The Impact Of Sporting Activities On Sporting Events

Sporting activities have had major impacts worldwide for quite some time. Within that period of time, various issues have emanated from such activities and had various influences. According to the article written and published by Jamal L. R. on 10th November 2015, racial discrimination on sporting events, as well as the dynamics of the race and sport from 1968 to 2008 is focused on. In his research, Jamal mainly uses content analysis on the happenings, which had major impact especially on the blacks during athletic, and ball games. He mainly analyzes the grievances addressed by other races especially during the games, so as to come up with his research and conclusions. Such complains helps him in identifying the existence of racial†¦show more content†¦However, the article does not answer the perpetrators were punished or the compensations allocated to the victims. This analysis mainly focused on the racial discrimination in sporting events. The major claims that led possible changes in the industry include youthful delusions, civil rights, public outcry, self-determination and nationalism. Youthful delusions explains how the youth focused on sports to make money, civil rights focuses on human rights as enshrined in the United Nations charter and how sportsmen and activists fought for enactment of these policies, public outcry emphasizes on how the public ensured that their rights are upheld, self-determination is all about the act of believing in one self to make rational decisions and ruling, and lastly sprit of nationalism which focuses on the feeling of belonging to a particular country and doing what is expected as a citizen of the country. These were the major claims to support the argument of the article and their impact on the pre-existing problems. Analysis on public outcry focuses on scholars who were against racism. They viewed racists as slave masters to the larger population. A scholar by the name Gilbert stood against racists, advocated for new policies and change. Gilbert was also accused of inciting people to protest against racial discrimination at sporting affairs after posting sediments on LeBron James. His post made Cavaliers supporters to have a

The Moral Integrity Of Huckleberry Finn - 1281 Words

Grant Palmer October 18, 2017 ENGL – 2130 The Moral Integrity of Huckleberry Finn Morality is most often defined as â€Å"the principles concerning a distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.† A choice will always be made that defines a character and their moral integrity. In Mark Twain’s novel, â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn†, Huck runs into many situations where he or another character are put into a position in which morality is called into question. This proves that regardless of societies influences and expectations, for Huck to do what is right he must test the morals he has learned from his world and society. Through his reflections, Huck makes some poor choices that are against what he has been taught, giving him†¦show more content†¦He says, â€Å"Dey’s two angels hoverin’ roun’ ‘bout him. One uv’em is white en shiny, eb ‘tother one is black. De white one gits him to go right, a little while, den de black one sail in en bust it all up† (Twain 141). This is the general idea related with morality. It connects to the expectations of the society where right and wrong influences how the people act in their normal lives. This can also be represented by the murders on the ship and how they decide not to kill Jim Turner, but say that it â€Å"ain’t good sense, it ain’t good morals† (172). The characters and how they live reflect the way that, not only how their society views them but also separate the view of the righteous and devout against the moral unjust. Clearly, Huck’s society portrays what is morally okay and yet Huck starts to question the uncertainty of the community. For instance, as Huck starts to progress and notice the wrongs of his society and his father is also challenged to progress based on the town and their goals. Twain describes this kind rehab by saying that â€Å"The new judge brought Huck’s father to his own home, cleaned him up, fed him and even got him to admit his faults and yet he reverts back to his old habits† (144). Huck’s father obviously is showing signs of uncertainty despite the revelation of his life, he is constantly trending back towards his old habits. The Judge even says that â€Å"he felt kind of sore. He said he reckoned a body could reform the oldShow MoreRelated The Integrity and Strength of Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1395 Words   |  6 PagesThe Integrity and Strength of Huckleberry Finn  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When one is young they must learn from their parents how to behave. A childs parents impose societys unspoken rules in hope that one day their child will inuitivly decerne wrong from right and make decisions based on their own judgment. These moral and ethical decisions will affect one for their entire life. In Mark Twains, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is faced with the decision of choosing to regard all he has been taughtRead MoreEssay about Huck Finn1567 Words   |  7 PagesHuck Finn Throughout the ages The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a treasured novel to people of all ages. For young adults the pure adventuresome properties of the book captivates and inspires wild journeys into the unknown. The book appeals to them only as a quest filled with danger and narrow escapes. It is widely considered â€Å"that children of 12 or so are a little too young to absorb the book’s complexities† (Galileo: Morrow). However, as readers mature and become older, theyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1164 Words   |  5 PagesResearch Paper In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain writes about the events in Huckleberry Finn’s life and the people around him. Huckleberry Finn tells the tale of life in the nineteenth century through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy struggling to find his place in this society. Throughout the story Huck deals with several moral issues; such as slavery, his distrust of society, and social order. In this essay I will discuss moral issues that Huck Finn faces in the story. The story takesRead MoreHuck Finn Moral Integrity Essay1267 Words   |  6 Pages The Moral Integrity of Huckleberry Finn Morality is most often defined as â€Å"the principles concerning a distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.† A choice will always be made that defines a character and their moral integrity. In Mark Twain’s novel, â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn†, Huck encounters a frequent amount of circumstances where he or other characters are put into situations in which morality is called into question. This proves that regardless of religious influencesRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Research Paper1649 Words   |  7 PagesSince its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† makes many sensitive a nd offended. Critics denounce the novel and Mark Twain as racist for this word being insulting and politicallyRead MoreThe Censorship of Huckleberry Finn Essay1273 Words   |  6 PagesThe Censorship of Huckleberry Finn Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a significant book in the history of American literature that presents readers with the truth of our past American society in aspects such as speech, mannerisms, and tradition that we must embrace rather than dismiss by censorship. It is a novel that has been praised and proclaimed America’s â€Å"first indigenous literary masterpiece† (Walter Dean Howells) as well as one that has been criticized and declared obscene. It hasRead MoreRacial Integrity Act Of 1924 And Mildred Loving1479 Words   |  6 PagesLoving, were arrested for violating the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, or the marriage of a â€Å"white† man and a â€Å"colored† woman in Virginia 1967. This story is one of many examples of when the status quo of race has been challenged. This couple, along with others, disregarded the norm of opposing interracial relationships, and above all chose love as the only thing that matters. In the play, Othello by Willi am Shakespeare, the book Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and the article, â€Å"The MeaningRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Essay1572 Words   |  7 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain follows juvenile Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist of the novel, and his companion, Jim, on their journey to seek refugee from society. Twain portrays Huckleberry as an astute and stalwart young man, whose personal sense of morality overrides society’s insular prejudices and focuses, instead, on his own integrity and values. Throughout the novel, Huck faces a number of situations that test his ability to decipher between right and wrong, despiteRead MoreMorality in Huckleberry Finn Essay1265 Words   |  6 Pagesmakes that defines their moral integrity in a literary work and distinguishes them as the hero. In Mark Twain’s story, â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn†, not only does Huck encounters a number of moral cir cumstances where he or other characters displays situations in which moral ethics is called to questioned, but it proves that despite the religious influence and social expectation, it is through Huck that in order to do what is morally right, one must challenge the moral teaching of the world. ThroughRead MoreChanging Views And The Changing Blues1657 Words   |  7 Pages Cameron- 4th Hour Honors American Literature 9 January 2015 The Changing Views and The Changing Blues Mark Twain himself had this to say about his novel: Huckleberry Finn is a book of mine about a boy with a sound heart and a deformed conscience that come into conflict...and conscience suffers defeat.† In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, his view of society starts out as naà ¯ve and childish, but as he experiences life on the Mississippi, he grows into a man with a realistic standpoint of what

