Diverse Racial Experience Essay

The chapter by Ruth Frankenberg entitled, â€Å"Introduction: Points of Origin, Points of Departure†, argues that the way one is perceived in society drastically changes their experience and advantage over others. Therefore, white women are often distinguished by their whiteness which gives them a more diverse racial experience (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 1). With being white comes various additional components that set it apart from the other raced women of the world. Moreover, being a white woman automatically links them to a more favourable position of superiority in the way that they are often identified. This means that they get certain benefits by being white, as colonialism positioned them to have a large portion of control and authority over others. This provides them with the advantage to define the public and its individual beings the way they believe or want it to be. Moreover, they see their whiteness as a normative position in society that is invisible. Frankenberg`s goal is to make whiteness visible so that a white person can identify that they have an advantage over a person of colour by virtue of their skin. She also takes into consideration the intersectionality of class, culture, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality in a white racialized body (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 1). Colonization is an important factor to Frankenberg because of how it uncovers the concept of whiteness and how it subsequently became associated to a position of authority and power. In the article `The Murder of Pamela George`, the author observes that history of colonial violence permitted white men to annex land that did not belong to them and treat it as though they were entitled to it (Razack, 2004 ,pp.127). This perception has perpetuated the control and authority of white people throughout history. A critique in the second wave of feminism made white feminists reconsider what and for whom they were advocating. The movement of feminism was envisioned to include all women but it only targeted one specific group of white middle class women. This occurred because the women could only see there suffering from their particular standpoint. This is seen in the article â€Å"The Problem That Has No Nameâ€Å" by Betty Friedan since she assumes that all women are homogeneous and all have the same lived experiences. She does not consider race, class, and sexuality as a factor in feminism (1997). White women mostly consider their whiteness as undetectable and thus not subject to racism (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 3). These white feminists in the second wave were unintentionally being racist towards other women; this made them unsure about how to precede and resolve this issue (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 4). Frankenberg educated herself about racism by positioning herself to learn from the standpoint of women of colour. Enakshi Dua stated in her article that, in order to understand how race and gender are interconnected one has to listen to the lived experiences of women of colour (2005, pp. 64). Frankenberg followed this method formulating questions that she wanted to investigate to find out how racism affects a white women`s life and how society propagates racism through societal means. After answering these questions Frankenberg proceeded to figure out how white women can fight against racism. Most white women believe that their race is invisible and do not realize that it gives them a distinct experience in the world. This is because the dominant class structures society and thus normalizes whiteness. White women and women of colour have distinct experiences that are subject to how they experience racism. Whiteness is socially constructed and it does affect a white women`s life. However, white women usually tended to regard racism as something that has no effect on them and that women of colour only have to live through (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 6). This belief does not put the onus on the white people and it does not identify the perpetrator of the subjection. Racism does not just happen, it is constructed (Tim Wise 2005). Therefore, it impacts the lives of white women which makes race and gender intersectional for all women not just women of colour. There is a denial in the observations that there is one specific dominating male gender. There is also an abundance of only white women`s experiences by this masculine hegemon. After women realized that the world view did not only have to be seen on a male standpoint the world started to shift views (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 8). Women of colour now want to focus on a standpoint from a radicalized point of view in order to stop racism. Moreover, since white people are the oppressors they cannot see how their situation is reinforcing racism. People of colour are the oppressed and know exactly how they are underprivileged. Subsequently, women of colour were the first to see how gender, race and class forms a persons experience in life (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 8). White women did not see their race as something that was constructed. They did not see themselves as racialized because they were coming from a position of privilege. This position for a white person was normalized throughout American history. Therefore, in order to deconstruct race white women have to admit it is something that affects them (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 11). Race is in a fluid motion and changes constantly with society because it is an economic and political construct. Historically, the white dominance was vindicated because of false biological account that white people were superior (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 13). This biology justified colonization as well as the enslavement of people of colour that soon followed. The justification shifted to culture as the reason that made people inferior and if they integrated with American culture they would achieve success on merit like white people. However, this belief kept blaming people of colour for their position in society.People of colour were first seen as different from white people, then there was an embrace of colour blindness, and finally people realized that they needed to be able to see the differences in society so they can explain them. This last movement’s purpose was to make