Race and your Community Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race and your Community - Research Paper Example My childhood memories of 'ghettos' like the one we passed through were also from car-windows, except in youth soccer games my brother and I played with mostly white kids on a large manicured field, while nearby, black kids our age played pickup games of American Football in the street.1 Sports are a divide. During a PTA meeting at my high school, one example of segregation was sporting events. The school Football team was all black, the Soccer team almost all white, and crowds in attendance reflected this. It was a tense moment; in a region with not-so-distant memories of the Civil Rights Movement, self-segregation is an uncomfortable topic. Gunnar Myrdal pointed out, "That 'all negroes are alike' and should be treated in the same way is still insisted upon by many whites, . None of the Jim Crow legislation distinguishes between classes of Negroes."2 But class always existed in the black community, and in Atlanta no one can pretend there are no distinctions. Tensions within the black community often overshadow white-black divides, although, drawn on a dark-light skin divide, they are colored by overarching realities of white supremacy. Atlanta was the one city in the Deep South to integrate peacefully, but integration triggered white flight. "Affluent whites moved to the northern suburbs to live at a distance from the city's blacks, whom segregation had concentrated in the near south side," which borders the edges of the Antebellum Black Belt, so named for the color of its soil and its people.3 Until the 1990s, the city's population declined while, amidst red-clay hills and pine forests that had been cracker country of moon shining and the Ku Klux Klan, Sun Belt suburbs and exurbs of gated communities and strip malls sprung up. These were the homes of the suburban 'angry white men' who propelled local congressman Newt Gingrich to power in 1994, believers in cheap real estate, low taxes and the need to avoid the black inner city of Atlanta during off-work hours. My Atlanta was far-removed, and hostile to, this suburban milieu. My neighborhood, Inman Park, was majority-white, but also proudly liberal and 'inner-city ,' a 1890s streetcar suburb abandoned by the rich and middle-classes for more suburban neighborhoods, a veritable slum before being discovered by 'urban pioneers' in the 1970s. It gentrified with the rise of the local shopping district of Little 5 Points as the bohemian enclave of the Southeast. My families house is a white-columned mansion reminiscent of Gone With the Wind, modeled after the nearby Candler Mansion of Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler, an estate built not by cotton, but by sugar-water. True to clich, my brother and I were raised by our black housekeeper, Cathy Davis, and spent time in her neighborhood, in the black suburbs of southwest DeKalb County. Driving past the high school, the kids shouting 'white boy,' I remember feeling hurt. But I hurt others: one time I, playing with Cathy's son Nolan, I used the word 'colored,' which I had heard in a TV docudrama about young Martin Luther King. Cathy scolded me, 'We all human beings. God doesn't change the color of our skin.' Coming of age in the South is learning the color line. Bordering my neighborhood is Little 5, interracial, counter-cultural haven of drug dealers, con men, queers, hippies, punks, Rastas, street-musicians, bums and starry-eyed suburban teens. The other sides of the tracks, literally, are the

Re-writing a Creative Writing piece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Re-writing a Creative Writing piece - Essay Example She entered the postgraduate door and nodded to greet the porter who was still on the telephone but was courteous enough to nod back. After checking for mail she turned towards the library, her head full of the dreaming spires and grey skies of Oxford. The hushed atmosphere of the library was like a second home. Mohamed searched his usual furrow of bookshelves, selecting a complete works of Shakespeare, a very large English/Arabic dictionary and the post-colonial journal that he was currently working his way through. He went back to the table where he left his briefcase, passing by the section for women’s studies. The hours passed just like minutes and when the college clock struck eleven, Mohamed retired to the prayer room. As he passed by the common room on the way back, he saw Alice beaming and showing a glint in her blue eyes. â€Å"Yes, but it is our culture. Our women do not feel that it’s unfair. Besides, Islam allows us to have four wives at the most. Usually, we can afford only one. But our society is compassionate. Children are born into a loving home with all that they need. The men do not need to go astray because they always have a woman at home for, for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, of course. And there are things that I find hard to understand. Sometimes I just don’t get what men are all about. Strange, isn’t it? We both come from far places to seek knowledge in this ancient place.† As I reviewed the article, particularly the dialogue, while taking consideration of the feedbacks gathered, I realized that there was a tendency for the two characters to indeed sound like the other. This was expected if the writer does not put himself into each character’s distinct natures. This could also be the reason why a reader would think that the dialogue sounds too formal or scripted. Because of this, I had to make sure that the manners in which Mohamed and Alice would state

