Porters Five Forces Model of Mr. Empanada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Porters Five Forces Model of Mr. Empanada - Essay Example The restaurant s are restricted in the manner in which they acquire their raw materials. They cannot look for cheaper alternatives and this may affect the way they compete with other players in the market. The fact that the franchisee can only use the products provided by the affiliates makes it hard to differentiate their products in order to meet the diverse customers’ needs. They are thus restricted to the segment of customers that they serve. The franchisee also have a joint advertisement with the affiliates. This has increased the cost of production for the restaurants. Another force that may affect the company is the labor force. Currently, the company is led by family members and this has minimized power struggles. However, as the company grows and there is need to expand the workforce, this will come with challenges from the workers such as increased wages. The company will then have to deal with issues of drafting fair salary and remuneration package for her workers a t the different

Social Change in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Social Change in Nigeria Essay Throughout Africa societies that had been predominantly rural for most of their history were experiencing a rapid and profound reorientation of their social and economic lives toward cities and urbanism. As ever greater numbers of people moved to a small number of rapidly expanding cities (or, as was often the case, a single main city), the fabric of life in both urban and rural areas changed in massive, often unforeseen ways. With the largest and one of the most rapidly growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has experienced the phenomenon of urbanization as thoroughly as any African nation, but its experience has also been uniquein scale, in pervasiveness, and in historical antecedents. Modern urbanization in most African countries has been dominated by the growth of a single primate city, the political and commercial center of the nation; its emergence was, more often than not, linked to the shaping of the country during the colonial era. In countries with a coastline, this was often a coastal port, and in Nigeria, Lagos fitted well into this pattern. Unlike most other nations, however, Nigeria had not just one or two but several other cities of major size and importance, a number of which were larger than most other national capitals in Africa. In two areas, the Yoruba region in the southwest and the Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri areas of the north, there were numbers of cities with historical roots stretching back considerably before the advent of British colonizers, giving them distinctive physical and cultural identities. Moreover, in areas such as the Igbo region in the southeast, which had few urban centers before the colonial period and was not highly urbanized even at independence, there has been a massive growth of newer cities since the 1970s, so that these areas in 1990 were also highly urban. Cities are not only independent centers of concentrated human population and activity; they also exert a potent influence on the rural landscape. What is distinctive about the growth of cities in Nigeria is the length of its historical extension and the geographic pervasiveness of its coverage.

Explication of Ulysses Essay -- Alfred Tennyson

Explication Of Ulysses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this poem, Tennyson reworks the figure of Ulysses by drawing on the ancient hero of Homer's Odyssey. Homer's Ulysses learns from a prophecy that he will take a final sea voyage after killing the suitors of his wife Penelope. Ulysses finds himself restless in Ithaca and driven by "the longing I had to gain experience of the world†. Ulysses says that there is little point in his staying home "by this still hearth" with his old wife, handing out rewards and punishments for all of his subjects who live in his kingdom. Still speaking to himself he proclaims that he "cannot rest from travel" but feels required to live to the fullest and swallow every last drop of life. He has enjoyed all his experiences as a sailor who travels the seas, and he considers himself a model for everyone who wanders and roams the earth. His travels have exposed him to many different types of people and ways of living. They have also exposed him to the "delight of battle" while fighting the Trojan War with his men. Ulysses declares that his travels and encounters have shaped who he is: "I am a part of all that I have met," he says. And it is only when he is traveling that the "margin" of the world that he has not yet traveled shrink and fade, and stop to push him. Ulysses declares that it is boring to stay in one place, and that to remain at a standstill is to waste rather than to flourish; to stay in one place is to pretend that all there is to life is the simple a...

