Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 1179 Words

Winston Churchill once said, â€Å"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.† Many believe that courage is the ability to do something that is challenging and requires lots of effort, but that is not all. According to Psychology Today, six attributes of courage include feeling fear yet choosing to act, following one’s own heart, persevering in the face of adversity, standing up for what is right, expanding one’s horizons, and facing suffering with dignity and faith. People in the real world can show unexpected and overlooked forms of courage, just like Atticus Finch does in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. The setting takes place in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, where a young girl named Scout Finch learns to see the lively views of society. Maycomb society is characterized by racism hypocrisy, prejudice, and fear. Scout lives with his brother Jem and his father Atticus, who is a well-known lawyer in town. Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the loneliest girl in the whole town. After the jury debates over the verdict, Tom Robinson is guilty for what he has done and gets sentenced to prison. Mr. Bob Ewell, father of Mayella, wins the court case, and starts to go after the Finch kids with his pocket knife. Boo Radley, a neighbor who has not gone out for many years, notices this and peacefully saves the Finch kids from Mr. Ewell. Lee clearly demonstrates throughShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mother. With that bein g said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the difference between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom R obinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee873 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that â€Å"it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil. Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the bird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the story in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was poverty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to c hildren or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreHarper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird931 Words   |  4 PagesHarper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngestRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, herRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,

Corporate Responsibility Essay - 2011 Words

Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Examine Apple’s current position on the company’s ethical and social responsibilities, and determine whether or not the company has met these responsibilities. Provide two (2) examples that support your position. In addition to maximizing profits, one of the main objectives to many corporations today is to be well known for their responsible management and ethical performance. Apple is one of the most important companies throughout the world because of its size and their innovative products and services (Sanchez-Barajas, 2012). Nevertheless, innovation is what drives the sector development and the basis for the economic development. Furthermore, Apple has created about 514,000 jobs in†¦show more content†¦The company has been accused of turning the blind eye as their suppliers pollute the country of China (Hay, 2013). Toxic discharges have been trespassing the communities. These large volumes of discharge within the supply chain have caused great danger to the health and safety of the public. This was not the first time where Apple was scrutinized for environmental infractions and their secretive supply chain management in Chines manufacturing factories, where there products are assembled (Gray, 2013). Suggest two (2) methods that Apple can utilize to ensure that its suppliers adhere to wage and benefits standards going forward. Justify your response One method I would suggest to Apple is to make sure that the suppliers are held accountable for any wrongdoings. My next suggestion would be for Apple to have surprise visits to their supplier’s manufacturing facilities. Apple should start tracking the work hours of the suppliers themselves and not rely solely on what the supplier has to say. Furthermore the procurement team must interact with suppliers on a daily basis to make sure their labor demands are met. According to Supplier Responsibility (2014), Apple began tracking the weekly work hours for nearly 1 million workers; also they begin to publish their findings on a monthly basis. As a result, nearly 92% of contractors were in compliance with the companyShow MoreRelatedCorporate Social Responsibility : Corporate Responsibility773 Words   |  4 PagesCorporate social responsibility may also be referred to as corporate citizenship and can involve spending finances that do not directly benefit the company but rather advo cate positive social and environmental change. The soul in the next economy forum presentation made it evident that achieving corporate social responsibly in a company can reap major benefits in terms of finances, more inspiring workplace and customer satisfaction. In the past, companies mistakenly thought that corporate socialRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Corporate Responsibility2819 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction For the past years, corporate social responsibility also referred, as corporate conscience has been a respected subject for discussion. Corporate social responsibility, unquestionably, contains more viewpoint than simply worried about the ecological impacts of associations. It came in people groups mind at the later 1880, time of essential modern advancement that associations ought to think about the thought of social obligation. Associations that are near to social obligation issuesRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility1990 Words   |  8 PagesCorporate social responsibility is becoming a key initiative and an essential tool in the growth of multinational corporations and the development of third world countries throughout the globe. The two concepts can work hand in hand to provide benefits for all; however difficulties in regulating and implementing corporate social responsibility need to be overcome before effective changes can be made. Definitions of corporate social responsibility can be somewhat varied depending on the perceptionRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility1904 Words   |  8 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility The different aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been the topic of considerable debate since the last decades of the twentieth century. Main factor for the increased interest on the part of stakeholders in this topic are the increased public awareness and interest in the corporate social responsibility following the Information Revolution. This essay will assess the dangers and benefits of the business ethics for most of the stakeholders – employeesRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Ethics1468 Words   |  6 Pagesfact that your business exists in the environment, the responsibility of this depends on many stakeholders, such as local communities, customers, employees and suppliers. On the other hand the way the products are produced and manufactured has a significant impact on the environment. In this context the concept of corporate social responsibility has great relevance for the survival of any business. In corporate terms, social re sponsibilities promote companies to maintain a closer relationship withRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibilities2100 Words   |  9 Pagesexist without destroying the social and natural environment during development. The sustainability includes three pillars, which are economic, social and environment, forming a triple bottom line. The triple bottom line demands that a company s responsibility lies with stakeholder rather than shareholder. The stakeholder is a party who can be affected or affect by the action of the company such as shareholders, employee, government, customers or suppliers. The company should serve a wide range of interestsRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility15903 Words   |  64 PagesCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) is a term describing a company’s obligation to be accountable to all of its stakeholder in all its operation and activities. Socially responsible companies consider the full scope of their impact on communities and the environment w hen making decisions, balancing the needs of stakeholder with their need to make profit. A company’s stakeholders are all those who are influenced by and can influence a company’s decisions and action, both locally and globally. BusinessRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Corporate Responsibility2819 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction For the past years, corporate social responsibility also referred, as corporate conscience has been a respected subject for discussion. Corporate social responsibility, unquestionably, contains more viewpoint than simply worried about the ecological impacts of associations. It came in people groups mind at the later 1880, time of essential modern advancement that associations ought to think about the thought of social obligation. Associations that are near to social obligation issuesRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Corporate Responsibility2818 Words   |  12 PagesFor the past years, corporate social responsibility also referred, as corporate conscience has been a respected subject for discussion. Corporate social responsibility, unquestionably, contains more viewpoint than simply worried about the ecological impacts of associations. It came in people groups mind at the later 1880, time of essential modern advancement that associations ought to think about the thought of social obligation. Associations that are near to social obligation issues got to be worryRead MoreCorporate Responsibility And Corporate Social Responsibility Essay1867 Words   |  8 PagesStevan Jakovljevic Professor Laud MGT 3550 Values, Ethics and Sustainability 10/18/16 Chapter 3: Define corporate responsibility (CSR). Describe the benefits. Why do some executives support CSR while others find it troublesome and argue against it? Corporate social responsibility is what a company uses to self-regulate itself and refers to business practices involving initiatives that benefit society. A business’s CSR can encompass a wide variety of tactics, from giving away a portion of a company’s

