The Influence of the Bible on William Blake Essay

During the British Romantic period, some writers used material from the Bible or imitated the Bible in style of writing or content. William Blake, a Romantic writer, engraver, and painter, believed that â€Å"the Bible was the greatest work of poetry ever written† (Barker 2004). The Bible influenced him throughout this life, specifically influencing both his writing and his art. There are many references to Biblical themes within his writing, and there are also many references to specific passages of Scripture (Barker 2004). The lines â€Å"O thou, with dewy locks, who looked down / Thro’ the clear windows of the morning . . .† (1-2) in William Blake’s poem â€Å"To Spring† give a picture of the window from the Bible. â€Å"Behold, when we come into†¦show more content†¦9.6). Matthew of the Bible also explains the fulfilled prophecy telling of the coming of Jesus to earth as a child. â€Å". . . a virgin shall be with child, and br ing forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us† (Matt. 1.23). â€Å"The mighty God† mentioned in Isaiah 9:6 is Jesus because the Bible states â€Å"I [Jesus] and my Father are one† (Jn. 10.30). The poem â€Å"Holy Thursday† in â€Å"Songs of Innocence† states that â€Å"the hum of multitudes were there but multitudes of lambs† (Blake 7). Multitudes of God’s children, which are referred to sometimes as lambs, are also mentioned by the prophet Joel in the Bible. â€Å"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision† (Joel 3.14). In the Scriptures, it is stated in Hebrews: â€Å"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares† (13.2). This is restated in the line in â€Å"Holy Thursday† that reads â€Å"Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your doorâ⠂¬  (Blake 12). Both the line from the poem and the verse from the Bible indicate the importance of taking those who need help or those who are strangers into your home because you never know when one might be an angel (Blake 12; Heb. 13.2). The ancient trees mentioned in the line â€Å"That walk’d among the ancient trees† from the â€Å"Introduction† to â€Å"Songs of Experience† (Blake 5) is a reference to the trees in the Garden of Eden. â€Å"And they heardShow MoreRelatedWilliam Blakes Influence Of Literature1303 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Blake William Blake’s poetry was heavily influenced by the Christian Bible, which is quite uncommon for the English Romantic poets. In fact, he is even known as the final religious poet of Britain. This tendency toward using the Bible in his literature derived from his avid reading of this holy book during his childhood. There is little information about any other schooling he might have had outside of reading this book. However, his writing was unique from other Christian writings as heRead MoreThe Romantic Era1008 Words   |  5 Pagesoriginality. The Romantic era was more open to mythic, mystic and spirituality than the enlightenment era had ever been. William Blake was a romantic poet. Romanticism was a movement, which was marked primarily by its rejection of the enlightenment ideologies and scientific methods, as well as its emphasis on the natural world, emotions, artistry and the personal expression. Growing up Blake`s childhood was dominated by spiritual visions which i nfluenced his works and personal life. As a little boy heRead MoreWilliam Black - I Heard an Angel Singing1404 Words   |  6 PagesWILLIAM BLAKE â€Å"I heard an angel singing† A Matter of Life an Death Abstract In this poem William Blake at the beginning speaks about an angel, who was singing in the small hours every day. An angel was singing all day about mercy, pity, peace, which is the world ´s release. Angel was positive feature. He tried to help people. His voice is really beautiful and people feel good during his singing. Devil cursed mercy, pity and peace, because he saw all men are happy in the world and they don ´tRead MoreSongs of Good and Evil1545 Words   |  7 Pagesall describe William Blake’s life (Greenblatt, Abrams, Lynch, Stillinger). Blake was born November 28, 1757 in London, England and his artistic ability became evident in his early years. Blake had a very simple upbringing and had little education. His formal education was in art and at the age of fourteen he entered an apprenticeship with a well-known engraver who taught Blake his skills in engraving. In Blake’s free time, he began reading writing poetry. At the age of twenty-one, Blake completed hisRead MoreThe Tyger, The Lamb and Lord of the Rings1031 Words   |  4 Pagesis important to understand the authors, so you can better understand their views on religion. William Blake, the author of the two poems, was baptized and raised a Christian in London. During his adult life he speculated on the corruption of the Church of England, and was eventually turned away from all organized religion. Despite turning away from the Church, he still believed in God and studied the Bible. J.R.R Tolkien, the author of the novel, was also born and raised in England, but was a devoutRead MoreRomanticism : Romanticism And Romanticism1444 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Keats, Blake William, Wordsworth William and other. They came with the different illustrated, poetry that expresses the language, emotion and imagination. Romanticism is a phenomenon characterized by subjectivity of approach and reliance on the imagination, An Idealization of nature and f reedom of though and expression. In 1830 some of poets define romanticism as â€Å"liberalism in literature but the end of 18th century it was made cracks to classicism by poet called William Blake. Blake was inspiredRead MoreRomanticism Movement ( 1750-1870 )1223 Words   |  5 Pagesmovement brings some of different writes such as John Keats, Blake William, Wordsworth William and other. Romanticism is a phenomenon characterized by subjectivity of approach and reliance on the imagination, An Idealization of nature and freedom of though and expression. In 1830 some of poets define romanticism as â€Å"liberalism in literature but the end of 18th century it was made cracks to classicism by poet called William Blake. Blake was inspired to write about the ancient thing as like all religionsRead MoreReading Between the Lines Essays914 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Blake’s poem â€Å"The Lamb† is a simplistic poem until you read deeper into it and find a powerful and uplifting religious message about creation. Blake is able to draw people into his poem by having a young innocent child as the speaker, asking rhetorical questions to a lamb. Although he also throws irony into the second stanza by having the young child answer his own questions, asked in the first stanza. The poem has a tone so sweet and soft that it is not offensive in any means and is notRead MoreWilliam Blake Essay example826 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Blake William Blake was born in 1757, the third son of a London hosier. Blake lived in or near to London, a city which dominates much of his work, whether as the nightmare London of the Songs of Experience, or the London which Blake saw as the New Jerusalem, the kingdom of God on earth. As the son of a hosier, a generally lower middle class occupation in late eighteenth century London, he was brought up in a poor household, a preparation for the relative poverty in which heRead MoreThe Romantic Era: The Pain of Composition Romanticism allowed poets to have the world at their900 Words   |  4 Pagesemotions. William Blake, I believe, was a visionary with more of a theological or spiritual tone in both his writings and his paintings, whereas William Wordsworth used temporal viewpoints to help him describe his reality of nature. Blake and Wordsworth both used their talent for creating art and exciting passion in their readers with Blake expressing his views on morality, religion and philosophy, and Wordsworth with his ever changing views on man and nature becoming one. William Blake was born

Against Steroids in Sports Essay - 2217 Words

â€Å"†¦medical researchers believe that between 1 and 3 million youths and adults have taken anabolic steroids in one form or another specifically to enhance their looks or athletic performances,† stated Nuwer (Nuwer, 61). As astounding as these figures are, the number of performance drug users is steadily increasing. With this progressively increasing numbers, it is projected that millions more will use steroids in the immediate future (Newer, 61). Athletes have always sought an advantage in competition even if ignoring the law and their health if necessary. Using drugs of any sort to facilitate an athlete’s athletic ability should be illegal. The use of performance enhancing drugs is not only detrimental to the user but it also creates an†¦show more content†¦Famed writer Grantland Rice once wrote, â€Å"When the great scorer comes to mark against your name. Hell mark not won or lost but how you played the game† (World of quotes, 1). That buoyant attitude of selflessness and heart has slowly diminished throughout the course of time. Now, George Allen’s booming voice, former coach of the Washington Redskins, runs throughout head of America, â€Å"Only winners are truly alive. Winning is living. Every time you win, you’re reborn. When you lose, you die a little† (Harris, 67). It is with this frame of mind that athletes are pushed beyond the edge of reason. Although peer pressure and pressure from coaches are central reasons why one may use steroids, most users begin using in order to improve their self image or excel in sports. Ethics, integrity, and legality aside, some athletes will stop at nothing to attain â€Å"that extra edge†. Type the word â€Å"steroid† in a search engine. Within seconds, a colossal list of websites pertaining to the topic appears and three bold words stand out at the top of the page. They read: Steroids for Sale. With a few clicks and a credit card number later, an athlete can be using steroids in a matter of days. Illegal steroids can not only be effortlessly purchased online but, they can also be attained through the black market or by simply crossing the border into Mexico (Side-Effects, 3). Farrey described that, â€Å"In the past decade, pharmacies have popped up all over the cityShow MoreRelatedSports Philosophy And Recreation : Anabolic Steroids1430 Words   |  6 PagesSports Philosophy and Recreation Are Anabolic Steroids Important Of Body Building? I will argue no that anabolic steroids are not important for body building because they have great negative effects. The use of anabolic steroids has been discouraged over the years because of their side effects, and they are against the philosophy of sports. The steroids are medicine and protein supplements that aid in the body building. I hugely oppose the notion that anabolic steroid are imperative in buildingRead MoreThe Ethics of Steroid Use in the Olympics Essay examples904 Words   |  4 PagesThe desire to compete — and win — is as old as history itself. From the beginnings of sport, athletes have sought out foods and potions to turn their bodies into winning machines. As early as 776 BCE, the very first Olympic games, there are records of attempts to increase testosterone levels (â€Å"Steroid Abuse in Sports†). Ancient Greek wrestlers ate vast amounts of meat to gain muscle mass, and Norse â€Å"Berser ker† warriors took hallucinogenic mushrooms before battle. The first competitive athletes toRead MoreThe Legalization Of Steroids Should Be Beneficial For The World Of Sport1226 Words   |  5 PagesSteroids seem to to be having a negative view for much of history. Steroids are drugs used by athletes to become stronger and achieve a strong physique. Steroids are illegal and are strongly discouraged to be used and may be seen first expressed during high school with the introduction of organized sport teams. The perspective against the legalization of steroids believes in the many benefits of legalization. The perspective for the legalization of steroid expresses the harmful effects of steroidsRead MoreSteroids And Athletes Should Not Be Allowed1234 Words   |  5 PagesSteroids and Athletes What is the best way to get big quick? Most would say to go to the gym or start a more intense workout program and eat right. It is contrary for some professional athletes that go against the correct way to maximize their strength and take steroids. Most your sport competitors participate in sports to have the opportunity to put their abilities against those of their peers. Many athletes are determined to win at all cost. They may use that determination to justify the use ofRead MoreShould Athletes Use Performance Enhancing Drugs?935 Words   |  4 PagesRoy Shurn Jr English 12 Ms. Terry 11/20/14 PED users in sports Everyone wants to win and everyone loves a winner. Athletes are a competitive group and if you are good enough to get into professional sports, you can achieve fame and fortune would you cheat to accomplish? This is the question that many athletes have to answer? What do I mean by cheating? I mean the use of performance enhancing drugs. How many records were made and broken by athletes that used these enhancements. â€Å"AccordingRead MoreAnabolic Steroids Summary Essay1507 Words   |  7 PagesThesis: Anabolic Steroids are powerful drugs that help the body gain mass, but also hurts the body with drastic side effects. I. Basic Information A. Anabolic Steroids Aid Body Growth B. Have Drastic Side Effects II. Side Effects of Steroids A. Ways to tell somebody may be using steroids B. Side effects of Steroids in Males C. Side effects of Steroids in Females III. Different Types of Anabolic Steroids A. Oral Anabolic Steroids B. Intravenous Anabolic Steroids IV. Teen UsageRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs Sports Today1476 Words   |  6 PagesEnhancing Drugs In Sports Today Performance enhancing drugs, or steroids, have long been in the lifestyle of athletes. Many famous athletes like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong have all confessed to the use of steroids. Celebrities like actor Charlie Sheen and ex Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, have also admitted to using steroids in the past. Performance enhancing drugs are a dangerous form of medicine and are most often used for sports. Although usedRead MoreThe Impact of Steroid Allegations on Sports Heroes and Their Fans1037 Words   |  4 Pagesin the history of professional sports, todays contemporary sports climate provides an intimacy of details about the usage of steroids and performance enhancing drugs for some of the worlds most popular athletes. Whereas once the uncovering of an athletes illicit use of such substances was shocking and anomalous, contemporary stories of steroid use are fairly routine and even commonplace in certain sports, such as Major League Baseball. Allegations levied against athletes like Mark McGuire andRead MoreSpeech On Steroids And Major League Baseball1638 Words   |  7 PagesHowever, this record is controversial, due to steroid use. B. Thesis: Today I am going to persuade you all about the use of steroids in Major League Baseball, persuading you why steroids should not be allowed in Major League Baseball. I have a call to action for all of you to help others if they are considering using steroids, and next time you watch a MLB game to realize the impact of steroids. C. Credibility: Gave my informative speech on Steroids in Major League Baseball D. WIIFM: My survey statedRead MoreAthletes and Steroids Essay1014 Words   |  5 Pagesincrease his strength. A few years later, after continued use of steroids, his life started to spiral out of control. He was feeling very depressed, struggling academically, and had become very aggressive. That bright, young man with aspirations to play major league baseball ended up taking his own life with a fatal gunshot on October 1, 2002. Ultimately, Rob Garibaldi killed himself but steroids could easily be deemed his accomplice. Steroids have only recently been heavily scrutinized but in actuality

