Demon and Fact Faustus Essay Example for Free

Demon and Fact Faustus Essay Mephistopheles varies greatly in his attitude towards Faustus, sometimes seemingly offering support and guidance while others acting in a dismissive, even disdainful manner. Throughout, Faustus is manipulated into fulfilling Mephistopheles own goals, yet the bewitching fiend succeeds in giving him the belief that he wants to do these things himself whether or not he is being guided, albeit rather forcefully, there. Nonetheless it remains to be seen if this is a reflection of the deceitfulness from the devils servant or rather the weakness and arrogance shown by Faustus. Faustus appears vulnerable and naà ¯ve upon conjuring for the first time, pathetic fallacy adding to the sombre mood, as gloomy shadow(s) overcast the scene, obscuring what is about to happen, leaving the audience in the dark and instilling a sense of terror. Therefore when Mephistopheles appears as a devil it is presumably through fear that Faustus describes him as too ugly such is the heightened sense of tension and feeling of the sublime he experiences. As opposed to reacting to Faustus needs Mephistopheles immediately gains control and begins surreptitiously asserting his dominance over him, taking advantage of the fact Faustus is clearly out of his depth, and resorting to imperatives, commanding Mephistopheles to speak! hinting that desperation is starting to creep in. Throughout the play it appears as though Mephistopheles is praying on Faustus weaknesses, identifying his aspiring pride as a pressure point and luring him towards the idea of becoming the sole king of all the earth. Once overcome with the thought of being a great emperor Faustus is obviously convinced that selling his soul is the best option he has and appears to disregard any rational logic, allowing Mephistopheles to sit back only issuing short replies like I will in return to the overly ambitious notions filling Faustus egotistical head. Faustus lack of control is only furthered when his own appetite gets the better of him leading to Mephistopheles threatening to go back to hell forcing Faustus to implore with him not to leave furthermore signalling his reliance on him to actually carry out all his frivolous desires. The compromise of being offered greater things proves too much for Faustus as  passion overcomes reason, which Mephistopheles is keen to distance them from, crea ting stark opposition and providing further evidence that he is willing to manipulate Faustus through his vulnerabilities, regardless of what emotions this will invoke in the mere mortal himself. In addition to promise bringing whirlwinds, tempests, thunder and lightning under the control of Faustus, Mephistopheles also immediately senses whenever there is slight doubt in his subject, quickly bombarding him with fantasises to delight his mind and turn his attention away from any concept of repentance. This eagerness to persistently tempt Faustus towards hell every time he wavers slightly suggests a driven character, supported through his own claims that he would do anything to obtain his soul no matter the cost, showcasing a lack of care or sympathy towards the difficult situation Faustus finds himself in. This only serves to further the level of deception and pretence when Mephistopheles calls on Faustus to stab thine arm courageously resorting to flattery to get his own way, knowing that Faustus ego will easily succumb to being complimented and raised above others. However in direct contrast, Mephistopheles shows hes not afraid to resort to intimidation, reporting hell hath no limits such is the reach of the devil, one should know not to cross him as under the heavens the lines blur and the liminal becomes ever more apparent, this bold claim undoubtedly a shocking one in front of a contemporary audience wherein religion was distinct in its boundaries hell and heaven two entirely different entities. After a relatively straight forward process of persuasion Mephistopheles gains Faustus soul, leading to an apparent change in attitude from Mephistopheles more bold in his tactics he openly denies Faustus his wishes, instead questioning his stupidity and chastising him by warning him to talk not of a wife but rather concentrate on aspects of life he himself deems relevant. Faustus pitiful cry at the end of scene 5 suggests that already he realises the drastic mistake hes made and that thou art deceived! by the dishonest Mephistopheles, leaving the audience to feel slight sadness for the misplaced trust he possessed. Nevertheless while this seems tragic one cannot avoid the suggestion that Faustus was only guided down a path he  desired all along and that he convinces himself to be resolute and show willing to commit the most heinous of crimes such as offer luke-warm blood of new-born babies an awful taboo that highlights just how far he will go in order to quench his thirst for power and fame. In turn, this advocates Mephistopheles as more of a bystander than initially thought and while he is unequivocally determined in gaining more souls to enlarge his kingdom, he remains open about this throughout, instead of being sly and secretive. Therefore it can be considered that Faustus is in no position to call Mephistopheles a bewitching fiend such are the failings of his own character. He is the one who condemns himself through his over ambition at becoming a conjuror laureate and arrogance in believing that he has tamed Mephistopheles and made him obedient. Whereas Mephistopheles only points him in the right direction and technically always remains under his command, bringing him a hot whore for a wife, while unsatisfactory is still fulfilling the parameters of Faustus self-indulgent wish. Despite this obedience towards his supposed master, Mephistopheles can definitely be considered a bewitching fiend due to his ability to lure Faustus into making the decisions that Mephistopheles himself wanted and the drive he holds in forcing the deal through to the end. Furthermore his lack of concern towards his own conjuror is revealing, joking tut I warrant thee in reaction to Faustus recognition he has done wrong, displaying both a lack of remorse and also a smugness that he has succeeded in accomplishing Lucifers plan.

