Develop MPI Essay Example for Free

Develop MPI Essay First, in today’s global economy, many companies are vying for a presence in the global markets. There are several ways to gain entry into a foreign market but many questions must be answered first to make sure there is a return on investment or an exit strategy. In the Foley Company case, Joanne has to determine what are her Company strategies advantages and disadvantages of entering Brazilian market for soybeans harvesters: First, she has to determine whether the Company is considering a standalone entry or entry through alliances. This could be a pivotal point in their decision because on one hand the lack of experience with foreign manufacturing operations could prove to be costly in a standalone entry for example. But as Mr. Osborne point it out this is also a â€Å"too good to lose† market, so an equity-base method of entry through alliances seemed to be a none-starter for Foley Company. But eventually, Ms. Poe has other options to consider for entry strategies: Contract Manufacturing, Licensing, Franchising or Exporting. Contract Manufacturing Contract manufacturing has a flexibility element to it as an entry method as it can be used as an added value to other method of entry. This is a major advantage. Ms. Poe could recommend this option in conjunction with franchising for example. Contract Manufacturing would also give the Foley Company a new look at the market in Brazil because the company has not seen this aspect of business in Brazil. Here, the company could focus on RD and other improvement to its machinery to gain competitive advantage. The advantages of this method of entry could be: low capital required, low risk, manageable exit strategy, easy to structure and direct the process. The disadvantages of this method could be: the Company could lose some control due to lack of international experience, difficult to account for the cultural and differences in quality of work and standards, locally accepted practices can be hard to gauge when selecting vendors of supplies of parts etc. can be a problem for a new entrant in the market especially when there is potential for major capital investment. Licensing Licensing method of entry for companies could be reinsuring for the Foley Company because the Company would be able to legally protect its assets  while in the process conducting market establishing its name in Brazil. But this is more to prepare the â€Å"field† by licensing its rights and expertize to local companies conduct to business on its behalf. The important elements here are protection by the local regulations. The advantages here could be: Less hurdles to enter in case of import complexities in Brazil, fast entry into the market, no capital upfront required to establish a presence. But the disadvantages could be: Decrease in sales (not fully engage yet), culture differences and interpretations, and more importantly, the licensee could collaborate with competitors or become competitors themselves which would complicate future deals in Brazil. Franchising By recommending franchising a method of entry, Ms. Poe could emphasize the fact in this case rapid expansion, where a franchise would maintain a business relationship with Foley Company which would grant it the right to distribute its soybeans harvesters using Foley’s brand in exchange for a fee. The creation of a network of owner operated dealers would increase its market share and expanded territories. Less advertising programs and costs, market penetration at high rate, brand equity. The disadvantage of this method of entry could be the cost of engaging locals by Foley Company and potential lack of connection between the company goals in US and it Brazilian counterpart might cause frictions because the local might not be fully vested into the â€Å"bigger picture†. My recommendation would be: Wholly Owned Subsidiaries: Like many Companies, The Foley Company could establish itself fully in Brazil. This would give the company ownership through wholly owned subsidiaries. This method would allow Foley Company to gain control over manufacturing operations and any profits centers completely without sharing with any potential partners. The drawback to this method of entry would be the high initial investment. There can’t be guarantees here because of other intangible like politics, social, economical facts can complicate matters sometimes. But in the long-run, this method of entry which can be done through Acquisition or Greenfield investment (building entirely new facility), would yield many advantages for the company, for example brand equity, increase its competitiveness in the market. With the right  synergies, the economic benefits, in my opinion would outweigh the costs while expanding the market. References http://www.coursesmart.com/SR/7071808/0077496191/331?__hdv=6.8 https://blackboard.neu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2239043_1%26url%3D Buckley, P.J., and Casson, M.C. 1998. Analyzing Foreign Market Entry Strategies: Extending the Internationalization Approach. Journal of International Business Studies: 539-561.

Analysis of C Seasons Footwear Company

Analysis of C Seasons Footwear Company Introduction For the business world today, the aim of every company is to invest in an environment that is economically safe with the aim of working towards making profit, make maximum returns on investment and to kept the interest of the companys shareholders in mind and also to have the interest of customers in mind in order to gain competitive advantage by working on core competency of the organisation. The company is in the athletic footwear industry called C SEASONS. The company used a differentiated strategy for the sale of its sports footwear. This is going into the footwear market in a different way from other footwear making companies in order to have a competitive advantage over other athletic footwear industry. C Seasons Footwear Company has been in the footwear industry for the last five years supplying the best footwear to four different regions namely, North America, Europe Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The BSG Online simulation was based on twelve industries that were into athletic footwear located in four regions (North America, Europe Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. It started with twelve companies and to compete with other company and make necessary decisions and design and implement a strategy that will provide a longterm return for shareholders over the next five years. The report will focus on company 25 (C SEASONS). According to Johnson, et al (2009) a differentiation strategy seeks to provide products or services that offer benefits that are different from those of competitors and that are widely valued by buyers. p.153. The aims and objectives of the BSG online simulation are: Becoming the market leader in the footwear making industry. To have a good shareholder returns. To have a high net profit at the end of the game simulation. Various report, tables and graphs would be used to help decision making processes. The table below shows the strengths and weaknesses for C Seasons on both the internet segment and wholesale segment of the business for the five years. Simulation Result. Year 1. In order to be the market leader, we decided that in year 1 we would be making a 1% charitable contribution, by doing this it would help reduce the tax payable by the company at the end of each financial year. The company would also be involved in workforce diversity programs. The company also decided that at the end of the year we would have certain percentage of our unsold stock on clearance sales. For the North American market clearance would be 25%, Europe Africa would be 25%, Asia Pacific would be 50% and 50% for Latin America. The company also had strengths in all regions in the models offered, rebate offers and advertisement. Some weakness were also identified such as the style and quality, delivery time and the wholesale price. At he end of the first year the company had an image rating of 66 and a credit rating of A. The net profit margin in the first year was 14.1% while return on equity was 22.8%. The current ratio in the first year was 2.74 while the asset turnover was 0. 