Relationship Between Humans and Objects

CUL341 INDIVIDUAL REPORT Indeed, there is a powerful relationship between humans and objects in today’s society. An object is a tangible something that one can take hold off with their senses. Some objects have the power to create social relations between humans, for example there is the trident and the wand that changes the image of a person who utilizes the object. Indeed, such are objects that allow the power of symbolism to give meaning to human activity.The trident is one of these objects that have the great power to create social relations. A trident is a long stick usually having a small double-u (w) looking symbol at the top of it. It’s a three-pronged spear known for giving social power to a person or vice versa, a powerful person in the society carries it and utilizes it to express their power. Although the object has many other uses such as fishing and also as a weapon, there are several examples in history where it would be carried just to symbolize power.In Hinduism, their God Shiva and the Roman God Neptune too are both are known for a trident being clutched to them most of the time. The trident gives a different image of one who carries it; it expresses their power to the society. In Roman myth, God Neptune used it to create earthquakes and other natural disasters as it was indeed a powerful object, and hence created social relations between the Gods and their worshippers as it allowed them to see the power it has.Today we obviously don’t see powerful people carrying it around; however, it is still seen in animated TV shows and movies to give a meaning to the character. It is seen in the little mermaid where King Triton bears it on him to convey his power to the rest of the creatures of the sea. Also in the Lion King, the monkey who is characterized to be an influential persona popping up when someone needs advice amongst the animal kingdom bears the trident on him at all times. Thus, again the object is able to create social relations amongst the characters.Another object that was discussed is the wand. The wand is a thin stick made from wood, of even sometimes metal. They are known to give a magical sense to one who bears it. The wand indeed also creates social relations amongst people as when one utilises a wand, he is will be known to be a person who performs magical spells. The wand is used to perform magical spells so therefore, the one who bears it is conveyed by the society to have great power as wands can only be owned and used by a fairy, wizard, witch or a sorcerer.Wands are known to have also created social relations in historical myths and legends. In Roman myths, Mercury also beared a wand that allowed the worshippers to have a powerful view of Mercury amongst the society. In fairy tales and other science fiction, the magic wand is used to do many powerful acts used for good and evil. Evil acts include defeating or transforming people into animals and good acts can include used for protect ion or other useful acts like opening a locked door.Some fairytales in which the wand is used widely is Cinderella where the fairy godmother would have the power to perform good acts such as make Cinderella beautiful and grant her clothes to go to the ball. Furthermore, in today’s world we most often exposed to wands and their magic in popular fiction novels and movies/TV shows. A well known novel plus movie is Harry Potter. Harry Potter is a wizard who studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His aim in the movie is to defeat his enemy Lord Voldemort who killed his parents.Everything in the fictional movie is pretty done through the power of the wand. The good acts, the bad acts by wizards and witches gives viewers insight to how a single object can create such social relations in a society. Indeed, a single object can have the power to shape ones image of a persona. Indeed, in the modern world, the relationship between objects and humans has developed to becom e a great influence on the view one has for another in the society. It is evident that the triton and the wand both are very good examples of such objects enhance their powers to create social relations amongst humanity.A Trident has been used in history and even today in fiction movies to allow a view of a persona to be great and powerful. Similarly, the wand also creates social relations amongst a society where one can be seen as a normal person and just by bearing a wand; he will be seen to be a wizard whom can perform magical spells. Indeed, Objects can enhance the power of symbolism and give a different meaning to a person. REFERENCES http://www. ehow. com/about_4759212_magic-wand-stories. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Trident

