Business Planning- THE TWIST KETTLE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Planning- THE TWIST KETTLE - Assignment Example nturn that has negatively affected the purchasing power of most consumers, households are focused at buying low priced but quality products (Ruston, 2010). In this regard, Twist Kettle offers the best opportunity that will ultimately add value to our consumers. The high consumption of tea and coffee is one of the key aspects that have led to an expansion of kettle market. Even though most of the households did not take into consideration the environmental impact of the kettle they use during their household chores, the demand for eco-friendly kettle has significantly expanded (Abrams, 2003). This acts as a major basis for the preparation of our business plan. One of the major threats that Twist Kettle will face is stiff competition. It is worth to note that even though competitors have launched various energy saving kettles in the market, mainstream consumers are concerned about their prices, efficiency and ease of use (Lavee, Regev and Zeme, 2009). Through overcoming such barriers that affects the buying behavior of most consumers, Twist Kettle will ultimately attain a competitive edge. As depicted by Bigelow (2003) the quality of a product has a significant implication on the consumers buying behavior. One of the key elements covered by our business plan is on how to improve Twist Kettle to make it compatible with the needs of our consumers. For example, the kettle has a unique design that ensures that left and right handed consumers can easily adjust the temperature (Bigelow, 2003). In addition, consumers can choose their desired temperatures since the product offers various choices of temperatures. To ensure reliability of the Twist Kettle, we are focused at using heat resistant plastic during the production process. These materials will include polystyrene, polypropylene as well as low density polythene (Cohen, 2002). Being produced by Lavaware Company, the market price of Twist Kettles will be  £45 (Tanner, and Wolfing, 2003). With such a low price, most

Answers follow questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answers follow questions - Essay Example 2. There was growing tension in the college after one of our beloved student was mugged and killed by people believed to be from the surrounding community. Students planned a peaceful demonstration to pass their messages of condolences and bereavement. The peaceful demonstration turned into a riot. As a student leader, I was able to influence the rioting students and controlled the tempers. I reminded them of the importance of dialogue in solving such problems. Striking and demolishing properties would not help bring our friend back but only cause more harm to our surrounding community. The students adhered to my speech and continued with a peaceful demonstration. 3. I come from a poor community where most of the students are unable to raise fee for their education. I am a good example of those helped by Imani Education Fund Group for needy students to attain their education. Every year the group conducts a thanks-giving ceremony. The ceremony provides a platform for raising more funds for needy students. I have been participating actively in this activity by soliciting funds and encouraging the society to contribute and help raise the next generation. With the help of my friends, I also organize and visit children orphanages. We usually give them our physical, mental, and spiritual support. 4. Once I am through with my college, I intend to be employed by big companies like Google, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Microsoft and may others in the department of marketing or human resource manager. Completion of my education successfully will furnish me with good skills and knowledge on how handling such multinational companies in terms of human resource management and marketing. My knowledge of management will help me in controlling, directing, staffing, evaluating my staff at work. My knowledge of marketing will furnish me with knowledge of understanding the aspects of supply chain, comparative

Reluctance of Gay Essay Example for Free

Reluctance of Gay Essay Domestic violence is a prevalent criminal and social issue because this occurs in various cultures and types of domestic partnerships. This is the reason for the establishment of laws and processes to aid victims of domestic violence. However, addressing domestic violence is not at all simple because the difficulty not only lies in the weak protective measures or loopholes of laws and criminal justice processes but also the failure or reluctance of victims to report their experiences to the police much less file action against the perpetrator, who happen to be their partners. Nevertheless, the reason for the reluctance is not entirely legal. Socio-cultural and religious factors could come into play that dictates acceptable and non-acceptable behavior. Economic factors also contribute to the reluctance. Psychological factors could also intervene in the decision to report victimization. (Roberts, 2002) A similar situation occurs even in cases of domestic violence among homosexual or same-sex couples. There is even a lesser probability of victims of homosexual domestic violence to report victimization than domestic violence between heterosexual couples because of the additional discriminatory situations that homosexual domestic violence victims face. (Renzetti, 1996) Heterosexual and Homosexual Domestic Violence Victimization Violence or abuse happens in homosexual partners as often as in heterosexual couples but there are similarities and differences in the situation faced by heterosexual and homosexual couples that could explain the reasons for the lesser likelihood of victimization reporting by homosexual domestic violence victims. As all victims of domestic violence, heterosexual and homosexual partners also undergo emotional dilemma in telling people about the violence or abuse much less report it to the authorities. However, homosexual partners also need to deal with homophobic issues arising from their social circle and the community in general so that they have to first deal with their homosexuality and homosexual relationship before even dealing with reporting domestic violence. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) Similar facts on domestic violence apply to both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Even partnership of the same sex does not necessarily provide a guarantee of equal status of the partners forming the relationship. It is also difficult for a victim of domestic violence in a heterosexual and homosexual relationship to leave the partnership. Blame on the victim in both types of partnership also occurs to influence the decision to report the incident. Remorse is also commonly exhibited by the abusers in both types of relationship to give the victim false hope over the cessation of the abuse. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) Reporting of Homosexual Domestic Violence Victimization to the Police There are differences in the domestic abuse experienced by heterosexual and homosexual victims and these differences comprise the reasons for the lesser likelihood of victims of domestic violence in same sex relationships to the report the abuse to the police. First is the limited recognition and understanding of domestic violence in the case of homosexual couples. This is perhaps due to the complex issue of accepting homosexual partnership more so with homosexual domestic violence. Lack of understanding or unacceptability of homosexual partnership would likely yield to negative reactions from society and evasion in addressing homosexual domestic violence. Aversion and evasion are the expected reactions of society to issues that it cannot understand. (Peterman Dixon, 2003; Brown, 2008) Moreover, it is not only society in general that lacks an understanding of homosexual relationship and domestic violence, the victims themselves could find it difficult to assess their situations and decide on the manner of dealing with the problem by considering emotional factors such as attachment to the partner and fear of being alone especially when they receive little support for their sexual preferences in their own social circle. Some of the victims who have not yet divulged their sexual preferences to their family, friends and co-workers also have to admit their homosexuality in reporting the abuse to the police. Many may not be prepared to do this. (Island Lettelier, 1991; Cruz, 2003) They may not even think about going to the police for protection. Even within the gay and lesbian community, domestic violence is a largely suppressed issue. An explanation is the prevention of the further antagonism of the community. Reports of domestic violence in the gay and lesbian community would further complicate attempts of the community to foster community acceptance. It was only in the late 1990s that domestic violence in same sex relationships started to receive due consideration. (Renzetti, 1996) Nevertheless, as long as the issue remains problematic on the part of the victims and the gay and lesbian community, reporting to domestic violence cases to the polices in homosexual relationships would remain nil. Second is the lack or limited services available to gays and lesbians who have experienced domestic abuse. Lack of knowledge or non-existence of venues for reporting domestic violence could be a reason for the failure or reluctance of gays and lesbians who are victims of domestic violence to report the abuse. (Peterman Jackson, 2003; Brown, 2008) Although there are help desks for women in police stations catering to gendered issues such as victims of domestic violence these are not commonly thought of as also available to gay and lesbian victims of domestic violence. These desks or sub-sectors of the police do not explicitly ban gays and lesbians or make services exclusive to women but the perception about the services offered and the people to whom the services were intended apparently do not include gays and lesbians who have experienced abuse. Of course, reports could be lodged with the police but these are likely considered as other crimes such as physical injuries instead of the more defined crime of domestic violence. In effect, even if homosexual victims make the report, they may not receive sufficient services for victims of domestic violence such as counseling and advice on the legal processes. This could be the reason why many opt not to take the risk of prejudice involved in reporting the crime and not receiving any support. Moreover, the slow response of the gay and lesbian community towards domestic violence has resulted to a small number of support groups that could help victims learn about remedies commencing with the report of the abuse to the police (Renzetti, 1996). Third is the lack of sensitization of health care workers, law enforcement personnel, and criminal justice professionals regarding domestic violence experienced by homosexual partners. In the case of medical workers, most have not received orientation or learning about domestic violence between same sex couples and the manner of dealing with the issue when raised to them. This means that they cannot give advice to victims on the remedies available to them or coordinate with law enforcement authorities in handling the issue. With regard to law enforcement officers, they could be hesitant to take reports because of uncertainty on how to handle the issue because of non-recognition of domestic violence among homosexual partners. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) In addition, law enforcement and criminal justice workers that are homophobic could disregard the issue altogether resulting to the re-victimization of the victim through discrimination. The police force carries a very macho culture so that gay men, who are victims of domestic violence, although by another gay partner, may be ridiculed or ill-treated. It is the risk of experiencing these adverse attitudes and behavior from the police together with the fear of stigma that dissuades victims of homosexual domestic violence to report the abuse to the police. (Renzetti, 1996; Roberts, 2002; Brown, 2008) Conclusion Victims of domestic abuse in a homosexual relationship fail or become reluctant to report abuse to the police, more so than victims of heterosexual domestic violence, because of a number of multi-dimensional reasons. Victims have to publicly deal with their homosexuality in reporting the abuse and many are not prepared for this. There is also limited support from the gay and lesbian community that for a long time has suppressed the occurrence of domestic violence among homosexual partners. There is also fear of stigma and discrimination by police officers in reporting the incident. These reasons imply that the addressing domestic violence in the case of homosexual or same sex partners would also be multi-dimensional. The solution involves change in the perception of society towards homosexuality, albeit a difficult feat. The gay and lesbian community also needs to rationalize and clarify issues relating to domestic violence to establish support for victims. Police officers require sensitization towards homosexual domestic violence in order to fulfill their duty of protecting individuals regardless of their sexual preference. References Brown, C. (2008). Gender-role implications on same-sex intimate partner abuse. Journal of Family Violence, 23(6), 457-462. Cruz, M. J. (2003). Why doesnt he just leave? : Gay male domestic violence and the reasons victims stay. The Journal of Mens Studies, 11(3), 309-323.Island, D. , Letellier, P. (1991). Men who beat the men who love them: Battered gay men and domestic violence. New York: Harrington Park Press. Peterman, L. M. , Dixon, C. G. (2003). Domestic violence between same-sex partners: Implications for counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 81(1), 40-47. Renzetti, C. (ed. ) (1996). Violence in gay and lesbian domestic partnerships. New York: Haworth Press. Roberts, A. R. (2002). Handbook of domestic violence intervention strategies: Policies, programs, and legal remedies. New York: Oxford University Press.