Costs of Goods and Services Tax

Question: Discuss about the Costs of Goods and Services Tax. Answer: Introduction: Assessable income is the income earned from ordinary sources. In other words, these incomes are called ordinary income. According to Australian Law, assessable income includes all the income, which a person earned either directly or indirectly during the assessment year. Under section 6-5 and 6-10 of ITAA 1997 an Australian resident will be assessable to the income, which he earns from all the sources, i.e. income earned from house property, income earned from other sources, and so on(Woellner et al. 2012). However, a non-resident will be assessable only on the income, which he earned in Australia only. Under section 6-5(1) of ITAA 1997 deals with the income based on ordinary concepts. There is no specific definition of ordinary concept in the act but it takes into account all the income, which the assessee derived during the year and provides proper treatment for that income as per the act. Various arguments have been held in between the inclusion of ordinary income and the derived income. There are three basic components of ordinary income: Income earned from property like rent received from house property. Income earned from business like profit derived from selling some farming stocks. Income earned from personal effort like amount received in the form of salary(www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au, 2016) On the other hand, statutory incomes are those incomes, which are generated from other sources such as bad debt recovery, capital gains, bonus income, and so on. These incomes are calculated separately to ascertain the total income. In the given case, Peta bought a house two years ago. The main reason of this purchase is that she wants to accommodate her family in that house and she wants to construct three units on the tennis court so that she can earn some profit by selling those units. The nearby tennis club offered to buy the tennis court if Peta restore the court in good condition. Peta accepted the offer and sold the court to the club for $600,000. Peta spent $100,000 for this purpose. The receipt of $600,000 will be treated as ordinary income under section 6-5(Austlii.edu.au, 2016). The reason behind this can be explained in more simple manner by discussing some case laws and exemptions grant by the government which are as below: Social clubs, which provide recreation facilities to its members, are exempt from taxation purpose. In this case, the authorities cannot bind the club to perform the activities, which are beyond the scope of IRC 501(c) (7). The club can use its fund for educational and charitable purpose. The club will not be liable for exemption if the activities performed by them are not for charitable purpose. In other words if the club earns some profit by providing some service to their members than this income will be chargeable for taxation purpose. Similar cases of Automobile Club v. Comm. 181 F. 2d 402 (3d Cir. 1950);Allied Trades Club v. Comm., 228 F. 2d 906 (3d Cir. 1956);Chattanooga Automobile Club v. Comm., 182 F. 2d 551 (6th Cir. 1950);Automobile Club of St. Paul v. Comm., 12 T.C. 1152 (1949); Rev. Rul. 69635, 19692 C.B. 126. According to Australian Law, payment received by a sportsperson can be chargeable to income tax if an amount derived by a person is from the operation of the provisions of tax. The following income can be assessed as an ordinary income: Amount derived from employment. Amount received from the services provided by a person. Amount derived from participating in sport. However, if income received from participating in any activity as a hobby will not be considered as assessable income. According to the act, no deduction will be allowed on this amount. Expenses related to sports are not allowed for deductions based on voluntary payments because these expenses are not related to voluntary payment receipt. The income generated by the sale of property shall be included under the head statutory income because Peta sold the property in small units instead of selling the whole lot. Hence, she is eligible for the exemption of 50% on her total income (Ato.gov.au, 2016). Alan works for a company ABC Pty. Ltd on contractual basis of two years. He received a salary package of $300,000 from the company. The company gives certain benefit to him by paying his mobile expenses @ 220 p.m. The company also pays the school fees of his children @20,000 p.a. The company gifted him a mobile phone of $2,000. The company organized a dinner party for its employees and partners, which cost $ 6,600. According to Australian Law, the term FBT means when an employer provides certain incentives to its employees, which includes benefits to its family also. It is calculated separately under the head fringe benefits. It is calculated from 1st April to 31st March. There is a huge difference in between benefit and fringe benefit under the act. Fringe benefits includes all the benefits which an employer provides to its employees in the form of incentives used for business purpose such as expenditure related to vehicles used for office purpose, expenditure related to providing a ny entertainment benefits to him such as movie tickets, concert tickets and so on. (Bender et al. 2013). All these expenses are fringe benefits. In the given case expenses related to payment of school fees and mobile expenses will be termed as fringe benefit under the act. On the other hand, GST is chargeable @ 10% in Australia. A person can claim its benefit if the amount of GST is included in the price of the product. In other words, GST credit=price of input tax- a price included in the business input. If a person sales, a product valued more than $82.50, and which includes GST than in this case the customers needs to issue a tax invoice to claim input credit for the purchase. The seller will issue this invoice within a period of 28 days from the sale. The invoice must include some additional information: Identity of seller and its ABN. Date and invoice number of the transaction. Details of the product sold and the amount of GST payable. For example if a company makes a sale of more than $ 1,000 than 10% GST is applicable to it. Therefore, the total amount of tax input in this case will be $1,100. Payment made by an employer towards the mobile bill of Alan will be treated as fringe benefit tax because it is the benefit, which a company provides to its employees. In this case, the whole amount of $2,640 will be charged under the head fringe benefit tax. Payment of $2,000 made by the company on mobile phone will be excluded from fringe benefit tax because the mobile phone was used for official purpose not for the employee self-owned purpose. Hence, chargeable under the head total income (James et al.2013). Payment of $6,600 made by the company for dinner party will be treated as fringe benefit tax because the company is providing refreshment facility to its employees (Rimmer et al.2014). Payment of $20,000 made by the company towards the school fees for the children of an employee will be chargeable under the head fringe benefit tax because it is the benefit provided by the employer to its employee. The whole amount is liable for fringe benefit (Delany 2012). It is important to calculate the GST value after ascertaining the value the person is allowed to claim the FBT @ 49% from its total amount. Calculation of FBT based on above mentioned facts are: Payment of mobile bill =$ 2,640 Payment of school fees = $20,000 Payment made on mobile phone =$ 2,000 Payment made on dinner=$ 6,600/20 =$ 330 [Since, the company has 20 employees so the amount of dinner will be divided among 20 members] Total value = 20000+2640+2000+330=24970-10% of GST=$22,473 Less: mobile phone for official purpose =$ 2,000 Total value=$20,473 FBT @ 49% on total value=$10,441.23 [20473-49% of 20473] Answer to question number 2 (b): In case if, the company has only 5 employees than the calculation of tax liability will be as follows: Payment made on mobile bills =$2640 Payment made for school fees= $20000 Payment made for mobile phone=$2000 Payment made for dinner=$1320[6600/5] Total value=20000+2640+2000+1320=25960 Less: mobile phone=2000 Net value=23960 Taxable value of FBT=23960-49%of 23960=12,219.60 [Since, the amount of dinner will be change in this case because instead of 20 employees the company is providing refreshment to 5 employees] The tax liability will be higher in this case. The answer will not differ if the company ABC Pty Ltd included its client for dinner alongwith its employees because the FBT is applicable on the benefits provided by the employer to its employees. The company is providing benefit to the employees in the form of dinner, no matter whether the clients of the company joined the dinner or not. The company can claim FBT benefit. It is to be noted that the company cannot claim any exemption on the money spent towards its client (Martocchio 2013). Conclusion: After analyzing all the facts it can be concluded that it is important to ascertain the total income properly so that the person can claim some benefits from the taxation purpose. It helps the assessee to reduce the burden of its tax liability. If a person makes some mistake and pays extra amount of tax than it will affect its total income and the income for the assessment year will not be ascertained. Therefore it is important to ascertain the value properly. References: Ato.gov.au. (2016).Fringe benefits tax (FBT) | Australian Taxation Office. [online] Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Fringe-benefits-tax-(FBT)/ [Accessed 27 May 2016]. Delany, T.P., 2012. Fringe benefits tax James, S., Wallschutzky, I. and Alley, C., 2013. The Henry Report and the taxation of work related expenses: Principles versus practice Jones, S., 2015. 'Cost-to-company'explained: tax planning.Tax Breaks Newsletter, (349), pp.6-7 Kaplan, R.L. and Price, D.J., 2014. Change and Continuity in Fringe Benefit Taxation: Seeking Sense and Sensibility.NYL Sch. L. Rev.,59, p.281 Martocchio, J., 2013.Employee benefits. McGraw-Hill Higher Education Ramli, R., Palil, M.R., Hassan, N.S.A. and Mustapha, A.F., 2015. Compliance costs of goods and services tax (GST) among small and medium enterprises.Jurnal Pengurusan,45, pp.1-15 Rimmer, X., Smith, J. and Wende, S., 2014. The incidence of company tax in Australia Soled, J.A. and Thomas, K.D., 2015. Revisiting the Taxation of Fringe Benefits.Washington Law Review, Forthcoming Woellner, R., Barkoczy, S., Murphy, S., Evans, C. and Pinto, D., 2012.Australian taxation law. CCH Australia www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au. (2016). www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbox/finance/fnbacc02a/preparetax/keyprinciple/ordinaryi.htm. [online] Available at: https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbox/finance/fnbacc02a/preparetax/keyprinciple/ordinaryi.htm [Accessed 13 Sep. 2016]. www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au. (2016). www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbox/finance/fnbacc02a/preparetax/keyprinciple/statutoryi2.htm. [online] Available at: https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/toolbox/finance/fnbacc02a/preparetax/keyprinciple/statutoryi2.htm [Accessed 13 Sep. 2016]. Ato.gov.au. (2016). What to include in your assessable income | Australian Taxation Office. [online] Available at: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Income-and-deductions-for-business/Working-out-your-assessable-income/What-to-include-in-your-assessable-income/ [Accessed 13 Sep. 2016]. Bender, M., Contacos-Sawyer, J. and Thomas, B., 2013, July. Benefits Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Employees. InCompetition Forum(Vol. 11, No. 2, p. 165). American Society for Competitiveness Shields, J. and North-Samardzic, A., 2015. 10 Employee benefits.Managing Employee Performance Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies, p.218 Austlii.edu.au. (2016). INCOME TAX ASSESSMENT ACT 1997 - SECT 6.5Income according to ordinary concepts (ordinary income). [online] Available at: https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/itaa1997240/s6.5.html [Accessed 13 Sep. 2016].

