Moll Flanders (A Brief Summary) Essays - Films, Picaresque Novels

Moll Flanders (A Brief Summary) Essays - Films, Picaresque Novels Moll Flanders (A Brief Summary) Moll Flanders (a brief summary) novel by Daniel Defoe paper by Sara Slaughter Moll Flanders is a story about the fall and rise of a beautiful woman who was born in Newgate Prison. Her mother was saved from the gallows because she pleaded her belly, and soon after Moll was born, her mother was shipped to the clonies to work out her sentence. Left behind, Moll was raised for three years with a band of traveling gypsies. Moll worked her way out of that, disgusted that England didn't have orphanages, and she was allowed to live with a nurse. At a young age she decided she didn't want to be a servant, but a gentlewoman. Her defination of a gentlewoman was a woman who worked and supported herself, not, in fact, a wealthy woman. Moll's nurse, and a wealthy matron of the town, found entertainment in this, and Moll was allowed to sew for people to earn her keep. After many years of seamstress work, and handouts from wealthy gentlewomen, Moll was able to buy her own clothes and live quite well with her nurse. After her nurse died, she lived with the wealthy matron and h er family. She was their servant, but also treated very kindly. Moll learned what the daughters learned, french, dancing, singing, and how to read and write. Her talents and beauty surpassed theirs, but she would never have the same advantages, as she was poor and of low social standings. The elder brother made Moll his mistress, much to protests at first, but won her over with proclamations of love and promises of marriage once he came into his inheritance. The younger brother, Robin, professed his genuine love of Moll and his plans of marrying her. After weeks of unbalance and uneasiness of this, their marriage was approved; Moll being payed off by the elder brother, and because she wanted stability. Robin died five years later, Moll gave her children to Robins parents, and she went off to start her new life. She sought to marry rich, so that she may be supported, and be a gentlewomam. Deception landed her a tradesmen, or a draper, that spent all her money, his own money, and money he didn't have. Debts accumulated, and he was arrested for debt and put in a sponging-house (a place of confinement for debtors). He instructed Moll to take what she could fom his shop and their home to try and pawn for money. His escape left her alone again, and without bothering for a divorce, she started again. In London, she helped a woman get a man, so inturn, asked for aid back. The seaman Moll chose owned a plantation in Virginia, which the two, after marriage, moved to. Moll enjoyed the company of this man, and they got along well. His mother, who lived on the plantation too, befriended Moll. One day, Moll's mother-in-law was telling Moll about her past; about how she had a child in Newgate, bu t was allowed transportation to the colonies after the child's birth. Moll discovered that this was her long-lost mother, and after a struggle with the decision to say anythig about it or not, she confronted her mother. The thought of sleeping with her husband, now her brother, repulsed her, and seeing their children was even worse. Moll convinced her brother to allow her to go back to London, and he sent her with money and her belongings. The two corresponded ater that, but as sister and brother. Moll returned to London, and took up residence in Bath. There, under the pretense that she was awiting money from Virginia, she met a married man, whose wife was distempered in her head. Moll cooked and served this gentlman's meals and kept him company, as he helped her out financially. The two became friends through a sickness he had, and one night, after too much wine, the two went to bed together. This evolved into a six year relationship, as Moll had a child with him. He furnished her and the child in an apartment in London, and all was well until he became ill. After this, he broke off ties with her by sending her money for

