Middle eastern cultures 201 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Middle eastern cultures 201 - Essay Example s share many an orthodox with rigid rules in nations like Saudi Arabia, where ‘Burqa’ clad women are respected and western influences are not so welcome. In the first paragraph of the essay I have attempted to discuss on now westerners are in UAE and the second paragraph I have detailed how their lives have changed. I have supported the essay with real life narrations and information from the web. The role of westerners in building the UAE is undisputed as technology is mainly imported from western nations. The technical expertise to build marvels and oil extractions from the oil rich Middle East is made possible with western leadership in companies that provide services and infrastructure in UAE. I Sample this mention from the web: Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are growing in popularity as potential destinations for a fresh start. With Dubai offering a wealth of opportunities, as well as financial bonuses such as tax free income and a rapidly booming economy, growing number of westerners (in particular) are heading for the sun drenched shores.(globalvisas.com) Recalling a westerner’s writing in the web, â€Å"If I can count myself as evidence, people in the UAE like and respect Americans . . . Living here is easy as because the UAE is one of the most tolerant countries in the Muslim world . . . But non-Muslims can get a license to purchase alcohol†. (escapeartist.com).This indicates the freedom of a westerner in UAE. However, it appears that the sunny side isn’t enough. Westerners have become a sort of bà ªte noire post gulf invasion and there has always been a simmering anger against westerners particularly amongst the extremist groups. This has given rise to a constant consternation in the western fraternity. Consider the statement â€Å"There are however recently been threats against westerners in the UAE, as in the UK, Europe and the USA† (paradise.com). This explains that among the rosy fragrance of an UAE living, the thorns also need to be

The Black Box Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Black Box - Essay Example The symbols she uses indirectly communicate the major theme of the work, in addition to the seemingly innocuous dialogue of the seemingly innocuous lottery happening in the town. One of the more potent symbols Jackson uses throughout her story is the black box, and, more generally, just the color black. Black, as it is traditionally interpreted, stands for death, decay, ignorance, and decline. The black box, of course, holds the lottery slips. While a similar ballot box would receive slips from voters in an election, this box only gives out slips, showing the lack of individual choice and freedom in this ritual. The blackness of the box gives off an ominous foreshadowing of events, and is itself a symbolic description of how the townspeople have sacrifice their individual wills to the social decree., as Jackson writes, â€Å"The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained†. The keen reader recognizes that the box’s decay indicates not only the physical corrosion of the box but of the social and moral corrosion of what it represents: the lottery. As the process accelerates during the course of â€Å"The Lottery†, Jackson writes that the townspeople stay as far away from the box as possible. Once again, this description is clearly relating to physical distance; but it may also refer to the concept of responsibility, and the moral qualms people have about participating in the lottery. The townspeople avoid the black box as if it were some kind of evil spirit, and because of this endow the box with such great power. Jackson writes, â€Å"The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What otherwise would be just some old dilapidated box is, as a result of the social order and status quo, is an

Letter from George Essay Example for Free

Letter from George Essay Im sorry I havent written to you in a long time but a lot of things have happened since I last wrote, unfortunately its bad news this time. It all started when Slim and Curley came in the bunkhouse arguing one night. Then Curley turned to Lennie and says what you laughing at, and then he started lashing out at Lennie and smashed him in the nose. I couldnt stand it anymore Lennie wouldnt fight back so I told him to let him have it. Lennie caught Curleys punch, then he crushed it and he wouldnt let go. When he let his fist go it was flattened, not a bone was left unbroken in his hand. I was sure Lennie and I were going to get canned but Slim saved our skins. He told Curley that if he told anyone what happened and get us canned, we will tell everyone then he would get the laugh. That was good of Slim. I was all right at this point, I was happy, I thought if Lennie play and I our cards right and keep clean for a month we will get our fifty bucks each and get that ranch with old Candy. I started to believe our dream could really happen. All the lads and me were playing horses shoes late Sunday evening. I heard shuffling footsteps from the barn, I looked and saw Candy making his way towards me. His body language said every thing, when he looked at me I felt that something was wrong. He came to me said quietly you better come to the barn. When I saw Curleys wife lying there dead the painful thought going though my mind that I had no other solution to this problem but assume that it was Lennie and knew that was what Candy was thinking. At this point the dream was over for sure of a little ranch. I knew this was the end of the road for Lennie. I knew Curley would want lynch him so Candy and I discussed what we were going to do. I went to the bunkhouse and got Carlsons gun, while Candy went to get the boys. My memory flicked back to the night Carlson shot Candys dog. I went to the barn and heard how they were all planning how they going to get him, Slim reassured me that it was the only way. The others went of all armed; they all went the opposite way to where Lennie should be. I knew he would be by the river where we slept a few nights ago, I told him if he ever got into trouble to go there and wait for me. Sure enough he was there, looking at him made me shiver about the thought of my duty ahead. Lennie expected me to be angry with him but I told him visualise the dream of the imaginary ranch and how the rabbits would hop around and there soft hair. When he looked away I ended his life hoping he was going to a better place. As his lifeless body hit the ground it set a feeling guilt that was unimaginable. I looked at my right hand, which held the gun I throw it away in disgust. Ive moved on now people, just dont care about ranch hands. Best of luck Tom perhaps life will treat you better than Lennie and I.