The business strategy of marks and spencer

The business strategy of marks and spencer Marks Spencer (MS) is one of the leading retailers in the United Kingdom (UK). The high quality services are being provided to the customers in the areas of clothing, food and home products. Based on reliable statistical data, the number of customers visiting MS stores every week approaching the figure of 21 million. From all over the world, 2,000 suppliers take the responsibility of outstanding quality products to satisfy the customers. The key factors behind the business such as service, quality, value, trust and innovation are equally important since the beginning of MS 125 years ago till date [8]. Business is growing in 41 different countries other than UK by following the well-defined rules and regulations regarding customer care, product quality, innovation and trust. More than 76,000 people work in UK and overseas for MS. To become the worlds most sustainable major retailer is the ultimate goal of MS. For the achievement of this goal, Plan A was launched in January 2007 consisting of 100 commitments to attain in 5 years, but Plan A has extended to 180 commitments to reach by 2015 [9]. The Plan A consists of five pillars to help the MS customers to lead healthier lifestyles. To combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw material and trade ethically are the four pillars upon which Plan A stands. All the 180 commitments are under the five pillars of Plan A. MS is trying best to work through Plan A by involving customers and suppliers to achieve the desired results [8]. The first section presents the analysis of external environment of organization. Internal environment and identification is the main focus in second section and third section deals with the impact of external environment on the strategic direction of the organization. Identification of the major issues and challenges facing MS is key discussion in last section, and there is conclusion after that to summarize all the sections. Political, economic, social and technical (PEST) are the four most important factors to analyze the external environment of MS. The restrictions or limitations applied by the government in any country are covered under political aspects (import/export duties). But economic aspects indicate the strength and growth of organization based on stock market share value. Social aspects reflect the common people interest in the society and technical issues point to the involvement and utilization of modern emerging technology to advertise and enhance the organizations business. This external environment with four major factors plays a significant role in determining the organizations business strategy to achieve the optimal results. Q.1: Analysis of the organizations external environment. Strategic Analysis of Business Environment External and internal environment influence the organizational operations, therefore strategic direction of business depends on both environments. Strategic analysis helps identifying the environmental factors that can significantly affect the business. On the other hand, environmental analysis indicates the activities both inside and outside the organization. For appropriate business strategy to reflect the organizational environment, environmental analysis must be taken into account. The following discussion considers external and internal organizational environment in detail [6]. 1.1 External Environment External environment consists of conditions and forces such as (political, economical, social and technological) that are beyond the control and affect the organizations strategic options. External environment defines the competitive situation of organization and potentially have both positive and negative impact on business. The classical PEST analysis identifies four major categories of external factors that significantly affect organizations capability to survive and grow. Based on operating region, external environment is divided into three interactive segments having remote, industrial and operating environments. However, changes in the external environment also create new opportunities [1]. Different external factors have different influences which need to be discussed separately for clear understanding. Some influences inter-linked with each other create a bit of complexity. For instance, information technology completely changed the nature of work, customer behavior and life-style as well. External environmental study helps to decide the business strategy accordingly to gain the competitive advantage. Based on PEST analysis, four major external factors are going to discuss in detail [2]. Remote Environment Operating Environment Industrial Environment 1.2 Political Environment Business growth and investors interest both are strictly relevant to the political stability in a country. The government trade policy is another important factor that affects organizations business. Organization operates in an administrative and legal framework provided by the political government. The restrictive environment affects all aspects of organization. The legal and administrative framework cover lot of factors including pricing regulation, tax rates and incentives, mandatory employee benefits, wage legislation, trade regulations and tariffs, industrial safety regulations and product labeling requirements. Permissive administrative/legal context favors organizations business, employees and consumers. The development pace of organization depends on specific laws and regulations to work with. Political activities also affect suppliers, customers and competitors [2]. 1.3 Economic Environment To discuss the effect of economy on organizations business, there is a definite need to consider the crucial macro-economic trends. In this regard, the factors that influence business are taxation, interest rates, inflation, disposable income, unemployment, GNP trends, general demand, government spending, money supply, business cycle stage (e.g. prosperity, recession and recovery), economic growth rate and tendency to spend at national and international levels [1]. 1.4 Social Environment In social environment changes in values, attitudes, beliefs, opinions, different life styles and other trends are taken into consideration. Successful business strategy must have the ability to target different demographics, class structure in the society, various cultures and ethnic conditions of individuals. As a consequence of changing marketplace concepts, customers are compromising the quality over price. Fashionable clothing demand has increased to great extent. The price sensitivity of majority of customers left MS at less competitive position [1]. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION SOCIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ECONOMIC 1.5 Technological Environment Rapid change in technology greatly influences the market conditions and existing trends as well. Electronic media is playing very important role in introducing new fashions in the society. Therefore, organization needs to consider all such factors relevant to modern technology. Utilization of modern technology set the new standards regarding services and product quality. In the technological environment business is affected in terms of investment and consistent application of technology to compete in the market [2]. Q.2: Analysiss of the organizations internal environment and identification. Analysis of Internal Environment and Identification SWOT analysis may be used to measure the degree of fit between strategies and environment. Based on this analysis, strengths and opportunities are used for the profit of business and protect organization against weaknesses and threats. There is no great deal of thought in the utilization of SWOT analysis due to simple nature so the results are not very reliable. This analysis has no ability to cope very well with some of the complicated aspects of modern strategic theory. In the current situation simple analysis of internal environment of MS is concerned, thats why reasonable results may be achieved based on SWOT analysis [5]. 2.1 Strengths All internal and external aspects that give strength to the organization are included in the strong points. The strength indicates the current market position of business in terms of customers, competitors and internal resources. Strength is a resource advantage relative to competitors and the needs of the markets a firm serves or expects to serve. The distinct advantage that helps the organization to achieve the comparative advantage in the market. The origin of strength is the resources and competencies available in the organization [5]. Excellent and quality products give the strength to MS in terms of customers and competitors. Based on better treatment and good salary, the employees are in excellent relationship with MS. Large number of MS stores in the UK and overseas represent the strong infrastructure. The financial strength is obvious due to the large market share. MS is one of the major retailers in the UK, profitable and mature as well [4]. 