The Virgin Group in 2012 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Virgin Group in 2012 - Case Study Example owards the achievement of the companies’ mission which is being a shopper victor through delivery of brand values such as superior quality products dazzling customer service and competitiveness. The vision of the organization is implementing its plan of global presence in travel, entertainment, and mobile communications such that their involvement in this existing markets benefits both the organization and the consumers in general The history of the company dates back in 1968 while Branson was a student and he published a magazine which displayed his sub sequential entrepreneurial features. His magazine targeted the young generation appealing to its optimism, irreverence and its interest in fashion, music and avant-grade culture. He later ventured into mail-order record business in a street in London and in 1984 he ventured into airline business( Rosenberg, 2010). His private company expanded in internal cash flows and external financing with his new businesses concentrated around travel, holidays, retailing, IT, deregulation and privitasation and international expansion. With his ample knowledge in business, Richard amplified consciousness in matters of the business relationship with environment, ethics and the social role pressured his business to creating a project aware design to widen reliable business operations. The management in the virgin company has been in the forefront in contributing to issues of its relationship with culture ,ethics and the social role by participating in initiatives and creating awareness to its stakeholders. Branson believes that employees are the holding pillar to the business and attending to their needs helps the feel the sense of belonging to the company and hence take responsibility in running the company smoothly. The company provides spotless, vigorous and a secure working environment for its workers with reasonable terms and conditions of operation(Great Britain press,2013). This motivates the employees to work harder

Answer the two thought experiments 'the direction of happiness' and Essay

Answer the two thought experiments 'the direction of happiness' and 'the experience machine'. Based on your answers to the thoug - Essay Example In his argument against hedonism, philosopher Robert Nozick used the thought experiments based on â€Å"the direction of happiness† and â€Å"the experience machine† as he attempted to answer this question. The notion of hedonism, which is manifested by the belief that pleasure should be the ultimate purpose of life, disregards the provisions of a meaningful life. By showing that there are more values to life than happiness, this paper will answer the two thought experiments and discuss what happiness is and whether a happy life is the same thing as a meaningful life. Nozick uses the model of a machine capable of giving people the experience of whatever their desires and pleasures are, which cannot be distinguished from those that can be experienced apart from such machines. People would have a choice to live inside the machine and experience all their pleasures or outside in a lower degree of pleasure. Under such circumstances, where hedonism would opine that the sole intrinsic value is pleasure, most people would choose to remain plugged in to the experience machine. That would show a preference of a more pleasant but less meaningful life than a less pleasant and more meaningful one. However, according to the concept of direction of happiness, the amount of happiness in different lives is exactly the same, only that one tends to slope upwards with increasing happiness while the other slopes downwards with declining happiness. Mistakenly, people would still choose the life with happiness that slopes upwards. It is a mistaken choice because people still care and are concerned about their connection with reality, and it is the factor that the experience machine lacks. People still want their experiences to develop from reality rather than fantasy even if both feel the same. From this, it can be said that what people ultimately seek in life are not merely feelings of pleasure, but also to be in a particular way. Feelings of happiness and pleasure ar e desirable but not enough. People would want to go beyond the simple experience of doing things and actually do them. Therefore, there are more values than happiness and experiences of doing things. The experiences of the experience machine only limit people to their own man-made realities that are constructed within the confines of their perceived important values. Although the experiences of reality may be simulated by the experience machine, no contact is made with deeper and meaningful reality. When one envisages an experience machine and then appreciate that they would not use it, they learn that there are other things that matter more than experiences. The definition of happiness provides that it must contain meaning, pleasure and engagement. The part of meaning is in reference to the contribution to a broader cause while pleasure comprises the part of feeling good. Although a happy life and meaningful life have overlapping aspects, they are fundamentally distinct and a happy life is not necessarily a meaningful one. Happiness may occur as either or both emotional and mental well-being that is characterized by pleasant and positive feelings, which have different meanings to different people because it is quite a subjective matter. It can be a spontaneous feeling caused by positive emotions and last for a moment, as well as a continuous one. The overlap between a happy and meaningful life is mainly manifested by the fact that meaningfulness is among the causal factors