Gallipoli Free Essays

Gallipoli Essay Gallipoli is a movie directed by Peter Weir that was released in 1981. It stars Mel Gibson as Frank Dunne and Mark Lee as Archie Hamilton. The film is about several young men from rural Western Australia (WA) who enlist for the Australian Army in May 1915, around the time that Australia first entered the great war. We will write a custom essay sample on Gallipoli or any similar topic only for you Order Now The film has three main settings and three main acts. Act one is set in WA, act two is set in Cairo, Egypt during the Australian Army training camps. And the third and final act is set in Gallipoli. During the course of the movie Archie and Frank slowly lose their innocence about the purpose of war. Through out the film Peter Weir uses film techniques such as symbolic, written, audio and technical codes (SWAT codes) to influence the viewer to have a sympathetic view towards Frank and Archie. In Peter Weir’s tragedy Gallipoli the viewer is made to feel sympathetic towards Frank through the use of SWAT codes. The viewer is first introduced to Frank Dunne in the second scene of the film in an unknown rural region of WA. When the viewer is first introduced to Frank he is with his mates and they are discussing whether to join the infantry or not. All of Frank’s mates are on board but Frank is not convinced. â€Å"If you want to go and get yourselves blown up then by all means join up. † This example symbolises how Frank is more worldly and has an idea about what really happens in war. This quote also makes the viewer immediately feel sympathetic towards Frank as that viewer gets the feeling that he’s going to leave his mates and have to be alone. This then changes when that when we realise that Frank is going to the Kimberly gift to run this is when the viewer learns that Frank is also a runner however he decides to put a bet on himself to win but the viewer can see through the use of technical codes that although he is confident enough to bet on himself he is still worried about losing the money. The use of technical codes makes this clear as the viewer is shown a close up on Franks face which has an anxious expression. This example from the film makes the viewer immediately feel sympathetic towards Frank as the viewer can see how worried Frank is about losing possibly his last bit of money through the use of SWAT codes and in this case the use of technical codes. There are many other scenes where Frank is seen to be running in most cases when he is running it usually turns out to be successful. This is also backed up through the use of sound codes. â€Å"Oxygene† by Jean-Michel Jarre is heard whenever Frank is running and in every case he usually turns out to be something happy associated the music. However this is used as a trap to the viewer when the song is once again played when Frank is running from officer Barton to General Gardiner. Immediately the viewer begins to think as though something good will happen as whenever â€Å"Oxygene† is played the viewer associates it with something positive. However it becomes obvious that something bad has happened when we see Archie get killed by Turkish soldiers. This example of the use of an audio code clearly shows how SWAT codes are used through out the film to influence the viewer to have a sympathetic view towards Frank. Through out Peter Weir’s film Gallipoli Frank becomes a character that the viewer becomes quite attached to as his character is displayed through out the film. He is seen as a wise, cunning athlete who the viewer becomes very sympathetic towards. This becomes clear from the examples which have been given in the text above. In Peter Weir’s film Gallipoli The viewer is made to feel sympathetic towards Archie. The viewer is made to feel this way through the use of SWAT codes. The viewer is first introduced to Archie in the very first scene of the Peter Weir’s film Gallipoli. The viewer is given a written code saying â€Å"Western Australia, May, 1915† This written code immediately makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards Archie as it is discovered that he is alive during the time that Australia first entered the great war the viewer also immediately makes the assumption that Archie is going to join up as written codes have suggested in the credits. Evidence of this written code that suggests that Archie may join up is in the opening credits. In gothic, blood red text the title says: â€Å"Gallipoli†. This example again makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards Archie as one may get the feeling that something bad may happen to him. Archie’s appearance is another characteristic that makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards him. Archie’s appearance is of a young faced tanned, blonde haired ‘typical Australian’. His appearance also symbolises Australia as a nation in being that it is a very young country. This symbolic code that Peter Weir has used helps the viewer feel sympathetic towards Archie as the viewer may feel that he is just too young o go to war. In the examples given above it becomes clear how the viewer is positioned to have a sympathetic view towards Archie through the use of SWAT codes. Overall I enjoyed Peter Weir’s film ‘Gallipoli’ I found that it had a sad yet comedic view to it and showed the Australian culture during the early years of its federation. The film also showed how nothing good comes out of war and that ma ny young people with infinite potential such as Frank and Archie were killed because of some body else’s war. The film also made the viewer feel in a sympathetic way towards the main characters Frank and Archie. The viewer is positioned to feel this way through the use of film techniques known as SWAT codes. Examples of when these codes are used are shown through out the film have been shown in text above via examples of speech quotes from the film, camera angle and technique analysis, audio analysis, and written text quotes. Through all these examples of where SWAT codes have been used it becomes very clear how the viewer begins to have a sympathetic view towards Frank and Archie. How to cite Gallipoli, Papers