2.2 Weaknesses In spite of good strength in industry, there are weak areas as well that require an improvement. MS products are more expansive than other competitors on the high street but justifiable based on excellent quality. The main focus is on the customers in between 35-44 years old, neglecting the younger and children. Because of expansion program to Europe, USA and other countries, MS lost focus on local market. There is no business strategy to capture the potential available in the younger generation market .Most of the times no special offers are available to the customers in the form of sales. Internally, customer services need to be improved including updating the use of technology to manage the merchandise in the store [4]. 2.3 Opportunities The most important factor in the business growth is to avail the new opportunities in the market. To grasp the potential available in the market, there is a definite need to arrange the flexible business strategy that may change according to the trends. Introduce the wider range of colour clothes, variety and different types of collections to target the majority of customers .By utilising suitable effective strategy such as younger more contemporary models to attract the younger generation. Superior resources and capabilities based on modern technology is a key factor to attain the competitors advantage level. There is a need to improve the food stores for successful MS food business [4]. 2.4 Threats In the presence of intense competition between different organizations in the industry, threat is ever present force. To avoid the danger of threat the organization always tries to improve the performance in terms of customer services, quality product and lower cost. Business extension to overseas has proven less successful for M&S; there is a need to target the local market. Strong competitors are targeting the youth market; therefore there is a danger that MS could lose this market [5]. Organizations Internal Factors Opportunities Threats Weaknesses Strengths External Factors Q.3: Identification of the major issues and challenges facing the marks Spencer. Challenges and Issues Facing Marks Spencer MS is one of the biggest retailers in the UK providing diverse nature services to the customers including clothes, food and home products. They always try their best to emphasize Quality at affordable prices, but this is not always the case. They are losing the trend to capture the younger market and other retailers are taking the advantage of this weak point. To grasp the potential of this area is the big challenge MS facing. The goods prices are going up and to provide the cheaper product, they have to import the stuff which decreased the image of MS as British Goods seller [8]. The customers trends were changing towards natural and environmentally friendly products so, MS launched plan A consisting of 180 commitments to overcome the challenges. Many problems are related to changing climate conditions. To combat the climate change is the major challenge that MS facing. Reduce the waste going into landfill is also the big issue for MS to deal with. The plan A is launched by considering the fact that great challenges exist and management needs to deal with customers and suppliers to achieve the targets. To attain the carbon neutral level is an important commitment that is trying to be achieved by efficient utilization of fuel. For example, huge vehicles are being used for transportation. Energy saving is also the important part of plan A [8]. There are a considerable number of clothes going to landfill in the form of waste. Instead of wasting, these cloths may be provided to the non-profit organizations who are working for the needy people of society. The reduction of waste is significant factor in plan A. MS is trying their best to improve the lives of people in the supply chain. To help the customers and employees live the healthier life-style through plan A [9]. Q.4: External environment and the impact on the strategic direction of the organization. Impact of External Environment on Strategic Direction The strategic direction refers to the action plan that leads to the achievement of ultimate goals of organizations strategy. The strategic direction of MS is based on the idea to become the worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015. In spite of the fact that there is no set bench mark exit to compare the worlds most sustainable retailer, this plan is admirable to provide so much services and containing large number of commitments. To achieve this target, the business development department launched plan A based on five pillars. The business is not limited to the physical boundaries of organization. What happens outside does affect the strategic direction and the organization has to act or react accordingly to cope with the situation [2]. The external forces such as political, economical, social and technological that affect the strategic direction of organizations business is beyond the control. Therefore, sometimes organization is bound to change the strategic direction of business to cope with the situation and to achieve the ultimate goal [1]. The political environment contains administrative and legal factors which affect the strategic direction due to some administrative and legal restrictions. The soft conditions support the business to reach the final destination (desired level). But hard conditions bound the organization to change the business strategy to achieve the desired result. The organization has to work within the framework provided by the political government in a country. The change in political setup may also influence the strategic direction because organization needs to follow new legal and administrative instructions by the new government [2]. In the social environment public trends play a very important role in the strategic direction of organization. Change in values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and lifestyles influence the organization to change the business strategy to fulfill the demands of customers in a changing atmosphere. The cultural, demographic and religious tendencies create new opportunities in the market for business growth [3]. The major change in technology set the new standard to compete in the market and this scenario totally change the strategic direction of Organization to stay in the market and to achieve the business objectives. Strengths may be replaced by weaknesses and competencies can become rigidities. Technological change opens new opportunities to grow the business by exploiting new market potential and unmet demands. The cost, rate of change and innovation are the factors related to materials and machines used for manufacturing goods and services [6]. The existence of strong competitors is an ever present threat to the organization, change in the strategic direction and business plan may affect the organization to reconsider the business strategy to save the customers and business. Sometimes organizations has to introduce the new better business plan to capture the potential in the market. For example, MS gave second version of plan A by adding new commitments to achieve the level of worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015 [8]. The change in strategic direction of an organization is not an easy task as so many associated factors need to change. For instance, reconfiguration of existing resources and capabilities take place by changing the strategy. This action is taken only when no other option is available. Q.5: What should the organization do to achieve or maintain competitive advantage in its industries? . Competitive Advantage Competitive advantage refers to the state of organization when profit level exceeds the average of its industry. To achieve the status of competitive advantage is the ultimate goal of business strategy. Cost advantage and differentiation advantage are the two basic forms of competitive advantage. These two conditions are necessary for the existence of competitive advantage. One of them is to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at minimum cost (cost advantage) and the other one is to provide the competing product with more benefits (differentiation cost). The position of organization in industry as a leader is identified based on cost or differentiation [7]. 5.1 Competitive Advantage Model The block diagram describes the resource-based concept of competitive advantage by combining the resources and capabilities to provide the superior value creation [6]. Capabilities Distinctive Competencies Cost Advantage Or Differentiation Advantage Value Creation Resources 5.2 Resources and Capabilities Superior resources and capabilities are essential factors to develop the competitive advantage. In the absence of these factors competitors introduce better product with less price and advantage disappears immediately. Basically, resources indicate the organization-specific assets that are utilized to develop cost or differentiation advantage. The examples of such resources include installed customer base, reputation of company, brand equity, proprietary know-how, patents and trademarks. How efficiently the organization utilizes its resources to achieve the competitive advantage is measured in terms of capabilities. For example, bringing the product into the market quicker than competitors represents capabilities. The combination of resources and capabilities result in distinctive competencies which in turn activate efficiency, quality, innovation and customer awareness. Such attributes act as a catalyst to attain the status of cost or differentiation advantage [7]. 