Party System and Dynamics in Tanzania

Party System and Dynamics in Tanzania Over the course of history, political scientists have attempted to create social laws that can explain and predict how government functions. One of the most famous examples of this law is Duvergers Law. Duvergers Law proposes that FPTP (first-past-the-post) electoral systems produce party systems in which two major parties competitively vie for power. This hypothesis comes from the definition of winning used in electoral systems. Since winning is defined as getting as many votes as possible to gain a majority vote (+50%), it is only natural that two major parties emerge (Riker 1982). However, looking at the case of the African country, Tanzania, Duvergers Law is not clearly applicable and the lines defining major parties become muddled. In short, the law does not hold in this specific case and should be discarded when examining Tanzanian politics. To examine the party system and dynamics in Tanzania, one must look closely at the circumstances concerning its inception. After gaining independence from the UK, Tanzania was ruled by a single party known as TANU, after the party intimidated all other parties to extinction in 1963 (Ngasongwa, 1992). However, the 2nd president of Tanzania of the CCM Party, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, formed a commission known as the Nyalali Commission which amended the constitution in 1992 and allowed any political party to run for presidency (Tambila 1995). This ushered a multi-party political system along with more varied competition into the country. However, looking superficially at election data from 1992 onwards, a single party, the CCM, dominates Tanzanian election polls. Since 1992, the party wins the presidential and legislative elections with a margin of more than 60%, even reaching almost 80% in the 2005 presidential elections. This means that 20% to 40% of the votes are divided between the lesser parties (Elections in Tanzania 2011). This considerable discrepancy puts a serious limitation on the application of Duvergers Law on the country. There is virtually no other party competing with the CCM and one cannot help but wonder if Tanzania is slowly returning to a state with an informal one party system. Duvergers Law fails to explain Tanzanias current political party system for two reasons: Tanzania is not a multi-party system, but instead is a single party system feigning democracy. Duvergers Law fails to account for the various political pressures and institutions that affect the way a country is run. It does not consider corruption, pressures exerted by foreign governments, conditional foreign aid, and postcolonial legacies that insidiously affect politics. Tanzanias dysfunctional party system becomes clearer when looking at the results of the 2005 presidential election where CCM faced the biggest threat to its power. Polling lower than ever before, they narrowly won the Tanzanian Presidential elections with 58.46% of the vote. In Zanzibar (an autonomous entity part of Tanzania), leader of the opposition party CUF announced that he won the vote over CCM. What followed was bizarre. The chairman of the Zanzibar Electoral Committee annulled the vote and in the following election, the CCM won more than 90% of the votes along with most of the legislative seats offered. With limitations on opposing political parties and increasingly restrictive free speech (Tanzanian government threatened to suspend 30 news outlets and closed another two), Tanzanian politics now carries an undemocratic atmosphere (Roop, Weghorst 2016). Two factors can explain this strange turn into an arguably undemocratic country. The opposition is weak and disorganized and the CCM is viewed as a benevolent political party by the citizens, thus weakening any resolve for change. Also, the opposition lacks the resources available to the CCM and the CCM has plenty tactics to employ to suppress opposition. According to Hoffman and Robinson, The CCM employs three strategies to impede its competitors: 1) regulating political competition, the media, and civil society; 2) blurring the boundary between the party and state; and 3) the targeted use of blatantly coercive illegal actions (2009). Such practices directly conflict with the characterization of Tanzania as a democratic state. Hoffman and Robinson corroborate this and argue that Tanzania is now a single party authoritarian regime. If Tanzania is not a democratic state and only has one party, then Duvergers Law is automatically out of the question. However, if CCM is really that authoritarian, why would it be the party responsible for turning Tanzania into a multi-party system? The answer to this question is also the answer to why Duvergers Law cannot be applicable in cases where there are many complex political forces at play. In Samuel Huntingtons book, The Third Wave (1991), he argues for transplacement which is when a ruling party initiates a certain change and molds the rules to its benefit. This is arguably what CCM did. In another dimension, according to Nyirabu in a kindlier assessment, the CCMs top leaders saw that democracy was sweeping the world and decided that Tanzania should also welcome