Methods of Government, explained by Mr. Lao Tzu Free Essays

Mr. Lao Tzu,  I am glad to write this letter to you and I wish you to stay in good health. Being myself interested in the art of state governance I could not fail to be moved by your outstanding writings. We will write a custom essay sample on Methods of Government, explained by Mr. Lao Tzu or any similar topic only for you Order Now Philosophers with such profound views as you have are rare, so, desiring to further dispute certain ideas about government and administration I have found nothing better than to write this letter to you and thusly invite you to discussion. Please accept this letter calmly as it is due to a philosopher, for I have not wished to contest your wisdom, but only to share some views which I have obtained via long years of struggles and dangers. My most sincere desire is to have an advice with you because truth is sprout in discussion. Thereto let me pass to my argument. In your famous Tao Te Ching you write:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"If you want to be a great leader, you must learn to follow the Tao. Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself[1].†   I admire this argument but I put it in a little other way for I think that it is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and she needs to be beaten and dominated[2]. That what you call â€Å"Tao† I use to call Fortune. Fortune is something what we can not control, but we can benefit from it. Every ruler has a Fortune, but not all of them are fortunate, because some of them are able to benefit from fortune and others are not. And to benefit from Fortune one has to feel it and take effort to obtain every possible necessary result from lucky events. That’s why I say that Fortune loves young. The young can better feel it and they are faster in using it. Using your terms I can say, that Tao flows by itself outside of our will. The one who feels the flow of Tao and moves with it will win[3]. But in order to win he has to move in the direction he needs only using Tao because in case he moves with Tao he will lose his aim of sight and will be a p risoner of circumstances. Another piece of your writing which attracted my attention is: â€Å"If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed and crafty. When the will to power is in charge, the higher the ideals, the lower the results. Try to make people happy, and you lay the groundwork for misery. Try to make people moral, and you lay the groundwork for vice.[4]† I agree with you entirely that a ruler is always an example for his subjects, however, I would like to notice, that ruling only by example is a much too vague basis for power. There are always people who do not accept any virtues and who are willing to overthrow even the most perfect ruler, at least to take his place. So I think that except for example a ruler is to inspire love and fear to the people, and at that fear is more important than love, because love is changeful and does not depend on ruler’s will, and fear is an instrument which is always available for a ruler[5].   Moreover, I believe that a ruler is to incur evil and forget about virtues in some cases. I mean those vices without which he might hardly save the state; because, if one considers everything well, one will find that something that appears a virtue, if followed, would be his ruin, and that some other thing that appears a vice, if followed, results in his security and well-being[6]. You speak about love and fear not as of methods of ruling, but as of ruler’s qualities when you write that â€Å"When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.†[7] As I have already mentioned, I believe, that fear is a better foundation for power than love, but now I would like to speak exactly of the ruler’s qualities. To my opinion a ruler is not to be good or bad, he is to be reasonable. What works good once can be not so good next time. Fortune, or Tao as you call it, may change, so the best ruler is the one who skillfully adapts to the situation and never freezes in his qualities. The ruler has to deal with different people who have different desires and so it is hardly possible for him to be same for all. A ruler has not to follow an ideal, but he is to be realistic[8]. You call upon princes to let things happen as they happen when you say: â€Å"Center your country in the Tao and evil will have no power. Not that it isn’t there, but you’ll be able to step out of its way.[9]† Let me used a term which I am used to and call Fortune that what you call Tao. I believe that this argument is weak, because it assumes that the country is ideal. And what about the countries which are not ideal and which are not in conformity with fortune? I would compare her to one of those raging rivers, which when in flood overflows the plains, sweeping away trees and buildings, bearing away the soil from place to place; everything flies before it, all yield to its violence, without being able in any way to withstand it; and yet, though its nature be such, it does not follow therefore that men, when the weather becomes fair, shall not make provision, both with defenses and barriers, in such a manner that, rising again, the waters may pass away by canal, and their force be neither so unrestrained nor so dangerous. So it happens with Fortune, who shows her power where valour has not prepared to resist her, and thither she turns her forces where she knows that barriers and defences have not been raised to constrain her[10]. So a ruler does have to act in order to bring his principality to perfectness and make it protected even from Fortune itself. Let me conclude my modest letter by this. Hope you were not bored while reading it and you will find it possible to answer my most humble writing. Cordially yours humble servant, Niccolà ² di Bernardo dei Machiavelli Works Cited: 1. Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, 25th-Anniversary Edition, Vintage, 1997 2. Machiavelli.   The Prince. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998 3. Mary G. Dietz, Trapping The Prince: Machiavelli and the Politics of Deception, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 80, No. 3 (Sep., 1986), pp. 777-799 4. David Hall, Commentary on the Lao Tzu by Wang Pi by Ariane Rump, Wing-tsit Chan, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan., 1981), pp. 97-98 [1] Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 25th-Anniversary Edition, Vintage, 1997. Verse 57 [2] Niccolo Machiavelli.   The Prince. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, p.- 83 [3] Lao Tzu dows not speak so directly, but it is usually mentioned by commentators. For example see: David Hall, Commentary on the Lao Tzu by Wang Pi by Ariane Rump, Wing-tsit Chan, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan., 1981), pp. 97-98 [4] Lao Tzu, 58 [5]   See: Niccolo Machiavelli, chap. XVII [6] Lao Tzu, 58 [7] Lao Tzu, 17 [8] For this Machiavelli’s argument see: Mary G. Dietz, Trapping The Prince: Machiavelli and the Politics of Deception, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 80, No. 3 (Sep., 1986), pp. 777-799 [9] Lao Tzu, 60 [10] Niccolo Machiavelli, p.- 119 How to cite Methods of Government, explained by Mr. Lao Tzu, Essay examples

Minimum Wage And Why We Should Leave It Essay Example For Students

Minimum Wage And Why We Should Leave It Essay Minimum Wage And Why We Should Leave It Essay When was the last time a value meal from McDonald, let alone any other fast food chain, did not cost five dollars or more? When was the last time premium gas was under a dollar a gallon? Its hard to remember, isnt it? Wouldnt it be great if everything cost a nickel, like back in the good ol days? According to the laws of economics, its not logical for things to have gotten more expensive competition should drive prices down. Then why have prices continued to rise over the years? The continuing demand of more money for less work has forced Uncle Sam to raise the minimum wage innumerable times in the last half century, which results in higher prices for the rest of us. Another raise in the minimum wage would, as all the others before it, raise prices for consumers, which would again result in another demand for a raise in the minimum wage. Its a viscous cycle that must be stopped before it loses control. Not only does a raise in minimum wage result in a raise in the cost of living, it also causes the dismissal of hardworking people who are happy with their current income. When the firing axe starts to fall, seniority often determines who goes and who stays. The more a single employee costs a business an hour, the fewer employees the business can afford to employee an hour. This results in the dismissal of employees to compensate for a raise in labor costs, which creates a smaller staff, which results in slipshod service. Although most reasonable people would rather pay more for better service, the plain fact of the matter is that the service hasnt really gotten any better. The service is better than it was when there werent enough employees so people assume the service itself has gotten better, while the truth is that the service is just as haphazard as before. The laborers are simply replaced because of a need for more employees, more often than not by people who have never worked in those positions before. By having a staff that is constantly fluctuating, the business hurts itself the service is hurt because the new employees are in need of training, and in the end it is us, the consumers, who feel the real pain The pain we experience is that of rising costs in the market its that sharp pain we feel every time we reach for our wallet, but it is in no way as painful as the fact that we give bonuses for no reason in the form of raises in the minimum wage. The argument that minimum wage should be raised says people need more money to make a living in a world of ever rising costs. The truth is that they, the people who demand more money, are the ones raising the cost of living. Some would say that the high cost of living is brought about by the devaluation of the dollar and the effects of inflation. Truth be told, inflation is also caused by the flooding of the market with bills printed to pay the high costs of laborers in the market. Laborers who are comprised primarily of teens and the elderly, both of which usually have an alternate form of income either in the form of parents or social security. I offer an alternative to the minimum wage. If people would respect their money and understand the value of the dollar then they would have to learn skills that would promote them in the job market. The minimum wage could be kept for the handicapped and the disabled, people who for the most part arent able to advance themselves in the working world. The most positive thing about the current minimum wage is that it is substantial enough to make teens respect their money, but also low enough to force them to save. Its been said that if we do not know our history, we will be doomed to repeat it. The argument over the minimum wage makes it abhorrently obvious that this statement is true. .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f , .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .postImageUrl , .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f , .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:hover , .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:visited , .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:active { border:0!important; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:active , .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uef2c013a172099e18fd5d95d3ff9572f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Media Influence On Sport Essay The time for action is now, before we are .

