Warhol By Ratcliff Essays - Andy Warhol, American Film Directors

Warhol By Ratcliff The life and work of Andy Warhol has inspired many writers to tell of the artists secrets in published writings. However, Carter Ratcliff accomplishes this feat in a unique fashion, profiling Warhols work in Andy Warhol. A must-read for anybody interested in the origins of American Pop art, Ratcliffs book touches on all aspects of Warhols work. Segmented chronologically, Ratcliff explains the influence and significance of select paintings, as well as sections devoted to Warhols sketches, photographs, movies and notes on the techniques used by the artist. This format, combined with the inclusion of nearly 100 prints of paintings, is effective because a natural theme flows through the chronological ordering of the monograph. Some of the influences are obvious in Warhols work. However, the cumulative effect of the artists attempts is more easily understood through the chronological ordering of the pieces. The chronological ordering helps the reader understand what social or personal beliefs or conflicts the artist was dealing with pertaining to the given time period. For example, Warhol produced many pieces with singular subject matter displayed multiple times as in his Campbells soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles and dollar signs, possibly just comforting symbols to Warhol as well as the American Pop Culture. Also, Ratcliff leads t he reader on a journey through the details, effects and consequences of the work. The author also describes similarities in select Warhol pieces. The development of Warhol as an artist is easily understood using this format, as his work transforms from the playful character of Saturdays Popeye (Figure 1) to the realism of Skull or the political power of the Hammer and Sickle series. Andy Warhol takes a convincing and comprehensive look at the pursuits of the artist, basing observations on a plethora of sources. The information cited in each section is a cumulation of Ratcliffs investigation, interviews with Warhol and references to the writings of other critics. Basing his survey largely in the ideas of others, Ratcliff discovers little original information. Referring to such credible contacts as Robert Rosenblumes description of Julia Warhola [1], saying that Warhols portrait of his mother breaks through the artists aestheticism to convincing emotion (Figure 2). Art critic Thomas Lawsons notion that Pop art has everything to do with nothing [2], or Warhols own magazine article, Crazy Golden Slippers [3], are examples of the type of solid sources that the author utilizes in his work. The majority of Ratcliffs ideas originate elsewhere, however Ratcliff chose to use these many sources to support his own theories, drawing from established and accepted concepts to uphold his statements. The prize of Andy Warhol lies in the inclusion of the authors essay about the artist. Together with the effect of the many large prints, which comprise a majority of the body of the book, the essay enables the reader to learn about the artist and reflect on what may have been his intention for select works. To fully understand a work of art it is helpful to have some background information about the work and the artist. The author does a fantastic job of presenting this type information about the artist and his work. Warhol was obsessed with the idea of stardom, controversial works pertaining to popular culture and the use of images from every day life or symbols of such. Ratcliff, when compared to other writers who investigated Warhol, has an edge on the competition. Ratcliff not only describes the work itself, but also tells of the concept behind the art. Cantz The Last Supper is at best a glorified picture show of the artists work. The artist focuses on one series of paintings rat her then on the entire portfolio.[4] Unseen Warhol is an in depth biography of Andy Warhol, not much attention is granted to the actual pieces of art.[5] Ratcliffs Andy Warhol fills the gap left by other writers. Ratcliff delivers a complete analysis of Warhols work by explaining the concepts and ideas surrounding the work in an intensive manner. Ratcliffs thoughts on many of the pieces help to define the actual meaning or ideas of the work in a practical fashion. For example, the use of helium filled mylar, covered with foil in Silver Pillows (Figure 3)

Free Essays on Socratic Ignorance

â€Å"All I know is that I know nothing.† Why does Socrates say this? Is he sincere? In The Apology Socrates proclaims to Meletus and the rest of his prosecutors at his trial for impiety that â€Å"If I do have any wisdom, great or small, I am quite unaware of it!†. This, at first glance, seems like a bizarre claim for reputedly the wisest man in Athens to be making, until it is shown in the light of some of his other teachings. Socrates was not being modest when he speaks of his wisdom (or lack of), nor was he trying to curry favour with those who were seeking to convict him. Rather, he was being quite honest when he claimed not to know anything at all, for that is what he truly believed. But to find out why Socrates would want to make such a claim, so other examples of his proclamations of ignorance must be examined. One of the most explanatory statements Socrates makes to justify his claim of ignorance is also found in The Apology. He is telling the story of how, after receiving the news from Chaerephon that the Oracle at Delphi had proclaimed that there is no man alive who is wiser than Socrates, he travels the land seeking to find someone wiser than he is, and prove the Oracle wrong. However, every ‘wise’ man he meets disappoints him in the same way. In one such encounter with one of these teachers of wisdom, Socrates asks him about the nature of being honourable and good, to which the man provides no satisfactory answer. Afterwards, when Socrates ponders the conversation, we see the true nature of his ignorance: â€Å"†¦quite possibly neither of us knows anything about being honourable and good. But he imagines he knows when he doesn’t, whereas I don’t imagine that – for really I don’t know. So at any rate I am wiser than he is in this small way: when I don’t know something, I don’t have the illusion that I do know it† Socrates shows in this excerpt that he is wiser than other men of learning are, as... Free Essays on Socratic Ignorance Free Essays on Socratic Ignorance â€Å"All I know is that I know nothing.† Why does Socrates say this? Is he sincere? In The Apology Socrates proclaims to Meletus and the rest of his prosecutors at his trial for impiety that â€Å"If I do have any wisdom, great or small, I am quite unaware of it!†. This, at first glance, seems like a bizarre claim for reputedly the wisest man in Athens to be making, until it is shown in the light of some of his other teachings. Socrates was not being modest when he speaks of his wisdom (or lack of), nor was he trying to curry favour with those who were seeking to convict him. Rather, he was being quite honest when he claimed not to know anything at all, for that is what he truly believed. But to find out why Socrates would want to make such a claim, so other examples of his proclamations of ignorance must be examined. One of the most explanatory statements Socrates makes to justify his claim of ignorance is also found in The Apology. He is telling the story of how, after receiving the news from Chaerephon that the Oracle at Delphi had proclaimed that there is no man alive who is wiser than Socrates, he travels the land seeking to find someone wiser than he is, and prove the Oracle wrong. However, every ‘wise’ man he meets disappoints him in the same way. In one such encounter with one of these teachers of wisdom, Socrates asks him about the nature of being honourable and good, to which the man provides no satisfactory answer. Afterwards, when Socrates ponders the conversation, we see the true nature of his ignorance: â€Å"†¦quite possibly neither of us knows anything about being honourable and good. But he imagines he knows when he doesn’t, whereas I don’t imagine that – for really I don’t know. So at any rate I am wiser than he is in this small way: when I don’t know something, I don’t have the illusion that I do know it† Socrates shows in this excerpt that he is wiser than other men of learning are, as...