it with open arms, since there would be no point in resisting global change (2002). Although a beautiful and open invitation, it is not that simple. Tanzanias foreign aid must be considered when looking at its turn into democracy. It is in this key point where Duvergers Law also fails. Tanzania was receiving more than 30% of the countrys GDP in foreign aid. The donors were pressuring the ruling party, CCM, to accept a democratic system that allowed multiple parties to exist in the political sphere (Hoffman, Robinson 2009). Thus, the meddling and pressure on CCM helped shape the party nature present in Tanzania today by giving CCM the incentive it needed to create a political institution where it reigns supreme. Duvergers Law also fails because it does not consider the attitudes of the people of Tanzania. According to a 2008 Afrobarometer survey, 90% of respondents said they felt closest to the CCM party and 76% of respondents said if elections were to be held soon, they would vote for the CCM party. This complacence with authority has colonial roots. As argued by Schneider, Tanzanian political imagination is corrupted with colonial images where citizens constantly compare their current situation to their much-worse situation during colonialism. State elites and officials also construct a paternal and nationalistic image for themselves that makes citizens see themselves as wards of a loving state (2006). This recalling of colonial roots explains why CCM is the most popular party and how corruption of states goes unquestioned. Finally, Duvergers Law gives a uniquely Western perspective on politics that knows nothing of colonialism and ethnolinguistic divisions that occur during and after colonialism. To apply such a social law on a country that has been deeply affected by its colonialist past would be unwise. As argued by Mozaffar, Scarritt, and Galaich (2003) and van de Walle (2003), African democratic countries have deep ethnolinguistic challenges that cause party splintering per patronage, regardless of agenda or principles. Parties are divided according to history, clientelism and man-made institutions colonialist legacy imposes, such as race and favor, that can cause a huge shift in public opinion, party systems and opposition formation. Colonialism also leaves postcolonial countries in a dearth of political consciousness that is required to form healthy oppositional groups. It leaves countries with none of the experience needed to sustain a free and democratic country that entertains freedom (Bernhar d, Weghorst 2014). Although these criteria are not directly applicable to Tanzania, they are important limitations to Duvergers Law and must be taken into account, nonetheless. While Duvergers Law is useful in predicting political patterns, the theory fails to account for many important aspects in political parties development. This is seen especially in the case of Tanzania, where the Law is not clearly upheld. Duvergers Law speaks more closely to Western experiences where stable and long-living political climates pervade. Amending the law to fit Tanzania would require much introspective analysis of other political factors that shape the countrys party dynamics. Also, the law can only apply to countries that have a flourishing democratic system with oppositional parties and this is not the apparent case with Tanzania. References Elections in Tanzania. Elections in Tanzania. N.p., March april 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Hoffman, Barak, and Lindsay Robinson. Tanzanias Missing Opposition. Journal of Democracy 20.4 (2009): 123-36. Web. Huntington, Samuel P. The third wave: democratization in the late twentieth century. Norman: U of Oklahoma Press, 1993. Print. Mozaffar, Shaheen, James R. Scarritt, and Glen Galaich. Electoral Institutions, Ethnopolitical Cleavages, and Party Systems in Africas Emerging Democracies. American Political Science Review 97.03 (2003): 379-90. Web. Ngasongwa, Juma. Tanzania introduces a multià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ party system. Review of African Political Economy 19.54 (1992): 112-16. Web. Nyirabu, Mohabe. The Multiparty Reform Process in Tanzania: The Dominance of the Ruling Party. African Journal of Political Science 7.2 (2002): 99-112. Web. Riker, William H. The Two-Party System and Duvergers Law: An Essay on the History of Political Science. The American Political Science Review 76.4 (1982): 753-66. Web. Roop, Sterling, and Keith Weghorst. The 2015 National Elections in Tanzania. Electoral Studies 43 (2016): 190-94. Web. Schneider, Leander. Colonial Legacies and Postcolonial Authoritarianism in Tanzania: Connects and Disconnects. African Studies Review 49.01 (2006): 93-118. Web. Tambila, K. I. The Transition to Multiparty Democracy in Tanzania: Some History and Missed Opportunities. Law and Politics in Africa, Asia and Latin America 28.4 (1995): 468-88. Web. Walle, Nicolas Van De. Presidentialism and clientelism in Africas emerging party systems. The Journal of Modern African Studies 41.2 (2003): 297-321. Web. Weghorst, Keith R., and Michael Bernhard. From Formlessness to Structure? The Institutionalization of Competitive Party Systems in Africa. Comparative Political