Rhetorical essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Rhetorical - Essay Example However, the forthcoming world cup in Brazil has raised numerous concerns among global stakeholders. The infrastructure in Brazil has continuously been an issue of discussion within the global media. The organizers have been placated by the high level of ticket sales that have been observed. The anticipated numbers of visitors to the country during the world cup is expected to exceed the previous tournaments. Straggling stadiums and poor construction practices have threatened the hosting of this global sporting tournament (Vickery). The FIFA world cup remains to be the most watched global event; hence, the increased concerns regarding the capability of Brazil in hosting the event. Within the global media, the fundamental question has been, â€Å"do the Brazilian airports have the capacity to cope with the influx of arrivals?† Despite the optimism of the Brazilian government in the stadiums being ready for the world cup, concerns have been raised regarding the delays (Krasnov). While the stadiums were expected to be ready before January 2014, half of them are still under construction, less than 100 days to the tournament. Continued construction delays and accidents also raise a safety question, as the country has previously had stadiums collapsing. Some of the construction processes have been delayed by collapses and equipment failure. This raises a safety concern for the people who will be watching the event from inside the stadiums. Discontent in the organization has also been present within the host nation’s population. The number of persons watching the world cup is extremely high, and the stakes are similarly high for Brazil not to disappoint the fans. With many stakeholders discontented with the preparation, the national team could make-up by winning the world cup for a record, sixth time. The immense focus on the countrys infrastructure comes from the contrast in the team’s performance. Based on the performance of the

Impact of developing technology on the retail industry Research Paper

Impact of developing technology on the retail industry - Research Paper Example The focus is on improving competitiveness and taking advantage of the available opportunities. The need for shops is increasingly becoming obsolete with the changing technological trends. Online systems have led to the creation of virtual shops that are slowly replacing the convectional shopping centers. This trend is expected to increase with the future predicting a possible phase off for shops. This revolution has been experienced in several sectors, Apple was one of the corporations that championed this paradigm shift through online marketing and use of its applications. Many record shops have been closed in the near past because of the changing patterns in buying of movies and music as initiated by Apple. Purchase of music online has become so prevalent not only in the United States and in Canada but in other countries including the underdeveloped countries. This trend is gaining popularity in the sale of books, Amazon, eBay among others continue to expand for the convenience and efficiency that they give to their customers. Competition has enhanced advancement across the retail markets worldwide. Technology has been the central focus for many retail outlets. Despite the fact that most of the retailers are still on profit, their margins continue to decline. This has prompted a game change that has helped them keep ahead of competition. Home Depot, a company that deals with selling household items has been able to adopt technological changes. The company developed a mobile application that not only did it enhance the customer experience but also facilitated the associates in taking inventory. The company and its customers have received this strategy with a lot of optimism. Competitiveness has also facilitated research in strategies that are predicted to enhance sales as well as increase the customer base. The pressure from competition will force the optimization of the supply chain in order to provide a better customer experience as well as remain on a profi t-making trend. The number of physical stores is expected to dramatically reduce. The so called ‘brick and mortar’ establishments are likely to remain but technological change has to be coupled with the change. However, the change will come with a drastic reduction in these outlets. Another phenomenon expected to be coupled with the reduction in the number of stores is the reduction in their sizes. The main reason for this is the increased business online capable of enhancing the decisions to lease, facilitating merchandising plans and transforming the physical layout. With the reduction of the physical locations and the size of the premises, diversification is of great essence (Sohl, 2012).. The retail market can divert its activities online as well as diversifying to the other areas of the product supply chain. In addition, they can result to offering services. Technology will facilitate the retailers to refocus on customer loyalty while enhancing closeness with the c ustomers. Loyal customers will keep on buying fro the same retailer irrespective of the change. However, in order to facilitate their shopping experience it is obligatory that they keep abreast with change, even loyal customers deserve quality and efficient services. Despite being top on the retail of household items, Home Depot developed a mobil

Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Homeland Security Essay Over the last few decades, a large number of terrorist organizations have sprung up around the world and the United States Homeland Security Policy has rapidly evolved to counter the threats that these terrorist organizations come as. The modes and methods of operation that these organizations use have become increasingly sophisticated and one cannot help but agree that amongst the most prominent of these terrorist organizations is the infamous Al Qaeda (Madsen, 2005). This paper seeks to examine the origin, ideology, infrastructure and history of Al Qaeda and provide an analysis of the United States Homeland Security Policy in light of the destructive potential Al Qaeda holds. By doing so, an analysis will be made of the effectiveness of the current Homeland security policy in light of the terrorist threats that are faced by the United States. The first traces of the establishment can effectively be traced back to the Afghan-Soviet War. It was during this war that the desire to join the Afghan Marxist Regime grew exponentially amongst foreign Arab Mujahedeen. In order to utilize this fervor, the Maktab-al-Khidmat was formed. This organization was formed by Osama Bin Laden And his teacher/mentor Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (Williams, Al Qaeda: Brotherhood of Terror, 2002). Together they established carried out extensive recruitment and fund accumulation from 1984 onwards. This organization had its headquarters in Pakistan and it was the Maktab-al-Khidmat that later evolved into the Al Qaeda and this phase