Adaption vs. Adaptation

Adaption vs. Adaptation Adaption vs. Adaptation Adaption vs. Adaptation By Maeve Maddox A reader in the UK who grew up hearing the word adaption used in reference to radio and television programs based on books wonders, Where did adaptation come from, since there is no verb adaptate? The earliest OED documentation of the verb adapt is dated 1531. The noun adaptation comes along in 1597, 18 years earlier than adaption (1615). English has no verb â€Å"adaptate,† but the past participle stem of Latin adaptare (to fit, to adapt) is adaptat-. Adaptation came into English from French, with the extra syllable already in place. Adaption looks like a homegrown nominalization of the verb adapt. The Google Ngram Viewer, which tracks the incidence of words in printed sources from 1800 to 2000, shows adaption running a distant second to adaptation during the entire period. The OED has a brief entry for adaption, prefaced by the notation â€Å"Now nonstandard.† Clearly, adaptation is the standard form of the word meaning, â€Å"an altered or amended version of a text, musical composition, etc., especially one adapted for filming, broadcasting, or production on the stage from a novel or similar literary source.† But although adaptation is the preferred spelling, adaption is in use among English speakers in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the US: The Snow Queen: A Pop-Up Adaption of a Classic Fairytale  Hardcover  Ã¢â‚¬â€œPublication date: 2013. Movie Adaption > Popular Movie Adaption Books –categories on Goodreads Why book-to-film adaption soundtracks need to fit with the original book –headline, The Guardian Lake Bell to Direct Film Adaption of  The Emperor’s Children –headline, Time.com The Broadway musical  West Side Story  is an adaption of  Romeo and Juliet.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œarticle, The Globe and Mail (Canada) On a page at the BBC News site, adaption occurs in a header, but adaptation is used in the text below it. Bottom line: Some writers in the English-speaking world continue to use adaption as an alternative spelling of adaptation, but adaptation is the preferred standard form. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Appropriate vs. Apropos vs. Apt

Common Family Myths and Stories

Common Family Myths and Stories Nearly every family has a cherished story or two regarding their distant ancestors - one that has been handed down from generation to generation. While some of these stories probably have a lot of truth in them, others are actually more myth than reality. Perhaps its a story that youre connected to Jesse James or a Cherokee princess, or that a town in the old country is named after your ancestors. How can you prove or disprove these family stories? Write Them Down Hidden in the embellishments of your familys story are probably at least a few grains of truth. Ask all of your relatives about the famous legend, and write down everything they tell you - no matter how insignificant it may seem. Compare the different versions, looking for inconsistencies, as they may indicate those parts are less likely to be rooted in fact. Ask for Backup Ask your relatives if they know of any items or records which may help document the family story. It doesnt often happen, but sometimes if the story has been carefully handed down from generation to generation, then other items may have been preserved as well. Consider the Source Is the person telling the story someone who was in a position to have experienced the event first-hand? If not, ask them who they got the story from and attempt to work your way back to the original source. Is this relative known as the storyteller in the family? Often good storytellers are more likely to embellish a story so as to elicit a favorable response. Bone Up on History Spend some time reading about the history of the time, place or person which relates to your familys story or legend. Background historical knowledge may help you prove or disprove the legend. Its unlikely that your great, great Grandfather was a Cherokee, for example, if he lived in Michigan in 1850. Test Your DNA While your genes may not have all the answers, a DNA test may be able to help you prove or disprove a family legend. DNA can help you determine if you descend from a particular ethnic group, your family came from a particular region, or you share a common ancestor with a particular person. Common Genealogy Myths Legends The Three Brothers MythIts always three brothers. Brothers who immigrated to America, and then headed out in different directions. Never more or less than three, and never sisters either. This is one of the favorite of all genealogy legends, and one that very rarely turns out to be true. The Cherokee Indian Princess StoryNative American ancestry is a fairly common family story  and one which may actually turn out to be true. But there really isnt such a thing as a Cherokee princess, and isnt it funny that it is almost never a Navaho, Apache, Sioux or Hopi princess? Our Name Was Changed at Ellis IslandThis is one of the most common myths found in American family history, but it actually almost never happened. Passenger lists were actually created at the port of departure, where the native names were easily understood. Its very likely the family name may have been changed at some point, but it probably didnt happen at Ellis Island. Family Inheritance MythThere are a lot of variations on this popular family story, but very rarely do they turn out to be true. Some of these myths have their roots in the numerous inheritance scams of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, while others may reflect a hope or belief that the family is related to royalty or a famous (rich) family by the same name. Unfortunately, the family inheritance story is often used by scammers to trick people out of their money.