Margaret Thatcher: Creating a Neoliberal Culture Essay

Margaret Thatcher had a resounding career as a Prime Minister in Britain. She was loved and hated for her strong handed nature to politics. She drove down unemployment and brought Britain out of a recession through utilizing neoliberal policies. Thatcher increased the power of the private sector with a reduction of government regulation and privatization of public facilities. She took charge at creating a culture that was focused on the individual. Lastly she battled any unions, which sought to challenge the neoliberal values she was fostering. In order to claim Margaret Thatcher as a neoliberal, a solid definition of neoliberalism is needed. The ideology of neoliberalism is grounded in individual freedom. In order to achieve this, neoliberals ask for a system of government that is minimal. There should be almost no regulations that aim at restricting an individual’s freedom (Hall 2011 11). This allows people to act as free agents in accordance to their personal aspirations. To supplement this goal there is a desire for open, competitive and unregulated markets. State-led social engineering must never prevail over corporate and private interests.(Hall 2011 10-11) Capitalism as a market system provides freedom from state intervention and social collectivities. Stuart Hall states how Neoliberals see this â€Å"as the optimal mechanism to social-economic development,† (Hall 2011 11). They want to provide equality of opportunity and understand that this has a propensity to create inequality. This inequality is seen as a necessary evil in the creation of freedom, and ask that government not make any attempts to ameliorate the gap between people. The government’s role comes to the provision of securing the freedom of the people it sees over (Hall 2011 11). It does this through various things such as state guided military, police force, and law that protects private contracts. These state facilities protect the individuals and allow them to operate within the state. Neoliberalism is an ideology that acts to create individuals free to make choice and to succeed or fail by them. One of the main facets of neoliberalism is the reduction of government to  minimal levels. When Margaret Thatcher took office in 1979 she was determined to separate herself from the more socialist values of past leaders. Thatcher immediately sought to reduce power of the government in the private sector through flotation of government owned facilities. There where a series of small sell offs and then in 1984 the privatization of British Telecom proved hugely successful at reducing public debt. Then in 1987 opened the floodgates with the privatization of British Airways, Rolls-Royce, British Airports Authority, and later British steel (Hall 2011room and Sylvia 2011). After this Thatcher also was able to privatize British oil companies. She even privatized utilities such as water and electricity (Moore 2011). Besides the privatization of organizations, she also removed regulations on private corporations. The fair wages resolution created a wage floor that restricted the ability of corporations to pay competitive wages (Robertson 1986 288). In 1983 the government removed this resolution, opening a large gap in this wage floor (Robertson 1986 288). The Employment Act of 1975 gave workers the ability to submit low wage claims for government arbitration. Thatcher removed this with her updated Employment Act of 1980 (Robertson 1986 286). She was even willing to work around the law to increase the power of corporations When unable to make reparations to council law on minimum wages, she introduced the Young Workers Scheme (Robertson 1986 287). This grated subsidies to employers who paid less then legal minimum wage to workers 18 and younger (Robertson 1986 287). After the YWS was phased out she continued to avoid law with the New Workers Scheme (Robertson 1986 287). She provided government subsidies of  £20 to workers between the ages of eighteen and twenty who were paid less than  £80 per-week (Robertson 1986 287). This allows corporations to set prices lower than legal and incentives workers to take those positions. Along with increasing the strength of the private sector, Margaret Thatcher wanted to change British culture to be more in line with neoliberalism. She did this by promoting individual values and the reduction of state dependency. In Thatcher’s own words, â€Å"There is no such thing as society. There is only the individual and his family,† (Hall 2011 11). One of the first things she did was instate the Enterprise Allowance Scheme (Robertson 1986 288). This replaced employment benefits by giving  £40 a week to 65,000  people and then a  £1000 if they start their own business. This promotes individuals to create their own solutions in an economic environment that was riddled with unemployment. She then went on to make unemployment even less appealing by cutting benefits offered to real values not seen since 1951 (Robertson 1986 288). Thatcher had even raised the idea of refusing supplemental benefits to youth who didn’t register for jobs or job training, but had to back off when faced with accusation that this would be tantamount to conscription (Robertson 1986 289). These reforms had the effect of raising self-employed citizens to ten percent, declared by Britain’s Department of Employment (Jenkins 2007 164). Britain’s rank in economic freedom and entrepreneurial welcome has risen from 15th in 1989 to 1st in 1990 (Jenkins 2007 164). The above references show that Thatcher was trying to, and in many ways succeeded in creating a culture of individualism and self responsibility in Britain A source of resistance to the culture she had created was worker unions. Margaret Thatcher goes on to dismantle union power and stands cold faced and firm against any resistance they show. There are several key years in Thatcher’s battle against unions. In 1980, 1982, and 1984 there were a series of acts that undermined union economic and political power (Robertson 1986 286). The Employment Acts in 1980 and 1982 served to strip legal rights from unions such as secondary picketing and sympathy strikes. In 1982 there was an act that relaxed rules to unfair dismissal. What it did was to exempt small businesses from rules that enabled workers to file unfair dismissal claims if they had less than two years of service (Robertson 1986 286). She even went to try and extend this exemption to all business in 1985 (Robertson 1986 286). In response some unions organized strikes to confront Thatcher’s crackdown. The most well known attempt was the miners’ union organizing a strike that lasted for over a year (Moore 2011). Throughout this Thatcher did not relent any of her conditions or regulations. In the end the union gave in and the strike broke (Moore 2011). Throughout her time in office the yearly money lost to days of strike fell from 29.5 million to 1.9 million (Moore 2011). Margaret Thatcher drove union membership down sixteen percent between I979 and I984 (Robertson 1986 287), showing that she was further driving Britain into  Neoliberal ideals Some people have suggested that Margaret Thatcher’s assault on government and claimed her to be as far right as libertarian. The previously stated quote â€Å"there is no such thing as society. There is only the individual and his (sic) family,† (Hall 2011 11) is a radically right saying people could point towards. Also her privatization of essential goods and services such as water points towards a far right standpoint. The difference between neoliberal and libertarian mainly comes down to degree. This means that both are right aligned, holding a focus on freeing of people and reducing government. It should be held that Margaret Thatcher is not as far right as libertarian. Though she took Britain along with her in a huge sweet politically in that direction, she held some key businesses as private for the benefit of Britain’s economic well being. She also did not really undermine the post-war welfare consensus. She retained such public sector giants as the NHS, British Rail, the Post Office (Jenkins 2007 162). These could have been privatized, but it was held that doing this could hurt Britain economically. A libertarian would have to cut these as they are not seen as being responsible to the state. She also kept the structure of social welfare and benefits (Jenkins 2007 162). Though she did restrict funding and brought it down in degree, a libertarian would have eliminated such state run benefits For these reasons Thatcher is politically right, but not to the degree of libertarianism. Margaret Thatcher’s career as a Prime Minister in Britain was controversial at best. She took to neoliberal values to drive down unemployment and foster economic profit in Britain Thatcher stripped the public sector of many of its organizations and then cutting government regulations to increase the power of the private sector. She sought to create a culture in Britain around the individual and their responsibility to their own success. She also broke down unions as they stood to fight against the neoliberal culture she had created. This is why Margaret Thatcher is a neoliberal. References Robertson, David. 1986. â€Å"Mrs. Thatcher’s Employment Prescription: An Active Neo-Liberal Labor Market Policy† Journal of Public Policy. 6: 275-296. Groom, Brian. And Pfeifer, Sylvia. 2011. â€Å"Privatisation defined Thatcher era.† http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/docview/909517457 (November 21, 2012). Hall, Stuart. 2011. â€Å"The neoliberal revolution: Thatcher, Blair, Cameron – the long march of neoliberalism continues.†Soundings. 48: 9-27. Moore, Charles. 2011. â€Å"The Invincible Mrs. Thatcher.† http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA276179927&v=2.1&u=ucalgary&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w (November 21, 2012). Jenkins, Simon. 2007. â€Å"Thatcher’s Legacy.† Political Studies Review. 5: 161-171.