Marketing Management Updated Management Strategies

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Management for Updated Management Strategies. Answer: Introduction This era is no doubt proving itself to be one of the most important and useful eras for business as well as marketing. Whatever industry, business or organization it is, the management and the updated strategies are obviously much more beneficial for that particular industry, organization or business. The highly qualified and skilled employees, management and their working process are undoubtedly useful for the business and organizations of this generation. All these latest and more reliable strategies are taken by each and every organization's whether it is a large-scale organization or a small scale organization. Instead of all these ideas and strategies, there are still some specific troubles that the companies and the management of the companies are facing nowadays. These troubles can also be regarded as the ethical issues of marketing. The issues or the problems that the companies are facing with their marketing strategies are mainly known as the ethical issues of those particul ar companies. The following assignment deals with the various aspects of the ethical issues of marketing, its impact on many different companies and how the management of the company deals with these kinds of issues. These issues include some most important aspect of the company such as the promotion, advertising, and loyalty with the customers, behavioral aspect, and many others. Similarly, it is also true that the companies are also implementing modified strategies in order to prevent these ethical issues. The following discussion will obviously help to gather more knowledge about the ethical issues of marketing, their impact and their preventions. Ethical issues in marketing field Whatever company it is, marketing is the most important aspect for the company to run their business successfully(Barnett and Valentine, 2004). The marketing procedure can also be regarded as the soul aspect of any organization. Thus it is the target of every company to perform a more efficient and reliable marketing. Marketing strategies include basically the product analysis, pricing strategies, promotional strategies, placement and some other important aspect. Though this is the most important part of any business the companies often face some specific issues with their marketing, which is known as the ethical issues of marketing. To be more prcised there are certain common types of ethical issues that the company faces. Firstly the relationship of the customers with the management of the company must be pleasant and nice in order to satisfy the customers(Elger, Biller-Andorno and Capron, 2008). The prime goal of any company is to attract as much as customers are possible. For tha t, they have to maintain a nice and pleasant communication with the customer. But sometimes rude behavior or any employee or staff of the company may cause to the negative feedback of the customers which obviously would not be beneficial for the company. Secondly, another issue that the companies of this generation often face is the loyalty issue. According to some customers the companies are not providing products which they are advertising. The company should either show their customers what they are actually providing or they have to provide them the facilities or the service which they are showing or advertising. These are the basic issues that the companies are mostly facing(Godlee, 2011). Other than these there are also some other issues that the companies must look after in order to improve their organization as a whole like the internal working environment of the company as well as the communication of the employees with the management. If the management of the companies beh aves rudely with the employees it may cause disobedience among the employees which will ultimately harm the company. Similarly, if the working environment of the company is not good and not up to the mark in accordance to the employees of the company the workers would not feel comfortable to work which may create another serious issue for the company. These are some basic ethical issues that the companies are facing nowadays(Guffey and Mccartney, 2008). Identification of the ethical issues of Red Rooster To make a strong statement on the ethical issues in marketing it is needed to have a practical knowledge of the actual problems which are harming the companies(Hollingworth and Valentine, 2014). For example, there are many companies in Australia which are having these kinds of problems, Such as the Red Rooster fast food retail chain or organization. This is one of the most famous Australian fast food company having a great management and proper strategies. Being one of the most famous and established organizations in Australia it is quite obvious that they are maintaining their marketing strategies perfectly, but for some time they also had to face some ethical issues which were harming the company as a whole. First of all, they were facing loyalty issues(Hollingworth and Valentine, 2015). They were unable to provide food what they were advertising or they were not able to fulfill the requirement as well as the expectation of their regular customers which was a real drawback for the company, after that there were also some behavioral issues regarding the communication between the customers and the employees. The company had to face a big and serious loss due to these kinds of ethical issues and not only this but these issues also hampered their reputation in the market(Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). The management of the company took the charge to identify the issues and to implement proper strategies to remove the problems. They first performed an internal analysis of the organization and implemented some latest and modified strategies in order to improve their working procedure as well as their working environment. The management also looked after the behavioral aspect of the organization for the betterment of the communication between the customers and the employees. This example clearly states that how much harmful these ethical issues can be and how they should be prevented(Lipworth, 2013). Identification of the ethical issues of Red Bubble From the above passage it is quite clear that the ethical issues can be really harmful to any company, for example, another famous Australian retail company Red Bubble had to face a destructive loss or downfall just because of some of the ethical issues like the internal issues like the communication between the workers and the superior managers and the human resource managers(Malhotra, 2008). Red Bubble is one of the most famous and settled retail and clothing companies in Australia, still, they were about to be bankrupt because of these ethical issues, the management of the company being actually efficient and dedicated towards their work the company survived otherwise they would have to cease their business(Milisavljevic, 2013). the management of the company was running their business in an impressive manner, but suddenly some internal problems occurred which hampered the working environment and also harmed the communication between the employees of the companies and the managemen t. According to some of the employees, they were not getting proper support and help from their managers, as well as their co-workers which created disobedience among them and them, decided to stop the work(Raina, 2015). This phenomenon turned out to be very destructive for the organization as a whole. To prevent these issues and to save the whole company from being bankrupt the management and the higher authority of the company decided to take some serious and strict steps and they performed an internal analysis to identify the source of the problem. According to various surveys, they took some bold steps to remove the mentioned problems from the companies. These are the main ethical issues which are harming the companies of this generation very much. Other than these there are also some other aspects or issues that the management of the company should be concerned off such as the training procedure of the fresher employees, the production procedure then, the promotional strategy a nd the pricing strategy. Pricing strategy is another issue that the companies are facing. If the company could not determine a proper and justified price to the product or the service they would never be able to attract more customers. These are basically the issues that are harming the companies(Weir, Olick and Murray, 2004). The above-mentioned two examples are discussed to make a strong statement on the ethical issues of marketing. Conclusion From the above passages, it must be admitted that the ethical issues of marketing play a vital role in the up gradation as well as the degradation of the company. Whatever company it is, it would have to face some kind of ethical issues sometimes. Ethical issues are something that could hamper any of the vital aspects of an organization like the customer feedback, production procedure, employee satisfaction and many other aspects. thus in order to make a steady business or organization the management of the organization must be more aware of the ethical issues of marketing and must be prepared for any kind of ethical problems. For that the company should also maintain some basic guidelines such as recruiting efficient and dedicated employees, appointing a reliable and experienced trainer to teach the fresher properly. These are some basic responsibility that the company or the management of the company must follow in order to get rid of these kinds of ethical issues. In all the essay helps to understand the various aspects of the ethical issues of marketing. References Barnett, T. and Valentine, S. (2004). Issue contingencies and marketers' recognition of ethical issues, ethical judgments and behavioral intentions.Journal of Business Research, 57(4), pp.338-346. Elger, B., Biller-Andorno, N. and Capron, A. (2008).Ethical Issues in Governing Biobanks. Farnham: Ashgate Pub. Godlee, F. (2011). Cost is an ethical issue.BMJ, 342(may04 3), pp.d2813-d2813. Guffey, D. and Mccartney, M. (2008). The Perceived Importance of an Ethical Issue as a Determinant of Ethical Decision-making for Accounting Students in an Academic Setting.Accounting Education, 17(3), pp.327-348. Hollingworth, D. and Valentine, S. (2014). The Moderating Effect of Perceived Organizational Ethical Context on Employees Ethical Issue Recognition and Ethical Judgments.J Bus Ethics, 128(2), pp.457-466. Hollingworth, D. and Valentine, S. (2015). Erratum to: The Moderating Effect of Perceived Organizational Ethical Context on Employees Ethical Issue Recognition and Ethical Judgments.J Bus Ethics, 128(2), pp.467-467. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2006).Principles of marketing. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Lipworth, W. (2013). Why drug shortages are an ethical issue.Australasian Medical Journal, 6(11), pp.556-559. Malhotra, N. (2008).Review of marketing research. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. Milisavljevic, M. (2013). Value oriented strategic marketing.Marketing, 44(4), pp.299-309. Raina, S. (2015). An ethical issue at follow-up.Neurol India, 63(2), p.294. Weir, R., Olick, R. and Murray, J. (2004).The stored tissue issue. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