93. Year 2 In year two the strengths of the company in the regions were the models offered and the rebate offers. The inventory clearance was left as the first year which the company believed would attract more customers. The weaknesses in year two were style and quality, wholesale price offered to retailers, the delivery time, celebrity appeal and free shipping. Return on equity in year two was 23.4% while the net profit margin was 16.4%. This was a 3.1% rise from the first year which points out that the company was selling well. Asset turnover in the second year was 0.93 while the current ratio was 4.11%. Year 3 In year three the strengths of the company in the three regions were the free shipping offered, rebate offers, celebrity appeal and the models offered. The return on equity in year three was 19.7%. Net profit margin 16.9%. Asset turnover was 0.57 while the current ratio was 5.37%. The company had some weaknesses in the third year of business delivery time, retail outlet, and advertising were the setback for the company. Year 4 In year four the company decided to pay shareholders, a sum of $0.50/share is to be paid to each shareholder per the number of share(s) they hold in the company. Shareholders were paid dividend as a sign of goodwill and also to show value for the money they have and would invest in the company. The company showed some strengths during the trading year such as the models offered, the free shipping offered, rebate offers and good advertising. The company also had some weaknesses in some of the regions such as the style and quality, retail outlet and the delivery time. The return on equity for year four as 10.3%. Net profit margin for the year was 10.5%, the reason for this was the dividend paid to shareholders during the year. The asset turnover for the year was 0.76 while the current ratio for the company was 7.32%. Year 5 In year five the current ratio for the company was 8.21% while the operating profit margin was 25.7% and net profit margin was 17%. In the fifth the company had some weaknesses such as wholesale price, style and quality and the retail outlet. The strengths during year five were free shipping offered, the good advertisement made, the delivery time, the rebate time offered and the celebrity appeal the business had. The asset turnover for year five was 0.72. Strategic Thinking a.) Strategic Analysis The basis strategy used in the simulation was a differentiation strategy â€Å"this seeks to provide products or services benefits that are different from those of competitors and that are widely valued by buyers† (Johnson et al, 2006) pg 153. C Seasons offered a good quality product and started with a slightly lower price for a quality product that it was producing. C Seasons used the PESTEL framework to analyse its external environment. â€Å"The PESTEL framework categorises environmental influences into six main types; political, economical, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors† Johnson et al (2006) pg 25. The aims was to achieve competitive advantage by offering better product or services at a reasonable price or enhancing margins slightly higher. Although, Seasons product may be identical, but possible to differentiate on the basis of the following Quality product Reasonable price Global brand Broad market Unique value Niche market Product differentiation is another strategy for gaining a market foothold, and to be successful, product differentiation must be valued by target customers. It must be protected by products, make duplication by rivals difficult or impossible Today, most successful and powerful companies grew out of business model that were elegant, compelling in their logic and powerful in economic potential as some variation of the value chain that support business. b.) Mission And Vision â€Å"A mission is a general expression of the overall purpose of the organisation, which, ideally, is in line with the values and expectations of major stakeholders and concerned with the scope and boundaries of the organisation† Johnson, et al (2006) pg 9. â€Å"A vision can also be described as desired future of the organisation. It is an aspiration around which a strategist might seek to focus the attention and energies of members of the organisation† Johnson, et al (2006) pg 9. Therefore, the mission of C Seasons will be to become ‘the major player in the market and the vision is ‘to produce the best footwear that are worn and cherished the world over by both children and adult. External Environment External environment examines opportunities and threats that exit in the environment. Both opportunities and threats exist independently of the firm (Adkins, March 2008). See appendices. Internal Environment The internal environments are those that the company can set up strategies for and make sure that the decisions are the right one for the company. See appendices. Value Chain Value chain analysis also highlights the mechanisms through which developing countries and their procedures have upgraded their activities and linked to producers and consumers in the global economy, or may do so in the future in a manner that can lead to a sustainable income growth. The results of this type of analysis should indicate the way to policy challenges confronting the private and public agents operating in or promoting the chain (Kaplinsky,2000). The VRIO framework was the foundation for internal analysis in order to lead to sustainable competitive advantage a resource or capability should be valuable, rare, imitable and organised. Decision Making And Personal Learning C Seasons decided not to take a bank loan in the first year of business, the reason for this was to see if the company could sustain itself without a loan or overdraft. At the end of year one the company had a total sales of $267,140m with a net profit of $37,666m. In year four the business decided to issue dividends to shareholders, a $0.50 was to be aid to each shareholders per the number of shares they hold. The reason for the dividend been paid to shareholders was as a result of increase in the businesses market share and profit. The reason why the net profit in year four was low was as a result of the exchange rate at the time which went up to $21,764m compared to $6,756m in year three. The company had problems with its style and quality during the first two years of business and were able to sort it out by year three. In order to generate net income on our investment, we signed a celebrity to endorse our product and also wear the footwear during shows and also placed some adversitment on TV and billboards. We tried to create a new concept with good features in order to meet customers aspiration at this period our firm started making sales. In all, this exercise have exposed me to know how business can be done in real life and make necessary strategic decision that will make the business more viable to operate. These also allowed me to have an in depth understanding of business practice and ability to have a longterm vision and generate positive customer and shareholder expectation. I was also able to know how to use the accounting ratios in calculating for businesses. Conclusion To gain return on investment, strategic decisions must be made in accordance with the set objectives, the report focused on developing strategic decisions which helped in comparing the simulation to a real life business. An important skill derived will monitor numerical information and analysing these statistics in order to forecast the future and successfully survive in the business. The various experienced gained during the cause of the simulation game and comparison of other group result to improve the firms decision making were utilised this included taking risks to ensure that the firm performance in the market is high. Charts and financial ratios were analysed during the course of the simulation exercise to complete the tasks, this helped the decision making process. Making use of resources and information that is available. Recommendations C Seasons is clearly the top of its industry, but no company is invulnerable. Seasons has several avenues of improvement. If they want to continue to build upon their lead and maintain their status in the industry, they need to take a hard look at their mission and define it in SMART terms. The ability to reach some of their target customers in such a fashion could be a huge marketing advantage. Seasons reputation will be more positive and if they can gain back customers lost due to negative publicity. People already associate Seasons with quality retail products. It would be even better to feel good about buying their product and not feel as if people are being