5.3 Achievement of Competitive Advantage Level Learn Customer Demands To achieve or maintain the competitive advantage in its industry, the organization should follow some necessary points as a routine matter in favor of customers and the business plan as well. Analysis of Competition Product Differentiation with Target Market Analysis Modern Techniques Economic Moat Creation Business Information Resources 5.3.1 Learn Customer Demands Customers are the most important entity in the business circle. To understand the demands of customers is a significant factor towards competitors advantage. Organization must offer good quality product at minimum price to attract the customers and capture the market [6]. 5.3.2 Analysis of Competition Another important step to achieve the competitors advantage level is fair analysis of competition. For example, who are the major competitors in the industry and what type of different products are they offering. The quality and price of similar goods need to be considered in the analysis. The strength of major competitors in the industry is taken into account [6]. 5.3.3 Product Differentiation with Modern Techniques Provide good quality products with low cost by utilizing modern fabrication techniques play very important role to maintain competitors advantage level. Modern technology, superior resources and capabilities with better management are the key factors to sustain the position of competitors advantage [7]. 5.3.4 Target Market Analysis The term target market refers to the group of customers and communities at which the organization aims its services and products. Distinction between target markets based on social, demographic and common characteristics make the best target for the organization to focus [6]. 5.3.5 Economic Moat Creation On the basis of advantage regarding barriers to enter into the market, discourage the competitors from challenging your market share. In some situations the capability of well established company to manipulate barriers to enter and compete in the market acts as an effective method against new competition. To preserve the profit potential and make the business secure for upcoming future is also included in the process to create economic moat. 5.3.6 Business information resources Information technology is playing a significant role in every field, supplying plenty of relevant information available to business resources. The business information resources may be used to set the suitable business strategy that is superior as compared to the competitors. Business information companies provide such services to become advantage competitors [7]. Summary MS is one of the biggest retailers in the UK who has the aim to achieve the position of worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015 based on the completion of 180 commitments. All commitments revolve around five pillars of plan A. Climate change, waste, natural resources, fair partnership and health and wellbeing are the five pillars on which the plan A stands. The organizations business is affected by internal and external factors. Strengths and weaknesses are the main internal factors that are under the control of management. But external factors such as political, economical, social and technological are beyond the control of the organization. The external factors put on the different restrictions and strategic direction of business depends on such forces. Threats and opportunities are the other two factors which may determine the business strategy. Superior resources and capabilities are utilized to attain the level of competitor advantage. Some necessary actions to maintain the pos ition of competitor advantage such as learn the customer demands, competition analysis, modern technology utilization and product differentiation are names of a few. To meet 180 commitments by the end of 2015 is the biggest challenge. Other major challenges are the efficient utilization of resources to work on plan A for the achievement of main objectives relevant to the five pillars. CONCLUSION MS launched Plan A in 2007 because they were facing tough competition from their rivals. MS was lacking behind in many sectors of the retail market, so they needed a comprehensive plan to become the worlds most sustainable retailer. In order to achieve all this, MS called this Plan, Plan A because they believe its now the only way to do the business and there is no Plan B. By adopting the Plan A MS has fought back really well and their sales are on the rise which resulted in increased market shares and they are successfully becoming one of the worlds most sustainable major retailers.

Maintain Ethical And Professional Standards

Maintain Ethical And Professional Standards This secondary research task will consider the corporate governance that JSE listed companies uphold. This research task will determine the extent to which these companies maintain ethical and professional standards. Two companies will be chosen and their corporate governance will be collected and closely looked at, there will be a discussion of the information collected for each of the two companies. A conclusion will be made as to which company is better governed based on the information which has been collected for the research. Introduction Corporate governance is a companys operating principles in terms of their ethics, corporate social responsibility, professionalism and the control which stakeholders have over the company to ensure the above principles are followed. Two companies which have been chosen will be looked at closely in terms of their corporate governance. The aim of the research is to determine which of the two companies is better governed, and which of the two companies maintain ethical and professional standards. Methodology I have mainly used the internet as it is difficult to get brochures with the relevant information about the corporation. I have looked at various sites about the corporation. I have tried to email the corporation for specific information which I was unable to retrieve on the internet. I have chosen the two companies as I enjoy eating at many of the restaurants which are franchises of the corporation and for the choice of the other corporation; it is because my family shops with them. Choice of companies Both Shoprite Holdings Ltd and Spur Corporation are public companies which are listed on the JSE. These public companies have a Corporate Social Index which determines the amount of involvement they have in the community. Each of these two companies follows a similar business structure (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006) (Anonymous, Investor care, unknown), but each one has an individual contribution to the community, socio-economic issues and the environment. Each company follows a different code of ethics, but each company aims to not only to make profit but to also give back to the community and to provide for their consumers. I have chosen these two companies as they have great involvement in the community as well as provide excellent service for their customers. Shoprite Holdings Ltd provides for people who are well to do as well as those who are less advantaged. Shoprite gives back to the community in vast amounts and this is the reason why they are supported by the community . My family shops at Shoprite as well as eats at Spur which is another reason why I chose these two companies, to look at in closer detail. Food is our passion. Welcoming you, our pleasure Introduction into Spur Corporation micro environment Our vision is to be the best family sit-down restaurant in the market in which we trade (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Our mission is to be dedicated at all times to our customers and staff- to provide a taste for life for our customers and to be a great place to work for our staff (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Allen Ambor Executive chairman Spur Corporation follows the line and staff organisation structure which has a board of directors who over look the entire organisation. Below the directors are the managers in each of the different fields for example advertising and finances. Below the managers are the staff which interact directly with the customers (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Spur corporation is well aware of the service which they need to provide their customers with. Ronel van Dijk Financial director Pierre van Tonder Managing director Mark Fellery Deputy managing director Muzi Kuzwayo Independent non-executive director Dean Hyde non-executive director Keith Getz non-executive director Keith Madders non-executive director MBE (deputy chairman) Phillip Joffe Executive director Kevin Robertson Executive director Financial manager Public relations manager Floor manager Human resource manager Marketing manager General manager Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the organization to give back to their community. The aim of the king II report is to improve corporate governance throughout the whole structure of the business. All public companies