Media and Cultural Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media and Cultural Diversity - Essay Example These movies constructed white men as heroes and guardians of morality and civilization, white women as frail but morally superior figures, and African-American and immigrant men and women as uncontrollable sexual deviants who threatened civilization. These films reflected the fears of the white middle class that massive immigration, waves of black migration to the North, and the increasingly public role of women were irrevocably changing American society and threatening the power of the traditional dominant group in the United States: white middle- and upper-class men. In the 1910s and 1920s the film industry was fascinated with rape in silent feature films. Out of a sample of fifteen of the most popular feature films from 1915 through 1927, eleven contained single or multiple scenes of attempted rape.(1) The attempted rape served as a transitional point for the films and indicated some momentous change in the story line was about to occur. But more importantly rape also acted as a metaphor for larger cultural concerns. Indeed, the action initiated by the sexual violence operated as a symbolic episode that legitimized the power and dominance of white men of the middle and upper classes, who were united through a common culture of respectability that emphasized etiquette and genteel values (Bushman, 1993). Attempted rape scenes in these popular films developed a triangular relationship between the white, manly hero saving his white, female love interest from the sexual violence of the African-American or immigrant rapist. Such plots were based upon a long tradition of melodramatic story-telling with clearly defined notions of good and evil, and many films followed the time-worn traditions of the past. But because films defined white men as good and powerful, white women as objects of sexual violence or adoration, and African-American and immigrant men as violent, all helped to reinforce the cultural perception that white middle-class men were powerful, and that civilization depended on that power. These films defined images of all three types of people by juxtaposing them against the others: logical and powerful white manhood contrasted with weak and passive womanhood and with the destructive sexual energy of the more "primitive" manhood of African-American and southern- and eastern-European men. In short, silent feature films often used rape to preserve and support dominant white manhood, to subordinate women, and to perpetuate negative stereotypes of non-Caucasian males. Further, the metaphorical form these movies used to c onvey that power--rape--also created a highly charged atmosphere of sexuality. Dersu Uzala [1975]: This film, directed not by a Russian but a Japanese (the famous director, Kurosawa) using mostly Russian or Soviet actors and staff, is nonetheless a classic of Russian cinema in the same way that the St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is a symbol of Russia despite having been designed by an Italian. An Imperial Russian Army survey party in pre pre-WW1 times goes to chart previously uncharted lands in Eastern Siberia.

Core Needs Addressed and Bases of Market Segmentation Essay - 16

Core Needs Addressed and Bases of Market Segmentation - Essay Example Examining the case of Lane Bryant, it is ostensible that the company is seeking to meet the basic need for clothing with their introduction of a’ new activewear line’. The workout-wear branded as Livi Active is a product that seeks to meet the clothing desires and demands of women while participating in the gym exercises or as they leave. Availing it in sizes that fit a higher percentage of its target customers has ensured this demand is met (Mahoney, 2015). This base of segmentation considers the demographic variables including age, size, education, religion, gender among others (Blythe, 2008). Considering the case of Lane Bryant’s new product, Livi Active has been initiated with clear conscious about certain variables. Gender, age and body size are the primary aspects that have been examined extensively. The product seeks to meet the demand of ladies and not any other gender. Also, the gap in terms of body sizes has been thought through before coming up with a product that suits size 12. This has been generated from the information and statistics available. Consequently, the psychological influence that drives people into having needs and wants have been considered. In this case, lifestyle is the core aspect that has informed the development of this product. In the plus-size women desire to look sharp and this makes them develop a strong need for gym wears that are designed with colors that can attract them. The bright colors are apparently the best for this. The company’s new product targets plus-size women whose body size are above size 12. The new product is to be designed brightly and fashionably for the large-bodied customers who, in the past, have not had the chance to receive such stylish clothes. Unlike the traditional system where  Lane Bryant only stylishly designed wears for medium and small size customers, the new product will incorporate the large sizes to enjoy the same.  

