Role of Medieval History in Modern Day

A common story plot in modern day films portraying Middle Age themes is a damsel in distress being saved by a knight in shining armor. For instance, the popular animated children’s movie, Shrek, follows the story line of Shrek and his partner, Donkey, going off on a journey in order to save a princess imprisoned in a tall castle tower and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. The entire plot setting is based roughly around the same time frame as the actual middle ages, so the elements of medieval culture in this movie are clear.The guarded castles, mythical creatures, and feudal system enforced between the peasants and royalty are all elements of medieval culture. One major scene that depicts the essence of the Middle Ages best is when Shrek leads Lord Farquaad to Fiona as an exchange for guaranteed privacy of Shrek’s swamp. Two main aspects of this scene to focus on is the interaction between Lord Farquaad and Shrek and also the use of Princess Fiona as an object of trad e for Shrek’s reward.Traditional ranking of nobles and commoners are rooted within the Middle Ages, and although Shrek acts rather brutish and unpolished in Lord Farquaad’s presence, there is still an act of submission as depicted by Shrek’s delivery of Fiona. It was typical of knights in the middle ages to battle against one another or perform favors and acts of bravery in order to gain favor in the eyes of a King. Lord Farquaad’s use of Shrek as a way of obtaining Princess Fiona would then give Shrek an opportunity to gain favor in Lord Farquaad’s eyes so that his request of gaining back full ownership of his swamp would be granted.Due to the treacherous nature of retrieving Fiona, this would constitute as one of many acts of valor that many knights would partake in at the time. Princess Fiona’s part in this scene is as an object of bargaining, as shown when Shrek brings Lord Farquaad to her in order to fulfill his side of the arrangement. It should be noted that Princess Fiona’s hand in marriage was necessary for Lord Farquaad to gain full control cover a larger jurisdiction and for him to have the title as King bestowed upon him.The use of marriage as a way of combining kingdoms and making negotiations derive from medieval culture and also emphasize the importance that the feudal system played during this time. Although Lord Farquaad had enough power to grant or take away land from landowners, such as the fairy tale creatures, the only way for him to become a real king was to marry a princess, which in this case would have been Princess Fiona.Similar situations like this regularly occur in modern popular culture, such as the film The Princess Diaries 2, where Princess Amelia is being urged by the Genovian government to marry someone who holds an official title as a prince in order for her to become a true queen. It has become common knowledge in today’s society that a Princess or Prince cannot hold th e title as a Queen or King until they are married—this particular idea originating from the Middle Ages.By looking at these examples, one can see how ideals from the Middle Ages carried over into modern day popular culture. In fact, modern day knighting still takes place in the British government and is still based off of recognition of service and contributions to the British nation. The Order of the British Empire is perhaps the most common knighthood given today and is frequently awarded to British scientists, educators, doctors, and even Paul McCartney. This tradition is significant evidence of the carry over of Middle Ages in contemporary culture.However, one of the many misconceptions of the medieval times is the mistreatment and the demeaning of woman as being a prominent thing in society. This is portrayed in the treatment of Princess Fiona as a means for bargaining, and one should note that her objections to being married to Lord Farquaad held little to no weight whe n it came down to her fate. Aside from Princess Fiona, the amount of parts where women held significant character roles were almost nonexistent and further pushed the stereotype of how medieval women were disregarded in medieval times.On the contrary, women, such as St. Joan of the Arc, held positions of high authority in the time of the Middle Ages and were not treated with as little esteem as modern society thinks today. This kind of thinking encourages the damsel-in-distress scenario where the woman is rendered helpless and waiting for a strong and able man to come and save her. Such depictions associated with medieval society are emphasized over and over until the image of an incompetent woman is incorporated into the general consensus of what medieval times were like.The use the medieval times as the setting for Shrek also played along with stereotypical Middle Ages as being a time of ignorant common people that blindly followed the rule of the king without any question. The ov erall appearance that the environment in Shrek gives off is a place that is unorganized and unhygienic, much like what modern society thinks of the middle ages today. Setting Shrek in the Middle Ages effectively played out the stereotypes and general idea of what medieval society means to popular culture.The exaggerated difference of living conditions between peasants and royalty, the disregard of women, the bartering by marriage, and even the uneducated and dirty lifestyles of many commoners exemplify common misconceptions of the Middle Ages that many people in society take as fact. Popular culture, in turn, starts to immediately associate a time of ignorance and uncleanliness as being characteristic of the Middle Ages—whether they are true or not.