which are listed on the JSE are obligated to give back to their community. The king III report is similar in context with regards to king II, but with the exception that businesses need to follow the triple bottom line reporting which is People Planet and Profit. This then means that businesses should not only focus on gaining a profit but also giving back to their community. Spur Corporation mainly focuses on providing for the underprivileged children (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). By raising these funds and being a part of these projects Spur aims to gain awareness as good citizens for the group of staff who are involved (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). The projects are mainly aimed at sporting activities which they believe develop people especially the young South Africans (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Spur Corporation is involved in the following community projects: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Spur Soccer Masidlale(lets play)- this project focuses on developing children from ages of 8 12. There are children who come from many different communities and children who have experienced different things in life (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). This project aims to teach these children life skills as well as help them gain self- confidence and teaches them many life skills which will help them in their future (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). This project will mainly focus on children who are underprivileged (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Spur Corporation is involved in charity golf tour. In this project there are many other organisations and competitors which donate money towards the charity programme and therefore compete in the golf tour (Anonymous, Spur chairty golf day, 2006). The money which is raised in thousands is given to a charity. Spur aims to increase the donations every year (Anonymous, Spur chairty golf day, 2006). Spur Corporation believes there should be a balance between making a profit and also looking and the long term needs of South Africa, the environment and their employees. There are specific people who are allocated the role to ensuring there is a way in which Spur Corporation can reduce the impact they have on the environment. This team looks at the sustainability of their strategy. Spur Corporation is involved in projects which are short term. The Spur Corporation is not involved in many corporate social responsibility projects. The projects which they are involved in are ones from which South African children can learn life skills and gain personal growth. Therefore Spur Corporation needs to look at projects which are long term and ones which can help communities or children for long periods of time and not have a hit and run approach. Once Spur Corporation gets involved in such projects to help communities or certain children, they begin to rely on the funds. Long term projects are most beneficial. Socio-Economic issues and strategies used Spur Corporation is involved in HIV/AIDS management project. The group: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Is supportive towards the issue and are non-discriminatory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢provides educational workshops about the issue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢provides free access to condoms and educational videos This project is aimed at educating the employees of Spur Corporation so they are aware of the virus and have the knowledge to prevent contracting the disease Spur Corporation is not involved in addressing many socio-economic issues. There are many socio-economic issues which South Africa is facing such as poverty. Spur Corporation could focus on addressing projects which are sustainable and which can improve an issue which South Africa is facing. Poverty is one of the biggest issues in the world not only South Africa therefore Spur Corporation could get sponsors as well as raise their own funds to give toward a fund specifically for poverty stricken communities within South Africa or around the world. Natural disasters have affected the world and many peoples lives. Spur Corporation could also help with donations or fund raising to uplift these communities. There are many other socio-economic issues which Spur Corporation could address. Donations can be put into their budget as they are an organisation which is making high turnovers (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Code of ethics Spur Corporation has a code of ethics which expects all employees to have the highest moral and ethical standards internally and externally (with the stakeholders and shareholders). (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006). The code of ethics contains principles such as integrity; honesty and good transparency, impartiality; transparency and openness; and accountablility and responsibility which all staff should adhere to (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006). The Spur Corporation has a high standard to which they keep up to and therefore this is what helps the business grow. Their code of ethics guides staff on how to behave with their customers and shareholders. The code of ethics will also help shareholders to deal with any unehical behaviour (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006) Introduction into Shoprite Holdings limited micro environment Our mission of the Shoprite Group of Companies is to be the consumers preferred shopping destination, by retailing food and non-food products at the lowest prices from conveniently located outlets in an environment that is conducive to shopping. (Anonymous, Customer care, 2008). Shoprite follows the line and staff organisation structure. The line and staff organisation structure is the board of directors over looking the entire organisation. Below the directors are the managers of each specific aspect of the business such as the human resource manager. Below the managers are the staff which work directly with the customers. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the organisation to give back to their community. The aim of the king II report is to improve corporate governance throughout the whole structure of the business. All public companies which are listed on the JSE are obligated to give back to their community. The king III report is similar in context with regards to king II, but with the exception that businesses need to follow the triple bottom line reportingwhich is People Planet and Profit. This then means that businesses should not only focus on gaining a profit but also giving back to their community. Shoprite Holdings is involved in many different community projects. Many of the projects are ones which are sustainable as they take place every year and raise funds for a specific time period. Other projects are ones which Shoprite Holdings is directly involved in such as donating food to the underprivileged communities. Shoprite aims to help improve and make the world a better place for the present and future in terms of sustaining the environment, society and the economy. Some of the projects which they are involved in are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Shoprite community network- Shoprite aims to uplift underprivileged communities. This project is broadcast every month on many different radio stations and each area chooses a community which they believe needs Shoprites aid the most (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). The community which is chosen for the month as most deserving receives R10  000 from Shoprite (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mobile soup kitchens- Shoprite aims to help communities which are poverty stricken and those which have been affected by natural disasters in South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Shoprite sends out trucks every month to those communities they are aware of which need the food (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Shoprite feeds many communities widely spread across South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Book collection- Many schools and libraries in South Africa do not have sufficient funds to provide their pupils with books (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). Therefore Shoprite aims to fill the libraries and schools with as many books of all genres. Shoprite allows for the public to drop books off at collection points at any Shoprite, Checkers or Checkers hyper stores throughout the country (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Strokes of genius- Is an art project which allows for many artists and crafters to be recognised (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). This project aims to inspire and give children who are less advantaged the opportunity to show the equivalence of their talent to that of children who are privileged (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). Shoprite is helped by The Department of arts and culture, Department of economic development and Department of basic information (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Golden trolley and disaster management- This project aims to also help the