people aware of race; this was led by the people of colour themselves. They did not want to be invisible because there situation was not improving because people were ignoring the underlying problem. The racialization of people of colour and white people was constructed with colonization. The European culture was embedded into the way the United States constructed its country. This constructed whiteness as belonging and being a person of colour as an outsider (Dua 2005, pp. 60). The dominant western culture –which was white- positioned itself to dominant over the other races. This created the standard citizen that belonged and made people of colour not included in the so called superior western culture. Frankenberg`s argument illuminates how the dominant class rationalized whiteness as not being racialized. Colonization formed the dominant race and reproduced it through society. By normalizing whiteness the white people did not need to consider how it benefited them and subsequently how it negatively affected people of colour. By naming whiteness, Frankenberg will be able to pinpoint how that perception can change so that people can be equal even with there differences. In conclusion, by admitting that white people are racialized will assist anti-racist feminists in their mission to stop the racialization of all people. This would stop white people from believing that they are the only ones that belong in North America and eventually create a system based on meritocracy rather then privilege by virtue of a persons skin.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 9

â€Å"Trust me, we know the difficulties better than you. It is remarkable that you've managed to keep off the radar, so to speak, for this long. Tel me† – a hint of interest colored the monotone – â€Å"how are you doing it?† Our creator hesitated, and then spoke al in a rush. Almost as if there had been some silent intimidation. â€Å"I haven't made the decision,† she spit out. Then she added more slowly, unwil ingly, â€Å"To attack. I've never decided to do anything with them.† â€Å"Rough, but effective,† the cloaked girl said. â€Å"Unfortunately, your period of deliberation has come to a close. You must decide – now – what you wil do with your little army.† Both Diego's and my eyes widened at that word. â€Å"Otherwise, it wil be our duty to punish you as the law demands. This reprieve, however short, troubles me. It is not our way. I suggest you give us what assurances you can†¦ quickly.† â€Å"We'l go at once!† Riley volunteered anxiously, and there was a sharp hiss. â€Å"We'l go as soon as possible,† our creator amended furiously. â€Å"There is much to do. I assume you wish us to succeed? Then I must have a little time to get them trained – instructed – fed!† There was a short pause. â€Å"Five days. We wil come for you then. And there is no rock you can hide under or speed at which you can flee that wil save you. If you have not made your attack by the time we come, you wil burn.† This was said with no menace other than an absolute certainty. â€Å"And if I have made my attack?† our creator asked, shaken. â€Å"We'l see,† the cloaked girl answered in a brighter tone than she'd used yet. â€Å"I suppose that al depends on how successful you are. Work hard to please us.† The last command was given in a flat, hard pitch that made me feel a strange chil in the center of my body. â€Å"Yes,† our creator snarled. â€Å"Yes,† Riley echoed in a whisper. A second later the cloaked vampires were noiselessly exiting the house. Neither Diego nor I so much as took a breath for five minutes after they'd disappeared. Inside the house, our creator and Riley were just as quiet. Another ten minutes passed in total stil ness. I touched Diego's arm. This was our chance to get out of here. At the moment, I wasn't so afraid of Riley anymore. I wanted to get as far away as I could from those dark-cloaks. I wanted the safety of numbers waiting back in the log cabin, and I figured that was exactly how our creator felt, too. Why she'd made so many of us in the first place. There were some things out there scarier than I'd imagined. Diego hesitated, stil listening, and a second later his patience was rewarded. â€Å"Wel ,† she whispered inside the house, â€Å"now they know.† Was she talking about the cloaks or the mysterious clan? Which one was the enemy she'd mentioned before the drama? â€Å"That doesn't matter. We outnumber – â€Å" â€Å"Any warning matters!† she growled, cutting him off. â€Å"There is so much to do. Only five days!† She groaned. â€Å"No more messing around. You start tonight.† â€Å"I won't fail you!† Riley promised. Crap. Diego and I moved at the same time, leaping from our perch into the next tree over, flying back the way we'd come. Riley was in a hurry now, and if he found Diego's trail after al that had just passed with the cloaks, and no Diego there at the end of it†¦ â€Å"I've got to get back and be waiting,† Diego whispered to me as we raced. â€Å"Lucky it's not in view of the house! Don't want him to know I heard.† â€Å"We should talk to him together.† â€Å"Too late for that. He'd notice that your scent wasn't on the trail. Looks suspicious.† â€Å"Diego†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He'd trapped me into sitting this one out. We were back to the spot where he'd joined me. He spoke in a rushed whisper. â€Å"Stick to the plan, Bree. I'l tel him what I planned to tel him. It's not close to dawn, but that's just how it has to be. If he doesn't believe me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Diego shrugged. â€Å"He's got bigger things to worry about than me having an overactive imagination. Maybe he'l be more likely to listen now – looks like we need al the help we can get, and being able to move around in the day can't hurt.† â€Å"Diego†¦,† I repeated, not knowing what else to say. He looked into my eyes, and I waited for his lips to twitch into that easy smile, for him to make some joke about ninjas or BFFs. He didn't. Instead, he leaned in slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, and kissed me. His smooth lips pressed against mine for one long second while we stared at each other. Then he leaned away and sighed. â€Å"Get home, hide behind Fred, and act clueless. I'l be right behind you.† â€Å"Be careful.