exploited every time they purchase a Seasons product. Appendices The Summary of Internal and External Analysis Swot The SWOT summarizes the key issues from business environment and the strategies capability useful as a basis against which to generate strategic options and assess future courses of option(Harvard Business Essentials,2005). Its helps to generate strategic alternatives from a situation analysis, and can be applicable to either corporate level or business unit level and do appears in marketing plans The internal and external situation analysis can produce a large amount of information, much of which may not be highly relevant. The SWOT analysis classifies the internal aspects of the company as strengths or weaknesses and the external situational factors as opportunities or threats. The following diagram shows how a SWOT analysis fits into a strategic situation analysis. SWOT Profile The internal and external situation analysis can produce a large amount of information, much of which may not be highly relevant. The SWOT analysis classifies the internal aspects of the company as strengths or weaknesses and the external situational factors as opportunities or threats. In summary, the interaction of the internal and external analysis will result to SWOT important. e.g, the strengths can be leveraged to pursue opportunities and to avoid threats, and managers can be alerted to weaknesses that might need to be overcome in order to successfully pursue opportunities. Strengths In a SWOT analysis, the capabilities that enable Seasons company to perform wellcapabilities that needs to be leveraged. The company has introduced many innovative products giving it a competitive edge. Its global reach provides it an opportunity to tap growing global footwear market. The companys consistent innovations have enabled it to remain competitive and maintain market share Weaknesses In a SWOT analysis, the characteristics that prohibit Seasons company or unit from performing well and need to be addressed. The seasons company falls behind in brand awareness compared to its competitors because of lacking celebrity endorsements. The company faces intense competition from global players such as other competitors. Opportunities In SWOT analysis, the trends, forces, events, and ideas that Seasons company or unit can capitalize on. The global footwear market has shown positive growth in recent years. The North Americas and EU markets are expected to grow at CAGR of 4.3% and 3.2%, respectively, to reach values of $93.2 billion and $60 billion in 2010. The Asia Pacific region is set to grow more strongly in the 20052010 period, recording a CAGR of 4.7%. a positive outlook for the global footwear market would boost the revenue growth of the company. Threats In a SWOT analysis, the possible events or forces that Seasons company or unit must plan for or mitigate. The principal materials used in manufacturing footwear products are natural and synthetic rubber, plastic compounds, foam cushioning materials, nylon, leather, canvas, and polyurethane films used. As a result of rising oil prices, the prices of synthetic rubber and plastic based products has increased. Rising oil prices will further increase the prices for petroleum based products. Increasing raw material costs would increase the companys production costs and may affect its profitability. SWOT Analysis Limitations The classification of some factors as strengths or weaknesses, or as opportunities or threats was somewhat arbitrary. For example, a particular company culture can be either strength or a weakness. A technological change can be a either a threat or opportunity. But, the most important was that firms awareness of them and its development of a strategic plan to use them to its advantage. Competitive Environment The prospects for longterm industry wide growth in footwear sales are excellent. Athletic shoes have become the footwear of choice for children and teenagers, except for dressy occasions. Increased adult concerns regarding physical fitness are boosting adult purchases for use in exercise and recreational activities. Distribution Channels The ultimate customers for athletic footwear, of course, are the people who wear the shoes. But athletic footwear manufacturers have all refrained from integrating forward into retailing and making direct sales to the final user. Customer demand for athletic footwear is diverse in terms of price, quality, and types of models. There are customers who are satisfied with no frills budgetpriced shoes and there are customers who are quite willing to pay premium prices for topoftheline quality, multiple features, and fashionable styling. Wholesale Selling Price The higher your companys wholesale price to retailers, the higher the prices that retailer will charge customers. Consumers are quite knowledgeable about the prices of different brands, and many do comparison shopping on price before setting upon a brand to purchase. The Number Of Retail Outlets Retail outlets are essential in accessing the consumer market. The more retail outlets a company has carrying its brand of shoes, the more market exposure a manufacturer has and the easier it is for consumers to purchase the brand. Celebrity Endorsements Footwear companies can contract with celebrity sports figure to endorse their footwear brand and appear in company ads. Celebrity endorsements, along with the impressions and perceptions people gain from watching a companys media ads over time, combine to define how strong a brand image a company enjoys in the minds of athletic footwear buyers. Customer Rebates Manufacturers who give rebates provide retailers with rebate coupons to give buyers at the time of purchase. To obtain the rebate a customer must fill out the coupon and mail it to the manufacturers distribution warehouse, along with the receipt of purchase. The VRIO framework was used to evaluate how capable Seasons Value A resource is valuable if it helps the company to meet an external threat or exploit an opportunity. If a resource helps to bring about any one of these four things then its valuable Quality Service Seasons offer a quality service, and the good does whats designed for exceptionally well. Innovation Process innovation can influence efficiency rather than having a direct effect, because the company can have at least temporary monopoly on new product. Rare Seasons brand name is valuable but most of its competitors ,also have widely recognised brand names as well, making it not that rare. The Seasonls brand may be most recognised, but makes it more valuable not more rare. Uniqueness Its a prime locations, design, and intellectual property. Inimitability The inimitable resource are often result of historical, ambiguous or social complex causes. Intangible resources or capabilities like corporate culture or reputation are very hard to imitate and so inimitable e.g Seasons marketing strategy leads to distribution, partnership programme leads to customer relation management. Organised A resource is organised if the firm was able to actualise it. If analysis does turn up a valuable, rare and imitable resource that Seasons was not taking advantage of, then recommendations. Porters Five Forces The essence of formulating competitive strategy, writes scholar porter was relating a company to its environment. Every companys environment includes with customers, competitors, suppliers and regulators etc, and has impact on its profit potential (Harvard Business Essentials,2005). Both current and potential customer, each requirements for product quality, features and utility. Changes in the external environment may be related to competitors, suppliers, partners, customers, sociochanges, economic environment etc. The external analysis was use to examine opportunities and threats which do exists in the environment, and both opportunities and threat exists independently of the firm. The opportunities were favourable conditions in the environment, which produce the results for an organisation if agreed. But, the threats were conditions or barriers that may prevent the firms from reaching its objectives. Power Of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers was very high, as Seasons continue to market their products and differentiate their brands against competitors, so as to increase sales and market share. With the use of internet marketing, helps the company to improve accessibility and intimacy among users. It helps the brand entity plays