Amazon.com Competitive Strategies

Introduction Uncertainty always reigns in the minds of managers when it comes to deciding what impact is brought about by the competitive strategies utilized by the managers. This uncertainty is even more when firms operate in new environments such as the e-ecommerce platform.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Amazon.com Competitive Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The fact that there are a growing number of firms joining the e-commerce environment is ground enough to establish strategies that would enable a firm compete effectively in the new environment. Understanding the strategies which would be usable in attaining value in e-commerce is a priority among e-businesses (Filson 2004). Amazon.com being a leading online retailer for books is an e-business which has over the time positioned itself strategically to remain relevant and competitive in a dynamically evolving environment. Amazon.com: Overview Amazon.com was founded by Jeff Bezos, who is also the current CEO of the company, in July 1995; however, the company started operating as a public firm in 1997. Amazon.com began as an online bookstore but then entered the music store field in June 1998. These services and goods, and others which Amazon.com has ventured in, are offered on retail basis hence making the firm an outstanding internet retailer (Filson 2004). It is important to note some of the major competitors of Amazon.com include Barnes Noble and eBay among others. Compared to its competitors i.e. including even the early competitors, Amazon.com’s market value has remained larger thus making the company always stand out in performance. While the main competitors experienced fall in their market value after their peak in the late 1990s, Amazon.com’s value has been clearly outstanding (Filson 2004). Competitive Strategies Amazon.com realized that the theory of increasing sales as a general strategy for the competitiveness of a business was not enough in the e-tailing environment. In realization that exploring other product lines may increase a firm’s competitive position, Amazon.com has pursued other lines of business including â€Å"1-Click ordering and zShops†.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These shopping devices eased shopping by offering shoppers more information since categorization of products has been made possible. In addition, 1-Click payment feature for instance offers recommendations on books or music which may be related to the customer’s search. This has eventually led to an increase in value. Since the above strategies are not price-based, Amazon’s competitors have found it challenging to imitate (Datamonitor 2011). This is because technology used to develop such features is usually patented, thus barring competitors from imitating the technology. As for zShops and auctions, Amazon strategically benefitted in that others were offered an opportunity to utilize Amazon’s technologies. Shopping at Amazon.com has been made easier by use of these shopping devices as well as utilizing actions. Amazon.com also realizes that expanding product lines does not necessarily translate into increased market value. Instead, the firm identifies that specific line of products achieve this. These include â€Å"small, high value/weight objects such as books, electronics, health and beauty products, music, toys and games, and videos† (Filson 2004, p.152). By going into these lines of business, Amazon.com has remained at the top of its competitors as far as market value is considered. Other than its official www.amazon.com website, Amazon also increases its global presence by offering its products on other websites available internationally. For instance, in its formative years, Amazon.com formed promotional alliances with prominent portals such as Yahoo and Netscape among others. Promotional services as well as advertising through popular portals set Amazon.com apart competitively against its competitors, making Amazon.com defeat its rivals during its early years. Despite the fact that promotional services through major portals have lost value given Amazon.com’s stage of growth, it is no doubt that it was a vital tool in taking the firm where it is now in the e-marketing environment (O’Brien Shambora 2009).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Amazon.com Competitive Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rivette and Kline (2000) emphasize that the emergence of intellectual property is a business competiveness tool in today’s business world. Other than boosting the overall competitiveness of an organization, Rivette and Kline (2000) say that patents have, of late, become avenues for enhancing financial markets and putting up a proprietary advantage. This is through the fact that patents help protect the uniqueness of a business system and reduce corporate risk. Novel ideas and technologies must be protected if modern businesses, especially ICT-based businesses, must capitalize on them to gain both strategically and competitively. The patenting of Amazon’s 1-Click system, which is a system that is used in order processing, was a competitive weapon established by the company back in 1999. This would later give Amazon leverage in a suit where Barnes Noble had infringed on the 1-Click system rights. Amazon won the case. Amazon is renowned for its constant stretching of its muscle into business lines which are completely new, thereby ending up disrupting the industries it joins. It can be termed as a firm which is adventurous even when they face failure. From an online bookstore to a music store, Amazon diversified into treadmills, cloud computing and toilet seats, just to nam e a few areas where it has ventured. Amazon has recently taken the challenge to Apple by coming up with Kindle, which is somewhat a competitor of the iPad. This is just an indication of how far Amazon is willing to adventure to ensure its sustainability given the current dynamism in the market (O’Brien Shambora 2009). In addition, Kindle’s e-reader tool is already enabling widening of the e-books space, thus making Amazon a dominant firm in the e-book market since its launch in 2007. It is recorded that book sales as enabled by Kindle exceeded the sale of hardcover books on www.amazon.com by July 2010. There have been more Kindle book purchases from Amazon website now than any of the two print books offered by Amazon. Amazon has therefore gained both competitive advantage and revenue generation through this revolutionary gadget (Datamonitor 2011). The virtue of Amazon being a leader in online retail business has already positioned it to reach a wide customer base. Thi s is something that is envied by its rivals.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How Amazon.com’s has Created Superior Customer Value Amazon is a business of its kind and has of late attracted attention due to its trail of impressive growth. It has kept on embracing transformational growth sending its tentacles into different interests while still trying to retain an aspect of core business. Amazon started as an online book business and this was already very innovative as it was built around a changing customer value proposition bringing another view of the book industry (Burgelman Meza 2001). It then went beyond books to all kinds of consumer goods that could be easily shipped. Its view of core business at this time started changing from that of a product to a business design. Later the business ventured into commission-based brokerage to traders of used books and then to third party sellers. It was therefore no longer a sale only but a sales-and-service model. In 2002, the company then ventured into web services, a field in IT and very different from i ts shipping and trade facilitation business. Over 200,000 outside web developers were giving free help. 2007 saw Amazon set up lab 126 that launched its first product, the Kindle e-book reader threatening to disrupt the publishing industry. This saw 500,000 e-books for kids sold in the first year. E-books on Amazon are now a booming business and have greatly expanded. Today, Amazon offers world’s biggest selection and is seeking to be the most customer centric company. They offer millions of unique, new, used, and refurbished items in several categories like jewelry and watches, health, food, sports, books, electronics, toys and many other categories. Amazon has shown ability to find new opportunities to serve a different type of clientele or serve the same clientele in a new way and still retain value in the old business. Amazon.com: a case in point Amazon.com used internet as its only method of selling goods to its customers. It has some competitors like Barnes Noble and a lso Borders. There are also others like eBay and Google. The competitive advantage that Amazon.com has over Barnes and Noble is that its costs are significantly lower as the competitors use brick and mortar as their distribution channel (Brandenburger Nalebuff 1996). Amazon.com has no storefronts and the main distribution warehouse can be located anywhere even away from densely populated areas where other conventional businesses would like to have their stores located. This allows Amazon to pay cheaper in terms of rent as it locates its warehouse in low rent areas. Due to the various ways in which Amazon is able to avoid costs, it is able to deliver items at prices lower than market prices and still generate profit. Other competing online booksellers are unable to deliver services as those of Amazon due to its recent boom, and its cost efficient way to shop for goods (Leschly Sahlman 2008). Despite the attempts to use internet to sell their books, the competitors have not been abl e to overcome the overwhelming reputation of Amazon. However, there are other new entrants who are gaining popularity and who are now real threats to Amazon’s business. Google is one such business whose entry into the market attracted overwhelming interest from customers. The market is therefore showing stiffer competition since Google is a well known and well connected competitor. The current trend of Amazon makes it difficult to classify its business model. Instead it seems to be combining different models and no single one is sufficient to entirely sustain competitive advantage. It could also be said that it has created a new business model. This new business model uses the synergy of various benefits to create value for the customers. Some of these benefits are: shopping convenience, speed, discounted pricing, ease of purchase, wide selection, reliability of order fulfillment and lots of information that enable decision making (Campbell Collins 2010). Sustainability of A mazon’s Strategies In its operational strategy, Amazon has managed to enhance its competitive strategy through cost leadership, customer differentiation, and focus strategies. Rather than talk of core business, Amazon would rather talk of core capabilities and world class core assets. It is seen to make calculated moves in transforming capacities into profit centers. Elastic compute cloud As one of its recent models Amazon ventured into leasing computing horsepower over the web which is a very welcome solution for those in businesses that will require buying of servers. It is an equivalent of leasing a server at a cost of $876 per year or at a cost of ten cents each hour (Leschly Sahlman 2008). These kinds of diverse investments are part of what made eyebrow rise on Wall Street. They wondered why, despite Amazon spending billions of dollars developing its business model, it could venture into such businesses that are far not related to the core business. It shows Amazon does understand that the solution to sustained success is business model innovation. While many see Amazon as over committing its capacity into new ventures, others see that any of these ventures could grow into blockbuster businesses like the e-Books sector. The logic behind expansion of product range Amazon’s case can in one way be seen as that of William’s Inc. William’s Inc. is a steel pipe manufacturer that ventured into manufacture of pipes that transport internet. In the view of the company the concept in the business is the same and in little wonder, both areas are vastly profitable. Amazon’s venture into a variety of products is firstly to exploit its distribution systems maximally (Campbell Collins 2010). Most of the products that Amazon sells will use the same concept in distribution as that used in the book business. Just as many companies would enjoy the benefits of economies of scale, so is the case of Amazon. The question may arise if some pro ducts like the Electronic Compute Cloud are still in this category. Companies sometimes want to harness their core capacities and capabilities in a way that not only sees the use of the resources but also in ways that are profitable and innovative. Product and customer differentiation are strength to the company. Conclusion It is one thing to build a successful business at a particular time and another to build a business that is successful in all times (Boyd 2002). It therefore calls for business managers to keep evaluating if they are remaining relevant in times of change or if they will be phased out by newer competitive businesses. It calls for continuous business process reinvention and other strategies that will keep the business relevant to its customers at all times. Amazon is not only an example of a business exploiting innovative business models but one that has no limits in the way they create profit centers. It is an example of a business reinventing its processes to sui t changing circumstances of environment, client needs, and economy. It can be seen as logical to have one profit center still so efficient when the others are hit by inevitable circumstances. Amazon constantly changing business models can be seen as an ingenious strategy to remain relevant to customers (Byers 2006). At such times when even customer preferences change so fast, Amazon is still able to prove itself efficient and a good preference to customers. Businesses should therefore make calculated moves without fear to venture into some innovative products as this will help bring them to a new level of competitiveness. Amazon can be said to be enjoying the benefits of value creation through shopping convenience, speed, and ease of purchase among other benefits. Its business model is a unique one that has seen some other businesses try to mimic and is a potential blockbuster business maker. Reference List Boyd, A., 2002. The goals, questions, indicators, measures (GQIM) approach t o the measurement of customer satisfaction with e-commerce Web sites. Aslib Proceedings, 54(3), 177-187. Brandenburger, A. M., Nalebuff, B. J., 1996. Competition. Journal of Innovation, 12(3), 6 Burgelman, R. A., Meza, P., 2001. Amazon.com: Evolution of the e-Tailer. Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Case No. SM-83, 32-34 Byers, A., 2006. Jeff Bezos: the founder of Amazon.com. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group. Campbell, M., Collins, A., 2010. In search of innovation, in: The CPA Journal, 71(4), 26-35 Datamonitor, 2011 Sept 29. Amazon.com, Inc.: Company profile. Datamonitor. Filson, D., 2004. The impact of E-commerce strategies on firm value: Lessons from Amazon.com and its early competitors. Journal of Business, 77(2), 135-154. Leschly, S., Sahlman, W. A., 2008. Amazon.com – 2005. HBS Case No. 9-803-098, p45 O’Brien, J., Shambora, J., 2009. Amazon’s next revolution. (Cover story). Fortune, 159, 12: 68-76. Business Source Premier, EBS COhost. Rivette, K., Kline, D., 2000. Discovering new value in intellectual property. Harvard Business Review [serial online], 78(1):54-66. Available from: Business Source Premier, Ipswich, MA. This report on Amazon.com Competitive Strategies was written and submitted by user Emery Yang to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Permanent Midnight Response essays