Company overview of IKEA

Company overview of IKEA IKEA is an internationally known home furnishing retailer. It has grown rapidly since it was founded in 1943. Today it is the worlds largest furniture retailer, recognised for its Scandinavian style. The majority of IKEAs furniture is flat-pack, ready to be assembled by the consumer. This allows a reduction in costs and packaging. IKEA carries a range of 9,500 products, including home furniture and accessories. This wide range is available in all IKEA stores and customers can order much of the range online through IKEAs website. There are 18 stores in the UK to date, the first of which opened in Warrington in 1987. In July 2009 IKEA opened a store in Dublin too its first in Ireland. IKEA stores include restaurants and cafà ©s serving typical Swedish food. They also have small food shops selling Swedish groceries, everything from the famous meatballs to jam. Stores are located worldwide. In August 2008 the IKEA group had 253 stores in 24 countries, with a further 32 stores owned and run by franchisees. It welcomed a total of 565 million visitors to the stores during the year and a further 450 million visits were made to the IKEA website. IKEA sales reached 21.2 billion Euros in 2008 showing an increase of 7%. The biggest sales countries are Germany, USA, France, UK and Sweden. In 2008 IKEA opened 21 new stores in 11 countries and expects to open around 20 more in 2009 as part of its strategy for growth. IKEA Vision and Business idea The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people puts this concern at the heart of the business. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. Aims and objectives SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Strengths -Flat-pack technology -Numerous global suppliers -Focus on low price with meaning -Extra in-store perks: restraunts, shopping carts, pencils, etc. -Unique store environment -Modern design pieces as well as traditional pieces Weaknesses -Not doing appropriate market researach when branching into a new cultures market-such as when IKEA came to America. -Ratio of sales representitives to consumers IKEAs self-service ethos, Americans are not used to this type of service. Opportunites -Saving money on labor by establishing supplier relationships with developing countries -Movement into other countries that do not have this type of retailer -Capitalize on good design with reasonable pricing -Capatalize on the unique and appealing shopping experience Threats -Lower prices of general retailers like Target and Wal-Mart that have the ability to regain losses on other merchandise -Finiding ways to appeal to a borader public-Scandinavian design and style is a niche not specifically suited to everyones tastes. Therefore, IKEA must figure out how to do this before someone else does. PESTLE ANALYSIS External Environmental Factors IKEA faces a variety of external environmental factors when conducting business in a competitive, global furniture market. These different factors, provides an explanation of what faces IKEA (The Broad Environment) Research shows in the broad environment, an individual firm can do little to directly influence these factors. In this study, IKEA is broken down by social, economical, technological and political/legal factors to dissect the broad environment. Socioculturally it was hard for IKEA to integrate itself in the American market. The furniture market in the United States contained a wide dichotomy between high-end and low-end design. Within this fragmented market, the top 10 furniture retailers were only responsible for 14.2% of the entire market share. The general discount stores, i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, Office Depot bring up the low-end market. These stores usually marketed their furniture on the basis of cut-rate pricing making margins low in for these channels. There were also smaller shops offering cheap furniture to price-conscious customers such as college students. However, these stores reflected their low price focus with dreary, dingy environments containing haphazard displays and poor, inconsistently managed inventories. Conversely, the high-end specialty markets offered luxurious store environments with clean, plush displays, conjuring up affluence, prosperity and comfort. These specialty retailers include Ethan Allen, Thomasville, and Jordans Furniture. Many of these retailers offered easy payment credit options lessening the debate when considering big-ticket items. Also, these stores came complete with high-touch sales consultants who assisted with measurements and product selection. These retailers offered interior design services for consumers whom were more interested in complete home makeovers. In addition, they boasted of huge inventories often containing many sub-styles within each specific style. Complete with delivery services, retailers could guarantee that consumers new purchases would be delivered and set up in their homes in a matter of weeks without them even having to lift a finger. Lastly, these specialty retailers focused on the quality of the furniture touting that their quality pieces will last a lifetime hence the justification of steep prices-a customer would not or should not need to replace the piece again within their lifetime. The other large part of IKEAs bumpy entry to American culture was the lack of market research. Many Americans didnt like IKEA products because the beds and kitchen cabinets did not fit American sized sheets or appliances, sofas were too hard for American comfort, the dimensions were in centimeters, and the kitchenware was too small for American serving preferences. A