Nathaniel Hawthorne s Life And All The Things Going On

Nathaniel Hawthorne never really presented a solution to any of his protagonist’s problems, all we were left with questions of what is to become of them next? How did their actions help bring their problems to an end? These problems that aren’t solved are deep internal problems that can be solved by simply researching Hawthorne s life and all the things going on in his life around the time he wrote the story. Most of these problems are given to the protagonist because of problems Hawthorne face in his own life, problems that he faced while he was a child. These were problems that shaped him into the person he was when he was writing these fascinating stories. Hawthorne had a very interesting childhood, it was riddled with many†¦show more content†¦Many people that have social anxiety find many other ways to express themselves, so I am assuming Hawthorne used his writing ability to express how he was feeling at any point of time. That wasn’t Hawthorneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s only time of seclusion, at one point he spent 12 years in seclusion, where he learned how to write many of his unique tales. I think these years of seclusion helped form Hawthorne into a great writer, he became a mysterious person, but he stayed true to himself and never changed his personality for anyone. (NotableBiographies) â€Å"The Birthmark†, a story about science and a warning to females that men will try to sexualize them. Aylmer, the main character in the story, has a really strong obsession with trying to remove his wife’s birthmark on her face. He was so obsessed with it, that it ended up taking over his life, he had dreams about it and he even told her that he couldn’t stand to look at her because of her birthmark. Aylmer wasn’t the typical human being in any sense, he is considered a mad scientist, and he had no ethics in what he does and is willing to try anything. He loses focus of his life and can’t love his wife for the wo man he is. Hawthorne was the very opposite of this in real life, he married a sick woman, Sophia Peabody, she had poor health and it prolonged the marriage. But Hawthorne married

Grapes of Wrath - 5357 Words

Krystal Giffen The Grapes of Wrath Part 1: Literary Analysis 1. A. â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœWhat’s this call, this sperit?’ An’ I says, ‘It’s love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (page 23, Chapter 4). This quote is an example of an metaphor. The use of this metaphor was to show the reader why the preacher doesn’t preach anymore. The effect the metaphor had on the reader was, for them to see how the preacher really viewed ‘the sperit’. B. â€Å"One cat’ takes and shoves ten families out. Cat’s all over hell now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 8, Chapter 2). This quote is an example of symbolism. The truck driver uses the animal cat to describe the people who tractor out croppers from their crops and homes. The effect of using a cat to describe someone was negative. The cat description made the reader view the†¦show more content†¦He loosened the gun in the holster. ‘Go ahead,’ said Ma. ‘Scarin women/ I’m thankful the men folks ain’t here. They’d tear ya to pieces. In my country you watch your tongue.’ The man took two steps backward. ‘Well, you ain’t in your country now. You’re in California, an’ we don’t want you goddamn Okies settlin’ down.’ †¦ ‘Yeah, Okies! An’ if you’re here when I come tomorra, I’ll run ya in† (pg. 215, Chapter 18). The significance of this passage is it shows how life changed so much once the Joads moved west, they were in someone else’s territory now. This passage shows how the Joads would have to change the way they acted since they moved to California. This passage relates to the work as a whole because it shows the reader how difficult and cruel it was to move to the West back during the dust bowl. People weren’t treated equally because of were they came from and how poor they were. C. â€Å"They had no more the stomach-tearing lust for the rich acre and a shining blade to plow it, for seed and a windmill beating its wings in the air. They arose in the dark no more to hear the sleepy birds’ first chittering, and the morning wind dear acres. These things were lost, nd crops were rechoned in dollars, and land was valued by principal plus interest, and crops were bought and sold before they were planted. Then crop failure, drought, and flood were no longer little deaths within life, but simple losses of money. And all their love was thinned with money, and allShow MoreRelatedThe Grapes of Wrath541 Words   |  2 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath ends in a rather idiosyncratic way. Steinbeck provides an anticlimax ending that is open to interpretation. The last scene occurs after the Joad family has to move from their boxcar due to the flood that has been ongoing for six days. At this point the family has encountered a series of problems that seem to be never endi ng. Every time there is a glimpse of hope, something comes and tears everything down. In California for example, finding a job was difficult for the family. OnRead MoreGrapes of Wrath Essay1158 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath, many concepts appear that were noted in How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. However, the three chapters of Foster’s how-to guide that most apply to Steinbeck’s novel were â€Å"It’s All About Sex†¦,† â€Å"Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not),† and â€Å"It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow.† On more than one occasion these concepts are hidden within the book, and two of them actually seem somewhat linked together. After reading between the lines, The Grapes of WrathRead MoreEssay on Grapes of Wrath554 Words   |  3 Pages or in history books. We have seen the pain and struggle that these people must go through in order to survive. This novel, The Grapes of W rath, relates to some of the many times of violence and cruelty that this America has seen. During the Dust Bowl, hundreds of thousands of southerners faced many hardships, which is the basis of the novel called The Grapes of Wrath. It was written to portray the harsh conditions during the Dust Bowl. When one considers the merit of this novel, one thinks, howRead MoreThemes in the Grapes of Wrath2270 Words   |  10 PagesThemes in The Grapes of Wrath The Joads are on their way to California. The land which seems to be a heaven with great work, little white houses, and many acres of land. But the Joads soon find out that California may not be the paradise they dreamed of. Their journey to California will be full of hope and despair along with keeping their dignity in the midst of all the wrath. One of the biggest problems they will face is how poorly they will be treated. The one thing that made the Joads successfulRead MoreEssay On The Grapes Of Wrath1080 Words   |  5 PagesFrom I to We The Great Depression was a time in history when almost everyone suffered. The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck depicts a family, the Joads, moving to California because the bank had taken their home and land. Many families were moving away to try to find work so that they could provide for their children. Families that were once one, later became two. The Joad family wanted to stick together because they thought that was all they could do to get through this unpleasant situationRead MoreGrapes of Wrath Essay4878 Words   |  20 PagesBriseida Miranda Period 3 2/25/13 The Grapes of Wrath Study Questions 1. The importance of the land to the people a) Why are the Joads and thousands like them thrown off the land? Due to increased demands during the time, the Joads and thousands like them had spent a great sum of money purchasing farming equipment. However as these demands decreased, farmers were left in major debt. Since the farmers were not able to pay off the debt, they were â€Å"thrown off† their landRead MoreGrapes of Wrath Essay633 Words   |  3 PagesGrapes of Wrath 1. The protagonist of this story is Tom Joad. Tom must overcome several conflicts when he is paroled from jail and let out into an economically depressed country. Toms physical conflict throughout the novel is the task of surviving the horrible starving conditions of Americas Great Depression. He also has physical conflicts with people who only wish to destroy the hopes of migrant workers such as the police and strikebreakers. Toms emotional conflict deals with his inabilityRead More The Grapes of Wrath Essays621 Words   |  3 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath is set in the horrible stage of our American history, the Depression. Economic, social, and historical surroundings separate the common man of America into basically the rich and poor. A basic theme is that man turns against one another in a selfish pride to only protect themselves. For example, the landowners create a system in which migrants are treated like animals and pushed along from one roadside camp to the next. They are denied decent wages and forcedRead More Grapes Of Wrath Essay2416 Words   |  10 Pages John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath is one of the most influential books in American History, and is considered to be his best work by many. It tells the story of one family’s hardship during the Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. The Joads were a hard-working family with a strong sense of togetherness and morals; they farmed their land and went about their business without bothering anyone. When the big drought came it forced them to sell the land they had lived on since beforeRead MoreGrapes of Wrath essay820 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Grapes of Wrath Book and Film Comparison John Steinbeck was an American author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and numerous short stories. Steinbeck is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men. Born in Salinas, California in 1902, Steinbeck spent most of his life in Monterey County, the setting of much of his fiction such as the novel Cannery Row, a novel depicting the canning Co

Famous Americans Who Renounced Their Citizenship

Informative Speech on Als Essays - 660 Words

Informative Speech on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) OBJECTIVES: General Purpose: To inform the audience about ALS Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about the diagnosis and progression of ALS Central Idea: The symptoms and effects of this disease on the individual and family Organizational Pattern: The progression of ALS from diagnosis to death INTRODUCTION I. Take a moment, and point at the computer screen. Notice that your index finger is extended and your other fingers are curled into your palm. How did your hand know to do that? It all began in your brain, the starting point for an important chain of communication. Your brain ordered nerve cells, to activate†¦show more content†¦C. Once the victim is positively diagnosed they are given a life expectancy of 2-5 years. (As the disease progresses the symptoms get worse) III. Middle Stage A. Some muscles are paralyzed, while others are weakened or unaffected. B. Walking becomes difficult, if a fall occurs, the person may not be able to stand back up alone. Driving is relinquished. Weakness in swallowing muscle may cause choking, and greater difficulty eating and managing saliva. C. Weakness in breathing muscles can cause respiratory insufficiency, especially when lying down. D. Some people experience bouts of uncontrolled and inappropriate laughing or crying. (Despite how it seems, the person usually doesn’t feel particularly sad or happy.) IV. Late Stages A. Most voluntary muscles are paralyzed B. The muscles that help move air in and out of the lungs are severely compromised. C. Mobility is extremely limited, and help is needed in caring for most personal needs. D. Poor respiration may cause fatigue, fuzzy thinking, headaches and susceptibility to pneumonia (Respiratory insufficiency is a leading cause of death in ALS.) (When ALS attacks, it attacks quickly) V. Final Goodbyes A. In the last stage of the disease the effects on the body are crucial. B. The vast majority of deaths from ALS are the result ofShow MoreRelatedInformative Speech on Als1233 Words   |  5 Pagesmany diseases that remain not only without a cure, but without even effective treatments. One