Culture of the Nursing Workplace Free-Samples for Students

Question: Write an Academic Paper on Workplace Culture. Answer: Introduction In every setting, every healthcare organization is often formed to with the aim of achieving certain healthcare objectives and goals. The formation of the organization often brings together different individuals and creates a common platform that motivates them to deliver their best depending on the assigned roles within the organization. According to Henriksson and Kiessling (2016), a healthy workplace culture is a kind that enables other clinical stakeholders to experience valuable learning and suits the atmosphere needed for the nurses to perform their duties. Safe patient care often requires an evidenced based centered framework as it is essential in achieving positive patient outcomes. The necessary support required for the implementation of effective health care and positive health outcomes hence depend majorly on the nature of the workplace culture of the clinical setting. This essay focuses on workplace culture as the major concept of discussion by presenting the general conc ept, theoretical and practical underpins as well as its relevance to the clinical setting. Background information on the workplace culture In their study, Jamieson and Tuckey (2017) point out that workplace culture is a concept that mainly deals with studying the beliefs, attitudes, and thought the process of employees in an organization. The concept hence evaluates the principles and ideologies of an organization as it is the major determinant of the nature of the interaction of the employees with one another as well as the functionality of the organization. Roberts, Demarco, and Griffin (2012) denote that in the language of a layman, workplace culture is the mentality of the workforce that further determines the performance, operations, and success of an organization. Therefore, in the clinical setting, workplace culture plays a vital role in extracting the best out of the nurses within a clinical environment hence giving them to reason to stick to working in the organization for a longer time. Achieving an effective workforce within a healthcare organization hence needs to provide a positive ambiance to all the emplo yees including the professional and the non-professionals (Finn and O'Fallon 2017, p. 495). In a systematic review, Kim and Oh (2016) denote that there are different views presented by scholars when it comes to the concept of a good, effective, or strong workplace culture. However, from different reviews of other researchers concepts, the study denotes that a strong workplace culture within an organization occurs when the employees happily follow the rules and regulations of the organization. Such an environment also motivates employees to adhere to the regulations and existing guidelines so as to achieve the set goals in the process of executing their duties. Without the motivation, the employees get to be reluctant in following the instructions set by the organization and only strict procedures and follow-ups can push them to work, an aspect that describes a poor work setting and a weak culture. The nature of a good workplace culture In their study, Boyer and Guay (2015) point out that the challenges often faced by the healthcare industry currently require the clinical settings and healthcare systems to adopt the application of all the possible and available resources with the aim of reducing the cost of care while improving the quality of healthcare. However, many organizations often fail in realizing one of its greatest resources and the key success of every initiative of the organization, the welfare of the employees. However, to attract and retain skilled and productive employees requires the clinical setting to necessitate a nurturing environment that rewards, encourages, and innovates through material and non-material benefits. Suominen (2015) asserts that intangible benefits such as recognition and respects are more than just the tangible benefits such as good compensation and health insurance are necessary. In other words, the success of an organization depends on the workplace culture adopted by the orga nization as it will determine the nature of the employees behavior and work towards their roles in achieving the set goals. According to Hahtela (2015), a healthy workplace culture is characterized by many factors. Equality in the treatment of the employees is essential as the opposite will only lead to their demotivation and ineffective workplace culture. The management should thus not give special favors to other employees while valuing the relationship between them to be essential than that of the other employees in the workplace, an aspect that requires that all personal relationships take a backseat within the working environment. On the contrary, Kim and Oh (2016) denote that such issues can only be experienced when there are no policies to govern them. In other words, a healthy workplace culture should adopt employee friendly practical guidelines and policies that will govern not only their relationships but their general performance. For instance, pushing the clinical nurses to be on duty even late at night on their birthdays is very impractical as regulations and rules should be made in benefit o f the employees to ensure that they maintain the decorum of the healthcare setting. A healthy workplace culture should as well encourage openness and suitable environment for discussion on matters affecting both the employees and the organization. Menguc, Auh, Katsikeas, Yeon (2016) point out that the culture should motivate employees to share issues amongst themselves with the aim of reaching effective conclusions while everyone is at liberty of sharing their views. Such a workplace culture will also encourage the managers and team leaders to frequently interact with the subordinates to encourage transparency that is essential at all levels and will create better relationships. With openness and discussion in sharing views, issues such as manipulation of information or clinical data to suit personal objectives while causing harm to other employees will be eliminated. Free discussions can as well be achieved by promoting team building activities that will bind them together. According to Pasqual (2013), performance appraisal is an essential part of a healthy workplace culture but is mostly adopted by business organizations with the aim of promoting more sales by rewarding employees for good performance. However, appreciation of top performers is essential even in the healthcare setting. Praising employees for their good work will not only make them feel like part of the organization but will also motivate them to offer their best and make them feel indispensable for the workplace. Rather than just firing, clinical managers should often play a servant leadership role for those who display poor performance as a way of showing them an example and also helping them to pull up in their areas of weaknesses. Sheep (2016) denotes that a healthy workplace culture can only be promoted effectively by bosses who act more like mentors to the employees. In that manner, they will be viewed as a source of inspiration as they provide a sense of direction to the employees while guiding them whenever there is a need. Theoretical and Practical Underpinnings of the Workplace Culture In a clinical setting, Pennefather (2016) denotes that there are different competing variables that have a direct influence on the operation and success of the organization as well as the nature of response displayed by employees towards their duties in the workplace. A healthcare setting is characterized by different facets of conflicting needs for families, institutions, patients, providers, government and healthcare policies, standards, and regulations that tend to create various mixed messages and inconsistencies. Together with the issues of hierarchy, a clinical setting also has silos where every unit or role independently operates without evaluating and understanding the underlying consequences and full implications of their actions to others. In a systematic review, Choi, Oh, and Colbert (2015) denote that such complexities and issues of conflicting interests often create a blame culture within the workplace, an aspect that is considered very pervasive in the clinical setting. According to Elder and McNamara (2013), healthcare as a professional has often been perceived as a role of sole medical professionals working with individual patients. As a result, there is often a blame game of reactions of trying to determine who was at fault so as to find a way of disciplining them to prevent future dangers that can be imposed by patients in case something did not go well with the healthcare procedures or outcomes. Azmat and Rentschler (2017) denote that this can be described as a blame and shame approach, a framework that often leads to the hiding of the professionals rather than the freedom of reporting errors whenever they occur. It is an approach that is practiced by many providers but is considered an antithesis of a workplace culture of safety and effective healthcare provision to patients. However, there are many interventions that are being adopted to change this underpinning factor while encouraging openness among employees so that they can share their ch allenges and views rather than hiding. Bedford (2011) denotes that being open will enable the management of the clinical setting to address the issues and create a free, safe, and motivate working environment that will promote a forward-thinking workplace culture that can enable the organization to meet its set healthcare goals and objectives. In a systematic review on the nature of the global healthcare industry, Milliman, Gatling, and Bradley-Geist (2017) point out that advancement in technology has lead to the progress of clinical knowledge. Many technological innovations are thus adopted in all facets of the clinical setting to ensure effectiveness in the clinical operations and better patient care. The healthcare environment is also encompassed with advancement in the behavior of disease-causing organisms such as bacterial resistance to medication among other challenges. With all these complexities, Lyubovnikova, Legood, Turner, and Mamakouka (2017) denote there is also a constant update of the healthcare policies and standards that often governs the operations of all healthcare settings depending on the location. As a result, a healthy workplace culture faces challenges especially those with old employees that are considered experienced but have little knowledge on the current nature of technological adoptions within the clinical setting. In such a case, the organization will adopt strategies of conducting workshops, training programs, presentations, and seminars will as well be essential in helping the employees to upgrade their skills on the new developments and knowledge towards different issues of their professions. However, this is a strategy that can only be effective for the healthcare professionals of a certain age group that can easily adapt to the changing nature of knowledge and the working environment. In his study, Punke (2013) also points out that most of the global industries do not only have an overall culture but other three subcultures known to be the executive, technical, and operational subcultures. In most cases, each of the identified subcultures tends to have their strategies and ways of executing their roles. As a result, it is very difficult for the professionals to move from one area to another within the subcultures besides their ability to directly or indirectly influence the success of the operation of the organization. It is thus necessary for the management of the healthcare organizations and healthcare executives to first tackle issues that can arise within these subcultures before they focus on improving the overall environment of the organization. Lyubovnikova et al. (2017) also assert that the relevant stakeholders of the management, as well as the caregivers and nurses, need to focus on fostering teamwork while the executive subcultures evaluate and adopt st rategies that will provide value to the services offered within the clinical settings. Relevance of the workplace culture to the clinical context Every clinical setting desires to provide a better or improved patient experience in every area within the healthcare setting. However, Punke (2013) denotes that this can only be achieved by first enhancing the hospital itself as well as the workforce. Unhealthy workforce culture will tend to cause arguments, mistakes, and high turnover while a positive environment can foster engagement and teamwork to motivate stronger productivity. No matter the industry, the workplace culture of every organization is often very essential. In many cases, healthcare professionals tend to have trouble when it comes to collaborating with each other since their focus is always invested in their patients rather than their colleagues. However, coordination and teamwork care are identified as strong pillars of an effective healthcare system with the aim of achieving improved patient safety and better healthcare. A clinical setting hence requires a healthy workplace that is characterized by advanced workfl ows and better communication with a focus on affecting outcomes for the patients who often see most of the benefits. The concept of workplace culture is hence very essential for effective management of a clinical setting and with the aim of developing positivity in the working environment. Workplace culture is essential in developing profiles of successful employees within the organization according to Welbourne, Gangadharan, and Carol, (2015, p. 206). Just beyond referring candidates, the top staff members can also be essential in finding great coworkers through serving as an example to both the current and the future employees of the organization. In other words, the healthcare leaders within the clinical setting can work with the successful employees from different departments to determine and understand the abilities and knowledge they can demonstrate so as to develop a profile by their traits. Punke (2013) denotes that the staff is the best tool that can be adopted in determining and identifying what can make a clinical employee good as opposed to their greatness, an aspect that is essential for the development of the employees portfolio. From the evaluation, the clinical managers will be able to identify what successful professionals do differently and use the sa me information to identify the potential of new employees as well as employing them in developing strategies to improve the workplace culture. Also, the profile can as well serve as objectives and goals to strive towards for other professionals thus helping the employees within the clinical setting to continually improve and develop. There is also relevance in a clinical setting keeping the workplace culture a priority even after the hiring process. According to Woodward-Kron and Elder (2016), the culture of the employees and their engagement plays a major role not only in the hiring process but during the orientation and the daily life of the clinic and the general healthcare system. The organization can effectively take certain steps in making sure that all the employees feel welcomed within the clinical fold during the orientation process as well as monitoring the daily employees engagement. In their study, Bradley and Campbell (2016) also denote that maintaining a positive culture requires the current employees to embrace new hires to help them easily become part of the program. The same study recommends that the management of the healthcare setting needs to conduct face-to-face meetings with the workforce in different departments. Such forums will enable new employees to ask direct questions and share their concerns towards their expectations in relations to the assigned roles. Facilities to take questions can hence be adopted as a strategy of responding to their concerns and update them on the systems of the current events, an aspect that will always keep the employees engaged with the organization for better healthcare. A workplace culture is also relevant when it comes to engaging the employees during the interview processes and evaluation of the organizational performance as pointed out by Elder and McNamara(2016, p. 154). When the employees work as a team and positively get along with each other, a clinic or healthcare facilities often become a better place for work. With the aim of ensuring that an employee fits in a department or a team, the current staff can be involved when hiring new staff. One way of effectively achieving this strategy is adopting a panel interview where the departmental members interview a candidate that will join their department. It is a strategy that will ensure that the selected employee can effectively fit the objectives, goals, and operational process of the department. Conclusion Workplace culture is hence an essential aspect when it comes to ensuring proper management of employees who will, in turn, take good care of the patients and result in a positive performance and success of the organization. In many cases, patients often assess the culture of the clinical setting every time they visit the place and interact with the clinical staffs. It is hence necessary for the management of every healthcare organization to conduct a frequent evaluation of the organizational internal and external culture with the aim of anticipating issues while improving how the visiting patients view the organization. The interaction amongst the staffs as well as with the patients can greatly determine the efficiency and the workplace culture under which they operate. Workplace culture hence tends to be associated with patient satisfaction, teamwork and can be an effective linkage between the clinical and financial sides of the healthcare organization. It is hence necessary for cli nical leader and healthcare executives to employ effective healthcare scheduling strategies to evaluate the labor challenges accoutered by the healthcare system and how they can be fixed to ensure a positive workplace culture. List of References Bedford, Oo 2011, 'Guanxi-Building in the Workplace: A Dynamic Process Model of Working and Backdoor Guanxi',Journal Of Business Ethics, 104, 1, pp. 149-158, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Azmat, F, Rentschler, R 2017, 'Gender and Ethnic Diversity on Boards and Corporate Responsibility: The Case of the Arts Sector',Journal Of Business Ethics, 141, 2, pp. 317-336, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Boyer, R, Guay, S 2015, 'Predictors of trivialization of workplace violence among healthcare workers and law enforcers',Journal Of Threat Assessment And Management, 2, 3-4, pp. 195-213, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Bradley, G, Campbell, A 2016, 'Managing Difficult Workplace Conversations: Goals, Strategies, and Outcomes',International Journal Of Business Communication, 53, 4, pp. 443-464, Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Choi, D, Oh, I, Colbert, A 2015, 'Understanding organizational commitment: A meta-analytic examination of the roles of the five-factor model of personality and culture',Journal Of Applied Psychology, 100, 5, pp. 1542-1567, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Elder, C, McNamara, T 2016, 'The hunt for indigenous criteria in assessing communication in the physiotherapy workplace',Language Testing, 33, 2, pp. 153-174, Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Elder, C, McNamara, T 2016, 'The hunt for indigenous criteria in assessing communication in the physiotherapy workplace',Language Testing, 33, 2, pp. 153-174, Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Finn, S, O'Fallon, L 2017, 'The Emergence of Environmental Health Literacy--From Its Roots to Its Future Potential',Environmental Health Perspectives, 125, 4, pp. 495-501, GreenFILE, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Hahtela, N, Paavilainen, E, McCormack, B, Slater, P, Helminen, M, Suominen, T 2015, 'Influence of workplace culture on nursing-sensitive nurse outcomes in municipal primary health care',Journal Of Nursing Management, 23, 7, pp. 931-939, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Henriksson, P, Kiessling, A 2016, 'Community of practice and student interaction at an acute medical ward: An ethnographic study',Medical Teacher, 38, 8, pp. 793-800, Teacher Reference Center, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Jamieson, S, Tuckey, M 2017, 'Mindfulness interventions in the workplace: A critique of the current state of the literature',Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 22, 2, pp. 180-193, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Kim, M, Oh, S 2016, 'Assimilating to Hierarchical Culture: A Grounded Theory Study on Communication among Clinical Nurses',Plos ONE, 11, 6, pp. 1-18, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Lyubovnikova, J, Legood, A, Turner, N, Mamakouka, A 2017, 'How Authentic Leadership Influences Team Performance: The Mediating Role of Team Reflexivity',Journal Of Business Ethics, 141, 1, pp. 59-70, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Menguc, B, Auh, S, Katsikeas, C, Yeon Sung, J 2016, 'When Does (Mis)Fit in Customer Orientation Matter for Frontline Employees' Job Satisfaction and Performance?',Journal Of Marketing, 80, 1, pp. 65-83, Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Milliman, J, Gatling, A, Bradley-Geist, J 2017, 'The implications of workplace spirituality for personenvironment fit theory',Psychology Of Religion And Spirituality, 9, 1, pp. 1-12, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Pasqual, L 2013 Enhance workplace culture for better collaboration: Engaging your staff, Healthcare Workforce trend, 78, 3, pp. 69-80, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Pennefather, J 2016, 'Towards a theoretical framework for understanding PGCE student teacher learning in the Wild Coast Rural Schools' Partnership project',Perspectives In Education, 34, 1, pp. 216-229, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Punke, W 2013 Developing a Culture-Based Workforce: Top Healthcare Workplaces Share Best Practices, Journal of Leadership and Management, 161, 1, pp. 23-30, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Roberts, S, Demarco, R, Griffin, M 2012, 'The effect of oppressed group behaviours on the culture of the nursing workplace: a review of the evidence and interventions for change',Journal Of Nursing Management, 17, 3, pp. 288-293, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Sheep, ML 2016, 'Nurturing the Whole Person: The Ethics of Workplace Spirituality in a Society of Organizations',Journal Of Business Ethics, 66, 4, pp. 357-375, Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Suominen, T 2015, 'The Relationship of Workplace Culture With Nursing-Sensitive Organizational Factors',Journal Of Nursing Administration, 45, 7/8, pp. 370-376, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Welbourne, J, Gangadharan, A, Sariol, A 2015, 'Ethnicity and cultural values as predictors of the occurrence and impact of experienced workplace incivility',Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 20, 2, pp. 205-217, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017. Woodward-Kron, R, Elder, C 2016, 'A comparative discourse study of simulated clinical roleplays in two assessment contexts: Validating a specific-purpose language test',Language Testing, 33, 2, pp. 251-270, Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2017