My Dog, My Best Friend free essay sample

There are few moments within a person’s life that can be considered life defining. For many people a life defining moment can consist of a new person into their life, or a new idea or invention that came to mind. For me my life defining moments are not all the same. While I have great moments and simple moments, many are so incredible that I could not begin to describe. However there is one moment in particular that is describable and very â€Å"life defining†. It was in the middle of sixth grade, my life was headed in a direction that was not suitable for a typical Christian teenager. I was slacking off in my work and my life was just not headed in the direction that is Christ honoring. I thought that it would take a miracle for me to get back on track. Well it was a far cry from a miracle but it was a life defining moment none the less. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dog, My Best Friend or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was about 13 and can still remember clearly the event and how it took place. I came home from school on the day of my birth with a long face and a heavy load on my shoulders. I’m not sure what was weighing me down, but I knew that something was dragging my spirit. Little did I know that it was all about to change, I walked through the door and entered my house to find my mom and my sister talking in the kitchen. I made it about half way to the couch when something attacked my leg. To my surprise it was a new puppy. This puppy was no ordinary puppy it was a germen short haired pointer. It had brown spots all over its white-hair body. Needless to say I was a bit surprised, but all in all I found this puppy to be a great stress relief, and I know I don’t have to tell you that a typical 13 year old has a ton of stress. Throughout the years this little puppy has become a great object of my affection, He has helped me out of many ordeals by both friendship and as an â€Å"scapegoat†. I have always found that I can talk to him no matter what and He always listens. While it is true dog is man’s best friend, this one has become like the brother I never had.

Rich Halloween Moviemakers Hire Cheap Copywriters

Rich Halloween Moviemakers Hire Cheap Copywriters Rich Halloween Moviemakers Hire Cheap Copywriters Rich Halloween Moviemakers Hire Cheap Copywriters By Guest Author This is a guest post by Kevin Craner. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. What’s the scariest thing about Halloween II?   The chilling music?   The gore?   The sight of Michael Myers raising his blood-soaked knife to yet another helpless victim?   Well, if you care about grammar, the scariest thing is the blurb on the back of the DVD box.   Read it, and you’ll learn that Halloween Uncut grossed $80 million worldwide.   That’s plenty of money with which to hire the best copywriters, the best proofreaders, the best- well, the best everyone and everything.   So how did the error in the sentence below make it in to print? But the town’s got an unlikely new hero, if they can only stay alive long enough to stop the unstoppable. If you’re not sure what the error is, ask yourself this:  which word does the pronoun they replace?   You might think it replaces hero.   And on the face of it, that makes sense- after all, the hero is the one who will â€Å"stop the unstoppable.†Ã‚   But there’s a problem: it can’t replace hero, because hero is singular whereas they is plural. O.K, so if it doesn’t replace hero, it must replace town.   But there’s another problem: it can’t replace town, because town is also singular.   You know it’s singular because the writer used a singular verb (has rather than have).   Remove the contraction and this becomes clear: But the town has got an unlikely new hero The sentence is, therefore, a meaningless mess.   They refers to neither the town nor the hero.   The reader has to guess what the writer meant.   (If you’re wondering, there’s nothing in the preceding blurb to which the they could refer.) Remember: Whenever you use a pronoun, check that it agrees in number with the word that it replaces- that is, unless it’s Halloween and you want to scare an English teacher. U.K. resident Kevin Craner is a lawyer and writer.   He has written comedy for the BBC, and is a regular contributor to â€Å"Humor Press†- winning first place in its June/July 2009 competition.   He also writes a humor blog.   Ã‚   Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical Words75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†I wish I were...

Applying the Diagnostic Model to World Fuel Services Corp (INT) and Term Paper

Applying the Diagnostic Model to World Fuel Services Corp (INT) and AS-IS Process - Term Paper Example For example, if WFS has clients across the globe, WFS can have an online conference with their clients and would allow both of them to save money instead of traveling and meeting each other in person in order to close the deal. By doing this, they had extracted additional value from external customer’s transactions which is also one of WFS primary objectives as a company. WFS operate in various offices across the globe such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and etc. By adopting technology these offices can interact with each other in a faster and inexpensive way by exchanging emails and through the use of online chat. Rather than flying out of the country to interact with each other which would be very costly and time consuming. Also by adopting technology WFS can expand their market by launching websites, advertisements, and etc. through the web. Technology can ensure that the energy supply, marketing and proprietary activities do not expose the company to unacceptable or unforeseen cost increase through establishing a strong recording system of transactions in order for the company to have a basis on their future decisions which would help achieve WFS goals by looking at the company’s records and history. These records can be plotted in a form of spreadsheet so it can be easily updated and looked into when it is needed. By adopting technology WFS can also give easy updates to their clients in a form of email, fax, phone calls and etc. Being the largest independent marketer for aviation, marine and fuel products WFS should always continue to develop their means of trading in order for the company to grow and maintain success. In order for WFS to grow and maintain their success they also have to have a clear view on political factors that can or will affect their company. An example of this political factor is the government. The

English research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English research paper - Essay Example The California Supreme Court is scheduled to decide early next year whether or not to invalidate the state’s ban of gay marriage which voters approved via Proposition 22 in 2000. This paper will more closely examine the benefits denied gay couples in most states as well as the political, legal, moral and societal implications involved with the issue. As people are becoming better informed about the issue, more are accepting, if not the lifestyle, the right for gays to be married. The argument proposed by the opponents of gay marriage is that the U.S. Constitution guarantees a republican form of government in which elected officials are intended to set social policy for the nation. Legislators do this by representing their constituent’s moral views when drafting laws. Because the Constitution bars the intertwining of state and religion, the only method of ensuring that moral and ethical codes are enforced throughout society is through acts of legislation. When courts determine morality issues, they counteract legislation meant to protect the moral fabric of society and break down the constitutionally guaranteed separation of powers within the government. â€Å"When judges erode the power of the people’s representatives to set society’s moral compass, they likewise undercut the authority of parents, schools, and other community groups to set the standards they would like to see their children and fellow citizens live by. Indeed, it is a f rontal assault on community values writ large† (Raul, 2003). The government was originally formed as an entity meant to champion the rights of the individual whether they are on the majority or minority side of public opinion. Laws that were enacted in the South disallowed the marriage between black and white people but were struck down by the Supreme Court. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act followed the tenets of the Constitution by prohibiting this type of discrimination.

The Various Concepts of Factors for the Job Satisfaction Essay

The Various Concepts of Factors for the Job Satisfaction - Essay Example Comparing and contrasting the various concepts of factors that contribute to job satisfaction. In my view, the factors of appreciation, support, employee feedback, remuneration, relationship with the manager are all factors which are most essential for an employee to be completely satisfied with his or her job. If an employee is appreciated for his good work and efforts, such an employee will tend to work hard every time and face challenges and overcome them because that employee will know that he will be recognized for his/her efforts. The support that he gets from his seniors and his colleagues at his workplace boosts his courage to work through work problems. Moreover, if the management maintains a routine of reviewing the on job positives and negatives through the employees feedback such employees feel that they are being heard and protected. The salary that the employees are being paid is one major factor that can either completely motivate or demotivate the employees. Steps to improve employee morale and overall job satisfaction: the concept of morale includes both fragments of satisfaction and motivation. Morale is basically the motivation and determination that the employees tend to carry on their jobs with. Employee job satisfaction affects the morale and consequently, the determinants of job satisfaction give in to the forecast of morale within the worker. I would make sure that our company implies the factors of employee appreciation, support, employee feedback, employee remuneration, employee relationship with the manager.