† I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard, then let go. Riley had spoken of Diego affectionately. I would have to hope that affection was real. There wasn't another choice. Diego disappeared into the trees, quiet as a rustling breeze. I didn't waste time looking after him. I sprinted through the branches in a direct line back to the house. I hoped my eyes were stil bright enough from last night's meal to explain my absence. Just a quick hunt. Got lucky – found a lone hiker. Nothing out of the ordinary. The sound of the thudding music that greeted my approach was accompanied by the unmistakable sweet, smoky scent of a burning vampire. My panic went into overdrive. I could just as easily die inside the house as outside. But there was no other way. I didn't slow, just rushed down the stairs straight to the corner where I could barely make out Freaky Fred standing. Looking for something to do? Tired of sitting? I had no idea what he was up to, and I didn't care. I would stick tight to him until Riley and Diego got back. In the middle of the floor was a smoldering heap that was too big to be just a leg or an arm. So much for Riley's twentytwo. No one seemed terribly concerned about the smoking remains. The sight was too common. As I hurried closer to Fred, for once the sense of disgust didn't get stronger. Instead, it faded. He didn't seem to notice me, just went on reading the book he held. One of those I'd left him a few days ago. I had no problem seeing what he was doing now that I was close to where he was leaning against the back of the couch. I hesitated, wondering why that was. Could he turn his nausea thing off when he wanted? Did that mean we both were unprotected right now? At least Raoul wasn't home yet, thankful y, though Kevin was. For the first time ever, I real y saw what Fred looked like. He was tal, maybe six two, with the thick, curly blond hair I'd noticed once before. He was broad-shouldered and muscular. He looked older than most of the others – like a col ege student, not a high school kid. And – this was the part that surprised me most for some reason – he was good-looking. As handsome as anyone else, maybe even handsomer than most. I didn't know why that was so trippy for me. I guessed just because I always associated him with revulsion. I felt weird for staring. I glanced quickly around the room to see if anyone had noticed that Fred was normal – and pretty – for the moment. No one was looking our way. I stole a fast peek at Kevin, ready to shift my focus at once if he noticed, but his eyes were concentrated on some point to the left of where we stood. He was frowning slightly. Before I could look away, his gaze skipped right over to me and settled on my right side. His frown deepened. Like†¦ he was trying to see me and couldn't. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into not quite a grin. There was too much to worry about to real y enjoy Kevin's blindness. I looked back at Fred, wondering if the gross-out factor would return, only to see that he was smiling with me. Smiling, he was real y spectacular. Then the moment was over, and Fred went back to his book. I didn't move for a while, waiting for something to happen. For Diego to come through the door. Or Riley with Diego. Or Raoul. Or for the nausea to hit again, or for Kevin to glare in my direction, or for the next fight to break out. Something. When nothing did, I eventual y pul ed myself together and did what I should have been doing – pretending nothing unusual was going on. I grabbed a book from the pile near Fred's feet and then sat down right there and acted like I was reading. It was probably one of the same books I'd pretended to read yesterday, but it didn't look familiar. I flipped through the pages, again taking nothing in. My mind was racing around in tight little circles. Where was Diego? How had Riley reacted to his story? What had it al meant – the talk before the cloaks, the talk after the cloaks? I worked through it, going backward, trying to assemble the pieces into a recognizable picture. The vampire world had some kind of police, and they were damn scary. This wild group of months-old vampires was supposed to be an army, and this army was somehow il egal. Our creator had an enemy. Strike that, two enemies. We were going to attack one of them in five days, or else the other ones, the scary cloaks, were going to attack her – or us, or both. We would be trained for this attack†¦ as soon as Riley got back. I snuck a glance at the door, then forced my eyes back to the page in front of me. And then the stuff before the visitors. She was worrying about some decision. She was pleased that she had so many vampires – so many soldiers. Riley was happy that Diego and I had survived†¦. He'd said he thought he'd lost two more to the sun, so that must mean he didn't know how vampires really reacted to sunlight. What she'd said was strange, though. She'd asked if he was sure. Sure Diego had survived? Or†¦ sure that Diego's story was true? The last thought frightened me. Did she already know that the sun didn't hurt us? If she did know, then why had she lied to Riley and, through him, to us? Why would she want to keep us in the dark – literal y? Was it very important to her that we stay ignorant? Important enough to get Diego in trouble? I was working myself into a real panic, frozen solid. If I stil could sweat, I would have been sweating now. I had to refocus to turn the next page, to keep my eyes down. Was Riley deceived, or was he in on it, too? When Riley'd said he thought he'd lost two more to the sun, did he mean the sun literal y†¦ or the lie about the sun? If it was the second option, then to know the truth meant being lost. Panic scattered my thoughts. I tried to be rational and make sense of it. It was harder without Diego. Having someone to talk to, to interact with, sharpened my ability to concentrate. Without that, fear sucked at the edges of my thoughts, twisted with the always-present thirst. The lure of blood was constantly close to the surface. Even now, decently wel fed, I could feel the burn and the need. Think about her, think about Riley, I told myself. I had to understand why they would lie – if they were lying – so that I could try to figure out what it would mean to them that Diego knew their secret. If they hadn't lied, if they'd just told us al that the day was as safe for us as the night, how would that change things? I imagined what it would be like if we didn't have to be contained in a blacked-out basement al day, if the twenty-one of us – maybe fewer now, depending on how the hunting parties were getting along – were free to do what we wanted whenever we wanted to. We would want to hunt. That was a given. If we didn't have to come back, if