Hometown Deli Competitive Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hometown Deli Competitive Analysis - Case Study Example However, with the threat of looming competition, it is important to analyze the market and determine the possible change in profitability. It is also important to identify a strategy that will be used to improve the business and make it viable in this time. The first aspect of Porter’s five force analysis is the supplier power, which is the importance of the supplier when serving more than one competitor (Porter, 2008). From the analysis of Hometown Deli, it can be determined that the previous owner built a network of suppliers. This means that the supplier is a powerful force in the industry. From the products of the deli, it is evident that there are many possible avenues for getting new suppliers, so the threat of supplier power is low. The best strategy to deal with the existing suppliers is to consolidate their services to guard from competition. This can be done by using one supplier and ensuring that long-term contracts are used with the supplier. The second aspect of P orter’s model is buyer power, and is probably the most important part of the analysis (Porter, 2008). From the history of the deli, it is evident that the previous owner built a network of customers, and the new owner has to find a strategy of retaining these customers. The information indicates that the deli has been a local hotspot for many years, and the best strategy to deal with the power of the buyer is to ensure that these customers do not move with the potential competition. This is done by ensuring that the customers retain their image of the company. In this case, Hometown Deli should provide promotional content aimed at retaining old customers, like using loyalty programs for old customers and introducing prices for returning customers. The other factor is the threat of new entrants, which is determined by the existing competition in the region, cost advantages, barriers to entry and access to distribution (Porter, 2008). In the case of Hometown Deli, there is a bi g threat from competition, mainly because there are low barrier to entry and the potential competition has bigger profits, which means that they have more access to promotional content. This means that the deli is faced with the biggest threat from competition, ad to deal with it, management should come up with a way of increasing their competitive presence. The best strategy for this is to find extra sources of finance and improve the technological presence in the region. If the deli improves the service offered to its customers, it would make it easier to retain customers to the deli. The deli should be brought up to date in terms of competitive presence in the region. The fourth factor is the threat of substitutes, which is the competition faced by a business from the possibility of clients using substitute products (Porter, 2008). In the case of Hometown Deli, the main substitute product is fast food restaurant products, which is not so much of a problem. This force can be addre ssed by consolidating the clients’ preference for the deli product. The last factor is the degree of rivalry, which refers to the competition that would be posed by a rival company. Increased competition can drive profits very low since the market is very concentrated. With the threat of only one rival, it is important to establish a strong identity; otherwise the market could become a monopoly, especially since the potential com

Core Needs Addressed and Bases of Market Segmentation Essay - 16

Core Needs Addressed and Bases of Market Segmentation - Essay Example Examining the case of Lane Bryant, it is ostensible that the company is seeking to meet the basic need for clothing with their introduction of a’ new activewear line’. The workout-wear branded as Livi Active is a product that seeks to meet the clothing desires and demands of women while participating in the gym exercises or as they leave. Availing it in sizes that fit a higher percentage of its target customers has ensured this demand is met (Mahoney, 2015). This base of segmentation considers the demographic variables including age, size, education, religion, gender among others (Blythe, 2008). Considering the case of Lane Bryant’s new product, Livi Active has been initiated with clear conscious about certain variables. Gender, age and body size are the primary aspects that have been examined extensively. The product seeks to meet the demand of ladies and not any other gender. Also, the gap in terms of body sizes has been thought through before coming up with a product that suits size 12. This has been generated from the information and statistics available. Consequently, the psychological influence that drives people into having needs and wants have been considered. In this case, lifestyle is the core aspect that has informed the development of this product. In the plus-size women desire to look sharp and this makes them develop a strong need for gym wears that are designed with colors that can attract them. The bright colors are apparently the best for this. The company’s new product targets plus-size women whose body size are above size 12. The new product is to be designed brightly and fashionably for the large-bodied customers who, in the past, have not had the chance to receive such stylish clothes. Unlike the traditional system where  Lane Bryant only stylishly designed wears for medium and small size customers, the new product will incorporate the large sizes to enjoy the same.  

The Role of Peer Feedback in Improving EFL Writing Skills of Saudi Essay

The Role of Peer Feedback in Improving EFL Writing Skills of Saudi English Major Students - Essay Example The essay explains the role of peer feedback in helping them improve their EFL writing competencies. Following this, a section of the paper presents the concept of peer feedback in detail. Finally, the last section looks at the issue of collaborative learning, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the process of peer feedback to help better understand this type of approach. Many researchers have found a positive relation between students’ writing achievements and the provision of feedback. It is seen that feedback improves writing skills since it gives both students and teachers a picture of students' progress and improvement. It is also considered to be â€Å"a key element of the scaffolding provided by the teacher to build learner confidence and the literacy resources to participate in target communities†. This paper makes a conclusion that peer feedback as it was presented in this essay can be a very beneficial collaborative activity in EFL writing sessions. Unfortunately, this kind of feedback is novel in many non-Western teaching contexts such as Saudi Arabia where teacher-feedback based classes are still dominant. The education system in Saudi Arabia is in the traditional style where it is loaded by rules, and is bound by a certain structure. Saudi students are taught writing by structured written exercises and traditional drills. Students’ writing is most often controlled and guided with model writings provided by teachers rather than allowing them to write freely. However, this situation could be changed with proper awareness of the educational problems and with appropriate writing instructions such as applying cooperative learning and peer feedback to make students better writers.