The 3 biggest reasons you might not be reaching your full potential at work

The 3 biggest reasons you might not be reaching your full potential at work Most of us have ideas about how we’d like our career paths to unfold, including where we’d ultimately like to end up before we hit retirement and the steps we need to take along the way. If you’re being realistic with your vision, you’re also aware that reaching your goals and achieving your preconceived target milestones along the way will take some hard work, dedication, and probably even a little good luck. Like most things in life, it takes real effort to reach the desired results you want in your career- it’s not simply a matter of â€Å"showing up† and waiting for your turn to be successful. If you’re like most of us and are eager to achieve your career goals, then reaching your full potential is an important step to success. Now ask yourself the following question: Are you reaching your full potential at work? If not, it may be holding you back from moving forward in your career journey and keeping you from achieving your target professional milestones- and preventing you from feeling happy and satisfied.If you’re concerned that you may not be reaching your full work potential, consider if any of the following 3 reasons might be standing in your way- and then take active steps to move past them.It’s just a bad fitWhen it comes to your current job, are you a square peg in a company full of round holes? If so, then it might be affecting your ability to reach your full potential. The truth is, fit is an extremely important variable when it comes to gauging your happiness and satisfaction at work, as well as your opportunities for long-term success. Not all corporate cultures are created equal, and finding a company whose mission, brand positioning, and approach to nurturing and developing its employees can mean the difference between a job that brings out the very best in you and one that simply offers a steady paycheck.If you feel there is a fundamental misaligned fit between you and your compa ny place of employment, it may be worth your time to diagnose the problem and see if there’s any hope for successful resolution.Something toxic is in playIs there a specific element at your current job that’s always standing in the way between you and your full potential? This can play out in the form of a toxic person (often a superior or a key decision maker, but maybe even a teammate or colleague) who’s standing in the way of you progressing, taking on new roles and responsibilities, being recognized for your hard work and contributions, and developing your skills and abilities further.It can also be a toxic environment, one in which healthy risk, forward-thinking, and efforts to evolve are frowned upon. In these situations, a low ceiling for growth sits above everyone. Regardless of the toxic source, the outcome is typically the same: you’re kept from evolving as an employee and are unable to fully challenge yourself and discover what you’re tr uly capable of accomplishing.The issue is externalThe truth is, sometimes the reasons for you not reaching your full potential at work have nothing to do with your company or colleagues. Life happens, even while you’re at work, and sometimes you’re dealing with external factors that prevent you from giving your complete and undivided 100% focus and effort to your career. Things like health issues, family stress, a second job, and other life obligations can all compete for your energy and time and make it challenging for you to fully commit to professional growth and development.Don’t feel like this is your fault- even the most talented employees are susceptible to the effects of life on their work. It’s what you do to manage the stresses that come outside of the job that will make all the difference. Employees who can find an appropriate balance- whether by finding a job that fits better into their life or making a plan with a manager to work through a pa rticularly hard time- are best positioned to reaching their full professional potential.Are you reaching your full potential at work? If so, then congratulations! If not, or you’re unsure, then use the information provided here to help you diagnose your situation and figure out a better path forward.

Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - Essay Example Mary Magdalene's womb (symbolic chalice) is established to be the actual Grail and the very site of conflict because Magdalene is proven to be Christ's wife and the mother of his child. There are a lot of fictitious facts that are supplanted both through the visual medium (in case of the film), and by Dan Brown. The author establishes this notion not only through simple conjecture but moulds all available evidence in favor of his theory, which is not too difficult because all artwork (which he uses as aid) contain indefinite signs and symbolisms that can never be anchored by a single definition. In short he attaches exceptional importance to Gnostic theories and fringe writings that he over reads and complicates them in their implication. Dan Brown therefore depends on Leonardo Da Vinci's works to establish him as a member and keeper of this secret that are abundant in his art. The Mona Lisa becomes a testimony to the sacred union between the male and the female and the perfect balance that the patriarchal Church has secretly and strategically fought all through the ages to usurp. He rewrites a lot of historical events and hence it gives him a perfect opportunity t o play with the end result. The response to the book and the film actually anticipates a romantic recovery of truth, which is an ideal desire of all human beings. From Plato to the recent theories, all philosophy and metaphysical speculations have been about reaching the Ideal and finding Truth. The novel paradoxically accomplishes this very fact by upsetting a very strong source of truth-The Bible and the history of Christianity. One must give sincere credit to Dan Brown for ensuing such a fiery debate about the nature of Truth that the book challenges us with. The fiction is convincing and hence simulates the Truth that should be and not that is. It fails to be a scholarly work of discovery, but becomes a conspiracy theory builder. The Bible claims a certain Truth and Dan Brown, another. Both depend on human credibility and faith. One must understand the bigger picture and the real practice of faith. The world where the Church is shown to be a villain is a book under the control o f its creator and real life, and history has been essentially reduced to a series of orchestrated unfolding. All evidences are put accordingly in order to achieve optimum reader response because it refers to real life objects like the Vinci paintings and plays with readers thirst for a little adventure. What better adventure that to go on a journey into a familiar world, which actually becomes a testimony to the hidden and almost alien Truths The Grail is revealed to be a human, and Christ becomes a literal father and a possessor of a bloodline (sang real), where the entire Christian history is reduced to a single theatrical moment of assassinations (everywhere on the face of Earth where Christianity evolved). The Da Vinci Hoax is a non-fiction book written by Carl E. Olson and Sandra Miesel published in 2004 by Ignatius Press, which states that Dan Brown popularizes unfound theories and seeks to confuse the layman.1 It definitely hurts religious sentiments, but the crucial point of argument is that the book makes absolute demand for the truth. Any demands for absolutism is always a little suspect because it gives undo importance to anomalies in history that have remained unexplained and unaccredited for too long to suddenly be infused with so much Truth, purpose and certainty. The book