we didn't have to hide†¦ wel, many of us wouldn't come back very regularly. It was hard to focus on the return while the thirst was in charge. But Riley had dril ed so deeply into al of us the threat of burning, of a return of that hideous pain we'd al experienced once. That was the reason we could stop ourselves. Self-preservation, the only instinct stronger than thirst. So the threat kept us together. There were other hiding places, like Diego's cave, but who else thought about that kind of thing? We had a place to go, a base, so we went to it. Clear heads were not a vampire specialty. Or, at least, they weren't the specialty of young vampires. Riley was clearheaded. Diego was more clearheaded than I was. Those cloaked vampires were terrifyingly focused. I shuddered. So the routine wouldn't control us forever. What would they do when we were older, clearer? It struck me that nobody was older than Riley. Everyone here was new. She needed a bunch of us now for this mystery enemy. But what about afterward? I had a strong feeling that I didn't want to be around for that part. And I suddenly realized something stupendously obvious. It was the solution that had tickled the edges of my understanding before, when I was tracking the vampire herd to this place with Diego. I didn't have to be around for that part. I didn't have to be around for one more night. I was a statue again as I thought over this stunning idea. If Diego and I hadn't known where the gang was most likely headed, would we ever have found them? Probably not. And that was a big group leaving a wide trail. What if it were a single vampire, one who could leap up onto the land, maybe into a tree, without leaving a trail at the edge of the water†¦. Just one, or maybe two vampires who could swim as far out to sea as they wanted†¦ Who could return to land anywhere†¦ Canada, California, Chile, China†¦ You would never be able to find those two vampires. They would be gone. Disappeared like they'd gone up in smoke. We didn't have to come back the other night! We shouldn't have! Why hadn't I thought of it then? But†¦ would Diego have agreed? I was abruptly not so sure of myself. Was Diego more loyal to Riley after al ? Would he have felt it was his responsibility to stand by Riley? He'd known Riley a lot longer – he'd real y only known me a day. Was he closer to Riley than he was to me? I pondered that, frowning. Wel, I would find out as soon as we had a minute alone. And then maybe, if our secret club real y meant something, it wouldn't matter what our creator had planned for us. We could disappear, and Riley would have to make do with nineteen vampires, or make some new ones quick. Either way, not our problem. I couldn't wait to tel Diego my plan. My gut instinct was that he would feel the same. Hopeful y. Suddenly, I wondered if this was what had real y happened to Shel y and Steve and the other kids who had disappeared. I knew they hadn't burned in the sun. Had Riley only claimed he'd seen their ashes as another way to keep the rest of us afraid and dependent on him? Returning home to him every dawn? Maybe Shel y and Steve had just set off on their own. No more Raoul. No enemies or armies threatening their immediate future. Maybe that's what Riley had meant by lost to the sun. Runaways. In which case, he'd be happy that Diego hadn't bailed, right? If only Diego and I had taken off! We could be free, too, like Shel y and Steve. No rules, no fear of the sunrise. Again, I imagined the whole horde of us on the loose without a curfew. I could see Diego and me moving like ninjas through the shade. But I could also see Raoul, Kevin, and the rest, sparkling disco-bal monsters in the center of a busy downtown street, the bodies piling up, the screaming, the helicopters whirring, the soft, helpless cops with their dinky little bul ets that wouldn't make a dent, the cameras, the panic that would spread so fast as the pictures bounced swiftly around the globe. Vampires wouldn't be a secret for very long. Even Raoul couldn't kil people fast enough to keep the story from spreading. There was a chain of logic here, and I tried to grasp it before I could be distracted again. One, humans didn't know about vampires. Two, Riley encouraged us to be inconspicuous, not to attract the notice of humans and educate them otherwise. Three, Diego and I had decided that al vampires must be fol owing that guideline, or else the world would know about us. Four, they must have a reason for doing so, and it wasn't the little popguns of the human police that motivated them. Yeah, the reason must be pretty important to make al vampires hide al day long in stuffy basements. Maybe reason enough to make Riley and our creator lie to us, terrify us about the burning sun. Maybe it was a reason Riley would explain to Diego, and since it was so important and he was so responsible, Diego would promise to keep the secret and they would be cool with that. Sure they would. But what if what actual y happened to Shel y and Steve was that they'd discovered the shiny skin thing and not run? What if they'd gone to Riley? And, crap, there went the next step in my logical path. The chain dissolved and I started panicking about Diego again. As I stressed, I realized that I'd been thinking things through for a while. I could feel dawn coming on. No more than an hour away. So where was Diego? Where was Riley? As I thought this, the door opened and Raoul leaped down the stairs, laughing with his buddies. I hunched down, leaning closer to Fred. Raoul didn't notice us. He looked at the crispyfried vampire in the center of the floor and laughed harder. His eyes were bril iant red. On the nights Raoul went hunting, he never came home til he had to. He would keep feeding as long as he could. So dawn must have been even closer than I'd thought. Riley must have demanded that Diego prove his words. That was the only explanation. And they were waiting for the dawn. Only†¦ that would mean that Riley didn't know the truth, that our creator was lying to him, too. Or did it? My thoughts twisted up again. Kristie showed up minutes later with three of her gang. She reacted indifferently to the pile of ashes. I did a quick head count as two more hunters hurried through the door. Twenty vampires. Everyone was home except Diego and Riley. The sun would rise at any moment. The door at the top of the basement stairs creaked as someone opened it. I sprang to my feet. Riley entered. He shut the door behind him. He walked down the stairs. No one fol owed.