Appreciating Life as the Central Theme of the Movie Awakenings Essay

Appreciating Life as the Central Theme of the Movie Awakenings - Essay Example The plot of the movie directly relates to the primary theme in a very literal way. In telling the story of people whose lives have been taken away from them, in effect, via a medical illness for which there is no cure, overtly conveys the value of life. Though the patients are living and breathing individuals, they are extremely constrained in terms of movement, communication, independence and common daily activities that most people engage in every day without a second thought. They must live in an institutional environment where they are under constant supervision and care and cannot enjoy any of the trappings of ‘normal’ life such as love, activities, work, recreation and the pursuit of personal interests and fulfilment. As the movie focuses on the solitary and sedentary nature of these patients lives during the early parts of the film, the changes that occur when they are dosed with the new drug are made even more apparent, exciting and moving by contrast as the audi ence begins to see them leave their comatose states and become active individuals who each have a unique personality. Each patient, in particular Leonard the protagonist, is so utterly appreciative and excited by this new lease of life, that it forces the audience to relate to positive aspects of their own lives in a more appreciative way. As the narrative continues and the audience slowly realises that the effects of the drug are limited and of a short duration, this delivers a dramatic impact as life is again snatched away from the patients. As we see Leonard eventually retreat back to his vegetative state and his acceptance of his fate, it re-instates the vulnerability of life and the massive importance we must place on its value while we have it. The fact that Leonard tries to make the most of the rest of his time as an active individual despite understanding his destiny, is extremely moving and it effectively emphasises the theme of the movie. One scene in particular, where Leo nard dances with his love interest and tries to savour each moment of it as he knows it is his last, is particularly poignant. The setting of the story amidst a hospital environment also effectively serves to emphasise the movie’s theme. Hospitals are synonymous with death, illness and the mortality of life and this setting immediately relates to these ideas. Seeing characters taking medication, undergoing medical treatment and generally being in vulnerable and fragile states is directly indicative that life is a precious gift that should not be taken for granted. Sickness is often something that healthy people take for granted, in that, if they are not sick, they tend to focus on other problems within their lives, to the detriment of not enjoying their lives as much as they should. It is usually only when people are diagnosed with an illness that they begin to appreciate all that having a healthy body and mind means. In this medical setting, this theme is very dramatically c onveyed both literally and symbolically. Through the portrayal and development of characters the movie also explores its life-affirming theme. From the perspective of Leonard it is perhaps examined at its deepest level as the audience witnesses this character go from a catatonic state, to a thoroughly active

Power dynamics and empowerment issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Power dynamics and empowerment issues - Essay Example Power is realized and applied through certain social laws, actions and even strikes. The example, in terms of health it can be the social policy of a definite state. If local hospitals will have the power to check all potential HIV carriers then the rate of the malady spread will surely go down. Another example may include the power given to the directors of organizations not set the pre-condition of non-smoking in the office. This aspect is also very important to the health promotion. Power is the best incentive for some organizations to step in. For instance there many medical institutions that just do not have power to fulfill all their plans and intentions. There is an organization that strives for treating alcoholics. It is well known in the medicine that this chronic disease is treated only with the patient’s consent. However, only a small percentage of the drunkards are going to accept them being ill. That is why this organization demands to be given the power to take such people to hospitals by force. The thing is that in this way doctors limit a patient’s freedom that is considered the most violent crime in the modern world. On the other hand such person terrorizes the whole family not allowing them to live peacefully. Mothers and wives cannot cope with the physical force of a drunken man and have only to suffer. All their exhortations result in nothing – the only way out to fight with alcoholism is to give power to medical centers to go ahead. During several decades social discrepancy, poverty, famine, and other social disaster has risen significantly. Despite the rising numberÐ º of prosperous people in the developed countries – they constitute for about 20%, at those developed countries the number of poor people has reached the amount of 30%. â€Å"World-wide health disparities are increasing due to vulnerability to disease from severe malnutrition, rapid re-emergence of water and

The Sacred and the Profane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sacred and the Profane - Essay Example The water of baptism also, symbolises, a complete renewal or rebirth of the baptized person, into the new life in Jesus Christ (133). Secondly, baptism ritual signifies the confronting of Satan, symbolized as the dragon in the Bible, and defeating the dragon, as one starts the new life in Jesus Christ (133). Defeating the Satan here means a complete overhaul in one’s life, to start a new life in Jesus Christ. This confrontation and defeat of Satan is symbolized through the immersion into water. The abyss of water symbolizes danger and battle. Just as Jesus before starting His public ministry went to River Jordan to face the Dragons in the abyss of water, and to defeat them, Christians, also, through immersion into the water are able to face their spiritual dragons, the Satan, and to defeat them. We find Noah in the Bible, also, through his faithfulness in God, overcoming the dangers of the immense flood, and emerging the winner. The abyss of water, therefore, signifies the battle with the Satan, and the eventual defeat of Satan. The third meaning of Christian baptism ritual lies in the act of baptismal nudity itself. The nudity in baptism signifies the abandoning the old garment of sin and old ways of life, and embracing the new garment in the life in Jesus Christ (134). The baptismal nudity, also, represents the primitive holiness. Prior, to sinning, Adam and Eve were naked and yet they were comfortable with that because they were innocent (134). Does Eliade Think that in the Modern World there is a Place for the Religious worldview of archaic civilizations?

The Role Of Global Leadership Management Essay

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School Daze :: essays research papers

School Daze I have to admit that I will not look fondly on my high school career. I spent most of my study time going out with my friends. I felt that I was paying my dues with the eight hours of boredom that began most of my days. Until now there were only a few classes that I enjoyed. In retrospect, I believe that it was my inability to choose the classes I took which resulted in my lack of enthusiasm on the ride to school each morning. I must also acknowledge my role in my transcript’s substandard showing. As my SAT and ACT scores indicate, I have the potential to achieve success in any field chosen. However, I have procrastinated and failed to apply myself to my studies. This year I have made and earnest effort to improve my work ethic. My grade point average is rising and my study habits are improving. I know that I can continue with this improvement. I have often wondered what it would be like to experience the freedom of choosing my own class schedule. This has to be infinitely more stimulating and enjoyable. I am also aware that college will be significantly more challenging, but I have always found it easier to study for a class that interests me. I am willing to accept the fact that as long as I am in school, there will be required courses which may not engender excitement or enthusiasm; however, success should not be as difficult to achieve due to the maturity that is developing during this last year of high school. In addition, I have gained an understanding of the benefit of being well rounded. There is value in all classes taken. It helps to know that even my least favorite subject will contribute to the ultimate goal of personal and career development. I will definitely enjoy the independence of campus life. The camaraderie, which will develop, should only add to the college experience. The courses will be challenging but I am willing to do what it takes to achieve my ultimate goal, which was alluded to earlier. The untapped potential is there. I would like to be given the opportunity to show what I can accomplish. My GPA is low; about a 2.7. I have been to many different high schools. I have not been academically successful. However, I do fairly well on standardized tests ACT 30 and SAT M660 V640.