underprivileged and those who have been affected by natural disasters (Anonymous, Community projects : Golden trolley, 2008). Shoprite and Checkers have collection points at which public can donate things which will be donated to the communities (Anonymous, Community projects : Golden trolley, 2008). Shoprite also donates blankets and food to people who have been affected by natural disasters (Anonymous, Community projects : Disaster management, 2008). Shoprite has emergency plans which will help those in need. Shoprite is always ready to help those who are in need (Anonymous, Community projects : Disaster management, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Cuppa for Cansa- Shoprite Checkers are the main sponsors of this project and they are involved as the aim to gain awareness about CANSA and raise funds to fight cancer (Anonymous, Community projects : Cuppa for Cansa, 2008). Cuppa for Cansa also aims to encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as eat healthily (Anonymous, Community projects : Cuppa for Cansa, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Casual day- is another project which Shoprite is a main sponsor of. Socio-Economic issues and strategies used à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Poverty Shoprite Corporation is in involved in helping communities which suffer from poverty (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). There are many communities in South Africa which have been faced with natural disasters and many people of those communities are unemployed (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Therefore Shoprite reaches out to those communities and gives back in the form of food and blankets, to help uplift the communities. As poverty is a worldwide issue it is considered a socio-economic issue. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Education- Shoprite runs project with deal with aspects of education as many South Africans are not provided with an education at all or some are but not one which is good enough for them to be the future leaders of South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Shoprite Holdings addresses the issue of HIV/Aids in South Africa (Anonymous, Organisational integrity, 2008). As HIV/Aids has been on the increase. Shoprite has a campaign which aims to educate staff on the illness as well as teach those with the illness how to manage it. The staff are educated fully and are provided with a counsel. The campaign helps employees by giving them a better understanding of the illness as well as all precautions which can be taken. Code of ethics A code of ethics for Shoprite Holdings is not available to the public. This is a negative aspect of the business as the public need to have access to their code of ethics as they are a public company which is listed on the JSE. The code of ethics gives public and other companies a better idea in which they are able to judge the business according to their morals and ethics of how the employees are meant behave with each other and with the customers. Analysis of information, comparison and opinion Both businesses follow the line and staff organisational structure. This is a structure which is a good choice as there is only one level of authority in the business; this avoids conflict and confusion between employees and authority. There are various levels in the structure which allows for managers at each level which guide the business as well as the employees in the right direction. Both businesses are greatly involved in corporate social responsibility, one more than the other. Spur Corporation is involved a fair amount in CSR, but Shoprite Holdings Ltd has great involvement in helping the community to become a better place. Shoprite mainly looks at helping the youth and elderly too, but more the youth in rural areas that do not have much as they are the future of our country. Shoprite Holdings and Spur Corporation both aim to be involved in projects which are more long term than once off as the community needs their input at all times. South Africa faces many socio-economic issues which can be resolved by the input of the people of the country. Spur Corporation is only involved in helping with HIV/AIDS whereas Shoprite Holdings is involved in much more such as HIV/AIDS, education, poverty and natural disasters which are faced in many of the communities. Shoprite seems to be more aware of the issues which are faced by the country, and they are determined to take action and help the community to be improved and not worsened. Spur Corporation has a code of ethics which aims to maintain a high business standard which they are aware will help their business to grow. The code of ethics is in place to ensure employees maintain this high standard in their work ethic as well as in dealing with customers. Shoprite Holdings does not have a code of ethics which is available to the public but as they are a public company which is listed on the JSE they will have a code of ethics which the company follows. This is negative factor for Shoprite as the code of ethics of the company gives the public a better idea of the business itself as well as the standards of the business and its employees. Shoprite Holdings Ltd only lacks a code of ethics available to the public, but otherwise the business maintains high standards and aims to be the best. It is clear that Shoprite is aware of the community and cares to improve the community is every aspect. Spur Corporation is also a public company but does not fully address the issues at hand such as CSR. Discussion and conclusion I believe Shoprite Holdings Ltd does uphold corporate governance as well as maintain ethical and professional standards thoroughly. Spur Corporation does not maintain these standards fully. Corporate governance is one of the main aspects of the business and Shoprite Holdings maintains high standards in terms of their ethics, corporate social responsibility and professionalism. Shoprite Holdings is fully involved in corporate social responsibility and addressing socio-economic issues. Shoprite Holdings believes greatly in helping the community as it is clear in the research done that they are thoroughly involved in all aspects of the community such as education, poverty, HIV/AIDS and natural disasters. Shoprite Holdings has the correct approach in which they address issues in the community as they are aware they should be more involved in long term projects rather than only helping once and thereafter forgetting about the community. Shoprite Holdings is a better governed business and all the above proves this. Spur Corporation is a business which is a luxury for many people and many people who are underprivileged do not gain from this. This is a reason why Spur should be more involved in CSR and addressing socio-economic issues. But Spur Corporation is hardly involved. Shoprite Holdings should be commended as they are a company who provide for rich and poor but are still involved fully in the community. This is another reason why Shoprite Holdings is a better governed company.

a story :: essays research papers

A story about Chinese spirits From Classical Chinese Talkes of the Supernatural Summary: In this story Huang Yuan wakes up one morning to find a black dog guarding his house and acting like it belonged there. So Huang took the dog hunting with him and his friends. When they saw a deer, Huang let the dog loose but the dog ran too slowly and they were not able to catch the deer. Then the dog led them to a cave. After walking a bit inside the cave there were lots of trees in rows surrounded by a wall. The dog led Huang through the gate and there was a row of houses. He noticed that every single person in the ‘village’ were attractive well dressed girls. All of the girls were occupied in some sort of amusing leisurely activity: some were playing instruments and others were playing chess. After reaching the northern pavilion, Huang came across three rooms, there were two girls standing guard who smiled when they saw him as though they were expecting him. They said that the black dog had brought Miao-yin’s groom. One kept guard outside, the other went in and a few minutes later four maids came out. They told Huang that the Lady of Supreme Purity had this message for him: â€Å"I have a young daughter who has just pinned up her hair. According to a preordained decree, she should become your wife† (As noted in the footnotes, at 15 girls would pin up their hair to signify their coming of age). So Huang met Miao-yin in a magical looking room where he was impressed by her beauty and charm, they did the marriage vows and went to bed happily together that night. In a few days the groom wanted to go home to see his family and tell them what happened for a little while. His bride is sad b/c she lets him know that men and spirits have different ways of life and that they were not meant to be together for long. She lets him go, and tells him that the fact she will never see him again makes her love him all the more. She asked him that he show his feelings for her by fasting, purifying and making sacrifice on the first day of the third month. He was home before the end of one day after being escorted out of the cave by maids, however his memory was a little foggy.