of these diseases is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease as it is commonly known, is a degenerative disease affecting the nervous system and the only outcome is death. Let’s take a look at the symptoms and how the effect they have on ALS patients. The early symptoms are slight and hardly noticed, they are easy for victim’s to ignore and even easier for physician’s to misdiagnosisRead MoreRhetorical Analysis : Dream A Motivational Video 878 Words   |  4 PagesWeek Four Thoughts In the video this week, it states â€Å"Individuals are afraid of succeeding because of fear† (Mateusz et al., 2013). This quote captured my attention upon my initial viewing of the video titled, â€Å"Dream: Motivational Video,† because of the boldness it projected to the audience. The speech is approximately six minutes and was published on July 2, 2013. It provides the audience with a background on how they should make their dreams realistic. Although obstacles will get in our wayRead MoreComparison of a Broadsheet and Tabloid Newspaper964 Words   |  4 Pagespolitical bias. The heading in the second page contains dogmatic assumption, which also is designed to mislead readers. The Sun labelled the five men as ‘traitors’ although the US could not find a strong connection between the five men and al-Qa’ida. The word, ‘traitors’ in the heading again repeated in the sub-sub heading, altering to the word, ‘treason’ To the contrary, the headlines in the Times are arbitrated, considerate of how accurately the issue is described in limitedRead MoreCommunication Techniques Of Harvey Milk1635 Words   |  7 Pagesto have Hope, or The Hope Speech’, a public address from Milk intended to â€Å"embolden a strong GLBTQ nationalism within the Castro, while also appealing for an alliance with other disenfranchised groups and straight folk† (Milk et al. 2013 p.147). First impressions count. In 1973, whilst standing on a box with the word ‘Soap’ written on it, in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro district, Milk announced he was running for candidacy on the Board of Supervisors (Milk et al. 2013). The performance elementsRead MoreTraumatic Effects Of Traumatic Brain Injury1278 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual can have after incident. In counseling, it is important for counselors and therapists to help to restore the cognitive, behavioral, and social functions of the individual. These professionals usually work with other providers, such as speech/language therapists, psychiatrists and neurologists. This helps because TBI are usually diagnosed when there is a blow to the head and it results in a disruption in a person’s normal brain functioning. An individual must go through a series of testsRead MoreA Brief Note On Image Based Qa On The Video And Audio Retrieval1009 Words   |  5 Pagesthese efforts rapidly expanded to tackle the video and audio retrieval problems. Fig. 3 shows an example of MMQA. Fig 3: Simple representation of MMQA search Engine III.METHODOLOGY Existing CQA usually provide only textual answers, which are not informative enough for many questions. Clearly, it will be much better if there are some accompanying videos and images that visually demonstrate the process or the object. By processing a large set of QA pairs and adding them to a pool, it can enable a novelRead MoreFree Speech, First Amendment Rights And Terroristic Messages Essay1415 Words   |  6 Pagesreasons: it s importance in the context of this class, and the First Amendment rights of the defendants. Second, my final paper topic was â€Å"Free Speech, First Amendment Rights and Terroristic Messages†. I ve used the article in my paper and presentation, as well I ve particularly valued the case of Tarek Mehanna, 2012 while giving the examples for the Free speech rights and its protection in case of use and distribution of Terroristic Messages . Finally, This topic is up to date and is one ofRead MoreOvercoming Speech Anxiety1091 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Overcoming Speech Apprehension Introduction Getting up in front of a group any group, of any size can be intimidating for any person unaccustomed to public presentation. What are the best ways to overcome being apprehensive in a speaking assignment? 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Obama delivers a descriptive speech that includes situations and issuesRead MoreThe Hidden Victims of Wartime Rape by Lara Stemple1094 Words   |  4 PagesRape† by Lara Stemple, she used all 5 rhetorical elements, the argument of reason, argument of the heart, style, argument of character and shape, they are rank from most important to the least important to prove her point. Lara’s article is very informative and supportive and I believe that she has worked so hard to make sure that the male â€Å"victims† are been vindicated. To persuade the readers, Lara Stemple used argument of fact and reason which is the strongest argument she used to present between

Strategic Planning †Ibm 2009 Free Essays

string(50) " output and the lower its cost structure will be\." CASE ANALYSIS: IBM IN 2009 Analysis Industry: Computer Services Industry Porter’s 5 Forces 1) Risk of entry by potential competitors The risk of entry by potential competitors is relatively low (+). This is due to the newly entrant competitors that need a large market capitalization, software materials, services and consulting; to gain consumer’s interests. If consumers are able to choose buying their products from a large company that are adequate in the computer hardware, services and consulting, other technological services, they would rather choose a large firm than a smaller firm that do not have adequate resources. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Planning – Ibm 2009 or any similar topic only for you Order Now ) The intensity of rivalry among established companies within an industry The intensity of rivalry among established companies within this industry is relatively high (-). This is because there are big firms such as Oracle that are neck in neck with other large firms such as IBM, trying to acquire every software there is that helps them gain a competitive advantage. 