manger of the first store in Philadelphia (1985) recalled people drinking out of the vases instead of the serving glasses. Economically, IKEA is low cost. This is a big piece of breaking into the American market. IKEA had to focus and advertising campaign directed specifically to thwart Americans unwillingness to part with their furniture. Part of this angle is the low cost. It is only furniture, change it. By being willing to listen to consumer feedback and changing the way Americans looked at furniture, during the mid-1990s IKEAs profit share in American markets improved. Technologically, IKEAs Flat Pack is unlike any other furniture retailers shipping method-IKEA claims that they do not want to pay to ship air. This is precisely why they can be self-service and do not have to employ as many people as someone would think. These flat packs make it possible for people to lug their packages home without having to wait weeks for delivery. IKEA provides pencils, measuring tapes, store guides, catalogs, shopping carts, bags, and strollers to assist with the shopping experience. Customers are expected to transport their own purchases as well as assemble them on their own. The method in which IKEAs stores are lined up are ingenious. A customer will shop displays and then take their selections (jotting their item numbers) down to the warehouse to pick up their flat packed items before proceeding to check out. Utilizing Porters Five-Forces Model of Industry Competition, IKEA can be evaluated in the following way: 1. Customers Americans-the primary consumer base for IKEAs debut in the American Market. The most likely IKEA shopper are those sort of people who travel abroad, like taking risks, enjoy fine food and wine, have a frequent flier plan, and are early adopters of trendy consumer technologies such as Discmans, laptops, and cell phones (incidentally, IKEAs most atypical customer would be they type of person who collects guns). 2. Suppliers IKEA relies heavily on global suppliers. Once IKEA sets its base price for an item, they then seek to balance cost-effective labor with the companys quality product standards. It does so by working with 1,800 suppliers in over 50 countries. In many instances, IKEA circulates its idea within supplier rings and encourages them to compete for the production package. Sometimes to meet the base price, IKEA will have one design with pieces from several different suppliers. 3. Existing Competitors Traditional Furniture stores are abundant in America. There are none exactly like IKEA in the United States. Therefore IKEA has an advantage over those traditional stores that have high priced furniture. If that is not what the consumer is looking for, then they can go to IKEA for quality, less expensive furniture with a modern design edge. 4. Potential Competitors/Entry Barriers Since IKEA is such a unique, original idea/store it would be very hard to duplicate the totality of IKEAs culture. A store could probably duplicate one or two of the things which compose IKEAs atmosphere but they would fail in other aspects. Like, a store could try and copy the Scandinavian design niche but it would be hard and unauthentic (like what IKEA embodies) without the Scandinavian heritage. 5. Indirect Competitors/Substitutes Wal-mart, Target, Office Depot and other low-cost suppliers are indirect competitors in the fact they do offer low-priced furniture that consumers assemble themselves. However, these indirect substitutes differ in the fact that these are general retailers instead of where IKEA is a specific retailer of home goods. Target, for instance, retails apparel, accessories, home goods, groceries, office products and cleaning supplies. IKEA Strategy and Strategic options Company vision IKEAs vision has from the start been To create a better everyday life for the majority of people. IKEAs business concept originates in the decision to meet a need that no other company appeared concerned with and led it to develop a niche market: manufacturing beautiful, inexpensive and durable furniture for the majority of people.27 I. Kamprad states that IKEA should stand on the side of the majority of people, which involves taking on more responsibility than might at first seem to be the case.28 A recent example is the companys exceptionally costly move into the Russian market, but considered necessary as affordable furniture is a pressing need for the Russian population.29 The democratic design also involves representing the interests of ordinary people and getting rid of designs, which are difficult and expensive to produce, even if it is easy to sell.30 The concept was formalized in 1976 in Ingvar Kamprads thesis Testament of a Furniture Dealer, which became an important way to spread the IKEA philosophy.31 The fundamental goal was and is to provide affordable furniture for the people and cost cutting is key to achieving this. Cost-consciousness is a strong part of the business idea and the waste of resources is considered a mortal sin at IKEA32. By ensuring that ordinary people are able to afford to furnish their homes beautifully, many associate IKEA with a company that stands on the side of the little person and this is a positive image for a company to have. In addition to this, I. Kamprad had another dream: the dream of good capitalism which is the idea that the good in a profit-making business can be combined with a lasting social vision. This implies the goal of developing and achieving a better future for IKEAs customers as well as people working for IKEA believing that by working for IKEA, they are working for a better society and thereby contributing to a better world.33