of evolution can be traced to the point where Abdullah Yusuf Azzam began to persuade Osama Bin Laden to channel his own finances and resources into the operation (Global Security, 2008). During the soviet war, the involvement of the United States was primarily through the funding that it provided the afghan mujahedeen (Gerges, 2004). Quite a bit of this funding was done through the Pakistani intelligence agency known as the Inter Services Intelligence Agency. This involvement was code named Operation Cyclone and was designed to deal an indirect defeat to the Soviets. An aspect of the Maktab-al-Khidmat was that even though it did not manage to generate any significant numbers in terms of man power, it still allowed likeminded people from over forty countries to find a platform upon which they could unite and work together for bigger projects. When the war ended, the mujahedeen were back in power within three years time and Afghanistan was once more under the control of religious radicals. In 1988, Osama bin Laden, who had returned to Saudi Arabia, decided to form groups such as the Maktab-al-Khidmat in other parts of the world but at this stage in the evolution of the group, Osama had no desire to develop the group on entirely military grounds. Rather it was Abdullah Yusuf Azzam who considered the element of militarism and aggression to be undeniably important. Osama Bin Laden was later joined by former American special forces member Sergeant Ali Mohammad after Abdullah Yusuf Azzam had been assassinated, investigations carried out later showed that Osama Bin Laden worked closely with Ali Mohammad to devise plans for attacks on various United States civilian and military facilities. Later when the Gulf War began, complications grew between Osama Bin Laden and the Saudi government when the Saudi government chose to resort to asking the United States for support instead of taking up Osama Bin Laden on his offer to provide arms and support in the Gulf War. As a result of these complications, Osama Bin Laden was exiled from Saudi Arabia to Sudan, where he continued his objection against the Saudi government (Williams, The Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism, Organized Crime, and the Coming Apocalypse, 2005). This resulted in Osama bin Laden losing his Saudi passport as well as his Sudanese passport along with the humiliation of being disowned by his family. In these hard times, Osama Bin Laden turned to Afghanistan where he was welcomed by the Taliban. Afghanistan served as the ideal recruiting and training ground that was needed for Al Qaeda to develop itself and to strengthen its infrastructure. After having sought and found refuge in Afghanistan in 1996 (Burke, 2004), Osama Bin Laden began to establish training camps and began to gather local forces under his flag who he found shared his opinions from the time of Abdullah Yusuf Azzam. Ideology Objectives It is believed that the ideology that runs in the Al Qaeda network is one that has been inspired by the writings of Sayyid Qutb who was an author, educator, poet and was considered to be a leading intellectual of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Around the 1950’s and the 1960’s, Sayyid Qutb worked extensively on religious ideologies and published works which denounced the American way of life and the culture that prevailed in the American society. One of the few areas upon which Sayyid Qutb’s work had the most influence was that of Jihad, which is the Arabic term used for the struggle for Islam.   Through the teachings of Sayyid Qutb, the aggressive aspect of jihad became increasingly hostile and violent in its justifications. It is believed that the current set of beliefs that run through the foundations of Al Qaeda are based upon the very same principles of Sayyid Qutb’s political and religious philosophy that justifies the barbaric actions that the Al Qaeda takes today. According to Sayyid Qutb’s philosophies, the more non-Muslim dominance grew, the more justified it became to wage war against these elements. Concepts such as socialism and nationalism are highly criticized and condemned in the beliefs of Sayyid Qutb as were reflected in his teachings. This would explain the momentum that Al Qaeda appears to be gathering the last few years. It is believed that the traditional leader of the Al Qaeda, osama was also   highly influenced by Sayyid Qutb in his days as a student and would relish opportunities to debate upon them and learn more about them. Modern day religious analysts believe that Sayyid Qutb’s teachings served to provide extremists a loop hole through the interpretation of religious scriptures through which they could justify not only their wars but also the techniques that they use in their war. Moreover, interpretations of Sayyid Qutb’s teachings made in the late part of the last century built upon this loophole and reached a degree where it became obligatory to wage war against any and all elements that were non-Islamic. This mutated version of the philosophies of Sayyid Qutb made it obligatory to wage war not only against non-Islamic elements but also against any Islamic elements that refused to join the war. This can be observed to explain the Al Qaeda attacks on muslim countries as well as non-muslim countries. Organizational Structure The core organizational structure is one that centers on the base and develops and operates from that base (Gunaratna, 2003). Al Qaeda follows a Hydra like organizational structure in which distanced modules of the organizations are placed around the world and kept highly active while the central nerve is kept well hidden and it is ensured that information and funding are supplied to the distanced modules to keep them running. This way, Al Qaeda traditionally operates on a centralized leading structure where decision making and resource distribution is managed and coordinated by the center while the execution of the decisions is assigned to the nodes of the organization. However, the modern day organizational structure of Al Qaeda has evolved considerably as a result of the recent measures taken by the United States military with its partners in the war on terrorism (Wright, 2006). It is believed that the measures taken by this war on terrorism have led to the scattering of these nodes to a point where they have become isolated from each other and are operating independently in a majority of their catchment regions. It is believed that this decentralization of the nodes of Al Qaeda has caused the name Al Qaeda to become something of a brand name amongst terrorist organizations. This would explain attacks such as the 7 July London bombings of 2005 in which the involved elements were identified to be more Al Qaeda trained than of Al Qaeda origin (Corbin, 2002). It was attacks such as these that brought forth the fact that Al Qaeda had begun to optimize itself by making use of likeminded elements rather than spending time and resources to establish itself in regions where it desired to carry out operations. This can also be observed to explain the increasing number of Al Qaeda members who are