3) The bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers is relatively low (+). This is because in this industry that is supplying a particular product or service is not composed of many small companies and the buyers are large and few in number. Also, buyers are unable to purchase in quantity, because many of the firms in this industry offer services and consulting, and software that buyers use. 4) The bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is relatively high (-). This is because the product that suppliers sell has few substitutes, and the profitability of suppliers is not significantly affected by the purchases of companies in this industry. Also, switching costs are great as consumers will need to move from their original product to another supplier. 5) The closeness of Substitutes to an industry’s product The closeness of substitutes to an industry’s product is relatively low (+). There are hardly any substitutes as for many consumers, the importance of the market for technology products and a source of high-tech workers for serving these types of software when consumers need help. The less technological advanced products are unable to satisfy similar customer needs. Forces – Conclusion: This industry is a 3 star industry. What IBM should do is: * IBM should use their competitive advantage to surpass their competitors, and be the monopoly in the industry, instead of being in a competition neck-in neck with other leading competitors * Since the product that suppliers sells has few substitutes, and the bargaining power is extremely high, IBM should acquire the supplying companies, to reduce their cos ts some more, and for suppliers not to have the bargaining power that they have currently. Life Cycle: Growth stage * E. G. In this industry, it is growing because consumers are becoming more and more familiar with the now technology-advanced products when technology in the world is advancing rapidly. Also, most of the large firms usually have control over technological knowledge as a barrier to entry which diminishes most of the smaller firms, which lessens the chance of a new entrant. The Value Chain IT Provides low cost-traditional IT services or value-creating, customizing consultant solutions depend on it having the distinctive competencies to develop state-of-the-art software applications across business processes and industries * Recent advances have increased the power of business intelligence software to identify ongoing changes and forecasts many events after acquiring Cognos (software) * Another advancement was that the IT department came up with a new initiative to make it easier for geographically dispersed people to interact and collaborate without the time a nd expense of in-person meetings. They were using virtual technology which other people inside and between companies to exchange instant messages, chat verbally, share real-time presentations, and virtual meetings Hardware * The systems and technology group put its resources into developing new kinds of mainframes and servers that would appeal to a wider number of customer groups and expand global sales. This will give them more power and flexibility for the IT product they buy from IBM * Currently IBM sells its mainframes directly to customers through its own sales force to protect lucrative software and service revenues that accompany these sales. By doing that, IBM’s mainframe installed base had doubled because IBM’s ability to deliver increasing amounts of processing power to customers at a decreasing cost * Such as self-contained server would eliminate the need for expensive IT consulting and service; it would offer companies with a low-cost alternative and companies could simply order as many of Cisco’s (one of the acquired software) server racks as needed to operate or expand their business Competitive Advantage Distinctive Competencies: are firm specific strengths that allow a company to differentiate its products from those offered by rivals and/or achieve substantially lower costs than its rivals. IBM’s distinctive competencies is acquiring the different servers and software to help the company gain a competitive advantage as the company integrated many technological advanced products that surpasses other firms in the industry Intangible Resources: are nonphysical entities that are created by managers and other employees, such as brand names, the reputation of the company, the knowledge that employees have gained through experience, and the intellectual property of the company, including that protected through patents, copyrights, and trademarks. The intangible source here is the brand name and reputation that IBM had built all these years, leading to one of the top companies in the computer service business. Capabilities: refer to a company’s skills at coordinating its reso urces and putting them to productive use. * IBM’s skills at coordinating its resources and putting them to good and productive use by the drive to focus the efforts of all IBM employees on satisfying the needs of clients was one of the capabilities that made IBM have this competitive advantage Functional-Level Strategies EFFICIENCY * The simplest measure of efficiency is the quantity of inputs that it takes to produce a given output; the more efficient a company is, the fewer the inputs required to produce a given output and the lower its cost structure will be. You read "Strategic Planning – Ibm 2009" in category "Papers" * E. G. In 2007, IBM spent $11. 