Manipulates History Essay Example for Free

Manipulates History Essay Richard III Manipulates the Court of York in the same way that Shakespeare Manipulates History. Discuss the links between the playwright and protagonist.  Richard may be portrayed as an evil, vile, lying murderer but he actually has many aspects in common with the man who shaped him into this revolting state of mind, Shakespeare himself. Shakespeares Richard III is one of the only written documents we have describing this misapprehended king and Shakespeare was born many years after his death so he had no possible way of knowing what happened first hand. All evidence points to Shakespeares ideas being total fiction just as the Richard he describes lies and slanders to the courts. When we first meet Richard he instantly begins a soliloquy to the audience who are captivated with resentment for him as they are the people included in his plots and plans and are powerless to impede them. Right from the start he establishes himself as a synonym for evil. He portrays to the audience about his physical deformity with pleasure, which we later see is a metaphor for his psychological state of mind. Being Cheated of feature by dissembling nature (Act I Scene 1 line 19) he uses it to mask his evil and rationalize his becoming a villain. He feigns upset and disappointment that people hate him solely because of his malformation and routinely feel sympathy for him.  Because I cannot flatter and look fair,  Smile in mens faces smooth, deceive and cog  I must be held a rancorous enemy.  (Act I Scene 3 Lines 43-50)  This of course is an example of dramatic irony as the audience and Richard both know that he really should be held a rancorous enemy and he does flatter, smile smooth, deceive and cog for example when he woos Anne in almost impossible circumstances. He validates his impiety by telling the audience of his boredom with life. He states I have no delight to pass away the time (Act I Scene 1 line 25) as he cannot caper nimbly in a ladys chamber (Line 12). Now the war is over there is nothing he is good at so he resorts to the only other thing he has left: using his aptitude to cause others misery. To him it is merely exciting to nearly get caught. He wants to be king but not for the joy of being king but for the suspense of getting there. All he really wishes to do is make his tedious life more interesting as really he has no need to be higher than he is at the beginning as the Duke of Gloucester is a very high position with nearly as much money as the king would have had as he was his brother. In any case he was definitely well off where he was.  Shakespeare was living under the reign of Elizabeth I and as would often write plays for royalty, he created one for her. Writing a play would definitely impress Elizabeth and get him into her good books, he would certainly have gotten a large sum of money for it if she liked it. This was the time of the Tudor dynasty the foundation of which was when Richard III was killed and Richmond became king. By writing this play Shakespeare set out to diminish the fact that this had undermined the Divine Right of Kings. If he had portrayed Richard as a good man then Richmond could have been said to be wrong and evil for killing a righteous man and his claim to the throne devalued along with Elizabeth I as they were related. Shakespeare would have most likely been killed for suggesting this, but by making Richmond seem virtuous benevolent and respectable he was also flattering the Queen. Through the course of the play Richard doesnt ever think twice about quickly disposing of enemies in his way. He cleverly lets them seal their own fate with one word. When Hastings was no longer any use to him he first used Buckingham to stir things up and push him onto thin ice. Then Richard comes onstage in an angry mood talking of witchcraft and as soon as Hastings says If they have done this, my noble lord- (Act III Scene 4 Line 72) Richard immediately and tactfully picks up the word if. It is what he has been waiting for and clamours Talkst thou to me of ifs? Thou art a traitor. Off with his head! (Lines 74-75) He has skilfully sealed Hastings fate with one word. He also uses the fact that the two princes are illegitimate as an excuse to murder them, telling Buckingham I wish the bastards dead (Act IV Scene 2 Line 19) But he has the common sense not to make a public matter and hires a private assassinator to do the butchery.  