its role in purchasing behaviour, strong identity will gives customers trusts and loyalty. Some of the online customers are sensitive to price and switching cost for the buyer was low. Power Of Suppliers The threats of bargaining power of Suppliers was very low, many suppliers in this industry, little differentiation among suppliers and makes it nonexistence. The suppliers dependent on the firm in order to survive can switch between suppliers quickly and cheaply due to geographical locations, cheap labours on various regions. In this industry, raw materials were abundantly present (Leather, rubber, cotton) etc, will help the seasons to standardise their input procedure especially to material used, labours, suppliers, services and logistics in some of the regions. Threats Of Substitutes The buyers propensity to substitute was very low. Consumers are not likely to substitute due to the performance specification of the product. e.g, a basketball player would not wear boots to play basketball. Therefore, there are no real substitutes for athletic footwear. Consumer substitutes for athletic footwear products are low because there are little alternatives to switch, some substitutes for athlete footwear could be boots, sandals, dress shoes or bear feet. Barriers To Entry Threats of entry was very low in the sense that, seasons is able to control their costs to retain performance advantage over emerging competitors in the industry. The capital injection into web site development is high and must be updated frequently with new promotions and added features to attract online shoppers. There are many proprietary product differences in the industry therefore brand identity has an immediate competitive advantage. The online footwear industry is highly abundant with hundreds on online merchants. Switching cost is low for the consumer, and may occur frequently depending on consumer preference and other factors affecting consumer, and may occur decision, (i.e. price sensitive consumers). Selling footwear online is highly competitive; however, barriers to enter into this ecommerce industry are quite low. Rivalry Among Existing Competitors The rivalry among existing competitors in the footwear industry was very high. Most individuals in North America have access to high speed internet and online purchasing has become the new trend for the twenty first century. Almost every large firm has a web site, and most of these web sites contain virtual stores which provide convenience to consumers. Competition is fierce in the footwear industry and those who dominate or lead the market do so with high capital expenditures, aggressive sales and marketing strategies, and strong brand identity. Pestle Analysis Political Analysis Political environment vary widely between countries and can alter rapidly. Government can of course create significant opportunities for organisations. It is important, however, to determine the level of political risk before entering a country (Johnson et al, 2009) pg 218. Examples are the political stability of the country, tax policies, etc. Economic Analysis key comparators in deciding entry are levels of gross domestic product and disposable income which help in estimating the potential size of the market. However, companies must also be aware of the stability of a countrys currency which mat affect its income stream (Johnson et al, 2009) pg 218. Examples inflation rate, interest rates, labour costs, etc. Social Analysis Social factor will clearly be important, for example the availability of well trained workforce or the size of demographic market segments old or young relevant to the strategy (Johnson et al, 2009) pg 218. Examples are income distribution, consumer behaviour, living standard. Legal Analysis Countries vary widely in their legal regime, determining the extent to which businesses can enforce contracts, protect intellectual property or avoid corruption. (Johnson et al, 2009) pg 219. Another external factor that C Seasons faced was other competitor, this was difficult because we new that other industries would have access to our details and would see what we were doing and try to target our business. The edge our industry had was that we spent more on advertising and reducing our delivery time to two weeks. Internal Environment Technology Capabilities All the industry under the simulation game has got one thing in common and that it we are all making athletic footwear. We all want to make the best footwear and so we would make sure that we use the best and very latest technology to produce the best footwear for the athlete or for the public that would wear them. Distribution This is how the footwear is distributed to the wholesalers and private customers. C Seasons was able to reduce delivery time from four weeks to two weeks which helped sales. Purchase Decision Purchase decision is what will determine the product a customer will purchase or buy, this would in turn reflect in the decision to be made by the company. In all cases, before customer makes a decision to purchase a particular product they would compare prices of the product with the value they hope to enjoy from such product. C Seasons was able to enhance the purchase decisions of its customers by making their footwear a high quality with good styling.

Heterogeneous Space In Architecture

Heterogeneous Space In Architecture In Space Reader: Heterogeneous Space in Architecture, Michael Hensel, Christopher Hight and Achim Menges discusses the possible approach of heterogeneous space in contemporary architecture through examining the role of space in Modern and Post-Modern architecture, To understand what constitutes heterogeneous space, let us examine each term. Most simply, heterogeneous means something (an object or system) that consists of a diverse range of items or qualities, which can include differences in kind as well as differences in degree. These could be multiplicities of things, abrupt changes or smooth gradients. However, the dominant approach to such diversities draws from a Platonic lineage that sees all the variations in reference to a model or perhaps a norm; all apparent differences are here really only deviations from the model, their identity given by degrees of resemblance to a single uniformity. All diversity is seen as phenomena measured against this unity, which is seen as more real, even if it only exists as an ideal or statistical mean. This is true for dualism as well. Examples might be the traditional opposition of masculine and feminine, in which the latter is treated as a version of the first, or any number of racisms. Luce Irigaray h as shown that the logic of dualisms involves not two terms but only the semblance of two terms. Phallocentrism is the use of a netural or universal term to define both sexes: within this structure, there is not one term, man, ant another independent term that is denigrated, woman. Rather, there is only one term, the other being defined as what it is not, its other or opposite. Irigarays claim is that woman is erased as such within this logic: there is no space for women because taking their place is the specter or simulacrum of woman, mans fanciful counterpart, that which he has expelled and other from himself. Gilles Deleuze has called this the Logic of the Same, and while it may appear either benign or despotic, it nevertheless always forecloses the possibility of real difference. Implicit in the pervasiveness of structures of binarization is the refusal to acknowledge the invisibility or negligibility of the subordinated term, its fundamental erasure as an autonomous or contained term. The binary structure not only defines the privileged term as the only term of the pair, but it infinitizes the negative term, rendering it definitionally amorphous, the receptacle of all that is excessive or expelled from the circuit of the privileged term. Yet while attempting to definitively and definitionally anchor terms, while struggling for settled, stabilized power relation, while presenting themselves s immutable and givem dualisms are always in the process of subtle renegotiation and redefinition. They are considerablt more flexible in their scope and history than their logic would indicate, for each term shifts and their values realign, while the binarized structure remains intact. It would be a mistake to assume that these oppositional categories are somehow fixed or immune to reordering and subtle shifts. Therefore, something significant is at stake