Do You Have Stress Problem

Argumentative Essay: Do You Have Stress Problems? Name: Marguerite ID Number: 1130400040 Class Name: Grand Canyon According to the book called Stress Consequences edited by George Fink (2010), it says â€Å"Approximately 90% of suicide victims have a psychiatric illness at the time of their death. † Some people think psychiatric illness is generated by stress. Although they deem stress bad, other people claim that stress is beneficial. Actually the fact is that humans benefit a lot from stress.Because stress can promote blood circulation, motivate individual potential and enhance efficiency. Opponents of this idea assert that people become anxious when they face stress for a long time, and with anxiety accumulating day by day, people become fragile and weak. The other people claim that not all people are under stress everyday, since they can do something else to be happy. Furthermore, mild stress can promote blood circulation so that the capacity of people for handling stress is greater.Nowadays, people have to try something new and learn more skills, but all of these increase the burden on people. The stress makes people lose their confidence and be nervous to face life. Those who disagree with the idea maintain that stress can help people improve themselves since stress can motivate the individual potential when they are trying new things, even more, their confidence can be increased. Opponents have the idea that stress makes people lose their enthusiasms for work and study so that they are inefficient.To a certain extent what they indicate is right. But on the other hand, appropriate stress can enhance their attention and capacity, thereby, the efficiency can be increased. In conclusion, appropriate stress is â€Å"†¦there is now convincing evidence that people often experience benefits following stress and trauma, these benefits have been various labeled adversarial growth, benefit finding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stress Consequence, George Fink, 2010). As the book says, people can benefit from stress.

Air and Sea Travel Case Study

Air & Sea Travel Inc. Case study Air & Sea Travel Inc. a travel agency began operations on April 1, 20X6. During April, the business provided travel services for clients. It is now April 30, and investors wonder how well Air & Sea Travel performed during its first month. They also want to know the company’s financial position at the end of April and its cash flows during the month. The following data is listed in alphabetical order. Prepare the Air & Sea Travel financial statements at end of April 20X6. Accounts payable |$100 |Land |$18,000 | |Accounts receivable |2,000 |Office supplies |500 | |Adjustments to reconcile net | |Payments of cash: | | | income to net cash provided | | Acquisition of land |40,000 | | by operating activities |(2,400) | Dividends |2,100 | |Cash balance at the beginning of April |0 |Rent expense |1,100 | |Cash balance at the end of April |33,300 |Retained earnings at the beginning of April | | | | | |0 | |Cash receipts: | |Retained earnings at the e nd of April |? | | Issuance stock |50,000 |Salary expense | 1200 | | Sale of land |22,000 |Service revenue |8,500 | |Common stock |50,000 |Utilities xpense |400 | |Dividends |2,100 | | | 1. Prepare the income statement, the statement of retained earnings, the statement of cash flows for the month ended April 30, 20X6, and the balance sheet at April 30, 20X6. 2. Answer the following questions: a. How well did Air & Sea Travel perform during its first month of operations? b. Where does Air & Sea Travel stand financially at the end of April? ASSETSLIABILITIES Cash33,300Account payable100 Account receivable2,000Land 18,000 Insurance stock50,000Office supplies500 Sale of land 22,000Payment of cashCommon stock50,000 Acquisition of land40,000 Dividends2,100 Dividends2,100 Service revenue8,500Rent expense1,100 Salary expense1,200 Utilities expense400 Adjustment to reconcile 2,400 net income to net cash provided by operating activities 1. |Air & Sea Travel Inc. | |Income Statement | |Apr il 30, 20X6 | |Revenues |8,500 | |Expenses |2,700 | |Rent expense 1,100 | |Salary expense |1200 | |Utilities expense |400 | |Net income |5,800 | |Air & Sea Travel Inc. | |Statement of Retained Earnings | |April 30, 20X6 | | | | |Beginning of Retained Earnings |0 | |Net income |5,800 | |Cash dividends |(2,100) | |Ending Retained Earnings |3,700 | |Air & Sea Travel Inc. |Balance Sheet | |April 30, 20X6 | | | | |Assets | | |Cash |33,300 | |All other assets |20,500 | |Land |18,000 | |Office supplies |500 | |Account receivable |2,000 | |Total assets |53,800 | |Liabilities | | |Acount Payable |100 | |Total liabilities |100 | |Stockholder's equity | | |Common stock |50,000 | |Retained earnings |3,700 | |All other equity |0 | |Total liabilities and stockholder's equity |53,800 | |Air & Sea Travel Inc. |Statement of Cash Flows | |April 30, 20X6 | |Net cash provided by operating activities | |3,400 | |Net income |5,800 | | |Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by op erating activities |(2,400) | | |Net cash used for investing activities | |(18,000) | | Sale of land |22,000 | | |Acquisition of land |(40,000) | | |Net cash provided by financing activities | |47,900 | |Issuance stock |50,000 | | |Dividends |(2,100) | | |Net change in cash | | 33,300 | |Beginning cash balance | |0 | |Ending cash balance | | 33,300 | 2. a) They performed very well, since they got profit in the end of the month. They do not pay too much salary and they don’t have too many depts. To be a financially well-managed company, it must generate profit, meaning there is more money coming in than going out. This looks to be well managed company since there is a lot of profit in the end of the month. Income Statement, Statement of Retained Earnings, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows are all on the plus side. Nothing seems to be out of order. b) They have 33,300 retained earnings at the end of April, which means a good profit.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 96