The Hierarchy Of Strategic Intent Marketing Essay

The Hierarchy Of Strategic Intent Marketing Essay Strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategy application are the three parts of the Strategic Management. Strategic choice is anxious with decisions about the companys future and the way it needs to reply to the impacts and influences identified in strategic analysis. The choice becomes an indolent exercise if the strategy is not correctly implemented. These three divisions, so, form a closed loop in which the tail and the head are often vague. TASK1 Understanding the process of strategic planning: Explain strategic contexts and terminology missions, visions, objectives, goals, and core competencies: STRATEGIC INTENT: Strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategy application are the three parts of the Strategic Management. Strategic optimal is concerned with decisions about the organizations prospect and the way it needs to respond to the effects and impacts identified in strategic analysis. Choice becomes an indolent exercise if the strategy is not properly applied. These three divisions, consequently, form a closed loop in which the tail and the head are often indistinguishable. THE HIERARCHY OF STRATEGIC INTENT: I will discuss these parameters as a ladder of strategic intent. The ladder of strategic intent includes the following elements. A broad vision of what the organization should be. The organizations mission The strategic objectives   and specific goals to be pursued relentlessly The plans that are developed to accomplish the intentions of management in a concrete way. The fundamentals of the hierarchy specify the devout intentions, lofty ideals and clear-cut ideas that serve to unify the energy and forces scattered throughout an business. They are beginning points for any formal planning process, but they also provide the sense of direction necessary to assure that incremental behavior culminates in overall progress. Strategic intent is said to have expressed effectively when individuals believe fervently in their products and industry and when they are absorbed totally on their firms ability to outdo its competitors. VISION: Vision is what keeps the business moving forward. Vision is the motivator in an business. It needs to be meaningful with a long term viewpoint so that it can motivate individuals even when the business is facing discouraging odds. Vision has been defined in numerous dissimilar ways. Kotter defines it as a description of somethings (an organization, corporate culture, a business, a technology, an activity) in the future. El-Namaki reflects it as a mental perception of the kind of environment an separate, or an organization, aims to create within a broad time prospect and the underlying conditions for the actualization of this insight. Miller and Dess view it simply as the category of intentions that are broad, all inclusive, and forward thinking. The communal strand of thought evident in these definitions and several others available in strategic management literature narrates to vision being future ambitions that lead to an inspiration to be the best in ones field of action. CHARACTERISTICS OF VISION: Vision is industrialized through sharing across an organization: Famous stories of successful vision include visions that have been extensively shared across entire organizations. Of course, an individual leader, often a founder has a powerful influence on the others. Techniques of convincing the others about vision: The leaders by working hard along with others persuade the others in the organizations rather than merely delivering speeches. Change Agents: Leaders must recognize the complexity of changing an outmoded vision to reflect new realities. Organizations must redefine themselves through efficient visions of the future through new purposes and strategies. THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A VISION: Parikh and Neubauer point out that numerous advantages accumulating to a business having a vision. Here is what they say: Good visions are inspiring and exhilarating. Visions represent a discontinuity, a step function and a jump ahead so that the company knows what it is to be. Good visions help in the creation of a common identity and a shared sense of purpose. Good visions are competitive, original and unique. They make sagacity in the marketplace as they are practical. Good visions foster risk-taking and experimentation. Good visions foster long-term thinking. Good visions represent integrity; they are truly genuine and can be used for the benefit of people. VISION STATEMENT: When you initiate the process of strategic planning, visioning comes first. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, I have a dream, and what followed was a vision that altered a nation. That famous speech is a dramatic example of the power that can be produced by a convincing vision of the future. A vision is a guide to applying strategy. Visions remain about feelings, beliefs, feelings and pictures. A vision statement responses the query, What will success look like? pursuiting of this advent of success is what inspires individuals to work collectively. It is an significant obligation for building a strong foundation. When all the staffs are committed to the companys visions and goals, best choices on business decisions are more likely. CREATING A SHARED VISION: Most managers, now-a-days, talk about a communal vision, meaning that individuals from across the business have a common mental image and a equally supported set of ambitions that serve to unite their efforts. MISSION: A mission was earlier careful as the scope of the industry activities a secure pursues. The definition of mission has slowly expanded to represent a concept that exemplifies the purpose behind the existence of an organization. Business mission can be defined as the important, unique purpose that sets a business apart from other companies of its type and identifies the scope of its operations in product and market term. CHARACTERISTICS OF A MISSION: A mission statement includes the basic business purpose and the reason for its being by rendering some valuable functions for the society. An effective mission statement should possess the following physiognomies. Feasible: The mission should be accurate and achievable. For example, Tesco professed its mission as to encourage saving among customers by selling their product cheep. Precise: A mission statement should not be fine or too comprehensive. Clear: A mission statement should lead to action. O2 mission of connecting people leads it to a variety of service with varied tariff structure so as to cater to the preferences of mobile phone users. Motivating: The mission should be motivating for the employees to be inspired for action. For example Royal mail mission is to expectations of the customer with dedication, devotion and enthusiasm. So customer service has develop a value and it is inspirational and motivating the postal employees. Distinctive: A mission statement will indicate the major components of the strategy to be adopted. The mission should be unique. When Microsoft defines its mission as to be a world class competitor it creates a unique place in the minds of individuals personal computer users. Indicates major components of strategy: The mission statement of Shell Bp emphasizes petroleum refining, marketing and transportation with international standards and modern technology. It indicates that Shell Bp is going to adopt diversification strategy in future. The mission delivers way to insiders and strangers on what the company stands for. It is the supervisory star for any copany. MISSION STATEMENTS: Vision is the critical focal point and beginning to high presentation. But clearly a vision alone wont make it happen. Even the most exciting vision will remain only a dream unless it is followed up with the striving, building, and improving. RESEARCH OF VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS: In a competitive economy ambitious by the cruel logic of markets, a business with a determined management can transform a business much more quickly and much more efficiently than in the past. Clearly enunciating your strategic intent is the key. Vision and Mission hold an business together. OBJECTIVES: An objective designates the result that the business expects to achieve in the long run. It is an end result, the end point, somewhat that you aim for and try to reach. It is a desired result towards which behavior is directed in a business. CHARACTERISTICS OF OBJECTIVES: Objectives have the following structures: Objects Form a Hierarchy: In many organizations objects are structured in a hierarchy of importance. There are objectives within the objectives. Objectives Form a Network: Objectives interlock in a network fashion. They interrelated and interdependent. The concept of network of objectives implies that once objectives are established for every department and every individual in a business, these subsidiary objectives should contribute to meet the objectives of the total business. Multiplicity of Objectives: Organizations pursue multifarious objectives. At every level in the hierarchy, goals are likely to be manifold. Long and Short-range Purposes: organizational objects are usually related to time. Long-range objects extending over five or more years are the ultimate or dream objectives for the business GOALS: They are stated in precise terms as quantitatively as possible. The emphasis on goals is on measurement of progress toward the attainment of objectives. Goals have the following structures they: 1. Are resulting from objects, 2. Offer a normal for measuring presentation, 3. Are articulated in concrete terms, 4. Are time-bound and work-oriented. Advantages and Disadvantages: It helps organizations do to satisfy a particular need of the society or to fulfill a particular deficiency in the society. There is always a deadline which sometimes is never meant by organizations. Review the issues involved in strategic planning: Businesses that succeed do so by creating and keeping customers. They do this by providing better value for the customer than the competition. Marketing management constantly has to assess which customers they are trying to reach and how they can design products and services that provide better value (competitive advantage). The main problem with this process is that the environment in which businesses operate is constantly changing. So a business must adapt to reflect changes in the environment and make decisions about how to change the marketing mix in order to succeed. This process of adapting and decision-making is known as marketing planning. Where does marketing planning fit in with the overall strategic planning of a business? Strategic planning is concerned about the overall direction of the business. It is concerned with marketing, of course. But it also involves decision-making about production and operations, finance, human resource management and other business issues. The objective of a strategic plan is to set the direction of a business and create its shape so that the products and services it provides meet the overall business objectives. Marketing has a key role to play in strategic planning, because it is the job of marketing management to understand and manage the links between the business and the environment. Sometimes this is quite a straightforward task. For example, in many small businesses there is only one geographical market and a limited number of products (perhaps only one product!). However, consider the challenge faced by marketing management in a multinational business, with hundreds of business units located around the globe, producing a wide range of products. How can such management keep control of marketing decision-making in such a complex situation? This calls for well-organized marketing planning. What are the key issues that should be addressed in strategic and marketing planning? The following questions lie at the heart of any marketing and strategic planning process: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where are we now? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How did we get there? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where are we heading? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where would we like to be? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do we get there? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are we on course? Why is marketing planning essential? Businesses operate in hostile and increasingly complex environment. The ability of a business to achieve profitable sales is impacted by dozens of environmental factors, many of which are interconnected. It makes sense to try to bring some order to this chaos by understanding the commercial environment and bringing some strategic sense to the process of marketing products and services. A marketing plan is useful to many people in a business. It can help to: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identify sources of competitive advantage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gain commitment to a strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Get resources needed to invest in and build the business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inform stakeholders in the business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Set objectives and strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Measure performance Advantages and Disadvantages: Market planning delivers a means for actively involving personnel from all areas of the business in the management of the company and this participation improves the quality of the plans, with the participation of the staffs it enhances their overall understanding of the companys objectives and goal. One of the disadvantages is costly to implement. Explain different planning techniques: Planning is a critical business responsibility that is often overlooked, particularly by smaller companies with limited time and personnel resources. However, the reason for this oversight is often the result of managements lack of planning techniques. Learning useful planning methods and factors eliminates this knowledge gap. Business planning is just as critical as having a map when traveling to an unfamiliar location. Without it you may never reach your destination. Primary Planning Types Business planning types come in various flavors depending on the company size and industry. However, there are three basic plans that apply to all businesses, large or small. Business, strategic and marketing plans are important to every for-profit and nonprofit organization. Understanding the goals and components of each offers businesses the tools to create effective plans using the most basic or sophisticated techniques. Business Plans Typically used for starting up or financing a company, business plans are the cornerstone of the planning function. Components of a business plan include an executive summary, market analysis, product/service descriptions and financial/operations projections for a minimum of three to five years. In start-up situations that need initial financing, creators should paint a vivid, yet conservative, picture of the founders and the rationale for believing the business will succeed. When seeking growth-financing, management should highlight past company performance and carefully project the impact of the new funding on improving net income. Always include debt service, which is the amount needed to repay the new loan, in income and expense projections. Strategic Plan Strategic plans should be created by business owners and/or senior management only. Unlike business plans, which are based on historical data and future projections, strategic plans are more conceptual. These plans should include defining your organizational goals, identifying your available options to achieve your objectives and considering new short-term opportunities you believe will exist to improve your businesss results. You may want to incorporate specific industry trends into your planned strategy. Strategic plans are not long-term creations, but should address taking advantage of available opportunities in the next 12 to 24 months. Marketing Plans All the fabulous business and strategic plans ever devised will fail if you dont market and sell your product or service. A solid marketing plan will help you achieve gross income and sales goals. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is an effective technique for creating a winning marketing plan. SWOT is also useful in strategic plan creation as a foundation technique. You can also combine a SWOT analysis with the four Ps product, price, publicity, and place of effective marketing. Even if you have invented the better mousetrap, you need a superior marketing plan to get results. These techniques will give you the ammunition you need. SWOT analysis and marketing A vital part of the planning process is looking at the existing position of an industry and trying to decide how factors external to the business may affect the business. An organization can perform a SWOT analysis as a way of deciding which marketing plan to use.   The organization performs an audit on the internal and external nature of the company looking at the current and future situation.   An audit is a review of all the company s activities. Internal Explanation Strategy Implications Strengths Reviews the business current strengths such as a good brand or strong sales performance Can develop the strengths, perhaps in the way they promote the product, or wish to develop new products (Tesco have used their strong brand name to launch several products) Weaknesses Reviews the business current weaknesses such poor response times to requests for information or late deliveries Can implement strategies to eradicate these weaknesses e.g. more resources put into a better warehousing system for the dispatch of goods. External Opportunities Reviews the business future opportunities e.g. new technology making it easier to manufacturer certain goods or new markets abroad Can use strategies to take advantage of the potential opportunities e.g. developing new products to meet the potential increased demand Threats Reviews the business future threats, mostly from increased competition from other firms or from changes in the economic situation. Can employ strategies to ward off these problems, e.g. setting lower prices or increasing promotion Rational about the use of a SWOT analysis in measuring the influence of marketing to a business strategy; Possible strengths in marketing might be: Specialist marketing expertise An innovative product or service The location of the business convenient for customers The reputation of the brand perhaps it is trusted or recognized as the highest quality Likely weaknesses in marketing could include: Lack of a clear product differentiation compared with competing products Weak distribution compared with competitors Inadequate online presence Potential marketing opportunities could include: The use of technology to develop new products Growing demand from overseas markets (e.g. China India) The use of social media like Facebook and Twitter to reach new customers A list of likely marketing threats might include: Competitors introducing better products at lower prices Changes in the economic environment which encourage customers to be less loyal to established brands Changes in customer tastes and fashions Universal Techniques To make business planning come alive and succeed there are three simple practices that must be always be employed. First, set realistic, measurable goals. Second, understand and communicate with your customer base. Third, attract and retain the best employees your company can afford. Without these three components, your business planning, however sophisticated, risks failure on a massive scale. Using these three simple techniques, your business plans should deliver the results you want. SPACE, PIMS. PIMS data can be described as a guide to help management describe the business a business situation and opportunity relative to the offerings of its competitors in two-dimensional space. TASK 2 BE ABLE TO FORMULATE A NEW STRATEGY Produce an organizational audit for a given organization Tesco Marketing Audit: The marketing audit is a fundamental part of the marketing planning process. It is conducted not only at the beginning of the process but also during and after the process completion. Marketing audit not only consider its own plan but also considers internal and external factor that affects marketing planning. Some important tools used by marketing audit are SWOT for internal and external environment where as PESTLE and Five Forces Analysis which focus only on the external environment. It can be viewed as an umbrella that covers efforts to assess customer needs and wants and to understand community patterns. The external environment is reviewed at micro and macro level. Definition: The marketing Audit has been defined by Phillip Kotler strategic market auditing (1977) as a comprehensive, systematic, independent and periodic examination activities and resources in order to determine problem areas and opportunities and to recommend a plan of action. As per the definition: Marketing Audit is Comprehensive, systematic, independent and periodic features. In simple word marketing audit is the complete review of the environment that includes both internal and external environments of any organization. The marketing audit follows the following areas as components of marketing audit:  · Environmental Audit which includes Macro Environmental Audit and Micro Environmental Audit.  · Marketing Strategy Audit  · Marketing Organization Audit  · Marketing System Audit  · Marketing Productivity Audit  · Marketing Function Audit Processes and techniques used for auditing the marketing auditing environment follows simple three steps are: a) Agreement on objectives, scope and approach: Marketing auditor must prepare for the marketing audit by holding discussion with the CEO and the executive staff and briefly reviewing some financial and marketing data. Often objectives are discussed in the meeting such as determine how the market views the company and its competitors, recommending a pricing policy, determining sale activity. The audit would cover the marketing operations of the company as a whole. b) Data collection: More time is spent on the gathering data. More auditors are involved when the project is large. Auditor has to spent time in deciding what question to be asked, who will be interviewed and so on so forth. Daily reports of the interviews are to be written up and reviewed. c) Report preparation and presentation: When the data gathering is over, auditor prepares notes for a visual and verbal presentation to the company officer. Techniques used for auditing the marketing environments are as follows. 1) SWOT Analysis: It is one of the most important tools of marketing audit. It helps a lot of help to the marketers and is used at the beginning of the marketing audit process. It has advantages as well as drawbacks. Some of the drawbacks are subjective and cannot be relied too much. Therefore it should be used as a guide in the marketing planning and not as a prescription to the process. 2) PESTLE Analysis: Various factors of the marketing is analyzed by PEST analysis that effects upon the marketing process. An organization that is carrying the analysis needs to study the environmental factors that are internal and external. 3) Five Force Analyses: This is an analysis that helps the marketers to have a clear picture of competitors for the market. This analysis has some similarities with PEST analysis. In this analysis the marketer goes through five areas of concerns. Analyze and evaluate the external environment of the organization by using PEST framework, Porters Five Forces model and Product life cycle. Companys profile: Tesco runs more than 2300 supermarkets and convenience stores in the UK, Ireland, Central Europe and Asia. It is operating in almost areas such as gasoline retail (Tesco Express) small urban stores (Tesco Metro) hypermarkets (Tesco Extra) and Financial service (Tesco Personal Finance). It covers up to 35% stake in US grocery. It is the leading online grocery store and is now expanding its business with a TV channel and a retail based education institution. A) A PEST Analysis of the industry was then undertaken to examine the local, national and global influence of political, economic, social and technological factors to understand opportunities and threats well. An assumption was made that most of these ( political, economic, social, legal and environmental ) factors would, to some extent apply to the retail industry in Sweden: Political: Following the European Integration and Free Trade Agreements, the market has opened British Companies to invest in Eastern European. It has 60 stores in Hungary. Lidl is fighting hard to maintain its market share with an aggressive pricing strategy against Tesco. Economic: Retail industry is fairly recession proof and also very sensitive to interest rate. Because of September 11 events, the world economy have suffered heavily, stocks were plummeting and prices are low all time. However the world economy is up after the September 11th attack. Consumers are optimistic and retail industry is once again boosting. Social: There are changes in consumer taste and lifestyle present both opportunities and threats for the retail industry. There are alternative Sweden national retailers which poses additional threats to the Tesco while entering in the Sweden market industry. Technical: Introduction of online shopping via internet is now a common place in retailing. IT system undertakes a paperless operation, the management and administration of the company which are monitored by the secured severs, it provides a flexible base for running the business. Sweden is at the forefront of technologically developed with national companies like Ericsson, hence Tesco gets an advantage of developed logistics and distribution channels already in place. One other tool that will be used in these areas is Porter Five Forces. This model can be used to good analytic effect alongside other models such as the SWOT and PEST analysis tools. Five Forces analyses five important in the determination of competitive power and these are:  · Buyers power:  · Suppliers power:  · Rivalry among competitors:  · Threat of new entrants:  · Threat of substitute product Problems faced by Tesco can be explained by Porters five forces including of the threat of substitutes from other supermarkets, buyer power, supplier power and the power of customer. Buyer power also decides the prices in the market. If products are expensive in Tesco then they will purchase from Sainsbury. This mean market is disciplined which make the pricing is disciplined as well. This in turn stops them to destroy the market in a profit war. Supplier power is an important part of this model. Supplier power is wielded by suppliers demanding that retailers should pay them certain price for their goods supplied. There is always a threat of substitution, although Tesco tries to ensure brand image and quality by having the best value for the products. Tesco acknowledges the fact that there have always been threats from the competitors and new entrants into the markets and therefore always plan to improve upon developments in its stores. Carry out an environmental audit for a given organization: PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Ecological, Legal and Environment) Among the above PESTLE analysis Political, Economic, social and Technological factors are implemented as a technique for the auditing of the marketing environment. Political/ legal:- An environment of marketing at any nation is affected due to the political reasons. There should be the management of change once there is a change in the political condition and situation. The system of nation keeps on changing if there is a lack of stability in politics and the organization should change the marketing strategies as per the changing environment so that the organization can exist in the changing environment. Economic:- Economics plays a vital role in the marketing environment audit. A country with weak economy cannot compete in the international market. To be successful in the marketing there should be a sound financial transaction of an organization. Some of the components of economic factors for environmental audit are: Interest rates, Business cycles, Investment policies. There should be good investment policies for the investment by the nation so that the interest of the investor in investment increases which helps to raise financial stability in the nation. Social and cultural:- Social and cultural refer to the tradition and costumes or belief of people living in a particular geographical region. Social value and norms sometimes becomes the barrier to the marketing environment. There is vast different in the culture and tradition of eastern and western societies as a result of it the culture of eastern may not be suitable for western and vice versa. The marketing depends upon the culture and tradition of any geographical area. S Technological:- In this competitive age technological changes plays a vital role in the marketing. All the developed countries have been successful due to the drastic changes in the technology and their capacity to cope with changing technology. Different technologies can be used for the auditing of the marketing environment. SWOT analysis:- SWOT analysis includes strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threats for an organization. Strength and opportunities are the positive aspect of an organization whereas weaknesses and threats are negative. Similarly strengths and weaknesses are internal environment whereas opportunity and threats are external. Low cost of production and sales, good information about the market and sound finance of the organization are the strengths and lack of communication and low quality of goods are the weaknesses. Similarly lack of competition and expansion of the market is the opportunities whereas control from pressure groups, lack of political and system stability are the threats for any organization. PORTERS five forces model:- It consists of five main points that are listed below: Bargaining power of the customers: It is found in the open or the competitive market where the customer has the advantage over the suppliers or the sellers. A consumer has the choice of quality and the rate and if the supplier fa