Permanent Midnight Response essays Response Paper to Permanent Midnight. This movie starts off with Jerry and Kitty in bed. They apparently met in rehab. Kitty seems very interested in Jerrys life and how it he has gotten to where he is now. Not much is said about her life throughout the movie. Jerry starts off with telling Kitty he moved to L.A. to get away from drugs. He later married a friends friend so she could get a green card. Slowly the woman he married starts liking him. But he seems like hes not interested. She asks him to stay one night and he makes up an excuse to leave. Then she asks him to move in since they are married and all and he passes again. In the meantime, he is getting worse and worse on drugs. He cant afford them so he begins to steal them from his friend Nicky. While at Nickys one day, Jerrys sister calls to tell him his mother has died. He flies home and cleans up her blood. Then just flies back to L.A. I dont understand this part. When he got back to L.A. he went to a bar. At the bar his show was on and he heard a lady tell the bartender to turn it off because it was bad. This intrigued him. He then approaches her. They ended up having sex, then he found out she had a husband. They also do drugs together to make the sex better. I think he approached this woman because she didnt like his show and he felt he didnt have to be perfect around her as he felt around everyone else. He then goes back to Sandras house and asks if he can stay there. Thats when he moves in with her. I think he begins to feel lonely. The movie then switches back to the girl in the motel room. She is freaked out that he would have sex with one girl, then go home to his wife. She begins to leave, but he tells her he doesnt want her too. He admits he doesnt even know her name. I think he begins to realize that he has feel...

Sticky fingers Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sticky fingers - Case Study Example This paper explores an ethical issue faced by the retail store and will analyze checkpoints that can help in resolving the business ethical situation at hand. The case at hand presents a business environment where moral reasoning and evaluations are based on moral sensitivity. Even though there arises a moral issue, tolerance of moral ambiguity and disagreement is observed at managerial level. Management is seen processing moral judgments through efforts to integrate moral competence with managerial proficiency. b. Todd who has served the retail store for three consecutive years as a salesman was found responsible for security control on the day the theft took place. This has become evident from the videotapes of closed-circuit TV placed within the premises. d. Mike, loss prevention/security manager, has conducted lie-detector tests to determine which employee is guilty of the underlying theft. His investigations have proven that Todd is the only employee who has failed the test. e. Todd’s employment files have revealed misleading information regarding his previous workplace. Sworn bonding forms as well his application forms do not match with the given information. This step is harshly taken against the store’s rules and can result in immediate termination. b. Whistle blowing and misleading top management regarding an employee is another ethical misconduct exhibited by Mike, the security manager. He purposely is seen pressurizing Susan, manager of the retail store, to explore any unethical issue in Todd’s employment files so as to fire him. c. Better performance evaluation report can be achieved by Mike in case of closing internal theft case on Todd. This extrinsic reward is pushing Mike to conduct whistle blowing and misleading top management against Todd. a. Thorough re-investigation of the store’s theft can be undertaken to effectively find out the

Wk11(31)disc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk11(31)disc - Essay Example However, in saying that she went to Baylor Medical Center Emergency room, someone could check the date and probably find out who she was if they were looking. This is one area where the clients confidentially is compromised. Also, stating the entire information about the trial, the fact that it was "lengthy" and the fact that the stepfather denied having done anything wrong would possibly be traceable to a well publicized court case. It is not necessary in this writers opinion to give all the details of the rape. Although it is important to note that she comes to the counseling session because of "anxiety, hypervigilence, nightmares, flashbacks of the rape, and ruminative guilt" are what should be emphasized in the report instead of the exact details of the rape. Also, the report is not written in a professional manner but has the tone of someone wanting to make sure all the "juicy details" are present in the report. According to Nail (1990) an intake interview should have enough relevant information to lead the counselor towards a conclusion about the type of therapeutic interventions that are needed. In order to do this, it is important to organize the data into a logical structure and to develop it chronologically (Nail, 1990). In this sense, the information about the rape should have been categorized differently and it should have been more professionally written. I would feel very uncomfortable showing this report to the client. I would think that they would be upset about all the details in it and this could escalate her anxiety. I think that the report reads like a soap opera rather than a formal intake review. Harvey (1997) states that reports can be readable and without much jargon so that anyone can understand them (p. 273) but this therapist was reporting more than was comfortable for this writer. I also think that the therapist may have been appalled at what

Gender leadership style in the workforce. Who is more respected Annotated Bibliography

Gender leadership style in the workforce. Who is more respected - Annotated Bibliography Example The study made use of eighty weekly interviews of top business executives conducted by Adam Bryan between 2010 and 2011 and consisted of 40 men and 40 women for the Corner Office series of the New York Times Sunday, business section. The study results include the use of personal power, emphasis on relationships by women (85%), encouragement and participation by both genders but not sharing influence and power, and the use of transformational leadership. The information is relevant to the research since it deals with gender and leadership at the workplace. The article will form part of the literature review through providing a basis for comparing gender roles in leadership. The article is focused on the leadership of business executives and is consistent with gender requirements using a representative sample and provides for depth and clear content analysis. Champions of gender equality: Female and Male executives as leaders of the gender change is an article authored by De Vries Anne with the aim of examining how male and female executives champion for gender change interventions. The article begins by examining the developments that have been witnessed on the gender front and the fight for equality among the different sexes. The role of business and organizations through its leaders is the other facet examined in the paper. The study achieves its aim using a feminist qualitative research methodology making gender central to the discussion and is conducted in a policing organization and Australian University. The study makes use of four interviews of senior personnel in the two organizations for data collection. The results of the study include the better positioning of men to champion for gender change, increased the burden on women fighting for gender change, but in gender change men are more effective compared to women. The information is relevant to the research in that it captures the role of leadership