once one thinks of differences as a positivity rather than simply a variance from uniformity. Here we should distinguish between difference and diversity in the way Deleuze described for philosophical traditions of ontology and epistemology in Difference and Repetition (1968). Difference is not diversity. Diversity is given, but the difference is that by which the given is given. Difference is not a phenomenon but the noumenon closest to phenomenon. .. Every diversity and every change refers to a difference which is its sufficient reason. Everything which happens and everything which appears is correlate with orders of difference: difference of level, temperature, pressure, tension, potential, difference of intensity. Deleuze argues that rather than naturalise the Logic of the Sames presumption of an underlying uniformity, we should accept the diversity of the universe as such and not attempt to reduce it. Once one accepts that diversity is irreducible rather than simply variations on or resemblances to an ideal model of Sameness, the problem becomes not how to account for divergences but how to think through multiplicities and how they happen and are correlated through other differences. Deleuze argues that such differences are Real, not effects of our perception or cultural constructions. Indeed, these differences produce the events, objects, and qualities that produce affective phenomena (such as temperature changes). Everything is produced via events of differentiation, even coherences and order. That is, while heterogeneity was once understood as a divergence from an underlying uniformity of Being that needed explanation, now we need to explain any apparent uniformity and ordering via process es of differentiation. Difference is active production of apparently coherent Beings-as-events. Thus, heterogeneity is a condition where phenomena of coherences across diversities are produced by processes of differentiation and can be understood and apprehended as such. This runs immediately into common ideas of space as homogeneous and passive, ordered only by the imposition of form, movement, activities or boundaries understood as distinct from space itself. In other words, space is seen as the product of formal operations or as a neutral and uniform space for such relations. Such commonplace are incompatible with the immanent heterogeneity of things since space becomes an underlying or overlaying uniformity against which to read diversity. Obviously, the differentials sketched above occur in time but also in space. This field of relations transforms through time and space, indeed is spatially configures through temporal transformations (for example, heated air produced a different spacing of molecules). Heterogeneous space therefore neither pre-exists diversity, nor is it simply the effect of processes of differentiation; rather, it is the immanent field of relations between differentials. It is not static but always flux, and therefore might be more precisely understood as the spacing through which difference manifests and is constituted via other differentials. The nature of heterogeneous space and homogeneous space can be studied by looking at Deleuze and Guattaris discussion of smooth and striated space using chess and game of Go for comparison in A Thousand Plateaus. In chess, the pieces are hierarchically differentiated while the board consists of a simple grid that is almost neutral but polarized between two sides (analogous to battle fronts). The pieces move across the grid, but always with a bias to the two fronts. In occupying the spaces, the pieces change the strategic conditions of the game. However, the strategic space of the game is constructed by moving distinct objects in relation to one another across what remains an essentially homogeneous and static field. In the game of Go, on the other han, the pieces are minimally differentiated (they are only black or white discs). While chess pieces occupy the spaces of the grid as if they were enclosed territories, in Go the discs are located at cross-points of a much larger grid field. Instead of moving, pieces are placed and remain, only being altered when surrounded by pieced of the opposite color. Players do not advance in fronts, but can place discs anywhere to control the board from all sides, attempting to create conditions where the addition of one single piece might create a closed territory around many opposite colors and potentially instantly switch control of the board. Here, the pieces are not so much objects occupying territories within an otherwise homogeneous space as charges within a fluctuating field-space out of which territorial boundaries emerge or are held open across distances. What one manipulates in Go is thus the space of th game itself. While the typological pieces are dominant in chess, using translational dynamics to produce strategic effects, in Go space dominates the notational pieces, whose importance is determined purely by their relation to the space around them and is dynamic, holding the potential for a multiplicity of outcomes at any stage. Chess poses active objects moving through a static space that is basically homogenous. In Go, space itself is in flux and cannot be reduced to a static frame of reference or ordering measure. For Deleuze and Guattari these two games suggest different ways of understanding the relationship between identity, agency and space: chess pieces entertain biunivocal relations with one another, and with the adversarys pieces: their functioning is structural. On the other hand, a Go piece has only a milieu of exteriority, or extrinsic relations with nebulas or constellations as bordering, encircling, shattering. All by itself, a Go piece can destroy an entire constellation synchronically; a chess piece cannot (or can do so diachronically only) Chess pieces are actors whose roles are defined a priori of the temporal spatial relationships, while those of Go are produced through the playing of a game. To extend this analogy, in the heterogeneous space like that of Go, identity and agency is produced via contingent spatial relationship with many similarly informed but also thereby differentiated actors. In chess, on the other hand, identity is given and occupies a given role and space as a sovereign subject in relation to others. The queen is always the most powerful piece; a pebble in Go is critical or not only in relation to the space of the board it participates in constructing. The body politics of chess requires a static space through which to organize itself; the multitude of Go is at once constructed through space and a spatial construct. One plays Go by managing spatial differentials; one plays chess by deploying already defined differences in space. Heterogeneous space can thus be contrasted to an isotonic space through which one moves. Rather than defining difference against a constant measure, or metric, of space as a ground, differentiation is produced via the immanent unfolding of spatial processes. These differentiations could be sudden or gradual, or both at different locations. Moreover, there can exist within the same dimensions a manifold set of such relationships; these sets, or systems, might be intricately entwined or barely connected though they must be calibrated to each other in some way and not simply overlapped. In terms of design, this understanding of heterogeneous space would hold that differentiation of use and complexity of form arise from spatial qualities, and that these qualities are inseparable from its material conditions. This space could produce controlled but varied atmospheric effects as well as different performative capacities that are not determined by programmatic function. Such a space would necessarily be affective in relation to the actors and agencies that traverse it, enfolding subjective perception with its material conditions. Moreover, these spatial affects would not be distince or th result of formal organizations of matter but would be means through which material and programmatic organizations would be configured and manifested. Heterogeneous space in architecture is therefore neither difference produced by form within an overall uniformity (modern space) not a collage of distinct formal elements (Post-Modern space). Instead, the proposition of a heteroheneous sp ac would produce and permit differentiation and discontinuity of both quality and organization across multiple conditions within an overall coherency. In