Studies 47.12 (2014): 1707-737. Web. Outline: Introduction Brief introduction to social laws and hypotheses Insert Duvergers Law definition from paper handout Briefly explain the law in detail Reference Rikers analyses regarding majority vote and FPTP systems. If winning is defined as the most votes, that is, as a plurality, then one might reasonably expect a two-party system owing to the necessity under this definition of maximiz- ing votes. (Riker, 1982) Mention case study: Tanzania Thesis: Duvergers law doesnt work in the case of Tanzania Body 1st paragraph: Explaining Tanzanian transition to multi-partism. Mention 8th Constitution amendment Explain historical context regarding Tanzanian political history. Ngasongwas 1992 paper on TANUs hold on Tanzania Tambilas 1995 paper on hopeful Tanzanian transition to actual democracy. 2nd paragraph: Mention election data from 1992 Mention discrepancy with data and that CCM dominates the election polls 3rd paragraph: Why Duvergers Law fails: Tanzania is not democratic and is a single party state Duvergers law is largely Eurocentric and does not take into account the various challenges non-Western countries go through 4th paragraph: Explain first failure of Duvergers Law with failed Zanzibar elections and restricting free speech 5th paragraph: Factors that cause this: CCM viewed as savior Weak, disorganized opposition with zero resources Explain oppositional lack of resources and CCMs abundant wealth. Hoffman and Robinsons paper 6th paragraph: Explain how CCM could both be the original usher of democracy and an oppressor Transplacement concept 7th paragraph: Foreign aids effect on transplacement Why CCM transitioned to democratic state (to continue foreign aid receival and ensure power) 8th paragraph: Attitudes of people towards CCM Colonial images haunting peoples outlook Schneiders paper Paternal image of officials How this affects CCMs rise of power and continuous consolidation of it 9th paragraph: Colonial effects on oppositional formation No knowledge of how to run democratic state Deep fissures in society Deep ethnolinguistic problems Opposition divided based on bloodlines Mention Mozaffer and Bernhard papers referencing this dilemma Duvergers Law=largely Eurocentric Conclusion Duvergers Law not applicable to Tanzania for above reasons Amendment would require in depth work

Cyberterrorism Essay -- Cyber Terrorism Internet

Cyberterrorism Introduction Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the information stored therein. Possibly to intimidate, influence a government or its people to further political or social gain. To qualify as cyberterrorism, an attack should result in violence against persons or property, or generate fear. Attacks that lead to death or bodily injury, explosions, plane crashes, water contamination, or severe economic loss would be examples, serious attacks against important infrastructures could be acts of cyberterrorism, depending on their impact. This essay will illustrate and analyse the main issues and ideas behind cyberterrorism. This will include information that has led to the internet being used in a mailicous way, ethical issues, paradigms that cyberterrorism follows, motivations and incidents that have occurred in the past. One FBI spokespersons definition is- 'Cyber terrorism' means intentional use or threat of use, without legally recognized authority, of violence, disruption, or interference against cyber systems, when it is likely that such use would result in death or injury of a person or persons, substantial damage to physical property, civil disorder, or significant economic harm'. Cyber attacks and effects Cyberspace is constantly under assault. Cyber spies, thieves, saboteurs, and thrill seekers break into computer systems, steal personal data and trade secrets, vandalize Web sites, disrupt service, sabotage data and systems, launch computer viruses and worms, conduct fraudulent transactions, and harass individuals and companies. These attacks are facilitated with increasingly powerful and easy-to-use software tools, which are readily available for free from thousands of Web sites on the Internet. Many of the attacks are serious and costly. The ILOVEYOU virus for example, was estimated to have infected tens of millions of users and cost billions of dollars in damage. In light of these serious threats from cyberspace, it is worth noting that the discourse on cyberterrorism is something that – fortunately has not been carried out in its most destructive capabilities. It is, therefore, d... ...ital world today. In addition to cyberattacks against digital data and systems, many people are being terrorized on the Internet today with threats of physical violence. On line stalking, death threats, and hate messages are abundant. These crimes are serious and must be addressed. In so doing, governments around the world will be in a better position to police and respond to cyberterrorism if and when the threat becomes imminent. Sources Author Unknown. "Cyber Terrorism: Understanding Cyber Threats" https://www.hamiltoncountyohio-tewg.org/cyber_terrorism/ Aldo Leon. "The New Age of Cyberterrorism" http://www.sabianet.com/Res_The%20New%20Age%20of%20Cyberterrorism.pdf Dorothy E. Denning. "Cyberterrorism" http://palmer.wellesley.edu/~ivolic/pdf/USEM/Cyberterror-Denning.pdf Mohamed Chawki. "A Critical Look at the Regulation of Cybercrime" http://www.crime-research.org/library/Critical.doc. Robert Malà ½. "Virtual communities and cyber terrorism" http://www.unob.cz/spi/2007/presentace/2007-May-03/06-Jirovsky_CyberTer.ppt. Peter Reilly. "How Real is the Threat of Cyber Terrorism?" http://www2.lhric.org/security/desk/letter8.html