Bringing People With You Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bringing People With You - Research Paper Example A leader with better communication abilities can easily influence his audience and make them focused on the firm’s mission. By doing so, the leader can ensure integrated efforts from the part of his followers to achieve the firm’s short term as well as long term goals. Similarly, the paper maintains that a leader has to influence and persuade his audience so as to find the success quickly. Primarily, the leader should make certain that his followers (workers) hold a positive view of the organization, because employee perceptions about the firm determine the firm’s worksite culture. Hence, the leader should specifically try to convince his subordinates that the organization is particularly obliged to ensure its employees’ wellbeing. In addition, the leader has to influence other stakeholders including shareholders, investors, creditors and banks. The leader must make certain that those stakeholders are actively involving in the firm’s business activi ties. By influencing the audience thoughtfully, a leader can keep his organization’s stakeholder groups well coordinated in order to reach the business goal(s). Introduction For an organization of any size, active support and participation of employees and other key stakeholders are necessary to achieve long term goals and objectives. Communication is the most important factor that assists a leader to get his people focused on the firm’s mission. Hence, leadership communication plays a notable role in promoting business growth and changing the way the organization operates. In order to be a successful leader, one should influence perception, habits, and values of his audience. This paper will identify the most major factor that will enhance an organization’s growth. In addition, the paper will also explore the key stakeholders and their actions influencing the long term sustainability of a business. Leadership Communication Although a wide variety of factors pla y a crucial role in growing a business, communication is the most important element that greatly influences an organization’s market share growth. This element is also essential to bring meaningful changes to the organization’s day to day business activities. In order to influence his audience effectively, a leader should possess better communication skills and capabilities. Therefore, the conventional management concept of leadership communication is of considerable importance still in modern days. â€Å"Leadership communication is an interactive process in which a leader intentionally influences, and is influenced by, followers employing a range of verbal strategies and a variety of non-linguistic models† (Charteris-Black, 2007). Some old studies point out that a leader spends nearly 70 to 90 percent of their working time on communication activities every day. If the same studies are conducted today, the result would be much higher than this because nowadays l eaders (or managers) widely use modern communication channels like e-mail and text messaging. A leader may adopt different communication strategies such as active listening and managing the conversation so as to identify his audience’s problems and thereby pass information to them on time. The active listening communication strategy maximizes the effectiveness of communication. Under this