Reconstruction Essay examples -- essays research papers

Victoria Hubble February 8, 2000 Reconstruction The Reconstruction, a time most people would call a rebirth, succeeded in few of the goals that it had set out to achieve within the 12 years it was in progress. It was the reconstruction’s failure in its objectives, that brought forth the inevitable success in changing the South, as well as the countless African Americans living in it as well as the countless African Americans living in it at the time. There were three goals the reconstruction set, and failed to achieve, as well as emphasizing the profound effect it had on the south, and an entire race. In the South the Reconstruction period was a time of readjustment accompanied by disorder. Southern whites wished to keep blacks in a condition of quasi-servitude, extending few civil rights and firmly rejecting social equality. Blacks, on the other hand, wanted full freedom and, above all, land of their own. Inevitably, there were frequent clashes. Some erupted into race riots, but acts of terrorism against individual black leaders were more common. During this turmoil, Southern whites and blacks began to work out ways of getting their farms back into operation and of making a living. Indeed, the most important developments of the Reconstruction era were not the highly publicized political contests but the slow, almost imperceptible changes that occurred in southern society. Blacks could now legally marry, and they set up conventional and usually stable family units; they quietly seceded from the white churches and formed their own religious organizations, which became a central point for the black community. Without land or money, most freedmen had to continue working for white masters; but they were now unwilling to labor in gangs or to live in the old slave quarters under the eye of the plantation owner. The governments set up in the Southern states under the congressional program of Reconstruction were, contrary to traditional cliches, fairly honest an d effective. Though the period has sometimes been labeled "Black Reconstruction," the Radical governments in the south were never dominated by blacks. There were no black governors, only two black senators and a handful of congressmen, and only one legislature controlled by blacks. Those black who did hold office appear to have been about equal in competence and honesty to the whites. it i... ...have political power, the right to a good education, and much more. After Republicans lost interest in supporting African American rights and Democrats regained political and economic control of the South, the racially segregated and capitalist government flourished again. The Reconstruction did, for a short time, transform the South for African Americans, but most rights and benefits gained during that time were lost to Democrats during the Redemption. The Redemption turned the Reconstruction into an economic, political, and social loss for most African Americans throughout the South. After more than 2 centuries of being emancipated, African Americans were given a new life. This phrase a new life was not the life of equality. However it was still a change from enslavement. This was the single and most important success of the Reconstruction. when it liberated African Americans in the South, it also replaced enslavement for segregation. When dealing with a historical event such a s this one, a person has to look at what the Reconstruction has cost African Americans and what it has brought them in return, then they must answer the question "was it all worth while?"

The Oak Tree: A Symbol For America :: essays research papers

America, our great country, is strong, powerful, and influential. Americans exemplify positive values, selflessness, hospitality, and the American way of life. The mighty oak tree that stands taller, bigger, and older than all others best represents this grand country. Each part of the tree illustrates a facet of our nation. Shapely emerald leaves covering the tree symbolize the values many Americans hold concerning themselves, others, and their nation. Leaves help the tree grow and flourish just as our value of caring for our neighbors help us to unite and become more successful as a whole. The beautiful shade and distinct shape of these leaves make the tree more attractive and unique. Our values often differ from values of other countries due to cultural contrasts such as with religious, racial, and education issues. We give much more freedom than many other countries do to those of different races and religions. Also, he hold education in a much higher regard than other countries. It is these differences which sometimes make our country seem more appealing to those of foreign lands. Without leaves in the spring, the mighty oak would have no means of nourishment and would die. Our common American values bind us together as one unit just as all the leaves work together to benefit the oak. Without them we would be millions of separate bodies aimlessly wondering about a common ground, and our country would fall to pieces. Thus, there would be no country as there would be no tree. The lonely oak's long, gnarled limbs seem to reach out as far as they can just to touch another tree. One limb reaches far to the east until it finds a maple. Our brave troops fought in the east to fend off the Czechoslovakians and Serbians from nearly defenseless Bosnia. Another limb bends down and softly touches the fresh buds of a young sapling. Many Americans give years of their lives in South Africa to the Peace Corps to touch the lives and hearts of many villagers. Yet another limb seems to branch out in all directions with its twigs reaching both up and down and side to side. Every year, many Americans donate money to the Christian Children's Fund where it is then used to heal, feed, and educate poverty-stricken children all over the world. Just as our branches stretch out, so do our American arms to help those less fortunate.

Meg Whitman – Ceo Ebay

Transactional leadership involves motivating and directing followers primarily through appealing to their own self-interest (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). In this case Meg Whitman’s leadership reflects transaction leadership through the focus on basic management process of controlling, organizing and short-term planning. Hellriegel and Slocum mentions Whitman craves for statistics and for bottom line results. Employees are cheerful and informal but are consistent in Whitman’s transactional leadership in planning, systems, numbers, and results. Whitman’s primary component of transactional leadership is viewed by prompting her employees at eBay to achieve their performance goals. Through these attributes Whitman believe this is one reason why eBay has been so successful (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Authentic Leadership Authentic leadership refers to individuals who (1) know and understand themselves (2) know what they believe and value, and (3) act on their values and beliefs through open and honest communications with subordinates and others (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). The aspects of Whitman’s leadership that reflects authentic leadership is that she builds credibility and win the respect of her employees by encouraging and respecting diverse viewpoints. Whitman is described as a person with experience and discipline and not to be stereotype of a new economy executive. Whitman has learned that since she has been as eBay she has become a better leader, manger, and executive than when she arrived as a youngster (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Whitman has provided a number of insights and perspectives on her leadership. Bay’s goal is to be the world’s most compelling commerce platform on the Internet. In meeting their goals and eBay’s goals, Whitman wants her employees to continue attracting more customers, expand the goods traded on the site, spread eBay to more global markets, making the user experience more fun, exciting, and easier, and acquiring Internet companies to become a full service retailer (Hellrie gel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Under the authentic leadership Whitman has empowered and motivated eBay’s employees to trust and follow her leadership style. Transformational Leadership. Transformational leadership involves anticipating future trends inspiring followers to understand and embrace a new vision of possibilities, developing others to be leaders or better leaders and building organization or groups into a community of challenged and rewarded leaders (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Transformational leadership style reflected in Whitman’s leadership through individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation. Individualized consideration is the degree to which the leader attends to followers’ needs, acts as a mentor or coach, and listens to followers’ concern (Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Whitman shows individualized consideration when she decided to change course when one of her managers became ill on a business trip. She attended to her employee needs by staying by his side while he was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital until he was stabilized. Intellectual stimula tion is the degree to which the leader challenges assumptions, take risks and solicits followers’ ideas (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Whitman’s transformational leadership style encourages her employees to â€Å"think outside the box† by being innovative. Meyers (2005) reference to Whitman leadership style is one who keeps a steady hand on the tiller rather than gripping and pulling hard on the levers of power. That means subtly steering an influencing relationship instead of controlling them to generate financial returns. For example, Whitman working from a cube and not from a corner office or conversing and not commanding her employees. Getting the employees to ask questions, as opposed to providing them with answers, and sharing what they have learned. Finally, understanding that the bottom line success often stems from experimenting and failing or from doing nothing when bold action seems desperately needed (Meyers, 2005). Whitman used her leadership skills to transform the company from an online auction house into a general purpose shopping destination. Her experience and discipline created a platform for global online market place where everybody’s chance to succeed is equal and to stay focused on the same goals (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Bay’s goal of being the first people to turn to when they want to buy anything. eBay owns no inventory and warehouse which helps make it highly profitable. It has cleverly used email, message boards, and its virtual community to forge bonds with customers. A key element to eBay’s growth is the continuous expansion of their market place and new services to communicate around the world (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). eBay Employees Employees at eBay respond to Whitman’s leadership style in a positive way. Employees are cheerful and informal (Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). The employees are dedicated and goal driven they don’t talk about fun and games but about plans, systems, numbers, and results. Hellriegel and Slocum mentions one of Whitman’s managers stated: â€Å"I have numbers. I know them. They’re very clear. And the expectations are high† (2009, pg. 316). The employees of eBay also value Whitman’s opinion when the managers are struggle in making decisions. For example, the managers went to Whitman the CEO to make the financial decision on not selling certain Nazi memorabilia. The employees seem to enjoy working under Whitman’s leadership style. One of Whitman’s employee stated: â€Å"She will exert herself personally, far and above the call of duty. She makes you want to the right thing† (Hellriegel, D. , & Slocum, J. W, Jr. 2009). Whitman looks for ways to encourage the contributions and development of her employees. Whitman’s leadership qualities have lead eBay to great success and the global trading platform where anyone can trade practically anything.