From the very beginning when Richard successfully woos Anne he reveals to the audience that he does not truly care about her at all and will unhesitatingly get rid of her as soon as she begins to get in his way. He says Ill have her, but I will not keep her long (Act I Scene 2 Line 233) and as soon Richard sees that the best way to the throne is to marry his niece he quickly disposes of Anne with little thought telling Catesby to Rumour it abroad that Anne my wife is very grievous sick (Act IV Scene 2 Line 52) and Give out that Anne my queen is sick and like to die (Line 58). With this rumour spread Richard can easily kill Anne off without raising suspicion as everybody is expecting her to die. The play begins unusually with Richard himself giving a soliloquy. In it he brags to the audience about the plots [I have] laid, inductions dangerous Clarence and the king in deadly hate (Act I Scene 1 Lines 34-35). He cycles through his strategies with the audience saying G of Edwards heirs the murderer shall be (Line 41) is a rumour he has spread. This is also moderately dangerous for Richard to say as he is the duke of Gloucester. But Richard is just playing with fire and finds the slight danger amusing as it makes his life more interesting and exciting. When Clarence arrives with the prison guard he immediately transforms to a caring, loving brother but subtly plays on words saying I will perform it to enfranchise you (Line 110) which means to Clarence that Richard will do anything to free him but the audience and Richard both know that he will do anything to free Clarence from life. This is the same case later when he tells Clarence Your imprisonment shall not be long (Line 114) as the audience also knows that this is because he will be dead soon. As soon as Clarence is out of earshot, Richard mutates back into his true identity stating Clarence hath not another day to live (Line 151). He is proud of his management of Clarence but tells himself and the audience Clarence still breathes, Edward still reigns, when they are gone, then must I count my gains (Lines 162-163). His plan is not complete yet. Richards plan is rushed somewhat when there is news that the king is on his deathbed. He wants Edward to die but not before he has signed Clarences death warrant and so goes to Edward To urge his hatred more to Clarence (Line 148). He is Deformed, unfinished, sent before [my] time (Act I Scene 1 Line 20) and may kill anyone anytime, but is not just pure evil. He is also an extremely intelligent character, with his quick thinking and clever use of words, who could possibly have been a great king if he would use his vast intellect for good, which is mainly why the play is not only a history but also a tragedy, as we know Richard could make something of himself.  The court of York is already very unstable, the king is ill, the heir to the throne is a child and his protector is Richard, A man that loves not me nor none of you (Act I Scene 3 Line 13) and Richard uses this to his advantage. When Elizabeth threatens to g to the king about Richard he immediately comes out with all the crimes she had committed against the king.

Self Directed Work Team (SDWT) Advantages and Disadvantages

Self Directed Work Team (SDWT) Advantages and Disadvantages A Briefing on Self Directed Work Team (SDWT) by Group 5 Self Directed Work Team is a powerful concept since the ancient Roman legion and today approximately 68% of fortune 1000 companies implement SDWT concept including Ford, GM, PG, FedEx, etc. (Lawler, Mohrman, Ledford ,1995). Definition Vecchio (2003, p.107) defined Self Directed Work Teams (SDWT) as â€Å"a highly trained group of six to eighteen employees that is fully responsible for creating a specific product†. And according to an article in Entrepreneur Connect   (Anon, 1995) â€Å"self -directed teams are small groups of employees who have responsibility for managing themselves and their work†. Success in todays challenging competitive environment is based on employee empowerment and team work (Boyett Boyett, 1998). This could be closely related to Herzbergs motivating factor which was later simply defined by Barbara (n.d.) as â€Å"what makes you work well†. Many companies are attracted to this innovation because of the prospect of flattening the organizational structure in these times when downsizing, flattening and work process reengineering are so crucial (Coates and Miller, 1995). SDWT leads to increased organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction (Forsyth, 1999) which in todays business is being the competitive advantage (Ron Williams, n.d). Advantages of SDWT General Motors, Proctor Gamble Xerox by implementing SDWT resulted in approximately 30-40% improvement in productivity (Bruce,n.d.). In Kodak customer assistance centre SDWT resulted in 100% increase in profits (Anon, n.d.).FedEx improved their service by reducing the loss of packages and incorrect billing by 13%. Rubbermaid increased sales by 50% above projections Quality improvement. Increased productivity and reduced cost. Highly flexible. Simpler job classification and each member know every process through job rotation which will reduce dependency one person. Better innovation and creativity. Team members are motivated by job satisfaction, empowerment, trust, feel of ownership personal growth which in turn benefit the company as a whole. SDWT is being a vehicle for bringing in the Total Quality Management concept in an organization (Vecchio,2006,p.112) Following statistics based on a review of organization that transferred to SDWT (John Cotter, n.d.) well prove the positive impact. 