The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, delves into symbolism. A few of the symbols throughout are: the Scarlet â€Å"A† embroidered on Hester’s chest, the Forrest (in the daytime), the Forrest (in the nighttime), the prison, the rose growing up by the prison wall and light and dark. Each of these has a certain significance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"A† is the outward symbol of Hester and Dimmsdale’s sin. It is the tangible, form of punishment. The thing that physically sets Hester apart. This symbolizes her sin and her punishment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Forrest during the daytime is a symbol of beauty of freedom. While at nighttime it is the devil’s playground, symbolizing chaos and evil. The Puritans felt this way because they had no control over the Forrest and were thus threatened by it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prison is yet another symbol of Hester’s physical punishment and isolation from the world. She is cast out. No longer an accepted member of society for the crimes that she has committed. The prison is hard and cruel, it is also a reflection of the ideals of the Puritan society. The rose shows the beauty that can grow out of that harsh, ugliness. The rose is Pearl.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Light and darkness is used to show Dimmsdale’s guilt and his mental anguish. He walks to the scaffold, mocking a confession at night in the darkness. Then blazes an meteor in the sky as if God himself were looking down and saying to Dimmsdale, â€Å"Almost, but not quite.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author gives several lengthy, difficult descriptions in the beginning of the novel to set the harsh, Puritan tone of the novel. He says, â€Å"The founder of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, with this rule, it may safely be assumed that the forefathers of Boston had built the first prison-house gone where in the vicinity of cornhill, almost as seasonable as they marked out the first burial-ground, on Isaac Johnson’s lot...† (pg. 75). He uses very long, hard to read passages to create a Puritan-esque feeling in the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pearl is her mother’s only treasure, bought with all she had. She is the symbol of her guilt, and the price of her sin. Pearl is described as a â€Å"sprite† and an â€Å"elf-child†. She is lively, and spirited. She is a constant reminder to Dimmsdale of his mistakes, and the fact that he has yet to be punished for them by the

Essay on “Pike” by Ted Hughes

The poem â€Å"Pike† describes the fish of the same name and the poet's feelings about them, fishing and the brutality of some little ones he had as pets, which later grew out of control, â€Å"indeed they spare nobody†. The poem seems to be about nature, â€Å"ponds† and â€Å"lily pads†, but this is not a truly pastoral poem as it is not only about the beauty and innocence of nature; the tone is dark, â€Å"deep as England† and even terrifying, â€Å"the hair frozen on my head for what might move†. The structure of the poem seems regular; each verse has four lines.However, the line length, though at first it looks regular, is in fact irregular, ranging from five syllables to thirteen syllables. This difference adds to the uneasy tone of the poem, creating an aural sensation of something hiding within the longer lines, mirroring the way in which the â€Å"pike† lurks under the water ´s surface, â€Å"logged on last year ´s black leaves, watching upwards. The first two stanzas finish with a full stop, which creates the sensation of control control.This suggests that the poet has control of the dangerous fish, â€Å"killers from the egg†, at this stage, when the â€Å"pike† he describes are â€Å"three inches long, perfect†. However, by the fifth stanza, when the poet retells his anecdote about the â€Å"pike† â€Å"we kept behind glass†, at first there are â€Å"three†, then â€Å"suddenly there were two† and â€Å"finally one†, (as it has eaten the others), and this ruthless, cannibal fish, unlike any traditional pet, moves directly into the next stanza, â€Å"with a sag belly and the grin it was born with†.In this next stanza, the sixth, the poet warns the reader that the â€Å"pike† â€Å"spare nobody†. The fish ´s brutality is echoed by the poem ´s form at this point – the vicious â€Å"pike† has dominated the fish tank and now dominates the poem, refusing to follow the previous, neat form and escapes from one stanza to the next.Later in the poem the stanzas continue to run seamlessly into each other with enjambement, â€Å"dead in the willow-herb- one jammed past its gills down the other ´s gullet†, implying that the poet is losing control of the carnivorous fish and its â€Å"submarine delicacy and horror†. This is a rather long poem, with eleven stanzas, and the poet uses the extended description that runs throughout the whole poem, to emphasise the size of the â€Å"pike† â€Å"six pounds each, over two feet long† and their â€Å"old† age, thereby evoking his sense of being in awe of the fish ´s â€Å"submarine delicacy and horror†.This poem focuses on the â€Å"pike†, describing them in close detail, â€Å"green tigering the gold†, and only in the fifth person does the poet introduce the first person, â€Å"we†, (and in the eighth stanza, â€Å"I†). However, from the start, the poet ´s choice of language makes clear his feelings about the fish; he shows awe through the use of positive language such as â€Å"perfect†, and â€Å"gold† and â€Å"emerald†, which have connotations of precious wealth.He describes â€Å"pike† as â€Å"stunned by their own grandeur†, implying that he thinks the fish are self-aware and even arrogant, his use of the verb â€Å"stunned† here is almost personification, as if the poet thinks the fish can have the same self-awareness as a human. On the other hand, positive language such as â€Å"dance† and â€Å"grandeur† is juxtaposed against an underlying mood of darkness and evil, which enters the poem in its third line when the fish are presented as â€Å"killers from the egg† and â€Å"malevolent†.Therefore in the first three stanzas, the poet ´s attitude is contrasting, seeing both â€Å"d elicacy and horror† in the â€Å"pike†. However, in the fourth stanza the poet admits that â€Å"the jaws ´ hooked clamp and fangs† are â€Å"not to be changed at this date† and this marks a turning point in the poem, with the mood changing to wholly negative, and finally, fearful, with the simile â€Å"as a vice locks† and talking of â€Å"iron† â€Å"instrument† and, explicitly, â€Å"death†.By the ninth stanza the poet says directly that he is afraid, â€Å"I dared not cast†. He describes also â€Å"the hair frozen on my head† and the sensation of something â€Å"that rose slowly toward me, watching†, he presents this as a â€Å"dream†, but the experience conveyed to the reader is more of a nightmare. The poet ´s feeling of fear is highlighted by his description of â€Å"the dark pond† coupled with the repetition of â€Å"darkness†. Essay on â€Å"Pike† by Ted Hughes The poem â€Å"Pike† describes the fish of the same name and the poet's feelings about them, fishing and the brutality of some little ones he had as pets, which later grew out of control, â€Å"indeed they spare nobody†. The poem seems to be about nature, â€Å"ponds† and â€Å"lily pads†, but this is not a truly pastoral poem as it is not only about the beauty and innocence of nature; the tone is dark, â€Å"deep as England† and even terrifying, â€Å"the hair frozen on my head for what might move†. The structure of the poem seems regular; each verse has four lines.However, the line length, though at first it looks regular, is in fact irregular, ranging from five syllables to thirteen syllables. This difference adds to the uneasy tone of the poem, creating an aural sensation of something hiding within the longer lines, mirroring the way in which the â€Å"pike† lurks under the water?s surface, â€Å"logged on last year?s black leaves , watching upwards. The first