Making Ebay Work

Table of Contents Introduction:2 PART A: Chapter Summary3 PART B: Background and Case summary5 EBay’s Background5 Case Summary: Making eBay work6 PART C: Case Questions7 Case Question #1:7 Case Question #2:10 Case Question #310 PART D: Implications and Recommendation12 Implications12 Recommendations13 Introduction: Strategic capabilities have become a source of competitive advantage for both small and large organization. Organizations that wish to survive and compete in today’s dynamic business world need to implement unique and high-value strategic capabilities. This paper takes you through in depth analysis of strategic capabilities and how it relates to the business environment. The organization in focus is eBay, an online sales company. EBay is one of the largest online sales and auction company with branches in over two dozen countries. Its unique resources and key competences are paramount to its ever-growing success in the industry. The first part of this paper will take you through the concept of strategic capability. This is the summary of the chapter 3 from the textbook, Exploring Corporate Strategy. This part will focus on definition of strategic capability, the importance of resources and competencies to achieving strategic capabilities, cost efficiency, and how strategic capabilities can lead to sustainable development. The second part focuses on the background of the case study company, eBay. There is a brief background about the company and summary of the case study. Part three seeks to answer the case questions. The questions are divided into three; the first talking about the analytical framework for analyzing eBay’s strategic capability. There are several analytical frameworks in the textbook, for in-depth and better understanding, the SWOT analysis was used. The second question seeks to know what kind of capabilities have provided eBay with competitive advantage. The last questions deals with managing capabilities such as new resources, investing and divesting in resources, and extending resources given new entrants in the marketplace and the changing nature of eBay. Each question has been answered by expert individuals with good knowledge of strategic capabilities. The paper concludes by taking into consideration possible lessons learnt from the chapter and case study. We also give recommendations for development in eBay or other organizations that seek to achieve the feat of successful organizations like eBay. PART A: Chapter Summary Strategic capability can be defined as the adequacy and suitability of the resources and competencies of an organization for it to survive, prosper and deliver in the future. The strategic capability contributes to the competitive advantage of an organization by creating and implementing strategies that competitors find difficult to imitate or match. Unique and rare strategic capabilities give organizations better reputation and goodwill when compared with their competitors. Importance of resources, competences, core competences and dynamic capabilities: An organization’s strategic capabilities mainly revolve around its resources. The resources are either tangible or intangible and they are grouped into four categories; an organization’s resources can be: Physical, Financial, Human, and intellectual. Physical resources include machines, building or production capacity of the organization. Financial resources are used in the day to day running of the business; they include capital, cash, debtors, creditors among others. Human resource includes the number and mix of people in an organization. Most organizations have human resource departments that help manage the welfare of the personnel in the organization. Intellectual resources are intangible resources that include patents, brands, business system, and customer database. Resources are important to an organization because they allow the organization to produce at lower cost or generate superior product or service. The resources in an organization are of no worth if they are not being utilized effectively. Organizations must utilize their resources by being competent. Competences in business policy are used to mean the activities and processes through which an organization deploys it resources effectively. Competences can either be threshold or core. Threshold competences are the essentials needed to compete in a given market, while core competences are the effective use of resources to gain competitive advantage. Importance of cost-efficiency: The management of cost-base of an organization can be a basis of achieving competitive advantage. Cost efficiency is driven by a number of cost drivers. [pic] How strategic capabilities can lead to sustainable competitive advantage: †¢ Value: Have resources that customers value in terms of products and services. Product or services must exceed consumer want and taste. †¢ Rarity: Having unique resources and competences in terms of personnel intellect, unique services rendered among other things. †¢ Robustness: A strong and well-built form of strategic capabilities that annot be imitated by competitors. †¢ Non-substitutability: Providing value to customers and possessing competences that are complex and casually ambiguous. Diagnosing Strategic Capability If organizations are to achieve competitive advantage by delivering value to customers, they need to understand how it is created. †¢ Value Chain: describes the activities within and around an organization whic h together create a product or service. †¢ Value Network: is the set of inter-organizational links and relationships that are necessary to create a product or service. Activity Maps: it shows how the different activities of the an organization are linked together †¢ Benchmarking: comparison of programs and strategic positions of competitors. †¢ SWOT: summary of key issues which affect the business environment. Managing and developing Strategic Capability: In order for managers to manage and improve the strategic capability of an organization, there are certain decisions and actions which can be taken which relate to the development of strategic capabilities within the organization and external environment. These include: Extending best practices: managers might identify strategic capabilities in one area of the business and then seek to extend this throughout all the business units. †¢ Adding and changing activities: this involves adding or changing capabilities so that they become more reinforcing of outcomes. †¢ Stretching competencies: managers may see the opportunity to build new products or services out of existing capabilities. †¢ Entrepreneurial Bricolage: strategic capability can be built by exploiting resources, skills, and knowledge which have been ignored: which is often what entrepreneurs who develop new business models do. Ceasing Activities: involves doing away with current activities not central to the delivery of value to customers. †¢ External Capability development: developing capabilities by entering into alliances and joint ventures. PART B: Background and Case summary EBay’s Background EBay is an online shopping and auction website where people and businesses buy and sell products and services. EBay was created in 1995 and they have over the years grown and expanded to over two dozen countries such as the United Kingdom, China and India. EBay recorded a profit of $367 million according to GAAP in their fourth quarter in the year 2008. Millions of collectibles, decor, appliances, computers, furnishings, equipment, vehicles, and other miscellaneous items are listed, bought, and sold daily on eBay. In 2005, eBay launched its Business & Industrial category, breaking into the industrial surplus business. Some items are rare and valuable, while many others are dusty gizmos that would have been discarded if not for the thousands of eager bidders worldwide. Case Summary: Making eBay work The ‘Making eBay Work’ case study is divided into three sections namely; eBay’s business model, eBay’s management and Competition and cooperation. EBay’s business model A business model describes the structure of product, service and information flows and the roles of the participating parties. Therefore the business model in eBay’s case includes its products and services and the interactions between buyers and sellers. The business model includes Value in eBay which is created by providing a virtual market for buyers and sellers. EBay listens to its customers and organizes Voice of the Customer groups which involve flying in a new group of about 10 sellers and buyers from around the country to its offices every few months to discuss the company in depth. Technology allows every move of every potential customer to be traced. Workshops and classes are held to teach people how to make the most of the site. EBay is governed from outside and within in the sense that the company’s system has a source of automatic control in the form of buyers and sellers rating each other on each transaction. Sales of illegal products are dealt with by withdrawing the item on sale and then banning the seller. EBay’s management Meg Whitman, an ex-consultant joined eBay in 1998 and has seen then heavily influenced the company’s management. Meg