Hamlets Indecision, Hesitation and Delay in Relation to the Abuse He Suffered :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet's Delay in Relation to the Abuse He Suffered  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In recent times, a psychoanalytical approach has been taken to explain a person's behavior. Freud argued quite heavily that people have a subconscious drive that determines many of their actions. Hamlet does not differ from this. A psychoanalytical approach will find a reasonable explanation of Hamlet's actions in Shakespeare's Hamlet. His actions are characteristic of one who has been abused. Hamlet's Oedipus complex is more pronounced because of it. Other factors indicate abuse. Ultimately, his delay is due to the abuse as well. It is important to understand that he was abused as a child, which is reflected, first, in his Oedipus complex. A complex which must be understood better. An Oedipus complex is often misinterpreted as a son who is in love with the mother and truly wants to kill (or has killed) the father. The Oedipus complex is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as: a subconscious sexual desire in a child . . . for the parent of the opposite sex,usually accompanied by hostility to the parent of the same sex. If unresolved naturally, this complex may result in neurosis and an inability to form normal sexual relationships in adulthood. Hamlet clearly has some problems. He is having trouble forming a sexual relationship with Ophelia. His constant banter with her is almost ridiculous. Throughout the play, Hamlet toys with her, never quite able to just say anything or take any action. Hamlet says, "be thou chaste as ice, as pure a snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell." (3.2.. 133) He also makes some suggestions to her prior to the play within the play.: HAMLET: Lady, shall I lie in your lap. OPHELIA: No my lord. HAMLET: I mean, my head upon your lap. OPHELIA: Ay, my lord. HAMLET: Do you think I meant country matters. OPHELIA: I think nothing my lord. HAMLET: That's a fair thought to lie between a maid's legs. (3.2. 101-106) One does not have to be a genius in order to understand that Hamlet is referring to sex. No where in the play does he taken any action to initiate a relationship of sexual orientation with Ophelia. Instead, like the previous statement, he is playing with her and the notion of sex. According to Steven Bavolek, Ph. D., abuse can cause sexual tension which "may be diverted into games involving teasing, mock spanking, and wrestling" (106).