8 billion to acquire 36 software and 18 service companies in the fields such as security, data management, and Web commerce * QUALITY * The CEO’s strategy was to focus on high-profit margin products that directly complemented its service and software offerings. IBM had sold off its PC business to Lenovo; its disk drive business to Hitachi, and its printer business to Ricoh. By doing this, IBM is able to focus on high-profit margin products and ditch the failing products in the company that are sold off to other companies * INNOVATION * By keeping up with the technology advancements, IBM had announced a new â€Å"virtual world† IT initiative to make it easier for geographical dispersed people to interact and collaborate without the time and expense of in-person meetings. These virtual worlds are interactive, immersive Web sites based on the use of three-dimensional graphics. This allows people to exchange instant messages, chat verbally, share real-time presentations and ideas in private, virtual meeting spaces that exist permanently in real time so people can meet on regular, periodic, or impromptu bases. * CUSTOMER RESPONSIVENESS * At this stage, the sales of its new mainframes of IBM were up by 25%; software revenue rose 5%, helped by increasing sales of its popular WebSphere software package that improves the performance of a company’s electronic commerce and business applications Building Competitive Advantage Through Business-Level Strategy Competitive Positioning High Market Segmentation * What IBM is doing is high market segmentation where they could choose to recognize the differences between customer groups and make a product targeted toward most or all of the different market segments. The customer responsiveness and high and products are being customized to meet the needs of customers in each group. * E. G. IBM had shifted its products to higher profit-margin services and automating traditional business processes such as procurement, finance and human resources which was leading to increasing numbers of long-term service contracts between large firms. Differentiators * Clearly, IBM is a differentiator. This is due to how IBM was able to acquire different software from companies which then was able to offer clients high profit-margin software application to satisfy their needs. IBM was able to differentiate their products from the leading competitors and satisfy consumers that the other competitors clearly could not Business-Level Strategy and the Industry Environment Main strategies that companies can adopt to deal with decline: * Leadership strategy The speed of decline and the intensity of competition in the declining industry are moderate. Through aggressive acquisitions, IBM was able to acquire much software to create high profit-margin products to satisfy customer needs and to also provide clients with their best service and consulting. The open standards approach that Gerstner’s approach was that as IBM’s consultants went from client to client assessing their needs; they were able to provide detailed feedback to IBM’s other divisions about whether their products were adequately meeting clients’ needs. Gerstner’s strong focus on being close to clients had the additional advantage of spurring innovation throughout the organization. Chaining * They establish networks of linked merchandising outlets that are interconnected by IT and function as one large company. The enormous buying power these companies possess through their chain of nationwide stores allows them to negotiate large price reductions with suppliers that promote their competitive advantage * With IBM, the company is able to link with other software companies and IT back up servers that could connect as one large company. By doing so, it allows IBM to create a competitive advantage in regards to price reduction from suppliers. Strategy Technology Technological Paradigm Shifts * This occurs when new technologies come along that revolutionize the structure of the industry, dramatically alter the nature of competition, and require companies to adopt new strategies to survive. * E. G. When technology has been advancing, IBM innovated a new product that made geographical dispersed people to interact and collaborate without the time and expense of in-person meetings called the new â€Å"virtual world† from the IT department. Also, IBM had put its resources to good use by developing new kinds of mainframes and servers that would appeal to a wider number of customers groups and expand global sales. Proprietary standard * Establishing a proprietary standard as the industry standard may require the company to win a format war against a competing and incompatible standard. Strategies for doing this include producing complementary products, leveraging killer applications, using aggressive pricing and marketing, licensing the technology, and cooperating with competitors * E. G. IBM could produce complementary products, leverage killer software that they have been acquiring and perfecting it, also using aggressive pricing and marketing to let gain new consumers. Strategy in the Global Market By serving as a global market, a company can potentially utilize its production facilities more intensively, which leads to higher productivity, lower costs and greater profitability. Global sales also increase the size of the enterprise, so its bargaining power with suppliers increase, which may allow it to bargain down the cost of key inputs and boost more profitability. IBM made the investment to establish huge, low-cost service delivery centers for its global clients by improving the software necessary to automate the management of networks and data centers, and develop IT to improve telecommunications, especially Internet services. From India, IBM runs a whole range of IT services for its global customers. In Bangalore, IBM has a command center that monitors the ope ration of the database server networks of more than 16,000 clients. Through this, IBM was forced to eliminate 20,000 jobs in Europe and the US, and move these jobs to India as the cost of labour in India is significantly low. Corporate Level Strategy Vertical Integration * This could enable IBM to achieve a competitive advantage by helping build barriers to entry, facilitating investments in specialized assets, protecting product quality, and helping to improve scheduling between adjacent stages in the value chain * One of the disadvantages is that it increases bureaucratic costs if IBM’s supplier becomes lazy or inefficient, and it reduces flexibility when technology is changing fast or demand is uncertain Strategy Outsourcing By strategic outsourcing of value creation activities, it may allow a company to lower its costs, better differentiate its products, and make better use of scarce resources, while also enabling it to respond rapidly to changing market conditions * One of the disadvantages is that if IBM outsources important value creation activities or becomes too dependent on the key suppliers of those activities * IBM has invested