a certain sense, all of Deleuzes works, as Deleuze makes clear in his reading of Foucault, are about the outside, the unthought, the exterior, the surface, the simulacrum, the fold, lines of flight, what resists assimilation, what remains foreign even within a presumed identity, whether this is the intrusion of a minor language into a majoritarian one of the pack submerged within an individual. It is significant that Deleuze, like Derrida, does not attempt to abandon binarized thought or to replace it with an alternative; rather, binarized categories are played off each other, are rendered molecular, global, and are analysed in their molar particularities, so that the possibilities of their reconnections, their realignment in different system, are established. (desire) Can architecture inhabit us as much as we see ourselves inhabiting it? Does architecture have to be seen in terms of subjectivization and semiotization, in terms of use and meaning? Can architecture be thought, no longer as a whole, a complex unity, but as a set of and site for becomings of all knids? What would such an understanding entail? In short, can architecture be thought, in connection with other series, as assemblage? What would this entail? What are the implications of opening up architectural discourses to Deleuzian desire-as-production? Can is become something -many things other than what it is and how it presently functions? If its present function is an effect of the crystallization of its history within, inside, its present, can its future be something else? How can each be used by the other, not just to affirm itself and receive external approval but also to question and thus to expand itself, to become otherwise, without assuming any provolege or primacy of the one over the other and without assuming that the relation between them must be one of direct utility or translation? Architecture has tended to conceive of itself as an art, a science, or a mechanics for the manipulation of space, indeed probably the largest, most systematic and most powerful mode for spatial organization and modification. Deleuze claims that Bergson is one of the great thinkers of becoming, of duration, multiplicity, and virtuality. Bergson developed his notion of duration in opposition to his understanding of space and spatiality. This understanding of duration and the unhinging of temporality that it performs are of at least indirect relevance to the arts or sciences of space, which may, through a logic of invention, derail and transforms space and spatiality in analogous ways. Space is understood, according to Deleuze, as a multiplicity that brings together the key characteristics of externality, simultaneity, contiguity or juxtaposition, difference of degree, and quantitative differentiations. Space is mired in misconceptions and assumptions, habits and unreflective gestures that convert and transform it. Architecture, the art or science of spatial manipulation, must be as implicated in this as any other discipline or practice. According to Bergson, a certain habit of thought inverts the relations between space and objects, space and extension, to make it seem as if space precedes objects, when in fact space itself is produced through matter, extension, and movement: Concrete extensity, that is to say, the diversity of sensiblequalities, is not within space; rather it is space that we thrust into extensity. Space is not a ground on which real motion is posited; rather it is real motion that deposits space beneath itself. But our imagination, which is preoccupied above all by the convenience of expression and the exigencies of material life, prefers to invert the natural order of the termsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Therfore, it comes to see movement as only a variation of distance, space being thus supposed to precede motion. Then, in a space which is homogeneous and infinitely divisible, we draw, in imagination, a trajectory and fix positions: afterwards, applying the movement to the trajectory, we see it divisible like the line we have drawn, and equally denuded of quality. Space in itself, space outside these ruses of the imagination, is not static, fixed, infinitely expandable, infinitely divisible, concrete, extended, continuous, and homogeneous, though perhaps we must think it in these terms in order to continue our everyday lives. Space, like time, is emergence and eruption, oriented not to the ordered, the controlled, the static, but to the event, to movement or action. If we shut up motion in space, as Bergson suggests, then we shut space up in quantification, without ever being able to think space in terms of quality, of difference and discontinuity. Space, ineffect, is matter or extension, but the schema of matter, that is, the representation of the limit where the movement of expansion would come to an end as the external envelope of all possible extensions. In this sense, it is not matter, it is not extensity, that is in space, but the very opposite. And if we think that matter has a thousand ways of becoming expanded or extended, we must also say that there are all kinds of distinct extensities, all related, but still qualified, and which will finish by intermingling only in our own schema of space. It is not an existing, God-given space, the Cartesian space of numerical division, but an unfolding space, defined, as time is, by the arc of movement and thus a space open to becoming, by which I mean becoming other than itself, other than what it has been. It is to refuse to conceptualise space as a medium, as a container, a passive receptacle whose form is given by its content, and instead to see it as a moment of becoming, of opening up and proliferation, a passage from one space to another, a space of change, which changes with time.

Analysis of Things Fall Apart Essay -- Chinua Achebe

Different countries have people that hold many different views and beliefs. In Nigeria the Igbo area is located in the southern area of the country. And within this area is Umuofia, which is where the Ogidi tribe lives. These people have beliefs that rest strongly on religion and faith in god. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe takes a look at the life of an African tribe that has been isolated from the outer more technologically advanced world where science has become a part of religion proving that certain things live sickness are not caused by evil spirits. But the African tribe has no knowledge of this and they live in a society where there traditions, beliefs and there forms of communication differ from are own. In Umuofia, traditions are an important part of their lives. They celebrate festival that has been celebrated by their people for hundreds of years. ?The feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honor the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan?. They beliefs were that if they prayed to the earth goddess she would give them a good season to grow their crops. They had other traditions in their tribe, like the process you must follow to marry. After coming to the ugi they would bid for the price of the woman in broomsticks because they felt that talking with cowries was insulting to the woman because it was like buying something at the market. ?. Akueke?s bride price was finally settled at twenty bags of cowries?. This tribe believed that the groom must pay to have his wife, which is how they had always done it. To be successful in Umuofia you want to, have many wives and many kids and have many barns full of yams and have titles with the clan. Okonkwo was one of the w... ...e had such a temper he would beat them. And because of his pride he would never stop until he was done beating them. Okonkwo had a very tough personality and was known through out the land as being a fierce fighter who had claimed five heads of his opponents. This culture really varies from ours in many ways because of the ways they communicate is so different from how we would ever consider doing here. The Igbo tribe has values beliefs and ideas that are strongly rooted in the gods. The way in which they communicate and interact shows a lack of respect towards woman and they are treated like slaves to men. Achebe?s novel ?Things Fall Apart? gives a good insight into the aspects a of a culture that before him had never need explored, and it gives the reader a good look at what the beliefs, values and the way the members of the community communicate and interact.