Analysis of Strategic Management at Hotel

Analysis of Strategic Management at Hotel INTRODUCTION Why are some companies successful, while so many other businesses fail? Some organizations may just be lucky. They may have the right mix of products and/or services at the right time. But even if luck leads to success, it probably will not last. Most companies that are highly successful over the long term effectively acquire, develop, and manage resources and capabilities that provide competitive advantages. For example, McDonalds enjoys outstanding brand recognition and a world class operating system. Marriott enjoys these same benefits in the lodging industry. Successful companies have also learned how to develop and manage relationships with a wide range of organizations, groups, and people that have a stake in their firms. The emergence of a fiercely competitive global economy means that firms have to expand their networks of relationships and cooperate with each other to remain competitive. McDonalds investment in Chipotle was a cooperative venture. As Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Chipotle noted, Weve enjoyed our relationship with McDonalds since the beginning and appreciate the support theyve shown in funding Chipotles growth over the last seven years. Still, weve always operated independently, and that wont change as McDonalds Continues to reduce its investment in Chipotle and focuses on its core business. Strategic management is a process through which organizations analyze and learn from their internal and external environments, establish strategic direction, create strategies that are intended to move the organization in that direction, and implement those strategies, all in an effort to satisfy key stakeholders. Stakeholders are groups or individuals who can significantly affect or are significantly affected by an organizations activities. An organization defines who its key stakeholders are, but they typically include customers, employees, and shareholders or owners, among others. Although larger companies tend to use the strategic management process, this process is also a vital part of decision making in smaller companies. Firms practicing strategic planning processes tend to outperform their counterparts that do not. In fact, executives have reported higher levels of satisfaction with strategic management tools and ideas than with most other management tools. Furthermore, 81 percent of companies worldwide reported doing strategic planning. In North America, the figure was even higher (89 percent). Hospitality firms also benefit from strategic planning, as suggested by a recent study of hotels in the United Kingdom, which found that business performance was positively associated with the thoroughness, sophistication, participation, and formality of strategic planning processes. An example of how strategic analysis can help guide business strategy is shown in Starwood Hotels Resorts efforts to launch a new product. This book also recognizes that there is a difference between the strategic planning process and strategic thinking, and that both are a part of effective strategic management. The strategic planning process tends to be a rather rigid and unimaginative process in many organizations. Strategic thinking, however, leads to creative solutions and new ideas like Starwood Hotels launch of the Heavenly Bed. As illustrated in the Heavenly Bed example, a firm that injects strategic thinking into the strategic planning process has the best of both worlds. THE ORIGIN OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT The increasing importance of strategic management may be a result of several trends. Increasing competition in most industries has made it difficult for some companies to compete. Modern and cheaper transportation and communication have led to increasing global trade and awareness. Technological development has led to accelerated changes in the global economy. Regardless of the reasons, the past two decades have seen a surge in interest in strategic management. STRATEGIC THINKING AT STARWOOD The Heavenly Bed, first launched by the Westin brand of Starwood Hotels Resorts, has transformed the bed, a basic feature of any hotel room, into a luxurious object of desire, enhancing the revenues of the chain and leaving many hotel operators to follow suit with copycat linens and custom bedding of their own. The strategic process at Starwood began with consumer analysis and product testing. First, Westin commissioned a study involving 600 business executives who travel frequently. The results showed that 84 percent said a luxurious bed would make a hotel room more attractive to them. What is more, 63 percent said a good night s sleep is the most important service a hotel can provide. Half of those surveyed said they sleep worse in hotels than at home. After testing 50 beds from 35 lodging chains, Westin developed its prototype all white Heavenly Bed with a custom designed pillow top mattress, goose down comforters, five pillows, and three crisp sheets ranging in thread count from 180 to 250. Once the product was designed and tested, the fi rm introduced the bed with a carefully planned marketing strategy. USA Today ran a story on the front page of its business section. The same day, 20 pristine white Heavenly Beds lined Wall Street up to the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. Inside the Stock Exchange, Barry Sternlicht, the then Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels Resorts rang the opening bell and threw out hats proclaiming, Work like the devil. Sleep like an angel. Meanwhile, at New York s Grand Central Station, 20 more beds graced one of the rotundas there, and commuters disembarking the trains were invited to try them out. Similar events were staged the same day at 38 locations across the United States, tailored to each city. Savannahs event featured a bed floating on a barge down the river with a landing skydiver. Seattles event took place atop the Space Needle. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Traditional Perspective As the field of strategic management began to emerge in the latter part of the 20th century, scholars borrowed heavily from the field of economics. For some time, economists had been actively studying topics associated with the competitiveness of industries. Industry concentration, diversification, product differentiation, and market power. However, much of the economics research at that time focused on industries as a whole, and some of it even assumed that individual firm differences did not matter. Other fields also influenced early strategic management thought, including marketing, finance, psychology, and management. Academic progress was slow in the beginning, and the large consulting firms began to develop their own models and theories to meet their clients needs. Scholars readily adopted many of these models into their own articles and books. Eventually, a consensus began to build regarding what is included in the strategic management process. The traditional process for developing strategy consists of analyzing the internal and external environments of the company to arrive at organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The results from this situation analysis, as this process is sometimes called, are the basis for developing missions, goals, and strategies. In general, a company should select strategies that (1) take advantage of organizational strengths and environmental opportunities or (2) neutralize or overcome organizational weaknesses and environmental threats. 10 After strategies are formulated, plans for implementing them are established and carried out. Figure 1.1 presents the natural  flow of these activities. The first of these ideas was that the environment is the primary determinant of the best strategy. This is called environmental determinism. According to the deterministic view, good management is associated with determining which strategy will best fit environmental, technical, and human forces at a particular point in time, and then working to carry it out. The most successful organization best adapts to existing forces. Some evidence suggests that the ability to align the skills and other resources of the organization with the needs and demands of the environment can be a source of competitive advantage. 12 However, after a critical review of environmental determinism, a well known researcher once argued: There is a more fundamental conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing analysis: the strategy of a firm cannot be predicted, nor is it predestined; the strategic decisions made by managers cannot be assumed to be the product of deterministic forces in their environments. On the contrary, the very nature of the concept of strategy assumes a human agent who is able to take actions that attempt to distinguish one firm from the competitors. Basically, a large firm may decide not to compete in a given environment. Or, as an alternative, the firm may attempt to influence the environment to make it less hostile and more conducive to organizational success. This process is called enactment, which means that a firm can influence its environment. THE PRINCIPLE OF ENACTMENT The principle of enactment assumes that organizations do not have to submit to existing forces in the environment; they can, in part, create their environments through strategic alliances with stakeholders, investments in leading technologies, advertising, political lobbying, and a variety of other activities. 14 Of course, smaller organizations are somewhat limited in their ability to influence some components of their environments on their own. For example, a small restaurant firm may have a difficult time influencing national government agencies and administrators. However, smaller organizations often band together into trade groups, such as the National Restaurant Association, to influence government policy on pressing issues like minimum wage, immigration policy, and health care costs. Also, they may form alliances with other entities. The Global Hotel Alliance is one example, in which Omni Hotels, Kempinski Hotels Resorts, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Rydges Hotels Resorts, Marco Polo Group, Dusit Hotels Resorts and Landis Hotels Resorts have joined forces to compete against the mega chains. In addition, even a small firm may be able to exert a powerful influence on its local operating environment. The key to enactment is understanding that a firm does not necessarily have to adapt completely to the forces that exist in its operating environment. It can at least partly influence certain aspects of the environment in which it competes. DELIBERATE STRATEGY VERSUS EMERGENT STRATEGY The traditional school of thought concerning strategy formulation also supported the view that managers respond to the forces discussed thus far by making decisions that are consistent with a preconceived strategy. In other words, strategy is deliberate. Deliberate strategy implies that managers plan to pursue an intended strategic course. In some cases, however, strategy simply emerges from a stream of decisions. Managers learn as they go. An emergent strategy is one that was not planned or intended. According to this perspective, managers learn what will work through a process of trial and error. 16 Supporters of this view argue that organizations that limit themselves to acting on the basis of what is already known or understood will not be sufficiently innovative to create a sustainable competitive advantage. In the first week of launching the Westin Heavenly Bed, 32 guests called to ask where they could buy the bed. A light bulb went on. Westin executives put order cards with a toll free number in every room. Then they started placing catalogs by bedsides and desks and set up a web site. By June of 2004, Westin had sold 20,000 pillows $ 75 for the king sized version and 3,500 bed/bedding combos, at $ 2,965 each, enough to spread the idea throughout Starwood, with the Sheraton, St. Regis, and W lines all turning into retailers. The unanticipated success of the Heavenly Bed has spawned a new business companies that help hotels run their retail arms. Boxport, a spin off of San Francisco based hotel procurer Higgins Purchasing Group, operates web sites and catalogs for several chains that now sell Bedding of this example of emergent strategy, it is not a good idea to reject deliberate strategy either. One of the strongest advocates of learning and emergent strategy recently confessed, We shall get nowhere without emergent learning alongside deliberate planning.Both processes are necessary if an organization is to succeed. When Starwood first launched the concept of the Heavenly Bed in 1999, the strategy was a deliberate effort, but the opportunity to provide retail sales was an unintended outcome, and this unforeseen opportunity led to an emergent and highly successful retail strategy, as the above example shows. EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING In summary, scholars have determined that both adaptation and enactment are important to organizations. They should adapt to environmental forces when the costs of enacting (influencing) the environment exceed the benefits. However, they should be proactive in creating their own opportunities. In addition, organizations should engage in deliberate strategic planning processes, but they should also be willing to make mistakes and learn from them as they chart a strategic course. In other words, strategy should be both deliberate and emergent, and firms should both adapt to and enact their environments, with the situation determining which option to choose. Westin learned these lessons by paying attention to their customers. The Organization as a Bundle of Resources: The Resource Based View In recent years, another perspective on strategy development has gained wide acceptance. The resource based view of the firm has its roots in the work of the earliest strategic management theorists. 20 It grew out of the question, Why do some firms persistently outperform other firms? One of the first competencies identified was general management capability. This led to the proposition that firms with high quality general managers will outperform their rivals. Much research has examined this issue. Clearly, effective leadership is important to organizational performance, but it is diffi cult to specify what makes an effective leader. Also, although leaders are an important source of competence for an organization, they are not the only important resource that makes a difference. Economic thought also influenced development of the resource based view. Nearly two centuries ago, an economist named David Ricardo investigated the advantages of possessing superior resources, especially land. 22 One of Ricardos central propositions was that the farmer with the most fertile land had a sustained performance advantage over other farmers. More recently, another economist, Edith Penrose, expanded on Ricardo s view by noting that various skills and abilities possessed by firms could lead to superior performance. She viewed firms as an administrative framework that coordinated the activities of numerous groups and individuals, and also as a bundle of productive resources. 23 She studied the effects of various skills and abilities possessed by organizations, concluding that a wide range of skills and resources could influence competitive performance. A common thread of reasoning in the distinctive competency literature and the arguments of Ricardo and Penrose is that organizational success can be explained in terms of the resources and capabilities possessed by an organization. Many modern scholars have contributed to this perspective of the firm. According to this view, an organization is a bundle of resources, which fall into the general categories of: Financial resources, including all of the monetary resources from which a firm can draw. Physical resources, such as land, buildings, equipment, locations, and access  to raw materials. Human resources, which pertains to the skills, background, and training of managers and employees, as well as the way they are organized. Organizational knowledge and learning General organizational resources, including the firm s reputation, brand names, patents, contracts, and relationships with external stakeholders. Envisioning the firm as a bundle of resources has broad implications. For example, the most important role of a manager becomes that of acquiring, developing, managing, and discarding resources. Also, much of the research on the resource based perspective has demonstrated that firms can gain competitive advantage through possessing superior resources. Superior resources are those that have value in the market, are possessed by only a small number of firms, and are not easy to substitute. If a particular resource is also costly or impossible to imitate, then  the competitive advantage may be sustainable. A sustainable competitive advantage may lead to higher than average organizational performance over a long period.