How to Say All 50 Us States in French (And Why We Should Care)

How to Say All 50 Us States in French (And Why We Should Care) Why should we care how to say the names of all 50 states in French? Well, history, for one thing. Aside from knowing French equivalents of geographic terms that could come in handy, theres a long-standing American soft spot for all things French. Many of the French share a fascination with all things  Ãƒâ€°tats-Unis (United States). We need to know their words; they, ours. The Franco-American Alliance The United States and France have had a deep and complex friendship since before the American Revolution, when  Louis XVI’s regime came to America’s aid by providing money, arms, and military advisers, essential assistance best symbolized by the Marquis de Lafayette. The subsequent French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power also benefited the U.S. in 1803, when Napoleon’s woes in Europe and the Caribbean forced him to sell the entire Louisiana territory to the United States, in the words of  Oxford Research Encyclopedias. Says Oxford contributor  Kathryn C. Statler, a University of San Diego historian  : Franco-American economic and cultural contacts increased throughout the 19th century, as trade between the two countries prospered and as Americans flocked to France to study art, architecture, music, and medicine. The French gift of the Statue of Liberty in the late 19th century solidified Franco-American bonds, which became even more secure during World War I. Indeed, during the war, the United States provided France with trade, loans, military assistance, and millions of soldiers, viewing such aid as repayment for French help during the American Revolution. World War II once again saw the United States fighting in France to liberate the country from Nazi control....The Franco-American alliance has been primarily amicable in nature, and when it has not, leaders and citizens on both sides of the Atlantic have moved quickly to remedy the situation. A long line of official, semi-official, and unofficial diplomats, beginning with the Marquis de Lafayette’s staunch support of the American Revolution, has ensured the lasting success of the Franco-American alliance. Today, Americans are still flocking to France for tourism and cultural enrichment, and millions of French have been coming to the US, a product of the great French love affair with la vie Amà ©ricaine and its  freedom, financial opportunity, blend of cultures, and ability to pick up and move whenever and wherever. French and French Canadians Living in the United States As of the 2010 census, there are about 10.4 million U.S. residents of French or French Canadian descent: 8,228,623 French and 2,100,842 French Canadian. Some 2 million speak  French at home  and 750,000 more U.S. residents speak a  French-based creole language. In North America, French-based language groups, mainly in New England, Louisiana, and to a lesser extent, New York, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, and North Carolina, include Quà ©bà ©cois, other French Canadian, Acadian, Cajun, and Louisiana Creole. So, for all that and more, we have a vested interest in knowing what the French call all 50 states. 50 State Names in French The list below details all 50 state names in English and French. Most states are masculine; only nine are feminine and they are indicated by (f.). Knowing the gender will help you choose the correct  definite article  and geographic  prepositions to use with each state. Most names are identical in both English and French, but when they do not share the same spelling, English names are provided in parentheses after the French names. Les États-Unis dAmà ©rique the United States of America Abbreviations: É-U  (US) and  Ãƒâ€°-UA  (USA) AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCalifornie (f.)  (California)Caroline du Nord  (f.) (North Carolina)Caroline du Sud  (f.)  (South Carolina)ColoradoConnecticutDakota du Nord  (North Dakota)Dakota du Sud (South Dakota)DelawareFloride  (f.)  (Florida)Gà ©orgie (f.)  (Georgia)Hawaà ¯Ã‚  (Hawaii)IdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisiane  (f.)  (Louisiana)MaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew Jerseylà ©tat de New York*  (New York State)Nouveau-Mexique  (New Mexico)OhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvanie  (f.)  (Pennsylvania)Rhode IslandTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginie  (f.)  (Virginia)Virginie-Occidentale  (f.)  (West Virginia)là ©tat de Washington*  (Washington State)WisconsinWyoming Plus, Washington, D.C. (formerly the District of Columbia), a compact federal district under the jurisdiction of the US Congress. As such, the capital district is not part of any state. It is spelled the same in English and in French. *These are said this way to distinguish between cities and states with the same name.