93% reported improve productivity 86% reported decreased operating cost 86% reported improved quality 70% reported better employee attitudes Given the above advantages and success stories there are consequences and problems in challenging the success of SDWT and even driving to the opposite direction to failure. Consequences of SDWT Elimination of supervisory position. The need for shift from holding the decision making power to delegation and allowing autonomy. In other words supervisor should act as a facilitator and provide guidance to teams especially outside the teams areas of expertise. Supervisors should manage communication and monitor the effectiveness. Leaders promote team work and corporation (Brillhart, 1983). The key in supervisory role is to motivate â€Å"Self-Direction†. In an interview with Sterling Health USA, employees often quoted that â€Å"Before, the group leader made all the decisions. You didnt know why the decisions were madenow we do† (Peter, 1999). But is the team leader ready to accept the transition from holding the power to delegation? Is S/He ready to improve the skills to qualify as a facilitator? Requirement for heavy investment in training. Training needed for both supervisors and team members in building various skills. Cloke and Goldsmith ( 2002, pp 205-214 ) identified ten skills those are essential for members of the work teams to develop self management, communication, leadership, responsibility, supporting diversity, feedback and evaluation, strategic planning, shaping successful meeting, resolving conflicts and enjoyment. Williams (n.d.) mentioned â€Å"It is not uncommon for self-directed work teams to spend 20% of their time in ongoing training†. Organization willing to implement SDWT should have a clear training strategy including cross training opportunity and resources. Top management should design the training policy and budget for it. Need for more flatter and flexible organizational structure. The decision making authority is transformed to the team members to eliminate waste of time relying on approvals from managers. Self-direction, autonomy, empowerment are the key players in success of SDWT which is facilitated only on flat structures. Responsibilities assigned to workers in GM clearly indicate the need for flat structure.(William,1999,p.11) Responsibility for quality control. Responsibility for maintenance and small repairs. Responsibility for safety. Responsibility for capital budgeting and operational budgeting. Responsibility for staffing. SDWT to begin performing takes long period. As per William (1999) SDWTs cannot be created instantly; it can take 2 to 5 years to fully implement. Some companies might not have the time or resources to go through this process Stages of forming SDWT: Stage one: (Start-Up) Goal preparation, explanation of purpose, member selection and building trust (6-9months). Stage two: (State of confusion) Technical assistance, feedback, implementing procedures to support self direction, and training. (6-9months). Stage three: (Leader centered team) Encouraging leadership activity among team members. (6-12months). Stage four: (Tightly formed teams) Resolving conflicts, start managing on own, communicating resource requirement and goals.(6-12months). Stage five: (Self direction) Maintain self confidence and self esteem of others. Strong partnership with internal and external customers. Consequently, if you look at the time and training involved in SDWTs it might not be suitable for an environment with a high employee turnover. Need for greater leadership development. As the organization would no longer function in a traditional manner the leaders or managers need to build their ability to allow and encourage such a high level of empowerment, which can be tackled with specially created programs (Coates and Miller, 1995). Problems of SDWT Team members approached the saturation point of learning through job rotation and would have achieved the maximum level of earning i.e. plant rate where no more room for psychological or financial boosts (Vecchio, 2006, p.113). Again while talking about pay as a motivator does it really matter? Can rewarding and recognition be the motivator to ensure continuing performance of the employees (Vecchio, 2006, p.84).   Also the performance measurement system should not create any competition within team members which will reduce co-operation and affect the success of SDWT. Another major challenge is getting people to remain committed to the improvement of the processes when they realize that they may be working themselves out of a job. The employees involved in self-directed work teams must have a great deal of trust so that employees are not concerned about their job security (Anon, 1995). Conflict management would be another critical and sensitive issue. Again each team member has different personalities and perceptions. Here comes the importance of required skills from facilitator. A culture of knowledge sharing has to be built in. Another question is that, are employees ready to be self directed? Whether they have capacity and skills? Of course proper training would be in place but still some employees prefer managers direction on what to do rather than deciding on their own. Here comes the need for selecting appropriate team members which is again depending on the talent of facilitator. Is the organization policies and culture is supportive in transferring power and authority to team members? Other problems would be signs of overconfidence which lead to members willing to take extra ordinary risk, members ignoring the ethical consequences, collective rationalization and underestimating capabilities of other groups which may lead to failure and financial losses.