educated and belong to well to do and sophisticated families. The arrests of Al Qaeda personnel made in the last few years have led to the origination of the belief that perhaps Al Qaeda does not operate by itself any more but has either chosen to disperse itself and inject itself into smaller terrorist organizations or has chosen to take on prodigies in the form of smaller terrorist organizations in reply to the increasing number of measures being taken by the coalition of the members of the war against terrorism (Vidino Emerson, 2005). Al Qaeda does not operate solely by its own self, more than often it utilizes smaller more agile terrorist organizations to obtain its objectives. Frequently groups that it has coordinated with include Abu Sayyaf Group from Malaysia, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Jemaah Islamiya from Indonesia and   Lashkar e Taiba from Kashmir. Hierarchy The current hierarchy that Al Qaeda employs is an element that has not been ascertained by American intelligence in its structure. However, the arrests of Al Qaeda personnel have led to an inference in this regard. It is believed that Al Qaeda is divided into seven divisions. The first of these divisions is that of the Shura Council which comprises of the senior Al Qaeda members and where the emir presides. The second and perhaps most active section is the Military Committee which oversees and managers training of personnel, weapon acquisition, arsenal maintenance and strategic planning. The third and perhaps even more significant section is the Business Committee which ensures that consistent funding is maintained through businesses around the world and also handles the responsibility of the providing of false documentation when needed. The Law Committee evaluates the plans to decide whether or not the plans drawn comply with the religious principles that the organization follows. Closely working with this committee is the Study/Fatwa Committee which is in charge of the drawing up and publication of religious edicts (Bajoria, 2008). A media committee was also formed in the late 1990’s but it is believed now that it has been replace by the As-Sahab which is an advanced media production house which is in charge of handling public relations as well as ensuring a supply of the video and audio requirements that the organization requires. The United States Homeland Security Policy The Department of Homeland security was established on the Cabinet level on June 6, 2002 as an enhancement to the White House Office of Homeland Security. It was through the department of Homeland Security that the Patriot Act was passed and it was observed to be one of the most deep reaching and most extensive of measures that had ever been taken by the Bush administration. In order to gain an understanding of the United States Homeland Security Policy it is first essential to gain a concrete understanding of the major events that have shaped its formation in the past and are currently shaping its evolution in the present through their long term implications. When studying the attacks that Al Qaeda has made in its history, it is necessary to understand that it was not merely the destruction because of the attacks that was the cause for concern, but the degree of information acquisition, ammunition and explosive acquirement and intelligence implementation that is staggering. The modus operandi of Al Qaeda involves well educated and sophisticated people who are well funded. This makes the implications of the attacks of this organization all the more profound and deeper in the long run. One of the first attacks that the Al Qaeda staged was in 1992 in Yemen. As per the objectives of the Al Qaeda discussed above, the objective of this attack was to discourage the prevalence of American armed forces elements from proceeding to Somalia in international famine relief efforts. The operation under which the soldiers were moving was Operation Restore Hope and was meant for the sheer purpose of discouraging the American armed forces and the American people. Seven people were injured severely and two people died, all of them were civilians. Formerly, Al Qaeda had chosen to exercise its resources in battle and against military installations. This attack was perceived as a change in the Al Qaeda’s stance towards the war it was waging. It was in this attack that the Al Qaeda first presented justification for the killing of civilians and this aspect of the Al Qaeda’s evolving modus operandi was one that has been the focus of almost every homeland security policy that has developed ever since.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines is current leader among many airline carriers in todays highly competitive transportation industry. In order to maintain such a strong hold on the airline industry, Southwest Airlines utilizes an intense and highly systematic set of marketing strategies. Most of their strategies are centered on offering its consumers low-cost tickets and free baggage checks to fly most anywhere in the United States. Customers can be rest assured that Southwest Airlines will continue to do whatever it can to provide low-cost services. Some of the key issues that will be discussed will include Southwests free baggage policy, its marketing mix strategies, its segmentation principles, as well as a SWOT analysis. Marketing is a vital part of any business and is an integral component of selling any product or service. Whether the business is a small mom and pop operation or a world industry leader, marketing is a part of the business. Southwest Airlines makes total use out of its best resources and abilities to build on its key marketing practices. According to research by Chan, one of Southwests main strategies is that it strives to treat its employees fairly and engages in profit sharing so that their employees collectively own about 10% of the company. Southwest Airlines has a high employee retention rate of at least 92.3% and maintains an enthusiastic work force. Southwests operational strategy is based on six pillars, namely limited passenger service, frequent, reliable departures, short-haul, point-to-point routes between mid-sized cities and secondary airports, very low ticket prices, lean, heavily productive ground and gate crews, and high aircraft utilization. Some of these key factor s, as well as attention to excellence in management competence have launched this company to great success. Because there are many ways to fulfill the needs of the customer, a straight-forward approach is to consider the four Ps of the marketing mix. This paper will examine the marketing mix and give examples of the marketing mix as it pertains to Southwest Airlines. The four elements of the marketing mix are product, place, promotion and price. As in the Product category, segmentation has defined some of the price points. Price (the amount a customer pays) is determined by market share, competition, operational costs, brand or product identity and the customers perceived value of the product. Pricing may increase or decrease with frequency and pricing strategies must be planned and worked daily. The global recession of the last two years has clouded some of the traditional differences, as some resort and upscale brands have discounted heavily to the point where the lower priced properties cannot effectively compete. Hotels should have learned the lessons of the airlines and not just compete based on being the lowest cost. The anger of flyers today for being charged extra for almost everything has opened the way for certain carriers to expand and others to enter what were previously lucrative and exclusive markets. The associates of each of those airlines have major differences as well in how and what to communicate to their travelers. Cash flow is an obvious critical factor and reasonable discounts on a logical basis are often good business practices. Southwest Airlines in the US has been consistently one of the most profitable carriers in the past 20 years and, at times, is the lowest fare provider. A non-technical look at their pricing strategies from only a consumers view will show how they track, demand, and adjust prices accordingly, even in the economic downturn. They are not always the lowest fare in a given market on a given day, but their overall satisfaction ratings demonstrate their ongoing and continued success. Consumers will always remain sensitive for fair prices, discount options and special offers, but competing on price as the major component for success is not viable or logical for long-term . As a Promotion category, southwest is one of many airlines that are increasingly interested in finding more contemporary avenues for advertising. Although, they are still lagging behind other airlines, they are discovering the importance of social media in promotion. Social media sites like twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and even blogging allows Southwest the ability to get the online community to learn more about its low-costs prices and services. As a place category, Southwest Airlines is the fourth largest airline in the US. It flies 64 million passengers per year to 64 cities in 34 states. Southwest Airlines operates a fleet of 388 aircraft of the Boeing 737 type, ranging from the 737-200 to the Next Generation 737-700. Although Southwest Airlines is mainly a point-to-point carrier, there is an increasing amount of transfer traffic on their routes. Major hubs in SWAs network include Las Vegas (185 daily departures), Phoenix (183), and Baltimore/Washington (161). In 2009, Southwest partnered with Coastal Vision 3000, a Northwest Florida business group, in an attempt to position Northwest Florida as one of Americas premier beach destinations. This partnership is working hard to stimulate job growth, economic progress, and provide travelers more options for flying into areas with popular beach destinations. Southwest Airlines, along with Jet Blue, Frontier, and Airtran, are currently leading in low-cost air fare pricing and are continuing to profit while other airlines such as United, US Airways and Delta are suffering economic setbacks (Chan, 2007). Based on this research, Southwest Airlines has not been forced to decrease their flights or lay off many employees even with the ramifications of the events of September 11th on many airline industries. The airline successfully maintained a $2 billion cash reserve prior to September 11th and continues to strive and survive during difficult economic times. Part of its enduring success is associated with effective marketing strategies as well as long-term overall strategies. According to further research by Chan, Southwests primary focus is the creation of a tailored set of best-fit activities. It still carries on much of it philosophies from 30 years ago by offering low cost without the fancy gimmicks offered by other airlines. Southwest has never participated in an in flight meal service or assigned seats and still maintains those same practices in order to keep costs low. Also, according to Chan, Southwest has something known as a linear route structure. The airline uses this method to fly only one specific kind of airplane so that it can stay in high-density markets only. This strategy benefits the airline by allowing it to maintain a strong competitive advantage and high profits. Controversy Over Carry-on Baggage Within the last several years, the discussion of legislation regarding industry-wide standardization on limitations for carry-on baggage has been widely debated throughout the US airline industry. While a number of airline industry-based groups have advocated standardization on the number, size, and weight of bags that would be allowed onto an aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to take any serious action to this point. As a result, the debate over carry-on baggage restrictions still exists and causes unnecessary confusion and difficulty for both the airlines themselves as well as their passengers. As the number of airline passengers has increased in recent years, the number of passengers electing to bring their luggage on board a plane instead of checking their bags has also increased. Some passengers feel that checking their bags will lead to loss, damage, or theft. Others find waiting in check-in lines too time-consuming and opt to check-in at their gate. As a result overhead bins and storage compartments on flights are often overcrowded. These overcrowded bins lead to approximately 4,500 injuries annually in the United States according to Air Safety Week, an industry newsletter. These injuries result from baggage that falls on passengers when bins are opened after arrival or when bins accidentally opening during rough transit. Southwest holds the notable status of being the only country-wide carrier to not charge passengers for second checked bags. Over the past few months, all the Legacy Airlines and most of the low-cost carriers have added a charge for second bags, and American Airlines made an announcement on May 21, 2008 concerning a $15 fee for a first checked baggage, this created a huge uproar. Southwest chief executive Gary Kelly stated that, Its not what customers want, nobody wants to be nickeled and dimed. Other airlines jumped on similar bandwagons by imposing a $25-each-way fee for the second bag checked. (Maxon, 2008) Research by Maxon also noted that Southwest is imposing some fees, on January 29, 2008 is began initiating a $25 fee each way for the second bag checked. According to this research other airlines are also charging for transporting pets, travel by unaccompanied minors, shipping checked items such as antlers and ski gear or getting better seats. Theres no telling how long Southwest will stick with its passenger-friendly fee policy, but during this tough economy, Southwest managed to be the only profitable airline in the first quarter of 2008 and recently ranked as the top U.S. airline in a major customer satisfaction survey. What does it take to succeed in a business as troubled as the airline business? It takes a unique strategic point of view, a long-term commitment to that strategy, and a personality in the marketplace that customers find interesting, engaging, and compelling. That is why Southwest Airlines continues to fly high relative to the competition. In 2009, it was the only major carrier to turn a profit. In 37 years of operation, it has never lost money. Today, it is in the remarkable position of charging some of the lowest fares, paying relatively high wages (unlike its rivals, it has never used bankruptcy court to redo union contracts), and generating the best returns. Unusual, to be sure, but thats what happens when you combine a unique strategy with an engaged and upbeat workforceand you always look for customer-oriented ways to differentiate yourself. Last year, as the other big carriers generated $2 billion in checked-baggage fees, Southwest not only refused to charge for checked bags, but unveiled a hilarious ad campaign to tweak its rivals for doing so. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Most of Southwests strengths are the same reasons why the airline has captured a comparative advantage in the airline industry. Southwest has been able to maintain a low cost approach to flights that has appealed to the budget minded consumer. It is the first airline to â€Å"offer reasonably priced travel packages with low frills and excellent customer service.† (Broughton, 2010) One strategy that Southwest uses to keep their costs low is to purchase only Boeing airplanes. This approach reduces repair costs and provides bulk discounts on purchases. Southwest has made itself very attractive to consumers by offering many customer oriented programs. It is the first airline that offered discounts on flights to senior citizens. In addition, it made the check-in process more efficient by initiating ticketless travel. With the â€Å"no seat assignment† policy, the process of boarding flights is not only time effective but also more cost effective then their competi tors. Southwest Airlines is also the only airline that offers credit on frequent flyer miles based on the number of trips taken with the airline instead of miles traveled. Another customer oriented program that Southwest has adopted is the â€Å"Bags Fly Free Campaign† and a new early bird check-in program that they are hopeful will have a revenue potential generating approximately $18 million dollars. â€Å"The carrier also generated approximately $10 million in revenues from its new pet fare, unaccompanied minor service charges, and excess/heavy baggage fees.† (Gittel, 2009) With more than 3,200 daily flights and 35,000 employees nationwide, Southwest Weaknesses: Although Southwest Airlines has consistently turned a profit that does not mean that they are exempt from weaknesses. Weaknesses refer to the organizational impediments that Southwest must consider when making operational decisions. Southwest does not offer international flights. This decision limits Southwest flight locations to within the continental United States. This weakness over time may become a barrier to increasing sales, as it is shutting out consumers that need to fly internationally. Southwests inability to utilize online booking agents is another weakness that the airline should reconsider. Companies such as Priceline.com and Expedia.com would be able to increase the airlines ticket sales and thus be better able to meet their load capacity. Load capacity is a serious concern to Southwest Airlines, as it represents the total number of passengers required to meet their breakeven point. Southwest Airlines does not use chat communications such as email in its op erations. Electronic forms of communication would provide the airline with a more direct and quicker way to interact with employees and customers. Opportunities: Southwest Airlines has many opportunities which will help them to grow and stay productive. In the past, new technology developments have been one of the many driving forces which enabled growth for Southwest. Applying new technology to make the travel experience more enticing is an opportunity that Southwest continues to pursue. Research and development to advance procedures and services within the industry would help the airline maintain its competitive edge by allowing the airline to introduce new products or services. Southwest should also focus on increasing their ability to advertise on the internet in order to reach a broader range of consumers. Currently, Southwest is planning on extending flights to further destinations. A long term consideration for Southwest Airlines is to expand their flights internationally and to other national markets. The airline is also planning to increase the frequency of 65 flights while decreasing the frequency of 10 flights for a total net gain of 52. In addition, they are considering expanding services to include leisure or business classes. Finally, Southwest has initiated a labor reduction by â€Å"launching a voluntary early-out program to better align staffing with the carriers capacity levels. The company expects annual savings in subsequent years from the program to exceed the cost of the program† (Unknown, 2010) and with these savings Southwest can invest in other opportunities to maintain its success. Threats: The threats that Southwest Airlines are faced with are situations, events or conditions that are faced by all airlines within the entire airline industry. One of the biggest threats that Southwest has had to face since 9/11 is the decline in the number of travelers for leisure. Many travelers since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have opted to travel by car instead of flying out of fear. Since 9/11 there have been numerous terrorist attempts on airplanes. The most recent one was Christmas day 2009. In order for Southwest to continue to grow and survive in the airline market they must continue to communicate to their customers their dedication to the security of their passengers. In addition, Southwest must stand by their commitment by increasing airport security, which has and will continue to increase their costs on an annual basis. Another threat that the airline industry must contend with is the governments ability to create and execute new regulations that will affect airlines such as Southwest. Many of these regulations can increase operating costs. One such regulation includes restrictions on the types of aircraft used and limits on the number of operations. The biggest threat to the airline industry is the fluctuation in gas and oil prices. Southwest has managed to establish fuel hedging contracts in the past which has given them the advantage over their competitors. However, these contracts are expiring and if Southwest cannot successfully renegotiate these contracts, they run the risk of subjecting themselves to higher fuel costs. This could have a negative impact on not only their future customer fares but also their profits as well. To date, they have revised their fuel hedge portfolio to include derivative contracts in place for approximately 50% of their estimated 2010 fuel consumption. This revision has lowered their first quarter 2010 expected hedging premium costs by $30 million, which is $15 million lower than the fourth quarter 2009 costs. Market Segmentation Market segmentation is among the most powerful weapons in the marketing arsenal. Joyce Rogge the vice president of marketing for Southwest states that, Our goal is to become the preferred airline in each city that we serve.