Divine Comedy - Dante and Virgils Relationship in Canto XIV of Dante’s

Dante and Virgil's Relationship in Canto XIV of Dante’s Inferno In Canto XIV of Dante’s Inferno, Virgil describes the statue of the Old Man of Crete. Dante uses the Old Man of Crete as a metaphor for Virgil’s legacy in order to elucidate the nature of Dante’s and Virgil’s relationship. In the beginning of the metaphor, Dante carefully and methodically illustrates the grandeur of the Greek empire and Roman civilization. "[Mount Ida] was once chosen," Virgil explains, "as a trusted cradle/ by Rhea for her son" (XIV.100-101). According to Roman mythology, Rhea gave birth to Zeus, who ultimately became the father of all Greek gods and mortal heroes and served as the cornerstone of Greek civilization. Crete, thus, is the "cradle" or birthplace of Greek civilization. In the Aeneid, Crete is also the birthplace of the Roman civilization, a concept that is important because it already begins to point to the greatness of Virgil and his homeland. The position of the statue of the Old Man provides a straightforward glimpse of the status of Rome and the legacy of Virgil. Standing straight and "erect" (XIV.104), the Old Man "looks at Rome" with his back "turned toward Damietta" (XIV.104-105). The statue’s back faces Damietta, an ancient city in Egypt. What’s more important, though, is that the Old Man is facing Rome. This precise detail makes it clear that Dante the poet wants his contemporary readers to know that Rome is the direction towards which society is converging. The image of the statue looking at Rome "as if it were his mirror" (XIV.105) drives this point further. Within Rome, the Old Man sees a reflection of all of his characteristics; Rome is a natural extension of all the great aspects of the Greek culture, including... ...to the Romans. Virgil is the conduit through which the tradition of Homeric poets and Greek literature flows. On the other hand, Dante also seems to be describing the deterioration of Virgil’s legacy: the Old Man is "of choicest iron/ except for his right foot, made of baked clay; and he rests more on this than on the left" (XIV.109-111). Furthermore, "down that fissure there are tears that drip" (XIV.113). The tears are metaphors for the flowing away of Virgil’s legacy. The tears form the rivers of hell, which suggests that Dante is using Virgil’s description of hell as a basis for his own vision. By doing so, he builds his reputation but takes away from Virgil’s fame. Dante must stand on his own feet, which is the reason why the Old Man is leaning on his crumbling, "baked clay" foot. Dante’s challenge, then, is upholding Virgil’s legacy while building up his own.

Henry David Thoreau: a Philosophical Reflection Essay

Henry David Thoreau was an inexhaustible writer that encompassed poetry and philosophy within his narratives and created a style of writing that, for his time, was difficult to define and categorize. Because of this his works were often overlooked for the genius that was held within them as writers of his time had already begun to stray from the traditional stances of philosophy. However, one can easily survey the works of Henry David Thoreau and do so with an immense amount of appreciation for his keen ability to contemplate and delve into the varied psyches and perspectives that man holds. And despite the difficulties in categorization it cannot be denied that Thoreau’s works were powerful and filled with brilliance. Thoreau wrote from a contemplative platform. He was not one who was frightened by solitude. Coined often as saying, â€Å"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness, weakness. † He passionately held to the understanding that in order to embrace all the wonder and beauty that the world holds we as a people needed to slow down, to observe our surroundings and embrace all that is before us. And sometimes in order to do that, more often in order to do that, one needed to disconnect and detach from distractions and things that skewed one’s vision in order to do so. Thoreau held to the belief that, â€Å"our limited view often keeps us from appreciating the harmonious interdependence of all parts of the natural world: this is not due to â€Å"any confusion or irregularity in nature,† but because of our own incomplete knowledge. † This was just one of many excerpts taken from Thoreau’s work, Walden, that expressed his elief that we have so much to gain by embracing more than our own perspectives as a singular perspective only sees from one vantage point. This particular work of Thoreau’s, Walden, really highlighted his fusion of philosophy and poetry amidst a presented narrative. And as previously mentioned, while it made it hard to categorize, Thoreau did gain notoriety for its content and his literary prowess. Thoreau was a Harvard graduate. He was a student of ancient scripture as well as one who studied literature containing Asian wisdoms and traditions. He was well versed and enjoyed covering a broad spectrum of material. He enjoyed the philosophical perspectives of Locke and Coleridge as well as holding honor and respect for Emerson, despite their different outlooks at times. It was evident in his writings that he held a great value for nature. He also found importance in seeking out God in the midst of nature’s existence. Thoreau held to this belief not just as a mere perspective but as a life philosophy as well. The evidence of such was found in that many of his greatest writings came when silence stilled the atmosphere and he was able to enter into the beauty that the earth around him held. After all it was his belief that beauty was more than just in the eye of the beholder but was actually held within one, a beholder, who was able to first perceive it. Thoreau brilliantly described his viewpoints in his explorations of human perspectives and challenged individuals to see beyond the mere surface of things. We see this demonstrated in the expression of his story, Walden. He was out in the woods, far from any other individual for two years and two months. During that time, he became one with nature in a way he found difficult to do amongst the bustling of a busy city. He provided for himself through his work laboring the land and as he was secluded in this place he was able to gain a deeper perspective of life through his silent contemplations of the life that surrounded him. It wasn’t loud, crowded and crazy, filled with opinions and demands. The wilderness provided a contemplative canvas of beauty where every possibility could be considered without the rude interruptions that often come with man’s agenda. In the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy it was aptly conveyed that one of the greatest attributes or virtues of Thoreau’s writings was awareness. Thoreau had a talent for drawing his reader’s into a greater understanding of things they were not first nature to them and causing them to ponder, reflect and evaluate life in a deeper manner. Life is more than what it first appears and that in the embrace of simplicity one can begin to see and behold all that there is beyond what merely man has created himself, this was a message of great importance to Thoreau. Henry David was also an agent of change. In arousing individuals to embrace greater perspectives of life philosophies he compelled them further to change the way that they approached life. His belief was this, â€Å"We need to cherish and nurture our capability to discern the difference between the idea and reality, between what is and what ought to be. It is when we experience dissatisfaction with ourselves or with external circumstances that we are stimulated to act in the interest of making things better. † If we strive to uphold a certain value but are not actively doing things that promote our values or beliefs then there is a chasm between what is and what should be and Thoreau was not shy about addressing this issue in his writings. Ultimately Henry David Thoreau was an inspirational writer who spurred his readers on to seek out and explore a life with deeper meaning. He admonished small thinking and in the same breath imparted a sense of hope and expectation in portraying that there was more to the world than meets the eye. It was just simply in the eye of the beholder to not only see it but perceive it. This thought was brilliantly encapsulated within a timeless quote credited to Henry David Thoreau when stated, â€Å"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. † If one believes, all things are possible.