(Craig, 2005, p.219) Given the fact empowerment is a key to succeed in SDWT; will all the managers support this? Foegen (1999) stated on the loss of control: If one individual makes all the decisions in a given department, for example, his or her control is all-encompassing. Focus is obvious and unequivocal. But when authority is delegated, that focus becomes blurred, decision making is diffused, and responsibilitys locus is often less certain. He also stated delegation and empowerment can decrease the self image of the managers. The other pitfalls of empowerment would be lack of clarity, managements view as shared control / loss of control etc. Finally it would require numerous changes in processes and procedures and require a lot more time to make SDWTs successful in a unionized department. Conclusion Before a company can decide to implement self directed work teams, Coates and Miller (1995) point out certain situations or job fields in which this method may not work. These include: When there is a requirement for direction or supervision. This is often needed for jobs which may be unpleasant, arduous, fast paced or risky. When minimal team interaction is required. In jobs such as these employees may find it difficult to lead each other. When a lack of professional maturity exists among team members. An unwillingness to make the effort exists. The inability to meet regularly as a team. Work groups with any of these five characteristics would find it difficult to function effectively and may have to resort to the traditional method of management. Statistics shows that empowerment has about a 50% success rate and it is found that major reason for this is lack of management commitment to the change process. One of the companies failed by using SDWT is The Airline peoples Express. (Fisher, 2000, p.26). References: Anon. (1995) Taking the Mystery Out of Self -Directed Work Teams, Entrepreneur Connect [Online]. Available from:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/17227174.html   (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Anon (n.d.) Teams, the good, the bad and the ugly [Online] Available from: http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/TDlearnCo/gains-lossesofteams.html (Accessed: 22 August 2009) Boyett, J. Boyett, J. (1998) The guru guide: The best of the top management thinkers. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Brillhart, J.(1983) Effective group discussion. 5th ed. Dubuque, Iowa: William Brown Co. Bruce K.Bernard (n.d) Preparing for Self-Directed Work Teams [Online] Available from: http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:rEhTVduzfRMJ:www.ux1.eiu.edu/~bkbarnard/preparing2.ppt+self+directed+work+teams+pptcd=7hl=enct=clnkgl=ae (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Cloke, K and Goldsmith, J (2002) The End of Management and the Rise of Organizational Democracy. Questia Online Library [Online] Available from: http://www.questia.com/read/111621737?title=The%20End%20of%20Management%20and%20the%20Rise%20of%20Organizational%20Democracy (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Coates, D. Miller, M. (1995) ‘Self Directed Teams: Lessons Learned for Local Government, Public Management, 77 (12), p. 16, Questia Online Library [Online]. Available from: http://www.questia.com/read/5001654373?title=Self-Directed%20Teams%3a%20Lessons%20Learned%20for%20Local%20Government (Accessed: 21August 2009). Craig E. Johnson. (2005) Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership. 2nd ed. USA: Sage Publications Inc. Ed Rose Steve Buckley. (1999) Self Directed work Teams, A Trainers Role in the Transition. USA: Intersil Coporation. Foegen, J.H. (1999) Why not empowerment, Business and Economic Review, Apr-Jun 1999  Ã‚  [Online]. Available from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5313/is_199904/ai_n21437565/  (Accessed: 22 August 2009) Forsyth, D. (1999) Group dynamics. 3rd ed. New York: Brooks/Cole-Wadsworth. Jeffrey Christopher Bauer (2002) A Longitudinal Evaluation of The Impact of Organizational Structure on Role Ambiguity and Work Group Performance [Online] Available from: http://www.ucclermont.edu/~BAUERJ/JCBauerDissertationFinal.htm (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Kimball Fisher. (2000). Leading Self Directed Work Teams, A Guide to Developing New Team Leadership Skils. USA: McGraw-Hill. Peter B.Grazier (1999) Living with a self directed work team why self-direction works: A review of Herzbergs Concepts [Online] Available from: http://www.teambuildinginc.com/article_selfdirected.htm (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Robert P. Vecchio (2006) Organizational Behavior, 6th ed. Mason, OH, USA: Thomson Corporation South-Western. Robert T.Howell (2001) Fostering Self-Directed Team Members [Online] Available from: http://www.teambuildinginc.com/article_selfdirected.htm (Accessed: 21August 2009). Williams, R. (n.d.) Self-Directed Work Teams: A Competitive Advantage [online] Available from: http://www.qualitydigest.com/nov95/html/self-dir.html (Accessed: 20 August 2009).