Oreo Essay

Since its introduction, he initial Ore chocolate cookie did not change much, but over time, Ore expand its line by launching new flavors new shapes and forms. Ore has even progressed beyond the cookie field developing sweet, desert, and many different food service. (http://www. Immaterial. Com/pages/ore. Asps#! Prototype/()/) The alma of this paper Is to discuss and evaluate Ore through an analysis of its: Superior performance, Marketing environment, through the use of Porter Five Forces, Marketing mix, using the 4 AS, and finally we will identify Ore's future Critical Success factors, with aSOOT analysis for support. L) Successful company During the super Bowl blackout In 2013, Ore took advantage of the captive public and posted an ad on Backbone and twitter that became â€Å"one of the most talked moments of the game† The message got almost 15,000 re Twitter and more that 20,000 likes on Backbone. (Minute) 2013 Smarty Pants elected Ore as kids' most loved brands. Brand keys customer loyalty leaders survey 2013 Chips ahoy, its primary competitors is at the 21st place. Ore generates 1,billion in global annual revenues. 916 million consumer reach points growing at 8%Now an international favorite MACRO DEMOGRAPHIC School-aged kids and young adults are the main consumers of Ore cookie. However every Ore advertisement stages a family generally one kid with one parent. Indeed household with kids consume more cookies that those who don't have children (Minute 2010). Furthermore, the forecast of children population growth augurs the Cookie industry in the way that children that are younger than 6 years old and those between the ages of 6 and 11 demonstrate the strongest population growth (census) The brand s ass slogan â€Å"America s best loved cookie†.Shows how Ore used to be more nationally than internationally focused. The 2 Asian giants China and India were the first abroad market in which Ore was introduced. In 1996 Ore expanded its worldwide ambit ion, being present today in more than 100 countries. The changes in traditional assumption habits (busier and irregular life style, time pressure) have limited the number of sit at table repast. According to MIMI, the worldwide snack food sales is expected to grow by 7 percent annually to reach 334$ billion by 2015.Kraft China has adapted Ore recipes in function of the local; they reduced the annuity of sugar in the biscuits. ECONOMIC The current crisis has led to a global precautionary behavior toward consumption. Cookies are moderately elastic maintain its sales thanks to its customer loyalty. Ore opted for a strategy focusing on emerging Market. Indeed, Ore is today sold in 85 developing markets. From 2007 to 201 5 Ore has grown averagely on 37 percent every year in developing markets. Ore has emerged in the global market adapting its product with suitable flavors shapes and packaging.For instance Canadian Ore contains coconut oil, Japanese Ore are made with ‘salty hookah M ilk cream. Ore s social networking was first made in English exclusively; Ore then translated it in 10 different languages and customized messages to reach more customers and fans by adapting to local markets. (Business Week) FIDEL However, in 1996, Ore was introduced to China during the 4 years that followed, the brand showed solid growth. However right after, Ores growth in the country crushed.In 1996 when Kraft first introduced Ore, the Brand first showed solid growth until late asses. Then the brand began to struggle for years, Kraft even noninsured leaving China. After many surveys explaining the mistakes of the Brand, Ore adjusted its recipe to localized flavors by using less sugar in the recipe. Kraft Food enhances the brand's growth by increasing Ore's footprint all over the world. It has done many acquisitions 2006: Kraft acquired the Spanish Portuguese operations of British cookie maker United Biscuits. 007: Damon sold its biscuit business to Kraft 2010: Kraft buys Academy which then abele to trigger Ore in India. => Internationalization of Ore It effectively expand the worldwide scope of Ore by retrieving the patents and sciences kept by PUB NATURAL Terra Cycle (a waste recycling company) uses a fusing machine to transform Ore wrapping paper into kites, bags and umbrellas. (wry. Acquisitiveness's. Com) Ore cookies utilizes palm oil in their products, its main providers are located in Indonesia and Malaysia.Farmer has expanded their plantation by burning rainforest's. Ore's awareness of the impact of deforestation, they then encourage their provider to be part of the â€Å"Roundtable on sustainable Palm Oil (RSVP)† Ore does it's best buying Palm Oil that has a minimum impact on environment. (Money. CNN. Com) TECHNOLOGICAL (Shore branding. Com) Ore is one of the brands with the most successful digital marketing strategy. 35 million Backbone fans and 100,000 followers. Ore's E-Business strategy has led the company to post one tweet per day and o ne Vine per week.The Sandwich cookie brand's crafty posts and attracting attention to pictures and videos have led Ore to a growing number of Fans across its different networks. Ore is the 63rd Backbone Page with most Fans. Also, in February 2011, Ore successfully got a Guinness World Record in the most â€Å"likes† received within 24-hours (Wassermann, 2011) POLITICAL / SOCIAL Ore used to use trans fat (a fatty acid that increases cholesterol and heart diseases risks) in its product. After many campaigns to ban to use of the product, Kraft Food was sued. Ore then started using non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.Furthermore, in France, the way ask the food product advertising on TV to introduce sanitary message such as â€Å"for your health avoid eating too Greece, too sugary, too salty' or â€Å"for your health practice sport regularly'. This was set in order to prevent the public (especially kids) to sickness related to unhealthy food. Ore entered into the political debate co ncerning the gay marriage. In recognition with the LIGHT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) pride month, Kraft Food has posted an Ore head up with 6 colorful layers representing the gay rainbow. (NY daily news) -> Received more than 226 000 likes.But some comment said they wanted to boycott the Brand. In the ass the Jewish population represented 5,2 million of the US (potential market) so in 1998 the brand decided to respond to the Jewish formalities by introducing its first kosher cookie. Micro Power of supplier – Low Raw materials are readily (accessible? (Basic commodities) Supplier size Ore's switching cost are quite low, nearly nil costs. Variety of substitute inputs (easy and cheap to witch to alternative) Labor force (low power unions) Ore buys in high volume standardized products. Ore ‘s brand strength makes it more powerful.Freedom to choose best supplier Responsive to supplier cost. â€Å"More picky' Suppliers are weak Ore is made of chocolate, cacao, vanilla, wheat flour. Ore can buy agriculture product from many different farmers. (Many small supplier with wide range of supply firms and small market share). Diverse range of supplier. So, low supplier power abeles Ore to increase its profit and to be more profitable, attractive and beneficial. DATA: who makes the packaging? Buyers moderate Output differentiation Because Ore differs from competitors due to (taste, packaging blue color) The Ore chocolate sandwich cookie makes 10% of all store cookie sales. 3 billion market. Ores has shown towards its competitive isolation for its competitors. Corporate customers, convenience store, dollar stores, grocery stores and dispenser mainly distribute Ore. Ore scale economies, Important fixed cost. More they produce less the unit price is expensive. s the world's top selling cookie Substitute There is many kind of snack and biscuits, Healthier substitute does exist, for instance Newman-co's (no organic sugar) due to increase in health conc ern. As Ore is quite a low cost product, its potential substitute, There is a low switching cost from Ore to other snacks such as chocolate bars.Ore has succeeded in differentiating by†¦. New competitors low Entry barrier are not so high in the cookie industry, there is a low initial capital required to create food-processing plant. But Ore is not only considered as a cookie but also as a Brand. Ore has crated brand loyalty. Strong brand name and customer loyalty. New brand need to create a network of loyal client to hope to be as competitive. They need a large capital to invest, Ore enjoys major economy of scales due to there large factory which can discourage new entrant.Data: expenses on marketing, plant capital requirement. In the I-J it was first available in Ginsburg. Now it is launched across the I-J on the back of its E,5 million campaign. Ore's major competitor is Chip Ahoy, which is also part of Kraft Food. PRODUCT After the first Ore was introduced in 1912, the cooki e design hasn't change. It is still the sandwich cookie made of 2 chocolate disks with the creamy white filing in the middle. There is 30% of cream and 70% of biscuit. The annual cookie recipe 18 million pounds of cacao an 47 million pounds of cream filling.