Fresh Graduate Employment in Malaysia Essay

According to the 2011 Graduate Tracking Study of the Higher Education Ministry said that they are about 40,000 graduates in the country are still unemployed. The percentage of graduates which are still unemployed was 21 per cent from the public institutions of higher learning, 27 per cent from private intuitions. In addition, The Human Resource Ministry of Malaysia said that there are many graduates are good only in theory and many fresh graduates were unable to meet the expectations of the corporate sector. The concept of employability is general mean that employability refers to a wide range of attributes and competencies that enable the jobs seekers to gain and maintain employment such as, but not limited to the communication skills, logical, analytical and problem solving skills, personality, confidence and integrity, innovation and creativity, flexibility and adaptability and team spirit. Employability skills are not job specific, but are skills which cut involve with all industries and all jobs from entry level to chief executive officer (Sherer and Eadie, 1987). Recently, employer find out that there are a lot of graduates leave universities without the skills, attitude and understanding, all of that are necessary to successfully enter the world of works. One of the factors that causes the current graduates are unable to meet the employers’ expectations is most of the graduates are lacking of soft skills. As can be seen, in Malaysia many graduates that with the excellent degrees cannot get a good job at a popular or highly reputable company. This is because most graduates are lack of soft skills which are required from the employers. From these, the soft skills are very necessary for graduate jobs in the future. In addition, employers believe that universities and colleges have placed too much emphasis on academic achievement compared to the soft skills. Academic qualifications are essential, but the attitudes of graduates are equally, if not more, important to employers. A high grade point average alone does not guarantee the graduates’ employment. The general consensus among Malaysian employers indicates that Malaysian graduates are well trained in their areas of specialization but unfortunately they lack the ‘soft skills’ (Nurita, Shaharudin, Ainon, 2004). The basic requirement from employers expect from the graduates that has motivation which mean graduates have ability to think ‘outside the box’, problem solving skills and communication skills, and an ability to work both as part of a team and independently. Besides that, soft skills’ are cited as a critical deficiency by the employers who lament the inability of entry level applicants. According to the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (2011), 50. 4% of the graduate students were not confident with their soft skills before they graduated. While some of the soft skills can be learnt and assimilated through extracurricular activities, they are not systematically and sufficiently transferred to the graduates. Incorporation of programmes or subjects that emphasize on soft skills and the interest for lifelong learning will benefit the graduates. The second factor that causes the current graduates are unable to meet the employers’ expectations is the graduates are lack of exposure to the real world of work. Most of the graduates are lack of working experience. Employers said that the ‘experience’ is meaning that the graduates have either done community service or have had work for part time jobs in past so that the world of work is not new to them. In recent research from the recruitment company, it indicates that more than a third of the available jobs will be taken by graduates with experience. In addition, The Malaysian Government also conducted a survey on Malaysia graduates and it was discovered that about 30,000 Malaysian Graduates were unemployed due to lack of experience, poor English poor communication skill and because they had pursued studies irrelevant to the market place (Malaysian Today, 2005). In these 20th century, academic performance means less than real world experience when it comes to getting a position at a firm after graduation. Every job opening the graduates come across requires that graduates have experience. Employer needs worker to have working experience, employee with working experience will helps the company to save up the time to train the new employee and the graduates that have experience will have the skills to identify and analyze problems critically. Besides that, the other reason that employer need graduates to have experience is employers need to discriminate between applicants with a very similar academic profile and place increasing emphasis on the value of work experience. Without it, graduates may struggle to complete at the application stage. By completing an internship or part time jobs will provide graduates with the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate these skills at the application and interview stage. The last factor that causes the current graduates are unable to meet the employers’ expectations is the graduates are also lacking of proper career guidance and information. The major element has pointed out by many employers is the unrealistic expectation and demands of the graduates. This is because graduates generally believed their education and skills were sufficient. The universities considered their students to be well prepared for the transition to the workplace. Unfortunately, employers concluded that graduates now are citing unrealistic expectations and demands for higher salaries as examples. Most of the recent graduates are ‘too choosey’ even though they are fresh graduate that lack of working experience (New Straits Times, 2012). Besides that, most graduated won’t spend time checking the company’s background as they are only attracted by a difference in the salary of a few hundred ringgit. Cheah and Tay (2011) argued that employees would be more engaged in their jobs if they are supported by their supervisors and if they are empowered to make decision. Most of the students choose their course based on their friend’s and parent’s advices. They didn’t really found out what should they choose, since the choice of the student might affect their future career. Furthermore, employer expects the graduates to find out their company background before the graduates come for an interview. Job fairs and exhibitions can be held to engage employers and youth. Online community portal to facilitate collaboration for career counselors, students, new graduates and employers can include an interactive website for posting questions and answers, links to the various career guidance tools and manuals, and labor demand or supply statistical reports. In conclusion, there are still graduates are unable to meet the employers’ expectations. It will lead the unemployment rate increase in the country. Government should have plan a way for the formulation of long term strategies to solve the problems occurs. The today’s world of work, employer is increasingly expecting multi skilled and multi tasking employees. Since the job market is competitive that graduates need to do more than just present their background and qualifications. Besides that, graduates may need to apply new skills that will require them to learn and re-learn while on the job. Employers place a premium on graduates who can move between different challenges and who have soft skills with experienced. The most important for the graduates to get a job is self confidence and motivation to meet successfully the challenges of works and of course to survive in the world of works.