in India to take advantage of its growing importance as a m arket for technology products and a source of high-technology workers. IBM made the investment to establish huge, low-cost service delivery centers for its global clients, improve the software necessary to automate the management of networks and data centers, and develop IT to improve telecommunications. IBM runs a whole range of IT services for its global customers, including software delivery services such as upgrading and maintaining client software and managing and protecting database centers in India. Also in Bangalore, IBM has a command center that monitors the operation of the database server networks. The largest of IBM’s three global IT service centers are in India, Brazil, and China. IBM’s scope was to expand traditional outsourcing operations and attract more and more global clients to compensate for reduced profit margins so it can still increase profits from this group. Related and Unrelated Diversification Acquisitions * Acquisitions are used to pursue vertical integration or diversification when a company lacks the distinctive competencies necessary to compete in the industry. Acquisitions are often perceived as being less risky than internal new ventures because they involve less commercial uncertainty. * IBM has done many acquisitions, such as Lotus, CenterPoint Energy, Phillippines PSBank, PTT Chemical Public Company of Thailand, Skynet in Lithuania, Cognos etc. which helps IBM increase its expertise in specialized IT services to strengthen its competitive advantage Corporate Performance, Governance, and Business Ethics ROIC 1) Participate in growing market 2) Take market share from competitors ) Consolidate industry through horizontal integration 4) International expansion, vertical integration or diversification * E. G. For IBM, pursing strategies to maximize profitability and profit growth helps a company to better satisfy the demands that several stakeholder groups place on it, not the other way around. Also, by maximizing returns to stockholders, IBM could boost its profitability and profit growth rate to be consistent in satisfying the claims of s everal other key stakeholder groups. Ethics * Despite the argument that maximizing long-run profitability and profit growth is the best way to satisfy the claims of several key stakeholder groups, a company must do so within the limits set by the law and in a manner consistent with societal expectations * It is incumbent on managers at IBM to make sure that the company is in compliance with these laws when pursuing strategies. Unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence that managers can be tempted to cross the line between the legal and illegal in their pursuit of greater profitability and profit growth. IBM could hold many various seminars on the topic of ethics and to try and implement ethical protocols when dealing with an issue that arises. Implementing Strategy in Companies that Compete in a Single Industry Strategic Reward Systems * Organizations strive to control employees’ behavior by linking reward systems to their control systems. Based on a IBM’s strategy (cost leadership or differentiation), strategic manager must decide which behaviors to reward. Selecting, Developing an Action/Implementation Plan * Disadvantage of acquisitions * Many acquisitions fail to increase the profitability of the acquiring company and may result in losses. Acquisition may fail to raise the performance of the acquiring companies suggesting that acquisitions usually destroy rather than create value. As IBM is acquiring many types of software to enhance its competitive advantage, but it may fail to raise the performance of the acquiring companies for four reasons * Companies frequently experience management problems when they attempt to integrate a different company’s organizational structure and culture into their own * Companies often overestimate the potential economic benefits from an acquisition * Acquisitions tend to be so expensive that they do not increase future profitability * Companies are often negligent in s creening their acquisition targets and fail to recognize important problems with their business models * IBM should be firm on their management organization structure to refrain any management problems with IBM makes an acquisition * IBM should weight out all the pros and cons to distinguish whether the acquisition is beneficial to the company or not. Also, when doing the acquisition, IBM should think of all the important problems that align with their current business model * Outsourcing * IBM will fail when their profitability is now substantially lower than the average profitability of its competitors; it has lost the ability to attract and generate resources, so its profit margins and invested capitals are shrinking rapidly. IBM will have to acquire many new software to keep their competitive advantage * IBM should incorporate quality control in those countries that they have outsourced their services and consulting to continue to attract and generate resources and have profit margins still high How to cite Strategic Planning – Ibm 2009, Papers

Financial Accounting and General Topics †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Financial Accounting and General Topics. Answer: Introduction: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) realizes that the best-performing companies combine their vision and mission with their strategies so that they can outperform their competitors. The best mission and vision for such company would be to become a superior class financial institution that can provide superior returns to all its stakeholders. For such purpose, it can value its people by motivating, recognizing, and retaining them efficiently. It can also focus towards change by starting small and thinking big so that outperforming competitors becomes simpler. Furthermore, the company can utilize its skills and experience to ensure that all its resources are effectively used. This vision statement can easily assist the company to address every requirement of its stakeholders. Besides, the key performance indicators like cost to income ratio, deposits, quality of loan book, etc must be analysed to