The Masks of Robert Browning Essay Example

The Masks of Robert Browning Paper The Victorian era was a time known for Its family values. Robert Browning broke the mold of the Victorian writers by turning to dramatic monologue. Readers at the time could not appreciate his technique. Today some of his poems can be linked with authors such as Stephen King or Dean Kenton. Do his writings give us an insight into a hidden mad man? No. Robert Browning brought his characters to life and awakened the very real possibilities of the common man having a dark side. His use of persona and dramatic dialogue can be seen In Porphyrys Lover, and My Last Duchess. These works show his use of a mask and give insights Into the true Victorian era. Even though the entire era of the Victorians was a mask to give the impression that family values were their main concern, Robert Browning revealed the hidden chaos of his generation, the anger of the lower class against the upper class and the rise In news media coverage of tragedies.. The Victorian era of family values was a mask to hide the social conditions which Included orphanages, extreme poverty and call conflict. The mid-Victorian period was dominated by a double tankard which insisted on a rigid public respectability while condoning widespread sexual immorality by men. This hypocrisy led to extensive protests culminating in a series of highly publicized scandals in the asses and ass which marked the triumph of dogmatic puritanical morality (Fisher 14-19). Robert Browning focuses on the hypocrisy of men in My Last Duchess. Victorian men treated women as possessions which were disposabl e. We will write a custom essay sample on The Masks of Robert Browning specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Masks of Robert Browning specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Masks of Robert Browning specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Men felt as if it were their duty to control women (45-46). In this work Browning displays how the men of wealth and power treated women. The poem was based on true events of Alfonse II, Duke of Ferreira in Italy, whose first wife, Lucrative, was rumored to have been poisoned after three years of marriage. Browning portrays the bad qualities of the Duchess as being easily pleased, modest and courteous to those who served her. This description was a perfect depiction of what was considered the female duty during the Victorian age. Robert Browning focuses on the chaos between the upper and lower classes In his poem Porphyrys Lover, an example of Borrowings Interest In criminal psychology and violence. The deader learns that the speaker is a man who alone in a cottage, he waits for his beloved Porphyry to enter. Evidently, her absence had been the result of her attendance at a gay feast, one of the vainer ties this suggests the upper class (lines 24-27). The speaker is in a substantially lower class than his lover. The idea of her sneaking away to be with her lover implies the unacceptable of the affair. In a Literary Correctly of the poem, Gayety Devil suggests, The plot revolves around a socially mismatched love affair; upper class girl falls in love with boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The boy has his revenge on society by murdering its representative: the girl. Another view of this poem is the religious connotation at the closing, and yet God has not said a word which necessitates the idea that the speaker has escaped punishment (60). Porphyrys Lover was printed with Johannes Gorilla In Meditation, under the heading Madhouse Cells suggesting that the two poems are related. Eleven drowning tendency to use analytical Taluses In Nils poetry to relate to current events, Johannes Gorilla , was the founder of the Reformation sects of antinomian, a belief labeled heretical by the orthodox because it taught hat those among the elect (that is, those predestined for salvation, according to so me forms of Calvinist and Wesleyan) could not sin regardless of the apparent evil of their acts (Dickinson). The belief in predestination was strong during the Victorian era. Browning thought a man who believed in predestination and a man who killed the woman he loved were both insane (Carson 397-398). Using masks or different persona Browning could speak out with greater originality and boldness than would ever have been possible in his own person. His writings were ahead of their time in action and thought. He delved into the history and assumed characters to represent current events. Through these characters he revealed the dark and evil acts of mankind. Readers often relate the mental states of the speaker in his poetry to his own state of mind; nothing could be further from the truth. The reader must look into the time in which these poems were written to get a complete analysis of them. The nineteenth century brought the printing of newspapers which were filled with stories of violence from the wars and in society. Just as the media of today seems to only portray the dark side of mankind, Browning centered his writings to he demands of the public. Human beings seem to be fascinated with the twisted minds of seemingly normal people. Browning reaches that part inside people that is drawn to look at a car wreck, silently hoping to see blood. This need for the grotesque dwells inside of man; Browning had the audacity to reveal that hunger to the world. Robert Browning avoided sharing himself inside his writings to escape criticism. He developed the technique of the dramatic monologue which reveals hidden characteristics of the speaker. His experience in writing plays may have influenced this technique. He had the ability to get inside the mind of a schizophrenic killer and hypocritical monks. During this era the reader must remember the developments of scientific research and the psychological studies by Freud. This was a time of intense developments and deep thought. Society demanded more knowledge. Robert Browning could be considered a genius of the human mind because of his uncanny understanding of the workings of the mentally challenged. Browsing writings can be seen as a type of transference of persona instead of a mask. He is not hiding behind his characters, he is inside them.