Whitman met a collection of Information Technology (IT) geeks who were handpicked by eBay’s founder Pierre Omidyar as top management of the company. Meg Whitman felt she needed to reshuffle and change the management as most of the top executives understood more of the IT side of the company rather than understanding the business side of the company. Respected consultants were then assigned senior management roles. This change brought about the company becoming data and metric driven: ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it. ’ This simply means that category managers made decisions based on measuring and acting upon the data within their fiefdom or departments. EBay has in time upgraded its ability to ensure that technology does not fail. The company’s website was plagued with outages in 1999 which shut down the site for a period of 22hours. The problems were as a result of software problems and lack of backup systems. Maynard Webb joined eBay to become the president of the company’s technology unit and has since then ensured a secure website by constantly upgrading the system. Meg Whitman is a manager who is known for leadership qualities such as understanding and flexible. She is a leader who buys into the company in more ways than one by auctioning some of her furniture from her ski condo in order to have an eBay selling experience. Competition and cooperation As the internet has become a more competitive arena, eBay has definitely not stood still. The company tries to be aware and flexible. EBay bought Skype, the internet telephony organization in 2005 at the cost of $2. 5 billion. A lot of controversy marked this acquisition as people considered it too risky and eBay fired back by saying the company can create an unparallel e-commerce engine, pointing to their 2002 purchase of the online payment system, PayPal. eBay also supported their action by saying three benefits would be realized as a result of the purchase; ‘the more members the company will acquire, the more valuable the company will become, and lastly the more likely eBay will become a world leader in managing network effects. In 2006, eBay announced a deal with Google and has since then become one of Google’s biggest advert customers. EBay also partnered with Baidu Inc, a Chinese web portal bought by eBay in 2002. Baidu promotes PayPal Beibao as the preferred method of payment on Baidu. Despite eBay success in the west, it is not as successful in the east. EBay had to pull out of Japan and is cur rently struggling in Taiwan and lagging behind a rival in China. GMarket in Korea had a less complex system and so had a larger market base; so eBay had to come up with eBay express to meet up to the customer needs in Korea. PART C: Case Questions Case Question #1: Analyze eBay strategic capability using an analytical framework from the chapter Strategic Capability can be defined as the resources and competences of an organization needed for it to survive and prosper. EBay’s case shows us the necessity of an organization having sustainable resources and competences. In analyzing their strategic capability, the SWOT framework (strength, weakness, opportunities and threats) projects, clearly, the issues surrounding a business and deduces how this issues makes them strategically capable. Strengths: Bay’s greatest strength is that it is the first online auction site. Because of that, eBay is well trusted. The customer’s perception that he/she can buy a good without worrying, keeps him/her coming back. That is why, in 2006, eBay had 200 million customers. Out of that, 750,000 made their living from eBay. (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2008) From the case study, you can see a strong rel ationship between the business-to-customer and customer-to-customer relationship. For example, when a category manager sees a customer is having difficulty selling a product, he helps the customer by improving their presentation of the product. Also, eBay organizes â€Å"Voice of the Customer† were a group of 10 sellers and buyer are flown in from around the world, to discuss the company in depth. In regard to the customer to customer relationship, customers help each other by creating rules and norms to keep themselves safe from fraud. They also have websites, offering advice on how to sell on eBay. This relationship seems little, but it is not. It has taken at least 13 years to build it; that is why it would be very difficult for another company to break in. Another major strength eBay has is Meg Whitman who is a unique resource. She is well experienced. She previously worked with Procter and Gamble, Hasbro and Stride Rite, and went to Harvard business school. When she came in, she multi-tasked, filling many of the senior management roles such as the head of the US business, head of international operations and vice president of consumer marketing with consultants. Through her eBay has been re-defined; eBay has over thirty categories now (you can buy items ranging from books, cars, antiques to houses), their sales have increased and have acquired several firm- like Skype and PayPal- strengthening eBay alive and keeping it flourishing. Weakness Although things seem perfect, eBay has a number of weaknesses: Because items are sold online you can’t be certain of the person you are transacting with. EBay customers suffer from other fraudulent activities by other customers. For example, another customer maybe selling a Gucci hand bag for a reasonable price. When you pay for it and receive the bag, you realize the bag is not original. Another case of fraud occurs when stolen goods are sold. Fraudulent situations affect the customer to customer relationship. In addition, according to the case, in 1999 the site was shut down for 22 hours courtesy of software problems. This is a major weakness because eBay’s site cannot function when the system breaks down; auctioning cannot take place. During these periods, a lot of profit will be lost, affecting the business and customers. EBay would be affected more because of the amount spent on repairing. In the past, even the payment system, PayPal, has been shut down. Opportunities Opportunities are lucky breaks entrepreneurs use to get ahead of competition. Acquisitions provide new business strategy opportunities. In 2005, according to the case study, eBay bought Skype. It is an online telephone company. EBay acquired the firm for $2. 6 billion. Skype's software lets PC users talk to each other for free and make cut-price calls to mobiles and landlines. A lot of critics didn’t see the essence but for eBay it was a great opportunity. They were strengthening their threshold and unique resources. Skype is a unique resource because not a lot of businesses can afford to imitate that feat (spending $ 2. 6 billion). It is a threshold resource because Skype helps customers communicate more effectively. Through Skype, customers can see and hear each other; reducing the rate of fraudulent activities. In addition, eBay has opportunities through new and emerging markets. EBay has over 30 sites, were language differs. For example, if you go to the Chinese site, it wouldn’t be in English. But it wasn’t always like that before. This opportunity occurs when a country becomes more modernized, like Singapore. When it happens, eBay has an opportunity to increase its market segment. This is how eBay has been able to grow, over the years. Also, a product produced 5 years ago can still be sold and found on eBay. In a way, eBay keeps products alive. You can find a first edition magazines and old models of cars on eBay. This is one of eBay’s core competences. EBay keeps Markets current. Threats As with many of the global Internet brands, success attracts competition. (SWOT Analysis: Lesson, 2008) Competition is a threat because it reduces the amount of customers you have. From the case study, eBay has a big threat in Korea. GMarket is the Korean version of eBay. It is partly owned by Yahoo. Although Yahoo’s auctioning unit isn’t as strong as eBay, it can become a threat in the future. Already, because of Yahoo in Japan, eBay has pulled out. It doesn’t do well in the East because international competitors have a cultural edge over them. Furthermore, some costs cannot be controlled by eBay, which is a threat. â€Å"It is a threat because if a customer doesn’t understand why he has to pay extra, for example delivery charges and credit card charges, he might feel cheated. If fuel prices were to rise, the cost is passed on to the consumer in terms of delivery and postal fees. This could make the overall cost of an auctioned item too expensive, making customer’s look for cheaper prices†(SWOT Analysis: Lesson, 2008) Also, individuals pretend to be eBay staffs, using their logos, the send illegal e-mails. Case Question #2: What are the capabilities that have provided eBay with competitive advantage and why? hjogdnfjuhfe Case Question #3 Using the concept of sustainability and dynamic capabilities how would you manage (creating new resources and competences, investing/divesting in others extending others) Given: New entrants to market and the changing nature of eBay. Concept of Sustainability: Concepts of sustainability and dynamic capabilities are major strategies that organizations use to capture competitive edge over competitors. Sustainability of strategic capability deals with the criterion that organizations use to achieve and maintain competitive advantage over a long and sustainable period of time. Three main factors influence sustainable strategic capabilities; Inimitability, Rarity, and Value. Inimitability refers to the robustness or sturdiness of the strategic capability. It involves â€Å"identifying capabilities that are likely to be durable and which competitors find difficult to imitate or obtain† (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2008). Inimitability can be achieved through three main ways, they are; Complexity: Complexity of strategic capabilities is the quality of being intricate and compounded. When organizations like eBay have very complex strategies, it will be very difficult for new entrants to the market to imitate such strategies. An example of a complex strategy in eBay could be the internal linkages in the organization. These internal linkages deal with how eBay internally links activities and processes together to deliver customer value. Internal linkages can be in form of relationship between top-management, middle-management and lower management staff. EBay has a very good communication network that allows for efficiency which will in turn produce efficiency and increase customer satisfaction. Organization can also build external interconnectedness with its customers to make it difficult for their strategies to be imitated. When developing new resources, organizations can seek opinions or partner with their customers or clients to generate idea that will add value to the company and also generate strategic capabilities that are robust in nature. †¢ Culture and history: Culture and history are very unique to each organization. It is almost impossible to find two organizations with similar cultural background. When investing or divesting in resources, organization should make sure their investment is culturally inclined. When strategies are linked to cultural embeddedness, there is the â€Å"likelihood that such competences have developed over time and in particular way. The origins and history by which competences have developed over time are referred to as path dependency, are specific to the organization and cannot be imitated† (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2008). Causal Ambiguity: Ambiguity deals with not being able to discern the meaning or cause of a particular effect. It is very difficult for organizations to imitate another organization when the former cannot easily discern the cause and effect of the latter’s success. Organizations like eBay have varying causal factors that affect its success in the industry that other competitors find hard to discern. Other factors that affect su stainable development include the rarity and value of the strategic capability. When an organization is seeking competitive advantage, it needs to make sure the resources it’s investing in have huge values to the customers and they should be very unique and rare capabilities. Unique resources and competences can include marketing strategies that are peculiar to the particular organization. Dynamic Capabilities The changing environment in the business world today calls for the implementation of dynamic capabilities. Dynamic capabilities are â€Å"an organization’s abilities to renew and recreate its strategic capabilities to meet the needs of a changing environment† (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2008). Dynamic capabilities help organization to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competences to address the ever changing environment. When an organization is developing, investing, divesting or extending in resources, it should be able to transfer and modify existing resources to keep competitive edge over its competitors. The organization should have intellectual skills that can easily implement new capabilities to foster development. PART D: Implications and Recommendation Implications The following are the implications of the case study Making eBay Work: Competitive and Cooperative: Competition and Cooperation are one of the major elements used to successfully excel in the business world. Form the case it is observed that eBay is very competitive and cooperative. Competitive in the sense that eBay bought companies like Skype, the internet telephony organization (http://www. skype. com/) and PayPal an online payment system (www. paypal. com/) in order for it to keep up with the evolving activities on the internet. GMarket in Korea had a less complex system; so eBay created eBay express to meet up to customer needs in Korea. Bay is cooperative in the sense that it partnerships with companies like Google, yahoo and Baidu in other for it to be more effective in its services. Customer Friendly: Some organizations do not pay attention to the needs or complaints of their customers and take the appropriate measures to satisfy them, but eBay listens to customers and tries to keep up with what they want to sell, buy and how they want to do it. This brings about profitability, good reputation and more customers. So every organization should try to be customer friendly because it serves as an advantage to them. The great importance of Technology: The basis on which eBay operates is technology that’s why it’s of great importance to them. eBay endeavours to up grade their systems to fit the latest technology, make sure the site is accessible at all times, ensure no fraudulent activity or illegal transaction is carried out in the site and also ensures that the site is virus free. This helps eBay to operate effectively. Staying Aware and Flexible: eBay tries to stay aware and flexible at all times. The company tires to get feedback from customers, complaints, suggestions and also take note of customer activity on the site. This helps eBay to make necessary adjustments in other to satisfy their customers. Nearly all of its fastest-growing new categories emerged from registering seller activity in the area and quietly giving it a nudge at the right moment. For example eBay noticed a few car sells on the site so the company created a separate site called eBay Motors which has special features such as vehicle inspection and shipping. Organizations should try and stay aware and flexible in running while running their business. Good management can make a positive difference in an organization: Having a good manager or management body in an organization can make the organization excel. When Meg Whitman came into eBay in 1998 she made eBay become data and metric driven and she also brought about strategies which made eBay work better. eBay had a software problem and this caused the site to be shut down for 22 hours. When Maynard Webb was brought into the company as the president of eBay he quickly upgraded the systems and make sure they are upgraded constantly and this makes the site function more effectively. Have a good knowledge about a particular market before entering it: It is observed from the case that eBay is not doing well in the east but is doing well in the west. It pulled out of Japan, is suffering in Taiwan and it lags behind a rival in China. This shows that eBay those not have the right strategy to excel in those areas so it is advisable to have a vivid knowledge and strategy about a particular market or area before entering it in order to excel. Recommendations The following are the recommendations for the case Making eBay Work. eBay is not doing well in the east, in order for eBay to do well in the east it should either buy GMarket or partnership with GMarket in other to be successful. Since GMarket is big and successful it would not allow eBay to buy them so if eBay partnerships with GMarket it will be more successful in that area. If eBay is very tactical they can be better than GMarket in the long run. Like the saying goes â€Å"If you can’t beat them join them †. So eBay will be better off if it partnerships with GMarket. eBay pulled out of Japan, is suffering in Taiwan and it lags behind a rival in China. In business it is advisable never to give up so eBay should reengineer its self so it can function better in countries like Japan, Taiwan and China. †¢ One of the lessons of the chapter 3 (Managing strategic capability) is that strategic capability often lies in the day-to-day activities that people undertake in organizations. So developing the ability of the people at eBay in other to recognise the relevance of what they do in terms of strategic capability of the organization is important. Bay should organize training and development in specific areas and also develop people’s awareness that what they do in their jobs matters. This will help achieve competitive success and increase their motivation. Bibliography Johnson, G. , Scholes, K. , & Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy. Essex: Prentice Hall. S WOT Analysis: Lesson. (2008, February 12). Retrieved March 23, 2009, from Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT): http://www. marketingteacher. com/Lessons/lesson_swot. htm ———————– Experience Supply cost Product/process design Economies of Scale Cost Efficiency

Essay on Design Management Practice and Theory

Essay on Design Management Practice and Theory Essay on Design Management Practice and Theory Essay on Design Management Practice and TheoryToday, the design management plays an important part in the development of the effective approaches to marketing and brand promotion. At this point, it is possible to refer to the experience of Cover Magazine, which is a popular print media and a well-recognized brand that is renowned in many countries of the world. The popularity of the magazine is, to a significant extent, determined by the design of the magazine. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that Cover Magazines focuses on the development of both external and internal designs which are equally important for the overall success of the magazine. The combination of the external and internal design helps the magazine to attract the audience and to keep the interest of the audience high. In such a way, the audience grows interested in the magazine that creates the original, exclusive design and promotes its brand through the creation of the particular brand image. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the development of the brand image is extremely important in the contemporary business environment because the positive brand image contributes to the rise of the popularity of the brand and customer loyalty to the brand. In this regard, Cover Magazine gains considerable benefits from the effective external and internal design which lays the foundation to the overall popularity and success of the brand.Cover Magazine was one of the first print media that started developing the unisex design to attract both male and female audiences. In fact, this trend was absolutely new for the time, when the unisex design was introduced by Cover Magazine. The magazine introduced the new design in the 1970s, when the impact of the sexual revolution and accelerated emancipation of women accompanied by the rise of the feminist movement contributed to the elimination of barriers between genders (Gross, 1987). In such a situation, the elimination of barriers between genders gave rise to the unisex design and Cover Magazine was one of the first magazines that used the unisex design to attract both men and women. In fact, the unisex design created by Cover Magazine allowed the magazine to attract the broad audience. To put it more precisely, the use of the unisex design contributed to the increase of the target audience of the magazine almost twice. Traditionally, the magazine focused on the female audience only but the introduction of the unisex design attracted men to the magazine that increased the target audience and, therefore, sales of the magazine.At the same time, the introduction of the new design required changes in the traditional elements of the design to make the content and external as well as internal design of the magazine attractive for men. In such a way, the design of the magazine became a compromise that attracted both men and women. Such universal approach to the design of the magazine allowed the magazine to boost it s business development and increase its target audience substantially.Furthermore, Cover Magazine became not only the fashion magazine but also the lifestyle magazine that means that the magazine focused on the creation of the lifestyle above all rather than on the promotion of fashionable trends only. In such a way, Cover Magazine again used the new approach to the development of the design. In this regard, the magazine has made the breakthrough in the development of its design and its branding policy. The focus on the creation and promotion of the lifestyle has become the mainstream in the development of the design and brand image recently, whereas Cover Magazine was one of the first brands that have started using the lifestyle-oriented design to create the design that would create the particular lifestyle in the audience. In such a way, the magazine created the long-run design strategy which allowed the magazine to breed the customer loyalty. Customers learned the lifestyle promo ted by the magazine and its design and they grew accustomed to the particular design and lifestyle becoming loyal customers of the magazine.At the same time, the magazine developed the specific design aiming at the specific audience, creating the Cover magazine for kids, men and women, such as Cover Kids, Cover Man, etc. The diversification of the target customer group of the magazine resulted in the respective changes of the design of the magazine. At the same time, changes in the design of the magazine opened wider opportunities for the magazine to attract a larger customer group. In such a situation, the magazine has eventually managed to focus on the large audience, including not only the youth, which is the traditional customer group for fashion magazines, but also for adults in the forties and even fifties (Orecklin, 2004). Moreover, today, the magazine aims at kids too that means that the magazine forms its audience from the early childhood since children, who are accustomed to read the magazine in their childhood are likely to continue reading the magazine in their adulthood. In addition, they may even attract their own children to reading the magazine since the magazine’s design for kids attracts children. If parents purchase the magazine for children and if children see their parents reading the magazine on the regular basis, they may also grow interested in the magazine and become attracted to it.Cover Magazine has a stable structure and covers key areas that contribute to the creation of the specific lifestyle of people (Barringer, 1999). The monthly issue includes normally the following elements: Latest within fashion and art; Music, Food, Literature Tips; Beauty Lifestyle; Travel; Interview; and this structure and style are maintained steadily for years. The stable structure contributes to the high quality internal design of the magazine because editors and contributors of the magazine know perfectly what customers expect from them and t hey know what to deliver to customers to meet their needs and expectations. At the same time, the current structure of the magazine is truly universal because it contributes to the development of effective approaches to the magazine design and helps to create the specific lifestyle that readers can trace throughout every story and part of the magazine. In such a way, the magazine contributes to the formation of the target lifestyle and attracts the audience due to the distinct and authentic lifestyle which is the distinct feature of Cover Magazine.Essay on Design Management Practice and Theory part 2