Letters to the Editor Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letters to the Editor - Personal Statement Example The wonderful community life which we as the residents shared seems to have deserted us. Rob (my husband) and I thought that there wouldn't be a better idea, but to launch our very own family oriented restaurant which would have a seating capacity for 150 individuals. The restaurant would also handle private as well as business events. This family restaurant will not just offer good quality food but also a good conducive environment for both family and business events. This restaurant is my way of connecting and sharing with the community members, the joy and honor of being the part of this community. We are offering a wide range of cuisines, beverages, desserts, appetizers and salads. Mother of three adorable daughters myself; hygiene cannot be stressed enough in my restaurant, considering how much I value a healthy family. "The Dinner" has a lot more to offer than just delicious food to its customers. We would soon be launching our free delivery service, bringing our full lunch or dinner menus right to the door. A spacious play area for kids will also encourage parents to bring their kids along for family gatherings.

The london olympics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The london olympics - Essay Example The task that is being presented is an analysis of the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London. The main perspective noted will be the amount of technology that is going to be used for the infrastructure of the game, specifically through transportation and restructuring of technological networks for security. The analysis conducted will show the demands and expectations as well as the practical applications that are creating a gap with the IT businesses. The ability to host a different set of tools and provisions for the Olympic Games of 2012 in London differs from past options for the games. The information systems that are required for the games have proceeded past years, specifically because of the amount of visitors that will be attending the games as well as the different cultures that will be a part of the games. To ensure that the correct provisions are made, there is the need to create a different set of options in technology for the games. The IT project not only has to be defined by the visitors that will be participating in the Olympics but should also be available for visitors from other countries who have come to see the games and to watch the prospective parts of the games. By doing this, there are more opportunities for London to grow with the available options for the country. The first concept that is being put into place for the London Olympics of 2012 is based on the transportation that is going to be made available to those that are participating in the games. The railway network is the main focus of the transportation, with a specific objective of offering more from the main railway network that goes to and from the games from different hotels and from the main airport. The Olympics will be held at over 33 venues, which is double the amount that has been used in the past for Paralympics. The main infrastructure that is being added into is

Obamacare, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Essay

Obamacare, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Essay Example One of the benefits accruing from the Act is with regards to the fact that it offers an extension of Medicaid’s eligibility in 26 states for up to 138% for the poverty level in the federal hence making it possible for most of Americans to have access to health care. Whether a citizen gets a health insurance coverage for themselves or whether it is done by their employees, the Act abolishes actions that leave citizens without insurance covers when they need them the most. No person gets left out based on their gender or even color. No canceling of policies Unlike before, an insurer cannot come forward and cancel a policy the moment one falls sick on claims that one had made a mistake when taking out the policy. The act of canceling is what is referred to a recession. If an applicant made an honest mistake while taking out the policy, their policy cannot, later on, be canceled on that very ground the instance they fall ill. Appeals When someone feels aggrieved by a decision that an insurance company has reached regarding their policy, they have a right to go ahead and apply for an appeal. The applicant makes the said appeal to a neutral or rather an independent reviewer who checks into their application and delivers a sound verdict in that regard. The response given by the independent reviewer is delivered within 72 hours when the medical condition is urgent in nature. No limited insurances Treatment for some illnesses can consume a lot of time and finances hence accumulating big medical bills.

Indian Steel Sector SWOT Analysis

Indian Steel Sector SWOT Analysis India has rich mineral resources. It has abundance of iron ore, coal and many other raw materials required for iron and steel making. It has the fourth largest iron ore reserves (10.3 billion tonnes) after Russia, Brazil, and Australia. Therefore, many raw materials are available at comparatively lower costs. It has the third largest pool of technical manpower, next to United States and the erstwhile USSR, capable of understanding and assimilating new technologies. Considering quality of workforce, Indian steel industry has low unit labour cost, commensurate with skill. This gets reflected in the lower production cost of steel in India compared to many advanced countries. With such strength of resources, along with vast domestic untapped market, Indian steel industry has the potential to face challenges successfully. The major strengths can be summarized as: Abundant resources of iron ore Low cost and efficient labor force Strong managerial capability Strongly globalised industry and emerging global competitiveness Modern new plants modernized old plants Strong DRI production base Regionally dispersed merchant rolling mills Weaknesses This are inherent in the quality and availability of some of the essential raw materials available in India, e.g., high ash content of indigenous coking coal adversely affecting the productive efficiency of iron-making and is generally imported. Also, Steel is a capital intensive industry; steel companies in India are charged an interest rate of around 14% on capital as compared to 2.4% in Japan and 6.4% in USA. In India the advantages of cheap labour get offset by low labour productivity; e.g., at comparable capacities labour productivity of SAIL and TISCO is 75 t/man year and 100 t/man years, for POSCO, Korea and NIPPON, Japan the values are 1345 t/man year and 980 t/man year. High administered price of essential inputs like electricity puts Indian steel industry at a disadvantage; about 45% of the input costs can be attributed to the administered costs of coal, fuel and electricity. The major weaknesses can be summarized as: High cost of energy Higher duties and taxes High cost of capital Quality of coking coal Labor laws Dependence on imports for steel manufacturing equipments technology Slow statutory clearances for development of mines Opportunities The biggest opportunity before Indian steel sector is that there is enormous scope for increasing consumption of steel in almost all sectors in India. The Indian rural sector remains fairly unexposed to their Multi-faceted use of steel. The usage of steel in cost Effective manner is possible in the area of housing, fencing, structures and other possible applications where steel can substitute other materials which not only could bring about Advantages to users but is also desirable for conservation of forest resources. Excellent potential exist for enhancing steel consumption in other sectors such as automobiles, packaging, engineering industries, irrigation and water supply in India. The key areas of opportunities can be summarized as: Huge Infrastructure demand Rapid urbanization Increasing demand for consumer durables Untapped rural demand Increasing interest of foreign steel producers in India Threats The linkage between the economic growth of a country and the growth of its steel industry is strong. The growth of the domestic steel industry between 1970 and 1990 was similar to the growth of the economy, which as a whole was sluggish. This strong relation in todays environment where the growth of the industry has become stagnant owing to the overall slowdown has resulted in enhanced rivalry among existing firms. As the industry is not growing the only other way to grow is by increasing ones market share. The Indian steel industry has witnessed spurts of price wars and heavy trade discounts, which has impacted the Indian Steel Industry. Slow growth in infrastructure development Market fluctuations and Chinas export possibilities Global economic slow down Govt. Regulations in Steel Sector Subsidies Interest Subsidy Huge amount of interest subsidy id provides by Indian govt. to PSUs in this sector. In the budget of 2008-09, a total of 60.72 crores of intersest subsidies were provided for the implementation of VRS scheme. Since VRS was for govt. companies so private sector didnt got affected by the VRS scheme, so in a way this subsidy was justified. The benefactors were Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd. and MECON. Waiver of guarantee fees Waiver of guarantee fee was on the guarantee given by Govt. of India for cash credit and Bank guarantee and for loans raised from Banks for implementation of VRS. The benefactors were Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd., Bharat Refractories Ltd. and MECON Capital Investment Subsidies Indian Govt. provides capital investment subsidies to PSUs. Govt. controlled Steel Development Fund helps PSUs and in private sector Tata steel by providing subsidized capital for financial Restructuring. However, new entrants, like Essar, Ispat and JVSL, who are negotiating with financial institutions (FIs) for capital restructuring, may feel the pinch. Also ,many state governments provide subsidized large capital investments such as new mill construction. The following states have actively engaged in capital incentive grants: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. Other Regulations Programs that reduce or eliminate customs duties borne by steel producers, based on their exports. The Advanced License Program allow steel producers to import key inputs without paying basic customs fees. Iron export restraints that result in the sale of iron ore by Indias National Mining Development Council (NMDC) for less than cost. The NMDC has sold high-grade iron ore to steel producers at less than market value. Programs that provide steel producers with subsidized loans, lines of credit, tax exemptions, and loan guarantees. The Reserve Bank of India has developed a program through which steel producers can obtain export financing. The government-owned SAIL has received loan forgiveness under the Steel Development Fund. The awarding of captive mining rights for iron ore at less than cost. SAIL, Tata, JSW, and Jindal Steel and Power Limited have acquired iron ore from state-owned land at highly preferential rates estimated at one-fourth of market value. Exemptions from taxes and duties, as well as additional subsidies, for producers operating in Special Economic Zones. Under the 2005 SEZ Act, the Government of India has provided a variety of duty, tax, and fee exemptions. Export tariffs on iron ore supply In June 2008, India enacted export tariffs of 15 percent on all grades of iron ore, pig iron, and ferrous scrap. India revised its exports tariffs again in October and November 2008: the export tariff on pig iron has been revoked, but tariffs on iron ore and ferrous scrap remain in place. In addition, India maintains restrictions on the exports of certain high-grade iron ore. by Indias rapidly growing steel industry. Meanwhile, the GOI also announced plans for increased duties on imports of certain steel products in late 2008. Anti-Dumping Rules These are the measures to safeguard domestic industry from cheap steel exports of other countries. Recently, the government of India has levied anti-dumping duties on certain types of stainless steel that are shipped in from countries like China and Japan. The anti-dumping duties were imposed after finding that certain types of imported steel are landing at below the normal value in the countrys port. The subject countries will pay the duties in Indian currency, notified the board. The Central Board of Customs and Excise imposed the duties by saying that the domestic industry has suffered badly due to the imports from other countries. Licenses Iron ore mining licenses Iron being the basic raw material required such licenses play a major role in defining steel companies supply. Potential entrants The threat of potentially new entrants in the steel industry is low due to the high entry barriers that are present. Capital Requirement Steel industry requires heavy investment in a plant: blast furnace, basic oxygen converters, rolling mills, transportation and infrastructure to deliver high volume of raw materials and so on. It is estimated that between Rs 25-Rs.30 bn. is required to set up an integrated steel plant of 1 MTPA capacity depending on location of plant and technology used. Very few companies will be able to gather this kind of resources and it reduces the likelihood of new entrants. Government Policy Steel industry is a heavily protected industry and the government also has a favourable policy for steel manufacturers. The government can use a variety of strategies like tariffs, subsidies loan and import restrictions to ensure the competitiveness of the domestic market. As a result of government regulations and protections, it has often allowed the domestic steel market to continue operations even when better, cheap quality steel could be imported from another country. Also the steel market face environment regulations and industries are legally bound to develop cleaner and more efficient technologies. Regulation clearances and other issues are some other major concerns of new entrants. Economies of Scale Economies of scale are the cost advantages a business has due to expansion. The average cost of production of the firm decreases as the output increases. As far as steel sector is concerned, economies of scale reduce the costs, RD expenses and industries with economies of scale have better bargaining power while sourcing raw materials. Power of Buyers The buyers in the steel industry are usually quite large like some of the major steel consumption sectors like automobiles, oil gas, consumer durables, power generation which enjoy high bargaining power and obtain better deals for themselves. This tends to strengthen the buyer power somewhat. However steel is widely used in a wide variety of applications and steel companies can rely on relatively large number of customers overall which reduces the buyer power. There is not too much to distinguish between the products of companies in the market although some companies try to differentiate themselves by focussing on added-value speciality products. Lack of product differentiation tends to increase buyer power. However certain companies like TATA Steel enjoy a premium on their products because of its quality and its brand value. The buyers tend to enjoy a moderate level of power due to the relatively high no. Of players, low product differentiation and easy access to global markets. Power of Suppliers The key inputs for the steel industry are iron ore and metallurgical coal. The prices of these commodities are generally determined by large scale market forces which are beyond the control of individual steel making companies. Therefore in order to reduce suppliers power, some of the steel making companies go for backward integration. This strategy requires significant capital but it may be advantageous in the long run as the steel company need not depend on third party suppliers and it might offer the company an additional source of revenue if it can sell its raw materials to other companies. Some of the market players also tend to enter into long term contracts with their suppliers in order to fix price and protect against fluctuations. The bargaining power of suppliers is low for fully integrated steel plants like TATA STEEL which have their own mines of key raw materials like iron ore. However non-integrated or semi integrated steel plants like SAIL which import coking coal has to depend on suppliers. In India, NMDC is a major supplier to standalone and non integrated steel plants. Threat of Substitutes There are potential substitutes for steel available like steel reinforced concrete in building construction and aluminium or less common materials like fibreglass (glass-reinforced plastic).In fact, in the automobile industry where manufacturers are looking to use lighter materials aluminium or fibreglass can be especially advantageous. Automobile industry is one of the biggest markets for steel and steel faces competition from plastic and other composites. An aluminium car may be lighter and so more fuel efficient than a steel car. Furthermore, while metals such as steel can corrode, reinforced plastic is more durable. It is therefore possible for substitutes to fulfil the buyers needs more effectively than the original commodity. Steel has already been replaced in some large volume applications: railway sleepers (RCC sleepers), large diameter water pipes (RCC pipes), small diameter pipes (PVC pipes), and domestic water tanks (PVC tanks).The ability of consumers to adopt these subst itutes means that steelmakers cannot raise their prices indefinitely since at some point the substitute will turn out to be more cost effective. In spite of these factors, these alternatives are not very good replacements for steel. Aluminium is not preferable as a substitute for steel since the high cost of electricity used for the purification and extraction of aluminium in India outweighs its advantages as a substitute for steel in automobile industry. Using these substitutes would require substantial re-tooling of the assembly line. Certain large building and civil engineering projects which gain their structural strength from steel would become very difficult to construct if they are constructed using materials such as reinforced concrete. Thus although substitutes might be favourable in certain situations, switching costs are likely to be high. Thus the threat from substitutes is low. Competition The steel market is represented by several large players offering similar products and services. Steel is a commodity which is difficult to diversify strongly and being a commodity branding is not common and there is little difference between competing products. Although different customers require steel with different specifications(e.g. consistency in physical properties of steel, variations in strength, hardness, and bending properties) and steel producers try to specialize in order to reduce the competition but in doing so they also limit the size of their potential market. Therefore, the relative lack of diversification increases rivalry. Large companies present in the steel industry can take advantage of scale economies. The exit barriers are also high since many of the major tangible assets are highly specific to steel industry which makes it difficult to divest. As a result the steel makers are motivated to exist in the steel industry even when the market conditions are not good which tends to increase rivalry. The steel industry in India is also affected by macroeconomic conditions which further intensify rivalry. Local Competition for POSCO and ArcellorMittal SAIL Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is a steel manufacturing and marketing company. The Indian government owns about 86% of the outstanding shares of the company. SAIL is Indias second largest producer of iron ore. It is a fully integrated iron and steel maker, producing both basic and special steel products for domestic construction, engineering, power, railway, automotive, and defense industries, and for sale in export markets. The companys main steel products include hot and cold rolled sheets and coils, galvanized sheets, electrical sheets, structurals, railway products, plates, bars and rods, stainless steel, and other alloy steels. SAIL operates through eleven segments: Bhilai steel plant (BSP), Bokaro steel plant (BSL), Rourkela steel plant (RSP), Durgapur steel plant (DSP), IISCO steel plant (ISP), Salem steel plant (SSP), Visveswaraya iron and steel plant (VISL), Alloy steel plant (ASP), Maharashtra Elektrosmelt, power companies, and others. The five integrated steel plants have a combined capacity of 12.5 million tonnes of crude steel and 10.74 million tonnes of saleable steel. The company recorded net sales (sales net of excise duty) of INR431,767.6 million (approximately $9,421.2 million) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 9.1% over FY2008. The operating profit of the company was INR75,600.2 million (approximately $1,649.6 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 22.8% compared with FY2008. The net profit was INR62,529.1 million (approximately $1,364.4 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 17.7% compared with FY2008. The main strengths of SAIL are its government backing and its captive sources of raw materials. SAIL has the second largest mining outfit in India after Coal India (CIL). Spread over the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh, the mines of SAIL serve as captive sources of raw materials for its integrated steel plants. SAIL has five iron ore mines at Meghahatuburu, Kiriburu, Bolani, Barsua, and Kalta; and four limestone/dolomite quarries at Kuteshwar, Purnapani, Bhawanathpur, and Tulsidamar. SAIL plans to meet its additional 40 million tonnes of iron ore requirement through the development of new mines at Rowghat in Chhatisgarh and Chiria, Taldih, South Block (Kiriburu), Central Block (Meghahataburu), and expansion of existing operations at Kiriburu, Meghahataburu, Bolani and Gua, all in Jharkhand. Furthermore, it is developing new coal mines at Tasra and Sitanala in Jharkhand, which will produce about 2.5 million tonnes of washed coking coal per annum in the next three to four years. Captive sources of raw materials provide a competitive advantage as they shield the company from fluctuations in raw material prices. However if they are successful in entering India, competition from global steel manufacturers with expanded production capacity, such as ArcelorMittal and POSCO, could result in significant price competition, declining margins, and reductions in revenue for the company. Tata Steel Tata Steel Group is a private sector steel group in India. It is the worlds sixth largest steel company with capacity of 31 million tonnes per annum (tpa). Set up as Asias first integrated steel plant and Indias largest integrated private sector steel company, it is the worlds second most geographically diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and commercial presence in more than 50 countries. The group operates across Asia, Europe, and Australia. Tata Steel Group operates through two segments: Steel and others. The steel segment comprises the subsidiaries, Tata Steel India, Tata Steel Europe, NatSteel Holdings, and Tata Steel (Thailand) Public Company. The group recorded revenues of INR1,473,292.6 million (approximately $32,147.2 million) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 12% over FY2008. The operating profit of the group was INR141,279.5 million (approximately $3,082.7 million) in FY2009, compared with an operating profit of INR 141,213.4 million (approximately $3,081.3 million) in FY2008. The net profit was INR49,509 million (approximately $1,080.3 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 59.9% compared with FY2008. SWOT Analysis A key strength of Tata Steel is its strong RD capabilities through which it develops new products and improves existing products, as well as enhances manufacturing and production methods. Tata Steel Group operates four research centers: Tata Steel Limiteds (TSL) laboratories in Jamshedpur and the Tata Steel Europes (TSE) technology centers in IJmuiden, Netherlands and Rotherham and Teesside, the UK. The group is undertaking research activities in several areas. Tata Steel Group is currently working on various projects that include economic mineral beneficiation aimed at identifying ways to maximize use of raw materials from captive sources; new generation high strength steels, advanced coatings developments, production of ferro-chrome with less energy; hydrogen harvesting, developing state-of-the-art thin film photovoltaic systems, and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions across its operations. As of March 2009, the patent portfolio of Tata Steel Group comprised over 850 patent applications at various stages between filing and grant and over 850 valid patents granting national exclusive rights owned by the respective group companies. However a weakness for this company is its dependence on Europe as a key market. In FY2009, the company generated about 65% of its revenues from Europe. The depressed levels of demand in the region had a major impact on stainless steel markets. Minor changes in price levels, periodic demand growth, or currency rates in specific market areas and regions can affect Tata Steel Groups competitive position and financial performance. As with SAIL, competition from global steel manufacturers with expanded production capacity, such as ArcelorMittal and POSCO, could result in significant price competition, declining margins, and reductions in revenue for the company. Essar Steel Essar Steel (Essar) is a manufacturer of flat carbon steel from iron ore to ready-to-market products. The companys subsidiaries manufacture gas-based hot briquetted iron (HBI), steel pipes and cold rolled steel. The company operates in India, Canada, the US, the Middle East and Asia. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharastra. The company recorded revenues of INR116,883 million (approximately $2,550.4 million) in the fiscal year ended March 2009, an increase of 8.8% over 2008. The companys operating profit was INR17,969.4 million (approximately $392.1 million) in fiscal 2009, an increase of 13.3% over 2008. Its net profit was INR1,852 million (approximately $40.4 million) in fiscal 2009, a decrease of 56.8% compared to 2008. Jindal Steel Jindal Steel Power (JSPL), part of the Jindal Group, is engaged in steel manufacturing, power generation, coal and iron-ore mining, and exploration and mining of minerals and metals. JSPL operates in India. It is headquartered in New Delhi, India and employs about 15,000 people. The company recorded revenues of INR109,133.7 million (approximately $2,381.3 million) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 97% over FY2008. The operating profit of the company was INR42,677.5 million (approximately $931.2 million) in FY2009, compared with INR17,737.3 million (approximately $387 million) in FY2008. The net profit was INR30,457.2 million (approximately $664.6 million) in FY2009, compared with INR 12,740.2 million (approximately $278 million) in FY2008. Entry Strategy of POSCO and ArcellorMittal The foreign steel MNCs opted to enter India through the FDI route. POSCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Orissa in June 2005, to set up a 12 MTPA green field steel plant near Paradip, Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa, with an estimated investment of USD 12 billion. The company planned to build a 4 million-tons per annum capacity steel plant in Orissa, during the first phase of its project , and expand the final production volume to 12 million tons per annum. POSCO-India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated on 25th August 2005. In 2007, POSCO and SAIL signed a MoU to establish a strategic alliance for aligning and cooperating with each other in a wide range of strategic business and commercial interest areas. As per the MoU they agreed to cooperate in the following areas of business: information sharing in the area of corporate strategy planning, exchange of engineers, technicians and other professionals, sharing of know-how and expertise in the areas of development of mines and business practices such as ERP, PI and Six Sigma, joint usage of each others existing marketing and warehousing network, coordination in procurement of coking coal, nickel and ferro-alloys and engagement of transportation vessels. The strategic alliance between POSCO and SAIL was forged so as to synergise their strengths, and retain their identities in the consolidating global steel industry. This alliance was supposed to reinforce the relationship and open the doors of large scale collaboration on strategic business and commercial alignment. ArcellorMittal India Ltd., a subsidiary of ArcellorMittal, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Orissa on 21st December 2006 to set up their first green field integrated steel plant of initial capacity 6 million tons per year (MTPY) at an investment of around 9,300 million USD. ArcelorMittal had also proposed to set up a 12-Million Tonne Per Annum (MTPA) new steel plant in Jharkhand. In the case of both the companies, however, their plans for mega steel plants in India have not fructified due to delays in land acquisition and grant of mining leases. Hence, both the foreign steel giants have started looking for Joint-Venture opportunities in order to become operational in the lucrative Indian market. POSCO has announced a JV with Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) to set up a facility in India. ArcellorMittal also entered into a partnership agreement with steel producer Uttam Galva to buy 35 per cent stake in the latter, partly through share purchase from existing promoters and an open offer. ArcellorMittal is also rumoured to be pursuing a JV with SAIL POSCO-SAIL JV Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) have agreed to form a joint venture to establish a 3 million ton steel manufacturing unit in Bokaro, India with a total investment of approximately INR150,000 million ($3,232.37 million). SAIL is an India-based manufacturer and supplier of steel and its allied products, while POSCO is a South Korea-based steel manufacturer. As part of the partnership, POSCO will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture by investing INR35,000 million ($754.22 million), while SAIL will hold a 49% stake. The proposed joint venture will also include setting up a 0.3 million ton cold rolled non-oriented (CRNO) steel plant in Maharashtra, India The joint venture with POSCO will allow SAIL to access the latest technology in steel manufacturing and facilitate production of certain special grades of steel. ArcellorMittal-SAIL JV According to The Economic Times, ArcelorMittal, a Luxembourg-based steel producer, may form a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Steel Authority of India Limited, an Indian steel maker, to establish a steel plant at Bokaro, India. The JV will have a capacity between 3 to 4 million tonnes with an investment of approximately INR120,000 million ($2,697.06 million). Conclusion The Indian steel industry has to factor in higher transaction costs, logistics costs and railway freight costs as compared to countries such as China and South Korea. Even electricity and interest costs in India are quite high, which makes the industry uncompetitive. As for labour costs, the industry suffers a comparative disadvantage vis-Ã  -vis Russia, China and South Korea, even though wage rates are low in India. This is because the labour cost per tonne in India is much higher than these three countries, and therefore, labour productivity is very low. Yet, most of the major Indian steel producers have gained some competitive edge over the years. The Indian steel manufacturers also enjoy other advantages like abundant supply of raw materials, skilled technical manpower, low wage rates and locational advantages. These provide about 55-60 per cent advantage in terms of operational costs. In the final analysis, it is imperative that Indian steel companies become significantly more competitive by improving productivity further and going in for rapid technological upgradation. The companies need to shift focus to competing on superior products and processes, rather than competing on factor endowments. This becomes all the more important since giants like POSCO have realised the competitive advantage that India offers and decided to establish a manufacturing base in India. With international steel giants such as POSCO breathing down the neck of Indian steel makers, it will be even more difficult for the latter to face competition in both domestic as well as international markets. As for POSCO and ArcellorMittal, who are facing huge roadblocks in setting up their plants in India due to land acquisition and mining licence issues, they can pursue projects with lesser hassle in other developing countries like Mexico and Vietnam. In India, they have the support of the government and hence, gradually they have to appease the tribal people that setting up a steel plant will be to their benefit. The tribal people must be compensated in a commensurate manner and all environmental protocols must be maintained. Then the foreign MNCs can expect to have a smooth road ahead in their Indian ventures.

Stand Up And Fight :: essays research papers

I have a right to be angry. I grew up in Mobile, AL. When I was young, this place was almost all White. Everywhere I went I saw only my own people. I could ride my bicycle anywhere without fear. There were no gangs, or drugs, or drive-by shootings, or anything. The kind of guys we were afraid of in school would be total wimps today. That country felt like home. It was a home. All that is gone now. As I drive through the town where I grew up, half the cars have foreigners in them. The other half have aging Whites. The houses have fences around their front yards, with spiked arrowheads on top. On the street corners there are mini-malls with strange writing on the signs, in Chinese or Arabic or God knows what. I recently saw something that made me ill. An old man was walking down the street. He had a long flowing gray beard, and a turban, and the whole bit. He must have been from India. I thought, what the hell is he doing here in my country ? Why doesn't he stay in his own country ? He has his own homeland to live in. I do not want him here. Once, I went into Pep Boys. Behind me, I heard two voices talking in some strange garbled language that I had never heard before. I turned around and it was two White kids. I think they must have been from Eastern Europe. I felt ill. Now even the Whites are strangers. That affected more than all the rest. I do not want to live in a place where everyone is a FREAK ! I want to live in a place where I have some grounding. I do not want to live in a place where everything is always in flux. I want to live in a home. I do not want to live here anymore. All of this is being done to us. What we want counts for nothing. We live in a phony republic. The people here have about as much power as a student body government. This reminds me of what happens to European countries when they lose a war. Provinces along the border are split off and given to other countries. Foreigners move in, and the people are oppressed and become second class citizens. California and the whole West Coast are being turned over to Mexico and Asia as settlement colonies.

Leadership Style- Steve Jobs Essay

Steve Jobs was the CEO of the Apple company. His innovation and vision has had a profound effect on the way technology is being used. He was more People orientated than Task orientated in terms of placing himself in the customer’s position and appealing to what they would desire even if they did know it themselves; â€Å"It is not the customer’s job to know what they want†,â€Å"people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.† Mr Jobs was more a Autocratic leader than a collaborative one he was also a transformational leader in some aspects. Autocratic Steve Job’s decisions were made with minimal consultation, and his decisions were made quicker allowing him to respond to changes in the business environment more quickly. The Environmental changes which includes facing their competitors, such as Microsoft. However, because of his â€Å"manipulative† behavior he is considered by some of his employees as authoritative. His behavior and Autocratic style in meetings for instance was described as being rude, and obnoxious. Because of his desire for perfection he had a domineering presence which made some of the employees fear him;he would walk around and ask his employees what they were doing and if they were facing any problems this made his employees feel that Jobs did not only care about the consumers and the products but the employees as well. He wanted to make sure that he was apart of every intricate detail and was involved in every aspect of the company. Transformational As a transformational leader Steve Jobs highly encouraged innovation and creativity among his Apple employees, a key element of intellectual stimulation. He inspired other by- Story telling of his own path helped team members to envision success and possibilities He was always clear about the direction in which the company was heading to. Steve Jobs fought through illness and stayed as long as he could to bring the company as its best. Steve jobs knew how to inspire and attract people with the same vision and the skill set he needed for the team. Steve Jobs took many risks and made many decisions with uncertain outcomes, however most of his decisions have paid off and have had more positive results than negative; the majority becoming achievements. Introducing the mouse and graphical user interface. â€Å"Jobs changed how people interact with personal computers by replacing the text-based command-line interface with a mouse-driven graphical user interface. Instead of typing in commands with a keyboard, users could click on on-screen icons using a mouse controller.† Launching the smartphone revolution. â€Å"When Jobs got Apple into the mobile phone business with the iPhone in 2007, he didn’t just add cellular phone capabilities to an iPod or vice versa, as some expected. He came out with a landmark device that merged an iPod, full Internet browser and mobile phone into a beautiful gadget with a multitouch-screen interface. The iPhone was an instant hit and begat a thousand copycats.† Changing how software applications are distributed. â€Å"He gave developers a way to write and sell mobile programs to consumers online. Its success created a vibrant ecosystem that has boosted demand for Apple’s mobile devices.†

Improving case management for foster care children and famil essays

Improving case management for foster care children and famil essays Improving case management for foster care children and families Over 500,000 children in the U.S. currently reside in some form of foster care. Placements in foster care have dramatically increased over the past 20 years. Despite the increasing numbers, the biggest problem is how to properly utilize case management to create a structured decision making/assessment for developing the initial service plan, reunification assessment for developing the update service plan, Placement, and finally an ongoing care. All this are parts of the major problem in todays foster care system Effective case management includes the following components: 2. Provide a comprehensive assessment of both the child and the family resources 3. structured assessment for developing the initial service plan 4. A reunification assessment for developing the updated service plan 6. Develop a comprehensive foster care plan The first logical step in most foster care agency is placement. Since placement is a vital step, there must be a well planned system in place, whereby the children are immediately placed in appropriate homes. Providing a comprehensive assessment of both the child and the family resources is important, because due to the problems with the current system of foster care case management, the first step to a successful placement is a comprehensive assessment. Children and parents in foster care are mostly invisible in communities and often lack many needed supports and resources. Without a well planned comprehensive assessment of both the child and the family, the needs of the child will be neglected and can lead to the child becoming a runaway. For instance the foster-care system, of which family court is a part, deals with Americas most vulnerable and helpless which are the nations abused, neglected, and abandoned children. With a well prepared comprehensive assessment of both the child and the family...

Overstock.com E-Business Essay Example

Overstock.com E Overstock.com E-Business Essay Overstock.com E-Business Essay The e-commerce system chosen is the Overstock. com. Overstock. com is an online retailer offering a broad variety of high-quality, branded name goods at discount prices, including bedding, home decor, appliances, watches, jewellery, electronics, sporting goods, clothing and shoes. At the beginning, Overstock. com sold surplus and returned merchandise on an online E-commerce marketplace and liquidating the inventories of the failed dot-com companies at below-wholesale prices (Drummond, 2006). Recently, it has expanded to sell new merchandise and also offering manufacturers, distributors and other retailers an alternative sales channel for liquidating their inventory. In addition to its direct retail sales, Overstock. com has also offered online auctions on its website. The company’s major competitors are eBay and Amazon. com (Mann, 2005). b. The e-Marketplace. Overstock. com is considered as a private e-marketplace that is owned by a single company. In a sell-side e-marketplace, such as Overstock. om will sell either standard or customised products to individuals (B2C) or to business (B2B), this type of selling is considered to be one-to-many (Turban, King, Lee, Liang amp; Turban, 2010). Overstock. com uses the Internet to create a more efficient market for liquidation, closeout and other discount merchandise by providing consumers and businesses with quick and convenient access to high-quality, brand-name merchandise at discount prices. Besides that, Overstock. om operates the part of their website as an online auctions business, a marketplace for the buying and selling of goods and services-as well as online sites for listing cars and real estate for sale (Mann, 2005). Overstock. com is an example of virtual e-tailers that sell directly to consumers over the Internet without maintaining a physical sales channel. Virtual e-tailers have the advantage of low overhead costs and streamlined process (Turban et al. , 2010). General e-tailers, such as Overstock. om, selling a vast range of goods and services online, capitalize on the internet to offer such variety to a diverse group of customers geographically without the need to maintain a large physical storefront network (Mincedmedia, 2008). 2. Research into the e-business components. a. Organization. i. Possible internal organization functions involved the system. The internal organization of the Overstock. com is formed by few different departments. The sales and marketing department will find and retain customers by building effective customers relationships to increase the sales of the firm. Marketers of the Overstock. com uses several types of online advertising methods such as banner ads, e-mail advertising and video ads (Turban et al. , 2010). The engineering department will be in charge of the firm’s e-commerce system, online security, payment systems, IT compliance, application software, website design and maintenances and also data management. The firm’s IT engineer will be responsible to use technology expertise such as the defence and e-commerce security strategy, e-commerce payment systems, application of software and the knowledge in the web 2. to facilitate the online business of Overstock. com (Kelly, 2005). The accounting and finance department will be responsible in partnering with other county departments to leverage resources that are essential toward achieving related objectives and also ensuring that quality financial services and information is provided. In addition, the operations department does the day to day operation of the business. The operations department of the Overstock. com consist of the merchandise operational coordinator, co-op manager and system administrative. They handle all the clerical functions having to do with clearance, settlement, and execution of trades (Mincedmedia, 2008). This department keeps customer records and handles the day-to-day monitoring of margin positions. ii. Possible firms, suppliers and business partners. Part of Overstock. coms merchandise is purchased by or manufactured specifically for Overstock. com. Merchandise is obtained either by buying excess inventory, referred to as the companys direct business, or by selling the merchandise of other retailers, catalogue companies, and manufacturers on a commission basis (Mann, 2005). Among their products are handmade goods produced for Overstock by workers in developing nations. The shopping business of the Overstock. com includes both a direct business and a fulfilment partner business. Products from the fulfilment partner segment are from various industry verticals, such as florist supplies, restaurant supplies, and office supplies (Wang, Liu Koong amp; Bai, 2009). Overstock. com form partnerships with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Kenneth Cole, Simon amp; Schuster, Samsonite, and Cuisinart. These fulfillment partners, constituting the former commission side of Overstock. coms business, drove the companys revenue growth high and following its IPO. iii. Possible business process associated with the system. The shopping business of the Overstock. com includes both a direct business and a fulfilment partner business (Overstock. com). The fulfilment partner business is one of the business process associated with the system, Overstock. com sell merchandise of other retailers, cataloguers or manufacturers ) through their Website. Overstock. om currently has fulfilment partner relationships with approximately 1,250 third parties on their website (Ferguson amp; Hlavinkha, 2007). Overstock. com also provides an online auction service on the Website. The Auctions business allows sellers to list items for sale, buyers to bid on items of interest, and users to browse through listed items online. The revenue for the merchandise returned to the Company that we sell at auction is recor ded on a gross basis. Revenue from the auctions business will be included in the fulfilment partner segment. Besides that, an online site for listing cars for sale was provided as a part of the Website. The cars listing service allows dealers to list vehicles for sale and allows buyers to review vehicle descriptions, and allows purchasers to contact sellers for further information and negotiations on the purchase of an advertised vehicle. Revenue from the cars listing business is recorded net and is included in the fulfilment partner segment. In addition, an online site for listing real estate for sale was provided as a part of the Website. The real estate listing service allows customers to search for active listings across the country. Listing categories include foreclosures, live and on-line auctions, for sale by owner listings and also broker or agent listings. Revenue from the real estate listing business is recorded net and is included in the fulfilment partner segment (PR Newswire, 2010). b. Possible technologies. i. Hardware, Software and Network telecommunications technology. Overstock. com needed equipment that would perform consistently and handle the traffic peaks that occur in the fourth quarter of the year without service degradation therefore, they chosen Foundry’s BigIron MG8 high-performance 10-Gigabit switches to power the backbones at its headquarters. Foundry is a leading provider of high-performance enterprise and service provider switching, routing and Web traffic management solutions and also an application service provider for Overstock. com, Inc. Foundry has helped them achieve the level of performance with a solution that will accommodate future growth and the payoff can be enormous in terms of customer experience and cost savings (Foundry Network, n. d. ). Overstock. com is using the OptiMine Software, a provider of intelligence software for advertising optimization. Their flagship product, OptiMine Paid Search Bid Management Application, forecasts the performance of each paid search ad placement each day and automatically sets optimal bids. Overstock. com also uses many other software such as Breach Security’s web defend and VPNs for website security purpose. Besides that, software like EDIs are used for online data interchange via emails and chat rooms; EFTs are used for the purpose of e-payment systems (â€Å"Breach†, 2009). Overstock. om uses the internet and extranet, private network that uses Internet protocols and network connectivity (VeriSign, 2008). Overstock. com uses these network and telecommunications technology to operate the online shopping, online auctions and online listing cars and real estates. It has been described as a state of mind in which the Internet is perceived as a way to do business with a selected set of other companies, the fulfillment partner companies to sell their products online (â€Å"Success St ory†, 2009). ii. Payment systems and security technologies. The payment system used by Overstock. com is majorly based on online credit card payment. In the United States, credit card holders of the American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard and Visa card are able to purchase goods online directly from Overstock. com website. ‘Bill Me Later’ is a payment method offered on the websites of many well-known merchants, including Overstock. com. The site offers credit through CIT Bank, allows purchases to be made online without using a credit card. Besides that, the payment systems of Overstock. om also have many special features, such as secure ordering/Payment system, on-line ordering shopping cart system, on-line order tracking system, customers info is confidential, gift services available and also live customer representative (Steiner, 2006). Lately, Overstock. com has integrated Auction Checkouts payment service into its auction platform. Third-party sellers on Overstock. com Auctions can now accept credit card payments for auct ion sales without having a credit-card merchant account (McDonald amp; Dunbar, 1998). One of the most important issues for a desirable e-payment system is the system should be based on well-established security principles (Turban et al. , 2010). Overstock. com uses the methods of address verification, manual review and fraud screens and automated decision models in preventing financial frauds in the payment system. For securing the networks of Overstock. com, the company uses firewalls, VPNs and IDSs and also teaming with some leading provider of application security assessment to optimize their Web security systems (Overstock. com, 2010). For example, Overstock. om chose Breach Security’s WebDefend web application firewall (WAF) to provide immediate compliance with the latest Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) (VeriSign, 2008). The system ensures that all web-facing application be protected against known attacks via web application firewall vulnerability scans or code review. c. Value of the e-business system. i. Tangible benefits. The ef fect of e-business in Overstock. com has brought several tangible benefits to the firm itself. The sales of Overstock. com have increased due to the some of the factors. Revenue has increased by having new customers from new markets, from existing customers due to the repeat-selling and also cross-selling (Turban et al. , 2010). By using the e-business technology, costs can be reduced as the efficiency of search and transaction costs have been improved. Marketing cost also can be reduced as we reduce time for customer service, reduce printing and distribution costs of marketing communications. Besides that, Overstock. com’s supply chain cost also can be reduced by reducing the levels of inventory and having a shorter cycle time in ordering. In addition, administrative cost also can be reduced from more efficient routine business processes such as recruitment, invoice payment and holiday authorization (Schwartz, 2002). E-commerce system allows Overstock. com to carry out businesses without the barriers of time or distance and therefore people can save time and cost. Customers can log on to the Internet at any point of time, be it day or night and purchase or sell anything one desires at a single click of the mouse. The relationship between the customers and Overstock. om also can be improved because the website also includes a support home page where the customer support, customer care contacts and also some frequently asked questions. Overstock. com also provides personalization services whereby the firm will notify customers by e-mail when there are new products, according to the specific user’s preferences (Deeter-Schmelz, amp; Kennedy, 2004). ii. Intangible benefits. The use of e-business system by the Oversto ck. com also brings a lot of intangible benefits to the organizations, individual customers and society. One of the benefits is the enhancement of products, with the e-business system Overstock. om get to expand its business by selling their own product and also selling some ‘fulfilment partnership’ products, and further on manages an online auction site and provides car and real estate listings. Besides that, the e-business system brings more rapid, more responsive marketing communications including public relations to the firm (Turban et al. , 2010). A faster product development lifecycle will also enabling faster response to market needs (Ferguson amp; Hlavinkha, 2007). A better customer service will be served as well because of the customer service home page on the Overstock. com web page. Customers can solve their problems quickly by searching the web page. The firm can also easily collect feedback from customers on products. This can assist the firm in meeting customer’s expectations (Drummond, 2006). The strategic position of the company can be improved as the Overstock. com includes value propositions such as complementarities and novelty. Overstock. com provides complementarities such as the bundling of products and services, for example, the website offers a wide variety of products and after purchasing these products, shipping services from will be also included by the company. The novelty of what Overstock. om introducing is about using innovative ways for structuring, connecting partners and fostering new market. For example, Overstock. com helps some firms to liquidate their inventories and also sell their products on the website under the â€Å"fulfilment partner† category. Besides that, Overstock. com also provides online auction, listing car and real estate for sale which encourages the fostering of new market. Overstock. com also can make out new partners and supporting existing partners more efficiently and effectively with a better management of marketing information, customer information and business partners’ information (Schwartz, 2002). ii. Alignment with company vision, mission and objectives. By using the e-business system, Overstock. com has significantly cut down the cost associated with marketing, customer care, processing and information storage. It also reduces the time period involved with business process re-engineering and customization of products to meet the demand of particular customers, increasing productivity and customer care services. Electronic commerce reduces the burden of transportation to conduct businesses and thereby raises the amount of funds available for profitable investment. It also enables efficient customer care services. Alternatively, it collects and manages information related to customer behaviour, which in turn helps develop and adopt an efficient marketing and promotional strategy (Deeter-Schmelz, amp; Kennedy, 2004). In fact all these benefits will help out Overstock. com to achieve their vision, missions and objectives. Overstock. com’s vision is to provide online shoppers with the best price and a superior customer experience with the values of honest, helpful, efficient, accountable, and trustworthy, and committed to profitability and service. The value and benefits of e-business systems in Overstock. om can help to reach its vision as the cost reduction of firms and the improved customer service and relationship will allow customers to buy products with a cheaper price and enjoy a superior customer experience (Wang, Liu Koong amp; Bai, 2009). Overstock. com’s main mission is to save consumers’ money (Overstock. com). With the e-business system in the Overstock. com, con sumers can compare and shop online for the lowest prices and also get information easily with details and demos. The standard of living of the consumers also can be improved as consumer can afford to buy cheaper goods and services. The e-business system also helps Overstock. com to achieve its mission. The objective of the Overstock. com is to become the dominant internet-based closeout solution for holders of brand-name merchandise, allowing them to dispose of that merchandise discreetly and with high recovery values, and to ultimately become a one-stop Internet-based discount shopping destination. 3. Possible e-business issues a. Security and privacy issues The lack of trust in Internet commerce applications may result in cautious business operators and clients to abstain from using the Internet for now and revert back to traditional ways of doing business. This eradication of trust being fuelled by continued stories of hacker attacks on e-commerce sites and intrusion of consumer data privacy (Marchany amp; Tront, 2002). There are two major threats faced by Overstock. com: Denial of Service (DOS) and financial fraud. DOS is still an attack in which many major e-commerce sites suffer whereby hackers rely on software and zombie PCs to launch the attacks. DOS attacks can be difficult to stop; a series of steps could be costly to combat these attacks. Overstock. com consumers use credit cards for online purchases where security and fraud are the major issues in making e-payments. Due to this issue, wide variety of tools such as address verification and other authentication services are employed to reduce the problems while considering the ease of use and the fit within the overall business context. However, it is impossible to totally overcome security and fraud issues as the victimized industries, users, and organizations are still vulnerable due to the failure of taking necessary precautions to avoid becoming a victim (Turban et al. , 2010). Consumer privacy is becoming the most common security issue following theft and fraud as top concerns in e-commerce. For example, selling consumer data without the customer knowledge or permission is the major internal threat to consumer privacy. This type of issue will be a resistance for people to participate in certain types of e-commerce transactions if the assurance of privacy is low or non-existent. If the majority of businesses are not considered to be secure, the confidentiality and integrity of the customer information will be in doubt (â€Å"Breach†, 2009). Hence, e-commerce security needs to be addressed not only at the business site with its servers/network ut also on the client side, which includes direct connected home computers. Despite of all the security and privacy issues flooding the society, security architecture of e-commerce sites has to be tailored to ensure consumer data privacy and company resources are not used to attack other Internet sites. There are guidelines for securing systems and networks to educate the consumer on these e-commerce security issues. Consumers playing their part in solving these issues are the most critical element of the e-commerce security architecture (Turban et al. , 2010). Besides that, training and orientation programs are critical to increase the general public awareness of security on the Internet. IT and financial control groups within the e-commerce site should form an alliance to overcome the general resistance to implementing security practices at the business level while industry self-regulation of consumer privacy should make recommendations to congress in order to introduce legislation on privacy issues. b. Marketing issues. One of the marketing issues faced by Overstock. com is competition. Two major competitors of Overstock. com are eBay and Amazon. om (Overstock. com, 2010). These two competitors are well known e-marketplace for the internet surfers (Mann, 2005). Overstock. com has an oligopoly market structure in which a small number of firms supply most of the market. There are only a few firms dominating the market such as big firms with large share of market sales. Firms in an oligopoly market structure are interdependent whereby they watch each other closely because of the competitive strategy. Oligopoly firms such as the Overstock. com normally use non-price competition accrue greater revenue and market share. It has a high barrier to enter the market and large existing firms enjoy economies of scale. However, new entrants tend to face higher production and set up costs. Overstock. com has to spend enormous amount of money on advertising to win and retain their customers and brand loyalty. Consumer behaviour is also one of the marketing issues faced by Overstock. com. It is difficult to create customer loyalty as it is very fast and easy for consumers to switch loyalty online. Hence, enhancing loyalty through methods such as e-loyalty programs is a must. Besides that, building trust is very difficult since people do not know or see each other. Amazon. com is using one-to-one marketing which can increase the degree of loyalty. This one-to-one marketing strategy is not exercised by Overstock. com which leaves them in the losing end if compared to its competitors (Mincedmedia, 2008). In order for Overstock. com to survive in this competitive market, their possible market strategy and segmentation is to set up their e-business system as their storefront and gain new market target and new market opportunities on online selling sites of car and real estate listing (Overstock. com, 2010).

Baroque Art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Baroque Art - Assignment Example There was great religious turmoil during this time period. This tumultuous force was the Reformation. After Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses, it took relatively little time for northern Europe’s nations to become primarily Protestant, while the southern countries retained and strengthened their Catholic identities during the Counter-Reformation. There was the intense us vs. them battle of religion, and art was in the middle. Once the Reformation began, Protestant leaders such as John Calvin and Huldreich Zwingli encouraged iconoclastic movements, which denounced Catholic imagery as idolatrous and called for its destruction. However, the Protestants did not condemn all art—they chiefly opposed the Catholic religious art, to which Catholics of the time gave reverence. The chief argument between Catholic and Protestant was that the Protestants believed the Catholics held their relics and imagery sacred, instead of revering Christ. In contrast, the Roman Catholic Church had embarked in the 1550s on a program of renewal known as the Counter - Reformation. As part of the program, the Catholic Church used art of the magnificent display for the campaign. It was intended to be both doctrinally correct and visually and emotionally appealing so that it could influence the largest possible audience. Their paintings glorified Catholic traditions, the sacraments, and the saints. Clearly, the content of their work contrasted strongly with that of the northern Protestants’ work.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example There is an established communication between Adam (man) and God (divine). Adam is seen stretching his hand reluctantly and loosely to receive what God is presenting to him. God is trying to transmit some sought of divinity to man. This is being attempted by bringing their fingers as close as possible but it is clear the fingers do not establish a contact. This could be the impossibility of God and man being into contact. The story is biblical though and it has it that after Creation of Adam, God breathed life into him. In the bible there is nowhere we are told that there was a lot of resistance in the process. However, in the creation of man, the work presents an interesting fact (Kleetus, 2005). God is seen trying to reach Adam with all his might. He is stretching his index finger to touch that of Adam. It seems there is a resistance in form of a wind, which is trying to deny him a chance to communicate to his creation. The presence of a wind-like force is depicted in the direction of God’s legs and those of the angels surrounding him. The implication from the figure here is that God is trying with all his might to touch and transmit his mightiness to hid creation amidst a strong opposing force. On the other hand, dam does not seem to have the energy and effort to reach to God. Adam is relaxed and while God is using his right hand to reach him, Adam is using his right hand to support his lazily leaning body and reluctantly uses his left hand to respond to God’s attempt to reach him. The left hand has to be supported by his left leg knee for that case. Adam’s body is leaning against God and it seems he is not willing enough or putting enough effort to make the divine connection with God. The body language of the two is totally different and while one is responding with strength to establish a connection, the receiver is not so much putting an effort to receive. A closer look at the index fingers of the two subjects in