Graduate Essays - English-language Films, Films, The Graduate

Graduate Essays - English-language Films, Films, The Graduate Graduate In The Graduate, the director, Mike Nichols, emphasizes the mysterious tone of the film with his overuse of lighting, camera angles, and shadows. The uncertainty Benjamin Braddock feels can be seen right from the start as he stands on the moving sidewalk at the airport. He is positioned at the right hand side of the screen moving forward. You can see a large area to the left where the credits appear. I think the director chose this technique for the opening credits to symbolize how this graduate is arriving at a new destination & has much uncertainty in front of him. Dark rooms with shadows are used heavily in this film. The director shows Benjamins room as dark and shadowy to parallel his personality. This is also seen in the Robinson house. Shadows everywhere with light on only part of the characters faces tells you that this is a house of mystery and uncertainty. The director places lights seemingly on the ground to cast huge shadows of the characters on the walls. This makes you feel that the directors idea is to have the characters deepest secrets and personalities overshadow the characters themselves. The pool scene where Benjamin Braddock is in the SCUBA suit demonstrates another film technique. The director uses a shot from inside the suit looking out towards the family. You cant hear anything. It lets you know how Benjamin feels about his current life. He is just going through the motions of life. Then, when Benjamin is under water sitting perfectly still, the director goes from a close-up and fades out until you cant see him anymore. This makes you think that the character is sick of it all and that he is about to change. Over-the-shoulder shots, odd angles, and shadows are all used in the hotel scenes. Benjamin doesnt want anyone to see him there. The director conveys this message with a shot that puts the large podium between the clerk and Benjamin; an over-the-podium shot. After the first affair with Mrs. Robinson. Nichols uses bright light on Benjamin and puts him in a bright white shirt to symbolize a new man that now has something to look forward to. The affair seems to consume his thoughts, as seen in the shot where he flings himself onto the raft and the shot switches to a shot of him on top of Mrs. Robinson. Then you see the father in front of the sun making him look dark while talking to Ben in the pool. This shows how Benjamin is just looking up at him and not registering what he is saying. He is only thinking of Mrs. Robinson. All of these different shots, angles, and lighting techniques make it easier for the audience to get the message that the director is trying to send, the feeling of each scene, the tone of the movie as a whole, and the personalities of the characters.

Macy's Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Macy's - Term Paper Example Macy’s over the years has had a long and eventful history to get where it is today. Macy’s was the first retailer to promote a woman to an executive position, making business history. Furthermore, Macy’s, also, pioneered business practices like the one-price system, one price for an item to sell to everyone, and advertising prices for goods in newspapers. Furthermore, the also were the first store to sell tea bags, the Idaho baked potato, and colored bath towels, even the first store to hold a New York liquor license. By 1918, Macy’s was starting to average $36 million in annual sales. And the immigrant employees, in 1924, to celebrate their new American Heritage, organized the first Christmas Parade which featured floats, bands, animals from the zoo and 10,000 onlookers. This became the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Macy’s has grown over the years by acquiring other stores and renaming them Macy’s as a way to expand their bra nd. Federated Department Stores (now known as Macy’s Inc.) bought R.H. Macy & Co. in 1994, and then renamed all their regional nameplates to Macy’s and in 2006, Macy’s acquired The May Department Store Company and converted all their regional nameplates to Macy’s. These acquisitions, eventually, led Macy’s to grow to over 800 stores covering virtually every major geographic market in the United States, plus they also have their internet sales through macys.com. Control of Economic Indicator The economic indicators are controlled by various governmental agencies, such as the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor. Most economists and investors pour over the compilation reports from these agencies, like tea leaves, (Steiner, 2009) for any signs of economic improvement. They are looking for trends that will likely increase consumer spending, especially, since nearly 70% of the GDP of the United States is tied up in con sumer spending. There are five main economic indicators that are being looked at to determine if the economy is going to get back on its feet. These five indicators are consumer-related indicators which include: employment, retail sales, personal income and outlays, consumer price index, and new home sales. These five indicators detail consumer spending, sales by retailers, details the amount of inflation or deflation (consumer price index), new residential sales to the public, and the unemployment rate (the higher the unemployment rate, the less likely people are to buy consumer based products, unless they are necessities). The reports are written by the government agencies that compile them, such as the employment situation is written by the Bureau of Labor and has pages upon pages of data showing the amount of employees added to and subtracted from the workforce. Economic Indicator Collection The economic indicators are calculated, after a thorough collection of the appropriate s tatistical data needed to perform the calculation. For example, the Bureau of Labor receives a report from all employers each month which indicates how many employees that was added to an employer’s payroll as well as how employees were removed from the payroll. Then, to get the unemployment rate, the number of unemployed people is divided by the number of employable people. This gives us the percentage of how many people are unemployed currently. But, this unemployment rate can further be broken down into the various industries to see which industries have a higher unemployment rate than

Effect of war on the African Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effect of war on the African - Essay Example The negative effect of war is less on Sudan than on other countries - The country of Sudan was inhabited by the Muslim about fifty percent in the north and forty percent by the Christians in the South of the Sudan and a little part was indigenous tribal groups. They were forced to accept the religion of Islamic and when they resisted it they were harassed and food was used as weapon in doing so.The Arabic people staying in the north Sudan are defining terms and conditions for national identity on the basis of Islamic culture and norms. The non-Muslims or the African tribals who are converted into Christianity were not given posts in the constitution. And thus the civil war that broke out during the formation of the government is still continuing till now. Many Christians, as many as five million migrated to Chad and other countries of Africa to escape the forced Islamic culture and those who didn't migrate were made slaves, raped, killed and their houses were burnt by the Muslim terr orist militia.The statistics say about half a million were killed which is less when compared to other war affected countries like Uganda, Somalia and Ethiopia. These terrorists come on the horses with weapons and raid the centers, throw bombs in public areas, devastating and disastrous civil war of the world. But whatever loss has occured, it occured only to Christians and Muslims were safe in the northern Sudan.Also it was found that south Sudan has huge resources of oil reserves for which there was great demand and that can be the main reason for which the area was not destroyed and instead people were made to ran away and leave the country for those who desired those oil reserves.

Factors that may impact the demand for products by customers Essay

Factors that may impact the demand for products by customers - Essay Example Services and products that a business gives to the market may have an impact on the customers’ demand for the Services or products. For instance, a business may be selling hot dogs; in contrast, a corresponding business may be selling hot dog rolls. If the cost of the hot dog rolls augments, it may make the demand for hot dogs to diminish. Consequently, the demand curve moves to the left, and value for hot dogs would be forced to augment.Customers may choose alternate services and products in place of what a person’s business provides. These alternative products and services function as opposition to a person’s business. For example, if a business sells coffee, the alternative for the product may be tea. If the cost of tea augments, a business may observe an increase in the number of customers who want to buy coffee. Consequently, the demand curve will move to the right, and costs for the business’ coffee may decrease. As indicated above, a substitute refe rs to a commodity that may be utilized in position of another commodity. To simplify the above example, if the cost of coffee increases then the consequence will be an increased demand for tea, and if the cost of tea increases then the result will be an increase in the demand of coffee. In contrast, compliments refer to commodities that may be utilized together, for example, sugar and tea. In case there is an increase in the cost of tea, the demand for tea diminishes, and consequently, the demand of sugar also decreases.... In case there is an increase in the cost of tea, the demand for tea diminishes, and consequently, the demand of sugar also decreases. Customer Preference Customers’ preference and tastes may vary depending on the details they get from family and friends, form of advertisements they come across, or the season. Varying preferences and tastes may have a tremendous impact on demand for various commodities. The degree at which a client needs a product may have an impact on the demand of the product. In addition, persuasive advertisements are developed to cause a variation in preference and tastes and thereby causes and increase in demand of a commodity. The more a customer prefers a commodity, the larger their demand for the commodity. In contrast, if the customer does not have a preference for a specified commodity, the customer will decrease the demand for the commodity (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2003, p. 79). For instance, a person suffering from diabetes will have minimal or no deman d for commodities that contain sugar. Income of Customers The incomes and salaries of buyers highlight the commodities that they are able to buy. When the incomes and salaries of customers augment the customer’s demand for services and products also increases. If a customer takes another position that has a low salary or becomes unemployed the customer’s demand for commodities lessens. In contrast, when the salary and income of a customer increases, the customer’s capacity to buy goods and services escalates (Sullivan & Sheffrin 2003, p. 79). This causes an increase in demand. Competition Rivals are always attempting to occupy the larger part of the market, maybe by developing better or new

Social Networking In Businesses

Social Networking In Businesses Gaining the trust and friendships of your customers is crucial in the business world today. But how do you get your new or growing businesss name out there and trusted by your customers? Social Networking may be able to help with that. These organizations can help you develop the trust that ultimately creates influence among your customers(Safko 21). There are however some people who dont know what social networking for businesses is, social networking occurs when a group of like-minded people interact online to share interests or concerns, collaborate, give and seek advice, and offer one another assistance or support(Lindsell-Roberts 4). From photo sharing to just keeping up with contacts, social networking is starting to show up in businesses everywhere. Is it really helping, or are these large and small businesses just jumping on the bandwagon? There is a vast amount of different companies and organizations that connect billions of people every day such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Fast Pitch!, and Twitter. All of these organizations offer almost the same service but they all vary in many ways. These aforementioned forms of social media/networks arent the only kinds that are usual in businesses. There are a million ways a professional can get their business into a social network, and known to the social media. Some of the major well known social networks are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Fast Pitch!. First I am going to talk about these well known and commonly used services and how they help and some of the ways you can use them. Every day millions of people log into Facebook to connect with millions of other people, all these people talk to each other, if you have one hundred connections on Facebook, and each of those connections has one hundred connections, youll be two links away from ten thousand connections. If each of those ten thousand connections has 100 connections, youll be three links away from one million connections (Lindsell-Roberts 1). Users over the age of 30 are starting to use Facebook, many of these users speak their political beliefs and speak freely to other users with the same beliefs. That being said, these users are highly valuable when using a Facebook profile for your business because these people can all see what the other person has to share on their profile. They can offer advertisement of your business through just word of mouth to over millions of people in a single day. Businesses can also utilize Facebook to advertise, for example, with the election going on for the next presi dent the candidates are advertising their campaign in posts and blogs to win over votes of the users they attract with these advertisements. You can also use Facebook to target consumers specific to a certain geographic location. Another social network businesses can utilize is called Fast Pitch!. This company is more specific to the business realm and offer more particular tools for professionals in businesses, Fast Pitch! makes it easier for the professionals to network using a profile displaying what they do, what they sell, and what makes their company unique (Safko 451-452). Fast Pitch! gives companies the ability to share ideas and collaborate through virtual trade shows. They do this by using live video chats or two way video calls using Skype or Voip. Fast Pitch! also gives you the ability to publish content such as press releases, news, videos, and podcasts. Fast Pitch! also has a system that automatically targets the audience the user is trying to reach ensuring that their posts are viewed by the target audience (Safko 52). Along with that feature there is tool that allows the user to gauge the success of their business using statistics of their business. Fast Pitch! is mainly for professionals in b usinesses as a marketing technique. Fast Pitch! can also be for those seeking employment. Fast Pitch! doesnt keep inactive profiles around, they delete the profiles that arent being used so there is only active profiles making searches and collaboration and just the entire network run a lot smoother. LinkedIn is another online network that businesses can utilize to gain the trust of consumers and other businesses to expand growth. This network uses a technique called degrees, connections are rated in degrees, meaning direct connections are first degree connections, users listed as connections on that users profile are second degree connections and so forth (Safko 458). There are also features on LinkedIn where users can ask questions and get answers from other users and businesses. In addition to answering those questions they can also offer resolutions and recommendations. On one account a linked in user made a profit of one hundred thousand dollars annually while spending only seven thousand annually searching through LinkedIn. Another popular form of social media is blogging, and this includes micro-blogging. Blogging is all about what you feel like you want to say. It can be from voicing your opinion to support your beliefs all the way to updating information. Blogs are read by millions of people each day and are shared with just about everybody they know depending on how relevant they think that blog is to how they feel and if it is something they feel should be shared with their community. Micro-blogging is almost the same as blogging but it is shortened to fewer than 200 characters. Micro-blogs are popular due to the fact that they are short and to the point, giving readers a full understanding in a small easy to read text. Twitter is a popular micro-blog. Twitter gives users the ability to follow other users they feel have the same connection in beliefs or just have the same general liking of certain subjects. With twitter users are able to share their current activity or state of mind with friends an d strangers (Safko 538). Twitter is majorly helpful to businesses and has been given the title word of mouth engine by Chris Winfield. Twitter is capable of updating users about the people they are following through the website, RSS feeds, mobile texts messages, or email. Twitter can also work with other social networking cites, updating users through Facebook. Twitter gives businesses a way to receive feedback about their products or services through a market with no fees. Twitter is for everyone, including entrepreneurs to fortune 500 companies. Twitter is a huge network with simple commands that keep everyone using it connected in some sort of way. When a user sees a post, he or she can share that post by reposting it on their own profile, allowing every one of their followers to see it and repost it themselves. One key example of use of twitter is when NASA found water ice on mars with the Phoenix Mars Lander; they used twitter to share the news of this new found discovery. Another account of the use of twitter in business was in February of 2010. A man by the name of Chris Hughes launched his own canvas bag company called Artifact Bag Co: In 2010, after a year of quietly following Michael Williams style bog, A Continuous Lean, Hughes spotted a tweet about of set of chairs that the blogger thought looked cool but were overpriced. Turns out, Hughes had won those exact chairs on eBay, and he commented on the post. Then he crossed his fingers, hoping Williams would take a few seconds to click through to the Artifacts website. Within an hour, Williams pivotal tweet came: This waxed canvas lunch bag is nice-looking (with a link to the item). Soon the fashion press came calling, and after the tote was featured in A Continuous Leans holiday buying guide, Hughes found himself with a more than 400-unit backlog that took six months to whittle down, even with the help of contract workers (Wang 54) This is just another small example of how quickly one tweet can help expand your business exponentially. Chris Hughes states that social media can be easily abused and only properly works if you use thought capital. Though capital includes presenting the product or services to the public in an appealing manner. This is basically how you would present the product in an online storefront, or E-commerce. Other non-traditional services one may look at for the growth of their business through social media include Ning, and online gaming. Ning is another social network but it differs from your typical idea of social network that already has a large network pre-established that you join, Ning gives the user the opportunity to design their own network on the internet and allows other users to join your private social network. Users can make their own profile for different networks, allowing a user to have a profile on more than one network all linked together. Ning allows the user to customize their own network to their specific needs, As the Ning web site puts it, the Ning platform is the software equivalent of Home Depot. Unlike other services that offer a one-size-fits all offering, your social network on Ning runs on a programmable platform (Safko 464). This ultimately gives the user full control of their personal social network. So as far as how Ning can be used, it all depends on ho w you want to implement it into your business. Anyone can use Ning and create their own social networks, such as musicians, to give fans updates and tour dates and post contests. Online gaming is a very unique and original way to reach consumers and advertise your product or services. Some may not see the potential of advertising through online gaming: Many people tend to view online video games as an activity with no business value- a waste of time in which only teenagers participate. However when you have fifty thousand to eight million people in the same place with the same interests in a trusted network, a business opportunity exists(Safko 321) If you take a look at new video games that are coming out, they advertise their new products in this particular field because their main consumers are already using their platform, or consol. Video game developers are not the only ones who can and do advertise in an online gaming environment, Barack Obama had his campaign for presidency advertised on Xbox Live, a popular online gaming network. He bought his advertising to be placed in a popular game called Burnout Paradise. With social networking your business depends on the people that you dont have a relationship established yet, meaning that the people you know the least are the people that are helping your business grow by sharing what they know about to other people they know and expanding your business growth. Yes these relationships with people you know the least can be established by the consumers and the strong relationships you have with other people, but these people already have an established connection with your business and therefore are not contributing to growth of social capital. Scott Goodson, author of Uprising states that the old way of marketing- Pitching a product to the largest possible audience through mass media- is dying. He argues that the best way to reach people is to look for topics and causes around which they are already gathering and align ones brand with those topics(Stanford Social Innovation Review 15). The way I feel about Goodsons idea is, yes it helps, but you hav e to use social media to gather this information of topics and ideas that consumers look at. Secondly in order for a business to get these topics and ideas of a new brand know to the general public, they must make their new product well known and have an honest established connection between the product/services and the consumer. This day in age, social may be the fastest way to establish a connection with those consumers that you know the least through the consumers you already have an established connection with. Social networking can exponentially help any business, large or small. Word of mouth through any sort of followers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any online blog will get your business known to millions of people in different geographical locations. Online social networking is not the only way to get your business in a social network though; traditional conferences and trade shows are still just as effective. Trade shows and conferences arent the only place you can advertise your business through word of mouth. Other places may include restaurants, a get together like a cocktail party, you can pretty much get your business into a social network through word of mouth just about anywhere you are likely to meet people. All it takes is just a little friendly talking, then those people start talking to other people whom talk to other people they know which can drastically increase business and revenue. Not only can social networking get your business name out to those customers that normally would be hard to reach out to, but it can also help someone seeking employment in businesses or help a business find applicants. Some years ago, but including today, job hunters would pour through the classified ads in the newspapers, especially on Sunday mornings, hoping to catch a glimpse of something for which they might remotely qualify (Lindsell-Roberts 43). In todays society the task of seeking employment is not as daunting, you can just do a Google search for something in your field of expertise and you will find a never ending list of businesses seeking applicants and new hires. These businesses use social networks to list openings and positions available to reach out to those who wouldnt normally have known about their business otherwise. Social networking may not be for every business as far as marketing though, many times social networking may not show any signs of helping your business. These tactics dont replace the traditional face to face kind of business, although reaching out to new customers is always good, and a lot of the time social networks are the best way to reach those outside of your geographic location. But how do those people know what kind of business you offer? This tactic involves a lot of dedication to your website or online profile including update, events, sales, offers, and customer service. With social networking your business depends on the people that you dont have a relationship established with yet, meaning that the people you know the least are the people that are helping your business grow by sharing what they know about your business, to other people they know, expanding your business growth. The relationship you have with already established consumers doesnt really help expand your social capital, these connections dont really take your business name further out to those you havent reached yet. Scott Goodson, author of Uprising states that the old way of marketing- Pitching a product to the largest possible audience through mass media- is dying. He argues that the best way to reach people is to look for topics and causes around which they are already gathering and align ones brand with those topics(Manzo 15). The way I feel about Goodsons idea is, yes it helps, but you have to use social media to gather this information of topics and ideas that consumers look at . Secondly in order for a business to get these topics and ideas of a new brand know to the general public, they must make their new product well known and have an honest established connection between the product/services and the consumer. This day in age, social may be the fastest way to establish a connection with those consumers that you know the least through the consumers you already have an established connection with. I believe social networking in businesses has already been in use, but online social networking has majorly played a key role in expanding current businesses and helping small beginner businesses start out. The social media plays a big role in consumers opinions in todays society. Most consumers read reviews that other consumers post in all of these social networks and base their opinion of these businesses off of the majority of what other consumers say about that business. That being said social networks have absolutely helped the growth and take off of many businesses. At the same time it also depends on what kind of business operation you run. Customer support is a key necessity in businesses using social networks. If you dont maintain a good rapport with your consumers then your business can build a bad reputation over a social network which can cause terrible business. For those businesses with good a rapport then this technique would be a good investment to help increase reven ue. So in conclusion social networks have helped businesses grow and establish connections between consumers and other businesses.

Importance of Clothing in Prologue of the Canterbury Tales :: Canterbury Tales Essays

Importance of Clothing in Prologue of the Canterbury Tales Countless people believe in the cliche "do not judge a book by its cover": but why not? Clothing often forms another's first impression of one. It speaks of where a person has been and where they intend to go. Their appearance also illustrates a person's true self and aspirations. A man wearing torn jeans, dingy shirt, and old shoes might be thought of as poor or coming home from a hard day's labor. However, a young woman in a Gucci dress with Versace pumps could be assumed to have access to a large amount of money. In "The Prologue from the Canterbury Tales," Chaucer uses clothing as an insight into people's ongoing adventure called life. In the Prologue, humbled by his life experiences, the Knight dresses plainly. Garbed in a stained coarse cotton tunic, the knight sits upon his horse. Seen in a different setting, the Knight's attire would say little about his life as an honorable man. By humbling oneself, a true hero lends credence to the fact that flash is not always needed. His armor left dark smudges on his tunic. Humbling experiences cause humans to step back and analyze the fortune they have; they learn that they do not have to wear their achievements. Sometimes people boast their success through fine clothing. Unlike the flamboyant Yeomen, the distinguished knight wears old garments. The Yeomen succumbs to society's inclination that when he dresses the part he will become successful. He wears a coat with a green hood. From a low social standing, he believes that the better he looks the more successful he will become. Emphasis should be placed on one's achievements and inner self rather than outward appearance. A saucy brace is worn on his arm to protect it from the bow. At first glance, one would assume that he was a superior archer of high standings rather then a lowly Yeomen. Looks can be deceiving, but the illusion fades as one's true self shines through. Extravagant best describes the Yeomen's style while plain and reserved best depicts the nun. Chaucer illustrates how small insignificant accessories can have a deeper meaning. The Nun wore a coral trinket on her arm.

Company Analysis of Nike 2014 Essay

INTRODUCTION/ COMPANY BACKGROUND This report examines NIKE Inc. one of the leading sports brand in the world. It uses business analysis techniques such as SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s five forces, and Ratio analysis to analyse the business environment and performance of this company. NIKE Inc. is one of the world’s biggest sporting brand based in Oregon USA. Founded in 1968, NIKE is the world’s biggest designer marketer and seller of athletic footwear, sports equipment, apparel, accessories and services, by sales revenue of $21.5 billion in 2012 (NIKE, 2013). With 48000 employees, NIKE’s operation cuts across different regions in the world including Canada, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. They posted revenue of $25313 million in the 2013 financial year ending May 2013, the company has enjoy growth in its revenue since 2010, and this trend is expected to continue as they leverage on top sporting events to boost their brand image (Tefris 2013). PESTEL ANALYSIS PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological Environment, and Legal) analysis is a business analysis technique that is used to analyse the growth potential of a company. It helps firms identify the environment in which they operate, and can firms predict future circumstances and situations by using information and data it provides (Yà ¼ksel, 2012). This report provides a PESTEL analysis of NIKE in the following paragraphs. Political Political environment have a huge implication on the micro and macro environment of a business, and they can significantly influence a range of business decisions (Leslie and Phillip, 2012). Political environment includes political system, government policies and other trade related regulations. Some of the political factors that can affect NIKE includes the relationship between USA (Nike’s country of origin) and other host countries where NIKE operates (for example China). For example increased tension between US and China can lead to certain aggressive policies that can affect the company’s operations in China. Furthermore recent pressure on US firms to keep jobs in the US can affect plans for future factory locations of NIKE. Economical The economic environment of the countries NIKE operate in is very vital to the overall strategy and decisions of the company. These factors include the state of the global economy, economic incentives from the countries where NIKE factories are cited, the general economic condition of these countries, inflation rates and changing oil prices. All of these factors can affect the revenue of the company, increased economic growth in emerging markets such as Brazil and China presented a huge revenue opportunity for the company, however recent decline in the growth of the Chinese economy will also have some negative impact of revenue projections of NIKE. Social Social factors can influence the business decisions of NIKE one way or the other. These factors includes tradition, customs, beliefs, level of education, corruption, customer’s consciousness, changing lifestyle, and income distribution (Singla, 2007). For example increased consciousness to maintain healthy living will lead to more demand for fitness centres and gyms that in turn could lead to more sales revenues for NIKE. Furthermore clamour for increased better welfare for workers in clothing factories in countries like China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, and pressure from the civil society groups like Worker’s Right Consortium on companies like NIKE to ensure their suppliers follow health and safety standards are among some of the social situations and issues the company have to contend with. Technological The commercial success of NIKE’s product is based on technical innovation and quality control in the design and manufacturing process of footwear, athletic equipment, and apparel (Nike, 2014). For this reason changes in technological factors can have serious impact on the overall operations of the company. For example new technology can lead to new products, improve the manufacturing process, and improve the distribution network. This implies that the revenue of NIKE can increased, or there could be reduction in the cost of manufacturing due to better technology. To maintain competitive advantage the company need to constantly understand the technological factors that affect them. Environmental Business operations of firms such as NIKE can have huge impact on the environment. Factors such as climate change, waste management, water management, and use of hazardous chemicals are all environmental impact areas the company has identified. NIKE highlights its commitment to reducing the impact of the company’s operations through understanding how related these factors are, and how a coordinated approach in the design of its product and processes can mitigate the impact on the environment, and on their business. Legal The judicial system, consumer rights, trade treaties, and ethical codes are all legal factors that affect NIKE. Constant understanding of laws and regulations is imperative to avoid serious legal implication for the company. Gotham (2013) highlights that one serious legal related issue NIKE needs to constantly deal with is the issue of counterfeit product. Ensuring that fake NIKE products are not wide spread is necessary to keep the NIKE reputation, and avoid lawsuits that can increase the legal cost of the company. Furthermore, keeping ethical standards is very vital in protecting the NIKE brand. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT is a management tool that is used to build strategic business plans (Amin et al, 2011). It is widely used in business due to its simplicity of its four factors (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) and its flexibility (Al-Araki, 2013). The SWOT analysis of NIKE is presented in the next few paragraphs below. Strength One main strength of NIKE is its dominant position in the market, and the strong brand portfolio of the company. According to Forbes (2014a) NIKE’s market share in the global footwear market reached 18.6% in 2012, and it is expected to rise to 27% in the long run. The main source of value for NIKE are footwear and apparel that are sold under the NIKE brand, together they make approximately 70% of the overall value of NIKE (Trefis, 2014). This competitive brand portfolio of NIKE and the dominant position of the company  are key strengths that enables the company outperform the industry. Weakness Watts (2009) asserts that one of NIKE’s weakness is their inability to address problems linked to their labour and factory conditions. The company has been consistently criticised for its lack of control, and dependence on contractors and manufacturers that do not meet labour standard, safe factory conditions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and China. This has caused to bad publicity for the company, and increased calls for product boycott in recent years. Furthermore the company’s focus on quality could be a potential weakness as it explore emerging market like Brazil, because its price points will be higher and some customers in these markets could lack the level of income to purchase their products. Opportunities Increased growth in emerging economies presents a huge expansion opportunity for NIKE. The company’s management believes there is high potential for their products in markets such as China, Brazil, and other emerging countries (Trefis, 2011). The growth these economies enjoy expands the global footwear market, and NIKE is in a strong position to tap into this growth opportunity. Furthermore the increasing use of multi-channel platforms such as online and mobile for shopping is an opportunity for NIKE to reach out to more customers worldwide. Threat The company’s main threat is its increasing competition, the intense competition and unpredicted changes in in technology and consumer preference in the industry NIKE operates presents a huge risk that can threaten the operations of the company (NIKE, 2013). Some of the main competitors that remain a threat to the company includes Adidas, Puma, and Under Amour. Furthermore, the strong brand value of NIKE products increases the risk of counterfeiting of their products. This is a constant threat the company needs to tackle to ensure it doesn’t lose brand value and revenues. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Porter’s five forces analysis helps firms to understand the competition and profitability in an industry, the framework includes potential entrants, industrial competitors, suppliers, buyers and substitutes. According to  Porter (2008) understanding the competitive forces, and their fundamental causes enables companies see the root of current profitability of an industry, while it provides framework that helps anticipate and influence competition over a period of time. The following paragraphs give analysis of the how these five forces influence the competition of NIKE. Potential Entrants Potential new entrants into the market can cause NIKE to lose market share, however in the current situation the risk of potential new entrant to NIKE is minimal because of the high entry barrier because of the established nature of the global sportswear industry. While the risk of new entrants is low, it should be noted that there is a risk of new entrant into NIKE’s existing product line, this can lead to loss of sales and revenue. The company needs to channel its energy into continuously expanding its market share through improving on existing products, and introducing innovative products that will enable them maintain their competitive advantage. Level of competition The level of competition in the global sport footwear and clothing industry is very high. NIKE faces stiff competition from other brands like Adidas and Puma. According to Forbes (2014b) the company faces tough competition in emerging markets and Western Europe, as rival brands like adidas increases their competitive campaign through lunch of products and other related activities aimed at gaining back lost market share. Furthermore, NIKE also faces competition from local brands like Li Ning as they expand to emerging markets like China. The company need to work very hard to continue to protect and expand its brand, for them to be able to maintain the dominant level they are presently. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers often determine the success of companies selling a product (Bode et al, 2011). However, the availability of commodity items like rubber, and cotton NIKE uses for the production of its goods, and the high amount of suppliers in the industry gives the company absolute advantage over its suppliers. NIKE can choose to switch to any supplier at any time with less cost implication, and low risk of disruption to it supplies due of its brand reputation. Furthermore, every supplier will want to do business with NIKE because of the huge manufacturing ability of the firm. This gives NIKE power over its suppliers, and guarantee of steady supplies. Bargaining Power of customers The loyalty of customers to NIKE brand gives the company bargaining power over its customers. NIKE can decide to set its prices at high levels because it knows customers are willing to pay to be identified with its brand. As long as the company continues offer products that are innovative and appealing to its customers, the company will continue to maintain it strong position, and attract more customer loyalty (Lussier and Kimball, 2014). The bargaining power the company has over its customers gives them a great deal of flexibility in their pricing. Threat of Substitutes There is a high tendency for customers to substitute NIKE products for other brands when they face squeeze in their income during economic downturn. This is due to the fact that NIKE product are considered pricey can could be considered luxury product among certain middle class families if there is a squeeze on their disposable income. Competitors can capitalise on this to release cheaper products that will be appealing to these customer during economic slowdown, therefore NIKE need to constantly monitor the overall economic wellbeing of its customers before introducing any product. ANALYSIS OF NIKE FINANCAL RATIO *Extracted data Ratios Formula 2013 2012 2011 Asset Turnover Ratio Revenue/Total Assets 1.44 1.51 1.39 Return on Assets(ROA) Net Income/Total Assets 14.13% 14.37% 14.22% Return on Equity(ROE) Net Income/Equity 22.28% 21.41% 21.67% Gross Profit Margin (Revenue-COGS)/Revenue 43.59% 43.50% 45.58% Quick Ratio (CA – Inv.) / CL 2.60 2.22 2.19 Current Ratio CA/CL 3.47 3.05 2.85 Debt Ratio Total Debt/Total Asset 7.89% 2.49% 4.42% Debt to Equity Total Debt/Total Equity 12.44% 3.71% 6.74% Inventory Turnover COGS/ Inventory 4.16 4.09 4.35 Receivables Turnover Revenue/Receivables 8.12 7.45 6.65 *P/E Ratio 22.90 22.40 18.90 *EPS 2.71 2.37 2.20 Nike’s revenue increase by approximately 8% in 2013 from 2012 figures, looking at the profitability ratios in the table above, it can be observed that the company’s profit margin reduced from 45.89% to 43.50% in 2012 and slightly increased later in 2013 to 43.59%. The gross profit margin is a reflection what is left after the cost of production is deducted, other profitability ratios such as ROE also shows upward trend from 2011 to 2013 indicating a favourable year for the company compared to its 2012 figures. This according Forbes (2014a), and NIKE was as a result of pricing actions, and reduce cost of material such as cotton, and lower investment activities by the company in 2013. The asset turnover of the company reduced in 2013 compared to 2012, this could be attributed to the fall in sales in China one of the biggest market for the company. Furthermore, looking at the liquidity ratio of the company, it can be observed that its current and quick ratio  have been i ncreasing within the period under review. For 2013 quick ratio was 2.60times an increase from 2.22times in 2011, this is well above the industry average which is currently at 0.77times. The current ratio of the company has also been increasing in the years under review, this reflects a strong financial position for the firm because it indicates that the company will be able to meet up future debt obligations. Other solvency ratios such as debt ratio and debt to equity ratio saw a high increase from 2.49% and 3.71% in 2012 to 7.89% and 12.44% respectively. This is an indication that the company relies on debt to fund its assets, this can be due to the strong liquidity position of the company which is reflected in its quick and current ratios. The company has the ability to meets its debt obligations so the risk of using debt of using debt is low. Finally from the efficiency ratios it can be observed that the inventory turnover for the company reduced from 4.35times to 4.09times in 2012, and later rose slightly to 4.16times in 2013. This indicates that the company is still slow in the number of times its inventories is sold and replaced compared to the 2011 figure. This could be as a result of the slow recovery of most countries coming out of recession, and slow growth in key markets for NIKE. However this is not a problem peculiar to NIKE, and the company is still above the industry average of 3.6times. The receivable turnover of the company has been increasing within 2011 and 2013, it is possible that this also adds to the increasing liquidity position of the company. The EPS of the company has observed an upward trend from $2.20 in 2011 to $2.71 in 2013, also its P/E ratio also increased 18.90% to 22.90% this is an indication of NIKE’s profitability within these years and it reflects NIKE’s strong position among the investing community. The increasing P/E ratio of NIKE also indicates investors’ confidence in NIKE’s future earnings and the growth prospect of the company. In conclusion, from the analysis of NIKE financials it is evident that the company maintains a strong position in the industry, because of its inc reasing revenue despite slight drop in certain emerging market, its liquidity position is strong compared to industry average and their growth prospect is also high as reflected in their growth ratios. ANALYSIS OF SHARE PERFORMANCE Figure : Movement of Nike share price in the past 6 months. The figure above presents the share performance of NIKE for the past 6 months, from the figure it could be observed that in the third quarter of NIKE’s financial 2013 year ending May 2014, the share price of the company observed a sharp drop to $70.51, then rose to $79.64 reaching its peak in the period under review. The share price dropped to $73.2 and since then have been fluctuating within 70 and $71. According to NIKE (2013) fluctuations in NIKE share prices can be attributed to various factors that affects performance in these quarter, they include the seasonality of its products, general economic condition, weather condition, and changes in consumer preference. However, dividend pay-out announcements, expectations of quarterly results and other industry related factors could also lead to the fluctuations of NIKE share price. Overall NIKE’s share performance has been fairly stable at $70-$80 as no highly significant drop have been observed in the period under revie w. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the analysis of NIKE indicates that it remains one of the biggest sports manufacturing brands in the world. The company’s focus on manufacturing innovative products has kept them in a very strong position in the sportswear and clothing industry. Though the global economic growth has slowed down slightly, and this has also affected key emerging markets such as China, growth projections for NIKE remain strong as investors believe the company has the ability to fight off intense competition and continue to expand its dominance in the market. It is very imperative for the company to continue to maintain its level of innovation to ensure continued customer loyalty and increasing revenues. References Al-Araki, M 2013, ‘SWOT analysis revisited through PEAK-framework’, Journal Of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, 25, 3, pp. 615-625, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, [Accessed on 19th June 2014]. Amin, S. H., Razmi, J., & Zhang, G. (2011). Supplier selection and order allocation based on fuzzy SWOT analysis and fuzzy linear programming. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(1), 334-342. [Online] available from Science Direct Platform on: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2010.06.071 [Accessed on 19th June 2014]. BanJo , S. 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