US Army and Circadian Rhythm

US Army and Circadian Rhythm US Army and Circadian Rhythm Maintenance in the US army aviation is a combat multiplier. That is to say, when opposing forces have relative parity in numbers and quality of equipment, the force that combines skillful use of equipment with an effective maintenance has a decided advantage. The force has an initial advantage if it enters battle with equipment that is operational and likely to remain operational. It also has a subsequent advantage if it can quickly return damaged and disabled equipment to the battle. Therefore securing this advantage is the purpose of a maintenance system (Army aviation maintenance, 2006). Maintenance management therefore deals with the following factors affecting the unit mission: Command emphasis or intent. Day to day management skills. Supervision. Motivation. Technical skills. The commander sets the tone of what is important within the command. The soldiers in the command translate this concern into action. However to place emphasis on maintenance operations, the commander shows an active interest in these operations and in the material readiness of unit equipment. At the same time, the commanders need to balance mission, security, training and administrative requirements to form a cohesive unit. Maintenance managers continually strive to improve their operations. Because the management process itself plays a key role in maintenance operations, managers should always to improve planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling. Managers must always look for ways to be proactive rather reactive. In addition, feedbacks and after action reports are also vital tools used by managers. First line supervisors are the vital link in the chain of command. Supervisors are the commanders first line of defense in the prevention of accidents. The prevention of accidents through composite risk management reduces or eliminates lost man hours. Which will in turn, increase available manpower to execute units maintenance mission. First line supervisors however, must be aware of mission requirements and the capabilities and limitations of the soldiers under their control. They must continuously train their subordinates to support the needs of the battlefield. Motivation is the need instilled in an individual to perform designated tasks. The leadership demonstrated by supervisors and commanders greatly influences the motivation of soldiers. Effective leadership is effective to motivation. In this regard therefore effective leaders define objectives, communicate them, evaluate how they are achieved and provide feed back to soldiers doing the work. Since most soldiers always want to perform well, but they must know the objectives and standards and receive performance feed back. Technical skills involve the ability to perform tasks associated with duty positions. On the job training enhance these technical skills. Since a technically and tactically trained soldier is one of the commanders important assets. When the battle begins, untrained soldiers will be of little use to the commander. The commander therefore, must continuously strive for high levels of training so that he can provide adequate maintenance support to the operational units (Army aviation maintenance, 2006). Through adhering to the above policies, the US intend to improve the combat service support characteristics that is responsiveness, simplicity, flexibility, attainability, Sustainability, survivability, economy and integration. These are characteristics which apply across the range of military operations including units conducting offense, defense, stability and civil support operations (Army aviation maintenance, 2006). However, while attempting to implement the above policies with the aim of improving the combat service support, the circadian rhythm disruption still remain a hurdle to overcome as it affects all aviation industries. Our bodys biological functions work much like a finely tuned watch. Every part works in unison to keep the body in homeostasis (maintenance of the internal environment within tolerable limits). However, when one working part doesnt function normally, it tends to disrupt many other vital parts and can upset. Circadian rhythm is described as an internal biological clock that regulates our body functions, based on our wake/sleep cycle. Circadian rhythms are not only important in determining sleep cycles but also in feeding patterns. There are clear patterns of brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities linked to these daily cycles. Any time that our normal 25-hour circadian rhythm is altered or interrupted, it will have physio logical and behavioral impacts. This is better known as circadian rhythm disruption, or CRD. Normal circadian rhythms are naturally altered as one ages including changes in sleep pattern with respect to earlier onset of sleepiness, early-morning awakenings and increased need for daytime napping (http://iflyasa.com/educational-information-aviation-training/flight-training/circadian-rhythm-disruption-aviation/). Shift work like the one in military aviation maintenance almost always causes a circadian rhythm disruption. Since the internal body clock is at odds with the shift schedule. Shift-work problems range from performance issues to accidents and health problems. Of all the stressors in aviation, jet lag or rapid time zone change syndrome seems to have the biggest impact. This syndrome consists of symptoms that include excessive sleepiness and a lack of daytime alertness in people who travel across time zones. Other Symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, disorientation, headaches, digestive problems, and lightheadedness. Jet lag is more evident if one flies from west to east because it is more difficult for ones body to adjust to losing time when you journey east than to gaining time, when one fly from east to west. Similarly circadian rhythm disruption-induced fatigue that goes untreated or ignored will have both physiological and psychological ramifications that not only can jeopardize one s personal health but can also become a safety-of-flight issue (http://iflyasa.com/educational-information-aviation-training/flight-training/circadian-rhythm-disruption-aviation/). Although various tips exist that can be used to minimize circadian rhythm disruption in our daily life, most of them are likely to be overlooked in the army aviation maintenance due to the nature and complexity of its operations. Hence some of the aspirations of the US army aviation maintenance might not be achieved in the long run.

RELIGION IN A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY AND THE LIFE OF PI Essay

RELIGION IN A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY AND THE LIFE OF PI - Essay Example In Life of Pi, Pi is an extremely religious character who relies on this faith to get him through a very difficult situation. While religion is explored different in these two texts, the inclusion of these faiths in central to both the literal and symbolic messages that each of them explore. In A Month in the Country, both good and evil can be seen throughout and are represented through religion, or lack thereof. This novel is set just after World War One had inflicted a great deal of damage on Europe and the world as a whole. This is symbolic of the evil in the world, as many people lost their lives as a result of this conflict and many more are left traumatized because of their experiences. This story centers around Tom Birkin, who is a veteran of the war and is also the victim of a broken marriage. Tom is contracted to restore a medieval mural located in a church in the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby, but he finds much more than a job in this village. When Tom arrives, this village has nearly lost its faith in religion, which is symbolized by the painting that has been covered up numerous times and by the cold-hearted nature of Reverend Keach. The lack of religion in this village is a stark contrast to the time period when the mural was originally painted, as the churc h and Christianity held a great deal of importance during that time period since â€Å"theirs was a different hell from oursâ€Å" (Carr 98). This is shown by the fact that the mural on the church is a depiction of God taking the good to heaven while sending the evil to hell. Another way in which good and evil are represented during this novel comes through the work of Charles Moon. He has been contracted in the same village to uncover the remains of a medieval man who was excommunicated from the church and also to find out why this happened to the man. Over time, Moon is able to figure out that this man was forced to convert to Islam and sword

Shakespeare othello Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Shakespeare othello - Research Paper Example Along with it, the play also encapsulates perspective which can be judged from myriad social cone. The feminist and the racist approach to the play amid them is the most prominent. Thesis Statement The play â€Å"Othello† by Shakespeare captivates myriad themes like, jealousy, love, revenge and betrayal. All these themes are incorporated in the play which helps it to move forward and reveal the subtle bent of human psychology, which the playwright wishes to project through various characters and their interaction with the other characters in the play. This essay intends to explore the manifestation of these themes through the symbols, characters and motifs of the play throughout its plot. Myriad Themes Captivated within the Multi-layered Plot of the Play Despite being a tragedy, the importance and influence of the play â€Å"Othello† in the history of the English theatre cannot be undermined at all. The theme of love in the play is manifested through the love of Othello for Desdemona whom he treats as the extension of his own self. Desdemona is treated by Othello as an object of romantic passion with a feeling of exaltation. The destruction of Desdemona is actually treated as self-destruction for Othello. And the murder of Desdemona is viewed as a prelude to his self-killing. Iago, in such situation, can be viewed as an object of temptation that is persuading Othello relentlessly to view and regard himself from a perspective of Venice. Gradual provocation compelled him to accept the fact that he is an alien to the Venetian society and the lady of his love, who is an embodiment of that Venetian culture, also treats him alien. Othello desired for an ideal beauty and ideal love which he found in Desdemona. Desdemona, on the other hand, is incarnation of pure spiritual love and embodiment of ideal beauty. She is not the icon of love but the reason for love in others. It is under the influence of Iago with his tainted mind, Othello started viewing his beloved as a threat and her sexuality started becoming unbearable for him. Othello under the spell of his frailty mind gradually moves away from the platform on which the sensual and spiritual love were harmonised. Slowly Desdemona’s erotic beauty became an eye-sore for him and her devotion and love seemed â€Å"proof† of infidelity. The failure of Othello to harmonize the two aims of love leads him to encounter a fear and loathe of secularity which puts him into an aura encapsulated by physical frailty and extreme dependence on Desdemona. The horror and pity displayed by Othello transcends every spectacle of love and takes him to a paradigm far beyond the complete and noble concept of love undermined by a filthy and self-hatred state of mind. Even the failure of Othello as a romantic lover does not end with the bodily collapse of Desdemona. It is only the destruction of the symbol of life by the lover. And even after the murder of his beloved, the experience of love c ontinues. This is the reason as even after Desdemona perishes, Othello is posited in a â€Å"full possession of this heavenly sight† reflected from the sight of his dead beloved. Theme of Jealousy â€Å"Othello† is a play that explores sexual jealousy at myriad levels of its plot. The seat of jealousy evolves in the play from the outset of the play; the audiences are encountered with Iago. Iago