Essay --

Identifying a Decision Point for Cloud Application Build/Migration The decision point is a necessary component to come between Business and application assessment and vendor selection process. It includes various assessment including Cloud-Decision framework, Service Type and Deployment assessment, and Checklist for service type. To create these tools, our team analyzed three main components of service delivery. These components consist of cloud concepts, deployment options and service type offerings. Cloud Concepts (IaaS and PaaS) Cloud computing comprises of three classes of services: Infrastructure as a Service, platform as a service, and software as a service. While SaaS offers more of ready, tailored solution that suits the business needs, IaaS and PaaS delivers more of a building block type of solutions. On a high level, while IaaS focuses on providing storage and hardware capabilities, PaaS focuses on middleware and the development environment in the cloud. Figure 1 shows more detailed comparison between IaaS and PaaS. > The next step that we took was to assess IaaS, PaaS from ‘build-or-buy’ perspective. According to Gartner Research, three cloud concepts, Cloud Hosted, Cloud Optimized and Cloud Native, are applicable to both IaaS and PaaS. These three cloud concepts determine if the application is more suitable for migration or for Greenfield. Following are the characteristics of each cloud solutions: †¢ Cloud-hosted solutions require the lowest effort to implement. It transplant, or migrate, the existing enterprise applications on IaaS to gain the benefits of simple shared-hardware multitenancy (Gartner Research). This is feasible for the server that runs rarely used application as redeployi... ...fore migration (Gartner). For the applications which require heavy refactoring, IaaS is much better option than PaaS. The Cloud-optimized solution on PaaS will allow CMI to make continuous refactoring and optimization on its PaaS environment. However, the application may not be an ideal candidate for this option if the answer to any of the following questions below is â€Å"yes† (Gartner): ï  ¬ Does the application make direct use of OS or hypervisor resources? ï  ¬ Does the application depend on components (such as middleware, services and programming libraries) for which no compatible implementation exists as a cloud services? ï  ¬ Is the application primarily focused on batch operations without a Web user interface, or is it a native client application? ï  ¬ Does the application make heavy use of custom communication protocols? List of the Assessments Cloud-Decision Framework:

A Visit to a Fair Essay

A fair means a periodical gathering in some open place. I had got the rare opportunity of visiting the Baliyatra Fair in Cuttack. The fair was held on the full moon day in the month of Kartika. The fair is conducted every year on the bank of the Mahanadi. Thereby we commemorate our sea-trade with other countries in past. I had been to the fair with four of my friends. On our way to Cuttack, we discussed many things about our racial past. The Sadhavas of the then Kalinga were known for their richness and caliber in trade. They set sails for Java, Sumatra, China, Ceylon (Srilanka), Borneo, Indonesia, Rangoon for trade. They exchanged their goods for jewels and gold. The sea-trade does not exist now. So we float toy-boats down the stream to remember our past-glory. We reached the fair-in the evening. The place of fair was overcrowded with children, men and women. Men of different occupations had assembled there. Goods of various kinds had been brought to the Baliyatra for show and sale. People amused themselves in a great variety of ways. Some people had come to dispose of their articles. Some had come to buy and some for sightseeing. Mostly the people were from the neighboring villages. The fair continued for about a week. The place was full of stalls made of straw and bamboo. The place was spacious and there was proper sanitary arrangement. The stalls were full of fancy goods. They were giving a gorgeous look. Many people were coming to those stalls. They were in festive dress too. The dealers in shops dealt in various goods. It was a rare occasion for me to see those beautiful stalls. It relieved of my monotony. The vendors sold toys and ballons for children. There were horse-wheels and merry-go-rounds for children too. The volunteers and scouts from the high schools of the town took prominent part in controlling the crowd. There was enough enthusiasm amongst the villagers in holding the fair. We had some snacks and tea in the fair. In the fair there was display of skill in craftsmanship. We had an opportunity to visit a circus there that evening. We also purchased a few filigree works and horn works of Cuttack. Of course the prices of those articles were high. Still the people were purchasing those-things because they loved their rich tradition. A note worthy feature of the fair was that children were arguing with their guarding ns to purchase balloons and dolls in the fair. They pulled the sarees of their mothers and emended the balloons and sweets. It was an opportunity for the businessmen to reap profits. However, in book-stalls, books were being sold on rebate. I purchased a few books on Oriya literature. The police were alert in the fair to provide security to the visitors. There was fear of pick-pockets, theft and loss of goods, money and ornaments. Loudspeakers had been arranged at different places in the fair to warn the people of antisocial elements and black-marketers who sold stale sweets. The Baliyatra is a grand fair in Orissa. The visit to this fair is still afresh in my mind.

experiment

ABSTRACTTab/experiment The objective of this experiment was to examine the electrophoretic behavior of hemoglobin from a normal person and from a person who has the sickle cell trait. Sickle cell disease is an inherited autosomal recessive gene. If the person has the inherited gene for sickle cell disease (hemoglobin S) from only one parent, then they are heterozygous and carry the trait. When the gene for hemoglobin S is inherited from both parents, the individual is homozygous and has a severe case of anemia. Electrophoresis is used in clinical laboratories to detect abnormal hemoglobins. Normal hemoglobin A had a strong negative charge therefore moved faster. Variant hemoglobin S had a weak negative charge resulting in slow movement.INTRODUCTIONRed blood cells (erythrocytes) carry the globular protein hemoglobin in the circulation. This protein transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissue. The structure of hemoglobin has changed by mutations among human population.A single amino acid change causes hem oglobin to fo...One out of 100 people have a mutant hemoglobin gene and they have abnormal hemoglobin in their blood. Usually harmless, mutations involve the substitution of one amino acid for another; however, some mutations may cause serious diseases such as sickle cell disease. Hemoglobin S is the most common and serious abnormal hemoglobin. In this mutation, a single glutamic acid residue on the Beta-chains is replaced by valine. This single change in the primary sequence causes a marked change in net charge and conformation of the protein. When hemoglobin S is deoxygenated, it crystallizes in the red blood cells and this leads to a distortion of the red cells into a sickle shape. These abnormal cells are then destroyed rapidly in the body which leads to a reduced number of erythrocytes; hence the term, sickle cell anemia.Hemoglobin S is thought to have originated in Africa among the Black population. It...

Representation in Thelma and Louise essays

Representation in Thelma and Louise essays In 1991 Ridley Scott successfully created Thelma and Louise and turned many stereotypes built around women upside down, much to the feminists delight and showed how women are victims of this patriarchal society we live in. Thelma and Louise are forced to be criminals because of men; the male society is the reason why a harmless girls weekend away was turned into a suicide. As the tale unfolds we see how their personalities react with the situation and how they change dramatically. When they are finally free from men they enjoy themselves for once, although maybe their idea of fun was more than harmless. Straight away we know that this film is a Road movie and road movies are usually men so the convention has already been changed. Thelma and Louise are escaping from the law travelling through the middle of nowhere just like the men usually did in these types of films. We see a scan shot of the mountains focusing on the road which reinforces what type of film we are watching although it is involving woman not men. During the beginning of the film the women seem very stereotypical. Louise is working as a waitress and Thelma is the little housewife at home in the kitchen. Her husband is very arrogant towards her and treats her like his slave rather than his wife, the woman he is suppose to love and respect. We see Thelma already beginning to rebel against her stereotype when she decides not to tell Daryl, her husband that she is going away and she packs a gun. A gun is usually seen as a male phallic symbol which women very rarely come in contact with. Despite both these points she still sticks to her stereotype, maybe out of habit by cleaning the house before she leaves. Also she does not like handling the gun she holds it in-between two fingers as if it is something dirty and infected. This effectively helps the transition away from her stereotype to be more realistic. Scott is trying to re...