Assignment Example However, the same has left far behind the concept of in-depth learning, leaving majority of students in confused state. As rightly stated by MacGillis (2004), the marketing efforts of various vendors to sell their products for annual test preparation and evaluation are resulting in a ‘digital divide’ between poor and rich students. While billions of dollars from public fund have been invested to enhance the learning skills of all students, it is observed that needy students find it difficult to learn the advanced skills, as they are still trying to cope-up with the computer basics. Software industry leaders, having their own vested interests, highlight the advantages of such advanced learning and testing software, while they try to suppress the criticism related to same. However, major causality in such software drills remains the concepts of constructive learning. Using human brains is much more important than being entirely dependant on computers. Computer programs may provide intelligent information and solution, but using the same requires diligence, on the part of students. Solutions for ending such digital inequity cannot include discontinuing with subject software drills or other ‘compass learning’ programs, while we need to find viable resolution to this man-made divide. MacGillis (2004) has rightly given the example of schools in Howard County, where students use ‘open programs’ instead of closed ones, as offered by such software drills. The open programs help students to be creative and learn through analytical thinking. This can be one of the solutions for this problem. I do agree with the author of this article that the educational administrators may not have closely examined the issue of gender equity, while pushing for information technology-aided learning programs. The following observations need to be noted, in this direction. To help students with getting accustomed to learning through

China diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

China diabetes - Essay Example Some studies indicated an economic standard correlation to the incidence rate of diabetes. The incidence rate in China is 3.21% in 1996 quite higher in developing countries, it significantly increased in the following years. Diabetes study of Singapore is quite revealing. In 1975 the incidence rate of diabetes in Singapore was 1.19%; it gradually increased and reached to 4%, in 1992. In 17 years, the incidence rate of diabetes in Singapore increased to 8 times. The case studies from Singapore and Korea clearly indicate that if the rapid economic and social development of countries is directly related to rate of incidence of diabetes. The more country develops, the higher prevalence of diabetes occurs. In the same way, China is rapidly growing during the past two decades. This rapid growth has resulted in increase in the rate of modernization and urbanization. The incidence of prevalence of diabetes in Chinese adult increased three-fold from approximately 1% in 1980 to 3.2% in 1996. T he incidence of diabetes is increasing equally with increase in economic growth of the country. With increase of prevalence of diabetes in Asian Countries China and India are major contributors because of their large populations and growing economies. China is the second largest prevalence of diabetes in the region as greater urbanization, industrialization, and lifestyle changes, because of economic prosperity and increasing rates of obesity. Growth in economy has resulted in change in the life style and eating habits of Chinese people. Availability of fast foods and a inactive lifestyle, along with lack of physical activities and play, increase in use of television and computers, and mechanization have rapidly changed the behavior patterns of the urbanized young in many of Asia's large cities. Similar situation is prevalent in China. The epidemiological transition can be observed in its most complete form in developed countries and at it is at its earliest stages in developing countries. RESULTS OF VARIOUS SURVEYS/STUDIES First systematic and organized survey was conducted in the late 1970s in China in Shanghai City. It was recorded that incidence of diabetes is 1.07% in 1979 but it was doubled in 1989. Available data shows that the prevalence of diabetes in Shanghai has reached to 2.123% in 1989 while Chengdu was 1.354% in 1992. But in 1982, Chengdu City demonstrated its prevalence of diabetes as 1.29%, which was the highest rate. Another diabetes survey of 14 major cities was conducted by nationwide cooperative group in 1980, it shows the average of prevalence of diabetes was 0.67%. A study conducted in 1993 shows that, the prevalence of diabetes was 2.5% in China but its mortality has become the third largest disease cause death in China after cancer and cardiovascular disease. In 1997, the 11 cities diabetes survey shows the average of prevalence of diabetes was 3.21% that is 3 times double the rate in 1979. A study was carried out in 1996, under the WHO criteria and epidemiology method, a updated 11 major cities survey shows that the prevalence of diabetes was 3.21% in China, which increased almost 5 times compared to the first survey in 1980. It is estimated that the prevalen

Case Study- The man who said no to Wal-Mart Study

- The man who said no to Wal-Mart - Case Study Example Almost no matter what you're selling, the gravitational force of Wal-Mart's 3,811 U.S. "doorways" is irresistible" (Fishman, 2006). So what would make Jim Wier the CEO of lawn-equipment maker Simplicity say no to Wal-Mart This research endeavors to unravel this mystery by critically evaluating the issues that arise from the case study and independent research. 1. From its inception Wal-Mart's center of attention has always been about Every Day Low Pricing, and that view remains to this day. Sam Walton in "Made in America." is quoted as saying that Wal-Mart is obsessed with having the lowest prices. On the other hand, according to Wier, snapper is obsessed with having differentiated, high-end, quality products" and not the price. These are two very different points of view. These differences in corporate objectives can also be glimpsed from sentiments by a Wal-Mart high-ranking executive that a trillion dollars in annual turnover for the group is not as unreal as it may sound while Wier's own sentiments don't seem to share this view. He says that snapper is not primarily as keen on volumes. Target Customers and Market Segmentation. Market segmentation is an issue that arises as we study the snapper/Wal-Mart case. It can be defined as the division of a market into subsets of prospects with similar characteristics that distinguish them as likely to purchase certain offerings. Walker, Mullins, Boyd & Larreche. (2006). There are different categories of need that an offering satisfies and customers fit in different categories depending on their needs. Wal-Mart for all its worth uses low price as its key marketing and competitive strategy and often targets lower and lower middle-class customers. These low prices have another advantage in that they eliminate the cost of regular sales promotions. Wal-mart has also adopted a unique inventory system that that has allowed economies of scale resulting in a reduction in the costs of sales. Wal-Mart takes advantage in its being able to purchase in bulk and selling the goods itself. The strategy has served Wal-Mart-well over the years as evidenced by its unprecedented growth . Wal-Mart offers a selection of goods based on their customer's requirements. They are low on high-end goods because of the belief that people need discounted prices on practical products as opposed to the expensive brand name goods. Wal-Mart relies on their convenience and low prices. Wal-Mart does not have specific sections for specific brands. Snapper on the other hand is convinced that customers are different and targets high-end users. Believing that their customer's primary motivation would be performance and the longevity not low price. The Wal-Mart's popularity is mainly due to the following Every Day Low Price strategy. This has proved to be an all time winner mainly