Porter’s 5 Forces Essay

The model of the Five Competitive Forces was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book „Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitorsâ€Å"in 1980. Since that time it has become an important tool for analyzing an organizations industry structure in strategic processes. Porter’s model is based up on the insight that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats in the organizations external environment. Competitive strategy should be developed based upon forecasting of the available information on the developing competitive environment and other threats faced .Porter was able to identify five competitive forces that that shapes the different industry and market. Porter five forces do was able to interpret the intensity of the competition and also the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The corporate strategy is devised to improve the position of the respective industry in there market position as well as in brand form. Porter’s model provides the analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide on how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry. The Five Competitive Forces The Five Competitive Forces are typically described as follows: 1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers comprises of all the sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide/produce goods or services. Supplier bargaining power is likely to be high when: 1. The market is dominated by a few large suppliers rather than a fragmented source of supply, 2. There are no substitutes for the particular input, 3. The suppliers customers are fragmented, so their bargaining power is low, 4. The switching costs from one supplier to another are high, 5. There is the possibility of the supplier integrating forwards in order to obtain higher prices and margins. This threat is especially high when 6. The buying industry has a higher profitability than the supplying industry, 7. Forward integration provides economies of scale for the supplier, 8. The buying industry hinders the supplying industry in their development (e.g. reluctance to accept new releases of products), 9. The buying industry has low barriers to entry. In these situations, the buying industry does face a high pressure on margins from their suppliers. The relationship to powerful suppliers can enormously reduce strategic options for the organization. 2 Bargaining Power of Customers Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can influence pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when 1. They buy large volumes, there is a concentration of buyers, 2. The supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators 3. The supplying industry operates with high fixed costs, 4. The product is undifferentiated and can be replaces by substitutes, 5. Switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and is not related to high costs, 6. Customers have low margins and are price-sensitive, 7. Customers could produce the product themselves, 8. The product is not of strategically importance for the customer, 9. The customer knows about the production costs of the product 10. There is the possibility for the customer integrating backwards. 3 Threat of New Entrants If the competition in an industry is higher, the easier it is for other companies to enter this industry. In such situations, new entrants could create major determinants of the market environment (e.g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. There is always pressure for reaction and adjustment for existing players in the industry. The threat of new entries will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. These are typically 1. Economies of scale (minimum size requirements for profitable operations), 2. High initial investments and fixed costs, 3. Cost advantages of existing players due to experience curve effects of operation with fully depreciated assets, 4. Brand loyalty of customers 5. Protected intellectual property like patents, licenses etc, 6. Scarcity of important resources, e.g. qualified expert staff 7. Access to raw materials is controlled by existing players, 8. Distribution channels are controlled by existing players, 9. Existing players have close customer relations, e.g. from long-term service contracts, 10. High switching costs for customers 11. Legislation and government action 4 Threat of Substitutes A threat from substitutes exists if there is an alternative product with lower prices of better performance parameters for the same purpose. This could attract a significant proportion of market volume and hence reduce the sales volume for existing players. This category also relates to complementary products. Similarly to the threat of new entrants, the treat of substitutes is determined by factors like 1. Brand loyalty of customers, 2. Close customer relationships, 3. Switching costs for customers, 4. The relative price for performance of substitutes, 5. Current trends. 5 Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players (companies) in an industry. High competitive pressure results in pressure on pricing, margins, and also, on profitability for every single company in the industry. Competition between existing players is likely to be high when 1. There are many players of about the same size, 2. Players have similar strategies 3. There is not much differentiation between players and their products, hence, there is much price competition 4. Low market growth rates (growth of a particular company is possible only at the expense of a competitor), 5. Barriers for exit are high (e.g. expensive and highly specialized equipment). Use of the Information from Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Analysis can provide valuable information for three aspects of corporate planning: Statistical Analysis: The Five Forces Analysis allows the user to determine the attractiveness of an industry. Also, it provides visibility on profitability. Thus, it helps to decide about the entry or exit from an industry or a market segment. Moreover, the model can be used to compare the impact of competitive forces on the own organization with their impact on competitors. Competitors may have different options to react to changes in competitive forces from their different resources and competences. This may influence the structure of the whole industry. Dynamical Analysis: If done along with a PEST-Analysis, which provides the drivers for change in an industry, Five Forces Analysis can help to give insights on the potential future attractiveness of the industry. Expected political, economical, socio-demographical and technological changes can influence the five competitive forces and thus have impact on industry structures. In general term to determine potential changes in competitive forces. Analysis of Options: With this