Thursday, October 31, 2019

Retailing stores Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Retailing stores - Research Proposal Example This understanding remains an essential component in development of services aimed at providing sufficient customer satisfaction. The study comprises of a population of all registered retailing outlets with samples of hundred stores in each country. Stratified sampling shall be utilised in sampling of the selected retailing stores within the population. Data analysis and processing shall be undertaken manually through undertaking close reviewing of the collected data. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 2 1.1.Background 2 1.2.Statement of problem 4 1.3.Objectives 4 1.4.Research questions 5 1.5.Justification 5 1.6.Scope 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6 2.1.Introduction 6 2.2.Research hypothesis 7 2.3.Theoretical framework 7 2.4.Summary 9 2.5.Research gaps 10 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 11 3.1.Research design 11 3.2.Population 11 3.3.Sampling frame 11 3.4.Sample and sampling technique 11 3.5.Data collection procedure 12 3.6.Data processing and analysis 1 2 REFERENCES 12 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background Grocery stores across the world normally manage to market themselves through providing services aimed at satisfying the target market. Before engaging in the business of retailing outlets, business owners must understand the prevailing shopping trends among the target customers. This kind of understanding makes marketing an essential component of successful business operations for retailing stores. The factors affecting shopping trends in retailing stores vary significantly between different states. These variations contribute significantly towards the development of specific shopping trends among individuals residing in certain part of the world. Variations in shopping trends, therefore, become a fundamental element in determining the success of a retailing store located in different states. Increased globalisation of business operations continues to necessitate differentiation of business operations in order to suit the vario us customer requirements. A comparison of Saudi Arabian and British consumers of grocery store products could potentially reveal the existing discrepancies in the shopping trends in different parts of the world. The European and Asian continents remain some of the biggest target markets for retailing outlets seeking global presence. In Saudi Arabia for example, perceived selection risk remains a major determinant of supermarket patronage among many shoppers(Yavas & Tuncalp, 1984). In the European market, the British retailing sector continues to rank among the best based on management and attained annual profits. The emerging competition from international retailing outlets, however, continues to cause competitive threats for existing retailing stores(Steve & Sparks, 1994). The globalisation of retailing store business therefore, requires sufficient understanding of the target market and introduction of new services. This proposal seeks to provide an understanding of the prevail ing issues pertaining to global retailing store business. Clients in different countries have different concerns resulting in patronage with retailing stores. This research seeks to provide an analysis of the existing services resulting in patronage within Europe and the Middle East. As one of the most popular countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia becomes the best example to represent the rest of the Middle East. Britain on the other

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

General Mills Inc. Executive Summary Essay Example for Free

General Mills Inc. Executive Summary Essay Executive Overview General Mills (NYSE:GIS), our company, is a global consumer foods company. We develop distinctive value-added food products and market with our unique brand names. We work continuously to improve our established products and to create new products that meet our customers’ potential needs and preferences. Our company has $14.88 billion in sales last year. Our sales has grown substantially throughout the years due in large part to our popular brand names, this however is only part of the reason that we has been so successful. We markets global brands such as Green Giant, Old El Paso, HÃ ¤agen-Dazs, Yoplait, Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Progresso and many others with competitive prices. The average U.S. shopper purchases at least one of our products every time they visit the grocery store. In this business model for our company, we include the important inputs and assumptions for the Balance Sheet (historical and future data), Income statements and other estimated model – WACC, Terminal Value, Enterprise Value, Stock Price, etc. After estimating enterprise values in the future, we can find that our company is undervalued. Stock holders are supposed to add holdings of shares and gain more equity. Analysis of the Model All the statistics used in this model can be found in Google Finance, Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg. In calculating the ratios and forecast financials for our company, some trends are difficult to estimate because the data online is not all included. Once we had the ratios calculated, we can find trends and used them to forecast out the balance sheet, Income statement and cash flow statement for the next five years, which would bring us to 2016. Revenue Growth – According to the Sheet FSM-Input, we can find the percent growth % for the last four years are 9.73%, 7.61%, 0.72%, 0.57%. Because it changes a lot in the five years and the rate in recent two years is really low. We use the average growth rate for the next five years. So we are forecasting settling into annual growth of 4.66%, more in line with long-term general growth trends. COGS – In the same sheet, the gross margin from 2007 to 2011 is 39.39%, 39.05%, 38.73%, 42.77%, and 43.21%, in line with analyst forecasts which are also in line with company guidance. These margins are increased from the estimates. We also use the average data for the next five years. SGA – Increase in SGA to 21.44% of revenue for 2011 is under a trend of increasing from 19.21% these five years. We generally forecast a decrease to 20.38% (average) for 2012 and thereafter. It should be a slower revenue growth in the long term, so as for SGA. Tax Rate – Average Income tax rate is 33.8% for the next five years, which between 29.62% to 37% in the last five years. CapEx – Accord the increasing trend of the last five years for CapEx of revenue, we give the assumption that it will increase by 0.5% each year in the next five years. As most of the data are close to this level, we think this assumption appears justifiable. Cost of Debt, Cost of Equity – we used the data of year 2011 to estimate the future value – for the value of WACC. All the data are collected from Bloomberg. Also, the cost of equity can be calculated by CAPM, as the risk-free rate plus the Market Risk Premium multiplied by Beta. Beta – calculated by running a regression comparing yearly returns of GIS for the last five years, and modified with the information from Bloomberg. Risk free Rate – calculated as the average yield on the 10 year Treasury rate over the last six months. In addition, the interest rate for cash and short term debt is almost zero here. Growth rate – we used the dividend growth rate here, as the dividend for last four years as follows: 1.29, 1.22, 1.12, and 0.96. We calculate the increase rate and select the minimum one 1.66%. It is used for the current Terminal Value and the following estimation of equity value. From the Balance Sheet and the Ratio analysis, we can calculate the capital structure of our company. And the above is the result of current value. Our WACC is almost constantly these years – around 5.50% via from 5.04% to 5.82%. We also use the scenario analysis for how the WACC and growth rate affect enterprise value and equity value. The full report shows all the forecasting data for 2012 – 2016, it clearly estimate the financial trend of our company (attachment). For the data used in this model, some of them are current data, the other are historical or most recently or average number. It only depends on actually situation – for which method is much more realistic. Conclusion The current enterprise value is $41,335 million and the equity value is $34,455 million. According to yahoo finance, the shares outstanding of our company are 647.31 million, so we can calculate the stock price for next year is $53.23. It will increase in following years. Also, the WACC of our company is always around 5.5%, we can use Monte Carlo Simulation to run the estimation of Equity value by changing WACC, growth rate and COGS/Revenue each year. The random calculation displays as the full report in attachment. The most important thing is that, according to our estimation, the next five-year we will get additional funds needed increasingly with no surplus funds; which means, our assets increase faster than our liabilities. Therefore, our company goes well in the short term future based on this model. In conclusion, General Mills Inc. is undervalued currently, it is recommended for customers to add holding of stock shares. Overall, our company has a long history of impressive performance and has returned significant value to its shareholders. While we operate in a mature industry with limited growth potential, we have a proven ability to seek out new opportunities and continue to grow revenue year after year. We should do our best to let us continuous be one of the world’s most respected packaged food producers. Sources Market Watch. General Mills Inc. Company Profie (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/gis/profile General Mills Inc. (GIS) Annual and other reports. (2012). Retrieved from: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=74271p=quarterlyearnings General Mills Inc. (GIS). Key Statistics. (2012). Retrieved from: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=GIS+Key+Statistics General Mills Inc. (GIS) Current key data. (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.google.com/finance?q=gis Historical Data from Bloomberg.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Free Expression: Copyright