Case study Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case study - Article Example Ultimately, it is Ms. Tranita Jackson’s unwillingness to cooperate that lead to Rhonda’s academic failures. The tension between Ms. Jackson and Ms. Lakisha Mills, especially the former’s antagonism, over the lessons and schedules jeopardized Rhonda’s opportunity to succeed in her subjects. As an administrator, it will be helpful to review the case and to conduct another IEP meeting considering all the events that transpired. It might prove more than helpful to give it another try, preferably where Rhonda will be placed in a different 3rd-grade regular teacher other than Ms. Jackson. There must be a conscious effort by those involved that the LRE is a matter of law. There are no shortcuts and an unfavorable decision to terminate it may be easier but it is not always the right answer. The same is true even if the parents themselves have already agreed to it. Where the regular class teacher may be inconvenienced by it is not reason in itself to forego of the entire system

The impact of oil price change on USs economy Research Paper

The impact of oil price change on USs economy - Research Paper Example An increase of 54% in the prices of crude oil in 2011 would lead to a double recession in the U.S. This paper aims at examining how shocks of oil prices in the past have impacted the U.S. economy, and makes predictions on how the economy will do in light of the recent oil prices. Using the methodology of forecasting from Hamilton (2008) with time analysis, the paper will use the impulse response functions from the prices of oil to predict the response of GDP. The literature review will be used to describe how oil is an integral part of the economy, and how recessions and oil shocks have coincided ever since World War II. The paper will point out the disagreements in the literature about the impacts of oil shocks on the U.S. economy as well as the asymmetry of price increases and price decreases. According to Hamilton (2010) when an embargo on oil was instituted by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) the global supply of oil fell by 7.5%. The 1973 oil crisis effects were far reaching. According to Forrester (1984), the U.S set the target of reducing the consumption of oil by 25% at that time led by Richard Nixon. A country wide speed limit of 55 miles per hour was temporarily passed by the congress, and this continues until 1988 (Frum, 2010). The use of Christmas trees was banned in Oregon State (Frum, 2010). Many gas stations in the U.S were shut down as a result of insufficient oil supply, as many other gas stations rationed the gasoline supply (Hamilton, 2010). The American lifestyle was threatened by the Middle East instability which had a huge effect on the American people (Dahl, 2003). As a result of the political turmoil in Libya in 2011, the prices of crude oil went up to two and a half year high. As the issue was addressed by the U.S president, it became clear that, the U.S used 7% less oil in 2011 than in 2005, but still depends on the foreign oil. According to the U.S. imports over 55% of crude oil from outside.

ESSAY PROMPT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PROMPT - Essay Example If we talk about Hamlet, we can’t but mention that suicide represents a continuous theme in the tragedy. During the play Hamlet considers suicide many times, his thinking about the life and its essence, about the troubles of real life and the fascination of unconsciousness is famous all over the world as remains unique. The given paper will discuss two famous soliloquies of Hamlet, in which he is talking about death and prove that Hamlet does not really want and was going to die. Hamlet is naive and passionate, not suicidal. Evidence: Soliloquy in Act I When we get acquainted with Hamlet, his first soliloquy in Act I reveals his nature. We see a passionate and vulnerable guy who is extremely astounded by his father’s death. He is almost a child and can’t help crying and wishing to die to be with his beloved father. It is very difficult to lose parents, especially when you are still young. Moreover, Hamlet has one more reason to be so upset: his beloved mother doe s not share his sorrow. Instead she is celebrating her wedding with Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. A young person, who still considers love to be a sacred thing is shocked with such an indifference. The pain is stronger because he knows what love is himself – and we remember about Hamlet’s feeling to Ophelia. Hamlet knows what love is, thus he is extremely astounded by the events as he considered his father’s marriage to be happy. ... The father is dead and the mother is married to another man, thus she does not share the son’s sorrow about the death of his father. These thoughts of suicide are not true, they are the results of the young guy’s despair. Hamlet’s soul is beautiful and he was sure that the souls of other people, especially his own mother’s soul was also pure and beautiful. But now he calls his mother: â€Å"an unweeded garden that grows to seed.† (1.2.139). He considered his mother to be sacred but suddenly became a witness of her fall. He is full of negative emotions, thus he thinks about death like many other people in such state. Hamlet is also religious. He perfectly understands that death is a sin, thus he should not even think about it. He feels bad but would never commit suicide at that moment as he believes in â€Å"Everlasting† (1.2.135). In the Act 1 Hamlet still believes that the God would save him and would not let him die. Here we see Hamlet as s till young, naive and sentimental creature who cries about the love between his parents, which he considered to be true, but now he has to change his mind because of the mother’s very fast marriage. Having high moral principles and believing in God, Hamlet suffers recollecting his mother’s â€Å"unrighteous tears† (1.2.159) caused by the father’s death, the tears, which he considered to be true. â€Å"To be or not to be† does not mean â€Å"to live or not to live†. Evidence: Soliloquy in Act III In the Act 3 we already see Hamlet from another side and this makes us understand that everything he said and was thinking about in Act 1 was just childish melancholy. Hamlet also understands this and this is what his most famous soliloquy is focused on. After his conversation with the ghost he suddenly