Price Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Price Discrimination Essay A seller charging competing buyers different prices for the same commodity or discriminating in the provision of allowances — compensation for advertising and other services — may be violating the Robinson-Patman Act. This kind of price discrimination may give favored customers an edge in the market that has nothing to do with their superior efficiency. Price discriminations are generally lawful, particularly if they reflect the different costs of dealing with different buyers or are the result of a sellers attempts to meet a competitors offering. The Supreme Court has ruled that price discrimination claims under the Robinson-Patman Act should be evaluated consistent with broader antitrust policies. In practice, Robinson-Patman claims must meet several specific legal tests: 1.The Act applies to commodities, but not to services, and to purchases, but not to leases. 2.The goods must be of like grade and quality. 3.There must be likely injury to competition (that is, a private plaintiff must also show actual harm to his or her business). 4.Normally, the sales must be in interstate commerce (that is, the sale must be across a state line). Competitive injury may occur in one of two ways. Primary line injury occurs when one manufacturer reduces its prices in a specific geographic market and causes injury to its competitors in the same market. For example, it may be illegal for a manufacturer to sell below cost in a local market over a sustained period. Businesses may also be concerned about secondary line violations, which occur when favored customers of a supplier are given a price advantage over competing customers. Here, the injury is at the buyers level. The necessary harm to competition at the buyer level can be inferred from the existence of significant price discrimination over time. Courts may be starting to limit this inference to situations in which either the buyer or the seller has m arket power, on the theory that, for example, lasting competitive harm is unlikely if alternative sources of supply are available. There are two legal defenses to these types of alleged Robinson-Patman violations: (1) the price difference is justified by different costs in manufacture, sale, or delivery (e.g., volume discounts), or (2) the price concession was given in good faith to meet a competitors price. The Robinson-Patman Act also forbids certain discriminatory allowances or services furnished or paid to customers. In  general, it requires that a seller treat all competing customers in a proportionately equal manner. Services or facilities covered include payment for or furnishing advertising or promotional allowances, handbills, catalogues, signs, demonstrations, display and storage cabinets, special packaging, warehousing facilities, credit returns, and prizes or free merchandise for promotional contests. The cost justification does not apply if the discrimination is in allowances or services furnished. The seller must inform all of its competing customers if any services or allowances are available. The seller must allow all types of competing customers to receive the services and allowances involved in a particular plan or provide some other reasonable means of participation for those who cannot use the basic plan. A more detailed discussion of these promotional issues can be found in the FTCs Fred Meyer Guides. Under certain circumstances, a buyer who benefits from the discrimination may also be found to have violated the Act, along with the seller who grants the discrimination, if the buyer forced, or induced, the seller to grant a discriminatory price. Although proof of a violation of the Robinson-Patman Act often involves complex legal questions, businesses should keep in mind some of the basic practices that may be illegal under the Act. These include: †¢below-cost sales by a firm that charges higher prices in different localities, and that has a plan of recoupment; †¢price differences in the sale of identical goods that cannot be justified on the basis of cost s avings or meeting a competitors prices; or †¢promotional allowances or services that are not practically available to all customers on proportionately equal terms. Under the Nonprofit Institutions Act, eligible nonprofit entities may purchase — and vendors may sell to them — supplies at reduced prices for the nonprofits own use, without violating the Robinson-Patman Act. The Health Care Services Products Division issued a recent advisory opinion discussing the application of this exemption to pharmaceutical purchases by a nonprofit health maintenance organization. Q: I operate two stores that sell compact discs. My business is being ruined by giant discount chains that sell their products for less than my wholesale cost. What can I do? A: Discount chains may be able to buy compact discs at a lower wholesale price because it costs the manufacturer less, on a per-unit basis, to deal with large-volume customers. If so, the manufacturer may have a cost justification defense  to the differential pricing and the policy would not violate the Robinson-Patman Act. Q: One of my suppliers is selling parts at its company-owned store at retail prices that are below the wholesale price that it charges me for the parts. Isnt this illegal? A: The transfer of parts from a parent to its subsidiary generally is not considered a sale under the Robinson-Patman Act. Thus, this situation would not have the required element of sales to two or more purchasers at different prices. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Definition of Price Discrimination A pricing strategy that charges customers different prices for the same product or service. In pure price discrimination, the seller will charge each customer the maximum price that he or she is willing to pay. In more common forms of price discrimination, the seller places customers in groups based on certain attributes and charges each group a different price. Investopedia explains Price Discrimination Price discrimination allows a company to earn higher profits than standard pricing because it allows firms to capture every last dollar of revenue available from each of its customers. While perfect price discrimination is illegal, when the optimal price is set for every customer, imperfect price discrimination exists. For example, movie theaters usually charge three different prices for a show. The prices target various age groups, including youth, adults and seniors. The prices fluctuate with the expected income of each age bracket, with the highest charge going to the adult population. Price Discrimination When you were young, did you ever order from the childrens menu in a restaurant? When a family with small children goes to a restaurant, they are often given a childrens menu in addition to the regular menu. If they order two similar items, one from each menu, they will find that the item ordered from the childrens menu will be a bit smaller, but its price will be much smaller. In fact, it would often be worthwhile for the entire family to order from the childrens menu, but they cannot. Restaurants usually only allow children to order from it.1 Why do restaurants use childrens menus?  Economists doubt that restaurant owners have a special love for children; they suspect that the owners find offering childrens menus to be profitable. It can be profitable if adults who come to restaurants with children are, on the average, more sensitive to prices on menus than adults who come to restaurants without children. Children often do not appreciate restaurant food and service, and often waste a large part of their food. Parents know this and do not want to pay a lot for their childs meal. If restaurants treat children like adults, the restaurants may lose customers as families switch to fast-food restaurants. If this explanation is correct, then restaurants price discriminate.2 A seller price discriminates when it charges different prices to different buyers. The ideal form of price discrimination, from the sellers point of view, is to charge each buyer the maximum that the buyer is willing to pay. If the seller in our monopoly example could do this, it could charge the first buyer $7.01, the second buyer $6.51, etc. In this case the marginal revenue curve becomes identical with the demand curve. The seller will sell the economically efficient amount, it would capture the entire consumers surplus, and it would substantially increase profits. The Simple Analytics of Monopoly-Repeated OutputMarginal CostMarginal Benefit Every seller would price discriminate if there were not two major obstacles standing in the way. First, the seller must be able to distinguish between those buyers who are willing to pay a high price from those who are not. Second, there must be substantial difficulty for a low-price buyer to resell to those willing to buy at a high price.3 Because price discrimination is potentially profitable, businesses have found many ways to do it. Theaters often charge younger customers less than adults. Doctors sometimes charge  the rich or insured patient more for services than they charge the poor or uninsured. Grocery stores have a lower price for people who bother to check the newspaper and clip coupons. Some companies, such as firms selling alcoholic beverages, produce similar products but try to promote one as a prestige brand with a much higher price. Electric utilities usually charge lower rates to people who use a lot of electricity (and thus probably have electric stoves and water heaters) than they do to those who use only a little electricity (and who probably have gas stoves and water heaters). Banks offer special interest rates on Certificates of Deposit (CDs) that will not be obtained when one lets a CD roll over. People who are more sensitive to interest rates will take the time and effort to personally renew each maturing CD. To the extent that businesses find ways to price discriminate, they eliminate the triangle of welfare loss and approach the economically efficient amount of production. Thus, the mere existence of monopoly does not prove there is economic inefficiency.

staffing policies Essay -- essays research papers

CURRENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES In order to maintain a competitive edge and consistently reduce staffing issues, many companies have turned to alternative methods of staffing. As companies continue to ‘change with the times’, so do their staffing needs. Therefore, the traditional hiring of a full time employee is not the only option. Companies have turned to more effective ways of getting the job done. They are using outside sources to recruit employees. United Healthcares hiring practices will be utilized in this report to identify the ways in which a company fills its open positions. First there is the process of finding external candidates for a position. The company uses a variety of sources to recruit these candidates:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newspaper advertisements  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employment Agencies  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Search firms  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Staffing agencies  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Internet  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employee referrals  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Networking  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America's Job Bank On occasion Untied may have the need for a contracted or temporary employee. It is important that It is understood that, â€Å" contract services personnel, independent contractors, or vendors, are employees of companies under contract to United Health Group, not employees of United Health Group. The needs of the business may require that we use contract services personnel fo...

Cognitive Processes Paper Essay

Subliminal perception is believed to be effected by its based finding of mind control, weather it’s one person or group of people. Mind control can be used on a group of people without their awareness. The perception of this idea is to get people to do things that would not normally do. For instance, during the 1950s there was a message that says Drink Coca-Cola which attack many people into trying this product or making them thirsty for a cold Coca Cola. This ad was used enter a person mind while making them thirsty for the item, because the company wants to sell their product (Pratkanis, 1992). This ad was used in order to send a subliminal message to the unconscious mind so they would try the product without knowing they were being control in to doing something they did not want to do. The company strategically is to mind persuade or manipulated each individual into doing what the company what the individual to without them knowing they are being brainwash into doing someth ing new. Once an individual feeds into an ad, the subliminal message has persuaded several individual into trying or buying a new product. Subliminal Perception is a manipulation of thoughts, attitudes, and a behavior which is observes by their awareness of stimulus. Since there is some controversy, there is adequate evidence on how observer’s response can be affected by the stimuli in which they claim how they have not seen. The cognitive psychologist is not predominantly devastating, but the media and the public has responded several times to the notion of subliminal perception. Most people do not think of being subliminal manipulation but we need to determine whether the conditions are reflected within the product. So now each individual is control into purchasing these items without knowing how they were manipulated into making a purchase. Throughout the years subliminal perception has been used on many advertisements in order to influence each person to purchase their product weather they need it or not (Moore 1982, 1988). Visual perception is what we our eyes and brain does on daily basics. When looking at images we see them as a whole instead of in sections. Although, images can be broken into their visual elements, such as shapes, lines texture and color. These images that we see allow our eyes to focus helps our brain to get acquainted with the image, in order for us to transmit the information into our brain. Psychologist explains the process of the physical energy which is received by the sense organs. These sensory are converted into perceptions of sight, sound smell taste, and touch (McLeod, 2007). Since there are two different approaches of visual perception, the first approach is to perceive the constructive while approaching the pondering. The direct approach is to emphases the richness of the visual environment from moment to moment. Whereas the constructive approach is what could be considered the subsequent steps of the visual experience which include the roles of memory, imagination while problem solving the world as we see it. Although, the constructive approach attend to focus more on the cognitive factors rather than specify the aspects of visual stimulus (Rochat 1999) When processing the visual perception their main focus emphasize on the top down interpretation which inherent the expectation of our knowledge while surrounding the information of the cognitive factors. Wagner and Sparrow (2004) talk about the direct bodily feedback from the visual perception and how their action is significant and appreciate to the three dimensional worlds. Vision is the majority prevailing sense; in which we use for all information throughout the world. Once we open our eyes there is some form of light that enters our eye while processing this information to our brain. Once this information has enter our brain we see object and how they operate and they way they move. Visual perception has taken a different approach of perception, beginning with its function of vision which serves as an active observer within the environment. The general induction of our current knowledge is to study the vision and its function (Wade & Swanston, 2001). Auditory perception has the capability to recognize and understand sound with explicit organs, such as a person ear. Each sound can exists in the form of vibrations which can travel through the air or other substances. Our ears can identify the sound of vibrations, while converting it into a nerve impulse which is immediately sent to the brain where it can be distinguish. If an individual is deaf he or she has no auditory perception because they cannot interpret any sound. Although, when it comes to animals they can make out different sound, especially dogs they are skilled in perceiving sounds of a very high pitch where as humans cannot hear a sound of that capacity. There are several factors that can affect the auditory perception further than hearing any type of sounds. Our brain is mostly responsible for it many processes it can turn a large group of incoming noise into something useful and clear. Auditory perception discrimination is a process of being able to know the differences between sounds; however it is tremendously important to know the language of sound as if it was speaking different sounds. Among the affect of discrimination the foreground and the background is a significant part of auditory discrimination. It’s important to be focus on the important noises so the not so important notice will not be so overwhelming to the human ear. ( Broadbent, 1958, and Cherry 1953). Reference Michael T. Swanston; Nicholas J. Wade Authors Visual Perception An Introduction 2nd Edition. McLeod, S, A. (2007). Visual Perception Retrieved from www.simplypschology.org

Showrooming

There is a new problem for retailers these days, it's called, showrooming. According to the Wall Street Journal's article, â€Å"Can Retailers Halt ‘Showrooming', their definition of this term is, â€Å"shoppers who scope out merchandise in stores but buy on rivals' websites, usually at a lower price. As stated in the article, â€Å"Today half of shoppers who buy products online first checked them out in a traditional store, according to a recent study of 900 shoppers by Minneapolis-based research firm ClickIQ Inc. While the majority of survey respondents favored Target and Wal-Mart stores for researching merchandise, half of the online consumers wound up making their purchases on Amazon. † So the problem many retailers are facing is trying to keep their customers from going to cheaper online alternatives. Many retailers are starting to scrounge for new ideas, some are dropping the price of their online stores 1% to 2%, others are trying to work with their suppliers to make their products exclusive to their stores, and a few are encouraging clerks to refer shoppers to their online stores when they cannot find the item. Using this article managers may now understand why they seem to be losing profits in their stores. So the next step for the managers would be to figure out why shoppers are not buying from them. As a manager, I would take a look at our prices compared to the online stores and figure out some incentives to keep our customers. I would start with coupons, rebates, and price matching programs. I would push to make our items more exclusive to our stores, and for the online shoppers, offer free basic shipping and more online deals and selections. I would push for ways to make shopping more enjoyable in the store with exceptional customer service, a knowledgable sales staff, next day store pickup for out of stock items, and a clean and friendly shopping environment.

The Mission essays

The Mission essays Father Gabriel is a Jesuit priest who enters the South American rainforest with the intention of building a Christian mission. His challenging task is the conversion of a small tribe of native Amazon Indians called the Guarani. Gaining their trust, Father Gabriel is able to teach his new friends about his faith learning about the Indians' culture and language along the way. Spanish army officer turned slave trader Rodrico Mendoza out of jealousy murders his own brother. Stricken by grief he joins Father Gabriels mission and eventually converts and becomes a Jesuit priest. The two Jesuit missionaries come together to defy Spain and Portugal to save the Guarani Native tribe from slavery. The two men unite to save the mission when they proceed to negotiate the boundaries in the area that would affect both the natives and the Jesuit missionaries who have set up safe havens for them. Individually the characters of the film have little to do with actual history. They are more symbolic figures in the movie that represent the leader or myth of glory that helps the flow of the movie. They also symbolize the represent regions as a whole and other missionary that underwent the same thing during the time period. Overall, the history of the movie lies between the old world Spain and Portugal and the new world Indians. The movie did not go into the detail about the difficulty that the Jesuit priest went through to learn the Indians culture and start to convert them. Skipping this made it seem like the Indians accepted the religion automatically and without struggle. The Indians though established first are considered on European territory so naturally the Europeans want to overtake them and use them as labor on their plantations. The natives are influenced strongly by the interaction with the new world gaining a full religion and new ideas of violence and cultur e. Historically speaking, Spain was harsher and more agg ...

Battle of the Monongahela in the French and Indian War

Battle of the Monongahela in the French and Indian War The Battle of Monongahela was fought on July 9, 1755, during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and represented a failed attempt by the British to capture the French post at Fort Duquesne. Leading a slow advance north from Virginia, General Edward Braddock encountered a mixed French and Native American force near his objective. In the resulting engagement, his men struggled with the forest landscape and he fell mortally wounded. After Braddock was hit, the British ranks collapsed and the looming defeat turned into a rout. Fort Duquesne would remain in French hands for four more years. Assembling an Army In the wake of Lieutenant Colonel George Washingtons defeat at Fort Necessity in 1754, the British decided to mount a larger expedition against Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh, PA) the following year. Led by Braddock, the commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, the operation was to be one of many against French forts on the frontier. Though the most direct route to Fort Duquesne was through Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia successfully lobbied to have the expedition depart from his colony. Though Virginia lacked the resources to support the campaign, Dinwiddie desired the military road that would be built by Braddock to pass through his colony as it would benefit his business interests. Arriving at Alexandria, VA in early 1755, Braddock began assembling his army which was centered on the under-strength 44th and 48th Regiments of Foot. Selecting Fort Cumberland, MD as his departure point, Braddocks expedition was beset with administrative issues from the outset. Hampered by a lack of wagons and horses, Braddock required the timely intervention of Benjamin Franklin to supply sufficient numbers of both. Braddocks Expedition After some delay, Braddocks army, numbering around 2,400 regulars and militia, departed Fort Cumberland on May 29. Among those in the column was Washington who had been appointed as an aide-de-camp to Braddock. Following the trail blazed by Washington the year before, the army moved slowly as it needed to widen the road to accommodate the wagons and artillery. After moving around twenty miles and clearing the eastern branch of the Youghiogheny River, Braddock, on Washingtons advice, split the army in two. While Colonel Thomas Dunbar advanced with the wagons, Braddock rushed ahead with around 1,300 men. The First of the Problems Though his flying column was not encumbered with the wagon train, it still moved slowly. As a result, it became plagued by supply and disease problems as it crawled along. As his men moved north, they met light resistance from Native Americans allied with the French. Braddocks defensive arrangements were sound and few men were lost in these engagements. Nearing Fort Duquesne, Braddocks column was required to cross the Monongahela River, march two miles along the east bank, and then re-ford at Fraziers Cabin. Braddock expected both crossing to be contested, and was surprised when no enemy troops appeared. Fording the river at Fraziers Cabin on July 9, Braddock re-formed the army for the final seven-mile push to the fort. Alerted to the British approach, the French planned to ambush Braddocks column as they knew the fort could not withstand the British artillery. Leading a force of around 900 men, most of which were Native American warriors, Captain Lià ©nard de Beaujeu was delayed in departing. As a result, they encountered the British advance guard, led by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage, before they could set the ambush. Armies Commanders British Major General Edward Braddock1,300 men French Indians Captain Lià ©nard de BeaujeuCaptain Jean-Daniel Dumas891 men The Battle of  Monongahela Opening fire on the approaching French and Native Americans, Gages men killed de Beaujeu in their opening volleys. Attempting to make a stand with his three companies, Gage was soon outflanked as Captain Jean-Daniel Dumas rallied de Beaujeus men and pushed them through the trees. Under heavy pressure and taking casualties, Gage ordered his men to fall back on Braddocks men. Retreating down the trail, they collided with the advancing column and confusion began to reign. Unused to forest fighting, the British attempted to form their lines while the French and Native Americans fired on them from behind cover (Map). As smoke filled the woods, British regulars accidentally fired on friendly militia believing them to be the enemy. Flying around the battlefield, Braddock was able to stiffen his lines as makeshift units began to offer resistance. Believing that his mens superior discipline would carry the day, Braddock continued the fight. After about three hours, Braddock was hit in the chest by bullet. Falling from his horse, he was carried to the rear. With their commander down, British resistance collapsed and they began falling back towards the river. Defeat Becomes a Rout As the British retreated, the Native Americans surged forward. Wielding tomahawks and knives, they caused a panic in the British ranks which turned the retreat into a rout. Gathering what men he could, Washington formed a rear guard which allowed many of the survivors to escape. Re-crossing the river, the beaten British were not pursued as the Native Americans set about looting and scalping the fallen. Aftermath The Battle of the Monongahela cost the British 456 killed and 422 wounded. French and Native American casualties are not known with precision but are speculated to have been around 30 killed and wounded. The survivors of the battle retreated back down the road until reuniting with Dunbars advancing column. On July 13, as the British camped near Great Meadows, not far from the site of Fort Necessity, Braddock succumbed to his wound. Braddock was buried the next day in the middle of the road. The army then marched over the grave to eliminate any trace of it in order to prevent the generals body being recovered by the enemy. Not believing that he could continue the expedition, Dunbar elected to withdraw towards Philadelphia. Fort Duquesne would finally be taken by British forces in 1758, when an expedition led by General John Forbes reached the area. In addition to Washington, the Battle of the Monongahela featured several prominent officers who would later serve in the American Revolution (1775-1783) including Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, and Daniel Morgan.

Gillette€™s Energy Drain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gilletteâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Energy Drain - Essay Example Gillette can also use its goodwill in the market to increase brand saliency. It can also show the bigness of the brand by telling people that it is a part of Gillette Family.. It should inform people that the raw-materials used by Duracell are better than those used by competitors. Using the VRIO framework, the firm can exploit its brand to help with the brand positioning. However, since competition threat is high, due to lack of barriers to entry, more competition is going enter the industry and will threat Duracell’s position in the market. This will further drain the resources. However, looking from the SCP model, the firm cannot change much about the structure, it can improve its own conduct and start acting like a market leader. It can also improve the product’s appeal to make it look better than competing brands of batteries. Duracell can also join hands with one of its competitor to share knowledge and technology to operate in the market as a bigger brand. This would also help the new bigger firm to exploit all the benefits of economies of scale and to lower its costs to compete with the cheaper brands of batteries. It will really helpful in improve the financial statements of the company and to tackle declining stock prices and deteriorating income statement. The company should try not to divest the brand as it would decrease the product line and hence the firm will then have all eggs in one basket. It will be harmful for the company because any volatility in the razor’s division is going to have a bad effect on the overall liquidity position of the firm. Hence, the firm should consider merging with another firm in order to increase market share and reduce the intensity of competition in the