogs. 20 July 2007. 25 Nov. 2008 . Hagiu, Andrei, Pai-Ling Yin, Daniela Beyersdorfer, and Vincent Dessain. â€Å"SAP: Industry Transformation . † Harvard Business Journal N/A (2006): 28p. â€Å"Human Capital Management Solutions. † Oracle, The World's Largest Enterprise Software Company. 19 Nov. 2008 . Jutras, Cindy. ?The Total Cost of ERP Ownership. † Aberdeen Group. 17 Oct. 2006. 10 Nov. 2008 . Jutras, Cindy. â€Å"Aberdeen Group: The Cost of ERP Functionality. † Aberdeen Group. 12 July 2007. 10 Nov. 2008 . Jutras, Cindy. The Total Cost of ERP Ownership in Mid-Size Companies. † Aberdeen Group. 12 July 2007. 10 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Magic Quadrant for ERP Service Providers, North America, 2007. † Gartner Custom Newsletter Programs. 11 Nov. 2008 . 15 School of Business and Economics Indiana University South Bend Maxcer, Chris. â€Å"Is SaaS ERP a viable model for manufacturing? † Manufacturing ERP software and management – SearchManufacturingERP. com. 9 Sep. 2008. 23 Nov. 2008 â€Å"Microsoft Dynamics: Business management, financial and accounting software solutions (ERP, enterprise resource management). Microsoft Corporation. 25 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Oracle ERP Benefits and Disadvantages. † ITtoolbox Oracle Knowledge Base. 13 Nov. 2008 . Samuals, Mark. â€Å"Making best use of Gartner's reports – 17 Apr 2008 – Computing. † Insight for IT leaders – business technology news, analysis, reviews and jobs Computing. 12 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"The Real ROI from Microsoft Dynamics AX | Nucleus Research. † ROI Reports, ROI Case Studies, ROI Tools | Nucleus Research. 25 Nov. 2008 . â€Å"Transportation Management. † Oracle, The World's Largest Enterprise Software Company. 19 Nov. 2008 . 16