†. Southwest is consciously focusing on targeting various customer bases. The companys campaign has concentrated on attracting the African American demographic that remains prevalent in as many as 24 of 59 regions that Southwest Airlines serves. (Churchill, 2001) Southwest decided to partner with BETs (Black Entertainment Television) Black College Football Classic Coverage, ESPN, and National Football League games to target the male 25-54 demographic. The airline has used these avenues as well as partnerships with Pizza Hut and Disney as part of their increasing advertising budget to target key demographic markets. With respect to the psychographic category, Southwest is meeting the cost conscious needs of flyers. Airline carriers like Delta, United, and American have battled for higher margins by indulging the price-insensitive business traveler, thereby effectively leaving behind a large number of consumers who hunt for bargains. As competing airlines have continued to increase costs to cater to customers who require plush seats, better wines, and airport lounges, Southwest found the need to appeal to the comparatively undemanding flyer who absolutely had to travel but was not willing to pay the high fees charged by other carriers. Southwest has entered into a variety of intended geographic markets to include openings in Florida, Baltimore, and even Long Island where there is a shuttle service to Boston. In other words, Southwest arrives where customers are, rather than spending time and effort to build traffic. This and other tactics have attributed to 23 years of profits for Southwest. (Haas, 2010) Although, segmentation is a great way to uncover growth markets, current segmentation practices often blind companies to market disruption-the most valuable kind of innovation. CONCLUSION Southwest has long been regarded as a benchmark in its industry for operational excellence. Southwest Airlines is a fine example of a company that is committed to its core competencies and efficient operations to drive its low cost structure, outstanding delivery of customer service, and innovative HR management practices. It has the lowest costs and strongest balance sheet in its industry. This airline might face many challenges in the future such as an increase in labor costs, fuel costs and competition from other low cost carriers. However, it still has the comparative advantage within the airline industry. Southwests competitors will not be able to grow as quickly as Southwest. In order for the competition to grow at a faster rate they would have to operate at a cost equal or lower than Southwest. Southwest Airlines has taken all of the above factors into consideration in an effort to maintain itself as one of the top contenders in an ever changing industry. References: Chan, B. (2007, August). Why is Southwest Airlines one of the Best Low Cost Airlines? Retrieved from http://fishtrain.com/2007/08/21 Maxon, T. (2008, June). New Southwest Airlines ad campaign targets other airline fees. The Dallas Moring News. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/053108dnbusairnickel.3633d88 Southwest Airlines Announces Service from Northwest Floridas New International Airport Near Panama City Beach, Florida. Southwest News Release. Retrieved from http://www.southwest.com/swamedia/pfnPressRelease.html?int=HOMEWNEW03CTYPFN Churchill, R. (2001, April). Southwest Airlines Powering a Sales Liftoff-Southwest Airlines Co. advertising targets African-Americans-Brief Article-Statistical Data Included. Brandweek. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BDW/is_14_42/ai_72981547 Gittell, Jody. The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance. McGraw-Hill Trade. December 19, 2009. Harvey, G., Turnbull, P. (2010). On the Go: walking the high road at a low cost airline. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(2), 230. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global Jackson, W., Jackson, M. (1 July). Southwest Airlines: The Next Fight Begins. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies,65-81. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. Russell, Matthew, Southwest Airlines: An Industry Leader, February 2010, http://www.associatedcontent.com. Smooth Landing Research Associates, Southwest Airlines, Cornell Universitys Johnson Graduate School of Management, 1997. Southwest Airlines Press Release, Southwest Airlines Reports Fourth Quarter Profit and 37th Consecutive Year of Profitability, January 2010, http://phx.corporate-

A Comparison of East of Eden and Candide :: compare and contrast essay examples

East of Eden and Candide In the midst of 80s nostalgia and remembering the greatness that was this decade, I don't want readers to think that "children of the 80s," are oblivious to great, classic literature and today's current events. Recently, I have read two incredibly amazing books. Furthermore, I have noticed some interesting parallels. The first is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. This novel is an unbelievably grandiose recreation of the Book of Genesis. Salinas County is depicted as a place of incredible purity and innocence, in which people have simple values and work hard to sustain them. In contrast, there is Monterrey, a seedy, dirty, yet attractive town filled with brothels, bars, factories, and ports. Some sort of warped destiny once joined Mr. Trask to Kate, the union of good and evil. As a result, she gives birth to twins, Aaron and Caleb. Both Mr. Trask and Aaron embody all that is good, whereas Kate and Cal embody all that is evil. Cal often goes to Monterrey, and upon finding out that his mother is still alive as well as being the head of the most prestigious brothel in town, he seeks her out. After repeatedly being underestimated and rejected by his father, Cal decides that the ultimate revenge will be to take his brother Aaron to meet his mother. He was right? Upon hearing the news, Mr. Trask has a stroke, and Cal feels incredibly guilty. The last few chapters of this book compose the most intense writing or probably even the most intense experiences that I have ever had. Lee, the family's loyal servant, repeatedly notes a passage in the Bible, in which it is made clear that any individual, regardless of past experiences or trauma, has a choice in life. The fact that humans have the ability to always make this crucial choice and use a superior rational is what sets us apart from other species. Even though Mr. Trask is virtually a vegetable and at the brink of death, Lee begs that he show some sign that he has forgiven his son Cal or the cycle will not be broken. Cal will continue to be a resentful rogue, who feels unloved and has no direction. This simple idea is extended through and endless number of pages. I have never read so fast and understood so much in my entire life, not that my life is really that long yet.