ensure that the mission and vision statement is adequate and effective. In relat ion to strategy, ANZ must focus its strategy around four primary blocks of financial performance that are sustainability, economic transformation, asset-light strategy, and cost leadership (ANZ, 2016). Moreover, the company has a considerable market share and a diversified product portfolio that assists it to thrive in such complicated environment. Therefore, if a harvest strategy is adopted by the company to enhance its performance, then it would be more suitable for it to acquire all its goals and objectives. The reason behind this can also be attributed to the fact that a build strategy lacks certainty and predictability than a harvest strategy. Besides, since it is well known that ANZ has a diversified portfolio of products and an enhanced share of market, adoption of a harvest strategy will be more beneficial for such company, as it can easily assist it to enhance its profitability and flows of cash. Nonetheless, harvest strategy will be more suitable for an organization like A NZ because a build strategy cannot allow it to flourish in the market and outperform its competitors. In order to ascertain enhanced details about the cost, ANZ Ltd utilizes an activity-based cost system that is not required for external financial reporting. In such scenario, the company is using both manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs in place of job-order or process costing. Furthermore, ANZ is engaged in diversification of its product portfolio and catering to a wide range of stakeholders through banking services. In relation to this, the bank incurs cost for arranging loan amounts, setting up basic infrastructure, and post sales processes of customer services. Activity-based costing results in an appropriate way of service or product costing, thereby resulting in a better pricing decision. The overhead understanding gets maximized along with the cost drivers, thereby making these costly and non-value affairs to be clearer in nature. This grants the managers to lessen them based on the requirements and such costing system leads to an efficient challenge when it comes to processes of operating costs so that overheads can be terminated (Vanderbeck, 2013). This also assists in product enhancement and profitability assessment of company manifolds. Besides, this also assists in performance management and regular projections of improvement. The system of activity-based costing results in an indirect cost allocation that are based on product cost drivers or factors that result in the generation of cost (Venanci, 2012). Nevertheless, the process of ABC can be used to track non-valued activities of a company, thereby resulting in an efficient alloca tion of resources. Besides, the system of ABC in the company (ANZ) can also result in addition of value and continuous improvements in the business affairs of the company. Further, the best move for the company will be to pursue a costing system that can assist in offering better scope to it. Moreover, the company can easily settle its activities with such system as it can effectively use its resources for addressing the grievances of all its stakeholders (Vanderbeck, 2013). Just-in-time, moving towards JIT system can be a better move for the company because it can facilitate in an enhanced association with the size of batches so that it can deliver properly. Even though financial measures have been regarded as more appropriate by many researchers, yet in the current scenario, organizations like ANZ use non-financial measures like a balanced scorecard measure to measure their performance. The company also uses an integrated performance management approach to measure its performance (ANZ, 2016). With the help of such approach, ANZ gains an ability to integrate its performance measures both horizontally and vertically so that it is ensured that the goals and objectives are adequately met. It can also be observed from the annual report of ANZ that it has utilized non-GAAP measures so that it can assess its performance level. Such reliance upon non-financial measures is highly visible in most of the companies operating in New Zealand. Furthermore, the second approach utilized by the company is balanced scorecard measure that allows it to measure its performance by interconnecting its goals and objectives with its overall strategies and vision (ANZ, 2016). This can altogether assist in maximization of goodwill and quality of corporate reporting. The best possible performance measure in the case of ANZ Ltd will be balanced scorecard measure because such approach takes into consideration both financial and non-financial scenarios so that better outcomes can be derived. Furthermore, such measure is more beneficial than other measures because it can assist in providing significant details of the companys performance beyond that obtained from market-determined strategies (Parrino et. al, 2012). Therefore, the key performance indicators like the quality of loan book, fees, deposits, etc can be considered by the companys management to ascertain whether certain requirements related to these indicators have been effectively fulfilled or not. Besides, this can allow the company to make proper strategies so that it can address any prevalent issues and that can allow it to thrive in such competitive market, thereby serving as a major tool in enhancing the quality of corporate reporting and reputation as well (Carmichael Graham, 2012). Hence, a balanced scorecard will be more suitable for ANZ since it facilitates in a positive and better performance outcome. A balanced scorecard strategy is very useful since it facilitates in enhanced measurement of performance within companies. Besides, unlike traditional measures, this strategy does not accommodate only financial measures to evaluate an organizations performance (Petty et. al, 2012). Instead, it comprises of both financial and non-financial measures so that enhanced material information can be offered to the managers regarding the performance of the company based on several performance indicators (ANZ, 2016). This can altogether assist in forecasting the future performance of an organization that cannot be