View Message LinkedIns New Frustrating Email Functionality

View Message LinkedIns New Frustrating Email Functionality Today I opened up my inbox and saw I had a message from a LinkedIn contact. â€Å"Maybe he’s interested in my services!† I thought. Of course, I couldn’t tell what he had written, because all the subject line said was, â€Å"John sent you a new message.† And all the body of the email had was a line saying â€Å"You have 1 new message† – along with John’s head shot and partial headline. I had to click â€Å"View Message† to find out what the heck this guy wanted to talk about. I was already angry by the time I clicked â€Å"View Message† to be brought to the LinkedIn website. And when I got there, I discovered that his message said †¦ ready for this? †¦. â€Å"Thanks.† Yep, I had wished John a happy birthday and he was thanking me. That was it. If I had been able to see this message in my email inbox, all would be well. I could have deleted it and someday gotten around to replying to John with a thumbs up – or not. But as of about a month ago, LinkedIn is forcing us to go to their website to read our mail. Strangely, I haven’t found anyone talking about this on the interwebs. Am I the only person who doesn’t like this change? I mean, I don’t usually write rants in my weekly blog, but this new messaging functionality is not working for me. Here’s What I Don’t Like: I have to click on a message and go to LinkedIn without knowing whether I want to read the message. It’s often a waste of time. Flagging messages for follow-up has become less integrated. I can flag the message in my inbox, but when I want to follow up, I need to go to the LinkedIn platform to remind myself what the conversation was. LinkedIn seems to be pushing people to subscribe to LinkedIn Premium in order to have their messages seen. The thing is, if someone sends me an inMail, I can view the entire message. So I’m encouraged to send inMails, which are only available through LinkedIn Premium, instead of sending regular messages which can’t be read from people’s inboxes. I find myself not wanting to click, not wanting to go to LinkedIn. Since it’s my job, I do it. But what about the people receiving my messages? Will they open them? I’m afraid fewer and fewer of my non-inMail communications will be read as people get tired of blindly clicking on â€Å"View Message.† LinkedIn didn’t send any notification that I know of to their subscribers letting us know about this change. For a while after the Microsoft merger, communications from LinkedIn seemed to have gotten better. They were announcing changes before they happened! Recently, however, there have been no announcements, no notifications. I don’t like being in the dark, especially as someone whose job it is to advise people about changes in the LinkedIn platform. Take Action Am I alone here? Anyone else who is peeved by this change? Or has the collective LinkedIn community thrown its hands up in the air on this one? In the past, when enough people have complained about a change, LinkedIn has reverted back to the preferred functionality. Perhaps we can change the way our emails are appearing? If you’re behind me, please let LinkedIn (and others) know! Here’s How to Send Feedback to LinkedIn To send your feedback to LinkedIn, visit LinkedIn Help at https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/solve/feedback and suggest they improve this feature. You could write something like this: Area of Feedback: Message Notifications Your Question: LinkedIn, please change the message notifications back to the way they were. I would like to see full messages from my connections in my email inbox again. I dont want to have to click through to my LinkedIn account to view their message. Thank you! Share on Social Media If you want to share this article via social media, you might like to use the following: What are your thoughts on LinkedIns new empty message notifications in your mailbox? I personally dont want to log in to see my messages. LinkedIn, #changeitback! #linkedinhelp #linkedinfail @LinkedInHelp @LinkedIn  https://goo.gl/wHzDHn If you want to see more LinkedIn tips and information like this right in your inbox, sign up for my LinkedIn Professional Writing e-list. And if youre ever interested in working with me on your LinkedIn profile or other strategies, check out my  20-minute live LinkedIn profile review. Its a great place to start!

Biography of Sonni Ali, Songhai Monarch

Biography of Sonni Ali, Songhai Monarch Sonni Ali (birth date unknown; died 1492) was a  West African monarch who ruled Songhai from 1464 to 1492, expanding a small kingdom along the Niger River into one of medieval Africas greatest empires. Two divergent historical accounts of his life persist: the Muslim scholarly tradition that paints him as an infidel and tyrant and the oral Songhai tradition that remembers him as a great warrior and magician. Fast Facts: Sonni Ali Known For:  West African monarch of Songhai; expanded his empire, superseding the Mali empireAlso Known As:  Sunni Ali and Sonni Ali Ber (The Great)Born:  UnknownParents: Madogo (father); mothers name unknownDied:  1492Education: Traditional African arts education among the Faru of SokotoChildren: Sunni Baru Two Divergent Versions of Sonni Alis Life There are two main sources of information about Sonni Ali. One is in the Islamic chronicles of the period and the other is through Songhai oral tradition. These sources reflect two very different interpretations of Sonni Alis role in the development of the Songhai Empire. Early Life Little is known about Sonni Alis early life. He was schooled in the traditional African arts of the region and was well versed in the forms and techniques of warfare when he came to power in 1464 in the small kingdom of Songhai, which was centered around its capital city of Gao on the Niger River. He was the 15th consecutive ruler of the Sonni dynasty, which had begun in 1335. One of Alis ancestors, Sonni Sulaiman Mar, is said to have wrested Songhai away from the Mali Empire toward the end of the 14th century. Songhai Empire Takes Over Although Songhai had once paid tribute to the rulers of Mali, the Mali Empire was now crumbling and the time was right for Sonni Ali to lead his kingdom through a series of conquests at the old empires expense. By 1468, Sonni Ali had repulsed attacks by the Mossi to the south  and defeated the Dogon in the hills of Bandiagara. His first major conquest occurred in the following year when the Muslim leaders of Timbuktu, one of the great cities of the Mali Empire, asked for help against the Tuareg, the nomadic desert Berbers who had occupied the city since 1433. Sonni Ali took the opportunity not only to strike decisively against the Tuareg  but also against the city itself. Timbuktu became part of the fledgling Songhai Empire in 1469. Oral Tradition Sonni Ali is remembered in Songhai oral tradition as a magician of great power. Rather than following the Mali Empire system of Islamic city rule over a non-Islamic rural people, Sonni Ali mixed an unorthodox observance of Islam with traditional African religion. He remained attached to the traditional rites of his mothers birthplace, Sokoto. He was a man of the people rather than the elite ruling class of Muslim clerics and scholars. According to the oral tradition, he is regarded as a great military commander who carried out a strategic campaign of conquest along the Niger River. He is said to have retaliated against the Muslim leadership within Timbuktu after they failed to provide promised transport for his troops to cross the river. Islamic Chronicles The Islamic chroniclers have a different viewpoint. They portray Sonni Ali as a capricious and cruel leader. In the 16th century chronicle of Abd ar Rahmen as-Sadi, a historian based in Timbuktu, Sonni Ali is described as an impious and unscrupulous tyrant. Sonni Ali is recorded as having massacred hundreds while plundering the city of Timbuktu. This routing included killing or driving out the Tuareg and Sanhaja clerics who had acted as civil servants, teachers, and as preachers at the Sankore mosque. In later years, according to this historian, he is said to have turned on court favorites, ordering executions during temper tantrums. More Conquest Regardless of the precise interpretation of history, it is certain that Sonni Ali learned his military lessons well. Never again was he left at the mercy of someone elses fleet. He built up a river-based navy of more than 400 boats and used them to good effect in his next conquest, the trading city of Jenne (now Djennà ©). The city was placed under siege, with the fleet blockading the port. Although it took seven years for the siege to work, the city fell to Sonni Ali in 1473. The Songhai Empire now incorporated three of the greatest trading cities on the Niger: Gao, Timbuktu, and Jenne. All three had once been part of the Mali Empire. Trade Rivers formed the major trading routes within West Africa at that time.  The Songhai Empire now had effective control over the lucrative Niger River trade of gold, kola, grain, and slaves.  The cities were also part of the important trans-Saharan trade route system which brought south caravans of salt and copper, as well as goods from the Mediterranean coast. By 1476, Sonni Ali controlled the inland delta region of the Niger to the west of Timbuktu and the lakes region to the south. Regular patrols by his navy kept the trade routes open and tribute-paying kingdoms peaceful. This is an extremely fertile region of West Africa, and it became a major producer of grain under his rule. Slavery A 17th-century chronicle tells the tale of Sonni Alis slave-based farms. When he died, 12 tribes of slaves were bequeathed to his son, at least three of which had been obtained when Sonni Ali initially conquered parts of the old Mali empire. Under the Mali Empire, slaves were individually required to cultivate a measure of land and provide grain for the king. Sonni Ali changed this system and grouped the slaves into villages, each required to fulfill a common quota, with any surplus to be used by the village. Under Sonni Alis rule children born in such villages automatically became slaves. They were expected to work for the village or to be transported to the trans-Saharan markets. Sonni Ali the Warrior and Ruler Sonni Ali was brought up as part of an exclusive ruling class, a warrior horseman. The region was the best for breeding horses in Africa south of the Sahara. As such he commanded an elite cavalry, with which he was able to pacify the nomadic Tuareg to the north. With cavalry and  navy, he repulsed several attacks by the Mossi to the south, including one major attack which reached all the way to the Walata region northwest of Timbuktu. He also defeated the Fulani of the Dendi region, which was then assimilated into the Empire. Under Sonni Ali, the Songhai Empire was divided up into territories, which he placed under the rule of trusted lieutenants from his army. Traditional African cults and the observance of Islam were combined, much to the annoyance of Muslim clerics in the cities. Plots were hatched against his rule. On at least one occasion, a group of clerics and scholars at an important Muslim center were executed for treason. Death Sonni Ali died in 1492 as he returned from a punitive expedition against the Fulani.  Oral tradition claims he was poisoned by Muhammad Ture, one of his commanders. Legacy A year after Alis death, Muhammad Ture staged a coup detat against Sonni Alis son Sonni Baru and founded a new dynasty of Songhai rulers. Askiya Muhammad Ture and his descendants were strict Muslims, who reinstated orthodox observance of Islam and outlawed traditional African religions. As with his life, his legacy has two very different interpretations in the oral and Muslim traditions. In the centuries which followed his death, Muslim historians recorded Sonni Ali as The Celebrated Infidel or The Great Oppressor. Songhai oral tradition records that he was the righteous ruler of a mighty empire that encompassed more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) along the Niger River. Sources Dobler, Lavinia G, and William Allen Brown. Great Rulers of the African Past. Doubleday, 1965 Gomez, Michael A.,  African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa. Princeton University Press, 2018Tesfu, Julianna. â€Å"Songhai Empire (Ca. 1375-1591) BlackPast.†Ã‚  BlackPast.â€Å"The Story of Africa| BBC World Service.†Ã‚  BBC News, BBC.