two stanzas finish with a full stop, which creates the sensation of control control.This suggests that the poet has control of the dangerous fish, â€Å"killers from the egg†, at this stage, when the â€Å"pike† he describes are â€Å"three inches long, perfect†. However, by the fifth stanza, when the poet retells his anecdote about the â€Å"pike† â€Å"we kept behind glass†, at first there are â€Å"three†, then â€Å"suddenly there were two† and â€Å"finally one†, (as it has eaten the others), and this ruthless, cannibal fish, unlike any traditional pet, moves directly into the next stanza, â€Å"with a sag belly and the grin it was born with†.In this next stanza, the sixth, the poet warns the reader that the â€Å"pike† â€Å"spare nobody†. The fish?s brutality is echoed by the poem?s form at this point – the vicious â€Å"pike† has dominated the fish tank an d now dominates the poem, refusing to follow the previous, neat form and escapes from one stanza to the next.Later in the poem the stanzas continue to run seamlessly into each other with enjambement, â€Å"dead in the willow-herb- one jammed past its gills down the other?s gullet†, implying that the poet is losing control of the carnivorous fish and its â€Å"submarine delicacy and horror†. This is a rather long poem, with eleven stanzas, and the poet uses the extended description that runs throughout the whole poem, to emphasise the size of the â€Å"pike† â€Å"six pounds each, over two feet long† and their â€Å"old† age, thereby evoking his sense of being in awe of the fish?s â€Å"submarine delicacy and horror†.This poem focuses on the â€Å"pike†, describing them in close detail, â€Å"green tigering the gold†, and only in the fifth person does the poet introduce the first person, â€Å"we†, (and in the eighth stan za, â€Å"I†). However, from the start, the poet?s choice of language makes clear his feelings about the fish; he shows awe through the use of positive language such as â€Å"perfect†, and â€Å"gold† and â€Å"emerald†, which have connotations of precious wealth.He describes â€Å"pike† as â€Å"stunned by their own grandeur†, implying that he thinks the fish are self-aware and even arrogant, his use of the verb â€Å"stunned† here is almost personification, as if the poet thinks the fish can have the same self-awareness as a human. On the other hand, positive language such as â€Å"dance† and â€Å"grandeur† is juxtaposed against an underlying mood of darkness and evil, which enters the poem in its third line when the fish are presented as â€Å"killers from the egg† and â€Å"malevolent†.Therefore in the first three stanzas, the poet?s attitude is contrasting, seeing both â€Å"delicacy and horror† in the â€Å"pike†. However, in the fourth stanza the poet admits that â€Å"the jaws? hooked clamp and fangs† are â€Å"not to be changed at this date† and this marks a turning point in the poem, with the mood changing to wholly negative, and finally, fearful, with the simile â€Å"as a vice locks† and talking of â€Å"iron† â€Å"instrument† and, explicitly, â€Å"death†.By the ninth stanza the poet says directly that he is afraid, â€Å"I dared not cast†. He describes also â€Å"the hair frozen on my head† and the sensation of something â€Å"that rose slowly toward me, watching†, he presents this as a â€Å"dream†, but the experience conveyed to the reader is more of a nightmare. The poet?s feeling of fear is highlighted by his description of â€Å"the dark pond† coupled with the repetition of â€Å"darkness†.

Dell: Porter’s 5 Forces Essay

Question 1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Although there were many suppliers for computer components, â€Å"microprocessors were supplied by only a handful of companies.† Pg.3. Microsoft and Intel monopolized the suppliers market as, â€Å"between 85% and 90% of computers sold conformed to Microsoft/ Intel Standards.†pg.3. With such a high percentage of computers being sold using Microsoft and Intel it would make it very difficult for any new suppliers to take the lead in this market, making the supplier power high. Threat of Substitutes Computers were a hot item in the U.S, being that â€Å"45.5% of household’s owner a computer in 1998, and the figure was expected to rise to 49.5% by 2000.†pg3. A computer was something new into the market, and no other product nearly compared to its capabilities and complexity. Given that the computer was one of its own kind in this time the threat of other substitutes was very low. Bargaining Power of Buyers Dell created a strong and reliable relationship with its customers. â€Å"Over a thousand outside sales reps spent their time in the field, understanding customer needs, courting customer personnel, helping customers configure their information systems, and promoting Dell’s products and services.† Pg6. Although Dell had put a great effort into their customer service, the prices of the product were a key factor in the success of Dell. â€Å"Customers at retail don’t know what they’re looking for, other than price.† Pg.7. As price appears to be the major deciding factor in product choice, the buyer will be most likely to purchase their product based on price rather than quality of the actual product. Threat of New Entrants Within the market of computers, there is not a great amount of product differentiation, with the exception of Dell directly serving its customers. Without much differentiation new entrants could very easily present a new and different business strategy which could surpass leading market shareholders. The threat of new entrants would be high due to the lacking differentiation, but is also considered medium because of the great amount of existing entrants in the market. With IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Gateway, Dell, and Apple all entering the computer market within a short period of time, we can conclude that it was relatively easy to enter the market. Although it was easy to enter, it was nearly impossible to differentiate, and produce a business plan to succeed in gaining a competitive advantage to already existing competitors. Competitive Rivalry Competition was very high within the computer market, as all the competitors were finding ways to stay competitive by reducing costs and improving sales efforts. â€Å"HP hoped that the program would allow it to reduce price protection to two weeks, cut down defects, and shave 5%-15% off of its prices.†pg.12 In conclusion, the personal computer industry was a very attractive industry to do business in, as the threat of substitutes was very low, and new entrants is medium/high. This means that it would be easy to enter the market, and there were not any other products that compared to the computer. This makes for a very attractive market to do business in. Question 2 Dell was the first and only competitor in the computer market to deal directly with its customers, giving them strong differentiation therefore making them unique. â€Å"You can’t ignore what Dell has done†¦ I could give you a list of names of really large customers who have said to HP, ‘Either do business with us directly or you are not going to do business with us.’†pg.12 Dell used specific tactics through its use of the Dell’s Direct Model in order to ensure the PC industry was an attractive one that it could compete in. Dell realized in order to be successful in this market they needed to set themselves apart from related companies by possessing a variety of differences from like companies appealing to consumers. Dell took advantage of the gap evident in the computer industry by eliminating the use of middlemen such as retailers and distributors. By eliminating the middleman Dell developed an inventory free system, resulting in saving costs and allowing them to be more competitive in the market. â€Å"[The current production system] requires that the whole organization be integrated. You’ve eliminated buffers. When you have no buffers and you have no inventory, the whole organization has to work together. There is no way to let things pile up, because you have no piles.†