Impact of Other Industries on Power Tools Industry Essay

Impact of Other Industries on Power Tools Industry - Essay Example Hand Tools are tools that are powered manually (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002). These tools are powered solely by the person using it and do not use motors (Wikipedia, 2007). These include hammers, screw drivers, hand drills, saws and knives etc., that require manual power to operate. The Hand Tools industry can be a threat for power tools. Though outdated and used less frequently, yet they can be the tools of choice by some consumers due to their lesser costs and supposedly longer lives. Hand Tools offer some benefits as compared to power tools, these don't rust easily, there is no expenditure required for purchasing batteries etc., electricity is not required to operate these and there are no essential scheduled maintenance requirements. Hence, hand tools can provide a cost competitive alternative for some people, mainly the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) type of customers. The forecasting for the hand tools industry depends upon the value the user derives from the use of these tools. The estimations can be obtained using customer surveys that show preferences of customers who are using hand tools. The surveys can provide valuable information about the features that power tools manufacturers should try to incorporate in their design if possible. In addition, some estimates can be developed by analyzing the revenues and sales data of various companies providing hand tools and then comparing this data with the power tools sales information to identify the extent of competition hand tools providers are posing for power tools industry. Bench Mounted Tools Bench Mounted tools are those that are not portable; these are fixed (mounted) at a place. Usually, these are required in small industries where tools like Thickness Planer, Saw Table etc. (Mitre 10, 2007) are used by a group of workers at the same time. These are mainly used where a number of people are involved in doing a single task like an assembly line where all workers follow similar procedures. In these kinds of situations, using portable tools is cost ineffective; instead the bench-mounted tools are used for efficiency and effectiveness gains. These are also used in metal working environments. The Bench Mounted tools industry provides competitions to the portable electric power tools industry because a large number of industries have now installed fixed tools instead of providing portable tools to all its workers. The forecasts can be derived by analyzing the historical industrial data for new technology deployment and from sales figure of these tools. Air Driven (Pneumatic) Tools Pneumatic tools are powered by compressed air and include chippers, drills, hammers and sanders (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002). These tools are usually used in the mechanical and automotive industries which require high power tools. They may pose a competition to the portable electric tools market where the electric tools face the threat of substitution. The relevant forecasts and statistics can be obtained by analyzing the market size and segmentation. Liquid Fuel and Hydraulic Power Tools These tools are operated by generating power from liquid fuel like gasoline or water. These are used in environments where there is a need of extremely high power to operate the tool. The industry data can be obtained for estimating the market size and usage level and then an estimate can be made regarding

Applying theories to the novel The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Essay

Applying theories to the novel The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down - Essay Example The author dexterously manoeuvres the plot of the book so that the readers can identify with the more complex socio-psychological paradigms of the multicultural societies and the challenges that the medical fraternity has to meet to overcome the prejudices of the Hmong family. The book is fascinating in its treatment of the seemingly mundane but highly relevant issues of the different cultures and the modern society that heavily relies on science. The story of Lia Lee, a small girl who is diagnosed with epilepsy by the medical fraternity in Merced, California but which is differently interpreted by the Hmong family as ‘qaug dab peg’. The intense conflict in the treatment of the little girl and the frustrations of both the girl’s family and the healthcare system is brilliantly captured by the author. The book throws great insight into the differing views and perspectives of the cultures that clash with the value system of the healthcare practitioners. The institutional indifference to the cross cultural values and the trials and tribulations of the immigrant family that finds itself strangely vulnerable in the alien surrounding is the highlight of the narration. The socio-psychological imperatives found in the book are of great relevance to the contemporary environment of globalization. The behavioral and cognitive theory can explain the ongoing struggle of the Hmong family that tries to work along with healthcare system towards the common goal of saving their daughter’s life. Cognitive science is basically an amalgamation of philosophical thoughts and scientific theories that try to rationalize the working of conscious and unconscious thoughts of a man and co-relate them with his subsequent actions and reactions. The theory of cognition, thereby, tries to explain why and how the events take place and subsequent pattern of behavior of man under certain condition involving emotional

The Life Of Roger Williams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Life Of Roger Williams - Essay Example Roger Williams was an English protestant and theologian. He was a controversialist who used his formal education background to generate erudite arguments on religion. He is among the few unique persons from early history that made an enormous impact with their actions. He left England, his native land, during the Puritan migration to America. His motive was similar to that of other people that participated in the great exodus - to worship God according to the dictates of his mind and conscience. When he arrived at Massachusetts Bay, he felt disappointed to find that the people there practiced conformity. He had migrated to America in search of freedom but that was not what he found. Authorities at the Bay were quick to deal with non conformity. There were mechanisms to deal with discordant elements as quickly as possible. Williams did not accept the existent situation. He immediately started to promote his ideas of religious freedom across the bay area. Williams was among the earliest proponents of religious freedom. He also advocated for the separation of church and state. His religious and political principles offended the authorities of Massachusetts Bay. The authorities tried to arrest him for deportation back to England. He got away before the authorities could get to him. He exiled to the Narragansett where he founded the colony of Providence Plantation in 1636.2 His model advocated for a society where men act as their conscience tell them to in the name of their God. This colony provided refuge to religious minorities. There was no discrimination in the colony based on race or religion and freedom of worship was guaranteed. He also started the First Baptist Church of Providence which was the first Baptist church established in America. Even to this day, there are remarkably few people that may be willing to take the position that Roger Williams took many years back. His position required courage and perseverance in order to achieve the desired goals. His life involved continuous struggle for religious liberty. Roger William’s life Roger Williams was born in 1603 in London. His parents were James and Alice Williams. Roger Williams had a sister, Catherine, and two brothers Robert and Sydrach. Williams spent his early years as a youth at the St. Spulchre Church parish.3 In his teen years, Williams attracted the attention of Sir Edward Coke. Coke was a brilliant lawyer and an influential

Cognition domains Essay Example for Free

Cognition domains Essay Events that happen in an adolescent’s life can affect one of three domains; these three domains are known as ‘psychosocial’ ‘cognitive’ and ‘biophysical’. This essay will focus on the area of the cognition domain now this domain will be discussed in relation to an event that has affected my perception of the world around me, the way I feel in relation to blame and judgment and lastly the ability to learn how to be more reflective. My perception on life changed rapidly when I was informed of a tragic accident concerning the suicide of a family friend. This caused a rapid change in the way I thought about death, grief and sadness. â€Å"David Elkind proposed that formal operational thought also leads to adolescent egocentrism (difficulty differentiating one’s own thoughts and feelings)† (Sigelman, Rider, De George-Walker, Pg 173, 2013) This has impacted the way that I look at the world having gone through this experience I now see that people’s perception can change no matter what. I guess what’s trying to be said is that everyone’s perception is different and it is changing due to the experiences that we all encountering in our everyday lives. The judgment that came after the tragedy was phenomenal. Greg Newham will always be loved and greatly missed but never will he be forgotten. Was it my fault that he died? Greg Newham was a teacher. If I had visited him when the bell rang after school would he still be here today? I did not understand his wife’s decision to not let me go to the funeral. And because of this, because I never got to say my final goodbye it is hard to let go. Hard to move on. A book written by Temple University in the USA about seeking closure states â€Å"closure typically implies that something is finished, ended, closed. Finally you can move on† (2014). Without closure I feel that I am always judging myself. Always questioning my motives, wondering if I could have done more. The last aspect of cognitive development that was affected by this experience was learning. It is hard to live with the knowledge that someone’s death was your fault, even if rationally you know it wasn’t. Those left behind never usually learn the reasons as to why they harm themselves and those around them. Bronfenbrenner’s view of a developing person, with his or her  biological and psychological characteristics are embedded in a series of environmental systems which interact with each other and with the individual over time to influenced development. (Sigelman, Et.al, 2013), with all the developmental events that we all go through it is fair to say that the learning side of our cognitive development is always changing. This essay was written to explain the affects of our everyday lives and how it affects our cognitive domain. With what was said from Bronfenbrenner and David Elkind it is clear to say that the choices we make today do mostly change our lives in some way/s. I never completely understood the affects from my life could change the way I see and think about everything that I do today. References; Sigelman, Rider and De George-Walker, 2013, Life Span Human Development. Temple University, USA, 2014, http://www.temple.edu/tempress/chapters_1800/2136_ch1.pdf