The Menace of Students in Covenant University Essay Example for Free

The Menace of Students in Covenant University Essay The menace of indecent behavior among students of Covenant University. The Holy book says â€Å"it is the little, little foxes that spoil the vine†. The little foxes of indecent behavior are gradually eaten deep into the vine of Covenant University and spoiling her vine which is the students. To examine this topic a clear understanding of what indecent behavior is vital. Indecent behavior is a state of continuously going against moral standards that exist in the human societal setting. Moral standards only exist where humans live as animals are not obligated to moral standards. The menace of indecent behavior is eating deep into the Student body of Covenant University. This act of nuisance has become rampant among some of the students of the institution. Statistics have shown that 80 percent of expulsion cases Covenant University are linked or connected to immoral behavior. Examples of these behaviors are smoking, drinking, watching of pornographic movies, stealing overt sexual behavior, continuous possession of circular music despite warning, overt sexual behavior, possession of hard drugs etc. The negative effects of these indecent behaviors among the students cannot be over-emphasized. They include poor health conditions, addictions, bad habits etc. there have been various measures taken in the past to curb these acts. The measures include regular checking of hostels by members of staff, running medical test on students etc. but these measure has since declined and these students have returned to their old ways , and discovered new methods of committing their atrocities. However despite all these management body can also double-up measure to counter attack these behaviors. These methods include positioning of secret cameras in various points of the school. These locations include the classrooms, rooms, chapel, lecture theatres, cafeteria etc as these will go a long way in exposing these acts with little efforts, Also medical test on students should be reinforced to test for drugs, regular checking of halls at unexpected periods should be carried out to take the students by surprise. One may want to ask, what the management stand has been on these long standing issues. The management has frowned at these acts, meting out disciplinary actions to students found committing them. However the management body has also had its flaws in this. Most times when students are punished, asked to go on expulsion or suspension, the school grants them prerogative of mercy. They return back to school, committing more acts than they had done earlier before they were administered punishments. However the latest developments have shown that the school management body has â€Å"awakened from her slumber† as recent development has shown that prerogative of mercy shall no longer be granted to any erring student. These statements were gathered in last search of the Dean of students Affairs, Pastor Abiodun Adebiyi, in Lydia halls of resident. During the search a lot of contrabands which included Phones, contraceptives, drugs etc. There the Dean mentioned that all the students who were found with the contrabands will not be spared as punishments will be meted out appropriately and no prerogative would avail for them. Also there also being a constant monitoring of secluded hide-outs in the premises, and security men who aid the students to commit atrocities are monitored closely. However despite these measured taken there is still a high rate of indecency in the student body. This is on the increase on a daily basis. The after math of this is the fact that good and timid ones end of being influenced by the bad ones, for the fear of inferiority complex and the â€Å"wanna be syndrome†. This is unhealthy for the growth of the school as the aim of establishing the school will be defeated. Because instead of raising worthy leaders, who will transform the world, corrupt leaders who will compound the system will be produced from the system. In addition, it is also important that we understand that the future we seek as a people only lies with our youths. And for that to be achieved, attention must be directed towards the students, encouraging them to stop indecency whether visible or disguised. Having looked at indecent behavior, let us examine what the general effects of indecency can result in to. Basically these can be seen from 3 perspectives. The family, this is the smallest unit, though with the largest effect. Most times when this has eaten deep into the students, they go home and manifest them in their families, influencing their younger ones, in addition to that when they themselves become parents , they are unable to caution their children on their indecent behaviors , and advice them to behave properly. Another aspect is the school. On the side of the institution there will be misplaced priorities, as the vision of the school of standing out as a Mission University will become a mare dream, with morals becoming misplaced. Academics will be handled nonchalantly, the drive for success will reduced, as the student will give more time to gratifying their habits and indecent desires than craving for success. The last view point is the health perspective. As a result of consumption of all these hard drugs, e. g. cigarettes, and alcohols, there will be a high rate of liver problems, breathing problems which will not enable them perform maximally. Having looked at the definition of indecent behavior, few examples, where it is practiced, measures that have been taken about it in the past, how it can be reduced, and the effects. It is clear that it is a delicate area of the institution where the management has to look into and make necessary corrections, as this will boost maximum productivity amongst its students. In conclusion more drastic steps should be employed to ensure that the canker of indecency does not eat deep and destroy the existing structure therefore â€Å" all hands must be on deck† to correct this while we still have a chance. After this is done, a change is occur undeniable proofs to show for it. â€Å"As they say a stitch in time saves nine†.