A Tale of Two Cities - Breaking Gender Stereotypes and Stereotyping Es

Breaking Gender Stereotypes in A Tale of Two Cities The men and the women of A Tale of Two Cites are violent, loving, cowardly, brave, and ruthless. Some people are weak and spoiled, while others are badly treated and vindictive. Many contrasts between men and women can be found within this story. A Tale of Two Cities clearly portrays very distinct divisions in the behavior of men. The aristocrats, or upperclassmen, rule and control all of France. The members of the aristocracy never have to undergo hardships; they always have everything presented to them on a silver platter. They do whatever they want with total disregard for the peasants. On the other hand, the peasants always have to work hard for everything in life. Due to the aristocracy, the peasants are constantly starving, enough as to drink spilt wine from a filthy street (24-26). They loathe the wealthy people who have created these horrible living conditions. This drives the peasants to revolution, and the decapitation of the aristocrats via the guillotine. They have a mob mentality and kill everyone who they believe is the enemy. Neither the aristocrats nor the peasants show any compassion toward the other social class. Some men in A Tale of Two Cities contrast greatly. Sydney Carton is a drunk who works for an unappreciative lawyer. He has no family; he is "a disappointed drudge who cares for no man on earth, and no man cares for him" (75). He is referred to as "the Jackal" who is necessary in society, but not welcomed or wanted (77). Sydney loves Lucie Manette, but he is not ... ...l of men. The oppressed male peasants join together to form a group of Jacques, or soldiers, to overthrow the aristocracy. The Jacques use The Defarge's wine-shop as a meeting place. Throughout the story, Madame Defarge is either murdering someone or knitting. She is always "sitting in her usual place in the wine-shop, knitting away assiduously" (162). Her friends are a twisted as she. Her closest confidant is known as The Vengeance. Both Madame Defarge and the Jacques fight until the end. In A Tale of Two Cities, all gender stereotypes are broken. Women can be ruthless murderers and men can be passive cowards. La Guillotine is the sole authority in Paris, it is fueled by a mob mentality that recognizes class distinctions, not gender. A Tale of Two Cities - Breaking Gender Stereotypes and Stereotyping Es Breaking Gender Stereotypes in A Tale of Two Cities The men and the women of A Tale of Two Cites are violent, loving, cowardly, brave, and ruthless. Some people are weak and spoiled, while others are badly treated and vindictive. Many contrasts between men and women can be found within this story. A Tale of Two Cities clearly portrays very distinct divisions in the behavior of men. The aristocrats, or upperclassmen, rule and control all of France. The members of the aristocracy never have to undergo hardships; they always have everything presented to them on a silver platter. They do whatever they want with total disregard for the peasants. On the other hand, the peasants always have to work hard for everything in life. Due to the aristocracy, the peasants are constantly starving, enough as to drink spilt wine from a filthy street (24-26). They loathe the wealthy people who have created these horrible living conditions. This drives the peasants to revolution, and the decapitation of the aristocrats via the guillotine. They have a mob mentality and kill everyone who they believe is the enemy. Neither the aristocrats nor the peasants show any compassion toward the other social class. Some men in A Tale of Two Cities contrast greatly. Sydney Carton is a drunk who works for an unappreciative lawyer. He has no family; he is "a disappointed drudge who cares for no man on earth, and no man cares for him" (75). He is referred to as "the Jackal" who is necessary in society, but not welcomed or wanted (77). Sydney loves Lucie Manette, but he is not ... ...l of men. The oppressed male peasants join together to form a group of Jacques, or soldiers, to overthrow the aristocracy. The Jacques use The Defarge's wine-shop as a meeting place. Throughout the story, Madame Defarge is either murdering someone or knitting. She is always "sitting in her usual place in the wine-shop, knitting away assiduously" (162). Her friends are a twisted as she. Her closest confidant is known as The Vengeance. Both Madame Defarge and the Jacques fight until the end. In A Tale of Two Cities, all gender stereotypes are broken. Women can be ruthless murderers and men can be passive cowards. La Guillotine is the sole authority in Paris, it is fueled by a mob mentality that recognizes class distinctions, not gender.