knowledge on intensity and power of competitive forces, organizations could develop options to control them in a way so to improve  their own competitive position. The result could be a new strategic decision, e.g. a new positioning, differentiation for competitive products of strategic partnerships. Thus, Porters model of Five Competitive Forces gives a systematic and structured analysis on market and their structure and what likely be competitive situation. The model can be used on particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. Hence, it is needed to determine the scope of the market to be analyzed in a first step. Then, all relevant forces for this market are identified and analyzed. Though, it is not necessary to analyze all elements of all competitive forces with the same depth. The Five Forces Model is based on microeconomics. It also takes into account the supply and demand, complementary products and substitutes, the relationship between volume of production and cost of production, and market structures like monopoly, oligopoly or perfect competition etc. Influencing the Power of Five Forces After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, Users can search for options on how these forces influences in their organization’s interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, the own strategy can create different impact of competitive forces on organizations. The objective is to reduce the influence of competitive forces. The following figure provides some examples. They are of general nature. Hence, they have to be adjusted to each organization’s specific situation. The options of an organization are determined not only by the external market environment, but also by its own internal resources, competences and objectives. 4.1 Reducing the Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.2 Reducing the Bargaining Power of Customers 1. Partnering 2. Supply chain management 3. Supply chain training 4. Increase dependency 5. Build knowledge of supplier costs and methods 6.   Take over a supplier 1. Partnering 2. Supply chain management 3. Increase loyalty 4. Increase incentives and value added 5. Move purchase decision away from price 6. Cut put powerful intermediaries (go directly to customer) 4.3 Reducing the Treat of New Entrants 4.4 Reducing the Threat of Substitutes 1. Increase minimum efficient scales of operations 2. Create a marketing / brand image (loyalty as a barrier) 3. Patents, protection of intellectual property 4. Alliances with linked products / services 5. Tie up with suppliers 6. Tie up with distributors 7. Retaliation tactics 1. Legal actions 2. Increase switching costs 3. Alliances 4. Customer surveys to learn about their preferences 5. Enter substitute market and influence from within 6. Accentuate differences (real or perceived) Drawbacks Porter’s model of Five Competitive Forces has been subject of critique for many years. Its main weakness results from which year it was developed. In the early eighties, the global economy. was characterized by cyclical growth Thus, primary objectives consisted of profitability and survival. A major prerequisite for achieving these objectives has been optimizing strategy in relation to the external environment. In early days, development  in most industries has been fairly stable and predictable, compared with today’s dynamics. In general, the meaningfulness of this model is reduced by the following factors: a. In the economic sense, the model assumes a classic perfect market. The more an industry is regulated, the less meaningful insights the model can deliver. b. The model is best applicable for analysis of simple market structures. A comprehensive description and analysis of all five forces gets very difficult in complex industries with multiple interrelations, product groups, by-products and segments. A too narrow focus on particular segments of such industries, however, bears the risk of missing important elements. c. The model assumes relatively static market structures. This is hardly the case in today’s dynamic markets. Technological breakthroughs and dynamic market entrants from start-ups or other industries may completely change business models, entry barriers and relationships along the supply chain within short times. The Five Forces model may have some use for later analysis of the new situation; but it will hardly provide much meaningful advice for preventive actions. d. The model is based on the idea of competition. It assumes that companies try to achieve competitive advantages over other players in the markets as well as over suppliers or customers. With this focus, it dos not really take into consideration strategies like strategic alliances, electronic linking of information systems of all companies along a value chain, virtual enterprise-networks or others. Overall, Porters Five Forces Model still has some major limitations in today’s market environment. It is not able to take into account new business models and the dynamics of markets. The value of Porters model is more that it enables managers to think about the current situation of their industry in a structured, easy-to-understand way – as a starting point for further analysis. Case Analysis Facebook Facebook (formerly [thefacebook]) is an online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Its name comes from a colloquialism for the directory given to students at some American  universities.] Facebook was founded on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University studentsEduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. The founders had initially limited the website’s membership to Harvard students, but later expanded it to colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, andStanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities and later to their high-school students Porters Five Force analysis on Facebook 1. The Power of Consumer Here customers are those company which are advertising in facebook. Being a large social network , it attracts a large number of advertisers who want to advertise in the platform. Hence, , the bargaining power of customer is low. , in later years if there is a new competion emergence power balance can vary. 2. The power of supplier: Users are the suppliers,As of 2012 report the users numbers are more than 1 billion globally. the power of suppliers is low. Here the suppliers have no other customer , that is there is no other availiable social sites hence they have to stand by facebook for the time being. 3. The threat of substitute products There are many upcoming products which is providing servie similar to that of facebook. Products such as Skype, WhatsApp, Google+, etc. are always a danger being substitutes for Facebook. Hence, the threat of substitute product is high. To maintain dominance, they always have to stay ahead of the tech ,also the trend and outperform possible substitute products. 4. The threat of new entrants The chance of new entray is high. There are always disruptive innovations happening in the social space. As a result new similar products keep creeping. Facebook especially needs to improve its product 5. The competitive rivalry: The field of social network is highly competitive. The most recent example was when Google launched social network Google+ that could be accessed by all Gmail users through the web as well as Android devices. Although Google+ has not been greatly successful in outwitting Facebook, we cannot rightly predict what lies ahead in future. Hence, the competitive rivalry that Facebook faces is high. REFERENCES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook http://www.slideshare.net/manan/firm-strategy-analysis-facebook http://www.businessballs.com/portersfiveforcesofcompetition.htm

United States Undemocratic

During the nineteenth century, the United States of America was both democratic and undemocratic. As a newly independent country from Great Britain, the U. S tried to stay away from the tyrannical government which they had before. America believed that by giving people a say in the government and granting more rights to citizens, they would prove to be a successful government. However, although they seemed to be democratic, the United States still had some undemocratic aspects. The United States during the mid-1800s believed that by giving people the right to vote on government issues and the right to vote for legislatures made their government democratic. However, not everyone was given the right to vote. During the mid-1800s, women were deprived from the right to vote. At the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, women gathered together to fight for the right to vote. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton both stated that â€Å"He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise; He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document 2). Women were treated as inferiors to men and had very little rights. Harriet Martineau describes the status of the American women in her 1834 visit to the United States (Document 6). She quotes that â€Å"every man in the towns an independent citizen; every man in the country a landowner†, however the woman of American were granted no such rights. By holding women back from the right to vote, the United States was undemocratic. As America began to expand, the need for more workers increased. The states in the south needed more workers to farm, while the north needed workers in factories. The Southerners used slaves to take care of their massive plantations. These slaves were given no salary, improper food, and improper living conditions. The slaves worked hard, long hours and were whipped if their job did not satisfy their owner. Slavery was so bad that many tried to escape using different unique methods. Henry â€Å"Box† Brown desired freedom so much that he shipped himself in a small box to a slave free state (Document 1). Many believed that inside the crate there were dry goods, however to their surprise, an African American man appeared and was now a free man. Unlike the South however, the North rejected the idea of slavery. They believed that it was against the Constitution and should be abolished. However, the Northerners needed people to work in their factories. Although they believed slavery was worse, they hired children and adults to work in the factories for long hours with little pay. Working in a factory was dangerous; many workers were abused and due to their working conditions were often sick. From the 1840’s cartoon contrasting slavery in the American South with â€Å"wage slavery† in the American North, there is very little difference from the way the workers and slaves were treated (Document 4). Slaves and factory workers had no control over their lives and thus made the American system undemocratic. Slaves and factory workers were not the only people who were treated as inferiors. Stereotyping of immigrants became a popular trend during the mid-1800s. As more immigrants arrived, the American citizens believed they were superior to such people and treated with utmost disrespect. The Irish were depicted as drinkers and uneducated, while the Germans were also associated with drinking. Many Americans became known as nativists. Nativists were those that favor the ideas of people already living in the land as opposed to immigrants. These people tried to protect the ballot from Irish and German immigrants. The nativists felt that the immigrants stole the ballots because they were unaware of their new land and government and were taking ballots away from those that were living in America for years. In the illustration of an Irish immigrant and a German immigrant, we see them stereotyped as drinkers by the barrels surrounding their bodies, and it shows them actually stealing the ballot (Document 5). This steered a sense of hatred for the immigrants by the American citizens. These new immigrants were treated as second-citizens in this undemocratic nation. Even people native to the land were still treated without respect. In the painting of â€Å"the Trail of Tears†, innocent men, women and children were thrown out of their land because they Native Americans (Document 3). The U. S government showed no sympathy for them and forced them to move to a new location. On this voyage known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears†, many Native Americans lost their lives because of improper food and health care. Forcing the Native Americans out of their homes showed other nations that the U.  S government was not very democratic as it preached. Although the United States was seen as unfair in some aspects, the United States was still considered democratic during the mid-1800s. The United States was still viewed as a land of freedom and pride. During the Jacksonian era, it was the fight for the common man to have a say in the government. The United States did not want powerful and rich civilians to be running the government, but hoped that the common man would help America become a stronger nation. In the painting â€Å"Canvassing for a vote†, it is the role of the common man to have a say in the government. The United States proved its democratic status through the vote of the common man. In the early 1800’s, the United States was a fairly new country. After being ruled under a tyrannical government, the United States feared that by giving the government so much power it would lead to a government like Great Britain. The United States was known as a democratic nation, where the people had a great say in the government. However, citizens considered this new nation to have some undemocratic ways. Still the United States was considered a land of freedom and prosperity.

Critical evaluation of lean strategy (strength and weaknesses) Essay - 1

Critical evaluation of lean strategy (strength and weaknesses) - Essay Example Critical success factors that improve the execution procedure are distinguished through human asset reviews, administration style, hierarchical vision of organizations, cultural aspects of the organization and external forces. Lean strategy directs the company to reduce or remove waste along with whole value creation channels. This makes operations that require less human exertion, less space, fewer assets and capital, and less time to manufacture items and deliver services. This process undertakes fewer expenses and with much fewer discards and operational errors as compared to traditional business frameworks. The main objective of the lean strategy is to give perfect and ideal worth to the customer through a sound value formation process that supports no waste. Further, the paper also outlines the difficulties that organizations experience when they change their plan of action towards executing another strategy and innovative system to the organization framework that is lean strategy. For superior understanding of the lean strategy, the paper proposes definitions from the developers of the system recognized in the field. As the world is turning into a global village, internationalization and globalization have taken up the majority space in the corporate world. Now business processes have developed into more efficient and effective processes. This has made the businesses more complicated and has created the vigorous competition in every industry. In such case, strategy lends a helpful thought to corporate to efficiently adjust their business operations while remain aligned with corporate mission and vision, in order to run their successfully and gain competitive edge over others. Pace, effectiveness, and client worth are basic concerns in driving productive outcomes in company. Lean strategy is also one of the strategies that seek to manage and incorporate the operations of the different

Business Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Principles - Essay Example Together with its values of boldness, openness, trustworthiness, and clarity both in the products they sell and services that they render, O2 puts premium on creating a steady bond and relationship with its customers by providing them mobile phones that would enrich their lives. Upon reading O2's mission, vision and value statements, I would say that O2 have fairly pass the test for a mission statement to be considered good. O2's strategic purpose clearly laid down a simple and clear foundation that enables investors and customers to gauge the company's progress. By clearly indicating in its mission statement the bare essence of its existence (i.e. creating an inseparable relationship with their customer by understanding and providing effective and necessary wireless solutions for them) it has provided a clear yardstick of progress for others to measure with. And, because of its straightforwardness and simplicity, O2 has successfully limited other's expectation concerning its growth through its mission statement. The clarity of their vision of creating mobile phones that would "enrich their customers" gives us a definite factor that differentiates its product line from its competitors.

Examination topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Examination topic - Essay Example The idea that informed the process of European integration was to establish institutional framework of shared sovereignty within EU economy. The eventual aim of the integration process is to foster economic integration which will ultimately form a framework for political integration at a later stage. European integration is informed by the regional integration theory whose greatest proponent was Stanley Hoffman (Cini, 2006, p. 19). According to Hoffman, regional integration theory asserts that national governments (which are sovereign) should control the speed and level of integration in the region that they exist in. This is evident in the European Union integration where the national governments are playing active role in controlling the speed and level of European integration. Hoffman argues that this theory requires any amplification of power at â€Å"supranational† be a result of member states’ direct decision. European integration was formed on the basis of region al integration theory which believes that integration which is driven by national governments are based on the economic and political issues that affect individual member states at a given period of time (Wiener and Diez, 2009, p. 33). ... He goes further and states that the existence of control usually allows the member states to make decision on the nature and extent of the cooperation between them without undermining directly their sovereignty. From this definition it can be deduced, therefore, that inter-governmentalism is a concept that treats national governments as primary actors in the process of integration. The proponents of inter-governmentalism see the integration terms and the rules that guide the process, as well as its institutions as a reflection of the relative bargaining power of different national governments who â€Å"pool† its efficiency and effectiveness without abnegating their sovereignty (Sweet and Sandholts, 2007, p. 298). Based on the concept of intergovernmentalism, the European Union has assigned implementation and monitoring of intergovernmental agreements responsibilities to international courts and secretariats as a way of locking each national government into integration commitme nt. This aspect is informed by the logic that through international courts and secretariats, national governments will be made to be the promulgators, initiators, mediators, promoters, and legislators of broadening and deepening of the European integration (Cini, 2006, p. 89). EU laws are divided into three interdependent forms of legislation: primary legislation which are produced through direct negotiations between national governments; secondary legislation which is based on the EU treaties and often take the dimension of decisions, recommendations, directives, or regulations; and the Council of the European Union which is the main body of legislation and