Competition Analysis of Yahoo!

Competition Analysis of Yahoo! Yahoo Competition Today’s society relies heavily on the internet. People can spend hours a day on the internet, either for work or pleasure. With all the countless hours on the computer, what are people supposedly doing? Yahoo! desires to be the location that people spend all their time. How will Yahoo! create and sustain competitive advantage? What strategy will best serve Yahoo! on the race to the top between the other firms looking to have a digital theme park? To understand how Yahoo! plans to keep up with the changing economy, the resource-based view strategic model allows the analysis of both the internal and external perspectives of the firm. To create and sustain a competitive advantage Yahoo! should allow for differentiation and focus to its services. The resource-based view analyzes how the tangible resources, intangible resources, and the organizational capabilities work together to form a competitive advantage. For Yahoo! to have a competitive advantage against other companies with the same goal of the digital theme park, Yahoo! must take advantage of their tangible and intangible resources. Yahoo!’s tangible resources include financial, physical, technological, and organizational sources. Yahoo! started to turn around financially after Terry S. Semel took over as CEO. Semel brought structure and order to the â€Å"spontaneity that drove the firm’s decision during its go-go days† (Shamsie, 2007, p. 792). Yahoo! relied heavily on advertising for revenues of the firm under the old management. After Semel took over, he did not feel comfortable on relying only on advertising. Semel and his Product Council allowed premium services to be offered at a low rate. These low rates and advertising raised the company’s net assets. Yahoo!’s physical tangible resources include the company headquarters. After Semel took over, he â€Å"moved swiftly to chop down the 44 business units†¦to 5† (Shamsie, 2007, p. 792). The chopping down of cubicles also relates to the organizational tangible resources. Semel whole new order changed Yahoo! as a whole. The care-free culture turned into a culture with more order and structure. Yahoo!’s newly founded Product Council is made up of a group of managers. These â€Å"managers have to make formal presentations to bring up their new ideas in weekly meetings† (Shamsie, 2007, p.792). On the technological sector of the tangible resources, Yahoo! has search engine and other premium service technology. The search engine technology is from the company Inktomi. â€Å"Analysts claim that in terms of technology, Inktomi offers a search engine that is better than most others† (Shamsie, 2007, p. 796). The other premium services include job-hunting, personals, music, games, e-mail, and yellow pages. Yahoo! acquired the job-hunting service from the â€Å"buyout of HotJobs.com in 2002†¦the addition of this premium service has provided a significant boost to the firm’s revenue† (Shamsie, 2007, p.795). Yahoo!’s technology is directly related to the financial market of Yahoo!. As Yahoo!’s technology increased, the revenue of the firm also increased. An advantage in the technological sector that Yahoo! possess is â€Å"Yahoo!’s Yellow Pages, which provide them [customers] with the return addresses and driving maps† when searc hing and typing in area code (Shamsie, 2007, p 797). Semel also made deals with SBC Communications and Verizon Communications to help move Yahoo! into the broadband age. Yahoo!’s intangible resources include human skills, innovation and creativity, and the firm’s reputation. Semel is the reason Yahoo! turned around. Semel possess human skills that are not imitable. â€Å"Semel has also used the deal-making skills that made him a legend in the movie business to land crucial acquisitions and partnerships that would allow Yahoo! to tap into new sources of advertising revenue† (Shamsie, 2007, p. 793). Semel pushed through deals that the old CEO’s could not get. Innovation and creativity sectors include Semel’s organizational views and the creativity that came to the Product Council meetings. The last of the intangible resources is Yahoo!’s reputation. Yahoo! has been around for years, it is known for its free e-mail service, search engine, and its instant messenger. People can pay a little extra for a premium e-mail service that has a larger storage space than the free e-mail. Yahoo! is also known for its free fi nancial pages called Yahoo! Finance, which gives up-to-date information on stocks and bonds. Lastly, the resource-based view looks at the organizational capabilities which are â€Å"the competencies or skills that a firm employs to transform inputs into outputs† (Dess, Lumkin, Eisner 2003, p.93). Yahoo!’s organizational capabilities are the innovativeness of new and multiple services at one location. Yahoo! is no longer just a search engine, it is a powerhouse of different features that all intertwine together to create this multi-cultural funhouse. For Yahoo! to gain the competitive edge against the other firms like Google, MSN, and AOL, Yahoo! can focus on differentiation between its products. Porter’s three generic strategies involves overall cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Overall cost leadership will not help Yahoo! sustain competitive advantage, but the combination of differentiation and focus will allow Yahoo! to outrun the other companies. Although most of the time, differentiation leads to failure but in Yahoo!’s case with its different interest areas that are already occurring differentiation will lead to success. â€Å"A differentiation strategy involves providing unique, high-quality products and services that promote a favorable reputation and strong brand identity and usually command a premium price† (Dess, Lumkin, Eisner 2003, p.209). Yahoo! already exhibits a strong brand identity since almost everyone in the world would know what Yahoo! is. Google has become one of the leading search engines in only four years because it can search millions of web-pages in milliseconds. Yahoo! can now compete with Google when Yahoo! made a deal with Inktomi for a new search engine. â€Å"Inktomi offers a search engine that is better than most others† (Shamsie, 2007, p.796). Yahoo! has many areas of interest that pertain to all different types of people. Yahoo! offers personal pages, email, financial pages, job-hunting service, etc. For the younger generation, Yahoo! offers on-line games, chatting, and a messenger service. Yahoo! already has differentiated its products, but so have the competitors. Yahoo! needs to obtain unique services that their competitors do not have. One thing that is unique for Yahoo! is the offering of music to its customers. Viewers can go on-line and watch music videos for free or for a fee, without commercial breaks. Yahoo! also differentiates its look to go with the seasons, not all web-pages do this. Using the combination of differentiation and focus strategies, Yahoo! will be able to focus individually on the different sectors of services. â€Å"For companies that pursue focus strategies, the Internet offers new avenues in which to compete because they can access markets less expensively and provide more services and features† (Dess, Lumkin, Eisner 2003, p.301). As Yahoo! accesses their intangible and tangible resources, managers can figure out which services to differentiate and which services need have a narrower focus. The tangible technological resources are the services that managers need to distinguish as profitable and valuable, and which services are not helping the company succeed in the jump to digital theme park. Semel should allow more focus to the product council meetings, so that managers would be able to get different services recognized. For the digital economy, the combination strategy of differentiation and focus is the best to have. The company’s resources all working together creates a successful business. Yahoo! demonstrates how a company can use the strategies of the resource based view, differentiation, and focus to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage. As long as Yahoo! uses their tangible and intangible resources efficiently and effectively they will be able to advance and compete with the other companies such as Google, MSN, and AOL. Tangible Resources: Financial- cut costs, advertising, premium services Physical- Cubicles Technological- Inktomi search engine, HotJobs, yellow pages, other features Organizational- Product Council, structure Intangible Resources: Human- Semel’s deal making skills Innovation and Creativity- meetings Reputation- free services, search engine Organizational Capabilities: Making a digital theme park Differentiation and Focus Services offered Design/Appearance Brand Identity Reputation References Dess, G. Gregory, Lumpkin, G.T., Eisner, B. Alan. (2007). Strategic Management 3e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Shamsie, Jamal. Yahoo!. Michigan State University. Strategic Management 3e. (792-797). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.