Sense And Sensibility Themes Essay -- essays research papers

"Sense and Sensibility" In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility there is a theme that runs along with males in the novel. The first born sons are forced to deal with the promotions and abilities that come along with the laws of primogeniture, yet even with all they get they do not lead an altogether happy life. The men that are "first-born" are in fact too swayed by the power and obligation that comes with their estates. In the novel the first sons are viewed in a negative light, yet the second-born sons have less responsibility to be what society wants them to be and are allowed to be his own. Although Edward Ferrars, is a firstborn, his mother disinherits him because of his lack of focus and ability to be all she wants him to be; as John Dashwood remarks "Robert will now to all intents and purposes be considered as the eldest son." We know that Colonel Brandon is a second son because he has an older brother who married his old sweetheart, Eliza, many years before the novel's plot begins. And whereas these characters are the heroes of the novel, all the eldest sons are cast in a negative light, including John Dashwood, Robert Ferrars, and Colonel Brandon's older brother. In Austen's day, the eldest sons were the ones who inherited all the family property according to the laws of male primogeniture. However, in spite of these inheritance laws, it is the second sons who ultimately find happiness in the novel; thus they make content lives for them...

The Internet: An End to the Cultural and Historical Diversity of Style

Introduction: The Internet is a fairly new tool and has been recently increasing in popularity. Where it was once inconceivable that a new way to stay in touch could challenge the telephone, the Internet has managed to do so. With the Internet, one can do nearly anything that one would want to do from keeping in touch with relatives, writing research papers, and watching one's bank account. Generally, everything done over the Internet is quick and effortless. Since the Internet is relatively new, there have been relatively few scientific studies done on it. Therefore, the discussion of the Internet in this paper will be limited to personal experiences and interpretations. This essay will describe a new style of quickness that has emerged as a result of the Internet. The style has been modified and tested by those on the Internet, creating a homogenous way of communicating which is ending the diversity in composition. In turn, the style has affected the Internet, making quickness a priority to services on the web. By looking at common uses of the Internet, it is apparent that a new kind of style based on instant gratification and convenience has emerged, which in turn has influenced the Internet. Communicating Instantaneously: One of the more prevalent services of the Internet is instant messaging, which has helped to shape a style of quickness. There are a plethora of messaging services to choose from, such as AOL's Instant Messenger, ICQ, and MSN Messenger. Instant messaging is exactly what it sounds like- messages are typed and sent instantly to another person. This type of interaction has slowly been replacing the telephone as it allows people to stay in contact over long distances without having to pay a fee. Acco... ... style has also affected the Internet. The need for speed has evolved so that the success of services and other offerings for the Internet, such as connection speed, is highly important. The style of speed in the world of today will become increasingly accepted and used as more and more people join the Internet craze. Footnotes: 1. Beard 2. Beard 3. Pastore 4. Look at the Graph 5. Beard Works Cited: 1. Beard, Marty. "Hello, email, and soon good-bye: Instant messaging becoming way to communicate." February 5, 2002 Â © 2002 Media Life. <http://medialifemagazine.com/news2002/feb02/feb04/2_tues/news4tuesday.html> 2. Gartner Advisory, Web Site Performance, June 2000. 3. Pastore, Michael. "E-Mail Continues Dominance of Net Apps." July 25, 2001. <http://cyberatlas.internet.com/big_picture/applications/article/0,1323,1301_808741,00.html>

Apple Company swot analysis Essay

This is an analysis of the Apple Company which is one of the leading Phone companies in the world. This analysis looks into the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and the threats of the company. The major strength of Apple Company is its creative and high ranking leaders who facilitate quality leadership and creativity in the Apple Company. The products of Apple are of high quality and unique compared to rival products from Microsoft or Google; this enhances customer loyalty. Apple has an opportunity of entering new markets such as TV, which will still perform as good as the existing products because Apple consumers may purchase an additional product from the company as a result of the company loyally. However, the company’s major weakness is the pricing effect it has on the market. Consumers perceive the apple products to be expensive even when the price is actually similar to that offered by other companies. The main threat of Apple is the upcoming android system from Google which has managed to tap into the youth market which apple had dominated longer and the closed system of offering their system. Strength of Apple Company It may be believed that it is the individuals who determine the strength of a company and not he products that are produced by the company. One may think that the demise of Steve Jobs may make Apple weak; this is not the case as Apple still has got its strength rooted in the uniqueness of the products they produce. With a leader such as Tim Cook, who is ranked among the top among the CEOs in the USA, with a staff approval of 98%. According to CNN Money, (2012) the inventory of Apple Inc has been drastically cut to days with channel supplies that are ultra sufficient and leads the fair wage movement in Asia- China. India Times, (2012) reports that not only Tim is the creative personnel in apple Inc, there is still Johnny Ive who steers creativity behind apple INC. This is the major strength which Apple has that  poses a competitive hand ahead of their rivals. The product’s ecosystem is strength of Apple Company. Apple icloud, OS and iOS make up an evolution of apples’ product ecosystem. According to Thomas (2010) each new product is enhanced by the ecosystem making the ownership of the products of the company to be worth more than the total sum of their parts. The system goes past the internet thought which makes it evolutionary. It is a unique system in that it is closed, maintains a store of its own including the software and hardware applications. This has enabled the company to have total control over the users’ experience hence they have been able to maximize profits as a result of elimination of third party costs. The system offers its users an environment which is free from viruses, it would be therefore said that the products of apple are the major competitive tool against their rivals. According to David (2011) with each considered as a bench mark product, iPad, iPod, iPhone, iTunes store are among the best selling Apple products in the market of their category. Diversity is greatly enhanced in Apple Company due to the depth of their assets which includes their liquidity position, their branded stores and professional and consumer applications which are leading. Weaknesses The main weakness of Apple Inc is their ideology; the internet has been made a powerful tool by the systems that are open which is the most used tool by Microsoft and Google. According to Colby (2011) this has created a specialized competing strategy in open products. If an individual is not already been attached to the Apple products, they can easily find what hey are looking for by any other brand. Another weakness of Apple Company is the pricing of their products. Consumers have a perception that Apple products are high priced even though some products may have moderate pricing. Electronics consumers do not have prior knowledge in the comparisons made concerning Apple products value and the value of a poorly made product brand from another company which would be cheap. Opportunities There are high chances that the creative minds in Apple Company may penetrate the TV market with a brand name of iPanel. According to Johnson (2011) there is the usual kept secret which would be made public to anticipate  product offering. As a result of the announcement the TV market has undergone major innovations in order to stay ahead of the anticipated Apple TV launch. Market analysts predict that even though the new TV may not perform really high as the iPad and iPhone, the buyers of the two may as well pick the Apple TV along with their iPad and iPhone purchases. Another major opportunity which Apple has is that the already existing products of Apple such as iPod create a gateway for purchase of other Apple products. With every single new product, there is an expansion in the ecosystem of products and as a result a new created gateway increases the consumer choice of using another Apple product. Threats Even though there is a major Apple lead in consumer computing products, there are tensions between Google and Apple Inc. the balance between open systems and Apple’s closed product would easily shift back to Google. This is so as there was a time when Google controlled almost all the PC product market back in the late 90s. Such a threat could be expected from the way open OS functions just very well. Windows 8 by Microsoft was highly anticipated and used by consumers and Google would easily advance its android operating system to support the desk top. Android is the greatest competitor of Apple’s product ecosystem since android has tapped the market of the youth; a market that has been dominated by Apple for more than fifteen years. Another threat would be a form of virus which would harm the Apple’s computing products from a perspective of public relations. In conclusion, Apple Company competes in the battle of ideologies. The competition is essentially between apple and other companies such as Google and Microsoft. However, apple has managed to be ahead of other companies in the consumer computing product market. The competition between Apple and other companies is quite sensitive because a mistake in the strategies of Apple would imply huge losses as the other companies are likely to top the market. The apple company has a management that is scientifically controlled to enable it maintain the lead with highest profit margin. Apple continues to grow as a result of the quality leadership which facilitates the purchase of new apple products by the consumers. References CNN Money, (2012). 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