Evaluate One Philosophical Theory That Tries to Deal with Agrippa’s Trilemma.

Evaluate one philosophical theory that tries to deal with Agrippa’s Trilemma. Agrippa’s Trilemma gives us the three possibilities when trying to justify a belief. The first is that our beliefs are unsupported; the second that there is an infinite chain of justification; the third being that there is a circular chain of justification. One theory that tries to deal with this is foundationalism, which suggests the first option of Agrippa’s Trilemma is true. Throughout this essay I will argue why although one of the more popular theories, it still has its flaws.Foundationalism suggests that the first option of Agrippa’s Trilemma- that there are beliefs that can be unsupported- is correct for certain ‘foundational’ beliefs. The epistemic regress argument, as explained well Richard Fumerton, shows how this is likely to be the case. It’s best to explain this with an example. Let’s say, a man comes up to you and tells you it is going to rain tomorrow, and as evidence he says ‘because the winds are going to change direction’. You ask him why he thinks this, and he says he just ‘has a feeling’.Naturally you take this as nonsense, a poor justification for his claim, and don’t believe him. This shows us then that to be justified in believing something, P, because of E, you must be justified in believing E. However, let’s say his justification for believing E- that the winds were changing bringing rain- was that he saw it in a gypsy’s crystal ball. Though he may think this is a good justification because he believes in that sort of thing, you are sceptical and again dismiss his claim.This brings us to expand our first principle to what is known as the Principle of Inferential Justification (PIJ): ‘To have justification for believing P on the basis of E one must not only have (1) justification for believing E, but (2) justification for believing that E makes probable P . ’ (Fumerton, 2002) From the PIJ we can easily show how the epistemic regress argument unfolds. Going back to the example, if you were to believe P, there must be another proposition you could legitimately infer it to be true; E1.But, surely the only way E1 could justify you that P is true is if E1 is itself justified, and if justification is inferential then it would mean E1 would have to be legitimately inferred from another proposition; E2. As you can see this would go on and on infinitely, hence why it’s a ‘regress’ argument (Fumerton, 2002). The solution would be to reach a proposition that didn’t need any further justification, one that was noninferential- self-justifiable- and so could be a ‘foundational’ belief.One foundational belief thought up by Rene Descartes is that he existed, in his famous Cotigo Ergo Sum ‘I think, therefore I am’ meditation (Descartes, 1641). From being sure of his existence he then tried t o build more beliefs, which is how foundationalism works. The idea of his existence is, to him, infallible, and therefore it could theoretically be used as foundation on which to build more beliefs. However, even such foundations such as the existence of one’s self can be called into question. It is believed that truly infallible beliefs are very few, or arguably do not exist at all (Pritchard, 2006, 41).This is a problem because, even if a truly infallible belief or beliefs can be deduced, they would be too few and too narrow to be able to build a complex series of beliefs on top of. What I mean by this is that the path from basic foundational beliefs to derived beliefs would be very tricky to bridge. Pritchard used the example of believing 2+2=4 as infallible. How then, he argued, would he deduce from this belief that he is sitting at his desk? The problem with suggesting the foundational belief must be infallible is that it is too strict. Logical entailment’- where p logically follows a proposition q, therefore p cannot be true without q being true- is a key part of foundationalism, and so foundationalists with the belief that foundational beliefs must be truly infallible have to deal with this problem (Foundationalism, n. d. ). In response to this, Pritchard goes on to say you could argue that fallible beliefs perhaps could be used as a foundation. The reasoning for this is because infallible beliefs are too strict so perhaps the only option is to open up to such beliefs.An example would be sensory beliefs; perhaps these should be accepted as foundational beliefs. However he acknowledges that this does create another problem: that you would have to argue why you think these deserve to be foundational beliefs. Surely though, sensory beliefs such as ‘there is a book on my desk because ‘I can see it’ have some doubt, and still require justification of their own? The doubt I am referring to is you could, however unlikely, be ha llucinating the book and therefore are not fully justified in believing it is there.Your senses cannot be fully trusted. You would have to then justify, surely, ‘how do you know your eyes are seeing a book and your brain isn’t just hallucinating’, and by doing this you are proving that sensory beliefs are not fully grounded foundational beliefs. This argument is similar to the ‘evil demon argument’ and dream argument’, as they also dismiss sensory beliefs as foundational (Descartes, 1641). This shows that fallible beliefs also have their problems. Some argue that these non-inferential justified beliefs simply don’t exist.Let’s say that statement P is claimed to be a non-inferential justified belief. For subject S to be justified in believing P is true, he must have a reason. He must also therefore have a belief in which gives him this reason to justify his believing in P. But how can this be, that S relies on another belief? By b eing inferentially justified, it has just contradicted itself (Pojman, n. d). However a counter for this by some foundationalists would simply be that there needn’t be a reason for believing P but P itself, as is the definition of a ‘self-justifiable’ belief.So, I believe the argument for foundationalism is a good one because as finite beings we cannot deal with an infinite chain of justifications. There must be a bottom, such as Descartes foundational belief. I cannot, however, ignore the arguments against foundationalism. Fallible beliefs should be dismissed as they are flawed from the start, because claiming a belief that can be doubted as fully-grounded is doomed to fail from the start. The problem of moving basic beliefs on to more complex derived beliefs is harder to counter, but I’d still say that infallible foundational beliefs are still the strongest argument for foundationalism.Perhaps it is just that no philosopher has yet discovered undeniable non-inferrential foundational beliefs so far. Word count – 1140 Bibliography Descartes, R (1641) ‘Meditations on First Philosophy’, in John Cottingham (ed) ‘Meditations on First Philosophy: Cambridge University Press, 13-15, 17 Fumerton, R. (2002) ‘Conditions and Analyses of Knowing’, in Moser, P. (ed. ) The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology Oxford: OUP, 204-33. Foundationalism. (1999) [ONLINE] Available at: ]. Pojman, [ONLINE] Available at: [Accessed 18 November 12] Pritchard, D. (2006) What is this thing called knowledge? London: Routledge, 39-41