done by other traditional measures. Nonetheless, such measure suggests that the capability of a company to generate value in future is subject to four major concerns like customer, growth, internal learning, and financial aspects. Perspective Aim Growth This assists an organization to ascertain how to enhance its innovative processes. Financial This is subjected towards how shareholders of a company are viewed upon. Internal learning This perspective allows an organization to maximize the efficiency of its internal affairs. Customer This perspective assists in determining the requirements of customers. Internal perspective plays a key role in dealing with internal control systems so that abnormal losses can be minimized, thereby assisting in enhancement of organizational performance. Customer aspect in a balanced scorecard assists in focusing upon the fact that every requirement of customers must be duly considered so that business solidity can be gained by the company, thereby generating higher chances of outperforming other rivals in the industry (Peirson et. al, 2015). Financial perspective present in the scorecard allows an organization to control its costs and enhance its revenues respectively. In simple words, it can be said that financial aspect in the scorecard allows a company to attain maximum profitability and overall objectives too. Lastly, the innovation or growth aspect allows a company to upgrade its present technologies for the benefit of the entire community so that they get what they deserve without compromising the resources of stakeholders (Merchant, 2012). Thes e aspects can be incorporated into the balanced scorecard of ANZ so that it retains its high market share and diversified product portfolio. Competitor analysis is an in-depth analysis and investigation of the competition of a company so that the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors in the industry can be effectively evaluated. Furthermore, this allows a company implement and choose efficient strategies that can play a key role in enhancing its competitive advantage (Choi Meek, 2011). Besides, such measure allows a company to gain both offensive and strategic context so that it can easily identify its opportunities and threats. In relation to ANZ Ltd, its major competitors are Commonwealth Bank and Westpac bank. Both these companies offer immense competition to ANZ in the banking field. Further, essential success factors like employees performance, aggressive marketing, resource prevalence, etc are helpful in conducting competitive analysis in such field. After assessing the competitors of ANZ Ltd, it can be stated that the company has a competitive advantage in product portfolio, market share, asset finance, financial position, etc that allows it to remain firm in the market. Moreover, if enhancements in such aspects are not implemented, the company may lose advantage over its competitors (Porter Norton, 2014). There are also aspects that maximizes the threats of ANZ in the banking field. For instance, the company has limited international exposure that prevents it to maximize its market share. If such weakness is not being considered by the company, it may fail to maintain a competitive advantage over its competitors, thereby failing to survive as well (ANZ, 2016). Furthermore, this can a lso result in the enhancement of the companys costs, thereby resulting into a decline in its revenues. In addition, because of deteriorating economic situations in New Zealand and Australia, the company must take corrective actions so that it can easily remain firm in the market. If ANZ takes due steps, it can easily remain competitive in the market without being outperformed by its competitors like Westpac and Commonwealth. However, to achieve such opportunity, it must take steps to enhance its strengths and lessen its weaknesses. References ANZ 2016, ANZ annual report and accounts 2016, viewed 22 October 2017 https://www.nzx.com/companies/ANZ/announcements/292244 Carmichael, D.R. Graham, L 2012, Accountants Handbook, Financial Accounting and General Topics, John Wiley Sons. Choi, R.D Meek, G.K 2011, International accounting, Pearson Merchant, K. A 2012, Making Management Accounting Research More Useful, Pacific Accounting Review, vol. 24, no.3, pp. 1-34. Parrino, R., Kidwell, D. Bates, T 2012, Fundamentals of corporate finance, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Peirson, G, Brown, R., Easton, S, Howard, P Pinder, S 2015, Business Finance, 12th ed., North Ryde: McGraw-Hill Australia. Petty, J. W, Titman, S., Keown, A. J., Martin, J. D., Burrow, M Nguyen, H., 2012, Financial Management: Principles and Applications, 6th ed., Australia: Pearson Education Australia. Porter, G Norton, C 2014, Financial Accounting: The Impact on Decision Maker, Texas: Cengage Learning Vanderbeck, E J 2013, Principles of Cost Accounting, Oxford university press Venanci, D 2012, Financial Performance Measures and Value Creation, New York: Springer.

Cream of the Crop free essay sample

This is a book review and summary essay on Cream of the Crop: The Impact of Elite Education on the Decade After College by Katchadourian and Boli. The following paper examines how the Cream of the Crop gives one a sense of the value of an elite education, however, it is of the writers opinion that a comparison of their subjects to graduates of less prestigious schools might have given a broader picture of the importance of an elite education. In Cream of the Crop: The Impact of Elite Education on the Decade After College, Katchadourian and Boli examine not only how the college you attend, but the choices you make while in college shape and mold the rest of your life. In this book, a group of Stanford University alumni are followed for ten years after graduation (Katchadourian, 1994). It shows how decisions they made in college affected their family and career choices. We will write a custom essay sample on Cream of the Crop or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It focuses on their professional careers, experiences in the workplace, their personal lives and their lifes reflections a decade after graduation. This book is the first to examine these issues systematically (Katchadourian, 1994).