Birch Paper Company Case Solution Essay

Birch Paper Company is a medium sized, partly-integrated paper company. It produces white and craft papers and paperboard. It has four producing divisions and a timberland division – The Thompson division converts the paperboard output into corrugated box and prints and colors the outside surface of the box. The Northern division produces the paper box, while the Southern division supplies the corrugating medium and inner and outer liners. Timberland division supplies part of the company’s pulp requirement. It has been the company policy of decentralization to allow the divisions to act independently in all the affairs of their divisions except for the broader company policy, each division is judged on the basis of its profit generation and return on investment figures. Each division is free to buy from any supplier he wished, and even for dealings within the company, divisions were expected to match the market price if they wanted the business. This policy according to the company’s top management has worked well and delivered the desired results. The Northern division had designed a special box in collaboration with the Southern division with Thompson’s staff perfecting the design and production methods over several months, the Thompson division was reimbursed for its effort according to the agreement between the two divisions. The Northern division has asked for bids for the development of the boxes from the Thompson and two outside companies, Thompson quoted a price of $480 a thousand, West Paper Company a price of $430 a thousand and Eire Papers Inc a price of $432 a thousand. If Thompson gets the order, it would buy linerboard and corrugating medium from the Southern division. If Eire Papers win the bid, they have agreed to buy outside liner from the Southern division and print their boxes from the Thompson division. The manager of the Thompson division is adamant on its bidding price, it includes the full 20 percent overhead and profit charge and its manager feel that his division is entitled to the profit having done the development work on the box and having received no profit. The commercial Vice President of the Birch is discussing the bidding details with the manager of the Northern division, accepting Thompson’s bid will raise the cost of the Northern division that is competing in a very competitive market. In absence of any order from the top management, the  Northern division will accept the lowest bid of $430 from West Paper Company. The Thompson and Southern divisions are not operating at their full capacity, their under utilization is of concern to the Vice President. This transaction, although less than the 5 percent of the volume of any of the divisions involved, might affect the future transactions of the divisions. Situation Analysis In Birch Paper Company, each division is judged by the profit it generates and the return on investment to the capital invested in. This model has delivered results in line with the expectations from the top management. Except for the overall company policy each division is authorized to take all the decisions independently including the purchase and sales within the company divisions. In absence of any directive from the top management, the Northern division will accept the lowest bid of $430 from the West Paper Company for it will be the lowest and will be in the best interests of the Northern division, but not necessarily of the Birch company as a whole unit. Accepting this bid will mean no business for the Thompson and Southern divisions at all, which already are not in a good financial state. Calculation of cost with the Northern division and Company perspective  $480 bid from Thompson division is the highest and will increase the cost price of the Northern division drastically. It is competing in a highly competing market and buying at this price will mean compromising heavily on its profits. But this deal will be a boost to the fortunes of the sick Thompson division, it will make some profit and will add some positive to its balance sheet. Also it will give business to the Southern division. The  overall cost to the company will be lowest in this deal, $288. Deal will be in benefits of the Birch company but that will come at a cost paid by the Northern division. Also this might create problems in the future, divisions might be tempted to go for higher bids when bidding for the internal divisions order. $432 bid from the Eire Paper s is also the along the same line as that of the West Papers, it is competitive and matches the going market price. The deal will bring some business to both the Thompson and Southern divisions of the Birch company. But here also the cost to the company, $391, will be much higher from that of Thompson’s bid. There is one major issue concerned with the operations of the Thompson division, whether it is operating efficiently. The other bids from the external competitors are as per the market price, Thompson’s bid of $480 is too high as per the market standards, it is $50 higher than the lowest bid, also the manager of the Thompson division is adamant on not lowering the bid price, this raises the question whether the division is operating efficiently, this is just one deal, how it will compete in the open market space with the other competitors. The Vice President finds it odd that the manager of the Thompson division has added the full overhead cost and the profit margins to the bid price, which could have been more competitive. Also, the Southern division is operating at the market price although it is also facing the similar problem of under utilization of its full capacity. He has to take into account concerns of the company and also at the same time ensure that the divisions’ performance is not negatively affected by his decision. If he orders the acceptance of the Thompson’s bid, it would be unfair to the interests of the Northern division and also set the wrong precedents for the future actions of the divisions, although the deal volume is less on a relative scale, but its implications will affect the operations of the divisions, divisions will be tempted to bid higher than the market price when dealing with the internal divisions and this will be determinant to the overall interest to the company. He has also to see that the deal is fair to the other divisions as well, the Thompson and Southern divisions are in dire need of the business and it is in the interests of the company that they keep running profitably. The total cost to the company should be low. The commercial vice president is facing this unusual situation, where he has to decide whether to intervene into, and if yes what should he do and how? Objective The Vice President has to ensure that the company’s interests are secured and the overall operations of the divisions are not negatively affected, his action is fair to all the divisions and the divisions remain competitively placed in the market. Summing them, the objective statement can be defined as, â€Å"To optimize the divisions profitability that is fair to the interests of all the divisions ensuring that the action is in the best interests of the company.