Develop your organizational culture and leadership  - TheJobNetwork

Develop your organizational culture and leadership   - TheJobNetwork A critical task for any HR professional is to help ensure that their company’s organizational culture and leadership accurately and effectively reflects its values, beliefs, and mission. How does your company fare in this critical area?In today’s impossibly crowded business climate, having a clearly developed culture and identity is essential for an organization. According to Inc., â€Å"Culture has always been important, but today, it’s becoming more than just a buzzword. Culture is an important differentiator to set your company apart from the competition. It’s also what attracts the right talent and brings in the right customers†¦ Plus, with more than 30% of the workforce now made up of Millennials,  according to the Pew Research Center, culture is more important than ever. Millennials want to work for companies that share their same values. They want to feel like their work has a purpose and makes a difference. In short, they want a good cultur e fit.†With companies eager to rise above the noise in their respective industries and connect with their target audiences, all in an effort to be successful, a key piece of the puzzle is developing an organizational culture and presence that’s transparent and elicits positive feelings- both from within the company and from prospective customers. Inc. identifies four primary factors why this is so important:Culture builds brand identity.Your company’s personality and how your organization is perceived by the world at large help form your brand identity. According to Inc., culture is what tells the world who you are as a brand. â€Å"The more your audience understands and identifies with your brand, the more they’ll want to buy from you.† Everyone wants to feel like you’re talking to them personally, and in order to do that, you have to establish a company vibe that people can relate to.Culture increases loyalty among employees.Do you want you r company’s employees to love coming to work each day and feel a loyalty toward helping fulfill your organization’s mission (beyond their paychecks)? Of course you do, and the best way to make this happen is to help them connect with your company’s core culture. According to Inc., â€Å"Companies with a strong culture have employees who like the challenges of their job, get along well with their co-workers and enjoy the atmosphere of the workplace†¦ Culture gives employees a driving goal and purpose for what they do. It connects your leadership team with the rest of the employees and binds them with a set of shared beliefs. Your employees want to feel like they are contributing to something larger than themselves.†hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Culture attracts and retains talent.A company with a strong culture and well-perceived brand identity does not have to work very hard to attract and retain top talent from around the world- rather, it will attract talent to you. Once people are a part of your team, they’ll be energized and continually drawn to supporting your organization’s core goals and mission. It will make your job as an HR professional easier while helping your company to operate at peak levels- a real win-win.Culture makes advocates out of employees.When employees genuinely feel good about the work they do and the company they work for, they become effective brand advocates. According to Inc., â€Å"It’s true that good talent knows [good talent]. And when your employees are happy with their work, they are more likely to share with others. They’ll spread the word about their positive experience with your company, and you’ll soon gain a strong reputation.†Hopefully, it’s now clear why having a well-developed organizational culture and supportive leadership structure is important for the health and success of your company. But as an HR professional, how do you affect real organizational change in an effort to develop and maintain your culture? The Society for Human Resource Management recently published an article that discusses the role of HR professionals in the development of organizational culture and outlines key steps you can take to make positive, lasting change.According to the article, â€Å"The key to running a successful organization is to have a culture based on a strongly held and widely shared set of beliefs that are appropriately supported by strategy and structure. When an organization has a strong culture, three things happen: Employees know how top management wants them to respond to any situation, employees believe that the expected response is the proper one, and employees know that they will be rewarded for demonstrating the organization’s values.†As an HR professional, you play a key role in this cultural development. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, â €Å"Strategic thinking and planning must extend beyond merely meeting business goals and focus more intently on an organization’s most valuable asset- its people.†To this end, HR professionals should focus on building a strong organizational culture by:Being a role model for the organization’s beliefsReinforcing organizational valuesEnsuring that organizational ethics are defined, understood and practicedEnabling two-way communications and feedback channelsDefining roles, responsibilities, and accountabilitiesProviding continuous learning and trainingSustaining reward and recognition systemsEncouraging empowerment and teamsPromoting a customer-supplier work environmentRecognizing and solving individual and organizational problems and issuesOnce a strong organizational culture is set in place, HR professionals can do a great deal to maintain the work done in this area, including the following:Mindful hiring practices, including looking at the organization’ s vision and mission and conducting cultural fit interviewsOnboarding programs that help employees become enmeshed in the organization’s cultural frameworkReward and recognition programs that incentivize employees whose behavior supports the company’s values and missionThere you have it- some helpful background on the power of organizational culture and leadership, along with effective tools for building and maintaining your organization’s brand identity. Use the strategies and advice presented here to help set up your company for lasting success!