The Age of Exploration Essay -- essays research papers

The desire to explore the unknown has been a driving force in human history since the dawn of time. From the earliest documented accounts, ancient civilizations have explored the world around them. Early adventures were motivated by religious beliefs, a desire for conquest, the need for trade, and an unsatisfying hunger for gold. The great Age of Exploration, beginning in the late 1400s, was an important era in the discovery and development of lands yet unknown to the Europeans. During this period, Europe sought new sea routes to Asia in pursuit of economic gain, increased glory, and opportunities to spread Christianity. Although these were motivations for explorers, the impact from the discoveries resulted in significant changes and achievements that created possibilities and opened a window to a new world for all of Europe. If were not for the superpowers of Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands, the world as we know it would not exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leading the way in the exploration of the world was the nation of Spain with a man named Christopher Columbus. Originally intending to find an eastwardly trade route to Asia, Columbus accidently discovered the Americas instead. When word of this â€Å"New World† reached Europe, it virtually started race between the Nations there to claim there own piece of it. Spain continued their exploration there and rapidly claimed many resources and lands, but one thing was hindering them. The native Populations of the New World were getting in their way. They soon initiated a campaign of systematic anhilation of the Natives. Conquistadors soon flocked from Spain to rid the world of these savages. Soon, Hernan Cortez had conquered Mexico and the Aztecs, while Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru and the Incans. The Spanish armory was far greater then that of the Indians, but these explorers had another weapon far more superior. The weapon they had was known as disease, whi ch included the Small Pox and measles. Their prize for accomplishing their goal was the vast wealth of the societies and the large quantities of gold and silver that their lands held. They also aquired slaves to work in the plantations and settlements they were starting. In the end, Spain had control over lands in Northern, Central, and Southern America, as well as the Philippines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parallel to Spain, ... ...ged. The vague differences between the two were almost unnoticeable and were often overlooked. Their Caribbean strongholds did stay independent though, and the Dutch joined in the slave trade to promote the sugar cane trade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Age of Exploration was not only an era of exploration, but also an era of vast change. The fierce competition present at this time brought about a new form of economy called the Mercantile System. The Mercantile System was an economic system based on strict governmental regulations of a nation’s economy. The goals of such a system were to increase unity, power, wealth, and self-sufficiency through the accumulation of bullion, the favorable balance of trade, the establishment of trade monopolies, the development of agriculture and manufacturing methods, and finally, the colonizing of other lands. Making all of these accomplishments possible, though, was the advancement of technology, religious philosophy, and individuality do to the enlightenment in the 15th and 16th centuries. The possibilities were endless, and with these aspirations in mind, the nations of Europe set sail to conquer the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Of Power and Piety: An Inquisition into The Roman Catholic Church Essa

Religion is thought to provide comfort to the innermost part of a human: the soul. However, what happens when religion seeks to overstep its rightful boundaries and attempts to control humans from the outside, rather than uplift them from within. Such is the fault of the largest religious organization on Earth: The Roman Catholic Church. Throughout history, the Catholic Church has been among the most infamous of faith-groups due to its apparent conquest for absolute dominance over the minds, bodies, and souls of humanity. The Roman Catholic Church has and continues to play a negative role in the world with respect to the fields of science, politics, and culture, undermining the quality of life for adherents and infidels alike. The Church has and continues to impede humanity’s quest for knowledge and prosperity through its repression of science. As well, it has been involved in among the most infamous events throughout history. Finally, the Church has made its blatant that it s eeks to turn back the hands of time worth respect to progressive social change through tis preaching of its archaic attitudes on contemporary social issues. The Roman Catholic Church has throughout history, impeded scientific discovery, which thereby impaired humanity’s progress towards better understanding of and prospering in the world. Being the most â€Å"catholic† of the world’s faiths, the church has wielded an uncanny grip over the hearts and minds of a large portion of the human race; this was its source of power. To ensure that this power would never be lost, the church had to appeal to all faculties of the human condition, including those of wondering and reason. To this end, the church only tolerated explanations of the workings of the universe that w... ...578d3124b4%40sessionmgr11&bdata=Jmxhbmc9ZW4tY2Emc2l0ZT1wb3YtY2Fu# db=p3h&AN=1639206 Robinson, B.A. "The role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Shoah (Nazi Holocaust)." religious tolerance.org. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/vat_hol12.htm "The Decline of the Church Authority.†. Albalagh Retrieved from http://www.albalagh.net/kids/history/church_decline.shtml Dickson White, Andrew. "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom." University of Michigan Center for the Study of Complex Systems. Retrieved from http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/White/ Hawkes, Charles, and Jennifer Watt. What Makes us Human. Images of society: introduction to anthropology, psychology, and sociology. Toronto. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001. Pg39.

Modernist poetry Essay

Modernist poetry tends to break many of the structured rules of poems published previously. Walt Whitman’s â€Å"When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,† â€Å"buffalo bill† by e. e. cummings, and â€Å"Mirror† by Sylvia Plath are definitely very different poems in subject. However, what they share is a â€Å"modern† view of poetry. They all â€Å"break the mold† in subject and especially structure. In cummings â€Å"buffalo bill,† cummings â€Å"breaks the mold† both in structure and in syntax. His lack of punctuation and capitalization are unique to his own style. Cummings seems to compare himself to Bill Cody in that Buffalo Bill was really a facade. He rode â€Å"a watersmooth silver stallion,† which means that he didn’t really ride a stallion at all. He uses the word â€Å"defunct† in rather a mocking way, since it is not the way we would talk about someone who died. And yet, at the same time, there is worship in the poem. However, the poet himself has been tricked by the heroic farce of Bill Cody. This sense of mocking fraud is the chief way this poem is similar to the others. Although cumming’s way to get to this similarity is very different from the other poets. He relies on word choice like â€Å"defunct† and mocking statements such as â€Å"fair haired boy. † The tone of both these choices is very irreverent. In Plath’s â€Å"Mirror,† the reader feels as though Plath is writing personally or confessionally. Here is this woman looking in the mirror, seeing the girl slowly be replaced by an older woman and not enjoying this transformation at all. The tone is not irreverent at all, but the image of a â€Å"terrible fish† at the end is very jarring. Plath plays on the fairy tale of looking into a mirror and asking for the â€Å"truth. † But instead of getting the fairy-tale truth, she gets the real truth. If she wants to see how young she looks, she should ask the moonlight or candlelight that hides her flaws and wrinkles. Whereas cummings poem takes a mocking look at legendary Buffalo Bill, Plath’s poem takes a mocking look at a mirror as a truth teller. Plath â€Å"breaks the mold† in being a confessional poet and talking about a woman aging in a completely new way. The last poem entitled â€Å"When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer† in some ways mocks another kind of person/object with legendary status. He mocks the idea that education can tell us all that we need to know. Like the Transcendentalists before him, Whitman believed that we should use our own experiences to tell us what is true in the world. While his tone does not mock, it does certainly refute the idea that by following the â€Å"learned† people, we will know and understand all that we need to. Even though the â€Å"proofs, columns and figures† were before him, he chose to wander out by himself to find the answers. Whitman â€Å"breaks the mold† for his time period by favoring experiential learning over books and academic learning. The true beauty of the night sky is not in listening and understanding everything about it; it is in the beauty and wonder of the night sky. In trying to quantify nature, we kill its wonder. All three poets tell us something unique and refute some â€Å"old way† of looking at things. For cummings, it is a new look at legendary figure Buffalo Bill Cody, who really wasn’t what he was heralded as being. For Plath, it is the old fairy tale like â€Å"Mirror Mirror on the wall†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Plath allows us to look at aging as what it truly is—gaining wrinkles and getting closer to death. For Whitman, it is allowing us to look at nature in a more mystical and beautiful way rather than trying to qualify and quantify it. All three poets shock us in some way.

What you can learn from Mark Cuban’s routine

What you can learn from Mark Cuban’s routine Mark Cuban is a pretty well-known guy. Maybe you know him from his social media feuds with certain presidents, or his courtside theatrics at Dallas Mavericks games, or his TV appearances as an investor on Shark Tank. The billionaire is a busy man- but also a successful one, so what can we learn from his daily routine? Start early.Just thinking about one is painful to many of the night owls out there, but Cuban credits his early work as one of the key elements of his success. Getting up and starting to work (like checking emails or messages) may seem like a drastic start, but surveys have shown that many people are sharpest when they first wake up.Come up with a mantra.Positive thinking can be very effective, so come up with some personal mantras that work with your goals. According to Cuban, â€Å"Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you† keeps him going. What motivates you? How can you turn that into a one-liner?Keep up the pace throughou t the day.Even when there’s downtime, Cuban keeps checking emails to stay informed. Some downtime is usually key to decompressing, but if you find yourself with periods that aren’t so busy during the work day, doing quick checks of email can help you stay focused.Don’t get stuck in meetings.Cuban feels like most meetings are a â€Å"waste of time.† For the rest of us, meetings are often a necessary evil if we want to get our work done, but you can apply Cuban’s philosophy to your own career by evaluating whether sit-down meetings are truly necessary, or if you can get the work done another way (like brief face-to-face chats, or a phone call/email).Make time for personal priorities.As a parent, Cuban finds himself with a dilemma familiar to many: having professional obligations pull one way, family obligations another. It’s a matter of scheduling the highest-priority family moments into the day. It is also a matter of balance: â€Å"I canâ⠂¬â„¢t make all their games, but I make most,† he says.Take time for self care.Cuban’s not only basketball team owner, but also an unofficial player, making time for basketball games and other workouts as part of the daily fitness routine. Whatever your fitness or self care routine is (yoga, meditation, gym time, walking the dog, etc.), make sure you carve out some time in your day for it. Pushing too hard at work and not having an outlet can lead to major work stress.Get enough sleep.Speaking of work stress, not getting enough sleep can be a major contributor. Cuban gets six to seven hours a night. The ideal can vary by person, but whatever your magic number is for peak productivity and performance during the day, make sure you’re getting that sleep as much as you can.We may not all be billionaire investors, but Mark Cuban’s daily routines show us that with a little extra focus, scheduling, and consistency, we can try living like one.