Free Expression: Copyright Copyright has been called an engine of free expression because copyright provides economic incentives to persons creative works to promote free speech (expression). However, some also argues that copyright is an obstacle to free expression as permission from a copyright owner is compulsory and may have to pay a licence fee when using other persons work. Historically, copyright and free expression has been regarded as separate parts. Both have constitutional underpinnings, and protection of artistic and intellectual freedom originates in the First Amendment. When considering whether monopoly control by authors, artists, and media corporations unduly restricts the ability of other authors, artists and corporations to copy, share, criticize, parody, or build upon copyrighted works, the Supreme Court has said that the two systems are not really in tension but complement each other. (Heins, 2003) This essay covers the argument for both sides of copyright; an engine of free expression and an obstacle to free expression or at least, copyright is no longer an engine of free expression. A number of journals, articles and books are used to support these arguments. Then, concludes how accurate the statement copyright has been called an engine of free expression is. If there was no copyright, information would be distributed differently. There would probably be patrons of the arts, both governmental and private, and the content of that art would be shaped by patrons preferences. Also, without copyright the coordination difficulties and free riding problems would make it difficult for the less wealthy to aggregate their resources and fund creativity. Conversely, copyright encourages creators/inventors toward works that may prove popular with some market segment. The desire to give a mass audience what it will pay for, while not dispositive of content, makes a significant difference in many creative decisions. Copyright encourages the creation and dissemination of the speech of those who seek economic incentives, decreasing the relative voices of those who create for personal satisfaction. (Tushnet, 2000) The Court has explained that copyrights purpose is to promote the creation and publication of free expression, and in 1985 the First Amendment (consists of the first 45 words of the Bill of Rights, ratified in December 1791, that protect the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. It serves as the blueprint for freedom of expression and religious liberty. (Paulson, n.d.)) stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it should not be forgotten that the Framers intended copyright itself to be the engine of free expression. (Horowitz, 2009) These statements explain how copyright and the First Amendment accomplish the same goal the dissemination of new ideas through distinct means. Copyright pushes the dissemination by providing an incentive to create new expression while the First Amendment removes the obstacles in the way of that dissemination. (Hart, 2010) Therefore, copyright, in short, promotes freedom of speech. For example, Netanel, in his guest-blogging: Copyrights Paradox (2008), said that Copyrights economic incentive for the creation and dissemination of original expression is just one way that copyright promotes speech. and says that the copyrights effect is both qualitative and quantitative. For example, it supports a sector of authors and publishers who look to the market, not government patronage, for financial sustenance and who thus gain considerable independence from government influence. Moreover, he explains that copyright does not further free speech merely by providing pecuniary incentives and support. It also symbolically reinforces certain values and understandings that underlie our commitment to free speech.. He concludes that by encouraging authors, copyright gives the laws imprimatur to the social and political importance of individuals new original contributions to public discourse. On the other hand, there are some views that copyright restricts the free expression. In the nineteenth century, unlike today where the principal beneficiaries of copyright protection are recording companies, film producers, and other media corporations, they were individual authors and dramatists. During that century copyright was protected for a relatively short time before the work entered the public domain: in the United Kingdom, fourteen years (with a possible renewal for a further fourteen years) under the Statute of Anne of 1709, or subsequent to legislation in 1842, the authors life plus seven years. After that period works could be freely copied, so the right had much less impact on freedom of expression than it does now when the standard term of copyright is life plus seventy years. Further, during the nineteenth century, copyright was for the most part protected against literal copying, and not against translations and adaptations, where the copier, at least to some extent , adds creative or original features in the preparation of the infringing work. (Barendt, 2005, p.252) So, contrast to the nineteenth century, today we have a lot of restrictions on our expression with the copyright. Moreover, although the standard term of copyright is life plus seventy years, there is a case where this was broken. With the Sony Bono Act, Congress extended Americas already hefty copyright terms across the board for 20 years, thereby freezing the public domain at its 1928 dimensions. (Heins, 2003) Moreover, as copyright creates private monopolies in expression, a copyright holder can prohibit or permit the use of his/her copyrighted expression, or demand a licence fee. Also it is concerned that copyright does not limit the dissemination of ideas or the spread of news and information, but only the use by others of the expression of the holder of copyright. Melville Nimmer, a distinguished writer on many areas of free speech law as well as a great copyright lawyer, contended that in this way First Amendment concerns were met by copyright legislation. The conclusion is unsatisfactory as it does not do justice to the point that sometimes it is important for an infringer to use the very words or other distractive expression of the copyright holder, if he is effectively to communicate his ideas, perhaps the sentiment that the quoted or parodied work is meretricious. Nimmer himself did not think the distinction worked where an idea and its expression are inseparable, as in a news pho tograph. Reproduction of film of the assassination of President Kennedy or of the famous photograph of the My-Lai massacre in Vietnam necessarily used a distinctive form of expression in order to communicate the character of the particular news event. (Barendt, 2005, p.249) From the book Copyrights Paradox (2008), Netanel said Copyright does provide an economic incentive for speech. But it may also prevent speakers from effectively conveying their message and challenging prevailing views. Netanel explains this with a best-selling novel The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall as an example. Randal uses the setting and character of Margaret Mitchells Gone with the Wind, from the viewpoint of a slave. Contrast to Mitchell, Randall focuses on miscegenation and slaves calculated manipulation of their masters. However, Mitchells heirs brought a copyright infringement action against Randalls publisher. Although the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals immediately vacated the injunction, a Georgia district court preliminarily enjoined the Randalls novels publication due to unabated piracy. Natanel added that It held that by barring public access to Randalls viewpoint in the form of expression that she chose, the trial courts order acted as a prior restraint on speech, standing sharply at odds with the shared principles of the First Amendment and copyright law. He also added that Indeed, while Randall eventually emerged victorious, not all courts have proven as solicitous of First Amendment values as the Eleventh Circuit panel that lifted the ban on her novel. Netanel, again, in his guest-blogging: Copyrights Paradox (2008), throws a question, in the digital age, does copyright law still serve as the engine of free expression? He explains that, in the Internet many of original expressions are distributed without any claim of copyright by its author (or at least without any effort to use copyright to prevent copying). Many Internet speakers are volunteers, happy to exchange and express their views without any expectation of monetary remunerations. Others make their creative expression available for free to enhance their reputation or sell related products. In addition, he suggested that the claim that copyright is engine of free expression must rest on an argument about copyrights incremental speech benefits. He argues that if we are to believe that copyright continues to be necessary to promote free speech, we must posit that (1) the copyright incentive generates the creation and dissemination of original expression over and above the rich array of speech that would be available even without copyright and (2) this additional copyright-incented expression has independent First Amendment value. The First Amendment value means it enables citizens to express their thoughts and beliefs in a free society. (Paulson, n.d.) As he argues in his book Copyrights Paradox, copyright does have those (as stated above) incremental benefit. Many works require a material commitment of time and money to create, for example, numerous full-length motion pictures, documentaries, television programs, books, products of investigative journalism, paintings, musical compositions, and highly orchestrated sound recordings constitute such sustained works of authorship. It is generally far too expensive and time-consuming to create such works, let alone create with the considerable skill, care, and high quality that the best of such works evince, to rely on volunteer authors. Nor are alternative, non-copyright business models necessarily more desirable than copyright. For example, we might not want our cultural expression to be populated with product placement advertising or devalued by treating it as a mere give-away for selling other products. Netanel also added that many of these types of works have considerable First Ame ndment value. He said while copyright is no longer THE engine of free expression (if it ever was the sole engine), it remains a vital underwriter of free speech (Netanel, 2008). By saying this, he recognizes that, although the copyright cannot be said to be an engine of free expression, it is still an important factor in promoting the free speech. In conclusion, it is clear that copyright has been an engine of free expression. The Court explained that copyrights purpose is to promote the creation and publication of free expression and the First Amendment stated that Framers intended copyright itself to be the engine of free expression. Giving economic incentive is the one way of promoting free expression. Turchnet (2000) and Hart (2010) argue that copyright encourages the creation and dissemination of the speech of those who seek economic rewards, decreasing the relative voices of those who create for personal satisfaction. Also Netanel, in his guest-blogging: Copyrights Paradox (2008), argued same statements. Moreover, he explained that copyright also symbolically reinforces certain values and understandings of that underlie our commitment to free speech. However, some argues that copyright is not an engine of free expression. Barendt (2005) explained that there are more protections for copyrights than before so it made people harder to express their ideas. Also Netanel (2008) said copyright can prevent speakers from effectively conveying their message and challenging prevailing views. He gives an example of novel The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall to support his arguments. Although the court later void the injunction, a Georgia district court preliminarily enjoined the Randalls novels publication due to unabated piracy In here, the courts order acted as a prior restraint on speech, and opposite to the First Amendment and copyright law. Barendt (2005) also argued that as copyright creates private monopolies in expression, a copyright holder can prohibit or permit the use of his/her copyrighted expression, or demand a licence fee. Therefore, we should not say the statement that copyright is an engine of free expression is accurate as it has opposite arguments with evidences (; level of accuracy is low). As long as it promotes free expression (or speech) it can be said that the copyright is an engine of free expression but prior to that, copyright law should be loosen so that people can more freely express their ideas/speech effectively. Also, the Court needs to well-understand the meaning of First Amendment and copyright laws to prevent cases like Alice Randals. This way, the statement will be more accurate. So we should not only protect copyright owners too much, rather we should allow people to use some concepts or meanings of others (copyright owners) to build/create new expressions effectively. History of Russian Architecture: 1924 1932 History of Russian Architecture: 1924 1932 Russian architecture since the eleventh century up to the early 20th century was predominantly religious. For many centuries, churches were the only buildings that were constructed out of stone. However, the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the influence of the Suprematism movement of 1915 brought about the birth of Constructivism, the modernistic architectural style of Russia from 1924-1932. The brief period that followed the 1917 Revolution marked the beginning of the influence of the avant-garde Constructivist movement in the structure and design of major buildings. It enjoyed a short popularity until the late 1920s when it was repudiated by the more conservative Stalinist-era architecture (Russian Art, 2005). The principles of Constructivism theory come from three main art movements that evolved in Europe during the early part of the 20th century: Russian Suprematism, Dutch Des Stijl, or Neo Plasticism, and the Bauhaus in Germany (Constructivism, n.d.). In early 20th century Russia, particularly in 1917, there was a series of revolutions that eventually destroyed the autocracy of the Tsar. This series of revolutions led by the workers of Russia under their leader Vladimir Lenin was known as the Russian Revolution. The February Revolution in March of 1917 focused on St. Petersburg. During this time, the Soviets, or workers councils, delegated to the members of the Imperial Parliament the task of governing Russia and overthrowing Nicholas II, the Tsar during that time and the last of the Tsars. Meanwhile, the Soviets, led by the socialists or Bolsheviks, had the full allegiance of the lower-class citizens and workers as well as the political left. The Bolsheviks then formed workers militias. In the October Revolution that followed, the Bolshevik party under the command of their leader Vladimir Lenin, as well as the workers councils, overthrew the Provisional Government in St. Petersburg. Eventually, the success of the revolution paved the way for the birth of the USSR. After this series of events, peasants took over the lands previously owned by the vassals and redistributed land. This also marked the beginning of communal existence especially among the working classes, which led to the building of several constructivist buildings to house the first communities and to promote the ideology of communism (Mosley, n.d.). The Suprematism Movement of 1915 Suprematism is the main ideology in art that inspired Constructivism, which is the predominant architectural style of Russia during the period from 1924 to 1932. Suprematism lasted from 1915 to 1935 and is regarded as the first systematic school of modernism based on purely abstract pictorial compositions and geometric figures. It is a Russian art movement which was originally founded in Moscow in 1913 by the Russian painter Kazimir Malevich (Suprematism, 2007). Malevich advocated Suprematism as he believed that this is the perfect way to liberate art from the ballast of the representational world. He himself did this by producing art consisting of geometrical shapes flatly painted on the surface of the canvass. The goal of Suprematism is pure sensation and the pictorial space should be emptied of all symbolic content as in Surrealism. Malevich believed that art has to be decongested and cleared in order to show a new reality where the most important thing is thought as well as sensation. Malevichs Suprematism was also heavily influenced by the then avant-garde movements in art such as Cubism and Futurism (Suprematism, 2007). Suprematism, considering that it was based on Malevichs spiritual beliefs, was regarded as non-objective and apolitical. Aside from its use of only geometric shapes as the ones demonstrated by constructivist forms of architecture, Suprematism also emphasized the use of a limited color range, which explains the overall appearance of constructivist buildings (Suprematism, 2010). The Beginnings and Golden Age of Constructivism Early Influences. The development of Suprematism led to the movement toward a non-objective art, or art without a subject, in architecture. During the early years of Constructivism, the Russian modernists or avant-garde started embracing Cubism and Futurism (Constructivism, n.d.), which were two of the major sources of influence of Constructivism. Cubism was a 20th century modern movement popularized by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in France and other parts of Europe from 1907-1921. Futurism, on the other hand, started in Italy in 1910 and from 1920-1940 was used in the construction of buildings despite the opposition of the fascist state which favored classical Roman imperial patterns. Tatlins Constructivism. In 1913-1914, the Russian and Soviet architect and painter Vladimir Tatlin used industrial materials to make and exhibit a number of relief constructions. He was inspired by Italian futurist Umberto Boccionis dream of plastic configurations in space and Pablo Picassos 3D collages, both of which he described by using the term Constructivism. Vladimir Tatlin was indeed the progenitor of this post-Revolutionary movement in architecture (Constructivism, n.d.). The Constructivist Manifesto. The year 1921 marked the appearance of the first Constructivist manifesto after the formation of the First Working Group of Constructivists in Moscow. The key artists were Vladimir Tatlin, Kasmir Malevich, Liubov Popova, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Vavara Stepanova, Vasily Kandinsky, Naum Gabo, Antoine Pevsner, El Lissitzky (Constructivism, n.d.). Actual constructivist theory and design practice began in 1922 in conjunction with the formulation of Vesnin brothers of the plan for the Palace of Labor, which was presented during a competition in 1922. However, actual building on a significant scale did not start until 1925 after the founding of the Union of Modern Architects, the official organization of the Russian Constructivist architects. By 1925, the first experimental office and residential buildings began their first appearance (Soviet Constructivism, 2007). The Union of Modern Architects. Towards the end of 1925, the Constructivists of Russia formed their own organization as a response to the decision of the Rationalists to establish the Association of New Architects, or ASNOVA, two years earlier in 1923. The Union of Modern Architects, or OSA, was initially composed of the brothers Aleksandr, Viktor and Leonid Vesnin, Mikhail Barshch, Andrei Burov, Moisei Ginzburg, Ginzburgs pupils Georgy Vegman, Ruvim Khiger, Vyacheslav Vladimirov, and the artist Aleksei Gan. Ivan Nikolaev and Ilya and Panteleimon Golozov decided to join later (Soviet Constructivism, 2007). While the Rationalists and ASNOVA focused on their search for purely aesthetic abstract forms, the Constructivists and OSA brought to life a novel, more practical architectural form, with reference to the purpose of the of the specific building, the materials used to construct it, its design and other conditions for production, and most of all the promotion of social development of Russia at that time. While the Rationalist emphasized the artistic or aesthetic side of architecture, the Constructivists favored its functional aspect (Soviet Constructivism, 2007). The Golden Age of Constructivism. The period from1927 to 1929 was considered the golden age of Russian avant-garde architecture. In these three years, a small group of Russian constructivist architects was able to build or plan the best-known buildings in the country. Among the structures built during this time were the Zuyev Club by Ilya Golosov, all the clubs by Konstantin Melnikov and his house, Lenins Mausoleum and the Narkomzem building by Aleksey Shchusev, Narkomfin by Ginzburg and Milinis, the Barshchs and Sinyavskys Planetarium, and Nikolaevs communal house for students (Soviet Constructivism, 2007). The Concept of Constructivism Constructivism, or Constructivist Art, is a term used to describe a type of non-representational, or totally abstract, relief construction, sculpture, painting, and kinetics. Constructivist buildings are usually ordered and often minimal, spatial, geometric, architectonic and experimental with how industrial material is used (Constructivism, n.d.). Furthermore, constructivism combined engineering and advanced technology with a dominant Communist social purpose. The movement produced several pioneering projects as well as prominent buildings and structures before falling out of favor during the early 1930s (Constructivist Architecture, 2010). Early constructivist art and architecture, just like Communism, was idealistic and seeking a new order that dealt with various social and economic problems. The appearance of several constructivist buildings and monuments is characterized by an emphasis on geometrical shapes like rectangular solids and cylinders, often intersecting each other or demonstrating asymmetry. Limited color range is another quality of constructivist buildings, with the choice of color as flesh or white signifying simplicity in the communal society. Red was also a very popular choice of color for the buildings and monuments like Lenins Mausoleum as this color was known to symbolize Communism. Both the geometrical emphasis and the limits in color are characteristics of Constructivist Architecture brought about by the influence of Suprematism, which was the most dominant art movement in Russia at that time (Suprematism, 2010). German Constructivism or the Bauhaus Architecture. The German word Bauhaus literally means House of Building or Building School. It refers to a school in Germany famous for the style and design that it taught. It is a form of modernist architecture that was founded by Walter Gropius and existed in Germany, some parts of Europe, the United States, and Israel from 1919 to 1933. The Bauhaus was an architectural ideology similar to Russian Constructivism and existed at the same time that it did. As Constructivism lost its favor because of Stalinist Neoclassicism, the Bauhaus gradually became inactive as the Nazi rose to power (Zisling, 2010). Just like Constructivist structures, Bauhaus buildings usually possess a cubic design and favor right angles owing to its geometrical figure. Nevertheless it may occasionally feature rounded corners as well as balconies. These buildings usually have an open floor plan and smooth facades (Zisling, 2010). Below is an example of a Bauhaus building in Tel Aviv, Israel: Taken from: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_HYPERLINK http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society__Culture/Architecture/Bauhaus.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society__Culture/Architecture/Bauhaus.html_Culture/Architecture/Bauhaus.html The Most Notable Constructivist Buildings The Rusakov Workers Club. One of the most notable examples of constructivist architecture inMoscow is the Rusakov Workers Club. It was designed by Konstantin Melnikov and was constructed from 1927 to 1928. On the outside, the club resembles a fan and in elevation, it is made up of a base and three cantilevered concrete areas for the seats. If the seating areas are combined, the building can seat over 1,000 people while each of these three cantilevered seating areas can be used as a separate auditorium. More conventional offices are found at the rear of the building. Moreover, the materials used in its construction are glass, concrete and brick. The constructivist identity of the building is expressed in its exterior, which the architect Melnikov himself described as a tensed muscle. On the outside, the three seating areas are seen as three large rectangular solids protruding from the walls of the building on the upper part. Melnikov naturally applied his own values to its construction by setting the Rusakov Workers Club, as well as other clubs he had designed, against the hostile city rather than belonging to it by employing sharply distinctive forms to make the structure appear individualist and unique against the general backdrop of urban buildings (Rusakov Workers Club, 2009). Taken from: http://www.housing.com/categories/homes/soviet-constructivist-architecture-1922-1936/rusakov-workers-club-1927-1928-konstantin-melnikov.html Svoboda Factory Club. Another constructivist building worth mentioning is the Svoboda Factory Club, or Maxim Gorky Palace of Culture. It was also Konstantin Melnikov who designed the building in 1927. It was completed two years later. For the general design of the Svoboda Factory Club, a conventional rectangular masonry block was used as a replacement for the original plan of using a flat elliptical tube, thus giving its design a constructivist spirit. The staircase was not curved but built straight, leaving the central rostrum column as the only curvilinear element in the structure. However, although the central rostrum column balances the left and right halves of the building, these halves are not identical with the north side end block significantly higher than the opposite one. This unique feature is a quality of the individualism of the constructivist movement. Nonetheless, the central rostrum hides such a discrepancy (Svoboda Factory Club, 2009). Taken from: http://www.housing.com/categories/homes/soviet-constructivist-architecture-1922-1936/svoboda-factory-club-1929-konstantin-melnikov.html Zuev Workers Club. Another prominent example of constructivist architecture is the Zuev Workers Club in Moscow. The architect Ilya Golosov designed the structure in 1926 and it was finished after two years. The original function of the building was to house various facilities for the workers of Moscow. The innovative and unique glazing treatment at its corner and the faà §ade formed from the dramatic intersection of a cylindrical glazed staircase and a stack of rectangular floor planes (Zuev Workers Club, 2009) prove to be very photogenic and make the Zuev Workers Club a symbol of Russian avant-garde architecture. These two unique qualities reflect a strong unique identity which is characteristic of Soviet Constructivism. The stack of rectangular floor planes has behind them a sequence of club rooms and open foyers that lead to a rectangular auditorium made up of 850 seats. Golosov, like Melnikov, was an enthusiast not for the logics but for the dynamic forms Constructivist design methods. In the Zuev Workers Club, this is evident in the immensely powerful drama of the cylinder intersecting the flat planes (Zuev Workers Club, 2009). Taken from: http://www.housing.com/categories/homes/soviet-constructivist-architecture-1922-1936/zuev-workers-club-1928-illya-golosov.html Narkomzem. Also known as Peoples Commissariat of Agriculture, Narkomzem was another noteworthy example of avant-garde architecture in early 20th century Russia. The building, which is now used today as a working ministry, was designed by Aleksey Shchusev and was finished in 1933. Taken from: http://www.housing.com/categories/homes/soviet-constructivist-architecture-1922-1936/narkomzem-1928-1933-aleksey-shchusev.html The most striking constructivist feature of the building is its corner details where a rectangular plane intersects with the cylindrical edge. Aside from the corner details, the overall asymmetry and the ribbon window located on the top floor remain to be the most striking features of Narkomzem (Narkomzem, 2009). Melnikovs House. The house of the architect Konstantin Melnikov, or simply known as Melnikov House, is one of the most notable examples of 20th century avant-garde architecture. It is located in Moscow and is located well away from the street. Taken from: http://www.housing.com/categories/homes/soviet-constructivist-architecture-1922-1936/melnikov-house-1927-1929-konstantin-melnikov.html Melnikov House is a building made up of a combination of both Futuristic and Classical designs consisting of two interlocking cylinders with the rear one noticeably taller than the front. The structure is also perforated with some sixty identical elongated hexagonal windows provided with Constructivist glazing bars. The asymmetry in the cylinders and the uniquely designed hexagons are testaments to Melnikovs commitment to Constructivism. The cylinders are made from stucco-covered bricks similar to those used in Russian churches and on the faà §ade are written the words KONSTANTIN MELNIKOV ARKHITECTOR (Melnikov House, 2009). Narkomfin. Another Russian building with constructivist design is the Narkomfin building. It was designed by the architects Ignaty Milinis and Moisei Ginzburg along with engineer Sergei Prokhorov. It was constructed from 1928 to 1930 for the purpose of providing apartments for the employees of the Peoples Commissariat of Finance, of the Narkomfin. The transitional, semi-communal apartment was supposed to introduce to the Soviet citizen the communal way of life and to introduce communism into the heart of domestic life and prepare the citizens to fully live a communal existence (Narkomfin, 2007). Narkomfin, for its constructivist elements, had a long elegant faà §ade with several rows of horizontal windows. It was topped with the Commissars penthouse making it look like and be called the ship. Upon its completion it turned out to be an ensemble composed of three buildings: the housing block, the communal block and a small laundry building. The Narkomfin has remained an icon of modernism in avant-garde architecture of Soviet Russia primarily because of these constructivist elements that make it stand out among the rest (Narkomfin, 2007). Taken from: http://ciudadlab.com/blog/2008/03/narkomfin-to-be-hotel.html The Narkomfin building was also known as the most perfectly realized building out of all the communal buildings constructed during the Constructivist Era or in the utopian years of the early Soviet Union. It was also considered the prototype for the modern European apartment blocks and housing estates. Now, the Narkomfin remains as a pilgrimage sites for historians and architects from all over the world. (Narkomfin, 2007). Communal House of the Textile Institute. Built from 1920 to 1930, the Communal House of the Textile Institute, or the Communal House for Textile Institute Students, in Moscow is considered Ivan Nikolaevs masterpiece and is another noteworthy architectural work of the Soviet constructivist era. Popularly called Nikolaevs House or The Hostel, the Communal House demonstrates the dom kommuna, or the 2000 adult apprentices shared cabins along an eight-storey block extending for a length of 200 meters. There was a creative mix of dining rooms and recreational spaces in the low block (Communal House, n.d.). The Communal House was actually built for textile students to live and study in while adopting a strict military communal fashion that starts with a wake-up call, and proceeds with exercise, shower, and study. The constructivist elements of the Communal House include half-round stair towers, the triangular staircase, and the vast rectangular volumes as well as the asymmetry demonstrated by the uneven intersections of the various planes in the faà §ade of the building (Communal House, n.d.). Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nikolaev_commune_2008_stairs_01.jpg The Barshchs and Sinyavskys Planetarium. The Barshchs and Sinyavskys Planetarium, or the Moscow Planetarium, was established on November 5, 1929 and is considered at present a center of natural sciences. The planetarium is principally involved in reading public lectures and implementing scientific and artistic programs in cosmonautics and astronomy. In the observatory of the planetarium, one can watch the sunspots, the Moon, the planets and many other heavenly bodies with the use of a telescope (Moscow Planetarium, 2004). M. O. Barshch and M. I. Sinyavsky were responsible for the design of the planetarium and commenced the construction on September 23, 1928, the day of the autumnal equinox (Moscow Planetarium, 2004). The planetarium was actually one of the largest projection domes for any planetarium in the world, which makes this unique feature one of its most prominent characteristics as a symbol of avant-garde Soviet architecture. However, its apex was only 4cm thick (Monuments of Constructivism, 2007). Taken from: http://www.stardome.ru/english/english.html#BASIC1 Red Banner Textile Factory. Located in the former city of Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, the Red Banner Textile Factory was partially designed by the first foreign architect asked to design in the USSR, Erich Mendelsohn, in 1925 to 1926, and later designed by E. A. Tretyakov, S. O. Ovsyannikov, and Hyppolit Pretraeus until its completion in 1937 (Wandering Camera, n.d.). The Red Banner Textile Factory was a dynamic, futuristic large factory and was a most notable example of Soviet Constructivist architecture. The Red Banner Factory resembled a ship with the top part of it jutting out of the planes. There is also an asymmetry with the intersection of the cylindrical and rectangular sections of the building on the outside. These two constructivist features of the factory give it its unique identity and make it stand out (Wandering Camera, n.d.). Taken from: http://www.enlight.ru/camera/249/index_e.html Notable Architects of Russia from 1924-1932 Vladimir Tatlin. The Russian constructivist designer Vladimir Tatlin was considered the progenitor of Soviet Constructivism because of his revolutionary exhibits of relief constructions from 1913 to 1914 (Constructivism, n.d.). He was also responsible for the appearance of the Constructivist Manifesto in 1921 which paved the way for the first construction of a plan for a constructivist building in 1922 and the actual establishment of constructivist office and residence buildings in 1925 (Soviet Constructivism, 2007). Tatlin trained at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture as well as in the Penza Art School. It was after completing his formal studies that he joined a group of avant-garde painters and writers all over Russia. It was also during this period that he formulated several designs for a theater and participated in exhibitions (Vladimir Tatlin, 2010). Konstantin Melnikov. Melnikov was one of the big names in Soviet constructivist architecture, being the architect behind the Rusakov Workers Club, the Svoboda Factory Club and his own Melnikov House. Melnikov apprenticed as an engineer after attending the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He studied architecture from 1912 to 1917 and it became his passion although he initially studied painting in 1905. As a romanticist and a supporter of Communism, Melnikov was an architect who had independence of mind and rejected the principle of method in design and instead focused on intuition as the most essential factor in expressing the social and symbolic meaning of an architectural form such as a building. In his works, Melnikov struggled to combine Classicism and Leftist Modernism and often designed his architectural masterpieces with explicit and symbolic historicism (Konstantin Melnikov, 2010). Ilya Golosov. A leader of Constructivism from 1925 to 1931, Ilya Golosov was the Russian architect responsible for the design of the Zuyev Workers Club in Moscow and communal housing in Ivanovo. Just like Tatlin and Melnikov, Golosov studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculture and Architecture. However, he also studied in the Stroganov School of Arts. He became an apprentice to the architects Igor Grabar and Alexey Shchusev, who is also a notable constructivist architect. He also worked as a military engineer and a teacher. His main impression with the works of the Vesnin brothers made him join the constructivist organization, or the OSA Group in 1925, and from then on he started designing his masterpieces. However, although Golosov was a champion of Constructivist architecture, he regarded the architectural philosophy of Constructivism only as ideal for exterior decoration but not for wholesomeness in terms of functional style. These contrasting views of his regarding Constructivism eventually made him abandon the avant-garde form of architecture in 1932 and settled for neoclassical architecture in his works, hence from Soviet Constructivism to Soviet Realism (Ilya Golosov, 2010). Ivan Sergeevich Nikolaev. Another name in the Soviet Constructivist architects hall of fame is Ivan Nikolaev. He was famous for the constructivist design and even the formulation of the rules and regulations of the Communal House of the Textile Institute built from 1929 to 1931. He devised a rather rigid and Communist procedure for the members of the training institute which was supposed to be followed through very single day: a wake-up call, exercise, shower and study. In addition Nikolaev was also famous for his modernist campus of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. He, however, abandoned his constructivist beliefs in order to adopt Stalinist architecture (Constructivist Architecture, 2010). Aleksey Shchusev. Another prominent name in avant-garde Soviet architecture of early 20th century Russia was Aleksey Shchusev. Shchusev was responsible for the constructivist designs of the Kazan Railway Station, the Narkomzem, or Agriculture Ministry, building in Moscow, and most important of all, Lenins Mausoleum on Red Square, which he designed only in a stunning period of three days (Narkomzem, 2007). Another one of his constructivist designs was the Institute of Resorts in Sochi, which he designed from 1927 to 1931. Shchusev was tasked to design many more buildings after 1932 and some say that he was even the originator of Gothic skyscrapers in Moscow (Soviet Constructivist, 2009). Shchusev studied a the Imperial Academy of Arts from 1891 to 1897 and his travels to North Africa and Central Asia from 1894 to 1899 may have somehow influenced his partial non-adherence to pure Constructivism. It is also worth mentioning that even before Shchusev designed buildings, he was already tasked to restore church and to design a cathedral during the first ten years of the 20th century. His restoration of the St. Basil Church in Ukraine, his designs for the Trinity Cathedral in Pochayiv Lavra, and the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow made him one of the best and most versatile architects of his time (Soviet Constructivist, 2009). Erich Mendelsohn. The expressionist architect Erich Mendelsohn was a German Jewish architect and the first foreign architect who was allowed by the USSR to work for them. In 1926, he partially designed the Red Flag Textile Factory in St. Petersburg. The constructivist design of the exterior of the factory made it resemble a ship. This particular masterpiece of Mendelsohn is similar to the Mossehaus, which he himself designed in Berlin. He also designed the rear view of the Einstein Tower in Potsdam and the Cohen House in London, all of which had designs similar to that of Soviet Constructivism. Mendelsohn studied architecture at the Technical University of Berlin and the Technical University of Munich, where he graduated cum laude in 1812. His initial work before he became an international architectural designer was as an independent architect in Munich (Erich Mendelsohn, 2010). Yakov Chernikhov. One of the champions of Russian Constructivism, not necessarily for his actual works but for his theories, was the name Yakov Chernikhov. Perhaps Chernikhovs only actual architectural achievement was the Red Nail Makers Factory, or Red Carnation Factory, built in St. Petersburg from 1930 to 1931. The rest of Chernikhovs fame is attributed to his written works. Chernikhov studied at the Odessa Art School where he taught drawing and sketching years later, and at the Academy of Arts at St. Petersburg where he graduated in 1925. He then joined the Constructivist movement and instead of concentrating on the actual practice of his profession, he wrote and published a series of books which showcased his constructivist architectural fantasies: Fundamentals of Modern Architecture, written from 1929 to 1930; Construction of Architectural and Machine Forms, written in 1931; and Architectural Fantasies: 101 Compositions, written in 1933. These three books did not only make him famous all over the world but also became a source of inspiration to many generations of architects. He had five more books published from 1934 to 1948 (Architect-artist, n.d.). His first book, Fundamentals of Modern Architecture, emphasized the origins of architectural forms, settings and principles, which, according to Chernikhov, are based on asymmetry, the harmony of the components, rhythm of the masses, rhythm of proportions and the shock of the expressivity of its elements (Fundamentals, n.d.). The ideals of the book are explicitly expressed by the words of Chernikhov himself: By rejecting naked, ascetic, boxed architecture, which offers no architectural saturation of space and does not satisfy our eye from the aesthetic side or the side of emotional experience, I tried through consonance of basic masses to achieve a truly expressive architectural image in new forms (Fundamentals, n.d.). A sample of Chernikhovs sketch in the Fundamentals is a constructivist geometrical model of a building like the one below: Taken from: http://www.icif.ru/Engl/cyc/oca/pages/OCA-167_1978-1-166-01.htm Chernikhovs second book, Construction of Architectural and Machine Forms, he enumerates the various architectural forms of the Industrial Age and defines the role and importance of machines in Constructivism. A sample of his sketch of a constructivist building from the Construction is as follows: Taken from: http://www.icif.ru/Engl/cyc/kamf/pages/35.htm Chernikhovs third book, Architectural Fantasies: 101 Compositions, is said to be the greatest book published during his life. It is all about the architectural forms in his mind which happen to be difficult and impossible to actualize during his time. In this book, Chernikhov underlines the role of architectural fantasies. He even defines them in his own words: Architectural fantasy stimulates the architects activity, it arouses creative thought not only for the artist but it also educates and arouses all those who come in contact with him; it produces new directions, new quests, and opens new horizons (Architectural Fantasies, n.d.). An example of his sketch of a constructivist building from his Architectural Fantasies is as follows: Taken from: http://www.icif.ru/Engl/cyc/101/pages/19.htm Decline of Constructivism A competition for a grandiose project for the Palace of the Soviets was held in 1932. The constructivists joined the competition with their best entries. However, there was an ever-growing criticism of Modernism as that time, and this affected as well all the Soviet Constructivism. The winning entry was therefore not constructivist but an eclectic Stalinist architecture project by Boris Iofan. By the end of the 1920s, Constructivism was eventually replaced by Postconstructivism, which featured buildings designed in a composite style and bore close resemblance to Neoclassicism (Constructivist Architecture, 2010).

Friday, October 25, 2019

German Government Officials in WWII :: European History World War II

German Government Officials in WWII Many people have contributed to the cruel treatment of human beings, specifically Jews, in Nazi Germany during the second World War. This is a report on the damage carried out by some of the Nazi criminals working under the rule of Adolf Hitler. Many people contributed in Hitler's attempt to carry out his 'Final Solution'. Among these people are Ernst Roehm, Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Himmler, and Hermann Wilhelm Goering. While I discuss how they partook in World War Two, keep in mind their actions will, and have, left a mark on the world forever. Little is known about Ernst Roehm's childhood. He was a quiet boy who never went looking for trouble and didn't express hatred towards anyone, mostly because his parents were Libertarians and never paid attention to the politics in Germany's heartland. In college, Hitler's ideas and notions had a strong impact on Roehm's personality. Though Roehm never graduated, he joined the Free Corps, a group of soldiers dedicated to changing injustices in the German government. After a while, Roehm started to grow tired of the Free Corp's non- violent style, and he was tempted to be more of an activist in government reform. Hitler, looking to recruit fellow officers in his plan, then in it's infancy, liked Roehm's strong presence and personality. Roehm, jobless and nowhere to go, joined Hitler's office. After Hitler was elected into office some years later, he split his dictatorship into different divisions. Roehm, being one of the original officers, was chosen as head of the Sturmabteilung, or SA, commonly referred to as the Brownshirts and storm-troopers. By 1932, the Brownshirts had reached more than 400,000 members. All types of men who Hitler saw fit enough to join were members. Among them were ex-Free Corps soldiers like Roehm, students who weren't able to find jobs, shopkeepers who went out of business or weren't profitable enough, the unemployed, uneducated, and common criminals. As you can see, they were a very diverse bunch. Roehm had full power over where they demonstrated and protested. What was their cause? None really. They were merely an idea of Hitler's to spread his popularity, as well as the Nazi Party's. They roamed the streets of Munich, often drunk, singing racist stanzas from songs, beating anyone they thought, judging just from appearance who they thought was a Jew or a Communist. Roehm screamed to the marching storm-troopers, "We

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Research in motion, strategic analysis

RIM Ltd. Is now in a dilemma of how to attract customers and recapture the market share to be the best one in the cell phone industry. The purpose of this report is to offer RIM Ltd. With the directions that it requires to achieve its business culture of â€Å"meeting the need of people who want simplicity, easing of use and speed, without having to think twice about it†. (Research In Motion Ltd, 2012) This report will make a comprehensive analysis of the current competitive situation of RIM Ltd. And the factors that affect its development.Then the business level strategies and corporate level strategies will be given so as the RIM Ltd. Can improve and maintain Its sustainable competitive advantages, becoming more competitive when compared to Its competitors. This report Includes specific Information regarding RIM Ltd. ‘s history, Its current competitive situation analysis, forward 5 year business environment and proposed strategic adaptation. The business and corporate level strategies will help RIM Ltd. Obtain its company goals and get a better development in the future. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Company History and DescriptionCurrent Competitive Situation Analysis 3 Industry Analysis Competitor Analysis Business Level Strategy research in moot Executive Salivary According to their website, RIM) is a Canadian wireless headquartered In Ontario. Can famous as the production of TTT Motion Ltd. 20 2) With the industry and the development corporations enter into the Mac how to attract customers and r cell phone Industry, The PU directions that it requires to AC people who want simplicity, EAI about It†. (Research In Motion analysis to the current compete development, Then the business he given so as the RIM Ltd. AR advantages, becoming more c port includes specific_ Inform competitive Situation analysis, strategic adaptation, The busily obtain its company goals and 1 Company History and Descried Current Competitive Situation Cost Leadersh ip Differentiation Corporate Level Strategy 8 Five Year Projection of Business Environment 11 Market Analysis Market Competitive Analysis Market Needs Strategy and Approach to the Market strategic Model – SOOT References 19 Appendices Appendix A – Group Contract Appendix B – Reflexive Assessment of Group Process Appendix C – Tables and Figures The purpose of this report is to objectively analyze listed Canadian Corporation. Research In Motion Ltd. Strategies are analyzed. Then the purpose is to usage corporate level strategy for Research In Motion Ltd. O its existent dilemma and keep its industry-leading POS History And Description Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (TTS: RIM, NASDAQ wireless and telecommunication equipment company. Canada and employs more than 17,000 people. It is FAA tablet and BlackBerry smartened. (Research In Motion products and services include the following: applicant communication devices, convergent devices phones, s BlackBerry wir eless platform. (RIM Company, Products, in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Mike Lazars Company, 2012) and served as its co-CEO along with J then the new CEO is Thornton Hein. (Research In Moot company changed its focus from working with pagers communication.In 1997, RIM was listed on the Toronto $150 million in a public offering, (Research In Motion, releasing of the BlackBerry, a wireless handheld com line display and allowed two-way paging and basic me nominated as one of â€Å"Canada's Top 100 Employers† b company was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the USA in 1992, raising $250 million at the same time. In the same year, the company launched its iconic reduce—the BlackBerry 850 Wireless Handheld, which integrated wireless data networks, email, and a traditional QWERTY keyboard in a hand-held device. The BlackBerry caused an enormous sensation. The marketing demands extremely excel its supplies. As the introduction of the 850, RIM became the world's fastest growing company, at least according to Fortune. (A History of RIM†¦ , 2007) With the upgrading of voice and data transmission of the Blackberry, the smartened began the revolution.The company laid off about 10 percent of its workforce because of massive operation losses. After the massive loss in fiscal 2003, RIM start to return to reparability by 2004 (March 1 , 2003 to February 28, 2002) because of continuing strong sales. Afterwards, BlackBerry surpassed one million subscribers all over the world. By 2010, RIM still controlled 10. 4 percent of the smart phone operating system market. (Research In Motion. Ltd, 2011) However, the good situation of RIM was not lasted too long. With the Apple and other product entering into the market, RIM is facing massive challenges. The top three competitors of RIM are Apple, Samsung and Google according to the statistics in Appendix C. Appendix C, Figure l) The company's uncial conditions experienced great challenge in 2011. RIM miss ed its earnings forecasts and delayed its product launches, which led to the share price plummeting. (Research In Motion, 2012) Owing to the declined performance in summer 2011, many employees left the corporation. The company eventually had to cut 2,000 positions for the voluntary exodus in the mid-year. (Marrow, l, 2011, P. 81) To change the dilemma of RIM, the CEO Thornton Hein announced a new SO, BIO, which he felt would â€Å"reverse RIM' s fortunes. â€Å"(RL Ltd, 2012) The new mobile phone with B 10 will be release in the beginning of 2013. We hope that Blackberry 10 could bring opportunity to RIM.With the business culture of â€Å"meeting the need of people who want simplicity, easing of use and speed, without having to think twice about it†, we look forward to seeing the BlackBerry 10 could enhance the sales of RIM and let RIM go up to the first-position in the telecommunication industry. Current competitive Situation Analysis â€Å"Economics define an industry as a group of firms that supplies a market. (Grant, 2010). † Since the prevail and convenience of borderless communication, many districts and countries without cell service in the last years are now provided with electrification because of the large efforts of big corporations, such as Samsung, Monika, LET, Motorola, TCL, LAG, Apple, RIM, Compel, Aroma, Sony, Hawaii, etc. As the progress of the mobile phone, the standard is also improving. With the need for smartness continually increasing, the need for data retaining across networks.New technologies are emerging to meet the need such as 36 on AT&T and ISO operating system was explored by Apple Cord. To be used in Apple's products such as phone. Over the past few years, the mobile phone industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. As the rapid development of economy in developed Mounties, more and more people could afford to buy cell phones. Undoubtedly, mobile phones have become one of the major parts of our everyday life. We use mobile phones to do their project and make video-conference and voice-conference. The arising of new technologies and the increasing demand make the mobile phone market worldwide.Worldwide smartened markets will continue to achieve enormous growth as facilities access the Internet, achieve almost universal penetration, and support machine to machine (M to M) communications. According to Susan Suites, lead author of the study, â€Å"Over one-half of all smartness in the global racket are made by Apple and Samsung. † (Wintergreen, 2012, P 1 . ) Competitor Analysis Research In Motion acts as a leader in the global telecommunication industry. Its main competitors are Apple, Google and Samsung. Other competitors include Monika and ETC. Apple is one of RIM's major competitors and also a industry-leader considering the manufacturing of cell phones, MPH players, computers and tablet PC.Apple offers a portfolio of products including Macintosh (Mac) computing sys tems, pods line of portable digital music and video players, phone handsets and pad portable multimedia and computing devices. Apple also sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Apple sells its products worldwide through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. The company offers the products across five operating segments: Japan, Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and retail. â€Å"The company recorded revenues of $108,249 million in the fiscal year ending September 2011, an increase of 66. % compared to fiscal 2010. Its net income was $25,922 million in fiscal 2011, compared to a net income of $14,013 million in the preceding year. † (Mobile Phones In Canada, 2012, PEP) Samsung, another competitor of RIM. Samsung Electronics main transactions are the manufacture and distribution of consumer electronics, home appliances, semiconductor products, and communication products. Samsung has a number of subsidiaries and operates respectively. The company operates by three business parts: device solutions, digital media, telecommunications and others. The device solutions part is made up of semiconductor and liquid-crystal splay (LCD) reporting parts.The digital media business part manufactures a number of products including audio-visual devices, digital TV's, printers and monitors. It also offers digital home appliances like washers, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, ovens, refrigerators, and other appliances. The telecommunications part provides a wide range of related mobile products and solutions. (Mobile Phones In Canada, 2012, PEP) Samsung is now possessing the largest market share in the phone market and compared to RIM, it is around six times more. (Appendix C) Google is also a major competitor of RIM. Google Inc. Started as an online search firm, but it now provides more than 50 Internet products and services, from e-mail and online document creation to software for mobile phones and tablet computers.Additionally, with the acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012, Google is now enlarging its transaction to sell hardware such as mobile phones. Google's broad product portfolio and size make it become one of the top four influential companies in the high-tech marketplace, along with Apple, IBM and Microsoft. Despite this myriad of products, its original search tool remains the core of its success. In 2011 requests. (Google Inc. , 2012) However, with Google's powerful strength and branding, no one can overlook its influence in the future smartened market. Business Level Strategy Research in Motion has strong beliefs and values that creates a strong and inspiring foundation of the company.According to their website, â€Å"RIM seeks to make a positive impact in our communities, engaging the talents and resources of our people and partners to harness he power of technology. RIM strongly believes in the important of education and works to inspire the next generation of minds†¦. † Research in Motion, Ltd. ) RIM supports all their employees through a program called Protrude where they give back the company through fundraising and volunteering. According to Appendix D, the employees contributed approximately $201 ,OHO to 182 organizations, they have supported 22 food banks globally, donated 2,458 toys for children at Christmas and many other voluntary and deeds that demonstrates the company's values.RIM is also a proud partner of Free the Children charity where they strive to educate the awareness and education of children in order to shape our future leaders. Cost Leadership Research in Motion has been well known for its market of Blackberry smartness and has been offered in many different phone companies. However, the low cost differentiation causes the company to have a competitive advantage. According to Ap pendix C, the comparison of the phone and BlackBerry clearly shows that with the purchase of a BlackBerry, a substantial amount of money will be saved. In results with the cost advantage, the RIM is able to attract more customers and sell their products at a lower price.In addition to Appendix E, the table states that there are retain sections where even with the BlackBerry plan having a lower cost, the offers are still the same such as 1 50 daytime minutes, pm start time for unlimited evening calls, 2500 SMS, caller ID, who called, SAFE and 911 fees. Differentiation RIM believes that there are certain characteristics that gives itself a competitive advantage against its competitors that includes: BlackBerry Cloud – RIM has used its advanced technology to have this wireless solution where the device is in constant connection with the network. One of its main establishments for BlackBerry marathoner is IBM and how it has become a leading mobile instant messaging app. Other fea tures includes over-the-air distribution of applications, over-the-air calendar synchronization, over-the-air folder management, etc.BlackBerry Messenger – one of the biggest distinguisher about BlackBerry smartness is of its innovative and fast instant messenger program made specifically for BlackBerry users to communicate with each other known BlackBerry Messenger (IBM). Each device contains their own specific pin in order for it to communicate with others. These messages will be sent through the BlackBerry servers which is the reason for TTS faster service when receiving and sending messages. Return of Investment – ROI provides customers with the fastest payback when purchasing a BlackBerry. The network efficiency causes the users of BlackBerry devices to gain lower data roaming chargers and lower cost of buying. RIM continues to enhance their workflow, personal productivity and managing the BlackBerry Cloud in order for BlackBerry users to improve with their device .Addition of new products and devices – RIM introduced the enhance its multitasking abilities. This tablet enables its users to obtain full touch screen experience while rapid responses. Soon after that, RIM released BlackBerry Playbook SO which is a free software to help benefit and improve the system within applications and content services. Corporate Level Strategy Income Statement sales$1 Return on Equity/a Cash Flow cash cash$l Current Ratify. 20 12 months ended Seep 01, 2012. Trailing 12 month results shown above. All data is in U. S. Dollars. According to Appendix F, within the income statement it shows that earnings are in the negative, resulting in a loss.With this extreme loss of money being evident, Research in Motion needs to come up with a different direction in which the company should innovate and branch into a different direction, using what they know in different industries to gain a competitive advantage newcomers may not have because currently they are losi ng money, with their objective being to maximize profits. The new accompanied strategy that RIM should follow should be along the lines of innovating their phone designs, tablets, as well as operating software for both of their products. â€Å"Microsoft Corp†¦ Kicked off the Electronic Entertainment Expo on Monday by unveiling new software called Oxbow Smartness that will allow Oxbow 360 users to stream and share content across smartness, tablets and TV's. It also announced that it was bringing its Internet Explorer browser to the console this fall. Internet Explorer coupled with the power of Oxbow will, for the first time, deliver a fast, fluid, intuitive Web experience in the living room,† said Oxbow Live corporate vice president Marc Weatherboarding's was demonstrated in several ways, turning a smartened into a remote control used to surf the Web on a TV and utilizing a tablet as a way to display information about games, TV shows and movies that were simultaneously be ing played on a TV† . Marc Whiten, 2011). Due to the fact that the Oxbow 360, owned by Microsoft, will be coming out with this new technology based on tablets and smartness, RIM should get in on the action and gain a competitive advantage by designing a product that is cheap, durable, and specifically designed for this new era of gaming, as well as other essential tablet software, APS, etc..This is because when looking for a tablet to buy, consumers will look for a tablet that satisfies all their needs, and if they own an Oxbow, their wants for a tablet, being one that will give them their best gaming experience as possible. They could also go to Sony, with the technological information they will gain from the Oxbow experiment, and strike a deal with Sony to become one of the only tablet providers, other than Sony, that will incorporate the tablet gaming technology. Sony may get in on this due to the fact that Nintendo already has the WI U Gamed. â€Å"WI games, players and t he TV by creating a second window into the video game world. It also offers a new way for viewers to engage with their favorite entertainment. The Gamed incorporates a 6. -inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen, as well as rotational button controls and two analog sticks. Inputs include a *Control Pad, LIAR sticks, LIAR stick buttons, A/BIGLY buttons, LIAR buttons, CRUZ buttons, Power button, HOME button, -SELECT button, +/START button, and TV CONTROL button. The Gamed also includes motion control (powered by an accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor), a front-facing camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, rumble features, a sensor bar, an included stylus and support for Near Field Communication (MFC) functionality. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and weighs approximately 1. 1 pounds (500 g). WI U Technical Specs, 2012).This is similar to the Oxbow Smartness project, and since the Sony ASS does not have anything similar to these two, they will fall behi nd due to the competitive advantage the other two leaders in the gaming industry have. This is why Sony may hop on board with RIM, where the latter company receives a competitive advantage being one of the only ones on the ASS as well as being a competitor on the Oxbow 360. They will then be competing in the gaming industry, the tablet industry, and the smartened industry, three separate business industries, two being former industries but with more innovative ideas, and one industry that is totally new to them and the world, meaning they have an equal shot like everyone else on the Oxbow market, and a better shot on the ASS market. Reliance on strategic alliances and relationships with third-party network infrastructure developers, software platform vendors and service platform vendors, including RIM's ability to promote and advance the development of an ecosystem of applications and services for the BlackBerry 10 smartness and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablets;† (Research in M otion, 2012). This states that they are leaning on innovating the software technology for both smartened and tablet platforms, as well as forming alliances with other companies. Therefore the firm should try and sneak into the gaming/tablet gaming industry, using the strategies noted previously, to gain any sort of profit due to the fact that they have lost so much that in order to gain the money lost they need to start taking risks or else they run the chance of losing their company.With this decision to go into this industry, they have a chance at becoming one of the leaders in the tablet and smartened industry, u to the competitive advantage Research in Motion has over other providers with newer, more innovative, software that incorporates everything that a smartened and tablet has today, as well as gaming specialization that other tablets and phones will not have. Five Year Projection Plan Research in motion is motivated as an organization in the development, sale, service and m aintenance of software and mobile solutions for both the short and long-term care market. Let is a company that provides world class service and always puts the needs of our consumers first. Len addition to this, it is a company that is river by ideas. We believe that innovation and collaboration will foster sustainable growth for our business†( Research in Motion, 2012). Such professional growth, would be attainable with the continued effort to excel in a competitive environment, providing World Class service at a sensible cost for consumers. The strategic adapt to an ever changing technological environment. Providing quality products and services; Research In Motion (RIM) is the company behind the innovative and award- winning BlackBerry product line. In order for Research in Motion to be successful in he future, it is this type of quality and competitive edge that will lead the company down the pathway of continued growth and success.Market Analysis In this market analysis, we must take into consideration the company today, its competitors, consumers and any future business ventures. The market today is a direct foreshadow for the technological footprint that companies such as RIM will leave for tomorrow. As such, Research in Motion must account the many variable factors that may arise as well in the next five years. The current trends of the mobile and handheld software network are as follows; consumers' have the require taste for lit-use high functioning mobile devices such as smart phones with high processing operating systems. The days have passed where any product was made to last a lifetime.It is a world of if it's broken don't fix it; in the sense that, you are able to replace your once top of the line device with a newer model with more applications and a faster processor in only a few months' time. This new trend is seen in many forms of production, and is now widely accepted by the consumer market. It is the idea that today's population want s newer, faster and bigger in the sense of capabilities. Market Competitive Analysis One of the key components of determining your own success is based on how you compare to competitors in your specific market. In a recent poll † Score data, 32. 8% of Canadians own a smart phone. However, narrowing down to mobile operating systems, the data reveals that the top smart phone platform for March 2011 is BlackBerry with 42% of smart phone subscribers. Second up, following RIM, is Apple with 31%.The remaining of the statistics are made up from Goggles Android with 12. 2%, Ionians Simian with 6. 4% and Microsoft with 5. 1%. † (phone in Canada 2011) This leads to inclination that RIM stock is on the rise. However, this is not the case. It is important to recognize that both Apple (phone) and Google (Android) are currently growing in the Mobile device sector. Respectively, both the increase in software capabilities as well as faster processors and greater network connection is th e ever- growing trend in hand-held devices. An analysis of both Google Android and Apple phone appear to be designed for demographics from all walks of life.The Apple phone allows for people to talk across provinces using the application termed, â€Å"face time†. The idea that a mobile device that is able to fit in the palm of your hand can innocent people thousands of miles away gives the consumer extra leverage to lean towards the competitors product. The mobile device network is one that must appeal to several demographics and adhere to the wants and needs of its consumer. In the future, it is likely that the direction of the industry will produced by the these top three competitors. In order to be successful Research in Motion must target all the market segments with initial focus on research and development of current product.Such product diversity, as well as an increase significant ease of use of products will attract new customers . Converting numerous customers from competitive products to Blackberry, through a positive customer experience will allow for a continual growth over the long term. Time is a critical commodity in the long-term, success of a attractive to long-term consumers who are paying several hundred dollars per device. This segment of Research in motion of product quality will be far more user friendly than those products currently on the market. Market Needs The cellular market requires a highly functional product that is cost effective and easy to use.Research in motion in order to counter-act the competitors in their racetrack; must provide more product services, easy accessible product assistance, and continuous growth in there software, research and development sector to stay atop the main producers of the mobile networking world. In addition to this, the active cellular marketplace in order to be sustainable in the long run must account for the aging population. Clearly, the proportion of older citizens is growing and will continue to do so with the aging of the baby boomers. Following the trend in the mobile usage sector. It is evident that people from all ages are currently using smart phone devices. Applications that appeal to both young and old must be readily available in order to maximize sales.If the trends within the marketplace remain constant, that it appears that children will soon be talking across play grounds with high-tech mobile devices. Lastly, the needs of such a diverse marketplace may only be met by those that are willing to change, resistance to change could be detrimental to the long-term success of any company within the market. Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result† RIM has for the most part attempted to appeal to the business class of the market. Creating advertising the blackberry smart phone as the best option for Coo's of large companies'; to small business owners on the go. This has been the sta ple of their commitment to their customers and has been for several years.However it is imperative that with any strategy there is also current modifications made in order to adhere to the constantly changing environment. It is important to view everyone in mobile network of business as potential customers. A new strategic approach, of more touch-screen, higher processing software, user- friendly applications, for all gees and demographics must be adopted in order to compete with companies such as apple. More cost effective ways of producing these products will save money for both the company and its consumers. An approach through the market by internet, direct email advertising, advertising on such sites as Face book, and high-processing video websites such as Youth as well as traditionally advertising will also help boost sales.One of the key ingredients to success is to improve the customer service of existing customers to insure technological approach must be taken to appeal to the future demographics n their consumer base. If Research in Motion does not produce higher quality products to compete with the likes of the Apple I-phone than the future of the Company looks dim, and the stock of RIM and value of the company will only diminish at a steady rate. Strategic Model Among many strategic models to run a successful business like that of RIM (Research in Motion) in the present competitive business environment. SOOT model with its strength, weakness, opportunities and threat. In order to better evaluate RIM as a whole it is essential that we use such techniques to establish the productivity ND potential flaws in the current structure of the organization.In the following model, it will reveal the potential the company is capable of however, due to certain weaknesses and threats it has given them a disadvantage in the market. Strengths RIM has a variety of strength's beginning with its manufacturing of high technology products. Among these strengths, are tho se of the research and development sector. The main focus of the organization is their mobile device, the BlackBerry. An area which prides itself on being top of the line and the best option for any person in the world of business. Products are exclusive, unique and have very good quality in which existing and new customers are attracted. An important strength is that the RIM organization is very organized and competent within the management revolving around talent.Corporation is very strong and is very advancing with technological products in order to improve the quality. RIM has a very successful established reputation globally thus causing RIM to be a trusted brand and company. RIM provides a extensive customer care capabilities which helps the them gain the trust of their customers. Their incentive of balancing IT and consumer emends has led RIM a market leading role in the market. Weaknesses The competitors of RIM can cause a great affect on its ability to satisfy consumer need s because its competitors is capable of achieving it before the BlackBerry devices can. Apple and Android smartness are two companies coming out with newer, more innovative technology. Lacquerer may struggle to keep up due to the fact that these companies' phones focus largely on touch screen technology, while the blackberry only has 2 phones that use the touch screen form of technology. As well as the fact that the service blackberry provides has been subject to outages, arrive losses globally, and the fact that Android and Apple cannot experience a global outage, makes it that much more threatened by competitor innovation. Opportunities With the ever growing IT management team, they are all striving to improve and enhance its technologies through new products and devices. BlackBerry 10 is a new platform that all BlackBerry products will run on will be the new blackberry 10 software.This is opportunistic because it provides customers with a new look on the BlackBerry products as we ll as 2 new phones that will accompany the new platform as well as run off of the system. This also creates hype around the release of the software and phones bringing the blackberry community together and creating excitement for loyal consumers. â€Å"We look forward to getting BlackBerry 10 in the hands of our customers around the world. † (Thornton Hein, 2012). Moreover, with the experience of making mistakes in the past, , it creates opportunity to learn from their mistakes, and capitalize on that knowledge to execute objectives at the right times to achieve their goals. â€Å"RIM delayed the roll-out of the BlackBerry 10 phones to the first quarter of 2013 so as not to repeat the errors that surrounded the PlayBook

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Health, Safety or Security Concerns Arising from a Specific Incident or Emergency Essay

The main concern that may arise when dealing with abuse is communication. This becomes a major concern as if a student’s has a hearing or speech impairment, it can mean that they may not be able to communicate how they feel about the subject, or express it correctly. In my poster I minimised this barrier by suggesting suitable responses to the situation. Ensure that staff talk to the student in a place where they feel comfortable. Staff should use good listening skills and write down appropriate notes to hand on to relevant people. After ensure that staff members go to their child protection officers to deal with the situation properly. This is important so that they can take appropriate steps to ensure the child is safe and the situation is dealt with correctly. The second concern that may arise when dealing with abuse is that the student may not tell staff members how they feel as they might feel scared if something happens if they tell- losing the dependency on an abusing carer especially if this is a key person the student communicate with. This could become a risk when working with any of my students that have a disability. I minimised this by on my poster giving staff advice on how to approach this. When talking to students its important that you make them feel comfortable and build a trusting relationship, there’s a better chance of them opening up their true feelings. However this may not be the case as the student may have learnt from their care or wider experience to just be compliant and live with it. The final concern that may arise when dealing with suspected abuse is the way the staff deals with it. They may have a lack of awareness of working with disabled students. A child with Down’s syndrome may act out in a specific way and staff may assume that this is because of their disability. Assumptions are sometimes be made about disabled children e. g. their mood, injury or behaviour. This can result in indicators of possible abuse being mistakenly attributed to the child’s impairment. However; their behaviour may be the only way for them to express how they actually feel. In my poster I minimized this by highlighting types of abuse and indicators that staff an look out for if they suspect abuse. For example an indicator for physical abuse is unbelievable excuses i. e. I walked into a lamp post. However, not all the signs mentioned mean that the student is being abused, but it’s about using your sense to know if it feels right or not. Intruders in the college The main concern that may arise when dealing with intruders in the college is getting hold of personal information. This is a major concern for any school or college and is important that they are stopped. If intruders do enter the premises they could get hold of personal information about students and staff. In my poster I have highlighted this and given advice on how to stop this from occurring if someone unauthorized enters the building. Computes should be password locked when they are not being used and any confidential paper work should be put into cabinets which are locked. Staff should ensure that all members staff are aware of this rule and if any computers are not locked to do so. By having this simple security measure in place, if an intruder does enter it will make it more difficult for him/her to access this information. However if these steps are ot taken it can means that confidential information could be used in a negative way towards students such as blackmail. The second concern that may arise when dealing with intruders in the college is how staff and students will respond if they think or see someone suspicious is in the building. When working with disabled students, some of them may not know if someone suspicious or how to react do them. The poster can help staff to tell students how to respond to people coming in to their college that they do not know. By giving simple steps, with heading makes it easier to read. Also I have given- ‘do not’ of how not to respond in a situation such as don’t not confront the intruder, as it can cause further danger to the student or staff members. The final concern that may arise when dealing with intruders in the college is if you get an intruders that is armed with a weapon- this could either be a gun or a knife. There are many situations that you could be in, that you could unsure how to respond. In my poster I state 3 different situations that you could be when a hostile intruder enters. By giving them each scenario and steps to take breaks it down and makes it easier to understand. When mentioning these steps I give prioties to make the students safe. This is important when working with students with disability ad they might know how to react to this situation, so ensuring that staff know the correct procedures can help keep the students stay calm. D2: justify responses to a particular incident or emergency in a health and social care setting In the second part of this report I am going to justify my responses to the incident I have discussed in P4 and M3. Intruders The safety of children and young people is important when working in any health and social care setting. I am working with students from the entry & foundation with special education needs. My first priority would be to make sure they are safe. the reason why this was my first priority is because that students are most important . – according to the information in the health and social care textbook , level 3. (Authors: Beryl Stretch & Mary Whitehouse) – if an intruder does gain entry, your priority is to keep yourself and the people you care for safe. Property can be replaced- people cannot. It was particularly important to priotise this response for my students with special needs as they might not know how to respond if an intruders does enter their space or maybe cannot escape by themselves- if they had a physicals or visual impairment. This is why it is important for me to ensure tat all my students are safe. This action reduces future harm occurring again in Entry and foundation because the students may learnt from my response the situation. Health and safety act at work Once I have ensured that all my students are safe, I would make sure I informed security or the site manager. The laws place certain responsibilities on both employers and employees. For Example- According to health and safety act; it is up to the employer to provide a safe place in which to work, but the employee also has to show reasonable care for his or her own safety. As the employee the next step I would take would be to ensure that the students are safe, and I would make my site manager or security aware of the incident or intruder into the college. This would mean that they could implement actions to help reduce further risk for any further things happening within the environment.