Implementation of the Porters Five Forces Model on the Cosmetic Retail Industry

Implementation of the Porters Five Forces Model on the Cosmetic Retail Industry Cosmetic retail is quite developed industry. However, every industry has its peculiarities, which are sometimes hard to understand. Thus, in order to better understand the context in which this or that the company operates, it is crucial to use Michael Porter’s Five-Forces Model.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Implementation of the Porter’s Five Forces Model on the Cosmetic Retail Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As stated by Berger, this framework â€Å"considers the five competitive forces that influence a business success or failure† (10). Each of the forces has variables. Five variables have been chosen for each force and rated on a scale of 1 to 5 according to their importance for the cosmetic industry. Rivalry among competing firms Number of competing firms Product differences Fixed costs/Value added Industry growth Switching costs According to David, it is â€Å"the most power ful of the five forces† (75). Thus, the number of competing firms matters a lot. The difference of cosmetic is wide, so there is an opportunity for rivals to sell different products. The industry growth influences the development of competition. If fixed costs are high and switching costs are low, they increase the rivalry in the industry. Potential Entry of New Competitors Barriers to entry (rights) Economies of scale Capital requirements Brand equity Switching costs If there are no considerable barriers to enter, there may be many new entrants (Berger, 11). For the cosmetic industry, the most important barriers are the exclusive rights and economies of scale. However, this industry has large capital requirements since the differentiation of products that are sold in it. Moreover, cosmetic retail is more widespread as chain stores or exclusive brand retailers, which also make up chains. Potential Development of Substitute Products Ease of substitution Buyer inclination to substitute Buyer switching costs Relative price performance of substitute Quality depreciation For the cosmetic industry the crucial issue is the way for buyers to substitute and their willing to do this. For the retailers it is better to sell unique products, for example to sell one cosmetic brand. The less valuable is the change of quality, due to the fact that retailer cannot influence the quality of products they sell. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Supplier concentration to firm concentration ratio Strength of distribution channel Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation Switching costs of firms in the industry Differentiation of inputs Suppliers tend to have very little power in the retail industry. However, for the cosmetics the exclusive suppliers matter a lot and influence the market. They can make retailers have large inputs on the scale of orders. If the supplier is exclusive, the switching costs are very high. As for the cosmetic retail – the inputs are sligh tly differentiated, so this variable is less crucial. Bargaining Power of Consumers Buyer information Substitutes available Brand identity Buyer volume Price sensitivity As for cosmetics retail, â€Å"buyers are fragmented no buyer has any particular influence on the product or price† (Porters Five Forces:A Model For Industry Analysis, para. 18). Still, buyer has to be provided with the information and has a choice of substitutes. Some buyers tend to choose only one brand. Buyer volume and price sensitivity are less important because cosmetic is what people tend to buy all the time, and prices do not react on the slightest changes.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Berger, Alexander. Contemporary Development in Business and Management: Beiersdorf. Pakistan: GRIN Verlag, 2011. David, Fred R. Strategic management: concepts and cases. 13th ed. New Jersey: Pre ntice Hall, 2011. â€Å"Porters Five Forces: A Model for Industry Analysis.† QuickMBA. n.d. 3 Nov. 2011. quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtml.