Discussion Board Reply Apple Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board Reply Apple - Assignment Example Competitor organisations have gained significantly from focusing their production and selling products to these markets (Sher & Ramstad, 2013). Apple continues to limit its operations to the developed countries, but focusing on the other regions would also provide a platform for increasing the market share for the company (Reeves & Deimler, 2011). The company needs to develop a long term plan for enhancing competition and ensuring continued success of the company products. With many competitors emerging within the market, the industry boundaries continue to blur, necessitating development of effective strategies to maintain Apple’s competitive advantage. While maintaining its differentiated, premium price strategy, Apple should also consider low-price, low margin approach for the emerging markets for sustainable competition (Reeves & Deimler, 2011). Despite the supply chain management approach for the company having ensured the effectiveness in maintaining a competitive advantage, there is need to integrate all the processes within the company to ensure the smooth operations in the supply of raw materials (Keller & Price, 2011). Reeves, M., & Deimler, M. (2011). Adaptability: The new competitive advantage. , 2011. Harvard Business Review2, 135–141. Retrieved from

Political Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Rene Descartes Essay Example for Free

Political Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Rene Descartes Essay Politics should be the application of the science Of man to the construction of the community Explain this remark and discuss what reasons there might be for thinking it is not trueIn this essay I intend to examine the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Rene Descartes, in particular their ideas relating to the science of man, and attempt to explain why their ideas prove that it is not possible to construct a science of man. I will also briefly mention the philosophy of Donald Davidson in regards to a science of man. The theories of Hobbes and the contemporary socio-biologists attempt to recognise how man works and on that basis build a society. Hobbes wished to be seen as the inventor of the science of politics (Sorrell, p45) He went about this by looking at the psychology of man and discovering that man is a mechanism. Hobbes wanted to understand mechanics. He wanted to look at why men live the way that they do in society and therefore, breaks it down. By doing this he discovered that people are cogs in the social machine. Therefore he wants to examine this cogs to achieve an understanding of the social mechanism, and does this by looking at the psychology of the mind. Hobbes is both an empirist and a materialist. Empirists believe that sense gives all knowledge. Generally, they do not believe in astrology, god, electrons etc. Their philosophy is summed up by saying that all things that give true knowledge can be sensed. Materialists believe that all things in existence are physical matter. In other words, the soul and the spirit do not exist. Therefore Hobbes believes that thoughts are material, that they are caused by sense and vice versa. Tom Sorrell suggests in his essay, entitled Hobbes scheme of the sciences, that rather than have knowledge of how the mechanics of the minds passions work, a more successful way of gaining political knowledge is to understand what these passions cause. They cause various degrees of action, with the possessor going to various extents to achieve what they want. In chapter six of De Corpere, Hobbes makes a connection between the knowledge of the principles of politics and the knowledge of the motions of the average human mind. Hobbes account of political science is an idea of what man must do if his goal is self-preservation. These ideas are not what mankind will do but what it will have to do, in a rational way, to form a political civilisation. One would assume that as Hobbes identifies both a natural science (that of the work of nature), and a civil science that of the common wealth (which makes laws and wills), he would suggest that they are parallels which, in political philosophy, work together. However, there are a few problems with Hobbes theory. Hobbes suggests that a monarch makes a better sovereign than an assembly. Yet, surely he would not agree that a monarch who is not dedicated would be better suited than a group of thoughtful representatives. A politically secure society is built up from its people. Hobbes believes that these people all have one motivation; self-gain, or to be more precise self-preservation. Hobbes suggests that there is a link between voluntary motion and vital motion. He goes on to say that senses work together with the vital motions to produce that which is voluntary, i.e. an endeavour. These endeavours can be categorised in two ways; attractions and aversions. An example of an attraction is to pick up a piece of cake because it looks good. That of an aversion is to run away from a dog because you are scared of dogs. As it is possible to see these actions are derived from the senses, again agreeing with Hobbes empirist theory. Endeavours are the small motions within man which occur before he walks, talks, runs or carries out any other voluntary motion. These endeavours are so small that they are undetectable. By understanding why men act the way that they do, it is easier to come to a conclusion as to how society should be structured. However, the idea that the existence of a science of man can be questioned suggests that society can be constructed without it. This is due to the fact that many psychological and political theories are founded on the basis that there is a science of man. Without this science of man these theories are in turn questioned and therefore cannot be viably backed as reasons for the construction of the community. Another prolific philosopher whose arguments should be taken into account is Rene Descartes. Descartes thinks that we, as humans, are made up of two separate substances. The body is the physical stuff and the mind the res cogitans (thinking thing) purely mental stuff. The res cogitans can will your body to move. The difficulty with Descartes theory is that the mind and body interact; if you pour boiling water on you hand, you will feel pain. Again we have to take into account voluntary and vital motions. A voluntary motion is me moving my arm. A vital motion is my arm moving. I move my arm because I want to; but I may not necessarily want it to be moved. This can happen for a number of reasons. It may be possible that I have a muscle spasm in my arm or that somebody moves it. All of this suggests that for Descartes theory to be correct there must be some kind of connection between a material substance (the body) and an immaterial substance (the mind). However, we will find it impossible to understand the idea of a science of man if we cannot understand how the two substances interact. Therefore, again, we have no proof that it is possible to build a political philosophy on the basis of a science of man. On p213 of Davidson , we find an explanation of monisms and dualisms. Theories are thus divided into four sorts: nomological monism, which affirms that there are correlating laws and that the events correlated are one (materialists belong in this category); nomological dualism, which compromises various forms of parallelism, interactionism and epiphenominalism; anomalous dualism which combines ontological dualism with the general failure of laws correlating the mental and the physical (cartesianism). And finally there is anomalous monism which shows an ontological bias only in that it allows the possibility that not all events are mental, while insisting that all events are physical. The final position is that which Davidson himself follows. Davidsons argument suggests that the psychology of man does not follow any causal laws. Therefore, it is impossible to impose any rationality on theories involving the mind. These anomological psychological states are defeasable. They are defeasable because it is possible that by adding another condition to the situation the expected behaviour changes. Therefore it is impossible to agree with any political philosophy that involves the necessity of a science of man. What is easily discovered is that there are many different political philosophies and many different concepts as to what is a science of man. Philosophers such as Hobbes and his counterparts, Mill and Marx, possess the shared assumption that political philosophers must accept the political opinion that they are arguing for. They all think that rational agents must accept their arguments yet they all have different arguments. They all believe that for a successful political structure human nature cannot be ignored, if the structure is to command respect. As I have shown, Descartes and Davidson on the other hand, believe that a science of man is impossible; Descartes because he believes that our minds are immaterial and Davidson because mans behaviour follows no causal laws. All of this shows us that trying to interpret mans actions and apply them to a science is an impossible conquest. Man is too complicated a mechanism to understand and therefore political philosophy, for a sensible and rational social structure, must be founded on another basis.

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay The tragedy of machismo is that a man is never quite man enough. (Greer, 1987) This is a quote that could serve as a metaphor to describe how man can never be as ideal as portrayed by advertisements. The modern portrayal of men in advertisements is the one in which they all appear to be ultra masculine, and researches have shown these images to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of men, especially boys and young men (Constructed bodies, deconstructing ads: Sexism in advertising, para 2). This could be explained by the fact that men is trying to pursue the norm, of which they should be ultra masculine, leaving them under excessive emotional stress as they try to model after these stereotypically male attributes; or for some, especially feminine and androgynous men, to simply stay relevant within their social circle and essentially, the society-as discussed in Is the Malboro man the only alternative? The role of gender identity and self-construal salience in evaluations of male models. (Gnoth and Brett, 2009) The objectification of woman by modern advertising has been debated upon for many years since the start of the post-feminist era as women slowly gain their foot power in the society. As far as the apparent diminishment of advertising campaigns targeted to promote product services through the use of womens sexual appeal goes, there has also been a significant increase in the objectification of men in advertising. Unlike women who are shown as being excessively thin, men are shown as being over muscular and athletic. A 2002 study by the University of Wisconsin suggests that this new focus on fit and muscled male bodies is causing men the same anxiety and personal insecurity that women have been feeling for years. (Masculinity and Advertising, 2010) In the United Kingdom, one of the very worrying causes of death among men is suicide, which stands at a proportion of 1 out of 100 deaths. It is postulated by Mulholland (2010) that depression is one of the main causes of suicide, which main cause is poor self-esteem. Self-esteem is a concept that can only be measured by self-report. (Frost and McKelvie, 2004) It is measured by how much people value themselves and how worthy they feel their beings are. Poor self-esteem, therefore, occurs in people whose self-values or self-priorities are not met. So, where do these values and priorities come about? Why is value placed on certain things as opposed to other things? Several reasons that could have influenced how and what values and priorities people, mainly men, are adopted come to mind: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and the perception of men by the opposite sex. All factors: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and womens perception of men should be considered equally and not be discounted in any way. Hence, this paper shall seek to prove that the extent to which that modern advertising is negatively affecting mens self esteem is larger than the other factors. Advertisements vs Womens Perception of Men A quote by Ray Lewis, a professional football player featured in a viral television commercial for Old Spice, from the television commercial Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like goes: Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isnt me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like hes me. This particular television commercial (Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, 2010) was posted onto YouTube, a video sharing website, and has garnered almost 31 million views, 37 thousand comments, 114 video responses and umpteen reposts by other YouTube channels since its release in February, 2010. These staggering figures were also reflected in their sales figure: a 106% increase in sales (Old Spice Campaign Smells Like a Sales Success, Too, 2010) within 4 months of the start of the marketing campaign, Smell Like A Man, Man. The videos in this campaign, which seem to be targeted mostly at women, all feature a hunky man promoting the Old Spice products while reading a script which humorously brings across the point that no man is like him; no man can ever be like him; and the closest you can get to be like him is to smell like him. Judging by the fact that Old Spice had chosen women as the main target audience for their marketing campaignwhich they should have done extensive research to determineit can be inferred that womens perception of men, or particularly her man, has great power in deeply affecting men, influencing them in their decision making; in this context, the kind of smell they use. This inference can also be further proven by the actual increase in sales of the Old Spice products. However, to conclude that it is actually the womens perception of men that is affecting how men view themselves is a very narrow-minded act because the images displayed explicitly to the public through the form of advertisements are what are influencing womens perception of men. Hence, it can be concluded that advertising is and takes precedence and relevance over womens perception of men in lowering mens self-esteem. Next, this paper will explore this question: Is modern advertising following social and cultural trends, or is it going ahead of them? Advertisements vs Social/Cultural Trends Advertisements have always been known to be able to cause an impact, fulfilling their purpose to influence, urge and compel the public to purchase or engage the goods and services they are endorsing. In this context, it is no doubt that by doing so, they are also influencing the way people think about which are popular products or services and which are not, albeit subconsciously. However, what are the things that inspire advertisers in the way they advertise their products? Do they safely follow social conventions or do they actually set the standards? While it is easy to argue that since the sole purpose of advertisements is to persuade people to buy or engage goods and services, advertisements must surely conform to social standards; however, the possibility of it happening in reverse also deserves consideration. The following example presents evidence that supports the statement that advertising does go ahead of social trends; however isolated an example it is. In an interview conducted by CNN with Donatella Versace (Donatella Versace, CNN Interview, Part 1/3, 2009), designer for fashion powerhouse, Versace, it was mentioned that Versace was the first ever luxury brand to have entered China. Before 1979, the year China introduced Versace into its market, the idea of a luxurious lifestyle was not widespread, partly due to the then still low living standards. However, over the years, it was the upbeat advertising of the luxury goods lifestyle that started the notion of living life luxuriously. Since then, China has surpassed the United States of America to become the second-largest luxury market in 2009 (Luxury Brands in China, 2010). China is also set to become the second largest consumer of luxury by 2015 (China Luxury, 2007). The above-discussed point has proven that advertising and social trends both influence each other in a way or another. They are also factors that have in one way or another negatively affected mens self esteem. However, if we were to consider the extent to which has more direct effect on lowering mens self esteem, it will be advertising, since the visual representation in the form of images is straightforward and clear, unlike social trends, which sometimes can be unobvious, leading men to be oblivious about their existence. The Importance of Context When discussing the effect that modern advertising has on mens self-esteem, the context of the circumstances also has to be considered in depth. Across time and space, the set of priorities of men changes and is different. Therefore, we can assert that advertisements may not actually affect mens self-esteem as images portrayed by advertisements at a present time or place may not be what they desire to emulate or copy. For example, in the early to mid 20th century China, value might be put on people who had good martial arts skills because in those days, that was one of the few things people associate success with. However, nowadays, value seems to be put on wealthy people with social stature because of the change in what people associate success with-from life skills, or skills in general, to economic wealth. In addition, since martial arts originated from Asia, Westerners may lack familiarity to it and find it hard to relate to it, even though they are living in the same era. Hence, if an advertisement featuring a martial arts master were to be shown to the men of today, the effect of this advertisement on their self-esteem might actually be minimal to none. It might be true that the context in which advertisements are being displayed for public view and what they are actually about might not be applicable to some people due to the differences in each individuals set of values and priorities, but without factoring in external factors such as globalization, it will be unfair to come to the conclusion that advertisements have little to do with the lowering of self-esteem of men. With globalization, and the rise of computers and the Internet, the myriad of pages, websites and even programs are tools that have been connecting people, communities and even nations together. The exposure to advertisements online is abundant since usually, one of the key revenues for web and program developers is the endorsement of products through advertisements on their web pages and programs. The convenience and high accessibility of the Internet has enabled companies to broaden their customer market, and in the same way also helped expose people to a huge and limitless array of advertisements. Under the influence of these advertisements, which include references from both the present, past, and also all around the world, people start to learn more about the cultures of others, past and present. By accumulating more real world knowledge over time, advertisements will now be more relatable and relevant. Hence, advertising will, again, present the risks of lowering mens self este em. Conclusion All in all, although the social and cultural trends and also factors such as the womens perception of men have in a way or another contributed to the negative change in the way men view themselves, they are in fact caused by the extensive exposure to advertisements that have been making use of the objectification of men to sell their goods and services. Therefore, it is with huge certainty that I conclude that advertisements is to a large extent the main cause of the decreasing self-esteem of men.

Essay --

The All American Dog has a long history that’s been forgotten by America today. The American Pitbull Terriers use to be a World War I, â€Å"Mascots of neutrality and bravery.† Today they are seen almost like a convict in public waiting to commit a crime and keep their distance from them. The breed is one of the smartest breeds out there in the world today proven by the Canine Temperament tests, American Pitbull Terriers score above average higher than any other dogs. Pit Bull Terriers are part of American history due to their powerful physical characteristics and strong bonds of loyalty, however, recent media focus have tarnished changed this breed’s image unfairly. The American Pitbull Terrier originated from Europe, Scotland, and Ireland in the eighteenth century. The American Pitbull Terrier came from mixing terriers with bulldogs a, â€Å"Breed historians believe originally served as a gripping dog for hunters of large game.† They use to let about four Pitbulls at once and attack a bull for entertainment. They later saw it as a sport, â€Å"These dogs were used in the blood sport of bull and bear baiting.† As they fought against bears, bulls, and other large animals. The American Pitbull Terriers, â€Å"maintained their grip until the animal became exhausted from fighting and loss of blood.† soon after they banned the inhumane sport in the 1835. Soon, dog fighting became very popular, exciting and entertaining to see as the wining dog was, â€Å"Celebrated and held up as heroes for their courage and fortitude during battle.† Selective breeding started that way their dog would be easily handled and obey owners. The y received the name for being trained to fight in pits with other dogs mostly of their own breed; after baiting was banned they got the b... ...sible, abusive, forgets, and reckless towards the dog, â€Å"A bad stereotype that has come because a lot of times they are raised wrong.† The breed was a very important breed to America that was looked up to, as of now some states ban owning an American Pitbull Terrier. The breed is part of the nations upcoming and history that many are terrified of to even pet the exploring, loving, and friendly All American Dog they are. The fighting dogs were also known to change their habits with new responsible owners and created a very loving bond as if they never fought before. Today, American Pitbull Terriers aren’t allowed to enter most dog contests due to the false myths the media has created and irresponsible owners. The now infamous American Pitbull Terrier has developed a bad reputation since the eighties that some people are slowly changing back to our All American Dog.

Anne Tylers classic novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Essay

Anne Tyler's classic novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant In Anne Tyler's classic novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, the reader experiences a variety of conflicts between parent and child, one of the most apparent being that between Pearl Tull and her eldest son, Cody. These two characters never seem to see eye to eye, as Pearl prefers to see only the negative aspects of her children. Cody never truly relates to Pearl and her manic ways. As the conflict unfolds between Pearl and Cody, the deeper meaning of the story is revealed; there is never a perfect family, but nonetheless, theirs is a family. As the first child, Cody is expected to excel and be the ideal son. He establishes a rebellious personality once his younger brother Ezra is born. Because of this brotherly competition, he and Pearl never really get along. Whether or not they even truly loved each other is an idea to be questioned. Pearl doesn't like the idea that Cody might, for once in his life, be better than Ezra. The reader sees this in chapter 2, when Pearl insists that Ezra try to shoot ... Anne Tyler's classic novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Essay Anne Tyler's classic novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant In Anne Tyler's classic novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, the reader experiences a variety of conflicts between parent and child, one of the most apparent being that between Pearl Tull and her eldest son, Cody. These two characters never seem to see eye to eye, as Pearl prefers to see only the negative aspects of her children. Cody never truly relates to Pearl and her manic ways. As the conflict unfolds between Pearl and Cody, the deeper meaning of the story is revealed; there is never a perfect family, but nonetheless, theirs is a family. As the first child, Cody is expected to excel and be the ideal son. He establishes a rebellious personality once his younger brother Ezra is born. Because of this brotherly competition, he and Pearl never really get along. Whether or not they even truly loved each other is an idea to be questioned. Pearl doesn't like the idea that Cody might, for once in his life, be better than Ezra. The reader sees this in chapter 2, when Pearl insists that Ezra try to shoot ...

Doe Season by David Michael Kaplan Essay

There are many minor themes presented in the short story Doe Season by David Michael Kaplan, appearing in Portable Literature Seventh Edition on pages 368 through 378, however there is only one overwhelming theme presented throughout the entirety of the short story. It is through the protagonist, Andy, a nine-year-old tomboy, which the theme of coming of age, and the struggle most children are forced to experience when faced with reality of having to grow up and leave childhood behind is presented. Before going on this hunting trip Andy has yet to realize the truth about the way she behaves, she does not find it odd that she enjoys the same activities that her father and young boys enjoy. It is only when her father made the comment â€Å"That’s what the woods are all about anyway†¦ It’s where the women don’t want to go† [Kaplan 374]. Andy is immediately embarrassed when her father makes this remark. She realizes that the three men with her on this hunting trip see her as just another one of the boys rather than a young woman when Charlie and Mac begin to pick on her, saying things like â€Å"She ain’t a woman† [Kaplan 374] and â€Å"[She’s] half a boy anyway† [Kaplan 374]. Charlie Spoon then proposes that Andy has a choice to make regarding her gender when he asks her which gender she choses to be â€Å"A boy or girl† [Kaplan 374] referring to Andy’s decision to be called a boy’s name, Andy, as op posed to her real name Andrea. She responds simply to Charlie’s question â€Å"I am a girl† [Kaplan 374] attempting to put a stop to Charlie’s teasing. In this moment Andy realizes that she is no longer a child, allowed to play in the dirt and hang out with the boys without judgment, but she is a girl who should no longer enjoy the same activities as her father. This moment in the story is very significant to revealing the theme as it illustrates the initial moment of recognition by Andy that she is no longer allowed to behave like a young boy. There are also times in the story that seem to refute the theme, depicting the image of a nine year old girl who still wants to be just like her father, hunting with the guys. â€Å"Andy held the cup like her father did, not by the handle but around the rim.† [Kaplan 370]. In this passage it is revealed that Andy was never allowed to drink coffee while at home with her mother, but on this hunting trip her father allowed her to have a cup with the rest of the guys. Although, while drinking it â€Å"She felt a little queasy† [Kaplan 370] she drank it all, trying to impress her father and their friends. This desire to impress her father, Charlie and Mac may give the impression that Andy has no desire to grow out of being â€Å"daddy’s little tomboy† but instead wishes to remain as so. However, this scene only develops the theme more deeply because it reveals to the reader Andy’s complete unawareness of the coming passage from child to young lady. I arrived at this theme after reading about the internal and external struggles that Andy experiences throughout the hunting trip she is attending with her father, his friend, Charlie Spoon, and Charlie’s son, Mac. At the beginning of the trip Andy is still â€Å"daddy’s little tomboy†, so much so that she is almost like a son to him rather than a daughter. However by the end of the hunting trip Andy has developed into â€Å"daddy’s young woman†, deciding to no longer be called Andy, a boys name, but Andrea, the name she was given at birth, the name of a lady. She is no longer intrigued by hunting, a male’s activity, but is instead disgusted by it. When Andy watches her father cut open the deer she shot she runs in the opposite direction, leaving behind daddy’s little tomboy and becoming daddy’s matured girl as she runs; â€Å"And now they we all calling out to her—Charlie Spoon and Mac and her father—crying Andy, Andy (but that wasn’t her name, she would no longer be called that); yet louder than any of them was the wind blowing through the treetops, like the ocean where her mother floated in green water, also calling Come in, come in, while all around her roared the mocking of the terrible, now inevitable sea.† [Kaplan 378]

Consultation with Hostile Corporations -Case Essay

Lily’s Consultation with Hostile Corporations Summary Lily Advisors, a consulting firm based in Maryland, Washington DC, working with multi-disciplined teams for discrete projects, had a consulting agreement with Green Acres School System in Northern Virginia to resolve some issues arising from the construction of two new high schools. Unseasonable rains, contractor delays, weather issues, disagreements between architects and the school board were some factors contributing to the delays. With his extensive roles and experience, the school board hired Merv, President of Lily’s Advisors, to advise them about how to proceed under their tense circumstances Merv investigated the situation and submitted a confidential document, on the First High School this was in February 1999. The performances to date of Meyerhoff, the main contractor and Stewart and Sons, the architectural firm, were critically evaluated. The major findings were that Stewart and Sons failed to control the scheduling properly and that it was making an unusually large profit for its administrative function. Merv was familiar with Stewart & Sons and was able to write about their methods of execution. The school board asked Stewart and Sons to renegotiate because of the findings of the report, but gave them the impression that it was based on the construction delays. The content of the report remained undisclosed. After two months of very difficult negotiation, all groups signed an amended contract on June 30, 1999. All major issues were settled and they were able to proceed to the construction of the second high school. The new amended contract had further delays as the groups found that the excessive compromising that was done was becoming irksome. The school board had thought Stewart and Sons was very uncompromising and aggressive. Disagreements continued between the school board and the construction and architectural firms during the next eight months. At this point, Stewart and Sons decided to hire Lily as a consultant. Stewart had worked with Lily before. They met and Merv disclosed that he had submitted an evaluation of the contract to the school board in a document, after making a proposal on September 24, 2000. The negative aspects of the report were never revealed. Sam Shapiro, the architect’s lawyer, contacted Merv about the document submitted and the potential conflict of interest which could arise but Merv denied any conflict of interest. Shapiro and the representatives from Stewart gave Merv a contract to sign for his services on November 8, 2000. The situation further deteriorated during the next 4 months and the school board sued Stewart and Sons. The lawyers representing Stewart and Sons saw the confidential document, as was required by the law. This outraged Stewart and Sons as they viewed the document as impugning the company’s integrity and honesty. Stewart and Sons viewed it as a case of conflict of interest and not one with just the potential. Merv believed otherwise. He explained that he recognized a potential conflict of interest and devised measures to prevent it. Merv was convinced of his flawless strategy and believed he had insulated the teams sufficiently to avoid this and, in any case, the construction of the second school was a new project. Stewart and Sons informed him that they would not pay the $102,500 that was due on the contract. After contemplating the amount of money to be spent on the case, he decided to proceed to prove otherwise.