† Decision Problem He has a lot of options with him as to what to do, and to decide which is the best option is the problem faced by the Vice President. It has been the company’s policy of decentralization as to not intervene in the daily affairs of the divisions. But at the same time the Thompson division is struggling to make profits, acceptance of the Thompson bid will make the Northern division lose out to the competitors. To decide as to what action to take keeping in mind the best interests of the divisions and the company is the decision problem faced by the Vice President of the Birch Paper Company. Decision criteria Below mentioned points should serve as the criteria to the decision to be made by the Vice President. 1.Divisions remain competitive in the market.   It is the most important criteria, one division cannot be made profitable at the cost of the other, other divisions have to improve their efficiency as per the market standards, the decentralized model has worked well and delivered the results, and all the firms should operate as per the market standards. Efficiency and competitive spirit of the divisions should not be compromised with. 2.Ailing divisions are being taken care of. It is in the interests of the company that all the divisions remain healthy, they are given enough boost to remain competitive in the market. For this it is imperative that they are getting business. 3.Long term interests of the company are not compromised. Any action that the Vice President takes is bound to have some short term and long term implications, it should be ensured that the decision ensures that in the long term the company and the divisions are to gain from it. The action should not encourage the divisions to continue with their inefficient practices, instead it should encourage them in the long run to generate profits on their own without expecting any special favors from other divisions. Alternatives 1.Order Northern division to accept Thompson’s division bid of $480. The Vice President orders the Northern division to accept the highest bid of $480 from the Thompson division, the manager of the Northern division will have to accept the order, it will bring business to the Thompson and the Southern divisions. 2.Don’t intervene. This action will result in the Northern division accepting the lowest bid of $430 from the West Paper Company, it will mean no business for the Thompson and the Southern divisions, but will be in the best interests of the Northern division. 3.Ask Northern division to consider bid of Eire Papers of $432. $432 is not very high as compared to $430, the Vice President can ask the manager of the Northern division to consider the bid of Eire Papers, as it will not hurt the interest of the Northern division and also will give some business to the Thompson and Southern divisions. Evaluation of Alternatives Alternative 1: This decision will give a boost to the operations of the Thompson and Southern division. They were in dire need of the business, also the cost to the company will be lowest in this case. This will satisfy criteria no 2. But this action will be against the interests of the Northern division, it’s cost price will increase thus leading to fall in profits, it will not remain competitive in the market. This will not satisfy Criteria no 1. This deal is  bound to have some long term implications, in the future operations the divisions will be tempted to raise their bids when bidding for the other divisions order in hope of being selected over the competitors, this will promote inefficiency culture in the divisions and the competitive spirit of the division will be negatively affected by this decision, it will not satisfy the criteria no 3. Alternative 2: No intervention on part of the Vice President will prompt the manager of the Northern division to accept the lowest bid of the West Papers, this will ensure that the Northern division remains competitive in the market, and also the other Thompson division will be forced to align its price to that of the market, to improve its efficiency and compete in the market on equal lines. This will satisfy criteria no 1. This bid will mean no business for the Thompson and Southern divisions, their condition will only get worse with it, their fixed costs will remain fixed and it will also hurt the interests of the company as a whole. This will not satisfy criteria no 2. The deal long term implications will not have any adverse effect on the operations of the divisions, the divisions will be expected to match the market price and it will promote the competitive spirit among the divisions. This will satisfy criteria no 3. Alternative 3: The Vice President can ask the manager of the Northern division to consider the bid of the Eire Papers of $432, as it is as per the market standards and there is not any substantial difference with the lowest bid of $430. The Northern division will remain competitive in the market and also the other divisions will match up to the market standards. This will satisfy criteria no 1. Also, this decision will bring some business to the ailing Thompson and Southern divisions. They will generate some profit for them, this will certainly give some boost to their operations, although the quantum will be much lesser than it had been when the Thompson bid was accepted. But, nevertheless this will satisfy criteria no 2. This decision will positively encourage other divisions to keep the interests of the other divisions in mind when the cost of implicating it are not high, it will ensure competitive nature of the divisions, in the long run all the divisions and the company is bound to gain by this division. Best Alternative Criteria 1Criteria 2Criteria 3 Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 As we can see from the above table, Alternative 1 fulfills only one criteria, whereas Alternative 2 two criteria, Alternative 3 fulfills all the three criteria, this is the best option that the Vice President should go with. Implementation Plan The Vice President should communicate his desire that the bid of Eire Papers is selected, he should not enforce his decision on the manager of the Northern division for it will be an action of interference in the daily affairs of the divisions, instead he should modify the company policy which directs the divisions to take into account the interests of the other divisions and that of the company as a whole if it doesn’t significantly affect the operations of the concerned division, also he should have recognize such actions by the divisions by some rewards or special mentions of the divisions. He should communicate this policy to all the divisions. Contingency Plan In case the manager of the Northern division decides not to accept the bid of the Eire Papers and instead goes for the West Paper bid, the Vice President should order the manager to accept the bid of the Eire Papers. And if even after the Eire papers deal, the profitability of the Thompson division doesn’t show any significant improvement, it remains to operate inefficiently he should sack manager of the Thompson division on account of inefficient production and consistent show of poor performance.